Every time I sit to think about what to make, my mind races and wants to go on a culinary trip all over the world. However, on a rainy day like today in wonderful “sunny” Miami, you have to stay in and make do with what you have in your pantry. Fortunately for a foodie like me, the pantry is like a candy store- full of wonderful ingredients waiting to be used. Your pantry should always have the basics so that you can take a look and come up with a dish on the spot. It is ok to feel little bit intimidated, but with a little risk and practice- anything is possible.
So what in the world do I mean by “the basics?” Here are some items that I believe are a MUST in any pantry:
Pasta- rotini, spaghetti, farfalle, orzo…keep a box of each if you can
Canned peas, carrots and corn
Pasta Sauce- white, red, with mushrooms, vodka flavor, three cheese flavor…they are endless
Italian dressing- super easy to use as a basis in many recipes
Mayo, ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce- also may be used in many marinades
Rice and couscous- an easy fix for a side dish
Spices: salt, pepper, garlic, basil, cumin, oregano, turmeric, dill, paprika, chili powder, chicken bouillon cubes, cinnamon.
You can really go as crazy as you want, as long as you make a commitment to use these items and have fun in the kitchen!! Now, on to the recipe for today….
Beef Cannelloni with béchamel sauce.
What you need:
2 C milk
2-3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Small can of corn
1 C white button mushrooms, roughly chopped
Basic guizo: 1 tomato, 1 sml onion, processed until no chunks are seen
Salt & Pepper
EVOO
Garlic Powder
Dried Basil
½ C water
1 Lb of top round steak, cut in cubes- must be cooked for 1 hour in pressure cooker, cooled, and pulverized in the food processor
1 ½ Chicken bouillon cubes
1 ½ boxes of Cannelloni shells (about 20 total)
Cooking spray
2 Bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C of Parmesan cheese
How to make:
Mushrooms- in a medium sauté pan, on high heat, put 2 tbsp of evoo, and 2 tbsp of guizo. Once it sizzles, add ½ a cube of chicken bouillon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and stir until it reduces to about half its size. Set aside.
Meat- in medium sauté pan, on high heat, put 4 tblsp of guizo and 3 of evoo. When you hear it sizzle add: a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, 1 tsp of garlic powder and ½ tsp of dried basil, 1 crushed chicken bouillon, the water and the meat. Once everything cooks for 2-3 minutes add the corn and the mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside.
White sauce aka Béchamel- this one is tricky! Place a sift on top of a bowl, put 2 tbsp of flour on the sift, and add ½ C of the milk- cold. With a spoon, slowly sift the flour and the milk until the flour dissolves completely. Set aside. In a small sauce pot, put remaining milk and on med high heat until a soft boil begins. DO NOT stop stirring; otherwise the milk may stick to the bottom of the pot. Slowly add the milk from the other bowl and add a pinch of salt and 2 of pepper. Stir until it becomes nice and thick. Set aside.
*Note: if the sauce is not thick enough, do the same process with the 3rd tbsp. of flour and add to the pot.
How to boil the cannelloni shells: In a large pot, fill with water almost to the top and put it on high heat. Once it is boiling, add about your palms worth of salt, and the shells. Make sure you stir gently often otherwise they can stick to each other. Cook for about 7-8 minutes. Drain half the water, and enough cold water to slightly cover the shells. Set aside.
*Note: by adding the cold water, mixed with the left over pasta water, you will be able to handle the shells with your hands, and prevent them from sticking to each other.
Take your largest oven safe dish or pan and spray it with cooking spray. Take each cannelloni and stuff it with the meat and neatly line them up on the dish. Pour the sauce on top, making sure each one is covered fully. Sprinkle both cheeses generously. Put in oven for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, and then switch it to broil for 4 minutes. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
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