We have discussed ways to exercise, but keeping sane is all about balance, yes? What is exercise without eating?! In my household, I am not the cook. I was crazy lucky to score one of the illusive chef-husbands. RIGHT?! But as New Yorkers, with culinary delights just three clicks away 24/7, we were also ordering take-out much more than seems safe presently. Ah, the good ol' days. So I am needing to pull my weight in the kitchen. Yet all this cooking and time at home has meant triple the dishes to clean. In fact, I'm not sure I'm going to make it out of quarantine without throwing some against the wall. I'm doing my best to mitigate dish throwing tendencies with one pot meals! Here are my favs so far: some tried and true, some new discoveries, all comfort in your mouth. Did I just type that?! Humor me...
Tuna Noodle Casserole
My Nana, used to make this and it is the definition of comfort food to me. I found this healthier version that also adds some fun flavor. Not getting enough vegetables? You can throw ANYTHING into this, just chop it up and no one will know. https://www.skinnytaste.com/skinny-tuna-noodle-casserole/
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This is an old childhood favorite of mine and so freakin easy. In fact, you may have all ingredients already. I also love the possibilities here- dress it up with any toppings you want. Let kids get creative; put pizza or Mexican toppings in! Does anything taste bad in melted cheese and potato? https://damndelicious.net/2013/10/14/loaded-baked-potato-soup/
Turkey Chili
Ok, Shawn usually makes this one, but it belongs in this post. It's my favorite chili and I've tasted a lot of chili. The secret is the cocoa powder, it's like a mole chili. I KNOW! It's so simple, will feed you for days, and freezes well. (Just saw you get excited) https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-chili-with-white-beans-3090
Pork Chops with Sides
Shawn is a big pork chop fan and I've never been good at meat in general. Plus trying to get two sides to be ready at the same time is above my pay grade. Unless, they all cook at one time, in the same pot! This is insanely healthy and so so good. For some reason the recipe only has three stars on the site, I think because it needs some spice. But ya'll, the effort to payoff ratio for me is super high here. https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pork-chops-chard-white-beans
Salmon with Potatoes & Spinach
I'm super excited about this one cause I'm trying it for the first time this week. Why would I recommend without trying? Well, it's from an old college friend and blogger Beverly Weidner, of Bev Cooks. In addition to great recipes, she posts fantastic stuff that will get you through social isolation, like fun playlists and DIY projects. And they are for REAL people, not the Betty Homemaker types. Check her out! I'll post a pic of my salmon and we'll see if it compares to hers. Oh Lord, what have I promised...
Cobbler
Last but not least, how do we talk comfort food without a little dessert?! I am SO not a baker, but anyone can figure out a cobbler. If you have a cast iron skillet, even better. I also enjoy this food blog, the novice chef, cause it makes recipes easy to follow and the "healthy" tab is packed with really good stuff that I can actually make. https://thenovicechefblog.com/skillet-berry-cobbler/
Alright, that should give you enough to try for a little while. If you give any of these a try, please share a pic (#livablenyc) or tag us (@livablenyc). Happy eating!