Macaroni and Cheese

1 Lb Elbow PastaHomemade Macaroni and Cheese
1 stick butter
4 Tbs Flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dried mustard
2 Cups Whole Milk
1/2 lb grated sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 lb fresh mozzarella, chopped

Cook elbows in salted boiling water until they are al dente. Drain and reserve.

Melt the Butter and the Flour to form a RouxIn a large sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. When the butter is melted and begins to turn brown around the edges, add the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mustard.  Cook until you can smell the spices and the mixture looks pale gold in color.  Add 1/4 of the milk and stir to combine.  Add the rest of the milk and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Stir until the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise.  Add the cheeses and stir until the cheese is completely incorporated.  Mix in reserved noodles and serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:If you are making this recipe for kids, use a mild cheddar instead of sharp, and omit the mustard and the nutmeg. This is a great recipe for a crowd and can easily be doubled and made ahead of time (prepare recipe as described above, place in a large casserole and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes until the mac and cheese is golden brown and bubbly).

Herb Grilled Trout

2 Whole Trout, butterflied

1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme, finely choppedrub herb mixture into trout

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs unsalted butter

2 cedar planks

Heat grill.  Soak the cedar planks in water for at least two hours until thoroughly Grill Fish on Cedar Plankssaturated. Combine Rosemary, Thyme, garlic, salt and pepper.  Divide herb mixture between the fish and rub trout is done when it is opaqueinto meat.  Thinly slice butter and add one Tbs to each fish. Place each fish on a plank and place on hot grill.  Cover the grill and cook until fish is opaque in the middle, about 12 minutes.  Serve with fresh lemon slices.

Caramelized Onion, Cheddar, and Black Bean Wraps

2 Sweet onions, sliced thinlymy mouth is still watering

1 can refried beans ( I use Amy's brand)

Cheddar Cheese, sliced thinly

Flour Tortillas

1 Tbs Olive Oil, or enough to coat the pan

salt to taste

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the oil.  Add onions and cook until golden and season with salt to taste.  Meanwhile, tear a piece of silver foil and place a tortilla on top of the foil.  Add beans and cheddar cheese taste.  When the onions are golden brown add them on top of the beans and cheese.  Roll the tortilla in the foil and allow to cool to room temperature.

recipe notes: If you make this ahead of time, the heat from the onions melts the cheese and somewhat cooks the tortilla, which creates a gooey decision hiking sandwich.  If I wasn't going to take these sandwiches hiking and instead eat them right away, I would make them as follows:

1) carmelize the onions as instructed above

2) heat black beans over low heat until small bubbles begin to form

3) Heat a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, place tortilla in bottom of skillet.  Cook on first side for about 1 minute until tortilla begins to puff up.  When it does, flip and cook on the second side for about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and assemble sandwich.

4) To assemble sandwhich, place hot tortilla on a plate.  add about 2 Tbs of black beans, 2 Tbs of onions, and cheddar cheese.  Roll and enjoy!

Egg Fetucinni with Garlic Shoots and Morels

1/2 Lb Fresh Garlic Shoots, sliced into 1 inch segments

1/4 Lb Fresh Morel Mushrooms, finely chopped

3 shallots, finely chopped, 1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chicken broth (or for a vegetarian alternative, use vegetable broth)

grated cheese

1 Lb Egg Fettuccini

Cook Fettuccini until it is al dente. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the shallots and sautee until golden. Add mushrooms and sautee until they release their juices, about three minutes. Add Garlic shoots and sautee until they turn bright green, about two minutes. Add Chicken broth and stir to remove browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the broth to reduce until it has almost (but not entirely) evaporated. Turn off heat and stir in the butter. Return the cooked pasta to the pan and toss until the pasta has absorbed all of the sauce. Serve with your favorite grated cheese. You can of course use Parmigiano-Reggiano, but I prefer an aged gouda or Parano (a nutty aged cheese available at Whole Foods).

Recipe Notes: If fresh morels aren't available, reconstitute 1/2 oz dried morels in the broth and proceed accordingly. If I have time, I would make homemade pasta (recipe coming soon!)

Balsamic Glazed Grilled Chicken

2 whole chicken breasts split in half

 1/4 Cup Kosher Salt

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mix Salt and Sugar in 2 quarts of water. and add the chicken breasts.  Allow the chickens to soak in the brine for at least two hours.  Remove the breasts, rinse off, and pat dry.  Prepare a grill and coat the breasts in the balsamic vinaigrette.  Place chicken on the hot grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes.  Flip the chicken and brush a final coat of the glaze onto the chicken.  Cook until grill marks appear on the second side and the chicken is cooked through, about an additional 3 minutes.  Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Notes:  This is a basic brine.  I brine all of my poultry.  It imparts a ton of flavor and leaves the meat very, very juicy.  If you don't use the vinagarette as a glaze, add additional spices to the brine, coat the chicken lightly with conola oil, grill and enjoy!