Fresh Pasta

3 cups pasta flour (you can buy the mix in the pasta aisle at the grocery store)

4 eggs

1 Tbs olive oil

pinch salt

water, as needed

All purpose flour for pasta roller 

Measure flour onto a large cutting board or directly on the counter. Make a well in the center of the flour. In the well, crack the eggs, and add the salt and oil. Using a fork start lightly beating the eggs taking in some flour as you go. Continue to incorporate the eggs into the flour until you have a shaggy dough. Then use your hands to finish kneading to fully incorporate the flour. Add sprinkles of water as needed to make a firm, cohesive dough. The dough will seem a little dry but should be firm and all the flour should be incorporated.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 1/2 hour.  

After resting, cut into 4 pieces and roll out using a pasta roller. Roll through the largest setting several times, folding the dough into thirds after each pass through. This will knead the dough and make it silky and smooth. Then roll through each smaller setting until the desired thickness is reached. Cut into desired shape of pasta. Toss the cut pasta with a little bit of flour and let the cut pasta sit on the counter to dry for 10 or 15 minutes before cooking. 

Cook in a large pot of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still firm. Do not let the pasta cook too long or it will get mushy. Serve with your favorite sauce. 

You can also freeze the uncooked pasta. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a lint-free dish towel (like a flour sack towel) and sprinkled with flour. Place in the freezer overnight to dry out and freeze. Then place in a freezer zip-lock bag to store in the freezer

Open-face Portobello Sandwiches

We were looking for an alternative to portobello burgers, which are usually pretty soggy. I checked out a few different recipes and came up with this... 

large portobello mushroom caps, 1 per person

olive oil (1Tbs per burger plus more for greens)

fresh thyme, roughly chopped (about 1 tsp per burger)

balsamic vinegar (about 1tsp per burger plus more for greens)

mixed greens

tomato

goat cheese

loaf of crusty bread

mix together olive oil, balsamic, and thyme. set aside.

remove the stem and brush clean each portobello. score the top of each burger in a criss-cross pattern to help release the extra moisture, be careful not to cut too deep. (thank you ATK for this great tip!) 

grill the burgers top side down on a hot grill for 5 to 8 minutes. flip them over and brush the bottom 

with the oil, vinegar, thyme mix. let them cook another 10 minutes or so until tender. you can flip them as needed once the marinade soaks in. during the last few minutes of cooking, top the burgers with sliced tomato to warm the tomato through. you can also add the goat cheese at this time, if you want to warm that through too.

meanwhile, toss the greens with a little oil and vinegar. cut the bread into thick slices, butter both sides and throw on the grill for a few minutes to toast. 

to assemble: place portobello burger with the tomato and cheese on the toasted bread. top with mixed greens. grab a knife and fork, and enjoy!

Indian Style Green Beans with Coconut

We LOVE Indian food. The Sitar in downtown Springfield is by far, our favorite restaurant. But.... it can be pricy, especially when we were getting take out 2+ times a month! So we decided to try making our own Indian food. We made Chicken Tikka Masala and these green beans. I'll blog the Tikka Masala at a later date, I promise. The beans would be great as a side dish with anything really. I hope you enjoy it! Serves 4.

Ingredients: 

3 cups green beans (preferably fresh)

1 cup sweetened coconut

1/2 cup finely sliced onion

1/2 tablespoon cumin seed

1/2 tablespoon grated ginger

1/2 tablespoon grated garlic

1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder

1 jalapeno or other green chili

1 tablespoon canola oil

Steam beans until almost done. 

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Saute the cumin seeds, onion, garlic, ginger, and chili over medium heat until onions begin to brown. Add the green beans, stir. Add turmeric and coconut, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is combined.

Greek Quinoa and Avocado

This is a Better Homes and Gardens recipe. As usual, I didn't follow it exactly. I served it with grilled chicken in a pita with tzatziki.  (recipe here)  I didn't use any salt to season the quinoa, as we're on a very low sodium diet these days. But I don't think it really needed the salt anyway. This is so quick and easy. Make the tzatziki, refrigerate. Put the quinoa on. While it cooks, prepare the rest of the salad and grill the chicken (or have hubby grill the chicken!) Then throw the quinoa into the salad, grab the tzatziki and enjoy!

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 large tomato or 2 roma tomatos, roughly chopped
large handful baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs olive oil
1 avocado
feta cheese

Combine quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, chop the tomato and spinach. Add the quinoa once cooked. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Top with chopped avocado and feta cheese.

Black Bean Tostadas with Corn Relish

This is a slightly adapted Martha Stewart recipe. I made then with small corn tortillas, because that's what I had in the fridge, and they're a bit healthier than flour. I will say, the texture of the corn tortilla after baking was a little funky, slightly chewy in the middle, but nice and crispy on the edges. Use whatever you like or have. 

You can use canned black beans, we just prefer to soak our own organic beans because they are sodium free. To do this, soak the beans covered in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Place beans in a sauce pan and cover with plenty of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking. Drain.  They are now ready to use. 


Makes 5 tostadas - serves 2

1 lime
small bunch of scallions or chives, chopped
2 ears of corn, remove kernels from the cob
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
large handful of cilantro, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped (or 1 pint grape/cherry tomatoes)
about 1 cup black bean
cheddar cheese, shredded
5 small tortillas, corn or flour
1 avocado
sour cream

Preheat oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine corn, chives, jalapeno, cilantro, and juice of 1 lime.  Set aside.

Place tortillas on the baking sheet. Divide beans and tomato between the tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas start to crisp and cheese melts.

Divide the corn between the tortillas. Sprinkle with chopped avocado and serve with sour cream.

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe that I made an adjustment or two to. It can be made ahead, just don't bake it. When ready to serve, bring to room temp for a little while then bake for 15 or 20 minutes, until hot, bubbly, and starting to brown. 

1/8 cup olive oil plus more for sauteing

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (any kind, I used non-fat, lactose free milk)

Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (about 2 ounces)
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach, rinsed and rough chopped
1 to 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped


Melt butter with oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2 or 3 minutes until combined and beginning to lightly brown. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Turn heat to medium-high and whisk for several minutes until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to boil for a few minutes, until mixture becomes very thick. Keep whisking to avoid scalding and burning on the bottom of the pan. Remove  from the heat and whisk in cheeses until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 


In a non-stick skillet, saute onions over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped spinach and stir until completely wilted. Add artichoke and garlic. Saute a few more minutes to get evaporate the extra moisture that will be in the pan. 


Remove from the heat, stir in cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a casserole dish. At this point, you can let it cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Otherwise, bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbly and browning.

The Easiest Loaf of Bread You Will Ever Bake

The recipe below is exactly how you will find it at KAF. My changes and suggestions are: if you don't have cornmeal, use flour, semolina, or parchment paper.  I use my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment to make this. Start with only 5 1/2 cups (21.5 oz) of flour, add more as needed depending on weather conditions/humidity.  I kneaded the dough in the mixer for about 10 minutes, stopping it every few minutes to add additional flour, as needed, and scrape down the dough hook. I then kneaded for just a minute by hand mostly to shape into a ball.  I ALWAYS bake with the Traditional Method, haven't tried the quick method... if you try it, let me know how it works out!!  

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
2 cups warm water (not over 110°F)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 to 6 cups (21 1/2 to 25 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
cornmeal 

boiling water

MIX IT
Add sugar and yeast to warm water and let dissolve. Gradually add salt and flour to liquid and mix thoroughly until dough pulls from sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface to knead. (This may be a little messy, but don't give up!)

KNEAD IT
Fold far edge of dough back over on itself towards you. Press dough away with heels of hands. After each push, rotate dough 90°. Repeat process in rhythmic, rocking motion for about 3 minutes. (Lightly sprinkle flour on board to prevent sticking.) Let dough rest while you scrape out and grease mixing bowl. Knead dough again about 3 more minutes until bouncy and smooth.

LET IT RISE
Place dough in bowl and turn over once to grease the top. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk (1 to 2 hours).

SHAPE IT
Gently deflate the dough and briefly knead out gas bubbles. Cut in half and shape into 2 Italian or French-style loaves. Place on baking sheet generously sprinkled with cornmeal. Let dough rest 10 minutes.

BAKE IT
Quick method: Lightly slash the tops three or more times diagonally and brush with cold water. Place on a middle rack in your cold oven. Turn the heat to 400°F, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until crust is golden brown and sounds hollow to the touch.

Traditional method: For lighter, crustier bread, let loaves rise 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450°F for 15 minutes. Pour 2 to 3 cups of boiling water into a roasting pan. Carefully place on the lowest rack of the oven. Place bread on an oven rack above the pan, and bake 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the bread to remain in the oven for 5 more minutes. Remove, cool, and devour!

Strawberry Avocado Salsa

I found this in a Cooking Light Magazine several years ago. I made this with a grilled pork tenderloin. Jon suggested that the pork might need a grill sauce on it, maybe something with a little "kick." It's also great with tortilla chips. Some other serving suggestions are grilled chicken or fish. I might also put some fresh corn cut off the cob in the salsa next time.




1/2 quart strawberries, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
zest and juice of 1 lime (use more juice to taste, if desired)
1 finely chopped, jalapeno (use seeds and ribs for "heat" if desired)
pinch of sugar
just a little salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl. Serve immediately.