FOUR Cheese Mac and Cheese with bacon and Proscuitto

First of all, Thank you to Sharon at Shosh's Yummy Food for being a follower of my blog!

Today I bring you a very cheesy meaty version of macaroni and cheese. That's comfort food...and that is what we need now. My place of employment doesn't suck ...... but it's thrown us a curve in our vacation plans, and that sucks. It also makes one crave a bit of comfort food. Hopefully it will all work out but if not....let us dive into a creamy mass of hot cheese and drown our sorrows :-)

Heart Attack waiting to happen.....well, for someone with high cholesterol such as myself. But sometimes, you just have to have the dangerous stuff!



I have been having a great run of good fortune lately with my Magazine Monday picks. I am saving just about all the magazine cutouts - this one is no exception.



I didn’t have Gouda on hand and instead, doubled up on the other cheeses. It was very creamy. Moist. Obviously cheesy………..my heart slowed as I savored each bite. Totally worth it! But it is so dense that you’ll need a few people to tackle this one or you’ll have lots of leftovers.

From Family Circle Magazine - recipe is HERE.

I will be sending this to CreamPuffs in Venice for her roundup of Magazine Monday. Surf over to visit the Creampuff and see what else is shaping up in her neck of the woods :-)
Also sending this to the host of Presto Pasta Nights, Kirstin of From Kirsten's Kitchen to Yours. Mighty good pasta recipes over there...go check 'em out!!



Kobe says, "I would climb the stairs for a bowl of this."



Four Cheese Mac and Cheese With Bacon and Proscuitto

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

For the Magazine Monday series and Presto Pasta Nights I am making another Italian dish from the magazine of the same name, Italian.



Pre-Qualifiers for a work day meal: Easy. Healthy. Appetizing and Flavorsome.

That is how I would describe this dish. I work full-time as a Government drone; I get home in time to walk the shibas and dive right into meal prep….if we are going to eat before 8 that is. So here is another recipe that I will be saving since it met the aforementioned pre-qualifiers.


Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake
Pre: 30 minutes Bake: 30 minutes

Ingredients............. (And Do NOT let what appears to be lengthy list of ingredients fool you....this is super easy)

3 cups bow-tie pasta
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups milk
1 TB fresh snipped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
½ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup coarse dried bread crumbs
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta and drain.

In medium skillet, cook onion in I TB butter until tender.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, herbs, salt, red and black pepper. Stir in cooked pasta, chicken, onions, Monterey jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, dried tomatoes and 2 TB Parmesan cheese.

Transfer to ungreased 3-quart baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. In small bowl combine 2 TB Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and paprika. Drizzle with melted butter; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pasta mixture.

Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until golden brown.



From Italian Magazine, Fall/Winter 2010 issue.

I will be sending this to CreamPuffs in Venice for her roundup of Magazine Monday. Surf over to visit the Creampuff...see what's cookin'

Also, this is a candidate for Presto pasta Nights. An easy meal to toss together when you are craving pasta and want a healthy bite for dinner! Check out
Sarah & Maison Cupcakes who is this week's host!

Ciao!

Airborne Ranger Spaghetti alla Carbonara

First of all...please excuse my lack of visitation to many of your blogs. I really do enjoy reading them and try and keep up via Google Reader. But it's been uber hectic.

We are about to be all on our own……….our son has joined the Army and will be off to basic training by March of 2011. He went to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) in Jacksonville Florida on Monday and came back Tuesday with his official contract. All went well at MEPS – passing his physical and getting paperwork done, choosing a career path. Very exciting stuff! After basic training, Tristan will be in the Airborne Rangers out of Ft Benning Georgia.



At least that is fairly close to Squirrel Head manor and we can easily make the drive for visits. But that is in the near future and he’s concentrating on working out with his sergeant from now until his ship off date. That means lots of running, lots of pushups, lots of crunches and lots of sore muscles.



Whadaya need to boost your energy for all this physical torture …umm, I meant preparation. You need carbs!

This meal is dedicated to my airborne bound son.

Pasta alla Carbonara, an adaptation from Williams-Sonoma.



Ingredients:

2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt, to taste
1 lb. fresh linguine
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-lb. bacon, cut into small cubes
2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
Coarsely ground pepper, to taste

Lets cook!

Break the eggs into a warmed large, shallow bowl, add cheese and whisk to blend well. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water, add linguine and cook to your desired doneness.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the bacon and sauté until just starting to become crisp. Now add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.

Drain the pasta, leaving a bit of water clinging to it, and add it to the bowl with the eggs and cheese. Toss it quickly !(this will leave a lovely coating of egg on the strand of pasta). Add the bacon and pan juices. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Add the parsley and toss again.
Serve immediately.



Enjoy!

Cruising...A Lunch Mission

What a gorgeous day for a ride....it was only 78 degrees at 10:30 AM when we took off. The sky was clear and blue, no clouds and no planned destination. Some days we ride to eat and this was one of them.

Heading toward Alligator Point we ended up near Panacea then Carrabelle and finally Apalachicola to grab lunch. We were hot and ravenous by the time we parked in Apalachicola, the temperatures reaching 98 plus degrees by then.



The Apalachicola Grill served many delectable lunch dishes. We both ordered grilled bay scallops with homemade baked potato salad.



The potato salad was made just like you may order a loaded baked potato - lots of sour cream, bacon and chives. Homemade hush puppies garnished the plate. I could have eaten those grilled bay scallops until I hurt myself.



This big wooden flamingo was hanging inside




Here are some pics around the town.



This pastry shop was closed...how sad. We'll have to go back.






What a fun day!



This is our ride for an upcoming vacation. Come on cool weather!

Linguine and Clams.........a Perfect Marriage

Lazio.....I'm flipping through a book, gazing at images of the Italian region ...wow, I would just love to visit there. The scenery, history, cuisine. Big Sigh.
Now that I have my Williams-Sonoma book back from the library, I am all geared up to prepare recipes from a few other counties. And Lazio is the star today.




OK, who likes clams? And Linguine? All of us here at Squirrel Head Manor are bivalve kinda people. You name it- oysters, clams, mussels or scallops - we are on board!




Just grab these simple ingredients and cook with me...........

2 dozen clams
½ cup white wine (I used more)
Sprinkle of red pepper
4 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup or so of olive oil
Juice from 1 fresh lemon.
Fresh parsley
Linguine – buy it fresh or make it if you are that talented. Panini Girl makes her own – see HERE and HERE

Another simple meal…simple yet classic.

Tip the white wine in a large pot and add clams. As the wine heats up the clams should start to open. Remove any clams that open so they won’t overcook as the slow ones take their time simmering open. Discard any clam that does not open.

When the clams are all done and sitting in their own bowl, awaiting their date with hot fresh linguine, pour the leftover clam/wine juice through a coffee strainer. Set your clam juice aside.

NOTE: Make sure you put your coffee filter over a small strainer or you'll spill clam juice as you try and juggle the filter, the hot skillet of clam juice and your (guaranteed) burning hand. (Yes, I received the Corky Award for this maneuver)

Meanwhile, get that stock pot of water on the boil for your linguine.

In a frying pan, pour in about a ½ cup of olive oil. Once heated a bit place the chopped garlic into the pan. Once the garlic is slightly soft but not over browned, sprinkle a small amount of red pepper and lemon juice. Now add some of that clam juice. Remove from heat and place drained linguine into this mixture. Toss it around, get the pasta juicy, flavored with garlic and olive oil and clam juice.

Place in a serving bowl and add clams and parsley.



Damn good meal.

Lazio is the geographical divide between Italy 's north and south.



When I look at a map of this part of Italy I am struck by the wonderfully strategic position it occupies. Rome is there…I mean, ROME ! The eternal city, the city where it’s said you could spend a lifetime and not see all it has to offer.. Of interest to me is Tivoli where the Emperor Hadrian lived…his villa Adriana being built around 125. Imagine, the year 125…..that blows my mind that something like this, Hardian’s villa, stands today.



One day, maybe I will be posting on a culinary vacation as Doug and I eat our way through Europe. One can dream.

Ciao for now!

Submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights (thank you Ruth for being such a gracious hostess!)

Happy Birthday Doug!!!

Guess who is had a birthday today? Well, technically, it still is his birthday. Yep, all day on the 15th of September my husband, best friend, motorcycle ridin' old man celebrates his big day.




We enjoy cooking or grilling at home much more than going out for celebrations. Don't get me wrong, for our 25th anniversary we hit Bonefish Grill and tanked up on Lemon Drop Martinis and Woodford Reserve (guess which one of us was the Lemon Drop kid and which was the Bourbon drinker?)

But today, after opening his gift...he chooses to have grill aged steaks, roasted asparagus, garlic bread and Black Forest Pie.

Happy Birthday Baby!

Present...a cool grill set............



What did he choose? Aged steaks from Fresh Market....................



Roasted asparagus with olive oil and Parmesan.......




St Andre cheese, a Bordeaux Superieur..what a nice meal........



Black Forest Pie..............





Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!

Marinated Flank Steak and Quesadillas

I saw this quote and liked it…………

“For me the ideal date would be to drink wine in the backyard under the stars, listen to music and just talk. Then we'd eat steak and, later, dessert. If all went as planned, we'd save some of the dessert and play with it while making out.”

Then I thought, I’d like to pick up a steak for tonight.




That brings me to this recipe for marinated flank steak. I saw it in Southern Living Magazine, a discarded issue stacked in our break room at work. My workday starts the same each day – grab the coffee pot and head for the break room for a pot of fresh water. As I am awaiting my turn at the sink, I thumb through the discarded magazines.

Now sitting in my office, impatiently waiting for my computer to boot up, the coffee pot laboriously working out our first round of caffeine; I thumb through an old copy of Southern Living and lo and behold….there is a recipe and photo of a very nice looking juicy steak.

This is for us. The day is looking up.


Marinated Flank Steak

Pre time: 10 minutes, Chill: 1 hour or just overnight (no more or the marinade will be overpowering)

Ingredients.............

1 (2 pound)flank steak
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup pineapple juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup packed brown sugar
5 TBSP Sesame oil

Place steak in large zip lock bag. Combine 1 cup soy sauce, pineapple juice and next 3 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves; pour over steak.

Seal bag and chill for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Grill steak, covered with grill lid, over charcoal grill.




Let it stand for a few minutes before slicing. We like our steaks on the rare
side so, grill according to your taste.



Another variation is to use orange juice in place of the pineapple juice and add 2 TB Jerk seasoning. Play with your food and find the taste sensations you prefer.

We had leftovers...so we made quesadillas. Great bang for the buck!



Slice and saute your favorite quesadilla veggies and add slivers of flank steak....



I will be sending this to CreamPuffs in Venice for her roundup of Magazine Monday. Surf over to visit the Creampuff and see what else is shaping up in her neck of the woods :-)

Back to my Italian cookbook later...the library seems to want it back........

Cheers!

Tuscan Roast Chicken, Peas and Onions and Insalata Caprese

Buona giornata! We landed in Tuscany today….no, no, no…don’t get excited….I am not actually in Tuscany. Wouldn’t that be a wondrous set of circumstances? No, we are firmly planted in swampy, hot old Florida .

We’re just traveling via Williams-Sonoma’s Essentials of Italian. More of a mind trip that is aided by good food, music and the best company I could ever want :-)

First, let me make a stop on the way to Tuscany and bring you this lovely dish from Campania .

Insalata caprese…..creamy mozzarella, fresh juicy tomatoes, a bit of olive oil and fresh basil leaves



Let me try and not be too wordy...too chatty...who likes a long-winded post, no one :-) So lets get right to the food.



Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme
Il pollo

Ingredients......

1 chicken, preferably 4 to 5 pounds
2 TB olive oil
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 TB fresh thyme leaves
2 small lemons

Rub the chicken with olive oil and generously pat down with salt and pepper, sprinkle some inside the cavity as well. Dust the bird with fresh thyme and insert cut lemon into the cavity. Tie legs together. Lace breast side up in a cast iron pan or small roasting pan – one just large enough to hold the chicken.

Roast at 450 F degrees, basting occasionally with juices, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 F and continue basting until done. Once done, tent with foil and let the bird sit for ten minutes before carving.

(I was in such a hurry to get it on the table that I forgot to get a shot of this browned beauty before Doug carved it.)



When lemon is cool enough to handle, squeeze into the pan juices. Add a bit of water, not too much, and deglaze pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and use the juices to spoon over carved chicken.


Fresh Peas with onion and basil
I piselli



Simple – English peas (shelled), a finely chopped yellow onion, olive oil, some salt and pepper and fresh basil leaves.


If you cooked along with me then...... Congratulazioni! You’ve made a Tuscan meal!