The Pasta Process

I recently starting making homemade pasta, thanks to this pasta machine I found at Goodwill.

The process of making pasta is even easier than I had imagined.  I started cooking this dinner (fettucini alfredo) at 4:30, and even with making the pasta from scratch I had dinner on the table at 5:30.  I have definitely made more labor intensive meals than this!

The pasta dough is simple.  It is 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs.  You make a well in the center of the flour and beat the eggs with a fork, then mix them until the dough is a uniform consistency and color.

It's important for the dough to rest for 10 minutes, so I started getting the sauce and broccoli ready in the meantime.

The alfredo sauce is also a simple process.  Bring cream, butter, and garlic to a boil... then add shredded parmesan cheese and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Now that the dough is rested, it is sliced kind of like a loaf of bread.  Each slice is then lightly dusted in flour before it is put through the pasta machine. 

The first step is flattening the dough.  On the side of the machine is a dial with numbers, you start by setting the dial at 7 first (the widest.)  The dough is fed through the rollers with a crank.  Then you set it at the 6 and flatten again.  Then again at 5, and again at 4.  After the dough has gradually been made flatter and flatter, then it is ready to be put through the pasta side.  It really is so easy that my 7-year-old can do it by himself.

After each slice of dough has been put through the machine, the pasta is hung on a drying rack.  This is completely optional.  As far as I can tell, the pasta can go straight from the machine into a pot of boiling water, but it cooks so quickly that I need to wait. And why not hang it on the rack since I have it?! Ha.

The broccoli is steaming, the alfredo sauce is simmering, bread is in the oven, the pasta is ready to be cooked... now it's time to get a big pot of water boiling.  The pasta must be placed in a lot of water that has been brought to a roaring boiling.  It only takes 4 minutes to cook.

Once the pasta is cooked, it is then drained.  The sauce is poured on top and tossed to coat.

Ready to eat!

Creamy Coleslaw

Creamy Cole Slaw

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 head of cabbage (OR 1 bag of pre-shredded cabbage)
• 4 or 5 carrots, shredded

1. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and apple cider vinegar
2. Toss cabbage and carrot with dressing to coat
3. Chill for 1 hour in fridge

Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup masa harina (I use Bob's Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and stir well.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt.

Start adding the flour mixture alternately with the milk to the creamed butter.

Stir in the masa harina.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, until beautifully browned.

Pizza Dough

Makes two pizzas.  Cut recipe in half for one pizza.

• 2 cups very warm water
• 4 1/2 tsps yeast
• 2 tsps sugar
• 2 tsps salt
• 4 tablespoons oil
• Flour

Mix all ingredients except flour together in a bowl.

Add flour gradually, stir until a ball forms and is elastic and non-sticky.  

Turn over in a bowl with a little olive oil and let rise for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in bulk.  

Split into two balls and spread out on two greased pans.  Add sauce. 

Now add any toppings of choice, then sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.

Peanut Butter Honey Oat Bars

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup oats
• Shredded coconut

In a medium sized pan, melt together peanut butter & honey.  Remove from heat and add one cup of oats.  Pour into a square dish. Sprinkle with shredded coconut, then let chill in fridge for 2 hours.  Cut into bars.

Peasant Bread

These loaves are not shaped in the traditional way but are allowed to rise free form on the baking sheet.

• 2 cups warm water
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 5 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

In a mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and the water.  let this stand for about 5 minutes or until the yeast is dissolved.  

In a larger bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour, salt, yeast mixture, and olive oil.  Stir vigorously for 2 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining flour until you have a kneadable mass of dough.  You may knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, or hardly knead it at all.  Kneading is not essential to this rustic loaf.  Let the dough ball rise, covered, until it reaches double in bulk.  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, punch down the dough and divide it into 2 equal loaves.  Press each portion into a round disk and loosely shape into a flat loaves.  Place each loaf on a greased pan and let rise, covered, until doubled in size again.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Let cool on a rack until ready to serve.

Sweet Crescent Rolls

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 and 3/4 cup flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375.

1. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water.  Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk.
3. Stir sugar and butter into milk until melted.  Allow this mixture to cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine yeast-mixture with milk mixture and add egg.
5. Stir in the flour a little at a time and knead lightly for 8 minutes.
6. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. Punch down the dough and roll out flat.  Cut the dough into triangular wedges.  Roll each wedge into a crescent.
8. Brush the tops of the rolls with butter

Bake for 13-14 minutes at 375.