Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

It’s amazing I’m blogging right now because I don’t feel that hot but I feel that I’ve been slacking so here I am, checking in. It’s been a busy weekend. On Friday morning I drove up to Maine. Yesterday afternoon I drove back down to Boston and today I have been doing homework and napping intermittently (and hopefully kicking whatever this is to the curb). All that doesn’t mean I have neglected eating, how ridiculous!

I picked up this smoked Gouda at Trader Joe’s last weekend and have been trying to decide what I wanted to make with it. On a day like today, comfort food sounded ideal so I used it to make a quick and easy macaroni and cheese.

{Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese}

serves 4

• 8 oz. whole wheat shells (or any other short pasta of your choice)
• 2 oz. smoked gouda (grated)
• 1 T butter
• 1-2 T ap flour
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 shallot, chopped finely
• 1 1/4 c plain, unsweetened almond milk (or cow’s milk)
• couple dashes of garlic powder
• 1/4 whole wheat panko crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 375. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, begin your roux. Melt butter and add 1 T of ap flour. Slowly add in milk. If roux isn’t thickening, add in more flour up to 1 T. Season with salt and pepper. Add in garlic powder and chopped shallot. Remove from heat and whisk in grated cheese until melted.

Add pasta to baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and stir to ensure pasta is evenly coated. Sprinkle top with panko.

Cook in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Though this is extremely filling, I am craving dessert. But I think I’ll abstain given how iffy I’ve been feeling today. I’m attempting to quell the urge right now by burning this new candle I picked up today.

It smells delicious. Highly recommend. Pumpkin buttercream sounds like everything my dreams are made of. Alright, I’m back to the books.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Another Way I Like My Vodka…

I enjoy a good cocktail from time to time. I’m not a Tequila girl, I’m intimidated by Whiskey and I may have drank too much Rum back in college. But Vodka, I can handle. In small doses. This Vodka sauce though, I could eat a bathtub full of the stuff. It’s that good, I swear.

Paired-up with delicate spaghetti squash? Yes, please. What’s even better? This version of Vodka sauce is lightened up. Does it taste like it? No. It doesn’t. Not at all. In fact, it’s still creamy and rich and packed full of flavor. And because you are eating it over spaghetti squash (which is RIDICULOUSLY good for you), you can go ahead and use your thick slice of garlic bread to wipe your bowl clean.

{Vodka Sauce}

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 T olive oil
• 2-3 shallots, chopped
• 1/4 t crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 c vodka
• 1/4 c vegetable broth
• 1 can italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 light cream
• 3 T fresh basil, chopped
• grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Heat oil in large non-stick skilled over medium-high heat. Add shallot to pan and sauté until tender (about 4 minutes or so). Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add vodka and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in salt, broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.

Place tomato mixture in food processor, process until smooth then return to pan. Mix in cream and cook sauce for an additional 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in basil. You may either mix pasta (or spaghetti squash) with sauce or spoon sauce over already plated pasta. Garnish with additional basil (if desired) and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 3-4

*For the spaghetti squash, simply pre-heat oven to  350 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seed and goop from the middle. Place halves cut side down on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. When squash is done, the flesh will be easily scraped into “spaghetti” shreds with a fork.

Edited to add: I was inspired to serve my Vodka sauce over spaghetti squash by Jess over at The Saucy Kitchen.

Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Puree

They said it was going to snow, a lot, and it sure did. With work closed, I ventured out with a shovel to do some damage on the driveway. Two hours later (after one major wipeout resulting in sopping wet boots), the driveway and walk were clear (at least for the time being)… and I wanted food.

I wanted warm, filling, flavorful comfort food. And that’s exactly what this was.

Giada’s Rigatoni Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Puree adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, cut into cubes
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 pound pasta (I mixed bowties and rotini)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine eggplant, grape tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 35 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain pasta and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to food processor. Add the extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until pasta is saucy. Garnish with more red pepper flakes (if desired) and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Pan to Plate in 15 minutes

Can someone tell me why it is that after a relaxing weekend, I still feel so wiped on Monday?

I swear, my mind was on overdrive at work today. My stream of consciousness went something like this: hmmm, what am I going to make for dinner tonight? Should I stop and buy an onion at the farm stand? I don’t really need an onion, do I? I really need to write up my observation reports. And that paper too. Ugggh, I have so much laundry to do. Wow, it’s going to be 80 on Wednesday? I wonder if I should skip the gym and bring puppy for a walk at the beach. Did I give puppy his frontline this month? I need to make him a grooming appointment. Did I check my voicemail today? I should find a recipe using my new squash…

It went on, and on, and on like that alllll dayyyyy longggg. Obviously there were relevant work matters sprinkled in too. Well, how did my day pan out? I came home, put in a load of laundry and headed out to a rock show and got home at 8:30 to cook dinner and bang out masterfully complete some school work.

So this is my “clean out the refrigerator” Monday night Madness meal. Ready in just about 15 minutes flat. Win.

  15 Minutes from Pan to Plate Pasta

• whole wheat linguine (enough for 1 person)
• 2 strips turkey bacon
• white wine
• spinach
• cherry tomatoes
• garlic powder
• fresh ground black pepper

I cooked my pasta according to the package.  Meanwhile, I fried up my turkey bacon in a pan with a spray of Pam. When the turkey bacon was good to go, I threw in the spinach and cook in the juices. Shortly after, I tossed in a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, garlic powder and some ground black pepper. When the pasta was ready, I put that in the pan… poured a few glugs of wine into the pan and heated til there was no liquid left.

I then plated it and sprinkled on some freshly grated parmesan. There you have it, 15 minutes from pan to plate.

Here’s to a week full of fun recipes I’m excited to try and share! Night!

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Today, in the produce section, I had a moment. I saw the squash display. Nope, not of the summer varietal. There it was, staring straight at me. Winter squash. I wanted to pick up a spaghetti squash and cradle it in my arms like a newborn baby. Okay, not really. Or, possibly really. You’ll never know the truth.

But I already had a plan and spaghetti squash wasn’t part of it. And I never have a plan. Ask anyone who knows me. My “plans” often sound like this, “I plan on planning on planning on _______” <---- insert something that should have been done last week in the blank. So now you can follow my intent today to strictly adhere to said plan. I’m trying to turn a new leaf. For instance, tonight I read power point handouts on the treadmill. Now I can pick up Bourdain’s book again without feeling like I should be studying. Oh, Hai new me!

Well, the plan was to make the caramelized sweet potato mac & cheese from Joanne. So I kept walking and grabbed sweet potatoes instead. I’m glad I did. It was tasty and I now have enough of it left to eat nothing but sweet potato mac & cheese for the next 5 days. I’m not complaining. But I don’t plan on doing that. Because, well, I don’t make plans… usually.

Caramelized Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese 

Serves 4
5 cloves garlic
1/2 lb sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pasta (I used Whole Wheat Shells)
2 tbsp light butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
12 oz almond milk
1 cup reduced fat cheese (I used whatever I had in the fridge)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tbsp bread crumbs (I used Whole Wheat, Italian Seasoned)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the sweet potatoes. Boil with garlic for five minutes. Mash the garlic with a fork and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the sweet potato slices for 5 minutes or until caramelized, flipping every minute or so. Set aside. I used this Roasted Garlic Olive Oil from the Temecula Olive Oil Company… it’s straight from Temecula, CA (by way of Augusta, Maine!)

Boil water and cook pasta. Prepare cheese sauce. Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in milk, slowly. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 minute, whisking all the while. Mix in all of the cheese, 2 tbsp of the parmesan cheese, the salt, pepper and rosemary until the cheese is melted. Mix in the garlic and the sweet potato and pour into pasta.

Pour the pasta/cheese/sweet potato mixture into a greased casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and remaining 2 tbsp parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden.

I have a very content belly and a half-full glass of wine so I’m off to cuddle up with puppy and Anthony (Bourdain, that is).