Gnocchi

One word: Gnocchi.  Delicious, filling pillows of awesomeness. (oh yea- pronounced roughly knee-aw-kee)

Gnocchi are basically Italian dumplings.  Traditionally made with potatoes, but also can be made with ricotta cheese (among other things).  They look intimidating, right? Wrong- probably one of the easiest pasta's you can make.  Have you ever watched that show that only needs 5 ingredients for her recipes? Well yea- this only needs 4 ingredients- FOUR- that is it.

It might not be the quickest dinner- but the whole process took me about 1-1 1/2 hours (and I was taking my sweet time).  That is also including boiling the potatoes.  You can eat the gnocchi straight from the water after boiling, but they are SO MUCH better fried in a bit of butter/oil after to get that crusty exterior. 

Have you ever bought fresh gnocchi in the store? Well you will never again- it probably cost me around $2 to make all this pasta- which would probably be around 3-4 store bought packages. Saving money AND making something downright impressive. Score.

To pair off the gnocchi I made quick blanched then sauteed string beans with pine nuts in garlic butter/oil sauce.  It is a good texture trade off and the flavors are clean and simple.

Best part is that if you have any left over you just lay out on a sheet tray, freeze them, then into a zip lock bag and you have a quick easy dinner ready to go whenever!  *Go ahead and pat yourself on the back after making this recipe*

**IMPORTANT**
Other quick thoughts: You don't need a ricer, I used a cheese grater (which I assume most people have- just use the larger holes because the smaller ones don't work as well), and if you really don't have a box cheese grater- you can always just mash the potatoes.  The potatoes I guessed on the weight- I have pics though. The flour will vary, I started with 1/3 of a cup then worked my way up to 2/3 cup, 1 cup etc.

I also skipped the "making ridges" part- which is a thing to do because the ridges hold sauce onto the pasta- butttttt the technique wasn't working with my dough- so for the first time making gnocchi I decided to cut my losses and not do the ridges.

Gnocchi

Ingredients

• about 2lbs of potatoes (use Russets)
• about 1 cup of flour
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions (also see pictures below)

1. Peel your potatoes. Put in a pot, cover with cold water, add a tbsp of salt to the water and bring to a boil. 
2. When the potatoes are tender, drain(time will vary on size of potatoes). You can tell when they are done when you can stick a fork in the potato and it slides off the fork clean.  (You can also bake in the oven, but I felt boiling would be faster).
3. While they are cooling, get your station set up- get a large pot of water to boil for later and also a large sheet pan dusted in flour to lay your gnocchi after you cut them.
4. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, grate them on the large holes of your box grater (or rice them, if you are cool enough to own one of these fascinating ricer devices).
5. Add the grated potatoes to a large bowl.  Add your salt and egg.
6. Then add the flour, I started by adding 1/3 cup at a time- you don't want to add too much flour, so start with a little, see the texture, then add more if it is still sticky.  Making this "dough" will seem odd and feel a little weird because it is potatoes.  But the dough will come together and finally be able to form a ball.
7. Turn out the ball onto a floured work surface and cut into 8 pieces (ya know- like you would cut a pizza).
8. Always make sure your surface is floured- So then take one section at a time and roll into a log, I would say roughly about a little fatter then your thumb.  Then cut into 1 inch pieces and then transfer to your floured baking sheet.  
9. Repeat will all sections of your dough.
10. When all your gnocchi are done, salt the boiling water and add in batches- don't over crowd the pot.  When they float to the top they are done!  When they float to the top be sure to take them out right away, if you leave them in the water too long they will disintegrate.
11. Serve with your favorite sauce!  Lighter sauces work better with these delicate pillow pastas.

I included the fork in the pic so you can see the size of the potatoes

Set up your workstation

Gnocchi w/ String Beans and Pine Nuts in a Lemon Garlic Sauce

• about 1lb of string beans cleaned and trimmed
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp of pine nuts
• 2 tbsp of oil
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 lemon
• pecorino cheese

1. In a small skillet, add the pine nuts and toast for a minute or so on med-low heat.  Remove from heat and reserve.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter. Smash the garlic cloves (but try and keep them intact) and add to the oil.  When lightly golden, remove the garlic cloves. 
3. Add the gnocchi in batches to the hot oil and pan fry until golden on one side then flip over and brown on the other.
4. Take out and let drain on paper towels, continue working in batches until all are browned.  
5. Blanch the string beans first (I just threw them in the left over pasta water for a minute) then add to the left over garlic oil and saute until tender but still crisp.  
6. Zest the lemon over the string beans and toss to coat.
7. Gently toss the gnocchi and string beans together.  Top with pine nuts and grated pecorino cheese.

{No Skillet} Baked Ziti & Catering 101

So last Saturday I helped my Aunt with my cousin's graduation party.  I made 1 full tray of eggplant rollatini, pulled pork, assorted roasted veggies, tex mex rice, and 5 full trays of baked ziti.  She cooked dishes like chicken, bacon mac and cheese, penne ala vodka etc.  So we definitely had a nice spread. 

I love cooking and my family -so what better way to tie it all in as to help cater a party.  Unfortunately because of the rain the turn out wasn't as many as expected, but we still had a lot of people come- maybe 100 including kids.  I really hope to take this catering business further because I had a lot of fun with it. 

It is definitely some sort of art to prepare what I did in a kitchen so small with one oven.  Oh, and did I mention I have never made eggplant rollatini before.  It came out really good!{Thank God!}  I took this challenge on full force and bought wayyyy too much food (thank god for returns) and spilled some food in my trunk- gross (thank god for carpet cleaner). But overall it went great.

I also misread my Aunt's message and made WAY too much ziti- so here's a quick and easy recipe for baked ziti- because if I can make 5 full trays in one night, you can make some for your family for dinner :)

Oh, also baked ziti is supposedly traditionally made without ricotta cheese- but who wouldn't want ricotta cheese!? This is also a non-meat version- if you wanted to add meat- you would have to use a skillet ;)  And of course this isn't one of my healthier meals- but you can use part skim ricotta and mozzarella, plus whole wheat pasta for a "lighter" version- maybe swap some pasta for some veggies.

Ingredients

(I usually use a 9x13 casserole dish with this recipe)

• Olive oil
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tablespoon of dried basil
• 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese (I usually use part skim)
• 1 lb of ziti (or you could use rigatoni or penne or any tubular pasta you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup or so of mozzarella cheese for the topping

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
2. Get your pasta water on to boil.
3. In a small sauce pan- saute your onion in about 2 tbs of olive oil on medium.  After they get soft about 5 to 7 minutes add your garlic and saute about 2 minutes. 
4. Then add your tomatoes to onion and garlic.  Add your spices and stir to combine.  (I like to add a bit of water to the sauce to make it a bit thinner- but this a personal preference)
5. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer- let simmer until your ready to assemble.
6. When the pasta water is boiling, add your pasta and cook to al dente (because it will continue to cook in the oven)
7. Get your casserole dish and add the sauce and ricotta cheese to it and mix to combine (I don't get crazy with mixing- it will all combine well when baking)
8. When pasta is done add your pasta to the casserole dish and carefully toss the pasta (so no overflow) with the sauce and cheese.
9. When that is done top the pasta with mozzarella cheese (If I have sometimes I like to use parmesean and mozzarella).  Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy! Suggestion: serve with salad. 

I also apologize for no picture :( As you can see after I made all this food, I was just happy I was able to finish it all in time. Yea, 18 of those bad boys.

If anyone in the Long Island, NYC area is interested contact me at bstarcatering@gmail.com

Lemon Basil Penne

Oh this was so good.  Simple to make too. Serve along side some thin grilled cutlets for a quick weeknight meal!

Ingredients

• 3 lemons, juice (and zest of 2)
• 1 cup of cheese- I used pecorino, but you could use parm or even mozzarella
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp of butter (I used I can't believe it's not butter)
• 1/2 cup of low fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1 tsp of cornstarch
• about 1 lb of asparagus
• about 20 basil leaves, chiffonade (aka cut into ribbons)*
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb box of penne pasta (using whole wheat is even better!)

Directions

1. Get water boiling for your pasta.
2. In a small sauce pot add the butter and the garlic.  Cook that on low for a couple minutes to let the butter infuse with the garlic flavor.
3. Then add the lemon juice and zest. (Note: the garlic may turn green/blueish color- don't worry it is just reacting to the acid in the juice)
4. Side note: Never let this sauce come to a boil
5. While the lemon juice is heating through add the tsp of cornstarch to your low fat milk- if you are using cream or whole milk this step is unnecessary.  Stir until combined and then add to the pot while whisking. 
6. Quickly add the cheese and whisk until combined.  Taste it- see if you want to add more salt, add pepper if desired.  When that is all heated through and a creamy sauce consistency, turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
7. When the water boils add salt and then your pasta. 
8. Cut your asparagus into short pieces, similar to the size of the penne.  When the pasta is almost done add the asparagus to the water and let the pasta and asparagus finishing cooking together.
9. Drain pasta/asparagus and add to a large serving bowl.  Pour the sauce on top and add basil- mix until everything is combined.
10. You can add a bit of extra virgin olive oil and more cheese on top if desired.

*To chiffonade basil stack up all the leaves and roll them up into a little log.  Then slice.  You will end up with pretty ribbons.

Pasta with Creamy Broccoli Sauce

When you are craving a creamy Alfredo sauce this is a good swap.  It is creamy but way lower in fat.  Also the edition of broccoli is optional, but gives that extra nutritional boost and color pop!  Instead of incorporating the broccoli into the sauce you can always just serve steamed on the side (you could even pour a little extra sauce on it)

I used a long noodle pasta, but any pasta will do- try linguine!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta of your choice
• 3 tbsp of a butter substitute (e.g. I cant believe it's not butter)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp of fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp of flour
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 1 cup of low fat milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 tbs of corn starch
• 2 tbs of non fat yogurt (or you could use low fat cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup of pecorino cheese (or parm)
• For the broccoli: 1 1/2 cups of broccoli florets & 1 cup of pasta water and a food processor/blender)

Directions

1. Get your water boiling for you pasta.
2. Meanwhile in a sauce pot add the butter and heat over medium heat.
3. When the butter melts add your minced shallot and garlic cloves
4. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the thyme.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Careful not to burn the mixture, lower the heat if cooking too much.
6. Deglaze the pan with your wine. Cook until the wine almost completely evaporates.
7. Sprinkle in your flour.  Mix and cook for about one minute to get rid of the flour taste.
8. Now whisk in your chicken stock- stir until everything is a smooth mixture.
9. Measure out your milk in a measuring cup and add the corn starch BEFORE adding to the pot.  Stir until the milk and corn starch are completely mixed. Add the milk mixture. DO NOT LET THIS COME TO A BOIL. If you are using low fat milk do not let this come to a boil- it will cause the milk to separate and your sauce will taste gritty.
10. Add your yogurt and cheese.
11. Whisk everything until a combined mixture.  (This would be the opportune time to cook off your pasta)  Cook the sauce for 5-10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and let sit for a couple minutes to thicken up even more.
12. For the broccoli part: in a food processor add the broccoli and carefully add one cup of that salted pasta cooking water.  The pasta water will be hot enough to just cook the broccoli but still let it maintain its bright green color.  It also adds some seasoning to it as well.  Blend until it is a thick paste.
13. In a large pot or bowl, add your drained pasta, about 3/4 of the sauce and broccoli paste.  Stir until all combined.  I leave a bit of sauce to the side to add to the top later or use for something else I cooked with the pasta- like my Mayo Crusted Chicken.
14. Plate and garnish with a bit more sauce and shredded cheese!

Chicken, Cheddar and Broccoli Pinwheels

This is a quickie because I am getting ready for a Cinco de Mayo party tomorrow, which will be full of delicious pictures and recipes- I know I'm a slacker by not getting you guys the recipes beforehand, but hey they will be good for any day of the year. Especially grillin time. Enjoy your weekends!


Ingredients

• 1 batch of home made pizza dough (or store bought)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into small bite sized pieces
• 2 heads of broccoli crowns, cut into small florets
• about 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it)
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, juice and zest

Directions

1. Preheat your oven it 450 degrees F
2. In a skillet heat some oil on high and cook off the chicken just until it isn't pink (try to not cook it all the way through because it will finish cooking in the oven). Season with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes
3. During the last minute or so throw in the broccoli and season with more salt and pepper and then add the lemon juice and zest. Turn off the heat and then set aside until it is cool enough to handle.
4. Sprinkle your working surface with flour and roll out your pizza dough into a large rectangle. (I also didn't use the entire batch of homemade dough- just throw left over dough in a ziplock and put in the fridge for next time) I rolled mine roughly into a size about a foot high and foot and a half long.
5. Sprinkle the dough with your cheese. Then spread out the chicken and broccoli- try to shake off any excess liquid before placing on the dough.
6. Put some flour on your hands and carefully start to fold over the edge closest to you onto itself- aka you are rolling up the dough now into a log shape.
7. Once it is all rolled up cut into about 2 inch slices. Gently squish together a bit to keep the shape and place on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
8. This makes about 10 pinwheels.
9. I like to drizzle and rub each one with a touch of oil before baking for about 15 minutes.

Cool and enjoy! (Also if you need to reheat quickly- cut in half and pop under the broiler for a couple minutes)

South-of-the-Border Salisbury Steaks w/ Polenta

So when someone says Salisbury Steak I think of TV dinners with a mini meatloaf thingy swimming in cheap gravy along side mac and cheese or mashed potatoes.  Just another classic American creation.  I wondered why they call it Salisbury Steak, because obviously it is not a steak. So of course I Wikipedia'd it.

Salisbury steak is a dish made from a blend of minced beef and other ingredients, which is shaped to resemble a steak, and is usually served with gravy or brown sauce.  Salisbury steak was invented by an American physician, Dr. J. H. Salisbury (1823–1905), an early proponent of a low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss; the term "Salisbury steak" has been in use in the United States since 1897. The dish is popular in the United States, where it is traditionally served with gravy and mashed potatoes or noodles.

Recap: a poor man's steak that helps cut carbs...

Anyway, the whole thing sounds a bit gross to me, so maybe I should have named the recipe something like Mexican Turkey Patties with salsa/guacamole comb alongside veggie packed polenta.  But that is wayyyyy to long of a title.  So really that is what I am going to make: a healthy, lighter, spicy and way more fun take on SS. (Which will serve about 4 people)  Make this when your tired of tacos (or chicken)!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb of ground turkey
• spices for turkey: 1 heaping tablespoon of cumin, 1 tsp of oregano, 1 heaping tablespoon of chili powder, 2 tsp of salt, couple grinds of fresh black pepper
• 1 chipolte in adobe minced
• 2-3 garlic cloves minced
• 4 slices of pepper jack cheese (or cheddar is good here too)
• 1 box of quick cooking polenta**
• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 cup of corn (fresh or frozen)
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1-2 jalapenos
• 1 small red onion
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup of non fat plain yogurt
• 2 limes
• salt
• more cumin for salsa

Directions

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Shape into something that looks like a steak.  About 1/2 inch thick. Kind of a like a burger, but thin.  (Some people like to add egg and breadcrumbs, I didn't find it necessary here, but do it if you like)
2. In a skillet heat some canola oil on high. Brown both sides and cook until done. (about 7 minutes each side, depending on how thick you made them)  Remember you need to cook ground turkey all the way through, if using beef you can cook until desired doneness.  As soon as almost done, top with cheese and let melt on top
3. Roast your poblano peppers over an open flame and then clean off charred skin and chop. Reserve in a bowl with the corn. (Roast them same as red peppers)
4. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes, jalapenos and onion and reserve in a bowl.  Squeeze first lime over the salsa. Add salt to taste and about a 1/2 to 1 tsp of cumin. Mix to combine.
5. Another bowl add the avocado, lime juice of second lime (I used only half the lime actually) and yogurt. Combine until creamy and almost saucy. Add salt to taste.
6. Quick cooking polenta should take about 5 minutes, follow the directions on the box.  When that is done stir in your reserved poblano peppers and corn.
7. To assemble: Take a steak and top with a dollop (yea had to check the spelling lol) of guac cream, then your chunky salsa.  Serve alongside your tasty polenta!

¡Buen apetito!

**Side note about polenta: ok so if you've never had it, its like corn grits- something like grainy mashed potatoes that taste like corn. Personally, I like the hard polenta cakes that you fry then eat, but I didn't have time. Also if you can't find quick cooking polenta all you need is cornmeal.  On every package of cornmeal I've ever bought it gave you directions for polenta- pretty easy just add cornmeal, salt and water and heat on heat until thick-stirring often. Anyway, hard polenta cakes are amazing- but you need to prep a day in advance.  Make the polenta then cover and put in the fridge over night.  It sets up and then you cut and fry in a pan until golden brown on each side and warmed through. Yum. Or you could always serve with rice :)

I made it in a sauce pot, then transferred to a baking dish and popped under the broiler for about 10 minutes to get all golden on top

Potato and Beet Layered Cake

So this idea is obviously a spin off of a classic Pommes Anna, but I decided to incorporate beets.  This is the first time I have ever bought beets.I love trying new foods, especially when they are healthy foods! You never know what you will actually like.  Be adventurous!  FYI the beets will stain your hands a bit, so make sure you either wear gloves or don't care your hands are pink for a little while. 

Beets are so beautiful in color and have a very earthy flavor.  They are fat free and packed with fiber and vitamin C.  So eat up!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of beets
• 2 pounds of baking potatoes (like russet)
• 1 cup of grated cheese of your choice (I used Pecorino)
• Chives (or scallions)
• Fresh Dill
• Salt and Pepper
• Oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Prep your potatoes and beets: wash them, peel them (I only peeled the beets) and then thinly slice on a mandoline. 
3. Put the beets and potatoes in separate bowls to maintain the potatoes natural color.  I usually like to soak any potatoes I use, so after I slice I throw the potatoes into a bowl of water, then just pat dry before layering them.
4. Shred the cheese of choice and chop the chives
5. In a skillet (I used cast iron) add about 1-2 tbsp of oil and brush it to coat the entire pan evenly.
6. Start layering the potatoes and beets in a circular pattern, alternating beet, potato, beet, potato.
7. When the first layer is done, sprinkle 1/3 c of cheese, a pinch of dill, chives and pepper.
8. Repeat the layering processing.  Push down the second layer and sprinkle cheese, chives, dill and pepper.  The second layer I also sprinkled a small pinch of salt.  (But the pecorino cheese is very salty so I only salted one layer)

9. Repeat once more (I was able to make three layers).


10. Crank the heat under the skillet to high.  You should hear it sizzling.  After about 7 minutes check the bottom the cake with a spatula, if brown pop into the oven and cook for about 45 minutes.  Or until all crispy and cooked throughout.

French Onion Soup

This has to be my favorite soup. I could eat this whole batch! I'm not going to lie- this soup takes a long time to make.  The onions need to cook down for about two hours and then I like to simmer the soup for at least another 30 minutes for the flavors to marry.  I always hear Julia Child's voice in my head: "If you don't let it simmer and marry then all you have is onions and stock, not French Onion Soup."  The end result is so worth it, believe me.  Pretty healthy for you considering the small amount of cheese and bread that is involved and the rest is basically just onions and water! Oh yea and this is also a super cheap meal that feeds a lot!

It is pretty cold out today in NY so why not spend your Sunday cooking up this delicious soup for the family! or just yourself ;)

Couple notes here:  The wine optional, but I like the depth of flavor red wine brings to the soup.  You can use fresh stock but I always have bouillon cubes on hand (just taste before adding salt considering these are packed with sodium).  The cube ratio I use is one cube to one cup of water. I like to use a combo of beef and chicken to make it a touch lighter, but tradionally it is all beef stock.

The classic cheese for FOS is Gruyere but I can never seem to find it, so I substitute Swiss which is just as good.  I buy the 1 pound wedges of Jarlsberg Swiss so I just grate whatever I need- I love lots of cheese so grate to your preference.

Ingredients

• 5 large yellow onions, I like them sliced- but anyway you want to cut them is fine.
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tsp of flour
• 1/2 cup of red or white wine (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or a tsp of dried)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 beef boullion cubes
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 6 cups of water
• Swiss cheese, grated
• french baguette, sliced

Directions

1. In a large soup pot add the oil, butter, all the onions and salt.  Cover and cook on low for 1-2 hours.  I know this seems long but you HAVE to cook them really low or they will never caramelize correctly and you will just end up with burnt onions.  I use a hair higher then my lowest flame setting.  I just leave them alone and check every 30 minutes- checking more often towards the end.  Here are pics at the beginning, one hour, one hour and a half, then 2 hours.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Sprinkle the onions with the flour and let cook out for about 1 minute.
3. Now deglaze with the wine if you are using.
4. Then add everything else except for the cheese and bread.  Bring to a boil then to a gentle simmer.  I simmer for at least 30 more minutes but I have ranged from 10 minutes to 60 minutes before I ate, so I guess depends on how much patience you have.  Remember longer the better though.  If the liquid level gets too low, just add more water.  Also remember to taste before serving. 
5. After the soup part is done- which by the way is very good on its own, but to make it even better we add cheese and bread.
6. While your soup is simmering turn on your broiler.
7. Toast your sliced baguette and grate your cheese.
8. I have these cute little ramekins but any bowl will do.  Ladle in your soup then top with one or two pieces of bread then top with about 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese .
9. I put the ramekins or bowls on a baking sheet in case of boil-overs and pop under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly!.
10. Careful handling the ramekins or bowls they are extremely hot! Safety first then stuff your face with this delicious soup!

Beefy Southwestern Casserole

So this is basically a hamburger helper but way more delicious.  When I tasted this it was amazing.  Also super easy to make.  Originally I was making tacos but I got lazy and made a casserole instead.

Potential other names for this dish:
Beefy Burrito Casserole
Taco Pasta Casserole
Beefy Taco Casserole
and the list goes on...

If you wanted to add things like fresh peppers and onions that would be great in here too.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta- your choice.  I used half whole wheat rotini and half regular elbows
• 1 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese, plus a little more for sprinkling on top
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed- I obviously used black beans
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (usually I make my own but we all cut corners sometimes)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
2. Boil water for the pasta, cook until al dente, drain and reserve
3. (If you are adding fresh ingredients like peppers or onion cook them in the skillet before the meat.  Cook only a couple minutes then incorporate them into the meat while browning.)
4. In a skillet brown the meat and crumble.  I followed the directions on the taco seasoning packet- when the meat is brown, drain and then add the seasoning and about 1 cup of water.  Heat until thick.
5. In a big bowl or right in a large 9 x 13 casserole dish mix the pasta, meat, cheese (leave some for the top!), salsa, beans and corn.
6. Sprinkle the top with some cheese, cover and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. 
7. If you wanted a brown cheesy top- turn on your broiler, remove the foil and let it sit under the broiler a couple minutes until brown and bubbly.
8. Top with jalapenos, sour cream, more salsa etc- whatever you like on your tacos!

Béchamel Sauce, Roux's & Homemade Mac and Cheese

Bechamel Sauce: Another staple in the food world that has been bestowed upon us courtesy of the French.  Bechamel sauce is also known as the "white sauce".  It has many applications as well as being a starting point for many other sauces, such as Mornay sauce (aka cheese sauce- yea another tidbit to impress your friends).  This is why I thought to first blog this recipe, because tonight along side some honey mustard marinated chicken, I am going to make some homemade mac and cheese.  Yea I have some in the box, but honestly it really is so easy to make from scratch and it looks super impressive- so why not try it out yourself? AND you are not limited to just that wierd orange "cheese" flavor- you can add any cheese (or combination of cheeses) that you like. Not fond of cheddar?- try fontina or gruyere.  This is a technique/recipe every half decent cook should know.

(By the way if you really feel the need to know more about Bechamel sauce you can always Wikipedia it)

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt, pepper and nutmeg

(You will probably find many different measurements for these couple ingredients, but these are the ingredients that make up the sauce- sometimes I need to use a little more butter, sometimes I need a little more flour- the end result (consistency) of the sauce is what's important)

Directions

1.  Melt the butter on low to medium heat in a sauce pan.  We don't want it bubbling away, just enough heat to melt it. 
2. When the butter is completely melted add the flour and whisk until completely incorporated.  This is what we call a roux (roo or rue), it just means a mixture of butter and flour.  This is another staple in the kitchen- you use a lot for everything from soup to gravy- it just helps thicken things up.  It should look like a sticky paste- almost balls or clumps of floury butter mixture- sometimes it isn't as thick- don't worry it will work just the same.

(This sauce looks a bit clumpy- its because I added half a white onion to the butter first, sauteed for a few mins, then added the flour- not traditional but that is just one simple way to just give it a bit more flavor and customize it to your liking)

3.  Continue to cook the roux for 1 to 3 minutes or so- we want to cook out the flour taste, plus slightly brown the roux to develop the nutty flavors. 

4.  Now we add the milk- SLOWLY! Adding it slowly will help reduce the amount of lumps and make the sauce come together nicely- and you should be whisking it in constantly until all the milk is in the pan.

5. Bring the sauce to a light simmer- the sauce should appear to be thickening- you can test the thickness by dipping a spoon in the sauce and seeing if it coats the back of the spoon- when it does that- it's ready.

6.  Turn off the heat and add your seasonings. A couple grates of fresh nutmeg (if you don't have fresh, I would use a very small pinch of dried), a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper.

Everyone has their own opinion and method to make this sauce- keep trying it out until you have mastered your own!  You can also flavor this sauce however you want- it has endless applications- you can put it over veggies (try mixing a bit of cheese into the sauce-awesome over veggies), chicken, steak, etc.  It is also classically used in lasagna.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

 

-All ingredients for the bechamel sauce, 1/2 lb of pasta, 1-2 cups of cheese

• Make the bechamel just like before- but at the very end melt in about a cup to two cups of the cheese of your choice.
• In another pot- bring some water to a boil and salt it- add 1/2lb (aka half a box-8oz) of any short cut pasta you like- I love to go with the classic elbows- but wheels, penne, rotini, gemelli, etc will do.  You can even use the pasta in the boxed mac and cheese and just throw away the cheesey powder packet.  Using the store brand mac and cheese pasta is usually a good deal.  When the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the cheese sauce.  Combine completely.
• Now from here we can do one of two things: either just eat as is (which I did in the above pic), OR we can put the mac and cheese in a baking dish and top with extra cheese (and breadcrumbs too if you want) and pop under the broiler for a couple minutes to melt the cheese and let it get brown on top- then enjoy!

Asparagus with "Healthy Hollandaise"



Hollandaise is an emulsion (blend) of egg yolks and butter, usually seasoned with lemon juice.  It is also usually hailed as a difficult sauce to make because you don't want to scramble the yolks with the heat of the butter.  The sauce is very classic, but I feel it's so heavy and unhealthy plus it's a pain to make. So here is a fancy looking dish that is SUPER easy to make.  I actually just made it for myself for dinner tonight.  Serve with some toasty bread so you can soak up all the rest of the runny egg and lemon juice.  This is for ONE serving, so it's really easy to make for one or many.

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (to help the egg whites coagulate)
• One egg
• 1/2 bunch of asparagus (about 1/2 lb)
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• Parmesan or peccorino romano cheese, shaved

Directions

1. Blanch and shock the asparagus.  (Boil in salty water for a couple mins until bright green, them drain and run under some cold water) Set aside for now.
2. In a small pan we are going to poach the egg, but first I wanted to infuse the water with a couple spices- smash 2 garlic cloves, the vinegar, 2 tbs of salt and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper.  (I threw in 2 small sprigs of fresh thyme-if you have it throw that in too, if not, don't worry)
3. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 5 mins.  Reduce the heat to low, where you just have a few bubbles, and poach your egg for 2-3 mins. Just until the egg sets, then turn off the heat and let sit for about a min.
4. Zest the lemon half and reserve.
5. Toss the asparagus with the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Plate them.
6. Top the asparagus with the poached egg- top with a pinch of salt and pepper and the lemon zest.
7. Top with pieces of shaved Parmesan or peccorino romano.

When you cut it open the egg runs and coats the asparagus. Use the bread to soak up all the extra sauce. It was seriously delicious, and it's a full complete meal- protein, veggie, and carb/starch.