More food stuff...

The next old favorite I made was for dinner tonight. I usually make this in the summer, when the veggies are nice and fresh. It's also quick and easy, so it doesn't heat up the kitchen too much. I usually serve it with grilled burgers or chicken, and maybe some pasta. It's also fabulous with swordfish steaks.

Summer veggies:

1 zucchini, sliced
1 summer squash, sliced
1 onion, sliced in half from root to tip, then sliced into half rounds
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (I like baby Bellas, but any mushrooms are good)
2 tomatoes, diced up into large pieces
Olive oil
Butter

Heat the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook gently until soft; add the other veggies. Stir around to coat with the oil. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft. Take the lid off and add a tablespoon or so of butter.

Tonight, I added two small pieces of cod on top of the veggies, in the last 5 minutes of cooking. WOW that was good! I have also added a small handful of couscous in the past, too - this ends up with some lovely juices that absorb into the couscous nicely. Enjoy!

Food stuff!

I don't get to cook much these days, but sometimes I do get a little time to make an old favorite. This week, I had two chances, since I had a few days off to study for my final on Thursday. It was a treat!

I made my mother's macaroni and cheese casserole, with a few substitutions. I could only make it in July because I was in an air-conditioned house at the time - mine isn't, so I have to wait until the cold weather, usually. It really was a treat for me, since it's my favorite dish.

The recipe calls for elbows, but all I had in the house was spaghetti, so that's what went in. I also had a kielbasa in the fridge that needed to be cooked, so in that went, too. It was really good!

Recipe:

1 lb. macaroni elbows, boiled for half the time listed on the box
12 oz. or so sharp cheddar cheese (yellow makes a nicer contrast, but white tastes the same to me), cut into 1" cubes.
3 eggs, beaten, in a 4-cup measure; to this add enough milk to make 3 1/2 cups.
Butter - about 2 - 3 Tbsp.

Put the cooked pasta in a 2-quart casserole, and toss with the butter. Add the cheese and toss. Pour the milk mixture in, without mixing. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

If you really want decadence, you could mix 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup of melted butter and toss that on top before baking. VERY rich, and NOT low-calorie, but oh, so good!