A terrible case of writers block for me today and of course, I have big shoes to fill seeing as Kate Petersen and Cookiebear both made the rec list with their WFD editions the past couple of weeks. I’ll do my best to uphold that bar they’ve raised on our weekly repast fest.
I was planning on doing recipes for the pooches and pooties of our lives but the book that was to inspire me is not at my house right now. It's a lame excuse but it's pretty damn cold there and there was no way I was getting out of my comfy clothes to go fetch it. Hopefully I'll get to that edition sooner rather than later.
Instead, it's comfort food because I've been feeling kind of stressed lately and needy.
Winter finally came to NJ. We've finally had a dusting of snow and I anxiously await a real snowfall - the snow day kind of snowfall. That might be because I am starting a new job on Monday and with any new adventure have a bit of anxiety coursing through my veins over it. It's not that I don't think I can do the job. I know I'll be fine on that one. The real stress is coming from the fact that after nearly six years, I am going back to a five day commuting work week. I've been commuting into the city only two days a week since forever so this is a big change for me. To make it even worse, it's an early morning shift and mornings and I have never really been that friendly with each other. But I've got my commuting plan down for the days I can use it and for the other two, I will drive. I guess I can't expect buses to run from 60 miles out to get me into NYC at 5am. The plus side is that it's significantly more money and more of a challenge. I've been bored silly the past couple years with what I was doing and so the new environment does excite me.
That's probably why I have found myself seeking comfort foods this past week or two. I didn't even realize it until I sat down to write this that I've been seeking comfort in my kitchen the past week and it's probably separation anxiety. This new adventure may also help me with the 20 lbs I gained since I quit smoking in August.
One of the things I like the most about comfort food is they tend to be easy and intensely personal in the way they are prepared and eaten. They also tend to be rather unhealthy but sometimes you have treat yourself.
Last weekend it was spareribs and sauerkraut. Normally I bake these in the oven but decided to dust off the slow cooker for them. It's a super easy dish and so delicious.
Oven Baked Spareribs and Sauerkraut
Preheat oven to 350.
Cut ribs into single ribs or use country style ribs.
Brown the meat in a small bit of oil. Deglaze the pot afterwards by sautéing sliced onions and then adding in a one cup of liquid (white wine is yummy, beef stock, or water).
In roaster, layer sauerkraut, sliced onions, and ribs. Top with sliced onions and sauerkraut so the ribs are covered.
Sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon sugar on top.
Add your deglazing liquid.
Lay a few slices of bacon top (optional)
Stick some small boiling potatoes around the pot.
Sprinkle some flour across the top.
Bake covered for 1 hour
Uncover and bake another 45 or 60 minutes.
Serve with a green salad.
Slow Cooker version:
Omit the bacon and cook on low for 8 hours or so.
A few days later, it was macaroni and cheese. I bet if you ask 50 people what kind of macaroni and cheese they eat, you will get 50 answers. I've tried bunches of recipes and this one seems to be the best fit for us - it is kid tested and approved. I've a few requirements for what constitutes good macaroni and cheese: it must be cheddar cheese and it must have some cream of some type in it. I've tried other types of cheese over the years and always go back to good old American cheddar. This particular recipe is from the NYTimes so everything is measured out instead of my usual handful of this and pinch of that method. The best part of this recipe is it doesn't require the pre-cooking of the macaroni so it's a real time savor. I use about 3/4 pound of macaroni sted of the 1/2 pound the recipe calls for and it's fine. Try subbing ricotta for the cottage cheese - it's good that way too.
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not lowfat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use 1 tablespoon butter to butter a 9-inch round or square baking pan.
- In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together. Reserve ¼ cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings. (or 2 kids)
Finally, the week had a pot of baked beans on the menu. With baked beans, the simpler the better. I don't even soak the beans for my recipe so keep the beano handy. Reserve an entire day for this recipe starting in the morning. It needs a good 8 hours in the oven. Soaking the beans overnight will shave off a couple hours. If you have an actual bean pot, you are my hero.
Baked Beans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Have your rack in the lower part of your oven.
2 cups navy beans. Rinse them and make sure they are clean from grit.
Render about 1/2 pound rinsed salt pork cut into 1/4 inch pieces with about 1/4 pound chopped bacon in a dutch oven or other oven safe large pot. Optionally trim the rind off first. Trimming will "disappear" the pork into the beans as it cooks. Leaving it on will keep it as small visible pieces. When slightly browned, add in 3/4 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion). Sauté until clear.
Add in about 1/2 cup good molasses (dark and mild is best), 2 tablespoons hearty mustard, some salt and pepper, and a mess of water (about 8 or 9 cups). Add beans, and bring to a boil.
Immediately remove from heat and put in preheated oven. It's really important to have everything hot when the baking starts otherwise you will add a good couple hours into the baking time.
After about 4 hours, stir. If you need to add liquid, make it boiling water. Bake another 4 hours or so and uncovering for the last 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Right before serving, stir in a bit more molasses - a spoonful or so and some cider vinegar. I like to serve this (and most beany things) with chopped fresh onions I've soaked in white or cider vinegar and a bit of sugar a couple of hours.
Have some good brown bread or cornbread ready to serve with the beans. They get better as they age in the fridge too.
And tonight?
Chili with black beans
This one is super easy too.
Sauté ground beef with spices of chile powder, cumin, and a bit of worcesterhire sauce, salt and pepper. I also grind some ancho peppers for and stick that in there. Add in some soaked black beans and tomato sauce and simmer for a couple hours. If you like spicy, add some cayenne or other hot pepper powder. (hint: I buy dried peppers at a local Mexican place and grind my own as I need it). Serve with shredded chedder and fresh onions/jalapenos soaked in white vinegar)
I've also had a major annoyance the past couple weeks. My spice grinder finally died (I wear them out after about a year) and I've been perusing the coffee grinder section at the market seeking a replacement. It's the one kitchen tool I can't live without and I really want one with a removable grinding cup/blade but the cuisenart one I found doesn't work that great - the blade is too high for small amounts. I've picked up an emergency replacement for cheapo at the market, but I'd like to upgrade to something easier to clean. Any suggestions?
So, what keeps you stress free and comfortable?
Enjoy, and may your winter be comfortable.