Byrn - Comfort Food from the Dinner Doctor

by ANNE BYRN

Photographs by Mike Rutherford Studios

WORKMAN PUBLISHING NEW YORK

It wasnt long after the first Cake Mix Doctor cookbook was published that many of the readers who were pleased with the recipes for great easy-to-make desserts started asking me what I cooked for the rest of my meals. What soups did I simmer in the winter, what salads did I toss in the summer, what appetizers did I throw together when guests were at my doorstep? Did I bake bread? Did I have speedy pasta sauces that would wow company and quick casseroles to feed a crowd of teenagers? What did I prepare mid-week after tennis and piano lessons, soccer, school, meetingswhen I was pressed for time and it felt as if every ounce of creativity had been drained from my being? I guess they thought that anyone who spent so much of the day creating desserts couldnt have a whole lot of energy left over to prepare much of anything else.

They were right. Like so many others whose days involve balancing family and career, my time is tight. While I enjoy preparing meals, I cant spend lots of time fussing over them. So, I thought, what better way to answer all those questions than to gather them up here in The Dinner Doctor, a collection of recipes that tackle the rest of dinner head on. Starting with appetizers and ending with those cakes and other sweets I love so much, this book brings to the whole meal the tried and true doctoring techniques I used in my baking books. It will show you how to turn supermarket convenience foods into dishes that taste so good you will think they are made totally from scratch.

Youll be able to make the most of a can of pre-seasoned tomatoes and a package of cheese tortellini, a deli-roasted chicken and a can of mushroom soup, a package of frozen corn and a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw. When doctored using the recipes Ive included, these ingredients become stand-out dishes. Cans of white beans and diced tomatoes combine with fresh zucchini for a quick winter soup, while chicken and coleslaw mix join with ramen noodles for a healthy and light summer one. Boxes of couscous turn into fast salads; frozen peeled pearl onions are easily creamed for Thanksgiving; store-bought cleaned shrimp make a fuss-free skillet supperI have found the possibilities for delicious dinner doctoring endless, and the challenge of streamlining favorite but complicated recipes exciting.

For a dish to make it into this book, the final results had to taste fantastic but be simple to assemble. Take, for example, that mushroom soup and chicken combination. We have all eaten too many bland casseroles that relied on cream of mushroom soup. But mushroom soup is too handy to ignore. So I asked myself, what if that casserole also included quartered jarred artichoke hearts and used the soup, enhanced with curry powder, as a thickener? Well, the combination worked beautifully and the soup did its job, without announcing itself as canned (the Curried Chicken and Artichoke Casserole is on do try it and see for yourself).

This book has been a joy to create, a real sharing of good food with my family that Im pleased to be sharing with you. Ideas for family meals take precedence here, but there are plenty of recipes that double up as great for guests. Along with full recipes, each chapter contains super-quick suggestions for doctoring pantry items like canned tuna, baked beans, chicken noodle soup, pasta sauce, cream cheese, deli potato salad, frozen spinach, and much more.

The savory flavors of the lasagnas, sesame noodle salads, fun cornbread-wrapped hot dogs, warm cheesy breads, and cozy chicken casseroles youll find in this book have made my kids more cheerful and my husband arrive home from work relieved to know that dinner isnt going to be a slice of chocolate cake with a side of pie!

So, heres my prescription for feeding the busy, hungry family. It will relieve stress and have you feeling good in no time.

Turn to Websters dictionary and youll find that the word comfort has a variety of meanings, but surely its a satisfying or enjoyable experience thats the comfort in comfort food. The classic I-gotta-have-seconds dishesthe smooth and creamy macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice, and tuna and noodles, the potpies, spaghetti, impossible pies, even grits with cheesehave made for decades of contented family dining. And comfort foods tend to be inexpensive. Theyre indispensable when you want to feed the whole neighborhood.

Since casseroles first appeared in cookbooks at the turn of the twentieth century, they have helped frugal cooks stretch food budgets without cutting back on flavor. They really came into their own with the invention of casserole-friendly condensed soups. It was John T. Dorrance, a nephew of the president of the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company, who first came up with the idea. The soups became so popular that the company changed its name to Campbell Soup. It wasnt until 1934, however, that cream of mushroom, the king of casserole soups, made its debut. This red-and-white can liberated home cooks, making it no longer necessary to prepare a white sauce of flour, butter, and milk to bind casserole ingredients. With the help of cream of mushroom soup, chicken and rice casserole, tuna noodle casserole, and the ubiquitous green bean casserole became mainstays of the dinner table.

The challenge in putting together this chapter was how to present cherished dishes in such a way that they retained their identity while becoming a snap to prepare. Many of the original casseroles now taste more bland than flavorful. So, I revisited a number of familiar recipes and lightened some of them up. I streamlined them and used lower-fat and fresher ingredients whenever possible. I shortened the cooking times by baking at a higher temperature. Youll also find a batch of new family-friendly dishes to try. Chili Dog Pie, Mock Cassoulet, Pork Fried Rice, Turkey Hash in a Flashdig into these casseroles, pies, and bakes anytime. You can always use a little more comfort.

TO PREP: 15 MINUTES

TO BAKE: 3235 MINUTES

Plucked from my mothers recipe box, this casserole brings back so many fond memories of dinner parties in the 1960s. My sisters and I anticipated my parents parties as much as their guests did, for my mother was an accomplished cook and hostess. But with three little children under foot, I am amazed she actually pulled dinner parties off! We ogled the grown-up food as it was prepared, then were fed our own meal and rushed upstairs out of sight before the guests arrived. Of course, we managed to sneak back down to the kitchen after dinner was served and enjoy the leftovers. This chicken and artichoke casserole was a mainstay, and Ill bet it gave me my first taste of curry. Serve it with basmati or jasmine rice, a green salad, and a chocolate dessert. Add good friends and conversation and youll have a memorable evening.