Here is today’s recipes that I wanted to share. The first is for those who love the convenience of baking mixes, such as the boxed versions sold in stores. Here is a really inexpensive homemade one that I love to use. I use this in place of the “Bisquik” for making biscuits during the winter when we eat them nearly daily with soups or stews.
Homemade Baking Mix
6 Cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Cup vegetable shortening
Into a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt to mix well. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Place into an air-tight container and refrigerate. This mix will keep for up to 4 months.
Homemade Pasta Noodles
2 Cups of all-purpose flour
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Tbsp. warm water
Place flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add eggs, olive oil, and water. Mix together until well blended. Turn onto a lightly floured table and lightly knead until glossy and no more flour can be kneaded in. It makes a somewhat firm dough. Form into a ball and cover. Let rest for an hour. (Do not skip this step! It really makes a difference in the quality of the pasta texture.)
Roll out the dough to desired thickness. I like to make it a little thicker than a dime. Remember that pasta will thicken up a bit more when cooking!
Cut the dough into desired widths and drap over a clean dowel rod to dry overnight. Once fully dried, the pasta can be stored in plastic containers until ready to use.
When making the pasta, I never make more than a month’s supply. Our climate is very humid and I don’t want to risk molding from the humidity. Because of this, I have no idea how long a batch would keep in the pantry.
***Here is a quick tip that the kids love – in place of the water, use pureed vegetables. It provides the liquid, yet gives the pasta beautiful color and added nutrients.
Enjoy!
