Homemade Mac and Cheese

Tom Kha Gai(Thai Coconut) Soup

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  I have a nasty cold and my friend shared this medicinal soup recipe with me. It's honestly so good I would eat it even when I'm not sick. I spooned out the liquid into a mug and have been sipping it.
  To get good quality broth with all the health benefits you need when you're sick just buy a whole chicken and cover it in a stockpot of water. Season it the way you like. Boil it for 2 hours. Run the liquid that's left through a strainer and use that for your soup base. It's the BEST tasting broth ever! The chicken is also incredibly delicious.
• 1 quart chicken broth (where to buy chicken broth)
• 1 1/2 C. coconut milk (where to find BPA-free coconut milk)
• 1/4 tsp dried chile flakes
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt (to taste)
• 1-2 C. pulled or cubed cooked chicken (optional)
• 1-2 green onions, chopped (optional)
• chopped cilantro (optional)

Tom Kha Gai: The How-To

Bring the stock to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the top and add coconut milk, lemon juice, chile flakes, ginger, and optional chicken. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Ladle into soup bowls or mugs and garnish with cilantro and green onions.

It's really that easy. Enjoy!

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients

• 4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 Tb fresh lime juice
• 2 C water
• 1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, (this is my favorite one!) including the spent orange halves and juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.
2. Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan. Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid. Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until it thickens and syrupy, about 20 - 30 minutes. You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.
3. While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces. Once the liquid has reduced, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot. Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper.
4. Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat. Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

For the crust:

• 1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended.
3. Press the mixture into the sides and bottom of a nine-inch deep dish pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
4. Cool completely.

For the filling:

• 14 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
2. Beat in the melted butter gradually.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
4. Gently fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture using a spatula.  Do not over beat.
5. Pour into the prepared, cool crust and refrigerate for several hours until set.

For the Ganache:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped (high-quality such as Ghiradelli – not chocolate chips)

1. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan.  Pour over the chocolate in a bowl.  Stir gently to melt the chocolate and mix well.
2. Cool slightly and spread evenly over the pie.
3. Chill until served.
4. Cut with a knife that has been heated under hot water and wiped dry between each slice.

The Best Chili On Earth(that's really what it's called!)

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef, turkey or venison
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional, I used one and without the seeds)
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black ground pepper(I cut in half)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 46-oz. can tomato juice
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded cheese and sour cream, for topping

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from skillet, but do not clean.
2. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
3. If cooking the chili stovetop, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If using a slow cooker, add meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or slow cooker, depending on which you are using. On stovetop, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours. In slow cooker, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve warm with cheese and sour cream.

Recipe from pipandebby.com

Pumpkin Lust Cake

Ingredients

1. 1 stick butter, melted
2. 1 cup flour
3. 1 cup chopped pecans (I left out though i do like pecans)
4. 2 tbs sugar
5. 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, soft
6. 1 cup powdered sugar
7. 2 (8 oz) containers cool whip (or one 16 oz container)
8. 2 small packages (3.4oz) of Jello Instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding
9. 3 cup cold milk
10. Nutmeg for sprinkling

For the crust

1. Combine butter, flour, chopped pecans and sugar and press into a 9 x 13 in baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Layer

1. Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 cups cool whip until smooth. Spread over crust.

For the Pumpkin Layer

1. Mix pudding mixes with cold milk, whisking for several minutes. Set it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to let it thicken. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Top with remaining container of cool whip. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
2. Cut into squares and serve. Keep refrigerated.

Pasta Fresca

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• 2teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1⁄2cups pre-cooked farfalle pasta
• 1⁄4cup cubed roma tomato
• 1tablespoon diced red onion
• 2dashes kosher salt, and
• cracked pepper
• 1ounce baby fresh spinach
• 1⁄4cup fresh garlic
• 2teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄4cup balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄4cup sweet white wine
• 1cup extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté Instructions:
2. In a very hot sauté pan, add: extra virgin olive oil, pre-cooked farfalle (bow-tie pasta), roma tomatoes, diced red onions, kosher salt & cracked pepper.
3. Sear noodles, stirring occasionally until steaming hot.
4. Add: baby fresh spinach, 1 oz. fresca sauce.
5. Toss to combine, serve with freshly shaved parmesan cheese.
6. FRESCA SAUCE: (for 15 servings) 1/4 cup fresh garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup sweet white wine, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil.
7.