Mac and Cheese with Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach and Broccoli

We had a similar roasted red pepper mac and cheese at the Karl Strauss Brewing Company in San Diego, and loved it.  So, we derived this recipe in an attempt to replicate it.   This is decadent!

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 large red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 pound fresh spinach, washed, large stems removed
2 cups chopped broccoli, small pieces
3 slices good quality white bread (sourdough or french loaf), torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons butter
2 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
a pinch of paprika
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or grated Romano cheese

Spread the bread crumbs, dry, on a cookie sheet and bake in a 275° oven for about 15-20 minutes until somewhat dried.   Then, toss with the olive oil and crushed garlic, and bake for another 15 minutes until they are just starting to crisp and brown.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Set oven to 400°.  Toss red peppers in a little olive oil, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and a little charred.  Remove peppers, turn oven down to 375°.

Steam the broccoli for about 6-8 minutes, until bright green and slightly softened.  Steam the spinach for about 3-4 minutes until softened.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and squeeze the extra moisture out of the spinach.

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Melt butter in a high sided pot, whisk in flour.  Slowly pour the hot milk into the flour/butter mixture while whisking.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.  Remove from the heat, stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and about 3/4 of the cheeses.  Set mixture aside.

Cook the macaroni about 2-3 minutes less than the package directions, so that the inside of the macaroni is somewhat underdone.  Rinse in cold water and drain well.  Combine the macaroni into the cheese mixture, stir in the vegetables, and pour into a 9x13 casserole (or similar size) dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and scatter the breadcrumbs over the top, then dust with a little paprika.  Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes, until browned on top.  Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

St. Paddy's Day Twice-Baked Potatoes

This recipe was published in the LA Times in a list of "St. Paddy's Day" recipes.  It's different than other twice-baked potatoes in that it has a lot of vegetables, and no cheese, sour cream, and very little butter.  They are delicious and have given me ideas for using other vegetables in twice-baked potatoes (maybe mushrooms, carrots, brussels sprouts, etc...).  Note that this recipe also uses 1 extra potato so the shells will be mounded very high.

They can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, tightly covered.

5 large baking potatoes
4 cups chopped cabbage, about 1/2 small head
1 cup chopped leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth (or vegetarian broth)
Salt
1/2 cup warm nonfat milk
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter
Paprika
Chopped chives, for garnish

Scrub potatoes beneath cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Pierce each potato several times with fork. Bake at 425 degrees until potatoes are fork tender, about 1 hour.

While potatoes bake, saute cabbage and leeks in skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat until vegetables begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth. Cover and steam until cabbage turns bright green and tender, about 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Remove potatoes from oven and cut horizontal slice off top third of each potato. Scoop pulp from potatoes into bowl, leaving shells about 1/4-inch thick. Scoop pulp from tops of potatoes and add to bowl. Process potato pulp through potato ricer. Stir in milk. Add cabbage and leeks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon potato mixture into 4 shells, dividing evenly. Brush tops of potatoes with melted butter, then sprinkle with dash paprika and bake at 425 degrees until tops are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with chives.

Meg's mother's shortbread (AKA Scotch Fan)

MEG’S MOTHER’S SHORTBREAD (ALSO KNOWN AS SCOTCH FANS)

1 cup butter

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

¾ cup firm packed light brown sugar

2 ¼-2 ½ cups sifted all purpose flour

Heat oven to 300.  In a large bowl blend the butter with a mixer set at medium until creamy.  Gradually add brown sugar while beating until smooth and creamy.  At low speed gradually add enough flour to form stiff dough.  Divide dough into four equal parts.  Form into balls, which can be refrigerated overnight in sandwich bags, but that’s optional.  On ungreased cookie sheet pat (or roll) balls into ¼” thick circles.  With fork tine score the edges of the circle.  Then prick outlines of twelve wedges, dividing the circle in ½, ¼, 1/3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown.  While the cookies are still warm, they can be cut into wedges along the prick marks with a big knife.  But Mother used to cut along the prick marks but not all the way through.  Then she would cool the cookies and break them at that point into wedges.  The effect is more irregular and folksy than cutting the wedges while warm.

Cabbage Pasta

I heard this recipe on the radio, the "Good Food" program on KCRW.  It sounds a little odd, but we tried it and loved it.  We've made it a few times.  This is a vegetarian recipe, however you can add bacon or ham by browning the meat, then using the fat in place of the butter.

The recipe is best with a fresh cabbage, however the first step of blanching the cabbage will help remove the sharp flavor of an older cabbage.  The cabbage is then cooked with stock, until it almost "melts" and creates a nice consistency for mixing with pasta.

1 2-pound green cabbage, cored and shredded as you would for coleslaw
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion or 1 bunch green garlic, chopped
1 cup stock or water
1/2 pound pasta  (penne or similar)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the cabbage in boiling salted water for 3 minutes.  Drain.

Cook onion or garlic in butter and olive oil on high heat until soft and starting to brown.  Add cabbage and 1/2 cup stock or water.  Cover and reduce heat, cook for 30-45 minutes until the cabbage is very soft and almost dissolving, stirring occasionally and adding stock or water as needed to keep it moist and not sticky.

Cook the pasta per package directions.  Reserve a 1/2 cup or so of the pasta water just before draining.  Add the noodles to the cabbage mixture, add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and cook a little longer.  Stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper.

Mushroom, Spinach and Cheese Strata

This "Strata" is a layered egg dish that is made in advance - refrigerated overnight, and baked in the morning.  This makes it great for morning gatherings or just to simplify the morning routine.

Our friend Meg made this for us when she and her husband were visiting for the weekend.  It was awesome.  This dish can be modified in many ways - different breads, vegetables, cheeses, or meats like sausage, bacon, or ham can be added.

10 ounces fresh spinach
8 ounces mixed mushrooms (whatever type you like)
3 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
6-8 1/2-inch slices day old bread (firm bread, whatever type you like)
2 cups mild cheese

Steam or boil the spinach for about 3 minutes.  Drain, let cool, and squeeze the spinach with your hands  to get the excess moisture out.  Chop the spinach coarsely, you should have about 1 cup.

Slice the mushrooms.  Saute in the butter on high heat until lightly browned.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minues.  Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and some ground pepper, and cook for another minute.  Add spinach, cook until the remaining moisture is evaporated.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and mustard until blended and foamy.  Add the remaining salt.

Assemble the strata by placing 1/2 the slices in the bottom of a buttered  2 quart (about 8x12 or 9x13) baking dish.  Cut the slices as needed to fit tightly in 1 layer at the bottom.  Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the bread, sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese.  Use the remaining bread slices to make a second layer, cutting to fit as needed.

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the strata, using a spatula to press on the bread to the liquid is evenly absorbed.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or at least for 4 hours).

Bake in a 350º oven for about 45 minutes, uncovered, until puffed and browned.  Make sure the eggs are done in the center.  Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Oatmeal Coconut Lemon Ginger Cookies

Oatmeal cookies bring back childhood memories in the kitchen with mom.  We made the basic oatmeal cookie recipe printed on the label of the Quaker Oat container, with a few raisins.  Today I've taken the recipe from the Joy of Cooking and given my cookies the POW!! Factor by adding coconut, lemon, and ginger.  Definitely not the cookies we used to make as kids. Oh...and be warned, you'll have them asking for more.

In a large bowl, cream well:
1/2 cup  creamed butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (1/2 cup if sweetened coconut is not used)
1/2 cup granulated

Combine and beat in:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp milk

Add and beat in until smooth:
1 tsp finely minced ginger
1 tsp finely minced lemon zest

At this point preheat the oven to 350º

In a small bowl, sift together and add to the above ingredients:
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

When smooth, add:
1 cup oats
1 1/4 cup coconut (usually sweetened)

Beat the mixture well.  Drop 1 1/2" cookie dough balls 2" apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10 - 12 minutes or until light brown.  I average about 16 cookies.  For an added splash of lemon, poke a dimple into the center of the dough ball and squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, and BAMM!!!......Lemonie.

Have fun!

Risotto

Risotto is a braised rice dish, where the starch is left on the rice and cooked in a way to create a thick, creamy textured dish.  Any type of rice can be used, however the high-starch short grain rices result in the creamiest risottos.  'Arborio' is a popular type of rice for risotto, which seems to be readily available at most grocery stores.

There are 2 general methods for making risotto, one a stove top method and another that finishes the cooking in an oven:

1.  Stove top method:

This is considered to be the traditional Italian method of making risotto.  The rice is cooked at a fairly high heat in oil or butter with chopped onions, until the rice looks milky, but not browned.  Wine is added (about 1/2 the amount of wine as rice) and cooked until it is absorbed by the rice.  Then, at a lower heat, add hot stock slowly over about a 25 minute period, using about a 3:1 to 4:1 ratio of stock to rice.  The heat should be high enough for the stock to cook down and be absorbed by the rice during the cooking period.  Other additions to the dish, such as vegetables, meat, seafood can be added during this period.   For the most part, the additions should be cooked separately, unless they will cook during the 25 minute period.   Cheese, if used, is stirred in at the end.

2.  Stove / Oven method:

This is the standard French method of making risotto (according to Julia Child).  Cook the rice exactly as above, with oil or butter and chopped onions, until milky but not browned.  Add wine (about 1/2 the amount as the rice) and cook until it is absorbed.  Use a 2:1 ratio of stock to rice, and stir it in all at once, along with any other additions to the dish like vegetables, meat, seafood, etc.  The stock should be hot, just at boiling point, when added to the rice.  Bake, covered, in a 375º oven for 20-25 minutes, until the moisture has been absorbed.  Stir in any cheese after baking.

Recently I've been using the oven method because it is simpler and less time consuming, and I've been happy with the results.

Here are a few recipes ideas - experiment to create your own.  It can always be made without any extra "additions", using just the onions, rice, wine, stock, with a little Parmesan cheese.

Fennel risotto, with onions, peas, mushrooms

1 1/2 cups rice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine, warm
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 cups peas
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
stock, boiling - 5 cups for stove top method, 3 cups for oven method
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup Romano cheese
 2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Cook the onions and fennel bulb in oil until the onions and fennel soften.  Add the rice, and cook until milky,  5-10 minutes.  Add the stock, basil, fennel seeds, peas, mushrooms, salt and pepper, according to cooking method described above.  Just before serving, stir in the cheese and butter, garnish with parsley.

Carrot Risotto
from Stan

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
6 carrots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
stock, boiling, 5 cups for stove top method, 3 cups for oven method
1/3 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup Mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon each oil and butter over medium heat; add carrots and stir until well coated. Add 1/2 cup water, salt and sugar, cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the water evaporates and the carrots are starting to brown. Reserve 1/2 of the carrots; puree the rest in a blender with 3/4 cup hot water.

Bring the stock to a simmer and keep warm, covered, over low heat.

Heat remaining oil and butter in the same pan used for the carrots; add onion and cook until translucent. Add rice, stir, and cook until translucent. Add wine and cook until evaporated. Add carrot puree and cook, stirring, until mixture is no longer soupy.  Add stock and cook according to cooking method (above).

Fold in the reserved carrots, Mascarpone, Parmesan, parsley and thyme. Add more broth if needed to loosen the Risotto. Season with salt and pepper.