How to Make a Cheese Sauce

Making a cheese sauce is simple and something everyone should know how to do.  This sauce is wonderful over broccoli (or other veggies), stirred into rice, as the cheese in mac-n-cheese, over chips to make nachos, as fondue, and anything else you can imagine.  You can tweak the taste by using different cheeses.  Asiago, any blue cheese, Brie, Camembert, Colby, fontina, Gouda, Gruyère, Havarti, and Monterey Jack all melt smoothly.  Always remove the rind from any cheese before using it in cheese sauce. 

Ingredients:

Servings: 2 ½ cups
Time:    Prep: 5 minutes, Cook: 10 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a whisk, a wooden spoon, a sauce pan

Ingredients:

• ⅛ cup butter
• ⅛ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• A pinch of black pepper
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour, mustard, and pepper.  Make sure there are no lumps.
3. Slowly stir in the milk until it is smooth.
4. Stir in the grated cheese.
5. Stir constantly until the sauce is melted and thick.  Serve warm.

Healthy Ingredients Make Real Food

Panko Crusted Tofu

Tofu is made of soybean curd.  It is high in calcium and protein and is very easy to digest.  It is also low in calories and cholesterol free.  Tofu itself really doesn’t have a flavor, but rather takes on other flavors through marinades and seasonings.  It comes in many varieties: firm, soft, silken, and crumbles.  The variety you should choose will depend upon the recipe it will be used in.  Popular in Asian cooking, tofu is also used as a meat substitute by Western vegetarians. 

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I am not a vegetarian.  However, we do celebrate Meatless Mondays at our house.  And, I go through periods where I am just not that interested in meat.  Also, I like the texture of firm tofu. When I was a starving college student it was a cheap source of protein and I became hooked.

Servings: 2-4

Time:  Prep: 20 minutes   Cooking:  5-7 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons and cups, 3 shallow bowls, a fork, a whisk, 2 paper towel covered plates, extra paper towels, a deep skillet, and tongs

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces of extra firm tofu (I like Nasoya)*
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt.
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup corn starch
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Oil for frying (enough to fill the pan half way)

1. Cut the tofu into 2x2 inch squares.  Lay the squares on to the paper towel covered plate and allow some of the water to drain from the tofu.  You might want to change the paper towels a few times.  Sprinkle the tofu with the tablespoons of garlic, ginger, and onion powders, and the salt.  You should flip the squares around so that each side gets seasoned.
2. Put the corn starch into in the first bowl.
3. In the second bowl, whisk the eggs
4. In the third and final bowl, toss together the panko and the remaining spices.
5. Dip the tofu into the cornstarch and shake to remove the excess.  Dip the corn starched tofu into the eggs and then press it into the panko to make sure it is covered.  Make sure to press down so that the panko adheres.
6. Fill the skillet half way with oil and heat on medium high.
7. Fry the tofu for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip and fry the other side until it is browned.  This should take another 2 minutes.
8. Remove the tofu to a paper towel covered plate to drain. 

Serve with rice and stir-fried sugar snaps.

Or you can serve the tofu as an appetizer with Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Sauce
*Tofu comes in 14 ounce containers.  To keep the unused portion simply place it in an airtight container with fresh water.

Italian Flatbread

I don’t like pizza.  I know. I know…  I think that I dislike the sauce most places use.  It is too sweet and acidic.  I also dislike the gooey under cooked pizza crust.  And the cheap ingredients.  So, I make flatbreads.  You can use any flatbread to make this, naan, focaccia, pita, French bread, or anything.  I think using fresh dough is best.

Serves: 4-6

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a skillet, a slotted spoon, a bowl, a microwave safe bowl, a pastry brush, a wooden spoon, a rolling pin, and a pizza stone or baking sheet, pizza cutter
Time: Resting time: an hour and 10 minutes, Prep time: 10 minutes, Baking time: 25-35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-16 ounce raw, fresh pizza dough (can be found in the bakery section of most markets)
• ⅛ – ¼ cup flour
• ¼ pound Italian sausage
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 garlic cloves
• 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 fire roasted yellow or red bell pepper
• 3 slices of a large onion
• 4 ounces prosciutto
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
•  ½ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons + 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
•  (cooking spray if you are using a baking sheet)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
2. Allow the pizza dough to rest in the bag, at room temperature, for an hour.
3. While the dough is resting, slice the garlic, pepper, onion, prosciutto, tomatoes, and mozzarella.  Stack the basil leaves and roll them up.  Slice them into very thin shreds. Set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil on medium high.  Remove the sausage from the casing, brown, and crumble.  This should take about 7 minutes.  Using the slotted spoon, remove the cooked sausage and place it in the bowl.  Sauté the onion in the same pan for 3-4 minutes or until it is soft and translucent. Set aside.
5. Punch the dough down.  Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 14 inch diameter circle.  It should be very thin.  The dough is very elastic and will shrink back.  Keep stretching and rolling.
6. Place the dough onto the pizza stone or the baking pan.  If you are using a baking pan, spray it with cooking spray first.
7. Put the butter and the garlic into the microwave safe bowl and zap at 50% for 1 minute.
8. Pour the butter and garlic into the center of the dough.  Using the pastry brush spread it out over the entire flatbread.
9. Dot the flat bread with the mozzarella.  Sprinkle the onions, pepper, and basil evenly over the flatbread.
10. Next evenly cover the flatbread with the prosciutto and sausage. Next layer the flatbread with slices of tomatoes.
11. Finally, sprinkle the red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese evenly over the whole flatbread.
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.  As soon as you remove the flatbread from the oven, sprinkle it with the remaining parmesan cheese.   Allow the flatbread to rest for 5-7 minutes before cutting.

How to Eat an Artichokes

Artichokes are just coming into season.  They are a little work, but completely worth it.  They can also be really romantic.  You and your love can cook them together, feed them to one another, and then enjoy their effects as a supposed aphrodisiac.

Servings: 1 artichoke

Time: Prep: 10 minutes Cooking: 30-45 minutes

Hardware: A knife and a cutting board, kitchen scissors, a spoon, and a steamer

Choose an artichoke that is tightly closed. Smaller artichokes are more tender, larger ones have larger hearts (the best part.) It is okay if the artichoke has brown spots. Those spots are where frost has 'kissed' it.

Ingredients:

• artichoke
• lemon
• garlic
• bay leaves

 To cook:

1. Put water in the steamer, add the quartered lemon, the crushed garlic, and two bay leaves. Turn up to medium-high, add the basket,  and cover.
2. Wash the artichoke right before preparing it.  If you wash it earlier, it will spoil faster.
3. The artichoke leaves will have thorns at each end.  Use the kitchen scissors and snip the pointy tips from all of the leaves.
4. Cut off about an inch from the pointy end of the artichoke and cut off the stem.
5. Pull off all the little leaves that are close to the stem.
6. The water should be boiling now.
7. Add the artichokes and replace the lid. Reduce the heat to simmer and steam the artichokes for 30-45 minutes.  The artichokes are done when you can easily remove a leaf.  The bigger the artichoke the longer it will need to steam.



To eat:

1.  Remove the leaves, one at a time
2. Dip the fleshy end in melted butter or in a dipping sauce. Place the end of the leaf, fleshy inner part down, into your mouth and gently bite down.  Pull the leaf through your teeth to scrape the edible part into your happy mouth.  Throw the leaf away.
3. Dip, bite, scrape, discard, and repeat until all the leaves are gone
4. Now you need to remove the ‘choke’ part.  Use a spoon to gently scrape the fuzzy needles away.  You will need to rinse the spoon and maybe the artichoke as you are doing so.
5. Now you have the artichoke heart, the best part.  You can slice this up and eat it or add it to your favorite recipes.

Maple Orange Glazed Ham

Here is a glazed ham for Easter.  This is really easy and very tasty. I recommend using the cloves, it makes a difference.

Servings: 8 to 10

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 1 ½ -3 hours
Hardware:  Roasting pan, meat thermometer, foil, measuring spoons & cups, a saucepot, and a wooden spoon

Easter Ham

Ingredients:

• 5-8 pound fully cooked ham
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon stone ground brown mustard
• Whole cloves (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325°
2. Place the ham, fat side up, on the rack of the roasting pan.  If you want to you can stick cloves into the ham in rows about an inch apart. Cover the ham in foil.  Bake the ham for about 20 minutes per pound or until the thermometer reads 145°.
3. While the ham is baking combine the remaining ingredients over medium high.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. About 20 minutes before the ham is done remove the foil and pour half of the glaze evenly over the top.  About 10 minutes later, pour rest of the glaze over the ham.
5. Allow the ham to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Menu:  Maple Orange Glazed Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Cucumber Salad, Dinner Rolls, Floriberry Crumble

 

Floriberry Crumble

Strawberries, blueberries, and oranges are all grown in North Florida, where I have lived most of my life.  So this dessert is not necessarily healthy, but it does stick to my philosophy of trying to use local fresh food whenever possible.  It is perfect for Easter.

Servings: 8

Time: Prep: 15 min. Bake 25 min.
Hardware: Microwave safe bowl, cutting board & knives, measuring spoons & cups, a mixing bowl, a fork, a saucepan, a spoon, a wooden spoon, a baking sheet, foil, a rubber spatula, and 8 ramekins

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup flour
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries
• 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cooking spray
• vanilla ice cream

Fresh Floridian fruit makes this dessert special

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325° Cover the baking sheet in foil.  Set aside.
2. Wash, slice, and hull the strawberries.  Rinse the blueberries.  Mix the fruit together and set aside.
3. Melt the butter for 1 minute on 50% power in the microwave.
4. In the mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats.  Pour in the melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.  Set aside
5. Over medium high, combine the sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in the orange juice and the vanilla. Bring to a boil.  Boil for about 2 minutes or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Spray the ramekins.  Divide the fruit evenly into the ramekins.  Pour the orange juice mixture over the fruit.  Top each crumble with the oat mixture.  Use the spatula to spread the crumble to the edge of the ramekin. 
7. Place the ramekins on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
8. Serve with ice cream.

How to Fire Roast Peppers

I often list fire-roasted peppers as an ingredient.  The best way to fire-roast a pepper is over an actual flame.  However, you can also achieve this in the oven. 

Servings: one pepper

Time:  Prep: 5 minutes;   Cooking:  10-15 minutes,  Resting:  5 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, a roasting pan or cast iron skillet, tongs, a large plastic container, the sink

Ingredients:

• A bell pepper

1. Wash the pepper.  Cut it into quarters.  Remove the seeds and white ribs.

2.  Place the pepper skin side up in the skillet.

3.  Place the skillet on the top shelf under the broiler and roast until the pepper skin is blackened and blistered.

4. Cover the pepper with the plastic container and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Rinse the pepper under running water while gently rubbing.  The skin should just rinse off.



6.  Now you have fire roasted peppers.  These can be used as sandwich ingredients, added to soup, tossed in salads or used in any of these recipes:   Italian Sammies, Stromboli, Italian Flatbread