Veggie Fridays

When I was finished with 4th grade, my family moved from Iowa City (AKA the People's Republic of Johnson County) to Dubuque. It was a huge cultural shift, from a very PC (even in the 70's), college centered town to a heavily white catholic community. We didn't celebrate Easter or Christmas in the schools, now we had parties with treats for them.

So then, I was intrigued with the concept of giving up something for Lent. In our church, it wasn't required. So I was endlessly amused by my Catholic friends complaining about no meat on Friday. And yes, I did eat pepperoni pizza in front of them to taunt them- followed by chocolate bar & soda. When I gave up eating beef or pork my Senior year in high school (yes folks, my 20th no-Big Mac anniversary is this summer!), I later came to realize that I was eating that way just about every day. And the griping still amuses me. I remember rattling off a list of meals to someone next to me while I was getting my hair cut. For me, meat was easy to give up. Now coffee, that's a whole different story. You'll only be able to pry my cuppa from my cold, dead hands.

Looking into it, I did not realize that there is a spirit of reaching out to others and volunteering your time and taking stock of your own life and values. That is something I can get behind. We often don't take time to realize how lucky we are. So, I have decided to goal for buying something, even one thing a week, when I'm at the grocery store for the food pantry. And I signed up to organize a bake sale for Share Our Strength.

Ha, and now going vegetarian is the new Green option. I read Food Matters by Mark Bittman- which really deserves its own special posting. Great read- and with yummy recipes. So, I plan on Fridays to highlight a vegetarian meal, that will lighten your grocery bill and maybe your waist line too.

We had this last week, when the weather got a little chilly. Great comforting dish- which we all need once in a while. Serve it up with some roasted asparagus or sauteed broccoli. I make it with regular gouda, for me the smoked is a little too much.

Enjoy!

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

This American classic has been updated for heightened flavor. You can use regular Gouda or any other cheese that melts well.

1 (1-ounce) slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
5 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses; stir until melted.

Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce, stirring until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)CALORIES 399 (25% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 421mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.9g; SODIUM 725mg; PROTEIN 20.1g; FIBER 3.7g Cooking Light, MARCH 2003