Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Cold Winter Days, Perfect for Comfort Food
As I write this most of North Carolina is bracing for some snow and ice. A “snow day” screams for comfort food, but often comfort food comes with some extra calories. Here are some great tasting “warm you up” recipes that have been made a little healthier and of course I have included some slow cooker recipes. Hope we get some snow, and that you enjoy these recipes!!
Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ pounds uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
Freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
3 cups Yukon gold potatoes, to reduce the carbohydrates leave these out
3 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 cups unsweetened almond milk or 2% milk
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
Place a large Dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. Add in olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in diced chicken breast and generously season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-6 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. Remove chicken from pot and transfer to a large bowl; set aside for later.
In the same pot, add in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, sliced carrots, diced gold potatoes, diced cauliflower and thyme. Sauté for a few minutes until onion begins to soften, then add in milk, chicken broth and salt and pepper. Allow mixture to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Next remove 3 cups of the mixture from the pot and add to a blender. Blend until completely smooth (be careful while you do this!), then transfer puree back to the pot. Stir in cooked chicken and frozen peas. Allow mixture to simmer for 5-10 more minutes to thicken up a bit. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with extra black pepper and fresh thyme, if desired. Great with biscuits or crackers, if you’d like. Serves 4.
Cabbage and Kielbasa
(I make this one all the time!)
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ head cabbage, cut into 1 inch pieces, about 5-6 cups
2, 12 ounce links of kielbasa, cut into slices, I use turkey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter as needed
Olive oil, as needed
2 cups rice, optional for serving
In a large Dutch oven or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent in color. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 45 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
Add the Kielbasa slices and distribute evenly in the pan. Cook on each side for 4-5 minutes, monitoring the heat so the sausage crisps but does not burn.
Stir in the cabbage and toss so it coats in the sausage, onions, an oil. Add 2 additional tablespoons of butter, reduce heat to medium low and partially cover the pot. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until the cabbage is wilted and tender. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
While the cabbage cooks, prepare the rice, if using, according to package instructions.
(I generally do not use any rice to cut the carbohydrates).
Once the cabbage is tender, stir in the vinegar and allow to cook for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the cabbage mixture into a serving bowl and return the pot back to the stove over medium heat. Stir in the chicken stock while scraping the sides of the pot to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce for 1 minute. You may want to add a little butter at this point. Pour the juices over the cabbage and serve over rice. Serves 6.
Slow-Cooker Korean Beef
1, 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup gochujang
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 pounds of beef shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into about 1 ½ inch pieces
For serving, cooked white rice, chopped scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds, for serving
In a 6-quart slow-cooker, whisk ginger, garlic, broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, gochujang, oil, vinegar, and cornstarch. Add beef and mix to combine. Cover and cook on high until beef is super-tender, 5 to 6 hours. Turn off slow cooker, uncover, and let cool about 15 minutes.
Using a spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce, leaving only a thin layer of fat on top. Stir to combine sauce. Shred beef with 2 forks into bite-sized pieces and toss again to combine.
Spoon beef and sauce over rice. Top with scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
1, bone-in, skin-on breast, about 6 pounds, at room temperature
2 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons local honey
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
Grease a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Roll a large piece of aluminum foil into a rope and then fold the rope into an oval. Place in slow cooker, creating a rack for the turkey.
In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, chili powder, and garlic powder. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Press sugar mixture all over turkey, then place in slow cooker, breast side up.
Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, and honey and pour into bottom of the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of the breast reads 165°.
Heat broiler. Transfer turkey to a rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is crispy and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Smothered Pork Chops with Broccoli and Mushrooms
1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
4 small bone-in pork chops, total about 2 pounds
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss together mushrooms and 1 tablespoon oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Push mushrooms to one side and add broccoli to pan. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Cook until internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reads 140°F, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil; reserve skillet.
Add shallots to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add stock and simmer until thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, Dijon, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Serve pork topped with pan sauce and roasted vegetables alongside.
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