Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

A slightly healthier version of Macaroni and Cheese. All the ooey gooey cheesy goodness with some hidden vegetables and whole grain pasta.

Ingredients:
½ A head of cauliflower
8 oz. Cheddar cheese
4 oz. Parmesan cheese (or Italian cheese blend, I used Parmesan, Romano and Asiago)
~A small bunch of fresh Italian parsley (use 1 tablespoon dried if you have to)
~Sea salt
1 lb. tubular whole wheat or whole grain pasta (any shape works fine)
1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Servings: 4 smaller bowls, or two very big bowls

Instructions:
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard. Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk and cut the head into small florets. Halve the thick stalk lengthways, then slice thinly. Roast the cauliflower in the oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. (alternatively cook the cauliflower in with the pasta, this is how Jamie Oliver actually designed the recipe).

Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan into a large heatproof bowl. Finely chop the parsley stalks and leaves. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni (and all your cauliflower if cooking with the pasta) and cook according to the macaroni-package instructions.

Place the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the crème fraîche. Carefully stir every so often until the cheese is smooth and melted. If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly. Add all the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven gloves and put aside. Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan, pour in the melted cheese, and stir. It should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it’s too thick for you, add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.

[Notes: At this point you can either serve the macaroni as is, or finish it under the broiler to make it crispy and golden on top. To do this, preheat your broiler to a medium to high heat. Add ⅔ cup of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbling.]

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.culinate.com/books/collections/all_books/jamies_food_revolution/macaroni_and_cauliflower_cheese_bake

I had been self denying myself cheese for a little while as I was on a diet and I finally broke down when I saw this recipe, I needed some cheeseyness in my life. This turned out to be a fantastic little Macaroni and Cheese recipe with a few healthy hints added in.

Switching to whole wheat or whole grain pasta is a no brainer, really all of your past should be whole grain if you can find it. Lots of extra nutritional goodness and almost no cost in taste. In this case, your smothering it in cheese, you wont know.

Adding the cauliflower I thought was a bit of a risk, but it turned out great. I roasted the cauliflower as I like the extra flavor it gives the vegetable. A bit more earthy, and this went really well with the cheese. Jamie Oliver boils it in the original recipe, but I scratched that for the roasted, I don't know which is better.

I saw no need to bake mine after cooking, I couldn't wait any longer for the deliciousness! But I also don't see a need for the crispy top, by all means bake away if that is your thing though! In the end, you don't know that you used whole wheat and you don't notice the cauliflower as it seems just like more pasta. This is great way to hide some veggies in your dish and get all the extra healthiness from it.

Cold Vegetable Pizza

This is a quick and easy cold appetizer pizza, great for barbecues and a nice alternative to plain old crudités without much extra work.

Ingredients:
2 cans (8 oz each) 1/3 Fat Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 package (8 oz) 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (stuff in the jar works great)
1-2 cups small chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes etc)

Servings: 40 squares ~1.5"x1.5"

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 373 F. Roll each package of dough onto a greased cookie sheet or appropriately sized pan (two 6x10, or press the dough into a sheet pan etc). Press seams together so no cracks are showing. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic. Blend well. Spread onto cooled crescent roll base. Top with chopped vegetables, cut and serve.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: Pillsbury Dough Magic Cookbook

This recipe can be made ahead of time, but wait to assemble it until right before serving as the bread will get soggy if you make this the night before.

You can also use all full fat crescent rolls, cream cheese and sour cream but in this recipe you wont notice the added or missing calories and fat. Stick to the healthier options if you have them, but it will be just fine if you can't find them.

This is one of my most requested items to bring to pot lucks and cook outs! I feel a little guilty because it is so easy and requires no time at all. The most time consuming part is chopping the vegetables and that doesn't take much time either. Quick, easy and pretty tasty.

Nutterbutter Peanut Butter Cookies

Photo from Crepes of Wrath (I forgot to take a picture!)
Soft chewy peanut buttery goodness with bits of satisfying crunch from the Nutterbutters and peanut butter chips.

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter (I like crunchy, but creamy works, too)
1 cup honey
2 eggs, room temperature
1 12 oz. bag peanut butter chips
15-20 crushed Nutterbutter cookies (not too crushed – it’s fun to have some big chunks of Nutterbutter in there)

Servings: 25-30 cookies

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and set aside. Beat the shortening, peanut butter and honey together for 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix well. Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing until just moistened. You will be folding in your Nutterbutters and peanut butter chips later, so you can finish up any mixing at that point.

2. Fold in the Nutterbutter cookies and peanut butter chips. Roll the dough into balls and then pat down into disks and place on greased and/or lined baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes, until just barely golden (I like very soft, chewy peanut butter cookies). Remove from oven and let cool for a bit on your cookie sheets before removing and placing on another surface to finish cooling.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://crepesofwrath.net/2010/12/31/nutterbutter-peanut-butter-cookies/

If you want these cookies to be nice and soft, then really, remove them when they are just barely golden brown. They will seem soft, too soft. But let them cool for a bit on the cookie sheet, then carefully remove them and place them on a cooling rack. Once they are fully cooled, they will be just fine. If you prefer a harder cookie you can cook these guys a little more, but after having tried it both ways, the soft cookie is much better.

Also make sure you pat the cookies down a little bit, the original instructions left this out. I had rolled the cookies into a ball and tried to cook them that way, they will not flatten out and don't cook properly. Shape them close to what you want them, I went with big thick soft cookies!

White Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

A nice soft and chewy gingerbread bar with touches of white chocolate. A great alternative to brownies or gingerbread cookies for the holidays.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted (for drizzling)

Servings: One 13x9 pan or 2 8x8 pans or ~36 squares

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil (or two 8x8 pans), then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Add the flour in a medium bowl. Then add in the ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating just to combine after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and molasses (if it looks strange, it’s okay, don’t worry!). Add in the flour and spices mixture and gradually combine. Stir in white chocolate chips by hand.

4. Press the batter into your prepared pan. I used clean hands because the batter is pretty thick.

5. Place into oven and bake until bars are golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached, about 20-25 minutes. Remove and place pan on wire wrack to cool completely before cutting. When the bars are mostly cooled, melt the 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars either with a spoon or a plastic bag with the tip cut off.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://crepesofwrath.net/2010/01/04/white-chocolate-gingerbread-bars/

I thought these sounded different and tasty, so I whipped them up for a BBQ. I love almost anything with nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cinnamon so this was right up my ally, especially as it included white chocolate. This may have replaced gingerbread cookies in my house for the holidays. Moist and chewy with all the holiday flavor goodness.

They really couldn't be much easier, except for maybe the "drizzling" part. I couldn't get my white chocolate to melt properly and ended up "smearing" the white chocolate on top. Honestly next time I might just add all of the white chocolate into the mix and see how that comes out. Not as pretty that way, but efficient, or perhaps try a white chocolate glaze on top instead.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

This is a quick and easy Vanilla Bean Ice Cream that doesn't require any eggs. It goes together quick and packs a lot of flavor.

Ingredients:
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peach preserves (not jelly)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Servings: 1 Quart

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients (including the bean and its pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.

Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: If you do not have a thermometer, bring the mixture just barely to a simmer. As soon as you see a bubble hit the surface, remove it from the heat. Do not let it boil

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/serious-vanilla-ice-cream-recipe/index.html

I made this ice cream for Supper Club to go under my Hawaiian Pineapple and Ginger Dessert. When combined with the ginger and pineapple I thought this ice cream was perfect but when eaten by itself I found it to be a bit too sweet.

I think next time I make this ice cream I would try it with almost a 1/2 cup less sugar, however I am not sure if that would mess up the ratios as ice cream can be a delicate thing!.

And don't worry, the peach preserves don't add any "peach" to the ice cream. It somehow just helps blend the whole thing together.

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

A chewy peanut butter brownie-like bar studded with white chocolate and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. A great alternative for the non-chocolate lover in the group.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temperature
30 Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (about 1 bag), chopped
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Servings: 18 Big Squares

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease a 9×13 pan (or two 8x8 pans). In a medium bowl,beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then the peanut butter, vanilla, and almond extract, until thoroughly incorporated. Then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing thoroughly until combined. Add flour in in three steps making sure it is fully incorporated between each addition. Do not over mix dough, only mix until incorporated.

Fold in the chopped Reeses and the white chocolate chips. This dough is sort of thick, so I found it easiest to press it into my pan with clean hands. Bake for 20 minutes, then cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until set (the foil will ensure that the top doesn’t brown too quickly). Allow to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://crepesofwrath.net/2011/03/30/reeses-peanut-butter-cup-blondies/

This recipe originally called for a 1/2 tsp almond extract but I found that this added a slightly off flavor to the whole thing and detracted from the whole recipe. I removed it from the recipe here, but feel free to add this back in if you feel so inclined.

These blondies turn out to be like the peanut butter equivalents to brownies, with a nice fudgy texture.

Hawaiian Pineapple and Ginger Dessert

If you like ginger this dish will have you over the moon. The fresh ginger and pineapple has a strong flavor while the sugars to mellow it out and bring the whole dish together. Makes an excellent ice cream or cake topper.

Ingredients:
16 ounce fresh/frozen/canned pineapple chunks
1 cup chopped fresh ginger root, about 10-12 ounces
¼ cup sugar
4 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Servings:Makes about 1.5 cups of "topping"

Instructions:
Sautee the ginger in the oil for 5 minutes or so, until it starts to soften a little bit. Then add in the sugar, honey and pumpkin pie spice. Continue cooking 10-15 minutes or until ginger is done to your desired level of softness. The longer you cook the sugar combination the thicker the syrup will be also.

Once cooked, allow to cook for 5-10 minutes and then combine with the pineapple. Use it as an ice cream topper or cake topper.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle/food/2009-01-hawaiian-pineapple-and-ginger-dessert.html

I made this dish for Supper Club's Hawaiian Night. While not particularly Hawaiian unto itself, it does have some vary Hawaiian flavors. In any case it was a fantastic experiment that came out great. I served it over homemade vanilla bean ice cream and it was fantastic, but I could also see this on top of pound cake or angel food cake. The ice cream also helped take some of the bite from the ginger, so non-ginger lovers could just add a little more ice cream. A great alternative to Bananas Foster and it whips up in minutes.