lastcraving | Entries tagged with quick and easy

I can't stand the taste of plain macaroni and cheese. I'm always finding ways to dress it up a bit. Of all the ways I've ever done it, this one might be my favorite.

Ingredients:

1 box of macaroni and cheese, any brand
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup of soy milk or skim milk
1/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp of butter or margarine
1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt

Directions:
Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain well. Return to pot or casserole dish. Add remaining ingredients to macaroni. Mix well. Serve warm.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Okay, it's been a while. I've been slacking on updating here, but for a reason: I've been feeling absolutely horrid. I've barely been able to eat much of anything, so I haven't been doing a lot in the way of experimenting with my cooking. I do, however, have a few new recipes to share. I'll try to stagger them out, so I'm not spamming your friends page.

Ingredients:

1 box of cheap macaroni and cheese
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
1/8 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/8 cup reduced fat 2% mozzarella cheese
2-4 Tbsp buffalo sauce, to your own taste

Directions:
Prepare box macaroni and cheese according to package directions. (Usually, boil pasta for 7-12 minutes. Drain. Add powdered cheese packet included in box, butter, and milk. Mix well.)

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Yes, I'm Southern. We love our casseroles. This one is a particular favorite in my house. Hopefully it will be in yours too!

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli, diced, using flowers and stems or 2 bags frozen broccoli
1 can, cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp of onion powder
1 large Tbsp of sour cream
1 cup sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbles or toasted panko

Directions:
Fresh Broccoli: Chop broccoli stems finely. Cut flowers to a size that works for you; we usually cut them as small as we do the stems. Be sure to trim the rough end off and discard it before using the broccoli. Boil in a medium sauce pan for 30 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Frozen Broccoli: Boil two bags of frozen broccoli according to package directions.

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a small mixing bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and onion powder. Add cheese to this and mix again.

In a 9x13 casserole, combine cooked broccoli with the soup and cheese mixture and mix. Sprinkle bread crumbs.

Cook at 350° for 20 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Okay, I'll admit: I got this one from my Grandmother. Of course, being me, I had to make my own variations to a dish she was already making variations on. I was pleased and it got good Facebook comments.

Ingredients:

3 zucchini, diced
1/2 carrot, diced or 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
6 oz penne pasta
6 oz cream cheese
3 Tablespoons Italian dressing or 1Tbsp white vinegar, 2 generous Tbsps olive oil, and Italian seasonings to taste
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

Directions:
Cook penne according to the box instructions. Drain and hold

Meanwhile, in a stir-fry pan, sauté vegetables in Italian dressing/Italian dressing mixture. Once the vegetables are tender, add cream cheese and melt. Add broth to maintain moisture.

Add the cooked penne and toss before serving.

Can be added:
One can of diced/shredded chicken. 1 red bell pepper would also be good

Current Mood: full

apollymi

I have long loved French Onion soup, but since I went vegetarian, it's been something I've had to deny myself. Well, no more, I decided: it was time to change that.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, sliced
2.5 cups of vegetable broth
3-5 garlic cloves, minced, according to your tastes
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions. Stir until tender, about 20 minutes. Add minced garlic cloves at about the 10 minute point.

Add flour, stirring constantly so that it does not stick. Slowly add broth and water in stages; this helps to prevent lumps of flour from forming. Add soy sauce, parsley, and thyme at this time as well.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low (if your stove burner dials use numbers, around a 1 or a 2) and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve hot with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

In Albany, GA, where I'm from, there's a Japanese restaurant, Shogun, that serves every meal with fried rice and yakisoba (vegetable noodles). I, of course, absolutely adore these noodles, but it took until now, almost 10 years since I first went to Shogun's, to try to emulate the yakisoba. About.com had a good recipe. I just modified to the ingredients I had on hand.

Ingredients:

1 packet soba or somen (about 2 oz)
3 large stalks celery, finely sliced on a diagonal
1 cup carrots, finely sliced
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tsbp teriyaki sauce

Directions:
Break soba/somen into 3rds and cook according to package directions (about 3 minutes for somen, 5 for soba). Drain.

In a large stirfry pan, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add celery and carrots, and stirfry about 5 minutes. Add ginger to vegetables.

Add noodles and stir into vegetables. Add teriyaki and stir into dish. Serve hot.

Can be substituted:
If soba or somen isn't available, you can use angel hair pasta or other thin pastas. Teriyaki sauce can be replaced by soy sauce if you prefer salty.

Can be added:
Other vegetables can be added, such as asparagus, leeks, cabbage, spinach, etc.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Okay, I'm from Georgia. I'm probably giving up my honorary "GRITS" (girls raised in the South) badge by admitting that... I hate black eyed peas. I actually cannot stand them. There is no way that they can be cooked that I will enjoy them. However, it's traditional to have them at New Year's Day lunch for luck. So I have to find ways that I can stomach them for this one meal a year. This is one of them.

Ingredients:

4 oz small shaped pasta (I used elbow macaroni)
1 10-oz can black-eyed peas
3/4 cup picante sauce/salsa (pick your own degree of spice)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

Directions:
Cook pasta according to box instructions. Drain thoroughly and return to pot.

Drain and rinse black eyed peas. Add to pot with pasta. Add picante sauce/salsa, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix well. Serve hot.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

The tradition around here for New Year's Day lunch is to have greens (for money in the new year) and black eyed peas (for luck). This is my greens recipe for my roommate and myself.

As a note, this is one of those recipes where I do a lot of the directing and I let my roommate do the actual preparation work. I love eating spinach, but I get physically ill whenever I try to squeeze the water out of it. Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce can spinach
4 oz cream cheese/cream cheese substitute
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
3-4 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tsp onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 cup milk/soy milk
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)

Directions:
Set stove for 350°. Allow to preheat.

Drain spinach well. This will involve having to squeeze the excess liquid from it. Transfer to 1 quart casserole dish.

Add cream cheese, butter, onion powder, and half of Parmesan cheese to spinach. Mix well. Add milk as needed.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and cook in oven at 350° for 20 minutes. If you are using the bread crumbs, add them after 5 minutes.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

I posted a link for my "Potato and Celery Soup" back in January. This soup is very similar to it, but there are some alterations I've made to it both for my newly found stomach issues and for the fact my roommate still enjoys meat.

Ingredients:

3 cups milk (I use soy)
1 cup vegetable broth
4 cans diced potatoes or 6 real potatoes
2-3 medium stalks celery, chopped, leaves shredded and saved
2-3 carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp onion powder or 1 small onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp butter or margarine
3-4 green onions, chopped
Dash (no more than 1/8 tsp) chili powder
Dash ranch dressing powder (optional)
1-2 Tbsp crumbled bacon or Bacon Bits (optional)
2 Tbsp extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
If you are using "real" potatoes, peel them and cut them into small cubes. In a large pan, boil them on high heat until tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium-high. Stir in celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes or under vegetables are tender. If you are using real onions, add them with the celery and carrots. Reduce heat to medium low.

Slowly add broth and milk, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Stir in potatoes and spices. Allow to cook over medium-low heat until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add green onions and shredded celery leaves about halfway through the last.

Scoop into bowls. Garnish with bacon, cheese, and extra green onions as desired.

Can be added:
About 1 cup of chopped ham can be added. Additionally, chopped leeks and chopped mushrooms can also be added. If these are added, also add 1 cup of broth or milk.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Okay, I'll admit it: I like Mexican food. I like it entirely too much for my wallet. And Qdoba's Mexican Gumbo is a special favorite of mine, and at close to $7 a bowl, it adds up a little too quickly. So the last time I got it, I checked out what all went into it and extrapolated... as usual. This is my version of Qdoba's Vegetarian Mexican Gumbo.

Ingredients:

3 cans vegetable or chicken broth (approximately 6 cups)
1.5 cups instant rice
2 cups chunky salsa or picante sauce, your degree of heat
1.5 Tbsp onion powder or 1 medium onion
3 Tbsp cilantro
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder (optional)

Directions:
Cook instant rice according to package directions. Do not use salt or butter. A pinch of cilantro can be added to the rice as it cooks.

While rice is cooking, in a large stockpot, heat broth over medium heat. As it reaches a rolling boil, slowly stir in salsa and onion powder. if you are using chili powder, add it at this point. Bring back to boil. Add cilantro, green onions, and lime juice.

Add finished rice, and stir to mix.

Serve hot with sour cream, cheese, and guacamole as desired.

Can be added:
1 cup of cooked chicken, pork, steak, beef, soyburger, or tofu can also be added. If this is done, add 1 to 1.5 more cups of broth. 1 can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies can also be added; do not drain.

Can be substituted:
I can't have sour cream anymore (more's the shame), so I use Greek Yogurt. It gives it a slightly stronger flavor and blends with the taste well.

Current Mood: full

apollymi

Do you ever go through those spells where you have to eat one thing over and over and over? Yeah, that's where I am. And the food of choice is -- oddly enough -- cheese dip. Queso is the preference, but any cheese dip is working really nice for me lately.

Well, queso dip that isn't in a glass jar with Doritos/Fritos/etc on the front can be expensive and/or too spicy. And the Doritos/Fritos/etc queso always seems to use yellow cheese and so doesn't look like "real" queso. So I took it upon myself to come up with my own queso recipe, based on one I found on AllRecipes.com. Getting it off the stove and tasting it was one of those "damn, I'm good" moments.

Ingredients:

12 slices White American cheese
1-2 4-oz cans green chillies (to your own taste)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup milk (I used soy)
2 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
chili powder to taste

Directions:
In a heavy bottom medium boiler or pot, slowly heat the butter and milk over medium-low heat until butter begins to melt. Tear cheese into smaller sizes and add to milk and butter, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Putting it into smaller pieces helps this go faster.

Once the cheese melts, stir in the green chillies. Once this is mixed, add the remainder of the spices to your own taste. You may need to add additional milk if it becomes too thick. Serve hot with chips or over enchiladas/tacos/etc.

Note:
This reheats well in the microwave. However, be sure to cover it and stop to stir it frequently, no less than every minute.

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Two in one day! This hasn't happened in a while.

I had French last night for dinner and again today at lunch with the Vichyssoise. I decided I was craving Mexican, so I went hunting until I turned up this recipe.

Ingredients:

24-28 oz frozen ravioli, beef or cheese (or mixture of both)
10 oz enchilada sauce
8 oz salsa (your degree of hotness)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1.5 cup cheese (Cheddar, Monterrey Jack, or Mexican blend)

Directions:
In a large stock pot, cook ravioli according to package directions.
In another pot, combine enchilada sauce, salsa, garlic powder, and 1 cup of cheese over medium heat. Cook until head thoroughly and cheese is well mixed.
When ravioli is finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Add sauce and mix well.
Serve hot with remaining cheese

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Yeah, by now you know me: if it can't be made in half an hour or less, generally speaking, I try not to make it often. I think a lot of people also now know I like my food to be either spicy or creamy. This one is the former of the two.

I made this from what I had on hand this morning. By no means is this to be considered an authentic Creole or Cajun jambalaya. This is a quick and dirty version of "white jambalaya", made in a house with no meat to be had. Some suggestions are made below of additional things that can go in.

Ingredients:

4.5 cups stock, or 4.5 cups of water and 2 Tbsp of bouillon (vegetable or chicken)
1.25 cups instant rice
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup Boca ground soy burger
.5 cup small dry pasta
1 10-oz can corn, drained
1.5 to 3 Tbsp onion powder
1 to 2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 to 2 Tbsp cajun spices (salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne powder, thyme, oregano)
1/4 to 3/4 cup picante sauce

Directions:
In a large stockpot, bring stock to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add all ingredients except the picante sauce. Allow to cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add picante sauce. Allow to cook another 10 minutes or until food is tender. Serve hot.

Note:
The amounts on the spices depend completely on your own tastes. I just know I can't have terribly spicy foods, so I tend to use the minimum spices. The pasta was only added because I wanted to make sure this was going to be thick and filling -- and I had already used up almost all the rice I had on hand. This recipe, as it stands right now, is feeding 2 people 1 meal a day for at least 2 days.
This version is closer to "white jambalaya" either of the other two more authentic kind. Basically, "white jambalaya" tends to be made outside of Louisiana and tends to be the quickie, cheating kind of jambalaya. This is definitely that.

Can be added or substituted:
Chicken and sausage are usual staples of jambalaya. I've also seen a lot of pots of jambalaya with shrimp, crawfish, or ham. Use them in any combination to your own tastes. Peas are also something I've seen in jambalaya from time to time.
Creole ("red") jambalaya typically uses tomatoes. Cajun ("brown") jambalaya typically doesn't. I didn't have tomatoes in stock except what was in the picante sauce, so feel free to add more -- or not.
Basically, with jambalaya, it's a sort of anything goes: toss in whatever you want, just don't forget the spices, celery, and onions (onion powder)!

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Okay, yes, it's the middle summer. Yes, it's been over 100° for the last week. And yes, I made soup. It's always cold inside my building at work.

This sounds like it would be a hard recipe from the ingredients, but really, it isn't. It's just a matter of cooking it until the broccoli thaws and the celery is tender.

Ingredients:

4.5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 15-oz can creamed corn
1 12-oz can diced carrots
1 12-oz can diced or sliced potatoes
2 medium to long sticks celery, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
4 oz frozen broccoli florets
1 16-oz jar processed cheese
1/2 tsp celery seed or celery salt
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven, combine broth and corn over medium-high heat, stirring to mix. Add in other canned vegetables (carrots and potatoes) and again stir to mix. Add diced celery, frozen broccoli, celery seed/salt, onion powder, and pepper to taste; again, stir to mix.

As the soup comes to a boil, spoon in the entire jar of processed cheese, stirring as each spoonful is added. Once cheese is added, reduce heat to medium-low.

Allow to cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until broccoli and celery are tender, stirring frequently. This will assist the cheese sauce in melting, but it will also keep the cheese from sticking to your pan. When about 5 minutes are left, add the green onions.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Note:
This can also be done in a slow cooker, using fresh potatoes and carrots. If using this method, combine broth, vegetables (except green onions), and spices, and cook on low heat about 7 to 8 hours. Add the cheese, and cook about another 30 minutes. Add the green onions; cook about 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Any other vegetables you would like to add -- that go well with a cheddar cheese sauce -- can be added or substituted.

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Okay, so I did my broccoli and cheddar soup before, so now it's time for my broccoli and pasta soup. They're vaguely similar, but I like the extra flavor in this one.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup sharp Cheddar Cheese, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top of soup
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 cup dry macaroni noodles (or other small shaped pasta)
1 cup frozen broccoli
1 vegetable bouillion cube
5 cups water
Pepper to taste

Directions:
In large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, bring water to boil. Add bouillion, pasta, and broccoli. Allow to cook according to pasta's package directions. (About 11 minutes for macaroni.)

While the pasta mixture is cooking, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add all purpose flour to make a roux. Add onion powder and garlic powder and stir until smooth.

Add Cheddar cheese and pepper (if desired), and stir until smooth. Spoon over about half a cup of broth from your other pot (with the bouillion) and stir until smooth.

When pasta mixture is finished cooking, reduce heat to low. Add cheese mixture and stir until soup is well mixed. Serve hot with additional Cheddar cheese on top.

Can be added:
Chopped ham cubes can also be added to this, but cut back somewhat on the macaroni if you do this. Also, diced green onions is a good source of additional flavor; add with Cheddar cheese to serve.

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

So, this is another recipe I picked up from my Grandmother, but I embellished it a good deal. This recipe is why I always have plain cream cheese on hand. This is wonderful on pasta, vegetables, and (I'm told) chicken. It can also be used as a cheap fondue to dip toasted bread in. If you are using it as a fondue, add a drop or two more of hot sauce.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
6 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1-2 Tbsp onion powder (or to taste)
1-2 Tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
3 drops Louisiana hot sauce
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. When the butter is melted, add cream cheese. Stir until smooth.

Add Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add 3 drops Louisiana hot sauce. Stir until smooth.

Add 3/4 cup milk. Stir until smooth. Serve hot.

Can be substituted:
If you don't have access to Louisiana hot sauce, a few dashes of paprika should work about the same.

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

And here's the plain cheese sauce I mentioned at the previous recipe. Now this is one I picked up from my Grandmother, so it's very trial and error. Mostly the roomie and I had to try a few icky cheese sauces before I got to one that works well.

This is great over pasta, but it's equally as good over broccoli and/or cauliflower.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1-2 Tbsp onion powder (to taste)
1 Tbsp garlic powder (or to taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter and add onion powder and garlic powder. Stir in flour to create a roux.

Slowly stir in cheese and milk. Stir until smooth and creamy. Serve hot.

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

I'm calling this "Kicky" Cheese Sauce because I have another Cheese Sauce coming up that's a bit milder. I got this recipe from the same place I got the White Cheese Sauce recipe: on a bag of frozen California vegetables. I've been keeping up with this bag for years so that I had these two recipes.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2.5 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 slices of American processed sliced cheese
1/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
Garlic powder and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and blend in flour to create a roux. Add milk and other ingredients slowly.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick, approximately 7 minutes.

Can be added:
Instead of just serving this over about 8-10 oz of pasta, cut the pasta in half. Add California veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), either frozen in a 16 oz bag or fresh equaling 16 oz. (1 lb).

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Okay, I think it's pretty much common knowledge at this point that I like pasta. I like pasta a lot, like a really, really lot. So these next few recipes are going to be various pasta sauces that I've tried and loved

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1.5 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 chicken bouillion cube dissolved in 3/4 up boiling water
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheese (Cheddar preferable)
1/4 tsp tarragon
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion powder and all purpose flour to make a roux.

Add dissolved bouillion, tarragon, and cheese.

Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Can be substituted:
1 cup of diced onions can replace the onion powder.
Heavy cream can be replaced with milk and 1 Tbsp all purpose flour. Add addition onion powder (about 1/4 a teaspoon) if this method is used.

Can be added:
Instead of just serving this over about 8-10 oz of pasta, cut the pasta in half. Add California veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), either frozen in a 16 oz bag or fresh equally 16 oz. (1 lb).

Current Mood: hungry

apollymi

Okay, this is actually the first recipe I wrote out and shared with people. It was for a Speech and Communications class, and well... I get nervous talking in front of people. So, by the time I finished the presentation, I was a nervous wreck. However, unlike a couple other people in the class, no one had to turn out the lights for me and I didn't pass out.

Ingredients:

2 cups instant rice (white or brown, your preference)
2 cups water
2 Tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, corn, olive)
3-4 large eggs
3-4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp onion powder

Directions:
Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes for all water to absorb and rice to become slightly dry (but not completely dry).

While the rice is absorbing, in a large saucepan or wok, heat the oil over medium heat. Once it's hot, add egg. Scramble the egg until cooked through or slightly browned, according to your tastes. Stir in the dried rice. Sprinkle on the onion powder, add the soy sauce, and stir until mixed well.

Can be substituted:
3/4 to 1 cup of egg substitute ("Egg Beaters") can replace the eggs for lower cholesterol and calories.

Can be added:
About half a pound of your meat of choice can be added. Peas and carrots can be added. Most any vegetable used in Chinese cooking can be added.

Current Mood: hungry

Profile

The Last Craving

April 2017

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30

The Last Craving

Entries tagged with quick and easy

Needlessly Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese

Buffalo Mac 'n' Cheese

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

White Pasta with Vegetables

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Yakisoba

Spicy black-eyed peas with pasta

Spinach Casserole

My "other" loaded potato soup

Mexican Gumbo (Qdoba-style)

Quick Queso Dip

Fiesta Ravioli

Extra Quick "Jambalaya"

My Yum-tastic Cheese and Veggie Soup

Broccoli and Pasta Soup

My Unique 3 Cheese Alfredo Sauce

Plain Cheese Sauce

Kicky Cheese Sauce

White Cheese Sauce

Quickie Fried Rice

Profile

April 2017

Most Popular Tags