Stovetop Sausage Mac n Cheese

This recipe comes complements of Cooking Light. I printed this off of their website and Sunday was the perfect time to use it. The sausage flavor gets spread throughout the cheese sauce since the milk/flour mixture basically de-glazes the pan. Yum!

I paired the mac n cheese with a Salami and cheese beer bread (recipe to follow!).


Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese
From Cooking Light

Yields- 4 servings @ 433 calories each

• 4 ounces chicken and sun-dried tomato sausage (such as Gerhard's), chopped
• 1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 5 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

-Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat.
-Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.
-Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
-Reduce heat to medium.
-Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly.
-Stir in pasta.
-Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

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Penne with Shrimp and Zucchini in Tomato Vodka Sauce

Penne with Shrimp and Zucchini in Tomato Vodka Sauce
adapted from Colleen's Kitchen

2 servings

1 tbsp butter/margarine
1 tsp olive oil
8 oz large shrimp, peeled & deveined (I used the already cooked frozen kind)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, quartered vertically and cut into slices (about 1/4-1/2" thick)
14/15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
2 tbsp vodka
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb penne pasta
parmesan cheese
parsley

1- Start water to boil for the pasta.
2- While the water is coming to a boil, melt butter with the olive oil. Add the shrimp, onion, garlic, and zucchini and saute until the onions are transparent.
3- Add the tomatoes and cook until almost no liquid remains in the skillet- stir frequently so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
4- If your mixture is boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the milk and vodka. Stir to combine and then replace onto the heat & bring back to a boil. Let the mixture thicken into a sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
5- Combine the sauce with the penne. Top with parmesan cheese and parsley.

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Carrots, Peas and Cheesy Pasta with Shrimp

I've had this recipe from Rachael Ray in my "archive" for awhile, and am just now getting around to making it. It definitely needed some modification to make it lower in fat and calories. I made some changes, but this meal is still pretty high in calories- save it for a work out day!


Carrots, Peas and Cheesy Pasta with Shrimp
adapted from Rachael Ray

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

1	tsp Salt
1/4	lb small pasta shells
4	oz light cream cheese
1	small onion, peeled and sliced
1/2	lb cooked frozen shrimp, thawed
1/2	tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1	tablespoons Smart Balance Light
1	garlic cloves, smashed
1	tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2	cup chicken broth
3/4	cups fat free milk
5	oz frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1/2	cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2	tsp ground pepper

Directions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil and cover it with a lid so the water comes to a boil fast. When the water boils, add salt and the pasta shells and cook until the shells are almost done, 7 to 8 minutes; they should still have a little bite to them. Drain the pasta.
   
   
2. Remove the foil wrapping from the cream cheese, place the cheese in a microwavable bowl and soften in the microwave, on high, for 30 seconds.
   
   
3. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When the butter melts into the EVOO, scrape the onion and its juice into the butter and add the garlic and shrimp, then cook for 3 minutes. Using a fork, remove the big hunks of garlic. (The flavor of the garlic goes all through the butter and oil as soon as it heats up.) Continue sauteing until the shrimp are heated through.
   
   
4. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Whisk in the broth and then the milk. Let the liquid come up to a bubble, then mix in the cream cheese until it melts and blends into the milk and broth completely.
   
   
5. Stir in the veggies and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir the grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese into the sauce and remove the pan from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
   
6. Return the hot pasta to the pot it was cooked in and add the sauce with the veggies. Stir together and add more cheese, salt and pepper, if desired. Place the pasta in bowls and top with the chives.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 528.9g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 644 Calories from Fat 210

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 23.3g 36%

Saturated Fat 11.3g 57%

Cholesterol 328mg 109%

Sodium 2623mg 109%

Total Carbohydrates 66.1g 22%

Dietary Fiber 5.1g 20%

Sugars 14.2g

Protein 44.2g

Vitamin A 160% • Vitamin C 15% Calcium 63% • Iron 8%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

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Rachael Ray's Jambasta

I love Rachael Ray, I don't care what other people say. My loyalty may be due in part to the fact that she got her start on my local upstate NY TV channel!

On the menu this week for Wednesday night was Jambasta- Rachael's take on jambalaya.
I made some modifications to her recipe, so I will note them.

I really liked this meal, I prefer a thicker sauce, but the recipe was for a thin/soupy one. Next time I think that I will thicken it more, just so that it sticks to the noodles and isn't a "stewp".



Rachael Ray's Jambasta

• Salt
• 1 pound penne rigate, pasta with lines (I used rotini, because that's what I had)
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, any brand, casing removed and diced (I used sweet Italian turkey sausage- I put the sausages on a cookie sheet, drizzled some olive oil on them and stuck them in the oven at 350 for maybe 10 minutes, so that they were "solid" enough that I could slice them)
  
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped or thinly sliced (1 large jalapeno my be substituted) (I substituted a green bell pepper- I married a guy afraid of spicy things)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 ribs celery from the heart with greens, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beer, 1/2 bottle (Omitted)
  
• 1 cup chicken stock (Added another cup to replace the beer that was omitted)
  
• 1 (14-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Franks Red Hot or Tabasco) eyeball it (Omitted- see above)
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped (Omitted- I don't like thyme)
  
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, diced into small pieces (Omitted- I didn't want to add even more meat to the dish & increase its cost)
  
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, eyeball it (I used a splash of skim milk)
  
• 2 scallions, sliced (Omitted)
  

Stick the sausages onto a cookie sheet, drizzle with EVOO (is IS a Rachael recipe!) and put in the oven at 350 for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice the sausages.

Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta and add salt to it then pasta. Cook to al dente and drain.

While pasta works, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat.

Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and andouille. Brown the sausage 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add garlic, peppers, celery and onions. Saute the veggies for 5 to 6minutes.

Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add flour to the pan.

Cook flour with veggies 2 minutes more then whisk in beer. Cook beer out, 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, hot sauce and thyme.

Bring liquid to a bubble and add chicken and shrimp.

Cook 6 to 7 minutes until chicken is firm and shrimp are opaque and firm.

Stir to mix in cooking juices then add in cream.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Ladle up the jambasta and top with chopped scallions (I garnished instead with chives) and reserved crispy andouille.

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Spinach Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce and Cheesy Garlic Bread

For supper tonight, the menu was Cheese and Spinach Ravioli with Cheesy Garlic Swirl Bread.

I bought the ravioli in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Low Fat Alfredo Sauce
2 tbsp margarine (I use I can't Believe its not Butter Light)
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 oz low fat cream cheese (I use neufchatel- 1/3 the fat of regular cream cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder

1- Melt the margarine in the bottom of a saucepan, on medium.
2- Whisk in the flour. Combine until it becomes paste-like. Cook for a minute or two.
3- Whisk milk into the butter-flour combo. Whisk until the milk is fully combined with the butter & flour and no lumps remain.
4- Increase the heat to med-high, keep whisking so that the bottom does not burn. I ended up covering the pot for a minute or two to increase the temperature of the mixture, and bring it to a boil.
5- As soon as the mixture starts boiling, continuously stir until the sauce thickens and becomes thickness of gravy.
6- Once the sauce is thickened, return the stove temperature to low.
7- Add the cream cheese, in small hunks. Use a spoon to break down and melt the cream cheese. Once the hunks are small (smaller than peas) use the whisk again to completely combine the cream cheese into the milk sauce.
8- Once the cream cheese is fully incorporated into the sauce, add the salt & pepper, parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Stir to combine.

Looks good enough to me!- Jaq

The bread was so good. I adapted the recipe from one I found at Annie's Eats.

Garlic Herb Swirl Bread
Ingredients:
3 ¼ cups bread flour, divided
1 tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. active dry or quick-rising yeast
½ tsp. salt
1 cup very warm water (115-125°)
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened or melted

For the filling:
4 tbsp. butter, softened
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer combine 2 cups bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

2- Add in water and butter/margarine and mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minute. Add in remaining flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough is moist but not sticky.

3- Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

4- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over to coat with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 40-45 minutes.

5- Grease a 9×5” loaf pan. Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a large rectangle no more than 9” wide.

6- Combine butter, garlic, italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

7- Spread the butter mixture over the surface of the dough rectangle.

8- Spread a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the butter mixture.

9- Tightly roll up the dough into a cylinder shape, pinching and tucking ends to form a tight seal. Place seam side down in prepared loaf pan.

10- Oil the surface of the loaf and cover loosely with a clean cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 20-45 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with Parmesan cheese if desired.

11- Preheat the oven to 450°. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake for about 30 minutes more.

12-To prevent over-browning, cover with foil toward the end of baking if necessary. Bake until crust is golden brown and loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Transfer from pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing.

My bread kind of smushed when I cut into it- I'm not sure if it was the addition of the cheese, or that I didn't completely let it cool before busting into it. I couldn't help myself!

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