Homemade Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta

 

 What's that, you say? We haven't posted since last July? It's true. We have lots of excuses and reasons - but the best and most exciting one is that we are expecting! And I'm due just about any day now.

Back in the first trimester, I was nauseous all the time and had no desire to cook anything, let alone post about it. So we took a small hiatus from the blog. But we are BACK and have a great recipe to share.

 

 Making your own pasta is super easy and tastes exponentially better than the dried stuff. Orecchiette (which means "little ears" in Italian!) are doubly great because the only equipment needed is your hands.

 

 

One of my all time favorite dishes ever is orecchiette with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage, so this is somewhat of a play on that combo - the brussels sprouts give crunch and body to the dish, while the pancetta adds a salty contrast. This recipe is heavy on the sprouts in order to keep it substantial without being too heavy on the carbs.

Homemade Orecchiette with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta
Adapted from The New York Times

(Printable version)


For the pasta dough:

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semolina flour
3/4 cup hot water (+ more as needed)

Put the flours in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. With the machine running, slowly add in just enough water so that the dough forms a ball. If you don't add enough, you'll get mostly clumps of dough without it forming into a ball. If you add too much, the dough will be overly sticky. Don't fret if you accidentally add too much water - you can always add in more flour to make it less sticky.
Remove the dough from the processor and knead it on a floured surface for about a minute, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. At this point, you can use dough right away, or wrap it in plastic wrap and stick in fridge to use it later.
To shape - pinch a 1/2 inch size piece of dough off of the ball. Wrap it around the tip of your pointer finger to form a little hat. Set aside on a floured surface or piece of parchment while you make the rest. They don't need to be perfect.


1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz diced pancetta
2 tsp dried rosemary, or 1 fresh rosemary sprig
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add in olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the pancetta and rosemary. Cook until the pancetta begins to brown and releases most of its fat into the pan. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and continue to cook until garlic begins to brown and becomes fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the brussels sprouts with the water and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine with other ingredients and saute until sprouts begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Then spread sprouts out in one layer in pan and dont touch for a couple minutes, allowing them to brown. Repeat this process a couple times to cook/brown evenly.

While the sprouts are sauteing, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Gently add in the orecchiette. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the pasta floats to the top and is tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Combine drained pasta with pancetta/sprouts mixture. Add in pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. Season to taste. Serve, topped with grated parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

Make-Your-Own Vanilla Extract

Being the Frugal Fran that I am, I hate over-spending on certain items, and vanilla extract is at the top of my list. I go through tons of it with all the baking that I do, and it seems to cost a small fortune no matter where I buy it.

Little did I know that it's incredibly easy to make yourself. All you need is a container, vanilla beans, cheap vodka, and some time!

Vanilla beans tend to be expensive in stores, but you can buy some pretty cheaply off of Amazon.com. I recommend these.





Make-Your-Own Vanilla Extract

8 oz. vodka
2 whole vanilla beans

Make a slit lengthwise down the center of each vanilla bean. Place in jar or whatever container you are using. Fill with vodka. Screw on cap. Place in cool, dry place for up to two months - lightly shaking the bottle every week or so. Once extract is at desired potency, strain out and toss beans and seeds.

Can be stored, unrefrigerated, and used indefinitely.

Ramen Miso Soup with Japanese Simmered Chicken

Over the weekend, Jeremy and I went to the Carroll Park Fair, which is basically like one large stoop sale for the neighborhood. We perused piles and piles of....well, junk...but also came away with some great finds. One of the stands had a ramen soup set, which although we did not buy, inspired me to try my hand at my own version.

I realize authentic ramen soup can be a sensitive subject for many, so I'll state right off the bat that this is a very Americanized version made mostly with what we had on hand. But! It was still quite yummy, and I am very proud of how well it turned out.



The broth was delicious, as was my first attempt at soft boiling eggs. But the real star of the show was the Japanese simmered chicken! The recipe - called Tori No Nimono in Japanese - was adapted from Wandering Chopsticks and is so, so good. 'Nimono' means food that is boiled and seasoned, which I feel is an understatement for how amazingly flavorful this chicken is.







The meat gets tied together and then simmered in a broth until it reduces down to form a sticky glaze. Yum. It's then sliced and placed on top of the soup, but can also go well with pretty much anything (i.e. - I ate it cold with my lunch today and loved every moment of it).



Ramen Miso Soup with Japanese Simmered Chicken
Chicken component slightly adapted from Wandering Chopsticks

(Printable Version)

6 skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup rice wine or mirin
3 cups water
2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
3 Tbsp sugar
kitchen twine or cotton string

1 Tbsp canola oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp miso paste
1 Tbsp mirin
Soy sauce/Tamari, to taste (optional)

1 lb ramen noodles, or thin udon noodles
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Veggie toppings of your choice. Examples:
Scallions, carrots, bamboo shoots, corn, radishes, cabage, soft boiled eggs, etc.


For the chicken: Tie the chicken thighs together in bundles using your kitchen twine or string. I chose to do three and three, but feel free to alter depending on how many thighs you have.
In a large saucepan, combine soy sauce, rice wine, water, grated ginger, and sugar over medium-high heath.

Place chicken in pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover pan. Allow chicken to simmer for 30 minutes. Flip chicken pieces, partially cover again, and allow to simmer for another 20-30 minutes more, or until sauce has turned into a glaze and coated chicken. Watch carefully toward the end so that the sauce does not burn.

Remove chicken from pan and let rest on cutting board. Cut off twine and slice. Set aside while you finish making the soup.

For the ramen: Heat saucepan over medium heat and add canola oil. Add in minced ginger and garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in stock and bring to a boil. Stir in miso paste and mirin. Reduce heat and let simmer while you cook the noodles.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl or pot and pour broth into strainer. Toss solids.

To serve - In each bowl place 1-2 tsp sesame oil. Top with the ramen noodles. Then pour broth over noodles. Arrange meat and toppings along top. Drizze with soy sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd

My brother and I were born 361 days apart - Irish twins, if you will. So there was definitely a birthday season in our house growing up. Despite the close proximity of the dates, we always had our own celebrations, thank you very much. This included choosing our favorite meal and dessert. I always chose chicken fricassee, while my brother stuck with homemade mac and cheese (although I believe this changed to "steak and potatoes" once he decided he was too manly to request cheesy noodles).

My birthday cake was always my mom's heavenly angel food cake with strawberries and cream whipped together. I have memories of shoving handfuls of cake into my mouth, while simultaneously wondering if I could get away with eating three pieces without seeming gluttonous.



I've made angel food cake several times as an adult but am yet to replicate my mother's. Perhaps it's impossible to do without all the accompanying requisite emotions - birthday excitement, teenage angst, a brother yelling at you from across the dinner table that you are chewing too loudly.

Although not as good as Mom's, this recipe comes close. Served with a dollop of lemon curd and fresh strawberries, it makes for a perfect summery dessert.




Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd

(Printable Version)

1 cup All-Purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
12 egg whites (or enough to total 1 1/2 cups), room temperature
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, sift together flour and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.

Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until egg whites are frothy. Add extracts and beat to combine.

With mixer on, slowly add in granulated sugar in a steady stream. Beat until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form (A good trick to know if you have beat enough is to turn the bowl upside down - if the mixture stays, you're likely good to go).

Sprinkle flour mixture over egg whites about a 1/2 cup at a time and gently fold in. Repeat until you've folded in all of the flour. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Tap pan on counter several times to remove air bubbles in the batter.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until cake is aromatic and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and invert immediately. Keep cake inverted until completely cool. Remove from pan, slice, and top with your favorite lemon curd (I use this recipe) and strawberries. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Mustard Croutons

I'm going through a make-it-myself phase that involves making as many staple pantry ingredients from scratch as I can. My latest obsession is making my own mustard, which it turns out, is incredibly easy.



So, what to do with an abundance of delicious homemade spicy mustard? Slather it all over croutons of course!



With this soup, cauliflower is roasted to perfection and then blended with potatoes, broth, and cheddar cheese to create a creamy (yet light!) springtime soup. Topped with homemade mustardy croutons, each spoonful makes for the perfect bite.

Hint: Make extra croutons and toss them into your favorite salad or eat them on their own as a snack. They are that good.




Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Mustard Croutons
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson


(Printable Version)


6 oz whole-wheat bread cut or torn into 1 inch pieces (about 3 cups total)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp grainy or dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp salt

1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 shallots, chopped
2 medium yukon potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup cheddar, grated
2 tsp grainy mustard
salt and pepper

To make the croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk the olive oil, mustard, and salt into the butter. Place bread pieces in a large bowl and pour butter/mustard mixture over bread. Mix well, making sure each piece of bread is coated. Turn bread out onto a baking sheet lined with foil, and spread out so that no pieces are overlapping. Bake for 10-15 minutes (stirring once halfway through), or until croutons are golden brown.

For the soup: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Roast in oven 7-10 minutes (tossing once or twice), or until cauliflower begins to brown.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Sautee for 2-3 minutes, or until shallots are softened and translucent. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic, and let cook another 30 seconds more. Then add in the broth and bring to a boil. Add in the cauliflower and cover. Cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender or processor), puree the soup to desired consistency. Stir in the cheddar, mustard, and some freshly ground pepper.

Serve sprinkled with the mustard croutons on top, and additional shredded cheese if you'd like. Enjoy!

Zucchini-Molasses Bread

We went to the farmers' market in our neighborhood last Sunday with our fingers crossed that we'd get some yummy springtime strawberries (maybe to make this again!), but alas, there were none. Turns out the yucky weather for April has pushed back strawberry season a little. Sigh. But! There was an abundance of zucchini. And not being one to ignore the baking itch, I snatched a few up to whip up into a good old-fashioned quick loaf.

My Very First Foodie Penpal

This month, I participated for the first time in the Foodie Penpal exchange organized by Lindsay over at theleangreenbean.com. It involves over 600 different bloggers and readers who all exchange their favorite treats with one another (with a $15 limit - quite tough to do when you live in NYC!). Each participant is given one blogger to write to, as well as a different blogger from whom you receive your goodies. Lots of fun!



After finding out my penpal match and shipping off my local favorites - I had nearly forgotten about participating when I received a box full of fun treats in the mail. Jane was assigned to me, and when she asked about my preferences, I said that I loved anything with local flavor. Jane is from Texas but originally from South Africa (how interesting!), so she sent me her favorite Texan items: Salsa, corn chips, tortillas, chili fixins', fajita-spiced rice, fish fry mix, and hard candies. Yum, yum. Thanks, Jane!

I found the whole thing really fun. I loved thinking of fun, creative items to send to my assigned penpal, and am looking forward to doing it all again. Although I don't think I'll have the time to participate each month, I'm excited to participate again in the near future.

Sometimes the interwebs are so fun, right?