5 COMFORT FOOD RECIPES FOR STRESSFUL TIMES
In case you haven’t heard, these are unprecedented times. We don’t really know how to react to all this because, well... it’s never happened to us before, so it’s normal to fluctuate between emotions right now. When you’re feeling a bit down, missing your friends and family, upset by the scale of the crisis, not sure how to deal with the uncertainty, you need comfort food. You need nourishing, warming, hug-in-a-mug, soul-in-a-bowl food. Here are some of the recipes that are getting me through.
Pink is calming, sweet is soothing, creamy is comforting, and this beautifully earthy drink is sure to soothe frazzled nerves while being far more nutritious than your average latte. It’s great if you’re in the mood for a hot drink but coffee has been making you feel jittery and anxious, plus you get to flaunt your barista skills.
BLACKBERRY APPLE GINGER BUCKWHEAT CAKE
“Let them eat cake,” Marie Antoinette supposedly said... unhelpful when France had run out of bread. But if you do have the ingredients at the ready, cake is, like its sweet drink counterpart above, very grounding if it’s wholesome too — and this one, made from buckwheat flower, apples and blackberries, and spiced with ginger, is just sweet enough without aggravating that Kapha.
FENNEL AND ROSE BUCK-RICE PORRIDGE WITH TOASTED SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Everyone knows how to oat porridge, but have you rice porridged yet? If not, check out Milk Rice in East by West page 82. Or, if you’re looking for another way to play with buckwheat then check out this heavenly porridge, combining rice and buckwheat groats with a sweet and fragrant fennel and rose topping.
Forget Deliveroo — these are even quicker, with a quick trip from your frying pan to your plate. Just take a couple of eggs, whisked up with all the herbs your heart desires and combined with some lovely salty toppings... This pizza pancake truly delivers (see what I did there?).
GINGER BROCCOLI AND BABY CORN KITCHARI
Speaking of takeaways, if you’re looking for a Chinese-inspired satisfying dish that delivers nutritionally too, then take inspiration from this kitchari. Crunchy baby corn and broccoli in a sweet sesame and ginger sauce. It’s very popular on my retreats (some day again!) and you can sub in whatever veg you have. Mmmh.
