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It’s time again for another edition of FN Dish.  This week it’s all about Mac N Cheese. So be sure to check the links from all the other amazing contributors at the end of this post.




When I saw that this week was mac n cheese I thought what can I make that would be a twist on the traditional mac n cheese.  After some brain storming this is what I came up with — Buffalo Bacon Mac n Cheese.  It’s has everything that’s in the popular Buffalo chicken dip (without the chicken although you could add chicken if you like) along with bacon (because everything is better with bacon, all served over pasta!


To make Buffalo Bacon Mac N Cheese here is what you’ll need:




6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese. softened
4 ounces of sour cream
1 envelope of ranch dressing mix powder
4 ounces of blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (your favorite brand)
2 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups of crushed Buffalo flavored pretzels, crushed
1 pound penne pasta


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Cook and crumble the bacon, set aside.  In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, blue cheese crumbles and wing sauce.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water in case the sauce is too thick.  I didn’t need to add any water but it’s nice to have it just in case.  Add the cooked pasta to the sauce in the bowl and mix well.  Mix in the cooked bacon.  Pour it all in a casserole dish and top with the cheddar cheese and crushed pretzels.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

Looking for more amazing Mac N Cheese recipes.  Take a look at these:

Feed Me Phoebe: White Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese Casserole
Creative Culinary: Green Chile Mac and Cheese
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Bang Bang Cauliflower Mac ’n Cheese
The Mom 100: Creamy Four Cheese Penne Rigate
Healthy Eats: 5 Reasons to Put Down That Box of Mac and Cheese
Taste with the Eyes: Mac and Cheese, Ham, Carrot, Celery, Onion {gluten-free}
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Cacio e Pepe
Napa Farmhouse 1885: One Skillet Mac & Cheese
Red or Green: Three Perfect Mac & Cheese Recipes For Winter
FN Dish: Here’s How to Eat Mac and Cheese for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

It’s time once again for the latest installment of FN Dish’s Comfort Food Feast.  This week — potatoes, one of my all time favorite foods.  I’m always looking for new ways to make them and new ways to eat them.  So if you scroll to the bottom of this post you’ll find lots of different ways to do both!

It’s the New Year and once again we make resolutions- get organized, get out of debt, lose weight.  This recipe just might be able to help you with the latter- Air Fried French Fries.  How do you air fry something?  That was my question when I unwrapped my air fryer this Christmas.  My mother in law sometimes gives unusual presents – to say the least. And when I saw this in the box I thought. “Oh Geez, what is this?”  But after using it a couple times it actually works.


To make air fried French Fries there are a few things you need to know:


When using an air fryer you need very little oil, if any. But you can still add flavor to your “fries”.  In a bowl toss the cut and soaked potatoes with a little olive oil and then any seasonings of your choice –seasoning salt, garlic powder, chili powder or any combination you would use on your fries.


My air fryer is made by Todd English so I can only speak for this one.  Although they are made by many different companies including on by Emeril.  My air fryer basket is pretty small so I have do the fries in batches.  You can take the basket out when the air fryer is running.  It’s a good thing to open it occasionally to shake the basket to make sure that the fries are cooking evenly.


How does an air fryer work exactly?  The only way I can explain it that its a counter top convection oven.  There is fan inside that keeps the heat moving around and in turn cooks the food.  The outside of the fryer doesn’t get hot.  The fryer is pretty noisy though when the fan is running.  The fries from the air fryer will be a little different than those that are deep fat fried.  The texture will be a little different too and depending on how the fries are cut and how long they are cooked they can be crispy.


Once the fries are made you can eat them plain, with ketchup or cheese or chili and cheese or with cheese and bacon or with cheese and gravy or any way you like!  Why not you just saved a ton of calories by air frying.


Here are the links from the other contributors.  I’m sure you’ll find a new way to enjoy your spuds!


Creative Culinary: Bacon and Caramelized Onion Potato Salad
Homemade Delish: Parmesan-Crusted Potato Wedges
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Stir-Fried Purple Potatoes
Healthy Eats: 6 Better Ways to Eat Potatoes
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Slow Cooked Baked Potatoes
Taste with the Eyes: Flatbread Pizza: Potato, Arugula, Sour Cream, Chives, Olive, Truffle, Lemon
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mashed Russet and Sweet Potato Casserole
Red or Green: Taco Stuffed Baked Potatoes
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Sweet Potatoes Anna with Apples and Raisins
FN Dish: 5 Downright Perfect Potato Dishes

In the winter I’m always looking for easy, hearty food that will warm us from the inside out. And of course it has to have BIG flavor.  Cassoulet fits the bill.  When I first saw this recipe on myrecipes.com I thought “oh great! its cooked in the crock pot.” But after I read further there are many, many steps you need to go through before it actually gets into the crock pot. So I wouldn’t recommend it for a crock pot dinner you throw together before work. But the flavor is worth the effort.

I chose to try this recipe because I had most everything on hand (except the pork loin which I substituted chicken thighs for) and I could finish cooking it in the crock pot which meant I was free to go out before the snow storm hit.

To make this cassoulet version you will need:

2 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (I used a 26 ounce of sea salt and olive oil flavored tomatoes)
2 cans (15 ounce) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans
1 pound of boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 smoked sausage, cut into chunks
Parmesan cheese and flat leaf parsley for garnish

In a large skillet cooked the chopped bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet. In the same skillet cook the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings for about 3 minutes or until tender. Season the onions and garlic with the thyme and rosemary. Cook until fragrant.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add bacon back to pan and add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil then remove from heat.

Drain and rinse both cans of beans.  Take one can and smash with a potato masher. This may sound easy but it does take some effort. Be sure to mash these beans in a large bowl.  Add the chicken thighs and smoked sausage to the mashed beans along with the other can of beans (whole).

Place a layer of the mashed bean and meat mixture into the bottom of the crock pot. Then layer the tomato mixture. Continue the layers until all the mixtures are in the crock pot.  Turn on LOW and cook 5 hours.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Serve with some crusty bread and you have a complete, flavorful and healthy meal that will warm you up!!

I have to admit I’ve seen this recipe around the internet. When I asked on Facebook for some interesting recipes using cauliflower, this one came up again.  I was hesitant to try it. Was a little worried about how the final product would taste and if it would actually be close to real pizza.  But I decided to give it a try anyway and of course I couldn’t stick completely to the recipe I found. I had to add my only little twist.

The original recipe was sent to me by my niece in law and can be found here:
http://yourlighterside.com/2009/05/recipe-the-original-cauliflower-pizza-dough-2/

To make Cauliflower Pizza you’ll need:

Crust:
1 cup of cooked cauliflower
1 cup of mozzarella
dried seasonings of your choice– I used Italian seasonings and dried parsley
1 egg

Toppings
I used all veggies but if you decide to top your pizza with meat, be sure they are cooked first

Pizza sauce (which I decided not to use, more on that later)
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
veggies of your choice. I used red onions, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper

The original recipe says to use frozen cauliflower and then grate it.  What I did was steam a whole head of cauliflower because I wanted to use it for another recipe (which I will post later) and stored it in the fridge.  When I was ready to make the pizza I took out a cup and cut it up very finely with a knife.  I hate to dirty another gadget when I can just use a knife to do that job.
I put the cauliflower in a bowl and added 1 cup of mozzarella and then added the seasonings -the original recipe called for sprinkling the crust with the seasonings but I decided to add them right into the crust. I then added the egg and mixed it well.

I spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet that I sprayed with cooking spray so it didn’t stick.  I put it into a 425 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until browned and set.  NOTE: In the future I would use a towel to get out some of the moisture from the cauliflower to see if the crust got a little more firm.  Had to eat the pizza with a knife and fork.  Not complaining it still tasted amazing.

Once the crust was set I added my toppings.  Again this is where I deviated from the original recipe.  Instead of using sauce I took some small tomatoes I had in the fridge, sliced them and then tossed them with salt and olive oil.  I put those on the crust first.  Then I topped the pizza with sliced red onions and the bell peppers and finally with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses.  I baked the pizza another 10 minutes or so until the cheese melted.  For a final touch I added some fresh chopped basil.  I think that fresh herbs are the secret to making anything taste great!

We loved the fact that the veggies were fresh and crunchy, along with the sprinkle of fresh herbs.  It really brightened up the whole pizza.

Final review:
The Process —

The original recipe I saw said that you can use frozen cauliflower.  I’m not sure that I would go that route. Now that I’ve used fresh cauliflower and saw how much water is in it.  Steaming a whole head of cauliflower to use for other recipes seems a lot simpler. That being said, the process is simple and actually a lot easier than making traditional pizza dough. For those who are gluten free or eat low carb I would think this recipe would be a god send.

The Taste —

I was a little concerned that the crust would have an overwhelming cauliflower taste but it really didn’t. With all toppings and cheese the cauliflower was barely noticeable.

Things to remember —

Cauliflower has a lot of water in it, so be sure to either use a paper towel or kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible.  That way your crust will get crispier.  Also if you’re using meat as a topping be sure it is cooked first.

Would I make it again? Absolutely!! If I can have guilt free pizza (except for all the cheese) I would make it again and again.  It’s simple and relatively easy.  Once you have the method down you can top it just like you would any other pizza crust.

So grab some in season, on sale cauliflower, steam it up and create your own gluten free (almost guilt free) pizza!!

It’s time for another installment of Comfort Food Fest and FN Dish!  This week it’s all about Mac N Cheese. For good reason what other dish is more comforting than a bowl of warm, cheesy mac and cheese.
When I found out that Mac and Cheese was the topic the first thing that came to mind was to make a favorite of the kids I cook for at the day care I work at – creamy mac and cheese made with cheddar sauce and served with broccoli mixed in.
I started to work only to find out that I didn’t have any cheddar cheese.  So it was off to Plan B.

We bought some Velveeta and Rotel to make queso dip so I thought – why not make Queso Mac N Cheese?

There really isn’t a recipe for this, it’s so simple.

Step 1:  Bring a large pot of water to the boil

Step 2: Once the water is boiling add some salt to the water and then add the macaroni (about 1 pound)

Step 3: Cook the pasta to al dente or just shy of done.

Step 4: Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Step 5: Cube up about 2/3 of a 2 pound block of Velveeta and add it to the pasta. Once the cheese is melted add 1 can of Rotel tomatoes with green chilies. Stir to combine.

Step 6: Pour the mac and cheese into a casserole dish and top with more cubes of cheese.

Step 7: Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Once the mac and cheese is done you can serve it with broccoli on the side or maybe a salad.  I’m always amazed that cooking on fly turns out so well….well almost every time.  My husband said that’s how I do my best work.  But he really has to say things like that.  😉

But it does prove that you can throw together a dinner on the fly and still have it turn out delicious!

For more Mac and Cheese recipes check the list below for all the cheesy deliciousness from the other FN bloggers!

Feed Me Phoebe: Jalapeno-Scallion Mac n Cheese
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Triple Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake
Dishing With Divya: Baked Mediterranean Macaroni and Cheese
Weelicious: Green Mac and Cheese
The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
Taste With The Eyes: Macaroni and Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Gravy
Red or Green: Mac & Cheese with Tuna and Green Chiles
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mac & Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower and Leeks
Virtually Homemade: Ham and Cheese Mac and Cheese Bites
Domesticate Me: Skinny Mac with Cauliflower Cheese Sauce and Chicken Sausage
The Sensitive Epicure: Cauliflower ‘n Cheese (Gluten-Free)
Devour: Mix-Ins for Macaroni and Cheese
FN Dish: 10 Ways to Make Mac and Cheese

Happy New Year Everyone!!! And with the New Year comes all the resolutions for losing weight and eating healthier.  I admit I’m one of those people who knows I control what I eat and how I treat myself but sometime I just slip – I’m human.  Every once in a while I have a craving for something I know is definitely not healthy like maybe pancakes.

I’ve seen this recipe all over the internet with some slight variations so I thought I’d give it a try.  Here is my step by step review of the low carb, high protein pancake.  Just typing that seems wrong but it’s true.  They turned out a little thinner than a regular pancake but that’s to be expected.  There’s no flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt or added sugar.  Actually there is only 3 ingredients — banana, peanut butter and egg.  I guess you could rename these the Elvis special pancakes.  So what do they taste like?  Actually they taste like a peanut butter cookie – nothing wrong with that.

Making these little gems is very easy. First of all puree the banana.  I used my magic bullet to do this and to make all the batter.

For one banana I added a little less than 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1 egg and then blended it all up in the magic bullet.  Then make them as you would any pancake – in a skillet with butter.  It seemed to me that it takes a lot of butter to get these not to stick, which is fine with me, I’m not afraid of butter.
I chose to eat mine with some Polaner Cherry jam and not syrup but if you like syrup go for it!
These were easy and delicious.  I would recommend them to anyone with a pancake craving who is trying to stick to a low carb, high protein diet.

 Recently I was asked by Robert Ferguson, founder of Diet Free Life (dietfreelife.com)
to test a couple recipes using coconut oil. The experiment? Cook chicken wings and french fries in coconut oil to see if it alters the flavor.  As you can see from the picture above I used extra virgin coconut oil. Since this is my first time cooking with it I had no idea what kind or brand to buy.  It’s all pretty expensive compare to vegetable oil. After doing some reading on the benefits of coconut oil next time to fry I’ll buy the refined virgin coconut oil.

First was the chicken wings.  I tried them with a simple breading first.  I spiced it up a little bit just in case the coconut flavor came through, then the breading would compliment it.  I did a double dip of flour, egg and then flour again to give a crunchy batter.  I heated the coconut oil in my dutch oven, adding enough oil to the pot to cover the wings but not actually deep fry.

I fried them until the breading was golden brown. The results? There was the slightest hint of coconut flavor which could be increased with some coconut in the breading itself.  This would be an easy way to make wings or even shrimp into a Polynesian style recipe.
For contrast/comparison I cooked some other wings in vegetable oil.  The coconut oil wings were not as crispy but as far as flavor goes, the coconut oil wings flavor was so subtle that you really couldn’t tell the difference.

To see if the breading soaked up the coconut flavor I cooked some wings without any breading at all in both coconut oil and vegetable oil. The flavor was the same which surprised me. I thought that the meat would soak up more of the coconut flavor than the breading.  One difference was that the unbreaded vegetable oil wings were crispier than the unbreaded coconut oil wings.

The next experiment Robert wanted conducted was cooking french fries in coconut using a deep fryer.  I started by cutting the potatoes into french fry shape.  There are many gadgets that will cut then into the perfect shape but I just do mine using a chef’s knife.  First I cut the ends off and the square the potato off by cutting the sides off. Then I cut the potato into slices, then stack the slices up and cut them into sticks, making sure that they are all about the same thickness.  I put the sticks into cold water and let them sit for at least 30 minutes to draw out some of the starch. This will ensure crispier fries.

I tried melting and heating the oil in my deep fryer but it started to smoke and I was a little worried to use it, so once again I got out my dutch oven and heated the coconut oil.  I did the classic double fry, frying the potatoes for 3 minutes, taking them out, doing another batch for 3 minutes taking them out, then cooking the first batch again until golden and crispy. Be sure to do this with all subsequent batches.  This will give you a crispy fry on the outside and a fluffy potato on the inside.

The result was delicious! There was the most subtle flavor of coconut in the fries.  Once salted it actually enhances the flavor of the fries.

To conclude:
Coconut oil does not alter the flavor of America’s most beloved fried food.  You can add buffalo wing style sauce to any wings cooked in coconut oil without breading (the way they should be cooked) and the flavor will not change,and cooking fries in coconut oil will add only the slightest bit of coconut flavor.
Coconut oil is one of the few cooking oils that is loaded with healthy fats. Its a lot more expensive than vegetable oil or even olive oil and would be a definite splurge ingredient. But if you’re looking for a healthier way to have your favorite fried snack foods then it’s worth it.

Since I’ve been working as the lead cook at The Apple House Bunch Daycare (a mostly vegetarian daycare) I really haven’t had much time to blog. I even toyed with the idea of quitting the blog all together. But then I got an email from Food Network to participate in their franchise once more this year. And this week it’s all about BERRIES!  The kids at the daycare (ages 1-3 years old) love berries for breakfast and with their snack. As part of the New York State food program I have to incorporate a fruit and vegetable into lunch but I always have at least one fruit and sometimes two into their breakfast and snack.

Strawberries and blueberries are favorites and with the warmer weather coming here in Upstate NY frozen “pops” are a healthy and delicious treat.  Making them couldn’t be easier.  I take another favorite – smoothies and pour them into a paper cup, ice cube tray or pop mold and freeze.

To make mixed berry freezer pops this is what you’ll need:

Strawberries, preferably organic
blueberries, preferably  organic
yogurt, plain and preferably local
honey, preferably local
milk, whole or 1%

The Lemon Bowl: Strawberry Mango Chia Smoothie
Dishin & Dishes: Crunchy Topped Blueberry White Chocolate Muffins
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Gingered Blueberry Shortcakes With Light Creamy Topping
Taste With The Eyes: Blueberry Limoncello Pavlova
Sweet Life Bake: Paletas de Fresca y Aguacate
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mixed Berry Tea Cake 
Red or Green?: Strawberry & Blueberry Crisp (Red or Green-style)
Virtually Homemade: Blueberry Mint Margaritas
Haute Apple Pie: Triple Berry Ice Cream
Pinch My Salt: Strawberry Peach Cobbler With Almond Biscuit Topping
Cooking With Elise: Dehydrating Blueberries, Plus Blueberry and White Chocolate Cookies
Devour: Four Healthy Berry Recipes
Domesticate Me: Summer Berry Crisp
Weelicious: Brainy Breakfast
The Sensitive Epicure: Strawberries With White Balsamic Vinegar Caramel, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
Daily*Dishin: Fresh and Easy Blueberry Pie
FN Dish: Wake Up With Berries