Friday, April 22, 2016

Leftover Ham recipe (Macaroni and Cheese, + peas)



Ingredients

    5 oz elbow macaroni
    1 Tbsp butter
    ½ cup finely chopped onion
    1 Tbsp flour
    1 cup milk
    1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
    ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
    pinch cayenne pepper
    salt and pepper, to taste
    2 cups diced cooked ham
    1 cup thawed frozen peas


Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook 5 oz elbow macaroni according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return to pan; set aside.
  2. While pasta cooks, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ½ cup finely chopped onion; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbsp flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Gradually stir in 1 cup milk; cook 1 minute or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
  4. Add 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. Stir sauce, 2 cups diced cooked ham and 1 cup thawed frozen peas into pasta.
  5. Scrape into a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Grandma's Pot Roast



POT ROAST
Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 pound boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons butter
2 medium red onions, cut into quarters
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 12 to 16 pieces, about a pound
8 cremini mushrooms, halved
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 head garlic, top cut off to expose cloves
¾ cup tomato paste
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary
1 ½ cups red wine, preferably cabernet
4 cups beef broth

1. Heat oven to 340 degrees. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven, or other heavy roasting pan with a lid, over medium-high heat. Sear the meat until a dark crust forms, three to four minutes per side. Remove meat to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the pan. Melt the butter and add the vegetables, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables start to color, eight to 10 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly, about five minutes.
4. Add bay leaves, rosemary and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a thick gravy consistency, five to seven minutes.
5. Return meat to the pot. Add broth, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for two hours, 20 minutes.
6. Let roast sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Remove meat to a cutting board to slice. Discard bay leaves and rosemary stems. Squeeze any garlic cloves remaining in their skins into the stew and discard the skins. Serve slices of meat in shallow bowls along with the vegetables and a generous amount of cooking liquid ladled over top.

http://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/pot-roast-like-grandma-used-to-make/