Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese - UPDATED VERSION

I was asked to make macaroni and cheese for a function today.  When I went back through my old blog posts and pulled out the original Macaroni & Cheese recipe that I used many times I realized that the old recipe doesn't state the amount of flour to use or the method of blending the flour into the milk to make the roux. I decided to do an update with a more accurate recipe that you will find below.

Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese

16 oz of uncooked elbow macaroni
1 stick of butter
4 cups of milk
1/2 cup flour
12 oz sharp cheddar (grated) cheese, reserve a handful to sprinkle on top
1 teaspoon of salt (I cut this down from 2 teaspoons in the original recipe)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.
3. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in flour to make a paste.
4. Warm the milk in microwave for 2-3 minutes.
5. Slowly add milk to the paste.
6. Whisk in the milk until thickened (about 1-2 minutes).
7. Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, mustard and cheese, stir until smooth.
8. Stir the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce and pour into a 3 quart casserole dish.
9. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes.

(You can easily do half the recipe in a 1-1/2 or 2 quart baking dish or even double the recipe for a large crowd.)

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

This is a great way to make cauliflower. It is very tasty.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:

2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
2 leeks, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the cauliflower, leeks and red peppers on the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, thyme, and salt.  Add to cauliflower mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Bake until the cauliflower is tender, 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve

Enjoy!

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

I tried this smoothie a few weeks ago. It was great. The recipe comes from Ellie Krieger. It is simple but satisfying.

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup nonfat or 1% lowfat milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Classic Vinaigrette

This is a nice easy vinaigrette to make when you don't want the bottled stuff with all its chemicals and such.

Classic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1-1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Combine vinegar, shallots, salt, Dijon mustard and pepper. Gradually add olive oil, stirring until incorporated.

Snow Pea Salad with Shallot and Tarragon

I have to hand it to Martha Stewart for this recipe. I loved this vinaigrette so much that I would put it on a salad or any vegetable. It is delish! The only changes I made were to par boil the snow peas and I used dry tarragon. Next time, I will slice the peas but this time, I didn't.

Snow Pea Salad with Shallot and Tarragon
by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne or white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 pound snow peas, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add shallot, snow peas, and tarragon and combine.

To store, refrigerate covered, up to 6 hours.

Vegetable Soup

This is the soup that I thought would solve all my problems with getting my son to eat his veggies. It worked for a short time but he is now "over" this soup. I really enjoy it as does my husband. Oh well... The recipe comes from the Cooking Classy website.


Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (about 4)
1-1/4 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (undrained)
3 cups peeled and 1/2-inch thick diced potatoes (about 3 medium)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups chopped frozen or fresh green beans
1-1/4 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 cup frozen or fresh peas

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour in broth and add tomatoes, potatoes, parsley, bay leaves, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then add green beans, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes, then add corn and peas. Cook 5 minutes longer. Serve Warm.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Enjoy!

Italian Pizzelles

I brought these cookies to a family reunion and and my cousin Jennie asked me to give her the recipe for the Pizzelles. Her boyfriend said that "they were to die for."  In order to make them properly, you need an electric pizzelle baker.

Italian Pizzelles

3 eggs
1-3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon anise extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter* (melted)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar**

Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter, vanilla and anise. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter will be stiff enough to be dropped by spoon. Batter can be refrigerated to be used at a later time. Makes approximately 30 pizzelles.

*Do not use oil or margarine as a substitute.

**I reduced the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup just because I don't like things to be too sweet.

Also, I have a Prima Pizzelle Baker by VillaWare (Classic Italian Kitchenware).

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

This is a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. The interesting thing about it is that my son made it. He did it almost completely on his own. I just cleaned up. According to everyone, it was delicious! Not just because we want to encourage him to continue to cook, either. He did a great job. It might be a foolproof recipe, or not. Try it and find out.

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces, weight Bowtie Pasta (farfalle)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (may substitute low sodium chicken broth)
• 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• low sodium chicken broth, as needed for thinning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan shavings or grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

Preparation:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until deep golden brown on both sides and done in the middle. Remove from the skillet, slice into thin strips and set aside.

3. Add additional 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, followed by the minced garlic. Stir the garlic around the pan to avoid burning, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in wine (or broth), then let it bubble up and reduce for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add half-and-half, cream, and extra salt and pepper, whisking constantly until it's all combined. Allow liquid to heat up and thicken for a few minutes. If it gets too thick, you may thin it with a little chicken broth.

4. When the sauce looks good, remove it from the heat. Add Parmesan to the pan, then throw the hot pasta right on top of it. Toss it a bit. Add the chicken and continue tossing until it's all combined. Again, if it gets too gloppy, splash in a little broth (you may return the pan to low heat if it needs it.)

5. Taste it, adjust seasonings, and top with minced parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Nectarine Cobbler

My son loves nectarines so I bought a box of "organic" nectarines at BJs.  Unfortunately, they were very sour. My mother thinks that these nectarines had been frozen at one time.  I didn't want to throw them all out so I found a recipe for Nectarine Cobbler that my son absolutely loved. It comes from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook via The Food Network.

Nectarine Cobbler

Ingredients:

Filling:

4 cups sliced nectarines
1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Garnish:

Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To prepare the topping: In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder.  Add the milk and the butter and beat until smooth.

To prepare the filling: In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly, about 5-10 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13x9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon the topping over the filling and spread carefully and evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 30-40 minutes or until topping is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of topping comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Sangria - Emeril Lagasse Recipe

I attended a cookout with my family last night. I brought a double batch of Sangria (recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse) with a few changes made by me. I enjoyed it. Some of the other guests told me that it was refreshing and tasty. I will share the recipe with my tweaks below. Enjoy!

Sangria
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients:

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine (I used Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur (I used triple sec)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar (I used blue agave nectar)
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1 unwaxed apple, cored, and cut into thin wedges
1 (750-ml) bottle sparkling water, chilled (I used San Pellegrino)

Directions:

Combine everything but the sparkling water in a large plastic container or glass pitchers. Cover and chill completely, 1 to 2 hours or over night.  When ready to serve, add the sparkling water.

Note: The changes I made are noted about but I also did not have an apple or an orange so I used strawberries and blueberries instead. I chilled the wine and fruit mix for 2 days.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables

I haven't been posting on this page for a while. I had some things happen.  My dad passed away in January and my son has been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.  I always have a hard time pleasing my son's palate which is why I first started this website. It didn't turn out the way I had hoped it would but at least I have the recipes recorded that he enjoys. I am also on a bit of a coconut kick lately because I read that it can help soothe the symptoms of UC.  I found this one recipe that the boy actually likes or at least he says he likes it. This dish is to be served over jasmine rice or brown rice. Another option would be to serve it over quinoa.  The original recipe comes from Simple Bites.net.

Slow Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken & Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 inch cube of ginger (about 30 grams), roughly chopped
1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered (I used a Vidalia)
1 Tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
2 Tablespoons butter
2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into four (I used chicken breast)
2 cans coconut milk, not shaken
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 can of baby corn cobs
1 cup peas or frozen vegetables of your choice

For the spice blend:

1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1-1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1.  Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.

2.  In a mini food processor, combine garlic, ginger and onion.  Pulse until a paste is formed.

3.  In the bottom of a slow cooker placed on a burner (or a heavy bottomed pan),  heat olive oil and melt butter.  Add pureed aromatics, stir well.  Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

4.  Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pot. Cook chicken slightly on all sides, using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture.

5.  Open the cans of coconut milk and remove the cream from the top using a soup spoon. You should get about 1 cup. Pour the coconut milk over the chicken and with both cans, it should just barely cover the chicken.

6.  Drain the corn cobs and chop in half. Add to the slow cooker.

7.  Place the slow cooker in its base and cook on low for 4 hours.

8. Whisk cornstarch with coconut cream until smooth and add to the chicken. Stir well. Add frozen peas or other vegetables of your choice. Cook for another half an hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook