Macaroni & Cheese

slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

My girls love this mac & cheese, and Dakota tolerates it.  We have it for lunch frequently.  Sometimes I use half pepper jack cheese and half cheddar, but the kids prefer plain cheddar.  My kids don't like pepper (or at least the looks of pepper) so we add it to our individual servings.

1 3/4 cups water
3/4  cup milk
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp dry mustard
hot sauce to taste
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
1 TB butter, cut in small chunks
Ground pepper to taste

Bring water, 1/2 cup milk, macaroni, and salt to a simmer in large skillet.  Cook at vigorous simmer stirring often, until the macaroni is tender.  Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, cornstarch, mustard, and hot sauce together in a small bowl.  Stir into skillet.  Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Off the heat, stir in the cheese one handful at a time.  (You can add a little water to adjust the consistency of the sauce if needed).  Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Broiled Tomatoes or Zucchini

My sister served this zucchini to us when we were visiting, and we liked it.  One night I went to make it, and I couldn't find zucchini in my garden.  Then I saw all the tomatoes, and decided to try the same method with mozzarella cheese... they were delicious!

Parmesan Zucchini:

Sprinkle sliced zucchini with garlic seasoning, then with parmesan cheese.  Bake until zucchini is tender, and cheese is melted.

Mozarella Tomatoes:

Sprinkle sliced (homegrown) tomatoes with garlic seasoning, then with mozzarella cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted.

Baked Fries

Preheat oven to 425.

Cut fries and spread in single layer on greased cookie sheet.  Spray with cooking spray and add desired spices.  Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once.

Spanish Rice

2 TB oil

1 cup uncooked rice

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper

2 cups chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder, or to taste

Heat oil and saute rice, onion, & pepper until rice is browned & onion is tender.

Stir in water, tomatoes, and chili powder. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Zucchini Fries

I thought Dakota might try zucchini if it was in fry form. So I searched the internet and found this recipe. Dakota wouldn't touch them, but Adam and I like them. The first time I made them we decided there was too much breading and too little zucchini, so now I quarter the zucchini and we like it better.

Zucchini Oven Fries

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 medium zucchini (or long yellow squash), sliced into 1/2 inch wide sticks
1 egg white, beaten
olive oil spray
dipping sauce of choice

Preheat oven to 475ºF
Mix flours, cornmeal, and spices in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Set aside.

Line baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with olive oil.

Dip zucchini sticks into beaten egg white, then place in bag of flour. Shake to coat, and arrange on baking sheet. Do not allow zucchini strips to touch. Coat top with olive oil spray.

Place baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Flip zucchini strips and continue baking for 5-7 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.