A Budgie full of Millet

Pictures of food I made and more
Yum! darkchef: Homemade Manicotti Serves four For the Pasta 1 large egg 1 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cups whole milk, plus more as needed to thin the batter Canola oil to lightly grease pan For the Filling 16 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (homemade recipe below) 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste To Assemble 2 cups marinara sauce 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Creamy Homemade Ricotta 4 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cups buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon salt Cooking Instructions Add the pasta ingredients to the bowl of a blender. Blend, adding more milk one teaspoon at a time, until batter is a thin, almost runny consistency. Heat a nonstick 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Brush pan lightly with oil, if needed (see note). Hold pan at an angle, and swirl pan as you pour in enough batter to coat bottom of skillet. Cook 30 to 45 seconds, flip and cook for 15 more seconds. And don’t forget, the first one or two might end up being sacrificial until you get the hang of swirling the pan.Transfer to a flat dish or tray. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have 8 to 10 “shells” by the end. Note: I decided to buy a skillet exclusively for making manicotti and crepes, so it wipes clean with a cloth to preserve the coating, eliminating the need to grease the pan. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl (see ricotta recipe below if making from scratch); mix well. Lay pasta crepes on a flat surface and spoon an event amount of filling in a long strip down the center of each one. Roll crepes closed, and place seam-side down into the casserole dish. Evenly pour remaining sauce over filled crepes. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over top and bake 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately. TO MAKE THE RICOTTA: Add ingredients to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot. Once curds begin to separate from the whey (liquid temperature will be between 175º and 200º), remove from heat. Gently spoon or ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer. You may need to gently gather the cheesecloth at the top to help the curds drain. Let curds sit in cheesecloth to drain liquid 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how creamy you’d like your ricotta. Store in refrigerator up to two days.

Yum!

darkchef:

Homemade Manicotti

Serves four

For the Pasta

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups whole milk, plus more as needed to thin the batter

Canola oil to lightly grease pan

For the Filling

16 ounces fresh ricotta cheese (homemade recipe below)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

To Assemble

2 cups marinara sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Creamy Homemade Ricotta

4 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

  1. Add the pasta ingredients to the bowl of a blender. Blend, adding more milk one teaspoon at a time, until batter is a thin, almost runny consistency. Heat a nonstick 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Brush pan lightly with oil, if needed (see note). Hold pan at an angle, and swirl pan as you pour in enough batter to coat bottom of skillet. Cook 30 to 45 seconds, flip and cook for 15 more seconds. And don’t forget, the first one or two might end up being sacrificial until you get the hang of swirling the pan.Transfer to a flat dish or tray. Repeat with remaining batter. You should have 8 to 10 “shells” by the end. Note: I decided to buy a skillet exclusively for making manicotti and crepes, so it wipes clean with a cloth to preserve the coating, eliminating the need to grease the pan.

  2. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Combine all the filling ingredients in a medium bowl (see ricotta recipe below if making from scratch); mix well. Lay pasta crepes on a flat surface and spoon an event amount of filling in a long strip down the center of each one. Roll crepes closed, and place seam-side down into the casserole dish. Evenly pour remaining sauce over filled crepes. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over top and bake 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

  3. TO MAKE THE RICOTTA: Add ingredients to a 4-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, line a sieve or fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a deep bowl or pot.

  4. Once curds begin to separate from the whey (liquid temperature will be between 175º and 200º), remove from heat. Gently spoon or ladle the curds into the cheesecloth-lined strainer. You may need to gently gather the cheesecloth at the top to help the curds drain.

  5. Let curds sit in cheesecloth to drain liquid 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how creamy you’d like your ricotta. Store in refrigerator up to two days.

Must try this. darkchef: Moroccan Ragout with Poached Eggs Ingredients 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, small dice 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 pound merguez sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick 1 tablespoon ras el hanout 1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 fifteen-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes 8 extra-large eggs 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems included 2 tablespoons harissa (optional) Warm crusty bread, for serving Cooking Instructions In a large (12-inch) pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occassionally, until golden, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the merguez sausage slices and cook for a few more minutes, until almost cooked through. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the paprika, ras el hanout, and salt. Cook until the spices marry and lightly toast, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Crack the eggs into the sauce and cover. Simmer gently until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny. Spoon some sauce into shallow bowls and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with cilantro and, if desired, dollop with a little harissa. Serve with the bread.  

Must try this.

darkchef:

Moroccan Ragout with Poached Eggs

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, small dice
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 pound merguez sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 tablespoon ras el hanout
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 fifteen-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 8 extra-large eggs
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems included
  • 2 tablespoons harissa (optional)
  • Warm crusty bread, for serving

Cooking Instructions

  1. In a large (12-inch) pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occassionally, until golden, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the merguez sausage slices and cook for a few more minutes, until almost cooked through.

  2. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the paprika, ras el hanout, and salt. Cook until the spices marry and lightly toast, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until thickened.

  3. Crack the eggs into the sauce and cover. Simmer gently until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny.

  4. Spoon some sauce into shallow bowls and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with cilantro and, if desired, dollop with a little harissa. Serve with the bread.

 

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Gary Jules

—Gary Jules - Mad World - Donnie Darko Soundtrack

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Mad World - Gary Jules 

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