Grilled Appetizers, focaccia and halloumi cheese

Yesterday I finally had the time and opportunity to cook. It was a beautiful evening to grill, so I started with what has become a stand-by for me, grilled focaccia. I typically have a bag or two of purchased pizza dough in my refrigerator, so this can be a spur of the moment choice. Last night I used a whole wheat dough, which I roll and stretch on a piece of parchment paper. I lightly spray the top side of the dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and crushed garlic. Depending on how thinly I've rolled the dough, after grilling it either resembles a crispy pizza, a naan, or a more "bready" foccacia . I serve this warm foccacia with a variety of spreads, such as an olive tapenade, roasted red pepper, or baba ghanoush, and cheese.


Last night, for the first time, I grilled halloumi cheese to accompany the foccacia. It was an easy and a fun change. I lightly sprayed the cheese with olive oil, and grilled it for about two minutes per side. The outside of the cheese develops a thin, crunchy skin, and the inside is warm but still firm. The cheese is slightly salty, so the foccacia only needs a light salting before grilling. Next time I will try a squeeze of lemon juice on the cheese after grilling, and a garnsih of capers.

Things Change

Sometimes life throws a monkey wrench in our meal plans. An unexpectedly, uncomfortable dentist appointment, forced a last minute switch to an easy to chew meal and my son’s request last night for macaroni and cheese.

In earlier times, that would have me reaching for a box of Annie’s or Kraft’s. Homemade macaroni and cheese was just too much work for a “kids” food. The need for two pots, one for the sauce and the other to cook the pasta, was the real deal killer. My sister-in-law whips-up a mean mac’n cheese: a white sauce from scratch with freshly grated cheese. I wanted that rich and creamy home cooked taste, with the convenience of a box.

I’ve succeeded in creating a one-pot recipe that delivers on both counts. The key is to follow the same steps you use with the box: Cook the pasta, drain and return to the pot, add butter, allow to melt, sprinkle flour over the buttered macaroni, mix, gradually add warmed milk, and then slowly add grated cheese (from a bag of course!) It takes a bit of stirring to get the cheese melted and incorporated, but the result is worth the minimal effort. Best of all, there was only one pot to clean.

For those of us with a fully functioning set of teeth, dinner was rounded out with a salad of tomato, hearts of palm, and cucumber, and chicken Italian sausages.

RECIPE FOR ONE POT MACARONI & CHEESE

1 box elbow pasta (usually 1 lb.)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1.5 cups low fat milk, warmed in microwave (about 2 minutes on high)
2 cups grated cheddar ( equivalent to one small bag of pre-grated cheese)
salt & pepper to taste

Cook and drain pasta. Return to pot. Over a low heat, add butter to the pasta. Stir to evenly coat pasta with the melted butter. Sprinkle the buttered pasta with the flour, stirring to coat evenly. Slowly add the warmed milk while stirring. Add the cheese by handfuls, stirring to fully melt between additions. Salt & pepper to taste. Sometimes I add a few dashes of hot sauce. If you want a runnier sauce add an additional 1/2 cup of warmed mile.