Macaroni and Cheese

Needing to use up the Gruyere left over from Christmas Eve, I finally made an adult macaroni and cheese. The perfect recipe seemed to be Martha Stewart's, according to several sources online. I liked that it incorporated Gruyere and included bread crumbs. Rather than make the bread crumbs, I used what we had on hand, which was panko (Japanese bread crumbs). It turned out really well, by adding a light and crispy topping. As for the macaroni and cheese, it was everything I could ask for—creamy and flavorful. The cayenne pepper gave it a nice kick and the nutmeg didn't seem out of place.

The original recipe yields enough to feed an army, so I halved it and included the edits here. I substituted the milk with heavy cream, only because we needed to use that up as well. I'm sure it only made it richer.

Roasted Chicken

K made a roasted chicken the other night, using Thomas Keller's technique. In lieu of a recipe, I'm posting a You Tube clip of the man himself demonstrating how to make the perfect roasted chicken.

Korean Tofu Salad

This Korean Tofu Salad is the only salad K ever requests. It's based on salads we've had at either Japanese or Korean restaurants. The dressing is super simple, consisting of: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a little bit of agave nectar. I just add those ingredients into a bottle, with a ratio of 1:1:1 (for the first three ingredients), and shake. Then I pour it over salad greens and toss. Finally, add cubed tofu (silken is best), sprinkle toasted sesame seeds, and black pepper. That's it. Very, very simple and sooo much better than bottled salad dressings.           

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas

As much as I love Mexican food (it's in my top 3), I rarely attempt to make it at home. I think living in a city where you can find great food of any cuisine, it's easier to leave it to the professionals. Whatever the reason, I may slowly incorporate Mexican into our rotation after the mushroom fajitas I made. Not to pat myself on the back, but they were way better than many vegetarian burritos/tacos I've had in my life. Yes, it's a bold statement. But, eating like a vegetarian on occasion, I think I'm allowed to say this. It seems as though many places don't put a lot of thought or care into vegetarian dishes. They think that putting any vegetable will do and that the vegetarians/vegans will be content with it. That is the main reason I'm not a vegetarian. If there were as many amazing vegetarian options as there are non-vegetarian, I'd have no problem making the switch.

I know this was worth making again because K ate leftovers for two days. My recipe is after the jump.

Corgi Puppy Painting

My Christmas gift to K.