Cajun Cheese Sauce with Pasta con Salad

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JUST JOINING IN? READ INTRODUCTION: DELICIOUS [di-lish-uhs] FIRST!

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So, this is a healthier twist on creamy Cajun sauces. Heavy cream can be simulated by using a little gravy trickery. I will explain as we go!

...and we're chopping. Garlic is in everything I make (savory wise)...I love it.

With the trinity [celery, green bell peppers, onion] and red bell peppers.

Sautee these until soft with a little salt and pepper.

On further contemplation (and I did eat this), the red bells were not necessary.

*Gravy Trickery: Fool-proof gravy instruction.

Breakfast Gravy ratio 3 tbsp. fat/3 tbsp. flour/1 1/4 cups milk

Milk Sauce Base ratio 3 tbsp. fat/1 1/2 tbsp. flour/1 3/4 cups milk

Here's the secret to perfect gravy/sauce base. Science. Thanks to Alton Brown and his brilliance I can share the tricks and explain why they work. When beginning gravy, the fat -butter in most cases and this one today - has to release water for the flour to not clump immediately. Simmer the butter for 20 minutes...kidding, simmer for two minutes on low heat, letting water evaporate...duh, just said that. With a wisk (my preference), integrate the flour and butter. Yeah, I said integrate. We're gonna mix it up. Anyway...now were going to let this mixture simmer to release starch from the flour. This will allow for a gravy that tastes like deliciousness instead of floury biscuit sauce. After this period, wisk in the milk slowly. I use 1% at home, so that's what's in the gravy. No need for whole. When...integrating (last time) the milk and flour/butter mixture there will be tension. The flour/butter will want to be resistant but you're the boss and it's not. In breakfast gravy's case, when all the milk is inte...in there it will seem very liquidy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer, stirring occasionally to kinda-obsessively. As it simmers it will thicken to perfect. Now that the gravy is explained and why we use it we'll continue. It is only me really, not we. Continuing...

After sauce base is made, add sauteed peppers, et al, and simmer.

Yes, I'm going to add all of this cheese. There is a little Irish Dubliner, Cheddar and Gouda.

This is an important step. Of course it is, it's cheese. In small amounts and on low-medium heat, "spatula-in" the shredded cheese. It's getting delicious. Is pasta ready?

*This recipe without peppers and onions is the cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese. Get thinking about the innumerable variations of "Mac and Cheese" that you can make!!

And for some healthy stuff, too! Fresh spinach, butter lettuce, grated carrot, that Dubliner cheese again and a little "Cajun Balsamic".

(Recipe at the bottom)

And the finished product!

I sauteed shrimp with garlic, olive oil, and Cajun seasoning ("Slap Ya Mama" to be exact. It's spicy and bad ass.)

In turn, you save on a restaurant, you save on calories as they will all use heavy cream, you'll save your arteries in the process and you'll get something delicious in return...in and around your mouth.

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Cajun Balsamic: I am not a vinaigrette master by any means, but I know what tastes good to me so I go off that. The ratio in a vinaigrette is usually 70% oil/30% vinegar. With that to start with I take "some" balsamic vinegar, Cajun spices, salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, chives, and spicy mustard. The easy and nicest way is to slowly feed the vinegar mixture oil as it swirls around in a food processor. If you don't have that, hand-wisking will get a similar effect with a shit-load more effort...or just stir it around like a crazy person and, TAAA DA, vinaigrette!!

**My spell checker tells me that what I say is "wisk" is actually "whisk". I will look that up later, but I am pretty sure that you know what that is. It's the one that isn't flat and orange in the pictures if you're not sure.