Western Potato Rounds

Western

Potato Rounds

These won the "best in show" vote from the lone husband-sneaking-around-the-kitchen at my cooking and recipe swap group the other night.  He said "from the man's point of view" they were the clear winner.  The theme of the night was hors d' oeuvres.

2 large unpeeled baking potatoes
vegetable oil
1 cup (4 oz) colby jack cheese
6 bacon slices
1/3 cup green onion slices (about 2)
¼ cup barbeque sauce

Preheat oven to 450*F. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Brush both sides of potatoes with oil. Place rounds on a baking stone or sheet pan. Bake 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp, drain and crumble. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, cheese, and sliced green onions in a bowl and toss together. With a basting brush, brush each potato round with barbeque sauce and sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. Return to the oven. Bake 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Adapted from "The Pampered Chef Stoneware Sensations" cookbook. Makes 24 hors d’oeuvres.

Homemade Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Kids love that blue box. My kids too. And they do get it once in a while --but not too often. We've been using a great recipe for Homemade Macaroni and Cheese that has a smooth and creamy texture that will remind kids of their favorite version--but is made with real ingredients.

It doesn't take much longer to make either.  For both versions you are only waiting for the pasta to cook through.

Over Thanksgiving my sister requested this recipe.  She tried making a homestyle baked version of Mac and Cheese and her kids did not take the bait.  I promised her they would love this one.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Alton Brown

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (if you like that kick)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded


In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. (While it's cooking shred the cheddar.)  Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese.

Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My friend asked about Food Inc. the other day.

"So does it say you should be, like, vegetarian?"

I answered, "No." (Since I'm a self appointed spokesperson.) Food Inc. explores the industrialized food system in America, and if I was to name a food lifestyle it was promoting it is simply "eat real food." You can eat meat, if it comes from healthy animals eating the food that nature intended for them. I would call meat a real food, along with fruits and vegetables and flours milled from grains--that sort of thing.

I like to be able to recognize my food--what it is, and what's in it.

This last week as Jeremy and I were discussing grocery shopping, we felt like we needed some "easy food," based on Jeremy's current inability to help out around the house.There was the temptation of the idea of buying some ready-made processed foods.

Until I remembered that real food can be just as easy.

An onion in a pot with butter then flour.  A quart of stock.  Broccoli and some shredded carrots.  4oz cheddar and 1/2 cup of cream.

Hardly needs a recipe.

I love to look at my ingredients and see how simple they are and know that something truly delicious is coming.  That's why, although I believe I'm a good cook (through equal parts practice and courage), I've never felt comfortable with the label "gourmet" that some people sometimes give me.  Most of the time I love the basic simple ingredients. 

What else could I want?

Edited* More specific instruction if you want to make Cheddar broccoli soup.   Start by sauteing the onions in 2 TBS butter until soft.   Add 2 Tbls flour until the butter soaks it all up.   Then add chicken stock a little bit at a time while stirring to get all that flour and butter mixed through it.   Add the broccoli to the broth and simmer until soft.  Add the carrots toward the end of the broccoli cooking.  Then slowly add the cheese to melt it and add the cream and stir to combine.

American Bento

I haven't actually been trying that hard on Owen's lunches.  I've been letting his new cute containers do most of the work for me thus far.     That was. . . until we had the following conversation:

Me:  Owen how do you want this carrot in your lunch?  Do you want me to cut it into carrot sticks or do you want me to leave it like this-- like a big carrot rocket?

Owen:  I don't want any carrots in my lunch.

Me:  Would you like me to put some dip in for your carrot sticks?

Owen:  I would like ketchup. . .
            with french fries. . .
            and some chicken nuggets. . .

That got no reply from me other than to turn and march myself right back into the kitchen to finish making his lunch.  This is exactly why I am making his lunches at home and sending them to school.

Kindergartners want to eat fun food.  And right now he's thinking that those french fries and chicken nuggets look fun.  That is one of the whole ideas behind bento.  People, especially children, eat with their eyes first, and if the food isn't visually appealing--they won't want to eat it.

Carrot sticks, sweet red pepper squares on toothpicks, cheese leaves, and ants on a log.  He also had a half a sandwich.  (Jeremy had made him a whole sandwich, but Jonas found it and ate one half for his breakfast.)

When I finished putting together Owen's Americanized bento box I took it over and showed him.    I got the wide-eyed expression of surprise and interest I was looking for.

"This is your lunch."  I told him.  (And no, you may not have fries with that.)

I think he enjoyed his lunch.  I definitely was excited to show it to him, and he ate most of it.  Now I just have to stop by the principle's office when I drop him off today and ask for his plastic toothpicks back.

Apparently they were confiscated for being "spaceships--flying through the hair galaxy." 

("Who's hair galaxy Owen?")

Seriously, they should be paying me to send my kid to school.  You know those teachers haven't had laughs this good in a long time.