A simple way to define comfort food is this: it has to taste and feel like a warm hug. Science backs up this definition. Experimental MRI studies have been done that measure volunteers’ brain activity while they consume different foods. Researchers have documented that when subjects eat certain things, mid-brain pleasure centers light up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Amazingly, dopamine (a powerful chemical linked to the body’s reward system) floods our system at the mere contemplation of consuming comfort foods. This is the same chemical linked to falling in love. But when it comes to what the individual brain craves, it’s all subjective.
A Quebec native’s neural pathways may sizzle and snap at the taste of poutine (cheese curds on a bed of fries, drenched in brown gravy), but leave a subject from Japan flat and longing for a simple miso soup. Traditionally, Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken and “Dumplins,” and Shrimp and Grits (once known as a Fisherman’s Breakfast) are perennial cold-weather comfort food favorites in this region of Tidewater, Virginia. They join the classic Macaroni and Cheese casserole, ingeniously tweaked here with luscious lobster, to bring joy to the table, especially when the meal finishes with warm Apple Crisp, served with a scoop of melting, vanilla bean-flecked ice cream, or perhaps a slice of cheddar cheese.
Any one of these recipes should brighten up the darkest day and leave you feeling replete, soothed, and hugged. Scientific studies confirm that the right scents and tastes make us feel happy, and in the gray depths of winter, don’t we all deserve an extra helping of happiness?
LOBSTER MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients:
• 8 oz. macaroni or cavatappi pasta
• 2 cups whole milk
• 8 oz. American cheese, cut in cubes
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut in cubes
• 1 lb. cooked Maine lobster meat, roughly chunked
• 2 slices crisp bacon, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, additional for optional garnish
• Salt, ground black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for optional garnish
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, (additional optional garnish)
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat milk in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in American cheese, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Cook and stir until cheeses are just melted. Stir in pasta; cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently stir in lobster, bacon, and thyme. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.
CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND “DUMPLINS”
(Here in the South, there is no “g” in dumpling. Ever.)
Ingredients:
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery soup
• 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Black pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or bone broth
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables or peas and carrots, defrosted
• 1 can refrigerated biscuits (Buttermilk, Country or Home-style) or purchase Annie’s frozen strips.
Directions:
Add onion to a six-quart crock pot and top with chicken breasts. Combine cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, parsley, poultry seasoning and pepper in a small bowl. Spread over chicken breasts. Top with chicken broth and cook on high for a total of 5 hours. Approximately one hour before serving (after 4 hours of cooking time), roll each biscuit thin and flat and cut into 4 strips. Add vegetables to the slow cooker and stir. Add biscuits or purchased frozen strips on top.
Replace lid quickly (cooking time will be extended if you let the heat escape) and continue to cook for another hour. Remove chicken breasts and shred into chunks. Add chicken back to slow cooker and stir. Cook, covered, an additional 10 minutes and serve.
A simple stove-top alternative method uses purchased, precooked rotisserie chicken, shredded. Combine all ingredients except biscuits in a pot and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, covered. Add biscuit strips, cover again and simmer for 1 hour. Delicious and easy!
SHEPHERD’S PIE
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 sprig chopped fresh thyme (optional)
• 1 lb. ground beef (or 1 lb. ground or minced lamb to be authentic!)
• 1 large onion, finely diced (can use frozen)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 oz. dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken or beef stock or bone broth
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 6 cups mashed potatoes, fresh or leftover
• 1 egg, beaten
• Paprika and chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté onions in olive oil until transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute, then add the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, then drain fat. Add butter and peas. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Add tomato paste, wine and Worcestershire. Simmer, then add stock and reduce down until you have a nice, hearty gravy. Check seasoning, add more to taste. Remove from heat; transfer mixture to a buttered casserole dish and top with potatoes. Brush with beaten egg; return to oven until slightly browned. Garnish with parsley and paprika before serving.
APPLE CRISP
Ingredients:
For the crumb topping —
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• dash of salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the apple filling —
• 3-4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of salt
For serving —
• Vanilla bean ice cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Crumb topping — Combine ingredients with a pastry blender until the mix resembles small crumbs, then refrigerate.
Apple filling — In a small bowl, combine melted butter and flour until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk and vanilla and stir well. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Pour mixture over apples, toss to coat. Pour filling into an 8x8-inch baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle crumb topping over the apples. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with ice cream ... or cheese, if you insist.
CHEESY SHRIMP AND GRITS
Ingredients:
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat; stir in dry grits. Stirring occasionally, cook 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside, and keep warm. Cook chopped bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan, drain. Stir-fry shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until almost pink. Don’t overcook, or you’ll have a rubbery mess of shrimp on your hands! Add lemon juice and next four ingredients, then cook 3 more minutes. Stir in bacon. Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture.
Can also be used as an impressive appetizer if you serve smaller portions in martini glasses with teaspoons. Serve immediately.
After just reading these mouth-watering recipes, you should be experiencing a serious rush of dopamine. Are you happy yet? Here’s a challenge for our House & Home readers: If you decide to indulge in some “Comfort Food Self-Medication,” send a picture of the finished product to us at blanksblair@gmail.com. We always love feedback!