Fall Comfort Food

Somehow I seem to have missed posting last Monday.  Mea culpa!

We're heading into comfort food season, where even here in Florida folks are getting ready for the (nominally) cool part of the year. Thought I'd bring you some of the dishes I've been making that qualify as comfort food.

Cheesy Chicken, Kale and Sweet Potato Skillet Meal

These flavors really go together well!

2 Chicken Breast*, boneless, skinless, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup finely diced Shallot or onion

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced

2 medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup low-sodium Chicken Broth

2 cups stemmed and chopped Kale

1/2+ cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheese of choice

S&PTT – Salt and Pepper to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to a medium-high skillet with a splash of EVOO.   Let the chicken cook without moving for 1-2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center, another 1-2 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate, keeping as much liquid in the skillet as possible, and return the skillet to medium heat.

Add a drizzle more oil if the skillet is dry. Add the shallot (or onion), red pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the onions have started to turn translucent and soften.

Add the sweet potato, red pepper flakes (if using), and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice so the sweet potatoes don't stick until they are tender. Add more broth as it cooks if the mixture becomes sticky or dry.

Add the chicken back to the skillet along with the kale. Stir and heat through until the kale is wilted.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Sprinkle cheese over the top and cover with the lid until melted or pop under a preheated oven broiler until golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.

*Ground turkey or beef could substitute for the chicken; or get fancy with some Gulf shrimp.

Mediterranean Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Bake 

Simple foods prepared simply – the essence of comfort food.

1 lb Sausages (4 nice bratwurst sized links)

2-3 cups stemmed, ripped Spinach leaves

1 can (15 oz) White Beans, drained and rinsed

1 small Red Onion, diced

3/4 cup Evaporated Milk

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp White Pepper

2 cloves Garlic, minced

4 tsp melted Butter

1/3 cup Breadcrumbs

Cook the sausage, drain and reserve.

In a baking dish combine the spinach, beans, onion, milk and half of the cheese. In another dish, combine the remaining cheese, butter and bread crumbs, and reserve.

Bake the spinach-bean mixture @ 375 for 30 minutes. Nestle the sausages into the cooked mixture. Turn oven to Broil. Sprinkle the reserved cheese-butter-breadcrumb mixture on top of the dish and broil for 5-7 minutes to heat the sausage through and brown the breadcrumb topping.

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Another easy-peasy dish, if you buy a jar of pasta sauce and doctor it to your liking.

1 Spaghetti Squash

1 jar Pasta Sauce – I like the Paul Newman brand sauces

3/4 lb ground Beef – preferably 90/10

Mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, bell pepper and other ingredients to doctor the sauce

Optional – Parmesan cheese for topping.

Brown the beef. Add about half the jar of sauce, and whatever you like to doctor things with. Simmer the sauce 30 minutes or so to marry the flavors. You don't want a really 'liquid' sauce here.

Sauce is still too 'wet' here...

While that's going on, slice the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cook the squash, cut side down, until the skin is getting soft – you can roast it in the oven for 30-45 minutes @ 375F, or do like I do and nuke it in the microwave for 5-8 minutes depending on size.

Turn the squash cut side up and plate it. Ladle the cavity full of sauce, and top with Parmesan if you choose. Use your fork to pull shreds of the squash into the sauce, and enjoy. Some folks, like Sally, prefer the squash shredded and removed from the boat before topping with sauce like conventional spaghetti. I like to keep mine in the boat...

Simple Posole

Posole, to me is green chili with hominy added – green not red chilies, onion, tomatillos not tomatoes – and that unique corn product called hominy (white or yellow).   I don't mind spending a couple hours cooking this from scratch, but you can save yourself a ton of hassle, and start with a large can of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce from your local tienda or the ethnic section of your megamart.  

1 large can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

1+ lbs Pork for stew, or a couple pork sirloin cutlets cut into 3/4” pieces

1 Tbsp Cumin

Hot Pepper Sauce to taste

1 can mild Green Chilies

1 Sweet Onion, diced

2-3 Poblano Chilies, chopped

2-3 Cubanelle Chilies or 1 regular green bell pepper, chopped

1+ Jalapeno Chili, chopped or seeded/veined and then chopped

1 large can White or Yellow Hominy, drained (reserve liquid to adjust liquid in the final stew)

Brown the pork with cumin, hot pepper sauce and a splash of EVOO in a large-ish pot. Throw in everything else, adding liquid as needed, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and and simmer for half an hour or so. Add water to get a nice stew consistency.  Perfect with a slab of corn bread or a couple tortillas. I also like it served over white corn tortilla chips as Green Nachos:

Gratuitous Photo
I made a fruit bowl for our Cabana guests last week and thought it looked really good, so I snapped this picture of grapes and oranges.