Comfort foods

[JackFavell]

Here's an update on the "kale chips" that I made a week or so ago.

My daughter who won't eat vegetables (Yes, we make her try everything and take at least three bites at every dinner and have since she was born. No, she doesn't even like sweet veggies like squash or sweet potatoes), she ASKS for kale every night. Not only does she eat the kale chips, she breaks them up and sprinkles them on everything else on her plate. I have to go to the store to get kale now on a two day basis.... I NEVER thought I would have to go to the grocery so often to buy veggies, much less one of the healthiest veggies on the planet.

[Rita Hayworth]

My Comfort food is

A big fat juicy PORTERHOUSE STEAK w/Jack Daniel's BBQ Sauce
A side of BUSH Baked Beans
A side of RED Roasted Potatoes w/touch of onions, garlic, and bacon bits
Nice Corn on a Cobb with/melted BUTTER on them
Coleslaw
Corn Muffins

For Dessert - eat 3 hours later CHOCOLATE CAKE w/CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
Yummy, Yummy, and more Yummy .............

I eat this every Saturday with my girlfriend during the Summer when Corn on a Cobb is available
Rest of the year - Buttered Grilled Corn - w/touch of honey glazed. Yummy

[JackFavell]

I found this recently -


It's wonderful on French bread with butter in the morning for breakfast, or as dessert at night after dinner. Though it looks like it might have the crunchy little seeds in it, they are soft and don't add any crunch to the preserve. It does have cornsyrup, which I am currently on a tirade against, but I don't care, because it's delicious.

I also discovered a wonderful quesadilla recipe recently here:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011 ... at-cheese/

Now we are quesadilla crazy! I didn't cook the baby spinach before putting it in the quesadilla. I used some mozzarella instead of goat cheese because that is what I had. It's nice that Alice likes mushrooms lately. Instead of wine, I sprinkle mine with a lot of Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt and cook them till they turn very brown. YUM!


Buttering the tortilla before putting it in the pan works perfectly! We've had them twice in the last few days, I had to make some shredded chicken with taco seasoning because I ran out of mushrooms.

[moirafinnie]

Mushrooms...mmmm...good. Anytime, any kind, anyway, I love 'em.

[movieman1957]

Here's an update on the "kale chips" that I made a week or so ago.

My daughter who won't eat vegetables (Yes, we make her try everything and take at least three bites at every dinner and have since she was born. No, she doesn't even like sweet veggies like squash or sweet potatoes), she ASKS for kale every night. Not only does she eat the kale chips, she breaks them up and sprinkles them on everything else on her plate. I have to go to the store to get kale now on a two day basis.... I NEVER thought I would have to go to the grocery so often to buy veggies, much less one of the healthiest veggies on the planet.

She sounded like my kind of girl right up to the part about the kale. But since she loves Stan and Ollie I can overlook that small flaw. (Good for her. At least she likes something in that world. )

[JackFavell]

I just had to buy three more bunches of kale. Maybe your daughter might like it crunchy style..... and as for Stan and Ollie, if she didn't like them, I would seriously start to doubt that she was mine....

[JackFavell]

I am sorry for hogging this thread.... obviously, food and I are having a love affair!

I made this bread today, and it came out beautifully! I've never made bread before except once in a machine, and it was just kind of meh. I am so proud of myself today I could bust. I made this from scratch, not in a machine and it was easy, all I invested was time and a very little muscle. I used SAF Red Instant Yeast from King Arthur Flour online, and regular King Arthur all purpose flour. Be sure to read the first 3 replies to get fixes on making the recipe better. I used 5 cups of flour and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus a pinch). I baked them on a very large jelly roll pan, greased with some greek olive oil, no cornmeal needed.


http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/french-bread/Detail.aspx

[knitwit45]

Hooray! I used to make bread from scratch, had a sourdough starter. I was young and healthy then...
Has anyone seen the Krusteaz brand of sun dried tomato and basil mix for a bread machine? I can't find it anywhere. I bought a jar of sun dried tomatoes, just not sure how to incorporate into a bread dough mix.

[JackFavell]

I'll keep an eye out for the Krusteaz mix. Have you tried looking on the internet for a recipe that will tell how to incorporate dried tomatoes?

I can't believe you made homemade sourdough. You must be a great baker!

My mom always made the most heavenly breads- wheat, white bread with cinnamon swirls, and rye - which she always complained didn't rise properly - but we couldn't tell!

[knitwit45]

Like I said, I was young and dumb ..er, healthy.... It was really easy to do, the sourdough did all the work. Wish I still had that (well, about 5000 generations later.)

[JackFavell]

I'd probably kill a sourdough starter.

I started out this year learning to make pizza dough, from there it was a short step to bread.

I have to admit to a little thrill every time I see the bread rise. Yeast is one of the coolest things ever - SO many things in this world don't work for me (wristwatches, pie dough), it makes me happy that yeast does.

[knitwit45]

[charliechaplinfan]

I'm always rustling something up in the kitchen, I love food but rarely think of popping by this thread.

I nought a great book, The Convent Garden Book of Soup, it has 365 recipes in, one for everyday of the year and it takes into account the seasonality of vegetables. I've got some excellent ideas for soup, rarely do I follow a recipe in it's entirety. Butternut Squash with chilli, ginger and coconut is lovely, so it sweet potato and lentils with spices, it makes an excellent base for a chicken curry too.

I've also been mixing up hummus and eating more nuts. Trying to make my diet as perfect as possible to try to cope with this yucky illness.

Salads abound in bowls in the fridge, beetroot and apple with cider vinegar. I have a love affair with vinegar.

To suit Libby I've been expanding my reportoire with noodle dishes.

Then there's cakes, carrot cakes, cheese cakes, muffins which I never eat myself and then complain at my hubby for getting 'comfortable'

I've just ordered three books, one about everything you can do with bicarb of soda, another on porridge oats and the other on vinegar. Maybe that's more suitable on the domestic thread once I've discovered little hints and tips.

[JackFavell]

I love your cooking style, Alison - it's what I'd like to do if my family were more adventurous. I have to laugh, because I really LOVE soup, but Alice and Andrew really don't eat it. iIn fact, last night I made some chicken noodle soup (plain right?) with leftovers, and neither of them ate more than a few bites. It was good too! And of course, it's impossible to make a little bit of soup. The last I made was Mulligatawny, it was PERFECT, and I had to eat every bit of it. I'm not complaining, it was delicious. I think I will make the squash with ginger chili and coconut - it sounds heavenly.

I just found out recently that ginger is very good for you, it cured my headache this morning. I now keep candied ginger and the pickled kind, (the pink stuff they serve with sushi) in my fridge in case of headaches.

[Rita Hayworth]

My other comfort food is French Toast made this way

First, take bread and break up one to two inch pieces and do you customary eggs, milk, spices, sugar, mixture and put in a lightly greased and slightly floured rectangular pan that is at least 3-4 inches deep. Put one portion of all the broken pieces in the bottom of the pan.

Second, Get some blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and another fruit that you like put it a bowl and sprinkle at least 1/3 cup of sugar and a touch of corn syrup and mix it generously altogether in a bowl and place that on top of the first layer of bread and eggs mix (see above) - and spread evenly. Be creative here.

Third, repeat First again - & get some maple syrup and put about 1-2 teaspoons and evenly spread the syrup around.
If you want ... get some cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle that on top. Again, be creative here.

Fourth, bake in a preheated (at 350 degree) oven for 35-40 minutes (uncovered) until crust is slightly golden brown.
Treat it like a cake - use the toothpick method. Comes out clean after 30 minutes of baking - its done!

Fifth, set aside for 5-7 minutes (to cool) and cut in generous squares

Sprinkle some powdered sugar and even some leftover fruit in 2nd step. I prefer fruit ... or maple syrup

And, serve this some Canadian Bacon or Ham - or anything you like with it.

This is great for Sunday Brunches