Recipes

Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.

Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
by Norma Crosby

Ingredients:
16 ounces dried elbow pasta (2 cups)
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp—use personal favorite)
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1/2 - 1 cup heavy cream

Method: Add the dried pasta, chicken broth, water, butter, hot sauce, salt, garlic powder, pepper, smoked paprika, dried mustard, and onion powder to the liner of an Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently press down to make sure all pasta is submerged in the liquid. Don't stir. Secure Instant Pot lid, making sure the valve is set to "sealing." Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button and use the +/- buttons to set the timer for four minutes.

Once the timer beeps, let out the pressure by carefully moving the valve to “venting" to perform a quick release. Be aware, this recipe is starchy, and can sputter quite a bit when venting. I usually place a folded paper towel loosely over the vent to prevent any kitchen messes. When the pin drops, remove lid and set aside. Turn the Instant Pot OFF to avoid overcooking your pasta. There will be some water left in your pot—don't drain it. This helps create the smooth, cheesy sauce. Add heavy cream and stir. Add in cheeses, a handful or so at a time, stirring after each addition. Keep stirring until they have completely melted into a creamy sauce. As a side note, this mac and cheese does thicken as it sits, so if it seems on the thin side—just let it sit for a minute or so, and it will thicken up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Notes:
1. Other cheeses may be used—gruyere, gouda, fontina, mozzarella, monterey jack, colby, or all cheddar. These are all good melting cheeses and will give you a smooth sauce.
2. You may need slightly more or slightly less heavy cream.
3. Prep time does not account for the time your pot takes to come up to pressure or the time it takes to stir your cheese/cream into a sauce. These will vary a bit from individual to individual. For reference—my pot took about ten minutes to come up to pressure and it took about two minutes to turn into a creamy cheese sauce.

Jalapeño Cornbread
by Norma Crosby

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk (substitute milk if you don’t have buttermilk)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1-2 fresh jalapeños, minced (seeded if you don’t like the heat)
1 green onions, diced (just the white part)
1 cup mild or medium cheddar, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place an eleven or twelve-inch cast-iron skillet on the stovetop and melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan to coat the sides and bottom until the butter turns a deep nut brown and the foam subsides. Watch it carefully; you do not want it to burn. Pour the butter into a small bowl and let it cool slightly. Do not wipe out the skillet.

In a medium bowl, mix one cup of the cornmeal along with flour, baking powder and salt.  In the small bowl with the cooled butter, whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar, and eggs.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended, then stir in the corn, green onions, jalapeño, and cheddar cheese. If the skillet is no longer warm (cast iron should retain its heat), heat it up on the stovetop. Then pour the batter into the skillet. Place the skillet into the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the edges pull away from the sides, about thirty to forty minutes. Allow to cool in the skillet for ten minutes before slicing and serving warm with butter. You can add honey if you like.

Allergy-Free Jumbo Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
by Liz Wisecarver

You know the stereotypical Instagram girl who must have a pumpkin spice latte to go along with her slice of pumpkin loaf, with her freshly lit pumpkin apple candle she has been saving for her Autumn-themed hearth decorations, adorned with little orange and white porcelain pumpkins and a seasonal wreath? Yeah, that’s me. My friends know I absolutely love all things pumpkin, and have some pretty tasty recipes for treats like walnut pumpkin bread and snickerdoodle loaf affectionately named “Mentoring Bread” by Rosy Carranza when I brought a couple of loaves to one of our NFB of Texas career mentoring events.

Unfortunately for me, I started having some real problems with food and was diagnosed with several allergies just after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. So no experimenting with sourdough bread recipes for me. I’ve had to do a lot of learning about what kinds of foods do and don't work well for my body. Spoiler alert, it’s not processed foods.

Smoothies have become one of my breakfast and dessert staples, and I wanted to recreate a pumpkin pie flavor that I could enjoy without worrying. This jumbo-sized recipe is free from soy, gluten, dairy, egg, peanuts, and the rest of the top eight most common allergens. You can switch out the ingredients to suit your preferences or dietary needs. Plus, this is tasty and healthy even if you don’t have any allergy concerns.

You could definitely cut this smoothie recipe in half or share it with a friend. But no judgment if you keep it all for yourself!

Ingredients:
1 cup So Delicious brand coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 can pumpkin puree
2 frozen bananas
1/8 cup allergy-free Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips (or brand of your choice)
1 tablespoon flaxseeds

Method: Combine the frozen bananas (I like to break them apart into smaller pieces), coconut milk, cinnamon, and pumpkin into the blender. Blend until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips and flaxseeds if desired, then stir to combine. If the smoothie mixture is too thick, slowly add in more coconut milk and stir until it reaches desired consistency. Make sure you have a smoothie cup top or straw that is large enough to let the chocolate chips through as you are drinking it. Enjoy!

Goggy's True Cornbread
by Mary Witherspoon

No flour, so gluten free. Each generation of my family has an eight-inch cast-iron skillet that is devoted to baking cornbread. Nothing else ever touches the surface and it is kept well-seasoned! A deep eight- or nine-inch metal cake pan can work in a pinch.

Ingredients:
2 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk (I use powdered buttermilk with water. The canister of the mix is easy to store in the refrigerator)
4 tablespoons Crisco
1 cup cornmeal (preferably 1/4 to 1/3 is coarse ground and the rest is regular ground)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method: Place Crisco in the skillet or pan and place in 450 degree oven to melt and get really hot. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a medium metal or Pyrex bowl, lightly whisk the eggs then mix in buttermilk. Stir in the cornmeal mixture. Pour most of the hot Crisco into the mix and stir quickly. Leave some Crisco in the skillet. Pour mixture back into skillet and cook twelve to fifteen minutes. Top will be well browned. Turn out skillet onto a plate.

Wipe down and re-season skillet. Place back in oven once oven is turned off. Heat will aid the re-seasoning.