Taco Pasta

Inspired by a facebook post of 21 one-pot pasta dishes, and this recipe for enchilada pasta in particular...

Taco Pasta

diced onions
minced garlic
4 Tbsp butter
2 Cups leftover turkey
1 package taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground red pepper)
1 quart pasta sauce
1 pint salsa
3 quarts water
lg package rotini noodles

Sauté onions and minced garlic in butter in large heavy pot.  Dice leftover turkey and add to pot.  Add taco seasoning.  Stir well.

Once turkey is hot, add 1 jar pasta sauce, 1 jar salsa, 3 jars water and large package rotini noodles.  Stir well.  Cover and simmer, stirring regularly.

Once pasta is cooked through, remove from heat and top with grated cheese.  Let cheese melt and serve.

Serves six.

Boys were very pleased with the results.

Oatmeal Cups

This is one of those recipes that gets passed around facebook.  I thought I'd give it a try.

 Ingredients: 
• 1 egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup crabapple sauce
• 1 banana, mashed 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats 
• 1/8 cup chia seeds (optional) 
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/4 cups milk 

• Optional toppings: blueberries, raisins, walnuts, chocolate chips, pomegranate seeds. Ingredients: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and sugar together in a bowl. 
• Add in oats, chia seeds (if using), cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients. 
• Finally pour in milk and combine. 
• Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. 
• Divide mixture evenly into muffin tin cups. I used a 1/4 measuring cup, measure just a tad under 1/4 cup to make 12 servings. 
• Add the toppings. 
 **BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES

 I made a few changes, (crabapple sauce instead of applesauce, for example), doubled the recipe, and divided it into 36 muffin cups.  I think any jam or marmalade would work fine instead of applesauce, and I'll be trying it again with blueberry and raspberry sauce.  Mine was a bit watery though, so I'll add a bit more oatmeal until it's a thicker consistency.

Ham Casserole

I made two ham casseroles last night, from leftover ham.
The first with baby shell pasta, the second with leftover mashed potatoes and cream corn.  To both I added:
cooked, cubed, leftover ham
chopped hot pepper
chopped onion
frozen broccoli
garlic powder
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can milk

Baked at 350°F 1 hour, covered.  Uncover 20 minutes to crisp the top.

Supper last night and tonight!

Nectarines

I bought three big bags of nectarines off the cheap rack in the grocery store.  They were in pretty rough shape, bruised and oozing.

An hour later, a big bowl of nectarine slices, and a quarter of a bucket of chicken scraps.  Not bad for $3.

Final tally- eight quarts.

Light syrop
9 Cup water
2.25 Cup sugar

Nectarines
Peel and pit.  Heat slices in light syrop to boiling.  Rapid boil one minute.  Fill hot, sterile jars.
Process BWB 10 minutes.

Beer Batter

Beer Batter

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 beer

 Combine ingredients.  Mix well.  Add beer a little at a time until a pancake batter-like consistency is reached. Drink rest of beer.

Rhubarb Juice

Rhubarb Juice

Pick, wash, cut rhubarb into 1" pieces.

Pulverize rhubarb in Magic Bullet (blender).

Let drain through strainer overnight.

Pour juice through fine mesh strainer, leaving as much pulp, foam, and sludge behind as possible.

 

Dilute and sweeten to taste.  I mixed it half and half with water and 2/3 Cup sugar.  Chilling in the fridge.

Year two:  I mixed one quart rhubarb juice with 1 cup sugar, then filled the 4L jug to the top with water.  Excellent.

From DIY Housewife

Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

2 gallons skim milk
1 packet thermophilic direct set culture
1/2 rennet tablet dissolved in 1/4 Cup cool water
2-3 Cups salt

Warm milk to 90°F.  Add starter.  Stir.  Ripen 30 minutes.

Stir in rennet.  Set 30 minutes.

Cut curds into cubes.

Raise temp. slowly to 124°F.  Stir often.

Curds will shrink to size of rice.  Let curds settle 5 minutes.

Pour off whey through butter muslin.  Pack into cheesecloth lined mold.  Press at 5 pounds for 15 minutes.

Flip cheese.  Press at 10 pounds 30 minutes.

Flip cheese.  Press at 15 pounds 2 hours.

Flip cheese.  Press at 20 pounds 12 hours.

Remove cheese.  Remove cheesecloth.  Place cheese in saturated salt solution 4-6 hours.

Remove cheese from brine.  Place on cheeseboard.  Cure at 55°F 10 months or longer.  Flip daily for several weeks, then once per week until eaten.  Remove mold growth.

After 2 months curing, wax cheese.


Links To Browse:
How To Make Parmesan Cheese
Making Parmesan Cheese
How To Make Parmesan Cheese