Homemade Pasta

Recently while looking for dinner ideas I was inspired by Dinner A Love Story, which I check often for such ideas. I loved the look of her Butternut Squash Pappardelle.

After looking all over town for packaged pappardelle (a fat noodle) I realized I would have to make my own if I wanted to have this particular dinner. Now, I have made pasta ONCE when I was 8 years younger and didn't have a foot issue. At that time, I could stand and roll and roll all the live long day without my foot begging me to please sit down. But these days...just geting to the bathroom is a hobbling trek and making pasta- that's like climbing Mt. Everest.

Here's what the foot and I accomplished (I didn't use my foot to make this, it was only there to support me). First I peeled, cleaned and cubed a butternut squash. Tossed it in olive oil, salt pepper and oregano. Lining the pan with foil kept me in good standing with my MIL (mother-in-law) who cleans up after I cook.

Next I mixed the pasta dough, don't remember where I got the recipe...Google kindly helped me find one, if you asked nicely it would probably do the same for you. I mixed the dough in the food processor then kneaded by hand, let it rest and rolled it out. Rolling it out takes a long time and uses a lot of muscles: arms, hands, shoulders, back, abs, glutes....We both got our gluten stretched this day (ba-da boom).

Next I draped it to let it dry slightly before cutting it.

Pappardelle is supposedly 3/4 inch wide, mine were too wide (didn't use a ruler) and next time I would cut them at 1/2 inch width. Here they are sunning themselves...

In the meantime, the butternut squash has gotten nice and roasty. My only change to DALS recipe: I added two cloves of garlic to the roast pan and I didn't have fresh thyme. Oh, and for the sake of having a green vegetable, I added in frozen sweet peas to the colander then poured the pasta and water over to cook slightly. This is my secret to a lot of pasta dishes, the kids will eat them and there is no effort!

I had cooked 6 Italian Sausage links earlier and warmed those up right before serving. Sausage and Pasta is one of my favorite combinations. I blame it on the delicious and cheap meals at La La Lucci's in Charleston, circa 1995, pick your pasta, pick your sauce, pick your toppings for like 7 bucks (fettuccine Alfredo with sausage and mushrooms was heaven!).

 


















Here is the final result: fat noodles tossed with butter and lotsa Parmesan, the roasted squash and sweet peas and sausages!

Next time: I will have fresh thyme and make my noodles with more egg yolks to get that buttery yellow color. Also, I will be asking for a pasta roller attachment for the ole Kitchen Aid to keep me from getting Popeye forearms!

Coq au Vin

I have heard of this recipe but never tried it. Fanfare and fanciness are not a big part of my cooking. And while I use recipes, they are rarely followed twice.

Coq au Vin (french for Chicken in Wine, pronounce kinda like "coo-coa vaun") was a medium on the time and labor intensity. Also, I don't drink and had to ask my MIL to pick up some red wine for the dish. She chose Fat Bastard red wine, which has a great label.

4 slices of bacon
Whole Chicken- cut into pieces or 4 chick breasts- remove skin
3 TB parsley- fresh, rinsed, dried and chopped
5 cloves of Shallots- sliced thinly
1 small container of mushrooms- recipe called for Crimini- I used Mini Bellas
2 cloves of garlic- pressed
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c red wine
4 tsps flour
salt and pepper


Preheat oven. Add bacon to a skillet, fry til crisp. Remove to plate lined with paper towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper and half or parsley. Add to pan of hot grease. Cook 6 minutes on each side. Remove to baking dish and place in oven to finish cooking.

Add chopped mushrooms and shallots to hot bacon/chicken juice skillet. Saute until just tender. Add pressed garlic to pan, toss for 10 seconds. Add wine and 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth and 1 TB parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce.

Meanwhile, place flour in a small bowl, add the rest of broth and stir to incorporate and remove lumps. Set aside. Roughly chop bacon. Check that chicken is cooked through.

Add flour mix to reduced sauce. Let thicken for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange chicken on a platter and add sauce (or be lazy and add sauce to chicken in baking dish). Serve.

Really a very rich, dark sauce. My husband gave it a rating of one of my top five dishes to date. Served with Creamy lemon, herb rice (recipe to come), sauteed asparagus and sourdough bread and brie.

Right after I made this (and my husband gobbled it up) we saw Alton Brown making his version. It was cool to hear the history and science behind this dish. Of course, watching him made me realize I didn't use the "Cock" in Coq-au-Vin (used a lame ol' hen) or the special pork or the overnight thing but what the hell I am a "stupides d'Amérique".

 

Coconut Chicken

This chicken will make you want to slap your momma! I wanted to do shrimp but even though I live in at the beach in an area known for it plethora of shrimp, fish, oysters and the like it is nearly impossible to find any without driving 20 minutes away. And I didn't have the time or energy for that. So chicken it was.


Coconut Chicken
4 Chicken Breast-I cut up four chicken breasts into large bites
1.5 c Planko Bread Crumbs
1 c Coconut- shredded and sweetened (I keep a bag in my freezer at all times)
1.5 c Coconut milk (from the can)
1 egg- beaten
2 cups flour

Vegetable oil for frying

Pour oil into a skillet or high sided pan, you want it at least half as deep as your chicken pieces. Turn heat on med/high.

Mound flour on one paper plate, set aside. Add coconut milk to beaten egg and mix, set aside. Pour planko and coconut on another paper plate and combine with fingers. Line up these three starting with flour, then egg mix, then planko mix then a paper towel or piece of wax paper.

Preheat oven at it's lowest temperature. Prepare a high sided cookie sheet by laying foil in the bottom and then a wire cooling rack in it.

Roll chicken pieces in flour, dredge in egg mix, and roll in planko mix and place on paper towel/wax paper. When oil is ready (my trick, take a pinch of flour dip fingers in wet mix and drop in oil. If it bubbles quickly it is ready.) lay pieces of chicken in skillet but don't crowd. Fry until golden and flip. remove from oil onto your cookie sheet/rack thing and set the whole thing in the oven to keep warm.

Continue frying chicken pieces and adding to your warming pan.

I served these with pasta and Spicy Broccoli. The kids could not get enough!! I would love to hear how yours turn out!

Next up: Moroccan Shrimp!

Ssrimp n Grits

(Yes, I meant to spell it that way, it's how my mom says it and I love it)

So, I have seen all kinds of versions of Shrimp and Grits over the years. Most of them might closely resemble the traditional look, but few resemble the traditional flavor. I have seen people try to make Shrimp n Grits with snap peas, cherry tomatoes, low-fat ingredients (this is blasphemy!), canned sauce substitute, margarine, etc. But that is not they are supposed to be.

In the "Charleston Receipts" cookbook (which my husband found a slightly beaten copy in a trash pile on trash day when we lived in Charleston. This is not as gross as it sounds, people leave all kinds of good stuff on the curb in boxes for people to take or to be picked up by the garbage collector in Charleston) anyhoo...so in this cookbook it says that the African-American cooks and caretakers of the Charleston area would make a quick breakfast for their charges with the fresh seafood and home-cured meats readily available in the kitchen. These talented and busy ladies would fry up some ham or bacon in a pan, add flour to the drippings, butter, then shrimp, a little cream and they would serve it up over some steaming hot grits. A hot, nutritous breakfast of grains and protein (and a wee bit of fat).

Shrimp and grits isn't supposed to be complicated. High-falutin' chefs who want to steal the glory that these amazing, Southern ladies perfected years ago try to make it all fancy to impress those outside of the lowcountry (coastal region of South Carolina). And if you are afraid of grits, don't be. It is made from corn, has a light flavor that is the perfect vehicle for so many foods. And my kids love 'em with some butter and eggs in the morning.

Here is my recipe, loosely adapted over the years, and even more loosely made each time I throw it together because I never do a recipe the same way twice.

Neva's Shrimp n Grits (serves 6)
pictured with a zucchini, onion and tomato saute and whole wheat french bread

2 Lbs Raw, peeled shrimp- cut in half (if you are cooking, enlist someone else for this chore- it is a major P.I.T.A.)
3 peices of raw bacon
1 stick of butter
1/4 c cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 clove of garlic- crushed
1 tb of finely chopped onion
handful or chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce as desired
grits- yellow are the best but plain ole quaker quick grits work fine too

Cook the grits- use water not milk to cook them as directed. They cook in less than 10 minutes, perfect for a busy mom! Stir in 1 TB butter and a little milk after they are cooked, plenty of salt. Set aside.

Fry bacon in a high sided skillet. Remove bacon, leave drippings in pan. Add shrimp, garlic, and 2 TB butter to pan. Cook shrimp HALFWAY. Remove shrimp to a bowl, leaving drippings in pan. On low-med heat, add flour a little at a time, whisking with a fork to smooth any lumps, add 3 TB butter. Whisk continuously. Add salt and pepper. After a minute or so of cooking the roux (flour-fat mixture) add cream slowly. Continuing whisking. Add 1/2 of milk slowly. Sauce will thicken. Add shrimp. Tell EVERYONE TO GET TO THE TABLE IMMEDIATELY (shrimp and grits do not wait for no man).

Chop bacon up and set aside (preferably have kids do this with hands while you are busy).

Continuing stirring to finish cooking shrimp and keep sauce from sticking until shrimp are pink and white*. Add milk if sauce become too thick (hard to describe how thick/thin it should be- you want it thinner than ketchup consistency but not as thin as cream).

*Big Side-Note- shrimp can overcook fast! Then they are too tough to eat. Shrimp are done when they have just gone from the raw gray-brown and clear color to a light salmon-pink and white. Remove from heat and serve as soon as this happens, do not leave them cooking in the sauce or you will have Rubber and Grits for dinner!

Plate a mound of hot grits, scoop shrimp and sauce over grits. Add chopped bacon peices and parsley to the dish. Serve and eat and begin dropping your ending "g's", Darlin!

Now you have tasted true Southern Ssrimp n Grits! (Caution: DO NOT weigh yourself for 24 hours after eating this delicious suppa'!)

For the semi-vegetarian: I make this for my mother-in-law who eats seafood and dairy but not meat- leave a comment if you want that version sent to you.

Pop-eye

That's what I called them when I was little. Although, my chicken pot pie's back then were of the frozen variety. This is a tasty dinner I made last week. It was so yummy smelling and looking when I got them out of the oven we consumed them immediately forgoing all possibilities of getting a photo of them post-baking. Whoops.

I made two big ones for my niece and I, a veggie one for the MIL, and two little beggar's purse sized ones for the girls.


Pastry Crust
a food processor makes this easy!

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Put dry stuff in, pule a few times, add butter cubes, pulse until crumbly, slowly add water. Just enough to get it into a ball.
Remove, place in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Take out, separate into 4-6 equal balls, place one on lightly floured surface, cover the rest. Flour rolling pin.
Roll ball out, turn a quarter turn (from 12 to 3 o'clock), turn over, adding flour underneath to prevent sticking, flour top is needed, roll out. Repeat process until you have the size circle you desire.
Place spoonful of filling in, beat an egg, brush egg around edges, fold over, pinch, make two slices in top, brush egg on top. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Chicken Pot Pie filling
Cut up
3-4 chicken breasts
1 stalk celery
1/4 onion
1 c broccolli
1/2 c peas
1-2 carrots
1 potato
minced garlic optional
herbs optional

Saute these until cooked but don't overcook- they will cook more in the oven.

For roux sauce- in separate pan, melt 2 tb butter. Add 2 tb all purpose flour. Stir and cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Slowly add 1/2 c milk. It will "seize" up, continue stirring. Add 1 c chicken broth, slowly, stirring and mushing up flour lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add in veggies and chicken to roux sauce. Stir until coated. Let cool slightly before adding to pastry.

Bake for 20 minutes or more (I am not particular about numbers, sorry) in a 400 degree oven until golden brown.

Remove, let cool for a few minutes and serve.

So good it'll make ya wanna slap yo mama!

Remember When Parsley Was Just a Garnish

About 20 something years ago, when my family would eat out in restaurants, my food would come out from the kitchen with a sprig of curly, green weed on the side. I remember asking my mom if it was edible and she said it was just a garnish. I would nudge it off my plate, eating the “healthy” fried fish, or slab of well done meat and carbohydrates I had ordered.

This weed, it turns out was parsley. Parsley is known as “one of the world's seven most potent disease-fighting spices which also include Ginger, Oregano, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Sage, and Red chili peppers”. It is high in iron, vitamin C, beta carotene, and B12. Parsley is saidto help with bad breath, relieve swelling from bug bites, and amongother things dissolve gallstones. And by the way it is delicious and lemony when picked fresh form the garden.

Today I have a large pot of parsley growing on my back steps. Sometimes I chop it up and garnish the top of a dish but mostly I add it to all kinds of meals.  Adding it to a salad, meat, and pastas adds a wonderful fresh zing to any dish. Here are a few of my favorite wasy to use this green wonder.

Red Potato Salad
 (Perfect for summer cookouts!)
2 lbs red potatoes- quartered
¾- 1 C Mayonnaise (light or regular)
2 tsp Mustard
½ Tb Salad Vinegar
½ Celery Stalk- chopped fine
½ small Onion- chopped fine
¾ C Fresh Parsley- roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes in salted water until slightly tender. Drain and cool. In a large bowl, add in cooled potatoes, and the rest of the ingredients. Toss lightly to help keep potatoes mostly intact. Chill and serve. 

Basic Couscous
(This is such an easy side dish, very quick and flavorful.)
½ C Couscous
1 C Water or Broth
1 Tomato- chopped
1 Cucumber- peeled, seeded and chopped
¼ feta or goat cheese- crumbled
½ Parsley- chopped1 tsp
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil water, add couscous, cover and turn off burner. Let sit for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork after a few minutes, cover again.Add other ingredients, fluffing together with a fork. Serve warm or cool. Couscous goes great chicken, beef, pork and fish.

Yummy!!

originally posted on Myrtle Beach Moms by Neva

Chicken Bog

Yes, you read that right. And what is Chicken Bog? Some swampy piece of geography overrun with poultry? No, it is a delicious Southern dish that I came out of the womb eating. It is ingrained in my childhood and I am ashamed to say that my kids barely know what it is...

If you want a easy dinner, one you could even cook in the crock pot, here it is (with a side of cabbage).

What you need:
Whole chicken
Keilbasa or Smoked Sausage
2-4 cups uncooked Rice- whatever kind you like and I used 3 cups of brown rice this time.
Pot of Water
Salt and Pepper

Firstly, boil the chicken in a pot of water (what else are you going to boil a chicken in?!). When chicken is falling off bone, remove chicken pieces to a bowl, SAVE chicken water/broth.

Make rice using chicken water/broth. Before it boils, add in cut keilbasa. Cook per directions.

After chicken cools pull apart, discard bones and skin. When rice is cooked, stir and add in chicken peices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ta dah! Serve with Tabasco sauce. Yummy!

There are variations, of course. Everyone down here makes THE best Chicken Bog with their own family secret. My husband has used half white, half saffron rice before. Some people use crumbled browned sausage in addition to smoked sausage.

The above picture chicken bog was my "camping version", you know: limited supplies and limited cooking utenstils. I used a can of chicken broth, the rest water to cook the BROWN rice. Added in the sliced keilbasa. Thawed, then cut and sauteed chicken breasts in pan. After rice was cooked, I added chicken and there you have it. It was delicious and my husband didn't know it was brown rice!

Cookie in a Bowl

Not my best food photo but I was fighting off two hungry kids who LOVE this!


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal
(for two kids)
Quaker Oats
2 TB Peanut Butter
1-2 TB Mini Chocolate Chips
Honey

Make the heart healthy portion of Quaker Oats as directed on carton.

When oatmeal is cooked, add the peanut butter (we use natural), mini chocolate chips
and drizzle of Honey (if using natural p-nut butter). Split between two bowls.

My kids ate enough to make their bellies hurt, usually they refuse oatmeal.

Spring Rolls

This was a treat I made myself for lunch one day last week. Spring rolls are delicious, beautiful and easy to make. They are low in fat and calories and are filled with fresh, healthy ingredients. Here is how I make mine:

Firstly, find Spring Roll Wrappers (on right) and bean thread or glass noodles (packaged in fours in the pink netting on left) at your local Asian market or the ethnic foods section of your grocery store .

Secondly, gather your filling ingredients:
(filling make about 4-6 rolls)
1/2 cup shrimp, boiled
2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves
handful of fresh mint leaves
handful or fresh cilantro (or parsley if you can't get cilantro)
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 shredded carrots
1 c cooked noodles
1 green onion, chopped


Put a kettle of water on to boil. When the water boil, place on ball of noodles in a bowl, pour boiling water over and let stand. Next, pour boiling water in a shallow dish larger than diameter of spring rolls, let cool slightly before dipping wrappers.

Drain noodles, and leave in bowl.

Slide wrappers into water (in shallow dish) one at a time. Use tongs to move wrapper gently around until just soft, remove to cutting board covered with damp dishtowel. To begin filling: Pretend to draw a line across center of wrapper, starting on the half of wrapper closest to you, make line 2-4 shrimp, add carrots, sprouts, noodles, onion, and herbs on top of shrimp. Now fold edge closest to you over the ingredients, and begin rolling away from you, gently tucking in left and right sides and ingredients if they want to slip out. Roll tightly but not too tight (you don't want to split the wrapper), continue to roll to other edge. Roll should stick together nicely. Place on plate and repeat steps to use the rest of fillings.

These Spring Rolls are so lovely and yummy. You could make a lot ahead of time for a party or dinner and really impress your guests.

I like to use plum sauce, dumpling sauce or soy sauce combined with mango preserves for dipping my spring rolls.

Let me know if you try it and like them!

Mustard Pancakes

...Not really, only non-mustard pancakes today. But I loved the name of that show (did you ever see it on PBS, very good kids show).

I am going to share a little secret with you. My recipe for Campbell Pancakes. It is my version of my brother-in-law's recipe and where he got it, I really couldn't say. But these are delicious, easy and versatile.

Here is my well-worn, batter stained recipe card.


It reads:

Campbell Pancakes
3 C Southern Biscuit Self Rise Flour
3 TB Sugar
2 well beaten eggs
2 12/ C Buttermilk
1/4 c melted butter

Combine flour and sugar. In separate bowl combine eggs and buttermilk. Whisk into flour mix and then add butter.

If you are making 3 batches for lets say 8 very hungry, grumpy morning bears then instead of using all buttermilk, use 1/2 buttermilk and 1/2 milk

After pouring pancake batter in well oiled pan, we add sliced bananas, dollops of peanut butter, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

Now, you know how people say baking is an exact science. That you can't just make stuff up. Well, I do! If I don't have self rise (this isn't made up) I use all purpose and add 4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of baking soda. But (these are additions that aren't exact) I will add in vanilla extract (I measure vanilla just like my grandmother, I fill up the cap on top and pour it in, perfect amount). I will use all cows milk (makes a less dense pancake than all buttermilk), sometimes I leave out the butter all together or half the amount of sugar. I have made them with half whole wheat, half white flour before. I sometimes add in oats. Whatever I fancy that day. So, relax. If they don't turn out, just slather them with syrup like the kids do and enjoy the decadence!

And for your safety when eating pancakes: Our standard issue pancake uniform- pony-tail hair AND bandanna, otherwise it will seem like the girls brushed their hair with a syrup-ed pancake.

And this morning I made a pancake man (or girl, as Zo insisted) to ensure they had some protein and fruit (banana slice eyes, butter nose, bacon smile and syrup hair). Zo actually squealed like she had been burned when she saw it.

Ratatouille

This is my recipe for Ratatouille. It is most likely not the traditional version but it is delicious, very comforting, and mine. Enjoy!

5-6 skinny eggplants (this is the kind we grow, but we don't know the name :l)
5 tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 whole large onion
3/4 stalk celery
1 large bell pepper
1 Tb dried oregano
2 Tb fresh parsley
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
olive oil
(I will also add zucchini and mushrooms if I have them, but I didn't this time)

Baguette
Monterrey Jack cheese
Butter

Cut all veggies appx the same size, mince garlic. Drizzle skillet with olive oil. Add veggies, garlic and seasonings. Cook on medium heat, stirring often. Put a lid on and check often. I add about 1/2 cup water midway through to help veggies cook down and not stick.

Slice baguette, melt butter and brush on one side of each slice. Place on a cookie sheet, add slice of cheese to each. Toast until cheese is JUST melted, you don't want crispy, hard toast.

To serve place several slices of toast on a plate, spoon ratatouille over or use toast to scoop the warm, savory dish into your waiting (possibly drooling) mouth.

Perfect warm-up for fall weather!

Simple Dinner

This is a great, easy dinner for non-meat eaters (I chose to make it with chicken meatballs this time). I ordered this delicious dish in Little Italy in Boston and it was so yummy! My version isn't as exquisite but I am sure if the chef in Little Italy had two kids underfoot at all times his would taste like mine, too.

Baked Ricotta Pasta

Box of Penne (the restaurant used a large, elbow macaroni that I have yet to find)
Homemade or Jar tomato sauce
Ricotta
Parmesan
And if you want to add meat:
Ground Chicken
Handful of basil and parsley
Crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper

Boil water, salt, add pasta- cook until al dente.

Warm sauce, add whatever you like to make it special. I added finely chopped spinach so I wouldn't have to make a veggie side dish. Lazy and smart!

For meat lov-ahs: Combine ground chicken, garlic, chopped basil and parsley, salt and pepper. Roll into small meatballs (slightly larger than an olive). Drizzle olive oil in a pan, cook meatballs on medium heat, turning often to evenly cook (I place a lid on to help distribute the heat from time to time).

Drain noodles. Put back in pot, add a cup of sauce and toss. Oil a casserole dish. Pour sauced noodles into casserole dish. Add rest of sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Add large scoops of ricotta all over the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes (enough to heat everything together and melt the ricotta slightly). Remove from oven, add meatballs, sprinkle with more Parmesan. Eat it up!!

So good and comforting!

Best in the Universe

Okay, I am going to let out a little secret but you have to promise not to tell. Okay? (whispered)This is the best macaroni and cheese in the universe. It is the only macaroni and cheese I will eat. It is so good you can't call it Mac n Cheese, because it is too dignified for a nickname.
Here it is, guard it with your life!

The Best Macaroni and Cheese Ever
8 TB butter plus more for casserole dish
6 slices of bread- I like using sourdough
5.5 cups of milk (I usually use like 4 cups if I am low on milk)
1/2 c All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
6 c Cheese (I use a combination of what I have on hand, sharp cheddar, parmesan, colby, jack)
1 LB Elbow Macaroni (or Penne as pictured)

Preheat over 375 degrees. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish or two 1.5 quart dishes. Tear bread into bit size pieces. Melt 2 TB butter, pour over bread crumbs and stir until absorbed.
Warm the milk in microwave. Melt remaining butter in large pot on low-med heat, when it bubbles add flour slowly. Whisk for one minute.
Then while whisking, add hot milk a little at a time. Continue whisking and cooking 8-12 minutes until mix thickens. Remove from heat and add seasonings and cheese.
In the meantime, boil water. Cook noodles until almost done. Drain well and stir into cheese sauce.
Pour cheesy noodles into casserole(s). Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and extra cheese (optional). Bake until just golden (20-30 minutes). Serves 12 (or maybe less when you taste how delicious it is).

If you like it, or have a unique ingredient you add to your macaroni and cheese, leave your comments.