A fruitful summer :)

A trip to the grocery is not always the most fun or exciting item on my to-do list. But in the summer, when the fruits and veggies are diverse and plentiful, it's so much fun to try new things. Our 11 year old is especially fond of fruit..he once ate a pint of wonderfully sweet, ripe blueberries in a sitting. He then asked me if I had added sugar to the berries and I explained that the berries contained "natural sugar". He was a bit perplexed (he might subsist on packaged pop tarts, brownies, and the like if it were up to him :) but that conversation prompted me to begin searching for new and exotic fruits in our quest to add more "natural sugar" to our diets.

One week I purchased five new fruits, and each night we sampled one new fruit from the bowl. Not only was it fun and a great learning experience, but dessert was ready-made...by nature!

Here are the fruits we sampled, favorites first:


Cherimoya = Custard Apple: This South American tropical fruit is shaped like a pine cone and has a gray-green, scaly skin. The soft white pulp inside has large black (inedible) seeds and tastes like a creamy blend of tropical flavors.


Lychee: This popular Chinese fruit is about the size of a walnut, with a bumpy red shell encasing white translucent pulp that's similar in texture to a grape. The flavor is sweet, exotic, and very juicy. Don't eat the shell or the seed.


Prickly Pear: The pulp of these cactus fruits is a brilliant red or, occasionally, a yellowish green, and it tastes a bit like watered-down watermelon. Cooks exploit the color by adding slices of the pulp to fruit salads, puréeing it and straining out the seeds.


Guava: These bruise easily, so markets usually sell them while they're still hard and green. Allow them to ripen at room temperature until they become yellow and very aromatic, then either eat or refrigerate them. Don't peel, just remove the seeds.


Passionfruit: This aromatic fruit has a tart, tropical flavor. The red is more highly esteemed than the more acidic yellow or sweeter purple. They're ripe when their skins are wrinkled. The seeds are small and edible, so leave them in if you like.

A fruitful summer :)

A trip to the grocery is not always the most fun or exciting item on my to-do list. But in the summer, when the fruits and veggies are diverse and plentiful, it’s so much fun to try new things. Our 11 year old is especially fond of fruit..he once ate a pint of wonderfully sweet, ripe blueberries in a sitting. He then asked me if I had added sugar to the berries and I explained that the berries contained “natural sugar”. He was a bit perplexed (he might subsist on packaged pop tarts, brownies, and the like if it were up to him :) but that conversation prompted me to begin searching for new and exotic fruits in our quest to add more “natural sugar” to our diets.

One week I purchased five new fruits, and each night we sampled one new fruit from the bowl. Not only was it fun and a great learning experience, but dessert was ready-made…by nature!

Here are the fruits we sampled, favorites first:


Cherimoya = Custard Apple: This South American tropical fruit is shaped like a pine cone and has a gray-green, scaly skin. The soft white pulp inside has large black (inedible) seeds and tastes like a creamy blend of tropical flavors.


Lychee: This popular Chinese fruit is about the size of a walnut, with a bumpy red shell encasing white translucent pulp that’s similar in texture to a grape. The flavor is sweet, exotic, and very juicy. Don’t eat the shell or the seed.


Prickly Pear: The pulp of these cactus fruits is a brilliant red or, occasionally, a yellowish green, and it tastes a bit like watered-down watermelon. Cooks exploit the color by adding slices of the pulp to fruit salads, puréeing it and straining out the seeds.


Guava: These bruise easily, so markets usually sell them while they’re still hard and green. Allow them to ripen at room temperature until they become yellow and very aromatic, then either eat or refrigerate them. Don’t peel, just remove the seeds.


Passionfruit: This aromatic fruit has a tart, tropical flavor. The red is more highly esteemed than the more acidic yellow or sweeter purple. They’re ripe when their skins are wrinkled. The seeds are small and edible, so leave them in if you like.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

It's been a long time since I've posted, but I've come across some pretty amazing recipes lately courtesy of Food Network Magazine. This is one of my favorites-tying together all of my family's favorites in one dish. It's creamy, cheesy and a little bit spicy, and feeds a house full! It's definitely a weekend meal for me, as it took close to two hours start to finish. But the end result and leftovers were well worth the effort!

Ingredients
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted, but I’ve come across some pretty amazing recipes lately courtesy of Food Network Magazine. This is one of my favorites-tying together all of my family’s favorites in one dish. It’s creamy, cheesy and a little bit spicy, and feeds a house full! It’s definitely a weekend meal for me, as it took close to two hours start to finish. But the end result and leftovers were well worth the effort!

Ingredients
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.