911 mac and cheese

warm, tasty comfort

911 Mac and Cheese is fast and easy to assemble - perfect for a weeknight.  It falls into a category I call '911' - a quick-fix, wholesome side dish that satisfies everyone and can be assembled in a flash with ingredients most of us have on hand.  I'm a big fan of fancy macs (4 cheese mac and cheese, bacon mac and cheese, lobster mac and cheese ...) and will share some of those on a lazy weekend. But if you're facing a busy night - this recipe is for you!

I found this comforting gem in a foodie novel I'm reading, 'Julia's Child'. Look at the wholesome ingredients - great for hungry, active kids! We whipped it together and served it with turkey kielbasa (a favorite with my boys).  A quick crudite platter and some fruit rounded out the meal nicely. 

911: Mac and Cheese

from Julia's Child, by Sarah Pinneo


Ingredients:

1 c cottage cheese
2 c whole milk
1 T Dijon mustard
pinch paprika (Hungarian)
4 c shredded cheese (I used a combination of Mozz & Cheddar)
8 oz dry pasta (I used mini-shells; 8 oz is 1/2 a box)

Tip: The key to this recipe's ease is the dry pasta.  Just like using dry noodles in lasagna, dry noodles save a step.

cottage cheese & milk mixture

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. I sprayed the casserole dish with canola oil.

2. Combine the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, and paprika in a blender till smooth.

3. Toss the shredded cheese and dry pasta together in a large bowl.  Pour milk mixture over top and stir to combine.

4.  Pour into prepared dish, cover (I used foil - your dish may have a cover).

5. Bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake for 30 minutes more.  Will be brown and bubbly.

Scoop and serve - yummy!

shells & cheese

product parade: cheese grater

a favorite kitchen toy - Alessi's cheese grater

As kitchen accessories go, I love to look but must buy with caution.  Our storage is sparse so any tool must serve multiple purposes or be high-frequency in its use. Alessi's hand held cheese grater has graced my kitchen for many years.  It's been used by all members of our family and some helpful friends. This little gem has only one purpose but is a work horse in our cheese-loving family.

A favorite purchase on a trip to San Francisco (oh, so many moons ago), this grater is easy to hold, perfect for engaging young helpers.  It's cheerful design graces our table on pasta nights and  I have been know to put it in the fridge with leftover cheese for use the next morning in a fritata.

Red is a signature color in our kitchen!

Do you and your family have a favorite kitchen tool?

pear salad with champagne vinaigrette

pear salad - scrumptious!

Heavenly Pears!  I don't think I realized how fabulous pears could be until my twenties, when I received my first box of Royal Riviera Pears from Harry & David. They were a marvel - golden-green skin, amazing aroma, sweet nectar.  And I might add, a far cry from the canned pears of my childhood.

This time of year there is always a bowl of pears ripening in the kitchen.  If I can grab one before the kids eat it - I love to add thin slices to a winter salad. Somehow that simple addition makes a weekday side seem special.

Here's my pear fix. The ingredients are thrown together to accompany a quick dinner ... and are not exact.  Feel free to experiment with the vinegar, too.  Use whatever you have on hand!

Pear Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

serves 2

Ingredients:

 composing the salads

2 large handfuls of mixed greens (arugula and baby spinach are my favorites)

1 T champagne vinegar

1 t dijon mustard

3 T evoo

s/p to taste
(I go heavy on the fresh ground pepper)

1 ripe pear, sliced

2 T crumbled cheese, blue or goat
(I used Shropshire Blue, a cow's milk cheese from the UK) 

Tip:  When making salad for more than 2 ... I usually make my dressing in the bowl that I'll use for tossing.  Tonight my salad was more composed so I made it in an oversized measuring cup.

Directions:

1. Rinse and spin your greens.  While drying, make your vinaigrette.

2. Put vinegar and mustard in a bowl.  Whisk in the evoo and add salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Toss your greens in the dressing.  Or plate them, place pear slices and crumbled cheese on top, and drizzle with the dressing.

Enjoy!

my kids love their fruit and veggies au naturale
(hold the dressing!)

friday field trip: concord, ma

lunch in Concord ...
#9 Avocado BLT

Concord is most commonly known as the birthplace of the American Revolution and home to some of the great American Minds; Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Alcott.  Only 15 miles away, this little gem is a frequent haunt of mine. 


A morning purging the basement in prep for the holiday's left me a little desperate for an escape.  'Shout-Out' to my DF (dear friend), Anne. Thanks for the rescue!  With my iphone (non-exploding!) I snapped a few pics of my favorite things from today's adventure. Enjoy!

one of my favorite stores -
an eclectic vintage collection
of gifts for the home

says it all!

Great local bookstore!

Final Pit Stop:  The Concord Cheese Shop
Amazing selection = happy tummy!

Their cornichons are out-of-this-world!

 
Are we posing with cheese?  Yes, we are!

   

stuffed mushrooms

yummy bites for a hungry crowd

"Over the river and through the woods ..." to share Thanksgiving with my family, our tradition for more than 10 years.  I have many wonderful memories of sharing this holiday with my Aunt Terry and her brood so it is very meaningful to me that we are continuing that tradition with our children.

I always bring a few dishes to share with our extended family and this recipe for stuffed mushrooms is the most-requested.  They're wonderful for a large gathering - holidays, brunch with friends, football with a crowd ... you name it.  As with many of our favorites, I have a formula and will note ways that I often change it up.  


Many blessings, peace and joy to you and yours ~ Happy Thanksgiving!


Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:


1-2 Italian sausages
2  10-oz packages of mushrooms (cremini or button)

1 large shallot, peeled and rough chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 T vermouth, to deglaze 
1 t Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c italian bread crumbs
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese (plus extra for topping)

Directions:

1. Remove the sausage from the casings and brown in a fry pan over medium-high heat.  As it browns, help it crumble with the edge of your spatula. 

2. Time to mince the stems, shallot and garlic.  I chopped by hand today, but have been known to use the food processor. Pulse gently - you don't want a paste. 

3.  Remove and drain the sausage on paper towels when cooked through. Add the veggies (stems, shallot & garlic) to the pan, deglaze with the vermouth, add the seasoning and saute for about 3 minutes over medium heat.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Remove pan from heat and let cool a bit.  Transfer to a larger bowl for mixing with the breadcrumbs, sausage and cheese to make the stuffing.  

5.  Stuff the caps - a teaspoon works best - and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet.  I'm using mini-muffin liners to try to stabilize these for the trip to NH.  

- when ready to bake and serve -

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

6.  Sprinkle the caps with a little extra parmesan cheese, if you desire.  

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the center of the oven.  Keep an eye as ovens vary.  You're looking for the top to brown but also for the cap to cook and become tender to the bite. 

Make it yours: 

~ you can alter the cheese ... romano, pecorino or piave, any good melting cheese

~ white wine, red wine or marsala can be substituted for the vermouth

~ apple & chicken sausage or crabmeat both would make a nice brunch filling

~ you can make it vegetarian by substituting spinach for the sausage 

~ add more herbs and spices (like red pepper flakes) for extra flavor

Yummy finger food for your next party!

Ga-Ga for Grilled Cheese

Fall means COZY foods and some of my favorites involve the comfort of melted cheese. While recently watching an episode of The Great Food Truck Race, I was inspired to think 'outside-the-box' on grilled cheese. (Thank you On Demand) My kids still love a classic but I've been trying some new cheese and bread combos. My current fave is pictured above, Taleggio cheese on Iggy's Brioche roll, after a few minutes in the panini press. Between two cast iron pans would work, too!

I like to slice cheese in advance and we grill them up to order on busy nights when we can't all eat at the same time.

Our favorite combos:

(Depending upon the bread, I'll use a griddle or a panini press.)

Pepperidge Farm + American

A classic for my kids - they can devour them by the stack on a day filled with soccer.

Sourdough + Gruyere

Great combo - the sourdough can stand up to any of your favorite Alpine cheeses.

Italian + Fontina

Fontina melts like a dream; mozzerella would be great here, too.

Brioche + Taleggio

Talleggio is a beautiful (slightly stinky) cheese from Italy - you can find it at Whole Foods. A few minutes in the panini press makes this sandwich restaurant-worthy.

What's your favorite Grilled Cheese?