Spinach Pasta

After reading the book "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman, I have made a concerted effort to try and eat more vegetables and a little less meat than usual...One of the results of this decision is that we have a refrigerator full of veggies and I have to be a bit creative in order to use them all up before they turn over to the "dark side"...Homemade spinach pasta sounded as springy and fresh as could be! We have a hand powered pasta machine that clamps onto the countertop and takes two people to operate most efficiently, but it really is a lot of fun to make your own pasta every now and then! 

Ingredients:

About 10 oz fresh baby spinach, washed

2 eggs plus one egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour (1 1/2 all purpose and 1 cup semolina flour)

kosher salt

Place a steamer basket in a saucepan and bring about 2 inches of water to a boil; place spinach in basket and steam for about 2-3 minutes until wilted and bright green.  Drain water, and allow to cool for a few minutes. Wring out the excess liquid from spinach in a dishtowel (use a dark color or it will stain). Place spinach into food processor and puree.  

Add eggs and process until combined with spinach.  Add flour and one heaping teaspoon salt and process until dough comes together. If too dry, slowly add several drops of water until dough reaches proper consistency - should be slightly sticky. 

Break dough into several small portions, and roll lightly in flour. Feed through machine on widest setting several times, folding dough over on itself in between passes, until it begins to become elastic (about 5 runs). Then run through each setting once (getting sequentially higher) until reaching the desired thinness.  Then run through preferred pasta cutter - I used a fettucine size blade. 

Place each batch of cut pasta onto a wooden drying rack until all batches are done so that it does not stick together. When ready to cook, boil enough water for pasta to freely float, and cook for 3-5 minutes to desired doneness. Toss with your favorite pasta sauce, vegetables, and cheese. 

Simple, sweet, and savory

Weeknight dinners almost always seem to be thrown together last minute, and we still end up eating at 8:00 p.m.! A mid-week dinner rendezvous with friends prompted me to wake up a bit early and prepare this simple dessert - a few basic ingredients come together to create a subtly flavored, uncomplicated treat.

Toasted Almond Panna Cotta with Raspberries and Saba

A delicately cooked cream flavored by the subtle notes of toasted almonds and topped by a slightly savory syrup called saba. Saba typically comes from grape must and is most well known in the region of Modena, Italy, where it is the staple syrup that generations later becomes artisanal balsamic vinegar. The saba used in this recipe is actually made from apple must and has a tangy, tart, well-balanced flavor that perfectly complements the gentle almond cream.

For 4 servings:
1/4 cup raw almonds Pinch salt
3/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons water
1 cup heavy whipping cream 1-1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar 4-6 teaspoons saba syrup

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Spread almonds on a cookie sheet and lightly toast, until they begin to turn a golden brown and become fragrant. Remove from oven and chop immediately (a small food processor may be used on the pulse setting until the almonds are in a coarsely chopped size). Place warm almonds in a saucepan with milk and half of the cream. Add sugar and a pinch of salt, and stir as the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle gelatin in a bowl and stir in the water; allow to soften about 3 minutes.

Rewarm the milk and almond mixture until it becomes hot, then pour through a fine strainer into the gelatin and water. Stir until the gelatin is completely incorporated. Add the remaining cream.

Pour into four ramekins or dessert bowls; cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6-12 hours. The panna cotta's texture will be best within this period, as the gelatin will continue to set up to 24 hours and will become quite firm.

To serve: place raspberries on each panna cotta, drizzle with saba syrup.

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Another weeknight meal to add to the books - this was simple, quick, and absolutely delicious! With 30 minutes of marinating time, and less than 30 to prepare, this meal is something that won't take all night to get ready and eat!

Caramel Apple Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Toasted Pine Nut Israeli Couscous

For the pork and apples:

1 - 1-1/2 lb. pork tenderloin
1/2 cup Gewurztraminer (or other sweet white wine like Sauternes)
1 large clove garlic, minced
Kosher Salt and Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, sliced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup apple cider

Slice pork tenderloin into medallions, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place into a dish to marinate, pour in 1/2 cup wine and add minced garlic; allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; melt butter until nearly browned. Turn heat down to medium, add sliced onions and saute until carmelized. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, toss to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes until apples begin to soften, then add the cider and allow it to come to a simmer; reduce heat and let sauce reduce until slightly thickened.

In separate skillet, heat several tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add pork medallions. Cook on medium-high for 3 minutes on a side. When pork is browned, add apples and onions and cook for another 2 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

Place on plate and spoon sauce over pork and apples.

For the couscous:

1 cup Israeli couscous (a pasta product also known as maftoul or pearl couscous, similar to the Italian orzo)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
salt to taste, if needed
fresh chopped parsley

In a skillet, heat pine nuts until they begin to turn golden brown. Remove from pan. Heat olive oil and toast couscous
until golden brown. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook 12 minutes until couscous is tender. Toss in toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley; add salt to taste if desired.

Snow showers and Spicy Molasses Cookies

This Sunday morning brought wet, chilly weather (snow, in fact!) which I felt required something warm and spicy... Fall comfort food!  What better than Williams-Sonoma style gingersnap cookies with a kick - crystalized ginger bits dispersed throughout for that spicy "snap" in every bite!  After a morning spent out in the yard splitting wood, these spicy treats were just what I needed to warm me up!   

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup crystallized ginger bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment or a silpat baking mat.

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine vegetable oil, molasses, brown sugar, egg and crystallized ginger.  Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. 

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto the baking sheet, spacing about 2 in. apart.  For soft "chewy" cookies, bake 9 minutes; for crispier cookies, bake 10-11 minutes.  Cookies are done when the tops are crinkled and they feel firm when lightly touched.  Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container up to 3 days. 

and so we begin...

welcome to my first blog post!  i decided to embark on this diversion from my usual activities as a bit of a project to a) examine how long i can stick to a task now that i am not required to write a paper or take an exam at the end, and b) to challenge myself to wander out into cyberspace and hopefully offer tidbits of my life that are at least minimally interesting at worst and offer comic relief at best. 

will post tomorrow in light of it being the first "sunday morning" since this blog's inception.  until then, goodnight.