Triple-Cheese Spirals

Mac n Cheese is something I’ve always really wanted to make. Kraft is pretty good but there is something about powder cheese that seems strange. Five different mac n cheese recipes were featured in the April Food Network Magazine; it was calling my name. I chose the standard triple cheese recipe. It was very simple to make and by far one of the best mac n cheese dishes I’ve had.

The ingredients:
• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces gemelli, cavatappi or other spiral-shaped pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup shredded yellow sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chives and/or scallions

Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta (I used cavatappi) and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.


Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, mustard and cayenne and stir with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 1 minute.


Whisk in both milks and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and creamy, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the cheddar and jack cheeses and all but 2 tablespoons of the parmesan and whisk until melted; keep warm.


Combine the panko, herbs and/or scallions, 1 tablespoon butter and the remaining parmesan in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter melts, about 1 minute; toss.


Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup cooking water, and return to the pot. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir in the cheese sauce, adding the reserved cooking water if needed. Season with salt and top with the breadcrumb mixture.



If you are looking for something new to try, this mac n cheese recipe will make you never want to buy the stuff in the box again. The panko adds a little crunch and the herbs bring in some light and fresh flavors. It is cheesey and delicious!!

Low-Fat Raspberry-Corn Muffins

We hosted Easter this year, as usual, which was a brunch buffet type deal for my family and some relatives. Nothing huge. So in searching of a carb option and in light of eating healthier, (especially during a brunch buffet) I found this muffin recipe in my Food Network Magazine and was immediately interested. They actually turned out very good and only have 5g of fat. This is 12g less than the average corn muffin. And if you talk to my dad, cutting grams of fat is very important so I knew he would like these! (And he ate two.)

You will need:
• Cooking spray
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk
• ½ cup apricot nectar
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 cups frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 2 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners or 6-inch squares of parchment paper and mist with cooking spray. (Use parchment paper if you want a more domed muffin; the batter will cling to the paper as it rises.)

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, 3/4 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.


In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, apricot nectar, grapeseed oil, vanilla extract and orange zest until combined.


Note: Grapeseed Oil is neutral-flavored, vitamin E-rich oil used in place of butter. It is a lot healthier than olive oil and has a very high boiling point making it good for sautéing.


Beat the egg whites and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes.

Whisk the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just moistened.


Gently fold in the egg-white mixture until almost combined, then fold in the raspberries; do not over mix.





Divide the batter among the prepared cups (an ice cream scoop works well). Bake until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a rack.


The recipe states it makes only 12 muffins but that is completely incorrect. I filled 24 cups and still had leftover batter. If you only want 12, I suggest cutting the recipe in half. Otherwise if you make the whole batch you could try pouring half the batter in a 9x9 square or perhaps a bread pan on top of the 12 muffins.


If you are looking for a healthier alternative for breakfast, these muffins are a good choice. Especially warmed up with a tiny bit of butter, the healthy kind of course!

Salad Pizza

This pizza was very good. It was a lighter, refreshing pizza. Not heavy like others, if you can believe that! When I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine I was intrigued because normally one doesn't think to put leafy greens on a pizza, so I had to try it. It was a success and I will experiment more with leafy greens in the future.

For this pizza, you will need:
• Pizza Dough, about 1 Pound
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Thyme
• Oregano
• ¾ - 1 Cup Feta
• 6-8 Ounces Ricotta
• 4-6 Ounces Bocconcini
• 1-2 Cups Arugula
• 2 Tomatoes
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly coat the pizza pan with cornmeal to prevent the dough from cooking to the pan. Press the dough into the pan until about 10-12 inches in diameter.

Top pizza dough with the olive oil, salt, thyme, oregano and the feta.


Bake until crisp and remove from the oven, about 7-9 minutes.


Spread with ricotta and top with slices of bocconcini, olive oil and salt. Bake until the cheese melts, about another 5-8 minutes. You’ll have to watch it.


Bocconcini is a fresh mozzarella that is packaged like this:


Meanwhile, toss arugula and sprinkle tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper.


Pile on top of pizza after baking. I stuck it into the oven again for another 2-3 minutes to warm the tomatoes, but that is simply what I prefer- it’s not necessary.


If you are looking for an alternative to the usual pepperoni or sausage pizzas, I encourage you to try this one. It is very easy to make and I am sure you will love it!

Note: The measurements and cooking times will vary depending on how big you decide to make your pizza.