As we count down to spring we also count down to the end of comfort food season. Less clothing and more skin are just around the corner, but every good thing deserves a proper send-off, won’t you agree? So we do so with the ultimate comfort food: mac and cheese. Dress it up or dress it down, it’s versatile and indulgent no matter what. Here are fifteen different versions for proper research. Click on the image to go to the recipe source.
All photos and recipes copyright of their respective source unless otherwise noted.
When I was a kid my mom used to make these “doughnuts” every so often, and they’ve always been something special to me. This batch didn’t turn out to be the prettiest things, but looks aren’t everything right? The biscuits could have been colder and the butter a little cooler and I probably could have tried harder to remember to spray the cookie sheet down to avoid stickage. The jelly “filling” is really versatile, too. I used black raspberry this time, but you could also use some sort of fruit compote. One day I’d love to venture into the world of from scratch biscuits, too.
Cinnamon Sugar Jelly Biscuit Doughnuts
• 1 can small refrigerator biscuits (or jumbo if that’s how you roll)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 1 rounded Tbsp cinnamon
• your favorite jam or jelly
Preheat oven according to biscuit label. Melt the butter in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Coat each biscuit thoroughly in melted butter then dredge in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Don’t skimp! Spray your cookie sheet down with cooking spray and place biscuits evenly. Using the back of a spoon, make a divot in the middle of each doughnut and place a small amount of jelly filling inside. (Don’t worry, it will melt and run over. No need to freak out.) Bake according to biscuit directions. Once done let doughnuts cool slightly and devour.
Here’s another recipe I made last week during my winter cooking burst – Cauliflower Soup. It’s easily one of the fastest soups I’ve made, just about an hour start to finish. I like for my soups to be more hearty than brothy most times, and this one was perfect. And it just so happens we had a crazy night filled with high winds and thunderstorms that night, a perfect soup night!
• 1 head of cauliflower (I was tempted to use 2, but this was enough)
• 2 carrots
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 C chicken (or vegetable) stock
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 C milk
• 1/4 C sour cream (I used light)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp course black pepper
• salt to taste
Finely chop the onion and carrots, then set aside. Half the head of cauliflower and remove the florets, then cut them into smaller pieces. About the size of the top half of your thumb. Place all the cauliflower into a separate bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp unsalted butter in a large soup pot. Add the chopped onions and carrots and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Next comes the cauliflower and stock, as well as the bay leaves, parsley, and black pepper. Stir to combine, then cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once at a boil reduce heat to a simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the flour and milk together in a bowl. In a medium saucepan melt 1 Tbsp butter, then add your mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once it boils, remove from the heat and continue to whisk for a few more minutes as it sets. Add the white sauce to your soup pot and combine before allowing it to simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add sour cream. Salt to taste.
Note: I think it would be tasty to add a cup of shredded cheddar to the milk and flour mixture once it’s thickened and removed from the heat. Melt it all together before adding it to the soup. Next time!
I don’t know what happened over the weekend, but I went all kinds of domestic. I took care of things that had been neglected for months and I not only bookmarked but bought the ingredients for several recipes to make this week. The first of which is this Slow Cooker Chai-Spice Pear Applesauce. I’m pretty sure that if you put the words “chai-spice” in front of anything I’d eat it. And then I’d have seconds. I love how spicy it turned out, perfect for winter. The bonus of this recipe? Your home will smell insanely delicious.
Ingredients:
• 5 medium apples (I used Granny Smith)
• 5 medium pears (I used Bosc)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 5 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
Peel, core, and cut the apples and pears into roughly half inch chunks, then combine all ingredients in your slow cooker. Heat on low for 4 hours, stirring about once an hour. Use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree the fruit. For a chunky version of the sauce remove half of the mixture before pureeing, then recombine.
It’s been a mild winter most everywhere, but right now my part of the country is in the coldest week yet. And that means I’m craving one thing (well two, because chocolate never counts) – soup! I have my cast iron pot and my trusty immersion blender on hand and fear no combination. (As always, click on the image to go to the recipe!)
All photos and recipes copyright of their respective source unless otherwise noted.
Salt and vinegar potato chips are my favorite variety, but I rarely eat them because of obvious reasons. And because of those very same reasons I’ve been stalking recipes for kale chips. Yesterday I finally found the time to cobble together some simple ingredients and try my hand at making salt and vinegar kale chips.
Ingredients:
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar (I used balsamic, but I think any would do just as well)
• 1/2 tspn kosher salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start out by cutting the large center vein and stalk from the leaves and tossing it aside, then cut down the leaves into 2 inch sections.
Put them in a large mixing bowl.
Toss in the olive oil, vinegar, and kosher salt until all leaves are thoroughly coated.
Then arrange them all in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on how crispy/blackened you want to kale chips to end up. Toss them around on the sheet a few times as they bake to make sure they’re evening toasted, don’t forget to rearrange them back into that single layer each time.
When you’re satisfied with their crispness, take them out of the oven and put them in your serving bowl. Tada! They’ll be cooked down in size quite a bit, so keep that in mind if you plan on serving a crowd. One bunch should feed 2-3 people.
