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Tag: gruyere cheese

Chicken and Mushroom Ragu on Herb Polenta

Delicious chicken stew over polenta…

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, skinned
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup pancetta, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Heat a saucepan with the olive oil on high. Add the pancetta and sauté for a minute. Brown the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes of each side. Sprinkle salt while browning. Take the chicken pieces out and keep aside.

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 large shallot, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • Salt

Add the herbs in the pancetta mixture with the mushrooms. Saute on high heat till the mushrooms have cooked down including the excess liquid. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for a minute and add the flour. Cook the flour for a minute and add the red wine. Scrape all the brown bits off the bottom and add the chicken broth. Add the chicken pieces and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on. Take the lid off and make sure the chicken is tender and juicy. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil and cook till the dish reaches desired consistency.

Herb Polenta with Gruyere

  • 1 cup fine polenta
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup aged Gruyere cheese, grated

Bring the milk and broth. Add the herbs and salt. Slowly add the polenta whisking at the same time, stirring till it thickens. Turn the heat off and add the cheese. Mix well and check for seasonings. Serve with the chicken and mushroom ragu.

Cauliflower and Pancetta Macaroni and Cheese

Cauliflower and Pancetta Mac n Cheese I had tons of cauliflower in the fridge and I needed to use it up. I could have made an Indian preparation but thought I should do something different. I had also just bought this weird looking pasta from Whole Foods. It was a spirally one and my daughter thought it was great looking.

I decided to make a macaroni and cheese dish. I started with some chopped pancetta and fresh thyme. I added the chopped cauliflower and sauteed for a few minutes. I then added the flour and made a bechamel sauce. I also had an aged Gruyere- it complements the earthy cauliflower beautifully.

The whole dish took no time to cook. My daughter initially had a closed mind when she heard what was in the dish but one she tasted it, she got over it.
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Keema Lasagna

Keema Lasagna1 I made this lasagna for a friend and her kids. I was a bit skeptical since the keema I used in the dish was cooked in Indian spices. Although the meat was not spicy, it did taste different and I wasn’t sure if my friend’s kids would enjoy the flavor.

I decided to make a bechamel sauce- which is essentially the white sauce used in macaroni and cheese. I thought the creaminess of the sauce will off set any ‘strange’ flavors that the meat may have. It is very hard to gauge how kids are going to react to new dishes. I love experimenting on my daughter’s friends- as they taste the dish, their faces say everything.

I also had a fresh made tomato sauce which I used in the lasagna. I used gruyere and parmigiano cheeses to layer between the noodles. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses to use in such dishes- it melts beautifully and had a delicious nutty flavor.

It turns out, they all did eat the lasagna. My daughter asked me why it tasted like keema?? I asked her to be quiet and keep eating.

I considered it a success. I thought it was fabulous- I loved the dry spice flavors mixed in with the creamy bechamel sauce and cheese. I made a salad and served some red wine. It was all good.

  • 1 cup prepared keema
  • 2 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
  • 3 cups béchamel sauce
  • 1½ cup grated gruyere cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 6 lasagna no-boil lasagna sheets

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the two cheeses and keep aside. Pour 1 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 lasagna pan. Add three lasagna sheets. Add ½ cup of keema, spreading it evenly. Top it with ½ cup grated cheese and 1 cup béchamel sauce. Add three more lasagna sheets and repeat the process. Top with the last three lasagna sheets. Pour the remaining 1 cup béchamel sauce. Then add the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce. Top with 1 cup grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60-80 minutes or till the noodles are soft and cooked and the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Bechamel Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Heat a pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute and then whisk in milk, Add the thyme and the rosemary. Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Keema Lasagna

Scrambled Eggs with Sausage and Mushrooms with Gruyere Cheese

 

    Scrambled Eggs with Mushroom and SausageI love it when I can make two completely different meals with the same exact ingredients. 
    In this case, I made the sausage and mushroom mixture for the quesadillas yesterday. I had about a cup of the mixture leftover after dinner. While I was cleaning up and putting away everything in the fridge, I told my husband he will be getting scrumptious scrambled eggs tomorrow morning.

    I woke up the next day and quickly took the mixture out of the fridge. I beat the eggs with salt, half and half and the Gruyere cheese. The scrambled eggs were made in a matter of minutes. I heated a tortilla and served the eggs with leftover tomatillo salsa.

    It was a delicious and quick breakfast. I on the other hand, had my usual spelt toast with a dollop of strawberry jam and a chunk of low fat jalapeno cheese. Of course I had a big, huge, delicious cup of coffee with it. I was happy and so was my husband. Sia was happy munching on whole grain pancakes with fresh raspberries and maple syrup. All in all it was a good Saturday morning.
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    Mushroom and Sausage Quesadilla with Gruyere Cheese

    Sausage and Mushroom Quesadilla with Salsa Of late, quesadillas are my favorite things to make. I love using the whole-wheat tortillas from Trader Joes. In fact my daughter takes them for lunch at least once or twice a week. I feel good about the low-fat cheese I use and the whole-wheat tortillas. A bag of carrots completes the meal for her.

    They make a good snack or even a meal. In this case I made a meal out of them. I wanted to use mushrooms and maybe sausage to add some protein. I bought some cremini mushrooms and Gruyere cheese for the meal. I use creminis because of the brown color, I love the way they look- in terms of taste, they are very similar to the white ones- so use any you want. I love Gruyere, it is typically used for fondues and so it melts really well. I prefer it’s mild, nutty flavor- it goes with any thing!

    For this meal I sauteed the mushrooms with chicken sausages I had in my freezer, and some garlic. The mixture took a few minutes to make. In the meantime, I grated the cheese and was ready to make the quesadillas.

    I had fresh tomatillos from the farmer’s market. I wanted to make a vibrant salsa to serve with the quesadillas. The processor did all the work for me and I had a yummy tasting condiment in no time.

    Overall, it was a simple, fast and delicious weeknight meal. I served a green salad with it and called it a night!
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