Revolutionary Mac & Cheese

My search for the perfect macaroni and cheese is legendary. Well, amongst my family, anyways. They joke about how many "perfect mac & cheese recipes" I have found over the years. So now I have started to categorize them so that when I find them later I remember why this one was perfect for that moment. ;o) 

It is my pleasure to introduce you to one of those recipes today. This was a Pinterest find for me, I have the link to the original blog down by the recipe. For me, this one is perfect, because it's not time-consuming. You can arrive home after work, decide you really want mac & cheese, and within half an hour, have home-style comfort on your plate that didn't come with neon cheese powder. Also, it takes real ingredients that you are likely to already have in your fridge and pantry already. (No canned soup or evaporated milk...)

The beauty of it is, it's all one pot. You do not boil the pasta ahead of time. That's what caught my attention the first time around.

The picture below is what it looks like when it's done on the stove. Kinda bland looking, as we used white cheese this time. I decided to dress it up a bit  (details on that below) but it involved a broiler and an unnamed member of my family who has a love-hate relationship with said broiler. The end result was less than picture worthy, but still edible! ;o)

Leni's Notes
~We use whole wheat pasta, works just fine, takes a tad longer to absorb the milk.
~This last time, I used whole wheat rotini pasta. I do not recommend it. I ended up having to add another cup of milk, and it took a LONG time for the spirals to cook properly. I recommend shells or elbows. Bowtie works, but it's got a similar issue as the spirals. That thick middle section doesn't like to cook as well.
~The original recipe uses 2% milk. Whatever floats your boat. I use whole milk most of the time, and add other creamy ingredients.
~I have yet to try it, but I wonder if I could turn this into a frozen dish that could later be popped in the oven. I think it would work. (Thinking ahead to taking meals to other families.)
~Lots of good stir-in ideas. Cooked chicken or turkey for more of a main-dish casserole. I also have made it with half pasta, half broccoli and that worked really well.
~I always double this recipe, as I have 4 adult-sized people living here, and double recipe leaves me lunches for them to take to work. Single recipe leaves nothing left over.

Original recipe was found on this blog. As you can see, I've changed it up a bit, as I tend to do. Do what works for you, and enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried pasta
2 cups milk
1 cup loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 ounces of cream cheese or flavored Laughing Cow (Sundried Tomato and Spice is lovely.)

Instructions:

~In a pan, add pasta, milk and cream cheese.
~Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.
~Turn heat off, add cheese, salt, pepper and dry mustard.
~Stir until combined.
~Serve as is, or put in greased baking dish, and top with a mixture of bread crumbs and cheese.
~Bake or broil until topping is browned (not burned.)

I don't list a temp, because I usually have something else in the oven, so I put it in with whatever is in there.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Marinated Pasta Salad

Today in Western New York, it's decided to be summer again. 90 degrees and humid, which means no one will have much of an appetite, and when they do get hungry, they won't want anything hot. This calls for a pasta salad. 

There are so many different recipes for pasta salad, most of which contain mayonnaise. I'm not a big fan of mayo, so I prefer a salad that is marinated in a nice vinaigrette. My current favorite is Brianna's French Vinaigrette. Good stuff, no nasties! (Local friends, you can find it at Wegmans.)

Over the years I have changed up my salad recipe to make it a bit more wholesome, so I can say from experience that this salad tastes good with the cheaper ingredients and the more expensive healthy ingredients. Do whatever works for your pocketbook! When I'm cooking for a large crowd, I tone down the price without sacrificing good taste.

Leni's Notes:

~Nice side dish for grilled meats.
~Holds up well for parties and picnics.
~When you are done mixing, let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge and then test it again to see if it needs more dressing.
~This makes a nice light lunch, also.

Ingredients:
2 lbs whole wheat pasta of choice (Rotini for us this time)
1 large head of fresh broccoli, cut into small  spears
1 lb block cheese, cut into cubes (Colby-Jack is our favorite)
1 quart grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 (6 oz) package turkey pepperoni, sliced into quarters
1 bottle vinaigrette dressing
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
Optional: Sliced black olives, chopped raw bell pepper, shredded raw onion

Directions:
~Boil pasta according to directions. During the last minute of cooking, throw the broccoli in. Drain and rinse, and set aside to dry out a bit.
~When pasta is well drained, add in everything except dressing and parmesan.
~Mix well, and add about half the bottle of dressing, making sure to coat all of the pasta well. The dressing amount will vary according to taste, but it's better to go light at first.
~Add parmesan, cover and refrigerate.
~Before serving, taste to gauge the need for more dressing.

Be blessed!
Leni

Cous Cous Davis Style

 

Cous Cous is a ridiculously easy dish to make, and so versatile. If you have any type of broth or gravy with your main dish, you can just make cous cous plain, and serve it along side. However, if you want a wonderful dish that stands on it's own, might I suggest you make it Davis style?

We are blessed to have a great Mennonite shop in a nearby town where we can get bulk ingredients, and some healthier options like whole wheat cous cous. Admittedly, the whoopie pies we stock up on while there no doubt cancel out the whole wheat benefit, but what are you going to do?

Here's a shot at what you need to gather up.

Leni's Notes:

The proportions for this recipe feed my family of 6, with leftovers for 2 or 3 lunches.

In pan, place:
2 1/2  C water
2 T butter
2 T dry chopped onion
1 T dry parsley
2 tsp. better than bouillon
1 tsp. minced garlic

In bowl, place:
2 C plain cous cous
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

Put it all together:
Bring the ingredients in the pan to a boil.
Add the dry mixture, stir, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Add salt as needed.

Anti-Philosophy

I plan to get more into my philosophy of cooking a little later this Spring, but if you've known me for 5 minutes, you know that I believe in real food. Wholesome, natural food that sacrifices none of the yum factor. Some day I'll get into Food as Medicine, because that is a favorite topic. But not today. Today is sunny and warm and I have much too much to do to get started on those topics today.

Today, my topic is anti-philosophy. Sometimes you just have to throw philosophy out the window and enjoy a greasy pizza from your favorite joint, you know? I truly believe that as long as you don't live on junk food, a little isn't going to kill you.

And so today, I bring you Pistachio Salad. I think every family has some version of this dish, but I've never seen our family's exact recipe listed, so I thought I'd share. Even though it is loaded with not-so-good-for-you ingredients. But there are a couple of good ones in there!

The real controversy with this dish is categorizing it. Is it a salad? A dessert? More importantly, why is Jello EVER considered a salad? This is a question that rages every time we have a fellowship dinner at church. I always vote dessert. I always lose. ;o) But I submit to the wishes of my cohorts on the Social Committee. There's a lot of combined wisdom there, and these ladies know how to cook! If they say it's a salad, it's a salad.

This is a go-to for summer picnics and buffet tables. It's also very helpful when Grandma is in the nursing home and refuses to eat anything, but thinks she's getting away with something by demanding to only eat Pistachio Salad. Fooled her, it's loaded with protein! ;o)

Today I will go buy the ingredients, and enjoy some this weekend in fond memory of my Grandma. Many thanks to my mom for actually having measurements for this one. And here's a nod to what I affectionately refer to as the Jello Generation. They sure knew how to combine box mixes to come up with something yummy.

Leni's Notes:

~For some not-so-yummy treats from the Jello Generation, you have got to pick up The Gallery of Regrettable Food. You will laugh until your stomach hurts. But then you can eat some jello to make it feel better.

~I don't think I have ever in my life made a single batch of this stuff. Great for a large group, everyone loves it, and it's pretty!

Pistachio Salad

1 (24 oz.) cottage cheese
1 (9 oz.) whipped topping
1 (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (2 1/2 oz.) pkg. pistachio instant pudding

Dump it in a bowl. Mix it up. Cover and refrigerate.

Best eaten by snatching a spoonful as you pass the refrigerator.

Creamy Garlic Pasta

This recipe created quite an overwhelming response when I posted it on Pinterest. I'm talking 1,387 re-pins as of this posting. That's crazy! Creamy Garlic Pasta is a simple recipe, and my family loved it. Please take time to visit The Cheese Pusher for the original recipe, and let her know you love it.

Leni's Notes:

~ I've made it a number of times, and advise you to spend just a smidge more and buy shredded parmesan, not dry grated parmesan. We experimented with the dry, and it produced a very salty, heavy taste.

~We used whole wheat pasta, turned out wonderfully.

~I didn't have any cream, used Half & Half.

Creamy Garlic Pasta
2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil.

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.