Ina Garten's Macaroni and Cheese

Sorry for the delay in posting... I haven't been cooking too much lately, other than quite bland foods that sound good to me at the time.  Because - I'm pregnant!  :)  Yay!  Although it doesn't inspire my palate in the least so I have had to cut back on the posting.  I will try my best to keep up better these next few months.

Onward to my first post in 2 months!

Because I had heard such great things, and because I love mac n' cheese.... I had to make this recipe for my own peace of mind.  And let me tell you - it's good people.  I loved the flavor of the Gruyere cheese and thought it added a twist to your regular mac n' cheese.  The cheese was creamy, and the topping added just enough crunch.  The tomatoes were perfectly cooked and I loved them, but if you didn't they're easy enough to pick out.

Barefoot Contessa Mac and Cheese

source: Foodnetwork.com, slightly adapted by Amy's New Kitchen
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• Sea salt
• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 1 qt milk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 12 oz Gruyere, grated (4 cups)
• 8 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 small fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or Panko

Preheat oven to 375.


Cook pasta according to directions in salted water.  Al dente is my preference.


While the pasta is cooking, heat the milk in a small saucepan, be careful to keep it from boiling.  Melt 6 Tbsp butter in a large pot and add the flour.  Cook on low heat for 2 minutes and continually stirring with a whisk.  Continue whisking then add in the hot milk and cook until thickened slightly and smooth.  Remove from heat and add the cheeses, 1 Tbsp salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add in the cooked macaroni and stir well.  Pour into a baking dish.


Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top of the mac.  Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter and combine with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle evenly over the mac and tomatoes.  Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are slightly browned.

So this is healthy because it has tomatoes in it, right?  :)  Doesn't matter -it's worth all those delicious calories. 

Zucchini Pesto

Oh man, when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it!  And since so many people at my work have green thumbs and grow giant zucchini, I needed more recipes just like this to keep my palate happy.

Zucchini Pesto

source: somewhere on the internet...but not really sure where.

Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini (or 1 gigantic homegrown one)
2 tsp sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup basil, shredded
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1 Tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
Juice from one lemon
1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
freshly cracked black pepper
extra sea salt if necessary


Using a box grater, coarsely grate the zucchini.  Place the shredded zucchini on a fresh kitchen towel and sprinkle with salt.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Squeeze the towel to remove all excess moisture that you possibly can.


Put zucchini in a medium sized bowl.  Add the garlic, basil, almonds, thyme, parmesan, lemon juice, lemon zest and 3 Tbsp olive oil.  Stir until well combined.  Add pepper and taste.  Add more salt and olive oil, a little at a time, if necessary.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 


Serve with pita, pita chips, toasted ciabatta bread, crackers, etc. 

Corned Beef Tacos

What do you get when you cross and Irishman and a Mexican?  Corned Beef Tacos!  Since marrying an Irishman I have learned to love corned beef.  And cabbage.  Something I'm sure my mom never thought would happen.  But since it has, I wanted to start using it more than just on St. Patrick's Day since it's so easy to make.  I like to cook it in my slow cooker, forget about it for 8 hours, then serve!

Corned Beef Tacos

Serves 4

1 6lb corned beef brisket
1 package soft white corn tortillas
cabbage, thinly sliced
thousand island dressing
horseradish (optional)


Cook your brisket along with it's juices from the package and spice packet in water (until just covered) in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high, then one additional hour on low).  Remove the layer of fat then shred the brisket and keep set on 'warm' in the juices.


Warm the tortillas up in the microwave in a towel for 10-15 seconds.  Take your tortilla and layer the shredded corned beef, cabbage, thousand island and horseradish.  Serve!

It really is that easy and we thought this was a great combination of flavors.  It's a nice twist on a reuben, a taco, and corned beef and cabbage.   Oh, it's a little messy, so keep napkins handy!