I have to say that I am a real fan of Mac & Cheese. I have my favourite versions that I make but I confess that when I see a new recipe for it, I am always tempted to give it a go.
Can there ever be too many recipes for Mac & Cheese? I think not!
This recipe I am sharing today is adapted from one I found in a cookery book entitled Cooking From A Country Farmhouse by Susan Wyler, which was published in 1993.
Its a great book, filled with lots of lovely recipes. Nothing outrageous or pretentious. Just good home style recipes.
What intrigued me most about this recipe was the crispy crumb topping. I always top my mac & cheese with something crisp, either buttered bread or cracker crumbs, but this crumb topping was so much more than that.
Sturdy white bread is blitzed together with a shallot, some garlic, parsley and seasonings. I added a bit of Parmesan Cheese because it has been my experience that a bit of cheese works well in this sort of thing.
This is such a fragrant mixture, and in my opinion, nothing bad could come from it! A food processor does a great job at prepping the ingredients for the topping.
The sauce for the Mac & Cheese is just a simple cheese sauce, with plenty of cheese. You will want to use a well flavoured cheddar for this.
Choose a strong farmhouse cheddar. I never use dyed cheddar, only white. You don't want to skimp on the type of cheese you use here.
This is Mac & CHEESE! The Cheese is everything! I also added some Parmesan to the mix. In my opinion it adds a special something, a certain je ne sais quois! Also, I cannot stress the importance of grating your own cheese, instead of using already grated cheese.
They add things to already grated cheese to make sure it doesn't stick together. You don't want those things in your Mac & Cheese.
I used elbow macaroni. It hugs the sauce . . . but any tubular macaroni would work well, just so long as its not overly large and has some lovely little holes to drink up that rich and luscious sauce.
Today I chose to bake it in my iron skillet.
I thought it would make for some lovely crispy edges . . . I love crispy edges in things. Don't you?
I was right. Plenty of crisp edges . . . and there will be even more when I reheat the leftovers.
Mmmm . . . fried leftover Mac & Cheese. If there is anything I like more than the original it is the leftovers heated in a skillet so you get even more crispy bits . . .
So what did I think of this recipe. I loved this!
With its rich and luscious cheese sauce and that fabulously tasty crumb topping, this spelled WINNER WINNER to me! I can't wait for the leftovers.
Yield: 6
Baked Mac & Cheese with a Crispy Crumb Topping
prep time: 30 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 55 mins
The secret to a great Mac & Cheese? A really great Cheddar! You want to use a fabulous extra strong Farmhouse Cheddar for this. Worth every penny.
ingredients:
350g elbow macaroni, uncooked (3 cups)
3 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
2 clove garlic, peeled and finely crushed
480ml whole milk (2 cups)
14 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
230g strong cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
45g grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
For the Crispy Crumb Topping:
4 slices sturdy white bread
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
a handful of chopped parsley (about 1/3 cup)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
instructions:
Make the crispy crumb topping first. Put the bread
into a food processor along with the shallot, parsley, garlic and
cheese. Pulse until you have coarse crumbs and everything is well mixed
together. Melt the butter together with the oil in a large skillet
over medium heat. Add the bread crumb mixture, and cook, stirring
frequently, until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.
into a food processor along with the shallot, parsley, garlic and
cheese. Pulse until you have coarse crumbs and everything is well mixed
together. Melt the butter together with the oil in a large skillet
over medium heat. Add the bread crumb mixture, and cook, stirring
frequently, until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.
Place a large saucepan of lightly salted water onto the boil.
Melt
the 2 TBS of butter for the mac and cheese in a saucepan. Whisk in the
flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the garlic and cook for
about 30 seconds and then slowly whisk in the milk, along with the salt
and cayenne. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until smooth and
thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard. Whisk in the
cheese gradually, until melted. Set aside.
the 2 TBS of butter for the mac and cheese in a saucepan. Whisk in the
flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the garlic and cook for
about 30 seconds and then slowly whisk in the milk, along with the salt
and cayenne. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly until smooth and
thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard. Whisk in the
cheese gradually, until melted. Set aside.
Cook
the macaroni according to package directions in the boiling salted
water. You want it to be al dente firm. Drain well and then stir the
macaroni into the cheese sauce, mixing well together.
the macaroni according to package directions in the boiling salted
water. You want it to be al dente firm. Drain well and then stir the
macaroni into the cheese sauce, mixing well together.
the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a large baking dish. Pour
the macaroni cheese into the dish. Sprinkle the Crispy Crumb Topping
evenly over all. Dot with butter and then bake, uncovered for 20 to 25
minutes, until the dish is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Let
stand 5 minutes prior to serving.
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It might be a bit of a faff to make the crispy crumb topping, and you could certainly just top it with just plain buttered crumbs, but . . . in my opinion, you would be missing out on something very special indeed! Bon Appetit!
When I was young I fancied myself as a bit of a hippy dippy earth mother kind of a person. I wanted to live in an old farm house, and have chickens and a cow, make my own cheese, have bees, grow my own fruit and veg, live by wood fire and candlelight, and just be as self sufficient as possible. I ate yogurt and granola, and believed in a Utopian world filled with love and peace . . . and then I grew up, matured, had a family and realised that it took money to have all of those things, and staying in one place and I had neither. Just a family and a kind heart.
I still believe in a Utopian world filled with love and peace but I am not sure we will ever achieve such a thing in our lifetime, but I like to think that one day, such a thing will exist. And none of that has anything to do with granola, lol, except that a part of that mind frame for me was making my own granola from scratch. Filled with healthy natural ingredients. And this is something I have always done.
It was my friend Mabel who taught me how to make my first granola. I loved the idea that I was feeding my children something which was wholesome and nutritious, plus it was a good way to get them to eat oatmeal, which was something they always turned their noses up at.
Turn oats into granola however, and they couldn't get enough of it. I have played with the recipe oodles and oodles through the years and have my own version of the perfect granola. This is the standard recipe that I normally make. I just love it. It is chock full of nuts.
Today I decided to try a recipe I found in a Dorset Cereals Cookbook that I have had for several years now called The Breakfast Book. I love Dorset Cereals and am a huge fan of their berries & cherries muesli.
This recipe is fairly low in fat, using only 2 TBS of sunflower oil. That was something that really drew me to the recipe.
It relies on two natural sweeteners, and no processed sugars. Pure maple syrup and clear honey. You can't get more natural than that. I like to use the large flake Scottish oats for my granola. They have more substance.
There is also some vanilla in the recipe and a nice mix of seeds and nuts, both of which I love. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds . . . and I used blanched almonds, macadamia nuts and cashew nuts, which are all nuts that I adore.
You don't have to use coconut chips, you can use flaked or dessicated coconut, in which case you will want to hold off adding it until the second stirring, as it will probably get too dark if you add it at the start. Personally, I love coconut chips and its what I always use in my granola.
I quite like this recipe for granola actually. Its simple and its quick. I can't wait to have some tonight with some plain yogurt and maybe some fresh berries!
Yield: 10
Nutty Honey & Maple Granola
prep time: 10 minscook time: 30 minstotal time: 40 mins
A simple to make and delicious granola, chock full of goodness!
ingredients:
2 TBS sunflower oil
100ml pure maple syrup (scant half cup)
4 TBS clear honey
1 TBS good vanilla extract (I used Kirkland)
300g large flake rolled oats (heaped 3 cups)
25g sunflower seeds (3 TBS)
50g pumpkin seeds (6 TBS)
100g flaked or chopped nuts (7/8 cup)
(I like to use whole nuts, cashews, blanched almonds, macadamia)
50g coconut chips (3/4 cup)
To finish:
100g dried fruit (2/3 cup)
(Sultana raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries, etc.)
To serve:
natural yogurt and fresh fruit (optional)instructions:
Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Have two baking sheets ready. (I spray with non-stick cooking spray)
Weigh
out the oats, seeds, nuts and coconut chips into a large bowl. Whisk
together the oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla. Pour this over top of
the dry ingredients and toss together to mix completely. Divide
between the two baking sheets, spreading it out in an even layer. Bake
in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir.
Return to the oven, switching the placement of the trays (top to bottom
and bottom to top) and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Give a good
stir and allow to cool completely. Stir in any dried fruit and mix all
well together. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or
freeze in an airtight container for longer.
out the oats, seeds, nuts and coconut chips into a large bowl. Whisk
together the oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla. Pour this over top of
the dry ingredients and toss together to mix completely. Divide
between the two baking sheets, spreading it out in an even layer. Bake
in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir.
Return to the oven, switching the placement of the trays (top to bottom
and bottom to top) and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Give a good
stir and allow to cool completely. Stir in any dried fruit and mix all
well together. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or
freeze in an airtight container for longer.
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I got really fancy with my picture taking today, using one of my Greengate Cappuccino bowls and ceramic spoons, along with my Greengate table cloth/towel. I thought they turned out quite pretty. Ohh, if all my dreams came true I would live in a house styled and totally furnished by Greengate. I guess that's about as far from hippy dippy as you can get! Bon Appetit!
Autumn is well and truly upon us now with cooling temperatures and rain. I actually had to put the heat on today for a while to warm things up. But then again, it is October now, so you expect this. This is soup weather! I love soup, and I am so pleased to be at the time of year when I am able to enjoy it again.
One of my favourite simple soups has to be tomato. I adore tomato soup. I only ever had it from a tin when I was a child. The thought never occurred to me that you could make it from scratch. DUH! The first time I experienced tomato soup from scratch was when I was married first time around. A good farm wife my late MIL made excellent tomato soup. (She was a fabulous cook and made excellent everything!)
I was a Campbell's kid when it came to Tomato Soup, because that is what my mother bought. As an adult I tried Heinz and in all honesty liked that variety better. But in reality when it comes to tomato soup, whilst the tinned versions are fine, homemade knocks them right out of the park!
And when it comes to homemade tomato soup, simply roasting your tomatoes first turns what is an excellent bowl of soup into an exemplary bowl of soup! Not to be matched!
It truly is "mmm mmm good!"
Roasting the tomatoes first really enhances and brings out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. I use my stove's grill/broiler function to do this. Just heat it up and pop them underneath it. Turn them regularly with a pair of tongs as the skin blackens.
The blackened skin should remove very easily once they are roasted all over, but don't worry it you can't get it all off, any skin will be taken care of later on.
There are also plenty of chopped onions, celery and grated carrot in the soup. All of these aromatics add to the flavor of the soup.
If you have homemade stock, that's great, but failing that, use a really good quality stock pot or cube that will give you are really rich flavour. Knorr gel stock pots are the ones I like to use, but you can use whatever it is you prefer.
I always add a bit of rice to this soup. Its not a lot, but it somehow makes it more substantial Funny how that works! Enjoy!
Yield: 6 - 8
Roasted Tomato & Rice Soup
prep time: 15 minscook time: 45 minstotal time: 60 mins
Roasting tomatoes really helps to enhance their flavours. A bit faffy, but well worth the effort.
ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 1/2 TBS butter
3/4 pound onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded
1 1/4 litres of chicken stock (5 cups)
1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
3 TBS chopped fresh chervil (alternately you can use 1 TBS dried)
3 TBS long grain white rice
salt and black pepper to taste
instructions:
Preheat your oven grill/broiler to high. Place the tomatoes in a
foil lined pan and pop them under the grill/broiler and roast, turning
them occasionally with tongs as the skins begin to blacken. This will
take 10 minutes or so.
foil lined pan and pop them under the grill/broiler and roast, turning
them occasionally with tongs as the skins begin to blacken. This will
take 10 minutes or so.
While the tomatoes are
roasting, put the butter, onions, celery and carrot along with 240ml/1
cup chicken stock into a saucepan. Simmer, covered, over low heat for
about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Don't let
brown.
roasting, put the butter, onions, celery and carrot along with 240ml/1
cup chicken stock into a saucepan. Simmer, covered, over low heat for
about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Don't let
brown.
Remove as much blackened skin from the
tomatoes as you can and add them to the pot along with the remaining
stock. Cover and cook over low heat for an additional 15 minutes. Puree
with a stick blender, or normal blender (with care). Push through a
sieve to strain out any seeds, remaining skin and other solids. Return
to a clean pot. Add the parsley, chervil and rice, along with salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until rice
is done. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Ladle into heated
bowls and serve immediately.
tomatoes as you can and add them to the pot along with the remaining
stock. Cover and cook over low heat for an additional 15 minutes. Puree
with a stick blender, or normal blender (with care). Push through a
sieve to strain out any seeds, remaining skin and other solids. Return
to a clean pot. Add the parsley, chervil and rice, along with salt and
pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until rice
is done. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Ladle into heated
bowls and serve immediately.
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You could of
course serve the soup as is for a simple luncheon with crackers or a roll on the side,
but I turned it into a main meal and really waxed nostalgic by serving
it with grilled cheese sandwiches. Tomato Soup and grilled cheese go together like, well . . . peas and carrots!! Bon appetit!
There is something about this time of year that makes me want to indulge in all things apple and pumpkin . . . and spice. Its only natural I guess since this is the time that those things are coming into their own and are available in abundance. One thing I like to make is applesauce, and once I have made my applesauce, then I like to make an Applesauce Nut Bread or an Applesauce Cake.
I basically make two kinds of applesauce. One with sugar and one without sugar. The one I make with sugar is to eat as is, and the one without is to use in baked goods, where there will be sugar added to the batter. Both freeze very well. I freeze it in one cup amounts which is perfect for either use.
Today I decided to try out a new Applesauce bread/cake recipe. I have a cookery book entitled, Recipes Worth Sharing, recipes and stories from America's most-loved Community Cookbooks.
This particular recipe is attributed to The Bells are Ringing: A Call To Table by the Mission San Juan Capistrano Women's Guild. It looked good. I did make a few changes from the original, which I will detail, and of course have also converted it to British measurements for the British kitchen.
The original recipe called only for the use of cinnamon and nutmeg. I added some cloves. Cloves go very well with the flavour of apple and my husband loves cloves. He is always banging on about his mom's apple pie and how she used cloves, so the cloves were a love note to him.
There was also a rather abundant amount of cinnamon sugar nut sprinkle in the original recipe which was to be sprinkled on top. I thought it was a bit much for just on top so I divided it in three and sprinkled it between two layers and only added the final third for on top, which . . .
As you can see was more than ample!
I also toasted my pecans. I toast all of my nuts prior to baking with them. It just makes them taste nuttier and I love the smell of them toasting. About 6 to 8 minutes in a moderate oven on a baking sheet does the trick.
The end result was a very delicious loaf. There is no need for a drizzle or frosting on top as the brown sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness for that purpose.
The loaf itself is not overly sweet, which I liked. As a Diabetic, I am not supposed to eat a lot of sugar, so this isn't exactly on my list of things I can eat, but if I was tempted it is not the worst thing I could eat either.
Its not quite as moist as some applesauce breads I have made in the past, but I think that a slice of this warmed and spread with butter would be excellent with a nice hot cup of tea, herbal or otherwise.
When I was working at the Manor the Mr used to like me to toast the quick breads and butter them when I was serving them to him. It actually really is quite nice to do that with a quick bread, and I strongly suspect that this bread will be lovely toasted as well.
I am also thinking it might make a great bread and butter pudding when it gets to being a bit stale. If you have never tried that with a quick bread, then you don't know what you have been missing out on!
Bread and Butter Pudding made with sliced quick bread is magnificently delicious . . . I have done it with my cinnamon loaf, banana bread and gingerbread in the past and all versions were drool-worthy!
You don't want to do it with really crumbly quick breads, but sturdier ones like this one are perfect for that purpose!
Yield: 8 - 10
Applesauce Nut Bread
prep time: 15 minscook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 15 mins
Tasty tasty. Moist and delicious. Tis the season.
ingredients:
For the Pecan Topping:
100g soft light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
30g chopped toasted pecans
For the loaf:
245g smooth unsweetened applesauce (1 cup)
190g sugar (1 cup)
120ml vegetable oil (1/2 cup)
2 large free range eggs
280g plain flour (2 cups)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
30g toasted pecans (1/4 cup)instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a large loaf
tin, or two smaller ones and then line with baking paper. Set aside.
tin, or two smaller ones and then line with baking paper. Set aside.
Mix the topping ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Whisk
together the applesauce, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Sift together
the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Stir in the pecans. Add all at once to the wet ingredients. Mix well
together. Spread 1/3 of it into the prepared loaf tin (s) sprinkle with
1/3 of the topping. Spread another 1/3 of the batter on top. Top with
another 1/3 of the topping. Spread on the final 1/3 of batter. Using a
round bladed knife swirl the topping through and then sprinkle the
remaining topping on top of the loaf.
together the applesauce, sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. Sift together
the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Stir in the pecans. Add all at once to the wet ingredients. Mix well
together. Spread 1/3 of it into the prepared loaf tin (s) sprinkle with
1/3 of the topping. Spread another 1/3 of the batter on top. Top with
another 1/3 of the topping. Spread on the final 1/3 of batter. Using a
round bladed knife swirl the topping through and then sprinkle the
remaining topping on top of the loaf.
Bake for
30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to help prevent over-browning. Bake
for 15 to 30 minutes longer (depending on pan(s) used). When the bread
is done a toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean. Cool
in the pan for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool
completely.
30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil to help prevent over-browning. Bake
for 15 to 30 minutes longer (depending on pan(s) used). When the bread
is done a toothpick inserted in the centre will come out clean. Cool
in the pan for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool
completely.
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The added bonus of this lovely bread is the wonderful smell it leaves in your house while it is baking . . . cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves . . . smells like Home Sweet Home to me! Bon Appetit!
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