Homemade Trofie Pasta Adventure

Hello there! It has been so long since I last posted, but a lot has been going on. This is one of the first real chances I've had to experiment with some new things in the kitchen. Since I'm home for the long weekend, I decided to have some fun and try something new.

This past Christmas, my boyfriend got me a book called The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kennedy (here's their site). It's a really clever little book that teaches you the fundamentals of pasta, as well as the history behind each different pasta shape, from agnolotti to ziti. For a food nerd, it's fascinating stuff. So since my friend Emily was coming over for dinner, I decided it would be fun to try making our own pasta. I chose one of the simplest handmade pastas in the whole book: trofie (TRAW-fee-ay). It's a short, sort of torpedo-shaped pasta made from a really simple dough. The whole process is fun, straightforward, and yields really yummy results. Mix this fresh homemade pasta with some pesto, and that is one delicious meal. There's just nothing like fresh pasta.

Ingredients:
Semolina flour (#1 durum wheat is best--I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
Water
All purpose flour, for dusting

Equipment:
Wooden cutting board
Food scale
Stockpot

Directions:
1. To make the dough, weigh out 1/3 pound of the semolina flour. If you don't have a scale, I'd say 1/3 pound is just over 3/4 cup. This will make enough pasta for one hungry person or two moderately hungry people.
2. Pour the semolina on your wooden board (or any clean surface, though wood is better) and make a well in the middle of it, thusly:

3. Add 5 tablespoons of room temperature water into the well and pile the flour on top of it to mix together. Keep adding water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until all the flour is incorporated and the dough reaches the correct consistency. According to the authors of The Geometry of Pasta, "The texture of the dough should be soft enough to work (like a stress ball), but dry enough that it won't stick to itself too easily. A good way to test it is to press and smear the dough against a dry wooden surface--if it is easy to do, the pasta doesn't stick to the wood, and the top surface tears and roughens against your hand, the texture is right."

4. Once your dough passes the above test, knead it for a few minutes, cover it with a towel, and leave it to rest for 15 minutes (hint: while you're waiting, this is a good time to make pesto).
5. Now it's pasta-shaping time! Here's a helpful video to get you started. After the dough has rested, break off an egg-sized chunk of it and start to roll it into a thin log shape, just like you were working with Play-Doh.

Once the log is about the width of your pinkie finger (or a 1/2 inch), use a butter knife to cut off short pieces less than an inch in length. They should look like little pillows. Continue until the rest of the dough is used up.

6. Once all your little pillows are cut, throw a little all purpose flour into their midst and dust them around in it, so they don't stick to one another.
7. This is the part where you roll them into a trofie shape. Dust your hands with flour. Take one pillow and hold it right at the bottom of your palm.

Using your other hand, start with the tips of your fingers and, keeping both hands flat but pressed firmly together, slide your top hand down quickly. You might have to rub your palms together more than once to make the right shape (this is where the video is really helpful).

This makes the pasta spiral around itself and make a torpedo shape that is fatter in the middle and tapered at the ends. Repeat this with the rest of the dough. And don't worry if they don't all look perfect...they're homemade!
8. Once all your trofie shapes are made, spread them out flat and let them dry slightly for 20 minutes.

9. Bring a pot of heavily salted water to boil (2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water). Once the 20 minutes are up, throw your trofie in the water and cook them for 5 minutes, or until al dente.
10. Drain, toss with some olive oil and pesto, top with parm, and enjoy!

This is a super-simple way to make your own homemade pasta. You can really taste the difference when it's fresh. Once you get the shaping part down, this recipe is a piece of cake!

Culinary Experimentation: Roasted Winter Veggies and Cous Cous Salad

One of my new year's resolutions was to experiment with new recipes and new ingredients. Tonight was one of my first culinary experiments of the new year. I did some pan-roasted winter veggies and a cous cous salad--sounds classy, right? Surprisingly, both of these are pretty simple.

These are great vegetarian meals that make use of some ingredients I have little to no experience with, including: cous cous (a Mediterranean pasta that looks like pasta and rice had tiny tiny babies), parsnips (like a milder, white carrot), and golden beets (I opted for golden over normal ruby beets because I heard a rumor that they are sweeter). Though I'm not a vegetarian, I tend to not buy meat when I'm at school to save money. Also, when you're cooking for one, sometimes meat doesn't keep in the fridge long enough to eat it all. So I'm always looking for some meat-free recipes to make at school, and these are a couple of winners!

On to the experiments...

Pan-Roasted Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 large parsnip
3 golden beets
8-9 red potatoes
About a dozen baby carrots
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Give the carrots and potatoes a good wash. Cut each carrot in half lengthwise (careful with the knife!) and each potato into fourths. Toss them onto a lined sheet pan and proceed to the more exotic root vegetables...

Holy beets!

2. Peel the parsnip and beets. As you whip out that knife to chop them up, be advised: these are some tough little veggies. Use extra caution as you try to get all the pieces about equal sizes. Add them to your pan.

How pretty are those colors?

3. Season generously with salt and pepper, and coat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Toss everything together with your hands and pop in a 400 degree oven for 45-60 minutes. Make sure to check up on them every so often and give them a stir. You'll know they're ready to go when everybody starts to get a little color and are fork-tender.

Warning: this will make your house smell very cozy. 

Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients:
1 box of cous cous
3/4 cup lemon juice
Olive oil
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1/4 cup of craisins
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Prepare the cous cous according to box directions. For the whole box, I used two cups of water and an equal amount of bouillon cubes. Also add in 1/4 cup lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Once the cous cous is cooked, let it stand while you prepare the dressing.
2. For the dressing, combine all your herbs, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix thoroughly and pour over the cous cous. Add in the craisins last (for a little color and sweetness) and toss well. This salad can be served warm, room temp, or cold.

The perfect side for the veggies...or anything, really.

Both of these experiments turned out delicious. And pretty inexpensive, too. In the spirit of experimentation and science and data and all that, I ran the numbers on how much these dishes cost per serving (assuming that I always have salt and pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice on hand...which I do). The results? $1.12 per serving for the roasted veggies, $1.16 for the cous cous salad. That's college-budget friendly!

So get creative with some new recipes in the new year! Feel free to leave any scientific discoveries in the comments.

BAM! Sausage and White Bean Soup

This soup was inspired by the man himself, Emeril Lagasse. The original recipe, courtesy of the Food Network, can be found here. I used the recipe as a benchmark, but simplified it somewhat. The result is an easy-to-make, healthy winter meal.

Winter is, of course, the perfect time of the year for soup. And soup has the added perk of only getting better the longer it sits in the refrigerator: perfect for a college student like myself. Throw in some crusty bread with that bad boy, and man, are you in hog heaven.

So let's get down to business...

Ingredients:
1 white or yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 package pre-cooked Johnsonville chicken sausage (I used the apple kind--delish)
1 can white beans
1 bay leaf
1 spring fresh thyme
Water
5 chicken bouillon cubes or 4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of cayenne (in the absence of cayenne, I subbed Creole seasoning)

Directions:
1. Sweat down the onion in a stock pot on medium heat with a little olive oil for 5-7 minutes, or until the pieces are just beginning to become translucent. Add a little salt and pepper.
2. Add in the garlic and cook together for about a minute.
3. Chop up those snausages any size you want and add 'em in, allowing to heat together with the onions and garlic for a minute or so.

4. Add in the beans, bay leaf and thyme sprig. Remember to remove those herbs before serving.

5. If you are using chicken stock, add in 4 cups with 1 1/2 cups of water. If you're a broke college student (like me), throw in 5 1/2 cups of water with 5 chicken bouillon cubes. Add seasonings.
6. Give the whole thing a good stir and turn up the heat. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
7. Once it's done, adjust the seasonings and serve with crusty bread. Mmmm.

The thing I like about this soup recipe in particular is that it is so simple. You only have to chop 1 onion and some sausage, essentially throw everything in a pot, and ignore it for 3 hours. Very college-friendly. And pretty healthy, too!

P.S. This soup goes awesome in a bread bowl!

Back to School with Roasted Veggie Crepes

Finally back at school for one final semester! I apologize for the long absence...the end of last semester was crazy and then I was home for a month-long break. But now I'm back to cooking up a storm in my college kitchen.

So everyone is familiar with crepes: crispy, buttery, thin French pancakes filled with sugar or Nutella or something else sweet and delicious. But crepes aren't just for dessert--I discovered this while studying abroad in southern France. Savory crepes are a popular meal, featuring whole-wheat crepes filled with veggies and cheese. My take on a savory crepe was inspired by a creperie in downtown Cincinnati called It's Just Crepes (http://itsjustcrepes.com/). One of my favorite lunches during my summer internship was a crepe full of sauteed veggies, goat cheese, and a balsamic dressing. My version of this follows below:

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
1 red bell pepper
2 zucchini
Goat cheese
Balsamic vinegar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp melted butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk (eyeball it)

Directions:
Roasted Veggie Mix
1. Chop the eggplant, bell pepper, and zucchini (or any mix of vegetables you prefer) so that the pieces are similarly sized.
2. Toss with a generous glug of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until veggies are fork-tender and the skins of the peppers are puckered.

(I've started using that Reynold's pan-lining paper, the one that's foil on one side and parchment paper on the other. If you're like me, you love to cook but hate doing the dishes!)

Crepes
1. Whisk the eggs, milk, butter, and flour together in a bowl until smooth with minimal lumps. If it's too thick, add a touch more milk.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Butter the skillet very well and pour in a small amount of the batter. Take the skillet by the handle and swirl it around until the batter is spread evenly throughout the skillet. You want it to be a thin layer--that's what makes it a crepe and not a pancake.
3. The crepe is ready to flip when the edges start to curl up and a peek on the underside reveals a sort of golden web pattern (that's because of the butter). The easiest way to flip this guy is to take a spatula in one hand and the skillet handle in the other, and meet in the middle.

4. Once you've flipped it, place your roasted veggies on one half of the crepe, along with a few dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

5. Fold the crepe in half in the pan and gently transfer it to a plate. Voila! A little taste of France.

I love crepes like this because it's a fairly nutritious meal that's very straightforward to make, with very simple ingredients. I hope it becomes one of your favorites!

All Nighters and Austrian Gulasch

As it gets colder outside, we all get the craving for soups, stews, and other comfort food. Lately I've had a hankering for gulasch, a type of German/Austrian beef stew. This recipe falls into the "slow and low" category of cooking, calling for at least 2 and a half hours of simmer time. I knew I was going to be having several late nights this week anyhow, so I had the time to let the pot sit there and do its thing.


The last time I made this dish was two Christmases ago. My family's roots are German, so that year my dad wanted us to have a veritable German feast for Christmas dinner. We made gulasch, spätzle (a type of egg noodle), and Linzertorte (apricot tart). It was quite the meal, and definitely worth all the hard work. 


I have to give credit to Bon Appetit magazine for this recipe. Of course, I made a few changes as I went, so I will include my modified version of the recipe here. Also, you should know that this recipe makes a vast quantity of stew. It's a great recipe to make a few days ahead, as well, as it only gets more flavorful with time. Perfect for wintertime get-togethers: you can make it a few days in advance and feed a lot of people. 


Total Prep Time: about 4 hours (for 2 and 1/2 hours of that, the pot is just simmering)


Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 pounds white onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
4 tbsp paprika
1 cup white wine vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 2/3 cups water (room temp)
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat


Directions:
1. Heat your oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook down until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. Salt and pepper as you go. 
2. Stir in garlic and marjoram. 

3. Wait about 3 minutes, then add the tomato paste, stirring often until the mixture becomes dark red.

4. Add the paprika, then take the pot off heat for a minute or two to allow the flavors to blend.
5. Add the vinegar, and heat the pot on medium heat for a few minutes.

6. Add the broth, the bouillon cubes, the water, the bay leaves, and the lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

7. Salt and pepper the stew meat and add it to the pot. Simmer everything on medium-low heat for 2 1/2 hours. This is what makes the meat so tender and flavorful.
8. Take all the pieces of meat out of the pot and put them in a bowl off to the side. Try to leave all the onions in the pot. If some pieces of beef get left in there or if some onions get out, that's fine. 

9. Boil the broth for 15-20 minutes to reduce it down.
10. Let the broth cool slightly, then, using an immersion blender, puree it until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree it in batches in a regular blender or food processor.

11. Season with salt and pepper, then add beef back in. 
12. Heat for about 5 minutes, then serve. Or better yet, pop the pot in the fridge for a day or two before serving. 

Gulasch is best served over mashed potatoes or noodles. If you leave the broth a little thinner (don't reduce it down as much in Step 9), you can eat it like a soup as well. 


This recipe may seem like a big undertaking, but it is definitely worth it. 

Falafel Obsession

Strange as it may seem, I consider myself to be a falafel connoisseur of sorts. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this particular Mediterranean dish, it's basically a mixture of chickpeas, herbs and spices that you fry up and eat in a pita with vegetables and yogurt sauce. It's pretty healthy and really delicious. 

My first falafel was at Andy's Mediterranean Grille close to downtown Cincinnati. My dad brought me there in high school, and I've been going back there to get my falafel fix ever since. There are only a few other places in Cincinnati where you can get one, and everyone does it differently depending on what part of the world they are from. However, I've never met a falafel I didn't like.

When I'm up at school, I usually don't have time to run out to a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurant to grab a falafel. So I make them myself. I wish I could say I can make them from scratch, but sadly this is not the case. I would like to learn, though. If anyone has any good recipes, please send them my way!

[Random side note: as I was preparing dinner, I was snacking a little bit on these Terra veggie chips I've started buying. They are awesome! Try them, you'll see how addicting they are.]

So when I make falafels at home, I use a falafel mix. You can find these at most specialty food stores, or in the Mediterranean/Middle Eastern section at Kroger. For this post, I'm using Ziyad brand, but I've tried several different types and the directions are more or less the same. The whole thing is pretty straightforward, and you wind up with a delicious, healthy, exotic meal. 

Ingredients:

1 box falafel mix

Pita pockets

Tomato

Cucumber

Plain yogurt

Canola oil

Directions:

1. Follow the directions on the falafel mix box. The Ziyad kind calls for mixing with water and letting stand for half an hour.

2. Chop up your tomato and cucumber, as much or as little as you like. Other veggies to include, if you wish:  roasted eggplant, lettuce, cabbage, or pickles.

3. Grab a medium-sized pot and pour in roughly an inch and a half of canola oil. Heat on the stove on medium-high heat until it's hot--you can tell if it's hot enough by flicking a drop of water off your hand into the oil to see if it sizzles.

4. Once your falafel mixture is ready, shape it into balls a little over an inch across. Using a large spoon, gently place each ball in the hot oil. I recommend only frying 4-5 at a time, so it doesn't get too crowded in there. 

5. Fry each falafel ball until golden, approximately 2 minutes. After they've been in the oil about 30 seconds, it's a good idea to gently nudge each one with the spoon so they won't stick to the bottom of the pot. Careful not to break them, but it doesn't really matter if you do--they'll still taste awesome!

6. As those are frying, warm your pita in the microwave by covering with a paper towel and zapping it for 20 seconds.

7. When the balls are done, lift each one out onto a paper towel.

8. Time to build your falafel: place 2-3 balls in each pita, then add your veggies and dollop a generous amount of plain yogurt on top. Enjoy!

Don't they look yummy?

What's your favorite exotic meal?

Cooking at College: Pasta Bolognese

Hello there everyone! I apologize for the long absence...I was finishing up my internship, then I was on vacation, and now I'm settling in back at school. We have a pretty spacious kitchen this year, albeit one with very limited counter space. My roommate's boyfriend may be building us an island, though, which would be sweet!

Anyhow, I have been eating nearly all my meals at home since I've moved back to school, which is quite nice. I'm sure as my schedule becomes more demanding I will have to eat in the cafeteria more frequently, but for now I am really enjoying cooking at home. It's a lot easier to know exactly what is in the food you're eating when you're cooking it yourself!

I've made quite a few dishes since I've been back, lots of salads, roasted veggies, fresh fruit. Today for lunch I made panko-breaded baked chicken tenders with Greek yogurt dipping sauce. Definitely something a little different, but very yummy. But that's a story for another time.

The weather has been so rainy and gray here that I figured tonight some comfort food was in order. And all things considered, I've been eating pretty healthy lately and getting back in the groove of being active, so a little pasta was warranted. So, tonight was a night for one of my favorites: pasta bolognese. I also had some nearly-stale sourdough from the weekend, so I made garlic bread as well. And of course, a salad. Have to balance out all those carbs!

Pasta Bolognese
Ingredients:
Your favorite pasta (I use Barilla Plus because of the whole grain)
1 pound ground beef (92/8)
1 jar marinara sauce
3 large cloves of garlic
olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp herbs de Provence (any Italian seasoning will work here also)

1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Chop the garlic and add it to the pan once the oil is warm. Saute for a few minutes, or until the garlic has just begun to turn golden.

2. Once the garlic is ready, add in the ground beef. Use a spatula to break the beef into smaller pieces and incorporate the garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the beef is mostly or entirely browned, stir in the entire jar of marinara sauce. Add the basil and herbs de Provence, and more salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes I add some extra garlic here for good measure. Let simmer until your pasta is finished cooking.

4. If you put your pot of water on to boil at the beginning, right about now it should be boiling. At least, if your apartment has an ancient electric stovetop like mine does. Pour your pasta in and cook it until it is just al dente (usually 10 minutes or so).
5. Strain the pasta, pour it back in the pot, and add a little touch of olive oil to prevent congealing. Plate the pasta with a healthy dose of the bolognese sauce, and top it all with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese.

Bellissimo!

The great thing about this dish is that you can really cut the fat. You can get away with using 92/8 beef instead of a higher fat content (like 80/20) because most of the flavor is imparted via the tomato sauce, garlic, and herbs. If you closely monitor how much olive oil and cheese you're using, it is easy to keep this dish low in fat.

Bonus: Garlic Bread! (Great for mopping up that extra sauce on your plate...)

Ingredients:
Artisan bread, on the stale side
Olive oil
Minced garlic
Pecorino romano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice your bread and brush one side of each slice with olive oil.
3. If you are using minced garlic from a jar (such as Spice World brand), take a spoon and press the back of it into the jar to collect a spoonful of "garlic juice." Spoon it over each slice. Then spread a teaspoon of garlic over each slice. If you are using fresh garlic, cut a clove in half and rub it vigorously on each slice.
4. Sprinkle a generous pinch of pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese over the slices.
5. Pop them in the oven until the edges of the bread begins to brown and the cheese melts, about 6-7 minutes.

Nothing better than garlic bread and pasta bolognese. Enjoy!

What's your favorite comfort food on a rainy day?