Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Fall Veggies

Since it officially got all cold and fall-like this weekend, some comfort food was required! But, since I had eaten a bunch of crappy food (too much pizza), I wanted to make sure some veggies got in there so that I didn't have to feel too guilty. 


Baked Mac and Cheese with Fall Veggies
1/2 box whole wheat elbow macaroni
4 tblsp butter, divided
2 tblsp AP flour
1 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 cup grated cheese blend (I used colby, cheddar, and provolone)
1 small head broccoli, blanched and chopped into bite size chunks
1 small head cheddar cauliflower, blanched and chopped into bite size chunks
1/2 butternut squash, roasted and pureed
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Cook macaroni in salted water a minute less than called for on the packaging. In the meantime, melt 2 tblsp butter in saucepan. Add flour and whisk to combine. Cook for a minute. Whisk in broth and milk. Cook over medium hear until sauce thickens. Whisk in mustard and salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Combine macaroni, cheese sauce, and veggies in a casserole dish. Melt remaining butter in microwave and toss with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over macaroni. Cook 20-30 minutes in 350 degree oven until topping is crunchy.

Stir Fried Noodles and Veggies

I pretty much default to making garlic ginger noodles whenever I make "Chinese" food for dinner, but since Natty doesn't really eat them, I thought I'd try a different sauce. I combined a few recipes I found and came up with this one. Natty still didn't eat them... Maybe he just doesn't like rice noodles? 


I'm pretty lost with any style of Asian cooking. What are your favorite sauces/dishes that I should try?


Stir Fried Noodles and Veggies
2 tblsp peanut oil

1 small head broccoli, cut into bite size chunks

1 bunch thin asparagus, cut into bite size chunks

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tblsp fish sauce

1 tblsp sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

pinch crushed red pepper

2 tblsp rice wine vinegar
1/3 package thick rice noodles, soaked
1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Heat peanut oil in wok over high heat. Add veggies and cook for about 2 minutes. Mix all ingredients except noodles and cilantro in a small bowl. Add sauce to veggies and stir to coat. Add noodles and toss again to coat. Add cilantro and serve.

Fresh Pasta with Bacon Tomato Sauce

This weekend's adventure was fresh pasta! Here's what I learned:
1) Don't make fresh pasta the same day you are making two different kinds of dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, trying to clean the house for brunch the next day, and trying to pay attention to an infant and a toddler.
2) The pasta machine is a total PIA - unless you get the dough rolled out to the correct width. If the pasta isn't cutting correctly, it's probably not the right width. I'll be trying to cut by hand next time to see if I prefer that method.
3) Pasta dough comes together wicked fast. While cutting the first batch of pasta, I realized I didn't have enough for dinner for five people. I put together a second batch in just a few minutes. 
4) Cleaning your kitchen floor before making pasta is really pointless.


Fresh Pasta
2 cups AP flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
hot water if necessary (which it was at first, but I think I might have left out an egg)
Put the flour in a bowl. Make a well in the middle (make it bigger than you think because three eggs are going in there - I blew that the first time) and add the salt. Then crack an egg in the well and beat it in. Do that with the next two eggs too. When it comes together, remove it from the bowl and knead it for a minute. You can roll it out and cut it now or you can store it in the fridge for a while.


Bacon Tomato Sauce
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I actually used diced because I could only get preseasoned tomatoes)
1 1/2 tblsp fresh basil
1 1/2 tblsp fresh oregano
pinch crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
1 cup peas
Cook the chopped bacon and onion over medium high heat until lightly browned, but not crispy. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Add peas and cook for a few minutes, just until the peas are warmed through.

Gnocchi

Another score for Mark Bittman! This gnocchi was much lighter than I've ever had in restaurants and, for that, I was very thankful since I could score some seconds and not feel horrible afterwards. Since I used Bitman's recipe, I'm not posting here. I made a simple garlic and olive oil sauce to go with it.


Garlic and Oil Sauce
1 cup olive oil
3 tblsp garlic, minced
1 tblsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tblsp fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped tomato
salt
red pepper
Saute all ingredients together until the garlic is lightly browned.

Butternut Pasta Revisited

I made this recipe again tonight, but omitted the bacon for meatless Monday. I have to say, it was delicious even without the bacon. I've been trying to stop thinking about the leftovers for the last hour.

Quick Goulash

After being totally stuck for something to make for dinner, I turned to Facebook for some suggestions. When I got "ground beef and peas," I was inspired to make goulash. I had actually set out to make goulash last week, but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called and had to ask my mom over the weekend. So, it was a perfect suggestion. I ended up looking up a few recipes and settling on a variation of Rachel Ray's.


Quick Goulash
1 lb ground beef
2 small carrots, sliced
2 cups cut up orange peppers (I had these delicious little guys, so I just sliced them in half and then into strips)
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tblsp flour
1/2 box elbow macaroni
1 cup chicken stock
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
salt and pepper
Brown ground beef and carrots in a soup pot over medium high heat. (If you're using lean beef, drizzle a bit of olive oil in as well.) Add peppers, onion, and spices. Stir to combine. While that is cooking, start cooking elbow macaroni to package directions. Sprinkle flour on beef and veggies. You might need a little more than a tblsp depending on how much fat is in your mixture. Add stock and deglaze pan. Add tomatoes with their juices to the pot. Break up tomatoes. Bring to boil and let sauce thicken. Add macaroni and let it soak up the sauce for a few minutes.

Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes, but I only really get to make it for lunches since I usually just make it with leftover frozen pasta. It's best if you have a nice chunk of bread to sop up the sauce when you're done. It's also good without the vegetables if you don't have anything handy.


Pasta with Olive Oil and Garlic Sauce
Leftover frozen pasta, thawed
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup frozen chicken broth (about 1 oz)
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium squash (or any other veggies you have on hand), chopped
dash crushed red pepper, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper
fresh grated parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil and chicken broth over high heat. Add squash and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and spices. Cook until squash is at desired tenderness. Add pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Cook until pasta is hot. Transfer to bowl and add gobs and gobs of parmesan cheese.

Farfalle with Tomato and Brie Sauce

I totally stole this recipe from my time at Fazzini's. I forget what it was called, but it only ran on special and I would order it every single time. Good stuff! If you're committed to healthy eating at every meal or are on a diet, you can go ahead and skip this one... For those of you who are left, you can start with any red sauce you like, but I think it's essential to have chunky tomatoes, chunks of garlic, and fresh basil. These can all be added fresh to any sauce you prefer. 


Kevin's review of this was pretty funny. He said the brie gave the pasta a texture that made every bite feel like the best bite of eggplant parmesan. I'm not certain I get it...


Farfalle with Tomato and Brie Sauce
1 package farfalle
1 batch tomato sauce (I made mine fresh with 1 large can chopped tomatoes, 5 cloves garlic, fresh basil, parsley, and oregano, white pepper, salt, and a pinch of sugar)
1 zucchini, sliced (Totally optional. I only put this in because Kevin loves veggies in pasta.)
1/2 small jar pine nuts
1 8oz wheel of brie, cut into chunks with rind removed
Cook farfalle according to package directions. While the farfalle is cooking, heat up tomato sauce and any veggies you're using. Just as the farfalle is coming off the heat, add the pine nuts and brie to the sauce and stir until brie melts. Ahh... Enjoy!

Orzo Salad

This was inspired by Ina Garten's Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad and the orzo risotto recipe from my cooking class. It can be served hot or cold. It was quite tasty hot and I'll be having it cold tomorrow for lunch. I served it with some roasted beets and kale chips. 


Orzo Salad
olive oil
2 small carrots, sliced
1 head broccoli, chopped
1 handful peas
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup orzo

1 handful parsley, finely chopped

1 sprig oregano, finely chopped

5 basil leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper
1/2 cucumber chopped
1/2 block feta cheese, crumbled
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, broccoli, and peas and sweat for 3 minutes. Add water and bring to boil. Add orzo and cook for 8-10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Put orzo in a serving bowl. In a small bowl, mix herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing, cucumber, and feta to orzo. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Baked Rigatoni

I used to make baked ziti all the time, but it's fallen off of my old standby list of late. I decided to dust off the recipe and use it to stock the freezer. I went with rigatoni this time, but you can do it with any non-noodle pasta. It's super simple - even easier if you use jarred sauce instead of making your own. I'm not posting my sauce recipe since I've always been adamant about not giving it out unless you come over and make it with me. That's how my dad taught me to make it and it's a nice thing that I don't want to just put down on paper (or whatever the appropriate turn of phrase is for typing something in a blog). 

Baked Rigatoni

1 box rigatoni

1 batch homemade red sauce (or 1 jar)

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 block mozzarella cheese, shredded (I would name that in ounces, but I don't have any in my fridge to help me cheat.)

1 handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

Cook rigatoni according to package direction. Aim for a little less cooked than al dente since it will cook in the oven. In a large bowl, mix together 3/4 of the sauce, the ricotta cheese, 3/4 of the mozzarella, and parsley. Add drained pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to casserole dish, top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake until cheese browns on top.

Mom's Birthday Dinner

A couple of years ago my mom had the brilliant idea that I should cook dinner for her instead of trying to find a birthday gift for her. Most years involve quite a bit of "What do you want me to make?" - "I don't know, what do you feel like making?" conversations. This year she surprised me by immediately suggesting this dish. She thinks it's from Better Homes and Gardens. The original recipe calls for walnuts, which I omitted because they're not really my thing. I served the green onions on the side so that everyone could dole out what they wanted. I'll skip them altogether next time. They didn't add a whole lot to the dish.


Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash
1 box pasta
1 large butternut squash
1 bulb garlic separated into cloves and peeled
1/4 cup butter
4 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
shredded Romano cheese
sliced green onion
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cook pasta. Peel squash and chop into 1 inch pieces. Coat squash and garlic with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook at 425 until squash is fork tender. In a small pan over medium heat, cook butter until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Toss squash, bacon, and nutmeg in serving bowl with 1/3 of the butter. Add pasta to serving bowl and toss with remainder of butter and cheese. 

Mac and Cauliflower

I saw cheddar cauliflower at the farmer's market and felt certain that I could get Natty to eat it... Especially when I pureed it and stuck it in some mac and cheese.

Mac and Cauliflower
1/2 box whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp AP flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pureed cheddar cauliflower (steam then puree in food processor)
Cook macaroni in salted water to desired tenderness. Drain and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour to make roux. Cook to a light brown color. Add milk and cook, stirring frequently, until milk thickens. Remove from heat. Add cheese and cauliflower puree. Stir until melted. Add macaroni and combine.

Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Sauce

Thursday night. Pasta night. Yum!

Since Kevin came home early tonight, I actually had time to make my own sauce, which has become a bit of a rarity. I took the opportunity to whittle down the basil bush.

I actually made an effort to measure things, but only after I put in almost all the spices... Just as well. You should adjust to your taste anyway.

Tomato Basil Sauce
1 small onion chopped
4 large cloves garlic chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomato
1 6 oz can tomato paste
6 oz water
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sugar
3 pattypan squash
2/3 cup basil

In medium saucepan, sweat onion until translucent. Add garlic and sweat for two minutes. Add diced tomato, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, red pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, prepare pattypan squash to your taste. Normally, I would saute the squash in 2 tblsp olive oil for a few minutes, but since Natty has decided recently that he will no longer eat vegetables, I opt to steam them and then puree them in a mixer. Kevin prefers it and thinks it makes the sauce just a touch sweeter. Add squash to sauce.

Chiffonade basil and add it to the sauce at the last moment. Serve with pasta of your liking cooked according to the package directions.