• 1 pound uncooked Barilla Plus elbow macaroni
• 1 slice dry, light wheat bread, torn into small pieces
• 2 ½ cups 1 percent milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 whole black peppercorns
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 ¼ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese made with 2 percent milk
• 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in a large bowl. Place bread pieces in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.

Bring milk, bay leaves and peppercorns to a simmer. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and peppercorns. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Place flour in a small bowl and gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well-blended. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt and pepper, stirring until cheeses melt. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and mix well.

Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine bread crumbs, sage and olive oil in a bowl and toss with a fork. Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture over pasta and bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 10 1-cup servings.

Note: If the bread isn't dry, you can put the pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in a 200-F oven for about 45 minutes.

PER SERVING: Calories 296 Fat 4.5 g Fiber 3.5 g
Carbohydrates 37.4 g Protein 18.5 g

Labels: Captivate Cooking, cooking light, Dessert recipes, Dinner ideas, low-fat mac and cheese

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. Cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy using an electric mixer on medium speed (approximately 30 seconds).
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract for another 30 seconds.
3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda and beat into the butter at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and the chocolate chips.
4. Using a 1-ounce scoop or 2-tablespoon measure, drop cookies onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2-inch circle.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispy cookie.
   
6. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
   PER SERVING: Calories 154 (43% fat) Fat 8 g (5 g sat) Cholesterol 20 mg Sodium 119 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 21 g Protein 2 g
   

Labels: Captivate Cooking, chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate-fudge peanut squares, cookies, Dessert recipes, Desserts, Dinner ideas, dinner recipes, neiman marcus

• 1/2 pound ground Kobe beef
• 4 slices nitrate-free bacon
• 4 teaspoons minced white onion
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 small brioche or other buns, toasted

1. Form the beef into four small patties; set aside. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until the fat has been rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper-towel lined plate.

2. Add onions to skillet; cook until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to small bowl.

3. Heat the broiler. Wipe skillet clean; raise heat to high. Cook the beef patties until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a broiler pan. Season the patties with salt. Top each with a bacon strip, onion and Cheddar cheese. Place under the broiler; cook until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Slide burgers into brioche buns.

Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories, 44% of calories from fat, 16 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 66 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 24 g protein, 697 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

Labels: appetizer recipes, Captivate Cooking, Dinner ideas, dinner recipes, hamburgers, sliders

• Butter (for the pan)
• Flour (for the pan)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Extra granulated sugar (for sprinkling)
• Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)
  

1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch layer cake pan, line it with parchment paper, and butter and flour the paper, tapping out the excess.

2. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or two blunt knives to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles crumbs.

3. Stir in the sugar.

4. In a bowl mix the cream and egg. With a rubber spatula, stir the cream mixture into the flour mixture until it forms a batter.

5. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is firm and golden. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Turn it out onto a plate, then turn it right side up. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

STRAWBERRIES

• 1 pint strawberries, trimmed and halved or sliced
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, softly whipped
  

1. In a bowl, layer berries and sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Cut the cake into 6 triangles and set them on dessert plates. Spoon berries and cream on the wedges.

Labels: bar-be-que ideas, Captivate Cooking, Dessert recipes, Desserts, Dinner ideas, strawberry shortcake

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 shallots, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced fennel bulb
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
• 3 pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, diced with juices reserved
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tablespoon gin
• Kosher salt
• 1 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup cream, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 large basil leaves, sliced crosswise into thin ribbons, for garnish

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, carrot, celery and fennel and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute until aromatic.

2. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, along with the lemon juice, sugar, paprika, gin and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato liquid reduces and the mixture has thickened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly.

3. Transfer the vegetables, in batches, to a blender jar and puree until smooth, then return to the pot. Add the broth, one cup at a time, until the soup reaches desired consistency, stirring to thoroughly combine.

4. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the cream if desired and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish each serving with basil.

Each of 10 servings: 95 calories; 2 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 mg. cholesterol; 262 mg. sodium.

Labels: Captivate Cooking, dinner recipes, lunch recipes, soup ideas, tomato recipes, tomato soup

• 2 1/2 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and quartered
• 2 pints blackberries
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, or 1 tablespoon almond liqueur
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup oats
• 2/3 cup almond meal or finely ground almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons softened butter

1. Prepare the coals without starter fluid in a chimney starter: For a 4-quart (10-inch) Dutch oven, you will need 27 coals hot enough to have formed a thin coating of white ash over the surface of each coal.

2. Combine the peaches and blackberries in the Dutch oven, and toss with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the almond extract and orange zest.

3. Separately, combine the flour, oats, almond meal, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the softened butter, then the remaining maple syrup, until you have a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit, then cover with the lid.

4. Place the oven over nine of the hot coals (evenly spaced), and evenly space 18 coals over the lid. Cook until the crumble topping is a rich golden color and the fruit is soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 299 calories; 6 grams protein; 42 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 14 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 23 mg. cholesterol; 222 mg. sodium.

Labels: Beverages, Breakfast, Captivate Cooking, Cocktails, Desserts, Dinner ideas, Food, Grilling recipes, Recipes