A Take on Richard's Four Taste Pasta

Richard’s Four Taste Pasta with Shrimp
Adapted from Low-Salt DASH Dinners

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes (or until the water boils & the pasta cooks)
Serves4

Ingredients:
6oz/250g Farfalle (or whatever your favorite pasta is)
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
8-12oz/250-375g large shrimp, peeled and deveined (the book called for scallops, but I didn’t have any)
Sprinkling of paprika
3 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp red chili pepper flakes
¾ cup Italian/flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of salted water. (usually 8-10 minutes depending on the type of pasta used.)

2. In the meantime, combine the garlic and olive oil and lightly brush the shrimp/scallops with the mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

3. Place a heavy skillet over high heat and sear the shrimp and/or scallops to give a nice caramelized surface (1-2 minutes per side). Set aside and keep warm.

4. Combine the remaining garlic oil, tomato paste and red pepper flakes to make the sauce. It’s very thick and not cooked.

5. When the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving a cup of pasta water, and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with the tomato sauce, mix in the parsley and half the Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta water. Season with pepper or red pepper flakes to taste.

6. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and arrange the seafood on top. Garnish with some parsley.

Two IN One Pizza

Two On One Pizza

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes + 10 minutes just before baking (Pizza dough making time & instructions at bottom of post)
Baking time: 10 minutes or so
Makes 1 thick – 2 thin 12” crust pizzas

Ingredients:
½ California pizza dough recipe at bottom of page or store bought
Potato Rosemary Topping:
1 small thin skinned potato (I like Yukon Gold), par-boiled and then thinly sliced (preferably on a Mandoline),
¼ - ½ small red onion, thinly sliced (preferably on a Mandoline)
½ - ¾ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Meat Lover Topping:
Slathering of Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Pepperoni slices
Cured Chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
2-3 large cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
Handful Mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:
1. If you are using dough from the fridge, take it out at least 30 minutes before planning to make the pizza. Once dough is at room temperature, cut dough in half for 1 12” pizza. Form into a smooth ball ( see Pizza dough step 4 below for details)

2. I use an unglazed ceramic pizza stone for baking in the oven. It's the closest you'll get to Pizza Parlour crispness. Preheat at 450-500°F/230-260°C for at least 30 minutes ( and since my oven is slow to reach the optimal temperature, I give it even more time) so timing is everything. If you’re not using a pizza stone, I would still preheat the pizza pans to give the crust a really good crispiness, but you probably only need 10-15 minutes. Lay the stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack for electric, on the floor of your oven for gas ranges.

3. While the dough is reaching room temperature and the oven is heating up, prepare the fixin’s of your choice.

For our 2 ON 1 version: Place the minced garlic in the olive oil in a small dish to flavor the oil. (Do this first so it will be lovely by the time you assemble the pizza.)

4. Prepare the dough (see step 6 of Pizza dough recipe at bottom of post). I like to use parchment paper on a wooden pizza paddle, to form and transfer the pizza, paper and all to the hot oven once I’ve put the toppings on. My trick for not losing the shape or having half the toppings fall into the oven.

5. Prepare the toppings…
Potato Rosemary Half:
Brush the dough with the oil & some of the garlic
Thin layer of potato slices
Scattering of red onion slices & Rosemary
Another brushing of oil
Sprinkling of salt & pepper
Meat Lover Half:
Slathering of Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Meat layer – pepperoni & chorizo – don’t overload though, the pizza will be too heavy to transfer Mushrooms
Scattering of onion slices
Mozzarella cheese

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through and cheese side of the pizza, melty and golden.

California Style Pizza Dough
From James McNair's New Pizza: Foolproof Techniques and Fabulous Recipes
Truly the best, easiest and most delicious pizza crusts I've ever made.

Hands-on time: 10 minutes + 10 minutes just before baking
Rising/kneading time: 1 ½ hours on the counter or 24-36 hours in the fridge ( which then needs 1 hour to get to room temperature before baking)
Baking time: 10 minutes or so
Makes 1 thick – 2 thin 12” crusts

Ingredients:
1 cup water 110-115°F/37-46°C (warm)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (or 1 pkg)
3 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose, bread or semolina flour
1 tsp finely ground kosher or sea salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for oiling the proofing bowl
coarsely ground cornmeal for the pizza peel to enable easy sliding of prepared pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven.

Additions/alternatives - add while kneading the dough the first time:
Cracked pepper crust - add 3 tbsp freshly cracked/coarsely ground black pepper
Herbed crust - add 3 tbsp fresh herbs minced or 1 tbsp dried
Seeded crust - add ¼ cup lightly toasted sesame or poppy seeds
Spicy crust - add 2 tbsp paprika & 1 tbsp cayenne powder or other chili powder

Whole wheat crust - increase amount of warm water to 1¼ cups. Substitute 1 cup of whole wheat flour for equal amount of white flour.

Directions for Stand mixers:
1. Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over top. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

2. In the mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of flour with salt. Attach the paddle beater and mix well at lowest speed for 10 seconds (just enough time to incorporate the salt).

3. Add the yeast mixture plus the olive oil and mix well at lowest speed for 1 minute. Change beater to dough hook and knead at medium speed for about 5 minutes. This is when you'd add any additional herbs &/or seeds, spices to the dough. You might have to stop midway and rearrange the dough. Mine crept up the hook. After 3 minutes or so, break off a piece and feel for texture – too sticky = add just enough flour while kneading to remove stickiness; too dry and crumbly = continue kneading ad gradually add more water – 1 tbsp at a time until the dough holds together.

4. Rising/proofing the dough: use a pastry brush to generously grease a large bowl. Shape the dough into a smooth ball by stretching the outer surface of the dough underneath itself, rotating the dough and continuing the process until a smooth ball is formed with seams underneath. Place the dough smooth side dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil all over. End with the seam side down and cover with plastic wrap to prevent moisture loss.

5. Resting - two alternatives:
a) set aside in a draft free warm place for the dough to rise until doubled in bulk (1-1 ½ hours);

b) transfer covered bowl to fridge and let rise for 1 hour. Uncover, gently punch down to expel air, recover tightly and return to fridge for 24-36 hours. You will need to punch the dough down 1-2 more times during the rising. If using this method, let the chilled dough come to room temperature before prepping for baking.

6. Prepare for baking:
a) Once dough is at room temperature, cut dough in half for 2 12” pizzas or into 4 for individual ones. Form each piece into a smooth ball ( see step 4) We lightly floured the dough again in the forming of a ball ready for stretching.

b) I used a ceramic pizza stone for baking in the oven. Preheat at 450-500°F/230-260°C for at least 30 minutes ( and since my oven is slow to reach the optimal temperature, I give it even more time) so timing is everything. If you’re not using a pizza stone, I would still preheat the pizza pans to give the crust a really good crispiness, but you probably only need 10-15 minutes. Lay the stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack for electric, on the floor of your oven for gas ranges.

c) Rolling out the dough: Shape into round, square…or whatever creative shape you come up with. Stretch or roll the dough – stretching = softer & chewier; rolling= crisper.

To stretch – shape dough ball into a flat disc about 1” thick and lightly flour both sides. Start at center and using the heels of your hands, quickly press around the dough until it’s the required shape until ½” thick. Dust with flour whenever needed to prevent sticking. We actually needed very little extra flour at this point and my very deft pizza making son-in-law used his fingers to spread out and flatten the dough, lifting it off the counter and flipping it over a few times in the process until the crust was ¼" thick and measured about 12".

Stop stretching before it reaches the outer edge of the dough so it can form a rim. Rest one hand on the surface and lift a portion of the dough with your other, pulling gently away from center, stretching as thin as possible, moving around the pizza, which should be ¼” or less in thickness. Pinch any holes closed. We just did this by gently lifting and stretching then placing back on the counter and using finger tips again around the pizza. Next, rest one hand near the edge of the dough and other hand to push against it and form a slight rim working your way around the pizza. (about 5 minutes - don't skimp on time - it keeps the dough from rising too much in the oven)

To use a rolling pin – lightly flour both sides of dough ball, and using heels of your hand, press into a circle or whatever desired shape and roll out with lightly floured rolling pin until ¼” thick, keeping edges slightly thicker than center. When rolling, pick up the dough and turn it over several times to stretch it. Add a little flour when needed. (Ruth's note: - the stretched & pulled by hand still had a very crispy, crunchy crust, so this might be overkill)

d) Oven ready: once the dough is shaped, lay it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or oiled screen or ventilated pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings – putting the cheese before the other toppings keeps the crust from getting soggy. If you like your cheese on top, then place the pizza with all BUT the cheese in the oven for the first 5 minutes and then add the cheese and return to the oven until bubbly (another 5 minutes or so, which really does keep the cheese melty and bubbly rather than burned and rubbery, while allowing the crust to crisp). Real pizza making experts can jerk the oven-ready pizza off the peel onto the stone without losing the shape –or having half the pizza fall into the oven directly. Remember practice makes perfect and in the meantime, you have "Artisan" free form pizzas that still taste amazing.

7. Bake on the lower shelf until the edges puff and brown, toppings are hot and the cheese is bubbling (10 minutes or so). We actually cooked two large pizzas on separate stones - bottom and middle racks and both were crispy and delicious.

8. Remove the pizza from the stone, sliding the peel back under it by using a metal spatula to guide the way and to make sure the pizza doesn’t stick to the stone. Transfer to a wire rack to let the pizza cool and crust firm up for 2-3 minutes before placing on a cutting surface. This keeps the bottom of the crust from steaming up and getting limp. We didn't do the last step - wire rack...just transferred the pizza to a cutting board and our crust was crisp and delicious.

Over the top fantastic when topped with

Triple Whammy Chocolate Cookies

Triple Whammy Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Today’s Parent

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 10-15 minutes

Makes 5 dozen cookies (Ruth’s note: the little chef at Today’s Parent made 16 giant cookies – let your creative kid thrive!)

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup soft dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 350°F/170°C about 20 minutes before baking and prepare rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

2. In a large bowl combine the flours & baking soda.

3. In the bowl of a food processor, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars, then add the eggs and beat for a few minutes, until light. Measure in the cocoa, and keep beating until smooth. Add the vanilla, then stir in the flour mixture.

4. Transfer to a large bowl and add the chocolate chips, mixing with a wooden spoon. That way no chocolate chip was harmed in the process.

5. Scoop about a golf sized amounts of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop for consistency and ease) about 2 inches apart (so they don’t spread into each other) and bake for about 10-15 minutes depending on the size (Today’s Parent little chef made giant heart shaped cookies)

6. Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet over a wire rack.

Ruth’s note: I actually used half of the batter (30 cookies) and wrapped the rest – spread into a log over plastic wrap wrapped again in foil and labeled. Right now it’s in the fridge in case we’re piggy before the weekend, otherwise it will go in the freezer… doubtful, little boys and their parents are coming over on Saturday.

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins
From epi (the Epicurious iPad app)

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 20-30 minutes - or until the toothpick comes out clean (depending on the size of the muffins)

Makes 16 standard or 8 large muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned rolled or quick cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped & lightly toasted
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp oat bran (I ran out so I used wheat bran)
2 tbsp wheat germ (I ran out so added 2 more tbsp wheat bran)
2 tsp gr cinnamon
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries


Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 375°F/190°C and coat 2 8 portion muffin tins with cooking spray or line with individual muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pecans, oats, sugars, bran, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3.In a medium size bowl combine the buttermilk, egg, oil, vanilla and add to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix and add boiling water. Let stand for a couple of minutes. Stir just until blended and gently fold in the blueberries. Evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a wooden toothpick in the center. If it comes out dry, the muffins are done.

Mellow Lamb Curry

Mellow Lamb Curry
Adapted from How to Cook Everything iPad App

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 1 ½ hours

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil (I like olive, but any neutral oil is fine – grapeseed, canola)
2 lb/1kg boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2” cubes
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 cups onion, thinly sliced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp curry powder or garam masala (this time I use the last of my Sri Lanka Black Curry Blend plus Singapore Curry Blend from Epices de Cru)
1 ½ cups chicken broth
Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the lamb chunks in 4 or five batches to sear on all sides. Do not put all the lamb in at once or it will just stew and leach out all the juices. Sprinkle with salt & pepper while they brown. Remove each batch as they brown and set aside.

2. Once all the lamb has browned, add the sliced onions to the fat in the pan. Cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until golden (about 10 minutes)

3. Add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger & spices. Stir and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes – until the chopped onions soften.

4. Return the lamb to the pot along with the broth/stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer (there should still be some bubbling) until the lamb is tender – at least an hour. If it’s too soupy, remove the cover, raise the heat and cook until the gravy is the consistency you like. If, on the other hand, the curry is too dry, add a little more liquid (water or broth). Taste for seasoning and serve garnished with cilantro.

Serving ideas: steamed rice or fragrant couscous to sop up the gravy.
Mark also added cayenne to really spice things up and finished with ½ cup yoghurt before serving.

Savory Breakfast Muffins

Savory Smoked Turkey Breakfast Muffins
Adapted from Everyday Health

Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 22- 25 mins
Rest Time: 5 mins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
2 cups flour, whole-wheat
1 cup flour, all-purpose
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp pepper, black ground
¼ tsp salt
¾ -1 tsp dried herbs (I used Italian blend)
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter, melted
½ - ¾ cup scallions/green onions, thinly sliced, (about 1 bunch)
¾ cup smoked turkey diced or shredded
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup red bell peppers, finely diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, dried herbs, pepper and salt in a large bowl.

3. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil and butter in a medium bowl. Fold in scallions, turkey, cheese, jalapeno and bell peppers.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just moistened. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan (the cups will be very full & very firm. I used a large ice cream scoop.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes

6. Allow muffin tins to rest on a rack for 5 minutes before serving.

4. Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.