Smmmokin'

One of my sisters recently sent me a link for a Rachel Ray homemade mac and cheese recipe. Although there are countless recipes and variations on this traditional favorite, this particular recipe struck me because of its unique flavors and stove top cooking method. So last week I grabbed the special ingredients I would need - spiral pasta, smoked cheddar (found in the fancy cheese section, not with the regular block cheese), and chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. Friday night was testing time.

Smoky Chipotle and Cheddar Mac

Overall rating: 4/5

So, if you look at the recipe it actually calls for chorizo, but I wanted to make a meatless mac and cheese so I just left that part out. The only other change I made was substituting 2% milk for the whole milk, which I fear may have been my fatal mistake. The flavors of the dish were wonderful - the combination of the smoked cheddar, spicy tomatoes, and chilis in adobo sauce gave it a unique smoky and spicy flavor that tasted unlike anything I have had before. The problem was in the cheese sauce... not sure if the 2% milk just caused it to be too thin, or that the cheese didn't properly combine with the milk, but I didn't get that thick, creamy consistency that you would want. Next time I think I need to either reduce the amount of milk or stock or try the whole milk and see what kind of difference that makes. I've read some of the reviews and it sounds like some others had similar problems with a runny sauce. 

The best part of this recipe is that it made a LOT (I know it says 4-6 servings, but I'd definitely say it is on the 6 serving side), so we have been able to eat leftovers. My husband and I found that just melting a piece of American cheese in and adding a little salt really brought this dish together to make it creamy and cheesy. 

If you try this one, I'd be curious to hear how yours turns out.  Those who are a bit more sensitive to spicy foods should beware - you may want to try a milder flavor of diced tomatoes or only add one chili instead of two.

Bumper crop

If you search for zucchini recipes online, you'll be amazed how many show up. As everyone knows, zucchini plants just produce and produce like crazy and before you know it, you are eating some form of zucchini for every meal. Well, I figured I would share a few very different but good recipes I found for these bad boys.

Summer Squash (and Zucchini) Slaw

Besides halving the recipe, I followed it exactly and was very pleased with how it turned out. You definitely have to like dill (and even if you do like it, you could safely cut it down a bit) but I thought this was a great, healthy, fresh way to highlight the fresh veggies. Also great as a take-along dish to a summer cookout.

Zucchini Bread w/ Roasted Red Peppers & Feta

This is a really nice alternative to the traditional sweet zucchini bread, and is a great compliment for pastas or grilled chicken. Made with half whole wheat flour and just a 1/4 cup of olive oil, this bread actually is quite nutritious. It turns out beautiful, and has a nice salty, savory flavor. I found it was a bit dry, but we dipped it in olive oil w/ parmesan cheese for one meal (ya know, Biaggis style) and it was really yummy. 

Zucchini Pie

This sweet pie looks, smells, and tastes like an apple pie, but there are actually no apples in it. The "apples" are actually the peeled, sliced zucchini that you use. I used a graham cracker crust and a brown sugar/oatmeal crumble on top instead of the double pie crust to suit our preferences for this recipe. Overall, I thought it was tasty with a scoop of ice cream, but I don't think I will make it again. It was very sticky and sweet, and the texture was a bit strange. I went back and forth about how I felt about it, but in the end I didn't really want more than one piece. I think that if I am going to have "apple" pie, I'd rather just have the version with apples. Even so, if you have a bunch of zucchini and feel like trying something different... why not? 

So, if you end up with a garden full of zucchini or know someone who is trying to get rid of it, I hope you find these recipes helpful!