Veggie Packed Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on March 28, 2015 by kitchenbelle

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My husband is gluten free and our girls LOVE macaroni. I float somewhere in the middle. I am certainly not gluten free (GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!), however, I  could easily live without pasta. Typically I make a single meal for the four of us, however, sometimes it makes sense to make a big batch of macaroni for the kids that can be reheated for lunches and dinners a few nights in a row. And that is how I came to make this veggie packed macaroni.

This was a huge hit with the little ones! In fact, my oldest yelled, “This is the best meal ever!!!” when I set it on the table. Wow! I wish I received that kind of enthusiasm every night! I had to agree with her–this is darn good. I”ll be honest–I think the wheel-shaped macaroni is a huge selling point. The tiny spokes ooze with the gooey, drippy, melty cheese sauce in the most wonderful of ways. Also, the chunky little circles of pasta are easy for little fingers to pick up and pop in their mouths.

Veggie Packed Macaroni and Cheese:

  • 3 cups uncooked wheel-shaped macaroni
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the macaroni and diced carrots. Set timer for 9 minutes and cook until your timer has four minutes remaining then add the broccoli. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the timer goes off and/or pasta is al dente. Remove from heat, add in the peas, stir, and reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid. Then, drain the pasta/carrot/broccoli/pea mixture and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat, then add in the diced onions. Cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheddar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until smooth.

In a large bowl, stir together cooked macaroni/veggies, reserved cooking liquid, + the cheese sauce. Transfer to the prepared 9×13 dish. bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Recipe from The Fearless Homemaker.

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Add the shredded cheese.

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Wisk, wisk, wisk, wisk!

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Drain the macaroni and vegetables.

 

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Cheesy deliciousness and veggies!

Filed under: broccoli, carrot, cheese, Main Dish, pasta, peas | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Lamb Stew with Feta over Buttery Noodles

Posted on June 24, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I think crock-pots get a bad rap.  I think maybe people think of them as a cop out, but just like any appliance, there is a time and place for a crock-pot. I might not advise you to prepare a dinner for your husband’s boss in a crock-pot. (Do people even have their bosses over for dinner anymore? I think that might have been a 1950s thing. Anyway, you get the point.) Crock-pots are perfect for week night dinners. Especially, for dinners on the nights where you would have gotten take out.  Crock-pots make really good food! And while they are known for being perfect for winter, they are actually perfect for summer too. Why? Because when you use a crock-pot you don’t have to turn on your oven! 

This stew is tasty. Pour it over hot buttery noodles.

Lamb Stew with Feta over Buttery Noodles:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
  • 2 jars tomato sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 pound noodles, cooked

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add lamb. Cook until just brown. Add garlic, cinnamon, allspice, and vinegar.  Mix in with lamb using a wooden spatula. Remove from heat and pour contents of skillet into crock-pot. Add sweet potato, potato cubes, tomato sauce, and bay leaf. Cook on high for 5 hours.

Just prior to serving prepare noodles according to package directions. Top with butter. Serve stew over hot noodles. (Don’t forget to remove bay leaf!) Top with feta cheese.

Filed under: Fall, ground meat, Main Dish, pasta, sweet potato | 6 Comments »

Farfalle with My Favorite Color Sauce and Roasted Vegetables

Posted on June 14, 2011 by kitchenbelle

If you can’t tell what color the sauce is from this picture, here are a few clues: 

As far back as I can remember my favorite color has been green.  There isn’t really an explanation except that looking at green makes me happy. One of my best memories from my wedding day is walking down the stairs in my parents’ home to a sea of green dresses worn by my bridesmaids! I don’t just like green, I love it.  Both consciously and subconsciously I choose to surround myself with green. As I was snapping photos of this meal, all of my green things sort of jumped out at me. I knew I had an affinity for the color, but, yikes! Even my three soap dispensers, napkins, place mats, measuring cups, and oven mitts are green!

As my mother-in-law put it, and I agree, this dish is very pretty. The smooth green sauce over a bed of farfalle (bow tie) pasta studded with (red) roasted tomatoes and (more green) asparagus makes for a lovely presentation. The flavor is great too. I created this recipe to be healthy and flavorful. It seems too often that pasta is smothered with thick cream and butter. That is not the case here. The sauce is a puree of peas, olive oil, fresh basil and some pungent parmesan, which makes for a delicate, smooth, and tasty sauce that is not rich with dairy. In fact, there is only one cup of cheese over the two pounds of pasta. 

Tips:

  • Using a different pasta shape than you would ordinarily use adds interest to a dish. Choosing new  pasta shapes is an easy way to spice up an old favorite. Check out these recipes: Papparadelle, Orecchiette, Gemelli, Orzo, Buccatini–they are all fun shapes to try! If the selection at your local grocer is sparse, stop in a specialty shop, like an Italian market. You are likely to find an array of new shapes and sizes.
  • Eliminate chicken and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth to convert this to a vegetarian recipe.

Farfalle with My Favorite Color Sauce:

  • 2 pounds farfalle (bow ties)
  • 2 pints grape tomatoes
  • 2 bunches green asparagus
  • 3 glugs of olive oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1-16 oz. bag frozen peas
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • a handful of fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 chicken breasts (seasoned generously with salt and pepper, grilled, and cut into 1-inch pieces)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Fill a large pot with salted water and place on stove to boil.  When water is boiling add farfalle and cook according to package directions.

Slice grape tomatoes in half and place on baking sheet cut side down. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or until just soft. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven on.

Cut off the tough ends of asparagus and throw away. Cut asparagus into 2-inch segments and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn oven off.

In a large skillet or saucepan warm a glug of olive oil over low/medium heat.  Add minced shallots. Cook until shallots are soft. Add peas to pan and combine with shallots. Cook peas for just a minute–just until they are warm and slightly soft. Remove from heat.

In a blender or food processor combine pea/shallot mixture, 3/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup chicken broth, basil leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Puree mixture until smooth.

In a large serving bowl, combine cooked pasta, roasted tomatoes, roasted asparagus, and chicken cubes. Pour sauce on top and gently toss to coat.

Peas with shallots

Roasted tomatoes, roasted asparagus, and grilled chicken waiting to be tossed with the green sauce

 

Delicious and pretty

A Kitchenbelle.com original.

Filed under: asparagus, cheese, chicken, Main Dish, pasta, tomato | 6 Comments »

Spring Pasta with Fresh Arugula Walnut Pesto

Posted on April 14, 2010 by kitchenbelle

My husband is running the Boston Marathon on Monday and I could not be more proud! He has worked so hard training over the past several months and as great of a runner he was when he started training he has improved quite a bit and shown serious promise for race day.

I know how important diet is for athletic performance so I was sure to stock up on loads of lean proteins, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables at the grocery store this weekend. For this meal I decided to give him his fill of nutrients (as well as a few carbs!) to keep him healthy for race day.  He loves red peppers, peas, and mushrooms so I created this meal around those. I LOVE arugula and what could be better or more nutritious than combining it with omega-laden walnuts?! 

This meal was very delicious and enjoyable. The freshness of the arugula, vegetables, and chives was what stood out for me. I know it sounds dorky (but I’ll say it anyway): I have been cooking for years, yet still I continue to be amazed by the PUNCH and ZEST of the flavors in fresh vegetables and herbs.  Mother Nature is pretty incredible if you ask me. 🙂

Spring Pasta with Fresh Arugula Walnut Pesto:

  • 12 ounces of fresh pasta (I used Capone Foods Fresh Pasta  Spinach Linguine from the Whole Foods refrigerated section)
  • a few tablespoons of olive oil
  • 6 ounces of sliced portabella mushrooms
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • fresh chives, roughly chopped

Pesto

  • 2-3 cups fresh baby arugula
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 2/3 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheese (you could use fresh parmesan for a strong flavor, mozzarella for a mild flavor or anything in between)
  • salt to taste

Make the pesto:

In a food processor combine the arugula, garlic, and walnuts. Pulse until combined. Slowly pour in the oil while continuing to pulse. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Add the cheese and continue to pulse until desired texture is reached.  Add salt to taste.  Set aside.

Prepare vegetables:

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a medium pan over medium heat. Add the mushroom and a few pinches of salt. Cook stirring frequently until browned. Add the garlic, scallions, and chopped pepper. Continue to cook until peppers are tender but still crunchy.

Meanwhile boil pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Add peas to sauce pan and cook until warmed through. Then add  tomatoes. Stir to combine and let the heat soften the tomatoes, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add pesto to pasta and toss gently. Then add vegetables and gently toss again to fully disperse vegetables and sauce.  Garnish with fresh chives. Serve immediately.

A Kitchenbelle.com original!

Filed under: arugula, chives, Main Dish, mushroom, pasta, peppers, tomato, VEGETARIAN | 10 Comments »

Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash Sauce over Fresh Pasta

Posted on October 18, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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My colleague takes part in a community garden in Jamaica Plain where she grows all sorts of herbs and vegetables.  I believe we are closing in on the basil season here in the northeast because yesterday she very generously offered to give me a gigantic amount of basil from her garden.  And I mean a gigantic amount–I think she gave me nearly an entire bush!  I have been wanting to make pesto for a while now, but I don’t have my own basil plant and I would have to buy about 25 of those plastic snap containers (you know how basil is sold in grocery stores?) to get a half cup of pesto.  A free bush of basil is almost exciting as dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups! I couldn’t wait to make pesto! 

However, basil is so summery to me. I wanted to put an autumn spin on our dinner.  It immediately clicked on how I could do it: Use PUMPKIN SEEDS instead of PINE NUTS!  Perfect.  I also wanted to incorporate some squash and fresh pasta.  Using these ideas and ingredients I sequestered myself in the kitchen and I pretended to be on Top Chef.  (I am really enjoying that show lately–I love all of the discussion about  “notes” and “building flavor.”) 

The result was awesome.  This was one of those meals that while I was eating it I got super excited and giddy!  It was so delicious.   Not just delicious but so much more delicious than I ever expected.  (Don’t you love when that happens?)   And it was easy and didn’t take very long to make.  My favorite part was the contrast of the mild creamy squash sauce with the sharp garlicky saltiness of the pesto.  They really worked well together. The fresh chewy pasta was a major asset as well–it really jived with the creamy squash sauce.  The risk of using all of these ingredients, which could have been overkill, really paid off.  And this made for a pretty fall plate.  The green of the spinach pasta with the orange sauce on top was very cool.

Although I tried to keep track of my methods and ingredients, I didn’t measure everything.  If you want to try to replicate this feel free to email me.  That said,  it was pretty easy and I don’t think you could go wrong with such a delicious cast of flavor characters.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Squash over Fresh Pasta:

 

  • 1 pound fresh spinach pasta (If you are feeling ambitious, make your own!  I bought some from Whole Foods for $4.99)

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

  • several bunches of fresh basil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ~3/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • ~ 3/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Squash Sauce

  • 2 cups squash (you can use canned or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth instead and this dish is vegetarian)
  • 1.5 teaspoons nutmeg
  • a handful of fresh shredded parmesan reggiano cheese

Boil water for pasta.  Be sure to add salt to the water.

Make the pesto

Toast pumpkin seeds in a large pan over medium heat.

In a food processor chop basil, garlic, cheese, and all but two tablespoons of the pumpkin seeds.  While food processor is running, pour olive oil into food processor in a steady stream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Make squash sauce

In the same pan in which you toasted the pumpkin seeds, cook squash, milk, and chicken broth and stir together until smooth and creamy.  Add nutmeg and cheese.  Continue to stir until heated through and cheese has melted.

Add pasta to boiling water.  Cook until done and drain.  Immediately add pasta to pan containing squash sauce and toss to coat pasta.

Portion pasta into individual bowls.  Scoop about two tablespoons of pesto on top of each serving.  Garnish with reserved pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

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Filed under: basil, cheese, Fall, Main Dish, pasta, pumpkin, squash, VEGETARIAN | 9 Comments »

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