Texas Macaroni & Cheese

May 20, 2012 by

Macaroni and cheese is a dish that you should learn to make. No, not the kind that calls for powdered cheese and a microwave.  I am talking about real macaroni and cheese made with real ingredients, like noodles, butter, milk, and fresh-grated cheddar cheese. Very few dishes taste better than this natural combination. This week, I took my favorite mac & cheese recipe and “Texified” it by adding some seasoned ground turkey, bell pepper, and jalapeno.

Put this recipe in your “priority” box so you can enjoy a taste of comfort at your kitchen table tonight! My favorite part of this recipe is the evaporated milk – it is a small item that packs a big punch of creaminess and richness to the final pasta. You will never look at another mac and cheese recipe again after trying this.

INGREDIENTS

1 box elbow macaroni or spiral pasta (shown)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

1 lb ground turkey sausage

6 oz evaporated milk

2 eggs

4 tbsp butter

salt and pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

1 package “taco” seasoning (or a mixture of some cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, paprika, and onion powder)

1 cup fresh-grated cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by cooking the pasta (not shown). While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the remainder of the ingredients. I recommend chopping your veggies and grating the cheese now.

Next, brown the turkey in a skillet along with a bit of olive oil and the packet of taco seasoning. Halfway through, add the peppers into the pot and soften them while the turkey finishes.

When the pasta is finished, drain the water using a collander and return the pasta to the pot. Return to burner at low heat. Stir in butter over hot pasta.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour over pasta and stir for approximatley one minute to fully incorporate.

Next, add the shredded cheese and stir.

Lastly, add the skillet contents (turkey and peppers) to the mac and cheese to welcome the recipe home to Texas. You can omit these ingredients if you cannot resist the simple, rich macaroni and cheese on its own. To me, nothing says ”Texas cuisine” like cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and cream.

Yum! What do you think? Are you ready to start cooking yet? This recipe makes fantastic leftovers that can be enjoyed at any time throughout the week. I like that I can diversify a “normal” macaroni and cheese recipe by adding a few Tex-Mex ingredients. That kind of creativity will keep your dining companions always on their toes. Enjoy, everyone! Have a happy week!

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spring Green Risotto

May 7, 2012 by

Sometimes, we need to be reminded to be grateful for the little things. Friendships, families, health, our jobs, these are all things that I easily forget are luxuries in the grander scheme of life.  This weekend was full of reminders for me as I spent it celebrating both being engaged to my best friend and passing the Texas bar exam. The kindness of the hosts and hostesses who threw our engagement party just blew me away. I am humbled by my blessings and look forward to my future wearing two new hats — a lawyer and a wife.

In the spirit of gratitude, I prepared a cozy dinner for my fiance and myself to enjoy after the festivities had subsided. This spring green risotto is a fitting way to give thanks as it requires lots of time, patience, and attention. You cannot wander away from the stove for a second while it is simmering, but the end reult is perfect. A “risotto” is arborio rice that is slow-cooked in broth, so that it becomes creamy and smooth after aborbing the moisture over time. This recipe produces a creamy, lemony, fresh risotto that has layers of flavors and textures. It uses the freshest springtime ingredients, which saves you money and reminds you to enjoy the fruits of the season that we are in.  The marscapone cheese is an ingredient that I have hardly used before, but will certainly return to it again. What a nice, cheesy touch it adds to this risotto.

This recipe is originally by Ina Garten and can be found here. I modified the recipe very little. Here is how I prepared this amazing spring green risotto:

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 shallot, diced
  • 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 4 to 5 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 pound thin asparagus
  • 10 ounces frozen peas, defrosted, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese, preferably Italian
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the olive oil, shallot, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the leeks and saute for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat with the vegetables, oil, and butter.

Add 1 cup of stock and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid  has been absorbed. Stir the rice constantly while the liquid aborbs and you continue adding more as needed. This process should take 25 to 30 minutes. If the pot starts to smoke, you should add more liquid or turn the heat down as you continue to stir.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths and discard the tough ends. Blanch in boiling salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, until al dente. Drain and cool immediately in ice water.

Blanched asparagus

When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, drain the asparagus and add it to the risotto with the peas, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. I added the juice of one lemon for extra zest. Continue cooking and adding stock, stirring almost constantly, until the rice is tender but still firm.

Whisk the lemon juice and mascarpone together in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, turn off the heat and stir in the mascarpone mixture plus the Parmesan cheese and chives. Set aside, off the heat, for a few minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a sprinkling of chives and more Parmesan cheese.

Say cheese!

I baked some hot italian chicken sausage to add protein and spice to our dinner. Jason and I paused for a moment on our busy Sunday evening to eat a meal together before conquering our separate “to-do” lists for the night. This recipe is so refreshing and fun to make. You will stir away your worries and your taste buds will be saying THANK YOU after the first bite. I hope you enjoy this amazing recipe!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

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Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake

May 1, 2012 by

What would life be like without weekends? They are more than just “time off” from work, they provide me with a whole different mentality from the rest of the week. I cherish my time off by catching up on any neglected projects in my life (there is always something to do) and recharging for the week ahead. One of my favorite activities to do on the weekends is cook. It inspires me, amuses me, and always has a way of bringing people together.

Nothing says summer like grilling!

This Saturday, I invited some friends over to grill a healthy, creative menu outside. Our casual dinner consisted of some perfectly seasoned Mahi Mahi tacos with an avocado-lime salsa, black bean quinoa, and dessert of grilled pineapple upside down cake. It really hit the spot! I photo-blogged the pineapple upside down cake, but realized that am going to need to re-make these tacos for the blog after I tasted how good they were. More on those later! The cake, on the other hand, is a fun way to use your gas grill and is so sweet and tasty. It has a caramel-vanilla flavor, accented perfectly by the tart grilled pineapple and savory brown sugar. Here is how you do it!

INGREDIENTS

  • A seasoned cast-iron skillet
  • 1 pineapple, cut into rings
  • 2 tbsp +1/4 cup softened bytter
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Grilling always provides an interesting “twist” to cooking because I have to take everything outside and cook on a small surface, usually surrounded by friends and wine. The most unpleasant of this is the process of taking everything outside. Therefore, this cake is made in three “parts” all of which can be easily transported outside to your grill for convenience.

First, slice and core the pineapple. Set it in a tupperware or bowl to carry outside.

Next, mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, and cinnamon in a Pyrex cup or bowl. This will be the “top” of your upside-down cake and ensure that the heavy pineapple sticks to the rest of the cake.  Reserve 2 tbsp butter with this, but do not mix it in yet.

Lastly, use a mixer to cream the remaining 1/4 cup butter, flour, eggs, and everything else. Put it in a bowl to carry outside. When you are all “prepped,” it will look like this:

When you are outside, preheat the grill to about 400 degrees and keep it there. Melt the butter on the skillet while you grill the pineapple.

While the pineapple is getting that nice sear on the outside, pour the brown-sugar and cream mixture into the skillet. When it starts to bubble around the edges, you are ready to put the pineappple into the skillet using some tongs.

When everything is inside of the skillet, pour the cake batter on top and move the pan to indirect heat. Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes to one hour.

During this time, we ate a lot of delicious mahi mahi tacos, talked about our jobs, compared our successes with various fitness “fads” (I am starting P90X this week!), and enjoyed the gorgeous weather outside. It was a truly lovely dinner.

What better to top off a good meal than a light and healthy dessert? One hour later, our cake was ready.

Cake - 35 minutes in

We were in SUCH  a rush to eat that we failed to turn our “upside down” cake upside down! What a great blog photograph that would have been, huh? Imagine our beautiful square cake with a brown crumble top and rings of pineapple poking through. Keep imagining… because that is not what it looked like.

Okay, so I admit that I am not the best photographer after a few glasses of wine. We were so excited about this little masterpiece that we dug right in and were amazed at how delicious it was! The brown sugar adds a caramel flavor that is so sticky and delightful with the fresh pineapple.

If you are in the mood for something amazing to create on the grill, this cake is for you. It is really, really good and polishes off a BBQ like nothing else.

I hope you all are having a lovely week! Lots of love!

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

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Overnight Oats

Apr 23, 2012 by

Red solo cup… I’ll fill you up… proceed to party…Proceed to partyyyy….

Toby Keith speaks the truth. Red solo cups are good for many purposes. If you have any left over from a barbeque, this is a great way to use them for a portable, healthy, breakfast on the go. Try making overnight oats in them!

Overnight oats with chia seeds and rasberries

Overnight oats are quick-cooking oats that have been soaked in milk for at least six hours, topped with anything ranging from almond butter to frozen fruit. No cooking required! Just throw the ingredients together the night before, and you have yourself a healthy, filling breakfast waiting for you the next morning. I eat them often in the summertime because they are cool and keep me skinny during swimsuit season. Oats, chia seeds, unsweetend almond milk, and fruit are all foods that are amazing for us in the morning and keep our metabolisms revved up all day.

My favorite part about them is knowing that I have a healthy, delicious breakfast waiting for me when I wake up. Talk about motivation to get out of bed!

Breakfast: ready and waiting for you

Here is how you make this simple recipe. I like to prepare this recipe  in leftover solo cups because they fit in my car cup holder for my loooong commute to work, and I can recycle them later.  Sometimes I make a whole bunch of cups and Jason will bring them to his golf buddies on a Saturday morning! It makes my heart feel good to see everybody eating so healthy and loving it. Here’s how you do it:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quick oats

1 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choosing – this one just makes me feel good!)

1 pinch of chia seeds

1/4 cup frozen fruit (rasberries are my favorite)

1 tablespoon of almond butter, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour equal portions of oats and almond milk into the cup. I think one cup per person is a nice serving size.

The oats should be barely covered by the almond milk. They will soak up the liquid overnight and become soft and sweet.

Next, add your toppings. Lately, I am partial to a pinch of chia seeds and  a few frozen rasberries or blueberries. Jason likes his with a tablespoon of almond butter.

** Note: If you REALLY want to make someone fall in love with you, prepare a batch of overnight oats in a leftover jar of peanut butter or almond butter. The butter stuck to the sides gives the oats perfect flavor, and it feels awesome to eat out of a jar of peanut butter for breakfast!

Toppings are the jam

Finally, cover your breakfast and place it in the fridge to set for the night.

It has a unique taste and texture that will make you instantly addicted. I know that “cold oatmeal” sounds gross, but the slow absorption of vanilla almond milk into the oats makes them sweet, smooth, and perfect for a summer breakfast. I really do eat this for most of my weekday breakfasts and love the way they make me feel. I am alert and satiated for many hours, with no guilt.

And the red solo cup just says… it’s time to party! Even at breakfast!

Enjoy, y’all. Have a great Monday!

Lindsey

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King Ranch Casserole

Apr 16, 2012 by

It is a good thing that jalapeno peppers are vegetables. Sometimes it seems like the only green item that shows up on my plate. It counts though, right?

Tonight’s dinner was one of my favorite traditional Texas recipes that involved plenty of jalapeno peppers: King Ranch Casserole. This casserole is like a giant flat enchilada. The pulled chicken, spicy peppers, and melty cheese are so good you’ll think you’ve died and gone to Tex Mex heaven. I have modified the recipe from one of my most coveted cookbooks, Homesick Texan, by the talented Lisa Fain. She showcases the most traditional Texas cuisine with a fresh, modern approach. I have made a few changes to her recipe, but the credit should go to her. Here is how you make a real finger-lickin’, boot-stompin’ King Ranch Casserole. It is one of the best casserole recipes in the world, if you ask me.

Go buy this cookbook, or visit the Homesick Texan blog!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb shredded cooked chicken breast
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, chopped
  • 1 poblano pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 10-oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can of diced green hatch chili peppers
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

The hardest part of this recipe is preparing all of the ingredients. I started by boiling my chicken breasts — the best way to prepare them for shredding– while chopping all of my veggies. I put the veggies all in one big bowl to keep things neat and organized. Once everything is prepared, melt the butter over medium heat and add the veggies. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

When the vegetables are tender and fragrant, add the chili, cayanne, cumin, chicken broth, tomatoes, and hatch chilis. Let this cook for about 5 more minutes until the broth begins to thicken and steam. Eventually this mixture will be the “sauce” of your casserole.

When you are ready, add 1 cup of half and half and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. The half and half balances out the spices of the peppers and gives the casserole a creamy, smooth finish. It especially accents the sweet poblano pepper. While this is cooking, now is a great time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Next, ladle a spoonful of this sauce onto the bottom of your casserole dish to keep the tortillas from sticking. Next, place a layer of tortillas around the casserole dish, covering every part. You can tear tortillas into pieces to ensure even coverage.

Layer the ingredients in the following order: tortillas, chicken, sauce, cheese. Do this twice until the casserole is topped with cheese and ready to be put in the oven.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes. I used this opportunity to do about 5,000 chores around the house and 30 minutes flew by in no time!

Let it cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

We loved this casserole and enjoyed it with a side of slow cooker pinto beans.. The casserole is full of colorful peppers, tender corn tortillas, and savory chicken and cheese. The cumin and spices add that extra “wow!” to the dish that differentiates this casserole from other run-of-the-mill chicken casseroles. I think you are going to love this recipe!

Even if you are living in an apartment in New York, you can enjoy the best Texas recipes right in your kitchen. This is an amazing casserole that lasts all week and provides just the right amount of comfort at dinner during these busy Spring months.

Have a great week, y’all! See you next Monday!

Lindsey

 

The massive bandage I will be rocking this week after a mishap while chopping vegetables-- whoops!

 

 

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