Back in college, I had the opportunity to teach Basic Food Prep 110. I learned so much from taking and then teaching that class! I was clueless to terms such as roux, slurry, denatured proteins, calibration, and marbling, or how to shape a yeast bread, how to prevent my quick breads from funneling, the science behind leavening agents, de-veining shrimp, etc before this class.
I want to share one of my favorite, super easy recipes from the cookbook we used. It’s a “low-fat” alfredo sauce from scratch, and is so much better than anything you’d ever buy in a jar. Any time I make it for dinner guests, they always want the recipe, so now, here you go!
Alfredo Sauce from scratch
(recipe from Janet Stocks, my cooking mentor at BYU)
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (I like to use white pepper if I have it on hand)
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour. Cook 1 minute (this is called a roux, which is how the sauce thickens). Whisk in milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. (This can boil over very quickly if you’re not watching it, so be careful! I have done this so many times). Remove from heat, stir in cheese, and heat through. Do not let it boil.
Roasted Veggies
Cut your favorite veggies (I like a combination of broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes) into bite sized pieces and layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle in olive oil. Sprinkle some seasonings (I use Lipton onion soup mix) and parmesan cheese on top. Roast in the oven at 425 for about 30 minutes.
Serve with fettuccine pasta, grilled chicken, and your favorite bread!
