How to: Pasta

Pasta has been on my hit list of things to do for some time. As far back as I remember, my mum's been making her pasta using that magnificently shine pasta press and now after so many years. It's landed itself in my kitchen.

Not sure just how happy my mum will be with me sharing this recipe, but I'm sure she'll be ok. Her spanakopita & tiropita is another story, though she said she’d share this well kept family secret soon enough. Her exact words…"Only when you’re ready", but I’m ready mum, honest!

Pasta is incredibly easy to construct…the word easy can sometimes be sifted and replaced with difficult. So let’s begin.

The Dough
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Prep-time: approx 30mins

Ingredients:
- 3 cups plain flour
- 3 eggs
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons water

How to work the magic:

1. Sift the flour into a mound on a flat surface and make a well in the centre.
2. Whisk together eggs, oil and water
3. Add ¾ of the egg mixture to the flour and cut liquid through the flour using 2 flat bladed knives or something of that nature.
4. Add the remaining liquid if needed (almost always is) to form a stiff dough.
5. Knead the dough for about 20 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and use as desired.

Roll pasta either by hand or by machine (a worthwhile investment for any pasta lover)

HINT:
1. Freeze prepared fresh pasta in freezer bags or foil for up to the 3 months. Cook directly from the frozen state.
2. Different flavours and textures can be achieved by altering the basic ingredients slightly.

On this occasion I made fettuccine and lasagne cubes. I actually made 2 doses of this recipe and froze the majority, which I’m sure will go through the week.

Rolling the dough by Machine
1. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, and flatten lightly on a floured board.
2. Set the roller on the pasta machine to the widest setting and dust it with a little flour.
3. Feed each portion of the dough through the machine twice. Lay the dough flat on a board and fold it into.
4. Unfolded edge first, feed the dough through the machine 6 more times, by which time it should be smooth and silky. (if pasta is sticking then dust more with flour)
5. Change setting on machine to bring rollers one notch closer and feed paster through once only (the pasta is now getting thinner and longer)

6. Set the machine settings to one notch closer again and feed it through again.
7. Continue this until you get to the desired thickness of your pasta
8. Now either divide up to make pasta for lasagne or use a fettuccine cutter for that style.
9. You can boil it immediately or if you’re going to store it then let it dry out before putting it into freezer bags or foil.

Autumn Potato Jackets

Ok, so these aren't you typical 'winter jackets', more like a windbreaker, so let's call them Autumn Potato Jackets. Perfect!

There is any number of filling you can have with these, no rules really. I did 2 styles. One with sour cream and smoked salmon, the other with grated carrot, yogurt and a little cheese.

The theme of this blogging weekend seems to be starters of finger food specials.
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Prep-time: 35 mins

Sour cream and smoked salmon jackets
Ingredients:
-  6 tiny new potatoes
- 100g packeted spreadable cream cheese
- 2 table spoons dill (finely chopped)
- 50g smoked salmon

How to work the magic:
1. Place potatoes (uncovered) into a tray and in the oven at 170ºC for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes
2. Meanwhile, combine cheese and dill in a small bowl
3. Cut salmon into thin strips
4. Cut a cross at the top of the potato and gently squeeze the base of it to open the centre.
5. Fill centres with a spoonful of the cheese mixture and top with salmon and extra dill, if you so desire (I do, coz it looks great!)
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Grated carrot, yogurt & cheese jackets
Ingredients:
- 6 tiny new potatoes
- 2 carrots (grated)
- 6 table spoons of Greek style yogurt
- ½ cup mozzarella (grated)
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar

How to work the magic:
1. Place potatoes (uncovered) into a tray and in the oven at 170ºC for about 25-30 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes
2. Cut a cross at the top of the potato and gently squeeze the base of it to open the centre.
3. Fill centres with a spoonful of the yogurt, top with carrot & cheese
4. Put some vinegar on the base of the plate and plate potatoes with. Serve.
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HINT: Mix carrot and mozzarella together for a nice clash of colour. I opted against this because I was bloody hungry preparing these and in my haste I forgot =P

Little Caesar Salads

These little bundles of joy will make a great entrée for guests or the perfect side for a main.

Though they look small they’re actually quite filling, especially if you choose to add the chicken as I do.

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Prep-time: 45 mins


Ingredients: 
- 2 breasts of chicken (finely chopped; need to be smaller then your average cubes)
- a loaf of sliced bread, 15 odd slices (of choice; go white for taste, wholemeal if you need a little assistance with the digestion process ;)
- 125g garlic butter softened
- 200g bacon rashers (finely chopped)
- 1 baby cos lettuce (finely shredded) normal ‘non-baby’ cos is just fine
- ½ cup Caesar salad dressing (I was pressed for time so ready made dressing would have to do)
- 150g fetta cheese crumbled (Dodoni obviously! Though Bulgarian is somewhat acceptable..)
- 2 table spoons parmesan cheese

How to work the magic:
1. Cut 8cm (approx.) rounds from the bread. Using a rolling pin flatten the bread rounds slightly.
2. Spread both sides of the rounds with garlic butter and press rounds into (unoiled) cupcake pan, thus taking a nice shape.
3. Bake uncovered at about 150ºC for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and very crisp. Cool them after.
4. Cook bacon in fry pan, stirring until crisp. Just before the bacon’s ready to come out, sprinkle it with the parmesan cheese. Wait 30 seconds then remove and place onto absorbent paper towel.
5. In the same fry pan using any excess bacon stir through the chicken until ready.
6. Just before serving, combine the lettuce, bacon, chicken and dressing into the little bread cases.
7. Top each case with a little crumbled fetta and serve.
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I tried this as a side on the Mothers Day dinner (the night before) and it worked a treat. My sisters took care of the mains and most desserts. My better half made a fabulous caramel slice, which I’ll feature at some stage in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Omeletta Perfecto!

Well, the last week or so really has been all about eggs. First with the Pavlova Classic, then came the Poached Egg (how to) and now an omelette; so I promise it's the last really eggy one one for a while.


The perfect omelette begins with nothing other then?....butter of course. Here I'll only show you a base omelette, of course this is one of the more versatile foods, so you can really add anything you so choose to it.


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Prep-time: 5-10mins


Ingredients:
- 1 decent table spoon of butter (plus a little extra melted for brushing)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/4 cup milk


How to work the magic:
1. So pop a table spoon of butter into the pan, making sure to maneuver it all over the pan including the raised edges of the pan.
2. Crack the 2 eggs in a bowl and add the cheese, whisk them together until the yolk and egg white just mix (this will give it a nice yellow & faint white colour).
3. You can choose to add a little water or milk and whisk it through.
4. Poor the contents into the hot pan (slightly turn it down a fraction) and move the pan around so the base of the pan is completely covered. salt & pepper to taste
5. Move the omelette around in the pan and once it's sliding around in one piece, move it to the edge and flip the edge of it on its self, then do the same on the other side, so both edges are flipped inwards.
6. Slide onto a plate, brush with a little butter so it looks nice and glossy and add a little more salt & pepper.


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