mac 'n ham 'n cheese

cook 8 oz noodles (i used brown rice macaroni noodles and no one knew the difference!)
set aside
melt 2TB butter in a saucepan.
add 1 cup milk, stirring constantly
slowly add 1-2 cups shredded cheddar, jack, asiago or other combo of cheeses
add noodles
1/2 cup diced ham (could also use sausage)
stir well
place in an oven proof pan
bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until top is crispy

Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

from the march 2010 issue of Cooking Light mag i found this recipe.
i couldn't leave it as is. i used romaine lettuce instead of iceberg
instead of habanero, i used a pablano pepper, but next time will use something a little hotter.
i used honey instead of sugar.
i wonder if cilantro would be as tasty as basil?

this was a light meal, but so very tasty! everyone loved it! it is the kind of recipe that makes me excited for summer, harvesting all these ingredients from our garden and enjoying such a refreshing meal in the heat of the evening.
ahhhhhhh

Corned Beef and Cabbage

our expectations were exceeded when we made this version of Corned Beef for St.Patty's Day this week! in my usual style, i couldn't follow the directions exactly, so here are my changes:
i boiled the corned beef as explained in the recipe, but only added about 6 cups of water, just enough to cover the brisket.
seriously, the broiling with mustard horseradish crust is what does it! i'm thinking of doing this with a steak sometime - so super easy, and seems so very gourmet!
i cooked the potatoes and thought the lemon/parsley and butter combo went well with the beef.

when it called for adding the cabbage, i skipped this part and just kept dealing with that brisket.
i used a different cabbage recipe, one i have been wanting to try for a long time, from the Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis. this one batch was enough for four families to share:

combine the following ingredients in a large cooking pot (LARGE!) and bring to a boil. mix well and cook approximately 10 minutes:
1 3/4 cups red wine vinegar
3 cups applesauce
5/8 cups sugar (i used brown)
1 1/4 tsp cloves
2 bay leaves
3 tsp black pepper
3 TB salt
1 1/2 cups apple cider

Add 5 lbs sliced red cabbage
3/4 cups diced onions
cook approximately 13 minutes (sounds exact to me). the cabbage should be a little crunchy ans served warm. remove those bay leaves first!
this reheats well, and we have nibbled on the leftovers cold as well as warm.

My version of Shelley's Better Burgers

2 two lbs of ground beef

Shred, dice, mince or whiz in the food processor:
1 large carrot
1/2 onion
1 medium sized clove of garlic
1 egg

Blend together well with raw grass-fed beef in bowl using your bare hands or a masher tool.

Make six patties and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

NOTE: Shelley's version adds ketchup and mustard and flax meal to the vegetable mix.