Mac N Cheese

My boys love mac n cheese.  Heck -- I love mac n cheese.  Ask the husband, even though I have no taste for cheese anymore, there are nights all I want is the comfort of the gooey noodles, the sharp white cheddar taste, and bits of artichoke and spinach in every bite.

Are you drooling yet?

Thankfully, when the boys request mac n cheese, they're thinking of the orangey-yellow variety they sometimes get at Grammy's house.

I had this recipe, and this one, too, and we liked them both ok. They're perfectly fine substitutes when you're making it from scratch.  The Healthy Mac recipe didn't look right -- it was very tasty, but didn't taste at all like what the boys craved.  The Sweet Potato Mac was also just ok -- but in reality, if I want mashed sweet potatoes I don't want noodles in there messing it up.

So one day the boys wanted mac n cheese for lunch.  I started to whip up the cheese sauce and saw that I had a good sized sweet potato on the counter...hmmm...I don't need the whole sauce to be sweet potato, but just a little color and sweetness would be nice.  So here's what I came up with and I threw the other recipes out.  This is the only way the boys want to eat mac n cheese from now on -- and it even looks "cheesy" with all it's orange-yellow-ness!

Mac N Cheese
serves 4-6

• 12-14 oz whole wheat macaroni
• 1 cup almond milk -- unsweetened
• 6 TBLS nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 TBLS flour
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato
• salt and pepper to taste

--  Start by cooking your pasta according to the directions

-- Meanwhile, cook the sweet potato in the microwave for 5-8 minutes until soft

-- Meanwhile (again), whisk all other ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat over medium 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching it thicken (although not too much, and don't let it boil!)

-- Once the sweet potato is done, carefully put the sweet potato chunks in with the milk and mash a little.  With a hand blender, puree until smooth. (If you don't have a hand blender, you can puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor with a little of the milk liquid and then transfer everything back to the pot).

-- When pasta is done, drain and mix with the creamy sauce until it coats each and every noodle.  Season with salt and pepper as desired!

Ultimate Vegetable & Bean Soup

When there's a bite in the air or snow on the ground, I crave a good hearty soup or chili with cornbread or muffins to go with it.  This soup is a cross between a vegetable soup and a chili. It's chocked full of vegetables and has the standard chili fare of beans and tomatoes with the added bonus of quinoa.  It always gets rave reviews from guests, and it freezes beautifully

Ultimate Vegetable & Bean Soup

Serves 8 (14 cups total)

Active time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Serving Suggestions:  Serve with a simple green salad and a hunk of cornbread or muffins.  

What you'll need:

• 2 TBLS olive oil
• 4 cups ½-inch chunks of zucchini and or yellow squash, skins on
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 8 oz package chopped white mushrooms
• 2 15oz cans beans, rinsed and drained (light red kidney, dark red kidney, or black bean)  Best results with differing variations
• 2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes, with juices  
• 2 cups frozen corn OR 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 TBLS tomato paste
• 2 TBLS brown sugar
• 1 1/2 TBLS cumin
• 1 TBLS chili powder
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well OR millet
• 1 TBLS red wine vinegar

What you'll do:

• Heat oil in a large pot and then saute squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, and mushrooms for 15 minutes, until onions are translucent and vegetables are all soft.
• Add all remaining ingredients except vinegar.
• Bring chili to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes until quinoa is done.
• Add vinegar and stir before serving.

Time tip: Microwave the squash and zucchini 6-8 minutes to soften a little.

Chop onion, garlic, and mushrooms while squash/zucchini is microwaving

Snickerdoole Blondies

Happy Novemeber first, everyone!

These little bars are amazing.  I don't know if they taste quite like snickerdooles to me, but they are tasty none-the-less, and when it's cold outside and I want a little treat, this is one of my go-to recipes.  The original recipe is very similar, I didn't want to veer too far off the beaten path and make a mess.  (Baking is not my thing!)  My boys love these and they are just so simple and so good -- I wanted to share them with you all.

Thank you Katie, over at Chocolate Covered Katie, for another spectacular recipe!  If you haven't been over there to check out her healthy desserts -- GO!  Right now.

Snickerdoole Blondies
makes 9 squares

• 1 15oz can chickpeas OR great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 TBLS peanut butter 
• 2 TBLS applesauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, ground oats, OR ground flax
• 1 TBLS cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/5 tsp salt

-- In a food processor, puree everything together until smooth and creamy

-- Spread into a parchement paper-lined 8x8 baking dish

-- Bake for about 40 minutes at 350.  It will look slightly undercooked, but it will cook as it cools a little.  If you want them almost gooey, go for the 35 minute mark.

-- Cool 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions

This was a great dinner and totally worth the time it takes to caramelize the onions.  The sweetness of the onions really brings this dinner from simple super to great dinner.  If you add a garden salad on the side you have a complete meal!

The flavors were not overpowering but just a hint above subtle.  If you're new to Indian flavors, this would be a great recipe to start with.  If you enjoy Indian cuisine, feel free to up the spices to meet your palate desires, or just know it's a little on the muted side (something I quite like).  I used half red and half green/brown lentils when I made this the first time and it was still great, but having made it more times, I prefer all red lentils.  If you choose to go with green/brown lentils, just know the simmering time will be longer.

When you look at the directions, don't shy away from all the steps -- it may look like a lot, but it's really not.  You essentially caramelize the onions, and while you're waiting for those to brown you cook the lentils and measure out the spices.  It's really quite simple and will take about 45 minutes from start to finish.

If you're looking for an even simpler Indian dish with no caramelized onions or spinach, try this Red Lentil Dal.

Spiced Red Lentils with Caramelized Onions
serves 6
2 large onions, halved and cut into thin half moons
1 1/2 cup dry red lentils, rinsed well and drained
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 TBLS minced garlic
10 oz frozen box chopped spinach, thawed OR 15 oz fresh, chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper to taste

-- Saute onions (with oil or broth) in a large skillet until caramelized (about 30 minutes) -- stir occasionally
-- Meanwhile, heat lentils with 4 1/2 cups water and bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until lentils are fully cooked and starting to fall apart.  Take off heat when done, but do not drain!
-- When onions are done, take half out and set aside in a small bowl.  Add all the spices to the remaining onions in the skillet and heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
-- Add chopped spinach to skillet and heat til wilted if using fresh , 3-4 minutes.  Stir/fold if needed.
-- Once spinach is wilted, add onion/spinach mixture to the lentil and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired.
-- Serve over rice and top with remaining caramelized onions.

Filipino Pancit and Eggplant in Adobo Sauce

I'm part of a unique book club.  At least, it's not like any other book club I've ever heard about or been a part of.  It's a book club that picks the books based on the origin or the story (and preferably a book that talks about the food common to the specific locale!).  When we meet to discuss the book, we all pick something to make from the book.  It's genius.

We read The Mango Bride a month or so ago, and I chose to make Pancit -- a very traditional Filipino dish that is most commonly found at birthday celebrations due to the long noodles the signify long life.  One of Brittany's close friends is Filipino and while I didn't get the exact recipe from her, I did get the traditional cooking method, which was elusive on the internet.

I don't have any specific site to point you to as I took 3 different recipes and took aspects of each I thought I liked, tweaked things, added my own preferences, and then changed things as I cooked.

Everyone at book club really enjoyed the dish and my own family really enjoyed the leftovers, so I considered it an all-around score!  Oh, and did I mention it comes together super fast once you have everything chopped?  It does.  Double score!

Pancit [Filipino]

serves 6-8

• 1 8oz pk brown rice stick noodles (also called Maifun -- like these)
• 11/2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup juilenned carrots (packed)
• 8 oz pack chopped baby bellas
• 1 little bag (6-8 oz) sugar snap peas
• 4 cups thinely sliced green cabbage
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup soy sauce 
• garnish: chopped/sliced scallions and lemon wedges (a must!)

--  In a large wok or dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic 5-7 minutes until tender.

-- Add the carrots, mushrooms, peas, and cabbage and saute 3-4 minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt.

-- Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Once it starts to boil, fully submerge the noodles and cover the pot for 2 minutes.

-- Lower heat to low and carefully stir in the noodles.

-- After a couple minutes, add the celery and keep stirring so the noodles loosen up, don't stick or burn.

-- Heat until noodles are gone and the liquid is almost all gone (you want everything to move pretty well)

-- Either throw the scallions in at the last minute, and stir to incorporate, or serve them as garnish.

-- Serve each plate with lemon wedges to be squeezed on!

Another dish I tried to make (and failed at the first attempt!) was this Eggplant in Adobo Sauce!  The concept was great, but I didn't have a great recipe to work from.  After looking at a few other recipes and sites, I made it again and liked it.  The consensus: we like Filipino food! 

We ate this with a creamy vegetable soup and it paired very nicely.

Adobo Eggplant
Serves 4-6

• 6 cups cubed eggplant (1 lb)
• 3 cups chopped onion
• 4 crushed cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup rice water or vegetable broth
• 2-3 bay leaves (2 large, or 3 smallish)
• 2 tsp sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 2-3 cups cooked brown rice

-- In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic until tender -- 5-7 minutes.

-- Add remaining ingredients (except sugar) and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is cooked. 

-- Taste and season with sugar and pepper if desired.

-- Serve over cooked brown rice

Tortilla Soup

Another winning soup from Brittany's kitchen!

Tortilla soup has always been a favorite in our household and among guests.  I used to make a chicken version that was delicious, but this is a healthier, vegan version of that same soup, and we think it tastes just as good! Leftovers can also be simmered until the liquid is reduced a bit, then pureed to make a wonderful bean dip!

Tortilla Soup

Serves 8 (makes 16 cups)

Active time: 45 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total time: 1 hr

Serving Suggestions: Enjoy this flavor-filled soup with tortilla chips, quesadillas, or corn bread.

What you'll need:

• 2 TBLS canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion OR 1 TBLS powdered onion
• 1 TBLS minced garlic OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup flour OR all purpose Gluten-Free flour
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 8oz can tomato sauce
• 2, 15.5oz cans great northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 7oz can chopped green chilies
• 1-2 jalapeños (depending on your family's level of heat tolerance), seeded and finely diced/minced*
• 11/2 cups diced red bell pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1, 15.5oz can red kidney beans (dark or light), rinsed and drained
• 1, 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with juices
• 3/4 loose cup chopped fresh cilantro
• tortilla chips, broken into bite-sized pieces as garnish (optional)

What you'll do:

• In a large stockpot over medium heat cook oil, onion, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender translucent, about 5 min.--watch carefully near the end, move onto the next step if the garlic begins to brown).  
• Add flour to oil, onion, and garlic mixture.  Sstir it in well with a wire whisk.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture forms a golden brown roux, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add broth, tomato sauce, white beans, chiles, peppers, and spices.  Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.  
• Reduce heat to medium low, add kidney beans and tomatoes.  Simmer for 5 min. (Note: kidney beans are reserved for this step because adding too early can cause them to become too soft and split open.)  
• Stir in cilantro just prior to serving.

Time tip:  Use powdered garlic and onion and skip the first 2 steps.

This is also a very easy meal to chop while you wait for things to cook or boil.

*Note:  If you'd like to offer a mild soup with more "heat" as an option--mince the jalapeños finely, add half to the soup, and put the other half in a dish on the side for people to add to their bowl as desired.  

Apple Quinoa Salad

This "salad" takes a while from start to finish, but it's really quite simple. Most of the time is consumed by cooking and chilling, so you just need to plan a little.  It keeps well and is an easy salad to make up to a day ahead of serve time.  This is great at any picnic or potluck and is paired really well with a creamy vegetable soup in these colder months!

I love this salad for it's freshness that is paired with such a fall-inspired comforting spice. The apples in the picture are chopped larger than is preferable, so take that into consideration. Also, feel free to play with this and switch the raisins out for craisins or currents!

Apple Quinoa Salad

Serves: 12 (feel free to half)

Active time: 20 minutes

Cook/Chill time: 30 minutes and 1 hour

Total time: 2 hrs (including the hour of chill time)

Serving suggestions:  For a light but filling dinner, serve this with Carrot Apple soup along with a green salad.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups apple juice
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups dry quinoa – rinsed
• 1 TBLS cinnamon
• 4 Granny Smith apples - diced
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 TBLS olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 TBLS apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice OR mixed half and half
• 1 cup of chopped/slivered almonds

What you’ll do:

• In a large pot, heat juice, water, quinoa and cinnamon until boiling.  Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes (until the liquid is absorbed). You can also do this step in a large rice cooker.
• Once quinoa is done, place it in a large serving bowl, let cool a little bit, and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool completely.
• Once quinoa is cool, stir in the apples, celery, raisins, oil and salt. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the top and stir.
• Return to the fridge to chill at least one hour.  
• Sprinkle the almonds on before serving.

Time Saving Tips:

Chop apples and celery while quinoa is cooling