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By J.Ho, May 1, 2013 8:39 pm

Thank you all for your prayers …

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By BakedOuttaMyMind, October 15, 2012 10:11 pm

Who doesn’t love homemade pasta?! It’s yummy and cooks up much nicer than that store bought dried stuff. If you have the time and energy to completely trash your kitchen, I would definitely recommend making this. This is actually a larger batch than the original recipe, but hey-why make a little bit? You’re going to love it. I usually will make a large batch, roll it out, and cut a lot of ravioli rounds with a cookie cutter (I don’t dig the pre-cutting ravioli attachment and besides, I can make dinosaur ravioli if I damn well please!!) and freeze them for later use. It’s much easier that way, as I have learned. I’m still new to the art of pasta rolling, but I have found that it is quite therapeutic and rewarding when you make your own. There are two methods to making this. The Mound method, which is more traditional, and the mixer method, for us lazy girls . Here’s what you need:

• 4 1/2 cups AP flour (I’ve also used this same recipe with wheat and it works out just as well) plus extra for dusting and rolling
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons salt (I’ve used sea and kosher. Both worked fine)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup water

Traditional mound method:

1. Make a mound of flour on wax paper. Make a well inside of the mound, just like you did when you were little and wanted your mashed potatoes to be a dam so your gravy didn’t spill out
2. Add the eggs, olive oil, salt, and water to the well and beat gently.
3. Slowly incorporate the flour from the sides until you have a firm, but not sticky, dough. If its sticky, add a little flour at a time until it loses the tack.
4. Let the dough rest for 30 mins before rolling.

Lazy girl mixer method:

1. On low speed, beat eggs, water, oil, and salt
2. Slowly add flour, a cup at a time until dough loses tack and is smooth. Let rest 30 mins before rolling

I have a pasta roller, but you can also hand roll this dough as well. You can go all out traditional style and do it like a real Italian housewife from Italy by using the mound method and hand rolling, but I need quickness in my life. I’m always thinking about the next thing while I’m on the first thing, so the mixer and roller work for me. Just make sure that if you’re making ravioli via the traditional rolling method, that the dough is very thin (about the thickness of a credit card) so that it cooks properly. Here are some of the fillings I have tried already, but get creative and try some seasonal veggies or different meats in them!!

Pumpkin Ravioli filling (I made these with the wheat pasta dough and used a ghee sauce and they were OUTSTANDING!!):

• 2 cups roasted fresh, or canned pumpkin (if roasted fresh, try to use a sugar pumpkin.)
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Grilled chicken and mozzarella:

• 2 grilled chicken breasts, chopped finely, or pulsed in the food processor
• 4 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella

Lobstah ravioli (I made an Old Bay Alfredo sauce with these…yummm)

• 1 lb lobster meat (claws and tail) pulsed in the food processor
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel (dash if freshly grated)

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By BakedOuttaMyMind, October 15, 2012 9:24 pm

I usually make these bad boys to go with some spaghetti or penne and my crockpot merlot marinara sauce(baked with whole milk mozzarella over the top), but they are really good to use as party appetizers as well! Quick and easy. Just how I like it. Well, for culinary adventures, that is This is what you’ll need:

•1lb ground meat (I usually use ground beef, but I have been known to use a mix of beef, veal, and pork, sometimes turkey, for the pseudo vegetarians)
•2 large eggs
•1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
•1 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
•1tsp each of the following spices:
• Italian seasoning
• Onion Salt
•1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1. In a food processor, add breadcrumbs and seasonings and pulse a few times to combine (or you could just whisk them in a bowl together.)

2. In a large bowl, knead the ground meat (I go bare handed on this. It’s the only way to ensure that everything is incorporated nicely) with the eggs until well combined.

3. Add breadcrumb mixture and knead until evenly distributed throughout the meat.

4. Using an ice cream scoop (I use the #50 Crate and Barrel scoop), scoop a ball of mixture and hand roll into little balls and place on wax paper.

5. Sear those suckers all around in a pan on medium high heat!! The #50 scoop makes mini meatballs, so they will cook faster. If you want larger meatballs, I would sear them and then bake in a sauce (or use a crockpot) to ensure thorough cooking and thus, less possibility of contracting a food borne illness. I, however, like my meatballs medium, which probably goes against standard procedure, but hey!! I’m eating them!!

6. Eat those little meat nuggets like its your job!! Or you could freeze them for a later date, for a quick weeknight dinner.

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By J.Ho, October 2, 2012 5:05 pm

Some recipes are just pure classic.  This is one of them.  I came up with this recipe when I first moved to Massachusetts and it carried me through several New England snow storms during my first fall & winter.  I’ve posted this before and I’ve made a few adjustments.  I just made it again here this past weekend in Las Vegas for the first stew of autumn while watching football for 12 straight hours.  If you can call it autumn.  It was a brisk 90 degrees!  Lots of memories.  Lots of flavor.  This recipe takes some time, effort and a talented touch, but it’s well worth it.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup flour
2 cups chopped white onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
½ large jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
6 cups dark veal or beef stock
1 cup burgundy or other good quality red wine (I’ve used white wine in a pinch)
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 carrots (unpeeled) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can white shoe peg corn

In a pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Toss the beef with the flour. Once the oil is hot, add the meat and cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, celery, jalapeno and 1 tablespoon of garlic and continue to cook until the vegetables are wilted and golden, about six minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Remove everything from the pot and place in a large mixing bowl. Add about 1 cup or more of the stock to the pot and bring to a slow boil. De-glaze the pan with the stock, scraping the browned particles away from the bottom of the pot. Get ALL the brown bits off the bottom of the pot. This can be a pain, but that’s where so much of the flavor comes from. Place the meat and vegetables back into the pot.

Add the potatoes, carrots, corn and rest of the stock. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 1½ to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. Stirring occasionally. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. Re-season the stew if necessary.

Depending on how thick you like your stew at this point you might want to thicken it up a bit. I like it very thick. If it isn’t to my liking, and that all depends on how much of the potato has broken down, I’ll add a bit more flour to act as a thickening agent. I’ll usually take ½ a cup of flour and add it to ¾ a cup of burgundy or cold beef stock. Beat it well with a wire whisk till it is completely blended and add it to the stew. Let it cook for a few more minutes and it should thicken up a bit.

Enjoy!  Yankees suck!

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By BakedOuttaMyMind, September 24, 2012 9:03 pm

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart. My mother, Darlet, made THE BEST pumpkin and zucchini bread. In honor of her would-be 70th birthday, I would love to share with you one of her most loved recipes. She was never known as Mrs. M., but as Mom to everyone that came into the house. Even the boyfriends (which, now that I look back on that, I find it a little disturbing. But she WAS the most kickass mom EVER!!)

Although I’ve never tried to emulate it before, I did recently roast a whole pumpkin for homemade pumpkin ravioli (recipe will be posted later this week!! Promise!) and had a lot of leftovers that I froze, their fate to be determined at a later date. Now I know what I’ll be doing with them

• 2/3C Shortening
• 2 1/2C sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1lb pumpkin (canned or fresh cooked and mashed/food processed)
• 2/3C whole milk
• 3 1/3C flour
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• 2tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2tsp salt
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2tsp ground cloves
• 2/3C chopped walnuts
• 2/3C chopped raisins (I always hated them in this when I was younger, but I may try them out this time)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 loaf pans.

Cream shortening and sugar.

Add eggs one at a time

Add pumpkin

Alternate milk and flour until well combined.

Add spices, nuts and raisins.

Pour into loaf pans and bake for 60-70 mins.

Thank you for everything, Mum. <3

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By BakedOuttaMyMind, September 24, 2012 12:13 am

Farmer’s markets. I’m currently in rehab for them. When I hear that there is a farmer’s market going on, I get all cracked out on the idea of fresh vegetables in my food. It all started with the dreaded low iodine diet I had to endure as a thyroid cancer survivor. You basically cannot eat anything that has been manufactured or processed since most manufacturers use salt or seaweed byproducts for preservation. Everything has to be fresh. I learned how to get creative with the small list of things that I was allowed to eat. The farmer’s market was one of my only saviors while on that diet. Here’s one of my favorite recipes that is quick, easy, and a fairly healthy option for a pasta dish.

• 1lb Penne
• 4 large tomatoes, diced (I had purchased beefsteak at the market, but 6 Romas will do)
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (I leave the skins on for this one to add color)
• 1 medium summer squash diced
• 1/2 large eggplant diced
• 1/2 large eggplant sliced
• 2C whole milk mozzarella
• 4T olive oil
• 1 1/2T Italian seasoning
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large stockpot, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add penne and cook about 11 mins to al dente.

While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine all diced veggies. Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings over and toss again to evenly coat veggies.

Take the sliced eggplant and cover with mozzarella. Place under the broiler for about 5-7 mins, or until slightly brown and bubbly on top.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add veggies. When the eggplant is tender(about 5-7mins), add garlic and cook for about 2 mins more. Then take off the heat.

At this time, the pasta should be drained. DO NOT RINSE THE PASTA!!! This will remove any of the starchy goodness that helps hold onto the sauce!!! Add the pasta to the veggie mixture and toss to combine, or plate the pasta and serve with veggies over it. I usually serve this by roasting the rest of the fresh garlic and spreading it over some toasted Italian bread, but last time, I just went with the eggplant. You can also mix the pasta and veggies and put in a baking dish, cover with cheese and broil until bubbly brown. It’s all good!!

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By BakedOuttaMyMind, September 23, 2012 10:33 pm

I love that everything in the world inspires me, in some shape or form, to create a culinary treat.  This recipe came to me while shopping in a professional only beauty supply store. I was purchasing something for my sister while on the phone with her. She had asked me to get her some Black Cherry Nutmeg body lotion. “That stuff smells so good, I wanna eat it!”

Naturally, being a fat girl inside a skinny girl’s body, my mind instantly thought “How can I make this an edible endeavor?!”  I thought to myself; pork is usually really good with fruit, let’s try that. I went to the store, and Lo and behold, pork tenderloin was on sale. I thought, I can totally make a glaze from some cherry juice, cherry preserves, and nutmeg. This is gonna happen.

The first venture ended up pretty well, with the exception that I should have waited just a teeny bit longer to put the glaze on, since it had burned a little in the oven. No big deal. The second time I made it, was to show my appreciation for room and board at a friends house in NYC. They liked it so much, “the sauce went on everything”.  Here’s to inspiration from body care!!

• 2-1.5lb pork tenderloins
• 1T canola oil
• heavy pinch of salt
• 1/2C cherry preserves
• 1/4C cherry juice
• 2T honey
• 1T ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Rub tenderloins down with canola oil and sprinkle with salt. Sear all sides to golden brown and place in a  baking dish and roast for about 15 mins*. While tenderloins are in the oven, make glaze. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, add cherry preserves, cherry juice, honey, and nutmeg, stirring until the preserves have broken down into the juice. It will still be chunky, but you don’t want a big blob of preserves. Then, bring to a simmer and lower the heat. You will notice the glaze begin to thicken slightly. Take off the heat. Pull the tenderloins out at the 15 min mark, pour 1/2 of the glaze over and put back in the oven for 5-10 more mins. This should be right around the time when the pork temps at 155 degrees. Pull the pork out, cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 mins to let the residual heat bring it up to 165 degrees. After the pork has rested, slice thinly into medallions, and drizzle remaining glaze over the slices as served. I usually serve this with Steamed green beans tossed with toasted almonds and straight up mashed potatoes. It’s definitely an easy recipe that sounds more gourmet and complex than it really is