Nourishing Nutrition
Eat Well, Be Well!

This delicious recipe and Food For Thought are excerpted from my Weekly Meal Plan.  Subscribe today–try it free for 2 weeks!

Food For Thought: Healthy Comforts!

Cold weather and the start of the holiday season get me thinking a lot about comfort foods. The word comfort has changed for me over the years.  Through my many years of dieting, I “comforted” myself with foods, but they weren’t usually the kind that nourished me physically.  If I had a bad day, I would “break my diet” and go to town on warm bread with butter. I have since come to the place where true comfort means both eating delicious foods and taking care of my physical health.  Healthy and tasty—now isn’t that is the winning combination for true comfort!?!

My number one comfort food these days is Soups and Stews.  This week, I have included a recipe for a Black Eyed Pea Stew that is made with tempeh bacon so it has a smoky hearty taste and is super nutritious!  Oh, and don’t forget the warm bread—there is also a recipe for gluten free cornbread with flaxseed.

How about you?  What is your favorite comfort food?  Please post your comments!

Hearty Black-Eyed Pea Stew and Gluten Free Cornbread with Flaxseed

Did you know?  When cooking with dry beans, be sure to add salt at the end of cooking.  It slows down the cooking time!

Want Less Gas?  Don’t we all!  If you have a problem digesting beans, try cooking them with Kombu.  A Sea Vegetable sold in the Asian Section, kombu adds minerals to the cooking broth which can reduce the gas-producing qualities of beans.  Toot-Toot Hooray!

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  60+ minutes

2 cups dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight**
1 Tablespoon  olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces tempeh bacon
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 strip kombu (sea vegetable)
1 Tablespoon  apple cider vinegar
1  (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

**Sort and wash peas; place in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. The next day, drain water and rinse with fresh water.  

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and tempeh to pan and cook 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Stir in broth; bring to a simmer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in soaked black-eyed peas, pepper flakes, bay leaves and kombu. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until peas begin to soften. Uncover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid begins to thicken.

Stir in vinegar, tomatoes, and collard greens; simmer 10 more minutes (uncovered) or until peas and collards are tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, discard bay leaves and kombu and serve.

Gluten Free Cornbread with Flaxseed

Flaxseeds replace the eggs in this gluten free cornbread recipe.  Because they are cooked you don’t get the Omega 3’s but you do get their healthy dose of fiber.  I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread mix in this recipe.  

2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, let sit for 5 minutes before using
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseed mixture, almond milk and melted coconut oil until very well blended.  Add entire package of cornbread mix, stir until mixture is well incorporated.  Pour mixture into a greased 8×11 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

So, What is your favorite comfort food?  Let me know–post your comments!

Filed under Food For Thought, Recipes — Comments Feed,