Italian

Chicken Piccata Lemon Sauce

Ingredients
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions:

Cook and stir the minced garlic in the skillet until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the lemon slices and bring the mixture to a boil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces to about 2/3 cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice and capers; simmer until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes more. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add the parsley; remove from heat and set aside.

Homemade Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups flour
½ cup semolina flour
2 whole eggs, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
water (I use about 1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and the semolina. Create a well in the center and add the eggs and egg yolks.
Using a fork, break up the eggs then gradually start to draw flour from the edges of the well into the mixture.
When the dough gets too firm to mix with the fork switch to mixing with your hands. Continue to work in flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands; you may not need to incorporate all of the flour.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes or until it is smooth and pliable. If it isn’t a little pliable add some water until its still a firm ball, but has some give when kneeded.Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
If using a rolling pin: Divide the dough in half. Dust your surface with flour and sprinkle a bit on your rolling pin as well. Roll out the dough as thin and as evenly possible, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. Use a paring knife to cut your dough into even ribbons, then set aside, dusting the cut pasta with more flour. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously salted boiling water, checking for doneness after just 1 minute; fresh pasta cooks very quickly. As soon as it is just al dente, no more than 3 or 4 minutes, drain, reserving some of the cooking water if desired for saucing the pasta. Toss with your sauce, loosen with some of the reserved cooking water as needed and serve immediately.

(If not cooking pasta noodles right away, let them dry on a baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes, dust well with flour so the strands will not stick together, and loosely fold them or form into small nests. Let dry for about 30 minutes more, then wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. It can also be transferred to a sealable plastic bag and frozen for up to 3 months; do not defrost before cooking. This recipe makes enough pasta for two meals for my family of 4. I divide in half and cook one half of the dough and freeze the other.)

This is what mine looked like before cooking:

Italian Meatballs

1lb ground beef
2 slices of bread (torn in little pieces) or oatmeal
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper
2tsp worstershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup parmesean cheese

mix all ingredients together, roll into balls and cook on a stove, once fully cooked, pour spaghetti sauce over the top and let it heat up on the stove. Is best with some spinach casserole..

Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch

28 oz. can tomatoes
2 six oz. cans tomato paste
5 six oz. cans water
Onion
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 ½ Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ Tbsp. Worsterchire Sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-30 minutes.

Homemade Lasagna II

2 lb. ground beef
Onion
1 ½ tsp. garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 lb. tomatoes
3 cans tomato paste
16 oz. ricotta cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. parsley
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp pepper
8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese
8 lasagna noodles, cooked

Boil noodles, drain. In a large skillet brown ground beef and onions, drain. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, basil, and salt. Simmer 15-20 minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper.
In a 9×13 pan spoon a little meat sauce on the bottom. Then layer half the noodles, then half the cheese mixture, the half the meat mixture. Repeat. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes until heated throughout.

Spaghetti

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
3 Tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. Oregano
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
4 cups tomato juice
½ cup Ketchup of 8 oz. tomato sauce
1 cup hot water

Put oil in large skilled and cook ground beef. Drain. Ad chopped vegetables, tomato juice, ketchup, and water and seasonings. Cook until thick. Serve over spaghetti noodles.

Homemade Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 six oz. can tomato paste
1 can tomatoes (2 ½ cups)
1 tsp. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. oregano
1 eight oz. package lasagna noodles
1 ½ cup Swiss cheese
1 eight oz package cottage cheese

Brown round beef and garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper, and oregano. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Cook noodles. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Alternate layers of meat sauce, noodles, and cheese in baking dish, beginning and ending with meat sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.