We had swim class last night and then I had a school outing right after dinner, so it was mac n cheese night. This is one of M's favorite meals. Lots of kids eat mac n cheese for dinner. Families tell me the kids eat mac n cheese, mom and dad eat "real food."Doing mac n cheese, or another quick, kid-friendly meal? Find something the whole family can eat. We had mac n cheese (shells with white cheddar, also comes in whole wheat) with peas. M helped stir the sauce, butter and evaporated milk together. We also had 2 bunches of asparagus with it (cooked about 8 minutes in boiling water) with pink sauce. M also helped whisk and taste the pink sauce.
Asparagus how to. Cut off bottom inch or so. Wash. Boil water in a large deep pan, add asparagus, cook 8 minutes or until desired. I don't like mine too cooked (pale green and mushy) but I also don't like them crunchy which is how most restaurants serve them these days. (I had "blanched" green beans at a fancy restaurant last month and basically had hot, raw green beans. Heck, I could do that at home!) If you've only had canned asparagus, give the fresh a try! On sale at Target right now for $1.99 a pound.
PINK SAUCE
sounds gross but its yummy, a slightly sweet, home-made thousand island-ish
I always make this without a recipe. Some nights I like it a little more tangy (more vinegar...) I take whole cooked asparagus (cut off bottom inch or so) and dip in the sauce (we double dip at home, or give each person their own bowl to double dip...)
Miracle Whip (regular or light) about 1/3 cup
evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) about 2-3 tablespoons (more for thinner sauce)
white vinegar (I have white balsamic on hand) about 1-2 Tablespoons
ketchup about 1 Tablespoon
let your kids squirt and whisk. Ask him to taste it and see what more might be needed. Start with smaller amounts and have fun!
We all sat down together and ate mac n cheese and asparagus. It was yummy!
I prefer my asparagus steamed rather than boiled, but I think my taste in vegetables may be different than yours. For example, I think that green beans are overcooked if they're not bright green and slightly crunchy. It's not just pretentious chefs who like blanched or lightly steamed veggies. Cheers!
ReplyDeletethanks deeleigh! I like veggies a little crunchy too in general, I guess what bothers me is when it is almost as if they just splash hot water on veggies. I had asparagus like that recently too, and it needed a little bit of cooking :) (for my taste anyway...)
ReplyDeleteOn another note, what are you using to steam? I uses a bamboo basket for awhile, but didn't feel it was the cleanest way to go. Do you use a large steamer basket? Do you have to cut the aspargus? I need to get back to more steaming as I like it as well, but would love to hear your method and cookware!