Crock-Pot Mac & Cheese Florentine

This was originally a vegan recipe with no cheese (despite the title) but being that it's silly to have mac and cheese minus the cheese I have, of course, since altered the recipe to fit my style and tastes.  The guy has admitted, since I've perfected the recipe, that he likes this one almost better than the baked traditional version made with loads of cheese, milk and butter.  I find this to be much more tummy friendly and I can do the prep work, stick it in the crock-pot and only four hours later dinner is served.  The only problem is that this is not a recipe that can be used if when one wants to throw it together before their eight hour work day and have it ready when they get home.  It's more of a weekend meal or a week night where a quick stop home allows one to start it, run off to all the extra curricular activities and come home to a warm meal.  However one feels they can best work it, this is a really yummy meal that is really easy and is a great alternative for vegans as it's easy to subtract the cheese and can also be easily converted to a gluten-free dish as well.  I also love that it's a full meal, with a protein, starch and green vegetable, though a little salad goes really well on the side too.

So here is the recipe, though please see below for the usual tips and suggestions.  

So this photo was taken the time I used spinach.  Peas are yummier.....

 Crock-pot Mac, Cheese & Peas
Makes enough to serve two and have enough left over for lunch or dinner a couple days after.
Crock-pot Size: 4 quart or larger
Cooking Time: 3-4 hours
Low setting

Ingredients:
8 ounces elbow macaroni (or smaller noodle rice pasta for a gluten free version)
10 ounces give or take of frozen or fresh, sweet peas
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. cashews (unsalted and raw preferred but whatever you've got or can find will work
1 3/4 c. soy milk (or water, rice or regular milk if you don't have soy milk)
1 1/2 c. slow cooked or one 15.5-ounce can of white beans (I usually use chickpeas)
1 T miso paste (optional)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 c. Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or whatever you've got)
salt
 1-2 pieces of artisan or homemade bread cut into small cubes


1. cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water.  Cook al dente as it will cook further in the pot and you don't want it to turn to mush.  Drain and place in crock. 
2.  Cook peas by steaming (preferred method) or by boiling for 3 minutes once water is boiling.  Remove from heat, drain and add to pasta.  
3.  Heat 1 T oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until softened and set aside.
4.  Using a food processor, grind the cashews to a powder in a blender or food processor.  Add 1 cup of the liquid (milk/water) and blend until smooth.  Add the onions, beans, miso, remaining liquid (3/4 c.), lemon juice and spices.  (Only add salt if not using miso, you can always add salt but the miso is quite high in sodium as it is).  Blend until smooth.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Pour sauce over macaroni and peas and mix well.  Stir in 1-1.5 c. shredded cheese. 
5.  Cover crock and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
6.  Just before serving time, in a small bowl, pour 1 T melted butter (or oil) over bread cubes.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and mix well with wooden spoon.  Heat skillet over medium heat and add bread cubes, stirring until lightly toasted and smelling of garlic.  Remove from heat. 
7.  Put finished casserole in bowls and sprinkle with any remaining shredded cheese and croutons. 

Tips and suggestions: To make this dish vegan, leave out the cheese and stick to oil rather than butter.  When it comes to gluten free, leave out the crouton topping and be sure to find a good gluten free pasta substitute.  Tinkyada Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta is really great for this and won't get all mushy and sticky.  Tastes pretty darn good too! 
You can buy Tinkyada here. 
This recipe is really easy to do even if you don't have all the specific ingredients, you can adapt it to what you have in your kitchen and change it to your liking. 
Please let me know what you think!  

     

Pickles

Here's a terrific recipe for pickles.  It's really easy and makes a bunch at a time so have some canning jars ready.  If the jars and vinegar are pretty warm when you put the lids on they should seal up without having to go through the process of boiling the jars.  Though they may need to go in the fridge overnight to finish sealing.  I also use smaller jars so I get more of them and can use them as gifts when I need a quick host gift.  Though I still do a couple of larger jars to keep in the fridge and for those serious pickle fans who I know will go through them.  My last batch was 3/4 of the recipe and it made six - 8 ounce, two - 16 ounce and two - 24 ounce jars and a little bit left over.  I probably would have had more if I hadn't spilled so much of it on the counter when I was trying to fill the jars while talking on the phone.... oh and also, they should deffinately sit for at least 48 hours before eating as they need time to marinate.  The longer they sit in that deliciously garlicky juice the better they will taste.

So here it is. 

Delectable Dill Pickles
~A couple pounds of cucumbers or green beans
(would suggest steaming the beans for a just a minute or two before hand as they will soak up the flavors much better and faster than completely raw beans)
~1 large bunch of fresh dill
~1/2 cup garlic
(I usually do a clove or two, depending on jar size, per jar, cut into 4 or 6 pieces)
~4 cups white vinegar
~4 cups cider vinegar
~4 cups water
~1 cup salt (kosher or sea)
~1/2 cup sugar
~1/2 Tablespoon pickling spice


Cut cucumbers into spears (or ovals, or whatever shape you'd like your pickles to take).
Stuff them into the jars with dill and garlic, dividing evenly between jars.  Be sure not to fill the jars past the bottom of the lid rings.  


In a non-reacting pot, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil and let simmer 5 minutes.  Pour liquid into warmed jars.  Put lids on and refrigerate.  

Again, it's best to let them soak for at least 48 hours before popping that lid.  I know, it's hard, but it'll be worth the wait.  


Suggestions:  If you prefer an even less sweet pickle cut back on the amount of sugar.  I prefer a more garlicky pickle so I put more chunks in to each jar than others so feel free to adjust to you're liking.  After a couple of batches (maybe smaller ones, it's an easy recipe to half) you'll know just how you like and you'll have your very own special pickle recipe unique to your own taste.  Good luck!

Some Like It Hot

Some like it hot, ya know?  I do my best not to complain seeing how I'm one month shy of despising winter, how could someone hate winter and summer too?  People would start to assume that person were a Canadian with all that griping.  So I force myself to sit in the sun, dripping with crystal beads forming on my nose (because everyone knows, ladies don't sweat, they glisten).  Oh you've never heard?  Well then you are certainly unaware that neither do we do such a disgraceful thing as fart like an old man who ate too many beans for dinner last night.  On the contrary, we 'pass gas' and of course, you guessed it, it smells nothing less than a fresh bouquet of roses.  All right all right, so it's a hoax.  As a vegetarian (who eats lots of beans) and with a possible gluten and dairy intolerance, I know full well that a little lady like myself can let em rip and by golly you better roll down the window.  I'm still sticking to my glistening beads of crystal theory though.

      Holy awkward blog post batman!  How did all this talk about the happenings of my digestive system become the topic of conversation?!  Oh, right, the weather....

      So, yes, we've had two beautiful, cool and comfortable days now seeming to be sandwiched in between a bona fide heat wave of the Green Mountains (though it's more like the east in general).  I think, the last time I remember it being this hot was when we had a Slip and Slide on the lawn next to our house and I wasn't self conscious enough to wear shorts over my bathing suit bottoms or a top much too small.  I was probably eight or nine.  Being that it's been (according to my highly reliable memory...) a bit over 15 years since Vermont has seen this kind of summer, we obviously don't know how to handle such heat.  You'd think that (as I did when in Vietnam) after a week of low 90's and high humidity, one would become accustomed to the feeling of being sweaty (or glistening) and stop whining about it.  But no, everyday in Vermont is a day to complain.  Too cold, too snowy, not enough snow, too much rain, too dry, too humid, you get the gist.  So I've made a decision to enjoy whatever is thrown our way this summer.  95 with 120% humidity? Great!  I needed to loose a few pounds anyway.  Gale force winds and monsoon rain that flattens corn fields and leaves remains of trees littered in every yard, road and driveway in a ten mile radius?  Perfect!  No shortage on firewood this winter!

      I've made this decision because I know that it's impossible to keep from whining like a little girl about her tights on Easter Sunday when winter rolls around so whether my perfect temperature of 73.6 degrees or a sweltering 98 degrees, I will enjoy the warmth of my bones while it lasts, because I know all too well that the icy grips of winter will be holding us hostage soon enough.  Until then, I will relish in the lush green of my surroundings and the sweet smell of sunshine on my browned skin.

What is there to hate if we choose to love instead.

      Nothing says sunshine and warm weather like a delicious glass of sun tea and lemonade and a jar of fresh pickles....Ok, maybe those don't go so well, but they both are tasty and as I've just made my first batch from our very own, homegrown cucumbers, I'm excited to share my favorite pickle recipe with you.  Stay tuned for that recipe to hit the air waves...well you know...

mmm bickles

Weather Forecast photo courtesy of:
http://b-townblog.com/wp-content/images/hotweather500.jpg

Slip and Slide photo courtesy of:

http://www.squawkboxdesigns.com/wp-content/gallery/slip-n-slide/slip-n-slide-9557.jpg

Pickle photo courtesy of yours truly. 

Crockpot Week

So this week has, unintentionally become the week of the crock-pot in my house.  This past weekend we had the tastiest baked beans that have ever come out of my kitchen with veggie burgers on homemade honey oat buns and something else that I've forgotten at the moment...oh right, baked cajun potato wedges.  Last night we had Mushroom and Green Bean Stroganoff and tonight we're having Potpie with a biscuit crust (recipe can be found below).

Until about a year and a half ago, I think I maybe used the crock-pot twice.  I had been talking about my lack of crock-pot knowledge and how I would really like to use it more often but don't know how to go about using while still depriving it of fleshy stews.  So for my birthday last year a foodie friend of my gave me the book Fresh From The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson.  Since then I've been utilizing the lovely contraption at least once a month and like this week, sometimes much more.

I think the reason I don't use it more is because I'm, most of the time, a last minute cook.  I wait until 3 or 4 hours before dinner to think about what we're going to have, sometime having to run to the store before the meal is able to be made or on most occasions, the boy calls on his way home from work to ask if we need anything for the nights meal.  So this plan ahead, cook all day so I don't have to concept that I love, has been hard for me to grasp.  The most difficult being the dried beans.  I have really had to work to think far enough in advance to look through the cookbook and decide on a recipe in case I may need to spend the day before soaking beans, the night before cooking beans then the day of the meal, cooking the actual recipe.  I love the idea of spending a dollar or two on a bag of beans (or better yet, buying them in bulk from the co-op) but have the hardest time with "I want it now" syndrome.  I want three bean chili tonight not two days from now. 

So I suppose, spending some quality time with my crock pot is a lesson in patience and planning ahead.  Two virtues that I am glad for the practice to work on but also two virtues that the rest of the country really needs to look at a little closer as well.  Maybe Crock-pot week should be a national holiday, like earth day or grandparents day.  As far as my yearly calender goes, it's official January 11-16th is Crock-pot week and I will enjoy every evening that my crock-pot is cooking and I'm not, relaxing and taking a breather from the past two months of craziness and enjoying some quality time with the boy. 

Here's to Crock-pot week! (and if we're giving toasts, to local beer)!!