Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

4 poblanos
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups milk
2 cups grated pepperjack cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated Dubliner Irish White Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup parmesan shredded

1/2 can rotel
1/2 pound penne noodles
1/2 cup bread crumbs mixed with additional 2 tbsp butter, melted



Directions:

Place a large pan of water onto boil.

Char poblanos until blackened, turning often to char each side equally. Place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Cook macaroni until outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 5 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour and spices.

Cook, stirring, 2 minutes until the flour is thoroughly cooked.

While whisking, pour in milk and whisk vigorously while heating. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in cheeses. 

Peel poblanos, slice one side open and remove seeds.

Stuff mac and cheese into peppers, sprinkle additional pepperjack cheese on top, place in cast iron pan or casserole dish and cook in 375 oven for 15-20 mins.

This recipe was adapted from: Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/2 pound large defined peeled shrimp 

1 small spaghetti squash

1/2 cup of peas

2 eggs - 1 whole, 1 yolk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pinch of cayenne

2 slices of bacon, cooked, grease reserved

1 large clove of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 and cut your spaghetti squash in half. Place cut side up on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

In the meantime, cook your bacon, keeping the grease in the pan. Sautée your shrimp in the bacon grease until lightly pink, not cooked all the way through. Reserve. 

Adding your minced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. Cut the heat.

Warm your frozen peas in water over low heat until warmed through. Strain.

Add cooked shrimp, peas and crumbled bacon to cooled pan containing garlic.

Take a blender and add in egg and egg yolk, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper, then start blending on low, while slowly drizzling in the melted butter. When complete, pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

When spaghetti squash is done it will be fork tender. 

Taking a fork, scoop out the inside into long "noodles". Warm pan and add in the spaghetti squash. Once everything has warmed up again, cut the heat and sir in the egg/cheese mixture.

Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Pumpkin Pie with Grain-Free Graham Cracker Crust

Pumpkin Pie with grain-free graham cracker crust
Makes: 1 pie plus extra graham crackers

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
6 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla



Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 F.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, flaxseed meal, brown "sugar" (or coconut sugar), cinnamon, cream of tarter, and salt.



Add the coconut oil and mix to combine.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combine and the dough comes together.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Add in 1 egg yolk and 4 tablespoons of melted butter to a bowl, stirring to combine. 

  

Tear two pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet.
Lay one piece of parchment onto the counter an place half the dough on the parchment.

Top with another piece of parchment and roll the dough out into an even layer (about 1/4" thick).

Using a pizza cutter, score the dough to make cracker shapes. Using the dull end of skewer poke 11-12 evenly spaced holes into each cracker. Transfer the parchment paper to a cookie sheet.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.


Recipe from: Grain Free Graham Crackers
Net Carb Count*: 5.87 g net carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)--makes about 4 cups
Total Carb Count: 7.99 g total carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)

Pumpkin Pie Crust:

Take half of your graham crackers and pulse until a fine crumb. 

 

Then take 1 cup of pecan halves and pulse until a fine crumb.

 

Press into a pie pan, coming up the sides of the pan.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of organic pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon 

Position one rack in the bottom of an oven and another rack in the middle and preheat to 350°F. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans on the middle rack until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool, then finely grind in a food processor; take care not to overprocess them. 
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolk and flaky sea salt. Add the ground pecans and the 1 1/4 cups flour and stir, working the dry ingredients into the butter mixture by smearing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together in large, shaggy clumps. 
On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough into a mound and knead until it just comes together. Press the dough into a flat disk, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in flour to smooth and even out the dough. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, then freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes. 
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, buttermilk and whole eggs and process until combined. 
Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the baking sheet and transfer directly to the lower oven rack. Bake until the center jiggles only slightly when the pie is tapped, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 

To serve, cut into wedges and top with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Scratch made Green Bean Casserole

Scratch made Green Bean Casserole

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh green beans - steamed 

1/2 package mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken or turkey stock (RECIPE)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons flour of choice

2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 grated parmesan

1 large onion for (ONION TANGLERS)

Instructions:

Place 2 tablespoons butter into a large pot or skillet. Add in mushrooms and cook down until soft. Add in onion and garlic and cook for several minutes. 

Then add in the flour and whisk until combined. Add in your warm stock and heavy cream and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer as it thickens. Check seasoning.

Steam or boil your green beans until they are soft.

Add into your pot along with your shredded cheeses, soy sauce and sour cream. 

Stir to combine and add to a 9x13 baking dish.

Top with your onion tanglers (recipe) or french fried onions and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.

Great Grandmas Borscht (beet soup)

Great Grandmas Borscht (beet and tomato soup)

When I bring up the topic of beets to most people I almost immediately see a weird unpleasant look on their faces, and they are reminded of the pickled beets sitting at the salad bar no one eats.

Beets, by there very nature, are sweet, creamy and rich, and I've never quite understood the pickled beet, I mean I get it from an evolutionary standpoint because of the health benefits of fermentation and picking, but a sweeter application of the beet will almost always yield more pleased eaters than not.

I was raised eating this creamy warm soup since infancy, it has always been a Christmas Eve tradition at my Polish/Russian great grandmothers house, along with scratch made bagels, periogi, a homemade liquor from clove and honey and lots of shrimp. We would pack 40 people into her small wash park home, with the table extending the length of her house, and sing Christmas carols before opening presents. Santa Claus was even known to make a special appearance from time to time. These memories are so special to me that I will cherish and try to hold onto to their detail for as long as possible.

Anyways, back to the soup, it is simple and perfect for fall and winter, especially if you've harvested your own beets, which I have done in previous years. 

The soup is usually served with a mushroom filled tortellini (there is an actual Russian pasta name for this little guy but I don't know it, we usually buy fresh mushroom tortellini or make our own from scratch) for some reason they were referred to as "pig ears" while growing up, probably some attempt to freak us children out, but nevertheless soups with stuffed pastas are always amazing, but not always necessary, so for the sake of health I usually only eat the pasta variety at Christmas Eve.

The soup freezes really well and can be enjoyed any time of the year, some people will eat beet soup cold and some people will top the soup with sour cream, whatever variation you prefer, do it! Beets are just too delicious and too healthy not to include in your menu!

Ingredients:

5 cans julienne beets

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (your favorite variety or homemade, I look for an organic gluten free variety)

2 cans tomato soup

2 can v8 juice

Pickle juice to taste (several tablespoons to add tang)

This is a one pot soup, bring all ingredients to a boil and when it is smooth, add in your pickle juice, to taste, it should have a slight tang, and then it is ready to enjoy.

If adding pasta add 15 minutes before serving so they stay whole.

I added 2 poached eggs into my soup for dinner and it was amazingly creamy and delish! 

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are pretty much the sole reason I buy and carve pumpkins each year, I have one of those tierd stepped porches so I load up on pumpkins for both sides of each step, resulting in lots of pumpkin seeds each year.

First, I place a large bowl of warm water with about a tablespoon of salt in it, next to my pumpkins. As I clean my pumpkins I place the seeds in that bowl. When finished I agitate the pumpkins seeds with my hands, cleaning any pulp odd of the seeds. I then dump my seeds into a colander, and rinse. 

I've also soaked my seeds overnight, my mother did it, so I do it, not exactly sure why, but I think soaking your seeds in salted water results in a crispier seed after baking, I've also never burned a seed, so that may also be an effect. 

I just fill my cleaned bowl up with warm water, another tablespoon or so of salt and let the seeds sit on the counter overnight. 

The next morning I drain the seeds and lay them out flat on cookie sheets to dry out.

Once they have air dried it is time to think about seasonings. I literally have about 6 cups of seeds each year, so I make a plain salted one and then I usually pick a flavor to try out with some of the seeds.

I've done garlic powder, chili powder, and chipotle powders in the past, but this year I'm going in a new direction. Pumpkin pie spice! 

First, regular salted seeds: 

Toss seeds in olive oil and sprinkle with a course sea salt. Place on baking sheets in even layers and bake at 250 degrees to 30-45 minutes until lightly browned. Stir at least once during cooking so both sides brown.

Pumpkin pie spiced seeds:

For a sweet application I used butter instead of olive oil. Toss seeds in melted butter, 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar) and 2 table spoons pumpkin pie spice. 

Again, bake at 250 for 30-40 minutes being careful not to develop too much color since this recipe has sweetners with it. 

Once they are finished I keep them in mason jars and let them cool completely. They are packed with  nutrients and they are a fantastic snack to enjoy!