Veggie Mac n Cheese

Guys, I am in LOVE with this mac n cheese recipe that incorporates squash, cauliflower, and carrots.  Sooo yummy!

Ingredients  serves 8-10

• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 cups butternut squash pieces
• 1/2 cup milk 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used half cheddar, half mozzarella- You could even stand to use less, if you wanted.   It is very cheesy!)
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 4 TBS butter  (I halved this and it still turned out great.  I even think you could pull off none)
• 16 oz pasta

Directions

Cook the cauliflower and carrots covered in a saucepan filled about a 1/4 of the way with water for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the squash and cook 2-3 minutes more.  Drain the veggies and let them cool for a minute.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Put the veggies in the blender with about 3/4 cup of water and puree until smooth.  Add the puree to a large sauce pan.  On medium-low heat, add in the milk, salt, cheddar, butter and cream cheese and stir until melted.

Drain the pasta, add to the sauce and stir.

I loved it!  It reheats well, but you might have to add some milk to get it creamy again.  

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

-Nicole

Warm vanilla milk

I don't know if you have tried it (or even if it gets cold enough to want it :p) but this stuff is awesome. Really simple and a break from hot chocolate if you want it.


You'll need:
1 cup Milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon White sugar

Heat up the milk

Add sugar and vanilla

Stir and enjoy!

Homemade Gorditas

These are pretty similar to the Taco Bell gorditas and since I really like those, I decided to try to make them at home. Keep in mind that these take several hours to make. My own notes are in Italics :) Also: they make great leftovers. The recipe makes 8 tacos and we only use 4 in a meal so it's lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

3 + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 + 1/4 cups boiling water

1 + 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tacos:

1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)

1 packet taco seasoning or 2 - 3 tablespoons

Your choice of fixin's:

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

shredded iceberg lettuce

sliced black olives

diced tomatoes

sour cream

salsa

avocado or guacamole

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the gorditas:
1. Add 2 cups of the flour to a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir until smooth and cover with saran wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining 1 and 1/4 cups of flour with the salt and yeast. Add the oil but don't worry about mixing it in.
3. Add this to the flour and knead by hand 2 - 3 minutes on a lightly oiled surface. Alternately you can use a stand mixer or bread machine for 2 - 3 minutes. The dough should be a little sticky - if it's too sticky knead in a little bit of flour.
4. Lightly grease a bowl, add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 1 hour.
5. Then divide the dough into 8 pieces about 3 ounces each. Cover them and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes longer.
6. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Roll each piece into a 7"- to 8"-circle or pat them out by hand. (Since I don't have a rolling pin, I use a cup sometimes or else I just flatten it out with my hands. Make sure to get them as wide and thin as you can so they make good tacos. They tend to shrink a little when they cook and too thick means they won't fold well).
7. Cook them in the dry skillet 1 - 2 minutes per side or until they are spotted with brown spots. If you find them sticking lightly grease the pan with oil and adjust the heat as needed if they're browning too quickly or not quickly enough. You can keep them warm in a very low oven on a baking sheet. Cover with foil to keep them from drying out.
8. Meanwhile cook the ground beef with the taco seasoning according to the directions on the package.
9. Fill the warm gorditas with taco meat and your choice of fixin's..

http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/homemade-gorditas/

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Dressing

This salad lasted us two meals (since there are only two of us) but it was delicious. And pretty easy to make.

Ingredients
Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn 
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

{For the dressing} 
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
Recommended: agave/honey, cumin

Directions
Make the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. 
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Toss with desired dressing.

http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2013/04/southwestern-chopped-salad-with.html

Crockpot Baked Apples

These are so good! And they make the house smell amazing :) We had them with vanilla ice cream and I will absolutely make them again.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I left these out since we didn't have any and I didn't want them anyway)
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine or butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider (I also didn't have any apple juice so I used water and it turned out fine)

In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, margarine or butter, and cinnamon. If you don’t want to use walnuts, you could use pecans or go nut-free by substituting with ¼ cup chopped raisins, prunes, or granola! Another great substitution is ¼ cup of rolled quick oats moistened with a tablespoon of water before stuffing the apples.

Use a grapefruit spoon that has the sharp edges (or a melon baller or small pairing knife) and core most of the way through, I leave about ½ inch apple left at the bottom. You could remove the skin but I find that it helps to hold the apple together as it bakes - it also adds extra fiber which is always a plus.

Fill the apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot.

Pour the apple juice or cider into the crock-pot, around the apples. If you don’t have apple juice or cider, you can use apple lime juice or apple vinegar (diluted with water and a little sugar).

Set the crock-pot on high heat and cook 2½ to 3 hours until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.
If you don’t have a crockpot, you can use a 7x11 casserole dish or stock pot. Preheat the oven to 350F and cover the pan with aluminum foil. They’ll take about 45 minutes to one hour. A glass baking dish is also an option, just be sure to lower the heat slightly 5-10 degrees since glass can cause food to burn.

If you’re making this recipe for a large crowd, you could do these in the oven in a large disposable roasting pan and just double the recipe. They also taste delish with a scoop of low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt.

You can refrigerate these for up to 3 days, but store them in an air-tight container so they don’t pick up odors from the fridge.

http://skinnychef.com/recipes/baked-apples

Pizza Dough

Speaking as someone who has tried many *many* pizza dough recipe's. This one is the best. You won't find a simpler, more delicious recipe anywhere. Enjoy!

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough You will never need another pizza dough recipe after this one!

yield: 2-12 INCH PIZZA CRUSTS; ABOUT 1 LB. OF DOUGH

INGREDIENTS:

for the pizza dough-
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity}

for the cheesy garlic bread sticks-
1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough from above
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese {use the real stuff!}
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

DIRECTIONS:

For the pizza dough--In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! {*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.} Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That's it! Use as desired.

Oat artisan bread

This is a really good Artisan bread recipe also, I totally recommend you trying it.

No-Knead Oat Bread

Prep time:  10 hours

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  10 hours 45 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup rolled oats, plus 1 tbs for topping
• 1 tsp salt (sea or kosher)
• ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1¾ cups luke warm water
• 3-quart stock pot with a metal or glass lid or dutch oven
• Additional flour for shaping

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add water and mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is fully mixed in. It will be a sticky mess.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10-12 hours (or up to 3 days) on the counter top. (The longer it sits, the more it will turn into a sourdough.)
4. When you’re ready to make the dough, place pot in oven with lid. Preheat to 425°F and let heat for 30 minutes.
5. With floured hands, pull the dough out of the bowl and put on a floured surface.
6. Fold ends of dough over a few times and shape it into a ball.
7. Sprinkle a handful of flour into bowl, and return dough to bowl to rest until oven is ready (about 25-30 minutes).
8. Remove dough from the bowl and drop it into your heated pot. Sprinkle with rolled oats if you are feeling the urge.
9. Cover and put into oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Uncover, bake another 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden.
11. Remove and let cool on wired rack.
12. Slice and serve.

Artisan bread

I figured that since I mentioned Artisan  bread (otherwise known as no-knead bread) in the post on tomato basil soup, that I should post a recipe. SO here is my favorite one! Pictures are nice the first time you make it, so I wen't ahead and copied the whole blog post here.

Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

Print this recipe.

I must begin by saying where the recipe originated, if in fact it originated anywhere...really.  I think bread has been baked for centuries using flour, salt, water, and yeast or other form of leavening.  As far as I know the recipe for "No-Knead" bread dough was printed in the New York times.  I don't know what month, day, or year.  The originator is Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery.  That's all I know.  I found the recipe in a booklet using enamel cast iron pots.  At the time I posted the recipe I had no Jim Lahey even existed or I would have definitely given the man full credit for this wonderful bread and idea.  That said....

Remember before beginning to create, that this bread is highly forgiving.  Don't stress over the fact that you haven't proofed the yeast or that you're not giving the dough a second rising time.  It's super duper sticky and will stick to your hands, feet and hair or anything else it comes in contact with.  Play with the recipe for your location.  Altitudes differ and that can affect the bread.  This recipe is not your ordinary bread recipe.  Just chill and follow the instructions

Breathe.  

You do NOT have to have an enamel covered cast iron pot. You can use anything with a lid that can take the heat.  I use a 5.5 quart cast iron pot.  My oval pots are about 7 quarts.

You DO NOT need to oil the pot. At least not in a enamel covered cast iron or regular cast iron pot.  I have never had problems with the bread sticking.

In a large mixing bowl add 3 cups white unbleached flour.

To the flour add 1 3/4 teaspoon salt (I use kosher I like it) and 1/2 teaspoon rapid rise or instant yeast.  

Note:  Regular active yeast can be used in place of the instant or rapid rise yeast.  It will need to be activated in 1/4 cup warm water.  Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  However, most of the comments I have received state that the rapid raise works the best.  You choose.

Whisk the flour, salt and yeast together.

Add 1 1/2 cups water. 

Mix in the water.  I love these "spoonula's".  I use them all the time.

That's it!  The dough will look like a shaggy mess.  That's ok. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it set for 12 - 18 hours on the counter top.  DO NOT REFRIGERATE.  This is not optional.  It takes that much time to proof the dough.  The reason why you need a large bowl, is because the dough will start to rise.

After 12 hours the dough will look like this.  It's pretty sticky, but that's ok it's supposed to be.

Meet my blue Le Creuset.  It's so awesome.  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  As soon as it has heated to 450 degrees place your pot with the lid in the oven and pre-heat the pot for 30 minutes.

Right after you put the pan in the oven to preheat, dump the dough out onto a HEAVILY floured surface.  I love my pastry cloth.  Use it for everything.

Now, please disregard that this dough has stuff in it.  I'll get to that later.  I just forgot to take a picture of the plain version.  This dough has also been doubled so it's twice the size of a single batch.  After you dump the dough on to a floured surface shape it into a round ball.   This will rest for 30 minutes while the pan is heating.

After you shape the dough cover it with the plastic wrap that was over the bowl.  Yes, I know I have two loaves of bread.  It's because I doubled the recipe.  You can do that.

Remove the pot from the oven and carefully pick up the ball of dough and drop it into the pot.  You may want to flour your hands, because the dough is going to stick like crazy.  Remember the pan is now 450 degrees hot!  Be careful.  Put the lid on the pot and return it to the oven for 30 minutes.

I am baking two loaves at once.  Please notice how used my Le Creuset pots are.  Everything is my kitchen is heavily used.  If you have any advice as to how I can clean my babies, please let me know. 

Close the oven door and bake for 30 minutes.  Wait until you see the next picture.  This will blow you away!

Holy cow!  Can you believe how gorgeous that is.  When you put the dough into the pan, it looks like a shaggy mess and when you take of the lid, you have a masterpiece.  Remove the lid from the pot and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.  This is when you can start patting yourself on the back while telling yourself how awesome you are...because you ARE. 

I just have to show you more pictures of the bread after the lid has been taken off.  Scroll down and enjoy the beauty.

This is the finished product.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove bread from the pot.  Remember the pot is HOT.  I use a couple of hot pads and carefully pull out the bread.