moderate

Serve this sweet corn cake as a Mexican side dish.

This Mexican sweet treat is often called “Milk Fudge” because of its consistency. As with regular fudge, it can be made with or without nuts. It’s rich and creamy and simple to make, though it does take several hours to prepare. It is often found cut into medium size squares but can also be rolled into logs and sliced into candy-size pieces.

A recipe for potato and red onion frittata inevitably reminds of the Mediterranean, right down to feta cheese.

This risotto is virtually fat free. Very comforting on cold winter days.

Trout is very affordable and healthy. Filleted, you avoid the problem of fish bones, and the lemony new potatoes are a perfect complement.

Mac 'n' cheese is pure comfort food. Real, homemade macaroni and cheese can actually be delicious and surprisingly good for you, especially with whole grain pasta. Just take it easy on the cheese and skip the cream.

In Mexico this is often eaten for breakfast but also as a light meal. This is a healthier version which makes a pretty substantial breakfast, lunch or light dinner. Add it to your healthy choices.

Risotto is great comfort food. An added plus point: Because it’s naturally so creamy you don’t really need much oil or fat for cooking. You can make a risotto meal out of virtually any ingredients you have on hand. This recipe combines shrimp, lemon and spring onions but you can experiment with fish and mushrooms too. Add a handful of chopped chillies if you like it hot!