Creamy Mac-N-Cheese (stovetop)

Creamy Mac-N-Cheese

Serves:  4 sides, (or 2 piggies).
You may want to eat the whole thing, but if you do I encourage you to seek psychological help.

INGREDIENTS A:

8 oz. dry pasta (I prefer penne over macaroni)
Water
1 tsp ksalt

INGREDIENTS B:

1 whole large egg (cracked)
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 tsp dry ground mustard
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
pinch smoked paprika

INGREDIENTS C:

4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz. velveeta cut into cubes.

METHOD:

A: Par-cook pasta:  In 3 quart saucepan with lid add pasta.  Cover with enough water, dissolve salt, and bring to boil. Cook it until its a little more al-dente than you prefer to eat. I look for uniform color through the entire pasta shape. Underdone will still show a darker "core" when you look at it. Test it by tasting one. It should be FIRM but edible and not crunchy. Drain pasta in colander.  Keep empty saucepan hot for step C.  It will continue to cook in the next steps.

B: Prepare Liquids: In mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients until monochrome and slightly foamy.  Set aside.

C: Finish: Use the same pan from A (still hot):  Over low-med burner add butter, drained pasta, and Velveeta.  Stir to coat evenly, then add Mixture B.  Stir mixture to coat until smooth and creamy using saucepan lid to retain heat to melt Velveeta between stirs.  Taste and season salt & pepper to taste.  Can be held on low burner.

BLATHERING:

  In my very early adult life one of my standard mid-week meals was frozen fish sticks with "shells and cheese" and steamed broccoli.  While I've never developed a fondness for the powdered versions of Mac-N-Cheese, the brands with the "packet of goo" were my preferred favorite.  I liked their simplicity.  Boil some noodles and then squeeze the goo onto the hot noodles, stir, and serve.  Super easy and only one pan to clean.

  Then I learned methods for classic Bechamel (specifically it's derivative Mornay) in culinary school.  For a while I went off the deep end and with no small amount of zealotry insisted it was "the only way".  Thinking in extremes has been a pattern with me and with the advent of the new year it's time for me to recognize destructive patterns and set them aside.  This year I will forgive.  There is more than enough room at the table for more than one kind of Mac-N-Cheese.  There is certainly plenty of room in my belly.  Some may wince at the use of Velveeta and evaporated milk.  Others may twitch a little when they see it's not baked with a crispy crumby topping.  This is smooth, creamy, tangy, and comes together with minimal fuss.

Garlic Spears in Beurre Noissette

Garlic Spears (also called Garlic Scapes), are the flowering spikes of elephant garlic.  They are only available for a limited time in the spring as they are trimmed off developing elephant garlic plants.  They used to be cast aside but now are available to buy.  I've seen them at farmers markets and at specialty grocers like Whole Foods.  I first had Garlic Spears a few years ago and instantly fell in love.  If I ever have room in my garden, I'm definitely setting aside some space for them.

I got three preparations for two people from the bundle.  To keep them fresh I set them in a cup of water in the fridge (a trick I learned works well for asparagus).  They are super-easy to prepare and I personally feel these are worthy of showcasing with a simple preparations.  My favorite way is a simple saute.  These come together really fast so it's usually the last thing I do before plating.

Ingredients:
~Garlic spears (heads trimmed, stems cut 2")
~EVOO (enough to lightly coat - maybe 1 tblsp max.)
~Salt & Pepper (to taste)
~1 tbsp unsalted butter
~1 pinch red pepper flakes (or lemon zest if you don't like heat)

Method:

• Prep veggies: In a bowl combine heads and stems with a small amount of olive oil and salt & pepper.
• Brown butter: Set large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Pull pan off heat and add butter.  As it melts, swirl the butter in the pan to coat the pan and lightly brown the butter (Beurre Noisette).  This method may take practice to get the heat and browning right.  You WANT a hot pan but if it's too hot then the butter will burn. 
• Saute:   Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and then the oiled scapes.  Toss to coat and return pan to med-high heat.  Let saute until caramelized, flip again to get the other sides.  Total cook time for me was about 5 min. (2.5 min. per flip).  Pull them off of heat and keep warm.  Serve immediately.

garlic spears paired with grilled rib-eye.

Other ideas/uses:
Left overs make a fantastic filling for omelettes.  Roasting would be another good and simple way.  A Pesto could also be good but at this time I haven't tried yet.

Asian Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When it comes to Brussels Sprouts people either love them or hate them.  I like to ask the haters what they don't like about them and the #1 response is; "They are bitter". Followed closely by #2; "They are mushy".  Combine bitter AND mushy and it makes total sense why people don't like them.  Most at-fault cooking method: Boiling.

Oh good people, you are missing out on one of my all time favorite vegetables!

Nutritionally these sprouts pack a wallop!  They are high in fiber, low in calories, and loaded with antioxidants and healthy phytochemicals.  Getting them in season is a special treat because they are sweet and earthy.  Roasting them is my preferred cooking method.  It is a great means of seasoning and caramelizing them to fit any flavor profile. Cast aside the swirling cauldron of bitter broth and grab a mixing bowl and a sheet pan.  Set your oven to bake at 375F and learn to roast them!

Teriyaki Chicken with Asian Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
4-6 C Brussels Sprouts (trimmed, cleaned, drained, and quartered)
~Seasonings~
2 large cloves Garlic (minced)
1 T Fresh Ginger (minced)
1 T Brown Sugar
2 t Mirin
1 T Soy Sauce
1/2 t Sesame oil (optional)
2-3 T Canola oil
Red Pepper Flakes (tt)
Salt (tt)
ground black pepper (tt)

Method:

1. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment (to ease cleanup).
2. Combine Seasonings and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Combine Sprouts and Seasoning blend in a bowl or zip-top bag and toss to coat sprouts evenly.
4. Spread sprouts out evenly into a single layer on the pan.  Roast at 375F until they are tender and caramelized.  I'm not giving a time because it depends on the size of the sprouts.  It may be as little as 30min or more than an hour.

Notes:
One of my favorite things about this recipe is the single leaves that turn crisp.  One day when I get a deep fryer, I want to experiment with making Brussels Sprout "Chips" either on their own or as a base for a canape.

C = Cup(s)
T = Tablespoon(s)
t = Teaspoon(s)
(tt) = to taste

Potatoes Dauphinoise

As an Idaho boy, I like to think I know a thing or two about potatoes.  I've got to tip my hat to the French on this one as it is quite possibly the best Au Gratin dish I've ever had. Subtlety is what drives the flavor in this wonderful side dish.  Spend the time to get a good infusion on the milk mixture and play around with the flavorings. Use the best Gruyere you can afford. I picked up a French cave-aged on sale at a local purveyor. I did this up in about a 10-11" gratin dish.  Individual serving ramekins would be great too.  A dish with a larger surface area is a little easier to get right.

Potatoes Dauphinoise

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cut into VERY thin slices, you need enough to make at least two layers)
12 oz milk
4 oz heavy cream
1 pinch nutmeg
~~~Boquet Garni:

1 pc leek green
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic (smashed)
1 julienne celery stick
3-5 parsley stems
~~~

4 oz. Gruyere cheese shredded
butter (for dish)
salt and white pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F

Method:

1. Prepare Gratin dish by coating generously with butter. Refrigerate dish until ready.

2. In a small saucepan add milk, cream, nutmeg, and Boquet Garni. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil then remove it from heat and let the flavors infuse 5 min.

3. In prepared gratin dish, arrange potato slices overlapping around perimeter and spiral inward. Season this layer with salt and white pepper. Repeat to create another layer of potatoes spiraling the other direction (This help things hold together better when you cut it later). Repeat if needed.

4. strain hot milk mixture over potatoes (remove the aromatics). The amount of liquid given isn't exact and fool proof...you have to take into consideration the dish you are using and they type of potato used. Many recipes I saw for this use waxy potatoes. My russets held up just fine. Fill the dish up about half way. If you overfill it may make for messy clean up and the potatoes may be over done. Top with shredded cheese.

5. Bake: Cover the gratin with a buttered parchment lids cut to cover your dish. It should fit inside and come up the edges slightly. Bake at 350 for about 45 min. and then remove the parchment lid. Depending on the dish and potatoes, it may take another 15-25 min to get a nice browned bubbly top and make sure the potatoes are done. Take it out of the oven and let it rest 5 min. before cutting. Most of the liquid should have migrated into the potatoes.

Tip:

I strongly suggest baking this on a sheet pan covered in foil.  This can easily bubble over and make a mess in your oven - doing it on a sheet pan makes cleanup a snap.

Simple Spanish Rice

This recipe uses what is called the Pilaf method.  It is easy and allows for opportunity to flavor the rice more subtly while maintaining a great finished texture.  Rice is such a great basic affordable staple you can do so much with.  This is something I use as a side-dish when I make Southwestern or Mexican inspired dishes.

Ingredients:
1 small shallot (ciseler)
1 tablespoon olive oil
~~~~~
1 cup white medium or long grain rice (rinsed)
1-2 tsp dried oregano 
1 bay leaf
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
~~~~~
tt kosher salt
tt white pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. Heat oil in a small saucepan to shimmy.  Add shallots.  Saute, coating all sides of shallots.  Cook til just translucent (do not caramelize)
3. Add rinsed rice to hot mixture and saute or stir to coat rice evenly.  Add in dried oregano, stir to distribute evenly, then add tomato juice all at once.  Stir to even out the mixture and bring to slow simmer.
4. Remove pan from heat, cover with tight fitting lid.  Let sit in oven 10-15 min. or until liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.  Discard bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.

Tips:

• If you don't have a lid for your saucepan, you can use foil.  Just make sure it is tight fitting to allow the steam to do all the work.
• One key to making fluffy, moist rice is to select a pot that holds the amount you need to cook, but has the smallest possible surface area.