Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chops with Rhubarb Mostarda

Note:  I've been nominated for Babble's 100 Top Food Blogs!  I have 30 more votes to get into the top 50.  If you like what I've done here, would you follow the side link to Babble and vote for me?  I am on page #2 "Snippets of Thyme"

{Thank you to FoodBuzz for choosing this article for today's Top9 FoodBuzz!!}

I remember as if it were yesterday the day my husband bought his first brand new car.  Little did I realize at the time, what a monumental day that was for him.  You see, now that we have been married 20 years, I understand more about this guy than I did all those years ago.  I understand how truly and incredibly hard he works for the very few items he desires.

We were so young when we married.  We were engaged our senior year of college and planned to marry the summer after our college graduations.  My graduation was the day before his ceremony.  The plan was for me to fly out of NYC to St. Louis and attend his graduation the next day.  We were young, in love, and the world was our oyster.


He said he had a surprise.


When he met me at the airport, the look on his face was pure rapture.  No, this time it wasn't because he laid his eyes on me.  He had worked hard on a full scholarship for an engineering degree.  He had a diploma in hand.  And, he had a wonderful job offer waiting for him.   I had an inkling what this surprise would be but I played along.

I had graduated from college the day before, tearfully said farewell to my beloved NYC,  a wedding to plan, a new job position to begin, and a new move way up to Michigan to anticipate. 


As we held hands and walked into the parking garage for the first time as a real couple about to be married, he stopped and looked at me with the happiest grin I have ever seen on his face.  A brand new red car was sitting proudly in its parking space.  I'll never forget that day.  


Over the 20 years that I have been married to this man, he has owned 3 cars.  Each one of them has been taken care of with utmost tenderness and respect.  I can honestly say, I have never known someone to work as hard as my husband.  He takes care of his car as he takes care of his family, with pure devotion.  Without fail, he is up early, off to work, day after day with seldom a complaint about his job.

Other than his love for beautiful cars, there are hardly any other material items that he desires.  He did want an ice cream maker last year but I think he was just trying to come up with an idea for us.  


One thing I can think of that makes him happy is a nice barbecue.  Well, it's indeed that barbecue time of year.  I was  so pleased with that flap steak soft taco dish the other day, I decided it was again time to open up my new cookbook The Cook and the Butcher by Brigit Binns.

I also really fell in love with rhubarb this year after making Martha Stewart Living's Poached Rhubarb with Elderflower Sabayon this spring.  One of the pork chop recipes in my new cookbook uses rhubarb as a savory side to these smoky chops.  It is called a rhubarb mostarda.

Again, a hit from this cookbook!  And, I'll let you know when I cook something that isn't a hit.  (I have a recipe I will post next week that was NOT a hit, hint, hint).  However, this pork chop dish is amazing.  Another recipe with rhubarb to celebrate this wonderful stalky pink celery looking plant.

Not only are the pork chops a wonderful barbecue treat but paired with this incredibly deep red and fragrant side relish was a dish that I will no doubt make again and again.  It was a 4 thumbs up for all of us.


Recently, I looked at my husband and I told him...it is time.  It is time to make one of his wishes come true.  My husband is a person with few materialistic possessions or desires for possessions.  I probably make 99.9% of the purchasing decisions for our family and he is very content with that.


I told him.  It is time.  Go and live a dream.


And you know what?  He did.


And I am so happy.


It isn't flashy red like his first car years ago.  It is a more mature smoky grey.  I am so happy.


Because he is the best man in this world.  

So here's a great barbecue Sunday dinner.  And a little something else...

 Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chop with Rhubarb Mostarda:


Rhubarb Mostarda


2/3 cup (5oz/155g) sugar
1/3 cup (3 fl.oz/80ml) red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (Snippets Note:  buy the fresh stuff, not the powdered, it just makes such a big difference)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 lb (750g) rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch (12-mm) chunks
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dry mustard
Freshly ground pepper


For the Pork Chops:


3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 double-cut pork chops, each about 1 lb (500g) and 1 1/2 inches (4cm) thick


To make the mostarda, in a large, heavy pot, combine the sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and cumin.  Place over low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.  Add the rhubarb and onion, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently to break up the rhubarb, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mustard, season with pepper and stir until smooth.  Let cook completely.  If desired, refrigerate overnight.  Return to room temperature before serving.


In a shallow nonreactive dish that will hold the chops in one layer, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and garlic.  Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon salt and season with pepper.  Place the chops in the dish and brush both sides thoroughly with the lemon mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours turning the chops occasionally.


Remove the chops from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.  Lift the chops from the marinade and pat dry.  Reserve the marinade if using a charcoal grill.


Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over medium-high heat or preheat a cast-iron stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat.  Place chops on the grill rack over the hottest part of the fire or in the grill pan and cook without moving them for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes.  Move the chops after 1 minute if the fire flares up.  Turn and cook until the chops are golden brown and crusty, 2 1/2 - 3 minutes more.  If using a charcoal grill, brush the chops occasionally with the reserved marinade.  Move the chops to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat, and continue to cook until the chops are firm to the touch but still have a little give, 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a platter, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 3-4 minutes.  Serve at once with the mostarda!

Eat Your Heart Out, Galen

This is actually the first lasagna that I've ever made. I'm not a huge fan of traditional lasagna - I generally prefer a simple bolognese with noodles, and to be honest lasagna has always seemed like too much work to bother. But veggie lasagna...yes, it could be worth it! Especially if it was modeled after the PC Vegetable Lasagna with 7 Cheeses. SO good. This stuff is like crack. I was introduced to it by a couple of roommates in university. We'd buy the Club Pack size and go through it within a day. You could delude yourself into thinking this stuff is healthy (there's VEGETABLES in it!) but it's also 25% cheese according to the product page. That's a LOT of cheese.

I think I went in originally with the mentality that I was somehow going to make this healthier than the PC version. But as I starting putting the ingredients together I moved to a different mantra: Even if I use the exact same ingredients, it should be a LITTLE better just because it's from scratch, right? And doesn't include the preservatives at the very least? Anyway, I have no idea how the calorie count on this thing compares to PC's but I can guarantee it still doesn't fall into the "low-fat" category. It's not a weeknight dish, but perfect for a rainy Sunday at home!

(proof that there were, in fact, a LOT of veggies used in the making of this recipe!)

I was actually surprised that I couldn't find a copycat recipe online. Everyone I know loves this lasagna. But I guess most people don't spend their time trying to replicate their favourite frozen foods from scratch, and really it's probably cheaper to just buy it at the grocery store. So this did mean that I had to make up my own recipe.

While I cook a lot, I'm a baker at heart which means I like to follow recipes. It was a bit tricky to write my own so I used a few similar lasagna recipes to form a "base" and then used the ingredient listing from the PC page to help me out!

According to the PC product page, the ingredients are:

Lasagna noodles (durum wheat semolina, water, dried whole egg), water, seven cheeses [white and yellow cheddar, part skim mozzarella, ricotta, asiago, swiss, romano and parmesan (whole and partially skimmed milk, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzymes, rennet and/or pepsin, whey, white vinegar, colour)], seven vegetables (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, corn, onions, spinach), cream, palm oil margarine, bread crumbs (contain soybean oil), modified corn starch, skim milk powder, cheddar cheese base [cheddar and blue cheese (whole milk, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, white vinegar, salt], lactic acid, flour, sugar, salt, spice, garlic powder, onion powder.

I tried to stay pretty true to these ingredients, obviously without the preservatives and a few very small additions. I added some roasted red pepper because I love red pepper and I had some in the fridge. And I used *gasp* SIX cheeses instead of seven! Blasphemy!

Anyway, this recipe is a bit of work but well worth the effort. And it makes a pretty big lasagna so you can always freeze some for leftovers another day! Enjoy.




Cheese and Veggie Lasagna

1 lb cauliflower (about half a large head), washed and cut into bite sized pieces
10 oz broccolli (2 small heads), washed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 red peppers, washed and seeded, halved
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup corn
2 medium zucchini, washed and sliced into 1 cm half discs
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar
1 cup asiago
1 1/2 cups mozzarella

1 bunch spinach, washed and trimmed/2 cup flour
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 egg

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
50 g blue cheese
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp red pepper flakes


1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

10 lasagna sheets


Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit or 190 degrees Celsius

1. Place cauliflower, broccolli, corn and zucchini on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until veggies are soft but not mushy. While they are roasting also throw in the red peppers (you can do this directly onto the rack) until they are somewhat charred and soft. When you remove the peppers, place them onto a plate and cover with saran wrap for about 15 minutes. When they're cool, remove skins and dice. Add these to the other cooked veggies and set aside.

2. In a large sauce pan or wok, saute onions in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add grated carrot and cook for about 5 more minutes. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and add to the other veggies.

3. Saute spinach in the pan until wilted. Lightly beat the egg and combine with spinach and ricotta. Set aside.

4. In the same pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook together until it's a golden brown colour. Slowly whisk in the milk a little at a time until it's fully incorporated and smooth. Add in 1 1/2 cups cheddar, 1/2 cup parm and blue cheese bit by bit, mixing as you go to make sure it blends in. Stir in herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add veggies to the sauce and stir to cover.

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna sheets 2 or 3 at a time until al dente. I used fresh pasta so this only took about 3 minutes per batch. I also did these as I layered because I was scared of sticking, but this didn't really seem to be a problem so you could probably do this all at once before you start assembling your lasagna.

At this point, if you've turned your oven on put it back to 375 degrees Farenheit, 190 degrees Celsius

first layer: veggies in cheese sauce

6. Assemble the lasagna! Start by spreading some of the cheese sauce/veggie mixture in the bottom of your pan. Lay down 2 1/2 sheets on top to cover, then spread with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the remaining cheese/veggie mixture, then 1/3 of the remaining cheese. Repeat twice. Lay down the last noodles then sprinkle with the breadcrumb/parm topping.

Note: I think that if you had a "real" lasagna pan you could get four noodle layers in. I maxed out at 3 so I actually made a second smaller lasagna in a small pan and froze it, but I'm leaving this recipe as it is.

7. Bake lasagna for about 35-40 minutes until it's bubbling and the top is browned. Try to let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting because it will really help it stay together when you slice.

Soft Tacos with Grilled "Flap" Steak

Well, look what came home with me from my latest foray to the Williams-Sonoma class the other weekend.  The Cook and the Butcher cookbook somehow followed me home and flipped open to a delicious looking "flap steak" recipe and voila...Sunday dinner!

This cookbook is written by Brigit Binns for Williams-Sonoma. What I like about it is that each chapter is designed to educate novice chefs like me from the perspective of butchers.   I haven't devoured it from cover to cover yet.  To be honest, I am a little intimidated.  I get really confused by all of the names of beef as well as the varieties of cooking methods.  I can tell, though, that this book is going to sort it all out.

Patrick and I were in Dallas a few weekends ago.  We went to meet his brother's fiance.  She is from Mexico and made us the most delicious, authentic breakfast soft tacos.  I thought I would just eat one  and ended up eating three (piggish...I know.  Thats why we are food bloggers).

Well, the next William-Sonoma class  was covering meats and grilling.  How timely because I wanted to duplicate the delicious flavors of the beef we had in Dallas.  The smell in the store drove everyone beserk it was so aromatic.  Our adorable chef, Jill, caramelized onions for us to sample alongside the meats she cooked.  I especially liked the ease and flavor of skirt  steak.  Whole Foods was out of skirt steak and the butcher said "flap" steak would work just as well.  

I am now getting acquainted with my butcher at Whole Foods.  Isn't that great?  You know how you always hear "Just ask your butcher this question...or that question".  Ha!  I couldn't even imagine a grocery store butcher taking time with me.  However, I have started talking with the people at Whole Foods in the meat as well as seafood department and they are so wonderful!  Really!

In addition to this hefty new grilling cookbook making its way home with me, I also bought what I consider to be the best cooking purchase ever!  I picked up the new All-Clad "instant read thermometer".   This is a great tool for grilling meats.  We used it on the leg of lamb the other day and it worked beautifully.  The fear of over-cooking or under cooking meat has often made me pass on trying out a recipe.  

In fact, M. has been down with a cold for a few days now.  I considered telling her to pop this meat thermometer in her mouth so we could figure out if she had a fever.   I didn't do it.  You know, she is a teenager and all.  My humor just doesn't seem to work well on the teenage variety.


A dry rub we have tried out since moving to Texas has quickly become our favorite.  Its called "Rub Grub".  Yep.  Its Texan alright. This rub is amazing on barbeque.  I seasoned the flap steak with this before it went on the grill.  Delicious.


Time to get serious and dig into this new cookbook and learn more about beef selections.

I do know one 4-legged creature that certainly was thrilled with this new cookbook find.  His name is Chester and he is hoping that I read it from cover to cover and apply any newfound learning.  Often. 

I know your not supposed to feed your pets table scraps.  But look at that face!

Did we hand out secret tidbits under the table?  Geesh.  No one ever tells.  But, he sure does seem to be snoozing rather dreamily...

Grilled "Flap" Steak:

(from The Cook & The Butcher cookbook, p. 52)

1 skirt (flap, hanger or flank stead will also do)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Rub Grub (Sarah's addition)

Place the steak in a nonreactive baking dish.  Brush both sides with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper (and Rub Grub).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes.  Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over high heat, or preheat a cast-iron stove top grill pan over high heat.  Place the steak on the grill rack over the hottest part of the fire or in the grill pan, and cook without moving it for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Turn and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the steak registers 130º-135ºF (54º-57ºC) for medium-rare, 1-3 minutes more, or to your desired doneness.  Transfer the steak to a platter and let rest, loosely covered, for about 5 minutes.

Cut the steak across the grain and on the diagonal into the slices and about 1/2 inch (12mm) thick.  Arrange toppings and heat soft tacos and serve!

Classic French Potatoes au Gratin

S. Kenney- Classic French Potatoes Au Gratin

Isn't everyone always trying to make the perfect potatoes au gratin dish?  Not too watery, not too dry, and crisped just right on top always seem to be 3 elements that make a great au gratin.


I tried this recipe to go  along with my barbequed leg of lamb.  Because what goes better with lamb than potatoes?!  While the dish was delicious, what I really enjoyed was the new mandolin (sp?) that I purchased at the Williams Sonoma store in order to slice the potatoes.  I'm sure those of you that follow my articles and  know that I am taking cooking lessons at W&S  are chuckling at the success factor of the store in supplying me with new cooking devices.  I just seem to NEED many of their tools to perfect my craft (wink).


The new mandolin has now become essential to any future au gratin that I make.  The perfectly cut 1/8" thick potato rounds were soft and creamy in the dish.  I am always afraid to oversalt a dish but I would definitely add more salt to this dish.  I would also throw in some chopped up bacon and add thyme to this au gratin as well.  However, as a classic, the simplicity pairs nicely with something as aromatic as lamb.


This is the very simple potatos au gratin dish that was served to us at our friend's house in France on a recent trip.  Often, the best cream, potatoes, and cheese make the simplest dishes the most delicious.


Classic French Potatoes Au Gratin:

2 lb. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled 

3 cups whipping or heavy cream (I used half and half)

1 tsp. kosher salt (mine needed much more salt)

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 

3/4 cup finely shredded Gruyère, Emmental, or Comté 

Heat the oven to 400°F. Using a very sharp knife or a mandoline, carefully cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (no thicker).

(Again, I would add chopped bacon and perhaps some thyme to give this dish some more flavor but the simplicity without these additions is delicious)

Put the potatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until the cream is boiling, stirring occasionally (very gently with a rubber spatula so you don't break up the slices).

When the cream boils, pour the mixture into a 2-1/2- or 3-qt. baking dish. If you don't want a tender but garlicky surprise mouthful, remove and discard the garlic cloves. Shake the dish a bit to let the slices settle and then sprinkle the surface with the cheese.

Bake in the hot oven until the top is deep golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are extremely tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Don't worry if the dish looks too liquidy at this point; it will set up as it cools a bit. Before serving, let the potatoes cool until they're very warm but not hot (at least 15 minutes) or serve them at room temperature.  (Note:  I made mine a day ahead of time.  The next day, I actually microwaved the dish, then finished it off under the broiler because of the timing of all of my other dishes.  If you do this, I would add a bit extra cream before warming the dish in the microwave.)

BBQd Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Honey

Note:  I've been nominated for Babble's 100 Top Food Blogs!  I have 28 more votes to get into the top 50.  If you like what I've done here, would you follow the side link to Babble and vote for me?  I am on page #2 "Snippets of Thyme"

S. Kenney - BBQ'd Leg of Lamb

I had another great class at Williams Sonoma on Saturday.  We ate some delicious bbq grilled steak and sausages.  That definitely put me in the mood to cook any kind of meat dish.  My brother and his family came for a visit during Spring Break.  They are wonderful company and we all had a super time.  My SIL is taking some fabulous cooking courses through Viking School in Mississippi so I wanted to make something special for all of us.  I turned to my trusty Curtis Stone's program "Take Home Chef" and found just the right meat dish - Barbequed Leg of Lamb stuffed with garlic.  

After braising the lamb on the stove top, it is covered in a thick layer of honey.  Messy indeed but fun!  Then, garlic cloves are smashed and stuffed on the inside.  The lamb is laid on rosemary stems and rolled up with twine.  Just preparing this was so aromatic I knew it was going to taste delicious.  Honey, garlic, rosemary??  Wonderful scents already...

S.Kenney-BBQ'd Leg of Lamb with garlic and rosemary

Lamb is so aromatic cooking on the grill.  I think the entire neighborhood could smell this delicious scented roast from our backyard.  

I will shamelessly  highlight a new item that I purchased at that Williams Sonoma class!  It is an instant read thermometer.  It is magical indeed.  I kept inserting it periodically into the leg of lamb.  It instantly reads the temperature.  I was able to pull that meat off at just the right time in order for it to rise  a little more while cooling.

I would definitely cook this again.  The scents are divine, the cut of lamb isn't too lamb-y.  I scooped out the garlic and served it with the juices from the meat.  

My brother and his wife are a lovely couple with 2 bright and fun teenage boys.  I love bringing everyone around the table with a succulent meal like this one.

Barbequed Leg of Lamb wrapped in Rosemary with Garlic and Honey

Take Home Chef, Episode 20: Deanna's Menu

INGREDIENTS

20 large branches fresh long-stemmed rosemary

Six 24-inch/60-cm long strands of kitchen twine

One 6-pound/2.5-kg whole leg of lamb, large bone removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, bruised (I used more because I love garlic)

1/4 cup/90 ml honey

PREPARATION:

Soak the rosemary branches and kitchen twine in cold water for 1 hour. This will help prevent the rosemary and twine from burning while they are on the grill.  Prepare the barbecue for high heat. Sprinkle the leg of lamb generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grill the leg of lamb for 5 minutes, or until brown on all sides. Transfer the lamb to a baking sheet. Rub the garlic over the outside of the lamb then place the garlic pieces inside the lamb.  Lay the strands of kitchen twine horizontally across a work surface, spacing them evenly apart.  Lay the rosemary branches perpendicularly atop the twine.

Spread half of the honey over 1 side of the lamb and lay the lamb honey side down atop the rosemary. Spread the remaining honey over the top and sides of the lamb. The honey will help adhere the rosemary to the lamb.  Tie the twine as tightly as possible around the lamb and rosemary, completely encasing the lamb with the rosemary. 

Decrease the heat of the barbecue to medium so that the temperature inside the barbecue is about 350°F/170°C (use an oven thermometer to help gauge the temperature inside the barbecue).  Place the lamb on the grill.  Cover the barbecue and grill the lamb about 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning the lamb on a regular basis, or until an instant-read meat thermometer registers 140°F/60°C when inserted into the thickest part of the lamb meat.

Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 30 minutes.  Remove the twine and rosemary from the lamb.  Carve the lamb into slices and serve with any juices that accumulate on the carving board.

Favourite Things

For someone who spent the first six years of her life with basically zero dairy consumption, I sure love cheese. It's pretty funny that the first time I tried pizza ("real" pizza, not roma pizza) I thought it was absolutely disgusting. Oh, how times have changed!

Anyway, high on my "favourite foods" list is macaroni and cheese. I'm pretty obsessed and probably eat some form of it at least once a week. And I'm no snob - Kraft dinner is included in this category. At any given time we always have at least one "emergency" box in the cupboard, but usually (like now) it's more like three. Of course, I do usually end up doctoring up the KD at the very least with some extra sharp cheddar but I appreciate the convenience of the box.

Some days though, only the real thing will do. Gooey, rich and cheesy with the crunchy baked topping? You can't beat it. I came across this skillet mac and cheese recipe about a year ago and have been using it in variations ever since. I love the fact that it's basically a one-pot (or skillet) dish and goes straight from the stove to the oven (seriously this is 99% of the reason I love both my cast iron skillet and dutch ovens. It's genius, really). I have had to toy with the measures a bit, as I found the original recipe a bit drier than my liking and I rarely have cream in the apartment. But I think I've finally got the recipe just the way I like it - creamy and saucy but not soupy and full of cheesy goodness. Yum.

I added spinach and cherry tomatoes this time in an attempt to "lighten" the dish up aaand maybe because I ate next to no fruits or veggies this weekend (who wants scurvy? Not me!) Anyway, turns out it was a good call as it was DELICIOUS. I may go as far as saying this was my favourite mac and cheese. The pasta to cheese sauce ratio was just right, and the added ingredients helped to keep the dish from feeling too heavy and rich. Not to mention the fact that it just looked nicer with the added colour in the dish.

The best part about this recipe is that it's so versatile - you can add herbs, meat or whatever vegetables and any other additions that you like or just go for the straight-up macaroni and cheese. It's delicious either way and great for leftovers or freezing afterwards.

Note: So I just realized this picture doesn't really look anything like a macaroni and cheese. But I swear it is! And it's delicious! Try it!

Skillet Mac and Cheese
adapted from Serious Eats

1/2 - 3/4 lb dry short pasta* (I used penne but usually go with the traditional elbow macaroni or sometimes bow ties)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard (whole grain or something good if you have it, but plain old yellow works too!)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I actually used whole wheat because I'm out of AP, sometimes I used bread flour. Meh, it's just thickener. You can't tell the difference)
2 cups milk (the recipe says whole, but who actually keeps that around the house? I just use 1 or 2% depending on what I have)
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for topping
1/2 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1 bunch spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
A hunk of Boursin (optional!)
Fresh ground pepper

*The amount of pasta you should use depends on whether or not you're adding extra ingredients. If you're a purist and making straight up mac and cheese, you can use more pasta. I tend to almost always add something or the other so half a pound is usually sufficient.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit, or 190 degrees Celsius

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until somewhat al dente (i.e. should be soft on the outside but have a tiny bit of bite still to it) but not fully cooked. Basically you want it slightly less cooked than you would like to eat your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain it and rinse with cool water.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (OR a dutch oven OR any sort of oven-safe skillet/pot that seems the right size) over medium heat until the foam subsides and add the flour, whisking to remove clumps and prevent burning. Slowly add the milk in small amounts, whisking as you go to get all the clumps. Whisk in the mustard and 1/2 tsp salt.

4. Set aside about a 1/2 cup between the Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses. Add the remaining cheeses a little at a time while stirring the whole time until they are melted into the sauce. Taste for salt and season with pepper as needed.

5. Turn off the heat, add the pasta and stir to coat. Add in the spinach and tomatoes and whatever else you're adding to the dish, and stir until it's all nicely coated in the sauce. Combine the breadcrumbs, the rest of the cheese and some salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the top.

6. Bake until the top is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

What I Did Last Month

Ever since I moved to Toronto, I've wanted to take a cooking class. There are so many great schools and classes available in the city it was actually kind of overwhelming trying to decide on one! Finally, in December Adam and I took an Indian cooking class at the Calphalon Culinary Centre. It was actually my birthday present from a few months ago but it took us awhile to actually get around to looking at the class options and signing up for something.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the class. This was my first cooking class ever so I really didn't know what to expect. I had read more than a few positive reviews about Calphalon and even heard some good things from friends and acquaintences, but still in the back of my mind I wondered if it might be more of a demonstration or not as hands-on as I would like. Fortunately this wasn't a problem! The classroom setup was incredibly professional and well set-up with an individual countertop and stove for each student. We did most of our own prep work though the spices were blended for us; this being an Indian class, I would have loved to learn more about the different spices used to make Garam Masala. I felt rather spoiled after experiencing all the Calphalon pots and pans in the kitchen as well as the gas-range stovetop.


Indian cuisine has always fallen into the category of "seems way too complicated to try at home" so it seemed like a good class to try in a controlled environment where all the right ingredients would be available. And the dishes were actually pretty straightforward; the key is really just having the right spices and from there it's easy going!

This Rice Pulao was my favourite recipe that we made in the class. I made it again the other night and although it was a bit difficult finding some of the spices in Sobey's (I'll be making a trip to the market this weekend where I know they have a larger assortment) it turned out pretty well. The recipe is actually pretty heavily modified as the emailed instructions didn't necessarily match the steps we followed in class. We made it in class along with some Aloo Gobi (a chickpea and potato curry dish), Chicken Tikka and homemade Naan. At home we just added some chicken (with some Tandoori paste I got in my stocking) and it made a great dinner/lunch leftovers.

Next up...going to do a class at Dish Cooking Studio. Haven't chosen one yet so please feel free to comment on any recommendations/suggestions!


Basmati Rice Pulao
Recipe adapted from Calphalon Culinary Centre - Indian Cuisine

2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (or ground cumin which is all I could find at home)
4 tbsp chopped almonds
4 tbsp raisins
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods (or ground cardamom...the conversion suggestions out there seem to vary widely, I used about 1/2 tsp at home)
2 Indian bay leaves (I used regular bay leaves...clearly I need to make a trip to an Indian grocery store)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1 cup peas
1 tsp. saffron (optional)
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional - I am on the "tastes like soap" side of the Great Cilantro Debate so I left this out both times)
4 cups chicken stock

1. Rinse rice well under cold running water. Place the rice into a bowl with 1 tsp salt and let soak. Set aside.

2. Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp of the oil. Add cumin seeds and toast if using seeds....otherwise skip this for now. Add the almonds and raisins and brown lightly. Remove from heat and keep to the side.

3. Add remaing oil and onions to the pan and cook until medium brown, about 4 minutes.

4. Add saffron, ginger, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and remaining spices (including cumin if using the ground version) to the pot and coat. Add coconut milk and stir until all ingredients are coated well.

5. Add rice to pan and stir. Add enough stock to cover the rice by about 2 inches (I realized that this is pretty arbitrary depending on what type of pot you're using...if you're unsure, add less not more and you can add more stock as the rice cooks)

6. Bring rice to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed - about 7 to 10 minutes. If you're finding that this is happening before the rice is finished cooking add some more stock or water.

7. Once the rice is cooked through, add peas, almonds and raisins. Heat through and serve.

Gobble Gobble

So, I meant to write about Thanksgiving...turkey dinner is basically my favourite meal. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, homemade dinner rolls...Kraft dinner (yea, you read that right. Family tradition!) pumpkin and apple pie. Yum! So good. But the problem with Thanksgiving is that I'm generally so busy running around the kitchen that I'm not taking pictures. And once I come out of the two-day food coma, I've lost the energy to remember exactly how much sugar and molasses went into the pumpkin pie this year and which dinner roll recipe I ended up using after days of perusing the net. I know..excuses, excuses.

Anyway, turkey dinner has now come and gone but in case anyone still has some leftovers (possibly in the freezer?) here's an easy recipe for a leftover turkey pie. We had it over the weekend in Collingwood and it was really nice to have the pie pre-made and just ready to pop in the oven. Especially as we were all a bit tired on Saturday from being woken up at 5am by the PUMPKIN that someone threw through the window of the chalet! Luckily the resort staff were able to get it boarded up fairly quickly so the crisis was averted.

Leftover Turkey Pie

1/2 a batch of Pie Dough
2 cups leftover turkey, shredded
2 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced (I didn't actually use any this time, but it's a pretty standard pot pie veg)
About 2 cups leftover cooked vegetables or frozen corn and peas (I used the corn and peas plus roasted sweet potatoes and some mashed squash made it in as well)
2 cups gravy
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp chicken bouillon seasoning (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan or wok. Add diced onions and saute until onions are translucent. Add carrots and celery; cook until vegetables are starting to soften but still fairly firm (you should be able to poke a fork through the carrot pieces but they shouldn't fall apart).

2. Option a: if you don't have gravy, add some more butter and about 1/4 cup of flour and cook for about 5 minutes until the floury smell is gone. Slowly add about 2 cups of chicken stock until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Option b: if you do have gravy, add the gravy!

3. Add the spices and salt and pepper. If you're using the chicken bouillon, mix into the milk before adding. Add milk slowly and adjust depending on how thick you want your mixture to be. Play it by ear.

4. Add the turkey and cooked vegetables. Continue cooking until everything is thick and bubbling and looks like pot pie filling!

5. On a floured surface, roll out pie crust to fit your pan. I used a 1.5 qt casserole dish, but you can use a pie pan, or even a dutch oven or any sort of pan that is about the same size. Pour filling into the pan and roll crust on top. Tuck the edges over the casserole/pie pan and crimp or smush (whatever you need to do to make it stay up). Cut two slits into the top of the pie and bake at 350 degrees Farenheit, 190 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes to an hour until filling is bubbling and crust is golden.

6. If you're freezing, let the filling cool before you put the top on and then cover with foil and freeze. Bake as above but you may need to leave it in the oven longer (I think mine was in for about an hour and then I got impatient and turned the broiler on. Probably should have left it in for about another twenty minutes...the middle wasn't exactly piping hot)

7. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

We call it catching, not fishing.

A low-key weekend around here...did some design work, and went a little nuts at the craft

store on scrapbook stuff.  Nathan got up early Sunday morning around 6 to go fishing with

Ron, a co-worker on NASA's exclusive beach. 

I told him not to come home unless you have dinner...so this is what we brought...

 

A 4.5ft. Black tip shark. 

I Was thinking of putting the head in the mailbox with the mouth open...but

I don't really want to piss off the mail lady that bad. It'd be a funny joke though right? 

He has REALLY sharp teeth, just like needles....no tongue, no bones in this creature. Their

skin feels like a cat's tongue, very fine sandpaper texture.

Who's coming for dinner? Shark steaks are very good and a delicacy here.

Hope ya'll had a good weekend!

There's Potential Here

I'm not sure whether I've mentioned this before, but I'm not a huge fan of chicken. I'll eat it IN other dishes, cut up in soups or salads and I do love a good chicken parm, but grilled/roasted/pan fried chicken breasts with some seasoning or sauce...meh. I just find it so bland most of the time. I'm more of a red meat girl. Same thing with roast chickens. I've always had this underlying feeling that a really good roast chicken recipe will transform the dish and make me have a "where have you been all my life" revelation*. The problem is that no matter how good the recipe seems to be, it's still well...chicken. Bo-ring. Unfortunately Adam doesn't feel the same way. He could eat happily eat it every night of the week and tends to get cranky when I go on my carb, beef or pork-induced cooking binges. So occasionally I'll try out a new recipe searching for that "aha!" moment.

I'm not saying that this recipe is "the one", but it's the first time in a pretty long time that I've actually finished a whole chicken thigh. I know, not a huge accomplishment but for me that's a big deal so this recipe is getting a thumbs up.

I'll admit that it wasn't exactly perfect...I may have slightly burned the chicken. I had my suspicions about it, as in my experience ten minutes on medium-high heat equal charred chicken. But so many recipes said to leave the chicken on the stove for up to 25 minutes that I figured there must be something I didn't know. So I tried it...and my chicken did not look like the photos. But even so it was really really good! The seasonings were perfect and added just the right amount of flavour to make it interesting, and the meat was perfectly cooked (yeah yeah, aside from the char). I did read in the reviews that some used the remaining marinade to make a sauce which I might try next time, but we were perfectly happy without it.

*Similar to the one that Adam had with Pocky this week...I believe the exact quote was: "We have to get more of these. Why have you been keeping them from me for the last nine years??"


Note: It was really really hard to find pictures here that didn't look completely unedible. I SWEAR this chicken is good, just try to ignore the burnt bits...Adam's comment on the photo above was "it kind of looks like a picture of an oil spill where the birds are struggling to get out"

Crispy Chicken Under a Brick
1 whole (3 pound) chicken
3/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
2 springs fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Remove the backbone and split the chicken in half.

2. Mix together 1/2-cup olive oil, lemon juice and zest, cumin, curry, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour mixture into a freezer bag with chicken inside. Throw in the rosemary springs and marinate the chicken in the mixture for at least 1 hour (I actually left it for a day because we ended up making this the next night instead)

3. Place an ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Put the remaining 1/4-cup olive oil into the hot skillet (or just enough to cover the skillet) and wait 1 minute for it to heat up. Reduce heat to medium (I did not do this, but I would next time to avoid the blackened chicken)

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the chicken halves in the skillet, skin side down. Wrap 2 bricks in aluminum foil and set them on top of the chicken, or if you don't have bricks cover the bottom of a dutch oven, add a few cans and cover with the lid for added weight.

5. Cook on the stovetop for 10 minutes. Now you might want to check your chicken before this, but if you're cooking on medium heat than you might be okay. Either way I'll probably check my chicken sooner next time. Once the chicken is nicely browned and crispy, remove the bricks/dutch oven, carefully flip over and transfer the skillet to a preheated 450 degree F oven. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from pan and enjoy!