Twice-Baked Potatoes

December 31, 2014 Sam

This, along with the cast-iron steak, is a New Year’s tradition since at least 2014, when I first published this recipe on my former website. I then updated the recipe in 2020. And finally I made small updates and published on my new site in 2021.

It’s classic for a reason! Indulgent and the leftovers even save pretty well for a day or two.

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Twice-Baked Potatoes

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Potatoes

Servings: servings

Ingredients

5 slices bacon
3 baking potatoes
½ cup salted butter
2 tbsp cream cheese
⅓ cup sour cream
chives
thyme
olive oil
4-6 oz cheddar cheese
paprika

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two sheet pans with tinfoil. On one, add the cooling rack and place the bacon on top. Bake the bacon for 18 minutes or longer until it’s crispy. Remove and put on paper towels.
5 slices bacon
While that cooks, clean each potato and then rub thoroughly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour, making sure they're sufficiently cooked through. (When cooked, they will slice easily and cleanly.)
3 baking potatoes, olive oil
Once both are done, turn off the oven for now. Shred the cheddar cheese until you have more than 1 cup. Strip thyme leaves from the stem.
While the potatoes are cooling, in a stand mixer with the flat attachment, add ½ cup of butter, 2 tbsp cream cheese, ⅓ cup sour cream and ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Add the thyme leaves.
½ cup salted butter, 2 tbsp cream cheese, ⅓ cup sour cream, 4-6 oz cheddar cheese, thyme
Cut each potato in half, lengthwise. You want to scrape the insides out into the stand mixer bowl, but make sure you leave a small amount around the edge (close to the sink) that will give the potatoes structure. Lay the potato shells on a baking sheet.
By hand with a spoon, gently mix the potatoes and the ingredients until just combined, so you don't develop the starch into a glue-like texture.
Fill the potato shells with the filling, hopefully so that the potatoes are overflowing some. Sprinkle smoked paprika on top. Top each potato with a little more grated cheese and pop 'em in the oven until the potato is warmed through and developing a nice crust, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4-6 oz cheddar cheese, paprika, chives

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Favorites, Projects, Weekend Dinner

Classic Semolina Pasta

December 24, 2014 Sam

This classic pasta recipe is just about perfect. One batch is enough for skillet lasagna or about 4 servings, approximately.

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Classic Semolina Pasta

Fresh pasta that can't be beat

Prep Time2 30

Total Time2 30

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Basics, Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 297kcal

Equipment

Pasta press (e.g., Kitchenaid attachment)
Rotary cutter
Noodle rack

Ingredients

1 cup semolina flour
1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 large egg
½ tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cold water

Instructions

Combine the semolina flour, bread flour, and salt in a large bowl. Using a fork, mix these ingredients together, then using a sifter, sift into another bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and beat well with a fork. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the cold water and mix well again.
Pour the liquid ingredients into your mixer bowl and attach the flat beater. Add half of the sifted flour mixture, turn to speed 2 and mix 20 seconds. Add the rest of the sifted flour mixture and mix an additional 20 seconds.
Exchange flat beater for the dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, until a dough ball is formed. Stop mixing and scrape down the sides as necessary to get it form a ball. Continue kneading for a few minutes. Good pasta dough should be elastic and pliable, but FIRM (not soft like bread dough). It should not stick to your fingers or fall apart. To test for the correct consistency, pinch a small amount of dough together after kneading for 2 to 3 minutes — if the dough stays together without sticking to your fingers or falling apart, it should work well. If too soft, add more flour by dusting the top of the dough and knead some more, continuing to dust the dough with flour until achieving the right consistency. If too dry, sprinkle the dough with a bit of water (less than 1 tsp at a time) and knead some more.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour (this step is very important).
Remove dough from refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes still wrapped. Using your hands, roll dough into a log, about 6-inches long. Cut the log into 6 slices, then flatten each piece slightly. Spread slices out so they aren't touching and cover with plastic wrap. Put out a sprinkling of bread flour that you will use to make sure the exterior of the pasta stays low-friction as it gets compressed by the pasta roller.
Using the widest setting on the pasta press, turn mixer to speed 2 and take one piece of the flattened dough coated in a bit of flour and feed through the rollers. Fold dough in half and roll again. Repeat 3 more times, lightly dusting the sheet of pasta with flour in between each rolling if it feels the slightest bit sticky.
Move adjustment knob to setting 2 and feed the dough sheet through the rollers only once. Continue to increase roller setting until desired dough thickness is reached: 4 for standard egg noodles; 4 or 5 for lasagna noodles, fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli; 6 or 7 for tortellini, thin fettuccine, and linguine fini; 7 or 8 for VERY thin "angel-hair" type pasta or a very fine linguine.
Once desired thickness is achieved, place sheets on a flat surface to cut into noodles (if desired) using the rotary cutter. You may need to cut sheets in half if they have grown too long for standard noodle length.
After cutting each sheet, hang to dry on a floured pasta rack. Dry for a minimum of 10 minutes. IMPORTANT: Flour the pasta rack or the plastic hangers before placing pasta on them. ALSO, separate the strips of pasta as best you can, so they aren't touching. This way they won't dry sticking together. If you want to dry the pasta for later use, dry for several hours and then store in airtight containers or bags.
When ready to cook, boil your water and add salt. Fresh pasta will cook faster than commercially bought pasta – about 4 to 5 minutes in vigorously boiling water for al dente.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Classic Semolina Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 297 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 47mg16%

Sodium 164mg7%

Potassium 127mg4%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 68IU1%

Calcium 19mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Indian

Quick Naan

December 24, 2014 Sam

This is my classic recipe for naan that doesn’t require warmed milk, and so it’s much more likely to be possible with what you have on hand.

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Quick Naan

Slightly simpler ingredients and quicker rise

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Rise Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Bread

Servings: pieces

Calories: 244kcal

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
7 g active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup water 120° to 130°
¼ cup neutral oil
¼ cup full-fat plain yogurt

Instructions

In a large stand mixer bowl, combine half of the flour and all of the yeast, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add warm water, oil, and yogurt to the flour mixture. Mix using the paddle attachment for 60 seconds or so, until well mixed. Switch to the dough hook and gradually mix in remaining flour to make a smooth dough, add more or less flour as necessary. Knead for up to 5 minutes until the gluten is well-developed.
Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until dough doubles, about 45 minutes.
Punch the dough down, and divide dough in to 8 pieces. Let it rest five minutes covered. Roll out each piece of dough in to a tear drop shape about 8 inches long and less than ¼-inch thick.
Heat a large skillet or suaté pan over medium-high heat. Before placing naan on the pan, spray the naan with a small amount of water and put it wet-side down. Cook for about 2 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned and starting to puff. Spray with additional water and flip the naan over and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Once done, you can store in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Quick Naan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 331mg14%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 37g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 8IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Fall, Favorites, Projects, Spring, Summer, Weekend Dinner, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Spinach Pasta

December 24, 2014 Sam

This is a classic from the archives – nearly seven years old as I update and retype this in 2021. This is homemade gourmet at its best.

This makes two separate servings of two. Refrigerate or freeze the excess pasta and use only half of the “sauce” ingredients per each time you cook it.

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Spinach Pasta

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time15

Total Time1 45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 708kcal

Equipment

Food processor
Pasta rollers

Ingredients

Pasta

10 oz frozen spinach thawed, pressed, and chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tbsp water

2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

Make Pasta

To remove moisture from the spinach, microwave it for a about 1 minute and then press as much water out of it as you can in a mesh strainer. Use towels (or paper towels) to further dry it. Once as dry as possible, chop it in a food processor until very fine.
With the flat beater on, combine the spinach and 4 cups flour into the stand mixer bowl and stir them up a bit. Then add the 4 eggs and 1 tbsp water and mix with the flat beater for about 30 seconds until it comes together.
4 cups all-purpose flour, 4 large eggs, 1 tbsp water
Switch to the dough hook and mix on low for about 2 minutes. Remove the dough and knead by hand for a few minutes, adding extra flour to the get the right consistency, which is stiff, but pliable and not sticky at all.
Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Do not refrigerate or it will be too cold.
Cut the dough ball into eight equal pieces and work on one piece at a time. Use plenty of flour. Start with the widest setting on the roller and put it through a few times, folding it over in half in between passes. At the end your sheet should be the exact width of you pasta roller. If the dough starts to stick at all, dust the sheet of pasta with flour. Then you can work it through the roller until it gets down to your desired thickness (setting 4 is ideal for thick but manageable pasta).
Cut the pasta as desired and hang to dry on a pasta tree.

Storing Extra Noodles

Place nests of pasta in a freezer bag and store until you want to cook them (no more than one month is ideal).

Cooking the Pasta

For fresh or frozen pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it’s boiling, add your pasta. After 3 or 4 minutes all the pasta should be floating and that means it’s done.

For the Basic Sauce

As the pasta is cooking, add 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes with 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and put it over high heat with 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and 1 tsp salt. Don’t completely cook down the tomatoes, just heat them up and get the flavors to combine some. Turn the heat to low.
2 pints cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp red pepper flakes
When the pasta is done you can use tongs to pull it out of the water and add it straight to the pan with the tomatoes, allowing a bit of the pasta water to come with the noodles. Stir a bit to cook off the pasta water and serve immediately.

Notes

Serves 4

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spinach Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 708 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 164mg55%

Sodium 742mg32%

Potassium 975mg28%

Carbohydrates 109g36%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 10002IU200%

Vitamin C 58mg70%

Calcium 165mg17%

Iron 10mg56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Favorites, Snack

Soft Pretzels

June 5, 2012 Sam

I have been making these for years and adjusting the recipe for a long time. According to Google Drive, my first version of this recipe is from June 2012, so I’m marking that as the date here, even though I’ve modified it since then.

It’s a classic for a reason – these are fantastic soft pretzels!

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Soft Pretzels

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

Course: Bread, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 209kcal

Ingredients

Pretzel

450 g bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
11 g instant yeast
300 g warm water

Water bath

4 cups water
2 tbsp baking soda

Topping

Coarse salt pretzel, flake or kosher salt

Instructions

Measure the dry ingredients into a mixer bowl and mix quickly to combine. Add the 300g warm water while kneading in the stand mixer (add up to 50g more water, or a bit more flour, if needed to form a barely-sticky dough). Knead for around 8 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour.
450 g bread flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 11 g instant yeast, 300 g warm water
After it has rested, pull a piece of parchment paper the size of the baking sheet. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and cover with a clean towel. You want the dough to rest for about 5 minutes after each is divided, so do this at a reasonably gentle pace.
Once it has rested after being divided, roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about two feet) and twist each rope into a pretzel. Make sure you connect the legs to the frame well, so it does not come apart later. (They should be fairly thin at this step, as they will continue to plump up.) Set aside and cover as you go, allowing them to rise again for 10 minutes under cover. They can be on a sheet pan, if you'd like, but you will be transferring them off before you bake them, so it should be a second sheet pan if anything.
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. In a deep skillet, heat 4 cups water and 2 tbsp baking soda (or 2 cups, 1 tbsp for a smaller pan) until it is barely simmering. Quickly and very carefully boil each pretzel in the mixture for about 30 seconds, placing the completed pretzels on a baking sheet and sprinkling with a very coarse salt as soon as they come out of the boiling pan.
4 cups water, 2 tbsp baking soda, Coarse salt
Bake the pretzels for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.

Notes

Makes 8 pretzels

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Soft Pretzels

Amount Per Serving

Calories 209 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1410mg61%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.