The Best Macaroni and Cheese

One of our families favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. Yes, it is high in calories, but it is also easy, fast, and absolutely delicious. Macaroni and cheese, made from scratch, puts the packaged mixes to shame, especially if you are an adult. This recipe can be made in advance and reheated in the microwave, which is great for planning ahead. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon finely diced onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash cayenne pepper, about 1/16 teaspoon

a few grinds of black pepper

2 cups 1% milk

6 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups moderately packed in measuring cup)

1. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Do not overcook; drain and set aside.

2. Have onion diced and cheese grated, ready for use.

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, add onion and saute' until transparent.

4. Add flour to butter and cook and stir over low heat for one minute. Add salt, cayenne and black pepper.

5. Add milk and whisk until smooth. Turn heat up to medium and cook and stir until mixture is thickened and comes to a boil. Turn heat down to low; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.

6. Add all but 1/2 cup of the cheese to the white sauce; stir until the cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

7. Add macaroni to the cheese sauce and stir to combine; pour into a 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

8. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or cook in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until casserole is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Yield: 5 cups, serves 4 to 6
428 calories per cup using 6 oz. cheese
2 gms. fiber
476 calories per cup using 8 oz. cheese

Note:  For richer cheese sauce, use 8 oz. grated cheese.
This recipe was adapted from "The New McCall's Cookbook".

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Another black bean soup recipe? Yes, this is the third recipe that I make regularly, and I want to share with you because it is so easy. It doesn't have to be made with vegetable broth, of course. I use chicken broth because we like the flavor much better, and we are not vegetarians. The biscuits that we ate alongside the soup are full of cheese and mild green chilies making them a perfect accompaniment for this meal. I will post the recipe for the biscuits tomorrow. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) vegetable or chicken broth, divided
2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced peeled potato
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce (I use 1/4 tsp. keeping the soup mild in flavor)
2 green onions, sliced

1. In a saucepan, bring the onion, garlic and 1/4 cup broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender.
2. Stir in the beans, potato, thyme, cumin and remaining broth; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors. Test potatoes with a fork to make sure they are tender.
3. Stir in tomatoes and hot pepper sauce; heat through. Sprinkle with green onions.

Yield: 5-3/4 cups
164 calories per cup
7 gms. fiber

This is another favorite recipe from a "Taste of Home" cookbook.

Black Bean Soup (2)

Black bean soup is a favorite of ours. The simple Mexican flare and warm spices make it a wonderful comfort food, especially on the cool days of fall. We enjoy flour tortillas alongside, with maybe a bit of sour cream stirred into each serving of the soup. This recipe makes less soup than the recipe posted on 5/16/2012 and is a little different in the preparation technique. Both soups are mildly spiced, which helps when serving the children at your table. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 tsp. ground cumin

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes or until tender.
2. In a blender or food processor, place 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 can beans; cover and process until smooth. Add to onion mixture.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes to blend flavors. Simple and delicious!

Yield: about 6 cups
190 calories per cup
11 grams fiber per cup

This recipe is another favorite from a "Taste of Home" cookbook.

Chili Egg Puff - Brunch Anyone?

The winter cold causes most of us to slow down a bit on the weekends and may give us a bit more time to prepare and enjoy a brunch dish. This easy meatless recipe can be made the night before and baked when needed the next morning. The combination of cheese and chilies gives the dish a subtle Mexican flair. While the dish bakes, prepare some fruit and maybe fry up some bacon or heat some ham to go along side. A wonderful brunch like this will not only fuel the body, but will draw the family together for some great time of sharing after a busy week. Blessings...

Recipe:

10 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 pint creamed cottage cheese

1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/2 cup melted butter

1-2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies (I use 1 can)

1. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

2. Beat eggs until light and lemony. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cheeses, and butter. Blend until smooth. Stir in chilies.

3. Pour into prepared pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until lightly browned on top and set. A bread knife inserted in the middle of the dish will come out clean, like if you were testing a pumpkin pie.

Yield: 12 servings

Mexican Black Bean Soup

This is such a good soup, and being meatless helps on the budget. I love all the cumin and ground coriander in it, but for our taste I cut way back on the hot sauce. If you like hot flavors, adjust the hot sauce by 1/8 tsp. measurements until the strength is where you and your family can enjoy it.

I made this meal for us and our neighbors yesterday, (she had surgery recently), and along with the soup and bread, we had fresh strawberries with cream cheese dip for dessert. If you would like to try the dip for your family, check the "labels" under cream cheese or dip. The dip and strawberries were a wonderful finish to the flavorful soup and bread. Blessings...

 Recipe:  

3 cans (15 ozs. each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
1-3/4 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 cups chopped sweet red pepper, 1 large pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ozs. each) chicken broth, divided
1 can (14-1/2 ozs.) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained
3 tsps. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsps. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. Louisiana-style hot sauce
black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. fresh lime juice

1. Mash one can of the beans with a potato masher, set aside.
2. In a large covered soup kettle, cook celery, onion, red pepper and garlic in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth over low heat until tender.
3. Stir in the remaining broth, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, hot sauce, black pepper, bay leaf, whole and mashed beans.
4. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in lime juice. Garnish with sour cream or cheese, if desired.

Yield: 9-1/2 cups
Note: I'll share the recipe for the bread in my next post.

Pinto Bean Soup

In these challenging economic days soup meals can be a terrific help to the budget, and soup is enjoyed by almost everyone. In fact, I can't honestly remember anyone ever saying, "no, thank you" to a dinner invitation because soup was being served. I usually serve salad, bread and dessert when I'm serving guests, but for just my family, I will serve salad or bread, not both, but always dessert, even if it is only fruit. Flour tortillas or French bread go great with this recipe.

It is so important to remember to connect with friends and family during challenging times, even times of unemployment, because we draw strength from others and we can be an encouragement to someone who may be hurting. I remember many meals shared with others during the days my husband and I were going through difficult financial times due to unemployment. And we ate this soup often, in fact, once when we had guests share this soup with us, my friend asked for the recipe for her recipe file. Won't you share a bowl of warm soup and a kind word with someone today? You will be rewarded for your kindness...

Recipe:
1 cup dry pinto beans
8 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 cup chopped onion
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
grated medium cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

About 5 hours before serving:
1. Rinse beans. In a soup kettle over high heat, heat beans, water, salt and pepper to boiling; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
2. Stir in oregano, onions and tomato paste; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender, stirring often so beans don't stick.
3. Remove kettle from heat, uncover, and let soup cool for 1-2 hours.
4. Using a blender or food processor, puree soup in small batches and return mixture to a soup pot. Reheat and serve with grated cheddar cheese and broken tortilla chips sprinkled on top, if desired. Yummy!

Serves 5 or 6
108 calories per cup without cheese

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

A week ago or so, a friend and I were talking about ham bones, pork hocks and lentil soup recipes. She didn't know where to find some of these ingredients in the market, and since that day I have talked with others who also didn't know about these kinds of ingredients, their uses, and locations in a market. It seems that with our economy in shambles more and more women are looking for ways to cut costs in the kitchen, but aren't real sure about some of the ways to accomplish this goal. Since my husband and I experienced our first unemployment over 30 years ago, I learned early how to cook on a very lean budget, and I have been doing so ever since.

This soup is one of many recipes I have that uses lentils and is one of my husbands favorites. I will share other recipes over the next few weeks so that there will be a variety available to you. Also, ham hocks, salt pork, and ham bones are generally available in the meat section of the market near the hams, rather than the fresh pork. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chopped onion
1-1/4 cups diced green or red pepper
1 cup sliced celery
1 lb. lentils, rinsed
1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups peeled sliced carrots
1 tablespoon salt
2 tsp. Bouquet Garni
8 cups water
2-4 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup kettle over low heat. Add onion and green pepper and saute' until soft. Watch carefully so the onion does not burn.
2. Add lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, salt, Bouquet Garni, and water.
3. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Stir soup on occasion so it does not stick.
4. Check soup for doneness by tasting some lentils for softness, and pierce a piece of celery and a carrot with a fork to make sure they are very tender. Also, the soup will get very thick as the lentils cook and soften, so you might want to add a little more water as it cooks. Continue cooking the soup until these ingredients are very tender, up to another hour depending on your stove.

Yield:  3 quarts
156 calories per cup
13 gms. fiber per cup

Tip: I have found that if you do not add the green pepper the taste is not hampered.
Also, lentils can be found with the dried beans

Mama's Quiche

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you did as well. Our son, Troy, his wife, Kim, and their baby, Peyton, came to visit for the week. It was so wonderful to have this time to get to know the newest member of our family better. Peyton is our fourth granddaughter, and what a blessing she is.

On Friday morning I needed something for breakfast and remembered this quiche recipe. I didn't have all the ingredients so I needed to improvise with what I did have. The quiche turned out very good and was very easy to put together. It helped that I had left-over pie crust in the freezer to use. This recipe is an adaptation of "Mama's Quiche" from my San Francisco a' la Carte cookbook. A terrific cookbook. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg

4 teaspoons all-purpose white flour

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup fat-free 1/2 and 1/2

10 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded

1 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers ( I used mild)

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

1 prebaked 9" pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg with a wire whisk, blend in the flour, and then blend in mayonnaise. Add the 1/2 and 1/2 and blend well. Fold in the cheese, chilies, and onion. Spread the mixture evenly into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Note: I have not tried this recipe with "lite" mayonnaise, so I do not know if it would work.