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Comfort foods are different for each of us and this is the time of year to indulge in the possibilities. Some of us sooth our way through bowls of soup and the African Sweet Potato Soup serves this purpose beautifully. Serve it with a super simple make ahead Massaged Kale Slaw.
For my husband, pasta is unquestionably his comfort food. And Chicken Parmesan is his most requested dish to go with it. Typically, I only do one pasta dish in any given week, but the vegan Pasta Bake with Garlic-Walnuts and the Rainbow Chard Pesto Pasta were just enough different, just flavorfully packed with comfort, that I couldn’t resist share them both this week. Also, because you can make a big batch of the winter Chard Pesto which could be dolloped on the Pasta Bake, but even better is to spread it on the Grilled Herb & Sun-Dried Tomato Sandwich or stir it into the Pesto Broccoli & Chard Scramble.
For me, I find comfort & joy in slowly cooked vegetables, such as this Lemon Ginger Roasted Cauliflower, but also warm winter salads such as this Caramelized Onion, Apple & Hazelnut Salad.
While more of a starch then a straight up vegetable, sweet potatoes bring me sweetness & joy throughout the winter. Roast up a bunch of whole sweet potatoes to start your week. Some can go straight into this week’s soup. Cut another third of them into chunks and toss them into the Chipotle Chunky Chicken Salad for lunches this week.
Finally, eat those tubers for breakfast! Technically, these Coconut Sweet Potatoes are simmered in coconut milk, but you could roast them briefly and then peel and chop them up as an easy start to this recipe. Whip up a big batch of Coconut Granola to start your week off smoothly and serve it sprinkled on top of this dish.
I recently spent time with my parent’s and cut up a couple of the winter squash from their fall harvest where one plant produced 80 pounds of sweet meat squash. I saved some seeds and am hoping to enjoy a similar abundance next year. I cooked up all sorts of squashy goodness while there, some of which you will see in the coming weeks. But, my latest squash favorite is this Squash Spoonbread which is rich and light all at the same time. A nearly soufflé like cornbread completely based on squash.
Finally, a big bowl of fried up little rings of calamari is quite possibly my favorite ‘eating out’ comfort foods. While I typically just buy it as an appetizer to share, I have found that I also love that little piece of the sea seared up in a simple Ginger-Coconut Calamari. Kinda healthier, too.
What is your comfort food? Add it to your list this week and give yourself a healthy dose of food love.
Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,
