PODCAST Episode 304: Family Cookbook – Comfort Foods for COVID (with recipes)

Well, the landscape has changed a lot since my last episode! I hope that you are well, healthy and stocked and sheltering safely, not worrying about your kin. Today I have some comfort food recipes from my mother and grandmother. We’re starting with an apple cake with cream cheese frosting (because on sick days, we can start with dessert), and then we’re going Tex-Mex with chili enchiladas, followed by Anglo-American with chicken and Yorkshire pudding. All three of these are pretty easy to make, they take advantage of fruits and vegetables that you probably already have around the house, and best of all, they freeze well. I like having a variety of foods available when I’m not leaving the house much – it makes me feel like I have range and luxury available without breaking the bank. And since these current hunker-down and limited-movement orders look to be something we’ll be dealing with for the next few months at least, it’s best to plan for some diversity in ready-made meals. I know that the news changes daily, and I know that we’re all concerned, but we need to shore each other up with great ideas in the meantime. Support the podcast at patreon.com/ancestorsalive for as little as $1/month and you can access all of my screenshot videos, how-to’s that you can use for your work on Ancestry, FamilySearch, and more. I think it’s unwise to try to get more done than usual, so please be kind to yourself and don’t push. But these videos show you best practices and best evidence for doing the best possible work. And, I might even make you laugh!

Suzie’s or Gloria’s Apple Cake (mix by hand only – do not use mixer)

1 1/4 c. vegetable oil (NOT corn oil)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs (well beaten)
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
3 c. diced apple (peeled or not, only firm ones)
1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Mix oil, sugar, and eggs. Add dry ingredients (all sifted or mixed together). Add the rest. Batter will be stiff. Bake in greased sheet pan at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If you prefer a thicker cake, use a loaf pan, oblong cake pan, tube pan. Cake freezes well, even with the cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick margarine
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Cream margarine and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and sugar. Mix well and spread on the fresh apple cake.

Chili for Enchiladas

1 1/2 ground meat – 1 lb beef, 1/2 lb pork
6 medium onions, finely diced/chopped in the food processor
4 garlic cloves, finely diced/chopped in the food processor
half as much green peppers as the onions, finely diced/chopped in the food processor
2/3 c. oil, heated in a pan

Add peppers and onions to the pan, cook down. Add meat and cook until all the juice is gone.

Mix 3 1/2 t. salt and 4 rounded T. chili powder with water to make a paste. Add to the meat. Add 2 T. flour per lb of meat. In this case, 1 1/2 Tablespoons. Add 1 quart of tomatoes. Cook to desired thickness.

Enchiladas (3 dozen)

2 1/2 lb. sharp cheese
2 1/2 lbs. onions

Chop onions, shred cheese, then mix. Add enough chili to make it stick together. Dip tortillas in chili, put cheese mix on and roll. Layer into baking dish. Add chili to each layer. Bake 1 hour in 350 degree oven. Serve with more chili.

Chicken with Yorkshire Pudding

6 chicken legs and thighs
1/4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. parika
1/2 t. pepper.

Put flour and seasonings in a bag, shake together. Shake chicken in the bag to coat. Sautee chicken until well browned. Place in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Yorkshire Pudding

With electric mixer beat 4 eggs, 2 c. milk, 2 c. flour, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1 t. salt, 1 t. tarragon till a smooth batter. Pour into pan around chicken. Bake 25-30 minutes or until pudding is a deep golden brown. Serve with milk gravy.

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