Cauliflower Mac N Cheese

This mac n cheese is made with a basic milk, flour and cheese bechamel. It delivers a creamier and more consistent texture, and allows your cauliflower to mesh into the pasta better. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 3 cups blanched diced Cauliflower (1 head)
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Yellow Onion-diced
• ½ cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted Butter, room temperature, divided
• 5 tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups whole Milk
• Salt & pepper
• ½ teaspoon Paprika
• ¼ cup Parmesan
• 1 cup Grated Asiago cheese
• 1 & ½ cups grated white/yellow cheese blend
• 1 cup (packed) coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella
• 8 ounces spiral Pasta

Béchamel:

• Mince garlic, and yellow onion, sautéing over medium heat with butter. Add flour, making a roux. Add milk, & mix consistently, until all lumps are gone, and roux is silky and smooth. Continue to cook over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken. Turn off heat & add Asiago, Mozzarella, & ½ cup cheese blend. Season to taste with salt, paprika and pepper.

Directions:

• Heat a large pot of water, and a pinch of salt until it reaches a rolling boil. Wash and chop cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Blanch for 2-3 minutes, then immediately remove, and place into cold water and a strainer. Drain and set aside.  

• Cook pasta according to directions on box, drain, rinse & set aside.
• Toast panko in skillet over medium-high heat until golden, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool to lukewarm. Rub 1 tablespoon butter into crumbs to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter large baking dish, then spoon pasta into dish. Stir sauce, remaining cheese & cauliflower into pasta. Sprinkle with crumb topping, and more grated cheese.
• Bake pasta until topping is crisp and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes. Serve.

Chicken Pot Pie with Puffed Pastry

This recipe makes the most scrumptious chicken pot pie filling. I used to make my own crust to pair with the recipe, but I find that frozen puffed pastry dough is the best, and I only add it to the top of the pie to cut a few calories.

I place the filling into individual oven safe bowls, or ramekins. It gives each person the perfect amount for a nice sized serving. I make a few extra which store well covered in the fridge for a few days. They can easily be reheated in the toaster oven. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie with Puffed Pastry

Ingredients

•           3 whole Chicken breasts chopped into bite sized cubes

•           3-4 tablespoons Olive oil

•           Freshly ground black pepper

•           3 1/2 cups Chicken stock

•           Sea salt

•           2 chicken bouillon cubes

•           1 tablespoon unsalted Butter

•           1 cup yellow Onion, diced

•           3/4 cup all-purpose Flour

•           1/4 cup heavy Cream

•           2 cups Peas/carrot frozen mixture

•           1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves chopped

•           2 cups Celery chopped

•           2 Bay leaves

•           2 small cloves of fresh Garlic-minced

•           2-3 sprigs fresh Oregano

•           2 teaspoons Poultry seasoning

•           2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

•           1 large Potato-peeled & diced

•           ½ cup white

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, sauté onions, garlic, parsley & bay leaves in olive oil & 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, until golden brown. Add chicken, which have been cut into small bite sized cubes. Cook, stirring frequently until done. 

Add celery, potato, & herbs de

Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the white wine or sherry. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Mix well.

Add to individual single serving ramekins that are oven safe. Top with frozen puffed pastry in small 3x5 squares. Brush with egg wash & bake.

Chocolate Mounds Pie

My hubby & I both LOVE Mounds candy. This has all the same ingredients, but isn't made with Mounds. It IS delicious! And for all you out there with Gluten allergies, it's gluten free. Yeahhhhhh!

Chocolate Mounds Pie

Ingredients for the crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

¼ cup Coconut flour

¼ cup Almonds (raw & unsalted)

Ingredients for the filling:

2 cups heavy cream

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent cacao), finely chopped

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, process butter, almonds, & coconut flour untill it forms a crust-like mixture. Place into a large mixing bowl, & add in coconut. Mix until a crust forms. In a glass pie pan, use 2/3 of the mixture to press into the bottom and sides of pan as a crust. Sprinkle remaining coconut mixture around the edges forming a high crust edge. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove & cool.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate in a medium heat proof  bowl. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes, & then stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is combined. Add vanilla. Pour into coconut crust. Refrigerate until filling is set, (about 3 hours).

Strawberry-Cheesecake Ice Cream

2 cups whole Cream

1 cup milk

1 & 1/2 cups Sugar

1 & ½ pounds fresh Strawberries-Diced

1 cup water

1 cup Cream cheese

3 tablespoons pure Vanilla

Directions:
Mix cream, cream cheese, vanilla and milk together, whisk and chill overnight. On stovetop place sugar, 1 cup water and strawberries in a pot. Bring to a boil, and simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Remove & store overnight in a plastic container in the fridge.  

The next day, strain the strawberries from the juice, and add the juice to the milk/cream base, stirring well. Process in ice cream maker ½ at a time, according to ice cream maker directions. In the last five minutes, add half of the fruit to the ice cream slowly so that it is incorporated into the entire batch. Repeat with the remaining half of the ice cream base and fruit. **Makes about 3 quarts of ice cream.

**I typically make the ice cream base the day before, chill overnight, and freeze the ice cream ring in the freezer overnight, so they are ready to go the next day.

Roasted Tomato-Sherry Soup

Sherry Roasted Tomato Soup

6 Tablespoons Melted Butter

1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

1 -14 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes-roughly chopped

1 cup water

6 cups Roasted Tomatoes-peeled & blended

3 Tablespoons Chicken Base

3 Tablespoons Sugar

A few pinches of Sea Salt

Black Pepper To Taste

1 cup Cooking Sherry

1-½ cup Heavy Cream

Chopped Fresh Parsley

Chopped Fresh Basil

Saute onions, herbs, and butter over medium heat until golden brown. Add tomatoes, sugar and seasoning.

Bring ingredients to a boil, then turn off heat & add the remaining Sherry and heavy cream. Stir well, bring to simmer & serve immediately. Optional: fresh chopped basil and flat leaf parsley….