messes and successes!

So, Wednesday's dinner had good points and some not so good points.

Things I learned:
-tin foil is not a substitute for a real lid.
-I need a dutch oven like this one:

*Rachael Ray Stoneware "Casserovals" and "Casserrounds" Dishes

- Four cheese Mac and Cheese is very creamy and needs something like bacon to help cut the cream... but it is SO good!

- Artichokes are good! Lemon, butter, and garlic make them even better!

- Veal shanks are not fast, easy, or cheap-- but they are worth it!!

I ended up making braised veal shanks in red wine and garlic, 4 cheese mac and cheese, sauteed and steamed garlic lemon artichokes, and peach cobbler. Everything  but the peach cobbler needed some adjusting, but that's what happens when you make so many things for the very first time.  

I'll start with the thing that was probably the easiest to make, the Mac and Cheese!
I used
half a box of macaroni
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 stick butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour
3 oz baby swiss cheese- grated
2 oz gruyere cheese- grated
3 oz sharp cheddar- grated
2 oz smoked mozzarella
a couple of teaspoons of panko.

Boil the pasta.   While boiling, heat the milk and heavy cream and then put to the side.  In a pretty big pot, melt the butter and then add the flour.  Cook for a couple of minutes to get the raw flour taste gone.  Add the milk and then cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the grated cheeses.  Use a whisk to get the cheese mix smooth.  Add the drained pasta and mix well.  Put into a casserole dish or into two individual gratin dishes and then top with the sliced mozzarella.  Top with the panko.  Bake at 350 for just a few minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling.

While what I made was good, I would have added bacon that was cooked and crumbled. I was going to add it, but my bacon went bad... I also would have added a little more salt, some pepper and maybe even a little hot sauce! It needed something to cut the creaminess of all that cheese.

The artichokes were also super easy, other than cleaning the actual artichoke!
You'll need:
2 artichokes
1 Tablespoon garlic
one lemon cut in half
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons EVOO

The hardest part was the actual cleaning of the artichoke! start by cutting the top 1/3 of the artichokes off.  Trim the sharp edges off of all the other leaves, and pull the little leaves off of the bottom.Trim the stem, but don't cut it all the way off.  Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise.  IMMEDIATELY squeeze one half of the lemon juice over the cut artichokes so they don't brown.  This is where the hard part comes in.  The choke has to be taken out of each side.  I used a melon spoon, but my method took FOREVER to get all those pesky hairs!   After getting all the choke out, rub the squeezed half of the lemon on the artichokes again.  In a skillet that you also have a lid for, heat the butter and EVOO together.  Add the garlic and cook for just a minute.  Add the artichokes cut side down and the unsqueezed half of the lemon and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the water and then put a lid on it. steam for about 10 minutes.

These were REALLY good! I steamed them a little too long, but they were still good! I made a simple sauce to eat them with- melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice. YUM!

Now on to the veal--I haven't ever made veal before, so I just used a recipe. It didn't turn out nearly as well I wanted.  I used my cast iron skillet because my cookware isn't ovensafe. That would have been fine, but my cast iron skillet doesn't have a lid, so I just used tin foil.  The tin foil didn't keep any of the juices locked in, so everything evaporated.  I want a dutch oven!! The veal would have been perfect if it was cooked in a dutch oven.... maybe next time ....

Eat something good for me!!