Author: Robert Andrews

Grandma’s Mac and Cheese

2016-03-02 18.07.26Ingredients to feed 6 or 12 people

  • 2 C large elbow macaroni
  • 1 C sour cream
  • 1 C shredded Colby – mixed in
  • 2 C shredded Colby – for topping

Grandma likes to use 1 C coarsely chopped black olives when she makes this, but you can leave the olives out if you don’t like them.

Put in whatever
you want. You can
use bell peppers,
green chilies,
artichoke hearts…
whatever !		 Optional Roux
1. In a saucepan, melt 2 TBL
butter over medium heat.
2. Stir in 2 TBL flour to make a roux.
3. Add 1 C milk to roux a splash at a time,
stirring constantly.
4. Stir in cheese, and cook over low heat
until cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
* This will replace Step 3 below.

Step by Step

  1. Cook the macaroni to taste
  2. Drain macaroni and put into large mixing bowl
  3. Mix together 1 C cheese and 1 C sour cream
  4. Add 1 C chopped black olives
  5. Stir macaroni and cheese mixture together
  6. Grease casserole dish
  7. Pour mixture into baking dish, and pat it down
  8. Top with as much shredded Colby as will fit in the casserole
  9. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes
  10. Let rest five minutes before serving

Oh, one more thing…

  • Serves 6 as a main course or up to 12 when served as a side

Hummus

Soak 2 cups of dried chickpeas in cold water over night. Yes you can use
canned chickpeas, but it won’t taste as good.

The next day, boil the chickpeas for about 1 hour or until they can be
squished between two fingers.

Drain the chickpeas of water.
Freeze half to use to make humus two weeks later, because that is how ofter
you should be eating humus … at least!

The other half throw into a food processor with:

1. The juice of 3 lemons
2. 4 table spoon of tahini sauce
3. Two cloves of garlic
4. bit of olive oil
5. cumin
6. salt

Mix for 2 minutes

Serve on a flat plate and garnish with olive oil, parsely and cumin.
Present it with pita bread.

Now that you have your hummus, you need to learn how to eat it.

Stuffed eggplant

  • Cut eggplant into 1/4-/2 inch slices lengthwise
  • Leave skin
  • Lay on baking sheet
  • Drizzle with EVOO salt and pepper
  • Bake at 450° for 10 minutes

Filling

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese or cottage
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parm cheese
  • Dried parsley
  • Chili flakes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 table flour
  • This is open to any other stuffing that you might want to use
  1. Large dollop of filling on wide end of eggplant
  2. Rolled into cannelloni
  3. Put 1/4 C marinara sauce in bottom of small ramekin
  4. Place in Marinara sauce

 

A Bit about FLOUR

A Bit about FLOUR

Rye / Whole Grain Rye
Strong flavor. Pair with other strong flavors
Eg thin crispy butter cookies with chopped candied orange peel, ginger and rye
Eg Rye brownies with dark chocolate
Eg Rye crumb toppings

Buckwheat
Strong nutty flavor. Pair with any recipe using nuts, Italian style cakes. Not with chocolates, but ok with other nuts

Khorasan Wheat Flour / Kamut Flour
Like very fine polenta with a bit of a crunch; Good with milk chocolate or cheese

Almond Flour
Eg Use with almonds, pecans or walnuts

Spelt
Almost like regular flour. A more natural flour . Add Xanthan Gum or gluten
More nuttiness and bitterness than AP

Polenta FLOUR
Similar to AP. good with nuts eg muffins

Gluten Free
Bread Flour
Rice
All Purpose

For cookies and cakes, etc., do not sub grain flours . Less gluten

Grain flours have less gluten and tend to be drier. Increase liquids. Not for lighter products such as croissants

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Rice and Lentils with Crispy Onions

Rice and Lentils with Crispy Onions

Mujaddara from 13th Century Mesopotamia

One pound of Vadallia onions . Sliced
Toss in 1 tsp salt
Microwave 3 minutes

Yogurt Sauce
1/2 C plain yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 TBL lemon juice
Mix and refrigerate

Rinse salt off onions
Dry well in a lint free cloth
Add to 3/4 C cold vegetable oil in Dutch oven
Cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes

3/4 C brown or green CLEANED lentils
3/4 C basmati CLEANED rice
Let rice soak in hot tap water 15 minutes

Par cook the lentils in 2 C water with 1 tsp salt
Simmer 15 minutes

Drain onions in colander, reserving oil
Drain on a paper towel

Rinse ALL starch from rice
Strain well

Add 2 TBL onion oil back to skillet
2 cloves minced garlic,
1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander
Large pinches of cinnamon and allspice
Small pinches black pepper and cayenne
Bloom spices
Add rice and cook about 3 minutes
Add 1 1/4 C hot tap water
1/2 tsp each salt and sugar
Bring to rapid boil
Add lentils and reduce heat to low
Cover and cook 12 minutes

Verify liquid is absorbed
Cover with cloth towel gasket, recover, and set off heat for 10 minutes
Fluff with a fork
Add 2 TBL chopped cilantro
1/2 of the cooked onions
Fluff together with fork
Serve topped with the other onions
Drizzle with yogurt sauce

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Ten Probiotic Foods You should Try

Ten Probiotic Foods You should Try

Curtido . El Salvador
Fermented salsa with cabbage, onions, chilies and other veggies served on corn tortillas

Kvass . Russia
Fermented grain drink – yeast, brown bread beers and carrots,and water

Sauerkraut .
Cabbage, salt and water

Aged Cheese .
Roquefort and gruyere

Kombucha . China
A type of soda . Raw with no added sugar

Kimchi . Korea
Napa cabbage, chilies, ginger, fish sauce

Pickles .
Not pasteurized in white vinegar, but fermented in brine . In the refrigerator section

Miso . Japanese
Seasoned soybean paste – try stirring it into rice

Kefir . Eurasia
Fermented milk beverage

Fermented green beans, cauliflower and beets
Should say non pasteurized, naturally fermented, or contains live cultures

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Chili Relleno Emolada

Chili Relleno Emolada

Roast poblano peppers and deseed

Sauté diced onion in EVOO
When browned add three diced garlic cloves
and 1 whole cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaf
Add 1 lb each ground sirloin and ground pork
Break apart and brown

In blender add 4 cups walnuts
Add 4 C Mexican cream or sour cream
Add 1/2 cup warmed goat cheese
Blend

Add miscellaneous dried fruits into skillet
Take out cinnamon stick and Bay leaf
Add salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon

Stuff poblano with meat
Top with white sauce
Add diced red bell and cilantro leaves

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Caramel

  • 3/4 c Sugar
  • 1/4 C Karo syrup (light corn syrup)
  • 2 TBL Water
  • 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • Pinch Salt
    –
  • 3 TBL butter
  • 3 TBL Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 C heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  1. Measure parchment paper for the bottom of a square metal pan
  2. Trim so that it fits perfectly into the square pan
  3. Put a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat
  4. Add all ingredients and stir frequently
  5. As soon as it begins to simmer, cover and start timing 5 minutes
  6. Remove lid and insert candy thermometer
  7. Don’t touch for about 6-7 minutes
  8. Heat to 250° . Light Amber
  9. Drop the heat to medium
  10. Bring up to 290-300º
  11. Don’t stir, just gently agitate the pan (like for popcorn)
  12. Turn heat to lowest setting, then start timing 2 minutes
  13. Turn heat off
  14. At about 360º, add 3 TBL butter and 1/2 c heavy cream and 1 tsp soy sauce
  15. Turn heat to medium low and cook until the temp returns to 250º
  16. Pour into pan lined with parchment paper
  17. Tap out bubbles and let cook 30-40 minutes
  18. Sprinkle with Maldon Salt
    Alternate Salts:  Kosher salt, coarse sea salt, pink, black salt, or red salt, sel de gris, smoked salt
  19. Cook another 3-4 hours
  20. Cut evenly with a pizza roller sprayed with canola oil
  21. Refrigerate for two hours before rolling into waxed paper or parchment

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Home cured bacon

Home cured bacon
5 lb slab of Heritage Berkshire pork belly
Butcher should remove the skin
( save for cracklings )

Approx Cure:
1 C Kosher salt
1/4 C ground black pepper
1/2 C brown sugar
Pink salt ( sodium nitrate )

Coat meat well
Seal well in plastic
Seal
Refrigerate 5 days, turning over each day
Smoke for 4 hours or to 145° internal
Cool on a wire rack
Chill overnight
Slice as you like it

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Canadian Bacon

Canadian Bacon
Made with pork loin
Preheat dry skillet put in garlic, felled seeds, star anise, black peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf
Add to pot of hot water
Add fennel stalks
Whisk in salt, sugar and punk curing salt
Add ice water after dissolved

Use an injector
Pour over pork loin
Brine in fridge 5 days
Turn pork 2x daily
Smoke for 4 hours or until 160°

Maybe sous vide

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Spicy Orange Sauce

I made a really great recipe that used Staport Spicy Orange Sauce, but as
it turns out I would have to buy a half gallon. According to their
website, Some supermarkets sell retail sized bottles of the stuff, so I
will look at that option. Meanwhile, here is a recipe in case I get a
hankering for Crispy Orange Chicken.

Spicy Orange Sauce

1/2 C orange marmalade
3 TBL rice vinear
2 TBL Hoisin sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 TBL Asian Chile Sauce

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Stir about 5
minutes, then set aside to cool. This will keep for several weeks.

See my recipe for Tempura Batter

When you are ready to fry, your oil should be 350º – 360º

Avocado and Eggplant Velouté (soup)

This is a popular dish in many African countries.

Velouté is one of the FIVE MOTHER SAUCES

Cut off green stem of eggplant
Coat outside with EVOO
Poke full of holes (lots)
Bake at 450º for about 35 minutes – till blackened
Let cool down until you can touch it without being burned
Cut open and discard most of the seeds
Scrape out flesh – Keep about the size of a playing card of the burnt flesh
– set flesh aside
Sautee diced onion over medium heat
Add garlic when onion has softened (remove center germ)
Salt and pepper to taste
Add pinches of curry, cardamom, powdered cumin, cumin seed, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, dry ginger, chili peppers, coriander seed, peppercorn, sweet and hot paprika, fenugrek, and dry turmeric – whatever you already have on hand
Cook about 3 minutes, then add eggplant back in
Simmer another 8-10 minutes
While eggplant simmers, add shitake mushrooms (more or less, to taste) to a hot pan with EVOO
Sear mushrooms – add salt
Meanwhile, bring 3 C milk up to a high simmer
Add pulp into milk
Puree in blender with 4 TBL butter on low
Add skin back in during the last few seconds of blending
Pour into bowl and top with sauteed mushrooms
Optionally add some pieces of torn bread
Drizzle with EVOO
Sprinkle top with chopped chives

Basic Angel Food Cake

INGREDIENTS

  • Muffin rings lined with paper and sprayed
  • 3/4 C castor (confectioner) sugar
  • 1 C Cake Flour – NOT self-rising
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    Meringue
  • 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 14 large Egg Whites
  • 1 TBL warm water
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Citric Acid
    Topping
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar (for fruit)

STEP BY STEP

  1. Place muffin ring in center of an oven-safe skillet
    For Meringue:
  2. Beat egg whites to foamy peaks – not stiff peaks
  3. Add salt, cream of tartar and 1/2 C granulated sugar early into beating process
  4. Add castor sugar, citric acid, vanilla and warm water as you approach stiff peaks
  5. Pour into large mixing bowl
    For Cake:
  6. Fold in CAKE flour 1 TBL at a time – Don’t use AP flour.  Cake flour is a finer grind than AP flour.  DO NOT overmix
  7. Fill baking ring about 3/4 full
  8. Even out top and tap to remove bubbles
  9. Preheat oven to 350º
  10. Place pan of hot water on the bottom shelf
  11. Bake pie at 350º for 60 minutes (see note at bottom)
    Topping:
  12. Add 1 stick butter ti skillet
  13. 1/2 C sugar
  14. 1/2 C grand marnier or rum
  15. Mix together then add quartered strawberries, blackberries and blueberries – or other fruit topping
    Cake:
  16. Cool before removing from ring for at least one hour
  17. Serve with macerated (eg) strawberries and lemon juice plus sour cream, vanilla and sour cream

Topping

  1. Use strawberries, blueberries, etc
  2. Sprinkle 1/2 C sugar
  3. Mash the fruit slightly using two forks
  4. Let them macerate while you bake your cake

Variation
You can use biscuit rings or lady-finger molds instead of a bundt pan.  If you do this, reduce cooking time to 30 minutes.

 

Pepperonata

Ingredients

  • Misc peppers – all colors
  • Onion
  • Salt and pepper
  • Favorite spices
  • Splash red wine vinegar

Step by Step

  • Clean peppers
  • Put over medium to low heat
  • Add garlic, dried oregano and thyme
  • Olive oil to cover bottom of pan
  • Simmer 45 minutes
  • Fresh herbs at the very end
  • Keep for up to a week in the fridge
  • Serve as a side with any meat

Creamed Corn

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of bacon – browned
  • Red onion
  • Chopped chives
  • Garlic
  • Old Bay Seasoning
  • Smoked paprika
  • Fresh tarragon
  • Corn – fresh or canned
  • Half and Half to moisten
  • 1/4 C cream cheese
  • OPTIONAL
    • Diced poblano
    • Diced red bell

Step by Step

  1. Brown bacon, then set aside and crumble
  2. Dump much of the grease
  3. Add first four veggies
  4. Soften 5 minutes
  5. Add Old Bay, smoked paprika, tarragon
  6. Add corn
  7. Add Half and Half and cream cheese
    – Healthy alternative: substitute chicken stock and blend1 C of veggie mixture, then add back in

 

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