Favorite recipes

[Ignatz]

I am married to an Italian gal - pasta is one her four food groups along with garlic, olive oil and ricotta. This recipe for fresh pasta always makes her happy.

Basic pasta for two:

Place in a mixing bowl: 3/4 cup of flour and a pinch of salt.
Make a well in the flour and crack into it one egg
Beat the egg in the flour well with a fork and slowly work the flour into the beaten egg
Add just a touch (1/8-1/4 tsp) of olive oil as the dough stiffens (and a tiny amount of water if really dry)
Mix in bowl until dough begins to form into a ball
Dump onto lightly floured surface (I use a marble board)
Knead for about 10 minutes
Dust dough ball with flour if damp while kneading just like powdering a baby's butt
When dough is elastic and smooth like the inside of a woman's thigh, wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and let rest for at least half an hour
Cut dough ball into thirds and work one third at a time
Leave the rest wrapped until ready to use
Roll dough lightly and keep folding in half on itself (I usually do this 8 times)
Use pasta machine or hand roll to finish
Roll out dough progressively thinner (no more folding at this point)
If you're using a pasta machine, one pass at each thickness setting - do not skip to thinner settings
If rolling by hand, roll thinner gradually

Use as flat noodles or cut into fettucine, spaghetti, etc.
Hang cut noodles to dry
Lay flat noodles on a icing grate to dry

[Amber Waves]

DEE-LISH! I wish I wasn't on a low carbohydrate diet. I'd be ALL over this...

p.s. - I liked, "When dough is elastic and smooth like the inside of a woman's thigh, wrap in plastic wrap... etc."

[Ignatz]

What can I say?
That's what properly made pasta dough should feel like.
It doesn't make good pasta if it's rough and hairy like a man's thigh.

[Amber Waves]

Point well-taken! ;)

[El Rey]

Nothing like making it fresh!

Any tips for mixing it up, like adding a spinach or sun dried tomato flavor into it?

[Ignatz]

Make sure spinach is well drained.
Don't use oil packed sun dried tomatoes.
You're trying to avoid adding too much moisture to the dough.
Mince additions finely.
Use less than you think - a little bit goes a long way with pasta.

You can also add dried peppers, lemon, herbs, etc.

[Ignatz]

Here's one we've been using often since we've been up to our keesters in zucchini lately: zucchini bread
Makes two loaves

Ingredients: 2 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

optional: raisins, chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place grated zucchini into a colander and press out the excess water
Beat eggs in a mixing bowl with oil and sugars
Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, salt and spices
Mix just until combined
Stir in grated zucchini and optional ingredients
Mix well
Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans
Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean
Cool in pans until set
Dump out of pans and continue cooling on wire rack

Recipe makes two loaves, because one just ain't enough
Can be frozen

[El Rey]

After only having a measly cup of coffee....I am now WAY beyond Hungry reading this!

Keep em coming Ignatz! I love it!

[Ignatz]

Ask and ye shall receive...

My bride says this one is as good as sex.

Chicken/vegetable lasagna

Ingredients:
Enough flat noodles to make three layers in a 9 x 14 pyrex baking dish
8 oz. chicken
4 oz. country ham
2-3 ripe tomatoes
1 medium zucchini or summer squash
1 big tub of ricotta cheese
4 oz. grated mozzerella cheese
2 oz. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup diced onions
2-4 cloves fresh garlic
1/3 cup tomato sauce
olive oil
salt
ground black pepper
ground red pepper
oregano
thyme
basil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
If using store-bought noodles, boil them now while oven preheats
Skip if using fresh pasta

Cook chicken, ham, garlic, onions together in 2-3 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet season with ground red and black pepper, thyme and oregano until onions are clear and chicken is juicy
Lightly grease baking dish with olive oil and line with a layer of noodles
Dump chicken and ham, etc. into baking dish
Add sliced zucchini
Cover with ricotta
Add a layer noodles
Cover layer with sliced tomatoes
Sprinkle with basil and oregano
Cover tomatoes with grated mozzerella cheese
Add a layer of noodles
Cover layer with tomato sauce
Sprinkle with grated mozzella and parmesan cheese
Cover with foil and bake in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes
Loosen foil and bake for 15 minutes
Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until top is crusty and golden brown
Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before cutting
Yields 6-8 dinner portions
Leftovers may be frozen
It's even better when it sits overnight

[Ignatz]

Here's one I just came up with this morning and it's a hit around our house -

Baked seasoned sun-dried zucchini chips

Slice zucchini extra thin. I use a mandolin for this.
Spread out slices on an icing grate atop a sheet pan lined with foil (shiny side up).
Put pan in a sunny location all day. I use a solar oven, but a sunny window will work if it gets more than 8 hours of sun. Cover with cheesecloth if not using a solar oven to keep bugs off.
Zucchini slices should shrink by at least 50% and feel leathery.

Place slices on an ungreased sheet pan.
Sprinkle slices with salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese and other desired seasonings.
Place in oven and set to lowest temperature (170 degrees on mine).
Check in half an hour or sooner if you can smell 'em.
Remove from oven when slices start to brown.
Let cool, then enjoy!

*Note*
This can be accomplished entirely indoors in an oven, but it takes hours to dry fresh cut slices and it makes the house hot in the process. I'd rather have the oven on for the shortest time possible.

[Ignatz]

Homemade Pizza

Dough: 2-1/2 to 3 cups of flour
1 packet of dry yeast
1-1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
corn meal

Sift 1 cup of flour, yeast, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.
Heat water, milk and butter until between 120 and 130 degrees, then add to flour mixture.
Stir with a stout spoon for two minutes or until all ingredients smoothly mixed.
Add 1/2 cup flour and stir briskly for another two minutes.
Add another 1/2 cup flour and stir until dough begins to form a ball.
Turn out dough ball onto a heavily floured board and knead for 6 to 8 minutes while working in remaining flour.
Dough ball should be moist, elastic and feel like the perfect female breast.
Cover dough ball with a towel and let rest 10 to 15 minutes.
(Turn on oven and preheat to 400 degrees while dough is resting)

Toppings: sliced fresh roma tomatoes, tomato sauce, prosciutto, capocolla, sundried summer squash slices, sundried tomatoes, grated mozzerella cheese, grated parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, parsley.
(Toppings entirely optional - use whatever you like, we have loads of tomatoes and squash to use!)

Place dough ball on baking sheet that has been lightly oiled and dusted with corn meal.
Roll dough to fit pan.
Pinch up edges to form crust.
Brush dough lightly with crushed garlic and olive oil.
Spread about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce over dough, then add remaining toppings.

Bake in 400 degree oven 20 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

[Ignatz]

I made this one up as I was going along the other day...serves two

Chicken and Black Bean Tacos à la Ignatz

Black beans: soak 1/2 cup of beans by one's preferred method (overnight or quick).
Add to soaked beans in a medium covered saucepan :
1 cup HOT water
1 cup HOT chicken stock
4 oz. diced country ham,
half an onion finely chopped,
two or three cloves of garlic also finely chopped,
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes,
1/2 tsp. cumin
two dried red chiles (leave whole)
1/4 tsp. ground oregano
Simmer a minimum of two hours with lid loose - longer if you can - stir occasionally

When beans are essentially done...
Chicken:
Put 3 tbsp. olive oil in a 10" saute pan and turn on flame
Have ready the other half of the finely chopped onion and two or three additional garlic cloves also finely chopped
When oil is rippling, add onion and garlic. (It should make a satisfying sizzle)
Slice 2 chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and add to skillet - stir well to coat with oil
Salt and black pepper to taste along with 1/2 tsp. red pepper, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/4 oregano
Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes
Saute until tomatoes give up their juice, then reduce heat to simmer
Simmer until most of the juice is reduced,
Add 1/4 cup lime juice and 1/2 tsp. cilantro
Stir well and simmer until pan is glazed
Add a splash of water to deglaze pan and stir well to coat chicken.

While chicken is finishing:
Warm flour tortillas in oven
(I admit I cheated and used store-bought tortillas - pooh on me)

To serve:
put a dollop of beans on tortilla along with chicken,
serve with the usual taco fixings: lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, grated cheese, sour cream, etc.

My bride, who usually eats like a bird, virtually inhaled these before I could take a picture.

[El Rey]

Try cilantro instead of oregano. Also float a chile de arbol in there when its boiling...just remember to pull it out before it ends up in someone's taco! LOL