haven't really cooked too much this week

So, I've not had a ton of time to cook this week.
But, I have made mac and cheese a good amount over the last few weeks so I figured I would post a recipe of how I make mine.
It's going to be estimates because I really don't measure very often! :)

Baked Chedder Macaroni and Cheese

2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/8-1/4 cup of cornstarch
2 cups of shredded chedder cheese (I find that a mix of sharp and mild tastes best)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of macaroni noodles (2 cups before cooked, makes more than 2 cups cooked)
1 cup of bread crumbs (I use panko)

First, start to boil water for macaroni in medium to large pot (large enough to accomidate for noodles)
Preheat oven to 350
Next, melt butter in medium size sauce pan on medium heat.
Add cornstarch to melted butter; use whisk to incorporate.
Add milk; heat for about 2 minutes.
Add cheese; melt into milk.
Turn heat up just a bit for a few minutes so the cornstarch thickens the mixture. Stir.
Cook pasta. Drain.
Add cheese mixture to pasta pan. Mix until incorporated.
Add cheese and noodle mixture to baking pan large enough to hold-I use 9"x13"
Cover noodles with bread crumbs.
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until browned.

Ta DA!

This is a tried and true recipe so I know it's good :)

beef stew with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms

On Sunday I decided it would be a good idea if I made a large amount of something to last Jesse and I at least a few days into the week for lunch.

I decided I would make beef stew because I make it pretty often and we both love it.

I've made a "Country French Beef Stew" before that I had found in a slow cooker magazine. It calls for sundried tomatoes and red wine.

Halfway through making it, I realize that I didn't have any red cooking wine! Being the thrifty/semi-creative cooker that I am, I decided to use white cooking wine instead.

I used sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes I added crushed tomatoes and mushrooms as well.

I pretty much, as usual, made it my own.

Beef Stew with Sundried Tomatoes and Mushrooms

2 pounds of beef, cubed (I usually use a roast or whatever is cheapest :) )
2 large carrots, or about 4 smaller ones
1 1/2 sweet potatoes
2 medium onions (or 1 large, 3 small or less if you're not a huge fan.. we are!)
1-2 cups of mushrooms
1/8 cup of cornstarch, possibly a tad more
2 beef bouillons
a tablespoon or so of gravy master (not necessary but does add a dash of flavor and color, could add a dash of Worcestershire sauce instead)
1 cup of sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups of crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup of white wine (or red.. at this point I know I like red better)
garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste
a couple of swirls of olive oil (for bottom of crock)
enough water to cover all ingredients but not much more than that

add all ingredients into crock pot starting with olive oil and bouillons; sprinkle cornstarch along the way while adding other ingredients (so it's not all dumped in at once)

cook at high heat for about 4 hours (it seemed about done at 3 hours but the sweet potatoes were still a bit stiff)

I've gotta say that if I made this recipe again, I wouldn't add the crushed tomato and I would make sure that I had red wine and I would use that instead of the white. Reasons for these two things: the stew was very sweet. Adding some more salt definitely helps to counteract this. 

All and all it was alright. We're eating it cause I made it and we have a whole pot but I really do prefer more savory tastes!

Andddd I will leave you with this:

“I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them.” 
― Oscar Wilde,  The Importance of Being Ernest

saturday's dinner/sunday's lunch

I cooked a good amount on Saturday since I really didn't have a lot else on my plate (haha, get it?).

for dinner, I made a pretty simple rotisserie chicken in our wonderful convection oven given to us by my mom and step dad a few Christmases back.

for the brine, I just used about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, about 2 cups of water along with various spices including garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and season all (ya, ya I cheated on that one).

I left that in the fridge for about 6 hours; turned in over about halfway through to make sure the brine got all of the chicken.

The chicken was about 4 lbs; nothing too crazy.

before putting it in the oven, I sprinkled it with more garlic powder and onion powder as well as a good amount of salt.

for some reason the convection oven didn't want to get quite up to 450 for me on the rotisserie setting so I had to cook it for about an hour on that, then about a half hour on the regular ol' convection setting at 450 as well.

the bird turned out pretty perfect! I wish I had kept it in just a tad longer so it would have been a bit more crispy but other than that it was great!

we had that with fresh steamed brussel sprouts that we had bought at a farm that day(mmhhhmmmm) and stuffing (yes, stuffing from a box; it was Bells at least. Jesse loves the stuff).

for lunch on Sunday I made a sort of creamy mushroom and chicken pasta. It was quite delicious and I did cheat a bit.

Creamy Mushroom and Chicken Pasta

about 3 tsp oil
about 1 pound of mushrooms (maybe a tad less, depending on how much you like them)
about 1/8 cup of corn starch (to thicken)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (here's where I cheat.. and it's really not even that necessary!)
1 cup of milk
about 1 pound of cooked chicken (I used leftover from the rotisserie from the night before)
1/2 pound cooked pasta (1/2 lb weight before cooking; so half of a normal bag/box); your choice of pasta (I used spiral macaroni shells)
semi-optional spices (you can kind of feel around for the ones you like best):
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 salt

Heat oil on medium heat.

Add mushrooms. cook until browned and somewhat soft.

Sprinkle mushrooms with cornstarch; follow with can of soup and milk. Stir until incorporated.

add chicken, pasta and spices until well mix.

serve!

*the salt is an added ingredient. I didn't use it on Sunday but I wish I had. the dish was just a tad bland! I definitely suggest adding it.

Good, hearty american meal. Not the healthiest but hey, it could be a LOT worse!

I will leave you with this wonderful quote by a pretty awe-inspiring woman chef:

“The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude.” 
― Julia Child

first post, first post

hello all (or no one),

I'm starting this blog because I was cooking over the weekend (big surprise there..) and I figured that I needed to start documenting my failures and successes.
They say that history repeats itself.
Well, if that history is a good recipe then I want it to repeat itself.
If it's a bad one, and trust me, I've made some semi-awful things, I would like them to stay history.

Here's to documenting my culinary exploits in the kitchen.

For starters, I made some really great muffins this weekend.
I guess I can call them "multi flour and grain muffins"
I found a recipe online for "multigrain muffins" online and made my own spin off of them.
Here's the recipe I used:

Multi flour and grain muffins

2/3 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup rye flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon of molasses
1 egg, beaten

1 cup of buttermilk
1/8 cup of flaxseed
1/8-1/4 cup of nuts (your choice, I used pecans)
1/4 cup of mixed dried fruits (I used blueberries and cranberries)


preheat oven to 450. lightly grease muffin pan or use baking cups.

combine all dry ingredients, except for flaxseed, nuts and fruit, in medium size bowl.

next, add beaten egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil and molasses. stir until combine.

add rest of ingredients (flaxseed, nuts, dried fruits).

ladle into muffin tin. should yield about 5 large muffins or 8 smaller muffins.

bake at 450 degrees for about 15-17 minutes; 12-15 for smaller muffins.

cool and eat!


pictures to come soon.

I think I will end all of these posts with a quote about eating.

I do believe Jesse and I live well by this one!:

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." -Virginia Woolf