Want to eat more healthily but not ready to embrace summer salads just yet? These 4 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes may be just what you need! Plus find the linky for #CookBlogShare Week 15.
It seems rather surreal that we are already more than a quarter of the way through 2018. I feel like this year is already running away from me!
This last month has seen me tick off another big job off my massive 2018 to do list: video! And oh my what a big challenge I set myself – to learn how to create ‘tasty style’ recipe videos in 1 month. I really should have given myself about 3! (I am always over ambitious about what I can realistically achieve in 1 month!!)
So March saw me doing lots of research, buying lots of new shiny equipment (that was A LOT of fun!), figuring out how to actually shoot video (HUGE learning curve), and watching endless YouTube videos to figure out how on earth to use Premiere Pro to edit my videos (also a massive learning curve!).
And the result was this: My very first recipe video!!! (You can find the full recipe for my Easy No Mayo Coleslaw here.)
I know I still have much to learn but right now I am proper proud of myself 😀
I have since gone on to create a couple more videos and start an Easy Peasy YouTube channel. I would be delighted if you would subscribe to my channel or give one of my videos a thumbs-up!
And do let me know which of my recipes you’d like to see me recreate in video form.
4 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes
So, hands up who ate too much chocolate over Easter??? Just like after Christmas, I find that the period after Easter is a time when we all vow to ‘do a bit better’ and ‘eat more healthily’ – only usually post Easter has the added advantage of being warmer and eating healthily seems that much easier.
Unfortunately, this year Easter was quite early and, I don’t know what the weather is doing in your neck of the woods, but here is the south of England we have been having quite a few miserable, cold and rainy days of late. It just doesn’t feel like summer salad weather just yet! I am still firmly in full on comfort food mode at the moment.
So, when choosing my picks from last week’s #CookBlogShare linky to showcase this week, I was rather drawn to a selection of recipes that were both healthy AND comforting. Perfect for this time of year!
Pasta Bake with Soya Beans
First up, what could be more comforting than a pasta bake? And I just love this Pasta Bake with Soya Beans from Monika at Everyday Healthy Recipes. Monika’s healthy vegetarian take on pasta bake is packed full of nutritious veggies, protein rich soya beans and just a small amount of cheese. If you wanted to make this even healthier you could use wholegrain pasta too.
Nutty Roasted Romanesco Curry
Curry is another comfort food classic but it can often be a very unhealthy choice (especially the takeaway ones!). This Nutty Roasted Romanesco Curry from Corina at Searching for Spice is a much healthier alternative, featuring roasted romanesco, chickpeas, spices, chilli and almonds, it is positively bursting with goodness (not to mention deliciousness!) and the fact that it is quick and easy too (ready in under 30 minutes), means there’s much less of an excuse to reach for the takeaway menu!
Oven Roasted Chips
Ah chips…another comforting classic that is NOT usually considered a heath food! But these Oven Roasted Chips from Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy are coated in just a small amount of rapeseed oil and roasted in the oven, making them much lower in fat than traditional deep-fried chips…but just as tasty! In fact, possibly more so, as Jacqui coats her Oven Roasted Chips in a delicious sounding combination of mixed herbs and garlic. Now that’s my kind of chip!
Breakfast Muesli Muffins
And finally, we have these gorgeous Breakfast Muesli Muffins from Angela at Only Crumbs Remain. These delicious sounding muffins are packed full of goodness: including a portion of muesli, wholemeal spelt flour, orange, cinnamon and eggs. These sound like a brilliant way to start the day. Plus if you bake a batch in advance, they make a really great grab and go breakfast – much better than picking up something unhealthy from the coffee shop on the way to work!
#CookBlogShare Linky Week 15
And so we come to this week’s linky. You can link up any foodie post that you have – both old and new posts are welcome. All you need to do is:
- Link up a recipe or foodie post by clicking the blue ‘add your link’ button below and following the instructions (maximum of 4, please).
- Add a link from your post back to this post (so everyone else can find it and link up too!) and / or add the #CookBlogShare badge to your post (you can find the code below).
- Comment on one of the host’s posts and a minimum of 2 other posts linked up here, and generally share the love with a bit of social media action!
If you wish, you can tweet a link to your recipe to me @easypeasyfoodie and also (if you have room on the tweet!) my co-hosts Kirsty @k_phillipson, Jacqui @jacdotbee and Monika @MonikasRecipes, using the #CookBlogShare hashtag and we will retweet them. You can also post your recipe on the Cook Blog Share Facebook Page.
Need some help on Instagram? You and me both…so let’s help each other! Whenever you post to Instagram, use the #CookBlogShare hashtag, then quickly hop over to the #CookBlogShare feed, liking as many as you can and commenting on any that particularly catch your eye. Not a big job at all, but if we all do it, it would make a BIG difference!!
I will comment on a selection of my favourite posts this week and pin them all to the Cook Blog Share Pinterest Board. I can’t wait to see what you’ve all been making!
[inlinkz_linkup id=762350 mode=1]
Just to remind you, by joining in, you are giving the #CookBlogShare hosts permission to use your pictures in a round up and on social media, if your recipe is selected as one of our favourites!
Next week #CookBlogShare will be hosted by Jacqui at Recipes Made Easy 🙂
Pin 4 Healthy Comfort Food Recipes for later
Corina Blum says
Thanks so much for featuring my roasted romanesco curry! I seem to be on a roll with vegan curries at the moment as this week I’m linking up another one. Hopefully the weather will change soon and I can start thinking more about salads!
Eb Gargano says
Yum, I love a good veggie curry – they somehow seem lighter than meat ones, but still warming and comforting. Perfect for this time of year…and usually super healthy too 😀 Eb x
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
Congrats to all recipes that have been featured this week!
I am at work and I am thinking what to eat for dinner. With all the amazing recipes, it’s difficult to choose. 😀
Thanks a lot for hosting, Eb. x
PS: I know you love hummus, so I thought you’d love this – http://thenotsocreativecook.com/2018/04/03/shakshuka-hummus/
Let me know what you think. 😀
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jhuls. You are right, I am a big hummus fan. Never come across Shakshuka hummus before though, sounds very intriguing!! Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
Thank you for featuring my humble pasta bake! It’s in exceptional company, I really mean that, the other 3 recipes are just gorgeous, they look and sound amazing!
Eb Gargano says
You are right…but I think your pasta bake is pretty fab too. Love how you’ve ‘healthyfied’ a traditionally fairly unhealthy dish 😀 Eb x
Jessica Cantoni says
I’m definitely all about comfort food right now too! Yesterday and today have both been rainy here in Cheltenham.. I hope summer does make an appearance this year! Well done with your Youtube channel though! I’ll go over and give you a follow 🙂 xx
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks for the follow. And yes…fingers crossed we do actually get summer. It’s never a given in this country is it?!! Eb x
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Lovely round up, comfort food is definitely on the books this week thanks to the poop British weather.
Eb Gargano says
It is pretty dismal, isn’t it? Bet it perks up next week when the kids go back to school – bah! Eb x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Oh Eb you make me feel so inadequate I set myself last year to learn video, I managed a couple and completely forgot what i learnt. If only i had your energy. On the plus side I didn’t eat too much chocolate over Easter 🙂
Comfort food is about right the weather is still pants Im trying to renovate a cottage garden in Suffolk at the weekends and it is still looking very shabby just cant seem to get out in the garden. If we do have a nice weekend Im in London – thats sods law I guess.
Eb Gargano says
Ha – I am in danger of that too, Jacqui. I’ve learnt loads this month but I have different things planned for the next month and indeed for the rest of the year, so quite when I’ll manage to make more videos is a good question!! But I feel now at least it is possible. Before this month I wasn’t quite convinced I was actually capable of it. At least now I’ve proved to myself that I am…now I just have to figure out how to make them more quickly!! Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Hats off to you Eb, they’re really great videos. I know just what you mean about the learning curve and the time it takes to shoot a video – I’m in the throws of shooting (or trying to shoot one!) this morning (just having a few minutes time out for lunch! ). Now that I’m relatively up to speed on the software I use I know I’m going to want to investigate Premier Pro when ours is up for renewal because it definitely seems to have more editing options that what I use at the mo = another learning curve!
It’s definitely comfort food here too today – it was glorious yesterday but today is really drab and miserable! Thankyou so much for including my Breakfast Muesli Muffins Eb 🙂
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Oooh looking forward to your next video!! Yes, that’s one of the reasons I went with premiere pro was because I knew if I didn’t I would want to upgrade at a later date and so I figured one steep learning curve is better than having to learn it all twice! Eb x
Mandy says
It really has been miserable hasn’t it! We had an afternoon in the park last week and the sun was shining so I immediately bought my kids ice creams as it seemed like it might be the only chance this Easter hols. Well done with your videos Eb, they’re really brilliant x
Eb Gargano says
Uuurgh – indeed! Though we are having a lovely day of sunshine today – it was good to be able to take the kids to the park (I refuse to go when it’s freezing or raining) – though they did get thoroughly muddy!! Thanks for your kind words about my videos 🙂 Eb x
Marilyn Lesniak says
I love the oven roasted chips. I pinned for later. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. Today I brought my Strawberry Crepes with Peach Sauce, Tag Along Cheesecake and Sausage and Hash Brown Cheddar Casserole Enjoy your week!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Marilyn. Have a great week too! Eb 🙂
Lathiya says
I think somehow I missed last round p..but glad to take part this time to see awesome recipes
Eb Gargano says
Aw, we missed you too! Glad you are back!! Eb 🙂
Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says
I’m not even going to start on the weather! What’s that all about this year! Your choice of round up is perfect as these are definitely things we want to eat right now!
Your videos are fantastic Eb, really well done! That is one area I am not going to touch with a barge-pole for some time yet I don’t think! lol I fear it would kill all the love I have for blogging especially with limited time for it. Having said that, never say never but for the time being I will be enjoying the work of other clever peeps like yourself instead. 🙂 x
Eb Gargano says
I said that for a long time…but eventually I just knew I had to bite the bullet and get on with it! It isn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but boy is it time consuming. So I certainly won’t be producing a video for every recipe, but I will certainly produce them for my most popular recipes – it’s a lot of fun!! Eb x
Debbie says
mmmm – loving all the scrummyness Eb, definitely will have to give Angela’s Breakfast muesli muffins a try. And congrats on the videos!! Look amazing!! Virtual high five!! 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Debbie! Yes, Angela’s muffins do look rather scrumptious, don’t they? A perfect grab and go breakfast! Eb x
Nickki says
What a delicious looking round up! Everything looks so good. Good luck with the You Tube channel – although I’m sure you won’t need it! I’m just going to pop over to subscribe. Hope you have a great week ? #CoolBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks so much for subscribing Nickki – have a great week too! Eb 🙂
Galina V says
Inspiring ideas all around. I have never seen romanesco in a curry, it sounds intriguing. Comfort food all the way in this miserable weather.
Eb Gargano says
No, me neither – but it’s such a great idea, isn’t it? And I love cauliflower in curry, so I am sure romanesco would taste fab too. And so perfect for this miserable weather (though today is actually much nicer – finally!!) Eb 🙂
jenny walters says
what a wonderful round up of dishes.Perfect for all this dreadful weather!Fingers crossed we can put the big casserole pots away soon!!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny. I do hope the weather will get better soon…but putting my casserole pot away? Never! I am just too much of a fan of stews and casseroles to give them up completely over the summer. Eb x
Cat says
Loving your video! I’m really fed up of the rubbish weather but I have heard we’re in for a bit of a heat wave next week! x
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thanks Cat. Heatwave you say? Oooh let’s hope so. We could do with some good weather after so much miserableness. Eb x