All Comfort food Posts

Sausage and Bean winter casserole

I got a pack of “three chilli sausages” in an offer at the supermarket and it was a good opportunity to make something warming and wintery.

Lamb roasted over potatoes

I don’t remember where I read this idea first, but roasting the lamb in a closed roasting tin keeps all the juices in means the potatoes cook in them getting sticky and delicious.

Corn beef fried rice

I’ve never been nervous about posting a recipe before, but since a friend linked me to this famous take down of Jamie Olivers fried rice I did consider it twice.

Gentle turkey

I’m writing this on my iPad because my laptop has died, and so far the experience is painful. however, last night’s tea was a good way too use up a pepper and leek that were well past their best.

Beans on toast (from scratch)

When I saw La Cloake had published the perfect Bostin baked beans I couldn’t resist. Then when I was in Block&Bottle and the chap next to me only wanted half a piece of guanciale (cured pork cheek) I couldn’t resist having a go.

Easy cheesy potato bake

Tonight’s tea needed to be quick, easy, hands off comfort food and to use up some of the huge chunk of raclette cheese we bought this weekend.

Gnocchi with leeks and sour cream

Another use up tea, super quick, idea to plate in less than ten minutes. You will need A pack of gnocchi A large leek, finely sliced A good grating of Parmesan A couple of tablespoons of sour cream A couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil Do Cook the leeks in a teaspoon of oil on a pretty high heat until mostly translucent and a few crispy bits then set aside Boil the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 2 minutes then drain and set aside Put a a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan on a high heat Add the gnocchi, cook for a few minutes, tossing occupationally.

Chicken with fennel, leek and lemon

A simple tray baked dinner that’s excellent with rice and can be dressed up for posh dinner parties by adding a glass of white wine and another of cream for the last 20 minutes of cooking

Facehugger Ramen

Every since Our Lady of Survival, Ellen Ripley first brought facehuggers to the worlds attention we’ve had a complex relationship. Yes, they’re harbingers of death, emerging from their cocoons, skitthing about and determined to paralyse you and implant a Chestbuster, but did you know they are delicious?

Chicken dumpling soup

I love chicken soups, and I thought I’d written about various different styles here over the years but it turns out ( only the once ) but on a cold and miserable Sunday evening, having driven for 12 hours out of the previous 36, I was craving comfort food and the idea of adding dumpling (the stodgy kind, not the Asian kind) appealed.

Green scones

I love a freshly made scone. I think savoury scones benefit from being made “short”, eg. not using all butter, but baking block of margarine.

Potatoes and chorizo

Super simple, but it tasty, super savoury. Multiple options. Doing the potatoes under the grill makes it easier to get a good even crispy finish compared to in the pan and without using tonnes of oil.

Autumnal traybake

Perfect for a cold day as the nights draw in, this used up some sausage meat in the freezer from last Christmas, some past their best parsnips and the last of my homegrown apples.

Soupy Beans

This week I read an article about redbeans and rice which looked delicious. I didn’t have any of the ingrediants, but the idea of soupy beans cooked with strong flavours and pork sounded great so I improvised.

Slow cooking beef with dumplings

Yep, it’s still winter, so it’s still legally required to eat stew once a week. Shin beef always slow cooks brilliantly but the probelm is you can’t do dumplings in the slowcooker (I’ve not tried it yet anyway), thus this was slow cooked for 8 hours, then finished in the oven.

Sausages in a chunky gravy

It’s that time of the year (that most wonderful time of the year) where you can completely justify eating comforting food. You will need 3 decent quality sausages per person (I used the Italian jobs from the most excellent Block’n’Blottle) A medium onion per person (halved and then quartered) A measure of sherry/masala/glass of wine/beer A bay leaf A tablespoon of plain flour A blob of butter (25g maybe) Half a stock cube Do Pop the sausages and butter in an oven suitable pan on a medium heat Cool under the sausages have some colour and then remove, keep them to one side Pop the oven on 180 Stick the kettle on Add the onions and bay leaf to the pan, reducing the heat Cook the onions until browned but still juicy.

Improvised squash curry

It’s the time of year (the week really) when squashes and pumpkins are super discounted. I’ve generally no idea what to do with them, but I pinched the method that HelloFresh often uses, roasting in the oven and then saucing.

Beef and Aubergine Casserole

Even on the hottest day of the year, casserole with dumplings is still my favorite comfort food. The aubergine ended up in there becaue I was having a use up of veg, but the texture was tremendous.

Kimchi miso soupy bowls

Recently I’ve been really craving kimchi, the wierd fermented spicy cabbage. It’s an aquired tste, but once aquired it seems to go with anything.

Iced tea fried chicken and sharp coleslaw

I have a love/hate relation with fried chicken. When it’s good, it’s amazing. When it’s bad it’s terrible, and no matter how good it is it is still absolutely terrible for you, so if you’re going to make it, make it brilliant and make it rarely.

Lazy inauthentic (but delicious) one pan paella

I joked tonight that I should rename this blog to bastardisedrecipesforthelazyandtimeshortwhohatewashingup.com, and this post might be a perfect example. Culturally bereft, easy and delicious

Lightly spiced rice pudding

On this, the Summer Solstice, it shouldd not be a day for rice pudding, especially hot rice pudding. But it’s grey and Tupperware day, so here it is, my ultimate comfort food

Braised Sausages

Spring should have sprung by now, but it’s cold and crappy outside, so sometimes you need some comfort food (one that’s not just cheese and chilli based)

Cheating Chicken Noodle Soup

I love soups and broths. I love chicken noodle soups, both of the rich and pleasing Jewish deli variety or the salted, spiced Asian sort.

Amazing Cheating Chinese Orange Chicken

One (of my many) guilty pleasures is cheap Chinese takeaway. I love real amazing Chinese food, but sometimes nothing else will do but crispy friend chunks of chicken in a slightly sweet sauce with enough chilli to make it interesting.

Spain Vs Lancashire

Whilst doing the weekly meal plan (yes, I know) I came across a recipe for a chorizo casserole in a Nigella Lawson book How To Eat I think).