Baked Macaroni & Cheese

While waiting for some family to head over to the house the other day, I decided to just chill, flip through some channels, and settle down a bit.

 

And naturally, I stopped on the Food Network.

 

I rarely watch TV nowadays and even the Food Network has less and less captivated me now that the shows aren't as innovative but I still love some of the competitive shows when I get a chance.

 

Before I go any further, I just have to say I still love Ina Garten. Possibly the only one on that channel that can actually cook pretty darn well and keeping it classy in the Hampton's.

 

So to continue my 'hang out time' story, Ina Garten's show was on and I decided to make a pit stop and watch it.

 

She announced she was going to make one of her favorite recipes, the fantastic:

 

Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese.

 

I took one look at the lobster....

 

And had a major foodgasm.

 

I am not even kidding!

 

Even just thinking about it now...

 

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

 

 I just had to have it baaad!

 

Lobster is one of those delicacies that I WISH I could have everyday. I promise I won't get bored of it! Of course it's expenisve to buy out here in the wonderful sunny state of California so I rarely get to enjoy it. So in the case of wanting to make Lobster Mac and Cheese right then and there, it was impossible.  

 

What is a girl to do?

 

Well I didn't let it stop me. I just made my own Mac and Cheese, just sadly without the Lobster.

 

My Macaroni and Cheese is pretty darn good, moist, cheesy, and comforting. Everything it is supposed to have and do. It's open to most pastas. Any cheese you'd like. Perfectly seasoned. Each bite was made to be loved.

 

PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME! I forgot to snap a pic before the dish was served. I did however get a picture in for Instagram so just find me on there if you need to match the picture with the recipe!

 

Below I just mention cheese. You can use any of your favorite combinations. This time around, I used Muenster and Mozzarella and sprinkled Parmesan and Crumbled Turkey Bacon on top. Go with what you love.

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

 

Serves: 8 people

 

1 - 1 lb (16 oz) pasta

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp flour

4 cups of milk

1 egg (optional)

~ 4-5 cups of cheese

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/4 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Parmesan OR Breadcrumbs OR Crushed Unsalted Pretzel, for topping

Crumbled bacon, for topping (optional)

 

Directions:

 

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

2) Boil water on the stove, salt it, and cook the pasta noodles. Take off stove after cooking for about 5-7 minutes, drain, and place back into the pot.

3) While noodles are cooking, melt butter over medium heat, add the flour, and make a roux. Once combined, add the milk and mix. If using an egg, mix separately than add to the milk. While the milk is thickening, start seasoning with salt, pepper, mustard, garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

4)Once it starts to thicken, add the cheese and combine until melted.

5)When ready, pour over the pasta and make sure every noodle is covered in the sauce. Then get the noodles into the pan, cover with your preferred topping(s), and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

Whaaaat??! Veggie burgers? Where's the meat!

 

I know, I know! Kind of strange seeing this girl post a recipe for a veggie burger but hear me out!

 

I made plans for myself to try to go completely meat-less -minus fish and 2 eggs/week, of course!- for a few weeks, starting this past Monday. Doing it mainly for health reasons and actually feeling great about it! This will be my second meat challenge this year and I'm feeling pumped about doing this again but working harder to eat better meat-less meals.

 

So how to do this without giving up, feeling hungry, and getting discouraged?

 

Get creative in the kitchen. Try new things and experiment. Figure out new flavors or combinations that you like and ones you may not but glad you at least had the guts to try. Play around with your food! Make it fun.

 

The first thing I thought of doing was buying three cans of chickpeas and deciding on making three totally different dishes I've never had before than the usual ways of delving into the garbanzo bean. Gotta start somewhere!

 

I looked online for some inspiration or even a new recipe to try and right away I locked my eyes on the recipe for Zucchini Chickpea Burgers....and that was the first new meal I was going to create with one of my cans. I was a little wary but definitely went in with an open-mind.

 

I found the recipe on Vicky's blog: http://avocadopesto.com

 

and here's the link to her recipe: Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

 

I made a couple of changes for my own preferences (and the fact I rarely follow a recipe!) but here is her recipe below:

 



Zucchini Chickpea Burgers

Recipe type: Dinner

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 6

 

Killer veggie burgers made with zucchini, chickpeas, quinoa and sunflower seeds. This will be your new favorite burger. Vegan and gluten free too!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 1½ cup zucchini, grated on the largest setting of a box grater
• ½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• ¾ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper to taste
   
• 1½ cup canned chickpeas
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (1/3 cup dry)
• ⅔ cups water
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• ½ teaspoon smoked and spicy paprika
• To serve::
• 8 hamburger buns or sliced bread (Udi’s gluten free for gluten free version)
• red onion, thinly sliced
• large handful arugula
• 4 tablespoons wasabi mayo (omit for vegan version)
• 4 tablespoons edamame hummus
• 3 small cucumbers, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, and saute until zucchini is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Grind pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add quinoa, chickpeas, dijon mustard, lemon, dill, and paprika, to the mixture. Pulse to combine a few times and then run the food processor until the mixture is broken up but hasn’t completely lost its texture. If you need to, add a little water to the mixture.
3. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl and add the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Mix until combined.
4. Shape the mixture into 6-8 patties with your hands.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook burgers for five minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. Serve each burger on hamburger buns with a dollop of wasabi mayo, edamame hummus, sliced cucumbers, red onions and arugula.

 

Here's my end result:

 



 

And my changes:

• I ended up replacing the sunflower seeds with pine nuts. 
• No need to add any water to the mix. It was perfectly moist.
• The olive oil was kind of low for only 2 Tbsp and splitting it for the first steps and when cooking the burgers but I stuck to it.
• I had no dijon mustard in my kitchen so I used regular mustard but cut it down to less than 2 Tbsp. I got a hint of it when I tried the burger but not overpowering at all. I wouldn't mind using this again or just buying some dijon.
• I used dried dill instead of fresh. I don't use it that often to buy fresh so dried came in handy today.
• I had smoky paprika on hand already so used that though it isn't spicy at all.
• I added 1 tsp of red pepper flakes for a kick!
• I was out of arugula. :)
• Instead of making wasabi mayo, I made wasabi yogurt instead. Just made about 1/2-1 tsp of wasabi and added to about 1/2 cup of plain low-fat yogurt. It was more than perfect! That and I'm trying to avoid mayo as much as I can.
• And I didn't have edamame hummus - which I absolutely love, by the way!

My thoughts?

 

I actually really like this burger. I forgot that it wasn't meat for a second! I wouldn't mind making this once in a while. I was able to get 7 burgers out of the mix, which I ended up freezing them to enjoy on another day. So far it's been about 5 hours since I had lunch and I'm still feeling full, no appetite at all, and I'm not missing meat...so far! I encourage you to try this out and taste for yourself!

 

 



Happy 4th!

To celebrate the fourth, I'm making my Blue Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Burgers. Mainly because I'm running everyday now for my current job and I have been CRAVING a good burger bad for days now. And normally, when it comes to my cravings, I have to give in because it just doesn't go away! And I would never deprive myself of eating good comfort food. :)

Once in a while, I'm all about simple and don't feel the need to add odd ingredients to everything I make, according to my friends. The faster it's put together, the quicker I get to eat!  It's only FOUR ingredients. No salt added and no salt needed. Satisfies the craving of a burger, who doesn't love bacon and blue cheese together, and my love of garlic. All put together to make an all around filling and craving-satisfied meal.

All you need is:

1 lb of ground beef (or chicken, lamb, your preference)
Garlic powder/Granulated Garlic
1/2 cup blue cheese
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine cheese and bacon; set aside. Mix the meat and garlic together. Split meat into four sections and shape into rounds. Hollow out each ball and stuff in the cheese-bacon mixture. Close off and flatten with the palms of your hands. Heat skillet or get the grill going and cook burgers for 3-5 minutes on each side. Serve with avocado and keep it simple or add any of your favorite toppings on a hamburger bun.

My mouth is watering now.

Basil Fresh From The Garden

I said I would make time to notice all the things my backyard offers and come up with fun recipes as a way to show that we should all take advantage of what we have in order to not only bring organic foods into our daily lives, but it is also a way of getting friends and family involved, save money, and appreciate fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

BASIL. I just absolutely love basil.

BASIL:
-Very aromatic, zesty, clove/mint, anise, licorice, cinnamon, lemon
-Pairs extremely well with tomatoes
-Aides in many health benefits--from the common cold to stomach issues
-Herbal Tea
-Salads
-Soups, Sauces, and Pestos
-Desserts
-Essential oils in perfumes
-Faithfulness
-Symbol of love
-Protects from the negatives in daily life, clears toxins, protects from infidelity in marriage
-I found that you should not use basil essential oils if you have liver problems, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding---due to its high carcinogenic content. (http://www.answers.com/topic/basil, 2009). I did not know this at all. Learned something new today!

My thoughts on Basil.
I have always been in love with it's flavor. I prefer my basil fresh, not dried. I feel the freshness of the herb brings a dish to new and higher intensities than the use of dried basil. I read somewhere that basil is soon becoming a fad..I DON'T THINK SO. I think more people are realizing its flavor and utilizing it more. Me, I've always used it and definitely not something that I have recently picked up. I like trying new things and the one thing I have been curious to try lately is basil ice cream. I bet it is fantastic!

So I thought I would come up with recipes on my own for basil, but I really don't think I need to. Basil is easy to incorporate into many recipes or just make the many easy dishes that you can find all over the internet, food network, or cookbooks. So this is what I have in mind...

I love the combination of the tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad. There are some recipes that involve combining the ingredients and heating them through in the oven, and although I do like it this way, I prefer it fresh.

♥Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Salad
Just slice tomatoes, top each tomato slice with a slice of fresh mozzarella, and top that off with fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh cracked black pepper. Sometimes I like good balsamic vinegar on the side. You can also add lettuce to this salad, if desired.

♥We had fantastic Caprese Empanadas in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I would definitely recreate that meal. Find the recipe for empanada dough. Combine fresh tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, and mozzarella. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add to make the empanada whole and bake until nice and golden.

♥Plenty of internet recipes of Basil pesto.

♥Before baking pizza in the oven, top off with fresh basil.

♥Salmon (or Trout) Basil Tarragon Cream Sauce --I love this recipe!

Melt 2 T butter in large frying pan, cook fish (4 fresh pieces of salmon or trout, filleted and removed skin) for about 6 minutes total, turning once. When done, remove fish from pan and cover with foil to keep warm. Add 2 large, chopped scallions and a cucumber (that has been peeled, deseeded, and cut into sticks) into the pan, cook gently until soft. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp cornstarch. Return to heat and pour in 2/3 cup cream and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until thickened and continuously stir. Add 2 T chopped basil, 2 T chopped tarragon, and 1 tomato that has been chopped and deseeded, into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon over fish and serve with a carb/starch and colored veggies.

♥Salmon Risotto with Cucumber, Basil, and Tarragon

Heat 2 T butter in large saucepan, add a small bunch of chopped scallions and 1 cucumber (peeled, deseeded, and chopped). Cook for a couple minutes. Add 2 cups short grain rice, 3 3/4 stock, and 2/3 cup water. Boil than simmer uncovered for 10 mins, with occasional stirring. Stir in 1 lb diced salmon (or 2 cans of salmon), 3 T chopped basil, and 2 T chopped tarragon. Continue cooking, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. Then enjoy the goodness!

Those two recipes above came from 20-minute cookbook by Steven Wheeler. I changed up the recipes by actually adding the basil on my own and adjusting some ingredients and some of the amounts. Both family dishes, friendly dishes, and fancy/nice dishes.

♥I love basil pesto on top of cooked pasta. I also like adding chicken to it, freshly grated parmesan, and toasted garlic bread on the side.

♥I've heard Basil ice cream is good. I would suggest maybe looking for recipes or finding a restaurant that has it.

♥I saw a lovely Strawberry and Fig Basil Salad online

♥I also saw a Strawberry-Basil Iced Tea recipe online

♥Blueberry Basil Granita

♥Blueberry Basil Sauce and Pouched Salmon (I noticed there was honey in this recipe, so I'm thinking of substituting sugar or something else for it!)

♥Blueberry Basil Spritzer

♥Thai Basil Blueberry Crumble

♥Chicken Basil

♥Chicken and Basil Stir Fry

♥Grilled Beef with a Hot Basil and Chili Sauce

♥Roast Beef Blue Cheese Basil Sandwich

♥Duck with Peaches and Basil

♥Cinnamon Basil Pesto

♥Lemon Snow Pudding with Basil Custard Sauce

♥Honeydew with mint, basil, and lime

♥Search basil desserts at epicurious.com

Not only did I just search online for basil recipes, I also discovered new recipes that I have not ever tried and am completely willing to start researching into new ones and trying them out!

Now there you have it--no excuses! Plenty of ways of enjoying basil--through my favorites, recipes that I have, and by just playing around on the internet. Basil is a versatile herb and you can definitely just add it into plenty of dishes.

Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ

Best BBQ ever in California. Period.



Of course on the Top 10 list for best BBQ in Southern California. And in the front, I'd like to add. Dr. Hogly Wogly's is known for having the best beef brisket, ribs, Texas sweet BBQ sauce, sides, and very chill waitresses who pretty much all look the same! This is the one BBQ place I recommend you really check out. It is a definite must. You will be missing out on a good hole in the wall if you don't.

My friend Eunice discovered this place years ago and had me go with her one day to check it out awhile back. I fell in love with the look of the restaurant, how easy it was to get seated, easy to order, the bread, the sides, and meat! Also, how quickly you receive your meal. We try to make it a habit to come here one to two times a year to enjoy this goodness. Why only one to two times a year, you ask? Because I can physically feel my arteries clogging as I am enjoying my meat! It takes time for my body to adjust to this artery-clogging, high cholesterol high!

So at this time, we were seated at our table. We both ordered our waters. We then looked at our menus to set up our individual meals. First you must choose your sides. The only options are potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, and baked beans. Personally I wish they would expand on that and add mac and cheese, baked potato, mashed potatoes, greens (from what I've been hearing from others), make their french fries a side option (they aren't; you would have to pay extra to get these), or offer different sides. Of course we both ordered the baked beans. We enjoy their sweet, filling flavor. You can't find that flavor anywhere.



Eunice ordered the potato salad this time instead of the coleslaw and I ordered the macaroni salad. I enjoyed it though in my opinion, has too much mayonnaise and doesn't have much in the side dish other than the macaroni, mayonnaise, celery, and the only seasoning my tongue could grasp, salt.



We had received our bread and butter along with the sides. Seriously, there is nothing much to say other than that we love the bread, which has a slightly sweet touch to it, along with the butter. We can't get enough of it.



After a quick scan of the menu, Eunice already knew she was going to order the ribs. Me of course, that day, I went in thinking I was going to order the chicken, somehow wanted to get the beef brisket, and ended up ordering the ribs as well! It's so hard to make up your mind there when there are so many good choices to choose from! I think the next time I go, I'll order with an option of the two or three-combo meals. The prices are pretty much the same whether you get a regular plate or one of their combos. You'll end up taking the leftovers home anyways and they seem to last for almost a week!

We received our ribs rather quickly, as usual, and oh goodness, we always take a look at them for a few minutes before we start to chow down! THEIR RIBS ARE HUGE! In the past, we used to get six ribs each on our plates, but now I don't know if they are downsizing, but we got five ribs this time. Not that I'm complaining, but they did make good leftovers for a hardworking college graduate!

The meat just falls off the bone. So tender. So juicy. So meaty. So flavorful. The flavors are doing the samba in your mouth. It just brings you to new and high levels of satisfaction. I also just love the sweetness of the Texas BBQ sauce they serve on the side. Everyone has their own preference for how they like their own BBQ sauce and though I'm not completely into sweet BBQ sauce, I love it here. It really isn't too sweet at all as some people think it is; more of just a hint. I always pour the sauce all over the ribs before I dive in.



Had to get a shot with the lights to show the liquids from the ribs. The seasonings, the flavors---SIMPLY OUTSTANDING! If you choose to enjoy your ribs without the BBQ sauce, you can because the liquid is full of flavor and definitely enough to really pleasure your tastebuds. Pure and heart satisfying.



I don't know how many ribs people normally indulge at Dr. Hogly Wogly's but Eunice and I cannot intake every rib on our plate! She was able to only finish two ribs and I had just barely started the second rib when my stomach sent the message to my brain that it was too full of lovin'!

At this point, we both sit back, relax, and ALWAYS say, "Oh, my stomach. Oh, my heart! I can't wait to do this again soon!" Oh and just be careful to not fall asleep at the restaurant because you will be sleepy! Guaranteed.

This is when the cleaning begins. Your hands are covered in sauce and are messy. There is always plenty of napkins and the wet wipes to clean up. This, to me, is not always enough, so I always have something like hand sanitizer which does somewhat help in the moment.



Now it's the time for your waitress to come and ask you if you want to take the rest of your meat home. Yes, of course! They will then pour everything on your plate, including the liquid into a plastic bag, double bag it, tie a knot to keep the goodness locked in, and place your meat into a brown paper bag. I would be SHOCKED if you left Dr. Hogly Wogly's without one of these:



So the total for a plate full of ribs is $20, which I'm assuming is pretty reasonable and includes all of the sides. I'll give Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ 4 and 1/2 hearts: ♥♥♥♥1/2. I would have given it 5 hearts if it had more side options to choose from and maybe even more dessert options. I remember the first time I came here, I ordered sweet potato pie and did not like it because they didn't let me know they had honey as one of their ingredients when I had asked (I can make sweet potato pie without it). I don't like honey at all and my tongue can tell the second it tastes it. Now I don't go there for the dessert, but some people do and I'm sure they would appreciate the variety. Overall, there is nothing wrong with having a variety of options to choose from during any part of the meal at any given restaurant you choose to settle down in.

Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ is friend-friendly, family-friendly, kid-friendly, stomach-friendly, flavor-satisfying, and a heart happy place. I believe it when they say it is one of the top BBQ restaurants in Socal. Definitely give it a go!


8136 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91402

And in other BBQ news, I have also heard that The Bear Pit is also a top BBQ restaurant in Socal. I have only heard good things about it so I will definitely check this place out sometime!

10825 Sepulveda Blvd.
Mission Hills, CA 91345

Sad to report....

So yesterday my friend Diana and I went in search of that hole in the wall chili place we have been dying to try....

Chili My Soul on Balboa and Ventura in Encino, CA.

And sadly I must report, it is no longer there. My heart dropped and I know her's did too, especially because she had been telling me about this place for a year and never going. She read a note that they left on the window saying that it was closed until further notice. Let's hope that one day they will open up sometime soon, like say, this year!

What I also must report was that Chili My Soul was also featured in the Los Angeles episode of Chefs vs. the City on the Food Network. That just makes it even more sad watching them eat the different chili bowls they offer there and not being able to try any of it!




So.....we went to the Cheesecake Factory instead since we were in the area. Got my usual Mediterranean Salmon and got the Tiramisu cheesecake to go. I believe she got the garlic pasta. Of course I enjoyed my dish and she said her's was good, but nothing spectacular, or boring, meaning she wished there was more going on, on the plate.

On the way back, we decided we were going to meet up with her brothers and their friends at the concert in the park---reggae style and for a little BBQ. Great band and lively music. On the way there, we caught the "Jack in the Box" guy walking all over Bouqet. I'm pretty sure we saw him in the Burger King parking lot instead of at Jack in the Box. Maybe he realized that he doesn't like his own food? That's okay, I don't either; Jack in the Box, that is!



So I came up with a little project for myself, which I think I will actually enjoy! I'm going to take a picture of every tree and herb in my backyard and come up with recipes, on my own, and put them up here. Wouldn't it be great to use what you have and save money instead of buying it at the grocery store? Great way to get your family involved too. Maybe the next time I go down to Ralph's, I'll see less cars in the drive-thru at McDonalds. It always saddens me when I see this. COOK for your families and use the drive-thru less often!