pimento mac n’ cheese with hatch chilis

🤠Find Your Little Friday🤠

In honor of a huge change in my life, I give you my first recipe inspired by my new home, Austin, Texas. 

Cooking seasonally and utilizing the local harvest offerings is not only the most flavorful way to cook, it’s also more affordable. Nothing is more abundant this time of year in the Southwest than hatch peppers. Everywhere I look their unique flavor profile(the ideal pepper ratio of heat & sweetness) is being honored by being inserted into many dishes. This effort completely utilizes their brief but wonderful season. When in Rome, do like the Romans-When in Austin, do like the Texans and allow me to fall into the fold. Combining many of my favorite things here-mac and cheese with pimento cheese flavors and a level-up achieved with adding the hatch peppers. Heck yes. This dish is a new reinvented classic that has officially been added to the arsenal.

If you don’t have access to hatch peppers, it will still be delicious without the added bonus, but you can gauge adding some heat with jalapeno-just be careful, they are known to bring the heat. Also, don’t touch your eyes in between dicing peppers, for some reason fingers become magnets to eyes when you start cutting peppers. You should keep with the continued practice of not touching your face in general these days, so please. It should be noted, you can absolutely eat it cold and it is equally perfect. Maybe even better at times aiding in subsiding in the heat. 

• 2 garlic cloves, split

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• 1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into a 1 inch dice

• 2 hatch peppers, seeded and cut into a 1 inch dice 

• ¾ cup red peppadews in brine, cut into 1 inch dice and reserving 2 tbsp of brine

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chiles or cayenne pepper

• 1 1/4 cups (packed) coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 cup (packed) coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella

• 8 ounces medium elbow macaroni noodle 

• ½ cup of pank (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Bring 1 1/2 cup water, bell pepper, peppadews with their brine, hatch peppers and garlic cloves to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover then reduce heat to medium-low simmer, ensuring the peppers are softened, about 10 minutes. In the bowl of a food processor, add in the cheddar cheese and the parmesan cheese. Add the peppers and garlic, with all of their liquid. Add the ground pepper and blend/pulse until smooth, adding salt & pepper, adjusting to desired flavored. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, about 2 minutes less than the listed time on the box. Drain noodles and return them to the pot. Stir pimento sauce and mozzarella into pasta, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon pasta into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake for about 25 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

chocolate pot de creme

Even though I am devout lover of fruit inspired or based creations when it comes to desserts, I of course have room in my palate and stomach for something chocolate. The list is concise but full of favorites that are always a great comfort, possibly decadent. This said craving popped it’s head up for me over the weekend and I leaned into the call. My favorite of favorites was the response; chocolate pot de creme. The French variation on the Italian budino or American pudding. Each variation requires its own techniques-a pot de creme like so many great desserts with diary and eggs does best when baked in a water bath. This ensures the perfect velvety outcome. You can absolutely halve this recipe like I did and place into two larger ramekins, just adjust the baking time by increasing it for another fifteen minutes!

In a effort to mix it up and use my fresh produce, I threw together the easiest blackberry syrup that might just be the perfect complement to anything. Also, a quick batch of homemade whipped cream pulled the union together. Enjoy and let me know if you try out the recipe! 

chocolate pot de creme

-2 cups whipping cream

-1/2 cup whole milk

-5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

-6 large egg yolks

-1/3 cup sugar

preheat oven to 325°F. separate your eggs and place the yolks into a large bowl, add the sugar to this bowl and whisk until combined. rough chop your chocolate and leave on cutting board, reserve ingredients to the side.

bring the cream and milk to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted and smooth. gradually whisk the hot chocolate mixture into your eggs and sugar. with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the mixture into another bowl. cool for 10 minutes, skimming any foam that forms on the surface.

place six 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes in a large baking pan and add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. divide the custard mixture evenly among each cup and cover the entire pan with a large piece of foil. bake until custards are set but centers still move slightly when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. remove foil and allow to cool for a few minutes out of the oven and then carefully remove each cup from the water. let cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature before chilling custards until cold in the refrigerator, at least 3 hours. garnish or eat with just a spoon, truly all that you need. *can be made 2 days ahead, keep covered and keep chilled. 

fresh whipped cream

-1 cup of cold heavy cream

-1/4 cup granulated or confection sugar 

place a midsized metal or glass bowl in the freezer with either a metal/copper whisk if you’re doing it by hand or the beaters from a hand mixer for 15 minutes before you start. pour cream into the bowl, begin to slowly beat and gradually increase the speed. as stiff peak begin to form, fold in the sugar, if making by hand at about 4 minutes and it making with a hand mixer about 2 minutes. continuing beating for about 1 more minute until sugar is incorporated and the cream is to your desired stiffness. *can be made in advance, will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator 

fresh blackberry syrup

-1 cup of fresh blackberries

-1/2 cup of granulated sugar

-1/2 cup of water

-the juice of one lemon

in a medium saucepan and over medium high heat, stir to combine all ingredients. stirring occasionally until a slight boil is reached, reduce heat to simmer and continue to stir for about ten minutes, using a spoon or spatula to gently break up the fruit. remove contents from heat/saucepan and allow to cool for about thirty minutes in a separate container for about thirty minutes. you can either strain with a cheesecloth or keep seeds and skin intact, then place in fridge and allow to completely cool, about three hours. *can be made in advance, will keep refrigerated for about two weeks 

sweet spot pasta

we are at the beginning of the magical weeks of tomatoes. during this time of year, tomatoes are in their literal sweet spot. bursting with flavor and requiring little to nothing, except maybe a sprinkle of salt. as a little girl, I used to walk through my grandmother’s garden with the salt shaker from her countertop in my pocket and forage the summer’s bounty. for every few in the basket, there would be one for me to consume on the spot.

there are no gardens for me to roam currently but, right now every market is bursting with summer’s offerings, a troubling and pricey predicament for me at times. one fresh pint of sungolds just wouldn’t do, I needed to double down and purchase the black cherry varietal too. sungolds own my heart but are gracious to allow room for complementary friends. I am the woman with one too many tomatoes and fresh herbs during this summertime, requiring me to utilize all things before they spoil. enter the sweet spot pasta that can be made in the time it takes the water to boil and cook the noodles to the perfect al dente. tomatoes cook quickly in at a higher heat on the stove, slightly blistering and bursting. the pink hued garnish is none other than beet sprouts that taste earthy with a faint touch of heat. 

modify the noodles, the tomato varieties, just don’t try and push an herb marriage that isn’t meant to be - go for complementary. I imagine my grandmother would enjoy this pasta dish if she were here with me today and let me push her to buy some flaky salt. of course she would oblige my enthusiasm, but remind me to not be too touchy. link in bio for this quick and satisfying recipe. 

serves 2 or 1 if you’re awesome

½ cup of good olive oil, split in two

.5 pound of short dried pasta-I used casarecce 

1 cup of small tomato varietal-I used half sungold & black cherry

½ of a yellow onion, saute sliced

2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

4 large basil leaves julienned sliced

¼ cup of parsley leaves and a little of their stems, roughly chopped

a small handful of spicy micro greens of beets greens-like I used 

2 tbsp of quality balsamic vinegar

grated sharp cheese like pecorino or parmesan 

salt and pepper to season along and finish 

bring a pot of salted water to a boil. while that comes to a boil, heat ½ of the olive oil over a medium low heat in a medium size saute pan. gently drop the onions into the heated oil and stir to coat in oil, they should sizzle when they hit the pan. about three minutes of cooking and occasional tossing, add the garlic. season with a pinch of salt and crack of pepper. drop the pasta into the boiling salted water, reduce the water to a rolling simmer and stir the noodles and cook to about one minute less than the instructions on the package. turn the heat of the saute pan up to a medium high temperature and drop the tomatoes into the mix. gently toss and stir, releasing the juices from the tomatoes naturally as they burst open. moving quickly and with a slotted spoon, scoop the pasta directly into the saute pan, do not drain the noodles. once all of the pasta is in the saute pan, reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to toss and coat, adding the vinegar, remaining oil and more salt and pepper to taste. cook about one minute longer with everything together, thoroughly tossing ingredients together. 

plate the pasta into two dishes and garnish with all herbs, and finish with grated cheese, plus more salt and pepper. enjoy!

buttermilk braised chicken

♥️find your little friday♥️

this would be fried chicken was braised and roasted instead after it soaked over night in a buttermilk mixture. one of the many grand plans I had for 2020 was making homemade fried chicken like I did while in culinary school. I’m honestly not getting past the marinade step where dredging it in the flour mixture makes the chicken fried. this way is my current preferred way to marinade and the finished product is a  perfect accompaniment to a vegetable dish or as a main event with a scratchy side. or-all of the above in one glorious meal. 🤍🐔♥️

for marinade:

2 cups of buttermilk 

*make your own by taking two whole cups of milk and squeeze the juice of one lemon, you can half this recipe for only 1 cup

1 tbsp of salt

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

chicken:

 a little over one pound of bone in skin on pieces, I prefer thighs 

combine/make marinade in a deep baking dish. pat chicken dry with a towel/paper towel to remove moisture, then salt and pepper both sides of the chicken and place in marinade. make sure the pieces of chicken are covered by marinade and let rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

preheat your oven to 375 degrees. bring a heavy cast iron skillet to medium high heat with a couple tbsps of vegetable oil. sear skin side down for about 5 minutes until a nice dark golden color forms. do not turn the heat up too high, the dairy can burn easily. turn the meat over and roast on the other side for 3-5 minutes on stove, then turn back to skin side up and place entire skillet into oven and roast for ten minutes to complete cooking the chicken.