Tag: #supper

Old School

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn breads & pastas, mains, sides, The Recipes5 Comments
My favorite recipes start with simple ingredients.

After attending a lovely dinner party, I am always inspired to entertain again myself. Last weekend Jon and I went to watch the National Championship game and eat dinner with close friends Elizabeth and Tom. She had her dining table set and a true home-cooked meal from start to finish. After I tried each mouthwatering dish, I asked where the recipe came from. She commented every time,

Oh, that’s old school.

Some of the best recipes are old school techniques, simply reinvented. A cream sauce, sometimes called a white sauce, is the foundation for so many recipes. And believe it or not, it doesn’t have any cream in it at all! You probably have the ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry now. Once you master this basic sauce, the possibilities are endless!

This creamless sauce can dress up a simple vegetable and is not as heavy as you might think. A 1/4 cup serving is only 89 calories. (Thanks, Beth, for using your expertise to calculate this for me! It comes in handy having a sister who is a registered dietitian. You will be seeing more of her!)

Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce

 Makes 2 ½ cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset. Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.

Learn from Leslie: For a milder version, use less white pepper, or add it a little at a time to taste.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Leslie's Basic Cream Sauce
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ cup Cheddar cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt butter at medium to medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, such as a Le Creuset.
  2. Add flour; whisk continuously until combined. Gradually add milk until it is all incorporated. Continue stirring at medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Add cheeses, salt, and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to use.
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Talk about a crowd-pleaser! Skillet by Le Creuset, Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com

With the egg craze that seems to be everywhere now, I thought it was the right time to post this asparagus recipe. It’s filling enough to be a light supper or comforting lunch but also a beautiful side to accompany ham—or any meat. It even looks elegant in a cast-iron skillet!

Easy Elegant Asparagus

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Homemade breadcrumbs (see recipe below)

The best way to keep asparagus fresh is in a glass or jar filled with an inch or two of water in the refrigerator.

Place a vegetable steamer basket in a medium Dutch oven. Fill pot with just enough water to reach the bottom of the basket. Bring water to a boil; place asparagus into the basket, cover, and steam until tender when pricking with a fork (about 5 minutes).

The handle on the steamer basket makes it effortless to remove the hot vegetables in one easy step.

Remove asparagus from Dutch oven (in the basket), and place into a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Remove asparagus from the basket, and pat dry on a paper towel. Set aside. (This step can be done in advance.)

First layer, check. (By repeating the ingredients in a second layer, it ensures plenty of Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce with each serving.)

In a baking dish or ovenproof skillet, arrange half of the asparagus in the bottom of the pan. Top with half of Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce and half of the chopped hard-cooked eggs; repeat with remaining asparagus, sauce, and eggs. Top with 1 cup of homemade breadcrumbs.

Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Homemade Breadcrumbs: In a food processor, combine 2 or 3 slices of bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

I use my mini chopper for this task. The cleanup is a piece of cake!
I like to make a big batch and keep it in the freezer ready to go. That’s one step checked off the list! It’s also a great way to make use of slightly stale bread.

Learn from Leslie: You may not use all of the sauce, but it reheats nicely. Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce recipe can also be cut in half if desired. Personally, don’t mind a little extra!

One of my childhood favorites, originating from the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, is the Legendary Kentucky Hot Brown. If this was ever on a menu, it was all mine!

This knife-and-fork sandwich is a quick and easy weeknight meal, and impressive enough for company when serving a smaller crowd.

A few simple ingredients and an ovenproof dish are all you need to make this classic recipe.

Kentucky Hot Brown

Serves 4

4 slices white bread, cut in half diagonally

1 to 1 ½ pounds sliced turkey

1 recipe Leslie’s Basic Cream Sauce

8 tomato slices

¼ cup grated Parmesan

8 slices of cooked bacon

In individual ovenproof dishes, assemble in this order: bread, turkey, cream sauce, tomato slices, and Parmesan cheese.

The base of this delicious sandwich is a toasted piece of white bread.

Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with two slices of bacon, crisscrossed on top.

Serve with a small salad for an easy weeknight supper. Guaranteed to please! Ovenproof dish from Sur La Table, surlatable.com

Lastly, here’s a way to sneak a green vegetable into your family’s diet. One bunch of fresh broccoli goes perfectly with the homemade cream sauce to make a delicious Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese. Pasta is always a family favorite.

Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese

Serves 8 to 10 (maybe more!)

2 cups twist-style pasta (8 ounces)

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk

2 ½ cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt (and more to taste)

½ cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Boil pasta in a large pot according to directions until al dente. Strain and return pasta to the pot. Set aside.

Steam the broccoli in vegetable steamer basket for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender when pricked with a fork. Plunge into ice water; allow to cool. Remove from ice water to a clean dishtowel or paper towels; pat to absorb excess moisture. Set aside. (This step can be done a day in advance; and refrigerate until ready to use.)

The ice-cold plunge stops the cooking process and allows the broccoli to remain a bright green.
Pat, pat, pat….

Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add flour, and whisk until combined. Gradually add milk, and continue to cook until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add Cheddar, half of the Parmesan (¼ cup), and the next 4 ingredients. 

Add the cream sauce and broccoli to the pasta. Stir to combine. Place in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Panko.

To avoid messing up another pot, I combine the pasta, sauce, and broccoli in the same pot I used to cook the pasta.
Any 2-quart ovenproof baking dish will work. Sometimes I do individual servings in my mini cast-iron skillets.

Broil until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve immediately.

Learn from Leslie: Any larger shaped pasta, will work like sea shell or rotini.

There’s only one word to describe this dish: Yum! Pottery by Earthborn Pottery at earthbornpottery.net. Also available at The Cook Store at thecookstoremtnbrook.com
I would love to hear from you. Don’t be shy about making comments or asking questions. I love getting mail! Leslie

Salmon in a Bag

On By Leslie Byars RegisterIn mains, The Parties, The Recipes9 Comments

I gave up on the cute designer lunchboxes for my girls a long time ago. After two or three packed lunches, they would “forget it” and thirty dollars later we were back to the value pack of brown lunch-size paper bags. So I guess you can say—we are brown baggers. I always have them in the pantry.

I first saw the whole “Chicken in the Bag” idea in a Sara Foster cookbook, and it fascinated me. I had the fire extinguisher on the kitchen counter ready to go the first time I tried it. But, a brown paper bag in a 400-degree oven doesn’t catch on fire—trust me.

I usually like to cook my salmon on the grill to avoid smelling up the house, but on one of those nights when it was almost too hot to grill, I decided to give this method a try. Surprisingly enough, the paper bag helped contain the fishy odor that usually happens when cooking in a skillet or baking dish. Another reason to give this recipe a try.

Combine the olive oil (or if you prefer, softened butter) with honey, soy sauce, and chopped garlic in a small bowl.

Honeyed Salmon

Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil or softened butter

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use lite soy)

1 to 2 cloves of chopped garlic

Zest of 1 lime

Pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

1 lemon sliced

2 limes, divided (1 for zest and 1 sliced)

2 lunch-size brown paper bags

2 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets

Kitchen twine

Garnish: cilantro sprig

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Slice lemon and lime into thin 1/8-inch slices; place 3 slices, overlapping each, inside each bag to make a little “bed” for the salmon fillet.

Place salmon fillets on a plate, and generously spoon olive oil mixture on top of each one.

Place the salmon fillets on a plate before applying the marinade. It will make for less cleanup.

Carefully slide salmon into the paper bag; top with 3 more lemon and lime slices and a sprig of cilantro. Repeat steps with the other fillet.

Doesn’t it look nice and cozy?

Gather the open end of each bag, and tie securely with kitchen twine. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tie bags with kitchen twine as shown, and place on a baking sheet.
Tear open the bag and serve. Note: I replaced “baked” cilantro sprig with fresh one before serving.

Learn from Leslie: Skinless, bone-in chicken breasts will also work with this cooking process. Drizzle each chicken breast with olive oil, add 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; place on three lemon slices inside the bag. Tie the bag with kitchen twine. Increase the cooking time to 50 to 55 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.

Yields 2 Servings

Salmon in a Bag
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or softened butter
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use lite soy)
  • 1 to 2 cloves of chopped garlic
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • 2 limes, divided (1 for zest and 1 sliced)
  • 2 lunch-size brown paper bags
  • 2 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets
  • Kitchen twine
  • Garnish: cilantro sprig

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
  3. Slice lemon and lime into thin 1/8-inch slices; place 3 slices, overlapping each, inside each bag to make a little “bed” for the salmon fillet.
  4. Place salmon fillets on a plate, and generously spoon olive oil mixture on top of each one.
  5. Carefully slide salmon into the paper bag; top with 3 more lemon and lime slices and a sprig of cilantro. Repeat steps with the other fillet.
  6. Gather the open end of each bag, and tie securely with kitchen twine. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.
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Reasonable Rosé

Not to brag, but I believe I was ahead of my time on the Rosé craze. I’ve been drinking it almost exclusively for several years now, and I have a list of my favorites that are all reasonable in price and have a delicious taste.

I prefer my Rosé chilled. Napkins from House of Harris at houseofharris.com.

I ask for a glass at a restaurant by describing it as “the lightest one you have in color,” not to sound like a wine snob—it usually gets the point across. So, I thought I would share a few of my go-to brands. Prices may vary from store to store.

I prefer a screw top for ease and storage, especially for travel. Don’t be tempted by the taller, ornate bottles. They are not worth having to rearrange the shelves in your refrigerator. And, the ones with glass stoppers do not do well on their side after opening.

Triennes, $14.99, Gérard Bertrand GRIS BLANC, $14.99, and Angels and Cowboys, $14.99. All of these have the handy screw top.

For special occasions I like Whispering Angel and Miraval. These unfortunately are not screw top, but they are both worth the extra effort.

Miraval, $22.99, and Whispering Angel, $23.99

A few years ago, I saved several of the Miraval bottles, removed the labels, and used them as vases. I photographed them for my book in my quick centerpiece section.

Repurposed Miraval bottles filled with colored water and gerber daisies make a quick centerpiece on a buffet or mantel.

I’d like to end this post with a list I’ve made of suggestions to do before Thanksgiving weekend. It will make your holidays much more enjoyable.

You’ll be sitting by the fire relaxing if you knock out this list before Thanksgiving weekend.

10 Things To Do Before Thanksgiving

  1. Make cornbread for dressing, crumble, and freeze. See Leslie’s Tried-and-True Cornbread, Leslie’s Party Diaries, page 179. (To buy book: lesliespartydiaries.com or dearpartydiary.com $39 plus tax/shipping)
  2. Order Christmas cards, address, stamp, and have ready to mail. Beat the rush! It’s nice not to have them hanging over your head. You will have more time to relax and enjoy the holiday season.
  3. Get your holiday party date nailed down and on the calendar. Call it and start planning!
  4. Purchase containers and packaging for all friends’ and neighbors’ food gifts, before they are picked over. Have them washed and ready to go.
  5. Stock up on extra Christmas lights and votives, just in case!
  6. Thoroughly clean out your refrigerator and freezer. “Declutter” your laundry room and pantry. You’ll be glad these are done—trust me.
  7. Make a couple of fun dinner reservations. (See #8)
  8. Buy a couple of festive holiday tops or outfits. (See #7)
  9. Purchase giftwrap, ribbon, boxes, tissue, and gift tags so you can WRAP AS YOU GO. You’ll be thanking me on this one.
  10. Lose 2 to 3 pounds.