Comfort Food ala Cruz Bay Grill Rub- My foodie Saga

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:23 pm

I grew up poor in a very weathy town. I would eat wonderful food at my friend's houses and then home to Tuna Casserole and Hamburger Helper.
As I got older I started eating all those wonderful foods I never got at home. There is now almost nothing that I won't eat.

When I met Chip I introduced him to Sushi, fine wine, gourmet cheeses, fois gras, etc. (I still can't get him to eat caviar, but I will keep trying)

I cook dinner every night and it is usually a pretty involved meal. Last night I made ginger sesame tuna with wasabi cauliflower and sauteed cabbage.

Tonight Chip has a meeting and will not be home for dinner. I left work early to hit the gym and decided I was tired and wanted comfort food. My sister called while I was cooking and when I told her what I was making she called me trashy.

So be it, it came out just as I planned and I thought that I would share my Trashy Comfort Food recipe.

1 pound Ground turkey
1 small onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced)
Chicken stock
1 can reduced sodium cream of muchroom soup
1 large can no salt added sliced mushrooms
Cruz Bay grill rub

with a bit of EVOO, sautee the onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add turkey and about 6-8 shakes of CBGR. When meat is browned add some chicken stock (maybe a half cup?) the can of soup, and the mushrooms. Simmer for few minutes. ( I added some gravy master because I didn't like the boring color)

I put it over some noodles and I poured myself a nice Cruzan dark and diet.

It may be semi-homemade, it maybe trashy, but it was damn yummy!

Sorry Rick, no food porn!

flip-flop · Post by **flip-flop** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 5:31 pm

Sounds similar to what my mom refers to as "po people's food"! Also grew up not so wealthy, single mom with myself and a brother to feed (still don't know how she did it)!

Basically gravified ground beef, often over mashed potatoes! There are times when I still request this comfort food even though we can afford much better.

mbw1024 · Post by **mbw1024** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 6:20 pm

[quote="Xislandgirl"]
When I met Chip I introduced him to Sushi, fine wine, gourmet cheeses, fois gras, etc. (I still can't get him to eat caviar, but I will keep trying)

We could be friends

The other night we had CBGR crusted burgers on the grill with sweet potatoes wedges in the oven, also with a good dash of grill rub. We are almost out.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Ruth.................

kirk · Post by **kirk** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 7:51 pm

Sounds better than the Manwich i'm having tonight.

mountaineer girl · Post by **mountaineer girl** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:13 pm

flip-flop wrote:Sounds similar to what my mom refers to as "po people's food"! Also grew up not so wealthy, single mom with myself and a brother to feed (still don't know how she did it)!

Basically gravified ground beef, often over mashed potatoes! There are times when I still request this comfort food even though we can afford much better.

The ground beef gravy over mashed potatoes sounds like the school lunch we would have at least once/week. with the most awesome rolls! Its too bad school lunches aren't actually cooked like back in the day

Anyone ever heard of S.O.S.?? its corned beef gravy over toast? (Sh*t on shingles!) Now that's a poor kids supper!

Marcia (Mrs. Pete) · Post by **Marcia (Mrs. Pete)** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:37 pm

Anybody's Mom ever made them Welsh Rerbet? My mom made this every once in a while back in the day when feeding our family of six. Talk about poor man's food. It was melted cheese goo on Ritz crackers. Must have been something she learned during the Depression.

Seemed fancy to me (it's all in the name) when I was 8 but in retrospect, eeeeeesch....

Okay, fine, I have actually done Tuna Helper for OUR family of six but, at least I don't give it a fancy name. We just call it Tuna Helpless.

Marcia (Mrs. Pete)

waterguy · Post by **waterguy** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:10 pm

When my son came home from college for xmas I asked him what he wanted to eat he wanted bean hash ground beef a can of van camps porken beans and chill powder.
It's amasing what you miss from you child hood.

sea-nile · Post by **sea-nile** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 8:16 am

My Mom was a pretty bad cook. (Gee, I hope she isn't reading this!)
Anyway, now I kind of crave those yucky things because they do bring comfort (hamburger and Tuna Helper, especially the tuna.)

VaGirl · Post by **VaGirl** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:37 am

Sounds like we all grew up eating the same things. Xisland Girl, I need to try your recipe, sounds good. I remember going to college in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and having Shepherd's Pie for the first time - remember that? Hamburger with cheese and mashed potatoes on top...no wonder college freshmen gained so much weight!!

VaGirl · Post by **VaGirl** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:42 am

waterguy wrote:When my son came home from college for xmas I asked him what he wanted to eat he wanted bean hash ground beef a can of van camps porken beans and chill powder.
It's amasing what you miss from you child hood.

This reminds me of my youngest son; he went to college in Charleston, SC, still lives there and loves the wonderful food. When he comes home, he always asks for the same thing - Mom's meat loaf, the "no standard recipe" one when you just throw stuff in...

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:57 am

I sent the leftovers with Chip for his lunch today. He just called me and said "This is outstanding. I can't figure out the spice, what it is?"

CBGR stikes again! Thanks Ruth

mrsb · Post by **mrsb** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:23 pm

Well Gee,
I must still be po cuz my favorite breakfast is SOS (CDB- creamed dried beef) Love it on biscuits or toast and sausage gravy over biscuits is so good too. Do you dip your grilled cheese in your tomato soup? Do you mix your corn with your mashed potatoes? I do! MMMMM

My grandfather's family was extremely poor during the depression and he used to tell us tales of stealing off the fruit trucks and eating bacon grease sandwiches. Our family teased him mercilessly about his food practices (we're mean like that in a loving way of course) (even though they could afford it, he would still save foodstuffs or buy the poorest cuts of meat) He was into recycling before anyone:) I am thankful that these days I have the choice of eating Po man's food

Laura T · Post by **Laura T** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:12 pm

Very timely post...I was just getting teased at work for making creamed chicken on toast. No one ever heard of it, but it was a regular meal in my house growing up. An inexpensive way to make chicken go a long way.

usvi-on-line