30 Minute Meals Mac & Cheese

30 Minute Meals - Macaroni and Cheese
This dish is so overlooked as a perfect meal. Much more popular than you would think, not easy to prepare without a good recipe but a real crowd pleaser, great Mac & Cheese
is a dish you want to know how to prepare! Here is my version, bon appetite.
This recipe feeds 6-8 adults, takes 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to finish. You will need a stove and an oven to make this dish and an oven proof casserole dish to finish.
Shopping list:
1. 1.5 pounds of elbow macaroni
2. 4 cups of grated cheese. I use a blend of three cheeses, Romano, Parmesan and Mozzarella. Mozzarella must account for at least 2 cups of the mixture so you get that creamy texture that makes Mac & Cheese so fine.
3. ½ cup of all purpose flour
4. 3 cups of chicken broth. ( I use Knoor)
5. Kosher salt and course ground black pepper.
6. 1 cup of plain bread crumbs
7. 2 tablespoons of melted butter
These are steps:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the melted butter and breadcrumbs together and set aside.
3. Boil enough water to cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 6-7 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine the cheeses and flour. Mix thoroughly.
5. Heat the chicken broth almost to a boil and slowly and continuously stir in the cheese mixture until it is a smooth cheese sauce. This will take 5 minutes of constant stirring.
6. Drain the pasta.
7. Place the pasta and the cheese sauce in the casserole dish and stir to evenly distribute the cheese sauce.
8. Turn on your broiler.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
10. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are a golden brown color.
Serve this with Chianti. Chianti is a red table wine produced in Tuscany, Italy. Chianti dates back to the 13the century and was originally a white wine. Today most Chianti is a made from a blend of red grapes. The most popular grape in Chianti is Sangiovese. The Chianti producers of Italy cover a vast area of Tuscany. Chianti is the second most popular wine in Italy and a great bottle can cost as little as $12.00. Currently my favorite Chianti is Ruffino 2009. It is selling for under $11 per bottle. What I love about this bottle of wine is it only needs 20 minutes to breath and then it is perfect to drink.

30 Minute Meals Salmon Pasta Toss

Ever find yourself at the grocery store, too spent from the days activities, trying to be creative with dinner. Even the most inexperienced chef can go into the kitchen and WOW your dinner companions with this dish.

If I haven't said so before, I should have....if you intend to cook once a week, keep in your cupboard, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Shallots, Dried Basil, Red Cooking Wine, White Cooking Wine, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper. In your refrigerator always have Butter and Parmesan Cheese.  Start a list today and call it Julie's Must Haves. Fell free to comment on things you want to add to Julie's Must Haves or email me at Mise en Scene your comments and questions.

This recipe serves four, takes 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes from start to finish. Your list of ingredients:

1. 8 ounces of linguini
2. 1 tablespoon of butter
3. 12 ounces of salmon fillet, skinless and cut into 1 inch cubes
4. 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
5. 12 asparagus spears cut into 1 inch pieces
6. 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic 
7. 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons of dried
8. 12 grape tomatoes
9. 2 green onions sliced using only the green part
10. 4 teaspoons of corn starch
11. 1 cup of chicken broth
12. 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese

Here are your four quick steps to a delicious dinner.

1. Cook the pasta in salted water for 7-9 minutes. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter in a 12 inch skillet over a medium heat. Cook the salmon pieces in the butter for 4-5 minutes. Fully cooked salmon will flake apart when you put a fork into the pieces of fish. Remove the salmon from the skillet. 
3. Increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms, the garlic, and the asparagus to the skillet and cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, the basil and the green onion and cook for 1 more minute.
4. In a cup stir the cornstarch into the chicken broth. Pour the broth over your vegetable mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add in the salmon pieces, stir and turn off the heat. Toss it with the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

If you like spicy foods you can add a finely shopped jalapeno pepper to the skillet when you are cooking the other vegetables.
I suggest you try a Columbia Valley Wine from Chateau St Michelle. Their Chardonnays from 2007 fetch 89 points for Wine Enthusiast. Bevmo carries it and sometimes offers these wines in their 5 cent sale.

You can enjoy some discounts from wines.com, just click here. Monthly wine clubs at Wine.com

Quick Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe has been my life saver for years. I have prepared this dish hundreds of times and every time it gets high marks for delicious. This is a simple tomato based pasta sauce with Spicy Italian Pork Sausage and Mild Turkey Sausage.

I am about to embark on perfecting this recipe. You see, Sunday, I prepared this dish for the 100,000th time. Only this time, I made a minor change to my recipe and the sauce finally was the sauce I always wanted it to be.  It was quick, delicious, did not taste overcooked, but it was thick and it clung to the linguine. This recipe is worth sharing.Keep in mind that this was a special birthday meal I was preparing so of course I wanted perfection.
 
A little background....
I had invited Anne Kelly to spend Sunday with me in celebration of her birthday. I had missed seeing her for her birthday. She graciously accepted. I invited her to spend the day Sunday with me. Even though I had work to do, I knew she would not be lonely at my place.  I was busy Saturday night with a wedding reception at Sangria in Hermosa Beach. www.sangriahermosa.com.
When I got home I found Miss Kelly resting comfortably on my couch surrounded by her Redondo Beach Fan Club.

On Sunday on my way back from the Beach House in Hermosa Beach I ran by the grocery store and picked up:

1. 1 large can of crushed tomato
2. 1 bunch of fresh basil (wash before you use)
3. 1 pound of Sweet Turkey Sausage
4. 1 pound of Spicy Pork Sausage
5. 2 medium shallots
6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this should always be in your cupboard if you cook)
7. 1 pound of pasta (get what you like)
8. Salt & pepper to taste (use only Kosher salt when you cook)

I forgot to get red cooking wine. You can not make great tomato based sauce without red wine.

1. Finely chopped the shallots and saute them in 1/4 cup of olive oil over a low flame.  
2.  Squeeze the meat out of the sausage casing into the pan and break the chunks of sausage into smaller pieces. Let the sausage brown. This takes about 5-7 minutes. 
3. Add in the can of crushed tomato, and 1/2 cup of thin sliced basil leaves. stir and let it get hot. 
4. When the sauce is bubbly add in 1/2 cup of Ruby Port (my new secret ingredient). Let the sauce cook for ten minutes.

1. Cook the pasta by following the directions on the package. 
2. Drain the pasta. 
3. Put it into a shallow bowl and toss it with your spoonfuls of the sauce until the pasta is covered in rich, thick tomato sauce. 
4. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and shredded Parmesan. By the way every cooking kitchen should have Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator and Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the cupboard.

 I would suggest that you serve this dish with a Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico reasonable priced under $15 a bottle. This wine makes the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide list. I like the pairing of Chianti with this  rich sauce because the fresh fruity quality that the Sangiovese grape adds is just what it needs to balance the spicy sausage flavor with the sweet basil.   This particular Chianti Classico is lighter than most. If you prefer a more concentrated and intense wine try Castelli del Grevepesa.

Pesto alla Genovese

Pesto, or what is commonly called Pesto Genovese is one of the tastiest, easiest, and healthiest dishes you can serve. Preparing pesto takes about 15 minutes. This recipe makes a cup of sauce and that is what you need for one pound of pasta or 5 servings. Yes, a pound of pasta serves five.

Pesto is the classic Ligurian Sauce made with Basil (Liguria (pronounced [liˈgu(ː)rja]) is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and food. Wikipedia ) and it was considered somewhat exotic to my American friends a few years ago. Like all staples in the Italian refrigerator, Pesto is one of them. It is especially available in the summer when basil grows like weeds.

My grandmother made this with a mortar and pestle. I did as well once or twice. The best way to make Pesto is with a food processor.
You will need:

1. 2 cups of fresh basil leaves packed tightly
2. 1/3 cup of pignoli (pine nuts)
3. 1 large clove of garlic peeled
4. ¼ teaspoon of salt
5. ½ cup EVOO
6. 1/3 cup of Grated Parmesan

1. Put the basil, the nuts, the garlic and the salt into the food processor bowl. Let the single blade chop these ingredients for two pulses. Add the oil and blend it. Remove the mixture from the bowl and put it in a mixing bowl, fold in the cheese.
2. Cook the pasta in salted water. Remove and set aside ½ cup of pasta cooking water before you drain the cooked pasta. Note, always time your pasta. Check the package directions and minus 1 minute. Set your timer and check you pasta constantly after the timer is sounded, until the pasta is done to perfection. Perfect pasta is supposed to be cooked al dente and that is a matter of opinion. When the pasta is done to your satisfaction, drain it, toss it with the pesto and use that cooking water to thin out the suace if it is too thick and rich.
3. Serve with warm bread, a ceasar salad and a fruity Italian Wine such as Chianti or Valpolicella Classico. Valpolicella is a light quaffing wine, generally fermented in steel, kept in tanks, and then bottled in the spring, to be drunk on a daily basis. It tends to have a lively bouquet with floral notes and hints of cherry or berry fruits - this is definitely an aromatic wine. On the palate it is light, fruity, and with a pleasant touch of acidity that leaves a clean finish. Not much in the way of tannins. Should be served with first courses -- pasta with meat-based sauces and soups, or vegetable-based entrees. I love this wine, you should try one.

Why Cook At Home When You Can Eat Out.

With the abundance of fast food, deli food, frozen packaged food, and restaurants all around, why go to the trouble of learning to cook at home?

The most common answer I hear from people is that they don't know how. They don't know what ingredients to buy or what pans to use. They've watched other people struggle to put a simple meal on the table that ended up being tasteless and not worth eating. The lessons learned in "home living" or "home economics" classes have long been forgotten. I don’t even think they teach those classes in today’s high schools. Most people are clueless and they don’t know where to begin.

You begin with the desire to live a healthier lifestyle. You control the amounts of fat, sodium, carbohydrates, or any other additive. You can buy fruits and vegetables in season when they are at their best both flavor and nutritional value. Portion control is as easy as deciding how much food to put on your plate, eliminating the temptation to eat all those fries that came with your restaurant burger. You can probably shop at a farmers market and get fresh, locally grown produce. The produce from the farmers market is so fresh it will last longer in your refrigerator than the vegetables and fruits from the local mega store. Always choose the freshest ingredients. The less something is processed, the fresher it is. The best time to start avoiding heart disease and any number of other health issues is today. Start cooking for yourself today and you begin feeling healthier almost immediately.

It is less expensive to eat at home than to eat out. No matter what level dining you choose, you can produce two to three times as many meals if you bought the ingredients and cooked yourself. The starting point is to get key ingredients into your house. In order to know what key ingredients you should have on hand, start collecting recipes that you want to try. You can collect ingredients and pans as we go along.

It is less time consuming to eat at home. You don’t have to drive to the restaurant, wait to be seated, order food and wait for it to arrive. Instead you can quickly prepare your dish, while it cooks; you can read your mail, make phone calls, catch up on the day’s news or maybe do some laundry.

Cooking for yourself allows you more flexibility than using prepared foods or ordering at a restaurant. You don’t have to be a picky eater to know that sometimes you just don’t want your sandwich with everything on it. At home, if you don't like black olives in your pasta, don't use them. If you like extra basil, add it. You can use olive oil instead of butter or soy milk instead of dairy. The choices are limitless, and your meals are suited to your tastes, every time. What restaurant can do that for you?

Finally, it may all you need to add something special to your personal life. Dinner at home with friends or loved ones and you prepared the food.

Try the recipes you find here and discover the chef at home. Researchers have found that the Mediterranean diet promotes good health. Go shopping and buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil, cold pressed, dried basil, dried tarragon, dried parsley and kosher salt. You will always want to have these ingredients in your kitchen.

The first recipe is marinara. Go to the store and buy; 56 oz. Whole Peeled Tomatoes (if you do not have a blender buy crushed tomatoes),Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Chianti (Italian Red Table Wine), 1 Bunch Fresh Sweet Basil, 1 Bunch Fresh Tarragon, 3 medium Shallots, Salt & Black Pepper.

Instructions: Wash the basil and tarragon, and wrap them in a towel to dry. Purée the tomatoes in your blender. Canned tomatoes are fine, although if you have the patience it takes to peel fresh ones, your sauce will taste that much better. Peel and chop the shallots as finely as you want. Larger pieces, of course, mean chunkier sauce. Chop the basil and tarragon together, very finely, almost to a pulp.

Combine the shallots, basil, and tarragon in a large saucepan. Drizzle enough olive oil into the bottom of the pan to cover the vegetables, about 1/2 cup. Then sprinkle some salt and pepper on top, just to get started.

Sauté the mixture over a low flame for five minutes or so, until the shallots begin to brown around the edges. Then add 1 cup of red wine to the pan (use Merlot or Pinot Noir for a sweeter sauce, Chianti or Cabernet Sauvignon for a heavier flavor). Stirring the mixture occasionally, allow it to simmer and reduce for about five minutes. Sprinkle in some more salt and pepper.

Add the tomato purée and stir. Keep the flame low — the more slowly this sauce cooks, the better it tastes. Cover the pan. After ten minutes, uncover and stir the sauce. Taste it, and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Avoid allowing it to boil, as this will make the olive oil separate. Cook the sauce for thirty more minutes, stirring and tasting it at least every ten. If you want a thicker sauce, leave the pan uncovered and stir more frequently, allowing steam to escape but keeping the heat evenly distributed (to prevent the oil from separating).

When the sauce is finished cooking, remove the pan from the flame and cover it (if you haven’t already). If you plan to keep any leftovers, you must let the sauce cool to room temperature before refrigerating it.