Comfort Foods and Indulgences

Across the country, the not-so-hot-economy is adding appeal to cooking at home. But, I’m not talking about staying home to make your favorite macaroni and cheese. People who have grown accustomed to dining out still want to eat in style.

The interest of cooking at home has also been heightened by attention given to reality cooking shows and the explosion of celebrity chefs on the television and entertainment scene. With such a hunger for eating and entertaining in our own dining rooms, I feel there is a need for ideas on how to eat better at home for less. In other words, a little, “gastronomy for the economy” is in order.

When I patronize a fancy restaurant, I love to indulge a bit and order steak and lobster. However, making quality steak and lobster at home can be pricey. In order to satisfy my urge for this type of meal, I’ve put together a Surf and Turf Sizzle that is easy to prepare and won’t put a dent in your pocketbook. 

These are more like a cake than a muffin. Light, not at all dense and the perfect balance of sweet and savory (I added a touch of balsamic). These would be a delicious addition to any brunch menu or they could really just stand on their own.

I like making muffins for breakfast. The ingredients can be measured out the night before, they take 5 minutes to mix up and only about 25 minutes to bake. Muffins are best eaten the day they are made.

I usually send the uneaten muffins to their teachers and the school’s office staff. If I didn’t, I would eat them, all of them, and that just wouldn’t be such a good thing!

Summer has officially arrived in Los Angeles. It’s hot. My oven hasn’t been turned on for days. Dinners are all about the BBQ, my saute pan, and lots and lot of fresh veggies and salads.

Not using my oven is a big problem for the dessert loving boys that I happen to live with. There is only so much ice cream one can make and berries dipped in homemade chocolate sauce doesn’t always satisfy the sweet tooth. The question is; what can I make for dinner, including dessert that didn’t require me turning on my oven.

I am not fond of a no bake pie. I like most desserts cooked and sometimes, the more well done the better. So, in order to beat the heat, give my family the dessert they deserve, I have whipped up a sweet treat that both young and old will devour.

Grabbing a bag of gluten free graham cracker crumbs from the freezer, and a block of Scharffen Berger chocolate, I got to work before the mid morning sun heated up my kitchen. If you want something quick, easy, using only pantry staples, this is the dessert for you.

Every Sunday I roast a few chicken breasts (bone in, skin on). It’s easy. Having shredded chicken in the kitchen at all times prevents me from randomly eating empty calories during the week. Plus, having pre-cooked, roasted chicken on hand, gives me lots of inspiration for one pot meals.

Generally, I don’t really like leftovers. With that said, I always make enough food for dinner so M can take lunch to work with him the next day and the kids have something healthy to put in their lunch box. Yet, by the time Thursday rolls around, even though I have “planned” a particular meal for that night (yes, I do meal plan every single week), sometimes it is hard to motivate. Whipping up a meal in less than 2o minutes is sometimes much more desirable than what was supposed to be on the table that night and this leftover hash was created on one of those nights.

Left over roasted potatoes, shredded chicken, half of a red pepper, a few leeks, additional random veggies, and some spices, created one of our new favorites; Chicken-Potato Hash. It is equally delish with or without the poached egg. Eli and I prefered it with the egg, where as Isaac cannot sit next to us when eggs are on the menu. Instead, he added a bit of ketchup. This also makes a wonderful and highly requested Sunday morning breakfast. Sausage works just as well and I have been known to a throw in some left over green beans, roasted carrots (or other roots), and a dollop of goat cheese.