Contemporary Comfort Cooking
"Much of the comfort in comfort foods comes from the memories these aromas evoke," says Janet Bryson, Atlantic Communications Manager for the Beef Information Centre. "Our test kitchen staff recreated these memories, but with a contemporary approach."
The booklet features comfort cuisine that fits into busy schedules using new products such as quick roasts, renewed technologies such as slow cookers, and new-to-comfort-food ingredients and spicing. "We updated traditional classics to reflect the more adventuresome tastes of today's consumers as well as providing tips on how to fit comfort cuisine into today's hectic lifestyle," adds Bryson. "As a working mom with two active boys, I rely on convenience shortcuts that don't compromise taste or nutrition."
Here are some of the suggestions to put "convenience" into "comfort foods":
- Oven-roast a Quick Roast. These mini cuts weigh about a pound (500 g) and cook in under an hour. Spend the roasting time with family - preparing vegetables together, playing a favourite board game or supervising homework assignments.
- Cook collectively. On a blustery afternoon, gather friends or family in the warmth of your kitchen and do some bulk-pack cooking to stock your freezers with weeknight dinners such as shepherd's pies, meat loaves, and stews.
- Slow-cooker solutions. Beef slow-cooker meals are the icons of contemporary comfort foods. Requiring little time to prepare and no attention while cooking, dinner magically beckons as you walk in the door.
- Cook now, eat later. Some meals such as chili, spaghetti sauce, stew and pot roast actually taste better when made ahead and reheated. While preparing Sunday's supper, oven-braise a pot roast for Monday's meal.
- Freezer to oven. No time to thaw? Then just cook your roast from frozen, allowing 50% more time than you would if thawed.
"The recipes in the booklet range from the traditional, such as pot roast with roasted vegetables, to the more ethnic flavour of beef curry," says Bryson. "My family's favourite is the Beef Noodle Bowl - steamy Asian flavours in under 15 minutes!"
