It's cold, you've had a crappy day, the economy sucks, and you're hungry. If you're like me, a good meal is a tonic that soothes the soul while it nourishes the body and pleases the senses. Comfort foods are those dishes that we crave when we need a little nurturing. Generally speaking, they are simple and familiar - not fussy, haute, or frou-frou. Too often, though, the comfort food classics are loaded with calories and fat, too. I try to cook and eat (mostly) healthy food, but I refuse to sacrifice the pleasure of eating!
So grab a fork, 'cause Everybody Eats When They Come to My House!!
I'm a frugal cook, too. I credit my late Mum for this - the woman never wasted a morsel. Chicken and turkey carcasses became soups (often "refrigerator soup," made from whatever leftovers and wilting vegetables happened to be in there); leftover mashed potatoes morphed into salmon croquettes; the last scraps of roast beef became shepherd's pie. So, my mission is to present you with some dishes that are simple and delicious, economical, and healthy too. In the comments, please share your own favorites - whether they're healthy or not!
Roast Chicken(or Turkey) with Gravy
I am a Top Chef fanatic. A few weeks ago the chefs were given a "Last Meal" challenge - the charming Fabio was tasked with preparing roast chicken for Lidia Bastianich. He won the challenge. I hope it's a long time coming, but roast chicken may very well be what I'd request as a last meal. My stomach starts growling as soon as I smell it cooking! This is one of the very first things I ever learned to cook. It's easy, gorgeous, succulent, and economical. You can play with different seasonings and sides and use the leftovers in so many ways. I always get a fryer (3-4 pounds) and one small bird provides 4 meals for me and my husband. We eat it with gravy and mashed potatoes the first night, and then reheat sliced white meat in the leftover gravy the next night. I take the rest of the meat off of the bone, cook down the carcass, and make soup or pot pie filling, which provides at least 2 more dinners for us. If you've got a crowd to feed, this method works for turkey also. Or, you can cook a turkey breast (as pictured here).
1 small fryer
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped tarragon (use whatever you like, or a combo of herbs)
1 tsp grated lemon rind
Preheat oven to 500. Place rinsed, dried chicken into a roasting pan. While oven is heating, blend the garlic, herbs, and lemon rind in with the butter. With your fingers, separate the skin from the flesh of the chicken and rub the herbed butter under the skin, covering as much of the bird as you can. Rub a little onto the outside of the chicken. Cut the lemon in half and place inside the chicken.
Place chicken in the center of the oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn heat down to 325 and continue cooking, approximately 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of the chicken). When wings and legs move easily it's done. You may need to cover with foil at some point in the roasting if the skin is getting too brown - cover tightly, as tenting will allow moisture to build up and the skin won't be as crisp.
For the gravy:
flour (amount varies depending on how much fat/juice you get out of your chicken)
3-4 cups homemade chicken or turkey stock, or equal amount of low-salt canned stock
When chicken is done, remove from oven and transfer to a platter or cutting board. Allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes, tightly covered with foil. Meanwhile, place your roasting pan with juices and browned bits on stove top. Make a roux by sprinking flower into the fat/juices and stirring constantly over low/medium heat. I like to get the roux nicely browned, but cook it at least a minute or two so it doesn't taste like raw flour. Using a wire whisk begin to add the stock in, stirring constantly. You shouldn't get lumps this way, but if you do you can pour the gravy through a sieve when it's done. Simmer the gravy until it thickens. If you need to you can make a slurry (flour and water) or a beurre manier (flour and butter, basically an uncooked roux) and stir it in to thicken. I always make a lot of gravy, because leftover gravy will go into pot pie filling or soup!
Of course, you'll want mashed potatoes with this! My favorite vegetables to go alongside roast chicken are collard greens, brussels sprouts, or broccolli.
Collard Greens
1 bag pre-cut collard greens (if you prefer turnip or mustard greens, fine!)
olive oil
4-6 cloves minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
red pepper flakes
1 cube ham bouillon
2 cups water
Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sautee until onion is translucent. Begin adding in greens, stirring to coat. Dissolve bouillon cube in hot water and add to pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook at least 45 minutes to an hour. I often start them in the morning, turn off the heat, and let them sit all day to develop the flavor. They freeze very well!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Garlic
1/2 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, washed and stems trimmed (cut in half if very large)
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with foil. Place sprouts and garlic on foil and drizzle generously with olive oil, tossing to coat. Roast 20 minutes or until garlic and sprouts begin to brown.
The vegetable dishes also go very well with the meal my husband named as his favorite comfort food dish:
Pecan-Sage Crusted Chicken Cutlets
We went to a Soutwestern restaurant a few years back, and this recipe is my attempt to replicate a chicken dish I ate there. For 2 people, 1 decent-sized boneless chicken breast half is plenty!
1 boneless chicken breast half, pounded thin and cut into 4 pieces
1 egg, beaten
flour
1 cup prepared bread crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sage (dried works better), ground or crushed finely
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine crumbs with sage, pecans, salt and pepper. Heat enough vegetable oil in a pan to cook but not deep-fry the chicken. Coat each piece of chicken first with flour, then egg, then crumb mixture. Press crumb mixture to thickly coat the chicken and place in hot pan. It will brown fairly quickly, so take care not to burn your nuts (snort!).
Turn when brown on one side and cook through. Serve immediately. We find that a baked sweet potato and a mess o' collard greens makes a very, very tasty and beautiful plate!
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Another very versatile dish, the filling for stuffed peppers can begin with leftovers! Leftover chili or leftover Spanish rice often becomes the base for stuffed peppers at my house. For the peppers pictured here, I used leftover Spanish rice and added in some cooked Italian chicken sausage that I had. You could skip the sausage altogether and make this a vegetarian meal, too.
4 large bell peppers
2-3 cups cooked rice
2 cooked, crumbled links of Italian sausage (ground beef or diced chicken would work too)
1 can tomatoes with chiles (I like Rotel)
1 medium onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
additional tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes or V-8 juice
Grated cheese
Sautee onions and garlic (if you cook the sausage or ground beef, sautee in the fat). Combine rice, meat, and tomatoes with onion and garlic.
Cut tops off of peppers and remove seeds. Arrange peppers in a casserole dish. Fill peppers with rice mixture. Add additional tomato and cover. Microwave on high for about 10 minutes. Preheat conventional oven to 350 and finish cooking, about 45 minutes or until peppers are tender. Remove lid and top with grated cheese. Allow cheese to melt. Let cool slightly before serving.
So, that's what's cookin' here! And how about you? What's For Dinner at your house?