Book Club Winter Dinner

Grown up Macaroni and Cheese

It was my turn to host book club the other night and I needed something that was warm and satisfying, something I could feed a vegetarian, and something I could either prep ahead of time, or quickly at the last minute. I opted for baked macaroni and cheese with a grown up twist. Instead of using only cheddar cheese, I added Gruyere and goat cheeses. The result was extraordinary. Only I hadn't heated it quite enough for my girls, and I felt badly about that. So be sure to serve this piping hot and you will not disappoint!

Ingredients:

1 box elbow macaroni, or any small shaped pasta
2 cups of milk (I used low fat)
2 tbs of butter
2 tbs flour
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of shredded Gruyere, 1+ cup of goat cheese
(I shred Gruyere in my food processor)
(Fontina can be substituted for either the Gruyere or the goat cheeses)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs

Cook pasta per directions on the package, drain and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan melt butter and milk over medium heat
When butter has melted pour a little of the milk into a small bowl with the flour and mix well
and pour that mixture back into the pan, mix well
Bring to low rolling boil so that mixture thicken to a paste -- this is a Bechamel sauce
Add salt and pepper to taste and gradually add your cheeses and mix well
When all blended pour over pasta and make sure that all is well covered

Pour macaroni into an oven safe baking dish... (I prefer long and shallow as opposed to short and deep) Evenly spread the breadcrumbs over the top and place in oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes or cover and place in refrigerator for future use.


Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

1 lb arugula, washed and rinsed
10-20 grape tomatoes (optional)
1/8 - 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan, or shaved Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup of red wine vinegar
1 cup of light olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon (if you do not get enough juice, or like a really lemony dressing use 2 lemons)
Fresh sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl add lettuce, tomatoes and cheese
In a cruet or jar with lid mix vinegar, olive oil and lemon, stir or shake well,
Pour desired amount over salad
Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste and toss

We also had warm bread with Herbed Olive Oil and Butter Spread

A Valentine Lunch

My friend Emily came over for lunch yesterday. I hadn't seen her in ages and I wanted something that was light, relatively fuss-free and that we could linger over. So I made a Valentine Salad that I served along with a nice crusty baguette and garlic, olive oil and butter spread, Pellegrino, a fresh, light white wine. For dessert we had miniature heart-shaped fudge brownies, and little cranberry almond shortbread cookies.




Valentine Salad

2 hearts of Romaine, picked and trimmed,
1 can hearts of palm
1 can artichoke hearts (I used the ones packed in water)
Kalamata olives, pitted -- a dozen or so
Marinated mozzarella balls, small -- about 10
1 can of garbanzo beans

Directions:
Cut lettuce into thin strips, or shred
Drain artichoke hearts, and quarter
Drain hearts of palm and cut into small slices -- if one has a tough exterior, simply remove outer layer
Drain and rinse chick peas
Cut mozzarella balls into quarters
Add all ingredients in to salad, in no particular order

Vinaigrette, known as
"Grandma's Dressing"

1 cup of light extra virgin olive oil
1/4 apple cider vinegar
4 tbs. water
2tbs. powdered beef bouillon

In a cruet or jar add vinegar, water and bouillon, shake well. Add Olive oil and shake well until emulsified.
My mother in law makes this salad dressing all the time. I was surprised by the addition of the bouillon, but it adds a depth of flavor that really accentuates the flavors in a salad. We use this salad dressing frequently here too. In fact, the kids all eat salad in this house, but only with Grandma's Dressing!

Garlic Olive Oil, Butter Spread for Crusty Baguette

I learned this trick many years ago when I was working at Williams-Sonoma. We often had samples of our product for customers to nibble on when they came into the store. The bread maker we sold there was a hot comodity. We were in a recession then, as we are now, and people were looking for ways to dine with friends that was less expensive than going out to dinner. They loved the idea of being able to make home made bread with ease. This spread was one we came up with at the time that we offered along with the warm, fresh breads that emerged from the bread bakers. It was met with rave reviews!

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
In a small food processor combine all ingredients and mix well.
I like to serve the butter in small ramekins

Dessert...
The brownies were made by using my old standby-- my favorite tried and true recipe. I substituted the nut pieces for semi-sweet chocolate chips. About 3/4 of a bag's worth!




Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of dried cranberries


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter and sugar together until well blended and stiff, add the vanilla and mix well. Add the flour and mix well. Fold in cranberries. Place dough onto a lightly greased tart tin or jelly roll pan. Make sure that dough is evenly spread. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and harden and with cookie cutter cut out hearts. (For the best results place the sheet in the freezer for a few minutes)

Herbed Butter and Olive Oil Spread

4 Tbs of butter, room temperature

4 Tbs Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provence or Italian seasonings

1 or two heart shakes of garlic powder

1 good shake of crushed red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in mini food processor and blend well, but not too much. Over blending will result in a liquidy mess! Empty butter into ramekin and place in fridge a few minutes to harden. May be served immediately or saved for future use.

I love serving this with a nice warm bread and salad. I last served this with my Trickery Salad (see below post).