Tonight I flew too close to the sun. I started roasting a butternut squash for the ravioli and then started making a couple of loaves of zucchini bread. After I put the zucchini bread in the oven, I decided if I didn’t use those far gone bananas now to make banana nut bread, I would never get around to it. When Paul got home he started making the pasta dough for the ravioli. Somehow, everything came out just fine and nothing got burned… but we had way too many things going at once tonight!

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Ingredients

see Homemade Pasta Dough recipe or use wonton paper
1 butternut squash
8 oz marscapone
6 shallots
salt
pepper
olive oil
parm

Roast the squash for about an hour. Now, start your pasta dough. Obviously stop this process before it is time to cut the sheets into noodles.

After the squash cools, scrape the meat out and compost the skins. Cut up the shallots and sautee in a medium pot. After the shallots are fragrant, add in the squash and stir frequently. When it begins to look dry, take off the heat and add in the marscapone. Stir while the marscapone melts and add salt & pepper to taste. I also added a little sriracha sauce for a little heat.

Cut your pasta sheets into squares and put a dab of your squash mixture in the middle.

With your finger, wet the edges of the square, fold it over and pinch the sides together.

Pop them in boiling water and watch them rise to the top. I used a slotted spoon to take them out as we had several batches. Toss them with a little olive oil (to prevent sticking), salt & pepper, and parmesan. Very, very tasty!

We had quite a bit of pasta left over after we ran out of squash mixture. We cut it into noodles and froze it for later!

One of our wedding gifts was a pasta machine. Tonight we took our first stab at fresh pasta and it was a huge success! I don’t think I will ever go back.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups organic, unbleached, all-purpose flour

6 regular cage free organic eggs

Process

Mound flour on a clean surface. Have plenty of work space. Make a well in the middle of the flour and crack all your eggs inside.

Whisk the eggs in the middle and then incorporate the flour into the eggs. The dough should be sticky and elastic. Knead the dough for about 4 minutes.

Wrap in plastic and let sit for 15 minutes. After it rests, cut into 1/3s.

Take one section and wrap the rest back up in the plastic. It is important the dough never get too dry through this entire process. Take your first section and put it through the pasta roller on the highest/widest/thickest setting (7 on mine).

Then fold it into 1/3s onto itself… like a letter.

Put the folded section through the pasta roller again, still on the widest setting. Continue to do this 6 or 7 times. Should the dough become sticky, sprinkle with flour. After 6 or 7 times, the dough should remain elastic and smooth. Set this aside and cover it with a dish towel while you do the same to the other 2 sections.

After all 3 sections of the dough are finished, take the first section you completed and put it through the roller again on one setting smaller (6). Continue putting it through the roller each time turning down a setting by one (5, 4, 3) until you get to the next to last setting (2). This section will be come extremely long.

At this point we cut this long piece in half. Set this section aside and cover with a dish towel. Do the same to the other 2 sections. We ended up layering sections of pasta and a dish towel to make sure it didn’t dry out. After all 3 sections have been rolled down to the next to last setting, let them all sit for about 10 minutes.

After they rest, take your first section and put it through the pasta cutter of your choice. We chose the linguine because the thicker strands might hold up best for our first attempt. We didn’t find this process to be a one-person job, but especially this part.

As your cut pasta comes out, lay it out on the dish towels again (or a spiffy pasta drying wrack if you have one… or coat hangers). Cut all sections and lay out to dry for 15 minutes.

Then you are ready to cook! We boiled half and put half in a plastic bag to freeze for later. It supposedly lasts for 6 months frozen. Don’t forget to put the date!

I wasn’t sure if it would, but, like homemade gnocchi, the pasta floated to the top when it was finished. Don’t walk away. It won’t need to cook longer than 5 minutes. I stuck around and continued to stir lightly. I was afraid it might congeal in a ball if I didn’t.

When I drained the pasta in the colander, I immediately ran some cold water on it to stop the cooking. Voilà! I tossed in some basil from the garden, tiny mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, 4 or 5 chopped garlic cloves, and salt & black pepper. I can’t wait to make this meal again with homemade mozzarella and tomatoes and garlic from the garden!

Very tasty first attempt!

Ok sorry for the 2nd post… I just got so excited about the pizza we made tonight!!

Shallots from Val’s garden, homemade crust, homemade mozzarella, oregano and thyme from my garden, basil (somewhat) from my garden (I supplemented with some I had left over from the store). Only storebought items were the Roma tomatoes and the garlic! Can’t wait to have a REAL garden where I can grow everything! How very satisfying!!

Also, today the mozzarella is almost perfect! Still a little crumbly but holding together in a ball like mozzarella normally does. So a few minor adjustments and we should have perfect mozzarella!!

Gods I am such a dork…

Tonight we had plans to go to a special preview production of Romeo and Juliet set in the 1940s in Central Texas. It is a part of the Austin Shakespeare Festival in Zilker Park. I got an email from the Managing Director saying that Juliet had fallen ill and the special preview tonight was canceled. Booo… Oh well We are just going to go to opening night tomorrow night like everyone else.

I had a Greek Orzo pasta salad prepared with crackers and Stilton and some italian sodas for a picnic. Luckily all that will hold until tomorrow. Instead I made the following… and it was GOOOOOOOOOD

Coconut Crusted Tofu with Peach Lemongrass Salsa

(delish.com)

• 3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 1/2 jalapenos, preferably red, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon(s) fresh lemongrass, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon(s) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon(s) rice-wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) salt, divided
• 1/3 cup(s) sweetened flaked coconut
• 2 tablespoon(s) flour
• 2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
• 1 pound(s) extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained
• 2 tablespoon(s) canola oil, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a large baking sheet.
2. Combine peaches, jalapenos, lemongrass, basil, brown sugar, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; toss to combine.
3. Mix coconut, flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise into 8 thin steaks. Pat the tofu slices dry with a paper towel, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then press both sides of each tofu steak into the coconut mixture.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 tofu steaks and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, adjusting heat as necessary to prevent scorching. Transfer the tofu steaks to the rack-lined baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium-high heat; cook the remaining tofu steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Serve the tofu with the peach salsa.

I served it with some Israeli couscous I had about. Mmmmmmm

ALSO we drove by the house…

This was on May 1

This was today, May 6

On Saturday night we made Miso Soup, Spring Rolls and Vegetarian California Rolls for dinner! It was quite an undertaking… we had to buy some expensive ingredients and even new equipment! However, the ingredients will last us several attempts and the bamboo mat was cheap. Paul’s rolls came out much better than my spring rolls did… they kept falling apart. BUT we had fun and it was very tasty!

Fun action shot!

The presentation was all Paul’s idea… I was so proud!

I have recently become obsessed with this salad I get in the Central Market Cafe called the Chinese Chicken Salad (but with tofu). It is very tasty. I ran across this recipe on 101 Cookbooks (one of the best sites ever) and I just knew this would be a good homemade version of that salad. It was so delicious and very good for you!! Nothing but veggies and protein… well and the very tasty dressing This is all I had for dinner (very filling) and there is plenty left over for lunch tomorrow… maybe even two helpings left!

Chopped Miso Salad Recipe

I used Westbrae Natural Organic Mellow Brown Rice Miso for the dressing. If you like the flavor of sesame oil – go ahead and add it to your dressing in fact you can go ahead and add it “to taste” – although sometimes I like to go a bit more neutral and skip rhe sesame oil altogether. I also had two small heads of little gem lettuce so I threw them in here as well. You can use any kind of extra-firm tofu you like here – this salad works well with baked tofu or plain. Tofu cooked in a skillet for a few minutes to take on some color is great – I cheated a bit and used Soy Deli baked tofu (savory) for the salad pictured up above.

1 1/2 cups shallots, skinned and thinly sliced
splash of extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt

2 tablespoons miso
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard (or regular mustard)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar (i used apple cidar vinegar instead)
1/3 cup mild flavored extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon pure toasted sesame oil (optional)

1/2 of a medium-large cabbage (instead of cabbage and red onion, i used a bagged broccoli salad that had shredded carrots and a hint red cabbage… i know it is cheating but it was perfect! it adds the same crunch and freshness of cabbage)
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
3/4 cup chives, minced (tons of chives growing on the front porch so this was perfect!!)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu (see headnotes), room temperature

Stir together the shallots, splash of olive oil and big pinch of salt In a large skillet over medium heat. Stir every few minutes, you want the shallots to slowly brown over about 15 minutes. Let them get dark, dark brown (but not burn). if needed turn down the heat. Remove them from the skillet and onto a paper towel to cool in a single layer. they should crisp up a bit.

Make the dressing by whisking the miso, mustard, and brown sugar together. Now whisk in the rice vinegar and keep whisking until it’s smooth. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, and then the sesame oil. Two pinches of fine grain salt. Taste and make any adjustments if needed.

Cut the cabbage into two quarters and cut out the core. Using a knife shred each quarter into whisper thin slices. The key here is bite-sized and thin. If any pieces look like they might be awkwardly long, cut those in half.

Gently toss the cabbage, shallots, almonds, red onion, chives and tofu in a large mixing/salad bowl. Add a generous drizzle of the miso dressing and toss again – until the dressing is evenly distributed. Add more a bit at a time if needed, until the salad is dressed to your liking.

Serves 3 – 4 as a main dish, 6 – 8 as a side.

Today is our one year anniversary We went and had lunch with my college friend Alyson and her sister Ellyn at Matt’s El Rancho

Ellyn, me and Alyson

Then we went to Straight Music and got THIS!!

this is my new Yamaha Portable Grand!!!

Then we went to the Hatch Chile Fest at Central Market…

hydrangeas are so pretty!

On the menu tonight… Mango Ginger Stilton and Water Crackers, Chicken Hatch Chile Sausage and Israeli Couscous with Roasted Hatch Chile, Feta and Grapes, and Awesome Salad! And for dessert, Hatch Chile Chocolate Peanut Butter Gelato… and water. Lots and lots of water

Its not the friendliest menu, animal wise, but its kind of a thing… On our first date, Abbie told me that Paul really liked the Hatch Chile sausages… before he came over I ran to Central Market to get some. When he came over, neither of us really know how to cook the sausage since we are both vegetarians! So I pulled out the cast iron skillet… the entire apartment filled with smoke! It was a pretty eventful first date. Then we watched the Quatsi movies since we discovered that we both liked Philip Glass.

Chicken Hatch Chile Sausage
1lb of sausage
1 can Lone Star
a little olive oil

I got a non-stick skillet hot and poured in the can of Lone Star. I placed the sausage in the beer, covered it, and let it simmer for 10 minutes turning the sausage twice. I poured out the hot beer, poured on a little olive oil and let them brown on both sides. They turned out a little dry and I am not sure what I could have done differently. As chicken can turn out dry when overcooked, I suppose I let it simmer in the beer too long… It was still tasty though… even Paul said!

Israeli Couscous and Hatch Chili Salad

I used this recipe, but there is a quinoa shortage in Austin (neither HEB nor Central Market had any!) so I used Israeli Couscous instead… which I actually prefer. Also, I used toasted pine nuts instead of pumpkin seeds. This was very tasty!

Awesome Salad

This is just spring mix with a homemade balsalmic vinaigrette… we just started calling it that somewhere along the way

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Paul’s gift… they are lovely! The chimes are called Pentatonic which means a five note scale instead of a seven note scale

I heart him

This recipe is kind of time consuming with lots of ingredients. The first time I made this was the first meal I ever made for Paul . This time, both of us were in the kitchen working together! It made it a lot easier… and much more fun! With our one year anniversary coming up next month, I thought it was a good time to break it out again! Much like other things, this recipe has just gotten better with time….

San Antonio Style Goat Cheese Enchiladas
Based on a recipe by Bobby Flay, Food Network

Red Chile-Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
12 blue corn tortillas
Goat Cheese Filling, recipe follows
8 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1/2 cup of the Red Chile-Tomato Sauce into a medium, deep casserole. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the Goat Cheese Filling on each tortilla, roll up. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Arrange rolled tortillas in casserole so they fit snugly. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the remaining tomato-chile sauce over the enchiladas, and top with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or the enchiladas are heated through. Remove and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Red Chile-Tomato Sauce:
A few tablespoons hot sauce, to taste (Central Market Organics bottled chili sauce)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
1 cup dry white wine
small can tomato sauce
2 cups homemade vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add bottled hot sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes and stock and cook for 25 to 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Goat Cheese Filling:
1 1/4 pound goat cheese
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place goat cheese, garlic, pecorino Romano, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and fold in the cilantro.

I served this with a little saffron rice we had “in” the pantry. We were both rather pleased and full.

The other night Paul was headed out to a show at the Alamo Drafthouse and we needed to come up with dinner quick… What were we to do?! Luckily, we both got the ingredients to make quick and yummy pizzas. I will post when we make his later this week… but we made my favorite quick dinner, Caprese Salad!

1 ready made pizza dough
1 large tomato
large bunch of fresh basil
tub of fresh mozzarella
olive oil
s&p to taste
3 pinches oregano

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a round cookie sheet or pizza pan with non-stick olive oil spray. Roll out your pizza dough from a can… I know its the super easy way but thats what helps make this super and easy, right?! Sprinkle some olive oil and spread it over the dough with your hand. Slice your tomato thinly and place it around the dough, fill in the empty spots with slabs of mozzarella and sprinkle on the oregano. Add a little kosher salt at this point but hold off on the pepper. In the oven, pepper can burn.

Bake until the edges of the dough are golden… about 10 to 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven to cool. The middle of the pizza may still seem a little soft but it will firm up as it cools. Give it a few grinds of peppercorn. Meanwhile, chop your basil up and sprinkle it on! Enjoy!!