A Taste of Yellow - Macaroni and Cheese

I have been planning on participating in the Taste of Yellow event at winosandfoodies ever since I first read about it. (Like everyone else who commented after Barbara's announcement, cancer has made plenty of appearances within my immediate circle lately). But suddenly it was May 7th and I had not done my entry! I had pretty much given up on pulling anything together when I developed an enormous craving for mac and cheese - very convenient. So here it is.

With the exception of breadcrumbs, I followed the recipe to the letter, so I will just give an abbreviated version here.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese (only slightly modified) from The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

- 1 pound macaroni
- salt
- 5 Tbsp butter
- 6 Tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 5 cups milk (I used 1%)
- 8 ounces monteray jack cheese, grated
- 8 ounces extra, extra, extra sharp cheddar, grated
- panko breadcrumbs

Using a large pot, cook pasta in well-salted water until tender. Drain in collander and set aside. In the now-empty pot, heat the butter over medium-high until foaming; add flour, mustard and cayenne, and whisk for about a minute, until color deepens. Continue whisking while gradually adding the milk; whisk until mixture is brought to full boil. Turn down heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, until mixture is the consistency of heavy cream. Remove from heat. Add cheese and 1 tsp salt and stir until mixed. Add back pasta and stir over med-low heat until well heated, about 6 minutes. Pour into 9x13 pan (or ramekins). Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs and place under broiler until browned.

Go see what A Taste of Yellow is all about!

Sweet and Savory Dinner Party

I did it again. Planned a party and a menu that meant 3 days of cooking. This time though, I enjoyed every minute of it, up until the last 5 minutes before guests arrived and I was frantically working on the cream sauce, and my phone was ringing…that stressed me out a little bit, but I threw my phone at Mr. Roux, and managed to get everything ready in time, so I could enjoy myself thoroughly with my guests.

The original invitation list was for about 15 people, about 10 RSVP’d, and only 4 were able to make it in the end. But I had determined to cook enough food for any number who wanted to come by, in the spirit of sharing the food fun. There were PLENTY of left overs! My ONLY complaint: 3 of the 4 guests were girls, who eat like birds, so they didn’t eat nearly enough in my opinion…

I’ve decided to host dinner parties on a regular basis, and am using my Buddhist group as an excuse. I am a member of this great organization (www.sgi.org - watch the video on the media tab! Or www.sgi-usa.org to find a group near you), and get to practice with the COOLEST people in the world, but after our small discussion meetings, there is NEVER enough time to hang out, chat, catch up, get to know each other… so the spirit of these dinner parties will be Dinner and Dialog – sometimes there will be 2 people, maybe someday 10 – I don’t care, I like to cook and I like to run my yap. The inaugural Dinner and Dialog was fantastic – and we were all shocked to see it was 3AM when the chat fest started winding down! Sure success.

Le Menu:
Roasted Vegetable Tapenade
Hummus
Irish Soda Bread
Parmesan Pepper Crackers

Iceberg wedges
Blue Cheese Dressing

Lemon Fusilli
Tuna Tartare served on Endive
Chicken Veronique

Lemon Yogurt Cake
Orange Chocolate Mini-Cakes
Homemade Grand Marnier Vanilla Ice Cream

I realize how ambitious this all looks. And I suppose it was. Honestly, each recipe was as simple as could be. I made the hummus, blue cheese dressing and lemon yogurt cake on Thursday evening. Friday night I made the orange chocolate cakes and the crackers. This left the roasted veg tapenade, ice cream, pasta, tuna, and chicken for Saturday. I got up pretty early to get started, and had JUST enough time.

I must officially thank Ina Garten once again for her inspiration and recipes! I took the liberty of some variations… here’s one, which is simultaneously an I Love Lucy moment; I added a cup of mayo instead of a half a cup of mayo to the Chicken Salad Veronique. I hate mayonnaise, so it was a tough 10 minutes for me scooping out un-stirred mayo from the mix. I ended up doubling the celery and grapes, and adding roasted pecans in order to bring balance back to the bowl.

Recipes/links** and commentary below! I only put pics of the most photogenic dishes below – sadly, I have neither the artistic eye nor photographic talent of Mallow who can make any dish look like a still life!

Roasted Vegetable Tapenade (variation of Roasted Eggplant Spread - see
Foodnetwork.com)

4 small zucchini
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tb. Olive oil
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 Tb. Tomato paste

Preheat oven to 400. Cut veg and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes until the veg are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.
Cool slightly.

Place the veg in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

(This was so delicious. I used the zucchini instead of eggplant, since it's the one food I hate. I would have liked it with olives and some spicy pepper as well!)

Hummus
2 cans chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained
¼ cup tahini
juice of 2 lemons
1 Tab. Pepper flakes
3-4 cloves garlic
2 Tab. Olive oil

Put everything but the olive oil in a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Blend thoroughly, adding the olive oil slowly while everything else blends.

(This makes a pretty mild hummus – you can really jazz it up with some artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, or any think you like!)

Parmesan Black Pepper Crackers (See Foodnetwork.com)

(I followed the recipe very closely, and ended up with very crumbly dough that was hard to roll into a log. It was much easier to deal with once frozen, but once cooked I found them a little too delicate to dip into either of my spreads. So we ate them for dinner on Friday.)

Irish Soda Bread (from “Barefoot Contessa At Home”)

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the currants
4 Tab. Sugar (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. kosher salt
4 Tab. (1/2 stick) Cold unsalted butter, cut into Tabs.
1¾ cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Preheat oven to 375. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 Tab. Of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temp.

(I decided to make this easy slightly sweet bread to dip into the savory spreads, as I really like the combination of sweet and savory – go figure. It was particularly good with the veg tapenade. I might leave the sugar out next time if serving with savory stuff.)

Blue Cheese Dressing (from “Barefoot Contessa At Home”)
½ lb. Roquefort cheese (I used crumbled blue cheese)
1 cup mayo
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. tarragon wine vinegar
2 Tab. Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Place half the cheese, the mayonnaise, heavy cream, vinegar, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until combined but still chunky. The other half of the cheese should be crumbled over the top of salad, but I added it to the mix. It was too thick. If you’re using this as a dip, its fine to add all the cheese, but as a dressing, you only need half.)



Lemon Fusilli with Arugula (See Foodnetwork.com)

(This was SO delicious. The arugula wilts just so, and the tomatoes get tender and juicy! A great dish for feeding the masses.)


Tuna Tartare (See Foodnetwork.com)

(I was a little disappointed that the tuna absorbed the soy sauce enough that it turned sort of a brown/gray color, rather than a pretty pinky color. GREAT flavor, and so lovely with the avocado. The peppery endive is a great edible spoon.)


Chicken Salad Veronique (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Again, I hate mayonnaise, but if it’s a good balance and not too gooey, I can take it. This worked out perfectly. I really liked the added crunch and depth of the pecans.)

Lemon Yogurt Cake (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Once I poured the juice and sugar mixture over the warm cake, all I could think about was the fact that most of the syrup was ending up on wax paper on the tray below. Once the cake had cooled, I wrapped it in the syrupy wax paper, then wrapped the lot in plastic wrap, hoping the cake would absorb more as it rested. Success! Also, instead of the glaze, I used butter cream frosting, with added lemon zest. I probably won’t next time.)

Mini Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake (See Foodnetwork.com)

(Um… Yum!? These almost didn’t need the chocolate syrup. I think I would have preferred them with a glaze instead, so the chocolate isn’t so overwhelming. I could eat these all day on into the night.)

Vanilla Grand Marnier Ice Cream
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup cream + ¾ cup milk, scalded
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. Grand Marnier liqueur

Beat egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment on med. For 3 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce speed to low, and add cornstarch.

Slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs, with the mixer still on low. Next, pour this mixture (now like a custard) into a sauce pan and cook over low heat until the spoon coats with cream. (Don’t allow the temp to rise above about 150-160).

Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, add vanilla and Grand Marnier. Freeze using an ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze in an air-tight container until ready to eat. Serves 4-5.

**My sincerest apologies! The hyperlink function is not currently working?! I have to annoyingly direct you to www.foodnetwork.com for recipe reference.

Salmon Pasta with Lemon and Capers

I have been determined to do a savory post before doing another sweet baked good, and I have finally come up with something. The inspiration for this "recipe" came from something I saw in a Donna Hay book involving chicken. I don't eat chicken, so the first tweak was to try salmon, but then I wanted something green involved too...and if there is green, then you need red...so here it is.

- pasta
- frozen green beans (or fresh if available)
- cherry tomatoes
- capers
- garlic
- cooked salmon, broken into bits
- parmesan cheese
- lemon pepper
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- olive oil

Boil the pasta in well-salted water. Two or three minutes before pasta is finished, add frozen green beans to boiling water. Drain everything, and put into a bowl. Set aside.

Using the pot used for the pasta, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil along with the capers. Fry the capers for a bit, then add garlic, lemon zest, salmon and lemon pepper. Cook for a bit, adding in lemon juice when things begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. Save a slice of lemon for serving.

Add back the pasta and green beans to the pot, and possibly some additional olive oil. Toss to coat and pour onto your plate (or serving dish). Add sliced cherry tomatoes and grate parmesan on top. Give one more squirt of lemon juice just before eating.

Cheesy Gooey Carbtastic Goodness

I don’t know the last time I had pasta – I don’t cook it as a rule. I’m the kind of person who has ONE meal with pasta and gains 10 pounds. It’s not that I’m anti-carb, I believe deeply and profoundly in their comforting qualities. For my own health purposes, I have to avoid them unless it’s an emergency. By “carb” I mean pasta, rice, four, sugar, fruits – most things yummy. The problem becomes one of self control. Given a box of cookies (in this example, Chocolate Covered Nutter Butters, the cruelest and most disasterous invention known to this woman), I will close my office door, and covertly, with a mug of milk, consume the entire box in one delicious, self-induced stomach-aching, fell swoop. Fruit? Why stop at a couple slices of pineapple? It is so juicy and sweet, I might as well eat the whole thing - stomache ache from the high-acid content be damned. (Am I the only person who feels the need to "hide" while I do this? Who am I hiding from? Maybe I've just revealed far too much about my own psyche...) For this reason, you will see most of my recipes on this site being of the high-protein and savory variety. Mallow is a genius with the sweets – she has self control, and the treats can make it over-night in her house so she can take them to work. A batch of cookies in my house means dinner, or a snack.
However, when I saw this dish being made on the Food Network, I felt an inspired need to re-acquaint myself with the comfort only certain foods like pasta can induce.
I decided to vary the recipe a bit, making it a little healthier, but maintain its integrity. I used whole-wheat macaroni, and I happened to have some extra veggies in the house, so I threw them into the mix. The end result was hearty and healthy, full of cheesy goodness. Macaroni and cheese purists would probably miss the creamy cheese sauce of the more traditional recipes, but in the end – this is just a different use of the Americanized pasta.
The best part? If you have kids who hate eating their greens, this is the best way to hide them. They’ll have no idea that they’re eating a veritable smorgasbord of antioxidants and vitamins. The cheese will trick ‘em.
Oh, and make sure you ask for help if you need it when draining the pasta from the heavy pan. I tried to be brave and strong, and my I Love Lucy moment of the day meant spilling a quarter of the pan of boiling water onto my bare-feet. Ouch.

Hearty Healthy Spicy Baked Macaroni and Veg
Salt
1 pound whole-wheat organic elbow macaroni pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ pound mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
½ cup chopped white onion
1 medium sized red bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (make sure you buy a brand that doesn’t add sugar)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I squeezed the moisture out)
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy; this amount yields pretty mild kid-friendly amount of spice)
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan (plus 1/3 cup)
¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano (plus 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons softened butter
12 ounces mozzarella cubed (about 2 cups, one standard sized package)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. About 8-10 minutes. Drain.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Cook until tender – about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, spinach, zucchini and red pepper flakes. Stir until combined and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, ¼ c. Parmesan, and ¼ c. Romano. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, and sprinkle half the mixture inside the dish to coat.
In a large mixing bowl combine the vegetable mixture with the cooked macaroni, cubed mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

Add nutmeg. Stir until combined, and the mozzarella is evenly distributed and beginning to melt.

Spoon entire mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with the remaining bread crumb mixture. Dot the top with the softened butter, cut into quarters.

Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Great as a side or main dish!