Macaroni & Cheese

This is my mother's kid pleasing homemade version of Kraft macaroni and cheese. Culinary knowledge time: the sauce is a simple derivation on an Escoffier mother sauce. It starts with a roux of butter and flour, which turns into a Bechamel/white sauce with the addition of milk. You finish it with shredded cheese, making it a Mornay sauce.

Macaroni & Cheese
serves 6

Cook 2-3 cups of dry macaroni noodles of your choice in boiling salted water (I prefer shells). While pasta water is coming to a boil...

In a stove-to-oven safe pot, melt:
2 tbsp. butter

Add slowly, stirring or whisking to prevent lumps:
2 tbsp. flour (Wondra flour if you can get it, to avoid clumps)

Cook together for about 2 minutes to remove any "raw flour" flavor.

Warm in the microwave, then add slowly to the roux:
1.25 cups milk

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add and melt together until smooth:
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated sharp cheddar

Drain the cooked pasta and fold it into the cheese sauce.  Transfer the pot to the oven (or pour the contents into an oven-safe vessel) and bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes

This recipe comes to me from Bon Appetit (April 2004) via Smitten Kitchen (July 2008), and of course I've changed it as well, because I couldn't find dill seeds ANYWHERE.  Even Whole Foods disappointed - there was a slot for them in the spice rack next to the dill weed, but it was empty, mocking me.  Coriander seeds made an excellent substitution, however, and I have no complaints.

The radishes show a strong tendency to stick together in large stacks while cooking, so determined and attentive stirring is required.


Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Radishes
serves 6

Saute until shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

Add and saute 2 minutes:
12 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed

Add and saute 3 minutes:
2 cups radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 large bunch)

Add and stir for 1 minute:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

Off the heat, add:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper, to taste

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers

This recipe is substantially de-convoluted from the Cook's Illustrated version. The original called for browning the chops on the stove, then finishing the whole dish in the oven.  However, this easily adds 20 minutes to the cooking time.  It's much more practical on a weeknight to pre-cook the chops fully, then bring them back together with the peppers at the end.

Pork Chops with Vinegar & Peppers
serves 6

Cook over medium high heat until done, 4-5 minutes per side:
6 pork chops (pref. bone-in and thick cut)

While chops are cooking, saute for 2 minutes:
1 small white onion, chopped finely

Add, and saute 4 minutes more:
3 large bell peppers red/orange/yellow mix, cut into a large dice
2 anchovy fillets, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 5 inches long)

Add and simmer for 6-8 minutes, until reduced to 1/3 cup liquid:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup water

Discard rosemary sprig. 

Turn off heat and add: 
1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Return pork chops to pan to heat through, then serve.

Shopping list:
6 pork chops
1 large white onion
2 sweet bell peppers, pref. red and yellow
fresh rosemary
anchovy fillets, or anchovy paste (1 tsp = 1 fillet)

Check pantry:
garlic
butter
white wine vinegar

How to cook a steak

This method was introduced to me by my friend Joe.  It's most suitable for fattier cuts like rib-eye and works best with really good cuts of beef, e.g. USDA prime.


How to cook a steak

1. Take the batteries out of your smoke alarm.
2. Turn the oven up to 500 and put an empty cast-iron skillet in the oven to pre-heat.
3. Place the steak on a cutting board and blot off all the moisture with a paper towel.
4. Rub kosher salt (as much as you can hold between two fingers and your thumb) into each side of the steak.  Let it stand for 3 minutes, then dab all the moisture off again.
5. Sprinkle with pepper to taste, then cover the steak in peanut oil (or canola oil, although it has a lower smoke point).
6. Turn on the largest, hottest stove burner to high.
7. Take the pre-heated pan out of the oven and put it on the hot burner, and put the steak on the pan. The house will start to fill with smoke, so get fans going.
8. After 1 minute, flip it over and sear the second side for 1 minute.
9. Then flip it back over and put the pan into the hot oven.
10. After 2 minutes, flip the steak over and cook for 2 more minutes.
11. Place the steak on an elevated cooling wrack to drip and tent it with aluminum foil.  Let rest for 5 minutes.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo
serves 4-6

Serve over 1/2 lb. linguini or spaghetti.

Shrimp
Toss together, then saute on high for about 30 seconds:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled (can also substitute 1 lb. sea scallops)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil

Turn shrimp and add 1/4 cup cognac (or brandy).  Set cognac on fire, then pull pan off the heat.  Set shrimp aside.

Sauce
Saute over low for 7-10 minutes:
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 9 cloves)

Add, then increase heat to medium for 8 minutes:
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
28 oz. diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup dry white wine

Add and heat through:
reserved shrimp
1 tbsp. raw garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1 tbsp. olive oil

Chicken & Lime Soup

This is a wonderful recipe taken straight from Budget Bytes.  It looks like a typical tomato-based soup, but its flavor profile is completely different.

Chicken & Lime Soup
serves 6

Dice, then saute for 5 minutes:
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium jalapeno (seeds removed)
3 stalks celery
2 tbsp. olive oil

0.5 tsp salt

Add and bloom for about 1 minute:

1 tsp. dried oregano
0.5 tsp. ground cumin

Add and stir in, then saute 1 minute more:
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
8-oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained

Add and simmer, covered, for 1 hour:

6 cups chicken stock

2 raw chicken breasts, whole
1 tsp. salt (if using low sodium products)

While the soup is cooking, separately cook 1 cup dry pasta (if desired).

After soup has simmered for 1 hour, remove the whole chicken breasts and shred them.

Add to the pot to finish the dish:
shredded chicken breasts

1 tbsp. garlic olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice (or juice of 1 lime)
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

salt to taste

two cups cooked pasta (if desired)

Beef Vegetable Soup

This recipe can be made with either barley or noodles, as your heart desires.  I grew up on the barley version, so I tend to prefer it.


Beef Vegetable Soup

Buy a 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast or sirloin tip.  If you can find pre-cut stew beef, you can buy 1 to 1.5 lb. (no waste).

Toss in plastic bag:
1.5 pounds beef in 1” cubes
1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In large pot, preheat about 1/8 c. oil over medium to medium high heat until it shimmers.  Brown meat in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Let the meat cubes brown for at least a couple of minutes before turning them.  When they are ready to turn, they should release cleanly from the pan.  Adjust heat as needed.  You want to get a good browned color but not burn the drippings. Add more oil if needed for the second batch. 

Return all beef to the pot.  Add and simmer on medium low, covered, for 1 hour:
3.5 cups Swanson beef broth
3.5 cups Swanson low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red wine

Add:
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf

If desired, also add:
2/3 cup raw pearl barley (do not use “quick cooking” barley)
1 cup water

Simmer covered about another hour until barley is done.  Adjust salt to taste.

To use noodles instead of barley:
Omit the barley and extra water.  After the soup has cooked about 1.5 hours, boil about 1/2 cup raw small pasta separately, drain, and add it to the finished soup. (Do not succumb to temptation and boil the pasta in the soup; it will just absorb all the broth.)