Pumpkin? Not Over My Dead Grandma's Mac n' Cheese

Breaking Family Tradition for Pumpkin Mac'n Cheese

For those of you who haven't heard about my Grandma's Legendary Mac'n Cheese, allow me to tell you a lil story. (As for the rest of you, who have already heard it countless times, well what's another?)

Once upon a Christmas Brunch my father, in his infinite foodie wisdom, disgraced his own poor dead mother by casually informing my Aunt that my Grandma did not know how to properly cook Mac'n Cheese. My Aunt demanded, "Milk, Butter, Cheese, Pasta, Breadcrumbs... how is that not mac'n cheese?"

"Mom used the recipe from the Old version of the Joy of Cooking, which fails to use a béchamel. Real mac'n cheese calls for a béchamel," my dad defended.

"You think you're a better authority than the Joy of Cooking!" My Aunt replied incredulously.

The man had a point, but would I say that it warranted a scene at our annual Christmas Brunch? Well, no. Nevertheless, my brothers and I understood that when it came to my dad, there was only one real way to make mac'n cheese, with a béchamel. Every so often from that day forth, my brothers and I would be subjected to random questioning by my father on the differences on a rue and a béchamel.

So, you can imagine the courage it took for me to devise and hatch out this recipe. For mac'n cheese is sacred in my family. Some would say, more sacred than, oh you know, blood relatives. Thus you don't alter it; you certainly don't add pumpkin or coconut milk to it. Rather, you make it exactly how my father tells you. Period. With that said, I still highly recommend this recipe for this dish is much healthier than it's predecessor, and a great way to once again, incorporate pumpkin into your diet because it is fall after all.

Pumpkin S'mac
(enough to fill halfway to your container) pasta (i prefer shells or something curved and hollow)
1 cup milk/coconut milk
1tbs butter
tbs flour
1 cup un-spiced pumpkin puree (be careful with canned)
1 quarter wedge of brie
packet of grated parmesan cheese
breadcrumbs
garlic
nutmeg

Steps
Boil the pasta.
Make a rue: melt the butter on low heat, add the diced garlic, and add flour. It should turn into a paste.
Add milk to make the béchamel. Slowly stir with a whisk. Let it thicken. Keep on low heat.
Add the pumpkin puree and the cheese. Keep on low heat
Add the nutmeg.
Add the cooked, drained pasta to the cheese sauce.
Pour into the container and top with breadcrumbs.
Broil until you get a nice crust and serve.
It's effin good and somewhat healthy too!

Quinoa-unwrapped

Everyone keeps talking about how quinoa is amazing so I decided to try it out for myself. What I discovered is that quinoa, when cooked, looks like rolled up condoms. Anyone else? Just me?
Did it change my life? No, not exactly. But it was good, healthy, and easy. So, here is the recipe. If you're throwing a bachelorette party, might be a good dish to make. These are the vegetables I used but really, you can use whatever you want. Think of it as a more rubbery couscous.

Ingredients
1/2 medium carrot diced
1/2 medium apple (red sweet, green for color) diced
1/4 medium onion chopped
1/4 Bell Pepper chopped
1 clove garlic
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
(quinoa to water ratio 1:2)

Directions:
Using a tsb of olive oil or oil of your choice heat the pot on medium low and add the onions and garlic. Once soft, add the vegetables and then the quinoa. Add the water and a pinch of salt, cover and cook until tender.

The quinoa should be sweet and grainy. Best with something salty, like salmon in soy sauce. :)

Lentil Soup- Like Draino for your Bowels

I realize lentils are more of an autumn/winter dish, however, it's rainy and chilly here in Spain so I figured I'd show the lentils in my pantry some love. However, if I were to be really, brutally, honest, I'd admit that I made the lentil soup in order to help my troops move as they haven't been marching. For as many of you may already know, healthy bowels is essential to happiness. To quote my good friend Aaron, "People always over estimate the importance of sex and under estimate the power of a good shit!" So here's a recipe that is delicious, healthy, and FULL OF FIBER!

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils (soaked over night, change the water every few hours to DE-gas them)
1/2 an onion finely diced
2 large cloves of garlic (here in spain garlic cloves are called teeth)
1 tomato diced
1/4 Red Bell Pepper (I say red for color, use green if you use red lentils)
1/2 zucchini
1 carrot diced
3/4L chicken stock
1 medium potato diced
1 bay leaf
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika (sweet or spicy)
2 tsp salt/pepper
1tbs balsamic vinegar
sprig of rosemary and thyme (if you have it, if not, no worries)

Directions:
Saute onions and garlic in a tsb of olive oil.
Once they've sweated, add the lentils. Stir for a few seconds then add the chicken stock and a cup of water.
Throw in the bay leaf and spices (careful with the salt if using salted chicken stock). Let it all boil.
After a half hour, add the potatoes, carrots and bell peppers. (Add the harder vegetables which take longer to cook first)
Then fifteen minutes later add the zucchini and tomato.
Add the vinegar.
Let it cook for 15 more minutes. If the lentils are thoroughly cooked remove from the heat, let cool then serve!

Not a great date food but it does the trick if you need help with your bowels and clearly, IT'S DELICIOUS!

Couscous Summer Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup Couscous
1/2 cup Chicken stock
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Chickpeas
1 Carrots chopped
1/2 Onion (red preferably) chopped
1/2 Cucumber chopped
Roasted Red Peppers from jar or homemade
1 clove garlic
Handful of parsley and mint

Steps:

Cook couscous with fresh minced garlic in 1/2 chicken stock 1/2 water until fluffy.
Mix olive oil, lemon, and vinegar in a bowl. (2parts oil to one part vinegar and a squeeze of lemon)
Add to vinaigrette the chickpeas, chopped onions, cucumber, carrots and roasted red peppers
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and mint

Lent Friendly Recipes

The weather is improving which means, PICNICS!
Here are two SIMPLE salad recipes which are lent and picnic friendly.

Ginger Carrot Salad:
2 medium carrots
1 tps ginger
1 orange
nuts and raisins optional

Grate the carrots.
Grate the ginger into the carrots
Grate orange zest into the slaw.
Slice oranges
Squeeze a segement of orange into the slaw for dressing
Add along with nuts and raisins if so desired.


Potato Beet Salad:
Two precooked beets
1 large potato
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 clove garlic

Boil the potato until tender
Slice beets thinly and cut into half moons
While slightly warm, slice the potato thinly and into half moons
Add salt and pepper to taste
Add 1 clove of garlic minced
Add olive oil and vinegar.
Mix with your hands and taste.

I know you're probably thinking, wow, I could have thought of that. They sound really simple because in fact, they are! These recipes call for few ingredients which is good news for your wallet, plus they're utterly delicious. You don't need much to be healthy and moreover, they're lent friendly because I highly doubt anyone gave up carrots, ginger, potatoes, or beets for lent, and if you did, lame.

Potato Salad

Carrot Raisin Pineapple Salad