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Macaroni and cheese

This ultimate comfort food with its golden, buttery, crunchy topping, is always a welcome friend to all people young and old, for any occasion — it and can be made for one person or a big group of family and friends.  Just adjust the quantities.  It freezes well and a big quantity can be made in advance and frozen in portions.  Easy and quick and together with a fresh crunchy salad, a simple feast ….. and its vegetarian!

—————– Photograph to come——————————

For the cheese sauce:
1 liter/1¾ pt milk, heated
50 g/1¾ oz butter
50 g/1¾ oz plain flour, sifted
250 g/9 oz cheddar, grated
1 teaspoon/5 ml English mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

For the Parmesan and crumb topping:
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
1½ cup/375 ml dried breadcrumbs
½ cup/ 120 ml grated Parmesan cheese

For the macaroni:
400 g/14 oz dried macaroni, rigatoni or penne, etc
salt
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
6 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tablespoon/15 ml sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
200 g/7 oz tomatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons/30 ml fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/390ºF.
  • Lightly grease an heat-proof dish the size required.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Gradually stir in the hot milk and cook gently, whilst whisking constantly, until all the milk is used up and a smooth sauce is formed.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened.
  • Remove from the heat and add the cheese and mustard, then season well with salt and freshly ground white pepper and the garlic powder (if using).
  • Meanwhile, for the crumb topping, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium heat and add the breadcrumbs.
  • Stir constantly to avoid the crumbs burning, then remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
  • Fill a large saucepan more than half full with water and bring to the boil.
  • Add salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
  • Drain the pasta, discard the water and pour the pasta back into the saucepan.
  • Drizzle the olive oil over and stir gently, then add the spring onions and the sour cream (or yoghurt) and mix well.
  • Pour the sauce over the pasta, mix well and then spoon a third of the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  • Place the sliced tomato and parsley in a layer over the pasta, sprinkle over some salt, then pour the rest of the pasta mixture in and smooth the top.
  • Sprinkle the Parmesan and crumb mixture evenly on top and bake in the oven until the crumbs are golden and the sauce is bubbling lightly around the edges. It should take about 12-15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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