Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Makes 6 large servings
h/t The Candid Appetite

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta (macaroni, penne, shells, whatever)
• 8 tablespoons butter/substitute
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups skim milk
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 14 oz can pumpkin puree
• 4 oz/1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
• 4 oz/1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 oz/1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 oz/1/4 cup fontina cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage, sliced
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package, subtracting 2 minutes from the suggested cooking time
3. Heat a large pot or casserole dish over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and melt. Add the flour and whisk together. Add the milk, continuing to whisk. Bring to a simmer.
4. While the milk is heating, add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to a small pot over low heat. Add sage and cook ~5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and stir in panko and breadcrumbs. Set aside.
5. To the heated milk, add the dijon mustard, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and pumpkin.
6. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and uniform.
7. Add the cooked pasta and stir together.
8. If you are not using a bakeable casserole dish, pour into a 9x13 baking dish. 
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the mac and cheese.
10. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.

Beef Teriyaki Chili

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 3 T sesame oil
• 1 T hot chili oil

• 2 white onions, chopped
• 1 shallot, minced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrano pepper, chopped finely
• 1 hot banana pepper, chopped finely
• ~8 green onions, chopped

• 1.5 lbs ground meat (we used beef)
• 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans (drained and rinsed)

• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t clove
• 3/4 t anise seed
• 3/4 t powdered ginger
• black pepper (to taste)

• 1 can broth/stock (we used beef broth)
• ~ 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (one 9-oz. jar)
• 1 T Sriracha
• 1 T Sambal
• ~1/2 cup soy sauce (more for more soy sauce flavor)
• ~1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 T sugar

• 1 can baby corn, chopped
• 4 bell peppers (mix of red and green), chopped
• 1 lb carrots, chopped

• chow mein noodles

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, sauté onions, shallot, garlic, and peppers in a mix of oils. While doing this, brown the meat in a separate frying pan.
2. Add the meat and beans to the stock pot. Mix in the spices, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Leave simmering until reduced to preferred consistency.
4. Serve over rice, topped with chow mein noodles.

Makes many servings. 8, perhaps?

Vegetable Risotto with Chicken

Ingredients:

• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 2 chicken breasts
• olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 1 zucchini
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1T chopped fresh basil
• salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a medium stock pot, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
3. Put chicken in a baking pan and coat with oil, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Place in oven at 375° for 35 minutes.
4. Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed stock pot over medium heat. Stir in onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted.
6. Gradually ladle in simmering vegetable stock, stirring continuously. When the rice has absorbed most of the broth, add more broth. This whole process should take about 25 minutes.
7. When risotto is creamy but still slightly al dente, stir in the zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and thyme. Continue stirring another 2 minutes.
8. Stir in basil and 1/4 cup parmesan. Stir until incorporated, and serve, ladling into 4 bowls.
9. When chicken is done baking, remove from oven, slice, and lay slices on top of risotto.
10. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and season with pepper to taste. 

Chicken Curry

An easy and delicious Indian dinner.

Chicken Curry
Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced 
• Vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp water 
• 2 tsp Curry powder
• 1/4 tsp Powdered ginger 
• 2 Tbsp Matt's Indian Spice Mix
• 2 (14 oz) cans crushed tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1/2 T Sugar 
• Dried fruits and nuts (we used raisins, cashews, and slivered almonds)
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Matt's Indian Spice Mix (all in equal proportions):

• Cayenne pepper
• Coriander 
• Curry 
• Cumin 
• Garam Masala
• Turmeric

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil for five minutes. 
2. Pre-mix the spices. Add water to the onion/garlic and stir in spices. Let cook a couple minutes. 
3. Add tomatoes and yogurt. Stir in salt and sugar. 
4. Add fruits and nuts. 
5. Sauté chicken in a separate pan on medium heat until outside is cooked and inside is still slightly pink. Add chicken to curry.
6. Let simmer at least 30 minutes.
7. Serve over basmati rice.

Garlic Naan

Ingredients:

• 10 oz warm water
• 1/4 cup Smart Balance buttery spread, melted
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 1 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt 
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour 
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• Vegetable oil
• 4 cloves fresh garlic (minced)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients—except oil and fresh garlic—and knead and let rise according to standard dough recipe (we used a bread machine on the dough setting.
2. Shape dough into 6 balls, cover with a towel, and let rise another 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F.
4. Roll dough into very thin pancakes.
5. Brush both sides of the dough with oil. Put on baking pan and bake for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, flip naan, sprinkle top with fresh garlic.
7. Put naan back into oven and bake an additional 2 minutes, or until golden-brown.

Dino-loaf!

Diana and I went to a dinosaur-themed party this weekend. I would complain that medical students are just that weird, but I think I forfeited that right when I corrected Diana by saying that a Tyrannosaurs could not fight a Stegosaurus because they lived in different time periods.

For the party, Diana cooked "Dinoloaf with Bloody Glaze"—a variation on Alton Brown's meatloaf recipe. It turned out great, and it really did look like an Apatosaurus!

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme 
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped 
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken 
• 3 whole cloves garlic 
• 1/2 red bell pepper 
• 36 ounces ground turkey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)

"Bloody" Glaze Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 
1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• Dash Worcestershire sauce 
• Dash hot pepper sauce 
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl.
• Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.
• Combine the vegetable mixture and ground turkey with the bread crumb mixture.
• Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
• Mold this mixture into the desired shape on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet (or, if you're boring, put the meat into a loaf pan and dump out onto the parchment paper)
• Bake at 325 degrees F.
• Combine the glaze ingredients; brush glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.
• Bake until center temperature is 155 degrees.
• Serve with extra glaze on the side.

Sunday Night: My Big Fat Greek Dinner

What could be better on a Sunday night than Greek (inspired) food and board games?

Baked Greek Chicken
(Recipe derived from another wedding submission, by Toni Kaufman-Goodman)
Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 lemons (zest of 1, juice of both)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp oregano (preferably fresh and chopped)
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and sliced

• Couscous
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Place chicken breasts in baking pan and top with lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oil, oregano, and fennel.
2. Bake approximately 30 minutes (or until cooked through).
3. Serve over couscous and top with olives, feta, and Greek Salsa (below).

Greek Salsa
Ingredients:

• 6 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-oz can of artichoke hearts, diced
• 1/2 cup black olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
• 2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in large mixing bowl. Serve chilled or at room temperature, either with pita chips or on the chicken.

Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, sliced thin
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 4 tbsp sugar
• Dill to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Saturday Night: Bobotie and Sweet Lime Slaw

Tonight's dinner consisted of two dishes. The main course was from our wedding recipe book; it was submitted by one of Diana's friends. The side dish was derived from Food Network chef Aarti Sequeira.

Bobotie is a South African casserole, which we made with some healthier edits.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati rice 
• 1/2 cup yellow raisins
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• Olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lb ground turkey (lean)
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
• 1⁄4 tsp cardamom
• Salt and pepper
• 1 slice bread 
• 2/3 cup milk or soy/almond/rice milk
• 1/4 cup Egg Beaters
• 3 bay leaves
• Mango chutney

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Prepare 1 cup of rice according to standard rice preparation directions.
3. While rice is cooking, chop the onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add the ground turkey and allow to brown. While the meat is cooking, add curry, turmeric, cumin, cloves, cardamom, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is almost cooked through.
5. Place cooked rice in the bottom of a covered casserole dish and mix with raisins and almonds (the casserole dish should be about half full). 
6. Soak the slice of bread in the milk, then mash to form a paste.
7. Mix the bread and milk mixture with the turkey mixture, and then spread the turkey over the top of the rice in the casserole dish.
8. Pour the egg evenly on top of the turkey. Place three bay leaves on top. 
9. Bake covered for 35 min, and then uncovered for 10 additional minutes. 
10. Remove the bay leaves and serve with mango chutney.

The Sweet Lime Slaw provided a sweet complement to the savory entrée. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 limes, juiced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 small head green cabbage
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 1/3 cup peanuts

Directions:

1. Grate/shred the cabbage and apples using a food processor. Scoop into large mixing bowl. Add peanuts.
2. Whisk the honey, lime juice, and spices together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil to preferred ratio. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the dressing to the slaw and toss well.