self-made bouillon de volaille (chicken broth). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rain Day Foods. We all love the rainy days when the patter of drops can be heard on our roof and coziness descends upon us. These days call out for warm, comforting meals that you can smell cooking all day and usually eat from a big bowl of food.

Soups, stews, chilies, and dumplings are what come immediately to mind when precipitation falls. Most of these can be made with whatever you have in your refrigerator and cupboards. Pull out any meat and brown and braise it to create a delicious stock as the base. Add in onions, garlic, bay leaves, and other spices to create a lovely broth.

For the vegetarians in the house, feel free to use either store bought vegetarian stock or put carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onions in water on a slow boil for an hour or so for the perfect stock!

You can create these meals in a pot on the stove or a slow cooker. Whatever road you take, make sure to keep in mind that slow cooking needs to be stirred and loved. You need to taste it often to make sure the depth is occurring during the simmering.

You then want to roast vegetables or potatoes in the oven as a base for your warm and cozy concoction. Rice, quinoa, and pasta can also work and are best cooked separately and added at the time of consumption to keep from soaking up all your broth.

The last necessary item is bread. Whether it’s a sourdough loaf warmed in the oven, cornbread made from scratch, or muffins made from a mix, there has to be something to sop up the amazing tastes you have created.

Settle into your favorite chair with a warm bowl and an old movie, and you’re in rainy day heaven.

Tags: Braising, Broth, Chili pepper, Cook, crock pot, dumplings, easy meals, Home, quinuoa, rainy day foods, Rice, savory and sweet, savoryandsweet.com, Slow cooker, Soups and Stews, spring, spring foods, stew, Wikipedia