Creamy One-Pot Mac N’ Cheese

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Creamy One-Pot Mac N’ Cheese

by Nanny Bubby

I feel like my favorite and my kids’ favorite Mac N’ Cheese was always Velveeta, but I stopped giving it to them as soon as I learned Velveeta wasn’t really cheese and it may not even be food at all! For years I tried to duplicate that taste and texture and failed. I tried putting cheese into traditional white sauce recipe, cheese and milk, baking cheese and butter into the pasta, the list goes on. I could never get there. Then one day I realized that Italian chefs use pasta water to make pasta creamier and smoother. One day I just gave it a try and I got close. So, after a lot of experimentation I got there, perfectly. It’s so easy and it is real cheese, real food! Tip: At first this can be quite watery. You can add your favorite vegetable like steamed broccoli or any other vegetables you have on hand, and a little extra milk and serve immediately as a broccoli cheese soup with macaroni. If serving as Mac N’ Cheese, be sure to cover and let sit for 10 minutes so the pasta can absorb the liquid and be the perfect texture. Enjoy!

Total Time:

15 minutes

Serves:

4

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 c. water
  • 2 2/3 c. milk
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • ½ tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 ½ c. sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • ½ c. grated Pecorino Romano if you do not care for this taste or your kids don’t, just add an extra ½ cup of the cheddar or parmesan
  • ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
  • 16 oz. bag of organic elbow macaroni noodles

Directions

  • Slowly bring the water, milk, butter and kosher salt to a rolling boil.
  • Add full bag of pasta, stirring until the liquid comes to a boil again.
  • Adjust the heat to keep a slow steady boil and cook the pasta for one minute more than indicated on the box. Do not drain the pasta.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the cheeses and paprika. Taste to adjust the salt and pepper to your families liking. The Mac N’ Cheese will be very liquidly, this is normal. Let stand with the top on for at least 10 minutes so the pasta can absorb all the liquid before serving.

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Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

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Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

by Nanny Bubby

One Super Bowl year I was experimenting with some gluten-free options. My husband usually goes on a high-protein diet, (more keto than anything) right after the first of the year, and I needed an option for him that he could feel satisfied with while everyone else was eating chips.
I initially doubled the recipe so he would have enough and not feel deprived during the day. Well, to my surprise, a few people dug into the crisps, and told the next person, who told the next and voila, they were gone in a flash!
I was getting stink eye from my husband as everyone was eating his special treats, but everyone else was in heaven. As I remember it, he ended up having no choice but to break the diet regimen on that day! Good thing, everything else that he was going to say “no” to was too good to pass up. We had a great Super Bowl Sunday, and a pretty rough, “Manic Monday” trying to burn all of it off (LOL). I hope you love these as much as we do. Even my four-year old granddaughter loved them. Love, "Spreading Love Like Butter".

Total Time:

20 minutes

Serves:

6

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. head of cauliflower 1 average head of cauliflower or 2 bags fresh riced cauliflower
  • 3/4 c. fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley minced
  • Kosher salt optional, to taste

Directions

  • Cut cauliflower florets off the stem.
  • Tip: There are so many riced cauliflower options out in the stores. I love the Whole Foods organic riced cauliflower and you can even steam it right in the bag, which saves time and mess.
  • Steam cauliflower florets until tender (10 to 15 minutes) or microwave the riced cauliflower per directions.
  • Place steamed cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse a few times until it looks like fine crumbs. (Make sure there are no chunks left.)
  • Transfer cauliflower crumbs in a doubled cheese cloth or nut bag and squeeze out all the liquid. (You may have to let it cool a bit or it will be too hot for you to squeeze.)
  • Place cauliflower in a mixing bowl and add the parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic powder. Mix well, until it is all evenly incorporated. (Taste to see if you want to add salt. Parmesan cheese is quite salty, and you may feel like it’s enough salt.)
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat (a food-grade silicone liner, one of my favorite kitchen tools).
  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cauliflower mixture. Press it into a ball with your hands and place it on the baking sheet. (I used #40 scoop.)
  • Press down to flatten the cauliflower mixture into a thin disk, fixing the broken edges. The goal is for the disks to be only about 3 millimeters thin and 3 inches wide at the center.
  • Repeat until you get about 12 pieces.
  • Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until deep golden brown and crispy.
  • Let the cauliflower crisps cool before taking them off the baking sheet. People go crazy for this. Enjoy!

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Double Tomato Crostini

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Double Tomato Crostini

by Nanny Bubby

My dear friend Karen from Chicago, now Scottsdale, shared this recipe with me before she left Chicago more than 26 years ago. Over the years the recipe morphed while in my hands. But like all recipes that are shared, when I make them, I always think of the person who shared it with me with such love in my heart.
Tip: This is a great recipe to make on a moment’s notice for friends or family that drop in. I learned that to always have baguettes in the house, it is best to slice them and then freeze them. That way they are always available and ready to toast in the oven. In a moment’s notice you could substitute any cheese you have in the house. Keep dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes in a bag in your pantry. If you are out of fresh tomatoes at the time you can make them with just the sundried tomatoes.
It works, trust me from experience. Enjoy! "Spread Love Like Butter"

Total Time:

30 minutes

Serves:

8

Ingredients

  • 5 sundried tomato halves not in oil
  • 2/3 c. lightly packed basil leaves cut in chiffonade
  • ½ c. olive oil
  • 1 loaf 12 oz. baguette (French bread)
  • 6 pipe Italian plum tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 4 oz. smoked mozzarella shredded
  • ½ c. pine nuts toasted
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions

  • In a small bowl, soak the dried tomatoes in water for about 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry and mince.
  • Place in larger bowl to be combined with other ingredients.
  • Mince half of the chiffonade basil and add to the tomatoes. Add ¼ of a cup of the olive oil. Mix until well blended.
  • Cut the baguette diagonally about ½ inch thick. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
  • Toast the pine nuts in a dry hot skillet, until golden.
  • Slather the top of the bread with ½ of the tomato mixture. Add ½ of the remaining basil, Italian tomatoes, vinegar, pine nuts and mozzarella to the sun-dried tomato mixture and spoon over the top of the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining basil. Eat and enjoy!

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Salmon with Six Herbs

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Salmon With Six Herbs

by Nanny Bubby

We love Salmon. And we love it even more when all of the herbs come right out of our garden. This is our family’s and friend’s favorite salmon recipe. Use what you have available for herbs. If you are missing one or two, never worry, it is just as good without one as it is with adding one. Enjoy!

Total Time:

1 hour

Serves:

7

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. salmon filet
  • ¼ c. Mediterranean herb-infused olive oil
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ c. Italian parsley minced
  • 1/4 c. Thyme minced
  • ½ c. dill minced
  • ½ c. basil minced
  • ½ c. oregano minced
  • ¼ c. chives chopped small
  • ½ c. dry vermouth

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Place the salmon filet in a non-metallic baking dish like a Le Creuset or ceramic or glass baking dish.
  • Combine the olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the salmon. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Let it marinate on the counter for a minimum of 15 minutes while you prepare the mincing of the herbs.
  • In a glass bowl stir together the combination of the six minced herbs. Place the mixture over the top of the salmon being careful to spread out evenly. Pour the vermouth around the salmon.
  • Roast the salmon for 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare. Test by cutting through the middle to check for doneness.
  • Cover the dish tightly and let stand for 8 minutes.
  • Cut the salmon crosswise about 2 to 3 inches thick and serve with lemon wedges.

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Taco Seasoning

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Homemade Taco Seasoning When it comes to pre-packaged seasoning mixes, I don’t trust them. Often,...

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Harvey Wallbanger Poke Cake

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Harvey Wallbanger Poke Cake

by Nanny Bubby

You gotta love this one! During the disco era, a Harvey Wallbanger drink was the rage in all the discotheques. Everyone was “definitely cool” if they were spotted drinking one. Then someone ingeniously came up with a cake recipe. It is totally retro, and I serve it when everyone has become bored with my other cakes and then it’s the rage all over again. Everyone loves it. It is true, everything that is old is new again if you wait long enough. I think you will love this as well. Enjoy!

Total Time:

1 hour 30 minutes

Serves:

9

Ingredients

  • 1 package Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix Or package Duncan Hines Butter Golden cake mix if you can’t find the orange cake.
  • 1 small package instant vanilla pudding
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • ½ c. oil sunflower preferred
  • ¾ c. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp. orange zest
  • 2 Tbsp. vodka
  • 3 oz. Galliano liqueur
  • 1 package candied orange slices Tip: Find these at Trader Joe’s
  • Infuser Poke Soak:
  • ½ stick sweet butter softened
  • ½ c. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 1 ½ Tbsp. vodka
  • 1 ½ Tbs. Galliano liqueur
  • Wallbanger Glaze:
  • 1 c. sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. orange juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 Tbsp. Galliano liqueur
  • 1 tsp. vodka
  • Caramel Glass:
  • ½ c. granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. Galliano liqueur

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • For the cake:
  • In a mixer, combine the cake mix and pudding on low speed for about 30 seconds.
  • Increase to medium speed and add the eggs, oil, orange juice, vodka, and Galliano. Mix for about 1.5 minutes until well combined.
  • Grease a Bundt cake pan and pour the batter into the molded pan.
  • Bake for 55 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before turning over onto a cake plate.
  • For the poke soak:
  • Melt the butter and add the orange juice, sugar, vodka and Galliano.
  • Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
  • Take a wooden skewer (or any other skewer you have) and poke holes along the top of the cake about every ½ to 1 inch.
  • Pour the poke soak over the top of the cake slowly and allow it to find its way through the holes in the cake. Let the cake sit for about 15 minutes.
  • For the glaze:
  • Combine the powder sugar, orange juice, Galliano and Vodka in a bowl with a wire whisk.
  • Drizzle generously over the top of the cake and let come down the sides into the center and to the front of the cake.
  • For the caramel glass:
  • Line a baking sheet with a food-grade silicone liner (Silpat).
  • Place the granulated sugar and Galliano in a small saucepan and cook, without stirring or shaking the pan until the mixture rolls in a simmer to a deep amber color. This will take about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Pour the caramel on to the silicone mat and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Once cooled, break into shards and decorate the top of the cake, along with thin candied dried orange slices.

Video

Notes

Tip: I highly recommend using a Silpat as it is easier to roll the glass off the surface and break into chards. Never any sticking. Also, and let me be clear, never never touch the caramel glass until it is cooled or you will have pain like never before as it takes off your top layer of skin. (I speak from experience)

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