Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese

Homemade Mac & Cheese is really a dinner-time staple around here.  I should probably devote a tag just to mac and cheese.  I've tried many different recipes- and this is the first stovetop (no baking here) recipe that I've tried.  It's really very good!  And you don't have to wait that extra time for it to bake.  It's super creamy, to boot..... almost too creamy, the first time I made it.  I think it was so thick because of the two cans of evaporated milk.  I told myself that next time, I'd use evaporated skim milk, or use one can of evap. milk and one can of regular, 1% (non-evap) milk.  I went with the latter choice when I made this last night.  One can of regular evaporated milk, and then I filled up the milk can with 1% milk from the fridge.  It turned out perfect this way- not too thick, and it was delish. 

The first time I made this, I did use extra-sharp cheddar, like the recipe calls for.  It was delish this way.  With the strong flavors of the cheese and Dijon, it might be too strong for some people, but it was perfect for us.  This last time, I only had medium cheddar on hand, so I used that, and it was delicious as well. 

Use any small pasta shape for this recipe.  I've used small shells, in the past.  This time, I used Barilla's new adorable mini wagon-wheel shapes.  I found these (in a Super Target) during our trip to the U.S. and mailed them back to ourselves.  :)  I love these little guys- they are so cute, and because of that, taste extra yummy. 

This makes a ton- a pound of pasta and a pound of cheese will do that.  It fed our fam of five, as a main dish, and there were still a few servings left over.  The first time I made this, I cut the recipe in half and it worked out well. 

Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese
from Allrecipes

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound elbow, shell or other bite-size shaped pasta
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk (or one can evap. milk; one can regular milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons salted butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1.  Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in large soup kettle. Add salt and pasta. Using package directions as a guide, cook until al dente. Drain in a large colander.  Stir every so often to prevent sticking. 

2.  Meanwhile, microwave the milk and chicken broth in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl until hot and steamy (not boiling). Melt butter in the empty pasta pot; whisk in flour, then hot milk mixture. Continue to whisk until thick and bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in mustard, Parmesan and pepper. Turn off heat, stir in cheddar until melted.

3.  Add drained pasta to sauce, and stir until everything is well combined over low heat. Stir to heat through, and thin with a little milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot. 6-8 Main-dish servings.  Note: Can add in extra things here, like diced ham, cooked chopped broccoli, etc. 
 

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Snickers Ice Cream

After the Butterfinger ice cream I made a few months ago, I wanted to try the same thing with Snickers.  I replaced some of the sugar and all of the honey with caramel ice-cream topping.  (I just used store-bought... I wouldn't bother with making your own unless you're going to use it as a topping for the ice cream).  This gave the ice cream base a subtle caramel flavor that went great with the Snickers.  I will say that I don't love the texture of frozen Snickers- not as good as Butterfingers- but this was still pretty good.  The Snickers just got really hard.  That didn't stop everyone from wolfing it down though! 

Snickers Ice Cream
by What a Dish!

1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons caramel ice-cream topping
pinch salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
14 fun-size Snickers candy bars, coarsley chopped

1.  In a heavy saucepan, stir the milk, cream, brown sugar, pinch salt, and caramel ice-cream topping together. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, until the milk is heated (not boiling) and sugar is dissolved.

2.  Beat the egg yolks with the white sugar until thick and pale-colored. (I use my stand mixer for this- then I can whisk the eggs and cook the milk at the same time.)

3.  Mix about a cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, stirring or whisking the egg mixture constantly. (You are tempering the eggs... you don't want to scramble them). Pour all of the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and whisk constantly over low heat until slightly thickened. If you have a digital meat, or candy thermometer, the mixture should be around 160-170 degrees.

4.  Have ready a fine-mesh metal strainer positioned over a clean bowl. Pour the cooked ice cream mixture through the strainer and into the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract. Chill overnight in the fridge. The next day, freeze in your ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. When the ice cream is thickened in the machine, near the end of mixing, add the chopped Snickers in. Another option is to wait until the ice cream is fully done, and then mix the Snickers pieces in with a spoon. Store in an airtight container in the freezer until firm.

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Homemade "Maple" Syrup

Real maple syrup is lovely, and I use if almost all the time.  I cannot stand the storebought fake maple syrup junk, full of corn syrup and preservatives.  So, if I find myself with some waffle batter going, and no real maple syrup on hand (like I did the other day), I whip up a batch of this syrup.  It is super easy and cheap to make, as long as you can find maple flavoring. 

Homemade "Maple" Syrup

adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple flavored extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bring the water, white sugar, and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the maple flavoring and vanilla extract.  Serve warm or cold.  Store extra in fridge. 

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Tender Buttermilk Waffles

Sometimes, it's fun to have breakfast for dinner.  That is what we did a few days ago, and I tried these waffles.  They were really yummy and tender- and they made a TON!  I still have batter leftover in the fridge, after two hungry adults and three hungry kids had their share.  My pickiest eater had 3 of these babies!  (Although, he did have them pretty plain, with just a tiny bit of butter on top). 

I made these all in one (big) mixing bowl- I didn't even bother pre-mixing the wet ingredients (I did pre-mix the dry, though).  These are way easier than other buttermilk waffle recipes I've tried where you have to beat egg whites and yolks seperately. 

I left the recipe pretty much alone- except I used half whole wheat pastry flour.  :)  I also used about half the amount of salt called for, because my butter was salted. 

Tender Buttermilk Waffles

from Food for a Hungry Soul

4 cups flour (can use half white, half whole wheat pastry flour)

2-4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 quart (4 cups) buttermilk
1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted (if using salted butter, cut back on salt in recipe)

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

2.  In a second bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk together until light and fluffy. Add the melted butter or oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together for about 20 seconds. Take care not to overstir or the waffles will become tough.

3.  Preheat your waffle iron, lightly spraying with cooking spray.  Using a scoop or a measuring cup (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per waffle), pour batter into middle of the bottom plate and close the top.  Wait 2 to 4 minutes and once the batter has stopped steaming, lift the lid to see if its brown enough to your liking. If the top doesn't raise easily, the waffle probably needs more cooking as the waffle should release when it's done. Try letting it go for another minute or two before checking it again. If it still doesn't release, gently pry out, exercising caution not to become burned or damage your waffle iron.

4.  Eat while hot with your favorite topping.

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Grand Teton National Park

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Baked Chicken Nuggets

My kids love chicken nuggets, but they are usually a not-so-healthy food.  When you make them at home, though, they can be so much healthier.  These are coated in a combo of wheat germ and Panko bread crumbs, and then baked with just a tiny spritz of olive oil (using my Misto).  I made some Honey Mustard Dip to dip them into, and also put ketchup on the table.  (One of my kids liked these so much that he didn't want the flavor to be masked by any dip or sauce).  These were eaten up SO fast- I thougtht I had made a ton but I guess I need to make more next time. 

Instead of chicken breasts, I used chicken tenderloins and cut each one into about 3 pieces.  This makes the nuggest super tender and easy to eat.  I also cut the chicken while it was still frozen- it's much easier this way.  Just make sure to use your best, sharpest knife.  If tenderloins are not available (I just get a big bag of frozen ones), then use chicken breasts and cut them into 1-inch pieces.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

adapted from Allrecipes

10-12 chicken tenderloins, cut into one-inch pieces (about 3 pieces per tenderloin)

1 egg, beaten

1-2 splashes of milk

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
Cooking spray
olive oil

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Lightly spray a large baking pan with cooking spray. 

2.  In one shallow bowl, beat the egg and milk together.  In another shallow bowl, mix the Panko crumbs, wheat germ, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. 

3.  Dip each chicken piece first in the egg/milk, and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture.  Set on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with all of the chicken pieces.  When they are all done, spray each chicken piece very, very lightly with olive oil.

4.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Take out of the oven, and flip each chicken nugget over.  Bake for 3-5 more minutes, or until done.  Serve with assorted dipping sauces.  *Makes about 30 or so nuggets.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

A Few Shots of Yellowstone

Linguine with Bacon, Basil, Tomatoes and Cream

We spent the last 2 weeks+ in the U.S., on vacation.  My sister got married, and then we took a mini-vacation to Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park.  Photos of that to come later.  There's a 7-hour difference between here and where we were in the States, so sleeping at night is a bit of a problem right now.  I was up at 2:30am two nights ago, thinking about how I haven't cooked a meal in over two weeks.  Then I started thinking of dinner ideas, and this recipe was born.  I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote it down right away, so I wouldn't forget it when morning came.  :) 

I'm glad I did write this one down- it's a yummy one.  I usually don't use cream in my cooking, but made an exception for this one- I thought it would hold all of the flavors together well.  Usually, I cook my bacon in the microwave, but this time I cooked it on the stovetop so I could have some leftover bacon grease and flavor.  I drained most of the grease- only saving about 2 teaspoons. 

Linguine with Bacon, Basil, Tomatoes and Cream
by What a Dish!

12 oz. linguine
7 slices bacon (I use center-cut bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups (or more) cherry tomatoes (leave whole)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
200 ml. (about 3/4 cup) heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
salt, to taste
1/2 cup chopped basil

1.  In a large stockpot of boiling water, cook linguine according to package directions.  Drain and set aside. 

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to drain.  When cool, crumble into small pieces. 

3.  Drain all bacon grease except for 2 teaspoons or so.  Over medium-low heat, cook the garlic in the bacon grease for a few minutes.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook just until the skins start to blister.  Add the chicken broth and white wine vinegar to the pan to deglaze, and scrape up all of the browned bits. 

4.  Add the heavy cream and bring to a light simmer.  Let cook about 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced and thickened a little bit.  Add the cooked bacon pieces.  Turn off the heat, and stir in the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and the fresh chopped basil. 

5.  Pour the pasta into a large serving bowl and toss with the tomato-bacon-cream sauce.  Taste and add salt if desired.  Garnish with additional shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. 

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My Sister's Wedding

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Fudge Brownies

I've been on vacation in the U.S. and haven't had time to blog for the last two weeks.  We've been to a wedding, then to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  I love that area of the U.S.  Last summer we went to the Oregon Coast.  There is so much beauty in the world.  Anyway, right before we left home, I made these brownies.  Now, on a long layover at the airport, I finally have time to blog about them.  :)

They are from my Good Housekeeping cookbook.  They were a little too chocolatey for me, and I even cut back on the chocolate by one ounce (so I used 5 oz. instead of the 6 listed).  Everyone seemed to like them, though.  We enjoyed them with some vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.

Good Housekeeping's Fudge Brownies

1 cup butter(2 sticks)

6 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 8-oz. can walnuts(2 cups), coarsely chopped

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9""x13"" metal baking pan with foil; grease foil.

2. In heavy 3-quart saucepan over low heat, melt margarine or butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. With wooden spoon, beat in sugar and eggs until well blended. Stir in flour, vanilla, salt, and walnuts. Spread batter evenly in pan.

3. Bake 25-35 minutes until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out clean. Cool brownies in pan on wire rack.

4. When cold, cut brownies into 4 strips, then cut each strip into 4 pieces. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes 16 brownies.

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Tiny Little "Lake"

This is one of our fave spots to go on the island.  This little pond is called a lake, which is funny because it's so tiny.  In the winter, this area of higher elevation is often covered in fog.  It's very mysetrious-looking, with all of the tall trees and fog, with mist dripping off the branches.  Right now, in the summertime, the lilypads are in bloom, and there are white hydrangea are blooming around the lake.  There are crazy-looking ducks everywhere, so many have dubbed this "Duck Lake".