Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

A good bit of the fruit and vegetables that we eat comes from our garden and fruit trees.  At the peak of each season the good wife is kept busy canning the excess so we can eat it throughout the year until the next harvest season.  Tomatoes have been coming in strong for a bit now and we have 17 pints of homemade ketchup and 11 quarts and 1 pint of tomatoes canned for making sauces or adding to stews.  Earlier in the season the good wife found a website, http://joybileefarm.com/making-tomato-powder-scratch/?utm_content=buffer67519&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer, suggested an alternate use for the tomato skins that get removed prior to processing and canning.  The use she found was drying and grinding to powder to use for seasoning, thickening, etc.  Making powder was in lieu of composting or feeding to the chickens according to the website.  We'd always composted them.  The process is simple, put the tomato skins in a dehydrator or on a rack in the oven at the lowest temperature setting and letting dry until they were brittle.  Once they are brittle put in them in a food processor, blender, or spice mill.  I used the dry blade container for the Vitamix.  The powder is concentrated tomato flavor.

Tomato skins laid out ready to dry

Tomato powder

To this point we have about two cups of tomato powder and I was brainstorming on a use.  I've been trying flavored pastas with mixed results so I decided to use the same technique I'd used for some mushroom Fettuccine.  Once I had decided on pasta I Googled to see if tomato pasta was a thing.  Unsurprisingly, it was.  They all used tomato paste and it only seemed to be there to color the pasta and add a bare hint of flavor.  I figured my way would yield good flavor and color.

Tomato pasta freshly kneaded and ready to rest

What kind of pasta to make generated some discussion at work during a break.  The choices came down to cheese and shrimp stuffed ravioli or fettuccine.  I settled on fettuccine because it would be less labor intensive and I was wanting to use some asparagus that I had in the refrigerator.  I only had about 8 ounces of mushrooms on hand so I didn't have as many as I'd have liked.

Tomato Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

Pasta:
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs tomato powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs water

1 lb 31-35 count shrimp
1 lb asparagus
1 medium onion
1/2 - 1 lb mushrooms
1 cup white wine
1 stick butter
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning

For the pasta:  Combine the flour, the tomato powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center and add the eggs, water, and olive oil.  Mix everything together until well combined and turn out on a floured surface.  Knead the pasta until it is smooth and elastic.  Wrap in plastic and let it sit for 20 minutes.  Divide into 4 pieces and roll to desired thickness and cut to the size you want.  After the pasta is cut place in well salted boiling water and cook until almost done.

Tomato pasta ready to run through the cutter

While the pasta dough is resting, cut the asparagus into bite size pieces, thinly slice the onion, and slice the mushrooms.  In 2 Tbs of  butter sautee the asparagus and onion, season to taste, and then place in a bowl.  Sautee the mushrooms in 2 Tbs of butter until they are done and put in the bowl with the asparagus and onion.  Place the shrimp in the skillet with the rest of the butter and put the pasta into the boiling water.  Cook the shrimp until almost done then add the rest of the ingredients back to the skillet.  Pour in the wine and stir to combine well.  Transfer the almost done pasta to the skillet.  Stir to combine the pasta and other ingredients.  The butter, wine, and pasta water will combine and make a sauce to coat everything.  Plate and serve.  This will serve 4 as an entree.

Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

If you don't have tomato powder, I believe tomato paste could be used for the same effect.  I would add a 6 oz can along with the wet ingredients and add additional flour to achieve the desired consistency.  I also think you could thinly slice Roma tomatoes and dry them until brittle and grind them into your own tomato powder.  I may have to break out the dehydrator to see how that works.

A tasty supper of Tomato Fettuccine with Shrimp and Asparagus

The final product had a distinct tomato flavor that went well with the shrimp, asparagus, and wine sauce.  The color is nice as well.

Give this pasta a try along with whatever you think will go well with it or use this whole recipe.  Either way, let me know what you think of the tomato pasta.

Uncle T

Mushroom Fettuccine with Miso Beef and Asparagus

Several years ago while we were stationed in Texas we would drive up to Wimberley for their Market Days.  The Wimberley Market Days was the 1st Saturday of the month and was a combination farmer's market, flea market, and arts and crafts show.  It took several hours to get through the whole thing even if you just took a quick glance at each booth.

One of the regular vendors would demo their pasta.  They had dry pastas of several flavors that they had developed.  Our favorites were the mushroom and the hot pepper.  I've not found any quite like them since we moved to Virginia.

I've tried different flavored pastas with mixed success.  My worst attempt was making black bean pasta.  The flavor was good but the texture was sadly lacking.  I've been researching alternative pastas and think I have a handle on some of the fixes.  I decided to test some of the changes on making the mushrooom pasta.

Most grocery stores have some small packages of dried mushrooms.  We went to Grand Mart, our favorite international market, and bought a large package of dried shitake mushrooms.  We also picked up a jar of miso at the same time.  I'd been thinking of the miso for soup but thought it would be an excellent seasoning.  I actually got Korean fermented soybean paste which is called Doenjang.  As I understand it, doenjang is a bit stronger flavored than miso.  I'm still calling it miso beef because more people are familiar with miso than the name doenjang.

Doenjang, fermented soybean paste

Mushroom Fettucinni

1/2 cup powdered mushrooms
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

Put a handful of dried mushrooms in a food processor/Vitamix and reduce to powder.  Put 1/2 cup of the mushroom powder in a bowl.  Add the flour and salt and stir to combine.  Add the eggs, egg yolk, and olive oil and stir.  Once most of the ingredients are combined, turn out on a smooth surface and knead until smooth.  Wrap in plastic and let sit for 20 - 30 minutes.  Cut the pasta into 4 pieces and run through the pasta maker to flatten and thin.  Cut into desired lengths then run through the fettuccine cutter.  Spread on a tray with a bit of flour and repeat with the rest of the dough.  Add the fettuccine to heavily salted boiling water and cook until almost done.  This will just be a few minutes.  Add to the miso beef and asparagus and combine thoroughly.  The fettuccine will finish cooking during this mixing.

These are the dried Shitake mushrooms I used

Miso Beef and Asparagus

1 lb beef, I used strip steaks
1 lb asparagus
1/2 cup miso paste
2 Tbs olive oil

Cut beef into thin strips and put in a bowl.  Add the miso paste and mix thoroughly.  Let this stand for at least an hour.  Trim the asparagus then cut into thirds.  Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once the asparagus has cooked for 1 - 2 minutes add the beef to the skillet.  Cook until the meat is almost done.  This should be timed to be around the same time the fettuccine is done.  The pasta water that transfers with the fettuccine will combine with the miso paste to make a nice sauce to coat the noodles.  Serve and enjoy.  This will make 4 good size servings.

Mushroom Fettuccine with Miso Steak and Asparagus

This is a mighty tasty meal that reheats well if you have leftovers.  This would also work well with pork or chicken.  Give these out of the ordinary ingredients a try.  Let me know what you think.


Uncle T

Grilled Octopus and Asparagus

The same day we got the squid mentioned here, 1 May post, we also got an octopus.  It's been a bit since we've done octopus so given the price it was too hard to resist.  The last octopus I finished in the skillet so I decided this one would be finished on the grill

I know, octopus has an ick factor for a lot of people in the US.  The  trouble is two-fold, octopus is not in the usual realm of seafood and too many Americans are just too squeamish when it comes to anything other than beef, pork, or chicken.

1.5 lb Octopus waiting for the water to boil

Part of the problem is that octopus done wrong is incredibly chewy.  I mean like chewing a rubber band chewy.  The same problems afflict squid.  I don't mind though, that means more squid and octopus for us at better prices.  I prefer an octopus in the 1.5 lb to 2 lb range for a meal for the good wife and me.


The octopus just needs to be simmered for a bit to tenderize it prior to finishing it in the manner you prefer.  This is also a good time to add some flavor to the octopus.  To do this you just add some aromatics to the pot as you bring the liquid up to a boil.  I use water for this though I know some folks use wine or a wine and water mix.  It's up to you.  The aromatics I use generally vary by what I have on hand at the time.  That means the recipe can be changed to suit what you have available.


Grilled Octopus


1 octopus for every two people
2 sweet peppers, cut in half
3 large cloves garlic, slightly crushed
1 Tbs salt
1.5 Tbs black peppercorns
1.5 Tbs juniper berries
2 cinnamon sticks
1 medium onion, quartered
water
olive oil


The octopus should come already cleaned unless you are buying at the dock.  Remove the beak if it hasn't been done.  Put enough water in a large pot to just cover the octopus.  Add all the other ingredients except for the olive oil and bring to a boil.  Once it has come to a boil, dip the octopus tentacles in the boiling water three times.  Keep the tentacles in the water for a few seconds each time you dip it.  This will ensure the tentacles curl up nicely.  After the third dip, if the tentacles are curled to your satisfaction, put the whole octopus in the boiling water.  Cover and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer the octopus until a sharp knife can penetrate the octopus fairly easily.  This is usually 60 - 90 minutes.  Once the octopus is to this point, remove it from the pot and set on a plate.  After the octopus is on the plate it's time to fire up the grill.  Get the grill good and hot.  Once the grill is hot, drizzle some olive oil on the octopus and place it on the grill.  Grill on one side for 5 - 10 minutes then turn the octopus over.  Grill for another 5 - 10 minutes.  Remove the octopus from the grill and cut in half.  Serve and enjoy.

Just off the grill

The wide range in grill time is so you can do it to suit your tastes.  The longer it is on the grill the more crispy bits there will be to add another bit of texture.


We had an asparagus dish to accompany the octopus.  I came up with this after having asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.  While I like prosciutto, it was not always readily available in some of the locations the Army had me stationed.  Enter the bacon.  Yes, I know the two are nothing alike.  Remember, I'm from small town South so bacon or bacon grease is in lots of different foods.  This is one of our favorite ways to eat asparagus though we don't do it all the time.  It is a great dish though.  I typically call it Transcendent Asparagus it is so good.


Transcendent Asparagus


1 lb asparagus
1 lb bacon
shredded mozzarella cheese


Prepare the asparagus by cutting off the tough bottom part.  Depending on the size of your asparagus divide it into bundles of 2 - 3 spears.  Wrap each bundle in bacon, using either a half slice or a whole slice.  Place the completed bundle in a baking pan and continue until all the bundles are wrapped.  Sprinkle a heavy layer of the shredded mozzarella on top of the bacon.  Put into a 400F oven for 20 minutes.  You can go shorter or longer depending on how dark you want the cheese to get.  Serve and enjoy.  3 or 4 bundles make a good side dish and this can serve 4 at that rate. 

All wrapped up and ready for cheese

A word of warning, if  you use whole slices of bacon you'll end up with quite a bit of bacon grease in the pan.  If you don't want to mess with the bacon grease in the pan you could partially cook the bacon prior to wrapping around the asparagus.  Using a half slice will yield less bacon grease but still be enough to cook the flavor into the asparagus.

Bacon wrapped Asparagus with Mozzarella Cheese ready for the oven

See, we match the unusual menu choices with things that are familiar.  This is the way most likely to get someone to try something different.  We had leftover sprouted rice and quinoa also which was a nice combo with the octopus and asparagus.  Roasted potatoes also go well with this meal instead of the grains if you prefer.

A fine supper

Give one or both of these a try.  I think you'll like them.  If you try them let me know what you think.


Uncle T

Farfalle (Bow-tie Pasta) with Shrimp and Asparagus

Since it is spring and the season for asparagus I try to use it in as many meals as possible while the prices are low.  We like asparagus with  pasta anyway so it was a natural choice.  Something else I'm going to try with asparagus is lacto fermenting so look for that in the not too distant future.  Once using the asparagus in a pasta dish was settled on, I had to decide what I would add to it and which pasta to use.  Then the idea of farfalle and shrimp popped in my head and I was off and running.   My inspiration came from an item offered for sale to the military for use in Dining Facilities.  That item is a boil in the bag farfalle with shrimp in a butter sauce.


I did a Google search and only found one recipe for farfalle with shrimp and asparagus and it used a tomato based sauce.  I wanted the flavors of the shrimp and asparagus to shine rather than being reduced or overwhelmed by tomato flavor.  A butter sauce seemed to be the answer.


Making fresh farfalle was an interesting experience to say the least.  I'll probably do it again though I don't know that I'll make it fresh every time.  Like all fresh pasta, it is a bit time consuming and probably should have  taken more time.  I say that because the sizes of the farfalle were inconsistent.  To fix that I would need to use a ruler, though that wouldn't add too much time.  Then, once they are all cut you have to go through and pinch them all in the middle to form the proper shape.  That part went well even though some did open up a bit in the water.  I ended up using half of the pasta dough to make the farfalle and the rest was cut into spaghetti to cook and use later.  The half recipe made enough farfalle that the final dish made two suppers for the good wife and me.  After we finished our meal the first night, I put the picture on and caption on Facebook and my mother asked what farfalle was so I added the common US name in the title of this post.


Farfalle with Shrimp and Asparagus


4 servings dried farfalle or equivalent fresh pasta
1 lb asparagus
1 lb 21 - 25 size shrimp, peeled with the tails off
6 Tbs butter, I used salted
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper


Remove the tough lower part of the asparagus stalks and cut the remaining part into bite size lengths, about 1.5 inches.  Melt 4 Tbs butter in large skillet and add the asparagus and garlic when the butter starts to foam.  When the asparagus is partially cooked, about 3 minutes, add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  The pasta should be almost done about the time the shrimp are almost cooked through.  With the fresh pasta I added the pasta to the boiling water immediately after adding the shrimp to the skillet.  When the shrimp are almost done, remove the farfalle from the boiling water and add to the skillet; don't worry if it is not completely drained.  Add the remaining 2 Tbs butter to the skillet and stir to combine.  Let it sit on medium heat until the last butter is melted then stir to distribute evenly.  The butter should combine with the pasta water that came with the farfalle to make a light buttery sauce.  Serve with some grated parmesan cheese and hot crusty bread and enjoy.

Shrimp and Asparagus ready for the Farfalle

If using dried pasta this meal comes together quickly so it makes for a good mid-week meal.  If you buy peeled deveined shrimp, by the time the water for the pasta has come to a boil you can have the prep work done.  Of course, the prep work only consists of pinching off the shrimp tail and cutting up the asparagus.  Get a good loaf of bread from bakery on the way home and you are good to go. 

My plate of goodness

If you want to be a bit healthier you can substitute some good olive oil for the butter at the end.  You know I didn't do it that way.  I think some good extra virgin olive oil would add a nice green note that would compliment the asparagus.


Give this a try some evening and I think you'll be pleased with the result.  Remember, cooking shouldn't be a chore so experiment and have fun in the kitchen.  Let me know what you think of this dish.


Uncle T

Smoked Leg of Lamb with Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad

Easter was this past weekend and for the first time in many years, the boy was able to be with us.  He drove down early Sunday morning and brought the grandpups.  We went to church and came home for a big Easter dinner.  We had a good visit before they returned home.


When talking about Easter weekend a few weeks back, the good wife stated that she'd like to have lamb.  I had picked up a boneless leg of lamb on sale a while back so I just had to pull it from the freezer.  Normally, when I do lamb I leave the boneless leg open and grill it though I have been known to put some mint leaves and feta cheese on it and roll it back up to grill.  Grilling like this is fairly quick and yields good results but I wanted to smoke it.


I prepped the lamb after breakfast before I got dressed for church.  I cut off the netting and opened the leg and did a bit of trimming.  This meant cutting out some large chunks of fat and trimming some silver skin off one of the muscles.  After it was trimmed to my satisfaction, I poured olive oil on it and rubbed it all over then seasoned it with Uncle T's spice mix #2.  I then rolled it up tightly and tied it in place.  Once it was tied I repeated the oiling and seasoning.  The lamb ended up resting with seasoning blend on for about 3 hours before going into the smoker.

Boneless Leg of Lamb Fresh From the Smoker

Smoking the lamb was done in the Weber kettle grill rather than the Weber smoker because it was raining and it was easier to set up the grill for indirect cooking/smoking and to manage it than getting the smoker up and running would be.  The lamb was smoked with a combination of rosemary branches and cherry wood.  I pulled it when it reached 125F internal and let carry over finish it while the rest of the meal was completed.  You can't beat medium rare lamb.

Smoked Leg of Lamb

I also made a variant of the Brussels sprout salad I'd made on the good wife's birthday.  For this salad I used kale from the garden and store bought Brussels sprouts.  Everything else was the same.  Texture wise it was a bit chewier thanks to the kale.  There was also just a slightly noticeable difference between using store bought Brussels sprouts versus fresh from the garden.  It was still an excellent salad though.

Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad

The good wife also wanted asparagus with the meal so naturally I made it happen.  The asparagus was cut into pieces, about 2 inches, then put in the skillet used to cook the bacon for the salad.  There was only about 1 Tbs of bacon grease plus the brown bits from frying the bacon.  Once the asparagus was cooked I sprinkled on some grated parmesan cheese and tossed it.  Once the parmesan browned a bit some more was sprinkled on top and it was removed from the heat.

My Plate

We also had parmesan roasted potatoes and the good wife made deviled eggs and a plate of pickled okra and pickled beets.   Both the okra and beets came from our garden and the good wife canned them.  I didn't think to take pictures until most of the eggs were gone so I failed to document the good wife's handiwork.


For some reason, most Americans seem resistant to trying lamb.  If you are one of those people, I urge you to give it a try.  You can find boneless leg of lamb at many stores at prices comparable to beef prices.  Just remove most of the fat since lamb fat doesn't get melty and tasty like beef or pork fat.  Lamb fat also has a high melting point so it will get hard and coat your mouth at a temperature at which beef or pork would still be soft and flavorful.  So, trim the fat then season the lamb and smoke it.  I'm sure you'll be pleased with the taste.


I hope you'll give lamb a try along with these other dishes.  It's spring so asparagus is cheap again, get some and enjoy.  If you try the lamb or the salad, let me know what you think.  Remember, have fun in the kitchen.


Uncle T

Red Wine Pasta

It seems this is a pretty big thing.  My good wife and son were talking about it this past weekend because his beloved had liked a recipe.  I had missed that somehow and got them to tell me about it.  After that it was up to Google and I found lots of recipes.  I also got our son to send me the link to the recipe his beloved had found.  In the end, I combined bits of other recipes and added my own twist to come up with a great supper.


Most of the recipes I found involve nothing more than the pasta, typically spaghetti, along with red wine, shallots, and garlic.  They also tended to be intended for side dishes.  I came across a couple that added nuts and/or Feta cheese or goat cheese.  I found one where they added pancetta to the mix.  The one with pancetta said it could be eaten by itself or used as a side dish.


If I was going to have the big pot for the pasta and the big skillet on the stove I didn't want to have to make something else to go along with the pasta.  So what does Uncle T do, he adds more stuff.  For my version you include pancetta, mushrooms, and asparagus.

A skillet full of goodness

A couple of things to note, you can use either a box of pasta or a recipe of fresh pasta for this.  I used fresh fettuccini using the recipe in this post, Pasta Recipe.  The second thing, use a wine you'd like to drink.  After all, you'll have some left over and there is no need to let it go to waste.  Most of the recipes I found called for a Zinfandel or a Cabernet Sauvignon.  I used an Australian Merlot.


So without further ado, here it is.


Red Wine Pasta


1 lb spaghetti or fettuccini, boxed or fresh
4 oz thick cut pancetta, diced
1 shallot, minced
4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 lb asparagus, cut in bite size pieces
1 bottle red wine
2 Tbs butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning


Heat skillet over medium/medium high heat and add diced pancetta.  Cook until slightly crispy and remove from skillet.   Put the shallot and garlic in the skillet with the grease rendered from the pancetta.  Cook until the shallot is translucent then add the asparagus.  Stir the asparagus and cook until slightly under done and remove from skillet.  If there is not enough of the pancetta grease left add a bit of olive oil and dump in the mushrooms.  Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste.  Cook the mushrooms till they are lightly brown on the bottom then turn and brown the other side.  Add the pancetta and asparagus with the shallot and garlic back to the skillet.  Pour in 1/3 of the bottle of wine.  Bring to a simmer.  Time cooking your pasta so it is almost done at the same time you add the wine to the skillet.  When the wine is at a simmer, remove the pasta from the pot and put into the skillet.  Once all the pasta is in the skillet start turning it to get it all in the wine.  Add the butter to help thicken the sauce.  Once the wine has been cooked into the pasta and the pasta is al dente it is done.  Plate and top with cheese.  Eat and enjoy.

Red Wine Pasta plated up and ready for cheese

This would go well with some good Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.  I didn't have any of those on hand so I used a blend that contains Parmesan, Asiago,

Red Wine Pasta with cheese

This dish or a variant of it will definitely become part of the rotation.  It is too quick and tasty for it to not be.  If you can't find thick pancetta you could dice some slab bacon and come close to the same effect.  If you are in the mood for pasta with a twist give this a try.  If you do, let me know what you think.


Uncle T