Recipes
These recipes come from the heart!
From our family to yours!
FRESH PASTA
3 Large Eggs
2 cups "00" Flour
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 Tbs Olive oil
14 - 16 oz yield of pasta
3 - 4 Servings
Instructions: No Fluff ! - Just the Stuff
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Add the eggs, salt, & olive oil in your mixing bowl and thourghly whisk
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Change out the whisk for the dough hook. Add the flour. All at once is fine.
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Mix until dough forms and nothing sticks to your bowl. About 3-4 minutes. Depending on the size of your eggs and the humidity in the air, you may have to sprinkle a little bit of water to help the dough come together. Conversely - you may have to add a sprinkle of additional flour if the dough is too sticky.
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Remove dough from mixing bowl. On a clean surface - knead the dough with your hands until all the flour is hydrated and you are left with a single consistent ball of dough.
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Cover with a towel or store in a covered bowl for 20 minutes on the counter.
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Give your dough a final kneading until the outside is smooth. Your dough is now ready. Either use or store in your refrigerator up to 24 hours. If you plan on refrigerating your dough, let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling. Tempering the dough makes it more malleable.
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Cut the dough into 6 equal sized portions.
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From here you can either hand roll and cut your pasta or use your pasta rolling attachments and cut to any shape you like.
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Form your pasta into nests to use right away or you can store in the freezer.
The Sauce
Garlic Powder - 1/4 tsp
Oregano - 1 tsp
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 1 Head (Fresh or Roasted)
Salt - 3 tsps
Olive Oil - 1 cup
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Honey - 1 tsp
Anchovies - 4-6 fillets
Basil - To taste
Onion - 1 Large onion
Tomatoes - 2 Cans 14 oz San Marzano
Instructions: No Fluff ! - Just the stuff.
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In a cold sauce pan/pot add the granulated garlic, oregano, & chili flakes. Along with the fresh/roasted garlic, anchovy fillets, & and drizzle of the anchovy oil.
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Turn the element on low to medium while stirring the ingredients until the anchovies cook down and dissolve completely.
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Add the olive oil while increasing the heat to medium/high to bring the oil to cooking temperature. About one minute. After one minute, add the chopped onion. (A rough chop is fine. Remember, this will all get blended but the finer the chop, the faster the onions will cook down).
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Add one teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions down until they have a deep golden hue. 15 -20 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes (CAREFULLY!) Pour in the cans away from you to prevent hot oil splash back.
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Add your Basil. Always use fresh basil if possible, stalks and all. There really is no substitute. Here you can dictate the amount you use, in my book you can never use too much basil.
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Add your last two teaspoons of salt and stir until everything is mixed well and basil is completely under the tomatoes to steep.
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Lower the element to a light simmer uncovered. Stir your sauce every few minutes for about 20 minutes. Any water will reduce in that time leaving a rich tomato flavor.
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Remove Basil...Add the vinegar and honey and stir in well.
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Have a taste! What do you think? Everything you make should have an element of you. So make it your own. This is only the framework. The love comes from your efforts.
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Blend and you're ready!
Chicken Cutlets
15 oz. Bread Crumbs
2 Cups. Parsley
1 Cup Basil
2 Heads Garlic
10 Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1 Cup Pecorino Romano Cheese
Appx. 4lbs. Chicken Breast
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
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Hand Chop (best method) or in a food processor rough mince the parsley, basil, & garlic. Too fine a chop and the garlic tends to burn and become bitter.
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Mix in herb and garlic mixture with the breadcrumbs in a large tin and squeeze together to release the oils and help to flavor the breadcrumbs.
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In a large bowl crack all 10 eggs - salt, pepper, & pecorino romano cheese & mix well.
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Butcher the chicken breast and pound into medallions
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Add chicken to the egg wash coating thoroughly.
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Pull chicken from the egg wash and place in breading - covering the whole medallion and press firmly into the breading.
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Once completely covered in breading - set aside for frying.
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Best to fry cutlets at room temperature to prevent burning outside and undercooking inside
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Fry 3 - 4 minutes each side (depending on thickness of your cutlet) You want an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Zero Waste Meatballs
(Recipe used in the video)
1 cup Left over Egg Wash
1 cup Left over Breadcrumbs
2lb. Chopped/Ground Meat
1 Finley Chopped Onion
2 Finley Chopped Carrots
2 tsp. Tomato Paste
2 tsp. Fresh Italian Oregano
Garlic Paste - To Taste
Salt & Pepper - To Taste
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
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Add all ingredients in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer
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Mix thoroughly making sure ingredients are incorporated well
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Roll two small taste test meatballs and microwave for 1 minute
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Let cool, taste, and adjust seasonings
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Once you are happy with the flavor profile - roll the rest
Meatballs in video weigh about 1 oz. each
Cooking Methods
Microwave - Quick & Easy
Place 6 Meatballs around the outer edge of a microwave-safe plate.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes
Let rest for 2 minutes
This method is great for small batches, hot days when using your oven will wreak havoc on your AC bill, or when you're short on time.
Oven - Hands off & Healthy
Preheat oven to 400F and Bake on a roasting tray for 25 - 30 minutes
Perfect when you want a no fuss, low fat option
Pan Fry - Crispy & Rich
Heat oil in a skillet (Medium High). Test one meatball and listen for the sizzle
TIP - Let meatball mixture reach room temperature before frying
Turn every 2 minutes to avoid burning
Cook until crispy and cooked through
For those who love a serious crunch and flavor
Beef Empanadas
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
1lbs. 80/20 Ground Beef
1lbs. Scallion/Green Onion
1/2 Red bell pepper
3 lg Boiled eggs - chopped
1 cup Chopped green olives
1/4 cup rasins
1/2 cup water (optional)
1 tbl. Beef Bouillon
1/2 tbl. Cumin
2 tbl. Olive brine
1 tbl. AP flour
Per 1 pack of Empanada Dough
12 discs
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In a hot pan - Brown the ground meat and once the meat is about half way cooked, add the beef bouillon and cumin.
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Once meat is all the way cooked through (about 7-10 min) Add all chopped scallions and red bell pepper.
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Let the scallion and peppers cook down until there is an even distribution of meat and scallion. Time will vary 5-10 min.
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Add the olives along with the additional brine. At this point you can add the raisins whole or make a slurry. Simply steep the raisins in 1/2 cup of hot water for 5 minutes and blend.
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Lower heat to medium and stir well allowing the mixture to really come together. (2 min)
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Lower heat to low and add AP flour and mix in well. This will tighten up all the various juices to make a rich gravy. (2 min)
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Place hot mixture into a bowl and add the chopped boiled egg. Pull the mixture up the sides of the bowl to help cool down quickly.
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Once the mixture is at room temperature - you can roll your empanadas.
Sausage & Pepper Rolls
1 Pizza dough 12-14oz.
3 Sausage Links
3 cups Mozzarella cheese (Shredded)
2 Bell Peppers - Any Color (red - sweeter)
1 Onion (Your Favorite)
6 Cloves of garlic
2 Tbl. Red wine vinegar
1 Egg
2 tbl. Olive oil
Sesame seeds (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Makes 6 Rolls
Instructions: No fluff !- Just the stuff
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Start by cooking the sausage links whole. Any method is acceptable. Suggestion - Poach the links in a tomato dipping sauce. Set aside to cool before slicing.
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Slice the peppers and onions. In a fry pay add half of the olive oil and half of the garlic and sauté the peppers on a medium to high heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Right before they are done - add half of the red wine vinegar and mix well. This adds a pop of acid to an otherwise heavy food. Repeat for the process with the onions. Set aside to cool.
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Softening the veggies is key here. Unless you prefer the more raw taste of the peppers and onions - Perfectly fine. They will not cook through in the bake from raw.
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Pre heat your oven to 425 degrees.
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Take out dough and flour throughly - this will make it easier to stretch (No sticking)
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Roll the dough out into a 14 inch circle then divide into 6 slices. (See Video)
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Divide sausage links into 4 long pieces
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Add 2 pieces to the dough along with the veggies - plus 1/2 cup or fist full of mozzarella cheese.
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Roll - Egg wash - top with sesame seeds and bake 15-20 minutes. Until golden brown
Ground Sausage
From Video
Homemade Sausage Seasoning
5 lbs. Pork butt
2 tbl. Fennel Seeds
*1 tbl. Salt
*1 tbl. Pepper
*1 tbl. Red Pepper Flake
*1 tbl. Tomato Bouillon
*1 tbl. Smoked Paprika
*1 tbl. Sage
*Approximately > 1tsp. per pound of meat
Instructions: No Fluff! - Just the stuff
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Chill all grinding apparatus in freezer (helps meat from becoming gummy)
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Cut pork butt in 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes
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Add all sausage seasoning
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Mix until seasoning is well incorporated
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Put back into refridgerator for 1 hour
For best results - Do the initial grind and the refrigerate.
After 1 hour - Grind once more.
Fresh Ricotta Cheese
1 Gallon Whole Milk (Not Ultra Pasteurized)
1/3 Cup of Acid
1 Cup Heavy Cream (optional)
1 -2 tsp. Salt to taste
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
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Heat milk over medium heat to a light simmer approximately 185-195 degrees.
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Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
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Once milk is to temp - turn off the burner and slowly stir in vinegar (for a savory result) or lemon (for a more sweet result) You should see the curds start to separate within 30 seconds.
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Let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
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Put curds in a cheese cloth or a coffee filter and let it drain. The longer you let the ricotta drain - the firmer it will become.
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10 - 15 min. Soft and spreadable
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20 - 30 min. Firmer (most common)
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1 hour - Dry and super firm
If you want a creamier version - add 1 cup of heavy cream and mix throughly.
This recipe is best eaten fresh and can last in the fridge up to 4 days
Don't Forget! Fresh ricotta is delicious when served as a sweet dessert.
Turmeric Ginger Immune-ah-tea
Lemony Garlic Feta Potatoes
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
Fried Calamari
1 lbs. Calamari
1/2 cup "00" or AP flour
1/2 cup Wheat or Semolina flour
1tsp. Cornstarch (optional)
1 tsp. Lemon Pepper
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
1/2 cup Milk/Buttermilk (Not in video)
1 tps. Salt (season after frying)
Oil for frying (Vegetable, Canola, or Grape seed)Amount will depend on the pan/pot in which you choose to fry. Calamari pieces must be completely submerged, in any case
Instructions: No fluff! - Just the stuff
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Place cleaned Calamai in a bowl, cover with milk/buttermilk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Prepare the dredge. Mix the flours, corn starch, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper, & paprika in a bowl or bag.
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Heat the oil. We used a cast iron dutch oven (great for frying). 3-4 inches of oil and heat to 350-375F
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Cover the calamari. If you soaked in milk, let all the excess drip off. If you choose no milk, the natural moisture of the calamari is enough for the dredge to stick. Toss in the dredge until completely coated and shake off any excess flour.
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Fry the Calamari. Do this in small batches - do not overcrowd the pot. Too many calamari and the oil temp will drop. This will end up making soggy and greasy calamari.
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Frying should take from 1-3 minutes each batch. You want a golden brown finish.
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Drain & season. A pinch of additional salt goes a long way here. Avoid covering in paper towels. This will create steam and soggy calamari.
Additional tip: Fried Calamari is very easy and a crowd pleaser but is best served freshly made. This isn't a dish better prepared ahead of time. THIS IS NOT REVENGE. Best served hot and fresh