I love mac and cheese and there are a few different ways I love to make it. Adding cauliflower to the mix makes it healthier - not healthy, but healthier, at least - and is tasty, too. If you know how to make a basic white sauce, mac and cheese is just a few extra steps.
A few tips: shredding your own cheese instead of using pre-shredded bags is always best. The powder they put on the pre-shredded cheese to prevent caking isn't the best for making a creamy sauce. Note that the measurements for pasta are post-cooking. Be sure to cook the cauliflower and pasta in salted water, as you normally would, to season them. And, the amounts can vary based on what type of cheese you have, what type of milk, and other things, so it's a guidleline: the key is to get a thin sauce so that it won't be too tight after baking. Leave out some of the cheese if necessary, or add more milk, to keep it pretty thin.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
5 tbsp butter or margarine, divided
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c cauliflower, bite-size pieces, fresh or frozen, fully cooked
4 c cooked pasta, undercooked by 2 minutes
1/4 c dry breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
Melt butter in saucepan; remove 2 tbsp and set aside. Stir flour into remaining butter; stir well and let bubble for 1 minute. Stir in milk and heat just to bubbling. Stir in cheese a little at a time to make the cheese sauce; it should be thinner than you want, because it will thicken later. Add salt and pepper to taste to the sauce.
Stir pasta and cauliflower into the sauce. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the reserved 2 T of melted butter with breadcrumbs and stir to evenly coat the crumbs. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the mac and cheese. Bake the mac and cheese in a 350 oven just until it starts to bubble, 5-10 minutes. Then, turn the oven to broil and place the mac and cheese a few inches under the broiler. Broil about 5 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Easter Brunch
Happy Easter!
Why is it that holidays become what they become? It is interesting to me how the traditions of, for instance, stocking-stuffing at Christmas, or boxes of candy at Valentine's Day, or fireworks on the Fourth of July, get started. Over the decades, somehow, brunch has become an Easter tradition. It might not make a lot of sense, but there it is.
I love the idea of brunch. Anyone who knows me knows I don't do mornings. My husband and I are on a third-shift schedule, and that's the schedule I was on for years, long before I met him, too. My morning is 2pm, and if I'm up at 6am, it's because I'm still up from the night before. I don't do breakfast! So brunch is perfect for me - breakfast that lasts well into the afternoon. Not to mention, a gathering of all kinds of types of foods, which can be chosen to exactly my liking - which is perfect for me as a vegetarian who doesn't eat huge portions. I can pick and choose the exact foods I like and the exact amounts. I can have a variety of foods without feeling guilty that I won't eat 90% of it. It's the same reason I like tapas restaurants.
Easter Brunch in particular holds a place in my heart because of happy memories of family. My family on my mother's side had a tradition when I was young to gather on Easter Sunday at one of the holiday brunches being held in the Chicagoland suburbs (that's where we're originally from). The whole family - and as one of seven kids, my mom's extended family was large - plus in-laws and friends - would all get together for brunch somewhere. We were always a huge group and took over many tables at once. I loved it. Good times.
Dan and I have been invited to have Easter brunch with his family this morning. It won't be the love-fest our old family Easter Brunches used to be (anybody who knows my in-law situation understands this), but I'm hoping it will be a nice time. At the very least, I am hoping the food will be enjoyable. Did anybody else enjoy Easter Brunch? Any food adventures for Easter? Tell me all about it.
Happy eating!
Why is it that holidays become what they become? It is interesting to me how the traditions of, for instance, stocking-stuffing at Christmas, or boxes of candy at Valentine's Day, or fireworks on the Fourth of July, get started. Over the decades, somehow, brunch has become an Easter tradition. It might not make a lot of sense, but there it is.
I love the idea of brunch. Anyone who knows me knows I don't do mornings. My husband and I are on a third-shift schedule, and that's the schedule I was on for years, long before I met him, too. My morning is 2pm, and if I'm up at 6am, it's because I'm still up from the night before. I don't do breakfast! So brunch is perfect for me - breakfast that lasts well into the afternoon. Not to mention, a gathering of all kinds of types of foods, which can be chosen to exactly my liking - which is perfect for me as a vegetarian who doesn't eat huge portions. I can pick and choose the exact foods I like and the exact amounts. I can have a variety of foods without feeling guilty that I won't eat 90% of it. It's the same reason I like tapas restaurants.
Easter Brunch in particular holds a place in my heart because of happy memories of family. My family on my mother's side had a tradition when I was young to gather on Easter Sunday at one of the holiday brunches being held in the Chicagoland suburbs (that's where we're originally from). The whole family - and as one of seven kids, my mom's extended family was large - plus in-laws and friends - would all get together for brunch somewhere. We were always a huge group and took over many tables at once. I loved it. Good times.
Dan and I have been invited to have Easter brunch with his family this morning. It won't be the love-fest our old family Easter Brunches used to be (anybody who knows my in-law situation understands this), but I'm hoping it will be a nice time. At the very least, I am hoping the food will be enjoyable. Did anybody else enjoy Easter Brunch? Any food adventures for Easter? Tell me all about it.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I'm All Hydroponic Up In Heah
It's spring planting season, people! When I was a kid, my mother would take my sisters and me to the nursery to pick out seedlings for us to plant in our little squares of designated garden space. I still love, love, love the smell of a greenhouse in spring -- the smell of rich, damp soil and flowers. When Dan and I were at the nursery picking out seeds recently, I was like, sniffsniffahhhhhhh. Am I the only one?
After drooling over a friend's Aerogarden at our weekly gaming sessions, I finally splurged on one for myself. Actually, I splurged on two for myself. Dan and I were discussing what to buy, and the purchase just kept getting bigger and bigger with more and more items. The logic was something like, if one Aerogarden's cost is justified, two are also, right? Right. Or something. I'm hoping growing herbs and veggies in the Aerogarden will keep me from having to tend to the sad, dying herb pots I buy at the store regularly. At any rate, we now have two large Aerogardens, each which came with plants to grow, plus seed starter kits, plus a ton of other seed kits, plus other miscellaneous supplies. We went a little nuts. We have enough stuff to grow 3 or 4 years of plants. We may not ever have to buy veggies at the store ever again.
For those who don't know, the Aerogarden is basically just a hydroponic garden for your countertop. It's sortof like a very fancy planter. It grows plants with minimal effort on your part since it waters, feeds and lights the plants. They sell seed kits with pre-planted seed pods, but you can also buy your own seeds to grow in the garden, or you can use the garden to start seedlings to transplant to either a planter or into the ground.
I am using one of my Aerogardens to start seedlings for a summer garden. I have tomatillos, peas, japanese eggplant, yellow and green zucchini, and two kinds of hot peppers starting seedlings right now. I haven't decided if they will go into planters or into the ground yet. Those will be ready for transplant in a couple of weeks and then I'll grow something else in that Aerogarden.
In my second Aerogarden, I have a mix of herbs and salad greens which will grow their entire time in the Aerogarden. The instructions say not to mix types (herbs/lettuce) but I'm being a big ol' rebel and giving it a shot. Such rebellion. You can't keep me down! Rawrr.
I'll report on my Aerogarden plants more as they grow. I have a notoriously black thumb, so I'm hoping the Aerogarden is the missing link to me having successful plants. Wish me luck!
Happyeating gardening!
After drooling over a friend's Aerogarden at our weekly gaming sessions, I finally splurged on one for myself. Actually, I splurged on two for myself. Dan and I were discussing what to buy, and the purchase just kept getting bigger and bigger with more and more items. The logic was something like, if one Aerogarden's cost is justified, two are also, right? Right. Or something. I'm hoping growing herbs and veggies in the Aerogarden will keep me from having to tend to the sad, dying herb pots I buy at the store regularly. At any rate, we now have two large Aerogardens, each which came with plants to grow, plus seed starter kits, plus a ton of other seed kits, plus other miscellaneous supplies. We went a little nuts. We have enough stuff to grow 3 or 4 years of plants. We may not ever have to buy veggies at the store ever again.
For those who don't know, the Aerogarden is basically just a hydroponic garden for your countertop. It's sortof like a very fancy planter. It grows plants with minimal effort on your part since it waters, feeds and lights the plants. They sell seed kits with pre-planted seed pods, but you can also buy your own seeds to grow in the garden, or you can use the garden to start seedlings to transplant to either a planter or into the ground.
I am using one of my Aerogardens to start seedlings for a summer garden. I have tomatillos, peas, japanese eggplant, yellow and green zucchini, and two kinds of hot peppers starting seedlings right now. I haven't decided if they will go into planters or into the ground yet. Those will be ready for transplant in a couple of weeks and then I'll grow something else in that Aerogarden.
In my second Aerogarden, I have a mix of herbs and salad greens which will grow their entire time in the Aerogarden. The instructions say not to mix types (herbs/lettuce) but I'm being a big ol' rebel and giving it a shot. Such rebellion. You can't keep me down! Rawrr.
I'll report on my Aerogarden plants more as they grow. I have a notoriously black thumb, so I'm hoping the Aerogarden is the missing link to me having successful plants. Wish me luck!
Happy
Monday, April 18, 2011
I Beg To Differ
There are a lot of articles about food out there, and I'm not going to comment on most of them. But I noticed one today that drew my attention. It presents several foods that are supposedly as good as homemade and therefore worth a buy. I have strong opinions about certain foods being "as good as homemade" and I figured I would give my thoughts on the article's decisions.
Item one: Rao's Jarred Tomato Sauce. I occassionally buy a jarred sauce for convenience purposes only, but when it comes to a simple marinara sauce, convenience to me is the only reason for jarred, and a weak one at that. It is so dang simple to make a marinara sauce exactly to your liking that I don't see the point, especially when jarred is more expensive.
Item two: Frozen Puff Pastry. Definitely agree. There is never a reason to waste your day folding pastry unless someone is paying you to.
Item three: Isigny Canned Whipped Cream. NO WAY. There is almost never a reason to buy canned whipped cream. It is so dang simple to make homemade whipped cream! It suprises me how many people think whipped cream comes from a can. Fresh whipped cream is such a culinary joy to me, and its simplicity makes it so accessible that I just don't see the point of the can. Work your beaters, people!
Item four: Bagged Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now I know they are talking about a specific brand, and I've never tried that one specifically, but I've just never had packaged cookies that are as good as homemade. It's as if bagged cookies and homemade cookies are two completely different categories. No bagged cookie will ever be like homemade imho, because homemade won't keep. It may be a good packaged brand, but to say it's as good as homemade is just false.
Item five: Chicken Wing Sauce. I am totally able to believe that bottled chicken wing sauce is as good as homemade.
Item six: Simply Lemonade. Agreed. That's good stuff.
Item seven: Frozen Chicken Pot Pie. It's been years since I had a frozen pot pie but I remember them being like other frozen foods: processed veggies, processed everything, overly salty, lots of filler. There is no way that a frozen pot pie could taste as good as a well-done homemade one.
Item eight: Storebought Pizza Dough. Agreed. Pizza dough from the store is easy to use and conveninet, but most importantly, most of them are tasty, and the correct texture, too.
So it appears I agree with four - meaning half - of the article's findings. I am just a stickler for actual homemade food, I guess. I see the convenience of storebought items and I utilize those options often, but taking advantage of the convenience is not the same as thinking it's as good as homemade.
What do you think?
Happy eating!
Item one: Rao's Jarred Tomato Sauce. I occassionally buy a jarred sauce for convenience purposes only, but when it comes to a simple marinara sauce, convenience to me is the only reason for jarred, and a weak one at that. It is so dang simple to make a marinara sauce exactly to your liking that I don't see the point, especially when jarred is more expensive.
Item two: Frozen Puff Pastry. Definitely agree. There is never a reason to waste your day folding pastry unless someone is paying you to.
Item three: Isigny Canned Whipped Cream. NO WAY. There is almost never a reason to buy canned whipped cream. It is so dang simple to make homemade whipped cream! It suprises me how many people think whipped cream comes from a can. Fresh whipped cream is such a culinary joy to me, and its simplicity makes it so accessible that I just don't see the point of the can. Work your beaters, people!
Item four: Bagged Chocolate Chip Cookies. Now I know they are talking about a specific brand, and I've never tried that one specifically, but I've just never had packaged cookies that are as good as homemade. It's as if bagged cookies and homemade cookies are two completely different categories. No bagged cookie will ever be like homemade imho, because homemade won't keep. It may be a good packaged brand, but to say it's as good as homemade is just false.
Item five: Chicken Wing Sauce. I am totally able to believe that bottled chicken wing sauce is as good as homemade.
Item six: Simply Lemonade. Agreed. That's good stuff.
Item seven: Frozen Chicken Pot Pie. It's been years since I had a frozen pot pie but I remember them being like other frozen foods: processed veggies, processed everything, overly salty, lots of filler. There is no way that a frozen pot pie could taste as good as a well-done homemade one.
Item eight: Storebought Pizza Dough. Agreed. Pizza dough from the store is easy to use and conveninet, but most importantly, most of them are tasty, and the correct texture, too.
So it appears I agree with four - meaning half - of the article's findings. I am just a stickler for actual homemade food, I guess. I see the convenience of storebought items and I utilize those options often, but taking advantage of the convenience is not the same as thinking it's as good as homemade.
What do you think?
Happy eating!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Stuffed Mushrooms
I mentioned stuffed mushrooms in a recent post and figured I would share. I have been making stuffed mushrooms for years and, while I generally stick to this basic recipe, I have made many variations. Filling for stuffed mushrooms can be made out of all kinds of things. Some are cheesy, some have seafood, etc. This recipe is based on a basic veggie and breadcrumb filling. The amounts are easily altered to fit your tastes.
It is easy to alter the recipe by adding different seasonings and ingredients. Add in bell pepper or roasted garlic, or a little goat cheese or blue cheese. I also like to serve the stuffed mushrooms with a sauce. A simple herbed butter sauce is nice, or my lemon dill sauce, or something similar. Enjoy!
Lairdriin's Stuffed Mushrooms
10-12 medium-sized button mushroom caps
4 Tbsp butter or margarine, divided
3 Tbsp each finely minced: mushroom stems, celery, and onion
dash each of: salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley
2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp crumbled bread (fresh breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 300 F. Clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and set aside. Melt butter in a small pan and set aside 1 Tbsp of the melted butter.
Add minced veggies and seasonings to the butter in the pan. Cook over low heat until softened. Turn off heat and stir in crumbled bread, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. Pile the stuffing mixture in the pan and let sit for 2-3 minutes to let the moisture be absorbed.
Form small balls of the stuffing mixture in your palm and fill the mushroom caps, pressing gently. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a shallow baking dish, and brush them with the reserved melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Happy eating!
It is easy to alter the recipe by adding different seasonings and ingredients. Add in bell pepper or roasted garlic, or a little goat cheese or blue cheese. I also like to serve the stuffed mushrooms with a sauce. A simple herbed butter sauce is nice, or my lemon dill sauce, or something similar. Enjoy!
Lairdriin's Stuffed Mushrooms
10-12 medium-sized button mushroom caps
4 Tbsp butter or margarine, divided
3 Tbsp each finely minced: mushroom stems, celery, and onion
dash each of: salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley
2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp crumbled bread (fresh breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 300 F. Clean mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and set aside. Melt butter in a small pan and set aside 1 Tbsp of the melted butter.
Add minced veggies and seasonings to the butter in the pan. Cook over low heat until softened. Turn off heat and stir in crumbled bread, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese. Pile the stuffing mixture in the pan and let sit for 2-3 minutes to let the moisture be absorbed.
Form small balls of the stuffing mixture in your palm and fill the mushroom caps, pressing gently. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a shallow baking dish, and brush them with the reserved melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.
Happy eating!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Fried Ravioli
I tried a little experiment tonite with some cheese ravioli I had in the freezer. I am pleased with the result - fried ravioli! It makes for a great appetizer or snack, and is super-simple. Here the recipe includes a fresh tomato topping, but the fried ravioli can be served with a number of other toppings or sauces instead: tomato sauce, hot or cold; chile sauce; cream sauce; fresh salsa or grilled veggies; even ranch, if that's your thing. Enjoy!
Lairdriin's Fried Ravioli
12 frozen cheese ravioli, thawed to room temp
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (canned works better than fresh for this)
2 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
dash salt
vegetable oil
Topping:
1 small roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
dash each: granulated garlic, dried basil, salt
For the topping, mix olve oil, vinegar, and seasonings together in small bowl. Add tomatoes and stir. Set aside.
In a non-stick pan, heat 1/4 inch of veg oil. In a small bowl, mix parmesan, bead crumbs, and salt. Blot ravioli wtih paper towel to be sure there are no water droplets. Dip each raviolo in the breading mixture to coat all sides*. Fry ravioli in oil about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Top with seasoned tomatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
* the pasta dough should be a little sticky, but if not, a beaten egg can be used to help the breading mixture adhere to the ravioli. You could also use egg if you just want a thicker crust on the ravioli than the breading mixture alone.
Happy eating!
Lairdriin's Fried Ravioli
12 frozen cheese ravioli, thawed to room temp
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (canned works better than fresh for this)
2 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs
dash salt
vegetable oil
Topping:
1 small roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
dash each: granulated garlic, dried basil, salt
For the topping, mix olve oil, vinegar, and seasonings together in small bowl. Add tomatoes and stir. Set aside.
In a non-stick pan, heat 1/4 inch of veg oil. In a small bowl, mix parmesan, bead crumbs, and salt. Blot ravioli wtih paper towel to be sure there are no water droplets. Dip each raviolo in the breading mixture to coat all sides*. Fry ravioli in oil about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Top with seasoned tomatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Serve warm.
* the pasta dough should be a little sticky, but if not, a beaten egg can be used to help the breading mixture adhere to the ravioli. You could also use egg if you just want a thicker crust on the ravioli than the breading mixture alone.
Happy eating!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Lemon Dill Sauce
Here is a recipe for a super-simple, delicious sauce that works for all kinds of things. I serve it with my stuffed mushrooms or with crab cakes. It also works as a chip or veggie dip or as a dressing for pasta salad.
Lairdriin's Lemon Dill Sauce
3 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp dried dill (or a little more if using fresh)
a dash each: lemon zest, garlic powder, salt
Stir until the sauce is smooth. Enjoy!
Happy eating!
Lairdriin's Lemon Dill Sauce
3 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp dried dill (or a little more if using fresh)
a dash each: lemon zest, garlic powder, salt
Stir until the sauce is smooth. Enjoy!
Happy eating!
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