This tart is a vehicle for two winter-friendly ingredients -- caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese. Caramelized onions are sweet, savory and slick. A lengthy cooking time coaxes out their abundant natural sugars and releases their juices, resulting in a squidgy heap of golden brown onions. Gruyere cheese is a nutty, piquant Swiss cheese, a favorite melting cheese in fondue, and equally delicious au naturel. Combine the two ingredients, and you have the makings for a richly savory winter meal, guaranteed to spark visions of snowflakes and crackling fires in your imagination. (At least in mine, since I live in California!)

This recipe is my best reproduction of an appetizer I ate years ago, when I lived in a Swiss winter wonderland near Geneva. It was a complimentary sliver of tart, passed around with a pre-dinner drink at a local auberge in the hills overlooking Lake Geneva. I have never forgotten this tart. It was simple and rustic, just like the half-timbered dining room in which it was served, with its man-size fireplace and crooked beamed ceiling.

There are few ingredients in this minimal creation, so every ingredient counts. Take the time to properly brown the onions and choose an authentic Gruyere cheese, preferably aged for deep flavor -- and you will be rewarded with this uncomplicated and seductive tart. Serve it as a light meal, or cut into thin slivers and pass around as an appetizer.

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Tart

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 2 hours

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces finely grated Gruyere cheese, divided

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish

1 egg, slightly beaten

Prepare the crust: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal, with some pieces of the butter visible. Add the water and pulse once or twice -- just until the dough comes together, adding another tablespoon of water if necessary. Dump the dough onto a work surface and form it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil over medium in a deep skillet or pot. Add the onions and salt; cook until the onions are golden brown, soft and squidgy, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Calvados and black pepper and cook until the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and cool while you roll out the dough.

Roll out the dough to fit in the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch round tart tin with a removable bottom. Sprinkle half the cheese over the bottom of the tart. Spread the onions in the shell and sprinkle the thyme over the onions. Brush the exposed crust rim with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tart and crust with the remaining cheese.

Bake the tart until the crust is firm and golden and the onions are deeply colored without blackening, about 30 minutes. Remove and cool slightly. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, garnished with additional thyme.

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January invites slow-cooking and one-pot meals. After the fancy food and hoopla of the holidays, the first month of the new year welcomes comforting meals without any bling or pretension. This curry is a perfect example. Brimming with vegetables and infused with coconut, this rich and aromatic stew is healthy and bright. Its spice and heat is guaranteed to warm a crowd, while jump-starting any dormant taste buds suffering the winter doldrums.

This easy curry is also a one-pot wonder, simply prepared in 30 minutes, and tastes great with basmati rice. It's perfect for a weeknight meal or no-fuss weekend dinner. Feel free to switch up the vegetables to your taste. Chicken thighs may also be used in place of the breast meat -- just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Coconut Chicken Vegetable Curry

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced 1/4–inch thick

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk

6 to 8 leaves lacinato or curly green kale, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped

1 red jalapeno pepper, sliced

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide pot or deep skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot in one layer without overcrowding. Cook until the chicken colors on all sides, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pot and then add the carrots and onion; saute until the carrots brightens in color and the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the poblano and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, to coat the vegetables and lightly toast the spice. Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the kale. Continue to simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through and the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.

Serve the curry in bowls with basmati rice. Garnish with the jalapeno slices and fresh cilantro.

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There is no better time to have a salad than in the winter. Yep, that's right: Salads aren't just summer fare. When the cold weather settles in, it's even more important to get our daily dose of vitamins and nutrients. Luckily, winter brings its own produce rock stars -- from glistening citrus to sturdy greens, hardy crucifers and root vegetables. Shredded, chopped and juiced, these ingredients can be layered into hefty salads laden with dried fruit, nuts and seeds and dubbed a complete meal.

This hearty salad is inspired by tabbouleh, a Middle Eastern bulgur salad liberally mixed with lemon, garlic and lots of fresh herbs. In this recipe, the bulgur is switched out with quinoa, a nutrient-rich seed, which is high in protein and gluten-free, and can be prepared like a grain. A shower of herbs and shredded red cabbage add crisp texture and flavor, while a variety of peppers and dried fruit add heat and sweetness.

The key to making this salad is to taste as you build it. There should be a balance of citrus, fragrance, heat and spice -- as well as a balance of textures. Quinoa requires a good amount of seasoning for good flavor, so season the quinoa before adding it to the salad. You will also find that the flavors of the salad will meld if it can sit for an hour or two before serving. No worries about wilting; the sturdy veggies in the salad will stay fresh and crisp.

Winter Citrus Quinoa Salad

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes; cooling time: 1 to 3 hours

Yield: makes 6 servings as a side dish or salad

1 1/2 cups red quinoa

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

4 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 large poblano pepper, seeded, finely diced

1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded, finely diced

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage

1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves chopped

1 bunch fresh cilantro sprigs, leaves chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped if large

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and thoroughly drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add the quinoa and cook for 1 minute to lightly toast the seeds, stirring frequently. Carefully add the water (it will sizzle). Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat until the quinoa is tender and releases its germ, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil, the lime juice, salt, cumin, paprika, coriander and cayenne. Stir to combine and cool to room temperature.

Add the scallions, peppers, cabbage, parsley, cilantro, raisins, garlic, orange juice and Tabasco. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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