Quote:
Originally Posted by whatever2013
I haven't cooked since August when i had that disaster with that bean stew. But i'm eager to save money since i've been looking into my finances. Compound interest is very exciting! Cooking is a way of saving money so i cautiously made an attempt. I laid in a whole whack of my favorite noodles (rotini) during the Spring lockdown and i haven't touched them. So i boiled up a big pot and mixed in some marble cheese i had in the fridge and my favorite frozen veggie mix with lovely edamame beans and these cute little mini corn-on-the-cobs.
I was scared to eat it but it was not bad. It just tasted like the sum of it's parts. I feel true skilled cooking is when the result tastes like more than the sum of it's parts. @ Soupe du jour: am i right? But it's all my favorite things so i feel okay about it. Also, i find anything homemade gives a feeling of well-being. I've been eating a brand of frozen mac-and-cheese with 500 calories and 1170mg of sodium. My own cooking sure beats that!
And it was all stuff i had in the kitchen so it was free! And it made four servings!
I did all the dishes and put them away. It was hot hard work.
So that was my little adventure.
Hugs to all who suffer!
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Hi whatever2013. I'm guessing you mentioned me because you remembered that I have a passion for cooking. Assuming that, I'm happy to provide feedback based on what you described. So you just boiled the pasta, then drained it, then added grated cheese and cooked/drained frozen vegetables? Correct me if I'm missing anything from your recipe.
It sounds like perhaps a flavorful cheese sauce would be better than just melted cheese, itself. Have you ever made a béchamel sauce? That is a great basis for what I think you were going for. It is made by melting butter in a saucepan, then stirring in a little flour (until light golden brown), then whisking in either just milk or a combination of milk and a bit of broth (chicken or vegetable would seem best in your case). That is then simmered a little while until it forms a thick sauce. Then, take it off the heat and stir in any grated appropriate cheese.
Also, before the flour step mentioned above, extra flavor can be added by first softening finely chopped onion/shallot/garlic in the butter. Also, after the sauce is completed, some nice spices or herbs could be added. Again, the choice depends on what is appropriate for the final desired dish.
Adding cooked/drained vegetables is a great way, in my view, to add more nutrition. Your veggie choices sounded fine to me, but the most common I use in similar dishes is cooked/drained chopped broccoli, peas, asparagus, or carrots. Some chopped spinach can also be nice.
If I was going for more of a macaroni and cheese type meal, my cheeses of choice would likely be cheddar, Colby, Swiss Emmental, Gouda (not smoked), Gruyere, or a high-quality Parmesan (or similar). I assume the marble cheese you used is a combo of two of these. Spices that might be good could be a touch of Cayenne or black pepper or smoked paprika, or even a dash of nutmeg. Herb ideas may include basil, oregano, or even tarragon, marjoram or FRESH parsley. Flavors like smoked ham, cooked drained bacon, lemon rind/juice, etc., can also be nice. Again, it depends a bit on the cheese choice, any protein, flavor matching, and of course preferences. Salt, to taste, is usually mandatory.
If you want, I can recommend two very basic cheese sauce recipes (with and without broth).
Alternatively, an appropriately flavored (herbs/onion or garlic) extra virgin olive oil (no bechamel-based sauce) can also be wonderful. A nice Parmesan cheese on top makes a dish.