MACARONI and KOVBASA

DINNER MENU

Cocktail:  Tequila, lemon juice, cointreau, splash of ginger ale

Dinner: 

Ukrainian Kovbasa:  Catherine Atkinson’s recipe in From Borshch to Blinis

Nicoise of Green Pepper, onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms

Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese:  based on a recipe in CHATELAINE MAGAZINE, February 2012

Lettuce Salad

********************************************************************************

KOVBASA: 

A mixture of pork, beef, and salt pork is rolled and tied up in cheesecloth.

The sausages are simmered in chicken stock.    They come out very pale, like German Weisswurst.

I reheated the sausages in the oven for 30 minutes before dinner.  They were tasty, but too salty and not great looking as they are gray.   

********************************

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MACARONI & CHEESE 

My daughter remarked that this dish would be an EXCELLENT way to introduce squash to children.

400 g  or one pound of butternut squash (You could use twice this without spoiling the recipe  if your squash is bigger.  Also, you could substitute a different kind of squash.  )

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

2 ½ cups milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne

8 oz old cheddar

4 oz mozzarella

4 oz gruyere (You could omit the gruyere and just add more cheddar)

3 cups uncooked macaroni

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (grind a slice of fresh bread in food processor)

 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Finely dice the butternut squash before preheating the oven.

Preheat oven to 400.

Brush a baking sheet with the oil. 

Spread out the squash and bake for 8 minutes.  Stir the squash.  Bake 8 more minutes. 

Set aside.

Prepare cheese sauce:   (You will need a  wooden spoon and a wire whisk.)

Grate all the cheeses.

Melt the butter over medium heat.

Stir in the flour.

Add ½ cup milk and mustard and stir with whisk to remove all the lumps.

Add 2 more cups of milk and cook until it just comes to a boil – it will have thickened.

Remove from heat.  Stir in salt, cayenne, and all the cheese.   (The cheese doesn’t all have to melt but you don’t want big clumps of it.)

Boil the macaroni for 7 minutes and drain.  Put it in a large casserole.

Stir in the butternut squash and the cheese.  Top with the bread crumbs.

Forty minutes before you want to serve it, preheat oven to 350.

Bake casserole for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Then turn on broiler and brown the top.  (Watch carefully!)