Paradise Mac & Cheese
Don’s been working on a perfect Mac & Cheese for a while, and lately he’s been impressed when a new restaurant in the area started serving a bacon mac & cheese. Thus he added bacon to his ‘ham mac & cheese’ he had been working on. Bingo, he now has what he thinks is the best Mac & Cheese he’s ever had…and as an extra benefit, it’s gluten free. We usually have all the ingredients around, except the Velveta. Normally I would avoid using a processed food, but it really is smooth, and the other cheeses take over, so you get the creamy texture without the obvious flavor. Ingredients Box of gluten free elbow macaroni. We like Muellers Small box of Velveta (smallest they make, maybe 8 oz?) 1/2 cup of parm cheese....
Beef Stroganoff (gluten free)
Beef Stroganoff with Penne Pasta It’s Fall (in theory) and that should mean some good, warm comfort food. Years ago (decades?) one of our favorite meals was beef stroganoff. It was a little heavy with the sour cream, and Mom didn’t get along well with the gluten in the pasta, so we stopped making it. This year we re-invented the recipe with yogurt and gluten free penne pasta. It still tasks like that comfort food we fondly remember! The dinner takes about 45 minutes to cook, and makes great leftovers. Ingredients: A steak. We used to use a cheap flank steak or something like that. Now we buy a rib-eye. Freeze it! It will be sliced thin, so it’s nice to have a rib-eye we can pull out of the freezer and let it rest for an hour before we shave off...
Pan Seared Tuna
This is an easy, GREAT meal. We are fortunate that sometimes friends say “Here, have some tuna.” Life in a beach town! Ingredients Tuna steaks 1 tsp Kosher salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 TBS black peppercorn 1 TBS Olive Oil 1 TBS margarine (we like Earth Balance soy) Directions Semi-grind the peppercorns so some are whole, some are chopped. Two or three pulses. Heat up oil and margarine, toss in peppercorns, medium high heat, listen for them to pop, but don’t burn the margarine. Sprinkle salt and cayenne on the steak(s). Toss tuna into the hot pan, cook for about a minute (or two, depending on size) on each side. The goal is to look like the photo. It doesn’t take much. Bingo, you’re done. Great taste, low effort. Our best tuna...
Shrimp & Grits
This recipe is a favorite! Don lets the shrimp sit in a bowl tossed with Tuscon Herb olive oil for about half an hour before grilling. He seasons them with Aloha General Purpose Seasoning, but Tony’s is good too. Ingredients: 1 to 2 lbs. Shrimp – deveined and on skewers 1-2 TBS. butter 1 TBS. olive oil ½ medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped ½ lb. Andouille Sausage (or Tasso Ham) ¼ c. dry white wine 2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes 4 c. chicken broth ½ c. half & half 1 c. quick cooking grits Ground pepper 1 TBS butter 1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt 1Tb butter and 1 TB of olive oil. Saute onioin, garlic, and pepper until tender and translucent. Add sausage. When...
Veggies!
We are blessed with the Rockledge Garden’s Farmer’s Market each Wed. and Sat. Here are some great ways to enjoy FRESH spring vegies all week. Or GROW your own! What to pick up at the Farmer’s Market: Lettuce/Salad Japanese Egg Plant (long, thin eggplant) Beets Onions Carrots Yellow Squash (and/or Zuchinni) Peppers Rainbow Chard Cauliflower Tomatoes (cherry) Garlic Plus, from the grocery store – goat cheese, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon/lemon juice. Herbs: Oregano and Basil When we get home, we clean/prep/package the vegies for the week. Day 1: Vegies on the Grill – thinly slice the egg plant, yellow squash, onion, pepper, then add cherry tomatoes and carrots (grill slim carrots whole) – dress all vegies with olive...
Short Ribs
This is a simple to prepare meal that tastes fantastic. We serve it with green beans and potatoes (mashed, whole red petite or garlic smashed). Ingredients 1 pound beef short ribs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion, sliced 1 clove garlic 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer 1 cup beef stock (although we’ve used chicken stock too) Directions Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. We use Green Turtle’s Supreme Steak Seasoning. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the ribs until browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet; cook and stir until onion...