Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

(modified from C**king Light Magazine)

This can be eaten casserole-style after baking in a 350 degree oven or just right off the stove.

 

1 cauliflower head, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups florets)

Add cauliflower to boiling salted water for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon to a big bowl.
 
Add to water:
8 ounces small seashell pasta
Cook until al dente (about 7 minutes); drain and add to cauliflower.

Make a roux over medium heat—stir constantly until thickened (about 8 minutes):

1 tsp. butter
¼ cup flour
3 cups milk
¾ tsp dried thyme
3 garlic cloves, crushed, or garlic powder to taste

Take off heat and stir in:

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower/pasta and mix well. If baking, add a breadcrumb/butter mixture on top if desired. Bake in 13x9 pan until desired crispness.

Yeast

Difference between active dry and instant yeast: active dry yeast needs to be proofed in warm water. Instant yeast does not.

In a recipe that calls for active dry, you can use 20% less instant yeast instead, still adding the liquid that it calls for for proofing the yeast.

In a recipe that calls for instant yeast, you need 20% more active dry yeast--proof it before adding it to the other ingredients. Also, you should reduce the amount of liquid you add later in the recipe by the amount of water you proof the yeast in.

(correct me if I'm wrong, but this is how I understand it)

Copycat C*fe Rio Rice/Salad Bowl

I don't know a better name for this. I'm adapting from a bunch of different recipes. I'm lazy, so I like my version (dressing #1) that only involves buying cilantro and lettuce; everything else I always have on hand.

Rice (we like brown rice and cook it in the rice cooker)
Add to the rice before cooking:
canned, diced green chiles
minced onion
fresh cilantro leaves
garlic powder

Chicken:
bake in slow cooker with salsa, then chop

Take your pick of two different dressings
Dressing #1--blend the following:
2 cups mayo
garlic powder
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
2 TB water
1-2 TB balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 jalepeno--no seeds (instead, I just use some of Mr. Brady's hot pepper seasoning)

Dressing #2 (Shannon's):
1 c buttermilk
1 c mayo
garlic clove or 2
half bunch cilantro (stems discarded)
3 tomatillos (2 if really big)
green Tabasco if desired
3 TB Ranch dressing powder

After making the chicken, rice and dressing, shred some lettuce, open a can of black beans (rinse and warm up), and enjoy everything layered in a bowl with shredded cheese. Very satisfying!

Or, you can omit the lettuce and scoop it up with tortilla chips (and add corn if you want).

Homemade Chicken Rice-a-roni

This satisfies my hungriest, pickiest boys (mostly they'd like convenient, processed foods instead of homemade)! I didn't have a rice cooker for a decade of my adult life, but now I wonder how I did without it. Instead of opening up boxes of Rice-a-roni, try making your own.

Break up some spaghetti noodles for the vermicelli--inch-long pieces.
Brown the noodle and desired rice amount in oil in a skillet (use the rice cooker measuring cup to measure).
Put rice/noodles in cooker and add chicken broth instead of water to the correct line
Throw in some minced onion and parsley flakes.
Start your rice cooker.

Voila! Homemade and as much of it as you want. Add grilled chicken strips if desired.

My Bread Index

This is where I want to keep track of my favorite breads--a bread for every occasion. This list will be updated frequently, I expect.

*Rolls--the sweet kind you can just eat plain or slather with butter. Or a potato flake and butter version for even special-er occasions.
*French bread (also for bread bowls, sandwich rolls).
*Hamburger buns--I'm wondering if I need this or if I should just stick with the above recipe; I've made these once and they were pretty good for hamburgers.
*Whole Wheat No-fuss Bread--perfect for Pullman/pain-de-mie pans.
*Sweet Whole Wheat Bread--made with molasses.
*Quick side dish bread--made with baking powder, not yeast.
*Pizza dough.
*Cornbread--I keep wondering if I need a version that is more savory than this sweet cornbread, but I don't think I do. This cornbread needs no embellisments, no honey, nothing--it's really corn cake.
*Heavenly white bread--in a pain-de-mie pan (a long one that resembles store-bought bread shape), made with butter and milk.
*Artisan--no knead

What I'm still lacking, I realize, is:
1) a good Rye bread. I have a good recipe but haven't played with it enough to post it.
2) a sourdough bread.

Strawberry Shortcake Just Got Even Better

A neighbor friend introduced me to the heaven that is coconut cream mixed with strawberry shortcake, right here. You're welcome.

I don't see the cake recipe there, so here it is for 2 loaves (bread loaf pans).

Preheat to 350 degrees:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
4 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Pizza Crust

I've finally found a pizza crust (and method) that I'm really happy about--it's super quick and with the perfect amount of crispness on the bottom. This recipe makes 4 large pizzas. Original recipe here.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. I use 15" pizza pans with holes.

Combine and let stand 10 minutes:
3 cups warm water
2 TB plus 1 tsp yeast
1 TB sugar

Add:
8 1/2 cups flour (I do half of it whole wheat flour)
1 TB salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TB oil (preferably olive)

Knead (for this amount, I use my mixer). Let sit 5 minutes (or cover and let it rise for a while, whichever you have time for). Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll out one part of the dough to desired thickness on the counter with a rolling pin (use extra flour or spray Pam on the counter and roller to prevent sticking). Transfer dough to pan. Beat an egg and put a small amount of the egg over the crust for an eggwash. Prick the dough with a fork before putting in the oven to prevent big air bubbles. (If you have crusts waiting for the oven, spritz them with water to prevent them drying out.)

Prebake crusts for 10 minutes. Then top as desired and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.