Mischief Mac and Cheese

Mischief Mac and Cheese

This is my halloween-themed mac and cheese, with an oozy, crispy cheddar shell and an inky black interior. It's the perfect halloween munchie for late-night parties and such.

Ingredients:

•       1 bag/box of black bean pasta
•       12 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
•        4 tablespoons unsalted butter
•        4 tablespoons chickpea flour
•        2 cups half and half
•        3/4 teaspoon salt
•        Black pepper
•        Turmeric (up to 1 tsp or to taste)
•        Saffron threads or 1 packet saffron powder (e.g. Goya seasoning with Azafran)
•       1 jar TJ’s pumpkin pasta sauce or vodka sauce (i.e. an orange pasta sauce)
•       Olive oil
•       Olive oil spray
•       1 package of freeze dried cheddar snacks (optional)
•        Black sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the chickpea flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little. Cook until very thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, up to 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1 packet of Goya seasoning with saffron powder (or add a packet of saffron threads), and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and 4 ounces (1/3 of the package) of the sharp cheddar mix. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. The bechamel should be a pale orange. If not, add more smoked paprika until the sauce becomes orange in color. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the pasta. Return to a boil and cook according to package instructions.

Drain the pasta with a colander and place in a large bowl. Toss the pasta liberally with enough olive oil to coat the pasta. Also season generously with black pepper and sea salt. Finally, add 1/3 cup of the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and toss to combine. Let the pasta cool for 30 minutes to an hour until it is at room temperature.

Meanwhile, mix together in a medium sized bowl 1 cup of the bechamel and 1 1/4 cups of the pumpkin pasta sauce. Mix to combine. The sauce should now be quite orange, and should have a good balance of sweetness (from the pasta sauce) and savory richness (from the bechamel). If it tastes too seasoned, add more of the pasta sauce. If it tastes too sweet, add more of the bechamel, until well balanced.

Spray silicone muffin cups with olive oil spray. Pile in the black pasta until the cups are three-quarters full, and pack the pasta down in each cup. Top each cup almost to the top with a generous amount of the orange bechamel sauce, and finish each cup with a healthy layer of cheddar on top.

Optional: For a crunchy top, take a snack bag of freeze dried cheddar and without opening the bag, crush the contents in the bag with a hard object such as the bottom of a jar. This will create the crumb topping for the cakes. Then sprinkle the cheddar crumbs on top of each muffin and finish with black sesame seeds (if available).

Place the baking cups on a large baking dish on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 

Then change the oven to broil, move the baking dish to the top shelf and broil for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, watching closely until the cheese is bubbly and just browning in spots.

Allow the cakes to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and then unmold them and place on a fun halloween platter and serve:

Paleo Booze Battered Onion Rings and Fried Pickles

Booze Battered Onion Rings & Fried Pickles

This paleo recipe is a perfect addition to any game-day watch party spread.  Obviously, you can just make the onion rings or the fried pickles, but I assure you that you will want *both*. Game on!

Ingredients:

Battered onion rings/pickles:

·      1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia

·      1 pickle

·      2 egg whites

·      1 cup chickpea flour, plus 1/2 cup for dredging (chickplea flour is both grain free and gluten free)

·      1 cup of preferred cider (I love Virtue Rose Cider, which is sugar free)

·      Safflower, sunflower, peanut, or grapeseed oil

·      Optional: 2 cups buttermilk

·      1 tsp salt

·      1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Buttermilk dipping sauce:

·      1 cup mayonnaise (I strongly recommend homemade mayo—recipe is below)

·      1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (Trader Joes carries this)

·      1 tbsp Dijon, yellow, or whole grain mustard, or a mix of each

·      1 tsp smoked paprika

·      1 tsp sea salt
1 scallion

·      1 garlic clove

·      If using store-bought mayonnaise, the juice and zest of 1 lemon

Homemade mayonnaise ingredients (optional, but strongly recommended):

·      1 egg yolk (use a fresh egg for this)

·      1/4 tsp sea salt

·      1 lemon (I prefer meyer lemons, which are a touch sweeter)

·      1/4 cup safflower or grapeseed oil

·      1/4 cup olive oil

·      1 tbsp whole grain or Dijon mustard

Directions:

The buttermilk dipping sauce can be made the day before (or a few days before). Regardless, prepare this first. To make the dipping sauce, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the garlic clove in tinfoil and drizzle olive oil all around it. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and soft. Remove the garlic from the packet. If you are making the onion rings right away, lower the oven to 200 degrees.

Skip this step if using store-bought mayonnaise. If using homemade mayonnaise for the dipping sauce, combine the egg yolk, mustard, and sea salt in a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat the ingredients over medium speed, and then begin adding the oil, a few drops at a time. Now increase the speed to high and continue adding the oil very slowly, just a few drops at a time. You should watch the mixture thicken before your eyes (i.e. emulsify). When the mixture begins to thicken, you can begin adding the remaining oil in a thin trickle. Do not just pour it all in at once or the mixture can split and you won’t have mayonnaise but instead something gross and unusable. : ( Once you have incorporated all of the oil into the mixture, it should be very thick and set. At this point, lower the speed to low and incorporate the zest and juice of 1 lemon. 

Note: you will not need to use the entire amount of homemade mayonnaise for this recipe. The leftover mayonnaise can be used in any recipe that calls for mayo.

To prepare the buttermilk dipping sauce, chop the scallion finely. Combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, the chopped scallion, and the roasted garlic clove. Also add the juice and zest of 1 lemon if using store-bought mayonnaise. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

To prepare the onion rings, remove the outer dry skin of the onion and cut it into separate rings. Optional: soak the rings in 2 cups buttermilk for 1 hour.

Slice the pickles into round slices. If cooking immediately, dry the pickle slices with a paper towel. If not cooking immediately, return to the jar with the pickle juice until ready to cook.

Meanwhile, prepare the boozy batter. In the bowl of a standing mixer set with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until peaks are just stiff. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of chickpea flour with the salt and paprika and whisk in the cider. Then gently fold one third of the egg whites into the flour mixture, taking care not to deflate the fluffy egg whites. Then, in thirds, continue gently folding the rest of the egg whites into the batter. The goal is to keep it as fluffy as possible.

Next, set up a three-part dredging system. Place the bowl of batter closest to the stovetop. Next to it, place the bowl of chickpea flour. Finally, next to that place a large empty bowl. Remove the onions from the buttermilk and place the onions and pickles in this final bowl.

When ready to fry, pour 1/4 inch of your chosen vegetable oil into a heavy, wide pan (or enough oil to cover the batter-coated onions and pickles) and heat over medium heat for at least 5 minutes. Test the heat by placing a drop of batter into the oil: it will bubble actively around the batter when it is hot enough.

Place a baking sheet nearby to place the fried onions and pickles.

When the oil is hot, dredge the onions and pickles, one by one, in the chickpea flour on both sides, shake off excess, then dip in the boozy batter on both sides. 

Then place the onions and pickles, one by one, into the hot oil. (As hot oil can burn, this is not an activity for children to assist with.) Add as many as you can to the pan while giving each item space. Fry each onion/pickle for about 2-3 minutes per side, until crisp and lightly golden brown.

When done, remove your booze battered treats with a metal slotted spatula and place them on the paper towel-covered rack or your baking sheet.

The onion rings and fried pickles can be placed on a baking sheet and kept in the 200 degree oven for up to 30 minutes to keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the batch.

Now, crack open a hard cider (or beer) and enjoy!