Macaroni and Cheese

From here

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried elbow pasta
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 1/2 cups half and half
• 4 cups grated medium sharp cheddar cheese divided (measured after grating)
• 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese divided (measured after grating)
• 1/2 Tbsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9x13"). Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
3. While water is coming up to a boil, grate cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles. Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Mixture will look like very wet sand. Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often. Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth. Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
5. Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.
6. Stir in spices and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Stir in another 1 1/2 cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
8. Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown.

Notes

Substituted blended mix of cheeses for Gruyere/cheddar.  

Rather unexciting... could use some breadcrumbs, veggies, spices, etc.

Sautéed Calamari

From here

Ingredients

• 1 pound squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 3/4-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped Italian parsley leaves
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Pat squid dry with a paper towel.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat until smoking. Carefully add squid in a single layer, then add butter, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until squid is opaque and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes (do not overcook). Season with additional salt and pepper, and serve with lemon wedges.

Comments

Delicious!  Not sure why you need to add to pan "carefully" if later you are "tossing frequently"...

Shrimp ceviche

Recipe from here

Ingredients

• Ceviche
• 1 lb shrimp (raw or cooked) peeled, deveined and diced
• 1 cup lime juice from 6 limes
• 1 cucumber peeled and diced
• 1 large avocado (or 2 small avocados)
• 2 roma tomatoes diced
• 1/2 red onion diced
• 1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
• 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
• 1 cup clamato juice (use "picante" version for spicier salsa)
• To serve
• 16 Tostadas (or a bag of tortilla chips)
• Hot Sauce (Tabasco or Franks Red Hot)

Instructions

1. Dice shrimp and place into a large glass (non-metamixing bowl. Squeeze 1 to 1 1/4 cups lime juice from 6 limes over shrimp. Stir to combine then cover and marinate in the refrigerator (marinate 1 1/2 to 2 hours for raw shrimp or until no longer translucent and marinate 15 minutes for cooked shrimp), stirring halfway through.
2. Chop the vegetables: cucumber, avocado, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro.
3. When shrimp are done marinating, add vegetables to the bowl.
4. Add 1/4 tsp black pepper or season to taste and gently stir to combine. Lastly, stir in 1 cup clamato juice, mixing just to combine. Serve with tortilla chips or over tostadas.

Comments

If using fresh limes, use gloves to squeeze them to prevent margarita burn

Would benefit from other types of seafood (squid, scallops, etc.); some spices would probably also help

Michelada

Recipe from here

Ingredients

• Drink:
• key lime juice or ReaLime, or to taste
• 4 1/2 ounces Clamato Tomato Cocktail
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes habanero pepper sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer
• Ice, as needed
• 1 lime wheel
• Rimming Spice Blend (Optional):
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Rose's sweetened lime juice, as needed

Instructions

1. In a shaker with ice, combine key lime juice, Clamato(R), Worcestershire sauce and habanero pepper sauce; shake well to chill. Serve in a rimmed tall glass with ice; fill with beer. Garnish with lime wheel
2. Rimming Spice Blend: Combine kosher salt, chili powder and oregano onto small plate. Pour lime juice onto another small plate. Dip rim of glass into juice lime, then dip carefully into spice blend

Comments

Obviously, shaker not really necessary; go easy on the Clamato

Crunchy Avocado Salad

From here

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• 2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup pitted nicoise olives, roughly chopped
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained again
• 2 tablespoons roughly torn flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces blue corn tortilla chips

Instructions

Gently toss the avocados, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Crumble the chips over the top and serve.

Tapenade

From the cuisinart instruction manual!

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1.5 anchovy fillets
• 1.5 cups pitted nicoise or other imported black olives
• 1/4 cup drained and rinsed capers
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence or thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Chop the garlic for 5 seconds; scrape the work bowl.  Add the anchovies, olives and capers; pulse 10 times on Chop. Scrape the work bowl.  Add the mustard, lemon juice, herbs and pepper. Process for 15 seconds on Chop; scrape the work bowl.  Process for an additional 15 seconds; scrape the work bowl again, then add the olive oil. Process until a thick paste forms, about 20 to 30 seconds.

Comments

• Next time, I might go light on the lemon, or even leave it out altogether; also, go heavy on the anchovies and herbs

Gazpacho

Recipe from here

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Roma tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 medium Anaheim or cubanelle pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Chopped hardboiled egg, avocado or bacon, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the chopped tomatoes, red pepper, Anaheim pepper, cucumber, red onion and garlic to a large food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed with a spatula.
2. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and continue blending until smooth.
3. Taste and season the gazpacho with salt and pepper. Serve immediately at room temp or transfer it to a container and refrigerate it, covered, until ready to serve topped with chopped hard-boiled egg, avocado or bacon (optional).