Jalapeno Mac n Cheese

Macaroni and cheese. Ahhh. Whether it's made entirely from scratch or opening up a box of Kraft, I love macaroni and cheese.

I've conquered bacon mac n'cheese, and traditional mac n cheese. No problem. The great thing about this dish is you can pretty much add whatever you want, and it will only make it all that much better.

::Gathering my raw materials::

Ingredients:

2 cups shells, rotini, rigatoni, elbow mac uncooked (whole wheat if you prefer)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1.5 cups milk
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
1 large jalapeno, diced (and seeded if you prefer less of a spice)
1.5 cups shredded cheese of your choice (the sharper, the better)

Directions:

In a large pot bring about a quart of water to boil then dash in some salt. Add your pasta and let cook until al dente



While that's going, it's jalapeno and roux prep. Chop up your jalapeno (de-seed if you like) and set aside.



Not shown is the cheese grating. Not very exciting, but we all know how to do that.

After your cheese and jalapenos are prepped, set aside and start on the roux. Melt the 1 tbsp of butter with flour in a medium saucepan at medium to high heat, and use a whisk to keep stirring. You don't want any lumps.

Then add your milk immediately and keep whisking. You should have a nice thick "gravy" like base for your cheese sauce.


Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, your jalapeno chunks, and finally the cheese. Continue to whisk it all together until smooth and let simmer on low.





As it simmers on low, drain your pasta (don't rinse), and return to the large pot. Pour the cheese mixture on the drained pasta and incorporate the cheese everywhere.



Do I need to tell you the next step? ENJOY! =)

Potatoes and eggs--fancified = )

Too much to title, but yesterday I opted to stay indoors and cook up a fantastic brunch. As usual, I had ingredients that would go bad, if I kept around for an additional week. So I opted to use them, and voila--a simplistic but tasty result of some generally bland food items. Potatoes and eggs can be severely jacked up if not done right. I did them right.

After a recent visit to The Mission Cafe in Mission Beach, I remembered something on the menu that had to do with rosemary potatoes. Sounded fun to try--and I have plenty of rosemary seasoning, so why not?

So I googled rosemary potatoes and voila! Found a rosemary/thyme/garlic potato recipe that was pretty damn easy. I have tons of dry seasonings stocked up, so this came out great. I coupled it with an aged white cheddar and onion frittata and had a nice meal.

::gathering my raw materials::

Ingredients:

2-3 red potatoes diced (not necessarily peeled)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
dried thyme and rosemary to taste
1/2 tsp garlic paste (or to taste)


Frittata:

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded extra sharp vintage white cheddar
diced onion (to taste)




Directions:

Chop your red potatoes, pat dry and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet at medium heat. Add potatoes. Cook slowly, as the unsexy alternative is frantically opening up the front door, turning on the exhaust fan, and jumping up and down like a monkey, fanning a towel at the smoke alarm which won't shut up because you burned said potatoes.


As the potatoes brown, add your salt and seasonings. I also added a dash of chili powder to mine. Once all brown/cooked, set aside.




For the frittata, beat two eggs with the milk, and add the shredded cheese. In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil and add your onions.



Cook onions until clear, and add your egg mixture. Cook in the pan until the edges are poofy/cooked.



Turn your oven to the broiler setting and transfer the partially cooked egg to the oven (either use a cast iron skillet, or transfer the egg to an oven safe dish. Or a pie tin. Whatever you have. = )


Allow to bake for 10-15 minutes before removing. Serve and enjoy with the potatoes.