Scrumptious Macaroni and Cheese Soup

This dish is so delicious and such a refreshing break from the cold weather of winter (although here in sunny San Diego we aren't really fighting the freeze!). As soon as I saw this in Food Network Magazine, I knew it was meant to be... But, as always, I had to make some little changes to make it tastier for J and me!

This bowl of pure comfort food is half the calories of plain old mac and cheese which means you can enjoy TWICE as much! 

Here's a little note for you: this meal takes hardly any time to make (like less than 20 minutes) as long as you are good about multitasking in the kitchen... I paid really close attention and BOOM turned out quick and perfectly delicious!

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 box elbow macaroni
• Cooking spray
• Cubed french toast (I got the whole wheat kind, absolutely delicious)
• Fresh ground pepper
• Salt
• 1/2 bunch of green onion
• 1 carrot, grated (I buy the pre-grated stuff)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cups low fat milk
• 8 ounces shredded mild cheddar cheese 

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450f. 
2. Bring a medium saucepan to a boil with salted water. 
3. Cut the french bread into small cubes. 
4. Add the macaroni as soon as the water comes to a boil. 
5. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the bread in a single layer. 
6. Season the cubes with salt and pepper and slip into the oven. 
7. Bake the bread until golden brown, about 5 minutes. 
8. Chop green onions and grate the carrots. 
9. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray and add the veggies. 
10. Cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes. 
11. Add the flour and cook for two minutes, stirring. 
12. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil, until thickened. (I used a whisk to break up the little flour balls that managed to float around) 
13. Add the milk, cheeses, and macaroni. 
14. Stir until the cheeses melt. 
15. Season with pepper. 
16. Top the soup with the little toasts. 
17. Enjoy!

Simply Bo-vine! Beef Vindaloo

This little number is one of my favorite dishes from my childhood. My Mama Bird found this recipe in the local newspaper and trued making it. For such a random find it's a true gem!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound top sirloin (or flank steak) 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup minced shallots 
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger root
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth 

Directions: 

1. Slice the beef as thinly as possible. (It helps if it has been in the freezer for 15 minutes and is a little bit firm and if you cut across the grain of the meat) 
2. Combine the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne, and the salt in a small bowl and set aside. 
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
4. Add the minced shallots and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). 
5. Add the garlic and ginger root and cook stirring until fragrant (about 2 minutes). 
6. Add the spice combination from the bowl and cook about 1 minute. 
7. Add the beef, brown sugar, vinegar, and beef broth. 
8. Bring all ingredients to a simmer and cook until the beef is cooked through and flavor is well-blended (6 to 8 minutes).
9. Serve on a bed of rice or pasta and enjoy! 

Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks with Mango Cucumber Salsa

Jason loves seafood. I don't. But I'm learning slowly to enjoy it. Sushi and lightly cooked fish is tasty, it's the cooked stuff I don't like (I know, bizarre right?) But, when Ahi Tuna steaks were on sale at the grocery store the other morning I knew that it was fate, Jason was going to get some yummy fish for dinner! The mango cucumber salsa really makes this dish delicious to me, plus it's so healthy! 

Ingredients:

• 2 Ahi Tuna Steaks (or more if you're serving more!) 
• 2 mangos (already ripe, if not get the mango salsa in the produce section and it'll work perfect) 
• 1 cucumber
• 1 cup white rice 
• Jalapeno (I use the jarred kind so it's not so brutal on my skin and face) 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1 red onion (you're only going to use about half) 
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. Diced the mangos, 1/2 of the onion, cucumber, jalapeno, and the garlic and place into a bowl. 
2. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the diced fruits and veggies and stir. 
3. Add salt and pepper to taste while stirring. 
4. Put this in the fridge with saran wrap covering it to allow it to ferment. (Yep, just let it get that flavor all perfected on its own) 
5. Boil the one cup rice in a saucepan in two cups water. 
6. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer until the water is gone. 
7. While the rice is cooking, enjoy a moment of down time. 
8. Four minutes before the rice is done, add the olive oil to a large frying pan making sure the whole bottom is covered. 
9. Allow a moment for the oil to get hot hot HOT! 
10. Coat both sides of the Ahi with salt and pepper before setting it into the hot oily pan. 
11. Allow it to cook for a minute and a half on one side, then flip and let cook for another minute and a half. 
12. Serve it up on two plates with rice and lots of mango-cucumber salsa to boot! 
13. Enjoy! 

Searing the fish can be a little tricky, and as Jason and I have learned, is in fact an art. So if it doesn't go right the first time, that's ok, try again! This time Jason said it was undercooked. I liked it and thought it was quite tasty.

Slow and Easy Cooking Tortellini Stew

The joy of a slow cooker can not be put into words. Jason's mom gave us one that she had and boy, oh boy, it makes delicious meals with no effort by me! And coming home to the fabulous smell of a cooking dinner makes any day a little bit sweeter. 

(Please note that I'm really improving in my food photo taking abilities!)

Ingredients: 

• One package hot Italian sausage
• One bag of frozen, cut green beans 
• One jar of crushed tomatoes with Italian spices (it's bigger than the regular soup jar) 
• One package of cheese tortellini (it depends how much you like tortellini, but I get the big pack!) 
• Italian seasoning
• Oregano (Fresh or the spice... My market was out of fresh so I used the spice and it worked just fine) 

Directions:

1. Remove the contents of the Italian sausage from its casing into the slow cooker. 
2. Add the green beans and a dash of both the Italian seasoning and oregano (it's up to you how much you like!) 
3. In the bottom of the slow cooker, mix the meat, beans, and seasoning together with your hands (or a wooden spoon if you don't want to be quite that involved with your dinner)
4. Add the crushed tomatoes. 
5. Stir this together a little bit and set the slow cooker. (3 hours on high, 6 hours on low - you choose!) 
6. Let sit until you return! 
7. Add the tortellini and a cup of water twenty minutes before the cook time is over. 
8. Let this cook for the remaining time, then ENJOY! 

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato... and Noodles!

BLT sandwiches were one of my favorite meals as a child. As an adult, I love, love, love noodles and just can't seem to get enough of them! (I guess that's the carb loading runner in me!) So today's meal is yummy!

My mom got a magazine called Cuisine at Home in the mail randomly and she got this recipe out of there and recommended it to me... It's delicious!

(Please note the creepy cat in the background wishing to get a little bit of this delicious dish)

Ingredients:

• Bacon (the recipe calls for two strips, I used over half of the package)
• 1 carton of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 thinly sliced leeks 
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• 4 ounces bucatini or spaghetti (I used spaghetti) 
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves (I just used a couple handfuls) 
• Dash and drizzle of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme (the recipe calls for fresh, I used the spice) 

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. 
2. Mince garlic for later use in the noodles. 
3. Cook the bacon for the pasta in a large nonstick skillet over medium (or in the oven at 400f for 25 minutes) 
4. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon (or tongs) to a paper-towel-lined plate. 
5. Pour out all but 1 Tablespoon of the drippings from the pan. 
6. Caramelize the tomatoes and sugar in the drippings over medium heat. 
7. Cook the tomatoes until they are beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. 
8. Add the leeks and saute until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. 
9. Deglaze the skillet with the white wine. 
10. Simmer until the liquid in the pan is nearly evaporated. 
11. Add broth, vinegar, and pepper flakes. 
12. Simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. 
13. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. 
14. Add the spinach, thyme and cooked bacon to the tomato mix. 
15. Transfer cooked pasta to the skillet after draining the water. 
16. Toss to coat the pasta and season with salt. 
17. Enjoy! 

Jason's rating: 4 out of 5. He said there could be more bacon (surprise, surprise!). But the cats loved staring on! He raved about the little Caprese salad that I put on the side (it's his absolute favorite!)... 

For the Caprese salad: 1 carton of halved cherry tomatoes, small balls of fresh mozarella, basil, splash of vinegar, and splash of olive oil... Mix it around and boom! 

Stringy Cheesy Calorie Free (just kidding!) Eggplant Lasagna

I am slightly allergic to milk and struggle with ice cream, cheese, and yogurt. Ironically, one of my favorite things in any meals is stringy, melty, delicious cheesiness. So, pump myself full of lactaid (the natural version from Henry's for other allergic foodies out there!) and indulge is my take on Italian, Mexican, oh who am I kidding anything!

Enough about milk already, time for the recipe! This delicious little number has eggplant (YUM! One of my top favorite foods!) and enough melty cheese to... well, I'm not sure what you'd do with melty cheese, but you'll get your fix here!

Ingredients:

• Two eggs
• 1/2 of the 15 oz container of Skim Ricotta Cheese
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• One 16 ounce jar of Ragu (or your favorite pre-made sauce)
• No-boil lasagna noodles (so easy!)
• One 2 cup bag of shredded Italian cheeses
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper (to your liking)
• One sizable eggplant

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and drizzle 1/2 tablespoon olive oil on each.
3. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.
4. Place half of the eggplant slices on each pan.
5. Turn to coat with the oil, then arrange in a single layer.
6. Bake until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
7. Remove eggplant from the oven.
8. Cover the bottom of the 9x9 casserole dish with spaghetti sauce.
9. Place noodles on top of the sauce, making a single layer.
10. Mix together the two eggs and ricotta cheese in a bowl.
11. Add the two cloves of minced garlic and sprinkle in salt and pepper.
12. Mix together ricotta cheese mixture.
13. Cover the noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta mix. Make sure to spread it solidly across the noodles.
14. Add another layer of sauce over the ricotta.
15. Place eggplant slices on the sauce in a single layer.
16. Add another layer of ricotta.
17. Add another layer of noodles.
18. Add another layer of sauce.
19. Add the final layer of eggplant.
20. Add another layer of sauce.
21. Add the final layer of ricotta.
22. Add the final layer of noodles.
23. Add the final layer of sauce.
24. Cover the top of the sauce with the Italian cheese. (This can be done to your liking. I happen to love cheese -did I mention that yet?- so I use a lot!)
25. Once topped to your fancy, cover the top tightly with tinfoil and pop into the oven.
26. Let cook for 40-45 minutes -until the cheese on the top is all melty and warm.
27. Remove from oven, let stand as long as you can resist (only five minutes in my kitchen!)
28. Enjoy!

Jason's rating: only 3.5 stars. He doesn't accept cheese as a legit protein. I thought the hot italian sausage I put as a side on his would work, but he said there needed to be a real protein in the lasagna. Oh, technicalities!

merry meringues for christmas

this Christmas was the year of the meringues. my mom and i have subscriptions to the foodnetwork.com magazine and it's absolutely amazing. we both cook out of it five nights a week.

the following recipe was on their website and yummmmm it's delicious!

meringue swirls:

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature


• pinch of salt


• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


• 3/4 cup superfine sugar


• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or use 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract)


• coarse sugar crystals and/or silver nonpareils, for sprinkling

how to make these sugary little treats:

1. preheat the oven to 250 degrees f.

2. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until frothy (use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer).

4. add the cream of tartar.

5. increase the speed to medium high and add the superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. (i just ma

ke sure to pour slowly and to move it around the bowl as i'm adding it... otherwise it takes forever!)

6. scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the meringue (or add the extract) and continue beating until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is thick, glossy and forms stiff peaks, about 6 minutes. (however, if it's not thick and glossy with stiff peaks don't stop, just keep beating it... you can never beat it too much)

7. fit a piping bag with a large star tip. fill the bag with the meringue and pipe spirals on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. (you can use a plastic snack baggie if you don't have the piping bags)

8. sprinkle with the coarse sugar. (colored is always pretty!)

9. bake 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues stand in the oven until dry, about 2 hours.

*make sure to store in an airtight container up to 1 week or they start to get gooey or creepy.

i'm taking these to a christmas eve dinner with my fiance and his family tomorrow... so i made them christmassy by adding green and red sugar with a little heart for the tree topper... what do you think? yep, you can call me martha stewart.



you can also add cocoa powder to the mix (just a tablespoon or two) and it'll make chocolate which are also delicious!

song of the day:

merry christmas from the family

by: rosie o'donnell and the dixie chicks

if you haven't heard the rosie christmas cds... you need to because they are hysterical!