Creamy Pasta Salad

 

Having leftover smart veggie elbow macaroni, a Catelli brand pasta made with carrot and cauliflower flours with twice the fibre as regular pasta, had me wanting to make pasta salad... you know the creamy comfort kind and although mine isn't excessively rich or creamy because I made it with less mayo and more organic Greek yoghurt, it still has that cool creaminess that comes with many sides over late summer. I added chopped celery, diced mixed peppers from our pepper pot and slices of green onion. Oil and vinegar may be used to replace the mayo and yoghurt, just adjust the measurements to 1/4 cup vinegar and about 1/2 cup olive oil and omit the 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar.   

Macaroni Salad Dressing

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1/4 cup mayo

3/4 cup plain Organic Greek yoghurt

2 teaspoons grainy mustard

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or any vinegar you prefer

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 - 2 teaspoons vegetable and herb medley seasoning mix or whatever fresh or dried mixed herbs you like

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Add ins:

2 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup mixed peppers, diced

2 celery stalks, cut in half and chopped

3 - 4 cups cooked leftover Catelli Smart Veggie elbow macaroni

In a medium bowl combine all the salad dressing ingredients and whisk together until well combine and smooth.

Prep and chop the vegetables if you haven't done so already.

In a large bowl add the leftover cold macaroni and pour the dressing over and toss together until well coated. Add the chopped vegetables and toss again.

Food Photo of the Day ~ Macaroni and Cheese

 

Spring and Summer are upon us and before we crack on to the lighter meals; comfort food knows no season and still owns a place on our table. It's the reassuring and familiar that make us want to tuck into such a dish as macaroni and cheese over and over again. Additions such as vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and spinach balance and glorify this classic stodgy meal however sometimes you just want or need the unadulterated cheesy original. 

With the swirl of snow flurries and brisk winds of yesterday gone; we are looking forward to the warmish weekend. Have a nice weekend and stay safe. - JD   

Leftovers #45 ~ Chilli Mac

As always with leftover chilli one may feel the need to add an extra can of beans, serve it with rice or quinoa to stretch it a bit further however this time I added cooked pasta. Elbow macaroni would be ideal but any shaped pasta with do. Just cook the pasta according to package directions; then add the pasta to the heated leftover chili. Gently stir to heat together. Serve in bowls with shredded cheese and sour cream on top. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD     

Food Photo of the Day ~ Three Cheese Macaroni

When you are not quite ready to give up comfort food right yet; this gooey three cheese macaroni and cheese will pleasantly appease the last of those stodgy cravings. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Jalapeño cheeses are blended with elbow macaroni topped with a crispy parmesan panko crust.   

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Warm temperatures are here again!  - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Macaroni and Cheese

Even in Spring and Summer one can summon comfort food. This macaroni and cheese was the creamiest... and cheesiest because I always add more cheese than is stated in the recipe. Slightly seasoned and a touch of turmeric add flavour to this classic dish. Topped with spring onions and fresh mini tomatoes and a dash of cayenne pepper for heat. Macaroni and cheese does lend itself to many culinary interpretations. It is just a matter of being inspired.     

Plenty of sunshine today. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Leftovers #17 ~ Taco Macaroni and Cheese

Deciding what to do with leftover taco filling became this simple dish. Classic macaroni and cheese with a spicy twist. Simple and fun to make with kids. Very reminiscent of Hamburger Helper. 

Taco Macaroni and Cheese

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3 cups/750ml elbow macaroni

1/4 cup/50ml butter or margarine

1/4 cup/50ml all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard

3 cups/750ml warm milk

pinch of salt

3 cups/750ml shredded old cheddar cheese

leftover taco seasoned mince (about 1cup to 1 cup and half), warmed

Cook macaroni as directed on the package. Once drained add the leftover taco meat to the macaroni. Toss to coat. Set aside. 

In a large sauce pot melt butter over medium heat. Add the flour and powdered mustard. cook and stir for about 3-4 minutes. 

Gradually whisk in the milk; cook, stirring constantly until thickened.

Season with salt.

Remove from heat; stir in the cheese until melted.

Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni mixture and toss to coat.

Serve.

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD  

Tomato and Cheese Macaroni Bake

My mum used to make this dish for us very often. As simple as this is, this was one of my favourite meals. Simple equals comfort. For all my North American followers you might remember a product called Hamburger Helper. That alone conjures up all sorts of images... the talking and ever so helpful kitchen glove... the spoon twirling around the skillet... the enduring family sitting at kitchen table and all served up with a catchy tune. Graze the grocery aisles and you will see that Hamburger Helper is still being sold today. Pick up a box and read the nutritional label and feel how fast your jaw will drop open. Worse than a carnival ride. The salt content is astounding! The only thing you are getting is shear convenience. And that is more than enough to place it back on the store shelf and walk away. 

I guess one could say that this was my mums answer to Hamburger Helper or a no fuss lasagne. This recipe is easy, fast and has low to no salt! All you need are the following: 

2 cans of 796ml of low or no salt diced tomatoes

1 package of ground turkey **or ground beef or ground chicken or veggie soy ground

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

pepper

a pinch of salt 

whatever fresh herbs you want to add

and approximately 2-3 cups of elbow macaroni 

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese  

*when cooking pasta I tend to eyeball it or cook what feels right. This may not be your method and possibly for good reason. I do tend to cook more pasta then needed. However any leftovers never go unused in our house. The suggested 2-3 cups of macaroni are uncooked. 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Sauté the onion and garlic with a bit of olive oil in a larger pan. Then add the ground turkey. Sauté together until the meat is cooked. You may add the herbs at this time. When the meat is cooked add the tomatoes. Stir and heat through. 

Meanwhile in a large saucepan, boil water. Add the macaroni to the boiling water and follow the cooking directions on the package. Stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta does not stick together. You want to cook the pasta until almost done. You don't want to over cook the pasta because there will be liquid from the diced tomatoes which will get soaked up by the pasta. When the pasta is cooked. Drain the water slowly and add the pasta to the tomato and meat mixture. Stir to coat. 

Pour the now macaroni mixture into a large casserole baking dish. Cover with grated cheese of you choice. I used a mixture of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan. Bake in a preheated 350ºF oven until cheese has melted. Serve immediately. 

Note: When I made this dish I made it in advance to save time. I stored it in the refrigerator until dinner time. It kept well. Therefore I had to warm it up a bit first before topping it with the cheese.

Enjoy your weekend everyone! - JW    

Soup is on!

Yesterday I made soup from left over pork tenderloin stock. While the stock simmered on the stove I chopped my veggies. When done I added the veggies and macaroni, I used elbow macaroni, to the stock and let everything simmer together. After about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender I removed from heat. Added two dashes of hot sauce and four quick dashes of paprika. stirred and served with two slices of french baguette and grated parmesan cheese on top. Very hearty!

The reason why I added hot sauce and paprika was because the pork tenderloin was cooked with cumin and brown sugar. The stock was sweet in taste so I wanted to cut the sweetness down. The soup was savory, sweet and just a hint of spice. I also felt that the soup could have used a root vegetable like turnip. Turnip would have worked well with the over all flavour of the soup. - jw

comfort food

Last night I made macaroni and cheese to much of my six year olds dismay. The past two days have been cold and I have been craving some solid comfort food. Macaroni and cheese was it! Of coarse the recipe was simple... it's macaroni and cheese. When it says 2 cups of cheese I take that as an invitation to add more cheese. I served this dish with a mixed green salad. Simple delicious comfort food.

bubbly and very cheesy... 2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard... I used prepared Dijon mustard instead. 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 cups of milk... I used Skim milk. 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package. While the macaroni is cooking... Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. This is where I used a whisk instead of a wooden spoon. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. boil and stir for 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake uncovered 20 - 25 minutes or until bubbly.

© photos by Jacqueline Williams