Hello Fellow Culinarians!
It has been a while since I last posted, but life has been very busy and I haven't made too many new dishes to publish of late. However, this past St. Patty's Day, my wife and I ventured to throw our 2nd Annual St. Patty's Day Feast for 25 people. Needless to say, there was lots of great food and one of the dishes that was really a hit was my wife's Mac & Cheese.
The recipe was adopted from "Cabot Creamery Macaroni and Cheese" from the Costco Cookbook. She modified it to make it even more creamy and it was a huge hit at the party. So many of the people in attendance asked for the recipe that she asked me to publish it on my blog. So, here we go!
We made 2 lbs. of pasta, so we augmented this recipe by a factor of 4, but the recipe below makes 8 servings.
PREP TIME: 15 Minutes
STOVE TOP COOK TIME: 15 Minutes
OVEN COOK TIME: 20-30 Minutes
Ingredients:
2 Cups Small Elbow Macaroni (or shells, fuscilli - be creative)
3 TBSP Butter
3 TBSP All Purpose Flour
1/4 Tsp Dry Mustard (we use Coleman's)
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1 Dash Worcestershire (Lea & Perrins)
2 Cups Whole Milk, heated (we used Skim Plus to cut down on fat and calories)
4 cups cheese (grated or small cubes) - [Nicole mixed shredded cheddar, Land O' Lakes American (had it cut thick at deli, then she cubed it small) and Velvetta. Ratio of 2 Velveeta to 1 Cheddar to 1 American. Hold enough grated cheddar aside to top the dish before putting in the oven.]
Tools:
9x13 Pyrex baking dish or similar
Large Saucepan/Pot
Whisk (preferably a rake whisk if you have one, or a regular one if not)
Baking Spatula (silicone)
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray Pyrex baking dish with non-stick spray or coat with butter to create a non-stick surface.
2. Cook and drain pasta according to directions (cook towards the al dente side so it is not too mushy...if it gets too mushy, it will only get mushier when you bake it). When you drain, immediately rinse with cold water...this will stop the pasta from continuing to cook in the colander.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat (keep and eye on it, you don't want it to burn). Once the stick has fully melted, start adding flour and whisk constantly until the flour/butter create a smooth paste with a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes or so (if you have a "rake whisk", we found that works best). You must constantly whisk this to work...otherwise you will get burnt flour butter...yuck!
4. Once the paste is formed, add dry mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire. Whisk that until well blended in the paste, about 15 seconds.
5. Add milk to paste, whisking briskly. Only add 2oz. at a time, whisk until blended, then add another 2oz. Continue until all milk is incorporated. The mixture will get easier to whisk as more milk is added. When all milk is added, you will have the makings of a "Rue", which looks like a very wet cream sauce. Keep whisking until sauce thickens slightly and starts to simmer.
6. Once the Rue starts to simmer, reduce heat to low and start adding cheeses. Remember to hold back 1/2 to 3/4 of the cheddar so you can sprinkle on top. Slowly add the cheese, using a baking spatula to mix constantly as you add. Continue to stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the mixture and there are no lumps of cheese still visible. The mixture should be a creamy cheese mixture when you are done (consistency will be that of a cream soup...you will still be able to stir it with ease).
7. Stir in cooked macaroni and mix until all is coated and blended. Pour entire contents of pot into Pyrex. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top to coat entire dish. Sprinkle Paprika over top of dish lightly, then cover with foil and place in oven for approximately 20 minutes.
8. Once 20 minutes elapses, remove foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes, just until edges begin to crisp slightly. Remove from oven, allow to set-up for 5-10 minutes, then serve.
I hope you enjoy my wife's Mac & Cheese...it was absolutely delicious and it is not difficult to make. Just remember to whisk constantly and you'll be well on your way to making a delightful dish for your family.
Good luck! Buona Fortuna, and as always...
Yours in cooking,
Chris
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Italian Pot Roast al la Crock Pot - Healthy yet Delicious!
Hello fellow culinarians,
Recently I made a wonderful Italian Pot Roast in the crock pot that is really great nutritionally and absolutely delicious. To keep it healthy, serve with mixed vegetables instead of pasta and you will really hit it home.
Ingredients:
2lb. Beef Tenderloin (trimmed to 0" fat)
1 Medium Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Celery
24 oz. Marinara Sauce (Gravy for our South Jersey/Philly residents) - can be homemade or jarred
Red Wine (any)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Rosemary
Oregano
Basil
Garlic (3 Cloves minced)
Prep: 10 Minutes Cook: 5-6 Hours (High Heat in Crock Pot)
Take a Beef Tenderloin roast and trim all the fat and connective tissue. Season all sides of the beef with Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Rosemary, Oregano and Basil.
Next, place in your crock pot 6 oz. of a 24 oz. bottle of pasta sauce. Add 1/2 cup of red wine (any kind) to the sauce. Next, cut up 1 cup of carrots and 1 cup of celery and add it. Chop up one medium onion and throw it in along with 3 cloves minced garlic.
Next, sprinkle a little bit of all the spices in the crock pot (just eye ball it, not too much of anything) and then place the spiced meat on top of the vegetables in the crock pot. Next, pour the rest of the sauce from the jar (or homemade) over the beef. Cover, and cook on high for 5-6 hours. When it's done, take out of the crock pot (be careful, use stiff spatulas or two sets of tongs, as it will want to fall apart on you) and cut it into 1" cubes. Serve with a mixed vegetable and what a dinner.
Here are the nutritional facts:
For 5oz. of beef, 1/2 cup of sauce and 3/4 cup of mixed vegetables.
360 Calories, 11.5g Fat, 17 Carbs, 4 dietary fiber, 43 protein
It's easy, a nice set-it and forget recipe that is healthy. Enjoy and as always...
Yours in cooking,
Chris
Recently I made a wonderful Italian Pot Roast in the crock pot that is really great nutritionally and absolutely delicious. To keep it healthy, serve with mixed vegetables instead of pasta and you will really hit it home.
Ingredients:
2lb. Beef Tenderloin (trimmed to 0" fat)
1 Medium Onion
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Celery
24 oz. Marinara Sauce (Gravy for our South Jersey/Philly residents) - can be homemade or jarred
Red Wine (any)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Rosemary
Oregano
Basil
Garlic (3 Cloves minced)
Prep: 10 Minutes Cook: 5-6 Hours (High Heat in Crock Pot)
Take a Beef Tenderloin roast and trim all the fat and connective tissue. Season all sides of the beef with Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Rosemary, Oregano and Basil.
Next, place in your crock pot 6 oz. of a 24 oz. bottle of pasta sauce. Add 1/2 cup of red wine (any kind) to the sauce. Next, cut up 1 cup of carrots and 1 cup of celery and add it. Chop up one medium onion and throw it in along with 3 cloves minced garlic.
Next, sprinkle a little bit of all the spices in the crock pot (just eye ball it, not too much of anything) and then place the spiced meat on top of the vegetables in the crock pot. Next, pour the rest of the sauce from the jar (or homemade) over the beef. Cover, and cook on high for 5-6 hours. When it's done, take out of the crock pot (be careful, use stiff spatulas or two sets of tongs, as it will want to fall apart on you) and cut it into 1" cubes. Serve with a mixed vegetable and what a dinner.
Here are the nutritional facts:
For 5oz. of beef, 1/2 cup of sauce and 3/4 cup of mixed vegetables.
360 Calories, 11.5g Fat, 17 Carbs, 4 dietary fiber, 43 protein
It's easy, a nice set-it and forget recipe that is healthy. Enjoy and as always...
Yours in cooking,
Chris
Monday, January 4, 2010
Grilled Garlic Chicken in White Wine Broth
Hello and Happy New Year! I hope you are all having a good start to 2010! This years looks to bring with it many changes and hopefully will take a turn for the better, not worse.
This year, I am beginning a journey of losing weight and so my blog will start to focus more on healthier food. With 130 lbs. to lose, I can't continue making 3,000 calorie dinners.
This recipe is a very healthy and tasty version of Breaded Garlic Chicken in White Wine Sauce...this is Grilled Garlic Chicken in a White Wine Broth. The chicken is not breaded and there is no cream or butter in the broth, so the calories and fat are cut to a fraction of what they would be otherwise.
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 Large Sweet Onion (chopped)
6-8 Cloves Garlic (sliced small)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1 (32 oz.) Carton Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock
1/2 Bottle White Wine
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Capers
Juice of 1 Lemon (seeds removed)
Directions:
Trim chicken breasts of all visible fat, then fillet each breast so you have two pieces that are half the thickness of the original piece.
^TIP: To fillet, take your large chef's knife in your dominant hand with the blade facing the chicken horizontally, perpendicular to your body and facing towards the center of your cutting board. Place your non-cutting hand on the top of the chicken breast and start cutting the breast horizontally 1/2 way down from the top of the breast, watching to keep the blade horizontally centered and away from your non-cutting hand.^^
Once all the chicken is filleted, sprinkle both sides of the breasts with a majority of the salt, the garlic powder, onion powder and majority of pepper, in this order. Cover on plate and place in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
For Broth: Heat up a 3-quart pot on medium heat. Pour olive oil into the pot, allow to heat up to shimmer (approximately 20-30 seconds), then add chopped onion and sliced garlic, pinch of salt and pinch of ground pepper, oregano and parsley. Cook until onions are soft, approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
Once onions are soft, add in wine and reduce by half (cover with lid to expedite process, stirring occasionally). Once the wine has reduced by half, add chicken stock, capers, lemon and half the balsamic and allow to reduce by 1/4 (approximately 10 minutes).
At this point, preheat your oven to 280 degrees.
Add rest of balsamic vinegar, take pot off heat and place on back burner to hold.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Use a cooking spray (preferably one that is just olive oil) and mist the pan once hot. Place chicken breasts in pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning half way through. Chicken should only be cooked 1/2 way through when you are finished.
Take out a large 9x13 pan (metal or glass, your preference) and pour in wine broth that you have on the stove. Add chicken to broth, cover and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours.
This is great over mashed potatoes, or over a pasta dish. Tonight, I cooked Fettuccine pasta with spring vegetables. After cooking the pasta to al dente, I drained the pasta, added in the summer vegetables (previously cooked), some of the broth from the chicken and some more balsamic vinegar to make the pasta a little sweeter. I covered and let it cook down until most of the broth was absorbed by the pasta. I then poured another 2 ladels of the broth into the pasta, quickly tossed it and served with the chicken.
1 serving of Chicken (4 oz.) and 1/2 cup of pasta was 377 Calories, 5.8 grams fat, 41.1 grams protein and 28.8 grams carbs. If you use a whole grain pasta (I didn't have any if you can believe that), you make out a little better but on a whole, these numbers are comfortable for any diet. If you are on a specialized diet, you can modify it (no pasta) and still enjoy the great flavor of this dish. To make this not healthy but extra tasty, bread and fry your chicken and put about a stick of butter into the stock while cooking it on the stove.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year filled with prosperity, love and some fun times in the kitchen.
Buona Fortuna and as always...
Yours in cooking,
Chris
This year, I am beginning a journey of losing weight and so my blog will start to focus more on healthier food. With 130 lbs. to lose, I can't continue making 3,000 calorie dinners.
This recipe is a very healthy and tasty version of Breaded Garlic Chicken in White Wine Sauce...this is Grilled Garlic Chicken in a White Wine Broth. The chicken is not breaded and there is no cream or butter in the broth, so the calories and fat are cut to a fraction of what they would be otherwise.
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1.25 lbs. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 Large Sweet Onion (chopped)
6-8 Cloves Garlic (sliced small)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1 (32 oz.) Carton Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock
1/2 Bottle White Wine
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Capers
Juice of 1 Lemon (seeds removed)
Directions:
Trim chicken breasts of all visible fat, then fillet each breast so you have two pieces that are half the thickness of the original piece.
^TIP: To fillet, take your large chef's knife in your dominant hand with the blade facing the chicken horizontally, perpendicular to your body and facing towards the center of your cutting board. Place your non-cutting hand on the top of the chicken breast and start cutting the breast horizontally 1/2 way down from the top of the breast, watching to keep the blade horizontally centered and away from your non-cutting hand.^^
Once all the chicken is filleted, sprinkle both sides of the breasts with a majority of the salt, the garlic powder, onion powder and majority of pepper, in this order. Cover on plate and place in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
For Broth: Heat up a 3-quart pot on medium heat. Pour olive oil into the pot, allow to heat up to shimmer (approximately 20-30 seconds), then add chopped onion and sliced garlic, pinch of salt and pinch of ground pepper, oregano and parsley. Cook until onions are soft, approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
Once onions are soft, add in wine and reduce by half (cover with lid to expedite process, stirring occasionally). Once the wine has reduced by half, add chicken stock, capers, lemon and half the balsamic and allow to reduce by 1/4 (approximately 10 minutes).
At this point, preheat your oven to 280 degrees.
Add rest of balsamic vinegar, take pot off heat and place on back burner to hold.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Use a cooking spray (preferably one that is just olive oil) and mist the pan once hot. Place chicken breasts in pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning half way through. Chicken should only be cooked 1/2 way through when you are finished.
Take out a large 9x13 pan (metal or glass, your preference) and pour in wine broth that you have on the stove. Add chicken to broth, cover and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours.
This is great over mashed potatoes, or over a pasta dish. Tonight, I cooked Fettuccine pasta with spring vegetables. After cooking the pasta to al dente, I drained the pasta, added in the summer vegetables (previously cooked), some of the broth from the chicken and some more balsamic vinegar to make the pasta a little sweeter. I covered and let it cook down until most of the broth was absorbed by the pasta. I then poured another 2 ladels of the broth into the pasta, quickly tossed it and served with the chicken.
1 serving of Chicken (4 oz.) and 1/2 cup of pasta was 377 Calories, 5.8 grams fat, 41.1 grams protein and 28.8 grams carbs. If you use a whole grain pasta (I didn't have any if you can believe that), you make out a little better but on a whole, these numbers are comfortable for any diet. If you are on a specialized diet, you can modify it (no pasta) and still enjoy the great flavor of this dish. To make this not healthy but extra tasty, bread and fry your chicken and put about a stick of butter into the stock while cooking it on the stove.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year filled with prosperity, love and some fun times in the kitchen.
Buona Fortuna and as always...
Yours in cooking,
Chris
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