What comes to mind when you think of comfort food?

For me it’s Pot Roast, Chicken & Dumplings, and Lasagna.

You know, the kinds of foods that are high in fat, packed with sodium, and deliciously loaded with carbs.  The perfect combination of Yum & Yuck.  Yum because they taste great.  Please don’t embarrass yourself by saying they don’t ;).  But, Yuck because we can’t eat that way anymore.  We can’t teach our kids to eat that way!

My parents and grandparents got away with it because they worked, physically worked all day.  They didn’t drink soda or eat large portions.  They also didn’t eat compound word foods like takeout or drivethru.

But we sit more and cook less.
So, things have to change for me and for you and for our kids and grandkids.
I want to change the way I eat and that means changing the way I cook.
But how?

I was in the checkout line at Lowe’s yesterday when Fine Cooking magazine caught my eye.
It sang to me an anthem of hope.
“Delicious and Healthy” it crooned.
“They go together like love and marriage”.
“You can have it all after all!”
“But, you’re gonna have to step outside your old Comfort Zone Foods.”

New Concept ~ All food should be Comfort Food!  

I want to take comfort in knowing that what I’m eating is really good for me and my family.
Food should contribute to health not diminish it!
That’s the first priority, but beyond that, foods should have tantalizing aroma, visual appeal, and be deliciously satisfying.
I’m done settling for less.

So as I stood there in Lowe’s salivating over the scrumptious photos, I decided to make it my mission in 2015 to master some new recipes for healthy foods that smell great, look amazing, and taste wonderful.

Here’s the first thing I learned from scanning my new Fine Cooking magazine:  basmati rice has a fairly low Glycemic Index and it can be lowered even more by washing the rice 3-4 times until the water runs clear not cloudy.
After reducing the starch you amp up the flavor with cumin, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, onion, mint, and saffron.
Also—just FYI, pilaf is a cooking method.
I did not know that 😉
Here’s the recipe so you can try it yourself.
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/basmati-rice-pilaf-whole-spices-saffron-mint.aspx

 

I know it’s the Christmas Season, but I’ve given up visions of sugar plums.
Pan grilled salmon and basmati rice pilaf are currently the stuff of my dreams.

Bon Appetit