Jalapeno mac n cheese n cheese n cheese

Somehow I made it to the ripe old age of 38 without ever making homemade mac n cheese.
I decided to give it a try for a potluck at work.
How did I never know how easy this stuff is?

Jalapeno mac n cheese n cheese n cheese


1 pound elbow macaroni or shell pasta
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
6 tablespoons flour
3 cups half and half or whole milk

1 package (5.2 ounces) Boursin garlic and herb cheese
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I used 2, but could have used 3)
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used half panko, half fine bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons melted butter

Grease or spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or baking dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta in boiling water following package directions. Drain and rinse; set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbly. Add the milk or half-and-half and Boursin cheese. Cook, stirring, until hot and thickened. Add the cheese and peppers. Cook, stirring, until cheese has melted. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Combine the sauce with the pasta and stir to blend. Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Toss melted butter and bread crumbs together and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

I like the bread crumbs to be pretty toasty, so I gave it a few minutes under the broiler to get them very golden and toasty.

This seemed to go over pretty well at the potluck. I made a big pan of it for that and a smaller pan for Nick and I to have for dinner with a salad on the side.

There were no leftovers at all.

I used two jalapenos in this, but I think one more would have been good for a little more heat.

Or, if you want more chile flavor but not more heat, maybe add in some roasted red pepper or a small can of chopped ortega chiles.

grilled lamb chops with smoked paprika and garlic (and a link to lemony chick pea salad)

I got a nice little package of lamb at Trader Joe's and decided that I wanted to do something different than my normal grilled lamb chops with redcurrant glaze.
I really like the flavor and aroma of smoked paprika, so I decided to try a simple rub with garlic and smoked paprika and then cook the chops in the grill.

The chops I used are the small, lollipop type chops.

This recipe fits into the 3-4 ingredient category even though it is not from my 3-4 ingredient cookbook.

Grilled lamb chops with smoked paprika and garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 small (lollipop) lamb chops
salt and pepper

Combine smoked paprika, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl.

Season chops with salt and pepper.

Rub the chops all over with the paprika-garlic rub and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Grill on high heat about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Boom. Done. Simple.

These were really good and really tender. It was a nice change from the sweeter redcurrant chops.

I served the lamb with lemony chick pea salad from Food & Wine's Web site and some sauteed mixed greens.

Lemon spaghetti

I was looking for a tasty side dish to pair with pan-roasted pork tenderloin and came across a recipe in "Everyday Italian" by Giada DeLaurentis.

The combination of lemon and Parmesan cheese sounded like it would be a nice compliment to the meat and a simple side of steamed asparagus.

After reading the recipe, I decided (of course) to make a couple of my own modifications.

So, here is my version, with a little more cheese than she called for and with some garlic that she did not call for.

Lemon spaghetti

2/3 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 pound dried spaghetti

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest

salt and pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together olive oil, Parmesan, lemon juice and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, then drain pasta.

Toss pasta with lemon sauce, basil and lemon zest. If you want the pasta to be saucier, toss in reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time to get desired consistency.

This was a great side for my roasted pork. The lemon gave it nice little zing and the garlic I added gave it more of the bite I was hoping for.

I think this would be good on its own as a simple dinner with a salad. It also seems like it would pair well with grilled shrimp or fish.

Sweet-spicy peanut slaw

So I obviously have been absent from the food blog for a while.

If you read the other blog you know why: I am knocked up!

It has taken me a while to get my appetite back for anything other than cereal or cheese and crackers.

Not to mention not having the energy to do any cooking.

But I am into the second trimester and the appetite and energy are returning.

So I hope to try some new recipes and post here more.

Up now...I think it is clear that I am fond of certain Asian flavors. I use sesame oil and rice vinegar and Sriracha chile sauce in a lot of things. A favorite way to use them is in a light slaw that is great with grilled meats (or even on its own!).

Sweet-spicy peanut slaw
(makes 4 side-dish servings)

1/2 a nappa cabbage (about 6 cups) cut into thin strips
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp Sriracha (or other chile sauce) - this can be adjusted to suit your own heat level

Toss cabbage, cilantro, carrot, green onion and peanuts in a large bowl.

Whisk together sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, ground ginger and Sriracha.

Add dressing to cabbage mixture and gently combine to coat.

That's it!

cool cous cous and edamame

This came to me in a moment of laziness.
I was ready to make dinner Monday night, but did not have the gumption to get myself to the market.
A quick tour of the pantry yielded a box of cous cous. In the freezer I found some precooked soybeans in the pods and a pork tenderloin.
Hmmmm...
Yeah, I can work with these.
I set the pork to thaw in a sink full of cool water then got to thinking about how to make it all work together.

My inspiration was two yummy salad options from the Corner Bakery. At my branch of this chain they have an option of getting a trio sampler of some of the salads. Two that I really like are the ginger and asparagus cous cous with dried cranberries and almonds, as well as a mixture of edamame with asparagus and tomatoes in a tangy Asian-inspired dressing.

Somehow toward the end of my meal they are commingling on the plate so that I get cous cous and edamame together. Which is fine. It tastes pretty good.

So I decided to take what I liked about those salads and combine them, being limited to what I had at home.

Here you have it:

Cool cous cous and edamame
(with toasted almonds)

3 cups cooked plain cous cous, cooled
(for me this was 1 1/3 cup dry cous cous cooked to package directions)

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted in a saute pan until golden brown

1 lb frozen edamame in the pods, cooked and shelled
(should yield about 1 1/4 cups beans)

3 tbsp minced shallot

combine all of the above, stirring or tossing gently to mix

for the dressing

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp ponzu sauce
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red chili paste, such as Sriracha

combine all of the dressing ingredients, stirring until sugar has dissolved

Pour dressing over cous cous mixture and gently stir or toss to coat.

Enjoy!

If there had been a red pepper in the fridge, I would have diced some of that up and added it for a little more color and flavor. But this was pretty good as is.

I served this on a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.
To make it more of a dinner for the manfriend and me, I added some slices of grilled pork tenderloin.
Since the cous cous dressing had some tang and spice to it already, I kept the meat simple, just marinating it in a mixture of 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tbsp sesame oil.
Then I grilled it.

This was awesome. I like a combination of cool and hot like this.
And the lettuce underneath gave it an extra layer of crunch.

I had leftover cous cous over more lettuce for lunch today. Still good.
And so, so, so easy to make.

Roasted cauliflower with curry

I have always liked cauliflower, but just steaming it gets old.

Another option is to roast it. It gives it a nice, nutty flavor.

Add a little curry and lemon juice, and you get a lightly spiced version.

And it's super easy.

Roasted cauliflower with curry

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 head of cauliflower, cleaned and cut into pieces (about 2-3 bites per piece)

Heat oven to 450.

Whisk oil, lemon juice, curry, salt and cayenne in a large bowl.

Toss cauliflower in the oil mixture to coat.

Spread cauliflower on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and chewy, turning about halfway through the cooking time.

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

OK. I am back.

Yes, I have been cooking the past couple weeks.

And now I have a few things stored up in my brain to blog about here.

First up:

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

This was a great side dish to have with a simple grilled flank steak. It was very rich and creamy and flavorful, but still light with the ricotta.

And the next day I cut one of the stuffed zucchini pieces into slices and scrambled it with an egg and a little bit of chopped up, leftover steak. It was delicious!

Zucchini stuffed with ricotta and manchego

4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

5 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small yellow or white onion, chopped

2 medium roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

3/4 cup manchego cheese, grated (pecorino or romano or parmesan will work, too.)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3 tbsp Italian or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp dried mint

2 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped

2 egg yolks, beaten

salt and pepper

Using a small spoon (I like to use a grapefruit spoon), scoop out the pulp from the zucchini halves and discard. You want to scoop it out to leave a rim about 1/4 inch around the edges.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sautee pan or skillet over medium heat.

Cook garlic and onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, or until soft.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool a bit.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, 1/2 cup of the manchego, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, parsley, mint, oregano and egg yolks.

Gently stir in the tomato-onion mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Rub inside of zucchini with remaining olive oil to coat lightly and season with salt.

Place zucchini cut side up in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet.

Broil on high for about 5 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and fill each zucchini half so that filling mounds a bit, but does not spill over the sides.

Mix together remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the filled zucchini pieces.

Cook at 400 degrees about 10-15 minutes until hot, then zap under the broiler to get the tops golden brown and crispy.

I like this picture. The cross-section shows how really yummy that filling is.

The ricotta is creamy, but fluffy; the manchego has a lovely, nutty flavors; and the herbs and tomatoes give it a nice, fresh flavor. The eggs and bread crumbs hold it all together.

I served these hot, but they can also be served at room temperature.

Cheesy twice-baked potatoes with pancetta and roasted garlic

I love twice-baked potatoes. For me they are one of the ultimate comfort foods.
If I am baking potatoes for another meal, I might throw in a couple extra to have for twice-baked.
And you can pretty much add anything you want to them as far as the cheese and herbs and add-ons go.
This time around I had some pancetta in the fridge, so I decided to give that a try in there with the other goodies.

I like pancetta, which is an Italian type of bacon.

Cheesy twice-baked potatoes with pancetta and roasted garlic

8 cloves garlic, roasted in oil (click here for method)
3 oz pancetta (bacon will work if you can't get pancetta)
1 tbsp olive oil
4 large potatoes, BAKED (I work with them warm, but not hot)
1 stick butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cup cheese, shredded (I used a 4-cheese blend: Parmesan, asiago, fontina and provolone)
2 tbsp dried oregano

preheat oven to 35o degrees

cook pancetta in olive oil (if using bacon, omit oil)
drain on paper towels and set aside
cut potatoes in half lengthwise
scoop out potato filling into large mixing bowl
set aside empty potato skins

mix butter, cheese, oregano, crumbled pancetta and chopped roasted garlic into potato mixture
season with salt and pepper


spoon potato mixture back into skins
bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until hot and a little crispy on top



I make extras of these and don't bake them.
I freeze them in pairs to bake later.
They make great freezer food!

And they are easy enough to make more vegetarian friendly. Just skip the pancetta.

Balsamic-glazed cipollini onions

When I make something like a simple grilled steak, sometimes I like to make a little something that at least looks fancy to garnish it.
Stuff like this goes well with most meats, roasted or grilled.

Sometimes I make mushrooms sauteed with wine and garlic.
Sometimes I make the easy roasted roma tomatoes.
They both have good, bold flavors to stand up to the meat.

Another thing that works well?

Balsamic-glazed cipollini onions


I usually buy the whole onions with the peels on. But Trader Joe's (oh how I love that place) recently started selling them already peeled.
I just opened the bag, washed them and sorted them to make sure there were no duds. I found only two in the whole bag that were mushy, so I tossed them.




1 lb cipollini onions
3 tbsp olive oil
3 rosemary sprigs
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp sugar

peel and clean onions
heat oil in large sautee pan
add rosemary sprigs and sautee
when fragrant, add butter
melt butter over medium heat, but do not let it brown
add onions and cook until golden over medium-high heat, turning to cook evenly, about 8 minutes
add vinegar, red wine and sugar
stir to mix
simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes until onions are soft and liquid has caramelized into a sticky glaze, stirring occasionally
be gentle with the stirring to keep onions from breaking apart

serve on the side of your meat dish or spoon some over the top

Mini potato pancakes

I was at the grocery store recently and saw a magazine with these beautiful little potato cakes on the cover.

I decided, without even buying the magazine, that I could attempt something similar.

I have made the big, skillet size potato pancake before. This would just be on a smaller scale.

And a little fancier as an appetizer.

Mini potato pancakes with dill

served with chopped shallots, capers, smoked salmon and wasabi cream

This recipe makes about 12 cakes

1.5-2 pounds potatoes - I used a small white variety

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup very fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped dill

salt and pepper

canola or vegetable oil for cooking

to garnish:

1 large shallot, chopped

smoked salmon slices

capers

sour cream

wasabi (the prepared kind in the tube. If you don't like horseradish, just skip the wasabi.)

Wash potatoes. Depending on the type you are using and your taste, you may want to peel them, too.

Since I used the tiny potatoes with the thin skins, I just washed them.

Using a cheese grater or a food processor (this was a big time saver!), shred potatoes.

As you work, transfer potato shreds to a large bowl of cold water.

Let potatoes rest in the cold water for 15-20 minutes to reduce the amount of starch in them.

Drain potatoes and rinse with cold running water and dry using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Dry the large bowl used to soak potatoes and put the dried potato shreds back in it.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, dill, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.

Add egg mixture to potatoes and stir to mix well.

To cook:

Heat a large frying pan with 3/4 inch of oil in it over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, use a large spoon or your hands (I used my hands, they are the best kitchen tool!) to scoop out a ball of the potato mixture about the size of a golf ball.

You want kind of a loose lump of potato. Don't compress it too much or you will squeeze out all the egg, which is what holds it together.

Flatten the potato ball slightly and use a spatula to slide it into the hot oil.

Press down a little more to make the potato patty.

Do not crowd your pan. I cooked these four at a time.

Cook until edges are brown and crispy, about 2 or 3 minutes, then carefully flip them over.

Cook on other side about 2 or 3 more minutes until that side is also golden and crispy.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

To serve:

I like these at room temperature, but they are sure good hot, too.

They also are good plain, but for me even better with a few tasty treats on top.

This time around I went fancy.

First, I made the wasabi sour cream. Which basically means taking a couple spoons of sour cream and mixing in some wasabi until I get the flavor and heat I like.

I drizzled a little of the cream on each potato cake, sprinkled on a bit of shallots, added a piece of the smoked salmon then some capers.

We had two each as an appetizer. The rest went in the fridge for leftovers.

Manfriend was not a fan of the capers. He said they were quite strong. Which is why I liked them. We had leftovers of these the next night and I reheated the cakes in a little oil and skipped the capers on MF's portion.

easy roasted roma tomatoes

The finished product, fresh from the oven. Can't wait
to have a few! I cook them in a foil pan that I can
toss in the recycling. I've done this on cookie sheets
and in glass dishes, but it can turn into a
hard to clean, sticky mess. So this is easier.

I know some people are not fans of tomatoes.
Me? Love 'em.
I will eat them like apples.
I like them sliced with cottage cheese.
I put them in sauces, in salads, on sandwiches and in stews.
And if I see an unripe, green tomato at the market, which is a rare thing, I buy it to make fried green tomatoes.

But one of my favorite ways to prepare them is to roast them.
It's very easy and the result is soft, yummy tomatoes with a super concentrated flavor.

So, if you are not a tomato fan, this is not for you.

But if you like tomatoes as much as I do, give this a try.

I eat these roasted tomatoes as a snack, as a garnish for roasted meats, on burgers, on sandwiches, on salads, with bread and a good sharp cheese as an appetizer, tossed in pasta... really, I just eat them.

I made some Monday to go with dinner and they were gone in a flash.

So tonight I made some more.

I like to use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out the seeds.
The serrated edge is also good if you cook artichokes
and need to scoop that fuzzy stuff out to get to the heart.

These are the seeded tomatoes, coated in olive oil
and seasoned with pepper, sea salt and dried oregano.

Easy roasted roma tomatoes

10 roma tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
dried basil or oregano or your favorite herb blend

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out and discard the seeds and juice.
Place in baking dish.
Coat tomatoes with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper and herbs.

Roast at 425 degrees for an hour or until as roasty-toasty as you like them.

I like mine when they are just starting to get crisp around the edges but are still soft and juicy in the middle.

They are good hot or at room temperature.

Tonight I just ate a few of them straight out of the oven as a snack.

I will put the leftovers in the fridge to add to a salad for dinner tomorrow.

Tomatoes stuffed with herbed rice

This was a very easy side dish made easier by using that boil-in-a-bag type of rice.

I like Uncle Ben's. It's easy and the rice does not get too mushy.

One bag should be enough to stuff four medium-size tomatoes.

The other good thing about the prep can be done ahead and then they can be baked when you need them. They also can be served at room temperature. Which is what I did.

I made the tomatoes and then while they were cooling a bit, made the rest of the dinner.

Here's what I did.

Tomatoes stuffed with herbed rice

1 bag Uncle Ben's boil-in-a-bag long grain rice

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium tomatoes, ripe but firm

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions, then rinse with cold water to cool.

(I actually used half white wine-half veggie broth instead of water to cook)

Heat oven to 350.

Lightly coat baking dish with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.

Cut a slice, about 1/2 inch thick, off the top of each tomato, saving the tops.

Scoop the seeds, juice and flesh out of each tomato into a small bowl and set aside.

Place hollowed-out tomatoes in baking dish.

If they do not sit steady in the pan, flatten the bottom by cutting off a thin slice.

To the cooled rice add:

1/4 cup of the reserved tomato flesh

2 tablespoons of olive oil

basil

parsley

garlic

lemon juice

Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Spoon rice mixture into each of the hollowed-out tomatoes.

Replace reserved tomato tops.

Bake about 20 minutes or until rice is heated through and tomato softens.

These can be served hot or at room temperature.

They can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time, which gives you time to work on the rest of the meal.

I made mine about 90 minutes ahead of time and they came out great.

I tasted the rice right from the oven and it was good, but I think letting them sit and cool a bit brings out the fresh herb flavors even more.

shoestring potatoes with rosemary & lemon

I served this as a side dish to a rich, creamy chicken dish.

The simple, crisp flavors of rosemary and lemon were a great balance to the chicken stuffed with prosciutto, spinach and boursin.

It was easy, with the most time-consuming part being cutting the potatoes and then soaking and rinsing them several times to remove the starch. Removing the starch helps them crisp up more.

shoestring potatoes with rosemary & lemon

four servings

3 medium russet or Idaho potatoes (total about 1 1/4 pounds)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 tbsp lemon zest, finely grated

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 sea salt or kosher salt plus more to taste

1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

heat oven to 450

Clean potato skins thoroughly, but leave skin on.

Slice potatoes into 3/8-inch thick slices.

Cut slices into 3/8-inch think sticks.

Alternate rinsing and soaking potato slices in cold water until water runs clear.

Let potatoes rest in cold water for 5 minutes.

Drain completely and spread potatoes on towels or paper towels.

Cover with another towel or some paper towels and let dry.

While potatoes are drying, combine olive oil, mustard, zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Whisk until totally blended.

Add potatoes to bowl and toss/mix gently until each piece is coated.

Spread potatoes in single layer on baking sheet. I used two baking sheets.

Bake until browned on the bottom, about 10-15 minutes, then turn.

Bake in single layer until the other side is as brown and crispy as you want them, turning every 5 minutes.

I like mine crispy, so I baked them at least another 10-15 minutes, turning them a couple times.

Remove from oven (they will keep cooking if you leave them on the hot baking sheet)

Sprinkle with more salt to taste.

Serve immediately.

mushroom-sage bread pudding

I love the sage bread pudding that Restaurant Christine serves as a side dish to their prosciutto wrapped filet mignon medallions.

So I wanted to try making my own version, with the addition of some mushrooms.

heat oven to 375

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped brown mushrooms
1 chopped maui onion
1/4 cup dry white wine
salt
4 cups sourdough bread cut into small cubes
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk or whole milk
1/4 cup chopped, fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces grated Swiss cheese

Melt butter in sautee pan.

Add mushrooms and maui onion. Season lightly with salt.

Cook for about 3 minutes, then add white wine.

Cook until wine is reduced and mushrooms and onions just start to brown.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, sage and black pepper until blended.

Fold bread cubes into egg mixture to coat.

Gently mix in cheese.

Press bread-egg mixture into 8x8 inch baking pan so that all bread is submerged in egg mixture.
Let sit for 15 minutes so bread can absorb egg mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating once, until egg is set.

Place under broiler for 3-4 minutes until top starts to get brown and toasty.

Serve immediately.

My thoughts on this dish: Wow. I wanted an alternative to a potato or rice or pasta as a starchy side dish and this was a good one.

It was hearty and cheesy and the mushrooms and sage gave it a nice earthy flavor. I probably could have skipped the rest of the meal and just had the bread pudding for dinner.

Which I may do tonight with leftovers.

And I may make this as the main dish casserole for my next Sunday stampers group.

The manfriend went back for seconds and was tempted to go for thirds. Instead he took some leftovers home with him.

I can see this as a standalone brunch dish or as a great side to any kind of meat. I know it goes with the fish and steak. I bet it would be a great substitute to stuffing with a roasted chicken or as a side for any kind of pork roast or tenderloin.

And really, inspite of all the steps, this was a pretty easy dish to make. Most bread puddings are.