Jack's (Video) Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow macaroni

1/2 stick butter

1/2 block Velveeta cheese, cubed

~2 cups milk

2 cups canned Parmesan cheese

4 Tblsp. granulated garlic

Pepper

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 cups shredded Gouda cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook macaroni in salted water.

3. Mix together shredded cheeses in a large bowl.

4. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter and Velveeta with 1/2 cup milk in heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to keep milk and cheese from scorching.

5. When Velveeta is melted, add 3 cups of the shredded cheese mixture. Continue stirring to melt cheese. Add another 1/2 cup of milk (as needed) to get the cheese sauce to a consistency that will pour off of a spoon, then remove from heat.

6. Drain cooked pasta, then put it into a 13"x9" baking dish.

7. Add Parmesan cheese, garlic and pepper (to taste), and stir to mix evenly.

8. Add 3 cups of the shredded cheese mixture to the pasta, and stir to distribute.

9. Add 1 cup of milk to the pasta and stir, then pour in the cheese sauce and combine.

10. Top pasta with remaining 3 cups of shredded cheese mixture.

11. If there are not 6 to 8 Tblsp. of milk visible in the pasta, add a little more milk.

12. Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese on top is slightly brown.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 tsp. vanilla 

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1-2 Tblsp. milk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease an 11.5" metal cookie cake pan, or line the bottom with parchment paper.

3. Place half of the chocolate chips in a plastic bag, and use a rolling pin to break them into small pieces.

4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, melt butter until just barely melted.

5. To melted butter, add both sugars, and stir until combined. DO NOT USE A MIXER.

6. Add egg and vanilla, then stir (again, by hand).

7. Add baking soda, baking powder and salt, and stir (still, no mixer!)

8. Add flour, and stir until all of the flour disappears into the dough.

9. Add the chocolate chips (whole and chopped) into the dough, and stir. Immediately begin pressing the dough into the pan using a spoon or your hands. The best way to do this is to drop the dough into the pan in small chunks, so that it is dispersed evenly, then use a spatula, your hands or even the butter wrapper to press the dough down into a smooth layer. Be sure to make sure the chocolate chips are evenly dispersed through the cake. Work quickly, so the dough doesn't sit so long that the butter starts to set.

10. Bake for 12-14 minutes, but be careful to not overbake, if you want the cookie cake to actually stay soft. It should be very slightly brown on top and actually look slightly underbred when you take it out.

11. Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting or removing.

12. For the frosting, cream the butter, vanilla and salt using a mixer. Add the powdered sugar, thinning with milk as necessary until a piping consistency is achieved.

13. Use a knife to go around the edges of the cooled cookie cake, then place an inverted plate or platter on top of the cake. Flip the pan over to remove the cake from the pan, then flip it again, so that the right side is up for decorating.

NOTES:

• Recipe makes enough frosting to pipe around the edges of the cake. Double the recipe if you want to write or decorate the rest of the top.
• Breaking 1/2 of the chocolate chips helps to disperse the chocolate throughout the cake to keep it from having large clumps of chocolate in one spot and breaking while cutting.

Southwest Quinoa Power Bowl

Salad Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tblsp. chicken base (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes)

1/4 tsp. Goya or other Southwest seasoning

1 large chicken breast, tenderized, seasoned with Southwest seasoning, cooked and cubed

1 medium sweet potato, roasted and cubed

1/4 cup purple onion, diced

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed

1 small red, yellow or orange bell pepper, diced

1 small avocado, cubed

2 cups kale, massaged with olive oil (can be substituted with fresh spinach)

Dressing Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbslp. lime juice

Assorted Southwest seasonings/spices 

Preparation:

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer (if desired, soak for 30 minutes in water), then drain.

2. Place quinoa in stock pot with water and chicken base.

3. Bring quinoa to a boil, then add 1/4 tsp. Goya or other Southwest seasoning.

4. Cover quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. 

5. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is mostly absorbed and quinoa is tender.

6. While quinoa is cooking, whisk together dressing ingredients. Adjust to taste.

7. Once quinoa is finished, assemble bowls by placing quinoa in first, then top with other vegetables and chicken. 

8. Add dressing and serve.

Air Fryer Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderized and cut into cubes

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup orange juice

6 Tblsp. brown sugar

2 Tblsp. soy sauce

2 Tblsp. rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp. water

Sesame seeds and green onion for garnish, if desired

Preparation:

1. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.

2. Put 1/4 cup cornstarch in a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken cubes, and toss to coat. Do not overcoat.

3. Working in batches, dust off excess cornstarch and place chicken pieces in air fryer's rotating basket. Spray lightly with PAM. Do not overfill basket.

4. Cook chicken for 7-9 minutes, checking to make sure chicken is fully cooked before stopping. Spray with additional PAM, if needed, to keep outside of chicken crispy rather than powdery.

5. Meanwhile, combine juice, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk.

6. Simmer mixture for five minutes, then add 2 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp. water.

7. Whisk and simmer for an additional minute, then remove from heat.

8. When chicken is done, place it in the sauce and toss.

9. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve over rice.

Jack's Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (can substitute sour cream)

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp adobo sauce or canned (pureed) chipotle pepper 

1 Tblsp. water

1-2 tsp. lime juice (or to taste)

Salt, to taste

1 Tblsp. water (if needed)

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. 

2. Add water if needed for thinning, depending on what you are using the sauce for and how much lime juice you have used.

3. Add more seasonings, as needed.

4. Store leftovers in fridge.

Steph's Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, tenderized and diced into 1/4" pieces

1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 white onion, diced finely

3 green onions, diced finely, divided

3 Tblsp. minced garlic, divided

1 pack Sun-Bird Beef & Broccoli seasoning mix (unmixed)

2 Tblsp roasted garlic seasoned rice vinegar

1 Tblsp. light brown sugar

1 cup water, divided

1 Tblsp. sesame seeds

1 Tblsp. Korean Soybean Dipping Paste 

2 Tblsp. olive oil, divided

Lettuce leaves - iceberg, Romaine, butter, etc., enough for 4 people

Preparation:

1. Mix together Beef & Broccoli seasoning mix with vinegar, brown sugar and 3/4 cup of the water until fully dissolved. Set mixture aside.

2. Mix the Soybean Dipping Paste with 1/4 cup of the water until fully dissolved. Set mixture aside.

3. Heat cast iron skillet to high heat, then add 1 Tblsp. olive oil, 1 Tblsp. of the garlic, all of the peppers, all of the white onion and half of the green onions.

4. Cook vegetables until tender, then add the Soybean Dipping Paste mixture and 1/8 cup of the Beef & Broccoli seasoning mix mixture. 

5. Stir as the mixture thickens (probably about 90 seconds), then remove from skillet and keep warm. 

6. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tblsp. of olive oil and all of the chicken. Distribute chicken evenly around the skillet.

7. Let the chicken start to brown slightly, then stir/turn the chicken. If chicken starts to release a lot of liquid, scoot chicken to one side and remove liquid either by using a paper towel to absorb it, or tilt the skillet and dump it out.

8. Add remaining 2 Tblsp. of garlic to the chicken, and continue to cook until chicken is done, about 4 minutes.

9. Add sesame seeds and remaining Beef & Broccoli seasoning mixture to the chicken in the skillet.

10. Stir mixture into chicken and allow it to thicken (probably 2-3 minutes).

11. To serve, place 1-2 Tblsp. of the vegetable mixture in the lettuce leaf, then top with 1-2 Tblsp. of the chicken.

NOTE: Vegetables and chicken can be mixed together before serving, if desired.

Greek Chicken Bowls

Chicken Ingredients: 
3-4 fresh chicken breasts, tenderized
6+ Tblsp. olive oil + 2 Tblsp. for cooking
4 Tblsp. lemon juice 
6 Tblsp. white vinegar
1 1/2 Tblsp.Kinder's "The Blend" (salt-pepper-garlic)
2 Tblsp. Greek seasoning blend
2 tsp. thyme
1 Tblsp. corn starch

Salad Ingredients:
3 Tblsp. olive oil
4 Tblsp. garlic-seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tblsp. Greek seasoning
1 Tblsp. Kinder's "The Blend" seasoning
1 Tblsp. dill weed
2 cups chopped cucumber (baby cucumbers work best)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped olives, black or kalamata
1/4 cup red or white onion, diced small
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (plant-based preferred), divided
4 cups largely chopped lettuce

Sour Cream Topping Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
2 Tblsp. Greek seasoning
3 Tblsp. lemon juice

Other Ingredients:
4 servings of basmati or preferred rice, cooked
Lemon wedges (if desired)
Pita bread, toasted with butter and cut into wedges (if desired)

Salad Preparation:

1. Mix olive oil, vinegar, Greek seasoning, Kinder seasoning and dill weed to make a dressing.
2. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, olives and onion in a bowl.
3. Pour 1/2 of the dressing mixture on the cucumber mixture, and stir well.
4. Put the other 1/2 of the dressing on the lettuce, and mix well.
5. Top both salads with equal amounts of feta cheese.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sour Cream Topping Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients with a whisk.
2. Add salt and pepper as desired, and adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


To Assemble Bowls:
1. Slice chicken thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Put a serving of rice into each bowl.
3. Top rice with a few spoonfuls of the (cooked) marinade/sauce.
4. Place chicken on top of rice.
5. Put two spoonfuls of cucumber salad on top of chicken.
6. Top cucumber salad with a spoonful of sour cream topping.
7. Serve the green/lettuce salad on the side.
8. Serve everything with fresh lemon and butter-toasted pita, if desired.