Tag Archives: easy

Cookin’: Easy Homemade Freaking Bread

  February 12, 2013

In my dream blogger world, I would be a fan-freaking-tastic professional athlete that emanates a modest Chrissie Wellington/Kara Goucher vibe (but curses like a sailor), has the cooking prowess of the Pioneer Woman, and has the oh-so-chicness of Emily Shuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere. That’s totally doable, right?

Bahahahahahahahahahaha!

UntitledFaking the part and lookin’ all old-timey in my old-timey kitchen. 

But this weekend, I got close to one of those alter-egos by baking something that I can’t stop talking about, let alone eating. Wait for it, wait for it…

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I MADE HOMEMADE FREAKING BREAD!

Let me emphasize why this is a big deal: I didn’t grow up in a family that cooked. Instead, I have memories of 10 cent tacos at El Pollo Loco and getting the 5 for $5 Arby’s Roast Beef Sandwiches with my grandma (I would always be the one to eat the extra). The thought of eating bread out of anything than the bag it came in from the grocery store was the stuff of people who had too much time on their hands. My parents owned their own business and worked their asses off – homemade bread was not necessary (or imaginable).

As I got older, and more specifically, as I changed jobs that didn’t suck my life away with a horrendous commute, I’ve been playing in the kitchen. With the party we were hosting Saturday night, I took the leap, stood on my soapbox, smashed down my triton and declared, “I WILL MAKE MY OWN BREAD!”

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Inspired by the bread I saw on Hungry Runner Girl, I found the original recipe and concluded that this what not the work of over-achievers, just people who plan. This bread isn’t hard — it’s full of white bread-goodness, it uses the ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, but it takes time. Two hours to let it rise once, then another hour to rise after you’ve braided it.

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Long story short: you can totally make this bread and you’ll be glad you did. Just chunk out some time, waft in the homemade bread smell and continually peek through the oven mirror at your glorious creation.

Oh, and don’t forget, when people come over for dinner, pull out the baking sheet and proclaim, “I MADE MOTHER F-ING BREAD!” over and over again like I did.

It’s a magnificent moment.

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Or maybe it was all fault of this fresh raspberry mint cocktail.
One of the best I’ve had in a while.

 

   
9 Comments | Posted in Cooking

Cookin’: Spicy Sausage and Veggie Pasta

  September 14, 2011

I should probably change the tag of my blog to “Confessions of a pasta-holic” or “Page would rather go without cookies for a year before giving up pasta.” While I like to pretend that I’m a purveyor of fine pastas, the truth of the matter is that I love everything from the 68 cent box of Piccolini to the hand-made ribbons of goodness.

Last week, I added a new dish to our rotating favorites and I thought it was time to share it with you all. It’s probably the easiest pasta dish you could ever make…well, outside of mac ‘n cheese that is. I like to call it:

Spicy Sausage and Veggie Pasta-rama!

Pasta1

It’s spicy, it’s simple and I guarantee you’ll feel satisfied.

Pasta2

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite pasta
1 package of pre-cooked sausage (I like the spicy chicken sausage from Trader Joes)
2 cloves of garlic
1 hot red pepper (you can substitute red pepper flakes at the end)
3-4 small to medium bell peppers
Other veggies you can include: 1 small squash and 1 small onion (I didn’t have these the second time I made the dish, so you can really use whatever veggies you have on hand)
Basil
Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

Pasta3

Directions

  1. Chop, chop, chop! Give all of your ingredients a good chop. This includes the sausage, garlic, hot pepper, bell peppers, basil, and squash and onions if you have them.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium to high heat.
  3. Add the garlic and hot pepper – sauté slightly.
  4. Add your sausage to the hot skillet. Cook and be sure to keep flipping those little bad boys.
  5. Bring salted water to a boil; cook your pasta to al dente.
  6. While the pasta is cooking, add your veggies to the sausage skillet (do not add the basil). When you add the veggies, the sausages should be slightly browned, but not all the way as they will continue to cook with the veggies.
  7. Drain pasta, but be sure to save about a cup or so of the pasta water.
  8. Once everything is cooked (pasta and sausage/veggies), add the pasta to the large sausage/veggie skillet. This is where you have a personal choice to make: what do you want the pasta to sausage/veggie ratio to be? If you want more sausage/veggies per serving, do not add all of the pasta as it tends to be a bit too much.
  9. If desired, pour some of your reserved pasta water.
  10. At the final moment, stir in your chopped basil, top with parmesan cheese, sprinkle salt and pepper as desired.

And that’s it! Nom nom nom.

What are some of your favorite pasta dishes? I’m always looking to add more to my collection.

Happy Running!

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10 Comments | Posted in Cooking