Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Our YOUNGEST PEOPLE . . . and a KID FRIENDLY Recipe

There are so many cute kids in our big, big family.    Here are some of the ones I’ve been lucky enough to meet!  It’s a delight to see their pictures on Facebook and read about their adventures.  
  


Faith 

Matthew

Tommy

Madison

Taia

Chase

Nathan

Justin

Sophia who has just become a big sister!

Andrew


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While our Kepler was enjoying his pasta dinner last night, it occurred to me that this would be a great recipe to share with all his little relatives.  I hope he gets to meet you someday soon!  

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While our Kepler was enjoying his pasta dinner last night, it occurred to me that this would be a great recipe to share with all his little relatives.  I hope he gets to meet you someday soon!  

HANDKERCHIEF DILL PASTA with CLAM and TUNA SAUCE

First prepare the fresh pasta.

DOUGH:  makes 1 pound = 4 servings
2 ¼ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
3 eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
       (In 2018, I made this dough again and had to add a tbsp of water when making the dough, AND I only used 2 cups of flour.) 

·        Lightly beat the eggs in mixing bowl.
·        Sprinkle in salt and dill.  Now, stir in the flour.
·        Knead until smooth (between 3 and 8 minutes).  Dough should not be sticky.
·        Wrap in plastic and let rest 20 minutes before rolling out.

If using a Pasta Machine:

·        Spread out 3 clean tea towels and sprinkle them with flour.
·        Dust the machine with flour.
·        Divide the dough into 6 to 8 portions.  Cover with towel to keep from drying out.
·        Lightly flour the table (working surface).  With a rolling pin, flatten the dough into rectangles thin enough to go through the rollers at the widest setting #1.
·        Dust both sides of one portion of dough with flour.  Run it through the machine. 
·        Fold it in thirds (like an envelope).
·        Run it through the machine at #1 four more times, folding it each time.
·        Set this piece aside and repeat process with all the other pieces.
Now you thin all the pieces:
·        Set the machine at # 2.  If the dough seems sticky, lightly dust a portion with flour.  Run it through.
·        Change machine setting to #3.  Run dough through again. 
·        For spaghetti, fettucine, ravioli, or handkerchiefs, run it through again at #4 and #5.
·        Dust the thinned sheet well with flour and place on tea towel.  Cover with a second tea towel.
·        Repeat with remaining dough pieces.  If you stack the pieces, flour each piece so that it won’t stick to the others.
·        Hand cut into desired-width strips or run through cutting attachment.
·        Toss cut-up pasta well with lots of flour so that they will not stick together.  (My mom did not stint on using lots of flour in this step!)
·        The pasta can wait now while you prepare the sauce.  Keep it covered with a tea towel, but don’t worry about it drying at this point.

SAUCE:

1 small onion (4 to 8 ounces)
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ cups chicken stock
½ cup  (5 oz ) tomato paste
¼ tsp pepper

1 can tuna, drained
1 can clams, undrained
Salt to taste

1 lemon
¼ cup whipping cream
Chopped dill for garnish

·        Finely chop the onion and garlic.
·        Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and sauté onion and garlic over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened.
·        Set large pot of water on stove to boil with 3 teaspoons salt.  (This is for the pasta.)
·        Stir tomato paste and chicken stock into the saucepan of onions.  Bring to a simmer.
·        Add tuna, clams, and clam juice.
·        Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Taste for salt and add as needed.
·        Zest the lemon.
·        Drop pasta noodles into fast-boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.  Take one out and test it to see if it’s done.  Only then, if it’s done, drain the pasta.
·        Just before serving, stir lemon zest and cream into the sauce.

Plate this dinner.   Divide up the pasta on 4 plates.  Ladle on the sauce and garnish with chopped dill. 

(Hint:  to make sure I don’t forget the garnish, I put it on the table beside my plate J)


P. S.  This could be a great recipe to add to your camping cookbooks.  Just use  canned soup stock and omit the cream. 



  


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