The Comfortable Kitchen: 105 Laid-Back, Healthy, and Wholesome Recipes

When I was trying to decide what types of recipes to include in this book, I thought long and hard about my experience writing my first cookbook and putting it out into the world. Sharing that with the Defined Dish community for the first time was incredibly daunting yet exciting, and one of the most profoundly rewarding experiences of my life thus far. All I wanted was for people to actually cook and enjoy the recipes with the ones they love most—not just a little memento that collects dust on a shelf.

While I love to treat my body well and eat foods that nourish, food is also so much more than just what fuels our bodies. Meals are where our families come together at the end of the day. They’re where we celebrate life’s great events. They’re where we gather and count our blessings. And they’re where we can show others that we love and care about them.

Food has always been my love language. More specifically, preparing and serving food. In fact, when I really dig deep, food is the love language that has shaped so many of my relationships and continues to.

The bulk of my childhood memories are set in the kitchen: my dad, mom, brother, and sister around the table eating my mom’s delicious meals. I know now that I, too, can set the foundation for beautiful memories made at home for our little family of four.

I express my own motherly love through my cooking for my two beautiful children. Sure, right now they may be more interested in the fast food we eat on occasion, and sometimes have the gumption to request something else for dinner; however, one day I know they’ll look back and remember The Best Bolognese that I like to make on special occasions and be filled with warm memories of our family together in the kitchen.

Whipping up my husband’s favorite Perfectly Broiled Rib Eye with Tarragon Butter makes my heart so happy. I love nothing more than a date night in, a lovely bottle of wine, and catching up on our week together over a delicious home-cooked meal. The meals I make are a labor of love, and a way that I show him I care.

And, true friendship to me is writing notes on top of a foil-wrapped casserole dish filled with my Eggplant Lasagna and leaving it at the front porch of a dear friend or family member in need of a home-cooked meal. Whenever I’m on the receiving end of a delicious delivered dinner from a friend, I’m always grateful for the time and love put forth into making sure I’m fed and comforted.

Long story long—preparing, sharing, and serving food for others brings me joy, which is exactly what brings me to writing my second book. I feel like it’s my purpose in life to share this passion with you, and I can’t wait for you to quite literally dig into the recipes here.

My intention with this book—and all of the recipes I create—is to bring you into my kitchen with me, in the hope that I can bring a little more comfort into yours. Even if you love cooking as much as I do, it can feel like you are in this constant cycle of cooking, scrubbing pots and pans, and filling the dishwasher, only to get up and do it all over again—I get it. But even when we are stuck in this constant cycle, how can we remind ourselves about the joy cooking can bring us, and how it makes such a positive impact on the way we feel? How can we get creative in our kitchens without worrying about overcooking our chicken? How can we put food on the table that’s somewhat healthy and still makes our taste buds sing and fill our loved ones with comfort?

That’s where I want to help—to inspire you with delicious food that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Let me remind you, I’m just a home cook who loves sharing recipes, so you’ll find my recipes are easy enough that any and all levels of cook will love and enjoy. I’m also not a dietician. I’m just a human being doing my best to live a healthy and abundant life. While most of these recipes are created with clean, healthful ingredients, there are a handful of splurge-worthy dishes in here—like my Fried Mortadella Sandwiches—because, in my opinion, life is too short, and we should enjoy a little bit of everything if we are able.

You’ll find that in this book I’ve stuck to what I do best—great dinners for all occasions and for all levels of difficulty: busy weeknight dinners, weekend dinners with friends, and family-style dinners for special moments. I’ve also included some accompaniments to add to your dinner experience. The Clayton’s Cocktails chapter has some fun spirited beverages to pair with dinner or kick off a lovely evening. The cocktails can be perfectly paired with the appetizer chapter, which is filled with bites and dips for grazing before dinner or a festive happy hour with friends. And last—and if you’re a long-time follower, you may not believe me when I say this—there is a Something Sweet chapter, with desserts I’m extremely proud of and excited for you to try.

At the end of the day, food is a powerful way of expressing love and forming deeper connections, and my hope is that as you cook your way through this book, you’ll take the time to appreciate the way that food brings us all together.