A Season of Comfort And Warmth

There's mothing like comfort food on a chilly October night. It could be a roast chicken or a bowl of chili .It's definitely a recipe that brings so much joy and happiness that''s it's easy to forget a not so great day or bad news.

That's how I feel about my Mom's chili recipe. This has been a staple in my life since childhood. (I think she got the recipe from my father's aunt, my great-aunt but I'm not sure). It's been passed around the family and everyone has loved it. 

This is such an easy recipe that I adapted to my crockpot. It;'s a yummy mix of two dfferent kind of beans, kidney and pinto, Gardein crumbles, and Acme's Signature brand salsa roasted tomatoes. There are dashes of salt , freshly ground pepper along with  chili ,garlic and onion powders.Olive oil and water are added for smoothness and a small squirt of liquid stevia (yes stevia!!!)  cut out the tomatoes' acidity.Ghere are even fresh cut tomatoes added to temper the spice and add more flavor.

It's cooked for two to three hours however I'm always taking tablespoons for tasting every five minutes. That's how good this is. It' served here with corn muffins but crackers, polenta or rice also make for good bases. This is one of my most favorite comfort foods. We need these during these crazy, uncertain and often mean times. A mouthful of our favorite recipe is like a flavorful secuirty blanket . Ther'es something soothing in usuing familiar recipes and ingredients. 

What are your favorite comfort foods? Are they family recipes or one you've had forever. Are they savory? or sweet? Whatever they are , they all shore one thing - comfort on a cold fall day.

All Vegan French Toast

 Nowadays it's easy to make a vegan meal, especially one for breakfast - or breakfast for dinner. Thanks to Just Egg home chefs can make the classic French toast without any guilt. Best of all it tastes like the real thing, egg-y, custard-y and full of cinnamon and vanilla.

I had some left over Just Egg from yesterday's scramble so I decided to make a recipe I've been craving for a long time - French toast.

I went full vegan also using Blue Diamond Almond Milk. I followed Just Egg's recipe for the Frrench toast, omitting the two teaspoons of sugar. It was going to have enough thanks to drowning the slices in maple syrup later on.It was one cup of the mung bean mix to a cup of almond milk. A teaspoon of both the cinnamon and vanilla were added for that traditional sweet flavor.

                               The mixture was whisked for about five minutes to thoroughly blend all the ingredients.
I used Aldi's Artisenal bread because it looked sturdy . This was soaked in the custard for a few minutes.

                                                     I thought it would be a good choice.

   It wasn't. The bread got super mushy and didn't brown properly. The inside was too gooey , almost like pudding.The slices flopped when flipped and broke into pieces.

                                                        One slice managed to come out OK.

 Despite the texture the taste was pretty spot on to the real thing made with whole milk and eggs. I know the next time I make Just Egg French toast I will definitely use French or Italian bread,It's sturdier and can hold up to a good soaking. It's also has a great chewy texture that lends itself very well to the recipe.

Going vegan doesn't mean giving up favorite dishes like French toast. With the right bread it can be heaven, Try the vegetarian version with Just Egg and Blue Diamond Almond Milk for a tasty spin on this breakfast comfort food.

Bowls Of Comfort

What's round and soothing, good tasting and good for you? A comfort bowl. It's the perfect lunch , dinner and even snack You can get creative or nostalgic, depending on what you have in the house.

The perfect comfort bowl should start with some kind of grain. Pasta is the preferred because it's so versatile but you can also use brown or white rice along with cubed bread.Some even use polenta, because like the others it's versatile and relatively easy to cook up. How much can fill up a bowl? That depends on what how big your bowl is. It's usually a cup of pasta for two cups of water and  one cup of rice  to once cup of water.  To make the dish. more flavorful , cook the pasta or rice in any kind of broth, beef, chicken or vegetable. Many home chefs keep it simple. They add just a knob of butter or margarine and some shredded cheese. This works perfectly but if you want to zing it up a bit think about a sprinkle of ground herbs. Basil works as does rosemary or oregano. A small dose of garlic salt also does something to elevate a bowl.Spices, too, can make any bowl a bit more special. Think curry or garam masala for an Indian vibe or chili powder and red pepper flakes for a Mexican feel. 

A more substantial bowl can have all sorts of ingredients. Also a comfort bowl can take leftovers. They're a good way of using up that rotisserie chicken or steak tips from the previous night. Leftover hamburgers can be quartered and added. Canned vegetables can be used for color, texture and more flavor. A mix of carrots and peas are good both with small pasta such as rotelli or penne along with string beans and broccoli. Peas work well with rice for a spin on risi bisi. This last is usually made with arborio rice but you can use long grain white instead. Bok choy, tofu and cabbage work with long pasta such as spaghetti or angel hair for a Chinese influenced comfort bowl. Douse with soy or tamari sauce. Another idea is a bowl of savory bread pudding. This can have all sorts of ingredients from sausage to chicken to bacon. Veggies can be a range of different mushrooms from shiitake to cremini as well as different colored ones. Chop up any stray pepper or tomato you have and add them in with some chopped onions and garlic.

There's nothing like a comforting bowl of something hot and delicious . They're easy to make and fun to eat. Try one if you want something simple but substantial.