Homemade fresh pasta

4 Ingredient fresh pasta

    Have you ever thought, making your own fresh pasta was too hard? You might be thinking only chefs on T.V. make their own pasta dough. What if I told you it is easier

than you think? Bring your kids into the kitchen to get their hands dirty. They'll love the play-dough-like nature of it. Once you learn just how easy it can be, you can make your family so many different meals. It could be the start to so many dishes like, Spaghetti, Fettuccine, Ravioli, Lasagna, Cannelloni, and many others.

    To start with we are going to avoid the traditional method. Which is taking flour and forming it into a volcano-like shape. Then placing all your ingredients into the center, and mixing it all together. The common issue is the wet ingredients usually leak out of the flour and makes a mess everywhere. It also makes way too much pasta for a small family.

Instead we are going to use a stand mixer. We are going to put our flour into the bowl along with salt, oil, and 3 whole eggs. Next equip the dough attachment and blend. It will do the messier part for you. As long as the dough is not too wet you can pull it off at this point. If it is too wet and sticky, add a little more flour. Remix and check again. Try not to over mix your dough as well.

Once your pasta is soft, non-sticky, and in one single ball, it is time to remove it from the stand-

mixer. Make sure to flour a rolling pin and a flat surface before placing down your pasta dough. I use a pasta mat on my kitchen table; to help out with the clean up. Some have measuring circles for pie crusts and pastries. 

Start by kneading your dough, by folding the dough into itself. Turn the dough and repeat. Do this for a few minutes. You're creating gluten, which binds the dough together. However if you knead for too long, it will become tough and won't stretch properly. 

A word of warning; make sure to wrap the dough in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out and becoming ruined.

Once wrapped you could wait or start right away. Your pasta could be cut into sections and shaped into whatever pasta you wish. Don't forget to roll it out thin, flour your hands, ask your kids to help, and enjoy. You just made fresh past, and it was just that easy.

                                 

Tools I used were: a Pie/ or PASTA MAT               

-and a Stand Mixer            

Ingredients:

2 Cups of All-purpose Flour

3 Large eggs

1 Teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (Vegetable Oil can still work.)

Lasagna

Lasagna is a true family meal.  whether you are Italian or not your family is going to love this cheesy, saucy classic. 

Let's start with our meat sauce. We can use ground beef only, or ground beef and pork. You could either is Italian sausage pork or spicy chorizo. For me let's use half ground beef and half Italian sausage for. First add diced onions,garlic and mushrooms to a pan to cook. Once soft then add your Meats then brown them till they're falling apart. Once cooked all the way through add red wine and reduce. Then add either store-bought marinara or homemade. ( we'll make homemade marinara in another blog.) You want that meat to cook for a long time, low and slow and falling apart.

Your meat sauce is done and now it is time to cook our lasagna noodles. We are going to need a large pot of salted water at a rolling boil. Drop in your noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes just until your noodles are soft. Then pull them out and place them in cold water.

Let's make your cheese sauce filling. Get a large mixing bowl. Let's mix in 2 eggs, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, basil and red chili flakes. Mix it all together and set aside and prepare to assemble.

In a baking casserole lasagna dish ladle in a  scoop of your meat sauce. This is to help make sure your lasagna does not burn to the bottom of the pan and help with clean-up.

Now assemble your first layer of cooked noodles followed by a layer of meat sauce and a layer of your cheese mix. And repeat. Once you have your layers sprinkle on top your remaining shredded cheese of mozzarella and Parmesan.

Wrap with tin foil. And put in your oven at 350° for 45 minutes. All out of the oven to remove the foil and then play back in the oven for another 15 minutes so that the cheese on the top turns a nice golden brown.

Now wait. Do not dig in right away it would be best to wait 10 to 15 minutes before cutting in to your lasagna. Give it time to rest especially for that photo finish. Now enjoy.

Ingredients: 

1 pound of ground beef 

1 pound of pork

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese 

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese 

32 oz jar of marinara

16 oz ricotta cheese 

2 eggs

1/2 cup of onion 

1/2 cup of mushrooms 

2 cloves of garlic 

Salt

Pepper 

Oregano 

Basil

Parsley 

Red pepper flakes 

Red wine ( to taste)

Alfredo sauce

Ever wonder how to make your very own creamy silky Alfredo. You can enjoy pouring this liquid cheese over ANYTHING pasta, vegetables, nacho chips, ect. 

Let's start making this liquid gold with a French roux. Don't run! It's not gonna be that hard. In fact by reading this blog you'll be learning two recipes in one. 

A roux isn't hard, but it is in so many things like sauces, soups, and gumbo. It is used as a thickener and gives a nutty flavor. 

It is started by using equal parts (amounts) butter  (or fat) with flour. Start by melting down the fat you choose and slowly add the flour while quickly whisking to prevent the flour burning. Do this until you achieve your desired color and for an Alfredo you'll want a nice golden blonde. 

Once you have your hot roux and it has been cooking for a few minutes it's time to add your liquids. If you have it on hand (I highly recommend it) white wine. If you don't you have white wine you can substitute a squeeze of lemon juice. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of white wine to your roux. Remember pour slowly and whisk quickly. Allow the wine to cook out letting the alcohol to evaporate. 

Now we're going to add in our dairy. I recommend heavy cream, but next best thing would be whole milk. So slowly pour in a cup of cream. It will be very thick at first. Let it cook out if it's too thick for your liking add a few drops of water to loosen it up. 

Once the cream is nice and hot let's add cheese. I recommend 1 1/2 cups of parmesan. Whisk until smooth. Turn the heat off because the cheese might burn at the bottom. 

Finally some seasonings. If you add salt too early in a recipe it will only enhance the saltiness of your dish. So add salt to taste at this stage. Followed by garlic and onion powder. (Powder will help keep your Alfredo lump free rather than minced garlic) Then white pepper, I prefer white pepper so it doesn't show up in the final product. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup of butter 

1/2 cup of flour 

1/2 cup of white wine  ( or 1 once of lemon juice)

1 cup of heavy cream or whole milk 

1 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese 

Salt

White pepper 

Garlic powder 

Onion powder to taste 

Thank you and enjoy. 

Crockpot secrets

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Crockpots are amazing aren't they. You can toss a lot of stuff into and forget it and you have dinner later. All that being said there are lots of rules to using these. I guaranty if you listen to these tips your dinners from here on out are going to be surprisingly more delicious and enjoyable.

Rule number 1 No sneaking a peak.

As tempting as it may be you must resist. It can make your whole house smell amazing, but don't you lift that lid to "check on it."  Because, every time that lid lifts up all your hot air escapes and it will take you another 30 minutes to get it back to the temperature you needed it to be.

Rule number 2 there is no need to use expensive cuts of meat. The whole point of a slow cooker is to make any meat even the cheapest and toughest into something tender and delicious. Why put out more money for the same results. 

Rule number 3 Don't skip searing your meats before adding to the crockpot. I know we have all heard about searing you are meat before adding them in. I assure you this step is crucial when it is called for. Searing adds a layer of flavor and texture not to mention it locks in any of the meat flavor and juices.

Rule number 4 It's okay to use dry herbs instead of fresh. In fact it is even recommended to use dry herbs. Herbs last a lot longer on your shelves. Dry herbs even do better after cooking for a long. Of time. If you were to go the fresh herb route then I recommend putting them in at the end. If you put fresh herbs in at the beginning of the cooking process there will be nothing left or turned a gross brown color.

Rule number 5 Don't put your milk/ dairy in too early. It's never a good idea to put any type of dairy product in at the beginning of the cooking process. It can cause it to cuddle and become gross or cheese to burn on the sides and turn black. I recommend putting it in at the end. Maybe at the last 20 to 30 minutes you plan on cooking your crock pot dish is a good time to put any dairy in. Giving it time to heat up without curdling.

Rule number 6 Don't use frozen food especially meats. Make sure any food you are using is already defrosted. Especially when it comes to any protein and meat. By putting frozen meat in the Crock-Pot not only will it cause it to take longer, but is going to be in the temperature danger zone longer and be at risk of growing bacteria.

Rule number 7 Layer your food correctly. This one might be a little harder to explain. Your crock pot Cooks food faster at the bottom layer then what food you put on the top layer. So make sure what you put at the bottom takes longer to cook such as root vegetables or thick proteins.

Rule number 8 clean up. And then finally is clean up and it all is about how you started. Make sure before you do any cooking with your Crock-Pot use some sort of non-stick spray or a Crock-Pot liner bag. This will help save you time and energy at the end is a busy day. The last thing you want to do after eating is spend all night scrubbing  your Crock-Pot.

Thank you for reading I hope these eight tips and tricks will help make you're next crock Pot meal a little bit better, enjoy. 

Pictures I'm proud of

Tomato bisque

When I think of tomato soup I think of a can of tomato water. So today let's make something a little more exciting. Something you can not only dip your grilled cheese into, but can also stand alone and be quite filling.

Okay first things first. Dice a large yellow onion. Toss that into a heavy bottom pot. (It's important to have a heavy bottom pot because it helps protect against food burning at the bottom. Not prevent, but it helps.) Drizzle in a tablespoon oil. (canola or vegetable) Let the onion cook and become translucent. 1 stick of celery diced. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and mix that into. Careful garlic burns easily and if it does you'll have to start again. 

Next we'll need 28 ounces diced (I'd use 2 14 ounce cans) and tossed in the pot as well. Along with a 4 ounce can of tomato paste and cook. Toss in 4 cups of chicken stock  (or vegetable stock). Your herbs like basil, thyme, and oregano. I like cayenne, cumin, and sage. A tablespoon of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. 

Now is the part that makes it a bisque. A 1/4 cup of rice. Put that in the pot. It will cook in the tomato and chicken stock. Wait till the rice is cooked before bringing the heat down to low. 

Next we'll poor in 1 cup of heavy cream, A 1/4 cup of sour cream, and our secret ingredient. A couple drops of liquid smoke. Warning this is strong, a little goes a long way. Now we blend. You could dirty a lot of dishes try to poor all of this into a blender, but I prefer an immersion blender. Put the stick blender in the pot and blend till smooth. The cooked rice and veggies will cause the soup to thicken naturally. And we are done. 

I like this version of mine, because it is salty, earthy, spicy, smoky, and a little sweet. I hope you enjoy it for something warm this winter. If you have any questions or enjoyed this recipe please let me know in a comment. Have a great day. 

 Ingredients 

1 Large Yellow Onion

1-2 Sticks of Celery

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 tablespoon Oil

24 Oz canned dice tomatoes

4 Oz tomato paste 

4 cups of Chicken Stock (Veggie Stock) 

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1/4 Cup Rice

1 cup Heavy Cream

1/4 cup of Sour Cream

Herbs and spices to taste:

Salt and Pepper

Basil

Oregano

Thyme 

Cayenne

Cumin

Sage

Liquid Smoke (Shh it's a secret)

Traditional meatloaf

Hello I figured it would be fitting for the first recipe for me to post about would be a traditional meatloaf. Meatloaf just sounds like the everyday home cooked meal that mom makes. Then again is also notorious for coming out dry and flavorless. Let's try to fix that today with my "traditional meatloaf."

First things first. Quick talk about the meat choices we got. I'd recommend a fattier ground beef, Like 85/15. Some people could try mixing half beef and veal, or half beef and pork. Either way you'll need about 2 1/2 pounds of meat. But for now let's leave the meat in the fridge. You want it to stay cold until your ready to put it in the oven to prevent the fat from melting too soon.

So the first thing we're going to start with is making our breadcrumbs. Use fresh white bread. Rip the bread putting it into a food processor. Pulse till you have your desired texture. Enough for about 1/2 cup. Then place the breadcrumbs in a bowl and soak with a 1/2 cup of milk for about 10 minutes. 

Next in another bowl mince a large yellow onion, a green bell pepper, 6 garlic cloves minced, chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 large beaten eggs, 1/4 cup of permission, and salt and pepper to taste. I leave the veggies raw, because if You cook them ahead of time it will release their natural moisture and we don't want that. You can add some of your favorite herbs like rosemary, oregano, and thyme. 

Then drain the breadcrumbs and add it into the veggie mix bowl. Mix all together. Do this before adding your chosen meats to prevent over mixing. If you over mix it could cause the meatloaf to be tough. Lightly mix and then place into a casserole dish or a lined baking sheet. Shape in the classical log shape either one or two. (If you did make two loafs the second one can be frozen and kept for a rainy day for up to 3 months.)  Place in the oven at 350° for 50 minutes. 

We're almost done. At this point while the meatloaf is in the oven we're going to make our meatloaf glaze. In another bowl  (I know it's a lot of dishes) start with 1/2 cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard, and our secret ingredient sriracha sauce. Now I wouldn't put too much to make it spicy. You don't want them to know it's there, but it will act as a "background flavor ." Mix all together. 

After the the timer is up pull the meatloaf out, glaze with your sauce, and put back in the oven for 10 minutes, Until it reaches 160°. Let the meatloaf sit out for 10 -15 minutes. By doing this it'll give it time to set and continue cooking. At this point the meatloaf is so hot that it continues to cook itself outsideof the oven. By catching it early it'll help prevent it from over cooking and getting dry. Now that it is set you should be able to get whole slices instead of it crumbling apart on you.

I hope this has helped. I hope this provides your family with a wonderful meal. Feel free to comment or ask questions. Have a great day. 

-Cole

Ingredients 

2 1/2 pounds of ground beef 

1 large onion 

1 green bell pepper 

6 cloves of garlic  (I like garlic)

Rosemary 

Thyme 

Parsley 

1/2 cup of milk 

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs 

1/4 cup of Parmesan

1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard 

2 large beaten eggs 

Salt and pepper to taste

Meatloaf glaze 

1/2 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce 

2-3 teaspoons of sriracha sauce  (Shh it's a secret)