Macaroni and cauliflower cheese bake

This is a recipe from Jamie's Food Revolution and it's amazing!!!!!

You can either serve this macaroni unbaked, so it's loose, gooey, and silky, or bake it  under the broiler for a a few minutes before serving to give if a crispy, golden topping.  You can even try adding a  grated hard boiled eggs or cooked prawns, but I like the simple style, as here.  Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese
• A small bunch of fresh Italian parsley
• Sea salt
• 1 pound dried macaroni (elbows)
• 1 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

To prepare your pasta:

Remove outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard.  Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk.  Cut the head into small florets.  Halve the stalk length ways, then slice thinly.  Grate the cheddar and Parmesan into a large heat proof bowl.  Finely shop the parsley stalks and leaves.

To cook your pasta:

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Add the macaroni and all of your cauliflower and cook according o the macaroni package instructions.  Please the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the creme fraiche or sour cream.  Carefully stir so often until the cheese is smooth and melted.  If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly.  Add all of the shopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven mitts and put aside.  Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water.  Return the pasts to the pan, pour in the melted cheese and stir.  it should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it's took thick add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.  At this point you can either serve the macaroni  as is, or finish it under the broiler to make it crispy and golden on top.  To do this, preheat your broiler to a medium to high heat.  Add 2/3 cup of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish .  Place under the broiler until golden and bubbling.

To serve your pasta:

Divide the pasta between places or bowls, or place the baking dish in the middle of the table next to a nice green salad and let everyone help themselves.

Shrimp Salad

This is a simple but wonderful shrimp salad.  I don't use measurements I just add as I go and taste until its good.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ramen Oriental Flavor
• Green Onions
• Green Cabbage
• Baby Salad Shrimp
• Mayonnaise

Directions:

1. Break up ramen and cook as directed but do not add seasoning packet.
2. Drain ramen and place in bowl.
3. Slice up 1/2 of the cabbage and add to bowl.
4. Dice up several green onions and add to  bowl.
5. Add baby shrimp (as many as you want) and add to bowl.
6. Add mayonnaise and mix well.. make it hold together but not soupy.
7. Sprinkle oriental seasoning packages and mix well.
8. Refrigerate for an hour prior to serving.

Healthified Smothered Pork

This is a great meal that my family has loved since I found it.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

• 6 Boneless chopped pork loin chops or chopped pork from meat department 1 lb
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup chipped onion (1 medium)
• 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) fat-free cream of mushroom soup
• 1/ cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon dried save or thyme leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon green chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 fat free or low fat sour cream

Directions:

1. Trim any visible fast from pork.  Heath nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add pork chops; cook about 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove pork from skillet; set aside.
2. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and mushrooms; cook 3 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Stir in soup, water, soy sauce sage and pepper until well mixed.  Heat to boiling.  Return pork to skillet; spoon some of the sauce over the pork.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 12-15 minutes, stirring and turning pork occasionally, until pork is no longer pink in center.
4. Stir in sour cream until well blended and smooth.  Coo, stirring constantly, just  until hot.  Serve pork with mushroom mixture over rice or no yolk noodles.

Home Made Spaghetti Sauce

This is my home made spaghetti sauce.  I just made it so it's upside down to seal and cool for storage and later use.

Ingredients:

• 8 or more tomatoes, washed, stems removed.
• 20-30 leaves of fresh basil
• 8-10 green olives (unstuffed) finely diced
• 5-6  Shallots finely diced
• 7-8 garlic cloves peeled and chopped of garlic or a heaping spoon of chopped Garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Green Chili Seasoning (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean the tomatoes and place in hot water and cook until the skins are starting to crack and fall away.
2. Remove from heat and add cool water and let them cool.
3. Remove skins and any center core you don't want etc.
4. Add the the tomatoes, basil, green olives, shallots, garlic to a food processor and pulse till blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. I sterilize jars, lids and caps and fill them with the sauce and place the caps,lids and seals on not too tightly and place in a pot of boiling water.  Once the mixture boils I remove and tightly seal with hot pad holders and place upside down to lock and seal for storage.  Can be used right way if you want.  Just cook up the meat you want and you are good to go.  

Note.  Depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, you may choose to thicken it.  We use Wondra if we need to.

Jalepeno Poppers with a twist

These Jalapeno poppers come w/ a great twist.  Little smokies and bacon wrapped make them a super big hit!!!

Ingredients:

• Fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds and membranes removed
• 1 brick Light Cream Cheese softened
• Precooked Bacon
• Little Smokies
• Chives, finely diced

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your baking sheet with tin foil and lightly grease  (we use pam spray) the baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese, and chopped chives (reserve some for later).
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture into the middle of each jalapeno half.  Then sprinkle randomly with left over chopped chives.  Place little smokie in the middle of the cream cheese mixture and then wrap with the bacon, using a tooth pick to keep them closed.   Place the completed peppers, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the filling is soft and the jalapenos and bacon look good but not too crisp, about 20 -25 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 

Cabaza de Ajo

This is a wonderful appetizer comprised of roasted garlic, jack cheese and salsa Verde.

Directions:
Roasted Garlic
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

Directions:

Roasted Baguette 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut baguette into small slices.  Baste with butter and sprinkle with Green Chili powder.

3. Cook just short time until lightly browned.

Ingredients for Cabaza de Ajo:

• 3-4 cups of Jack cheese grated
• Roasted Garlic
• Salsa Verde

Directions:
Place grated cheese on microwaveable plate.  Add roasted garlic randomly.  Randomly place Salsa Verde to desired taste.  Microwave until melted.


To Serve:
Use a spoon or knife and place Cabaza de Ajo on the baguettes and enjoy.

Fire Roasted Salsa

Fire Roasted Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Jalapeno peppers
• 8-9 tomatoes
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 shallots 
• Cilantro
• Sea salt to taste

Grilled the tomatoes, jalapenos, shallots and garlic until lightly charred.  

Remove stems and some seeds (depending on how hot you want the salsa) from the jalapenos.  Please all ingredients into food processor and pulse till desired texture. Add salt to taste preference.

I sterilize jars, lids and caps that seal.  I fill with the salsa and close them up not too tightly and place in boiling water about 1/2 way up until the liquid inside is boiling.  I remove from the water, tighten the lids with hot pad holders and place them upside down to help seal.  This keeps the salsa good for a long time.  I try to keep jars around for year round.   


If you want it for right away make sure to store in fridge.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Chili paste and fish sauce give these shrimp a Thai-inspired flavor. Both are available in the ethnic-food aisles at many supermarkets, in Asian grocery stores, and online.

Ingredients

For The Shrimp

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 7 to 8 limes)
• 2 tablespoons Asian chili paste (such as sambal oelek; ethnicfoodsco.com)
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (such as nam pla; amazon.com)

• Coarse salt
• Safflower oil, for brushing (I used Olive oil)
• 36 large shrimp (about 3 pounds), peeled and deveined (tails left intact; optional)

Directions:

Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent charring.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Bring sugar and lime juice to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat; stir in lime zest, chili paste, and fish sauce. Season with salt.

Make the shrimp: Heat grill to high. Brush grates with oil. Thread  shrimp onto each skewer; season with salt. 

Divide sauce in half; reserve half for serving. Grill shrimp for 1 minute; brush with sauce. Flip, and grill for 1 minute more; brush with sauce again. Flip, and grill, brushing occasionally with sauce, until opaque, 1 to 3 minutes more. 

Serve with reserved sauce.