Hello All,
With trick or treat just around the corner, my mind drifts toward comfort foods. I have taken some pointers from a couple of my friends to bring you comfort from different families.
Have some fun this week. Dress up. Take a kid trick or treating.
Day 1 – Toasted Pastina
If you’ve never tried this tiny star-shaped pasta before, you are in for a treat. This is for meatless Monday so if you want to make it completely animal friendly, use vegetable stock instead of chicken.
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stick of butter
1 12 oz. box of pastina, uncooked
4 cups chicken stock
¼ tsp. salt and pepper
½ tsp. thyme
In a large pot, cook veggies in butter until tender but not browned. Add pasta and cook until lightly browned. Stir in remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes.
Day 2 – Ellie’s Pimento Cheese Sandwich
This is as much as I could get out of Ellie. She never measures so all of this is an estimate. Serve it on bagel chips or in a sandwich with arugula on top.
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp. mustard
3 T. mayo (or more to taste)
1 small jar pimentos, juice and all
1 tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce, a couple of shakes
In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend until well mixed paste forms.
Day 3 – Heather’s Onion and Pepper Pierogies
My friend Heather brought this dish to the fall clothing swap. It was the hit of the night. I’ve recreated it the best I could. I hope you love it as much as we do. You’ll find the pierogies in the freezer section.
1 package of pierogies cooked to package directions
2 onions, thinly sliced
2-3 bell peppers, thinly sliced
Olive oil, about ½ cup
Salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and peppers. Sauté until cooked through but still crisp. Salt and pepper them to taste. Serve over cooked pierogies.
Day 4 – Egg Salad
This is a comfort food for me. Boil your eggs as usual or use the link below for beautiful eggs.
8 hard boiled eggs
2-3 T. mayo
1 tsp. mustard
1 T. dill relish
1 T. dill relish juice
Salt and pepper
Mash eggs with a fork or pastry blender until eggs are fine crumbles. Add all other ingredients until combined. Serve as a sandwich, on crackers, or on a salad.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2047398_boil-perfect-hard-boiled-egg.html
Day 5 –Quick and Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza
This is one of the quickest dinners you can make. I use whatever chicken I have on hand, rotisserie or canned.
1 pizza crust cooked to package directions
1 ½ cup chicken, chopped or shredded
¾ cup BBQ sauce
2 cups shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
Top crust with all ingredients. Bake per package directions until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Day 6 – Baked Chicken in Marinara and Polenta
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
½-1 jar marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cup chicken stock
1 ½ cup milk
1 cup corn meal
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken breast. Place in a baking dish with marinara sauce and cover with cheese. Cook for 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
While chicken is baking, bring the chicken stock and milk to a boil. Whisk in corn meal and keep whisking until it begins to clump together. Turn off heat. Whisk in parmesan cheese.
Cut baked chicken into bite-sized pieces. Serve chicken and sauce over polenta. Enjoy!
Day 7 – Leftovers
Take a break from being the mom that can do it all and let the family fend for themselves. I usually curl up in front of the DVR and eat cheese on crackers. I love cheese and crackers to the point I could probably eat them everyday. I’ll eat a handful of broccoli to make myself feel a little better about it.
Dessert of the Week – Scary Ghost Treats
These are great and the little ones can help.
http://cookingclub.com/Projects/Project.aspx?id=128848
Drink of the Week – Witch’s Brew
This will serve a whole coven of witches. And can’t we all be a little witchy?
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/witchs-brew-recipe/index.html
With candy and costumes,
Brooke
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