Comfort Foods and Indulgences

It rains constantly here in the winter so comfort food is always something we crave. What is it about dreary weather that makes you want to eat? And not just eat anything, it has to be goood. And warm. And full of flavor. Cheesy and buttery helps too.

I also crave easy to make dinners. Lately I’ve found myself saying “this is my busy time of year”. But I’m finding I’m saying that all year round. The wheel basically never stops turning. Part of me thinks I’d like to jump off, but then what would I do?

So now I have my busy times (which is always) and my busier times, (which is 25% of the time). Help! I know everyone is busy, I just don’t ever remember so much craziness. We are all living the over-scheduled life. Anyway, just like you, I always have to find a way to make dinner easier, faster and better. And everyone in my family seems to have an opinion on how I could do that. They are so helpful:).

This pasta dish is one of my go to recipes. It starts with having extra cooked chicken breasts around. I always cook more than I need when I’m making a chicken meal. I leave the extra breasts plain, stick them in the fridge and cube them up the next day for a dish like this. You could also cook up the chicken especially for this meal, it just takes more time (but it’s doable). Leftover rotissere chicken is also an option.

Snacks are part of the American way of life. We are a nation of snackers. Because I work from home, I have no "break room" stocked with drinks and snacks, but that doesn't mean I don't help myself to a nibble now and then. I most frequently indulge in snacks when I'm traveling because it's not always easy to find a satisfying meal in between departure and arrival. In general I prefer healthier snacks, they just taste better to me. Stock up on these for the home, office or on to take the road.

G.H. Cretors

When I pass through Chicago O'Hare, I sometimes buy some "Chicago mix" that wacky sounding but utterly delicious combination of caramel corn and cheese corn. Each bite is salty sweet and so crisp and buttery. I've never found anything as good as what they sell in Chicago, until I got a sample of G.H.Cretors. They offer cheese popcorn and caramel corn separately but trust me, you want to try them combined. So truth be told, these are not the healthiest, but healthier than potato chips, so that's something.

One of the things that has stuck with me most from my trip to England some years ago was the unique names used for many traditional British dishes. There is bubble and squeak, which is potatoes and cabbage cooked together. Toad in the hole is a dish of sausages baked in a batter. Spotted dick is a bread pudding with raisins, drowned in custard. And one of my favorites is bangers and mash, sausages with mashed potatoes. All these dishes are commonly served in pubs all around England.

Traditionally, bangers and mash uses pork sausage or long coiled Cumberland sausage, slathered in a rich onion gravy. It's a classic homey meal that never fails to satisfy a hearty appetite. Nowadays, for the sake of reinvention, there are some gourmet incarnations. Other types of sausages can be used and the gravy can vary. Sometimes, it's served with fried onions. My first time tasting the dish was at a restaurant in Brighton that served a Frenchified version with a red wine sauce and a topping of fried leeks. It was probably one of the best versions of the dish I had during my time studying abroad.

Every Friday growing up I had a tuna sandwich in my lunch box.  The bread was usually soggy by the time lunch came around, caused by the use of too much mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish.  Friday was also the only day I was allowed to have a soda pop accompany my lunch.  It was usually RC Cola in the can, wrapped in tin foil to keep cold.  The RC Cola also kept my sandwich cool, a bonus as far as I was concerned.

While I still love tuna with mayo and pickle relish, I like the idea of capers, lemon and oregano taking the tuna to a different level.  Add the sliced tomato and provolone cheese blistered by the broiler....whoa, now that's a sandwich.

You must try this, it was quite a hit around here!