Comfort Foods and Indulgences

cracked-bread-029b-1024x682There is nothing quite as satisfying as eating a thick slice of warm homemade bread slathered with creamy butter. For me, the process of making and kneading bread dough, normally a cool-weather activity in my kitchen, brings peace to my mind, reduces stress and releases me from all the small stuff I’m sweating about.

Cracked Pepper and Chives Bread began with a bread machine recipe I found in an old cookbook I bought at an antique shop a couple of years ago. I added fresh chives to the original recipe, a little honey and olive oil as the fat. I do have a bread machine that I dug out and made the first batch as the original recipe directed. The bread turned out just fine.

There’s just something about the shape of loaves turned out of my machine that just doesn’t seem right. Especially when I know how rustic and earthy bread can look when it is formed into rounds and baked on a pizza stone in the oven.

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biscuitsgravyBiscuits and gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the South. It consists of buttermilk biscuits covered in thick "country" or "white" gravy made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, white flour, milk, and often bits of real sausage, bacon, ground beef, or other meat.

It’s usually served with a couple of eggs on the side. The gravy is usually flavored with black pepper, fennel and sage. In some parts of the southern United States this is also called sawmill gravy.

You can try any kind of ground sausage; Whole Foods offers a great variety. Turkey sausage works very well with this recipe.

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lemonricottapancakesWaking up is hard to do. Really hard. For some, a strong cup of coffee or tea helps. Not for me. I wake up slowly and after being up for at least an hour or two I tackle breakfast. Left to my own devices, I would probably just eat brunch and save the real breakfast food for dinner, but Lee prefers something a bit more traditional.

The big problem with breakfast for me is always--what to have? Savory or sweet? Both are appealing but if I eat something sweet I may not get enough protein and as a result I'm ravenous barely an hour or two later. Nutritionists recommend a "balanced" breakfast meaning both carbohydrates and protein. Easy to do with eggs or cheese but harder to do with sweets like pancakes. Having sausage or bacon on the side is another way to go but probably not the best choice everyday. French toast or crepes are both sweet and have protein but I'm always looking for more protein-rich sweet options.

Ricotta pancakes are a perfect way to go. The ricotta gives you plenty of protein, they only have a couple of tablespoons of flour so you're not filling up on carbohydrates and best of all they are really delicious and cook up in a flash. Of course, serving them with bacon is up to you...

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muffin.sweetpot.22.jpgA few nights ago, I made a roast chicken, a huge salad, and some baked sweet potatoes. I ate my sweet potato and although Eli loves them, he ignored them. I couldn’t waste them, so I took the skin off, tossed the potato meat into my ricer and threw the puree into the fridge. As I was cleaning out my fridge days later, I remembered the puree.

I turned to my trustee baking bible, Dorie’s, Baking: From My Home to Yours and adapted her pumpkin muffins for my left over sweet potato puree. They were perfectly light, not too dense and deliciously complimented my morning tea. The uneaten muffins went to work with Miguel. The kids were happy, I was happy and hopefully, Miguel’s office will be happy, too.

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Mashed-Potato-Cheese-Soup-with-Bacon-on-topI have made four turkey dinners this month, needless to say I have had a lot of leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge! They are never really the same when reheated, so it was time to turn them into something totally different.

Since the mashed potatoes are already seasoned, they are the easiest thing to turn into soup. In fact, regardless of what you have added to them flavor wise, it's most likely going to work. Potatoes are versatile that way.

Anyway, I had this simmering on the stove and my oldest son insisted on having it as an after school snack, he loved it. It's delicious and naturally thick. It takes only minutes to make since the potatoes are already cooked and you're really just heating them through.

This will be a great way to use up holiday leftover mashed potatoes or you just might find yourself making extras just so you have leftovers. Either way, enjoy this dish.

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