It’s cold outside. I want comfort food!
I’ve been working away on a dear friends new website, so writing about food has been secondary to getting the website published. But since it’s almost ready to go… Here’s two days worth of Comfort Food Dinners!
Today was an easy one. I put a big ol’ chicken in a pot this morning, filled it with water and turned on the heat. While I was working away, so was the chicken – making a rich broth and fall-apart-tender bird.
I drained and strained the broth and skimmed the fat.
In a new, clean pan (Victor was in the kitchen cleaning up after me!!) I used the fat with some flour to make a roux. Added enough broth to make a medium-thick sauce. I added salt, pepper, garlic, and poultry seasoning and then noticed about a half-cup of heavy cream in the fridge. In that went, too.
Victor cut up celery, carrots, a potato, and we threw in frozen peas. I thought it still needed a bit more stuff, so I cooked up a handful of noodles. It was another clean out the fridge meal.
As that was all simmering, I made a pie crust:
Julia’s Food Processor Pie Crust
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 stick (1/4 lb.) butter, cut up
- 3 tbsp. grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp. salt
Blend flour, butter, oil and salt in food processor until crumbly. Add 1/4 cup of cold water and pulse until mixed.
This is super easy, just don’t over-mix! I usually wrap in plastic and refrigerated for about 30 minutes.
I made it as a double crust pot pie and have to admit that we both were bad and went back for seconds!
Last night was another clean out the refrigerator dinner – beef vegetable soup.
I browned off some cubed beef and added beef broth.
Into the broth went the odds and ends in the vegetable bin – pea shoots, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, celery, plus a can of beans, a handful of rice, a handful of barley, a handful of small shell pasta, some mushrooms…
I added a bit of salt and pepper and some herbs d’Provence.
I had seconds of it, also!
Hot soups, stews, and casseroles. The only things I like about this weather…..