Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

One might begin to wonder if I'm getting carried away with pumpkin recipes. Yes, I guess I am, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I was really wanting to make some homemade mac and cheese and in particular, I wanted to try it with pumpkin. I found this particular recipe over at Healthy Food for Living, it looked so creamy and delicious! I was excited to try it and it did not disappoint.

You begin the sauce by heating the pumpkin and milk.

Next comes the combination of cheeses. I used sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack and cream cheese.

You can choose just about any kind of pasta, I went with the mini-penne.

After you add the sauce to the pasta it's really creamy. If you like it that way—go ahead and enjoy! Or…

…you may decide to add a bit of cheese to the top and bake it in the oven. Here's where you have to be careful. Over-baked mac and cheese gets very dry. I put it in the oven for about 5 minutes.

This dish is great as a vegetarian main dish or served as a side. I like to serve it up with pork tenderloin or ham.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from Healthy Food for a Living

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked macaroni or other pasta, (I used mini-penne)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup milk

2 oz (about 4 Tbsp) 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese

1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (can use reduced fat cheese)

1/2 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese (can sub in any good melting cheese, such as monterey jack)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 – 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or more depending on heat preference

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together and heat pumpkin puree and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.

Reduce stove heat to low. Whisk in cheeses until fully melted.

Stir in nutmeg and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir drained pasta into the pumpkin-cheese sauce and mix until thoroughly combined.

You can eat and enjoy after mixing pasta with the sauce or you can put it all in a casserole dish, sprinkle with more cheese and put it in the oven at 375, for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Serve with an extra dusting of nutmeg, if desired.

Spoonbread with Honey Butter

"Spoonbread, a heavenly cross between polenta and a cornmeal soufflé, is a sweet, airy puff of smooth corn flavor in your mouth." (Quote from the Augusta Chronicle). This weekend our little town is enjoying the 15th Annual Spoonbread Festival. Spoonbread has been made famous in our town thanks to Historic Boone Tavern Hotel. When you dine in their restaurant, you will have the joy of sampling this delicious, yet unusual bread.

Several years ago, my sister Susie came across a recipe for spoonbread and it was incredible. I have two sisters (and two brothers). My oldest sister Nancy, like me, enjoys cooking. Susie—though she can cook, does not fancy herself one. It's really a good thing that she married a man who loves to cook. Susie found this recipe in an obscure cookbook, made it for us, and I was so impressed it came from her kitchen! Way to go Susie!

What's great about this bread is that it is made with no sugar. The addition of the honey butter adds just the perfect amount of sweetness to it. Spoonbread starts with heating milk, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

Incorporating the butter and egg yolks.

In case you may be wondering what stiff egg whites look like.

Folding in the stiff, yet fluffy egg whites into the cornmeal mixture.

Into the oven it goes...

The spoonbread is done when it gets golden brown on top.

Spooned into serving bowls with honey butter melted on top! We all enjoyed this bread with our dinner last night. You must try this and get a little taste of what we're enjoying in the Bluegrass State this weekend!

This post has been linked to Eat at Home.

Spoonbread with Honey Butter

Ingredients:

• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs, separated

Directions

Over medium heat, cook milk, cornmeal, baking powder and alt until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter and egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into cornmeal mixture. Pour into a greased 2-qt. casserole. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately with honey butter.

Honey Butter

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons softened butter

Whip or mix until smooth.

Zucchini-Onion Frittata

Our family was recently invited by a dear friend to a cookout, for her husband who was celebrating a milestone birthday. We were asked to bring a side dish. So, as usual, I agonized over what to bring. Do you do that? We are still getting a few zucchinis and plenty of tomatoes and fresh basil from our garden, so finally, I landed on this dish!

I started by slicing up the stars of this dish–zucchini and onion.

Although the original recipe uses only parmesan cheese, I grated up some mozzarella, because I'm a huge fan and I think it goes great with eggs!

Next up, whisk up the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

As they sauté, the zucchini and onions make the kitchen smell oh so good!

Rather than keep the veggies in a skillet—for travel convenience—I transferred to this casserole dish, and sprinkled on some of the cheese.

I popped it in the oven for about 15 minutes—then broiled it slightly.

Top with the rest of the cheese, fresh chopped basil, and chopped onions.

This is a great, healthy, summery, side dish that is easy to prepare and oh so flavorful!

Zucchini-Onion Frittata

Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

1 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided

8 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Garnish: chopped seeded plum tomatoes

Directions

Melt butter with oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; add zucchini and onion, and sauté 12 to 14 minutes or until onion is tender. Remove from heat. If desired transfer to a casserole dish. Top with half of the cheeses.

Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients at least 1 minute or until well blended. Pour over vegetable mixture.

Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until set; increase oven temperature to broil, and broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. If using a casseroled dish, watch carefully while broiling, you may also wish to skip the broiling. Sprinkle evenly with remaining chesses and basil. Garnish with tomatoes if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Zucchini Pancakes

Are you getting lots of zucchini from your garden or perhaps the farmer's market? Looking for a different way to prepare it? We enjoyed these zucchini pancakes as a great side dish to just about any entrée. I love the fresh colorful foods of summer!

These beauties came straight from our garden. We are presently also getting some squash, green beans, peppers and a variety of tomatoes.

These savory pancakes are easy to throw together. Starting with just 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini.

Next comes the egg, fresh parmesan cheese, flour, and a pinch of this and that and they're ready for the griddle.

It helps to have a nice big griddle, but if you don't have one, no worries, just use a frying pan.

Fresh zucchini + simple ingredients = a wonderfully tasty side dish. Cooked to golden brown perfection–yum!

This post has been linked to Eat at Home.

Zucchini Pancakes

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini

2 tablespoons four

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Dash pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

In a sieve or colander, drain the zucchini, squeezing to remove

excess liquid. Pat dry; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the

baking mix, cheese and pepper. Stir in egg until blended. Add the

zucchini; toss to coat.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; drop 1/4 cupfuls of

batter into skillet; press lightly to flatten. Fry for 2 minutes on

each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 pancake equals 88 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 56 mg cholesterol, 134 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Asparagus and Cheese Tart

Asparagus is another spring food that I find irresistible. In fact, my husband refers to this delectable food as "the queen mother of all vegetables." I would have to agree, although, artichokes are right up there too.

Our favorite way to enjoy asparagus is either roasted or grilled (with olive oil, garlic and seasonings). I wanted to make a savory tart that included aspargus and found this recipe on one of my many favorite blogs— Closet Cooking. I did change the recipe a bit however. I went to buy the gruyére cheese and knew that it was expensive but oh my! At my local Walmart it was $13.95 for a half a pound! Ummmm, talk about sticker shock! Time to change the recipe a bit. So, I settled for swiss cheese. I am very happy to report that we did not miss the gruyére.

This tart was very tasty. It works well as a side dish or, it would make a wonderful appetizer. The "queen mother" never disappoints!

Asparagus and Cheese Tart

Adapted slightly from Closet Cooking

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry (thawed according to the packages directions)

2 tablespoon honey dijon mustard

2 cups swiss cheese (sliced or grated), or gruyére cheese

1 pound asparagus (cleaned and bottom of stalk broken off)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Roll the puff pastry out to a 15x10 inch rectangle.

Score a line around the puff pastry 1 inch from the edge.

Brush the mustard around the inside of the cut.

Sprinkle the cheese over the mustard.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over the cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Brush the outside inch of the pastry with the oil.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven until the asparagus is tender and the pastry is golden brown, about 15-25 minutes.

How to Cook and Eat an Artichoke

Having been born and raised in California, I was exposed to eating lots and lots of artichokes. Since moving to the Bluegrass State I have come to the realization that they are not as popular in "these parts" as they are out west. I have been amazed and dismayed at how many people I have run across who have never eaten an artichoke. I'm talking about eating a real, whole, fresh artichoke, not just those that you find in a say—artichoke and spinach dip.

Coming from the thistle family they are actually a flower. Such a unique vegetable is interesting to eat as you make your your way "petal by petal" to the very "heart." They are a powerhouse of nutrients and a meager 60 calories per artichoke.

So, relax, sit back, and enjoy this step by step tutorial and then promise me you'll run out and buy one and try it. The following is the most basic way to prepare an artichoke. These vegetables are so versatile and fun to prepare other ways as well.

Trim bottom stem from artichoke. Place them in a large pot filling with water about half way up (as you see in the photo). Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 30 - 40 minutes or until you can easily pull off outer leaves with tongs.

Remove from pan and set on plate, or serving dish.

Peel off a leaf, dip the underside in butter.

The soft underside of the leaf has a delicate, delicious flavor. It sounds strange to say it, but scrape off the leaf with your teeth. Discard the rest.

Continue with leaves, dipping in butter and scraping.

The leaves will become softer as you go and are still edible. You'll be sorry to be running out of them, but the best part is yet to come!

When you get closer to the "choke" you may discard the remaining leaves.

The "choke" is the cluster of immature florets at the very center of the artichoke, having a purple tint to them. They are not edible.

Scrape or spoon off to reveal the "heart." They come off easily.

This picture reveals half of the heart. The florets still remain on the other half.

This is the succulent heart of the artichoke. You can either dip in butter or melt a little pool right in the middle.

Enjoy!

Note: Artichokes cause some debate in my household. My husband likes to dip his in mayonnaise, I say they are better with butter (as is everything else—right)? Be sure to tell me which way you like it!

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Olives

Oh, the lowly side dish! The vegetable dish added to our dinner menus can take such a back-seat to the exalted main dish. Even though vegetables are usually not the star, they can be such a sensational component of our dinner menus. This particular dish can be a wonderful, unique, addition to any lunch as well, thanks to the chickpeas that contribute a great source of protein.

Roasting is one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables. It deepens and intensifies the flavors, making them irresistible. The lowly cauliflower in this dish becomes a rising star with the additional flavors of roasted garlic, red pepper, chickpeas and my personal favorite, green olives.

We enjoyed this dish for lunch. I'm anxious to also try it as a complement to a main dish.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, and Olives

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 5 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 pound)
• 24 green Spanish olives, pitted and halved
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 22 minutes or until cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 2/3 cup)

Calories 176 ; Fat 10.1g (sat 1g,mono 6.4g,poly 2.4g); Cholesterol 0.0mg; Calcium 42mg; Carbohydrate 17.6g; Sodium 585mg; Protein 4.2g; Fiber 4.2g; Iron 1.2mg