Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

4 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked

1 cup mayonnaise

1⁄4 cup distilled white vinegar

2⁄3 cup white sugar

2 1⁄2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard

1 1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalk celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1⁄4 cup carrot, grated (optional)

2 tbsp pimentos, chopped (optional)

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.

In a large bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in onion, celery, green pepper, carrot, pimentos, and macaroni. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving, but preferably overnight.

Risotto Primavera

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 oz leek

1⁄4 onion

1 cup arborio rice

2 1⁄2 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 oz parmesan cheese

1⁄2 red bell pepper

1⁄2 green bell pepper

1 zucchini

Directions

1. Heat chicken stock in saucepan over medium heat just until hot. While stock is warming, heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute leeks and onion just until onion is soft, about three minutes. Add rice and coat with oil.
2. Add stock a little at a time, just enough to cover the rice at any given time, and stir constantly. Continue adding stock and cooking until rice is al dente and creamy.
3. Add butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm. Heat remaining olive oil over medium high heat and saute peppers and zucchini briefly. Serve immediately over risotto.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small onion, cut into 1 inch dice

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice

3 stalk celery, cut into 1 inch dice

4 clove garlic

1 extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

3 lb ground chuck, brisket, or round or a combination

1 kosher salt, to taste

2 cup tomato paste

3 cup hearty red wine

1 water, as needed

3 bay leaves

1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle

1 lb spaghetti

1⁄2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

1 high quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

Directions

1. In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. Place a large pan over medium heat and coat with olive oil. Add pureed vegetables and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to medium-high heat and cook the vegetables until all of the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add ground beef and season again generously with salt. Brown the meat well and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add red wine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add water to the pan about 1 inch above the meat. Add bay leaves and thyme, then stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates, gradually add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Be generous about adding water during the cooking process, any extra can always be cooked out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. Do not add all of the water in the beginning, otherwise it will be a boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and taste frequently. Season with salt, if needed. Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
5. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Generously salt the pasta water, otherwise the completed dish will always taste under seasoned no matter how good the sauce is. When the water is at a rolling boil, add spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
6. While the pasta is cooking, remove 1/2 of the sauce from the pot and reserve. Drain pasta, add it to the pot with the remaining sauce, and stir or toss the pasta to coat. Add some reserved sauce if needed to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with parmigiano-reggiano cheese and drizzle with high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide pasta and sauce into serving bowls or one big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

Fried Chicken

Ingredients

4 cups  buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce
10 pieces bone-in chicken (white and dark meat)
1 cup  plain flour
1 cup  panko (japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Peanut oil, for frying

Method

1. Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Submerge the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture and refrigerate overnight.
2. Take the chicken out of the fridge, remove it from the buttermilk and drain on a rack set over a baking sheet to catch any excess brine. Set aside. Whisk the flour together with the panko, salt and pepper. One by one, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, tapping off excess breading. Set the breaded chicken back on the rack and set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
4. Pour enough peanut oil into a Dutch oven so that there is 2 inches of oil but it does not go higher than halfway up the pot. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil registers 175°C on a thermometer.
5. Fry the chicken in batches of 3 or 4 pieces, turning every 1 to 2 minutes, and watching the oil temperature closely. The chicken should be cooked to a deep golden brown and an internal temperature of 75°C, about 10 minutes for wings and 12 minutes for breasts, thighs and legs.
6. After taking the chicken out of the oil, set it on a baking sheet, immediately sprinkle with salt, and then place it in the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking through. When done, place the fried chicken on a clean rack with layered paper towels on the bottom to absorb grease. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Classic American Grilled Cheese

Ingredients

• 8 slices country white bread
• 4 slices white American cheese (cheese slices)
• 4 slices yellow American cheese (cheese slices)
• Salted butter, softened

Method

1. Preheat the griddle to medium heat.Build the sandwiches with 1 slice of white cheese on 4 pieces of bread and 1 slice of yellow cheese on the other 4 slices of bread. Close the sandwiches and butter both sides. Place on the griddle, cover with a metal bowl and let the sandwiches get a nice golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sandwiches, cover again with the metal bowl and cook until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Using 4 descending sizes of star shaped cookie cutters, punch stars out of the sandwiches. Place on top of Roasted Tomato Bisque from large to small.

Beetroot and Feta Cheese Salad

Ingredients

• 8 medium beetroot, washed and stems removed
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 150g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
• 50g roasted pine or pistachio nuts
• 2 baby spring onions, finely sliced

For the Dressing:

• 80ml mayonnaise
• 80ml chutney
• 4 tsp balsamic vinegar,

Method

1. Cook the beetroot in water for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Removed from heat and rinse in cold running water. Rub hands with oil, to prevent staining skin, and peel off the skin and leave to cool completely.
2. Cube or slice the beet and mix with the onion. Mix with the dressing ingredients together and mix with the beet and onion mixture. Place onto serving platter.

3. Top with feta cheese, roasted nuts and spring onion and serve or chill in the fridge until needed.

7 Colour Rice

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 250g smoked bacon
• chopped,1 red pepper, diced,1 green pepper, diced,1 yellow pepper, diced,1 tbsp, heaped, mild curry powder ,400g cooked basmati rice,2 tbsp fresh thyme, removed from stem, chopped,Salt and freshly ground black pepper,

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until slightly soft.
2. Add the bacon and cook until slightly crispy.
3. Add the peppers and cook for another 2 minutes or until just starting to soften.
4. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 30 seconds or so.
5. Add the rice and thyme and stir until combined.
6. Season to taste and keep warm, cover with foil or a lid until serving time.