Gan Gan's Cream Cheese Mints

Gan Gan was my Mom's mom. I loved her like crazy. She was spunky, and kind, and absolutely hilarious. As a little girl, I loved spending time with "Gan Gan." I didn't get the chance to know her as an adult (she passed away when I was in middle school). She didn't cook very much (that I remember), but it was always fun to help her in the kitchen! (As a side note, I found out recently that she was also adopted...and her adoption story is SO interesting!)

When I was trying to decide what recipe to post, I looked through a few that she had passed down - Chocolate Pie, Lemon Pie, Bourbon Balls (interesting). But I landed on Cream Cheese Mints.

These are kind of old-fashioned. Not something I really make very often - in fact I've only made them once or twice as an adult. Though I do remember having them at "teas" and "luncheons" and other various fancy parties when growing up.

They are basically mint-flavored icing candies. Yum. Super simple. A few ingredients (some of which you can leave out - namely food color). These are really fun for small kids to help with - because it's kind of like working with play dough and there are no sharp or hot objects involved. Enjoy!

Gan Gan's Cream Cheese Mints

yield 6-7 dozen

Ingredients

• 3 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp. liquid peppermint flavoring
• 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• food color (optional)
• granulated sugar for decoration

Mix 1 package cream cheese (softened) with 1/2 tsp. peppermint flavoring. Gradually add 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Knead until no longer sticky. Divide into 4 portions and add food coloring of your choice to each (optional).

Shape into 3/4" balls and roll in sugar. Flatten with a fork to create a pattern. Let dry at room temperature.

Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.


PS - I didn't have time to take pictures this month (sorry!). And yes - It's August 7 and I'm just now posting for July. Can you say slacker?!? I will try to be better next month! I did post a couple of other non-grandmother recipes over on my photography blog...watermelon sorbet & my favorite popsicles.

Lasagna- Style Baked Ziti with a Twist

(adapted from Real Simple Magazine)

12 oz. ziti (about 4 cups) [Use 1 box of whole wheat penne.]

1 TB olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped [Use the garlic press and 4-5 cloves of garlic.]

½ pound lean ground beef [Since I don’t eat a lot of red meat, I will use ground turkey.]

1 26 oz. jar of marinara sauce

1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) [1 bag of spinach.]

½ cup ricotta

½ cup grated Parmesan (2 oz.) [ Double.]

1 cup grated mozzarella (4 oz.) [Double.]

[If you prefer, substitute Italian or turkey sausage for the ground beef or chopped broccoli for the spinach.]

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 4-5 minutes. (Probably more like 10 minutes.) Add the beef/turkey, a dash of salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until its no longer pink, 5-6 minutes more.

Toss the pasta with the meat mixture, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Transfer to a 9x13-baking dish or 4 large ramekins. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan and bake until the cheese melts, 12-15 minutes.

Creamy Eggplant Sauce

For years I thought I didn't like eggplant. It could be that the picky child in me was predisposed to dislike it. Or maybe that my taste buds have changed as I've gotten older. Either way, I have recently discovered that I really enjoy it! We put it on pasta, substitute it for meat, and have even pureed it to make a delicious pizza sauce.

This creamy eggplant sauce can be made with either fresh tomatoes, or a can of diced tomatoes - the former gives a lighter fresher taste to the sauce, and the latter a richer, saltier flavor. The sauce is great served with homemade spicy tagliatelle, but I'm guessing it would go just as well with a box of store bought pasta. The recipe says it serves 4, but I think it could serve at least 6, or maybe 8 if you add bread & salad. We always make a full recipe and freeze half for a quick weeknight meal for later.

Creamy Eggplant Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggplants (aubergines)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 15 leaves fresh basil, torn
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled & chopped OR 1 can diced tomatoes
• Freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Directions

• Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
• Peel the eggplants and chop into 1 inch cubes. Boil in lightly salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain, squeezing out excess moisture.
• Put a very large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic, thyme & onion and sauté for for about 2 minutes.
• Add eggplant and cook for 6-7 minutes, mashing gently.

• Remove from heat, add half the basil and season generously with salt & pepper (if using fresh tomatoes you will want more salt, and if using canned, less salt).
• Chop eggplant mixture in a food processor until smooth. Be careful...the mixture is very hot!
• Return the eggplant cream to the pan and put back over medium heat. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down, and the sauce is creamy.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente (3-4minutes for fresh pasta).
• Optional: Now is when you will want to pull out half of the sauce if you are cooking for two and saving half for a second dinner. Put into a freezer friendly Tupperware container, and allow to cool before putting the lid on and freezing.
• Drain the pasta and add to the pan with sauce. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water & toss gently.
• Remove from heat, add a few tablespoons of cheese (optional) & remaining basil. Toss gently and serve with more cheese if desired.

Note: If you prefer a spicier dish, you can add more dried chilies before you purée the eggplant mixture.

Making Fresh Pasta: Spicy Tagliatelle with Thyme

I am new to this whole homemade pasta thing. My sweet husband gave me the kitchen aid pasta maker attachments for Christmas. What I've learned? Making homemade pasta takes time and practice. It is most definitely a labor of love. Thus I consider homemade pasta a weekend or special occasion meal.

The first time I tried to make to make homemade pasta it went horribly wrong. First of all, I was cooking for friends. It was Sunday brunch after church (a little tradition we've started in the Guillory house). And we were all starving. The recipe said it would take 40 minutes. And I believed it. Whoops! Oh, and did I mention I decided to make spinach pasta on my first try? Yeah. Because I am me. The pasta was the wrong consistency (which I only know in hindsight). It stuck in the pasta rollers, clumped together, and ended up very thick & chewy. Mmmmm.

At this point I was thinking homemade pasta was totally not worth the effort. Until my sweet husband made a sad face, and I gave it a second try. And it was so much better. Since then I have made this recipe a couple of times, and filled pasta once. It's a really fun project, but still one that takes time. And while the pasta roller is definitely a handy accessory, it's totally possible to make without one (come on Emily...you know you want to give it a try!)

This recipe of spicy tagliatelle goes very well with the creamy eggplant sauce, but the pasta recipe can be adapted very simply by switching out the chilies & thyme for your favorite herb/seasoning, or can be topped with pretty much any type of pasta sauce. The possibilities are endless! 

Spicy Tagliatelle

 

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 dried chilies, crumbled
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Making the Pasta Dough

• Whisk eggs, chilies & thyme in a small bowl.  
• Sift flour into a medium bowl & make a well in the middle. 
  
  
  

• Pour egg mixture into flour. 
• Use a fork to gradually incorporate egg into flour to make a crumbly dough. (I have tried skipping this step...I do not recommend this ;) It will look something like this...

• Knead the dough for a few minutes . It will be a very thick dough, and should not be sticky!  
• Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes or store it in the fridge (wrapped in plastic wrap) until you are ready to roll it out.

Rolling the Pasta Dough

(This is where a pasta roller comes in handy!)

If using a pasta machine:

• Cut the ball of dough into about 6 smaller pieces. 
• Taking one piece at a time, brush the dough with flour.
•  Roll each piece of dough through on widest setting. Fold in half. Run through a second time. Brush with flour & set aside until you've completed rolling all six.
• Switch to next narrower setting - run dough through 1 sheet at a time. Brush with Flour. At this point the pieces maybe getting quite long. If so, you may want to cut each in half.
• Repeat making sheets of dough thinner until you reach the desired thickness. (I rolled through 3 settings.)

OR

If rolling by hand:

• Cut the ball of dough into several smaller pieces. 
• On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to desired thickness, brushing with flour along the way.

*Tip: Keep dough generously floured throughout the rolling & cutting process. This keeps the sheets of pasta from sticking to one another.

Allow sheets of pasta to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting.

Cutting the Pasta Dough

This particulate recipe calls for the pasta to be cut as tagliatelle - but feel free together creative with your pasta shapes!

If using a pasta machine:

• Switch to the desired cutting roller.
• Be sure that pasta sheets are floured & not sticking together. 
• Run pasta sheets through cutter one at a time.
• As pasta is extruded, gather noodles gently in your hand. 
• Place pasta on cookie sheet, separating strands as you go.

If cutting by hand:

• On a floured surface, place a sheet of pasta dough.
• Cut using a sharp knife into desired shape.

Cooking Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta cooks very quickly. Be sure not to overcook or it will get chewy!

• Boil in a large pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
• Drain. 
• Top with Creamy Eggplant Sauce or other pasta sauce as desired.
• Serve & enjoy!

 

Storing Fresh Pasta

Unless you're cooking for a crowd, this recipe will make enough pasta for at least 2 meals. It says it serves 4, but in my experience it is 4 large very filling servings. I like to freeze half of the pasta and half of the sauce for a quick & easy weeknight meal. 

• Gather strands of pasta into several small "nests" and place on a cookie sheet.
• Cover & place in freezer.
• In about an hour, remove from freezer, place pasta nests in a ziplock baggie, and toss back into the freezer. 
• When you are ready to cook your frozen pasta, boil in salted water for 4 minutes.  

Enjoy!