I’ve been dying to take my pasta maker out for its inaugural spin since my husband gave it to me for my birthday in July!  Last week, I finally gave homemade pasta-making a whirl.   If you haven’t made your own pasta before, I would recommend doing so when you have ample time to spare.  Don’t follow my lead and start making the dough at 7:30 on Monday evening when you’re already exhausted and hungry!

Amateur issues aside, the whole process was pretty straightforward and yielded fantastic results.  I selected a basic pasta dough recipe from Mark Bittman’s  to How To Cook Everything.  Following his detailed dough-making and pasta-rolling instructions, I made 1 pound of fresh, beautiful fettuccine.

This was an enjoyable exercise that yielded a delicious, simple dinner.  I look forward to making pasta again and leveraging the lessons learned during my first attempt.

Traditional Egg Pasta Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
A few drops of water, if needed

1. Combine flour and salt in food processor work bowl and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add eggs all at once and turn processor on, Process just until a ball begins to form, about 30 seconds. (Mine never formed a ball. Once the dough was uniform, I proceeded to the next step.)
3. If the dough is dry and grainy, add a few drops of water. If the dough sticks to the side of the work bowl, add a tablespoon of flour.
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth – about 1-2 minutes. Add a small amount of water if the dough is dry or flour if the dough is sticky.
5. Cut dough into 6 pieces and wrap in plastic.
6. Working one piece at a time, proceed with your method of pasta rolling. Lisa has an excellent tutorial here.

One down, 29 to go!

It’s been quite a while since I last shared a recipe with my readers.  I’ve been busy, but my food choices haven’t been very inspiring.  August passed by in a flurry of activity – painting rooms, staining our deck, sewing up a storm and attending gatherings with family and friends.  In the midst of all this activity, dinner has been simple:  burgers or chicken with fresh produce from our favorite local farm, sandwiches or pizza.

I haven’t stepped beyond the ordinary much lately, but I did manage to make this barbacoa not once, but twice!   This recipe, adapted slightly from Tasty Kitchen, was a fabulous find!  With very little attended prep-time, you can make mouth-watering barbacoa for tacos, enchiladas, burritos or any other favorite Mexican dish.  The flavors meld beautifully, but it’s the chilis in adobo sauce the really make the marinade.  They impart a wonderfully smoky heat that builds gradually, but consider yourself warned that they can pack quite a punch!

Barbacoa

3 pounds Top or Bottom Round Roast
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 – 1 small can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
2 tbsp white or rice vinegar

1. Place all ingredients except the roast in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Spoon some sauce into the slow-cooker so it covers the bottom.  Add the roast and pour the rest of the sauce over meat.
3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
4. Remove beef from slow-cooker and drain sauce from slow-cooker (set aside – don’t throw it away).
5. Shred the beef using forks or tongs and return to the slow-cooker. Gradually add sauce to shredded beef, stirring as you go. You want to coat the meat with the seasoning, but not leave standing liquid in the slow-cooker.
6. Let beef sit on low or warm for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to season the beef.

Chicken fajitas are a summer staple in our house. Throw together some tasty marinade, grill up chicken and vegetables and serve them together on warm tortillas. It’s the perfect summer meal: no indoor cooking, minimal dishes and maximum flavor.  Serve them on the deck with an  ice-cold margarita and you’re faced with pure perfection.

While tequila-lime marinade has been my go-to choice for all things Mexican-related, I decided to shake things up a bit last weekend and searched AllRecipces.com for a new chicken fajita marinade.   Success!  The lime juice provides a bit of tart sweetness, while the liquid smoke and cayenne pepper imparts a smokey zing.  I was in a rush and only let the chicken marinate for about an hour, but that didn’t seem to cause any problems.

I use a grill basket like this one for my grilled vegetables, so it’s just as easy as sauteing on the stove.   I don’t use an actual recipe;  chop up mushrooms, peppers and onions and toss them in either olive oil or Italian dressing and then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Coat your basket with cooking spray and place on the grill during pre-heating.  Cooking times will vary, but 5-8 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes, will usually do it.

Chicken Fajita Marinade

1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, liquid smoke, cayenne and black pepper.
2. Pour marinade over meat and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Cook as desired.

I love summer cooking.  Marinate some meat, slice up some farm-fresh vegetables, throw them on the grill and dinner is ready.  My husband received The Grilling Bible from his sister for his recent birthday, and we’ve enjoying paging through this book marking recipes for future use.  It’s going to be a fun summer with lots of variety.

This recipe was originally for Lime Mustard chicken, but a and a last-minute substitution was necessary when I found there were only about 2 tablespoons of lime juice left in the refrigerator.  Confession:  I LOVE fresh citrus juice, but frequently resort to bottled lemon and lime juice because it is just so easy!

The chicken was tangy and flavorful with a nice little kick, courtesy of the ground red pepper.  We want to try it again, but it will have to get in line behind all of the other new recipes from The Grilling Bible!

Lemon Mustard Chicken Marinade
produces enough marinade for 4 butterflied chicken breasts

1/2 cup lemon juice
4 tbsp honey mustard*
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground red pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Pour over chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.

*don’t have honey mustard? use 2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp mustard

I love tuna.  It’s one of my favorite restaurant picks when out for a dinner on the town – but I recently I was thinking I could not remember the last time I tried preparing it myself.  Partly, this is because recently I’ve started liking tuna rare, which seemed a bit intimidating as I’ve never really made any rare foods besides steak.  But, I did some research on rare tuna safety and figured – no time like the present to try it myself.  So, I picked up some tuna steaks at my local favorite seafood source.  The night we broke out this recipe, I had a simultaneous craving for mojitos and figured I would look for some variety of cuban flavor to add to the tuna.  I modified the recipe slightly – mostly, I swapped out the lemon juice for lime juice, because I wanted it to go well with my mojito!  It was incredible – obviously any rare food has some risks, but we lived on the edge – left ours rare and the tuna steak remained juicy and delicious.   The recipe has just enough bite without overwhelming the tuna - and the mojito was perfect for putting out the fire.

Cuban Lime Grilled Tuna Steak - adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/3 cup lime juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (lightly packed, leaves only) finely chopped
4 (6 ounce) pieces of tuna fillet

Mix together olive oil, salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, onion and cumin.  Stir in about 3/4 of the cilantro (reserve the remainder for garnishing later) to the mix.  Place the tuna steaks into a glass baking dish, and coat both sides of each steak well with the marinade.  Marinate covered in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Preheat grill to high heat.  Grill the tuna steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side – or more if you prefer well-done tuna.  Garnish with the remaining cilantro, and lime if you wish – and enjoy!

There is something so pure about a margherita pizza – nothing like a little basil and tomato with cheese on grilled flatbread to make dinner special.  I am a big fan of grilling pizzas, and also a big fan of the Food Network show “Good Eats” with Alton Brown - so when I saw the most recent Alton Brown pizza recipe (from “Flat is Beautiful V”) happened to be a grilled margherita pizza, I couldn’t help but give it a try.  Now, I had never made a quality margherita pizza at home.  The flavors never seem quite right when I tried putting it together myself; I now realize it’s probably because I did not marinate or cook the tomatoes first.  I used my usual go-to pizza dough rather than the variety Alton made because…well, who keeps barley malt syrup on hand?  (Actually, we do have it on hand, but it’s specially designated for our upcoming home-brewing adventure, as we’re planning on brewing an apricot IPA in the next few days and my husband would not be happy with me if I used it!)  The recipe is not yet posted on foodnetwork.com, however I was able to find it on a fellow Alton Brown fan’s website.  The key here is the marinating and grilling the tomatoes - the depth of the flavors is much better if you follow this step.  Plus, it would probably be messy if you tried to crush uncooked tomatoes on a grilled pizza crust. 

Grilled Margherita Pizza - adapted from Alton Brown, via Lisa from ‘All About Alton’ 

• 1/2 recipe pizza dough
• olive oil
• 1 large tomato, thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4-5 basil leaves, julienned
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup asiago cheese

Place tomato, garlic, 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes into a bowl and stir to coat the tomatoes.  Let sit for 20 minutes or so as you prepare your crust.  For the crust – first, make sure your pizza dough is at room temperature before you use it!  Place pizza dough on a floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thickness using a rolling pin.  Make sure to rotate your dough after each pass with the rolling pin so that it does not stick to your surface!  After dough has reached desired thickness, place it onto a floured pizza peel.  Brush with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Preheat your trusty grill – no pizza stone this time folks!  When your grill has finished preheating, take the pizza peel with dough on it and flip it directly onto the grill – if it sticks a little just give it a nudge with a spatula and it will come off.  At the same time, place the slices of marinated tomato directly onto the grill.  Grill the crust until it starts to form little bubbles as the dough bakes.  Brush with another 1-2 tsp of olive oil, then using the pizza peel, lift it off the grill and flip over.  At this point, the tomatoes should be pretty well cooked through – lift them off the grate and place directly onto the pizza crust, mashing them with the back of your spatula into the crust.  Sprinkle the pizza with the basil, mozarella, and asiago cheeses.  Cook until the cheese melts. 

Grilled pineapple is amazing – just delicious!  If  you’ve never tried it you need to… really.  And the grilled pineapple is only half of this tasty meal.  The Asian-inspried marinade was a fun change of change of pace from our usual barbecue sauces and Mexican-inspired marinades.

I spotted these Chicken and Pineapple Skewers on Proceed With Caution and knew I just had to try them!  Since I only had thin-sliced chicken on hand (I buy chicken on sale,  trim and slice it thin before freezing), I opted to grill the breasts whole.  Served on a bed of brown rice and garnished with chopped green onion, this is quick and easy weeknight meal.  We’re adding it to our grilling rotation!

Asian Pineapple Chicken

2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp low sodium tamari soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded or sliced thin
1/2 pound fresh pineapple, sliced into spears
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together onions, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Add chicken and cover, marinating in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
2.  After preheating grill, grill chicken over medium-high direct heat until cooked through.  Baste  occasionally with marinade. (Food safety tip:  do not baste chicken during the final flip – you want to make sure everything is cooked properly.)
4.  When chicken is almost done, place pineapple on the grill over medium direct heat. Flip after 4 minutes.  After grilling the other side for 4 minutes, remove and serve.

During the recent heat wave, I have not been feeling like eating much that is cooked – so when I got a craving for Indian food recently I had to figure out how I would be able to get the flavors I wanted without standing over a steaming stove for very long.  This curry chicken salad fit the bill perfectly – it does require some cooking, however it’s very refreshing as it is served chilled.  I brought it to a cook out over the weekend, and it was quite a hit!  It tastes wonderful atop a bed of mixed greens, or in a sandwich, or even just on its own. 

Curry Chicken Salad – from Simplyrecipes.com, posted by Elise

Instructions

Place oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Sprinkle salt over the chicken as it cooks; saute just until cooked through entirely – about 5 minutes.  Make sure no pink remains!  Remove chicken from the skillet.  Add the onions to the skillet and saute until beginning to turn translucent.  Sprinkle the curry powder over the onion and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.  If the powder sticks to the bottom, or the mixture is too dry, you may add another tablespoon or two of olive oil.  Add raisins and cook for another minute.  At this point remove from the heat, and stir in the mayonnaise.  Stir the chicken into the onion and raisin mixture, and chill until completely cooled.  When about to serve the chicken salad, mix in the apple, cilantro and green onions.

If your weather has been anything like our weather lately, you may be looking for some recipes that can be prepared outside on the grill!  Today our air conditioner picked the perfect day to go ka-put, as we’re heading into a three day heat wave - so when picking a menu for dinner I wanted to make sure whatever we were making wasn’t going to add to the sweltering environment inside.   I saw a recipe for veggie-laden California Burgers a few weeks back when perusing my Food Network magazine and thought it would be a good day to give it a whirl.  These burgers are chicken-based, but the addition of Panko bread crumbs and Greek yogurt keeps them moist even on a grill while providing a great texture to the burger.  They were perfect with a tossed salad and a glass of ice-cold lemonade – great for staving off even the worst hot weather.  I loved the fresh flavors, and even my husband (a red meat lover) had to admit they were really tasty despite their poultry origin.  Stay cool, everyone!

California Burgers – from Food Network Magazine, June 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 4 slices of tomato, thinly sliced
• Alfalfa sprouts
• 4 whole wheat rolls

Instructions:

Mix chicken, bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce, yogurt and salt together in a large bowl.  When ingredients are well combined, form into 4 even patties – about 1 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter.  Make a thumbprint in the center of each patty so they stay in tact on the grill.  Chill patties for 15 minutes prior to grilling so the patties stay solid when cooking.  Preheat your grill on a medium-high setting.  Place burgers on the grill, cooking for 5-6 minutes per side.  Just before the burgers are finished, toast the rolls on the grill if desired.  To assemble, put alfalfa sprouts on the bottom half of the roll and place the burger on top.  Top with avocado, cucumber, and tomato.

Ah Pasta, how I love thee!  Back in my college and medical school days, a group of us would congregate at a friend’s row house (aptly named Villa Ridiculous) every Friday for a night of craziness that we all called ‘Pasta Night.’  This started as a way for us to get in touch with our Italian side by making Pasta from scratch - but also recalls many a fond memory for me, as lots of other fun always ensued.  From watching classy Italian movies like “Johnny Stecchino” to listening to Van Halen’s Jump played on an accordion, playing Johnny Pneumonic pinball or building stadium seating in the living room, the only thing predictable about Pasta Night was the fabulous food!  Being that we were college students, we made pasta from all-purpose flour - but now that I’m old and I’ve tried to incorporate more whole grains into my life, I usually make whole wheat pasta these days.  It may sound overwhelming, and as my husband’s old roommate once said, “can’t I just buy a box of pasta for 69 cents?!”  Well, yes – you can – but there is something particularly rewarding about making your own.  It is fabulously tasty, but on top of that it’s a great activity to do with friends and family – time for bonding in the kitchen, as practiced by Italian grandmothers for decades.  With a hearty sauce and a glass of red wine if you’re game, I hope this recipe will help start many other similarly incredible Pasta Nights! 

I highly recommend using a pasta maker - of course, I may be partial as I haven’t made pasta without one – mine is a manual old fashioned one requiring a crank to be turned, but there are many varieties including stand-mixer attachments.  However, I think it isn’t really 100% necessary to have a pasta maker – a rolling pin, cutting board and patience will do the same thing!  My most important tip for a successful Pasta Night – start a pot of water boiling when you start resting the pasta dough, so it will heat up in time to cook the finished noodles!

Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients:

Step 1

Mix flours and salt in a large bowl (This can also be done directly on a flat surface such as a table or cutting board – I just tend to make a mess when I do it that way!) and make a well into the center.

Step 2

Add the oil and the first egg to the well in the center of the flour – use a fork to whisk the egg, slowly incorporating flour from the side.  Continue to add the other three eggs one at a time to the mixture until the dough begins to come together.    If the dough is too dry (it is not coming entirely together, or is cracking easily), add a little water – 1-2 teaspoons at a time, mixing very well after each addition.  The dough should form a smooth ball but it should not feel sticky at all to the touch (if it does, it will be impossible to roll flat!)

Step 3

After the dough is completed, it is very important to let it rest!  The texture will not be right unless you follow this step.  I usually place the dough directly on a counter or cutting board and place the mixing bowl over it, so it does not dry out.  Let rest anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.   When you start resting your pasta dough – start boiling a large pot of salted water!

Step 4

After the dough has rested, divide into smaller balls, about 1-2 inches in diameter, and flatten into discs.  If you are using a rolling pin, roll the discs flat and cut into the desired shape.  If you are using a pasta machine – clamp the pasta machine securely to a countertop or table.  Set the pasta maker to its thickest setting.  Feed the discs of dough gently into the pasta maker to flatten them out.

Step 5

Adjust the pasta thickness on your pasta machine to medium thickness setting – probably 2 notches above the thinnest setting- this dough is a bit fragile, so I would not go any thinner than that.  Put all of the pasta sheets through the thinner setting. 

Step 6

Now we’re ready to cut!  Using the pasta cutting attachment that comes with the pasta machine, feed the pasta sheets slowly into the cutting attachment. 

After the noodles have been cut be careful not to pile them all together for very long, as they could get squished together and you could end up with a giant lump of pasta dough. 

Step 7

Time to cook the pasta!  Hopefully you started boiling a very large pot of salted water when you started resting your pasta dough and now have a rapidly boiling pot!  Add your pasta to the water.  Keep in mind this is fresh pasta, so it takes significantly less time to cook than dried pasta – maybe 3-4 minutes if the water is rapidly boiling.  Drain as usual and add your favorite sauce.  Happy Pasta Night!