simple

Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

By in GF Mains, Main Dish, Meatless, Pasta, Sides 7 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

mac n cheese

I’ve tried many mac ‘n cheese recipes in my time. Back in the day we used to live off the boxed stuff but I stopped buying them long ago. Which meant that we stopped having mac and cheese all together because none of them ever held up to our expectations. They never seemed as creamy or as flavourful as the stuff from the store.

I’m happy to say I’ve finally found our perfect recipe (obviously because I’m sharing it!). It’s super creamy, cheesy and flavourful, and as a bonus it’s very easy to throw together. It would make a great side for any ham you have leftover from Easter. Or, make it a one dish by throwing in some diced ham and veggies. We also love it alongside barbecued chicken drumsticks (or really any barbecued meat) with a hefty serving of veggies alongside. Barbecue season is coming up quick and I think this is a great side to have in your back pocket. It’s a definite crowd pleaser.

One time I accidentally browned the butter for the roux and it added an extra depth of flavour that we loved. Now I brown the butter purposely to add that extra nutty and rich flavour, but it’s definitely not a necessity if you prefer to skip that step.

Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese

I’ve had great success making this gluten free by substituting gluten-free brown rice pasta and gluten-free all purpose flour, so feel free to experiment with this recipe if gluten is an issue for you.

  • 2.5 cups elbow macaroni
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, divided

Cook macaroni in a medium-sized pot, according to package directions, until tender but firm (al dente). Drain and set aside. In the same pot melt the butter over medium heat (allow it to brown if desired). Add flour; cook and stir for one minute. Stir in salt, pepper and mustard. Slowly stir in milk, a bit at a time, whisking between each addition to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, cook until thickened, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in 1.5 cups cheese. Add macaroni, stirring to evenly coat. Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes or until filling is bubbly and cheese is browned. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Makes: 6 servings (as a side dish)

Simple Parmesan Baked Risotto

By in GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 6 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Simple Parmesan Baked Risotto

Risotto is one of those things that”s so easy to make but is considered a labour of love simply for the fact that it needs so much babysitting.

When you have a baby on the floor searching for (and finding) every dust bunny and minuscule piece of something disgusting, who also must absolutely see what it all tastes like. And, a preschooler who thinks he”s a chef and wants to add all sorts of inedible things to dinner while your back is turned. Extra babysitting is not the thing you need.

I love cooking with my kids. And, I know it would be possible for me to make traditional risotto if I kicked them out and cooked by myself (I”m not a great multi-tasker) but I love that they want to be in there with me and I love how much my son is interested in cooking (and therefore interested in eating). So, simple and easy is the way to go for me. But, I still want to enjoy some creamy risotto with my pan-fried chicken and brussels sprouts.

This baked risotto is much simpler then the original (seriously, all you do is stir it up and throw it in the oven) and it free”s up space on the stove top when it feels like things are overloaded. Of course, the results aren”t quite as perfect as traditional risotto. But it comes close. The only thing lacking, I would say, is the little bit of the crispness that you normally get from toasting the rice in a bit of fat first. But the results are so tasty and creamy, with that loose risotto feel, that it will be hard for me to go back to the original except for on the rare occasion (read: special company).

This is just a very basic recipe. It”s great on its own but you can also feel free to dress it up with different spices, throw in some cooked veggies or meat and turn it into a one pot main dish. It would be a great way to breathe new life into some of those holiday leftovers.

Tip: To reheat the leftovers (as I did for the picture above) add a bit more stock or water to bring it back to a loose consistency. (This is what it looks like fresh from the oven. :))

Simple Parmesan Baked Risotto

  • 1.5 cups arborio rice (a.k.a. risotto rice)

  • 4.5 cups chicken stock

  • 1 cup finely grated parmesan

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • salt and pepper, to taste

Stir together the stock and rice in a 10 cup baking dish, cover tightly with foil (or lid). Bake at 355ºF for 40 minutes or until rice is al dente (cooked but crisp) and most of the stock has been absorbed (it will still be quite loose and wet). Stir in parmesan and butter until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves: 6

Adapted from Donna Hay.

Peanut Buster Parfait Ice Cream Cake

By in Chocolate, Cool, Sweets 20 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

Peanut Buster Parfait

Peanut Buster Parfaits were my favourite treat at Dairy Queen growing up. I’ve always loved that sweet-chocolate, salty-peanut combination. I don’t remember when my mom started making this version at home but I do remember that it was one of my favourite summer desserts growing up.

James has never been a big fan of cake so I usually opt to make him a frozen cake or pie for his birthday instead. In fact, when we were engaged this was the very first birthday cake that I ever made for him.

I’ve made a few changes since then. Not in the recipe, but in the presentation. My mom always cooked for a crowd because our house was always full of people, especially hungry teenage boys (and one very hungry teenage girl), so her version was quite simple and made a lot. I’ve included her assembly in the directions below as well, so you can use whichever suites your fancy.

I wanted to give it layers to better replicate a real Peanut Buster Parfait, so I made the process a tad bit more lengthy but I love the results. Nothing wrong with the way mom made them, I just had to make it my own. :)

I think this would be a perfect dessert for Fathers Day coming up because a) I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love this cake. b) It’s so simple to throw together and can be made ahead. c) I’m pretty sure a barbecue has to be the most common meal on Fathers Day and what better dessert to have at a BBQ then a homemade ice cream cake

Tip from James

To make ice cream a spreadable consistency quickly: scoop it into a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth. This will, effectively, turn it into soft-serve ice cream.

One of the things I love most about this cake is the fact that the chocolate sauce starts melting before the ice cream does. Even when this sauce is stored in the fridge it’s still pourable, where as other sauces, like ganache, firm up once they’re cold. I think it would be great simply poured over ice cream and sprinkled with peanuts. But an ice cream cake presentation is definitely a lot more fun.

If you’re a dark chocolate fanatic feel free to substitute that for the semi-sweet in this recipe. I think I may try that next time just for kicks.

What’s your favourite ice cream treat?

Peanut Buster Parfait Ice Cream Cake

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened to a spreadable consistency
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts
  • chocolate sauce (recipe below)
  1. Line a 8 inch round baking pan with foil.
  2. Mix together cookie crumbs and butter until evenly combined. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
  3. Top with half of the ice cream, peanuts and chocolate sauce. Repeat layers. Freezing in between if necessary.
  4. Once fully assembled freeze until solid (about 2 hours).
  5. To serve: loosen foil from sides of pan (warming up with hands if necessary) and lift out. Peel away foil; slice and serve.

Serves: 8

*If you need to freeze the cake in the middle of assembly place the remaining ice cream in the fridge to slow down the thawing process.

Chocolate Sauce
  • 1/3 cup icing sugar
  • 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup evaporated milk (1/2 can)
  1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 7 minutes, until slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools).
  2. Cool completely, whisking occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

*You can make the sauce a day ahead and store in the fridge until assembly. Just make sure to put plastic wrap directly on the surface so that a skin doesn’t form.

If making for a crowd: Double all ingredients. Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Cover with all of ice cream. Top with peanuts and chocolate sauce. Freeze.

No-Fail Sourdough Starter

By in Breads 9 Comments Tags: , , , ,

There”s something just so satisfying about making yeast breads from scratch. The grocery stores here have such a great selection of fresh artisan breads that I don”t make it nearly so much as I would back home. Because of that, when I do make bread from scratch I generally like to make kinds that I can”t get at the store.

Soughdough has to be one of the more satisfying breads to make especially if you make your own starter. It sounds so much more intimidating then it actually is (if you”ve got a good starter that is). I used to make sourdough years ago but the starter recipe I used was so finicky and always died on me. Having to start it over all the time kind of defeated the purpose since starters develop better and stronger flavor as they age. This recipe inspired me to try again because the process just made sense and it seemed so simple. And it is!

I have a bit of a black thumb when it comes to taking care of living organisms. Everything just seems to die at my fingertips (besides my children!). I have a plant in my house that doesn”t need any watering and it still dies on me (I keep buying a new one) my hubby has had the same one at his office that he completely neglects and it still lives on. So I would consider this a very hardy no-fail recipe because it”s living on good and strong!

Making and maintaining a starter is quite simple to do. I love the fact that you can have fresh bread as often as you like or you can leave the starter sitting in the fridge for when you have more time. You”ll want to make this starter today because in a couple days I”ll be sharing a delicious recipe for the Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls hiding in the photo above and you”re going to want to make them right away!

Making the Starter

  • 2 cups warm water

  • 1 tablespoon sugar or honey

  • 1 tablespoon active dry east

  • 2 cups all purpose-flour

  1. Pour water into a 3-4 quart bowl* (the bowl needs to be large so that the starter has room to grow. It will expand a lot.). Add sugar or honey. Stir to dissolve. Add yeast and stir. Gradually stir in flour until smooth. Cover with a clean dishtowel** and set aside in a warm area of the kitchen.***

  2. Let sit for 2-5 days, stirring once a day because the alcohol will separate from the batter. Once the bubbling has subsided and a sour aroma has developed stir one more time then transfer to a large sealable container and store in the fridge. The batter should be similar to pancake batter (mine was a lot thinner but once I fed it later on it thickened up again).

Tips:

*a ceramic or glass bowl is best, but I used a plastic bowl with no problems.

**using a dishtowel instead of plastic wrap helps you to catch wild yeast which improves flavour.

***I was a little worried because it was really cold in my kitchen when I made my starter, but it turned out fine.

Maintaining the Starter

You can use the starter as often as you like in baking but if you don”t bake with it within two weeks you”ll want to remove one cup and discard it.

For every one cup of starter removed stir in:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup water

Let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours before returning to the fridge so that the yeast has time to activate and multiply before it”s chilled again.

Tips:

  • If you forget to feed it after two weeks don’t worry. Give it a good feeding and let sit out to warm up. If it bubbles your good to go. If you forget about it for months you can still try to revive it by giving it a good feeding and it’s probably best to give it two feeding in a row.

  • Make sure to stir your starter before baking or removing some for feeding.

  • The alcohol on top may become very dark. That’s ok.

Adapted from Annie”s Eats originally from King Arthur Flour.

If you”ve got any questions feel free to ask below!

Simplified Stuffing

By in Fall, Sides, Smithfield, Thanksgiving 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Although I never spent much time in the kitchen growing up my mom”s simple, hearty and homemade cooking had a big impact on me and inspires a lot of the way I cook today. She”s an awesome cook and has produced some of my all time favourite recipes. Today I”m sharing her Simplified Stuffing. If you”re like me and have an aversion to soggy stuffing then I encourage you to give it a try. My mom has converted many a stuffing hater with this recipe.

“The best thing about this stuffing is that it”s so easy to make. No having to take the temperature to make sure it”s cooked through, no complicated steps or procedures and no need to use old crusty bread (fresh is actually best!). Just a simple and delicious recipe that can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Update: The post is no longer active on Smithfield. But, I don’t want you to miss out so here’s the recipe!

Simplified Stuffing

You can make this up to one day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Do not add water until just before baking.

  • 12 cups cubed bread (1 loaf)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1.5 cups chopped celery
  • 1 cup margarine or butter
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

Cook onion and celery in butter for 10 min or until softened.

Mix bread and seasonings until well combined. Stir in onions, celery and butter. Toss together.

Put into a large shallow casserole dish or crock pot and pour water around edges.

Bake in the oven at 350ºF for 45 min. or in crock pot on low for 4.5 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally to promote even browning.

Serves: 6

 

Fruity Red Onion Vinaigrette & A Simple Salad

By in Condiments, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 9 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Red Onion Vinaigrette

I made this salad for my company over the weekend. I had plans to make a couple different salads but we all liked this one so much that we couldn’t seem to stay away from it. Sorry Mr. Caesar, you have been trumped.

This is my favourite homemade vinaigrette so far. Most are too oily for my taste, but this one melds together so perfectly it’s hard to tell the ingredients apart. I was quite surprised at how fruity the vinaigrette tasted. In fact, I was asked what type of fruit was in the dressing. I suspect that could be in part, because of it’s lovely pink hue.

It pairs wonderfully with a simple salad of greens, fruit and nuts. It also makes a wonderful dip for fresh fruit. I seriously can’t get enough of it. If a dressing is so good that I can’t stop eating my fruits and veggies, then I know its a keeper.

Red Onion Vinaigrette

adapted from Grand Slam

  • 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  2. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Makes: 2/3 cup

* Stir before each use.

Simple Salad with Oranges and Almonds

  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges, drained
  • 3 Tbsp. red onion vinaigrette
  1. Clean spinach and tear or cut into bite sized pieces.
  2. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add almonds and toast just until fragrant.
  3. In a large bowl, toss together spinach, almonds and oranges.
  4. Add dressing and toss to coat. Taste. Add more dressing if necessary. Serve immediately.

Makes: 4 (1 cup) portions

* Use any combination of greens, fruit and nuts that you like.

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