Spaetzle, Beef Tallow Fries, Coconut Chicken Curry, & more

yummy foods that don't make you feel sick afterward

Hello! Here are some foods that definitely function as comfort foods, but they’re quite nutritious, and you probably won’t feel sick after. Enjoy!

Here’s what’s on the menu today:
Breakfast: Quick But Legit French Toast
Lunch: Beef Tallow Fries, Zaatar Zucchini
Dinner: Chicken Curry, Spaetzle
Treat: Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Breakfast

Quick But Legit French Toast (no measurements)

They would look even more appetizing if they weren’t made with whole-grain bread 😉

French Toast is often seen as a Special Occasion Food, but it can be quite nutritious, and you don’t even need to use any measuring cups. You’ve probably already made French Toast before, but here are some tips to make it simpler:

• French toast makes pretty great leftovers, so you can make two breakfasts in one quick batch!

• If you have a griddle, you can make a whole loaf in no time. I cook mine at about 375 F.

• Put your soak ingredients in a shallow dish or pasta bowl and experiment with the proportions you want. If you’re using a loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread, for example, use about 4-5 eggs and a little over a cup of milk. (You can guess; if it’s too wet, just cook it longer 😉) Add some vanilla, cinnamon, a dash of salt, and a couple spoonfuls of brown sugar or maple syrup. The vanilla is really the star player here. Stir it up with a whisk or fork.

• Coat each slice of bread with the eggy mixture on both sides; no need to soak for a long time unless you’re using really tough bread.

• Cut some butter into thin slices so they’re ready to go on the pan right before you place your bread on it. Flip the bread and cook until it’s the doneness you want.

Modify your proportions by learning what your family likes. My husband and I would teasingly tell each other, “Hmm…this was light on the French and heavy on the toast…” if it was burnt, or “Heavy on the French, light on the toast” if it was soggy 😅 That’s quality feedback! Welcome your family to fine-tune your method!

Without a recipe, you can be confident French-toasting any bread! Here’s a stale bagel that was instantly made yummier (and higher in protein) ⬇️

Lunch

Beef Tallow Fries

Next time you make burgers, chili, or something where you can preserve some of the beef fat, SAVE IT. This rendered fat is called “beef tallow” and it’s much better for your body than vegetable oil. Most importantly, though, it’s super tasty 😉

Cut up some washed potatoes and toss them in the fat. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 450 for awhile. The smaller chunks of potato pictured here were baked for 20 minutes.

Enjoy the flavor as well as the satisfaction that comes from feeling like a resourceful homesteader 😛

Zaatar Zucchini

Okay, this dish isn’t quite a “comfort food,” but NYT Cooking inspired me to try cooking zucchini slices with olive oil (or ghee) and zaatar, and those things just go really well together. Worth a try!

Dinner

Chicken Curry

Remember when we talked about meal planning and figuring out six awesome meals? Chicken curry is at the top of my list; I make it every week and my family still requests it. It’s simpler than you might think. Using a quality chef’s knife makes this job a lot easier; this Victorinox chef’s knife is a really good value.

1. At some point, you’ll need to make rice to go with this. If this is your first time making curry, you might want to start the rice first so you don’t have to think about it later. Basmati rice goes great with curry. You can cook it in chicken broth if you want a little extra flavor/nutrition.

2. Chop onions and garlic. Sauté in ghee or olive oil in a large pot.

3. Chop chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Add the chicken (and some salt) to the sautéing vegetables and let them cook while you prepare the carrots, stirring occasionally. This whole time, you’re going to be cooking at medium or medium-high.

4. Wash carrots and chop them into bite-size pieces. Add them to the pot. Err on the side of adding too many carrots because they shrink 😉

5. Pour in two cans of coconut milk. I do one can of coconut milk and one can of coconut cream. (Trader Joe’s has good prices on these.)

6. Add a ton of garam masala and a good amount of curry powder or paste. Stir often. It kind of feels like stirring a cauldron because you see it bubbling and turning into something new 🎃 As the liquids reduce, the sauce gets thicker.

7. Keep a “testing plate” or bowl next to the pot, on which you can also lay your stirring spoon. Once the carrots are getting soft and the chicken is getting tender, test the flavors. Add more seasoning if needed, or more salt, or some fresh lemon juice. Taste-test often until you get the flavors right. (This is a great activity for including your kids!)

8. It’s done when the flavors are right and you can easily cut carrots and chicken with a fork. Serve over rice—maybe garnish with parsley—and enjoy!

If you want an actual recipe, here’s one by Nourished Kitchen. I hope you love this dish! This is a great food to make in enormous batches because the leftovers are incredible!

It’s great for serving crowds!

Spaetzle

Spaetzle is a German dumpling dish that is quite satisfying to cook, and it’s such a lovely texture for the mouth. You have to buy a $10 grater-like tool to make it, but in my opinion it’s super worth it. It’s easier and cheaper than making your own pasta (which can also be worth it.)

This super-simple recipe is adapted from Plated Cravings.

Start boiling a large pot of water as if you were making pasta. In a mixing bowl, combine:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp salt

• 8 large eggs

• 3/4 cup milk

• optional: some nutmeg and pepper

Once the pot is boiling, you have to act quickly. If you have help, that’s ideal. Place the spaetzle maker over your pot and scoop batter into the square thing. Scrape it over the grater and watch the dumplings go into the water. Continue until you’ve used all your batter. Wait about a minute until that last batch seems cooked, then strain the pot.

Serve immediately. Stir in some butter (Kerrygold is awesome) and sprinkle with some nutmeg and pepper if you want. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I enjoy it. Here’s a picture of my kids helping!

Treat

Cinnamon Sugar Bananas

Nothing but doughnuts can be as good as doughnuts, but fried bananas are decent alternatives. Texas de Brazil even serves them as a side, not dessert!

Peel bananas and chop in half. (Make sure you remove the very bottom of each banana, of course; see this meme 🙃 )

In a shallow dish, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and roll the bananas in it. Sauté them with a little butter until they’re cooked but not burned. You really don’t need to be indulgent with the sugar or the butter; bananas are really sweet on their own!

Provide forks or hand-wipes when serving because these get a little messy. But they’re really good!

Let us know if you try any of these!

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts