Homemade spinach pasta and ragu bolognese

Last night, Jamie and I made homemade pasta. It was surprisingly easy. We've had a pasta roller for some time now, but only broke it out for real last night.

Jamie focused on the pasta while I did the ragu. I followed this video for the bolognese. You can find a similar recipe from Mario on www.foodnetwork.com, but the video instructions are somewhat different. The video instructions tell you to cook everything longer than the written instructions, which worked out fine for a Sunday dinner.

I'll post pictures when I re-heat the food later.

Sliders

Serves 4


A jar of homemade pickles


Why wait until summer to eat hamburgers? The ingredients, pictured above from left to right, are: a bag of lettuce/salad greens, fingerling potatoes, 2 red onions, and large rolls or really really small hamburger buns.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. fingerling potatoes
1 lb. ground beef
2 t salt
2 t pepper
2 red onions
1/3 lb. delicious cheese, like Muenster
1 head of lettuce or 1 bag of salad greens
Pickles of your choice
Mayonnaise

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Put the fingerling potatoes in a baking pan. Once the oven comes up to temperature, roast the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and delicious.


3. Combine the ground beef with the salt, pepper, and egg. Do mix it too much, or the burgers won't be as delicious.

4. Preheat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Gently form the meat into patties that are slightly larger than the buns you're using. Press a small indent into the center, so that each patty looks like a hockey puck. This will keep the burgers flat while they cook. Put 1 T of vegetable oil in the pan, and cook the burgers for about 3 minutes per side, flipping once. Don't press down on the patties with a spatula while they're cooking: it makes a nice sizzling sound, but that's just the juice running out of the patties. And if the juice is in the pan, it's not in the patties.

5. As you flip the burger, put a piece of the cheese on each patty.

3. Meanwhile, slice the red onions. Saute them in a medium skillet over medium high heat for about 4 minutes.


4. Once the patties are done, toast the buns. The patties should rest for 2 to 3 minutes before you assemble the burgers, so it's a perfect time for bun warming.

5. Assemble the burgers as follows: Bottom bun, lettuce, burger patty, a small bit of red onion, a pickle slice, mayonnaice, top bun. EAT.

Shepherd's Pie

I created this version of Shepherd's Pie with the intention of making it on the weekend and reheating it during the week. But, it smelled too good, and I couldn't wait to eat it!

Ingredients:

- 4 large Russet or Idaho potatoes
- 3 T olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or stew beef chunks
- 1 large onion
- 3 large carrots
- 3 celery stalks
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 3 T flour
- 3 T butter
- 2/3 cup shredded cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Peel and cut potatoes. Put them in a large pot of cold water. (Yes, cold water. Starting the potatoes in cold water allows them to cook more evenly). Put the water and potatoes on the stove to boil.
   
2. Start a large saucepan over medium high heat with 1 T of the olive oil. Once it's hot, add the ground beef. Cook until heated all the way through (no pink remains).
   
   
3. Meanwhile, cut the onion, carrots, garlic, and celery. Reserve on a plate.
   
4. Once the beef is browned, remove the beef to a plate, but leave the remaining oil and beef juice in the saucepan.
   
5. Add the veggies to the saucepan, cooking for 7 to 10 minutes until the veggies are softened.
   
   
   
6. Once the veggies are cooked, sprinkle the flour on top of the veggies. Heat and stir until the flour has been thoroughly mixed with the remaining liquid.
   
7. Add 1 cup of room temperature water to the pot. Stir, until the flour and water have combined. Add 1 more cup of water and stir.
   
   
   
8. Heat the water, beef, and veggies until the water starts to slow boil.
   
   
9. Meanwhile, drain and mash the potatoes. Stir in the butter, 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
   
10. Put the beef mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the beef. Spread the potatoes into a layer with a greased spatula.
    
    
11. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pie.
    
    
12. Put a piece of foil on top of the pie, tenting it so that it does not touch the cheese.
    
13. Put the pie into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the remaining liquid has been absorbed into the pie.
    
14. Once the liquid is absorbed, or you're ready to eat, switch the broiler on, remove the foil from the pie, and brown the cheese. Keep a close watch on this. You can pop open the over to watch once the broiler gets hot.
    
15. Remove the pie from the oven, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the pie has rested, enjoy!