Dinner Challenge

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Phasekitty Dinner Challenge #7 - PW's Homemade Ranch Dressing and Spicy Mac and Cheese Aug 15, 2008 2:03 AM Oh yeah, that's right, I went and made both recipes this week out of pure, driven ambition. Or boredom. You decide. I started off with the ranch dressing. Cast of characters I added dill, Worcheshire sauce, and green onions (not pictured above as my bf was at the grocery store picking them up :rotfl: ) to my initial ingredients, and eventually added a bit of lemon juice as well because it was a tad too sweet. Chopped ingredients Before the mixing... PW says to test it as you go along, adjusting your ingredients. These were my taste testers: Mmm, just right. After that I tossed the dressing in the fridge to get it nice and cold and started up the mac and cheese. 2nd Act Cast of Characters Chopped ingredients...again I bought a brand new skillet just for this mac and cheese because I realized my largest skillet was nowhere near large enough. I really wanted a big one so I was just glad to have a reason to buy it. It's so pretty. Shiny! The veggies... Add the noodles, cheese, and cream... Stir! Yum! Okay, so now I've got dinner. I whipped up a "my daughter is picky and doesn't eat anything in her salad" salad that my mom used to make just for me (isn't that nice?) consisting of lettuce, cheese, carrots, and hard boiled egg. Then I added that homemade dressing: And voila! Dinner! The salad dressing was SOOOO good. I was actually really surprised...I used it on such a basic salad that I expected it to be just okay and then I was practically licking the bowl. The mac and cheese was very flavorful, but I think I may have had too many noodles in mine because it wasn't as creamy and cheesy as I would have liked. I used 4 cups of noodles like the recipe said, but I was using large elbow macaroni, so maybe that made a difference? I even added more cheese so I probably had at least a cup and a half of cheese in there, but it wasn't enough. The bf liked it just fine though, considering he had seconds and thirds. It also heated up really well the next day with ketchup. :) Either way, I'll make both recipes again for sure, but I'll adjust the mac and cheese recipe with a little less noodles and a little more cream and cheese next time.

FinnLover Dinner Challenge #7: Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Ranch Dressing Aug 12, 2008 11:20 AM I made this tonight and it was really good. You should all try it. I added some green onion, lemon zest, lemon juice and a lot of black pepper to my dressing. It work really with the shrimp salad I had made. For the salad, I used: - mixed greens - cherry tomatoes - cucumbers - pineapple chunks - orange bell pepper - large shrimps - nacho chips - spicy salsa - and the Ranch Dressing It was an awesome meal and I'll be making this dressing again. We had never eaten a salad that fast before!

FinnLover Dinner Challenge #7 : P.W.’s Spicy Macaroni & Cheese / P.W.’s Homemade Ranch Dressing Aug 7, 2008 1:44 AM OK girls! After a two week well deserved break, here's the next dinner challenge on Iron Chef SugarLand! This week's secret recipes are both from The Pioneer Woman (seriously, who doesn't love her?). We have two easy yet super yummy options: a spiced-up macaroni and cheese dish or a creamy homemade ranch dressing. If you were to choose to make the ranch dressing, it could be nice if you showed us how you used it or what you had it with. Just an idea. So here are the recipes - Iron Chefs, let the battle begin! À la cuisine! (Now imagine me biting into a green bell pepper! Get it? OK I'm just having fun with this whole Iron Chef thing.) Good luck, girls! --------------------------------------------------- Option #1: Not Your Granny’s Mac & Cheese - P.W.’s Spicy Macaroni & Cheese (http://thepioneerwoman.com) Look at all that cheesy goodness! 4 cups cooked macaroni or cavatappi 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 to 1/2 finely diced red onion Equal amount diced red bell pepper 1 finely diced jalapeno 1 4 oz can chopped green chilies 1 cup frozen corn 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup cream 1 generous cup grated Pepper Jack cheese 2 tablespoons butter Salt Pepper Boil pasta until al dente. In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute garlic and vegetables over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add in canned chilies and stir around, then turn off heat. Drain pasta and add it to skillet. Pour on cream, add cheese, then add salt and pepper to taste and stir gently. At the end, add 2 tablespoons butter and stir again. Check seasonings and serve. Serve with juicy steak, with grilled shrimp, chicken, or on its own. It’ll change your life for the better. ----------------------------------------------------- Option #2: Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Ranch Dressing (http://thepioneerwoman.com) Ranch dressing makes everything taste better! 1 to 2 cloves garlic 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use less table salt) 1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Best Foods preferred) 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk, to taste 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, more if desired Optional ingredients: white vinegar worcestershire sauce cayenne pepper paprika fresh oregano black pepper tabasco Directions: With a fork, make a paste with garlic and salt. Mix all other ingredients, adding optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired. (Don’t overdo the garlic or you’ll be up all night, emailing me about your heartburn - The Pioneer Woman)

WineUnleashed Challenge #6 - Mediterranean Chicken Jul 16, 2008 10:27 AM I somehow fit this in my schedule last night. Super easy, tasty and healthy. I prepared Trader Joe's Harvest Grains blend (Israeli Couscous, red quinoa, orzo etc., my family loves it) along side it as well as a HUGE green salad. I served it with a Sangiovese from Argentina. The wine embraced the tomato sauce. Med. Chicken

CocoChic Asian Flank Steak (Minus the Slaw) Plus Fried Rice Jul 11, 2008 8:14 PM Yuuuuummy! This meal was SO good! :feedme: I made my steak marinade from the recipe that Finn altered. The orange juice, sesame, honey, and lime were delicious. I did cut down on the ginger though (not a huge fan of it) and I used sesame seeds instead of oil. I also only made a pound of steak because it's just me and my hubby eating. I had to take the pictures with my phone because my camera battery is dead and the charger is yet to be found. My marinade with floating sesame seeds. Getting all tender and marinated. I'm not a fan of slaws of any kind so instead we just had fried rice. And Matt snuck me a Godiva chocolate dipped strawberry that they had at his office. :besthubbyever: And as you can see here, I'm more of a carbs person than a meat person! :rotfl: Zee fineeshed product!

// Posts

Dinner Challenge #7 - PW's Homemade Ranch Dressing and Spicy Mac and Cheese Dinner Challenge #7 : P.W.’s Spicy Macaroni & Cheese / P.W.’s Homemade Ranch Dressing Challenge #6 - Mediterranean Chicken Asian Flank Steak (Minus the Slaw) Plus Fried Rice

// Recipes

Dinner Challenge #7: Pioneer Woman’s Homemade Ranch Dressing Dinner Challenge #5 - Grilled Asian Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw BBQ Pulled Pork Challenge #3: Chili Con Queso, lightened up

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