Noodles, Peas and Cheese

1 1/2 cups dried macaroni
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. dried mustard
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 hot dogs, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1 cup peas
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil macaroni following package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour and spices and saute until flour is cooked. Add the milk and stir vigorously. Bring to a boil, still stirring. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until cheese it melted. Add the macaroni, peas and hot dogs. Pour into a casserole dish. Mix melted butter and breadcrumbs and spread mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Broil the casserole a little at the end to brown the breadcrumb mixture.

Serves 4.

Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 onion, chopped,
1 can kidney beans
1 28 oz can chunky crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Brown ground beef with chili powder and onion in a large Dutch oven. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Carrot Souffle

Original recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse.

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds carrots, chopped
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Topping:
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch (117, 2/3rd=78 or 9 by 9) casserole with the oil and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the carrots, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Combine the carrots with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Depending on the size of your processor, you may need to so this in batches.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole.

Combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter in a medium bowl. Stir to blend. Scatter the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake until the topping is lightly browned, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Chicken and Curried Dumplings

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 hot green chili, minced
2 chicken thighs
2 boneless split chicken breasts
1 bay leaf
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken stock
1 (13.5 ounce) can lite coconut milk
1 (11 ounce) can of whole corn with juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Sprigs of fresh purple basil for garnish

Dumplings:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and saute garlic, onion and chili. Add chicken, bay leaf and chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the thigh juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot along with the corn. Add salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.

Prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, curry powder, baking powder and salt together. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the butter and milk to a simmer. Add the butter and milk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Drop batter by spoonfuls into stew. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls. Garnish with purple basil.

Serves 4.

Cucumber Salad

This is the way my mother and her mother always made cucumber salad. Very simple to make and keeps for days.

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 cucumbers

Mix together water, vinegar sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all of the sugar is dissolved.

Peel and seed the cucumbers. Slice thinly on a mandolin and add to vinegar/sugar mixture. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Pasta with Sicilian Salsa Verde

Original recipe from Bon Appetit.

1/4 14.5-ounce package multi-grain spaghetti or whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 can anchovy fillets
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
3 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage
1/4 12-ounce bag frozen haricots verts (slender green beans), thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, puree parsley, 2 tablespoons oil, capers, anchovies, crushed red pepper and 1/3 of chopped garlic in mini processor.

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage; sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add haricots verts and remaining garlic; toss 1 minute. Add cheese, pasta, and 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, then parsley mixture from processor. Toss until sauce coats pasta, adding more pasta cooking liquid if dry, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Makes 2 servings

Roast Turkey Breast with Zesty Dry Rub

1 whole boneless turkey breast (6 to 7 pounds)

Dry Rub:
2 teaspoons onion salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Gravy:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat large roasting pan with nonstick vegetable-oil cooking spray. Rub turkey breast on all sides with dry rub. Roll the turkey breast up and tie with butcher's twine. Place in roasting pan.

Roast turkey in the oven for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on instant-read thermometer. Remove turkey to a warm place; let stand 10 minutes.

Gravy: Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from roasting pan. Sprinkle flour over bottom of roasting pan; cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan, for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Strain gravy through sieve into gravy boat; keep warm.

Cut off each 1/2 of the turkey breast from the bone. Wrap one 1/2 and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months, for later use. Slice other 1/2 of turkey breast and serve with the gravy, and mashed potatoes, if desired.

Smoked Whitefish Spread

1/3 lb. smoked whitefish, meat only, coarsely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. ranch dip mix

Mix all ingredients together until well-blended. Serve with crackers.