From Slow Cooker Revolution by America's Test Kitchen
"Macaroni and Cheese" page 239
First off, I would like to say that the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks are probably my favorite to work with. The recipes are always good, there are lots of helpful tips (such as which brand of cheddar cheese works the best with this recipe), and no matter how intricate the recipe may be, they are always do-able with the easy to understand instructions.
I thought the macaroni and cheese was delicious, if wanting a bit of salt. Curtis thought that it lacked a little flavor. I am not sure if he wanted a sharper cheddar or a stronger cheese... but I'll probably make this again. It was unbelievably easy. Mix in a pot, pour into crock pot, wait, eat.
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheese. Show all posts
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Orzo Risotto with Chicken
I got a new cookbook! Sadly, the Borders in Lynnwood, Washington (about 30 minutes from my parents house) is going out of business. The only upside of this is that they had a closing sale so I got this cookbook for 20% off. It's very pretty; lots of pictures and cute design elements so even if the recipes in it are lousy, at least it looks nice in the kitchen. The book is spiral bound so it lays flat (though hopefully I'll be getting a book prop soon to hold up the cookbook while I'm cooking) and all of the nutrition info is there for each recipe.
"Orzo Risotto with Chicken" (page 94) is the first recipe I've made from this book. A little disappointing, but I made a few changes that I probably shouldn't have. First of all, the recipe calls for lemon zest and the juice of the lemon. I don't have a juicer and I was really tired so zesting and then using a fork to juice the lemon just seemed like too much work. This was a mistake; without it, the dish seriously wanted acid. When I reheat the left-overs, I'm going to add a squirt of lemon juice to see if that helps perk this dish up.
My second mistake was I didn't realize I had mozerella cheese instead of romano. The mozerella was far too mild and made the whole thing kind of bland. I added a ton of salt though and that livened things up.
An interesting aspect of this book are the purees. The author, Jessica Seinfeld, is a big advocate of vegetable purees. In most of her recipes, at least one vegetable puree is present. In Orzo Risotto with Chicken, the recipe calls for cauliflower puree. I was able to make it without a hitch (steam cauliflower; blend until smooth) and made enough to freeze (in 1/2 cup baggies) for future recipes. This seems like it'll be great for me since I am loathe to eat my vegetables. I even considered -- granted I was very hungry -- making mashed potatoes with cauliflower puree instead of potato. I think I put a little bit too much in; I could taste the cauliflower. So next time, I'll be sure to use the right cheese, less puree, and the lemon zest and juice.
I might also consider just frying the thin strips of chicken (which were delicious with sweet paprika, salt, and pepper) and leaving them on the side with the risotto (for the record, this isn't technically a risotto) rather than shredding the chicken (which made it lose a lot of the flavor from the spices) and mixing it in.
I chose not to take a picture of this dish because it is not the most appetizing dish to behold. Not good for fancy dinner parties.
9 points per serving.
"Orzo Risotto with Chicken" (page 94) is the first recipe I've made from this book. A little disappointing, but I made a few changes that I probably shouldn't have. First of all, the recipe calls for lemon zest and the juice of the lemon. I don't have a juicer and I was really tired so zesting and then using a fork to juice the lemon just seemed like too much work. This was a mistake; without it, the dish seriously wanted acid. When I reheat the left-overs, I'm going to add a squirt of lemon juice to see if that helps perk this dish up.
My second mistake was I didn't realize I had mozerella cheese instead of romano. The mozerella was far too mild and made the whole thing kind of bland. I added a ton of salt though and that livened things up.
An interesting aspect of this book are the purees. The author, Jessica Seinfeld, is a big advocate of vegetable purees. In most of her recipes, at least one vegetable puree is present. In Orzo Risotto with Chicken, the recipe calls for cauliflower puree. I was able to make it without a hitch (steam cauliflower; blend until smooth) and made enough to freeze (in 1/2 cup baggies) for future recipes. This seems like it'll be great for me since I am loathe to eat my vegetables. I even considered -- granted I was very hungry -- making mashed potatoes with cauliflower puree instead of potato. I think I put a little bit too much in; I could taste the cauliflower. So next time, I'll be sure to use the right cheese, less puree, and the lemon zest and juice.
I might also consider just frying the thin strips of chicken (which were delicious with sweet paprika, salt, and pepper) and leaving them on the side with the risotto (for the record, this isn't technically a risotto) rather than shredding the chicken (which made it lose a lot of the flavor from the spices) and mixing it in.
I chose not to take a picture of this dish because it is not the most appetizing dish to behold. Not good for fancy dinner parties.
9 points per serving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)