Getting A Regular Meal

I went to Luby’s  last night. I’ve gone to Luby’s since I can remember. The other thing I can remember…since I can remember…is eating the exact same meal. Since I can recollect teeth and the ability to chew I have eaten the LuAnn platter of fried fish (with tartar sauce), corn and macaroni and cheese. I remember later adding two small side cups of pico de gallo, which I think subliminally makes me feel like I’m getting vegetables in this very monochromatic meal.

Sometimes a salad. Sometimes not. Usually a dinner roll. No butter. Sometimes dessert – home to the best tapioca pudding out there.  Now, I’m usually a mix it up kind of girl – who gets something new at the same place. Not here. I’ve had bites of mom or dad’s liver and onions, chopped sirloin, things like that. But nothing comes near the perfection that this trifecta holds.

 

I know. I know you’re wondering, why the big deal over such a meal that costs less than the amount of change I can find in my couch? I don’t know. The nostalgia? The idea that I’m “so old” at the ripe age of 31 that I still remember when they used to have the drink cart lady with the silver coffee pot who used to serve my parents coffee. This place used to be “uptown” – at least in my head.

I remember my sister getting the two bowls of macaroni and cheese and then the blue or green jello. That was dinner. I’m assuming at this point my parents were really seeking respite and didn’t mind for one night what we ingested. I remember as a small child wearing a mink stole (something that my dad had brought home I believe) to dinner. With my best dress. and getting a rash from the heat, but the mink stole was elevating the experience for me. I wore it anyway. I remember my mom pinning my hair up nicely even. I knew that fine dining had to be in my future.

It’s odd that Luby’s is a southern favorite as I wasn’t exposed to Southern Food there the way that I know it now, but that said, it was my childhood memory that continues to keep me loving it there. and I’ll continue to eat the same thing and hopefully my kid will too.

Luby’s – various locations – www.lubys.com

Rating: Spoon & Fork : it’s not overwhelming, it’s nostalgia

When you care enough to make the very best!

Lobster Mac & Four Cheeses

Salt

8 ounces dried elbow macaroni

2 medium garlic cloves

2 medium shallots

1 pound cooked lobster meat

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (divided use)

1 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese

4 ounces low-fat (but not nonfat) cream cheese

2 cups low-fat milk (or substitute heavy cream)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs (may substitute fine plain dried bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly grease a shallow, 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain; reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Mince garlic and shallots; they can be combined and should total about 1⁄3 cup. Coarsely chop lobster meat.

Meanwhile, fill a large saucepan with about 2 inches water; heat over medium-high heat.

Combine Cheddar, 1 cup Parmesan, Gruyere and cream cheese in a stainless-steel (or heatproof) mixing bowl that will just fit over the top of the saucepan (so that water will not touch bottom of bowl). Once cheeses start to melt, add milk or cream and stir gently; this process will take about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

Pour heated water out of saucepan, then add butter and melt it over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook 2 minutes, until softened, then add lobster meat and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until just heated through.

Pour reserved pasta cooking water over macaroni to loosen it (still in the colander); drain, then add macaroni to saucepan and stir to coat with butter. Add cheese mixture and stir to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. (If topping does not brown, run casserole under broiler for a few minutes; watch closely to see it does not burn.)

Makes 4 to 6 generous servings, each (based on 6 servings, using low-fat milk): 665 calories, 50 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 33 grams fat (19 grams saturated), 158 milligrams cholesterol, 1,094 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.

This is the next subject of my very next dinner at home with my special someone. I highly recommend a nap afterwards, it’s heavy, it’s rich, and if there’s just two of you, I suggest perhaps just making half. Enjoy this with a light white wine or bubbly and a salad. If you’re looking to up the fabulous value further….think truffle salad or caviar appetizer. It would send this goodness over the edge – just get your fur and tiara out!

It’s a Winter Winner

Shrimp Risotto

5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice* or medium-grain white rice

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

*Arborio, an Italian short-grain rice, is available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

Bring broth and 1/4 cup wine to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat; keep hot.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and crushed red pepper, then shrimp. Sauté until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine. Simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain shrimp, reserving cooking liquid.

Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic; sauté until onion is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups broth mixture. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding broth mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring often and simmering until liquid is absorbed before adding more, about 20 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp cooking liquid. Cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Stir shrimp and 2 tablespoons parsley into risotto. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons parsley.

This dish is a winner. I made it for my boyfriend’s mom’s birthday dinner. If you pair this with some roasted veggies and previously blogged Poor Man’s Cobbler, you have an impressively presented and easily timed dinner. The “worst” part of this dish, if there is one, is having to watch the rice soak up the liquid, but it makes you look like you’re tending to every detail, so you can’t complain!!

Crawfish Season?

Creole Casserole

1 1/2 Cups of Instant Rice
1 Can of RoTel
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup (healthy version is ok)
1 can of French Onion soup
16 oz cooked crawfish tails
5 Tbsp of butter, melted
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Parsley
Salt, Pepper & Tony Cacheres to taste.

Mix all of these ingredients, pour into casserole dish. Bake at 350 for about an hour.

Serve with crackers...or okra and bread and lots of Tabasco sauce!

Turning up the Heat

Cajun Shrimp Pasta
16 oz penne pasta
1 yellow pepper, seeded and ribbed and cut into pieces
1 red pepper, seeded and ribbed and cut into pieces
1/2 of a red onion, sliced and cut into pieces
1 lb of shrimp - cleaned, deveined and tails off
2 Tbsp. Garlic
1/2 C olive oil
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
Tony Cacheres Seasoning, Salt & Pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Saute shrimp and garlic in half of the butter until cooked. Set aside. Add remaining butter to the pan and saute peppers and onion in butter until cooked through. Add in tony cacheres to desired taste, salt & pepper. Toss with pasta.

I enjoy this with a good green salad and crackers with butter. It's a nice twist on having garlic bread and stays true to the cajun food. If you need a good ending to this dish, try a little strawberries and cream - takes the heat right off.