Cobb Salad, my way.

It's not exactly fair to call this a salad. At least to me, salads are supposed to be healthy and light and all. A cobb salad, despite its name, is made using ingredients that are technically, WAY too delicious to be included in a bland and boring healthy salad. Then again, who says all salads are supposed to be bland and healthy anyway? Healthy or not, I for one, don't really care and just adore this sinful and fulfilling recipe of mine. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

Salad: 

1 head                       romaine lettuce, chopped roughly 

1                               tomato, diced

2                               hard boiled egg, shelled and chopped 

1                               avocado, diced 

100gm                      blue cheese, diced 

6 strips                     bacon, fried till crisp and cut into smaller pieces 

1                               roasted chicken breast, diced 

Method: Arrange everything on a salad bowl or plate and serve with the dressing below or your favourite dressing. 

Dressing: 

1/2 cup                      extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons            white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon              dijon mustard 

1/2 teaspoon              worcestershire sauce 

1/2 tablespoon           lemon juice 

                                   salt & pepper 

Method:

Whisk all the ingredients together and serve with the salad.

Macaroni and Cheese

One of my favourite comfort food, a good Mac & Cheese isn't exactly THAT difficult. Of all the recipes available, my personal vote goes to the host of Iron Chef America - Alton Brown. This is a more complicated recipe as compared to the rest but the satisfying dish thereafter is definitely worth the extra effort. What you really need in a good Mac & Cheese is a good  block of mature Cheddar cheese in order to create that intense flavour. Please do not ever attempt to subsititute it with packet cheddar cheese slices, those are processed cheese and are in no way suitable for cooking.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1/2 packet                macaroni
2 tablespoons            butter
1 tablespoon             plain or all purpose flour
1 teaspoon                Dijon mustard
1 cup                        milk
1                              yellow onion, minced
1                               bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon             paprika
1                               egg, beaten
1 cup                        cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup                     breadcrumbs
                                 salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Cook macaroni in salted boiling water for 2 minutes lesser than packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a pot on low heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in 1 tablespoon of flour and mix them evenly for about 3 minutes.

Whisk in 1 cup of milk, the minced onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Pour in the beaten egg, 3/4 cup of the grated cheddar cheese and mix evenly. Add in the cooked macaroni and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

In a separate pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add in breadcrumbs. Toss until the breadcrumbs are coated with the butter.

Cover the macaroni and cheese with the prepared breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.