Delux Macaroni and Cheese

Don't be afraid to add too much cheese! I didn't measure exactly and I didn't end up adding enough. It was a bit less moist than it should have been.

•  1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) container creme fresh
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted or olive oil
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cauliflower florets

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain. 
2. Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add cauliflower florets with about half a cup of hot water from the water used to boil the pasta. Add cream cheese until it melts through.
3. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, onion and creme cheese mixture, shredded Cheddar cheese, creme fresh, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Simple Red Lentil and Spinach Soup

This soup is easy to make and really healthy.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 cups rinsed dry red lentils
2-3 cups water or more as needed
2 onions
8 cloves garlic
3 carrots
one bag of spinach
salt and pepper to taste
cumin and cumin seeds to taste
coriander to taste
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce

Method

Saute onions in olive oil and butter. Add garlic and carrots, saute for five-ten minutes. Add lentils, water, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cumin seeds and powder and coriander. Bring to boil and then simmer about 45 minutes. Lentils will expand as they cook so you may need to add more water. When lentils are cooked add ketchup, soy sauce, and spinach. Once spinach is cooked let cool before blending soup in batches.

Chocolate fudge

This is the Carnation Famous fudge recipe. I have cut and pasted the recipe below. The only change I made was to use half semi-sweet chips and half milk chocolate chips. I liked this fudge but not as much as the maple walnut fudge but this one is very hard to beat! (see previous post).The texture of this fudge wasn't quite as nice and definitely not as good for wrapping up and giving away because it is so soft.

From the Carnation website....This is a very simple fudge recipe using evaporated milk, marshmallows, and chocolate chips that brings raves. It is a classic candy recipe that is often requested. Instructions are also given for butterscotch and mint flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (4 ounces) miniature marshmallows
• 1-1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Combine butter or margarine, evaporated milk, sugar, and salt in a medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil stirring constantly for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, nuts, and vanilla. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into a foiled-lined 8-inch square baking pan. Chill until firm.

Milk chocolate fudge: Substitute 2 cups milk chocolate chips for semisweet chocolate chips.

Butterscotch fudge: Substitute 1-2/3 cups butterscotch-flavored chips for semisweet chips.

Mint chocolate fudge: Substitute 1-1/2 cups mint-chocolate chips for semisweet chips.

Yield: 3 dozen pieces

Maple Walnut Fudge

This fudge is so good! The recipe is from The Last Wonton food blog: http://thelastwonton.typepad.com/the-last-wonton/. The author of the recipe wrote that she stumbled upon this recipe last Christmas and has never found a better fudge recipe. I like her description of the fudge, "Creamy, velvety smooth sweetness interrupted only by the crunch of fresh-picked walnuts. (Oven toasted to intensify the crisp nuttiness)". 

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon sea or Kosher salt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups chopped Callebaut or other good quality white chocolate
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted
2 teaspoons vanilla

Start by roasting the walnuts for about 10 minutes at 325.

Add the two sugars, cream, butter, salt and maple syrup to large-ish pot over medium heat.  Stir while bringing to a boil.  Lower the heat and continue to stir slowly while the mixture cooks. After about 7 minutes, test by pouring a small amount into cold water.  You want it to form a soft ball.  Or use candy thermometer to 235F - 238F - soft ball stage.  When it reaches the soft ball stage remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes. 

After 10-15 minutes add the white chocolate and vanilla and stir until chocolate melts.  You will notice the fudge start to thicken immediately.  Stir another couple of minutes until the fudge starts to lose it's shine.  Quickly add the walnuts and pour into a buttered double loaf pan or dish (loaf pan is nice for the dip dish fudge that you buy).  Let cool at room temperature.  Chill. 

Best served chilled.

Dark Chocolate-Cherry Ganache Bars for Valentine's Day

This recipe is from a recent article in the New York Times about dolling up Plain-Jane short bread cookies into something gooey and extra chocolately. After I tasted the shortbread I wasn't sure whether I would like these but with the cherry and chocolate added they are rich and decadent. The salt on top and in the shortbread has a nice taste. The one addition I made to the New York Times version of this recipe was jarred sour cherries. I found they offset the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients well.

Ingredients 

150 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)

90 grams confectioners’ sugar (about 3/4 cup)

26 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

52 grams cherry jam (about 2 tablespoons) 

chopped canned or fresh sour cherries  (optional)

340 grams bittersweet chocolate, at least 62 percent, chopped (12 ounces)

2/3 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons kirsch, rum, brandy or other spirit

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, for sprinkling. 

Directions 

 

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and fine sea salt. Pulse in the butter and vanilla until the mixture just comes together into a smooth mass. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Press the dough into the pan. Prick all over with a fork. Chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 3 days. 

2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the shortbread until firm to the touch and just beginning to pull away from the sides, 35 to 40 minutes. 

3. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes on a wire rack. Mix a about a half cup of chopped fresh cherries with cherry jam. Brush jam and cherry mixture over shortbread’s surface and let cool thoroughly. 

4. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl.

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the kirsch. Spread over shortbread. Sprinkle fleur de sel on. Cool to room temperature; cover and chill until firm. Slice and serve.

Yield: 18 bars.

African Peanut Soup

This recipe is from Cole's mum, Daphne. It's really filling and delicious! Definitely is filling enough to eat on its own as a meal.

Serves 10

1 large onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon yellow curry

1/4 cup good quality curry powder

1 quart vegetable stock

1 quart diced tomatoes in juice (use 1 large and 1 small can diced tomatoes)

4 cups chopped cooked chicken or tofu (had it without tofu and chicken and it was

3/4 teaspoon sambal (red chili paste)

1 cup natural chunky peanut butter, or to taste (use 1 cup Adams Natural)

1 can coconut milk

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

lemon juice (use juice of 1 lemon)

Sauté onion, garlic, and cayenne in oil until translucent. Stir in curry powder

and curry paste and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and tomatoes in juice, bring

to a boil , the simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked chicken or tofu and sambal.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Whisk in peanut butter a little at a time until incorporated. Taste the soup. You

should taste peanut but it should not be overwhelming. Turn soup to low, add

the cilantro and check seasoning.

Taste and add lemon juice to brighten the taste.

The soup should be silky and smooth; not thick.

It should be spicy; but not too hot.

It should have a sharpness of tomato and lemon; but not be sour.

It should taste of peanuts; but not of peanut butter

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

This soup recipe is really simple. I have made it many times. You can adjust the proportions as you like. The trick I find is to add only a touch of nutmeg.


Ingredients

1.5 butternut squash or 2 small squashes
2 apples
2 tablespoons grated ginger
8-10 gloves garlic
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1-2 cups water
olive oil
brown sugar

Instructions

 1. Slice both squash in half, scoop out seeds and add olive oil. Bake at 375 until fork can pierce through (take about 1.5 hours). Let cool and scoop squash insides. Place in large bowl or pot.

2. Peel apples, about 1/2 piece ginger and garlic. Mix with olive oil and add to oven baking at 370 for about 25 minutes or until garlic and apples are soft. Once ginger has cooled grate 2 tablespoons garlic.

3. In batches add a mix of squash, apple, garlic, water, grated ginger, a bit of nutmeg and salt pepper to blender. After blending through once I sometimes stir in pot and then blend the whole thing again to ensure everything is mixed properly. Add extra water if soup is too thick.
4. Garnish with goat cheese and drizzled olive oil or balsamic vinegar!
5.  Enjoy!

Twilight Dark Chocolate Truffles

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com Canada. I half-ed the recipe because I wasn't sure how the would turn out. Even half the recipe made quite a few truffles. You can add any extra little add-ins for example mint extract or coffee grounds or roll them in sprinkles, melted white chocolate or cocoa powder.  They are dark and fudgy and quite easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 (1 ounce) squares baking chocolate
• 2 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine the heavy cream, butter, baking chocolate, chocolate chips, and espresso powder in a saucepan over medium heat; stirring constantly, cook until the chocolate has melted into a smooth and thick mixture. Remove from heat. Pour into a bowl and chill in refrigerator until the mixture hardens, about 1 hour
2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Scoop small balls of the chocolate mixture onto the waxed paper. Store in refrigerator until the balls harden completely. Store in a cool, dry place.