... you just GOTTA have cheese! I've been craving cheese in a big way lately, so I've made this mac and cheese for myself like 3 times within the past couple weeks. Yummmmmm...
Awesome Mac and Cheese
1 lb pasta of your choice (I love wagon wheels/twists cause the cheese sauce gets in all the little nooks in the pasta and maximizes the amount of cheese consumed per bite)
8 oz (minimum... I do more like 10 or 12) of your favorite cheese, shredded (sharp cheddar, Fontina, provolone, or Gruyere are best)
2 tbsp butter/olive oil
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
nutmeg (optional)
Cook ze pasta to al dente; toss with a little bit of butter or olive oil in a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) and add the flour. Whisk it good, baby, and keep going for about 5 more minutes until you have a delicious roux (more info on that later). Add the milk, a little bit at a time, and whisk it with all your heart so it doesn't get lumpy! When you think you've whisked enough, just keep on whiskin'.
Now, lower the heat to med-low and start adding the cheese-- again, a little bit at a time, whisking like it's your job. You want a smooth, thick, creamy sauce, no? Then whisk, I says!!
Alrighty, you can stop now... as long as your sauce is lump-free. Turn off the heat, taste it and add salt and pepper until it's perfect, and a pinch of nutmeg if you so desire (you definitely should). Pour the sauce over the pasta, and stir it in until every little noodle is taking a bath in cheese. Mmmmm...
Since cheese is a source of complete protein, you need not have this as a side dish... it's filling enough that it can be a main course. I prefer a nice green salad on the side (I just toss together some lettuce/fresh spinach, some dried cranberries or fresh strawberries, some walnuts or sunflower seeds, sliced cucumbers/bell peppers, and some oil and vinegar... or you could do the more standard lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cukes, etc.), and maybe some steamed broccoli or green peas too. I loves my veggies. ^_^
Hope everybody's having an awesome summer! See ya soon kids.
Ciao!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Wanting some veggies today...
... and what better way to deal with said craving than to write about things I love to make with veggies? (Besides eating them, which I will be doing shortly.)
As you all know, one of my favorite veggies is spinach. Today's recipe is the lovely Mediterranean Spinach Pie. I originally found this recipe online, but tweaked it a bit, because that's what I do, and the result was super-yummy!
You begin with a delicious butter crust (you COULD buy it... but what's the fun in that??):
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 sticks of butter, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
some ice-cold water
(if you're feeling unsure about your crust, here are some good pointers and confidence-builders:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/)
For the filling:
3 packages frozen chopped leaf spinach (or 2.5 pounds fresh... frozen is easier and cheaper), nuked and strained
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tsp cayenne pepper or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)
Flax meal as desired (about 1/5-1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz log goat cheese if desired (crumble it over the top of the pie once the filling is in)
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh-grated nutmeg (optional, but recommended)
Make sure the butter is super cold... after cubing it, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so... that'll do the job.
If you have a food processor, wonderful. Just pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and butter together until you have small-to-medium pieces of butter (just a tad bigger than the size of a pea). Sprinkle some of the water (careful not to get any ice in there!) into the mixture and pulse just a little longer, until it's just incorporated.
If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand-held dough blender (or the common fork) to mix together the aforementioned ingredients (if you can get your hands on the dough blender, you won't regret it... the fork is the last-resort tool here). Once you have the nice pieces of butter and the water is incorporated into the mix to the point where you have a crumbly, moist mix that sticks together if you pinch it, you're ready to go.
Press the dough together into a ball (don't squeeze it tight; just form the ball so it's not quite falling apart), wrap it up in some plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Once that time is up, take it out and place on a floured rolling mat. If you don't have one of those, you could use a giant cutting board, and if you have neither of those things, a big piece of parchment paper will do. You might want to tape it down though... it tends to slide around if it's not secured.
Then... SQUISH IT!!! Knead it a little bit, but remember you're mostly just pressing it flat so you can make a pie. And make sure you don't get rid of those adorable little bits of butter in your dough!! They are IMPORTANT. They make your crust flaky and yummy. Transfer your yummy dough into a sprayed 9x13" baking dish and press it into every corner, nook and cranny. Tear off the pieces of dough that come over the sides of the pan and eat them ^_^ or find places where the dough comes up a bit short and work them in.
Now for the filling, which is the easy part. Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees, and mix together all the ingredients in a big bowl; then spread them into the shell. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through. When it's finished, remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then cut into huge square slices and eat!!
Next time: awesome homemade mac and cheese.
Ciao!
As you all know, one of my favorite veggies is spinach. Today's recipe is the lovely Mediterranean Spinach Pie. I originally found this recipe online, but tweaked it a bit, because that's what I do, and the result was super-yummy!
You begin with a delicious butter crust (you COULD buy it... but what's the fun in that??):
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 sticks of butter, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
some ice-cold water
(if you're feeling unsure about your crust, here are some good pointers and confidence-builders:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/)
For the filling:
3 packages frozen chopped leaf spinach (or 2.5 pounds fresh... frozen is easier and cheaper), nuked and strained
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tsp cayenne pepper or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)
Flax meal as desired (about 1/5-1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz log goat cheese if desired (crumble it over the top of the pie once the filling is in)
Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh-grated nutmeg (optional, but recommended)
Make sure the butter is super cold... after cubing it, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so... that'll do the job.
If you have a food processor, wonderful. Just pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and butter together until you have small-to-medium pieces of butter (just a tad bigger than the size of a pea). Sprinkle some of the water (careful not to get any ice in there!) into the mixture and pulse just a little longer, until it's just incorporated.
If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand-held dough blender (or the common fork) to mix together the aforementioned ingredients (if you can get your hands on the dough blender, you won't regret it... the fork is the last-resort tool here). Once you have the nice pieces of butter and the water is incorporated into the mix to the point where you have a crumbly, moist mix that sticks together if you pinch it, you're ready to go.
Press the dough together into a ball (don't squeeze it tight; just form the ball so it's not quite falling apart), wrap it up in some plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Once that time is up, take it out and place on a floured rolling mat. If you don't have one of those, you could use a giant cutting board, and if you have neither of those things, a big piece of parchment paper will do. You might want to tape it down though... it tends to slide around if it's not secured.
Then... SQUISH IT!!! Knead it a little bit, but remember you're mostly just pressing it flat so you can make a pie. And make sure you don't get rid of those adorable little bits of butter in your dough!! They are IMPORTANT. They make your crust flaky and yummy. Transfer your yummy dough into a sprayed 9x13" baking dish and press it into every corner, nook and cranny. Tear off the pieces of dough that come over the sides of the pan and eat them ^_^ or find places where the dough comes up a bit short and work them in.
Now for the filling, which is the easy part. Preheat the oven to about 350 degrees, and mix together all the ingredients in a big bowl; then spread them into the shell. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, rotating the dish 180 degrees halfway through. When it's finished, remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then cut into huge square slices and eat!!
Next time: awesome homemade mac and cheese.
Ciao!
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