Mac and Cheese

Listed as as side, it is my choice to eat as the entire meal.

1 lb Macaroni

4 Tbs Butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk

2 cups grated sharp cheddar (better to grate your own)

2 cups grated fontina (helps make sauce creamy and smooth)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Topping

1 1/2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs

3 Tbs butter

1 clove garlic minced

2 Tbs minced parsley

Cook Macaroni until al dente in boiling salted water

Drain set aside

In same pot melt butter on medium

whisk in flour slowly but do not allow to brown. will become a thick paste

slowly whisk in milk (works best if your warm milk in microwave first)

Bring to boil whisking frequently

Remove from heat, add cheeses and mustard. Season with salt and pepper

Stir in Macaroni

Pour into buttered casserole

Melt butter in frying pan for topping. Stir fry garlic for a few minutes. Toss bread crumbs into pan to coat with butter. Spread over Macaroni and cheese.

Bake 20 mins at 350 until browned and bubbling

Pizza Pie

Pizza at home can be worthwhile if you take the time and effort. For me it is all about the crust. Put the best toppings on a bad crust and you have bad pizza. (as if there is such a thing!)

For years I have tried different flours and mixes and finally I have arrived at what I like; a crusty dough with a crunch that yields to a bready center.

However to get the best results I suggest a Pizza Stone, Peal and a food processer. I could not get good dough results out of a mixer and by hand is time consuming but is a great forearm workout.

I have two very well seasoned pizza pans that I have used for my years of experimentation, and you can forgo the stone, just turn your oven down to about 400. The results are not as good but are adequate.

Dough is something you get a better feel for the more you make it

Pizza Crust

1/2 cup warm water (110F is perfect)

1 pkg Active Dry Yeast

1 tsp honey

Combine honey with water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit 10 minutes until foamy

Meanwhile mix in food processer with dough hook

4 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp Salt

1 cup warm water

1 Tbs olive oil

Slowly p0ur proofed yeast mixture in processer with motor running

process until dough forms ball at top. Check dough if sticky you may need to add additional flour and process more. Dough should be smooth but not dry. Dry requires you add additional water 1 tbs at a time.

Remove dough, Knead by hand for a couple of minutes. Add 2 tbs olive oil to a bowl. add dough turning to coat with oil. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled about one hour. If your kitchen is drafty and cold put a cup of water in the microwave for one minute on high. Let dough raise in microwave.

Punch down dough. At this time you can choose to let it raise again until doubled about 3/4 hour and punch down again which will result in a more tender crust or:

Divide dough in 1/2. Let rest while you prepare toppings.

1/2 cup corn meal

Put 1/4 corn meal on Pizza Stone on lowest rack in oven. Preheat to 500F

Coat Pizza Peel with 1/4 corn meal. Work dough into circular shape with raised edges about 12" diameter. It takes some practice some people use a roller but a rustic look is kinda cool.

Add approx 3/4 to 1 cup sauce

toppings of choice

and if you have gone this far you might as well shred your own mixture of mozza, provolone and romano.

Slide from peal to stone using a quick jerk motion.

Bake approx 12 - 15 minutes Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Repeat with remaining dough

Pizza Sauce: makes approximatly 3 cups

4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 medium onion finely chopped

2 tbs olive oil

3 tsp Italian Seasoning

2 tsp red chile flakes

8 0z Tomato Paste

2 x 14 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups water

In large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. When soft add spices and chile flakes to oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste, add sauce and water.

Bring to boil and then simmer for up to three hours. you want sauce to thicken.

Loney's Minestrone

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Stalks celery chopped

2 Carrots peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

6 cups chicken broth (use low sodium if not home made)

1/2 butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed about two cups

1 cup Orzo

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney) drained and rinsed

1 zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced

1/2 16oz bag frozen brocoli and caulifower florets

1/2 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 tsp fresh snipped

pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce to taste

worcestershire to taste

garnish with freshly grated Parmesan

in large pot stir fry the carrots, onions, celery and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes on medium

Stir in broth, tomatoes, squash, oregano. Return to boil and simmer x 20 minutes

Add uncooked orzo, beans, zucchini, brocolo and cauliflower

add pepper, hot sauce and worcestershire to taste (lots)

simmer another 7 minutes until Orzo is tender.

Fresh Apple Cake

My neighbor Regina found this one, made it and shared. The only problem with it there was not enough!

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=2012760

Potato Salad

Hated Potato salad as a kid. Attended a couple of church picnics with my brother, and remember too well the taste of a salads made with miracle whip that had been in the sun just a little too long. Church suppers were strange enough territory for a young Catholic boy. My brother was brought up Wesleyan and perhaps my Mum was teaching me religious tolerance by sending me to a Protestant Picnic. Irregardless I didnt win the three legged race and it took me many years to try potato salad again.

2 lbs Potatoes (about two pounds)
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1/4 green pepper chopped
4 hard boiled eggs sliced, reserve 4 clices for top, chop the rest
6 slices bacon cooked and crumbled reserve two for top
1 cup grated sharp scheddar divided
2 green onions chopped

1 1/2 cup mayonaise
1 tbs cidar vinegar or white
2 tbs mustard dijon preferred or yellow

partially peel potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until tender but still firm
Immediatly immerse in cold water
when potatoes are cool add to celery, red onion, green pepper and chopped egg, 1/2 cup cheese and 4 crumbled slices of bacon
whisk together mayo, mustard, vinegar salt pepper to taste. If I have some fresh herbs I might toss in
add dressing to potatoe mixture
garnish top with reserved eggs, bacon, cheese, and green onion if desired
chill about 4 hour before serving
and dont let it sit in the sun too long!

Chicken Saltimbocca

4 chicken breast halves

4 thin slices prosciutto

1 10 oz box frozen spinach lawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romanno

8 sage leaves

salt pepper

3/4 cup white wine

2 tbs Lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 lb butter

2 green onions sliced

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness between sheets of palstic wrap or in heavy freezer bags. If you dont have a flat meat mallet cover bottom of an empty wine bottle with pastic wrap. If you know me chances are you have one of these.

Lay slice of prosciutto on each chicken breast

Spread out thin layer spinach on top of chicken

Mince 4 sage leaves, sprinkle sage salt pepper on each. Divide cheese evenly on each breast. Quick drizzle olive oil.

Roll each breast like a chicken roll. Secure with a couple of tooth picks

Heat 2 tbsp olive il in large skillet medium high. Cook breasts about two minutes each side to brown.

Add wine to skillet, 4 addition sage leaves, lemon sugar and salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low medium. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken to platter, remove tooth picks, keep warm

meanwhle return liquid to boil, slowly add heavy cream until sauce thickens.

remove from heat. Add butter stirring constantly.

Add green onions.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve

Blueberry Pie

A blueberry bonanza at Winn Dixie last week!

Pastry 2 crusts- see peach pie recipe

2 pints blueberries (4 cups)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar or less

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs butter

rinse and sort berries, pour lemon juice over berries

mix sugar flour cinnamon, sprinkle over berries mixing gently. allow to rest for a bit

Line pie pan with crust

Put Berries in crust. Place top crust over with lattice crust or vented top

Place in 450 F oven x 10 minutes then 350 F 35 minutes

You may need a foil guard over crust edge to keep from over browning