Category Archives: beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles

Oct 12 2 comments
beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles, pastas, nuts, and grains

Deluxe Mac & Cheese

I’m going to start this post by apologizing.  I have no process photos to offer.  This weekend was a hot mess.  Our building’s hot water heater broke Friday and so all weekend I was well… dirty.  And grumpy.  Sunday we were planning on going to Northern Virginia to meet our new niece Amelie and see her (always wonderful) big sister Meredith and their parents, Megan and John.  Because we were dirty (and unkempt) I scheduled haircuts in Takoma Park with our favorite hair stylist and planned on getting shampooed and trimmed on our way south.  Sunday morning was a whirlwind of cooking and baking for the new parents and their family- enchilada casserole, eggplant lasagna, crispy marshmallow bars, and this amazing bacon-laden mac and cheese.  Needless to say between the cooking and the inability to properly wash the dishes I was using, I didn’t take any pictures.  I’m sorry.

photo by John Turcotte

This is Amelie.  She’s adorable and sweet and makes very, very cute faces.  We absolutely love being Aunt and Uncle to her big sister and we can only imagine that Amelie will be as much of a delight as Meredith.  Welcome to the family, little one!

photo by John Turcotte

Deluxe Mac & Cheese

1 lb macaroni or shells

1 lb bacon

1 tbsp butter

3 shallots

3 cups porcini mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup gruyère cheese

3 cups milk

2 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy cream

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp salt

1/2 stick butter

Boil macaroni.  Set aside.  Cook bacon.  Set aside.  Slice shallots and mushrooms, mince garlic.

Remove all but 2 tbsp bacon grease from the pan.  Add 1 tbsp butter.  Add shallots and mushrooms to pan.  Cook over medium low heat until caramelized.  Remove.  Add mushrooms to the pan and, if necessary, a touch more butter.  While those are cooking, grate your cheese and chop your bacon.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan when browned.  Stir together mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and chopped bacon.

In a medium pot heat milk and cream.  Be careful that it doesn’t get too hot, the milk could curdle.  When it is hot, set aside.

In the same pot, melt 1/2 stick of butter.  Whisk in flour and continue whisking to prevent clumps.  Stir the milk mixture back in and add 3/4 of the grated cheese.  Stir until cheese has melted.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice, paprika, and salt.  Stir the bacon mixture into the pasta.  Place in a casserole dish.  Ladle the cream mixture over the pasta.  Stir once to make sure it is evenly coated.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

May 23 4 comments
beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles, grilled, barbequed, smoked, and fried, vegetables

Grilled Potato Salad

You know those moments when you say “Hot Damn! This is the best thing I’ve ever made!”  Yeah, I totally had one of those moments with this potato salad.  Last night Dan and I went to our first cookout of the season (which was, all night, inappropriately called a barbeque) and I partook in a few varieties of potato salad.  And there was a moment when I thought, wouldn’t this be amazing if all the vegetables were grilled, if everything was cooked but also just a little charred?

And really, seriously, it was.  It was so good.  Hands down the best potato salad I’ve ever had, and seeing as how I’ve been to more church potlucks and picnics than I can count, that actually means something.  The new apartment has (among other great things), a yard.  And since we’re on the ground floor, our door opens up into the yard which contains a patio, a garden, and a grill!  We’ve been here a week and already the grill is our favorite part.  I see a large amount of grilling in our future.

I grabbed a handful of my favorite summer vegetables, but you could vary this recipe to include whatever you wanted.  I see this potato salad as a staple in our summer, changing as our garden produces new vegetables and as things come and go out of season.  No matter what ingredients you’re using, the vegetable to grill sensation is outstanding.  I’m almost without words, which Dan will tell you is a rare occasion.

Grilled Potato Salad

3 medium new potatoes

1 red onion

1 red bell pepper

1 squash

1 cup green beans

4-6 tbsp mayonaisse

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2-3 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

Boil potatoes for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through.

While your potatoes are boiling, slice your squash in half, cut your peppers in thick strips, and slice your onion, lengthwise, in thick layers.  Snap your green beans.

Get your grill fired up.  Brush all of your vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Put your squash on first, then your peppers and onions about ten minutes later.  Cook another ten minutes, and turn.

Once your potatoes are cooked, scooped them out of the water and drop your beans into the boiling water.  Cook 2 minutes and strain.

After your vegetables on the grill have cooked another 10 minutes, remove them.  Roughly chop everything (I like a chunky potato salad) while it’s hot and mix together.  Add mayonnaise, mustard, and seasoning.  Give it a good turn and serve hot, or chill and serve cold.  And enjoy!

Apr 26 7 comments
beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles, vegetables

Sweet Potato & Rainbow Chard Gratin

This weekend, my husband was offered a job.  A really great job at a firm in Baltimore that he respects and admires, that he’s insanely excited about.  Some things (like lodging) are still a little up in the air, but, as Dan described it to my mother, we’re getting things on track.  We’re recovering.

You may ask, what are we recovering from?  Well, to be honest, living in DC was never part of the plan.  In fact, living in Maryland after I graduated was never really the plan.  Before Dan and I started dating, my plan revolved around one thing and one thing only- the Peace Corps.  I spent years tailoring my resume to fit their needs and the fall of my senior year of college I was accepted and placed, heading to the Spanish speaking Caribbean.  And then the medical screening began.

When I was in college I caught mono (from my roommate, thankyouverymuch), which morphed into shingles (I know, right?) and then, finally, an eye condition called keratitis.  Which, it turns out, the Peace Corps has a problem with.  First, they just medically deferred me.  I was crushed, but planned to work for the year long deferment and then leave.  Start my life as planned.  Soon thereafter Dan and I started dating.  When we got serious (immediately) the conversation kept circling back to what we were going to do while I was abroad.  Would we break up?  Would we do the long distance thing, me teaching AIDS education on an island far away and him eating hot pockets in Pennsylvania?  None of it made sense.  Until we decided to go together, to live my dream together.

We started planning our wedding then, all the while fighting my deferment.  My year came and passed and the Peace Corps returned my phone calls less frequently and with more cryptic responses.  Eventually they came out and said it- I was too high risk.  Even though my eyes were in remission, the threat of a relapse while I was living in a developing country was too much for the Peace Corps to agree to, so I was out.  We were out.  It’s been a long process putting the pieces back together, figuring out what our next steps were and recovering.   This website is a byproduct of the journey, one of the only things about the experience that doesn’t bring me to tears.  I was devastated when my plan came crashing down around me, and for the first time we have a definite plan outside just being together.  We’re moving to Baltimore, we’re starting over, we’re getting back on track.  And I appreciate having you along for the ride.

This whole process of apartment and job searching, moving cities, has left me feeling really emotional and nostalgic.  Living in DC was always supposed to be a stop in the road, and now it feels like it was.  The destination has changed, but with it new and exciting things have come into our lives.  For instance, I know now that I harbor a deep love of rainbow chard.  Especially when you pair it with cheese and potatoes.  I’m taking this as a good sign.

Sweet Potato & Rainbow Chard Gratin

2 cups fresh rainbow chard, chopped

1/2 sweet potato

1/2 cup milk

1 garlic clove

1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese

1/2 cup feta cheese

Peel and slice your potato.  In your ramekins (or in one larger serving dish) layer potato, chard, and cheddar.  You should have 1/2 cup chard left over.  End with a layer of cheese.

Pour the milk into the dishes, pouring along the edges so as not to disturb the cheesy layers.

Cook in a 325 oven for 45 minutes.

Pull the ramekins out and add the remaining chard.  Sprinkle feta on top and cook for another 45 minutes.  Serve.

Apr 12 4 comments
beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles, eggs

Spring Vegetable Quiche

I set out this afternoon to make a quiche with asparagus and wild mushrooms.  I thought, so seasonal! So local! So delicious! But, being me, I can never leave well enough alone.  When I got home with my groceries for the week I thought, well, I can add some chives from Tuesday’s dinner, some green onion from Wednesday night’s dinner, some cherry tomatoes from Thursday night’s dinner (I know, not seasonal).  I kept adding until it was this mass of vegetables floating in egg.  I’m not complaining.

With the exception of the tomatoes (for which you can substitute dried), this dish is a symphony of spring flavors.  The thing that I love about quiche is that it is hearty and light at the same time.  The vegetables danced in the fluffy eggs, and paired with a rich crust it is the perfect anytime meal.  Great for brunch, great for dinner.  Great for life.

Since that’s pretty much all I have to say about the quiche (except try it, it’s awesomely vegtastic), I thought I’d wax poetic about my newest accomplishment.  It’s not really an accomplishment yet, more like a lead to what I hope will be an accomplishment- I think that I’ve found a way for us to have a garden.  I’m exploring my options between community gardens in Baltimore City and yard sharing through a site called hyperlocavore.  Either way I have my heart set on gardening this season so I’m planting seeds (a little late) in these egg shells.  In the past we’ve wrestled with the biodegradable planting pots, which never seem to totally degrade, so I’m excited to try planting in egg shells.  It’s composting and gardening at the same time.  Wish me luck.

Spring Vegetable Quiche

6 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup grated american cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup diced wild mushrooms, cleaned

1 cup diced fresh asparagus, cleaned

1/4 cup cherry or dried tomatoes

2 tbsp minced chives

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt & pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Pinch of cayenne

Crust (recipe here, subtract sugar and add 1/2 tbsp salt)

Prep all vegetables.  Whisk together eggs, milk, and cheeses.  Stir in vegetables and spices.

Spread crust out into pie pan and pour mixture into it.  Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 or until solid and golden brown.  Let sit 10 minutes.  Enjoy.

Jan 28 10 comments
beans, slaws, quiches, mashers, and casseroles, pastas, nuts, and grains

Macaroni & Cheese

For the past two days I’ve been holed up in my apartment, sick.  Yesterday I took in way more Criminal Minds/Gilmore Girls than is probably healthy (though they may cancel each other out) and got winded chasing down the UPS man who was trying to drive off without delivering our new computer.  That’s right, ladies & gents, this recipe is coming at you from our brand new 27″ iMac, dubbed Admiral Adama.  And yes, we named our beautiful new computer after Edward James Olmos’ character on Battlestar Galactica.  We’re nerds.  We’re also planning on naming our puppy Starbuck.

Anyway I am incapable of just being home sick because I always feel I should be doing something.  So I made macaroni and cheese.  Because I didn’t feel good and I wanted the creamy, sweet and spicy goodness that homemade macaroni and cheese can be.  Plus, once the computer was delivered I decided to wait for Dan to get here to set it up so taking pictures of cooking and fantasizing about them on the giant HD screen was as close to feeling good as I could get.  And, naturally, promptly after sticking the dish in the oven I collapsed on the couch, exhausted.

Homemade macaroni and cheese is a pretty simple meal.  Not nearly as simple as opening a packet of powdered cheese and dumping it straight into boiled pasta, but you know, easy compared to making your own bread or some of the other things I encourage you to do here on a regular basis.  In fact, I would venture a guess that the majority of you could pull this off on a weeknight.  Or you could make it ahead and freeze it.  What I’m trying to say is that I made it while dying of the flu* so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to pull off anytime.  Just some shredding, boiling, combining, and baking.

I’m going to go ahead and admit that editing these photos was way more of a pleasure than cooking, or even eating, this dish.  I mean, this computer (and it’s giant screen) has had me making a stream of exclamations that sounds more like a “that’s what she said” joke than anything else.  But I can’t help myself, I’m totally enamored and expect to fall further in love once Dan and I have figured out the logistics of sharing a computer.  That, naturally, will be the hard part.

This could be because I’m almost as much of a computer nerd as I am a food geek.  In fact, sitting in front of it’s giant screen right now and thinking how much more I like this than editing on the couch with my 15″ MacBook, I’d venture to say that really only pie could beat this feeling right now.  Anyway, back to my disjointed and rambling post.  This recipe is, as I said, easy.  But also delicious by all mac n’ cheese standards.  It’s creamy, filling, sweet and a little spicy, with just the right ratio of gooey inner cheese to crunchy outer cheese.  I use spices such as paprika and nutmeg to give it a different flavor profile, but feel free to tweak it to your wants and needs.  It’s great for curling up in front of the tv and watching your favorite bad shows, perfect for this time of year when your body is TIRED OF THE COLD but they’re forecasting snow.

*I may not be literally dying.  It just feels like it. {drama queen} Also, if you look closely at the last picture, you’ll see Edward J. Olmos on the far right of the screen.

Macaroni & Cheese

1 lb penne pasta

1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese

1 cup extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

4 tbsp flour

4 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 small lemon, juiced

1/2 stick butter

Shred all of your cheese.  Measure out all your spices.

In a sauce pan, heat milk & cream over low/medium heat.  If the pan gets too hot, the milk will curdle.

In another pan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour, making sure there are no clumps.  Slowly whisk in warm milk mixture.  Remove from heat and add 3/4 of all the cheeses and the spices.  Continue to stir until cheese has melted and formed a sauce.  The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Stir in the lemon juice

Boil your pasta 3-4 minutes until slightly cooked but still very firm.  Preheat your oven to 350.

Drain your pasta and pour into casserole dish.  Pour cheese sauce over and stir slightly to coat.  Top with the remaining cheese, spread evenly over the top.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the cheese has a nice brown crust.