MACS & CHEESE SOUP (Comfort Food at it's Best)

Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-magazine/
My husband found this recipe when he was looking through some of my magazines and placed it in my hand and said, "we have to have this and sooner would be better than later." So I obliged him and put my own spin on it as I am bad to do and it is now ranked amongst our 'very favorite things'. It is not low calorie, though it is lower calorie than the classic baked macs & cheese, and it is most definitely not low carb either. But when you cook for a tall, thin man, whom I have been cooking for over 35 years, and have not put even 1 ounce of fat on him, you come to the reality that it is not going to happen, so when he asks for something special I don't mind to deliver. And deliver I did! It is delicious and I guarantee it to warm not only your belly but your soul.

1 cup elbow macaroni
2 Roma tomatoes, skin-on, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 (1/2-inch thick) slices baguette
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sweet onion, diced fine
1 good sized carrot, diced fine
1 to 2 stalks celery, diced fine
1/4 cup plain flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place oven rack in the upper third.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add macaroni and cook just until al dente (firm to the bite).
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place tomato and baguette slices on it. Season with sea salt and pepper. Bake until bread is golden, turning once, this step will not take long.
Melt butter in large pot, add onion, carrot and celery, saute for 3 or 4 minutes until nicely softened. Add flour, cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the broth and allow to come to a boil, stir until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes, remove from heat. Add milk, cheeses and macaroni, stirring until cheeses are melted. Season again to taste.
Top each individual serving with baguette slices topped with tomatoes.
Serves 4

"But I love fish, cheese and meat, and I eat everything, but only in small quantities if it's rich."~Eva Herzigova

WHOLE WHEAT BANANA NUT BREAD

Here is a healthier version of the typical white flour, loaded with sugar and oil, banana bread. The best thing about it...you are not going to miss the old version...not one little bit!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
cooking spray
light whipped cream cheese

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
Stir together bananas and next 4 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently fold in walnuts.
Pour batter into a 9X5-inch loaf pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely.
If you wish, serve with light whipped cream cheese spread.
Yield: 10 servings

"I never met a banana nut bread that I did not like."~Adele Forbes

PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES

This yummy recipe ended up as dinner last night and it was divine! Add a side of mashed potatoes and a crusty baguette.

2 1-inch thick bone-in pork loin chops
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
olive oil & butter
1 Gala apple, sliced

Place saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook pork chops about 5 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from pan and add add apple slices, adding a little more butter to the pan if needed. Cook one side until golden and then turn and cook the other side. Serve next to the pork chops with mashed potatoes and a crusty bread.

“There is poetry in a pork chop to a hungry man.”~Philip Gibbs (NY Times 1951)

POSITIVELY THE BEST PUMPKIN MUFFINS

My husband and I both decided that these were the best pumpkin muffins yet that we have had the pleasure of eating. I pulled two of them apart and placed a pat of real butter in between them while they were still hot out of the oven...they did not last long. The scents and flavors of the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg made their presence known with every bite.

1 (16oz.) can pure pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup golden raisins
paper baking muffin cups

Place pumpkin through cloves in mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes until well blended. Stir in nuts and raisins.  Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins using a 1/4 cup measure. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and cool on clean dishtowels.

"A book reads the better which is our own, and has been so long known to us, that we know the topography of its blots, and dog's ears, and can trace the dirt in it to having read it at tea with buttered muffins."~Charles Lamb, Last Essays of Elia, 1833

THE FLAVORS OF SPRING

Spring is a time of renewal, not only for our sight and senses, but for our palates. With memories of winter fading, we can turn our thoughts to the wonderful array of springtime produce. Firm asparagus and sweet green peas are at their peak. Celebrate the awakening of the warming soil with these time tested recipes.

ASPARAGUS

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Excellent source of Vitamin A, C, and folate.

LOOK FOR: Firm smooth stalks and thin or fat shoots with tight buds at the top.

STORAGE: Cut the ends of the stems and place in water as you would flowers. Store in refrigerator for just a few days.

USES: Roasted, steamed. Drizzle with olive or nut oils.

LAYERED ASPARAGUS GRATIN

2 lb. trimmed asparagus
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish that is just big enough to hold the asparagus. Divide asparagus into three bunches. Layer one bunch at a time with the tips all pointed in the same direction. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Repeat layers, finishing with the cheese. Dot the top with the butter and place in oven. Bake about 20 minutes or until asparagus is cooked through and the cheese is golden in color.
Serves 4 to 6

SPRING GREEN PEAS

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Excellent source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamin A, fiber and folate.

LOOK FOR: Bright green pods filled but not bulging. If to large they are old and starchy.

STORAGE: Keep in refrigerator. Use within 2 days.
 
BEST USES: Peas like keeping company with carrots, mushrooms and pearl onions. For a lively zip add fresh dill or mint.
 
SPRING PEA RISOTTO

Plump, freshly shelled green peas in my humble opinion, are a must have in your
kitchen after a long drab winter.
I learned the fine art of cooking risotto many moons ago from a wonderful lady in her home in Grandfather Golf & Country Club. Though I was intimidated by it at first, it did not take me long to get past that initial bout of nerves. Now I absolutely love making risotto and you need not be intimidated by it either. It just takes some time, but trust me when I say that the finished product is well worth it.

1 lb. unshelled English peas (which should yield at least 1 cup shelled)
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup Arborio rice (best rice to use for risotto)
1/2 cup dry white wine
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh mint (optional)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of peas and cook for 2 minutes, just until they turn bright green. Plunge into ice water to cool, drain well.
Bring chicken broth to a boil in the same pan you cooked the peas in.
Heat the olive oil in your largest heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent but do not allow it to brown. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it has turned nearly white. Add the wine, stirring until the wine evaporates. Now add the broth, 1 soup ladle at a time, allowing for almost all of the broth to be absorbed before adding the next ladle full. Continue adding and stirring, you may stop stirring long enough to pour yourself a glass of the wine, until all of the broth has been used. This is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes. It will have a creamy appearance.
Add remaining ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover for a few minutes, allowing for it to steam, then serve immediately. Never allow your risotto to loaf. Pass a bowl of extra grated Parmesan cheese. Serve remaining wine with the meal.
Serves 4 to 6

"I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose, I would always greet it in a garden."~Ruth Stout

BBQ RIBS BEACH-STYLE (Slow-Cooker)

On our last trip to the coast of North Carolina we developed a huge craving for BBQ Ribs. I had some honey barbecue sauce and discovered a can of pineapple rings, and added to this mixture a sweet onion and green bell pepper.  So I made layers of all of these ingredients in the slow cooker with generous sprinklings of sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and the rest as THEY say is history. The end result turned out to be some of the best ribs we had ever had the pleasure of passing over our tongues to out bellies. That being said....be sure and try it...it is simple and soul satisfying. Cook it on the LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours. You'll be glad you did!

"The story of barbecue is the story of America: Settlers arrive on great unspoiled continent, discover wondrous riches, set them on fire and eat them."~Anon

"I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, and all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, and the wheel's kick, and the winds song and the white sails skating, and a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking."~John Masefield

ALL WEEK LONG BISCUITS

I have to confess that I have never been much of a scratch roll or biscuit maker. I tend to want to knead the dough to death and this is a no-no in the world of bread baking. Then I ran up on this recipe in an old church cookbook and thought, what the heck, I'll give it a try. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week and all you have to do is take out however much you need at a time and roll it out, cut it out, and then slip them in the oven. No waiting to rise, no kneading. Works like a charm every time and the man of the house is happy.

6 cups self-rising flour
1 cup Crisco shortening
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups buttermilk
5 tablespoons warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Cut shortening in to flour and sugar. Add buttermilk and yeast mixture. Mix well and store in covered bowl. Roll out on floured board. Cut and bake at 450 degrees until brown. Keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

“Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits.”~Carl Sandburg