Mardi Gras Mac and Cheese

For the past week, my house has been without an Internet connection. Not as critical these days if your iPhone can check/send emails to loved ones, post status updates to facebook, read daily tweets from Charlie Sheen, and surf the World Wide Web for futile knowledge such as “Is the word doughnut considered a masculine or feminine noun in the French language?”Anyone know? Random foreign language fact: it’s masculine. Unfortunately, however, the lack of an Internet signal at home does create a barrier between me and the ability to update My Eats and Beats. But where there is a will, there is a way. We finally called Comcast!

This weekend was a good mix of rest and entertainment. The gloomy climate, with rain and chilly temperatures, lent itself to 11 hours of sleep on Saturday and Sunday. Amid grey skies, lunch on Sunday was about the only burst of color all weekend: mixed greens with baby carrots, chick peas, plum tomatoes and raspberry vinaigrette. I love meals that are thrown together within minutes, using items that are already in the kitchen. Resources are running scarce, and a trip to the grocery store is certainly in order today. Who wants to bet I walk away with a King Cake in my grocery cart? It’s Mardi Gras!

A few weeks ago we had dinner at my parents, and my mom bought a delectable king cake from Fresh Market. [Insert choir of angels rejoicing at the sight] After dinner my mom, dad, Stewart and I were each served a slice for dessert. Now, tradition states that whoever gets the tiny plastic baby inside the king cake is the king/queen for the day. And that person is then responsible for buying the next king cake. Four large slices, and half a king cake later, there’s no plastic baby in sight. This is just unacceptable. There has to be a baby in there. Five minutes passed, and an entire king cake was devoured by yours truly in search for the missing baby. Guess what? No baby! I felt gypped, and my stomach felt stout. Game over.

I wish I had planned in advance to make my own king cake today. Instead, I’ve posted a recipe for real macaroni and cheese. Kraft macaroni and cheese is a childhood (and adulthood) classic. But if you’re really looking to impress a dinner guest, try this recipe from the Lee Brothers. It’s a staple side dish for any season.  

And the cheese to my macaroni is Louis Armstrong singing "When the Saints Go Marching In". It is quintessential New Orleans/Mardi Gras music. I love the brass band and Louis' voice. A soulful voice to go with this soul food classic.





Macaroni and Cheese from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

serves 12
total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour3 cups milk

3 bay leaves6 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste1 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Fill a large pasta pot with water. Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pasta pot.In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir together until smooth. Stir for 3 minutes. Add the milk, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it is melted. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta and stir until the sauce is distributed evenly in the pasta. Spread half of the macaroni and cheese in the bottom of a 3-quart casserole dish and flatten into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the remaining cheddar on top, then cover with half of the Gruyere. Add the rest of the pasta, flattening into an even layer, then cover with the remaining cheddar then the remaining Gruyere.

Bake in the middle of the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes. If desired, transfer to the top rack during the last 5 minutes to brown the top.

Serve immediately.

Spicin' Up Black Bean Soup with Miss Lopez

Blast you New Year’s Resolutions! I’m pretty sure, judging by today’s date, that I have not posted three new recipes per week. But I have been keeping up with other resolutions, so that has to count for something. Right? And blast you Biebs! I’ve been listening to your song “Baby” today at work. Why?! Is it your profound lyrics: “Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh. Like Baby, Baby, Baby. No.” It’s just so darn catchy! Bring Luda into the mix, and I’m hooked. For those of you who may not be familiar with my feelings towards Justin Bieber – he is the reason I would dread having a 13 year-old daughter one day. And the scary reality is that I’ve been that 13 year-old girl with many a boy bands...back in the day.

Here’s my train of thought. The Biebs makes me think of the show Glee and their Bieber Fever episode from a few weeks ago. Consequently, Glee makes me think of the new OPI line of Glee nail polish colors. And I’m in love with the color “Slushied”! It’s this fantastic blue color for the spring/summer season. Go get it!

Spring fashion trends make me all too anxious to usher in warmer temperatures and say good bye to winter coats. As a fond, food, farewell to winter, I’m featuring a black bean soup recipe. This will most likely be one of the last soups I cook until fall arrives. This black bean soup is the first I’ve made, and it is delicious. There’s a lot of flavor in this pot of protein. It has bacon! Enough said. Check out the recipe below!



Don’t worry. I’m not going to publicly shame myself further and post a Justin Bieber video to my blog. BUT I would like to point out how bad Kim Kardashian's new single "Jam" is. It premiered today. Really? Really Kim? You think you can sing? Really? You know I have a love/hate relationship with you; so why did you give me reason to hate on your new song? I'll still watch your show on E! though. No buena muchacha. No buena. Listen here.

To spice up the black bean soup recipe, I chose Jennifer Lopez's new single "On the Floor". It's a real fist pumper. Speaking of Jennifer Lopez, I'm watching another season of American Idol. I swore I wouldn't once Simon Cowell left, but here I go again...

Black Bean Soup (by Dave Lieberman/Food Network)

Ingredients

• 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Pomodoro Sauce and The Black Keys

Don’t you just love Fridays? The end of the work week portrays a feeling of celebration and glee, knowing that I will sleep in past 6 a.m. and the next two and a half days are mine to own. Tomorrow afternoon I’ve set myself up for a day of glamour – a hair appointment followed by a manicure. You know who loves a day of “it’s all about me”? Yours truly!

This week was filled with entertaining, keeping me busy in the kitchen. The result of having guests over is that my new year’s resolution to write three new posts a week has been accomplished! Previously I reported on Tuesday’s ginger-lime beef stir-fry. So today’s post highlights a great pasta dish I made Wednesday night.

This particular recipe has no official name. My mom makes this version of a pomodoro sauce, and I love it. The only problem with adopting a recipe from the master mama chef is that she doesn’t follow a recipe. She simply “throws it together”- add a little here, try a dab of this, just a pinch of that, etc. On the other hand, I am a recipe follower to a fault. It’s a rare occasion that I feel confident in taking liberties with ingredients that are called for on paper. So, I always ask my mom a series of detailed questions in order to pull together a sense of direction. Here’s a sample of me trying to transcribe a recipe.

Me: So, I have tomatoes, basil, garlic and white wine. Is that it?
Mom: Well, then I add some chicken broth in there.
Me: OK. How much chicken broth?
Mom: Oh I don’t know. Maybe ½ a cup to 1 cup?
Me: So I cook down the tomatoes and then add everything else?
Mom: Oh wait. There’s garlic too. I add garlic to the tomatoes and olive oil in the beginning.
Me: Is the garlic whole? Minced? Chopped?

This recipe has quickly become my go to favorite when I want to cook to impress without putting in a whole lot of effort. It’s always a hit.

Today's beat is Everlasting Light by The Black Keys. This song gives me a good attitude going into the weekend. I hope it does the same for you!

Cheers!
Julia



White wine and tomato sauce:

Ingredients:
½ Cup of any white wine
1 Cup of chicken broth
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2-3 sprigs of basil, finely cut
Olive oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add 2 pints of cherry tomatoes (whole) and the garlic to the pan. Sauté the tomatoes and garlic until the tomatoes have dwindled down into mush. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a light simmer until it’s heated and ready. When you’re ready to add your pasta, don’t drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta directly from the boiling water into the sauce pan. This helps the pasta and sauce stick/mix together. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Let Go with Ginger-Lime Beef Stir-Fry

 I'm not certain why I'm always compelled to try a new recipe, for the very first time, the day I'm having guests over. Is it the thrill of the unknown? The excitement of producing a crowd pleasing dish mixed with prayers and crossed fingers that it doesn't go terribly wrong? What ever the reason, tonight was an A+ for new recipe success.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my friend, Shelby, and I get together about every month for our routine Harry Potter movie nights. There are three staples to a Harry Potter movie night at my house: the movie, the wine, and the cupcakes. It's always a fun occasion.We enjoy the time spent making dinner in the kitchen and catching up over a bottle of wine while Harry Potter plays in the background.

For tonight's rendezvous, I made a ginger-lime beef stir-fry from my Cooking Light recipe book, and it was yummy. It literally took all of 10 minutes to throw this meal together. It's low in calories, low in sodium and is inexpensive to make. If you're feeding more than 2-3 people, I'd recommend doubling the recipe. I served it over jasmine rice and a side of steamed edemame. Delish!
   
Around 10 p.m., after Shelby left, I stared at the pile of dirty dished in my sink. My kitchen now smells like a Chinese restaurant. And yet I'm completely content with going to bed and dealing with the mess tomorrow. 


For a beat to accompany this spicy citrus entree, I chose Frou Frou's "Let Go".

Cheers!
Julia

Ginger-lime Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1.5 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
12 oz boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onion
4 limes wedges

Directions:
Combine first five ingredients into a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook until browned (about 4 minutes) stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with onions and lime wedges. 

New Year's Resolutions with Mumford & Sons

Today I feel as though I'm writing to an old friend. A friend whom I've not talked to in over five months. Hello, my beloved blog! It's me, Julia! Thoughts flood my head and rush down to my fingertips on the keyboard. I'm anxious to familiarize myself again with the blogging world and remiss in the fact that I've neglected to write about two of my favorite pastimes: cooking and eating.

Don't misinterpret that comment. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and into the New Year, I've certainly not neglected to eat and/or cook. In fact, I dare admit there's been too much eating. And I'm pretty sure the word gluttony comes to mind. I've merely neglected to write about it. So where do I begin? There's so much to share!

Let's start with the new year. I always have the best of intentions when it comes to new year's resolutions, and somehow I'm waiting until February to begin mine. But amidst the procrastination, I want to be ambitious this year. And there's nothing like putting your goals in writing for everyone to see as self motivation.

So here it is. Resolutions to improve mind, body and spirit in 2011.

• Blog at least 3 times a week. 
• Read one new book every 4-6 weeks.
• Exercise at least 4 times a week. 
• Say at least one prayer a day
• Brush up on my French language skills
• Read the news daily. Yes, I'm terrible at staying abreast of the latest world affairs on a daily basis. Don't judge.

And thanks to bathing suit season already in high gear, for those fortunate enough to still have a spring break, I'll begin my exercise regiment first thing tomorrow. For today's eats, I'm highlighting a great vegetable soup I found from Ellie Krieger on Food Network. It's her Tuscan Vegetable Soup. I omit the spinach, due to personal preference. And I use oregano or Italian seasoning in place of sage, since I never have any in the house. I've paired this dish with Mumford and Sons' Little Lion Man. I recently added their album "Sigh No More" to my iTunes library, and it was $8 well spent. Alongside a bowl of this vegetable soup, I want to drink a pint of Guinness in a London pub.  Here's to a new year, new adventures, and new eats and beats.  

Cheers!
Julia

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions:

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

, if desired.