Birthday Party July 20, 2024
Chicken Strips
Homemade Pasta with Alfredo
Mixed Berry Romaine Salad
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Ice Cream
Fresh Pasta Dough
yield: 2 servings
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.
In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.
Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.
Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.
Alfredo Sauce
- 1/4cup butter, cut into large cubes or slices
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (not table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- Add the butter and cream to a large nonstick sauté pan, over medium-low heat; whisk until butter has melted.
- Add in the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; whisk until combined and smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) and cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese just until melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Take off the heat and toss with cooked fettuccine noodles (or your favorite pasta.)
- (If the sauce isn’t quite thick enough, allow it to stand for 2-3 minutes before tossing with the pasta.)
Fried chicken strips
yield: 2
2 cups chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup seasoned flour
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Oil for deep frying
In a small bowl combine egg and milk. Whisk to combine. Stir in seasoned flour making sure no lumps appear.
If mixture is to thick, adjust by adding 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
Add chicken and fully coat.
In a large skillet bring oil up to medium high heat. Slowly add 3-4 chicken strips into oil at a time. Cook until golden brown. Once ready to remove, place onto plate lined with paper towel to drain any extra oil. Continue to cook chicken until all are done. Serve with choice of sauce.
Romaine and Berry Salad with Vinaigrette
yield: 2 servings
½ head Romaine lettuce, rinsed and cut in ½ inch slices
½ cup mixed berries
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
3 tablespoons walnuts roughly chopped and lightly toasted.
1 teaspoon Italian parsley, minced
1 teaspoon honey
Sea salt and ground black pepper
In a small mixing bowl, combine champagne vinegar, honey and thyme. Whisk to incorporate and add parsley. Pouring in the slowest steady stream possible, drizzle olive oil into bowl while whisking vigorously. If oil begins to pool, stop pouring and whisk until incorporated and oil is used. As emulsion forms, dressing will thicken and will not separate. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper.
Dry Romaine thoroughly. Using tongs, place a mound of lettuce on a chilled salad plate. Arrange sliced strawberries on top of lettuce and sprinkle with walnuts. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately.
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie for Two
Ingredients
1/2 cup (75g | 2.6oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (50g | 1.8oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g | 1.8oz) light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract, (store-bought or homemade)
1/4 cup (60g | 2.1oz) butter, melted
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup (90g | 3.2oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (save a few tablespoons to melt and drizzle over cooked cookie)
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Your favorite vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously butter a 6-1/4” mini cast iron skillet. If you didn’t have such a skillet, you could use a 6” cake pan instead, but you may have to adjust baking time slightly.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well with a whisk until well combined; set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until well combined.
Add the egg yolk, stir well, and then carefully stir in the flour mixture. Mix until completely combined, then stir about 2/3 of the chocolate chips.
Transfer the cookie dough to the cast iron skillet and arrange it delicately with your fork, just so it’s evenly distributed across the skillet.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and browned and the center appears set.
Remove from the oven and press a few additional chocolate chips across the surface of the cookie, if desired; allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave, adding a few drops of oil to make it more drizzleable, if necessary.
Garnish the cookie with a great big scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with the melted chocolate and serve with 2 spoons!
