My Top Five Favorite Pasta Salads!

As far as I'm concerned, pasta makes the world go round.  I've posted more than my fair share of pasta recipes here at Stirring The Pot and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

In fact, I've posted so many pasta recipes, I think it's about time to do a couple roundup posts sharing all of my top favorite recipes. So, in the next little while, there will definitely be a My Favorite Pasta Recipes and maybe even My Favorite Macaroni and Cheese Recipes.

For now, since it's a thousand degrees outside, let's focus on refreshing, light, and healthy pasta salads. I think my all-time favorite may surprise you (and give you a new recipe to add to your "to-do" list).

(click on any recipe title to be directed to the original post and recipe)

Ellie Krieger's Tuscan Lentil and Macaroni Salad

Ellie's Tuscan Lentil and Macaroni Salad is hands down my FAVORITE pasta salad on my blog! Does that surprise you? While I enjoy a more traditional pasta salad, like the one directly below, Ellie's Tuscan Lentil and Macaroni Salad centers around hearty lentils and whole-grain pasta, which is such a welcome change and makes for a very hearty and satisfying dish.  I adore the mustard vinaigrette, as well as the addition of artichokes, carrots, and tomatoes. This is a terrific recipe and one that I have made again and again. Perfect for packing in your lunch, taking to picnics, or making just because. If these ingredients appeal to you at all, then I highly recommend this recipe!

Curtis Stone's Orzo Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

If I'm craving a more traditional pasta salad, then Curtis Stone's Orzo Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is my typical go to. There are several chefs who have an orzo salad recipe that is similar to this and truth be told, you could probably use any of their recipes, but I am definitely vouching for this one! I love this pasta salad with a hefty, and I do mean hefty, dose of feta cheese. I also love to have this salad with some salmon served on the side!

Ruth Reichl's Peanut Sesame Noodles

I've made my share of sesame peanut noodles and I've got to say, Ruth Reichl's recipe is the silkiest and creamiest version around! I made my version very simple here, mostly because I wasn't in the mood for any interference (read extra ingredients getting in the way of the noodles), however I will tell you that these noodles are worthy of entertaining. I think you could grace the top of these noodles much like a Cobb Salad, with bits of chicken, veggies, seeds, herbs, etc and really make a show piece that people would go crazy for! This is THE peanut sesame noodle recipe!

Hugh Fearnely Whittingstall's Herby, Peanutty, Noodly Salad

Hugh's Herby, Peanutty, Noodly Salad wins the award for the most veggie-centric pasta salad! If you're looking for a pasta salad that is light, refreshing, and crisp...look no further. The crunch from the veggies and the peanuts in this recipe is addictive and the zingy lime vinaigrette is ultimately refreshing, making this salad perfect for even the hottest of days! 

Donna Hay's Goat Cheese, Lemon & Pea Pasta Salad

There's just something about pasta shells, isn't there? I love how the peas and little bits of cheese get stuck inside the shells. This is a delightful spring pasta salad that is lemony and light!

Soup, Salad, and Sammie Sundays@ Kahakai Kitchen

Those are my favorite pasta salad recipes. What are some of yours?

Top Ten Favorites of 2017

Two thousand seventeen was delicious, but these are the recipes that were held in the highest regard, requested repeatedly, and created more than once. They are in no particular order, but there was one surprise favorite that reigned out above all the rest.

Click on the recipe titles to be directed back to the original post and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite recipes from 2017!

Let's get started!
 

  Winter Citrus Tart with Rosemary Whipped Cream

 Sometimes the recipes you're not quite sure about are the ones that make the biggest impression. I wasn't sure about pairing oranges with puff pastry, but I was won over by the beauty of the dish, so I decided to make it. It was love at first bite! A juicy and fresh citrus tart with bright flavors layered on a light and flaky buttery crust...so dang good! Best of all, this is SO easy and can be thrown together in a matter of minutes, with ingredients that are very easy to keep on hand. Do yourself a favor and make it this winter. I guarantee you will love it!

Ravioli with Balsamic Brown Butter

I still remember the day I took these leftovers to work. I put my container in the microwave and within seconds the nutty aroma of the balsamic brown butter filled the air. EVERYONE was lured in by the scent and several people were standing over my shoulder. Soft, fluffy, cheese-filled ravioli with a nutty brown butter sauce and crunchy toasted walnuts...it's heavenly. It's so heavenly I wrote it a love letter.

  Pan-Roasted Asparagus with a Crispy Fried Egg  

This brunch dish is a flavor and texture explosion. Oozing yolk meets crunchy herbeaceous breadcrumb topping and that's just the beginning. This is a dish that belongs on everyone's brunch menu.

Engagement Roast Chicken {aka The Very Best Roast Chicken}
This is THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN recipe is the history of ever! No other words necessary.

Welsh Rarebit

Anytime I make a cheese sauce containing flour it is usually slightly grainy - not this one! Try this recipe, and buy a really good English Cheddar, and prepare for your mind to be blown. This is one luscious and velveety cheese sauce. You will be slathering it over everything.

Out-Of-This-World Roasted Tomato Sauce

I doubted this recipe a couple times along the way, but my oh my...this is hands down the very best tomato sauce I've ever had. Maybe I had some really great homegrown tomatoes or maybe it was roasting the tomatoes that made it so good. Either way, this was hands down the best and will be my one and only in the future.

Butternut Squash & Ricotta Bruschetta 

If I had to chose my top favorite recipe of 2017, this Butternut Squash & Ricotta Bruschetta would be the ultimate winner! Crusty and creamy, spicy and sweet, it strikes the perfect balance for me. Suprise yourself in the best way possible and make this dish asap. Your tastebuds will thank you!

 Cavatappi with Kale Ragu

 Put down the Pasta Bolognese. This Cavatappi with Kale Ragu will blow that bolognese right out of the park. If you're under the impression that kale ragu cannot compete with a hearty meat sauce then you're definitely wrong! This kale ragu is cooked down with some Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and it has a glorious way of turning pasta into a majorly satisfying and comforting meal. I like this dish so much I've tried several versions, all just as delicious as the last.

 

 Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes

Who doesn't love twice-baked potatoes? Who doesn't love mini food? These Mini Twice-Baked Potatoes may be a labor of love, but they are a welcome sight at the dinner table and are sure to bring smiles to all. Ignore the chores and make these instead. All hearts deserve some good old-fashioned comfort food like mom and grandma used to make.

Green Chile Whipped Cream Cheese

Last, but not least, if you love all things spicy, then this Green Chie Whipped Cream Cheese is good on just about anything! I used a spicy serrano for this recipe and the heat level was perfect for us. Heat isn't the only flavor here, there is a fair amount of garlic, which makes this one flavorful spread. We enjoyed this spread on some of our favorite bagels from Panera and everyone swooned with delight. This spread disappeared in record time and has been requested repeatedly.

I can't wait to see all the tasty dishes in store for 2018! Happy New Year to all!

www.dreamstime.com 

My Top Five Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Favorites!

Oh Hugh, my time with you was short, but we were able to have some great kitchen adventures and make some memorable dishes together. These five are my top favorites and are all dishes that I will be making over and over again for years to come!

{Click on the recipe title to be directed to the original recipe and post}

Hugh's Out-Of-This-World Roasted Tomato Sauce

I originally decided on this recipe solely because someone had given me a whole box full of garden-fresh tomatoes. I was expecting for it to be good, but instead the final product was downright mind-blowing! This was easily the best tomato sauce I've ever tasted and will be my perfect recipe for tomato sauce going forward. I am already waiting for next year so I can make batch upon batch and learn how to can it!

Rainbow Swiss Chard, Green Onion, & Cheddar Tart

Again, I made this recipe based on the need to use up some puff pastry, and some beautiful rainbow Swiss chard, and did not expect to fall head over heels for this tart, but fall I did! I should have known better. I mean who doesn't want to wake up to flaky puff pastry with eggs, greens, and cheese. Two slices, please!

Welsh Rarebit [Two Ways}

Welsh Rarebit is essentially cheese sauce over toast and let's face it...who wouldn't like that? Well, I can tell you that I had attempted it several times in my kitchen and wasn't a fan until now.  Previous versions resulted in a grainy cheese sauce that was just unpleasant. Hugh's version, on the other hand, was luscious and creamy and somewhat addicting. Expect to eat more than one slice!

Cavatappi with Kale Ragu

People can hate on kale all they want, but I love it. In fact, I crave it. Everyone else can eat macaroni and cheese and plain old spaghetti, but I'll be eating this Cavatappi with Kale Ragu.  Holy cow...this is one of the best pasta dishes around. Make this if you love greens like me, and I promise you won't be disappointed!

Herby, Peanutty, Noodly Salad

And, finally, Hugh's Herby, Peanutty, Noodly Salad because who doesn't love a good noodle salad? Especially one that is so full of good-for-you green stuff and crunchy delicious peanuts? Perfect for any lunchbox!

Stay tuned! I Heart Cooking Clubs will be cooking with the one and only Ina Garten for the next six months! I can hardly wait to get started!

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Out-Of-This-World Roasted Tomato Sauce

You know those recipes that are pure perfection? Well, this is one of them! Seriously though, I made this recipe because I had fresh ripe tomatoes coming out of my ears, and it totally caught me off guard how dang delicious this Roasted Tomato Sauce was! Perhaps it was because I had some really good garden-ripe tomatoes, I'm not sure, but this is my new go to recipe for making tomato sauce.

Things started out beautifully with a gorgeous display of fresh cut tomatoes glistening on the roasting sheet. A hefty scattering of garlic and a few herbs, salt and pepper really jazzed things up! I popped it into the oven and within a few minutes I began to worry.  I could smell garlic and not in a good way.  I felt like the garlic was going to burn and ruin the sauce, but it was too late to do anything about it so I left it all to roast.

Then I had another moment when I was pushing the tomatoes through the sieve and the sauce was nothing but pure liquid but I forged on. Hugh talks about the different consistency and suggests cooking the sauce down on the stove top to thicken it so I did just that.

The sauce was cooking down when my husband walked in and said "wow, what is that delicious smell?" Now, my husband is not fond of tomato sauce, unless it's covering a plate of pasta, so it was huge when he stuck a spoon in the sauce and started swooning. He said, "that sauce is incredible, it's perfectly seasoned." Of course I stuck my spoon in immediately after and discovered he was right. In fact, we both poured a little bit in a small cup and sipped it like a soup. Roasting those tomatoes really brings out the flavor! We debated eating it as a soup right then and there, but decided to save it for pasta.



The tomato sauce was heavenly over some pasta, but it was even better the next day when my mom and I got the idea to make some Italian-inspired Parmesan-Basil Fried Green Tomatoes (click on the link for the recipe-) and dip them them into this roasted tomato sauce! Doubling down on tomatoes was even better than we imagined and we now have a new favorite snack! I can't wait to get a new batch of tomatoes so I can make both the sauce and the fried green tomatoes again. It was a lovely combination. A summertime delight for sure!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Adapted from River Cottage Veg

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Makes around 2 cups

3 to 4 pounds ripe tomatoes, larger ones halved

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

A couple sprigs of marjoram

A few sprigs of thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lay the tomatoes, cut side up if halved, on a baking sheet. Scatter over the garlic and herbs, and trickle over the oil. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

Put the baking sheet in the oven for about an hour, maybe a bit longer, until the tomatoes are completely soft and pulpy, and starting to crinkle and caramelize on top.

Set the tomatoes aside to cool for half an hour or so.  Then tip them into a large sieve set over a bowl and rub the pulp through with a wooden spoon, or use a food mill. Discard the skins and seeds. The sauce will seem like liquid, and that is fine, you can cook the sauce down on the stove until it thickens, if you desire.

 

Theme: Dippity Do Dah! @ IHCC

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Potatoes with "Deconstructed Pesto"

My mom is definitely the one with the "green thumb". In fact, for some time, I think my neighbor's thought she was the lady of the house mainly because she was the one outside planting, pruning, watering, and weeding. It's not that I didn't want to be the one with the green thumb. It's more because I wasn't any good at it and the more I tried the more mom came behind me, cleaning up my messes and fixing my mistakes, as moms are prone to do.

Years ago, mom dug a small herb garden off the back porch and she planted chives, oregano, cilantro, basil, and mint. The herbs did well, but over time we widdled it down to chives, basil, and mint, mostly because they thrived the most and we liked them best.

If I ever got real busy and forgot about the herb garden mom always let me know. She would cut huge bouquets of fresh herbs and place them all over the kitchen, and I'd always laugh because it was her way of telling me they needed to be used.

This summer my mom's been sick and she hasn't spent too much time outside in the garden. Just last week the doctor's told us her cancer was terminal. They say we have time, and we are thankful for that, but we are all still in shock and beside ourselves. I've spent many hours staring into space since that day, but the only thing that really helps me is getting in the kitchen.
 


My mom's always been my blogging buddy. Since the very beginning. The one I cook for. My bravest taste tester. My biggest fan. So this week when I questioned what in the world I could make, I thought of her and what she would do, if only she felt better. I found my answering staring out at the herb garden. It was in need of some love. I started on the basil first and was happy when I found this delicious Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall dish of Potatoes with "Deconstructed Pesto".

It reminded me of another dish I made back in 2011 when the basil went crazy and mom went outside and filled vases upon vases of basil for me to use. The whole house reeked of basil, and we love the scent, but oh boy...there is such a thing as too much and it makes me laugh now thinking about it. That week I think everything I cooked had basil in it. But of all the dishes we tried we tried that week, the one standout was Ina Garten's Basil Potato Puree. We fell in love with those potatoes. In fact, we still talk about that dish from time to time. Mom always calls it a "special dish" and/or "the freshest potatoes ever tasted." I linked that one above, because if I had my pick between the two potato dishes I'd pick that one, but both of these are tasty summer pleasures.

As for me, I'm heading back out into the herb garden. The mint is out of control and I think I got a few more empty vases...

Potatoes with "Deconstructed Pesto"

River Cottage Veg

by Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall

Serves 2-4

1 pounds baby potatoes, cut to uniform size if needed

salt and black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

good handful of basil, shredded

generous squeeze of lemon juice

good handful of grated Parmesan

 Place uniformly cut (potatoes need to be similar sizes to cut in the same time) into a medium-sized saucepan, cover with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes, until tender.  Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Put the same saucepan back onto the stove top and add the olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the garlic to cook for around 1 minute, then add potatoes back into the saucepan and stir in the shredded basil, some lemon juice, and some grated Parmesan cheese. Taste, adjust seasoning (usually potatoes always need more salt) and serve. 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Swiss Chard, Green Onion, and Cheese Tart

Our local Whole Foods decided to close their old store and open up a huge, brand-spanking new, double-the-size store right down the road at an upscale shopping center. Now between you and me, I much prefer the older and smaller store, finding it much easier to to get in and out of, but I realize that everything is all about being out with the old and in with the new lately, so, so be it. Focus on the positive, right? The new store, which is double the size, will obviously have double the merchandise and I'm sure I'll like that. Also, big bonus, the old store had a MAJOR sale before they closed, marking everything down to 50% so they could clean their shelves before closing!

Fifty percent off at Whole Foods is exciting news for me so I ready and waiting. When I got there the shelves were already starting to thin out. I was able to find some beautiful Swiss chard, fresh cherries, and grapes. Racing through the hoards of people I made my way to the freezer section to score some gluten free goodies for my son and I found lots of Dufour puff pastry, and since puff pastry can be pricey and Dufour is known to be the best, I grabbed several boxes.  Puff pastry stores well in the freezer and is fabulous to have on hand!

I've always been in awe of Whole Foods artisan chocolate aisle and they did have quite a bit of chocolate left to chose from. I will confess I spent most of my time in the chocolate aisle, looking over all the choices and I must say I ended up with about 15 bars of artisan chocolate in my cart. I mean how can you pass it up when it's 50% off. That's not likely to happen again! At the checkout I scored big on a few $15 cooking magazines, which were also half off, and cheered with delight when my total, which was $250, quickly became $125. Never has my cart at Whole Foods been that full and I was more than pleased with my haul.

On my way home I was brainstorming a way to use both my Swiss Chard and puff pastry and when I came across Hugh's Lettuce, Green Onion, and Cheese Tart I was inspired. I decided to swap his pastry dough for puff pastry (I can't be bothered to make pastry anyway) and also swap the lettuce for the Swiss Chard, and this tart was born.

Flaky puff pastry, colorful Swiss Chard, artisan English Cheddar, a layer of green onions, together with a pinch and a dash of salt and pepper, and this made for one delectable meal. I see many more puff pastry tarts in my future!

Swiss Chard, Green Onion, and Cheese Tart

Adapted from River Cottage Veg

Serves 4-6

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 tablespoon canola/olive oil

1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon butter

4 or 5 green onions, rinsed and sliced

4 ozs. or 1/2 cup English Cheddar, grated

2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out thawed puff pastry to 1/8 inch so that it fills a 10" tart pan.  Place it into the tart pan, cut off the excess, and reserve the excess for topping the tart later.  Place the tart pan with the puff pastry, and any excess puff pastry, in the freezer for 10 minutes.

 In the meantime, you will need a sheet of parchment paper and some beans to make a pie weight so that you can place them in the tart pan and keep the pastry from raising while baking. Place the tart, with the pie weight into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Then remove the pie weight and bake for another 5, or until puff pastry is golden brown.  Set aside to cool.

Make the filling.  In a large pan, add 1 tablespoon of canola or olive oil to the pan, along with the Swiss Chard, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until wilted and tender. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, for flavor. Using a slotted spoon, arrange the Swiss Chard into the tart shell.

Add the sliced green onions to the hot pan and saute for a minute or so.  Layer the green onions over the Swiss Chard, then top the tart with the grated cheese.  

In a medium bowl, beat two eggs, one egg yolk, and the cream and milk.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Carefully pour this mixture into the tart shell (you may not need all of it). Decorate the top of the tart with the remaining puff pastry dough. I cut mine into squares and just arranged them on top, but feel free to make whatever design you like. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Theme: A Pinch Of This, A Dash Of That

Cavatappi with Kale Ragu

Stirring the Pot is 9 years old this year, and the last time I checked, I had shared almost 900 recipes over the years! Now, from time to time my husband will say....how many more recipes can you try? Haven't you run out yet?  The answer is always the same: NO!

In fact, from time to time I have been known to have one recurring dream. It's always the same. In my dream I'm running from someone who is trying to kill me and my one request is "No. No. You can't kill me yet. I have way too many recipes left to cook."  Now I've shared this dream with regular everyday people and they look at me like I have two heads, but I know my fellow cooks and food lovers will totally understand. My recipe list is never-ending! My Pinterest boards are exploding and it is quite realistic, even if I live to be 100, that I will never get to all the recipes on my list! 

Of course, saying that, from time to time I will share similar recipes, the same type of dish but by a different chef, or with another variation. I've shared endless versions of mac and cheese and I'm sure they'll be more. I've also shared a couple versions of pot roast, and of course, roast chicken.

I've also shared a very similar version of this Cavatappi with Kale Ragu before. Back in 2010, Mario Batali came out with his Molto Gusto cookbook and in it was the most delicious recipe for Pennette with Swiss Chard Ragu.  Having never had a swiss chard ragu before, I was curious and set out to make it straight away! It was love at first bite and when I posted it, I regaled it as one of the most delicious dishes I had made all year! So, when I noticed that Hugh had a similar version for a kale ragu in his River Cottage Veg cookbook, I knew it must be made.

And you know what? This Cavatappi with Kale Ragu was equally delicious!  The recipes were very much the same, with the major difference being just the difference between kale and swiss chard. So, if you're looking for a killer pasta dish, then I would highly suggest either one (click the link to be redirected to the swiss chard recipe). This pasta has texture, incredible flavor, is quite cheesy, and is ultimately comforting! Need more convincing...the whole pot should costs less than $5! A win-win all around! Make it. You won't be sorry!

Cavatappi with Kale Ragu

Adapted from River Cottage Veg

by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall

Serves 4-6

1 big bunch of kale

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 fresh red chile, or red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, finely slivered

salt and black pepper, to taste

10 ounces Cavatappi or other pasta

butter, to taste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

*1 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking pasta

Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil so that you're ready to cook the pasta while the sauce is coming together. Remove the thick stems from the kale and slice into shreds.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until soft. Add the chile and garlic and some salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 3minutes, until the garlic is no longer raw.

When the onion is almost cooked, add the pasta to the pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, adding the greens to the pan about 3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking. At this point I used a 1 cup measure to ladle out some of the pasta cooking water. I added this water to the kale mixture, along with a good-sized knob of butter and a fair amount of Parmesan cheese to make a creamy mixture.

Drain the pasta and in the pan with the kale until thoroughly mixed. Check for seasoning, adding more pasta water to make it creamier, or perhaps more salt and pepper, and or cheese, if needed.  Serve immediately with lots of grated cheese!

Theme: Escape To River Cottage

Welsh Rarebit {Two Ways + Endless Variations}

Oftentimes, when I'm out for drinks, I find myself craving a little something cheesy. Nothing too heavy, but something with a little bit of heft to it, and usually a little naughty. This Welsh Rarebit is just the thing. Cheese, glorious bubbly melted cheese, served over toasty hearty bread and maybe even some veggies. It's just a thing of beauty, really.

Hugh shares three ways to add veggies and change up your rarebit: tomatoes, celery, and kale or broccolini. All of these are good choice, but I'm willing to go out on a limb and say you could easily use about anything hanging out in your fridge. Eggs of any kind, cooked peppers (bell or jalapeno), bits of meat, slices of apple or pear, spinach, artichokes, and even olives would be lovely. The sky is really the limit! Always feel free to make it your own!

This time around I opted to follow two of Hugh's recipes, tomato and kale. While I do believe that tomato is the most common, and also the most well-liked; I'm willing to say that I love the combo of greens with cheese way more than the tomato version. Either way you simply cannot go wrong.

There a couple of things worth nothing. First, use a really good English Cheddar. I used an English Cheddar straight from Dorset.  Next, do not worry when the butter, flour, and milk mixture resembles glue, or straight up paste. This is exactly what you want! When you add the cheese to the mixture you will have to use a lot of muscle to stir it into the "sauce" and get it to melt. The cheese sauce isn't going to seem very saucy when you spread it on the bread and that is exactly the texture you're going for! Don't worry, this is a thick and luscious sauce that is so dreamy and satisfying!  Slather it on some good toasted bread and enjoy as is or with veggies, bits of meat, and/or egg. This Welsh Rarebit is a real treat!

Welsh Rarebit

Adapted from River Cottage Veg

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Serves 4

1-1/4 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

1/2 onion

salt and black pepper, to taste

3-1/2 tablespoons butter

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 ounces fairly strong English cheddar, grated

1/2 teaspoon English mustard, or to taste

dash of Worcestershire sauce

4 slices of good bread or 4 small flat breads

Put the milk in a saucepan, with the bay leaf and onion if you have them on hand, along with a grinding of black pepper. Bring the milk to just below a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Melt the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour to make a smooth roux and let it bubble and seethe for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat. If you've infused the milk with bay and onion, strain them out. Add the milk to the roux in three or four batches, beating well after each addition to create a smooth sauce.

Return the thick sauce to low heat and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in in the cheese until melted, then add the mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a dash of Worcestershire sauce if you like.

Preheat the broiler and toast the bread. If you're serving rarebit just as it comes, then spread the cheese sauce thickly on the toast. Alternatively, add your veggie extras before spreading on the toast.  Either way, broil the rarebit reasonably slowly, not too close to the heat, so the thick sauce is bubbling hot all the way through before the top gets too brown. Serve right away.

Tomato Rarebit: Top the cheese sauce with a few thick slices of tomato and sprinkle with pepper before placing under the broiler

Celery Rarebit: Thinly slice 4 celery stalks and saute them in a tablespoon of butter for 5 minutes, until tender but still a bit crunchy.  Season and stir into the rarebit mixture before spreading on toast and broiling.

Broccolini or Kale Rarebit: Lay some lightly cooked broccolini or kale across your toast before smothering with cheese sauce and broiling.

Upside-Down Onion Tart

This Upside-Down Onion Tart is something you can throw together with "bare-bones" ingredients. You only need two essential ingredients: puff pastry and onions!

Now, if you do not consider puff pastry a pantry, or rather a freezer essential, then you should.  Having a couple sheets of puff pastry around is like having an insurance policy...it always comes in handy.  It's not only perfect for throwing together a quick and fruity dessert, like this gorgeous Winter Citrus Tart with Rosemary Whipped Cream, but it's also a lifesaver if you want to whip appetizers, or top a soup or stew, like this Irish Beef Stew with Puff Pastry Dippers, or even use as a make shift pie crust, like I did when I made these Mini Corned Beef Pot Pies. I am simply never without a box (or two) in my freezer!

And hopefully, we all have onions in our pantry! Not only are they the base of so many dishes, but they are even better when they are allowed to shine as the featured ingredient, such as in this absolutely incredible Onion Soup Lyonnaise-Style. Trust me when I say that soup has become such a staple, and I am never without the ingredients to make it.

This tart is another way for the humble onion to play center stage.  Pair this with a green salad, or even on the side of any beef dish, and you're in for a true caramelized onion delight!

Upside-Down Onion Tart

Adapted from River Cottage Veg

by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Serves 4-6

About 7 ounces/200g all butter, ready made puff pastry

3 or 4 onions (about 12 ounces/350g)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil

salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Optional: Sprinkling of thyme leaves and/or cheese of your choice. I used opted for a few crumbles of blue cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8 inch thickness and cut out an 8-inch circle. Wrap the pastry disk and place it in the fridge.

Peel the onions and slice each one into 6 or 8 wedges, keeping the root end attached. Heat the butter and oil in an 8-inch tarte tatin pan or ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions, arranging them roughly in a pinwheel pattern. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are fairly tender and starting to caramelize around the edges.

Trickle the balsamic vinegar over the onions and cook for a couple of minutes more, so the vinegar reduces a little.  Remove from the heat and make sure the onions are fairly evenly spread around the pan.

Lay the pastry disk over the onions and put the pan into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is fully puffed up and golden.

Invert the tart onto a plate so the sticky caramelized onions are facing up, on top of the crispy pastry. Serve right away, ideally with a green leafy salad. You could also crumble or grate over a favorite cheese.