Comfort Food

When it's cold or rainy outside, or you're feeling otherwise under the weather, there's nothing quite like comfort food to make it all better.

Some of my favourite recipes, like Mom's Mac and Cheese and Barley Casserole can be found on the website. Quiche should also be there, but hasn't quite made it yet. It's pretty simple--we use 9 eggs, 1.5 or so cups of milk, and a dash each of salt and pepper for the egg mixture. I butter and "flour" the bottom of a shallow casserole dish with wheat germ, add the thoroughly combined egg mixture, then toss in a handful of washed baby spinach leaves, 4-6 thinly sliced cremini mushrooms and 1/2 cup of grated cheddar. I mix it slightly in the casserole, then bake it for 50 minutes at 375 F. When I get to it, I will add this to the food page.

I also really enjoy Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie. The ingredients vary according to my mood, but generally the bottom consists of assorted veggies (grated carrots, chopped onion, chopped mushrooms, & frozen corn are the regulars), lentils (1/2 way pre-cooked), tvp (So Soy claims to be GMO-free), a couple of eggs mixed in, tomato paste, bbq sauce and soy sauce, and a sprinkle of the So Soy seasoning. The top is mashed potatoes but I sometimes add a yam or two, or some cottage cheese, or some roasted garlic to the potatoes. This is one of those recipes in which my spouse marvels at my blatant disregard for measuring utensils. He and my eldest always come back for seconds, so either they're really, really hungry, or they have gotten used to my experiments.

For the most part, I tend to view recipes as vague suggestions, with some basics to follow (like the amount of moisture, rising agents, etc.), but after that, it's (almost) anything goes. I've only heard complaints from my youngest, but he's the one who prefers plain raw tofu over pizza, so I take it with a grain of salt.