{"id":289,"date":"2015-07-15T11:11:06","date_gmt":"2015-07-15T15:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=289"},"modified":"2015-07-15T11:11:06","modified_gmt":"2015-07-15T15:11:06","slug":"strawberry-sriracha-mac-and-cheese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=289","title":{"rendered":"Strawberry Sriracha Mac and Cheese"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mac and cheese &#8211; the ultimate comfort food. Thought I would kick it up a notch and give it a slightly Asian, sweet and spicy flare. If mac and cheese had no calories, I would\u00a0definitely eat it everyday! For that reason, I love to get creative with it and throw in\u00a0unique ingredients because\u00a0everything pairs well with cheese&#8230;in my mind anyway. The risk of adding a fruit element to this cheesy delicacy definitely\u00a0paid off &#8211; I couldn&#8217;t stop eating it! The strawberries add a sweet undertone, while the sriracha gives you a little heat in the end and everything just worked so well the mild cheeses I chose. Instead of the one-note mac and cheese we all are used to, this version gives you an up and down taste experience going from\u00a0velvety cheddar, to\u00a0sweet strawberries, to tangy parmesan and finishing with spicy sriracha. You are going to love it and will probably end up with half the amount of cheese sauce in the end because you won&#8217;t be able to stop tasting it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Yield: Serves 4-6 (or 2 if you just can&#8217;t stop eating it)<\/p>\n<p><em>Ingredients:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1 1 lbs (453g) box Cavatappi\u00a0noodles<\/li>\n<li>2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese<\/li>\n<li>2 cups\u00a0shredded\u00a0Monterey Jack cheese<\/li>\n<li>1 tbsp finely\u00a0grated\u00a0parmesan cheese<\/li>\n<li>1 cup heavy cream<\/li>\n<li>1 tbsp flour<\/li>\n<li>2 tbsp butter<\/li>\n<li>\u00bd cup chopped\u00a0strawberries<\/li>\n<li>\u00be &#8211; 1\u00a0tbsp sriracha sauce (depending on your spice level)<\/li>\n<li>pinch of\u00a0onion powder<\/li>\n<li>\u00bc tsp salt + a couple pinches<\/li>\n<li>\u00bc tsp pepper<\/li>\n<li>3-4 tbsp reserved cooking water (reserve \u00bd cup to be safe)<\/li>\n<li>2 scallions (just the greens) chopped for garnish<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_297\" style=\"width: 251px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-297\" data-attachment-id=\"297\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?attachment_id=297\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?fit=640%2C640&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"640,640\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"cheese sauce\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;I dare you not to eat it just like this.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?fit=620%2C620&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-297\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?resize=241%2C241\" alt=\"I dare you not to eat it just like this.\" width=\"241\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?resize=180%2C180&amp;ssl=1 180w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/cheese-sauce.jpg?w=640&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 241px) 100vw, 241px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-297\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I dare you not to eat it just like this.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Preparation:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bring a large pot of water to roaring boil and add a\u00a0\u00bc tsp of\u00a0salt. Add the\u00a0noodles to the boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes until al dente. Reserve \u00bd cup of the cooking water and set aside before draining the noodles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, blend the strawberries, sriracha, onion powder, pinch of salt and a small splash of cooking water until smooth. Set aside.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a large saut\u00e9 pan, over medium low heat, add the butter and flour and whisk together until turning a nice golden colour, about 1 minute. Add in the cream and continue cooking and whisking\u00a0for 2 minutes until gently bubbling. Turn the heat down to low and add in the Monterey Jack and cheddar, 1 cup at a time\u00a0(Tip: freshly grated cheese melts better and incorporates more evenly than store-bought shredded cheese).\u00a0Continue gently whisking until all melted together. Add in the strawberry sriracha sauce, pinch of salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and\u00a0whisk until incorporated. 1 tablespoon at a time, add in the reserved cooking water until the sauce is creamy enough to drip off the end of the spoon but still thick enough to hold everything together (I added 3 tablespoons).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you didn&#8217;t eat all the cheese sauce at this point (good on ya!), pour it over the noodles and mix until coated evenly. Garnish with chopped scallion greens and enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mac and cheese &#8211; the ultimate comfort food. Thought I would kick it up a notch and give it a slightly Asian, sweet and spicy flare. If mac and cheese had no calories, I would\u00a0definitely eat it everyday! For that reason, I love to get creative with it and throw in\u00a0unique ingredients because\u00a0everything pairs well&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=289\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","has-featured-img"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6mLXa-4F","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=800","url_meta":{"origin":289,"position":0},"title":"Shishito Peppers with Goat Cheese &#038; Sriracha Dipping Sauce","author":"Andrea","date":"October 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I CANNOT GET ENOUGH SHISHITO PEPPERS! If I see them on a menu, I have to order them; if I see them at a grocery store, I have to buy them. They can be difficult to find if they are out of season (summer is their season), but some stores\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Recipes &amp; Destinations&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Recipes &amp; Destinations","link":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/shishito-peppers.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/shishito-peppers.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/shishito-peppers.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":234,"url":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=234","url_meta":{"origin":289,"position":1},"title":"Sweet and Spicy &#8216;Un-fried&#8217; Chicken with Red, White and Blue Sauces","author":"Andrea","date":"July 4, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"'Merica. Land of the free and home of the delicious fried food.\u00a0 For this Fourth of July, I decided to make something a little healthier than your typical fried chicken. I breaded the chicken in panko and baked it in the oven instead of frying in oil but it still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Recipes &amp; Destinations&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Recipes &amp; Destinations","link":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_0291.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_0291.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/IMG_0291.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":869,"url":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=869","url_meta":{"origin":289,"position":2},"title":"Curry Mac and Cheese Burger with Radish Raita","author":"Andrea","date":"November 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I was first introduced to Burger's Priest\u00a0by my friend Jon when I was visiting Toronto and, holy cow, was this ever a big fatty treat! It's a classic burger joint with ridiculous options, like eating a\u00a0burger smashed between two grilled cheese sandwiches\u00a0as the buns or adding on\u00a0a deep fried cheesy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Recipes &amp; Destinations&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Recipes &amp; Destinations","link":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/mac-n-cheese-burger.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/mac-n-cheese-burger.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/mac-n-cheese-burger.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":774,"url":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=774","url_meta":{"origin":289,"position":3},"title":"Cheesy Mashed Yucca","author":"Andrea","date":"October 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Yucca is such a unique alternative to the traditional potato and I'm so mad I didn't discover this root vegetable sooner - it's delicious!\u00a0It has as subtle yet slightly sweet taste, which allows it to pick up the flavours it's cooked in and makes it very versatile.\u00a0Yucca is an antioxidant\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Recipes &amp; Destinations&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Recipes &amp; Destinations","link":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?cat=15"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/yuca.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/yuca.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/yuca.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":866,"url":"https:\/\/www.zestoftheworld.com\/?p=866","url_meta":{"origin":289,"position":4},"title":"Potato Fennel Sausage Pizza","author":"Andrea","date":"November 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The year was 2001. 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The coconut milk gives it a lovely sweet taste, which contrasts perfectly with the saltiness from the cheese, and the lemon and mint add a nice refreshing accent to the peppery radish and earthy pumpkin seeds. 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