Pasta, my second attempt

A very simple recipe with so many variations.  I am going to keep it simple for a little while. 

3 cups flour

3 eggs

Use your food processor. Fluff the flour alone; beat eggs in a separate bowl.  Add to flour and blend for 30 seconds until combined.  If too dry add 1 teaspoon water until pasta starts to resemble pebbles.  Empty onto floured work surface.  Knead together until smooth.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes, covered or wrapped in plastic; roll as desired. 

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies (a la Natalie)

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients a little at time and beat until combined. Bake 10 min. at 375*

I put my dough in the fridge for an hour before I rolled it out (only because they have you do that in most other recipes).

Lemon Buttercream Frosting 

(The Best)

1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1. Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer fixed with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and ad sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating 15 seconds between each addition. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. 

2. Add lemon juice, milk, and zest; beat on low speed to combine. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. (Buttercream may be covered and kept at room temperature for several hours or refrigerated in an airtight container for a week. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Rolls...Orange Rolls

My Bishop's wife made these for a dinner they gave for the ward clerks and their dates (I was a date not a clerk...) They are beautiful!

Out Of This World Rolls

2 packages dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

3 eggs, well beaten

4 1/2 cups flour (I had to use more like 5+)

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Butter

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine dissolved yeast, eggs, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup warm water, butter, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat until smooth.  Add remaining  flour to make a soft dough.  Cover. Let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and refrigerate overnight.  Three hours before baking, roll out as desired.  For dinner rolls, divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 1/2" thick rectangle. Spread with butter. Startign with long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Cut in 1" slices. Place in greased muffin tins, cut side down. Cover. Let rise 3 hours. Bake in 400* oven for 12 to 13 minutes (watch carefully, mine was more like 10 minutes). Yield: 2 1/2 dozen rolls. 

Variation: Orange Rolls

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

Rind of 1 orange, grated

Combine ingredients and spread on dough instead of butter. Handle as above. Frost with powdered sugar icing while hot. 

Today is Junior League Orange Rolls

I'll keep you posted.

Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

Made on 2/10/09.  I don't know why I was craving the comfort food of baked pasta, but this hit the spot. I should have cooked my sauce down a little (it was a little watery...but delicious). Very nice. I think there might be better out there so I'm going to keep experimenting...but I would definitely make it again. 

1 lb uncooked peene

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

3/4 chopped red bell pepper

12-ounce Italian Sausage (I used Turkey lean-hot. I think sweet would also be delicious)

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon tomato past

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2  (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Cooking Spray

1 cup shredded sharp provolone

1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta

2. Preheat oven to 350*. 

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. 

4. Combine pasta and tomato mixture,; spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until bubbly. 

P.S. This is a random picture of something that looked like my finished product.  I can't claim it as my own. 

Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

I made the recipe for Chicken and Dumplings (Cooking Light October 2008) for the Utah contingent today.  It is fabulous soup!  And the dumplings are so fun.  Be advised they puff up quite a bit so when they say a heaping teaspoon, use a little restraint.  You'll get smaller dumplings, but more of them. 

Soup:

16 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups diagonally cut celery

1 cup diagonally cut carrot

1 cup chopped onion 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

6 parsley sprigs

2 bay leafs

6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Dumplings:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

1. Heat a large saucepan over med-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add celery and next 5 ingredients to pan; saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. 

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; ;level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaves. 

Yield: 4 servings

I also made the Autumn Apple Cake from the same issue--leaving out the raisins.  Very simple and nice.