An Adventure In Cooking

This doesn't really have anything to do with beer (except that I poured a beer when I was done), but I was so proud of how it came out, I had to share it.

I like to cook. I especially like to create meals out of what I already have, instead of going out and buying things for a recipe.

Last night, for supper, I decided to make some pasta. I found a jar of sauce, but decided instead to try and make a sauce. One of my favorite things to do is make a basic white sauce and add some kind of flavoring to it. Here's a recipe;

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BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 2 tablespoons flour
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• salt
  
• white or black pepper
  

Preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; stir in flour. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Gradually stir in milk and continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

For a richer sauce, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream.

When I opened the fridge, I noticed two things. We had no butter or margarine. No problem, vegetable oil works fine. I also saw some leftover mashed potatoes, and had a flash of inspiration. Could I substitute the potatoes for the flour? Only one way to find out.

So, this is what I slapped together;

3 tbsp vegetable oil

¼ cup leftover mashed potatoes

¼ cup leftover sauteed onions

½ tsp seasoned salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

It did take a bit longer to thicken, but it was delicious!