Passionate Pursuits

~From time to time, I get stuck on one ingredient, flavor, or dish. Lately, I've been driving in the pasta lane of kitchenland. I will admit to my great disdain of boxed macaroni and cheese, though to my husband, it may taste 'gourmet.' It's a pothole. If I see cheddar mac n cheese, it's generally in the slow lane, and I pass it quickly. I have tried to merge onto the mac n cheese highway, but only found one side road that I enjoy. I took my favorite Au gratin potato recipe using Parmesan and put in elbow macaroni instead of potatoes. Instantly it was as if my car got a tune-up! Finally, flavor combinations I could enjoy paired with elbow macaroni! But alas, I will not linger here for long, though I may drive back this way again soon.

~My next trip in the pasta lane came on Tuesday. I found a recipe for egg pasta. It was like the simple, hard-working truck just waiting for something to carry. I flagged it down, took it for a test drive, and now I am ready to sign the lease. Here's the recipe (altered to my preference) and what I did with it.

~This dish has a light, refreshing taste, given that it is egg pasta. The use of fresh ingredients and a touch of citrus makes it great anytime.

For the pasta:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
2 whole eggs
Fresh Basil

For the sauce:

2 Tbs. Butter
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

Juice of ½ fresh lemon

For finishing:

A few red grapes, quartered

1 Tbs. Parmesan Romano shredded cheese

A couple of basil leaves

Using a stand mixer, mix on low speed until combined. If necessary, you can add a little bit of water to bring the dough together. Change to dough hook and knead until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and allow to sit for at least twenty minutes, or place in fridge for a couple of days. I placed mine in the fridge for a few hours and it worked beautifully.

On a lightly flour-dusted surface, roll out dough thin, approximately 1/8 inch. Using a cookie cutter, cut out desired shape. I used fondant flower cutter and a shaping tool to curve the petals on my flowers. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in pasta one at a time. Allow to cook for about 3-5 minutes, until al dente. Remove from heat and drain, but do not rinse. In a small pan, melt 2 Tbs. butter on med-high heat. Add red peppers and sauté for about a minute. Add drained pasta and sauté until pasta is slightly browned. Remove from heat and squeeze about half a fresh lemon over the pasta and peppers. Stir to combine flavors. Place in a bowl and top with a few cut red grapes. Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan Romano cheese over top, and garnish with basil chiffonade and give them gourmet!

For the record, here's the full picture. I guess it's worth admitting what we had for breakfast if it proves that I don't cook EVERY meal. My two year old would call this gourmet, but she hasn't learned that word yet, so for now, it will remain 'sweeties.'

Get Inspired!

My husband recently treated me to dinner at The Green Vally Grill in Greensboro, North Carolina for our anniversary. Let me tell you, the food was incredible! I had "Pan Seared Scallops over a butternut squash-Vintage Gouda gratin and sautéed spinach, topped with blood orange-sage beurre blanc." The scallops were perfectly seared with a well developed crusting. The butternut squash paired divinly with the gouda, and I think I detected a hint of nutmeg. The bright spinach was sauteed in garlic and added a beautiful contrast of color to the plate. What made the dish, though, was the beurre blanc. This one sauce tied everything together.The vinegar added a needed acidity to the spinach, the blood orange gave a citris kick to the scallops, and the sage and butter further deepened the flavors of Autumn in the butternut squash gratin. I thought if one sauce could do all this, I need to learn how to make it myself! So follow with me on my inspirational journey to re-create a fantastic seasonal dish, incorporating a newly acquired love for beurre blanc. . . .