Mac & Cheese "Muffins"

Mac & Cheese "Muffins"

Mac & Cheese “Muffins”

1/2 lb. macaroni
Salt
3-4 Tbsp. butter
3-4 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups grated old cheddar cheese, or any combination of cheeses you have in the fridge
1/2-1 cup pureed cooked cauliflower, sweet potatoes or squash or 2 jars pureed baby food

Bread Crumb Topping (optional):
1-2 slices bread (preferably whole wheat), torn into pieces
2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil or melted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it’s tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the empty pot (no need to wash it out), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well with a whisk, cooking for a minute or so until the mixture starts to turn golden. Stir in the milk and bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. The sauce must reach a full boil in order for the flour to reach its full thickening potential. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture is nice and thick.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts. Stir in the vegetable puree, if you’re using it. Add salt to taste, then stir in the drained pasta. If you want a bread crumb topping, pulse the bread, butter and Parmesan in a food processor until the bread turns to crumbs and the mixture is well blended.

Divide the macaroni and cheese into buttered muffin tins and top with the bread crumbs or additional cheese. (It can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in the baking dish; sprinkle with the crumb mixture or cheese right before you bake it.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is golden and the “muffins” are bubbly around the edges. Serves 8 – more if there are kids.

From http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/mac-cheese-muffins/

Teriyaki Marinated Chicken

Teriyaki Marinated Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup(s) sake or mirin
• 2 tablespoon(s) light brown sugar
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon(s) minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound(s) boneless, skinless chicken breast (see Note)

Directions

1. Whisk soy sauce, sake (or mirin), brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Place chicken in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Remove from the marinade and pat dry.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high or position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler.
4. To grill: Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the chicken, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 4 to 8 minutes per side.
5. To broil: Line a broiler pan (or baking sheet) with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil. Broil, watching carefully and turning at least once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 15 minutes total. 

Exchanges: 3 lean meat.
Tips & Techniques

Note: It's difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast — the chicken tender — removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers. If you can only find chicken breasts closer to 8- to 9-ounce each, you'll only need 2 breasts for 4 servings — cut each one in half before cooking.

Tip: Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won't stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to coat the food with cooking spray.

From http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/teriyaki-marinated-chicken-recipe-ew0811

Spicy Peanut Chicken Satay Recipe

Spicy Peanut Chicken Satay

Spicy Peanut Bake makes this an easy chicken satay to prepare. It’s a classic Thai appetizer or main course.

YIELD
30 satays

TIME
20 minutes to assemble
5-6 minutes to grill
Total time: 25-26 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1-3.5 oz box Spicy Peanut Bake, both inner envelopes
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin slices
Oil for grilling
Optional: A Taste of Thai Peanut Sauce Mix or Peanut Satay Sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat grill to a medium high heat. Rub grill racks with oil just before grilling for carefree turning of chicken.
2. Pour Spicy Peanut Bake, both inner envelopes, into gallon size zip-lock bag. Add chicken slices (a few pieces at a time) and shake until evenly coated. Thread coated chicken onto skewers.
3. Grill chicken 3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
30-6 or 8 inch bamboo skewers, soaked in warm water for 2 hours

From http://www.atasteofthai.com/thai-recipes/spicy-peanut-chicken-satay-recipe/

Ramen Noodle Soup

Ramen Noodle Soup

Ingredients

FOR THE SOUP, BASE AND NOODLES:

• 1 litre good quality bought or home made chicken or pork stock
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 50 ml miso paste
• 25 ml soy sauce
• chili oil to taste
• freshly cooked noodles 2 portions

FOR THE SUKIYAKI STYLE BEEF:

• 500g thinly sliced beef
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine)
• 5 tbsps sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• OTHER TOPPINGS:
• sliced cooked pork
• tofu or beansprouts
• wakame or kombu
• chopped green onions
• sliced shitake mushrooms
• 1 block enoki mushrooms
• 1 medium spring onion
• 1/2 Chinese cabbage
• 1 yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)

Directions

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

1. There is a prescribed order for putting together a good noodle soup this goes for both Chinese and Japanese noodle dishes.
2. There are four elements: Soup (stock), Base, Noodles, and Toppings.
3. Make the base, add to bowl.
4. Prepare the toppings.
5. Heat the soup and prepare the noodles.
6. Add the hot soup to the bowl and mix, add the noodles.
7. Quickly fry the toppings that need to be cooked and add them to the the bowl.
8. Add the uncooked toppings and serve.

FOR THE BASE:

This is a paste of miso and flavourings that is the defining taste of miso ramen, so although it is fairly non-critical in terms of amounts and substitutions, it must be kept within certain bounds. Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil and fry some minced garlic over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of miso paste and 2T soy sauce. Add chili oil or chopped dried red chili peppers to taste. Cook over low heat for about a few minutes.
FOR THE SUKIYAKI STYLE BEEF:

1. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and water to make sukiyaki sauce.
2. Heat a little oil in the pan. Fry some beef slices, then pour sukiyaki sauce in the pan.
3. Don’t over cook the beef and let it become tough it should be melt in the mouth tender

From http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/577005-Ramen-Noodle-Soup

Vegetarian Burger Recipes

Vegetarian Burger Recipes

Ingredients for Basic Black Bean Burgers Recipe (makes 4-5)

• ½ cup whole old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 medium white onion chopped into 6 chunks
• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained (or about 2 cups cooked black beans)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Red Kidney Bean Burger Recipe (makes 4-5)

• ¾ cup cornmeal
• 1 medium red onion chopped into 6 chunks
• 1 carrot roughly chopped
• 1 small bell pepper (any color works fine)
• ½ jalapeno pepper
• 1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained (or about 2 cups cooked kidney beans)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Both

Layer ingredients in a food processor (if you have a small one like I do then break batch up into thirds to make sure everything gets processed evenly)
Pulse generously for several minutes, every so often stopping to push whole ingredients down near the blade with a spoon
Once your all ingredients are mixed cohesively and firm but smooth (like the consistency of mashed potatoes) put in a bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour
After your bean mush has cooled it will have set and firmed up a bit
You can now manipulate the mush (for lack of a better word) into patties
Place patties onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake in over set to 425° for 15 minutes on each side

From http://www.delicious-vegetarian-recipes.com/vegetarian-burger-recipes.html

5 Lip-smacking barbeque ribs recipes

1. Spare Ribs Recipe
Complexity level: Easy
Time taken: 4 Hours
Ingredients
‘Spare’ pork ribs 4-5 lbs, basting sauce, your favorite dry rub and chips or wood chunks added for flavor.
Process
Preheat the grill to about 225-250 F. Wash the ribs, dry them and remove the membrane. If you wish to save some space on the grill, cut the rack into two. Apply the dry rub on both sides of the racks and leave them for about 15-30 minutes. The ribs have to be in room temperature before grilling. Place the saucepan on the grill and barbecue the ribs against hot coal. Keep the lid of the grill closed for about 3-4 hours. Mop many times. Take out the racks so that the ribs can pull apart and still have meat attached to the bone. Serve with your favorite sauce.

2. Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Complexity level: Easy
Time taken: 4 Hours
Ingredients
Pork loin ribs or baby back ribs, dry rub seasoning, wood skewers, basting sauce, chunks or wood chips for smoking.
Process:
Preheat the grill to about 225-275 F. Clean the ribs and remove the membrane after drying. Now apply the rub seasoning on the racks and leave them for 30 minutes to one hour. The ribs should be in the room temperature. Now barbecue the baby back ribs ‘slow and low.’ Keep the grill closed for 3-4 hours. You need to mop many times when it smokes. When the ribs pull apart slowly, remove the racks. Serve this with your favorite sauce.

3. Country Style Pork Ribs
Complexity level: Easy
Time taken: 1 Hour
Ingredients
Bone-in or boneless ribs 4-5 lbs, your favorite barbecue sauce 3-8 oz and 12 oz of beer.
Process
The dish is easy to prepare. Use the country style ribs and rub them with the sauce and grill them in the hot oven by adding the beer also to it. Simmer it slowly and in about one hour, you can relish the country style barbecue ribs.

4. St Louis Spare Ribs
Complexity level: Easy
Time taken: 4 Hours
Ingredients
Pork back spare ribs, dry rub, barbecue sauce, mustard and chips or wood chunks.
Process
As always, wash the ribs, dry them and remove the membrane. Preheat the oven to about 225-250 F. Rub the ribs with mustard oil and leave it for about 30 minutes. Keep a basting pan on your grill for added moisture. Mop the ribs many times. Cook them by covering the grill. It may take you 3-4 hours to cook. Remove the lid and your barbecue ribs are ready to serve with sauce.
5. Flanken-style Short Ribs
Complexity level: Easy
Time taken: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Short ribs 2-2 1/2 lbs, basting sauce.
Process
Marinate the short ribs. If you have some marinade left it can be used as the basting sauce as well. Prepare your grill for cooking. After marinating, place the ribs on the grill and cover it. Use the reserved marinade for brushing on lightly. Cook for 5-6 minutes if you like it medium done or cook for more time for perfectly cooked ribs.

From http://www.alwaysfoodie.com/recipes-5-lip-smacking-barbeque-ribs-recipes.html

Italian Meatball Soup

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, diced small
• 2 celery stalks, diced small
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
• 16 ounces (2 liquid cups) organic beef stock
• 12 ounces (1.5 liquid cups) water
• 1 pound cooked cocktail size Italian meatballs
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to your taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to your taste)

HOW TO MAKE IT

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients except oil into a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cover and heat on low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS

• Add oil to a medium, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add carrots, onion and celery. Cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Push the vegetables aside to one side of the pan. Add tomato paste; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until tomato paste begins to caramelize.
• Add garlic and seasonings. Mix well. Stir in tomatoes and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cut meatballs in half and add to soup. Simmer an additional 10 to 12 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

IMPORTANT INFO!
The recipe also calls for 1 1/2 cups of water in addition to the beef broth. I wanted a thicker soup and omitted the water.

From http://www.itsyummi.com/slow-cooker-italian-meatball-soup-recipe/