APRIL FOOLS! Mac n’ Cheese will continue to be a guilty indulgence! YUM….

Ingredients: (Serves 6-8)

½ lb. elbow macaroni (actually, any will do)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomato
1 (15.5 oz.) canned corn, drained
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
kosher salt

For Sauce

1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in the IMUSA Evolution Caldero and add salt to taste. Add macaroni and stir gently allowing it boil for about 7 minutes until “al dente”.

Remove from heat and drain well and place in an extra large bowl. Add diced tomatoes and corn and mix with a rubber spatula. Set aside.

For béchamel sauce, start by making a thickening agent also known as “roux” in the IMUSA Evolution Caldero by melting the butter under medium heat and whisk in flour.

Keep whisking under medium heat until roux is browned, about 5-6 minutes.

Add 2 tsp. salt. Gently whisk in the milk until properly combined. Constantly whisk the sauce until it thickens and begins to simmer, about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese. Gently mix with a rubber spatula until completely melted and combined.

Pour cheese sauce inside the bowl with the macaroni and mix. Pour back inside the IMUSA Evolution Caldero.

Make topping by combining all of the ingredients and spread it evenly on top of macaroni & cheese.

Bake 15 minutes with lid on and another 10 minutes with lid off until topping is golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Visit our IMUSA YOU TUBE Channel for more delicious recipes.

El Chupacabra Martini will set your honey’s heart afire. The fiery red blood orange juice infused with the explosive Brazilian aphrodisiac of acai is sure to make sparks fly.

Hints of guava and pineapple nectar in this drink are fruits from Puerto Rico (where Chupacabra sightings were first reported).

This sensuous drink with a beautiful mix of juices is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any romantic occasion.

You can barely taste the coconut rum in this sweet drink, which makes it extra dangerous, just like its namesake.

Makes: 2 drinks

Ingredients

4 blood oranges, freshly squeezed or 1-cup juice

4 ounces coconut rum

2 ounces açaí juice

1 ounce guava nectar (recommend Jumex)

1 ounce pineapple nectar (recommend Jumex)

1 cup crushed ice

1 blood orange, sliced

1 star fruit, sliced

Directions

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake until blended and pour strained mix into a martini glass.

Garnish with a blood orange slice or a star fruit slice.

Serve. Now suck on it!

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

IMUSA Yellow Painted Lemon Squeezer

The kit includes a 4.4Qt or 7.5QT Rubber Gasket, a Pressure Control Valve and a Pressure Regulator. 

Reference: 4.4QT has a diameter of 9 inches and 7.5QT has a diameter of 10.5 inches.

Click here  for the IMUSA Pressure cooker product manual

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I don’t know about you, but every once in awhile I actually CRAVE short ribs. There is just something about how tasty they are that makes my mouth water when I think about them. Wow, writing about them is making me wish I had one to sink my teeth into right now.

I remember my grandma always tossed in a couple of bone marrow bones into her pot with the short ribs. I swear it gave all the ingredients a buttery flavor. For those of you who’ve tasted bone marrow you know what I’m talking about. For the rest of you who haven’t, don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

We recently tested our own beef short ribs in our new IMUSA Enamel Dutch Oven and they turned out perfect, better than perfect, if there’s such a thing. The meat just slid off the bone. Are you craving some yet? Gosh darn it ‘cause I am.

This Dutch Oven brewed the ribs to perfection. My grandma had one just like the one we used, blue and all. The seal in this pot allowed all the juices to stay where they needed to stay, in the meat.  If you like short ribs as much as I do, you are going to love this simple recipe. This is the ultimate in comfort food especially when the meat is surrounded by all the vegetables. It’s the perfect winter meal and perfect for Super Bowl! Yum-yum, eat ‘em up!

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 pounds beef short ribs

2-3 bone marrow bones, adds some extra flavor (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ounces of liquid smoke per pound of ribs
(recommend Claude’s Brisket Marinade Sauce)

3 red potatoes, quartered

2 carrots, peeled, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal and quartered

2 ears of corn, quartered

½ onion, sliced

2 bay leaves

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 teaspoon crushed oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Directions

Arrange all the ribs and bone marrow flat (optional) on a foil-lined roasting pan, casserole dish, or Dutch Oven. Pour olive oil and liquid smoke over the ribs. Surround with potatoes, carrots, and corn. Sprinkle the spices and rosemary sprig over the meat then add the onions over the meat.

Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil or oven safe lid and bake at 350 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Grab one of the bones sticking out and try to spin it. If it spins with little or no resistance, ribs are done.

Remove the foil, turn the meat over and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Thank you IMUSA for this beautiful Dutch Oven. We enjoyed cooking our beef short ribs in it and hope others enjoy it as much as we did. We look forward to many more uses!

For more information on this product you can contact IMUSA directly, or check out the product here.

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Pottery by Cherie Mahon available at cmahon@myawai.com and in the Santa Fe Art District at CoArt

This appetizer goes perfectly with a Michelada.

Makes: 8 large sopes or 16 small sopes

Ingredients

2 cups masa harina (recommend Maseca Corn Flour Masa)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups warm water

4 roasted long green chiles, seeded and sliced ½” strips

4 cups cooked pinto or black beans (or canned beans), drained

2 cups queso fresco, crumbled

1 cup cilantro sprigs

Avocado slices (optional)

Directions

Combine the two cups of masa harina, salt, and water. Stir until mixture is smooth and slightly sticky. Add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, if needed. Dough should be soft like play-doh and not dry.

Divide masa mixture into 8-16 portions (depending on desired size). Cover with a damp cloth to keep the dough soft and moist. I like keeping mine in the same bowl I mixed the dough.

Line your tortilla press with plastic wrap. Place each ball between the plastic wrap and press down to form a little ½” patty. Peel off the plastic wrap. If you don’t have a handy dandy IMUSA tortilla press you can use a heavy skillet or pot to make the dough circles. Or use your hands to form a patty.

Preheat an ungreased griddle or IMUSA comal on medium-high heat. Cook each sope on the comal for about 2-4 minutes on each side until dry. Repeat with the remaining sopes.

To form the sopes you will need to work quickly while each sope is warm off the comal.

Take each sope and working from the center outward, pull the warm dough pinching up the edge of the round to make a ridge. You may need to dig into the dough because it has cooked a bit. You will do this all the way around until you create a little boat.

Set each one aside until you are ready to fill.

Roasting Chiles

Fire up a comal on the stovetop. Rinse the chile peppers thoroughly and pierce each chile with a knife. Place the chiles on the comal and let them roast evenly. You will have to keep an eye on them, making sure to turn them over until all sides are roasted. When done, the chile pepper skins should be evenly blistered and mostly black.

Place roasted peppers into a plastic bag and close the bag. Cover the plastic bag with a kitchen towel. The steam will help the blackened skin and chile to separate. When cool, rub off the blackened skin and discard the seeds and stems.

Slice the chile to desired length for filling your sopes.

Filling the Sopes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill each sope with beans and chile. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with queso fresco, cilantro, and garnish with avocado slices (optional).

If you prepare the sopes ahead of time, see the notes below for heating and filling your sopes.

To Make Ahead

Cook sopes as directed. Place cooled shells in a single layer in an airtight container, cover and seal. Sopes can be stored for one week in the fridge or in the freezer for one month.

Arrange premade or thawed shells in a single layer on a baking sheet; fill with warm beans and chile. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until warm. Sprinkle with queso fresco, cilantro, and garnish with avocado slices (optional).

Thank you IMUSA for the beautiful comal and tortilla press. We enjoyed making our sopes with your products and hope others enjoy them as much as we did.

Contact IMUSA for more information on these products.

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Pottery by Cherie Mahon available at cmahon@myawai.com and in the Santa Fe Art District at CoArt

What: Win an IMUSA Caldero! (UPS ground shipping included).

** Watch Chef John’s (from @foodwishes) video recipe featuring an IMUSA Caldero: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/12/lamb-caldero-shank-that-wont-break-bank.html

When: Winner will be chosen on Monday, February 7th at 12:00pm Eastern Time. Any entries after that will not be considered for this giveaway. Winner will be chosen using random.org

How: In order to enter, you must “Like” us on Facebook and answer the question “What is your favorite thing to cook using a Caldero, knife and garlic press?” or “What I would like to learn to cook in an IMUSA Caldero”. Full recipe is not required although appreciated. Post recipe name/description under the comments section of the following page: http://on.fb.me/i8f1J1

Winner will be announced via Facebook within two business days. Winner will also be contacted via Facebook Direct Message for shipping information. Winner must respond within 5 business days, after 5 days, a next random winner will be chosen should the initial winner be unreachable.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. IMUSA USA, LLC reserves the right to change or cancel this giveaway at any moment. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States & the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.