Wednesday, June 24, 2009

leftovers galore

IMG_3252Man, this week seems to be draaaging!  Maybe because last weekend just got away from me with all the party planning and I’m really looking forward to the next one??  But, heck weekends always usually seem to just fly.  Anyone else agree?  I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who liked my photos.  It’s still a work in progress, and I will certainly be eating A LOT of cold dinners in the future! 

Speaking of cold dinners . . . it’s been so dang hot here that all I’ve been craving is cold things . . . smoothies, fruit, or a nice big bowl of yogurt, cereal and frozen fruit like this . . .

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I love it when the fruit gets all melty and flavors the yogurt and the cereal gets slightly soggy, but still has a slight crunch!  Yummy stuff.  Plus Chris has been getting home at 10 during the week with summer school, so preparing this is really a cinch.  I get so excited for Fridays now when we actually can cook and be together.  I think it’s going to be calzones or pizza and some good ol’ vino this Friday.

Because we had a ton of leftovers from the housewarming party, I tried to plan this weeks meals around them (aside from the bowls of yogurt!), and decided to make a simple caprese mac and cheese.  We also had lots of liquor left, including a giant thing of vodka, coconut rum, sweet tea vodka, cranberry and pineapple juice.  I think we need to have another party just to use it all!  Good thing that stuff never goes bad :)

This is a lightened up version of mac and cheese, so that the noodles aren’t drowning in it, but are nicely coated.  I actually didn’t mind eating it cold either.

Caprese Mac and Cheese

Yield:  4

  • 1/2 box of your favorite pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups of milk (I used non-fat)
  • about 2 cups of your favorite cheeses (I think I added goat cheese, herbed brie, sharp cheddar, aged gouda, and parmesan
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • salt, pepper, all-purpose seasoning to taste
  • anything else you can find in your fridge to throw in!
  • I also topped it with some breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375.  Start boiling the pasta until al dente.  Meanwhile, heat up the oil, add the shallot and sauté until golden.IMG_3227  Add the flour and cook a few minutes.  Slowly add the milk while whisking.  Slowly simmer and whisk until the mixture thickens.  Turn  the heat to low or off and add all your cheeses, basil, tomato, seasonings and other stuff you can find.  When everything is melty and yummy, place in a pan, top with crumbs and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

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Closer . . .

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Closest! . . .

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What do you like to eat in the summer time when it’s so dang hot?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my god...I LOVE your blend of cheeses...ALL my fav! The pasta looks freaking amazing.
you have gorgeous photography. May I know which camera you use?

Gina; The Candid RD said...

"I love it when the fruit gets all melty and flavors the yogurt and the cereal gets slightly soggy, but still has a slight crunch! " I couldn't agree with you MORE on that one!

I like ice cream and smoothies when it's hot. I also like popsicles!! I've been making a lot of iced coffee drinks for my time outside, it's very refreshing.

Anonymous said...

your mac n cheese sounds so good!

my fav thing to eat when its sooo hot out is starbucks iced coffee =)....not sure if that counts because I technically drink it

Tyler said...

Great looking pasta!! Nice cheese choices...I never would have thought to use those all in the same dish! I bet it was incredible!

In the summer, I like to make caprese sandwiches on ciabatta bread with buffalo mozzerella, fresh basil, homegrown tomatoes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. YUM!

Jackie said...

Your mac and cheese sounds and looks so much more elegant than the regular one.

Come and check out my version
http://www.phamfatale.com/id_50/title_Le-Mac-and-Cheese/

Anonymous said...

I have never seen boxed mac and cheese in the UK, but that recipe sounds great!

I am all about sandwiches and cereal/yogurt/fruit combinations in summer...too hot to cook and heat zaps me of motivation to stand over a cooker! Plus, I love taking advantage of the great raw fruits and vegetables around :)

kristen :) said...

burpandslurp - thanks! cheese is simply amazing. It's the canon rebel xsi, and I'm still trying to get the hang of it.

sweetandfit - oh my goodness, I don't usually drink coffee, but for some reason in the summertime I've got to have a frappe sometimes! They are so refreshing and cold!

Tyler - caprese sandwiches are one of my fav, so good and basil reminds me of summer.

Talat - love your site!

insideiamdancing - I know what you mean!

Emily said...

Caprese M&C looks so good! Your photos are fabulous! We have tons of leftovers from my brother's open house, so we've been trying to use those up creatively, too.

I like eating yogurt when it's hot out and huge salads. Oh, and ice cream!

Peanut Butter Swirl said...

i know this is an old post, but I was just browsing and this looks amazing :) such a nice twist to the classic!

Astra Libris said...

Such a gorgeous dish! Thank you for the great recipe! I'm very much looking forward to fixing this one!

I couldn't agree with you more about the cereal, fruit, and yogurt... It's my favorite summertime lunch!! :-)