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| .O n e D i s h B a k e d C o m f o r t F o o d s |
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| O N E D I S H B A K E D C O M F O R T F O O D S Comfort foods are the sort of down-home cooking that is a bit laid back and that we associate with home style cooking. This is not traditionally foods I would make for the honored guest, but would be in a more family casual setting, or if my children have guests. One time back in 1990 my friend Tina and I were asked to prepare a brunch for an honored guest and the leaders of the bible school. We had a shoestring budget to work with and it had to be a dish served at room temperature. We were both very ill. The entire population seemed to be dealing with colds and flu and ours had developed into walking pneumonia. Still, we would not be stopped from our task. Red nosed and teary eyed we got into my kitchen and baked and rolled and chopped our hearts out until the wee hours of the morning. The menu was Quiche. |
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| Q U I C H E I frozen deep pan pie crust 5 large eggs Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup chopped ham or turkey ½ cup shredded cheese I white onion sliced thinly 2 sliced roma tomatoes A few sprigs of flat leaf chopped parsley Quiche is very easy to make and not very complicated. We did not have the advantage of already prepared piecrusts when we served our guests, but pre-made crusts are good and they are fast. I think that the key to a great quiche is not to put too many ingredients. I always pre-bake my crust. Place a few glass marbles on top of the crust or a few stones to prevent it from puffing up. Otherwise the crust will be soggy. Bake it for about 15 minutes and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the filling. For 1 normal size pie plate that is deep dish use about 5 eggs. I always separate my eggs. I whisk the whites until a soft peek forms, and the yellows just until they start to look creamy. I do this in separate bowls but I do the yellows in a much bigger bowl as I incorporate all else into that bowl. Next I add ½ cup chopped ham or turkey. Then salt and pepper. As I add this into the yellows I gently begin to fold in the whites and blend them together. Not too harshly as we want some of the air to remain but not all of it as it would be dry. Then pour the mix into the piecrust. Next I add rounds of sliced white onion and slices of tomatoes. I add an herb like parsley as well to add some color. Then on top a nice handful of cheese. Cheddar or a Munster is best. Place it into the oven at 350 degrees and bake it for about 20 minutes. It is my opinion that quiche is best at room temperature. But it may be heated later on in the microwave too if you prefer. |
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| T U N A P I E Please do not be fooled by the sound of the title. It is much better than it sounds. This is a one-plate dish that is served as a comfort food. 9 flour tortillas. 1 block Cream cheese Butter 1 can tuna 1 cup Monterey jack cheese 2 shredded carrots ½ cup frozen peas First begin with a pie plate that is well buttered. Add 3 tortillas, as a base. Butter the tops of them. Now you will melt cream cheese in the microwave until very soft. Then add 1can-drained tuna that was packed in water. Add to that the vegetables and mix well. Place half of the mixture onto the layer of tortillas. Add a sprinkle of cheese, then another layer of tortillas, a little more butter and repeat layering process using the other half of the mixture. The top will be just a layer of tortillas. Add a little butter to that top as well. Place it in the oven set at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes. Do not cut into it right away but let it set slightly. Use a sharp knife to cut it and serve it with a salad on the side. You can drizzle a little salsa over each slice or allow each person to add his or her own salsa of your choice. |
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| P O T P I E Potpie is a great comfort food and never was meant to be put into those little tin pie plates. Use a small ovenproof individual serving bowl. Many people have onion soup bowls that they never use. This is the perfect occasion to pull them out. Buy a refrigerated piecrust 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed ½ cup frozen peas 2 bunches green onions, white part only Baby carrots 2 ribs of celery Fresh herbs (tarragon, sage, and parsley) 1 pint white button mushrooms, washed and quartered ½ head garlic chopped 1 can chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a hot Dutch oven sear the chicken with a little olive oil. Now add the onion so that it absorbs the brown bits of the chicken. Next add the carrots and the mushroom, followed by the celery and the garlic. The oil in the pan will begin to smoke now so this is the time to add the stock, the frozen peas and the herbs. You may need to add a little water as well. Use fresh herbs here that you have tied together. After it has simmered a little the herbs will be removed. Simmer for 10 minutes or so uncovered. The broth is meant to be on the soupy side. I find most Louisiana folks like thicker gravy. For you I recommend that you add a little cornstarch to some cold water to make a paste. Add the paste to the broth. It will add thickness. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In individual oven proof bowls ladle a hearty portion of the stew we have made. Top with a round of piecrust sufficient to cover to the rim of the bowl. Once all your bowls are done and this should be about 6 of them, you will have a few scraps left of dough. Roll them out and with either a cookie cutter, or just freehand, cut out a pretty shape. I use a leaf, or the silhouette of a chicken. With a little egg wash stick the designs to the tops and brush over the crust with the same egg wash. An egg wash is simply 1 egg beaten with some milk. It will be very liquidly but it glazes the tops and makes them look more appealing. I do not bake these right away. This is a dish that can be made ahead of time to use for a meal that you will not have time to prepare at the moment. You can preheat your oven and just pop these in ½ hour before dinnertime. They bake in 30-35 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Kids usually enjoy this as well as adults. |
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| M A C A R O N I A N D C H E E S E No this is not the KRAFT sort of mac and cheese. Instant foods like that are not easily available to us on the mission field. I can?t say that I am sorry for that too much. While my kids like the occasional blue box of instant pasta, I am just not sure how good that is for you. My version is surly not low fat but at least I know what it contains. 1 box Pasta Barilla. (500 gram size) any shape you like 1 ½ lb shredded cheese, I like White sharp cheddar. 1 stick of butter 2 eggs 1 cup of heavy cream 1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs Boil the pasta in salted water. I like this pasta because it does not over cook. Even after boiling and baking. When the pasta is ready drain off the water. Next add cheese, butter, heavy cream and eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Over the top I like to sprinkle some seasoned breadcrumbs. I make my own but you can use Progresso brand. Bake it in an ovenproof casserole rectangle pan for 20-25 minutes until the breadcrumbs are browned and the noodles are set. This is a little rich but most comfort food is. Serve this with some steamed Broccoli or something green to cut the richness. A bitter broccoli rabe is best but not available nationwide. |
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| T A C O P I E It may sound Mexican but it really isn?t. This is a Tejano dish. I have no availability of quality beef here in India that I can serve my family. We get water buffalo meat but it just can?t match that USDA beef taste. I have resorted to canned beef that I carry from the U.S. This is another of the many Goods that the King Heberts and company has rustled up for me. Sue has carried across the ocean to my house here in Mumbai many pounds of the stuff. Her Mother Mimi has gone particularly out of her way to see to it that we have had an ample supply. 1 can of beef with fat removed. 1 can Rotel 1 small can tomato sauce 1 package of taco seasoning 1 block of cheddar cheese shredded Chopped green onions, about 3 Salt and pepper to taste 1 box ?Jiffy? corn bread mix. Sour cream to garnish This is a real comfort food that I do when I have little time for much else. It is a good one-dish meal and I like it with a small bowl of beans on the side. I prefer to make the masa from scratch in place of the jiffy corn bread but my kids love the sweetness of the Jiffy, so we settled on that. In a saucepan heat the beef with the taco-seasoning packet. You will have to add about 1 cup of water but each taco seasoning pack may have a different recommendation. 1 cup should do it. Next add the Rotel. Cover it and let it simmer for a while. Chop your green onions. Make the Jiffy corn bread mix according to directions for corn bread. Now in an ovenproof pan add the beef mixture and cheese followed by green onions and toped with the corn bread mixture. It does not have to be spread to the edges as in a potpie, but it should be as evenly distributed as possible. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Allow it to cool down slightly before cutting into it. Serve it with sour cream and a little raw chopped green onion. |