Comfort Food

Even though it's been unseasonably warm this winter, I still find myself gravitating towards comfort food this time of year.  My absolute favorite is macaroni and cheese.  Nothing is better than a bowl of mac and cheese on a chilly evening snuggled under a blanket on your couch watching a good movie.  I used to love making the packaged Velveeta shells and cheese, but it has so many artificial ingredients (and even paprika), I had to forget about that after being diagnosed with IC.  I can sometimes get away with the boxed Kraft mac and cheese, but this is also loaded with artifical ingredients.  And lets face it, it's powdered cheese!  Here's a recipe that I found on the Velveeta cheese box that I changed slightly by substituting real cheese for the fake cheese.  I find it satifies my mac and cheese craving, and it has to be better than consuming all that fake cheese!  You can serve as a main dish, but it also makes a great side. 

Cozy Macaroni and Cheese:
3 cups medium elbows or shells (measure after pasta is cooked)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups milk (2% is best-but skim also works)
1 cup shredded Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
homemade bread crumbs (optional)

1) preheat oven to 350.  Cook and drain pasta.
2) over medium heat, melt butter in saucepan.  wisk in flour, salt and pepper until golden.
3) Gradually pour in milk and stir with wisk to combine.  Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and mixture begins to boil.  Add cheese and stir until melted.
4) Add pasta and stir.  Pour into square pyrex baking dish.  Top with breadcrumbs is desired.  Bake for 30 mintues, covered with tin foil.  Remove foil for last 5 minutes of baking so the top browns up.

My Mother used to make this fabulous baked chicken with honey mustard sauce when I was growing up.  It was one of my favorite dishes, and I even started making it when I moved out on my own.  After the IC, I could no longer think about eating mustard, but really wanted to make that chicken!  So I removed the mustard and came up with my own version. While it's slightly different, it's just as tastey as the original, and it's actually lower in fat!

Honey-Citrus Baked Chicken:
package chicken thighs with bones (each package has about 5 thighs)
honey
garlic powder
corriander  (this will give the chicken a citrus taste with out the actual citrus!)
salt/pepper

1) preheat oven to 350.
2) remove and discard chicken skin.  It should peel off easily, and you may have to cut the edges off with kitchen shears.
3) line 9x13 baking dish with tin foil.  Place chicken in dish, squirt honey over each piece to cover, sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground corriander to taste.  
4) bake for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes, or until done.   Bake covered for first 30 minutes, baste with sauce in pan, and bake for remaining 30 minutes without the cover.  Baste with sauce as needed when baking and before serving.

I hope you're able to snuggle up and enjoy my favorite comfort food on the next chilly evening!  

   

The Incredible Egg

I know when I've had a busy day, I get home and my dinner plan flies out the window.  I just don't feel like cooking.  My go-to quick dinner is usually breakfast.  I always have eggs and cheese on hand, breakfast is quick and easy to cook, and I find it's easily the most IC safe meal I can eat.  Also, a new FDA study has shown that eggs are lower in cholesterol than once believed, a good source of protein, and a good source of vitamin D as well.  Another great reason to eat your eggs!  So, instead of the usual scrambled eggs, why not try a breakfast burrito or creative omelet?

Breakfast Burrito (serves 1, but can easily be doubled or more!)
3 eggs (I use 1 full egg and 2 egg whites)
chopped red bell pepper
chopped mushrooms
chopped scallion (optional) or chives
shredded jack cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)
1 flour quesadilla shell

1) Chop veggies and scallion, add to skillet and stir-fry with oil until soft and scallion is translucent.
2) Crack eggs, and whisk together.  Add eggs to cooked veggies and top with cheese.  Scramble eggs until cooked through and no longer runny.
3) Heat quesadilla shell as instructed on package.  Add egg mixture to shell, roll up, and serve.

Here's another easy egg recipe for a quick dinner, or even for those mornings when you don't have much time, but still want a hearty breakfast...

Microwave Coffee Cup Scramble: (1 serving-can easily be doubled or more)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. shredded jack cheese (or cheese of choice)
salt and pepper (if desired)

1) coat 12oz. microwave safe coffee mug with cooking spray.  Add eggs and milk.  Beat until blended.
2) Microwave on high 45 seconds, stir.  Microwave until eggs are almost set, 30-45 seconds longer.
3) Top with cheese and microwave 10 seconds longer until cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

What would breakfast be without sausage?  I know what you're thinking, "please don't tease me, I can't eat sausage."  A few years ago, I was hosting the family for a Christmas brunch.  I came across a sausage recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that was in fact IC friendly.  I couldn't believe it.  First, I had never thought of making my own sausage, that was always something you bought.  Second, how good could it be without the spices?  Well, it was excellent, my husband and entire family gobbled it down, and even asked for the recipe.  I have since found another homemade sausage recipe that's a bit more traditional than the first, but still equally as good.  I usually make these over the weekend (or whenever I have free time) and freeze them individually so I can thaw and reheat quickly for a nice compliment to my quick breakfast dinners.

Apple Sausage Patties: (this is also low in fat if you use lean pork and egg whites!)
1 beaten egg white
1/4 cup finely chopped scallion (or onion if you can tolerate it)
1/2 cup finely chopped gala or fuji apple (can use pears if you can't tolerate apples)
3 Tbsp. quick-cooking oats
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper (can use white pepper)
1/2 pound lean ground pork

1) chop and sautee the scallion or onion until translucent.  Set aside.
2) In medium bowl, combine egg white, cooked onion, apple (or pear), oats, parsley, salt, sage, nutmeg, and pepper.  Add ground pork, mix well.  Shape mixture into eight 2" wide patties.
2) coat 10" non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Cook patties over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear, turning once.  Drain off fat and serve. 
**You can also cool and wrap each patty individually and freeze**

Homemade Breakfast Sausage:
2 pounds ground pork
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper (can also use white pepper)
2 Tbsp. butter


1) Combine pork, garlic powder, syrup, sage, thyme, salt, pepper in large bowl.  Mix with hands until combined.  Form mixture into 2 1/2" patties, about 1/2" thick.  Makes about 16 patties.
2) Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook half of patties until well browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side.  Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and tent with foil.  Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining butter and patties.  Serve, or let cool and wrap individually to freeze for later use.


You can even make one of the above sausage recipes, chop up the patty, and add to the breakfast burrito mixture for even more flavor.  I know these yummy recipes will add new life and flavor to your typical breakfast, or breakfast-for-dinner meals!

Easy Fudge without the "Fudge"

As you already know from reading my previous post, my mother and I love to bake around Christmas time.  Every year my mother would make the most amazing dark chocolate fudge, but this fudge was special because it didn't take hours to make and didn't have to be heated to an exact temperature in order to turn out correctly.  Every year I would make the dark chocolate recipe to give to family and friends as presents, and look longingly at it knowing I couldn't eat it.  Sigh.  One thought kept popping into my head every time I made the fudge, why couldn't I try this recipe with a different baking chip that I could eat, say white chocolate?  Last week I finally gave it a go, and I ended up with two new great easy fudge recipes that I could even enjoy!  These recipes are so simple, turn out great, and make perfect gifts, oh and we can eat them too!  What more could you ask for in a fudge?!

Foolproof Fudge (White Chocolate Peppermint Variation):

3 cups (18oz.) white chocolate chips

14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I use Eagle Brand)

1/2-3/4 cup crushed starlight peppermint candies, or crushed candy canes

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

1) In microwave safe dish, melt chips and milk.  Heat until melted (about 2 minutes on high) stirring every 30 seconds or so.

2) Remove from microwave once melted, and in same dish stir in peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candies.  

3) Pour evenly into 9x9in square pan lined with wax paper.  Chill 2 hours in fridge.  

4) After chilled, turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off wax paper and cut into squares.  


Foolproof Fudge (Salted Butterscotch Variation):
3 cups (18oz) butterscotch chips

14 oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I use Eagle Brand)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Kosher Salt

1) In microwave safe dish, melt chips and milk.  Heat until melted (about 2 minutes on high) stirring every 30 seconds or so.  (The butterscotch chips don't melt as well as others, I heated for 3 minutes and still had some chunks of chips, but it gave the fudge some texture, so I just left them.  Just be careful not to overheat, chips will burn eventually)  

2) Remove from microwave once melted, and in same dish stir in vanilla extract.  

3) Pour evenly into 9x9in square pan lined with wax paper.  Sprinkle top with desired amount of Kosher salt.  Put into fridge immediately and chill 2 hours, to prevent salt from melting.  

4) After chilled, turn fudge onto cutting board, peel off wax paper and cut into squares.


**You can store at room-temp, in fridge, or freeze to keep for later.  If you freeze, be sure to defrost in the fridge to prevent too much moisture on fudge exterior.**