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Natural Comfort Kitchen

Happy. Healthy. Homemade.

Quick and Easy Dinners

My best quick and easy recipes when you need to get dinner on the table fast. Most are healthy, too!

Cauliflower “Pasta” with Ricotta-Herb Sauce

Cauli pasta closeup

This should really be named “Cauliflower & Herb [that-will-make-you-forget-it’s-not-at-all] Pasta with Ricotta Sauce”. Much more accurate, but a little clunky. When I think deeply about it, though, the purpose of calling it a faux pasta is to immediately let you know that this is a standalone rich, filling supper, not some overboiled cauliflower side dish with cheese thrown in. It’s one of those rare recipes that I’ve grown to love so much (as does almost anyone who tries it) that I’ve actually repeated it more than three times in one year. Probably double that in seven months, actually. That kind of performance record is what brought me to re-photograph the dish (as in, not on an iPhone) and just double check everything in the recipe from the first time I shared it. Oh hey, throwback Friday.
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My Friday Breakfast: Chickpea “Scramble”

I think it’s time for a quick, everyday recipe. Not that you’d be wrong to eat mac and cheese or s’mores pie every day, but food bloggers, myself included, can tend to get caught up in over-the-top, seasonally themed, way-too-involved-for-a-weeknight recipes. They’re more fun to photograph, taste test, and look at on Pinterest or Instagram, but doesn’t it make you wonder how often, in real life, the recipe creators eat such extravagant creations? I’m sure the answer is different for everyone, but a lot of times my breakfasts and lunches are just a random hodge podge of whatever’s in the house, not a pile of 2-hours-in-the-making mac and cheese (unless, of course, it’s in the fridge leftover. :) )

Last weekend Steve and I stumbled upon an awesome restaurant in Syracuse called Strong Hearts Cafe, where I enjoyed a scrumptious chickpea salad sandwich. Pickles that you wouldn’t believe. Anyway, it reminded me that I’ve abandoned this beloved legume lately, so I cooked up a giant batch on Tuesday. Then I did this with them for breakfast today:

Chickpea "scramble"

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Bacon Mac and Cheese with Green Chili Salsa

Update! If it turns out that you like this recipe inspired by Duluth Grill, make sure to check out the meatless BBQ enchiladas that I made from the second volume of their cookbook!

Have you ever licked the spout of a measuring cup? Neither had I, until I poured the last of this roux-less, gluten-free cheese sauce over ramekins of cheesy noodle-y bacon-y goodness.

Oven ready bacon mac

Until flipping open my new Duluth Grill cookbook, it literally never occurred to me to just omit the roux from the cheese sauce for gluten-free mac and cheese. I thought I had years (okay, maybe weeks) of experimenting with different gluten-free flours and thickeners ahead of me in order to achieve this perfection. But let me tell you something: I may never make a roux for mac and cheese again. THANK YOU Duluth Grill.

Note: This is NOT sponsored content. I just love my home state, small businesses, and the way DG is running their operation after visiting this summer. Must go back soon.
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Hearty Eggplant and Chard Stir Fry

Back from my visit to my Minnesota home for about 12 hours, and I’m already making a mess in the kitchen–sounds pretty much right. What can I say…it’s my natural habitat. That doesn’t make me accident-proof, though, and I seem to have trouble specifically holding onto bottles of olive oil lately. I gave the floor at my parents’ house in MN a nice oiling (surprise!) and just tipped a good quarter cup onto my own countertop. Luckily the important thing–the pizza dough–is safe and sound. A friend is coming into town tonight from Florida, and normally we would just take it easy and head out for dinner, but Steve and I are pretty much spent on heavy restaurant food from our food-cation in MN. It literally just took me under 15 minutes (including spill cleanup) to prep the pizza dough for tonight, I have pesto in the freezer for sauce, I’m thinking we’ll throw on some artichokes, olives, and sausage, and serve it with a zucchini, fresh tomato, and dill salad that I’m going to try to copycat from the incredible Pizzeria Lola. You better believe I’ll be sharing it soon, even if I am a little late on prime tomato season.

LolaZucchiniSalad.jpg
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Buffalo Chicken and Garlic Quinoa Bowls

As I mentioned, things are getting crazy in August, and it all started a couple weeks back when Steve left for a brewery-touring Maine bachelor party. I want to go! To the Maine part, not the brewery part. Beer and me are no longer friends, which is unfortunate sometimes, because summer is punctuated by occasions on which an icy Bud Light Lime would be the perfect beverage. Luckily, it’s also punctuated by occasions which necessitate travel-friendly food–pot lucks, road trips, days at the beach or pool, and maybe even a picnic if you’re organized. That’s where this “salad” of sorts enters the picture.

Buffalo chicken bowl top angle

You have to admit, it’s darn near impossible to throw together a healthy, much less gluten-free, lunch or snack for the road. Steve and I have both been eating really well at home, and I wanted to at least give him the opportunity to balance out all that beer. So of course, I packed snacks! And lots of them. Yes, I was the girlfriend sending food to a bachelor party, [Read more…]

White Bean and Feta Dinner Salad

White bean and cuke closeup

This recipe came together really quickly when I first made it a few weeks ago.  It’s full of classic, clean flavors you love (and probably have on hand) in a vinaigrette, and has everything you need going on in a salad texturally–creamy, crunchy, hearty. It’s a good way to use inexpensive, fresh ingredients to create a filling meal that requires no cooking.  Can I get an Amen?

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