How to Make the Most Out of Your Comfort Food Cookbook

Our FOURTH cookbook! Wow. Whether you’re new to Nom or you’ve already acquired a library of our existing cookbooks, we just wanted to say a HUGE thank you. We wouldn’t be here without the incredible community that supports and drives us every step of the way. 

With 80 brand new recipes and 20 fan favourites from our website inside, Comfort Food is jam-packed full of (you guessed it) COMFORT. From hearty stews to slow-cooked flavours, you’ll be spoilt for choice on what to make. It might even be our best book yet!

To make sure you get the most out of your Comfort Food cookbook, we’ve got a few handy hints and tips for you.

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Have you joined our Facebook group for support and inspiration?

Joining our Facebook group is an absolute must, especially when it comes to finding your way through new recipes and flavours. There really is nothing better than seeing our incredible PON community sharing their recipe pics, swapping ideas and lending support. We love to see it ALL!

We have almost 1 million members in the group, so you’ll never be short of others on a similar journey. Not sure what to make for dinner? Don’t worry. We guarantee the community will be ready with a suggestion for you. We’re in there as often as we can be, answering questions directly from our community – make sure you swing by to say hello!

How well-stocked is your spice rack?

We’re not trying to be nosey, it’s just that herbs and spices are often the key to giving home-cooked dishes a satisfying lift. With a zesty twist or a kick of heat, you can transform a boring plate of food into a family favourite. Whether you’re after the nostalgia of flavours from your own childhood, or looking to create new home-cooked memories, you can’t skip on essential spices.  

First things first, make sure you’ve got a sturdy spice rack that’ll hold plenty of different options for you. We’d recommend one that can fit nicely inside one of your cupboards, as spices definitely prefer it in a dark, cool space. They’ll retain their flavour for so much longer than they would out in the open – trust us!

We know that stocking up on herbs and spices can get a little pricey, so if you’re wondering which ones to prioritise buying, our essential herbs and spices list has you covered.

We’re big believers that meals don’t have to be low on flavour, to be low in fat – and that’s why we’re never shy with adding spices to a dish! Our Oven Baked Pasanda recipe is SO good thanks to a warming blend of curry powder, cumin, ground coriander and all-important chicken stock to enhance its nutty flavours. If you’re after a crowd-pleasing, mild curry dish for the whole family, this one’s ideal! 

How well-stocked is your store cupboard?

We’ve all got store cupboard essentials that we turn to on days where we want a quick comfort fix. From baked beans to pasta, there’s often at least one go-to ingredient you can count on that’ll send you on your way to a satisfying lunch or dinner. Plenty of the new recipes in Comfort Food were created to use up your store cupboard staples, so that tasty, budget-friendly family meals don’t have to be a faff.

You’ll want to make sure you’ve got some less obvious additions, like Arborio rice, in the cupboard too, so you can treat yourself with an indulgent dish like our creamy Carbonara Risotto, even after a long day.

Don’t be afraid to bulk-buy! From beans and rice to stock cubes and even low calorie cooking spray, Comfort Food is built on the basics – so having plenty to go at can only keep the costs down. Winner!

Have you got the fresh stuff in?

We’ve got some magic words for you: reduced-fat dairy. Odds are, when you picture the meal you crave the most when you’re after a bit of home comfort, there’s cheese involved somewhere – there’s no denying it’s a comfort food must. We’re always looking for clever swaps to make sure our take on cheesy, home-cooked favourites aren’t laden with calories.

To make sure you’re always halfway prepared to make a slimming friendly, creamy recipe, you’ll want to have some low fat spreadable cream cheese in the fridge. We love to stir it into a pasta dish or watch it bubble away in a cheesy curry (yep, we said cheesy curry and it’s IN THE BOOK!).

Instead of using dried or ground spices, you can also use fresh to make sure your dishes pack a punch. A dash of fresh lemon zest or lime juice can bring a whole new level of zingy warmth. Our Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe is a perfect example of a cheesy dish with a sour twist that’ll leave you wanting more – it’s the perfect midweek meal to keep things interesting for your taste buds!

We’re so ready to batch cook! Are you?

One of the key elements of comfort is convenience, which is why we’ve put together a whole chapter full of batch cooking ideas and inspiration. It’s so much easier to get through the week if you’ve got pre-made portions waiting to be reheated.

Recipes like our Cheesy Fajita Orzotto are the best of both worlds – they’re quick to make from fresh AND they’re freezer friendly. So you can enjoy a portion when you’re feeling Mexican-inspired flavours the following week, without the need to cook. Ideal!

To make your life easier, make sure you divide up foods into individual portions so you don’t have to hack away at a huge ice block of food. Freezer bags come in really handy for storing leftovers!

To keep your food safe, it should always be stored in airtight tupperware.

Following NHS guidelines, you can work your way through your freezer leftovers 3-6 months later, but the taste will start to decline beyond the 3 month mark – so, the sooner the better!

Get your gadgets ready

Whether you’ve got a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, an air fryer or ALL of the above, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to use your gadgets with our latest recipes. Of the 100 recipes in Comfort Food, 20 were made for slow cooking! That’s 20 different opportunities to show your future self a bit of love, by throwing ingredients into the pot first thing in the morning. Is there anything more comforting than coming home to a ready-made feast? We don’t think so! 

If you’re still in the market for a slow cooker, we’ve got a list of models that’s a great place to start.

We know how much our incredible community loves to use their gadgets, so we’ve made sure to include recipes that’ll suit a variety of methods. From your hob to your air fryer to your Instant Pot, you’ll be able to pick one of our 26 alternative-method recipes and choose the way to make it that best suits you. 

Have your copy of our Quick & Easy Food Planner handy

We’ve all made mental shopping lists we don’t stick to, or broken promises to ourselves about what we’ll cook for dinner. That’s where the slippery slope of leaning on takeaways or quick ready meals gets a little steeper. If you’re more likely to stay on track with a record of where you’re up to, grab a copy of our Quick & Easy Food Planner. 

With pages to write out your meal plans, goals, inspirational quotes and fun stickers, it’ll hold you accountable, keep you organised and encourage you to celebrate your victories all at once. After all, there’s no better comfort than a reminder that you’re doing amazing!

Get stuck into some Comfort Food!

We want dinner times to be healthier, easier and more comforting than ever. If you’re after more handy tips and recommendations that’ll make cooking your favourite Nom dishes even easier, we’ve dropped some useful links below:

• Top Tips for Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking
• Essential Kit for Your Kitchen
• The Best Types of Kitchen Knives

You’ve got the ingredients, you’ve got the gadgets – you’ve even got the recipes. Now it’s time for the important bit… Enjoy! 

We’d LOVE to see which recipe you cook up first from our latest cookbook. Head over to our Facebook group to share your photos – don’t forget to tag us!

If you haven’t ordered your copy of Comfort Food yet, you can pick up a copy here.