Tag Archives: comfort food

SIX CHEESE BAKE

26 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by in Pasta, Recipes

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My daughter enrolled in a Cooking and Baking Camp over the summer, where the focus was on varied and different cuisines – and cleaning the kitchen as you go. At the completion of the classes, she offered to make pasta for dinner – and chose a Ricotta Basil Ravioli, making the dough and filling from scratch – and leaving behind a reasonably clean kitchen.

rolling out the pasta dough

rolling out the pasta dough

cutting out the ravioli

cutting out the ravioli

cooking the ravioli

cooking the ravioli

I am yet to attempt homemade pasta – but the fabulous pasta maker given to us by a dear friend – and my daughter have inspired me to try – an elegant enhancement and upgrade from the usual noodle dish I place before my family, which tends toward a cheesy sauce over one of the 310 known forms of pasta – dried and store-bought of course.

SIX CHEESE BAKE

six cheese bake

1 (16-ounce) package small pasta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

8-ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

In a large bowl, toss together mozzarella, gruyere, parmesan and cheddar. Remove 1/2 cup for topping and set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together ricotta, cream cheese and cream. Season with parsley, thyme and salt and pepper.

Pour ricotta mixture and pasta into bowl with cheeses and toss lightly. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle reserved cheese over the top.

Bake in oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, then turn oven to broil. Broil for about 5 minutes to brown the top.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from allrecipes

allrecipes.com/

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FAMILY MEATLOAF

12 Sunday Jun 2016

Posted by in main, Recipes

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“A family meal beats social networking and neighborly conversation as the number one way to increase civic responsibility – those who eat regularly with their loved ones are more likely to vote, get involved in community activities and volunteer” (from a joint study by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Conference on Citizenship as read in the Readers Digest).

FAMILY MEATLOAF

family meatloaf

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package dry onion soup mix (I made my own by mixing 2 tablespoons beef granules,  1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes and 1/4 teaspoon each of celery seed, paprika and black pepper)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons steak sauce

1 onion, chopped

Heat oven to 350F. Mix together pork, beef, cheese, onion soup mix, eggs, ketchup, steak sauce and onion, until well combined.

Press into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until cooked through and no pink remains.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from allrecipes

allrecipes.com/

SPONGE ROLL

15 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Dessert, Recipes

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The Great British Baking Show, has recently become our evening viewing of choice, and some of their challenges make me rather nostalgic for childhood flavors. After watching the Sponge Roll episode, I immediately looked up a recipe in the “quintessential guide to New Zealand cuisine” the Edmonds Cookbook, and baked my own version a few days later.

Although the resulting cake would have fallen well short of the judges high standards and surely would have caused me to be sent promptly home, I had fun making it, and we definitely enjoyed the less than aesthetically perfect, rather tasty result.

SPONGE ROLL

sponge roll

3 eggs

pinch of salt

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

5 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

25 grams of butter, melted

icing sugar

whipped cream

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and salt for 2 minutes. Add sugar and essence and beat until thick and pale. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold lightly into egg mixture. Fold in butter. Pour into a greased 20 by 30 cm sponge roll tin. Bake at 200C for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden and cake springs back when lightly touched. Turn onto a cloth sprinkled with icing sugar. Roll into a log, including the cloth in the roll, working from the short side. Set aside until cold. Carefully unroll log. Spread with whipped cream. Again roll from the short side but do not include the cloth. To serve, cut into slices using a sharp knife.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Edmonds Illustrated Cookbook 2, July 2000

www.edmondscooking.co.nz/

POTATO SKINS

10 Sunday Jan 2016

Posted by in Appetizers, Recipes

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One of our favorite family activities on a chilly winters evening is to watch a cooking show. We snuggle up on the couch wrapped in blankets, as a fire blazes in the hearth, and decide which cherished program we will watch. Recently there was a Potato Skin challenge, and my kids mentioned they had never heard of this intriguing baked dish.

In fact, I hadn’t seen nor heard a thing about a Potato Skin for decades, and assuming they were an obsolete food trend, I was rather shocked to discover they were concocted back in the ’70’s, and there are still an abundance of recipes readily available. Obviously I didn’t want my children to miss out on this classic of casual dining, so I promptly put Potato Skins on the menu and provided them with an experience previously enjoyed by an entire nostalgic generation.

POTATO SKINS

potato skins

fingerling potatoes, baked

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 slices bacon

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

4 green onions

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Place on greased baking sheet.

Combine oil, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper and brush all over potato skins. Bake at 475F for about 8 minutes and turn over. Bake for another 5 to 6 minutes and then turn right side up.

Sprinkle bacon and cheddar evenly inside of skins. Bake for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and green onions.

Enjoy!

 

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN CHILI and TURKEY AND WHITE BEAN CHILI and THREE BEAN BEEF CHILI

07 Saturday Dec 2013

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I made this delicious sweet potato and black bean chili for my Uncle, who was visiting from New Zealand last year.
I wanted to make him some of the dishes I had been introduced to in my time in the United States, and chili, in any form – chicken, turkey, beef, buffalo, is one of my favorite fall and winter comfort foods.

SWEET POTATO AND BLACK BEAN CHILI

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups chicken broth
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 teaspoons orange zest
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan, over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cumin, then add the broth and sweet potatoes and stir well to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is heated through and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more.
Stir in the orange zest and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with toppings of your choice – jalapeños, cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, or salsa.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Family Fun, April 2011
familyfun.go.com/magazine/familyfun…/familyfun-april-2011/

TURKEY AND WHITE BEAN CHILI

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
1 pound ground turkey
4 cups chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can white hominy, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons cornmeal

In a large pot, heat oil over medium high. Add onion, cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add garlic, chiles, rosemary, cumin, oregano and cayenne and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes, season with salt. Add turkey and cook, about 5 minutes. Add broth, beans and hominy, bring to a boil over high. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chili is thickened slightly, 25 minutes.
Stir in cornmeal and cook 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine
www.marthastewart.com/cook‎

THREE BEAN BEEF CHILI

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can great Northern beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Cook beef or turkey in a large saucepan on medium high heat, for 10 minutes or until it is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
Add to a slow cooker with all remaining ingredients, stir. Cover with lid and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food and Family, Fall 2010
www.kraftrecipes.com/foodfamilyarchive/‎

GRILLED SHRIMP AVOCADO BOATS

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Appetizers

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I recently read a fascinating article on comfort food, and consequently during a lunch with well-read friends, over our Grilled Shrimp and Avocado, our conversation flowed to that very subject. A common thread throughout both discussions was that comfort food, a term first used in 1977, and defined as “food prepared in a traditional style, having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal”(www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfort%20food‎) is an individual preference, and predominantly determined by childhood experiences. The formative encounters, perhaps being the most powerful, and having a greater impact than experiences later in life. So if you grew up eating and enjoying meatloaf, pumpkin soup, pierogi or spotted dick, that is the food you will most likely turn to when you are seeking to soothe yourself through food. Which of course makes me worry what my children will desire, as I barely ever make the same thing twice.
Interestingly, studies of American preferences show males and females differed in reasons for choosing comfort food and the types they chose. Men preferred warm, hearty, meal-type fare, generally triggered by positive emotions, whereas women, choosing snack type foods such as chocolate and ice cream, tend to gravitate toward those foods when they are experiencing negative emotions.
Food consumed as a response to emotional stress or in order to increase positive feelings, may be a key contributor to the obesity epidemic, currently facing many parts of the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_food#Russia)
A hotel I stayed in recently, advertised a “Comfort Food Night”, alongside their “Managers Toast Night” and “BBQ” night. Their comfort offerings were a baked potato, cheese burger and a salad.
Whatever your comfort food may be, please indulge responsibly.

GRILLED SHRIMP AVOCADO BOATS

Peel one pound of jumbo shrimp, leaving tails on.
Marinate in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut 2 avocados in half and twist to separate. Remove pits. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Cover, set aside.
Drain shrimp. Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, cook shrimp for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Arrange avocado halves on arugula. Fill avocados with shrimp.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, August 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎