Two Recipes to Try

Here are two new recipes I tried in the last couple weeks. We liked them both so I thought I would pass them along.

Scalloped Macaroni and Ham

Better Homes and Gardens

1 C. dried elbow macaroni(4 ounces)

1/4 C. chopped onion

2 Tblsp. margarine or bitter

2 Tblsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 C. milk

1 C. diced fully cooked ham

1/2 C. frozen peas

1/2 C. soft bread crumbs

1 Tblsp. margarine or butter, melted

• Cook macaroni about 10 minutes or till tender but still firm (be sure to salt water liberally). Drain well.
• Meanwhile, for sauce, in medium saucepan cook onion in 2 T. margarine till tender but not brown. Stir in flour, basil, and pepper. Add milk all at once. cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat.
• Stir in the cooked macaroni, ham, and frozen peas. Transfer mixture to a 1-qt. casserole. Toss together the bread crumbs and 1 T. melted margarine. Sprinkle crumbs atop the macaroni mixture.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven about 30 minutes or till bubbly. Makes 4 mail-dish servings.

*I doubled this recipe and divided it between 2 8x8 pans. This would be a great one to freeze for later or share.

*Josh is not a big fan of peas, so he had the great idea to try asparagus tips next time. yum!

Spicy Halibut with Mango Salsa

Better Homes and Gardens

1 pound halibut steaks, one inch thick

1 Tblsp. lime juice

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. pepper

• Brush fish with mixture of lime juice and 1 T. water. In a bowl combine paprika, salt, ginger, allspice, and pepper; rub onto fish.
• Arrange fish in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 oven for 8 to 12 minutes or till fish flakes easily with a fork. Brush fish with pan juices. If desired, garnish with lime wedges.

*I made this with tilapia instead. I made half the spice mixture and baked the fish about 6 minutes. General rule: allow 4-6 minutes baking time for each 1/2 in. thickness of fish.

Mango Salsa

In a medium mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 C. peeled, chopped mangoes or peaches; 1 medium red sweet pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 1/4 C. thinly sliced green onions; 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped; 3 Tblsp. lime zest; 2 Tblsp. lime juice; 1 Tblsp. vinegar; 1/4 tsp. salt; and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Makes 2 Cups.

*I halved this recipe and improvised a lot on the salsa to use what I had on hand and Josh still thought it was great, so I am sure if you actually follow the recipe it will be even better. It tasted good with the couscous I served with the fish, since couscous can be rather plain. I used green pepper instead of red, regular onion instead of green, a few shakes of red pepper flakes instead of jalapeno.