m+m: November 2010

Friday, November 26, 2010

The Cheesy Part of Thanksgiving

Here is the super duper CHEESY (and EASY) mac 'n cheese that I made for my other side dish.

Whisked together the milk, flour and onion salt.

Added shredded cheddar cheese and the cooked rigatoni to the milk mixture.

And transferred everything to the serving dish.

The let it cook away in the over for about 30 minutes or so until it turned nice and golden and crispy!

Oh and I decided to share a picture of Dory, our cat, eating some left over turkey!

Recipe for the mac 'n cheese:

- About 2 cups of whole milk
- 1 tsp onion salt
-1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 box of any type of pasta
- about a 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 bags of shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
Boil water and cook the pasta until al dente.

Whisk together the milk, flour and onion salt.
Add the pasta, 1 bag of cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to the milk mixture. Combine.

Transfer everything to a baking dish.
Add the rest of the cheese and the bread crumbs on top. Then pour on the melted butter.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly!
[I like my mac 'n cheese more gooey than dry, so I add more milk if needed.]

Happy Turkey Day!

The past two years Marty and I have hosted the big Thanksgiving feast at our house- cooked the delicious turkey- you know, the whole shibang! Well this year we decided to take a break. My family was all in Houston for the holiday so we spend it with both sides of Marty's family. We only had to make two sides....sooo I decided on a green bean casserole and mac 'n cheese!

I decided to make these sides as quick and easy as possible, so I did not make my usual green bean casserole, which is all from scratch. Instead I took the easy way out and used a can of cream of mushroom soup (sad face).
I did, however, use fresh mushrooms, onion and garlic.

Sauteed them in a cast iron skillot.

Added the boiled green beans (which I might add boiled away in CHICKEN STOCK), making them even more delicious.

And transferred it all into my mini Le Creuset.
Dig in!

Recipe:

- About 1 pound of fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 of an onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups crispy onions
- 3 tablespoons butter
- salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 350.
Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the green beans and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the butter to a large saute pan or cast iron skillet and melt. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup of crispy onions and the green beans to the saute pan. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Transfer to baking dish and add the rest of the crispy onions on top.
Cook for about 20 minutes, until nice and bubbly!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Anyone want some?!

Recipe:
- olive oil
- any type of stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- S&P
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups roughly chopped yellow onions
- 2 cups roughly chopped carrots
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 1/2 cups beef stock
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups diced potatoes
- 1/2 cup thawed green peas
- buttered egg noodles, for serving

Set a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and season the beef with S&P. Add the beef in batches and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside.

Add the butter until melted and then add the onions, bay leaf, carrots and celery. Saute until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.

Add the stock, tomato paste, herbs and browned beef and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and partially cover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.

Add the potatoes to the stew and partially cover the pot with a lid. Cook for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the peas, stir and remove from heat. Serve over the buttered egg noodles.

Crispy Orange Beef w/Broccoli!

Ginger root tends to be pricey...for a root. So keep it in the freezer and just take it out whenever you might need it!

I thinly sliced an entire flank steak and Marty graciously fried it up in veggie oil as it splattered all over the kitchen. Ouch!

This is the orange, delicious sauce.

Add the sauce and broccoli...

..and serve over Jasmine rice...ta-da! This meal was SERIOUSLY the best "take-out" food I have ever had. Please, please try this recipe!!

- 3 cups white rice (I prefer jasmine rice)
1 1/4 pounds beef chuck steak (I used a flank steak)
1/2 cup canola oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and chopped ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
1 head broccoli, cut into florets

Cook the rice according to package directions.
Thinly slice the meat, about 1/4 inch thick, across the grain. Cut the slices into 3-inch long strips.
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet (much easier using a non-stick!). Toss the beef in the cornstarch and shake off the excess. Fry the beef in batches in the hot oil, until crispy and golden. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside on paper towel lined plate. Carefully drain the left over oil.
In a medium bowl add the marmalade, garlic, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and orange juice and whisk until well combined. Add to the pan, over medium high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the broccoli and cook until slightly tender and the sauce is thick. Stir in the beef and transfer to a bowl, served over the rice.

My Simple Spaghetti

First off, have I told you how much I love GARLIC?!
Ok, second- here is the recipe for my Simple Spaghetti (Seriously).

I saute lean ground beef with lots of Worcestershire sauce and S&P until it is slightly brown and then I add about a cup of chopped yellow onion and about 3 cloves of minced GARLIC. I let that cook until the meat is completely cooked through.

Then I add 1 can of regular tomato sauce and 1 can of regular diced tomatoes. I add a handful of chopped yellow onion and about 1 clove of minced garlic with lots of dried oregano and basil. Let this come to a boil and then simmer for a few minutes. Season to your liking!

I served the meat sauce over whole wheat angel hair.
(Oh and I usually cook the meat sauce with mushrooms, but I was too lazy to go to the store :)

Tonight Seems Like a Good Night For Chili!

With the cooler weather coming in, I decided to make some chili! I love cold weather comfort food!

I love black beans so I had to include them :)

You can't have chili without Fritos!
Here is the recipe:

- olive oil
- lean, ground beef
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/4 cup chili powder
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 can pureed tomatoes
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 of a serrano pepper, diced, de-seeded
- 1/2 small yellow onion, diced

In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the beef and slightly brown. Add the onion and cook until translucent and the beef is browned.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add to a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for about 2 hours.

Cook Night with The Zantouts!

A few weeks ago Mr. & Mrs. Zantout came over for a cook night! We made them the pork tenderloin with the blackberry merlot sauce served with mini potato gratins and my carrots. It was so fun, like always!
[this is a close up of the blackberry sauce]

My whole carrots cooking away!

Crustinis with Brie!

Dinner is served!

Oh, and Mr. Duke dog wanted a bite too!

Here is the recipe for the blackberry Merlot sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup blackberry preserves
- 1 cup Merlot
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
-1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Saute the garlic in the melted butter over medium heat. Be sure not to burn the garlic!!
Add the blackberry preserves and wine and simmer until reduced by half.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the vinegar. Add to the blackberry mixture and cook for about 5 minutes. Keep warm and serve!

Sweet Pea Cream Sauce w/a Smidge of Lemon

We went to Dallas for my birthday this year and ate at the most amazing restaurant called Stephen Pyles. The cuisine was modern southwest and simply DELICIOUS. I had the braised short rib that came with a tiny side of a sweet pea cream marmelade. It was so good that I decided to try to make it on my own (without the marmelade). It turned out yummy!

The basic ingredients are sweet peas, chicken broth, cream and lemon juice.

The recipe for my Pea Sauce:

- 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed and drained
- 4 tablespoons chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of cream
- S&P

Mix the peas, chicken stock, lemon juice and S&P to a food processor. Process until the sauce is thin. (This will most likely make more pea mixture than you will need.)

In a separate sauce pan, make a roux. Add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes and then whisk in 3 tablespoons or so of the pea mixture. Season as needed.

[Add about 1 teaspoon of chicken stock to thin out, if needed.]

A Walk on the Wild Side...

...and by wild, I mean the great outdoors! Not so wild in Sophie and Marty's book, but the wilderness isn't so fitting for Pinot and her mommy :)
We decided to take a little break from cooking (haha) and took the doggies to a nature park in Norman. Sophie absolutely LOVED it, while Pinot was scared and didn't like getting dirty. Can you tell who is mommy's girl?

Sophie wanted to get as close to the water as possible!

What a happy dog!

Pinot sticking as close to me as possible :)

Fabulous Far Niente.

This particular bottle of Far Niente holds a special memory for Marty and me. We got it on our honeymoon from the actual winery. If you haven't tried it before, save up the $$ and splurge!
Cheers!