Mac & Cheese

Now this was a thing of beauty! Sometimes I even suprise myself at how great things turn out. Easter, for me, is the greatest day in history and I  like to celebrate big time. This year we decided to open our home to anyone who needed a place to go, we ended up with 32 people. Our little house was stuffed full to the rim. We loved it and so did the kidlets.

I decided I wanted to do a ham and macaroni and cheese but needed a good recipe. I consulted my sister, Tricia, because her husband is a lover of mac & cheese and she knows a good recipe when she sees one. She sent me a few from Food Network that she thought looked good and I settled on one from Tyler Florence. One of the reasons I was doing mac & cheese is because, there are some vegetarians among us, so I couldn't follow Tyler's recipe exactly, he topped it with bacon. I edged the mac & cheese with some homemade bread crumbs, the result was GORGEOUS! And delicious!

This is the mac & cheese before it was cooked. I made it on Saturday and cooked it on Sunday. I thought it was great but would like to try it cooking it right away. My guess is it would be even creamier. One thing to note is that when you put the mac & cheese in the baking dish it will be really soupy looking. That is OK it turns out just fine. Here is the recipe.

Mac 'N cheese

Adapted from Tyler Florence

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 lb. elbow macaroni
4 cups milk
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, smashed and divided
3 T. unsalted butter
3 T. all purpose flour
5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (I used Tillamook)
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 minutes, until just al dente. Drain. It's very important to cook only to al dente because the noodles continue to cook in the oven and you don't want mushy noodles!

Preheat oven to 400

In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme sprigs and garlic cloves. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. Strain the solids out of the milk and whisk it into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in the 4 cups of cheese a couple of handfuls at a time. Use a figure 8 motion to get the cheese melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and fold to coat the pasta with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 9x13 baking dish and top with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Sprinkle bread crumbs around the edge to make it extra pretty! Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy! Here is the link to Buddy's bread crumb recipe.  Buddy Valastro is the Cake Boss on TLC. We love that show. Now he has a cooking show called The Kitchen Boss, he too has some great things. I plan to share my version of chicken nuggets, my kids LOVE them and they are much better than something out of a box. I use these bread crumbs to coat the chicken.....oooohhh something for you to look forward to!

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

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My sister first introduced me to her signature sauce when we went to visit warm, sunny, California last spring break. Can you hear the longing in my voice? We'd spend our days at the different pools in their perfectly manicured community; jumping off the diving boards, chatting with friends, and feeling the warmth of the sun on our skin. It was awesome! We'd return in the evenings and she'd whip up something for us to eat; this sauce was part of one of those meals. We had it over ravioli and a little roasted asparagus on the side, some garlic bread, and lovely glass of red wine. What a great trip!

The sauce is made up of these simple ingredients, many of which I'm sure are in your cupboards and produce drawers.

First saute your onions with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, like two turns of the pan, over medium heat.

Next, add your diced peppers. I used one of each color but you can use whatever you like. I like to use the little super sweet peppers I find at Trader Joe's or Costco. They are not big peppers but those work if that is easier for you, I would use less though if you're going with a full size bell pepper, like 1 to 1 and a half. Once the peppers get a little soft I add the minced garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant but not burned.

Finally, dump in your tomatoes and fresh chopped basil. Here is where you could also add some shredded carrot, or a splash of red wine if you like.  Let the sauce come together on the stove top for a few minutes.

Then you hit it with an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender, until your sauce is the desired consistency. Can I just take a moment to tell you how much I LOVE my immersion blender. I got it for Christmas a couple of years ago and it has brought me so much joy in the kitchen. I use it for soups and sauces. It is SO much less messy than any of the above listed items. Easy to clean and to store. I have bought for several friends as gifts since because it's a great tool. They are not that spendy either, you can pick one up at Costco for $25. Mine is a Kitchen Aide brand and I have been VERY pleased.

After the sauce is finished, I usually put it in Ziploc freezer bags, quart size, and stack them in the freezer. One bag works for our family of four easily for one meal.

This is a bit of sauce mixed with a little cream. My kids LOVE it when I make it this way. Here, I cooked up a little chicken Italian sausage, some pasta, and topped it with the creamy tomato sauce. When we want to be fancy that's what I do. It is delicious! I would say it rivals anything you'd order in a restaurant.....but I might be a little biased. Hope you try this with your family soon!

Ciao!
Ginger

Marinara Sauce

Inspired by:Tricia Edlund

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

1 medium onion, diced

Kosher salt

3 small sweet peppers, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 32 oz. cans tomatoes, diced, whole, crushed, your choice

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

Optional Additions:

1/4 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 cup cream

Heat sauce pan over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of olive oil. Add diced onion, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and cook until translucent. Add diced peppers and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Next add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, (carrots, wine, if you choose) and fresh basil. Let it cook 5 - 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to bring sauce to desired consistency. If you'd like to make cream sauce remove some of the marinara to another sauce pan add cream. Heat sauce over low heat being careful not to boil. (It curdles if you do.)

Click here for the printable.

Nanaimo Bars

My mother's friends think she is spoiled. You see when she needs something special to bring to their Bible Study for dessert, guess who she calls?? I say she cooked and cleaned for 22 years for me and the family, it's the least I can do for her. Besides who wouldn't want to make something for a group of wonderful people that will ooh and awe for you??

I first learned of these bars on my friend Sarah's website. They looked absolutely divine, I had to try them. The ARE divine and I've made them for several occasions since. The beauty is that they really aren't that difficult to make; just three simple layers. The bottom layer is a combination of dark chocolate cookie, pecans, coconut, and butter of course. The middle layer is like cheesecake and you top is all off with a mixture of chocolate and cream! What could be better than that? Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) chocolate cookie crumbs (from 9 chocolate graham crackers)
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely chopped pecans
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4.375 ounces) granulated sugar, (divided 1/4, 1/4)
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (0.875 ounce) packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
7 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with 55% to 60% cacao

Equipment
A 9-inch square metal baking pan, the bottom and all 4 sides lined with foil (G- I used parchment paper)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the crumbs, coconut, pecans, butter, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and pat it very firmly into the lined pan. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, or until it looks slightly darker at the edges and smells toasted.

While the crust is baking, mix the filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of the remaining granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and then the egg. When the crust is baked, dollop the filling onto the hot crust and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Bake the bars until the edges are slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in the cream. Bring 1/2 inch water to a simmer in a medium skillet. Coarsely chop the chocolate and combine with the cream in a medium metal bowl. Place the bowl directly in the skillet of hot water and turn off the heat. Let rest for 5 minutes and whisk until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Pour the warm ganache onto the bars, spread, and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Lift the bars out of the pan by using the edges of the foil liner. Cut into 16 or 25 squares, wiping the knife between cuts. May be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Makes 16 large (2 1/4—inch) bars or 25 smaller bars.

Click here for the printable.

Enjoy!

Ginger

Flank Steak

I love a good flank steak. Had to get my grill pan out again last night to cook up this flank steak;  it is still pouring rain in Seattle and freezing cold, nobody wants to be outside manning the grill. It turned out great, the marinade that I am going to share with you gives it a nice teriyaki flavor. We had roasted asparagus and rice with it. Can I sing the praises of roasted asparagus for a moment, absolutely the easiest thing to make and they are super delicious. The kids even like them! All you do it chop off the bottom ends of the asparagus, put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, drizzle a little olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper and cook at 400 for 10 minutes. Done! If you're feeling fancy you can put a little shredded parm on them when they come out of the oven.

Now for the marinade. I love this craze of taking photos of the "cast of characters" for a recipe; I think it's because I'm very visual so when I see the ingredients I need for a recipe I can determine rather quickly whether or not it's something I can make. These are simple ingredients most of which I'm sure you already have in your pantry. I only had to pick up the green onions.

Flank Steak

Inspired by: Mom

Marinade:
1/2 c. Olive Oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
3 T honey
3 T red wine vinegar
2 tsp. ground ginger
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Place flank steak in gallon size zip lock and pour over flank. Marinate steak for 6 - 24 hours. I did mine for 24.

Caesar Salad

I got a new grill pan at Costco and wanted to try it out tonight. I love a good Caesar Salad especially with grilled chicken, it makes for a lovely quick dinner and NO my kids won't eat it. We are in the throws of two sports with practice almost every night of the week, sometimes I make them a quick supper before practice and my husband and I eat after, tonight was one of those nights.

Here are my cute little chicken tenders on the grill pan, I like that they get the grill marks, so fancy! I seasoned the chicken with a little seasoning salt and sprayed the pan with Pam before I put them on. The grill pan is by Nordic Ware and was $18 at Costco. It has a grill on one side and griddle on the other. I liked it, the pan was definitely hotter in the center than the outer edges so I just moved the chicken nice and close.

Johnny's is my favorite dressing for Caesar out of a bottle. They also have a light version but I don't think it's nearly as good. Something about light dressings have a funny/funky flavor to me....

 I think the fanciest part of my salad was the croutons, they were homemade; super easy and super delicious. Other than that it was Romaine lettuce, shredded Romano cheese, grilled chicken tenders, fresh cracked pepper, and the above Johnny's dressing.

Here is what you do for the Croutons: recipe from Michael Chiarello

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
3 T chopped garlic
3 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (LOVE thyme)
1 pound day old country bread, cut in cubes (I got mine at Costco)
salt & pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup grated Romano
6 T chopped fresh basil, (I didn't have it so I didn't add it)

Preheat oven to 375 and place a baking sheet in the oven.

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until it begins to brown. Add chopped garlic and stir briefly to release its fragrance. Add chopped thyme. Stir to combine.

Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes in a bowl and toss briskly so butter coats cubes evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the 2 cheeses and chopped basil. Place bread cubes in a single layer on the preheated baking sheet, scraping all the seasonings over them. Bake until lightly brown and crunchy on the outside about 8 minutes. Cook them to your liking, if you prefer a more toasted crouton, bake them longer.

Next time you have a loaf of French bread lying around needing to be used give these croutons a try; you won't regret it!

G

Weeknight Chili

This is what was for dinner tonight. At our house Mexican food is a staple. We eat some sort Mexican every week, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and tonight, chili. I think we all must have some rendition of this recipe in our repertoire. That's what is so great about this chili is that you can make it just the way your family likes it. I know its spring, but here in the Northwest it's still chilly and rainy. Spring is taking it's sweet time....so a nice warm chili on the stove sounded great.  Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. ground turkey
olive oil
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 15oz. can tomato juice
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 small can corn, drained & rinsed

Toppings:
tortilla chips
sour cream
cheese
avocado
cilantro
lime

Prep:
Heat dutch oven on your stove top and add one turn of the pan of olive oil, add diced onion and saute until onions are translucent about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning.  Finally, dump in all the canned items of your choice. Other choices could be, black beans, kidney beans, green chilies, whatever your heart desires. If you like your chili a bit more "soupy" add another can of tomato sauce.

THE BEST TORTILLA CHIPS!



This is a new favorite in our house....Juanitas Tortilla Chips....absolutely delish! They have the perfect balance of crunch and salt....I venture to say that they are better than your average restaurant chip. We can get them for $1.99 at Fred Meyer and I'm currently buying them two at a time...they are perfect in my chili, or beside my sandwich at lunch, or just a great snack in between. Try them!