If…

If you intend to make a cheese sauce please remember to base it with a rue. Cheese sauce with no rue is quite pitiful and painfully chunky.

Cheese Sauce:

Butter

Flour

Cheese (what ever strikes your fancy)

Cream/milk

Melt the butter down and slowly incorporate flour, stirring constantly. For a cheese sauce you want a honey colored rue. Add flour until you get a sticky paste at the bottom of your pot. When you rue is achieved please add, SLOWLY your cream/milk in small increments. Whisk all the while. Slowly add your dairy until you see what looks like a cream sauce and then, over LOW heat, start adding your cheese. Whisk in in 1/4 cup portions, your cheese of choice. I commonly combine variations of both Swiss, German, English and American cheeses.

The whisking is the key. Over low heat. Think of it like a cheesy dream. Create your heart out. Or get medication to control the level of cholesterol that this cheese sauce may bring.

Mushroom and Garlic Whole Wheat Couscous

Mushroom and Garlic Whole Wheat Couscous

2 ¾ cups of organic mushroom broth

2 cups whole wheat couscous

2 garlic cubes or 2 tbsp garlic powder (I have tried fresh it is not the same)

½ tbsp garlic pepper

2 tbsp of dried herbs

1 tbsp olive oil

Add all ingredients except couscous to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add couscous to the boiling stock and stir. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

You can add in chopped roasted vegetables or sautéed mushrooms of all types.

You can sub chicken broth for a milder flavor.

Red Gunge with Linguine

Ingredients

This recipe pertains to your taste = no measurements

Canned fire roasted tomatoes

Garlic

Onion

Fresh basil/oregano or dried (if that’s what you have that’s what you got)

Red pepper flakes

Ground chicken (dark meat or dark/white mix)

Tomato paste (bring the guns if you have them) Optional

Linguine (please buy the good stuff )

Crema Mexicana (Mexican sour cream) Usually can find this at speacialty/whole food stores

Whatever else moves your fancy

In a large dutch oven or other heavy bottom cookware begin browning you meat and as soon as you have finished strain and remove it for a minute.

After the meat has been removed start sweating down your garlic and onion in olive oil (in the same cookware). As soon as you have good aroma and the onions are slightly translucent add in your red pepper flakes (to your taste) and allow them to flavor the olive oil for a few moments.

Return the browned meat to the cookware.

Add in your canned roasted tomatoes (I prefer organic) and any herbs that you like as well as salt and pepper.

This sauce should really cook for a few hours, the longer it cooks, the deeper the flavor, the more tender the chicken.

Boil up your fettuccine to al dente and strain.

Before adding your fettuccine to the sauce mix in as much as you like of the Crema Mexicana. I usually add enough the turn the sauce rose.

Add the fettucini and toss well.

Garnish with Parmesan and Basil.

Yummy.

Calamari

Black pepper and Fleur De Sol crusted Calamari steaks.

Fresh calamari steaks

Panko bread crumbs

Course ground black pepper

Fleur De Sol salt (found at specialty markets)

Unsalted butter

Olive oil

Lemon

Fleur De sol “flower of salt” gives these steaks a rich salty flavor balanced out by fresh ground pepper. This is as simple as it gets so use the highest quality of ingredients. The calamari is featured here so a simple garnish of lemon is all you need.

Make a plate of plain panko crumbs and loads of black pepper (as much or little as you like). The salt should be applied directly to the calamari but be very careful, this salt packs a punch and is not for the weak of taste buds (I actually place single grains on the steaks, one grain per square inch) take your time with the salt application it shows your love of food (the food will respect you more). In a large skillet (please no non stick we don’t need training wheels) heat up your olive oil and a wee bit of butter (maybe a teaspoon or two) until the butter is slightly starting to brown over medium high heat (depending on the cookware).

After coating the steaks give them a little jiggle to get any excess crumbs off (the skillet is hot they don’t need a heavy coat to go in) and fry them (depending on thickness) about 1-3 minutes per side. Don’t let those beautiful babies start curling up on you, they get tough and rubbery. Serve with plenty of lemon wedges.

I cannot stress this enough; if you are unsure of the cooking time to get cooked yet tender calamri ask your fish monger. Your fish monger is your friend and like all friends he loves to give advice so keep your ears open!