French Onion "Soup" Mac and Cheese

Recipe courtesy Brett Greenberg, New York, NY
This recipe will be served at Friday's as one of their new side dishes.


Topping:
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bechamel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Gruyere, grated
3 ounces mozzarella grated

French Onion "Soup":
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon (or nonstick spray)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large white onions, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry sherry
2 cups beef stock
8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente (elbow macaroni, ziti, or fusilli work well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Topping: Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

Bechamel Sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir constantly, for about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and whisk in the milk or half-and-half, adding a little at a time and cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat, season with the salt and pepper and add Gruyere and mozzarella cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.

French Onion "Soup:" Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add onions, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove cover, add garlic and honey, and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Remove pot from heat and add sherry. Return to heat and stir to remove browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce sherry by half, then add stock and thyme and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with the last tablespoon of butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cooked pasta with onion "soup" mixture and bechamel sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer pasta to baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan topping.

Bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Not Your Ordinary Mac N Cheese J Alexander's - close to the recipe

6 cups chicken stock
2 cubes chicken base
2 cups (8 ounces) Cavatappi (also called cellentani or double elbows, is macaroni formed in a spiral tube shape with ridges)
3 tablespoons Pomace Olive Oil
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
3 tablespoons butter -- divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half
3 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked pressed and sliced in small bite size pieces (reserve the fat)
1/2 onion -- minced and sauteed in bacon fat
2 cloves of garlic pressed and sauteed with onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Cholula
2 1/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2c Panko

Bring 6 cups chicken stock and 1 1/1 cubes chicken base to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl, toss with Pomace Olive Oil and lemon. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream. Stir in onion, bay leaf, sugar and Tabasco. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish (or 3-4 ramekins) and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 cube chicken base in small skillet over medium heat. Add panko and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered panko and Reggiano Cheese over top of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until panko is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Coconut Mango Rice

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 large ripe mango, peeled and cubed

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the coconut milk, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Stir in the mango. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Place a clean, dry dish towel over the pan, cover with the lid, and let steam for 5 minutes before serving.

Sesame Noodle Salad with Red Bell Pepper and Peanuts

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Salad:
1/2 pound uncooked spaghettini
1 1/2 cups fresh bean sprouts
3/4 cup (2 x 1/4-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

To prepare dressing, combine first 10 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

To prepare the salad, cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine pasta, bean sprouts, and the next 5 ingredients (bean sprouts through cilantro) in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with peanuts.

Kasha Varnishkes - Kasha with Bow Ties

This is part of my Russian Jewish heritage.


Ingredients
1 cup kasha buckwheat groats, medium granulation
1 egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken stock or use canned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup pasta bow ties

Instructions
In a small bowl, mix the kasha with the beaten egg. Be sure all the grains are covered with egg. Place a medium non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the kasha to the pan and, using a wooden fork, flatten it out a bit, stirring and moving it about the pan until the egg dries and the grains have mostly separated. Set aside.

Place a pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta bow ties. (Do not cook them yet.) In a 4-quart heavy stove-top covered casserole, heat the chicken fat or oil and saute the onions until clear. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the salt and pepper and the reserved kasha. Stir a bit and cover. Cook over low heat, stirring now and then, until the kasha is tender, about 10 minutes. If it is not done to your taste, cook for a few more minutes. In the meantime, boil the pasta just until tender. Drain well and stir into the kasha. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings

Oven-Roasted Potatoes

1/2 pound purple Peruvian potatoes, scrubbed clean (these are hard to find...I just add a 1/4 pound to each of the others)
1/2 pound red bliss potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed clean
8 small garlic cloves
2 large shallots, peeled and quartered
Rosemary or thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the Peruvian potatoes in half or in quarters, about the same size as the small new potatoes. Do the same for the red bliss potatoes. Place all potatoes, garlic cloves, shallot quarters and rosemary sprigs on a baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle oil on top. Toss all to combine and coat in oil.

Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, shaking the baking sheet occasionally, until the potatoes are nicely browned and fork tender and the garlic cloves and shallots are caramelized.

Remove rosemary sprigs and serve immediately.

Herb-Roasted New Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 pound New Potatoes
1/4 cup Fresh Basil, Chopped
1 tablespoon Fresh Oregano, Chopped
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
2 1/4 ounces Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Cut the potatoes into 6-8 wedges each. In a large bowl, combine the basil, oregano, oil, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to combine. Place the potatoes on a nonstick baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes of until tender and golden brown.

Green Bean Casserole

1/3 stick butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce ) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch Perfect Seasoning, recipe on site
1 cup grated Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

Arugula Salad

Ingredients
1 bag baby arugula leaves (4–5 oz)
1/4 cup roasted garlic almonds
2 tablespoons cooked bacon pieces
2 tablespoons pre-diced onions
2 tablespoons Caesar dressing (oil not cream based)

Steps
1. Place all ingredients (except dressing) in salad bowl.
2. Add dressing; toss and serve.