Baked Macaroni and Cheese

What was one of the first things I (remember) learning how to cook? Macaroni and cheese. What did I request each and every time my mom went to work and dad was in charge of dinner? Macaroni and cheese. I love the stuff.

Naturally I am no novice to making it from scratch either, and this is a delicious recipe! I stumbled across it on another food blog, annies-eats.com. She claims that it is her favourite version. Unfortunately because I didn't have the cheese her recipe called for in my fridge, I can't be sure of her tastes validity. I'll give you the option of both (her cheese selection and my substitute), and you tell me. Or perhaps I will go make so more. Yep, I like that option.

Ingredients:

1 lb. small or medium pasta shells

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1 c heavy cream

8oz. fontina cheese, shredded (I used old cheddar cheese, shredded)

1 tsp dry mustard

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 c panko bread crumbs

1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions just until 1-2 minutes shy of al dente.

2. Meanwhile, dice 4 Tbsp of the butter and place in a large mixing bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan or the microwave. Cover to keep warm.

3. Once the pasta is cooked, add tot he bowl with the butter and toss to coat well. Stir in the warm cream and the fontina cheese until the cheese starts to melt. Mix in salt to taste, and add the nutmeg.

4. Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter. Mix in the panko breadcrumbs and shredded parmesan. Toss with a fork to coat evenly with the butter. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

5. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Old School Stir-Fry

Okay, so I don't actually know what "Old School Stir-Fry" would refer to exactly--but I do know that I am attending a very old school, and that that is where I made my stir-fry!

Students, I understand the challenges that arise from living at school, around school, and near school. It is far to easy to to run to the closest subway and grab dinner as opposed to making something which could take half an hour. I hear you. I came this close to not making food tonight as well. But I had vegetables in the fridge that would go bad if I didn't use them, and that's just money that I don't have down the drain. Or in the garbage.

So. Reality is that we want easy to cook food. This recipe is composed of veggies, pasta, and a 6 ingredient sauce. Ready for it?

Note: If you are up for a sauce which takes more time, but would probably taste even better, I will add that option to the directions.

P.S. Here is what the food actually looks like amidst my school life:

Not as glamorous. Just as delicious!

Ingredients:

1 serving linguine noodles

1 cup chopped veggies (I used yellow and green peppers, bok choi, broccoli, and zucchini)

1 Tbsp canola oil (for the pan)

Sauce Version 1 (I have nooo time, version)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce (add to your liking)

sprinkling of chili flakes

Sauce Version 2 (I have some time to cook, version)

1/2 c chicken stock

3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sherry or Chinese cooking wine

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp peanut oil

3 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

(ingredients are mixed into a sauce before being poured onto the noodles and veggies)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions, about 8 minutes.

2. Mix sauce in a separate bowl and set aside

2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a pan/wok on medium-high. When pan is hot, add veggies (starting with the peppers and broccoli--bok choi goes with a minute left to go) and cook until desired tenderness. Add sauce and lower heat.

3. Place noodles in pan and toss everything together until the sauce is dispersed.

4. Taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly.

5. Eat with chop sticks! (I think it tastes better this way.)

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Many of you know that pasta is one of my favourite things to make! I think it is because there are unlimited ways to make it, and most of the time my attempts are fairly successful. Oh, and it's deeeeeeeelicious. Ahem.

I've tried pasta carbonara (you'll see this post soon), rose sauces, creamy alfredo, meatless vegetarian concoctions, oil and spice, meatballs...and the list goes on!

I took a chance tonight on a chicken pesto pasta sauce. I say chance because I haven't made one before and I wasn't using a recipe. But how hard can it be? Right?

Chicken, milk, pesto, parmesan cheese...these are all familiar ingredients.

In the end it turned out quite nicely! Familiar ingredients, which I always like, and no time at all. Serve yours with toasted garlic bread. Mmmmm....

Ingredients:

1/2 (16 ounce) package spaghetti/linguine pasta

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1/4 c butter

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 c milk

1/2 punch salt

1/2 pinch pepper

3/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c basil pesto

chicken, sliced and cooked (about 3oz person)

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Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until el dante; drain.

2. Heat canola oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Sautee onions until tender. Stir in garlic and butter, and sauté until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Disolve flour in milk and then stir in. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for approx. 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in pesto.

3. Add cooked chicken (I used precooked, frozen, and reheated) and pasta to sauce, and serve.

Pasta Rose with Zucchini, Corn, Green Peppers and Ham

Pasta is great because it creates a palate for all of those leftover veggies and meats you have lying around in your fridge. (Not to suggest that I ignore my veggies and sometimes overstock meats! No sir, not I).

I had a packaged Knorr Parma-Rosa sauce sitting around as well, and bam-shabam, lunch was served!

And what a satisfying meal it was! The combination of the sweet corn with the salty ham and savory sauce was really nice, and the green peppers were a natural fit. The zucchini gave just a subtle crunch with not an overwhelming flavor. Seriously I couln't have made a better combination if I had planned it! (It really was, 'a little of this, a little of that' in the pan).


Vegetarians, a note to you: sub the ham for veg. ham or chicken and you have a great vegetarian lunch.

Be brave when you are making pasta! There is sooooo many things you can add to a basic tomato sauce, or a not so basic Parma-Rosa sauce (which is just a parmesean tomato sauce).


Keep in mind, any type of sauce will work. If you don't have a Knorr sauce mix or prefer a plain tomato one, that will be just as yummy. You have your own creative license over your pasta. If I was out of sauce mix, I would probably suggest an Alfredo sauce or blush sauce (tomato and Alfredo sauce combined).


Ingredients:

1 serving dry pasta ( I used vegetable fussili)
1 package Knorr Parma-Rosa sauce mix (+ 1/2 Tbsp. butter and 1 1/2 c. milk)
1/3 c. green zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. green peppers, chopped
2 slices deli ham, sliced
parmesean cheese

Directions:

1. Put water on to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile begin pasta sauce and cook as directed on the package. Boil pasta according to package directions.

2. In a sautee pan, simmer one serving of sauce, zucchini, frozen corn, green peppers, and ham for about five minutes. Put cooked pasta and some parmesean cheese into the pan, combine, and serve. Top with additional parmesean cheese.

Pasta Ponza

This dish has quickly become one of my favourites!

It was inspired by Giada de Laurentis, the chef on Food Network's, "Everyday Italian." First, don't you think she is one of the friendliest chefs, ever?! I often feel more cheery after watching her show because she is always smiling, and finds so much joy in cooking for others. (Her and I have that in common!) Check out her website with Food Network here.

As for today's recipe, it came as a complete shock to me, how simple yet satisfying it was. The sweetness of the heirloom tomatoes, in combination with salty Parmesan and savory breadcrumbs, create a healthy, vegetarian option for your next dinner party. And seriously, you couldn't make this dish any easier if you tried.

Indeed, Italians are masters at transforming simple, everyday ingredients into dishes that are quick, healthy and satisfying.


When you are searching for tomatoes, the shot above shows the ones that I always go for; they are sweet heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom vegetable is a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture. A true heirloom is a cultivar that has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations. One box (which can be found at any grocery store that carries the President's Choice brand), is enough to feed about 3 people.


When I go back to school in the fall I know that this recipe will be a weekly go-to. The ingredients are on hand most of the time, and it only costs about $2.50 per portion. How awesome is that!?

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! And as the Italians would say, Buon appetito!

Ingredients:

1 box sweet heirloom tomatoes
salt and pepper*
basil leaves*
olive oil*
onion flakes*
seasoned bread crumbs*
parmesan cheese*
seasoned breadcrumbs*
3 servings of dry spagetti
a handful of chopped parsley (optional)

*Amounts will be very rough, as it seems to always be with Italian cooking! A simple shake/drizzle over the tomatoes of each will be adequate.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 for a convection oven). In a medium size, baking dish (pictured right), rub the sides with butter to prevent sticking.

2. Chop tomatoes into halves and quarters and place into the baking dish. Cover (as shown right), with a few pinches of salt and pepper, a good drizzle of olive oil, a light shake of onion and basil flakes, a thicker layer of breadcrumbs, and finally, another drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When the tomatoes have cooked, pour over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Sarah's Own Chickpea Pasta Recipie

This is officially the week of the Chickpea!

Since publishing my last post (Vegetarian Chick Peas with Peppers on Pasta), the people around me who also have a soft spot for the meaty but delicate, iron-filled beans, have been telling me their favourite ways to use them.

Sarah, a fellow natural-food fan (or at least, is fascinated by the concept- getting around to actually living it out) mentioned this recipe to me. It is her own rendition of a chick pea pasta salad, and of course I had to try it out.

Because the ingredients and amounts are so versatile, (kinda like grandma's cooking: a little bit of this, a pinch of that...) I decided to leave the recipe as such. Play around with the ingredients that you like. Add what ever you think would go well and play around with it. Many recipes are simply starting points.

In case you were wondering...

Do chickpeas have any health benefits?

Chickpeas are indeed very good for you, not least because two to three tablespoons equate to one portion of the daily recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables.

Chickpeas also contain phytoestrogens which are weak plant versions of real oestrogen. There's evidence that these may modulate the body's own production of the hormone in a way that could lower the risk of breast cancer, and protect against osteoporosis.

Ingredients:

Chick peas
Sun dried tomato pesto
White Albacore Tuna
sun dried tomatoes
lemon juice
salt and pepper (to taste)
tri-coloured vegi. fussili

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and leave in the fridge to cool.

2. Combine dressing of pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss in chick peas, sun dried tomatoes, tuna and chilled pasta noodles. And serve.

Vegetarian Chickpea and Peppers on Pasta

I am approaching the end of my school semester (finally!), but one of the things that comes with the territory, is a lack of food. Exams and stress aside, my pantry is slowly being emptied so that I don't waste anything as I head back home for the summer.

But not to worry, this story has a silver lining!

I have been forced to be really creative with the food I make! With only a few random ingredients, what is a person to do? It makes me smile actually because I like a good cooking challenge.

Of the remaining ingredients in my pantry, these were the ones I decided on: one lowly can of chick peas, vegi. fusilli, and Club house Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning spice.


They made a really yummy pasta that I will totally make again! The chick peas added an awesome source of protein and the pasta wasn't too heavy; great after workout food. Plus did I mention that I only used HALF the can of chick peas...this dish probably cost all of 1.00 to make.


I made a vegetarian version (because I am trying to eat a few vegetarian meals a week), but you could add chicken if you prefer. Fresh herbs and extra veggies would also be awesome. (Try parsley, or chives!)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Club House Seasoning - Roasted Garlic and Peppers
1 Serving dry vegi fusilli
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 Can chick peas- drained

Directions:

1. Mix Club house seasoning, water, and olive oil and set to the side. (The time it takes to sit re-hydrates the garlic and peppers in the seasoning) After a few minutes, toss with chickpeas and let sit while pasta is cooking.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions

3. Top cooked pasta with seasoned chick peas and serve.

A Healthy Greek Pasta

The other day I had a craving for a classic Greek salad, but figured that a dinner of strictly vegetables would not fill me up. My traditional Greek salad is composed of peppers, red onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and pepper. As you can see, it is missing the crucial carb element. So alas, I decided to take the ingredients (add in a few more) and turn it into a pasta.

The dressing is different, so I suppose it isn't technically a "Greek" pasta, but it was inspired by Greek food so it has earned the name: Greek pasta. Why bore anyone by changing the name to plain ol' pasta with vegetables. Bleh.

The first thing I said after trying the pasta was, "Hey! This tastes healthy!" and voila! A healthy Greek Pasta.

If you want to vamp up the sauce, like always I would encourage taking it from a plain tomato sauce, to a blush sauce. (Tomato and alfredo sauce combined).



Ingredients:

1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
Some diced red onion (if you wish)
Extra virgin Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 Tbsp. Oregano
2 c. Tomato sauce (any brand)
Pepper
Feta cheese
Dried pasta (2 servings - amt. depends on size of pasta)
1 whole chicken breast - sliced

Directions:

1. Set water to boil for pasta, and make sure to salt the water. In a separate sauce pan, saute in olive oil, the peppers and onions- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and tomato sauce.
Simmer at a low heat.

2. When water boils add the pasta and cook to package directions- or until tender.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce.

4. Combine the sauce and pasta, and upon serving into bowls, top with crumbled feta cheese and pepper.