Baked Macaroni Night

So after a mini-concert in our gameroom.....ate a bunch of trick or treat candies while kids are in school...I woke up with a really sore throat....Then I found out that we are having unexpected visitor, my Sister-in-law and nephew. With my body and throat aching, I manage to accomplish quite a bit. Swept, mop, vacuumed and wax the floor, pick-up the mess in the gameroom, clean my daughter's room wash ALL the dishes, clean our room, tidy-up the back porch...That's a great amount of work for someone who is starting to get sick......

Today is the first day I get to be formally introduced to my sister-in-law and actually hang-out with her for a lil bit before she head up north with her son. I let her and hubby catch-up for the most part and today I got to talk to her....

Cute lil nephew loves the karate gear

They found a perfect play area in the house

Fence keep falling down

Big kid joined in

They hardly get together so I decided to make something good for dinner.

Baked Macaroni Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni

Meat Sauce:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onions, diced, minced garlic
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 can Spaghetti sauce of your choice
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mornay Sauce:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fresh milk/1 can evaporated milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 ounce grated parmesan cheese
• 2 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Prepare the elbow macaroni according to instructions in the package and intentionally cut the cooking time so that the macaroni is not well done (the macaroni will be fully cooked once baked) then drain and set aside.

To make spaghetti sauce: Place ground beef in a preheated pan and fry until light brown. Add the garlic and onions. Saute together for a few minutes until fragrant. Pour in spaghetti sauce and little bit of water. Add red bell pepper. Season with salt, sugar, and pepper. Stir until combined. Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 15 -20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool down for a few minutes.

Save 1/4 cup of sauce and spread evenly into the bottom of baking dish.

Add butter in a saucepan.

While melting, add in flour and continuously stirring over low heat until flour is fully dissolved. Pour in fresh milk little by little; continue to whisk until smooth, lumps free and well combined. Turn off heat. Sprinkle in grated cheddar cheese and stir well until sauce is creamy and cheeses melted. Allow to cool down for a few minutes.

Sprinkle in grated cheddar cheese and stir well until sauce is creamy and cheeses melted. Allow to cool down for a few minutes.

Mix and toss cooked macaroni with cooked spaghetti sauce. .

Set aside into the baking dish

Pour white sauce over the top of macaroni noodles and spread evenly. Sprinkle on top with generous amount of mozzarella, cheddar or Parmesan cheese. (The type of cheese is optional, you can use the cheese of your choice).

Place in preheated oven at 350 degrees F and bake for at least 30 minutes or until top is slightly brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool down.

It is not burnt its just the way it looks in pic when i took the shot in the oven.

I didnt get to take a picture of the first one because it was attacked.

My sister-in-law had just left tonight and I hope she had a great time with us. Meanwhile I can curl up in  the blanket now and get over this nasty cold, flu-like feeling.

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites

I hate wasting food...But my Redneck's are not very good at eating leftover meals.
We had Mac and Cheese leftovers and I had to figure out how to make it appealing to them.
Del Tacos! I suddenly remembered my favorite mac and cheese bites.
The only problem is, it wasnt formed how it should be, to coat it easier with breading.
It should atleast be stored in a flat surface so I can cut it in squares easily.
Or shape it in balls perhaps before storing it in the fridge.
I sliced it in small pieces anyways.
Note: If you plan on making the breaded Mac and cheese bits, add a lil salt when you cook the mac and cheese.

Cut refrigerated(should be overnight) macaroni and cheese into slices or bite size pieces

Flour and Egg

 Season the flour with cayenne, salt,and pepper. Dredge each piece through the flour mixture and gently tap off extra.

I ran out of breading so I had to make some. Toast bread & put them in the food processor and season it the way you want.

Dip in the egg wash and then coat with the bread crumbs. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes so the crust can set.

Very carefully drop into the oil and fry until golden brown.

Drain on paper towels for a few minutes or place on a rack with a cookie sheet underneath.

Serve & Enjoy.

You can try it with any dips too.

SUCCESS!

Everyone loved it!

Thai peanut chicken recipe

Exploring on different cuisine. I am just getting tired of American dish. I also need to find out what else out there my redneck's are willing to eat, so we are not stuck with meat. I am atleast trying to eat healthy.

I love kare-kare. It is a Philippine stew complimented with a thick savory peanut sauce with a variety of vegetables, stewed oxtail, beef, and occasionally offal or tripe. 

The peanut sauce of fresh spring roll is one of my fave too.

However my Redneck's are very picky so only me and my daughter enjoys food adventure most of the time. 

Time to find out the verdict of this new food on the table....


INGREDIENTS:

7 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
5 teaspoons white wine vinegar or 5 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 (cup) honey
3 tablespoons olive oil or 3 tablespoons peanut oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
3/4 cup chopped green onion
4 cups broccoli florets

COOKING PROCEDURE:

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
 

 Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is golden on the outside, about 5 minutes.

 Reduce heat to medium, and add green onion, broccoli and the peanut butter mixture.

Cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until broccoli is tender, and chicken is cooked through.

 Serve over rice or rice noodles.

Sadly only I appreciated the Thai peanut chicken. It is a little bit too odd for their tastebuds.

Now on a hunt for the next dish to present to my panel of Rednecks!

Weekend special

I am not usually looking forward to weekends because it is just like my regular days.
I am a stay-@-home mommy.
But today is something different. I am invited to a friend's farewell party.
I had just met her and now she is leaving.
They are heading to Texas for a New Adventure!

We are both from Philippines and we sometimes crave for Filipino food.
So I thought of making her something that would fix her craving.

Cassava cake.

Cassava cake.

It is a popular Filipino dessert made from grated cassava also known yucca/yucca root/manioc.

A woody shrub where the starch that is used to make tapioca's are derived.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

-2 packs grated cassava (about 2lbs wt. can be purchased in Filipino stores)
-1 can coconut milk
-½ can evaporated milk
-2 raw eggs
-¼ cup butter melted
-6 tbsp grated cheese
-½ can condensed milk
-14 tbsp sugar

For the topping:

-1 can coconut milk
-2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ can condensed milk
-2 tbsp flour
-2 tbsp grated cheese (**UPDATE:on  this post I used grated cheese but I found out that sliced cheese works better)
-egg white

Cooking Procedure:

Combine the grated cassava, butter, condensed milk, evaporated milk, cheese, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly

 Add the coconut milk in the mixing bowl where the mixed ingredients are. Mix again.

 Grease the baking tray then pour-in the batter (ingredients that has just been mixed)

 Pre -heat oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes then put-in the baking tray with batter and bake for 1 hour.Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile prepare the batter by combining the sugar and flour and put-in the heated saucepan.

Pour-in the condensed milk then mix thoroughly.

Add the cheese while stirring constantly.

Pour the coconut milk and stir constantly for 10 minutes

When it thickens (let it boil a lil) turn the heat off.

Pour the topping over the Cassava Cake (baked batter) and spread evenly.

Separate the yolk from the egg white of the remaining egg (we’ll be needing the egg white)

Glaze the topping with the egg white (you may use a basting brush for this step)

 Broil the Cassava cake until color turns light brown. 

(It will create a big bubble but that is alright check it often it browns quickly)

Its just a matter of seconds! I almost burnt the top!

 Garnish with grated cheese/Cover top with sliced cheese put back in the oven until its a little brown (not burnt) and serve. Share and enjoy!

I was skeptical at first taking the dish to the party. But Im glad its a hit!

What's your weekend plan?

Meatloaf Muffins and Hasselback potatoes

Its funny how Pinterest can make you feel so creative, but all you did was sit infront of the computer pinning hundreds of stuff.

I myself am guilty of that.

There's enormous crafts and DIY's that I wanted to do but couldnt find time yet.

But ofcourse I dont want to forget about those tips and recipes and all that good stuff so I spent hours pinning.

Its amazing how I have more followers (not that I have hundreds) on Pinterest than blogger.

Once in a while I check my list and find something I can possibly make. Like tonight.

I always end up browsing recipes (who wouldnt!! they all look delicious). I picked two for tonights dinner.

I made MEATLOAF MUFFINS with BBQ sauce. (Recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray, food network)

Total Time:

30 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Yield:

6 servings

Level:

Easy

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin(1 used ground beef)
• 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
• 2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces (I dont have it and substituted it with 3 tbsp sweet relish)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs (I always use regular bread when I make meatloaf, just slice it in cubes)
• 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• 1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Put ground beef into a big bowl.
 Put onion and celery into a food processor.
Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl.
Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor.
Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl.

Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl.
Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce.
Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up.
Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil.
Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin.

Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes.

Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through.

She matched it with mashed potato....

I made HASSELBACK POTATOES to go with it....Recipe courtesy of Seasaltwithfood

Ingredients

6 Medium Size Potatoes
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
30 g Butter
Maldon Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220˚C (425˚F). Put the potato on a chopping board, flat side down. Start from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through, at about 3 to 4 mm intervals.

Arrange the potatoes in a baking tray and insert the garlic in between the slits. Scatter some butter on top of each potato. Then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft.

The Gang LOVEs it! They finished it all up!

What is your latest pinterest project/creation/copy-cat?

LEFSE (Norwegian Flatbread)

This week is packed with crafting for me. 

I finally found a church and next thing you know I am involved in decorating! (EXCITED!!)

This coming week is our DVBS. God opened-up a chance for me to give back my talents. 

I immediately jumped to that opportunity ofcourse!

After the long search....long wait....lots of prayer's.....God answered me! 

The church feels like home. The people are warn and welcoming.

I have a feeling I will stay here (Well as long as we dont move out of state again!)

After two (almost) sleepless nights, crazy clutter in our house. 

I'm done with the project.

Boom-box: Made of insulation sheet, milk jug caps, tuna can, cardboard, tissue paper core, left-over pipe insulation, left-over drawer liner.

Headphones: Made of scrap barstool cushion, insulation tube left-over, insulation sheet left-over.

Turn-table: Made of insulation foam sheet, pizza plater from dollar store toy pieces laying around the house, tuna cans, milk jug caps. Microphone: Made of balloon (that I had to paint black bcoz I didnt see black ones) and poster paper, ribbon.

I had a blast doing this project!

I feels wonderful to do something I love. And being able to offer it back to the Lord!

Pretty busy blessed week eh?!

 This is especially for you Scandinavians out there!!
Today I am going to share with you a recipe that came from hubby's Norwegian roots.
You probably have to be Norwegian or Sweedish to understand what I am talking about.
He's been dying to have it for a long time. It is one of the many things that reminds him of his mom.
He lost his mom when he was six, thats why every bit of his memory about his mom means so much, like this recipe.
He remembers eating Lefse when his mom made it and always remembered, but never knew what it was until recently.
All this time he thought Lefse was thin pancake. He'd make one put butter and it didnt taste the same.
It's been about 30 years since he last had Lefse.

LEFSE

Lefse, it is a Norwegian flatbread that looks like a Mexican tortilla, but sure does not taste like it.  It is simply made with mashed potatoes and flour. Lefse is made out of potato, milk or cream (or sometimes lard) and flour, and cooked on a griddle.

Ingredients

• 10lbs potatoes
• 2 sticks butter
• 2/3 cups half and half
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 6 cups flour

Instructions
Boil, drain and rinse 10lbs of peeled Russet potatoes, but be very careful not to over cook them.
That’s the key the perfect rolling. Wet potatoes give you sticky lefse!
Rice the warm potatoes and add 2/3 cups half and half, 2 sticks of butter, 1 TBSP salt and 2TBSP of sugar.

Blend well with an electric beater.

Place this bowl of potatoes in the fridge overnight covered loosely with a piece of wax or parchment paper to allow them to evaporate some of the moisture.
In the morning, add 6 cups of flour and mix well. (I usually have to mix it with my hands.)
Now, roll dough into palm sized balls and return them to the fridge, taking them out a few at a time as you roll them.

Cold potatoes are easier to roll than room temp. Flour your lefse surface well, roll it out thin.

Grill with your griddle at 400 degrees. (don’t grease the griddle!)
You definitely need a lefse stick to get the rolled lefse from the rolling surface to the grill.
You can buy one, or make your own.
Last is the most important part. As you remove them from the grill, place them in several layers of towels to sweat until they are cool.
This takes several hours. I use a flour sack towel with a folded bath towel under it, and on top of it.
Once cooled, store in saran in the fridge, or freeze in freezer bags.
Enjoy with butter and sugar!

 OR

 Ingredients

• 10 pounds potatoes, peeled
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Cover potatoes with water and cook until tender. Run hot potatoes through a potato ricer. Place into a large bowl. Beat butter, cream, salt, and sugar into the hot riced potatoes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Stir flour into the potato mixture. Pull off pieces of the dough and form into walnut size balls. Lightly flour a pastry cloth and roll out lefse balls to 1/8 inch thickness.
3. Cook on a hot (400 degree F/200 C) griddle until bubbles form and each side has browned. Place on a damp towel to cool slightly and then cover with damp towel until ready to serve.

 OR THIS FOR INSTANT POTATOES

(THIS IS WHAT WE USED BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO FINISH UP OUR BOX)

Ingredients (for instant potatoes)
1 batch = 24 lefse
ADD to: 3 cups boiling water: 
1 ½ teas. salt
¾ cup margarine or butter 
2 1/3 cup canned evaporated milk
 ¼ cup sugar

 Heat all until real hot.
Now ADD: 
4 cups Idahoen instant potatoes (you can use any brand)
(2 lbs 4 oz makes 6 batches)

 
Mix like for eating. Chill.

Then ADD: 
1 ½ to 2 cups flour when ready to roll. (Mix with hands until flour is absorbed)

Instructions

Form lefse dough into golf ball sized (or larger) portions. ROLL out flat with Lefse rolling pin using flour as needed (so it won’t stick) turning often with lefse turner until thin. 

Use lefse turner to lift from pastry board to griddle. Bake on Lefse griddle at 410-435 degrees until golden brown bubbles appear. 

Flip with lefse turner and brown other side. Stack lefse on towel and cover with another towel until baking is finished to prevent drying out. Once cooled, lefse freezes well.


FLAVORING
There are many ways of flavoring lefse. The most common is adding butter to the lefse and rolling it up. In Norway, this is known as "lefse-klenning". Other options include adding cinnamon and/or sugar, or spreading jelly or lingonberries upon it. Scandinavian-American variations include rolling it with a thin layer of peanut butter and sugar, with butter and white or brown sugar, with butter and corn syrup, or with ham and eggs. Also quite good with beef, and other savory items like Ribberull and mustard, it is comparable to a thin tortilla. Lefse is a traditional accompaniment to lutefisk, and the fish is often rolled up in the lefse.

I prefer mine with JELLY!

Happy Monday!!