spelt Archives - Page 2 of 2 -

February 26, 2015

Homemade Spelt Pasta

For years I kept the pasta maker that was passed down from Ryan’s grandmother stashed away in the back of our pantry where it was easily forgotten. The whole process of homemade pasta making seemed intimidating and tedious and the pasta maker remained untouched for the longest time. Homemade pasta had been near the bottom on my long list of recipes to try. Then all of the sudden last year, the idea of making my own pasta intrigued me. I finally tried it and oh my goodness, homemade pasta takes pasta to a whole new level. Spelt flour has been a favorite to bake with for some time now and I also love it in this pasta. It gives the pasta a slightly nutty flavor without having an overwhelming wheat flavor. Realistically, fresh homemade pasta will not be the new normal around here, but it is a special treat once in a while. It does take some time, but it’s really not as much work as I had expected. There are two methods to making the dough- by hand or with a mixer or food processor. From my experience, I’ve had consistently better results when I make it by hand.

First, make a well in a mound of flour and fill with the lightly beaten eggs and olive oil. Use a fork to gradually incorporate the flour, starting in the middle and working outwards.

Knead the dough together by hand until the dough is smooth and flexible. Form the dough into a ball and allow to rest.

Make flat sheets of pasta through one side of the pasta machine.

Then cut those sheets into strips of noodles with the other side.

You have pasta!

Spelt Pasta

Ingredients

2½ cups whole spelt flour (10 ounces)
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-6 tablespoons water

Instructions

Make a mound of flour and sprinkle the salt across the top. Use a spoon to create a well in the center of the mound.
In a liquid measuring cup, lightly whisk together the eggs, olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of water. Pour the mixture into the well. Using a fork and a circular motion, gently incorporate the flour starting from the center and working outwards until all of the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough with your hands, adding more water 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary, until you can form a soft ball of dough. Continue to knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and flexible. Form the dough into a ball and cover with a glass bowl or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest and relax for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
Secure pasta machine to the edge of a countertop. Divide dough into quarters. Take one of the quarters and keep the remaining three quarters covered. Flatten and shape the piece of dough into a rough rectangle. Start with the rollers on the thickest setting (this is #1 on my pasta machine) and roll the dough through the machine. Fold the dough into thirds towards the center of the rectangle. Roll the dough through the machine again starting with the open end of the dough. Fold and repeat once more. Continue rolling the pasta through the machine, gradually adjusting to the thinner settings. I like to roll the dough twice through at each setting and I stop at #4 on my pasta machine. After #3, the dough becomes quite long and I cut the dough in half to make the length more manageable.
Choose the size noodles you would like from the opposite side of the pasta machine and roll the thin sheets of pasta through the machine to cut into noodles. Allow pasta to dry on a pasta rack.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining quarters of dough.
To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir immediately to avoid sticking. Boil 2-4 minutes, until pasta floats to the top and is tender.

Notes

very slightly adapted from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals

February 14, 2015

Raspberry Hand Pies

Isn’t everything more fun to eat when it’s shaped in a heart? I just couldn’t resist sharing these little raspberry hand pies with you today. I used the same dough as I did this these chocolate hazelnut toaster pastries and filled each with a couple teaspoons of jam. Surprisely simple, yet still special.

Wishing you all a beautiful day filled with love.

Raspberry Hand Pies

Serves: 10-12 hearts, depending on size

Ingredients

2 cups spelt flour
¼ cup raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
about ½ cup good quality raspberry jam
coarse finishing salt and turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor, add the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Process until seeds are finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of ice water. With the food processor running, gradually add the vinegar and water. Process just until mixture begins to clump together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and finish kneading together by hand. Form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to approximately ⅛" thick. Use a shaped cutter to cut into hearts.
Take one heart and spread 2 teaspoons raspberry jam in the middle, leaving a border around the edges. Top with another heart and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Repeat with the remaining hearts.
Sprinkle tops with a generous pinch coarse salt and turbinado sugar.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges start to turn light golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on tray and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

November 17, 2014

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

With the cold weather officially here to stay, we’ve transitioned into full-time soup and stew eating mode over here. This comes as a relief to me since soups and stews have such flexible cooking times and can be so easily prepared in advance. Now that it’s November, I feel that I should have our after-school routine running smoothly each day, but instead I find myself continuing to struggle with helping the kids with their instrument practice and homework, taking them to various activities, and cooking dinner all within the 4:00-6:00 time frame. I always feel so good on the days when dinner is done before they even arrive home because it’s one less thing I need to worry about.

I made a double batch of this Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup last week so I could have some to freeze and have a healthy meal easily available when I need to balance out all of the upcoming holiday treats. I find grain soups so hearty, cozy, and nourishing. The pleasant hint of saffron in this soup reminds me of the warm flavors of a Spanish paella, but this soup is a lot less time consuming to make. This recipe is extremely versatile and the spelt, millet, and quinoa can be easily substituted for other whole grains such as farro, wheatberries, or rice. To keep it gluten-free, use any combination of rice, millet, and quinoa. Or for simplicity, choose one single grain to work with. Pre-soaking whole grains such as spelt or wheat berries is recommended to aid with digestion and improve texture. Soaking for a few hours is optimal, but soaking for even an hour makes a difference. The soup thickens considerably after it sits for a while, but it can thinned it out with a bit of additional water if desired.

Tomato Saffron Mixed Grains Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
⅛-1/4 teaspoon saffron
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup spelt, soaked for at least 1 hour and drained
¼ cup millet
3 tablespoons quinoa
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ouches) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Add bay leaves, paprika, cumin, saffron, spelt, broth, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until spelt is tender, about 30 minutes.
Add millet, quinoa, tomatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer until millet and quinoa are cooked and flavors have blended, about 15-20 additional minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a garnish of parsley to serve.

Notes

adapted from Martha Stewart