Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I'm always looking for a healthier twist on comfort foods. My British heritage has ingrained a love of meat and potatoes in me. I love a good shepherd's pie but it's not exactly figure friendly. A friend suggested trying it with lentils and kale instead of meat and I thought it sounded so good. Kale and lentils are both full of fiber and iron. I thought I'd switch out the traditional seasoning for ones that paired well with lentils. I also mixed yams and gold potatoes for additional flavor and color. This recipe is also gluten free as a nod to the friend who suggested it. I used corn starch as a thickener instead of flour. Corn starch has twice the thickening power of flour and doesn't cloud your dish like flour does. Vegan can be delicious!

This recipe takes a bit of prep and will go more smoothly if you have all your ingredients prepared and collected before you start cooking. This idea is known as mise en place, French for "putting in place." This way, you won't have to stop during the cooking process to gather and prepare things.

Savory Broccoli and Cheddar Porridge

One of my favorite comfort foods is porridge. Be it oatmeal, Cream of Wheat or grits, there's something about it that soothes me. I recently rediscovered Cream of Wheat and have been eating a lot of it. I usually just eat it plain or with a little brown sugar. I thought a savory version might be delicious. Here's what I came up with.

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake

I've had a total crush on red velvet cake since I first tried it. Some people say it's just chocolate cake with red food coloring. I disagree. The buttermilk and vinegar add a depth of flavor that basic chocolate cake just doesn't have. I just love it.

Originally dutch processed cocoa was used and the acidic reaction of the vinegar and buttermilk brought out the red anthocyanin in the cocoa powder. It's true and it's science! I've tried multiple recipes; southern versions, english versions, martha versions, I've tried them all. This recipe is the result of trial and error combining the styles and processes I like best. I hope you enjoy it.  Here's the printable recipe.

Honey-Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

The January issue of Everyday Food was the Light Issue. There are lots of great lightened versions of comfort foods. This recipe in particular caught my eye. I'm a fan of using ground turkey in place of ground beef. I generally always use turkey unless I'm making meatloaf. I also love spicy things, so I knew I wanted to try this. You should as well.  Here's the printable recipe.

Banana Bourbon Layer Cake

I've been a little fixated since the last layer cake I made and when I saw this I knew I wanted to taste it. I was not disappointed. This recipe is moderately easy. The things that may trip some people up are whipping egg whites and cream and flambe. Ya you heard me. FLAMBE! It's awesome and you should try it. This is another Martha Stewart recipe so I've included her printable recipe.

Peach Stuffed Pork served with Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Gorgonzola

As you've heard, my friends Holly and David have an awesome kitchen. This is the same David who graciously taught us all to make bread. When Holly invited me to cook dinner at their place I, of course, said yes. It was so much fun! Cooking in a great kitchen is its own pleasure to me, but doing it with fun friends is the best. I cook alone so often and it is much more pleasurable to cook with other people hanging/helping out.

My mom canned all things peaches over the summer. Peach jam. Peach halves in syrup. And just peach syrup. The jam and peaches are long gone, as they were super delicious. But that peach syrup has been nagging at me. What to do with it? Serve it over pancakes? Or poured over cake? Then it hit me. PORK! That sound so yummy, right? I found a Martha Stewart recipe that sounded delicious and modified it. You can find the original recipe here. This is another one of those recipes that looks beautiful when you serve it, but takes minimal effort.