Friday, September 23, 2011

Macaroni Cheese


I was looking at the calendar on Monday, and couldn't quite figure out whether it was the 12th or if it was the 19th. This month has really flown by much too fast.

Actually, the whole year has flown by incredibly quickly- I find it hard to believe that it was only a year ago that I was graduating from high school! But the past week has been extremely hectic for me, with a couple of quizzes, essays due for uni, a dance exam and to top it all off, I volunteered for the Australian Dance Festival last weekend! Now, I don't usually talk much about what I do during the week, especially when its unrelated to food, but I want to write about it somewhere incase I ever forget about it- because the festival was simply amazing!! I met many lovely people, even participated in a world record attempt (and managed to hit a little girl in the eye while I was at it....sorry!) and watched many amazing and inspirational performances.

I also managed to dislocate my knee on the weekend (only the day before my dance exam!) so now my knee cap feels like its not attached to my leg and is about to fall off......literally. But I won't scare you with all the gory details! ;)



Of course, the period following such excitement is often filled with feelings of extreme fatigue so it wasn't surprising when I found myself very tired and sleepy at uni for the past two days (though staying up until 2:30 in the morning writing up my psychology report may have something to do with that!). And I mean the extreme type of tired, you know, where you'd rather pretend not to see someone than actually go up to them and start a conversation? (hopefully this isn't only me...)

Luckily, my mid-semester break has just begun and so I've had plenty of rest, but today, I have a super easy recipe- perfect for when you're much too tired to cook anything complex and exciting. I first discovered this recipe when I was in one of my lazy days, but still wanted to make something slightly more interesting than reheated leftovers. I was in a mood for some pasta and I had some yoghurt in the fridge, so this recipe was perfect!


It really can't get much simpler- boil some macaroni and then mix it with salt, yoghurt, cheese and egg yolk! I also cooked some chicken, covered in cubes of bread and extra cheese (because I was too lazy to blend them into crumbs- not exactly the greatest idea!) and baked it for a couple of minutes to make it more exciting.

I couldn't quite imagine what yoghurt and macaroni would taste like, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked beautifully! The yoghurt makes for a very creamy sauce, but brings with it a slight salad dresing-like tang which I quite liked. I'll definitely be making this more often in the future when I'm feeling lazy! (perhaps without the baking....)



Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe from Jose Andre
Serves 4

Ingredients
* 1/2 pound (150g) of uncooked elbow macaroni or your favorite pasta- I used about half that amount but kept everything to same to make one large serving for myself)
* 2 cups of Parmesan (or Manchego or whatever you like) cheese grated using a microplane
* 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
* 1 egg yolk
* Extra virgin olive oil as needed
* Salt to taste
* White pepper to taste

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain.
2. While still hot, toss the pasta with cheese, olive oil, Greek yogurt and the egg yolk.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

23 Comments:

grub said...

yogurt with macaroni, that's a first! i use my version of the school recipe for mac and cheese haha.

man, i totally get you about staying up to 2.30AM writing essays HAHA. i find talking to my friends energizes me though and it gives me an excuse not to fall asleep as we talk crazy :P

oh my break begun last week. so one more week for me!

נєαи said...

Mmm yummy <3

It's 3.35AM now and I'm hungry for some food. I would/could make this but I'm not sure if the Greek yoghurt in the fridge is off - does it usually taste slightly sour?

Time does fly! :(

Kristy Sayer-Jones @ Southern In Law said...

I've used yogurt in other sauces before, but never macaroni and cheeese! I'll have to try something similar!

Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said...

Perhaps something for me to try as heavy cream sauces upset my stomach.

And shame on you for beating up little kids! =p

Mel said...

I like the sound of this - cream and my tummy aren't really the best of friends, so this might be a good alternative. It's mid-semester break really soon...sleep ins!

Adriana said...

Macaroni and cheese was one of the first dishes I ever made by myself! I hope your knees are feeling better; dislocating them sounds painful.

Anonymous said...

What yummy and easy mac n' cheese. Good luck with your volunteer work with the dance company!

JasmyneTea said...

Don't worry, I don't even have to be tired to avoid people sometimes, lol! I'm sure your kick-ass macaroni helped make you feel better about your injury though. Hope you get better soon!

TasteHongKong said...

Hmm, I bet this is a satisfying meal, and hope it 'lubricated' you discomforts.
Enjoy your break!

Vivian - vxdollface said...

delish! never knew yoghurt was used in the recipe!

hope your knee is alright!

Dolly said...

yum.. totally love quick and easy meals .. esp when its sooo cold .. cant moveeeee epppp

muppy said...

love that it has yoghurt in it.

Nic@diningwithastud said...

Thats awful about your knee. This dish will def make it better :) look delish!

lena said...

hi von, your macaroni looks great, the bread cubes on the top make it look very attractive. Sorry to hear about your knee, hope you have a speedy recovery.

T and Tea Cake said...

Wow, so many things coming together! Sounds like the break was well needed! You are so right about this month. Cannot believe it is already almost over. But I guess time flies the fastest when one's schedule is stuffed with work.

Lol about hitting the girl (I assume it was not on purpose haha). I remember when I was litte (some time in elementary school), I won one of those huge stuffed animals on a funfair (carnival). Happy, I ran (well I walked as fast as I could given it was very crowded) right to my mother and knocked over an infant of about 2 or 3. Its parents immediately yelled at me for being so inconsiderate. I was so angry that they took away that happy moment from me I almost cried. I mean, who was the inconsiderate one letting their toddler walk around freely in such a crowded place at dusk?! Still feeling no guilt. ;)

Your mac'n'cheese looks delicious! I love that pot and while it may not been the greatest idea to not blend the bread and cheese (according to you) it looks way more palatable and classy than it ususally does. ;)

Cheers,
Tobias

Dumpling Girl said...

Lol, it was the pressure of the world record attempt I'm sure that made you hit her :p Lazy food is the best, especially after your very strenuous days :)

Arwen from Hoglet K said...

I like the idea of a tangy yoghurt macaroni cheese! I hope your knee is feeling better.

tigerfish said...

I could totally empathize when you say you felt a knee dislocation cos I injured my elbow quite seriously recently and the feeling of "displacement' was terrible. Hope you are ok right now.

And your mac and cheese seems easy to do :)

grace said...

sorry to hear about your knee--even your brief description made my stomach churn! speaking of stomachs, this mac and cheese has the opposite effect--it's grumbling away! :)

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I would have neer thought to use yogurt in mac n' cheese but what a brilliant idea! Any way to reduce the calories in a all-time favorite sounds wonderful.

Joanne said...

Mac and cheese is far and above my favorite comfort food...definitely the thing to cure all aches and pains. This looks delicious! Love that brown crusty top.

sugarpuffi said...

totes macaroni and cheese weather :D

Juliana said...

Oh! Your mac and cheese sounds and looks delicious, like it with Greek yogurt and the egg yolk...so tasty!
Hope you are having a fantastic week Von :-)

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