Author: kimcrossin

Ultimate BBQ Chicken Salad
April 24, 2024

Ultimate BBQ Chicken Salad

Ultimate BBQ Chicken Salad This BBQ chicken salad is loaded with crispy honey BBQ chicken bites, roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, charred corn, creamy avocado and caramelized onions, all finished with a fresh homemade green goddess dressing. It’s sweet, smoky, creamy, crunchy and hearty enough …

Healthy-ish, Mains, Soups & Salads, Summer
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by kimcrossin
Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs with Fennel & Shallots (Easy One-Pan Spring Dinner)
April 6, 2024

Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs with Fennel & Shallots (Easy One-Pan Spring Dinner)

Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs with Fennel & Shallots (Easy One-Pan Spring Dinner) This is one of those dinners that feels a little fancy… but is secretly so easy. Crispy, golden chicken thighs roasted over a bed of sweet fennel and shallots, all coated in a …

Mains, Spring, Spring/Summer Feature
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by kimcrossin
Pasta Dough
March 20, 2024

Pasta Dough

Silky & Tender

HOMEMADE PASTA ​

This homemade pasta dough is super silky and tender making it have a very light mouthfeel. It’s perfect for pappardelle, lasagna noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti or ravioli. It does not have a bite to it which is how I prefer it. To achieve this we’re only going to be using “00” flour, whole eggs, egg yolks and a little bit of olive oil.

If you prefer to have more of a bite to your pasta it can be easily achieved using this recipe. All you’ll have to do is substitute some semolina flour in for the “00” flour. For every cup of flour it would be 2/3 cup “00” flour and 1/3 cup semolina. As you continue to make pasta and get the method down you can play around with how many eggs, egg yolks and the type of flour you use. 

NOTE: If you are interested in making pasta shapes and/or you have an attachment on your stand mixer this would not be the recipe for that. You will definitely want to use a recipe with more semolina flour in it so that it will hold its shape. 

What You'll Need

  • “00” Flour: This is the type of flour used to make pasta and pizza in Italy. It is very finely ground and made out of durum wheat. You may also see it called “chef’s flour”. 
  • Eggs: 2 whole eggs + 4 egg yolks
  • Olive Oil: 1 Tbsp
  • Flour: Using a kitchen scale weigh 196 g of type 00″ flour. Place it in a bowl, pie dish or on the counter and create a well in the center
  • Eggs: Crack 2 whole eggs and put 4 egg yolks into the well. 
  • Oil: Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil into the center with the eggs.
  • Whisk: Begin to whisk the eggs and oil beating them until roughly cohesive. 
  • Combine: Gradually scrape the flour into the egg while continuing to whisk to combine. Once you can no longer whisk start working the dough together with your hands. It will be sticky at first. Continue to incorporate all of the flour and remove any build up on your hands.
    • I like to wash my hands at this point to have clean hands before kneading. 
  • Knead: Sprinkle your work surface very lightly with flour place your roughly shaped dough onto the floured work surface. Lightly dust the top with flour as well. Place the ball of your hand into the center and press down and out. Fold the dough onto itself, rotate the dough a quarter turn. Again press down and out. Fold the dough onto itself and do another quarter turn. Continue to knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. 
  • Rest: Wrap the pasta dough in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out. 

Roll Out the Dough

Use a countertop pasta maker or an attachment on your stand mixer if you have one. I just use a countertop pasta maker like  THIS. You can also roll it out with a rolling pin, however I have never tried that route. 

  • Divide: Cut the ball of dough in 4 quarters. Keep the rest covered if you’re not working with them. 
  • Roll Out: Take a quarter of the dough and press it down in the shape of a rectangle. Starting at setting 1, place the rectangle into the slot with the wide end facing down and roll it out. Turn the dial to the next setting 2 (then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Continue to feed the dough through until it gets thin enough to see your hand through. If you want it thicker, by all means stop at a lower setting.
    • Not all pasta makers have the same settings. Mine goes from 1-9, 9 being the thinnest. 
  • Dust: Sprinkle flour on each side of the long sheet of pasta and dust the flour to evenly distribute. 
  • Cut: Cut each long sheet in half so the sheets or strands of pasta aren’t super long.

Pasta Types

  • Lasagna Noodles: After you roll out the sheet and cut it in half you’re done! Store laying flat on the counter until ready to cook. Use as is and make my Butternut Squash and Lasagna Roll Ups!
  • Pappardelle: Make sure the pasta sheet is generously dusted in flour to prevent sticking.  Starting at a short end fold the sheet in half and then half again. Cut 1 inch strips. Lightly toss in more flour if needed and store hanging up or in nests on the counter. 
  • Fettuccine or Tagliatelle:  Different names based on region but same pasta! In Rome & Southern Italy they call it fettuccine. In Northern Italy they call it Tagliatelle.
    • Dust the pasta sheet with flour if needed. Sometimes it’s helpful to cut a small piece off of the end you’ll be feeding through the pasta maker so there is a straight edge for the machine to catch.
    • Support the sheet with an open hand underneath one side and feed it through the cutter with the other hand. Crank it through to cut it and continue to help the sheet of pasta move through easily. Toss in a little flour if needed to prevent sticking and hang to dry or store in nests on the counter.
  • Spaghetti: Repeat the above process using the appropriate sized cutter on the pasta maker.
  • Ravioli: You don’t want to roll out the pasta as thin to make ravioli you want it a little bit thicker so it doesn’t rip. Each pasta maker is different with how many gears it has so yours might be different than mine. But I would stop at 7 on mine.
    • Use a ravioli form and lay a sheet of pasta on top gentle allowing to fall into the hole. Fill the hole with filling. Place another pasta sheet on top and press down to adhere. Cut the ravioli into squares using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter.
    • If you don’t have a ravioli mold, lay out a sheet of pasta on the counter and place a small dollop of your filling about 3 inches apart.
    • Put the other sheet of pasta on top and press around the filling to adhere. Cut into squares. 

How to Make Pasta in Advance & Store

  • Pasta Dough
    •  You can make pasta dough and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
    • Wrap the dough ball up in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer bag in the freezer. 
    • To use, unthaw to room temperature then roll out and cut.
  •  Noodles
    • If cooking same day: You can store noodles at room temperature for a few hours before cooking. 
    • If not cooking the same day: 
      • Place the noodles in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 
      • Place the noodles in a freezer zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

How to Cook Homemade Pasta

  • BOIL & SALT: Bring a pot of water to a boil and generously salt. You want it as salty as sea water. 
  • COOK: Put the pasta in the water and using a spoon stir it into the water to prevent noodles from clumping together. Cook for 2-4 minutes. 
  • SAUCE: If pairing the pasta with a sauce, prepare and heat the sauce on the stove in a large skillet or pot. Cut the cooking time short in the boiling water until it is just tender.  Allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Using a slotted spook, pull the pasta up from the pot and allow most of the water to drip off, then place it directly into the sauce pan. It’s okay and even good for some of the pasta water to mix with the sauce because it will help thicken it from the starches. 

Homemade Pasta

This homemade pasta dough is super silky and tender giving it a light mouthfeel. It is perfect for pappardelle, lasagna noodles, tagliatelle, fettuccine or spaghetti.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 196 g "00" Flour
  • 2 Whole Eggs
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Method
 

MIX THE DOUGH
  1. FLOUR: Weigh out the flour using a kitchen scale & place in a bowl, pie dish or directly on a work surface. Create a well in the center.
  2. EGGS + OIL: Crack 2 whole eggs into the well. Divide 4 eggs, discarding the whites in a separate container (keep for breakfast) and adding the yolks to the flour. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the eggs.
  3. WHISK: Using a large fork begin to whisk the eggs and oil until cohesive. Begin to scrape in some flour to gradually incorporate. When it becomes too thick to whisk begin to use your hands to mix it into a rough dough. It will be sticky, work all of the flour into the dough. I like to wash my hands at this point to knead with clean hands.
  4. KNEAD: Sprinkle your work surface very lightly with flour. Place the rough dough ball onto the flour and lightly dust the top. Place the ball of your hand into the center and press down and out. Fold the dough onto itself, rotate the dough a quarter turn. Again press down and out. Fold the dough onto itself and do another quarter turn. Continue to knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. 
  5. REST: Wrap the pasta dough in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out. 
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
  1. DIVIDE: Cut the ball of dough in 4 quarters. Keep the rest covered if you're not working with them. 
  2. ROLL OUT: Take a quarter of the dough and press it down in the shape of a rectangle. Starting at setting 1, place the rectangle into the slot with the wide end facing down and roll it out. Turn the dial to the next setting 2 (then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Continue to feed the dough through until it gets thin enough to see your hand through. If you want it thicker, by all means stop at a lower setting.Not all pasta makers have the same settings. Mine goes from 1-9, 9 being the thinnest. 
  3. DUST: Sprinkle flour on each side of the long sheet of pasta and dust the flour to evenly cover. Allow to rest on the counter for at about 10 minutes before cutting. Flip halfway through and lightly dust the side that was against the counter again with flour.
  4. CUT: Cut each long sheet in half. Stop here and use these to make lasagna noodles.
TO MAKE PAPPARDELLE
  1. Make sure the pasta sheet is dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Starting at the short end fold the sheet in half, then half again. Cut into 1 inch strips. Toss in a little flour to make sure they don't stick. Hang to dry or place in nests on the counter.
TO MAKE TAGLIATELLE
  1. Dust the pasta sheet with flour if needed. Sometimes it's helpful to cut a small piece off of the end you'll be feeding through the pasta maker so there is a straight edge for the machine to catch.
  2. Support the sheet with an open hand underneath one side and feed it through the cutter with the other hand. Crank it through to cut it and continue to help the sheet of pasta move through easily. Toss in a little flour if needed to prevent sticking and hang to dry or store in nests on the counter.
How To
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by kimcrossin
Peanut Sauce
March 11, 2024

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce Peanut sauce is one of my favorites. It’s got a little bit of everything going on with the nutty creaminess, hints of garlic and ginger, umami from the soy sauce and a little bit sweet and spicy.  It’s great as a dip for …

Sauce
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by kimcrossin
Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce
March 3, 2024

Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Roasted Broccoli with Peanut Sauce Need a fun twist on broccoli? I got you. The broccoli gets roasted in the oven until it’s a little bit charred then topped with a delicious peanut sauce, fresh cilantro and peanuts for a nice crunch. I first saw …

Healthy-ish, Sides
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by kimcrossin
Pesto
January 18, 2024

Pesto

Pesto

Pesto is a sauce that can really do it all. You can use it as is to make a quick pasta dish with in, liven up an alfredo sauce or use it on pizza. Change your mornings up and fry and egg in it. Use it as a spread on your sandwich or wrap. Or drizzle it on top of pretty much anything and make it that much better. It’s fresh from all of the herbs, the raw garlic brings some heat, it’s nutty and it gets a punch of umami from the parmesan cheese. 

What you’re going to need

  • Basil
  • Parsley
  • Chives (Optional)
  • Garlic
  • Pine Nuts or walnuts are a great substitute
  • Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan cheese
  • Lemon
  • Olive Oil 

This is a recipe where you just dump everything into a food processor or blender, give it a blitz and you’re done. It’s extremely flexible and forgiving too. I love to throw chives in when I have them or any soft herb that’s on it’s way out in the fridge. You can substitute walnuts for pine nuts and add in red chili peppers to bring more heat. Have fun with it and make it your own! 

How to store

  • Store your homemade pesto in an airtight jar for up to 7 days in the refridgerator.
  • Freeze it into ice cubes and pop them out as needed! (Perfect for those end of season herbs in your garden) 

Pesto

Pesto is a sauce that is fresh from all of the herbs it has a little heat from the raw garlic. It's nutty and gets a punch of umami from the parmesan cheese. It can be used on pasta, pizza, drizzled on top of burrata, a spread on a sandwich you name it and pesto can do it. This is amazing to have on hand to whip together a delicious dish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course: Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad, Sandwich
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Cup Basil packed
  • 1/2 Cup Parsley packed
  • 1/4 Cup Chives optional
  • 2 Garlic Cloves chopped
  • 1/4 Pine Nuts or Walnuts, toasted
  • 1 Lemon juiced
  • 1/4-1/2 cup Olive Oil to desired consistency
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Food Processor or Blender

Method
 

  1. Add everything into your food processor along with 1/4 cup of olive oil and blend. Remove the lid, scrape the sides down, place the lid back on and blend again. Drizzle in more olive oil to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Place in an airtight jar and store in your fridge for up to 7 days.
Sauce, Spring, Summer
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by kimcrossin
Toaster Strudels
October 25, 2023

Toaster Strudels

Homemade Strawberry Toaster Strudels We’ve all seen the ever popular homemade pop tarts which are oh so cute and yummy. They are actually what I was trying to make when I first made these. However, with my favorite extra flaky pie dough that I use …

Breakfast & Brunch, Dessert, Spring, Summer
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by kimcrossin
SAVORY CROISSANT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
April 23, 2021

SAVORY CROISSANT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

CROISSANT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE  with ham, leeks and gruyere     This is THE perfect savory breakfast casserole to add to your Easter or Mother’s Day Brunch. I am telling you it will become a staple year after year. The ingredients make it a little extra …

Breakfast & Brunch
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by kimcrossin