Homemade Basil Fettuccine

I got a KitchenAid pasta roller adapter set for Christmas. I've been waiting forever to finally get this so I can make perfect homemade pasta. Store bought pasta just doesn't measure up to fresh, homemade pasta. Anyway, this is my first use of the new and amazing fettuccine roller. I didn't want to make plain, regular pasta, so I thought about what I can incorporate to add some jazz for the holiday season. The fresh bunch of basil was calling my name. I added diced basil and black pepper to a basic pasta recipe and YUM! I made enough here for a dinner party of 8, but cut this down or bulk it up as needed.

Ingredients: Party of 8!

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour, and additional for surface
• 1 1/2 cups Fresh Basil, finely diced
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1-2 tsp Black Pepper
• 4-5 tbs Water, as needed
• 1 tsp Salt (optional because will be boiled in salted water)

Combine the flour, basil, salt, and pepper. Add in the eggs and mix until chunky. Add olive oil and water until dough becomes chunky and forms a into ball. Coat the ball of dough with olive oil and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 8 equal pieces.

Run the pieces of dough through the pasta machine until you get desired thickness. Lay flat on a clean, floured kitchen towel and sprinkle each side with additional flour.

Run the sheets through the fettuccine cutter. Place back on the floured towel and sprinkle additional flour as needed so pasta doesn't stick together.

Cook in boiling (salted) water until al dente. Pasta will float when it is ready. It should take no more than 3-5 minutes, depending on how thick you rolled your pasta.

Serve with tomato sauce and freshly grated parm!

Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar-Almond Topping

This was my contribution to our family Thanksgiving dinner. The idea came to mind because I had multiple cans of pumpkin and limited Fall time to use them. I've been getting more into baking lately, and this was my first attempt in making a pie crust from scratch. It's a lot of work and time consuming, but tastes so much better than store-bought crust - so it's definitely worth it.

Ingredients: For one 9-inch pie

Cream Cheese Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbs for surface
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 cup cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 oz cold cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Combine the water and vinegar in a small bowl. In a separate bowl or standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix in the pieces of butter and cream cheese into the flour until it resembles a chunky crumb texture.

Next, slowly add in the water mixture and stir until the dough begins to hold together.

Add the 1 tsp of flour to your surface, and press the dough into a disk shape with your hands or rolling pin. Flip so both sides are coated with extra flour. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more before cooking. While this is setting, make the filling and topping.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Evenly roll out the dough to fit in your 9-inch pie glass pie dish. Grease pie dish and carefully place in the dough. Fold the edges over and crimp with a fork for decoration.

Line crust with greased aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights (if you are nerdy and have these). You can use nuts or dried beans for pie weights. I used hazel nuts - toasted my nuts and made my pie at the same time, killing 2 birds with one stone! Bake for 20 minutes.

Gently remove the foil and weights. Return crust to oven and continue baking until crust is golden brown around the edges, about another 15-20 minutes. Press down with a spoon if it starts to bubble. Cool crust for 10 minutes.

Topping:

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt

Combine the ingredients in a food processor or chopper so the nuts get chopped, but remain chunky. Set aside.

Filling:

• 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• 2 tbs Grand Marnier liquor
• 1/2 tsp orange zest

Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin and whipping cream and mix until ingredients are well blended. Next, mix in the grand marnier and orange zest.

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees, about 40 minutes, until center is firm. Cover the crust with foil if it is browning quickly. After 40 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Evenly sprinkle on the topping and continue baking about 15 minutes longer. Let pie cool completely, about 1 hour before eating. Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep pie refrigerated.

Banana Bread

Do I purposely let bananas get so ripe that I have no choice but to make banana bread? Maybe. Sometimes it's on purpose (like today), but other times I salvage super ripe bananas by baking banana bread. So next time you have really ripe bananas, don't throw them away, make banana bread too!

 The typical thing is "banana nut" bread, but I prefer chocolate chips instead of nuts with this. If you're a nut person, you can substitute crushed walnuts instead of the chocolate chips in this recipe. If you can't make up your mind, use half of each! My recipe is very simple, and includes only basic baking ingredients. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 1 Loaf

• 4 Ripe Bananas
• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, softened
• 2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Cup of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 5x9 Loaf Pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease your loaf pan with cooking spray.

Crush the bananas in a large mixing bowl with a spatula. Add the softened butter and mix together with the bananas. Next, mix in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract.

Now for the dry ingredients. Mix in the granulated and brown sugars first. Then, fold in the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Continue mixing until all ingredients are well blended.  Finally, add in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into your loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour to1 hour and 10 minutes. Poke a tooth pick in the middle; if it comes out dry, it's done.

Remove from loaf pan and slice as you serve.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza, Two Ways

I bought whole wheat dough a few weeks ago to make a carb-friendly pizza at home. I froze the dough so I could use it when I wanted. Well, today I was forced to use the dough because we lost power from Hurricane Sandy, and the dough rose when the freezer went warm. At least I was able to salvage it - luckily, we got power back on Friday night, so I was able to keep the risen dough in the refrigerator for a couple days! Here are two ways to make delicious homemade pizza.

First, I made a fresh tomato pizza with 3 cheeses - super tasty! Next, I made a margherita pizza - one of the classics of Italy. Fun fact: it resembles the Italian flag - green=basil, white=mozzarella, red=tomato. In my margherita, I substituted the basil for oregano to change it up since I used basil in the fresh tomato pizza.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. For both pizzas, first drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on a baking sheet. Spread the dough evenly across the baking sheet, stretching and widening the dough with your fingers. Flip the dough upside down so that both sides get coated with olive oil.

1) Three Cheese with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil:

• 16oz Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1-2 packs of Cherry Tomatoes, cut into quarters or halves
• ~2 Handfuls Fresh Mozzarella, enough to cover entire pizza, thinly slice
• 1 tbs Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 tbs Grated Pecorino
• Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves
• Olive Oil

Spread the tomatoes evenly over the dough.

Sprinkle on the parm, pecorino and basil leaves. Cover the top with the mozzarella. Drizzle additional olive oil on top.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, until crust is crunchy and slightly browned. Slice into 6 pieces. Of course, I added crushed red pepper on top before eating.

2) Margherita, Topped with Pickled Green Tomatoes:

• 16oz Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
• 1 Ladle of Tomato Sauce (you can get my recipe here - freeze any additional sauce!)
• ~2 Handfuls Fresh Mozzarella enough to cover entire pizza, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tbs Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Italian Oregano
• Freshly Cracked Pepper
• Olive Oil
• Pickled Green Tomatoes (optional)

Sprinkle some garlic powder evenly on the dough. Next, evenly distribute on the grated parmigiano. Carefully pour the tomato sauce across the pizza, spreading with your ladle or a spoon. Add the mozzarella on top - again evenly distributed. Sprinkle on the dried oregano and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

Cook for 12-15 minutes, until crust is crunchy and slightly browned.  Slice into 6 pieces.

Optional idea - top off with pickled green tomatoes. It gives a nice acidity taste and crunch. My mom makes the best homemade pickled green tomatoes. She pickles them in olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Lastly, of course, I seasoned the slice with crushed red pepper.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Broccoli Rabe made the grocery list this week because there was a 'special' going on - $4 for any 2 broccoli bunches. Yes, we are dealing with NYC prices here, so this may not sound that great to some of you. Anyways, hands down I knew I was making it with orecchiette and Italian sausage. Something about this combination goes very well together. Sausage isn't that pricey either, so you can make a big batch of this awesome dish for less than 10 bucks. I picked hot Italian sausage to give the dish a spicy kick.

As for the pasta choice, I love orecchiette. The best I've had was homemade orecchiette pasta in Italy. It is a goal of mine to eventually attempt to make it from scratch as well, but for now the store bought will do just fine.

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed off and sliced into chunks
• 2 Spicy Italian Sausages, sliced into chunks
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup White Onion, diced
• 6-8 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 tbs Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)
• Salt to taste
• Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Cook the broccoli rabe in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Strain and run under old water.

Cut the sausage into pieces. If the casing comes off, just discard it.

In a deep skillet, heat about 3 tbs of the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add in the chopped sausage and toss together. Once the sausage is almost cooked, add in the broccoli rabe, some salt, and toss again. Lower the heat and cook with lid on.

In the mean time, cook the orecchiette in boiling salted water. Once it is done, strain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the broccoli rabe and sausage. Combine with the grated pecorino, black pepper and additional drizzles of olive oil. Toss until the cheese is melted and blended in.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ode to October - Pumpkin season. There is no better way to celebrate the fall and pre-Halloween than to make something with pumpkin, right? I've been thinking about making pumpkin cookies for a couple weeks now. It's the first time I've ventured into the land of canned pumpkin, but I was pleasantly surprised on how moist and delicious it made the cookies. Happy Pumpkin Season - Enjoy!
Ingredients: Yields ~36 cookies

• 1 15oz Can of Pumpkin (Libby's)
• 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Canola Oil
• 1 tbs Cream Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 2 1/3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tbs Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In your standing mixer or bowl with a hand mixer, mix the egg, sugars, pumpkin, oil, cream cheese, milk. Then add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and continue mixing until it is well blended.

Add the chocolate chips and give it a final stir so they are evenly mixed into the batter.

Spoon the batter on greased cookie sheets.

Cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before eating.

Turkey Chili

Chili is one of those foods, unlike most, that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Making a big crock pot of chili is a fall/winter must in my household. I always make a big batch and freeze small containers for future meals. My chili is made with ground turkey breast because it is leaner, healthier, and tastes just as good - if not better - than any other protein since it's cooked with loads of flavor. The great thing about this recipe is the versatility with the protein - if you are a vegetarian just take out the turkey and add more beans and peppers. If you want to make it with beef instead, go for it!

Today, I made the chili in a slow cooker and let it cook for 3 hours, but you can also cook it on the stove top for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours on a low setting.

Have a beer with this! Drink the same (pumpkin) ale that you used in the recipe. I used Brooklyn Brewery Post Road Pumpkin Ale - amazing!

Ingredients: ~10 Servings

• 2-2.5 lbs Ground Turkey Breast
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced
• 1/2 Large White Onion, copped
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 3 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 bottle of Pumpkin Ale Beer (or another dark ale)
• 1 Can of Black Beans, drained
• 1 Can of Pink Beans, drained
• 1 Can of Kidney Beans, drained
• 2 14.5oz Cans of Diced Tomatoes
• 1 15oz Can of Tomato Sauce/Puree
• 2 Hefty tbs of Chili Powder
• 1 tbs Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Paprika
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pinch of Cumin
• Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
• Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
• Grated (Wisconsin) Cheddar [optional]
• Dollop of Sour Cream (fat free) [optional]
• Tortilla Chips or OysterCrackers [optional]
• Splash of Apple Cider Vinegar [optional]

In a large sauce pan, heat up the olive oil and add the onions, then the garlic and let them sweat out. Add all the chopped peppers and stir with the onions and garlic.

Let this cook for about 1-2 minutes, and then add the ground turkey. Smash the turkey with your spatula to make small chunks. Once it is about half way cooked, add in the beer and mix well.

Once the beer is about half cooked off, put the diced tomatoes and beans in the slow cooker. Stir

everything together, then add in the turkey, peppers and onions from your sauce pan into the slow cooker. If you aren't using the slow cooker, just add the tomatoes and beans into the sauce pan with the turkey. Add in all the spices and cook for 3 hours on high in slow cooker or 1.75-2 hours on stove.

Serve in bowls with 1-2 tablespoons of grated cheddar and a dollop of sour cream (optional of course) and a side of oyster crackers and/or tortilla chips (also optional).  

Flourless Chocolate Rosemary Custard Cake

Should I refer to this cake as "Spiked" or "Spiced"? Well, it's a little of both, actually. I spiked the cake with red wine and spiced it up with some herbs and spices. Maybe it sounds odd, but that is actually what makes this dessert so delicious.

I wanted to make something unique for my parents' anniversary this past weekend. I've always been intrigued by the combination of heat and chocolate. I've also been intrigued by using herbs in desserts. Taking these two ideas, I invented this cake. It is a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate custard... so let's just go with Flourless Chocolate Custard Cake... The combination of rosemary, espresso, cayenne, and cinnamon are very sophisticated and happily surprise the pallet.

PS - the cake is super rich, so a sliver will be enough per serving.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 16oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Stick of Salted Butter, ½ Stick of Unsalted Butter
• ½ cup Red Wine
• 1 tbs Ground Espresso
• 7 Eggs
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• Hefty pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Sprigs of Rosemary, de-stemmed & minced super fine
• Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Ganache Topping:

• 1 cup of Half & Half, or Whipping Cream
• 9oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Sprig of Rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Warm the butter and chocolate chips on low heat in a medium sauce pan. Add the red wine, espresso, rosemary, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well until the chocolate and butter is melted. Turn off heat and set aside to get to room temp.

In a standing mixer (or bowl with hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until it gets frothy (about 4-5 min). Add the vanilla extract.

Slowly pour the chocolate mixture and continue mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes (or once a fork poked in the middle comes out clean).

Once done, remove the cake from the cake pan and cool to room temp.

In the mean time, let's prepare the ganache. Place the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Warm the half and half in a small saucepan with the rosemary sprig. Once it comes to a boil turn off heat and remove rosemary. Pour the liquid over the chocolate chips and whisk until well blended. Refrigerate for a couple hours to set.

Spread over the cake and on the sides. Decorate the cake with a small sprig of rosemary. Keep cake regrigerated.