Menus, September 19, 2012

Food, like a loving touch or a glimpse of divine power, has that ability to comfort.
So said a guy named Norman Klopas. Probably as he gazed adoringly at the cook, scooted his chair up to the table and advanced toward a plate of something that made him feel....well.
 Comforted.
And, as my mental department of curiosities ponders all sorts of interesting questions about the alchemy that turns food+effort into love +comfort, the department of resolute action has resolved to just put some comfort food on the table. (Meanwhile, the department of provisos, addendum and qualifiers is trying to find a way to do that and still stay in budget and on diet.)

I'm going to start with an all time classic: easy, cheap,healthy and (to those raised in Brazil) infinitely comforting:

Thursday: Black beans & rice with....Brazilian stuff on the side.
http://www.food.com/recipe/classic-black-beans-and-rice-46221
http://domfuas.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/a-taste-of-brazil-farofa/
http://www.food.com/recipe/brazilian-vinaigrette-sauce-molho-de-vinagrete-251854
Two or three things about this menu: 1. I'll be using dry beans, because I happen to have a bag of them in the pantry, but canned are cheap, and easier. I'll be throwing them in the slow cooker in the morning, and canned beans can cook in the slow cooker too, just maybe start them at lunch time.
2. In days gone by, I would've boosted the flavor by adding smoked sausage or beef. Instead, I'll use beef broth along with the water, and whatever coffee is leftover from the morning. yes, you read me right. Adding a little black coffee to barbecue sauce, black beans, beef stew, chili- it's an easy way to deepen both color and flavor.
3. The side dishes are a funny thing- if you grew up being comforted by black beans and rice, you probably watched your mom or dad make these dressings so often that you don't need a recipe. And, if you didn't grow up eating black beans and rice, you might look at the recipes and decide they're not worth the bother.
I've included them anyway, because  rice, topped with black beans, topped with farofa, topped with molho....well, it's extraordinary.
 Ps. save those extra beans for chili on Saturday.

Friday: Tilapia and Couscous
http://vegweb.com/recipes/mediterranean-spinach-and-couscous
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-tilapia-parmesan/
Last week's broiled salmon was a nice surprise for me-(you may roll your eyes and scoff and think me an amateur, or a fishateur, or a piscinovitiate, but remember, I'd rarely cooked fish before last summer's resolution to serve it at least once a week) and, I bought a bag of Tilapia fillets the last time they were on sale at Kroger (still in the freezer weeks later) and there's a bag of spinach in the fridge, so.....
don't worry too much about the veggie broth in the recipe, ok? Use chicken broth or water, whatever's easier.

Saturday: Black bean chili and Baked Potatoes.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/black-bean-chili-10000000682485/
Little known fact: Long ago, when continents were still drifting, two college students frequently met at an eatery famous for the Bandito Spud, a tire-sized baked potato piled high with fritos, chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream and green onions.
An enduring attachment to each other (and spuds) ensued.
We're too old now to indulge in sour cream and fritos, but we can still indulge in memory. And whatever comfort food is, it's the food of memory, isn't it?
A word about the chipotle puree mentioned in the recipe: this is really worth your time. And it won't take much of that. Open the can of chilies and throw it in your blender/bullet thingy for a spin. Spoon some into the chili, and then freeze the rest by spooning it into an ice cube tray or spooning little blobs of it onto a bit of plastic. You'll find yourself reaching for those little blobs for soup, sauces, salsas, lots of stuff.
PS. Bake a few extra potatoes for potato soup tomorrow

Sunday: Potato soup and salad
http://www.food.com/recipe/the-best-baked-potato-soup-ever-51072
Just your basic yummy potato soup here- well, without the velveeta and loads of butter in other recipes. I'll be using the leftover potatoes from Saturday, and fat free evaporated milk instead of the half and half.
Remember to add the cornstarch to the liquid before the liquid is hot, or you'll end up with little globby bits.
I'll be making a simple salad- lettuce, maybe some parmesan and pecans with a balsamic vinaigrette. See the dried basil and thyme in the soup? I'll probably drop a pinch of them into the salad dressing.

Monday:Chicken and cauliflower
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/crispy-chicken-thighs-00100000079759/index.html
We'll have had 2 meatless nights in a row, and cauliflower's on sale at Aldi for 69 cents a head (no, really!) and this looks easy peasy. Use chicken breast if you want to, and if a meal just isn't a meal without some carbs, some cornbread, rice or pasta would be great.

I'm hoping to gather a few great comfort food stories this week- add yours if you get the chance!