Homemade Mac N' Cheese (with a hidden veggie!)
Here is my own recipe for yummy and healthy comfort food!
1 lb. bowtie pasta, cooked per directions and drained (substitute with your favorite pasta)
1 small yellow onion diced
2 tbs. unsalted butter
2 heaping tbs.'s of whole wheat pastrey flour
salt
pepper
1 pkg. pureed squash (publix sells these in the frozen section-thaw and add or use a 15 oz can of pureed squash)
2 cups lowfat organic milk
2 cups organic (my preference...any good sharp or smoked cheddar will do) shredded cheddar cheese
2 plump cloves garlic pressed
To make the sauce:
Melt butter in sauce pan
Add diced onion and cook for about 8 minutes or until onion is soft and light.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the flour.
Whisk carefully and cook about 2 minutes.
Add milk and squash and whisk until sauce thickens.
Add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until it melts. Add minced garlic.
Combine the cooked pasta and sauce into casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Serve with salad or steamed broccoli.
Great Ribs!
I went searching for a wonderful rib recipe for my dear hubby's birthday dinner and stumbled upon
http://www.amazingribs.com/. Check the site out, you'll love it if you love BBQ!
I made several alterations to their listed recipe because #1 I don't have a smoker and #2 I had to be in and out all day long due to being a crazy college student, mom and all!
So, here is the recipe I came up with and my hubby is in LOVE with these ribs. I hope you and yours will be too!
Start with a de-fatted and de-membrained rack of St. Louis Cut Ribs (ask your butcher!)
rub the ribs down with a tablespoon of your favorite oil (I used vegetable oil in this recipe)
Memphis Dust Recipe
Yield. Makes about 3 cups. I typically use about 1 tablespoon per side of a slab of St. Louis cut ribs, and a bit less for baby backs. Store the extra in a zipper bag or a glass jar with a tight lid.Preparation time. 10 minutes to find everything and 5 minutes to dump them together.
Ingredients3/4 cup firmly packed dark
brown sugar3/4 cup white sugar1/2 cup
paprika1/4 cup
kosher salt4 tablespoons
garlic powder2 tablespoons ground black pepper2 tablespoons ground ginger powder2 tablespoons onion powder2 tablespoons dried rosemary, ground to a powder
Optional. Add up to 2 tablespoons crushed dried chipotle, cayenne, chili powder, or other hot pepper. Be careful with this ingredient. Not everybody likes it as hot as you do! You can leave it out if you are serving to a large crowd that is bound to contain a few wimps, and serve pepper flakes on the side.
Substitution. Try substituting some
smoked paprika for regular paprika. Beware, it is usually a bit hot.
About the sugar and salt. I encourage readers to experiment with recipes and "no rules in the kitchen or bedroom" is my motto, but I have gotten two emails from people that require a comment. One said he loved this recipe but left out the salt. Another left out the white sugar. I appreciate the need to reduce sugar and salt in our diets, but they are in the recipe for more than flavor enhancement, they help form the crust (a.k.a. "
the bark"), an important part of the texture of the surface of ribs and slow smoke roasted pork. The salt pulls some moisture to the surface to form a "pellicle" and the sugar mixes with the moisture, caramelizes, and also contributes to the crust, called bark by the pros. There's only about two tablespoons of rub to a large slab. Of that about 1 tablespoon is sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. If you eat half a slab, you're not eating much sugar and salt. I recommend you leave them in. And for those of you who object to white sugar for non-dietary reasons, and use brown sugar instead, you need to know brown sugar is just white sugar with
molasses added. It is not unrefined sugar.
About the rosemary. If you can only find whole dried rosemary leaves, you can grind them in a mortar and pestle, or in a coffee grinder.
About the ginger. I think it is a very important ingredient. If you don't have any, get some.
Do this1) Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. If the sugar is lumpy, crumble the lumps by hand or on the side of the bowl with a fork. If you store the rub in a tight jar, you can keep it for months. If it clumps just chop it up, or if you wish, spread it on a baking sheet and put it in a 250F oven for 15 minutes to drive off moisture. No hotter or the sugar can burn.
2) For most meats, sprinkle just enough on to color it. Not too thick, about 2 tablespoons per side of a large slab of
St. Louis Cut ribs. For Memphis style ribs without a sauce, apply the rub thick enough to make a crunchy crust, about 3-4 tablespoons per side (remember to
Skin 'n' Trim the back side). To prevent contaminating your rub with uncooked meat juices, spoon out the proper amount before you start and seal the bottle for future use.
3) Wrap your ribs it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate them overnight before cooking.
I wrapped them up and let them rest for 4 hours. Then, I baked them in a foil linned cookie sheet for 4 hours at 225 degrees F.
After 4 hours I made a foil boat, laid the ribs in the boat and poured 1 cup of 100% juice apple juice and baked another hour with foil covering the boat for the juices to steam the meat. Then, I poured the apple juice out into a sauce pan and made "Vermont Maple Glazed Pig Candy":
http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/porknography/vermont_pig_candy.htmlOh my is that Pig Candy amazingly good! What a bonus to the recipe!
Glaze with the Pig Candy and bake the rack of ribs without cover for about 30 minutes.
Serve with mashers with Alexi onion rings and broiled asparagus for a gourmet aproach or with baked beans and toast for traditional BBQ feast!
I'd love to hear if you give this a shot!
Ok, I was totally a sceptic about trying this recipe! I did with a few changes (because I was out of cocoa powder and needed SOMETHING with chocolate!).
Now, my husband won't eat them (because he knew there were black beans in them but I loved them. A new go to chocolate fix.
Here is the original recipe from Wholefoods.com:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2594
Makes 16
No one will ever guess that black beans are the secret ingredient in this recipe!
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and carefully stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 brownie/about 2oz/60g-wt.): 160 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 50mg cholesterol, 35mg sodium, 17g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 12g sugar), 4g protein
And here are the changes I made:
I used coconut (virgin) oil in place of butter
I used one cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (melted) in place of the cocoa powder
The coconut oil adds a really nice flavor and the semi sweet chocolate makes then gooey and yum!
I'd love it if you'd try to recipe and tell me your thoughts!
BTW-this is a gluten free recipe so its great for those of you with allergies.
