Healthy Comfort Food Hacks

by Editor
Published: Updated:

With the arrival of winter, come those cravings for comfort foods. We’ve got delicious comfort food recipes that are also healthy for you! Is that possible?

According to Red Seal Chef and COO of Three Farmers, Elysia Vandenhurk, absolutely! Through the use of good-for-you ingredients including chickpeas and Camelina oil, Elysia puts a creative spin on some go-to winter dishes.

Old favourites like Mac & Cheese and Eggs Benedict get a makeover—meaning more helpings of your favourite winter foods with less guilt.


‘Better For You’ Mac n’ Cheese

4-6 servings

‘Cheese’ Sauce:
1 small head of cauliflower
2 large cloves of garlic
1 large shallot
2 tbsp camelina oil
1.5 cups of hot vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard powder
Salt and pepper to taste

5-6 cups pasta, cooked

Crispy Herbed Crust:
1 cup Three Farmers roasted chickpeas, crushed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
3/4 cup shredded Gouda or sharp cheddar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Clean and cut the cauliflower into 2inch pieces. Peel 2 large cloves of garlic and 2 large shallots. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with Three Farmers camelina oil. Roast for 20min or until fork tender.

Once the cauliflower, garlic and shallot are roasted, put it into a blender. Add 1.5 cups of hot vegetable stock or water, ½ cup nutritional yeast, 2tsp of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp mustard powder and 1tsp salt and pepper, to taste. Blend until smooth and silky.

If desired, put the cauliflower sauce back in a pot and heat on the stovetop, grate 2 cups of sharp cheddar into the sauce and stir until melted into the sauce.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook 3 cups of ancient grain macaroni noodles (or noodles of your choice). Cook the pasta al dente.

With a mortar & pestle crush up 1 cup of Three Farmers roasted chickpeas until they look like coarse breadcrumbs.

Use flavours like lightly salted or balsamic/cracked pepper roasted chickpeas. Combine the chickpea crumbs, chopped parsley and shredded gouda or sharp cheddar.

Assemble:

Line a 9×9 pan with parchment or use 6 individual ceramic bowls. Stir the noodles with the cheese sauce, until well coated.

Pour the mac n’ cheese mixture into the pan or ceramic bowls and evenly distribute. Top with the herbed crumb topping and shredded cheese. Broil in oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Approximately 8min.

‘Better For You’ Play on Eggs Benedict

Serves 4

3 cups shredded potatoes
1 small egg
Pinch of salt and pepper
4 large eggs

Hollandaise:
2 yolks
1 tbsp water
1/3 cup Three Farmers camelina oil
1 lemon squeezed, fresh juice
2 tbsp chopped dill
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tins with camelina oil and a little flour.

Shred 3 cups of potatoes and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Pat dry with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Mix 1 beaten egg into the shredded potatoes and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Using muffin tins, create a bowl/funnel shape that covers the bottom and sides of the tin evenly with the shredded potato mixture. Crack one, whole egg inside the centre of the funnel shape.

Bake for 20-25min, or until egg white is set and yolk still moves (is soft). While baking, make your hollandaise sauce.

For hollandaise:
Vigorously whisk the egg yolks, water and lemon juice together in a stainless-steel bowl, until the mixture frothing and doubled in volume.

Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl.

Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble.

Slowly drizzle in the Three Farmers camelina oil and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, add dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Once the baked eggs are removed from the oven, gently remove from the tins and serve w/ a generous helping of hollandaise sauce.

Cozy Roasted Butternut Squash and Coconut Spice Soup

Serves 8

1 medium butternut squash
4 tbsp. of Three Farmers camelina oil
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp. chopped ginger
3 medium shallots
1 can of coconut milk (400ml)
3 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 120g bag of Three Farmers Roasted Chickpeas – lightly salted

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Clean, peel and cut the butternut squash into 3inch cubes. Toss with 2tbsp of Three Farmers camelina oil and place on a sheet pan, lined with parchment paper. Bake/roast for 30min, or until fork-tender.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, sauté the garlic, shallot and ginger in 2 tbsp. of Three Farmers camelina oil. When lightly browned, add the coconut milk and the vegetable stock. Bring to a light boil and stir in the cinnamon and allspice.

Once the squash is removed from the oven, immediately place it in a blender with the liquid. Blend until smooth and silky. Season with Salt and Pepper and serve.

Garnish with Three Farmers Roasted chickpeas and roasted green vegetables.

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