Cooking with the Kiddo: Mac and Cheese Style

In this day and age of over scheduling the kiddos, it is awesome to discover a lesson or a class that the kid totally enjoys. And actually loves. And wants to return to again and again.

Such was the case with Sur la Table's cooking class for kids. My son attended a three-day course last summer with two of his cousins, and he absolutely loved it. We make a few of the recipes at home including this Three Cheese Mac and Cheese.

It is super decadent, so I don't make it on a regular basis. But it is a delicious treat, and I love when my son helps out with the preparations. I have tried many mac and cheese recipes over the years, and this one is totally at the top.

This is prepared on the stovetop only - no oven time is needed. The recipe calls for whole milk, but I used 2 percent because that's what we have in the house. It worked just fine.

Here's a pic of the deliciousness with my turkey burgers. Click here for the turkey burger recipe.

I really enjoyed cooking with my son. It teaches him to not be scared of the stove and oven. He is learning how to use appliances and the purpose of different utensils, pans and devices. It also get him to see how ingredients change and the process of how a dish comes together. I love when he cooks with me, even if it means I'm moving a bit slower. It's time together, so who cares?! Here he is getting his whisk on:

Three Cheese Mac and Cheese
By Sur la Table
4 servings

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
Sea salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, plus more as needed
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, plus more as needed
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces elbow macaroni

To prepare the sauce base: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in flour until smooth and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, whisking frequently.

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking continuously. If the sauce gets lumpy, continue whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking frequently, until creamy and smooth, 7 to 8 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp. salt, mustard and black pepper.

To prepare the mac and cheese sauce: Remove sauce base from heat and add cheese. Whisk until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add generous season of salt. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Drain well in colander, return to the pot, and then toss with the sauce until thoroughly coated. Reheat over low heat if necessary. The consistency of the mac and cheese can be adjusted as needed. Thin it out with milk or make it creamier by adding more cheese.

Healthy Yum Yums

Farro is an ancient grain, and I'm so glad it is in my life in current times. With the surge in the popularity of whole grains i.e., quinoa, brown rice, bulger, barley, etc. etc., farro is readily available in your everyday grocery store. 

I find it chewier than barley, and I think it takes on flavors more fully than barley as well. This salad kept for several days in my refrigerator, since I was the only human living in this house who actually ate it. It's great to lunch on after a weekend of over indulgence. And the fact that it lasts for awhile and still tastes delish is good news for all of you meal-planning peeps out there.

I used regular broccoli. The salad is a really nice mix of flavors and textures.

This is the recipe straight from the Smitten Kitchen Web site, which I must say is fabulous!

Broccoli Rubble Farro Salad

From Smitten Kitchen

(2 robust servings or 4 more petite ones)

Salt

1 cup semi pearled farro

1 pound broccolini or regular broccoli

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Red pepper flakes to taste

Finely grated zest, then juice of 1 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated or ground in a food processor.

Bring a medium/large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, add broccoli and boil for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, until slightly softened but still crisp overall. Scoop out with slotted spoon or tongs, then drain.

Add farro back to same pot (I’m totally okay with some errant leftover broccoli flecks and vitamins here, if you’re not, use another pot of salted water) and cook, simmering, for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. (Since there are so many varieties of farro, however, if your package suggests otherwise, it’s best to defer to its cooking suggestion.) Drain and tip into a large mixing bowl; cool to lukewarm.

Pat drained broccoli dry on towels, trying to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Chop into small (roughly 1/2-inch) bits. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic and pepper flakes, to taste, and cook for 1 minute, until garlic is faintly golden. Add chopped broccoli, lemon zest, and salt (I use a full teaspoon kosher salt here, but adjust the amount to your taste) and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 more minutes, until broccoli is well-seasoned and slightly more tender.

Add broccoli and every bit of garlic and oil from the pan to the bowl of farro and stir to combine. Add lemon juice, black pepper and more salt to taste (but 1/2 teaspoon of each is what we used) and stir to combine. Stir in cheese.

Serve warm or at room temperature as-in, with an egg on top, burrata, and/or seasoned breadcrumbs.

Chicken Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

Kale, beans and sausage go hand in hand in hand. So this soup is a perfect marriage of the three.

My Chicken Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup can be rocked out in less than 45 minutes. If you can find chicken sausage bulk style pick that up for this soup. But if not, you can just cut off the casings and proceed with the recipe. A flat-edge wooden spoon is great for breaking up sausage links.

I use a package of baby kale because it is just good to go. No stemming or chopping is necessary.

This soup is packed with protein and veggies. It freezes really well, too!

Chicken Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup
Makes 6 servings

1 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 19 ounce Cento cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 inch piece parmigiano rind
5 ounces baby kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve with grated parmigiano cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add olive oil and brown chicken sausage. Crumble with a flat-edge wooden spoon while the sausage browns. Once browned, remove to a plate. Set aside.

In the same pot. Add carrots, celery and onion. Saute over medium heat until onions are golden. Add garlic cloves, salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook for two more minutes.

Add broth, water, cheese rind and beans.  Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add sausage and kale to soup. Cook for five more minutes. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with a sprinkle of parmigiano cheese.

Ain't No Party Like a Pigs in the Blanket Party

Sometimes a little low brow snacky poof is all you need to keep your party guests happy. Proof: Pigs in the Blankie. That's how I say it. Deal with it.

Yes, mini hot dogs wrapped in some puffy pastry dipped in a yummy mustard win the hearts of young and old, rich and poor, food snob or junk food afficionado pretty much every time. I never have leftovers of this fine delicacy.

Make this for your people, and they will be happy.

This is a bit of cooking for dummies. I mean there are literally two ingredients.

But there are ways making pigs in the blanket can go haywire. I do recommend lining your baking sheets with parchment. Also, the recipe says up to 15 minutes but if your baking sheets and/or the dough are chilly willy it may take a bit longer. I have baked these for up to 18 minutes because my house and baking sheets are often arctic in temperature.

You may prepare these a few hours in advance and just bake them as your party gets started. That's how I do.

I always have to put out a bowl of ketchup with them, too, since we have a lot of kiddos in the extended fam and kiddos love their ketchup. Here's a look at the final product joined by my fab popcorn chicken.

Pigs in a Blanket
(Makes 48)
From pillsbury.com

2 cans (8oz each) Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 8-packs of hot dogs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut each hot dog into thirds.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unroll cans of dough.

Separate dough into 16 triangles by following the perforations on the dough. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut each triangle of dough into three smaller triangles.

Place hot dog on end of dough trial. Roll up. Place onto prepared baking sheets. Repeat to get 48 rolls.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until dough is puffed up and golden. Flip the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.

Serve with mustard and ketchup or cheese dip!

Fish and Chips at Home

Bust out a Guinness and pull up a bar stool, lads and lassies. Today is all about the ultimate pub food: Fish and Chips.

With some smart planning, you can enjoy Fish and Chips right at home.  My version is baked, not fried, so it is not so heavy. I also make my dipping sauce with yogurt. So, it's not a heavy mayo-based tartar sauce. Just two tablespoons of mayo is all you need!

I advise cooking this in the order in which I am presenting the recipes. Make the cabbage slaw first. You can even make it the day ahead. It needs to marinate for at least six hours. Next, make the dipping sauce and set it in the refrigerator to chill. Third, bake the chips. Raise the temp of the oven then bake the fish. You can cover the chips with aluminum to keep them nice and warm for when it's time to eat.

I used cod, but you could also use tilapia.

My family loves this Fish and Chips, and it's so much fun to make at home. It's like you're up in the pub at your very own kitchen table.

Red Cabbage Slaw
Makes 4-6 side dish servings

1 10-14 ounce bag of red cabbage slaw
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, wine vinegar, canola oil, salt and pepper. Add red cabbage. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You may toss the cabbage during the marinating time to redistribute the dressing. Serve chilled.

Dipping sauce:
1 pint greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon
2 Tbsp. horseradish
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chips:
(Makes 6 to 8 side dish servings)
4-5 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick wedges
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place potato wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all the wedges.

Place in hot oven for 20 minutes. Flip tray. Cook for 10-15 minutes more. Potatoes should be crispy and cooked through.

Serve with: Malt vinegar or ketchup

Fish:
(Makes 6 main dish servings)

2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch by 5-inch sticks or as close to this as you can get, patted dry with towels
2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. cajun seasoning
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line up three medium bowls. In the first bowl, add flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the second bowl, add eggs.  Lightly whisk.

In the third bowl, add panko bread crumbs, cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.

Dredge each fish stick in the flour, then eggs, then panko. Line up on baking sheet. Repeat to prepare all fish sticks.

Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate pan. Bake 7 minutes more or until fish is cooked through and panko is crispy.

Please note: You may garnish your fish and chips with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. In addition to the dipping sauce, serve with lemon wedges, malt vinegar, ketchup or hot sauce if desired.

A Little Prep Ahead

I'm all about getting her done the night before. My lists. My prep. My dinner. People are always asking me when do I do it all? When do I cook?

A nightowl by nature, I cook and meal prep off the clock for din on wackadoo hours - like 10 p.m. or 10 a.m. Then The Husband just reheats it so he and the kiddo can eat a nice plate while I'm working.

These Lemon and Herb Roasted Tenderloins are a dish I put together the night before. The marinade can be made right in the pan that is used for roasting the tenderloins. I use my good ole' Pyrex, but any type will do. I then bake it first thing in the morning so that its ready for my fam.

The marinade is great with both pork and turkey tenderloins. Pork tenderloin is easier to find in the store as turkey tenderloin is a newer item on the market. You can find them in the poultry case hanging out with the chickens if your store has them, which mine sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. A package of turkey tenderloin is usually two pieces so I buy two packs for these measurements. One package of pork tenderloin usually equals about 2.5 to 3 pounds. It is usually two pieces. So, I buy one package of pork tenderloin for these measurements.

These are great with rice or your basic baked potato. And of course some veggies! My pics today show the turkey tenderloins:

Lemon and Herb Roasted Tenderloins
(Makes four to six servings)

2.5 - 3 pounds of turkey or pork tenderloins

Marinade ingredients:
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a baking dish large enough for your tenderloins, add all of the marinade ingredients. Whisk together. Place the tenderloins in the pan and coat with the marinade. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Place prepared dish in your refrigerator. Marinate for at least 8 hours or over night.

When you are ready to cook the tenderloins, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. For turkey: cook uncovered in oven for 45-55 minutes. For pork: Cook covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes more.

Remove from oven and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with potatoes or rice and your favorite veggies!

Ravioli in Vodka Sauce

When The Husband and Son go out on the town for their sports and whatnot, the Jersey Girl still throws it down in the kitchen for Me, Myself and I.

These are the moments I cook something a little special but doesn't require too much cleanup. Because homegirl needs to enjoy her food while watching a trashy show or a chick flick or reading a good book. AmIright, Darling? Of course I am. No stress, please and thank you.

So here we go: Vodka Sauce but not just with any old penne. Aw, hell no. Homegirl went in big with the ravioli.

Now my package of ravioli had a quantity of 12, so the amount of the sauce made in the recipe below was a bit extra. No problemo: Into the freezer it awaits for my next night alone. Although, I do think my homeboys would groove on this. So, maybe I'll share when it defrosts.

I served my magnifico ravioli with some roasted asparagus. But it would also be fab with a little salad, maybe some baby spinach or spring greens.

I used my girl Rachael Ray's recipe from her classic book "30 Minute Meals 2." This book came out when she was first blowing up on Food Network. I think it is a very useful book, especially for beginner cooks. It is one of the first cookbooks I bought before even getting hitched. I use it all the time, 16 years later.

Rachael has a thing against measuring, but I did literally measure the vodka. I feel like the wrong quantity of that could totally jack this recipe up. Plus, who wants to waste their precious pricey vodka? Not this girl.

You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long Vodka Cream Pasta
From "30 Minute Meals 2"
By Rachael Ray

Makes 4 servings (Make it for 2 with seconds in mind)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (once around the pan)
1 Tbsp. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread

Put large pot of salted water on to boil.

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently saute garlic and shallots, 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about a cup. Reduce vodka by half, 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble, then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, a bit firm to the bite (cooking time should be listed on your box of pasta).

Stir cream into the vodka sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve immediately along with crusty bread.