January 2011
The Indulgence of Comfort Foods
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
In January, I usually write about how to get back on a diet and lose those few extra pounds you may have gained over the holidays. But I just couldn’t help thinking about comfort foods during these cold days.
Don’t you love to settle in after a cold day to a hot, steaming, hearty dinner with your favorite comfort foods? But what are comfort foods? They are calming, delicious foods that soothe the psyche and warm the soul. Far from gourmet fare, they are almost always associated with home cooking. They may remind you of comforting childhood memories, evoking feelings of nostalgia, security and safety.
The thought of comfort foods nearly always conjures up meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. To some it means brisket pot roast, chicken and dumplings, mashed sweet potatoes, or macaroni and cheese. Others may remember fondly their mother’s best-ever tuna casserole, green chile chicken enchiladas or even peanut butter and banana sandwiches. My family always loved Texas Chile with hamburger, beans, tomatoes, and lots of onions and celery. I spice it up with lots of red chile when I make it today. Mmmmmm!
When it comes to comfort foods, don’t forget desserts. Anything baking with gooey chocolate or cinnamon permeating throughout the house when it’s snowing outside sounds comforting to me. Apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, banana cream pie, bread pudding, or even lemon meringue pie are all comfort food desserts for many people. And your favorite may not even be mentioned.
As you can tell by the foods mentioned so far, comfort foods are not low in calories. But to indulge occasionally in your favorite comfort food may be a good thing. So here’s the kicker about comfort foods—try not to make a steady diet of them if you want to maintain a desirable weight and stay healthy.
Here are some recipes for common comfort foods to enjoy from time to time during these cold winter months.
Beef Brisket with Onion-Lemon Marmalade
and Sweet Potatoes
Cooked long and slow, beef brisket becomes incredibly tender. This recipe from Sunset 1988 Annual Recipes makes its own sweet and sour pan gravy.
1 beef brisket (5 to 6 pounds)
2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized lemons, thinly sliced
1 cup port wine or apple juice
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tb. dry marjoram leaves
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
8 medium-sized sweet potatoes (about 5 pounds)
8 kale leaves, rinsed and drained, optional
Trim and discard excess fat from beef brisket. In a 12x18-inch roasting pan, place onion slices and ¾ of lemon slices; enclose remaining lemon in plastic wrap and chill. Lay brisket on top of onion and lemon.
Mix together port wine or apple juice, brown sugar, and marjoram. Stir until sugar dissolves; pour evenly over brisket. Sprinkle brisket with pepper and cover roasting pan tightly with foil or lid. Bake in a 300° F oven until brisket is very tender when pierced, about 4 hours. Meanwhile, about 1 hour before the brisket is scheduled to be done, pierce each sweet potato with a fork and set on oven rack alongside or above the brisket. When brisket is tender, uncover pan and return it to the oven to brown the meat slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove brisket from pan and place on a platter; keep warm.
When sweet potatoes are soft when pressed, remove them from oven, add to brisket platter, and keep warm. Skim off and discard fat from pan juices. Place the roasting pan over high heat; boil juices, uncovered, stirring frequently. As the mixture thickens, reduce heat to medium and stir constantly; cook until thick and shiny, and reduced to about 1½ cups, 20 to 30 minutes.
Spoon marmalade over brisket and garnish with reserved chilled lemon slices. Decorate platter with kale leaves. To serve, slice beef brisket across grain and serve with baked sweet potatoes. Makes 8 servings.
Nutritional analysis per 4-ounce serving (including 1 medium sweet potato): Calories 490; Carbohydrates 44g; Protein 47g; Fat 15g; Cholesterol 90mg; Sodium 242mg.
Chile Chicken Soup with Easy Cilantro Dumplings
This recipe won honorable mention at the 2010 Bisquick Recipe Contest. Soup1 Tb. vegetable oil
1¼ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 Tb. red chile powder
½ tsp. salt
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
Dumplings2 cups Original Bisquick mix
²/3 cup milk
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 jalapeño chile, seeded, chopped, optional
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken, onion, chile powder and salt in oil, stirring frequently, until chicken is browned. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine Bisquick mix and milk until soft dough forms. Fold in cilantro, cumin and jalapeño. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto simmering soup (about 10). Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover; cook 10 minutes longer. Serve at once with a green salad. Makes 5 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 400; Carbohydrates 36g; Protein 33g; Fat 13g; Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 820mg.
Apple Pecan Dessert Squares with Cinnamon Ice Cream
This could be your new favorite comfort food.2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ cup butter or margarine (cold)
2 cups chopped peeled tart apples (about 2 medium)
1 egg, slightly beaten
Topping¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup finely chopped pecans
2 Tb. butter or margarine
2 Tb. honey
2 Tb. milk
Cinnamon ice cream
Apple Layer. Heat oven to 350° F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. With pastry blender or fork, cut in ¾ cup cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in apples and egg. Press mixture firmly in pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed in center.
Topping. Meanwhile, in a 1-quart saucepan, combine all topping ingredients except ice cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Remove apple layer from oven. Drizzle hot topping over warm apple layer; spread evenly.
Return to oven; bake 4 to 6 minutes longer or until topping is bubbly. Cool completely, about 1½ hours. With serrated knife, cut into squares. Serve with purchased cinnamon ice cream. Makes 9 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving (without ice cream): Calories 515; Carbohydrates 68g; Protein 5g; Fat 25g; Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 240mg.