Momma Said to Eat Your Broccoli

My dear pal Zoe bought me a fabulous book entitled Macaroni & Cheese by Marlena Spieler.  I love gifts, don't you?!  The book has the most creative m&c recipes with really nice photos.  I have been dying to create something special ever since receiving it.  If you are in the market for a book exclusively detailing mac and cheese, I highly recommend this one.

Because I was feeling the need to be healthy, I decided on Marlena Spieler's Macaroni and Cheese "Broccolissimo" as a side dish to the yummy meal Hubbs was preparing.

First, blanch the broccoli and set aside.

Broccoli: the healthy part

Next, melt butter (the more the merrier), sprinkle in some flour and add milk.  Season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg.  I love the idea of nutmeg in this recipe - it is so festive.  Add a bunch (this is the exact measurement) of cheese.  The recipe calls for Sprinz or Asiago or a combo of Appenzeller, Jack or Parmesan.  My suggestion: use whatever type you have.  I used Mexican cheese, some smokey Gruyere, Cheddar, Mozza, and Parm.

Are you wondering what the little white marshmallow looking chunks are? Chopped string cheese. Uber classy.

Stir in the pasta noodles to the melted cheese.  Spoon into a shallow baking dish. Top with the broccoli and a bunch (again, please remember to use this exact measurement) of extra cheese.

Bake just until the top is bubbling and hot.

Bubbling and Oh So Hot

Enjoy with some deliciously bbq'ed asparagus.  Try squeezing some lemon onto the asparagus and topping with some fancy salt. Oh so delicious.

Does life get any better than this? Seriously.

Would you like a bite?

Shells and Cheese from Sauce

If you're an Arizonan, I'm sure you've heard of Sauce Restaurant, one of Sam Fox's many culinary hot spots.

One of my favorite 'end of the week and I'm exhausted' places to stop on my way home is Sauce.

I often go for my number 1 comfort food choice, macaroni and cheese.

The shells are huge (perfect for holding the big chunks of broccoli and delicious shredded chicken) and the sauce and perfectly creamy.

Be sure to ask for sides of red pepper flakes and parmesan. The really complete the dish!

Light and Healthy-ish

So, I debated on whether or not to share this recipe, because it's not a traditional macaroni and cheese. But hey, it has pasta and cheese, so I decided to go for it.

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Today I am going to share a delicious pasta I concocted a couple of weeks ago. 

Lucky for you, I documented my effort with my trusty camera. 

Ready, ok! 

 
  Boil some fusilli. I think fusilli is my favorite pasta. It boils evenly and holds the ingredients in its grooves.

Cook some broccoli to desired firmness {that kind of sounds dirty. blush!}

Just before your pasta is finished boiling, throw in some frozen peas. Drain (duh).

Add goat cheese and broccoli that you have boiled to your desired firmness {*^-^*} <-----that's a blushing-face-emoticon because I said 'desired firmness' again (here is an explanation of what an emoticon is for my mom and grandma who are not hep to the computermachine lingo) Watch, my mom will probably leave a comment saying, 'I knew what that was MISSY!'

Add spinach leaves and pine nuts once the goat cheese is all melty and stirred around evenly. 

Serve with a simple green salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

Reward your culinary effort with a glass {or bottle; we won't judge} of crisp white wine. My favorite cheap white lately is    La Ferme Julien Blanc aka 'The Goat Wine.' $6 at your local Trader Joe's!

Yummmdaddy

**I didn't measure ANYTHING in this recipe. I just kind of threw it all in there. 

I wish I knew how to make my photos all the same size. 

Sigh.......