Saturday, November 5, 2011

Zucchini Pasta

This recipe has been added as a part of the never ending quest to find more things to do with zucchini when it over produces at the height of the season.

Steam any kind of summer squash and then put it in the blender to make a puree. Add eggs and flour and salt to make a suitable dough and roll or put into a pasta machine.

This is a great way to make raviolis or ribbon noodles. You could also try a number of dumpling shapes and fill with anything you like: cooked vegetables, goat cheese, ricotta, cooked meat, or cooked winter squash or potatoes.

Cook and serve with sauce or add to soup.

More from Monarch of the Glen -

Golly: Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter because nobody listens.

Peanut Butter Truffle Snacks

These high protein peanut butter snacks are easy to make and can be flavored in a variety of ways. They do not require any cooking or baking.

Mix:
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup honey
1 - 2 tablespoons cream if needed for extra moisture

You may want to mix the instant coffee and cocoa powder together before adding. It is often better to blend cocoa powder with another dry ingredient before adding moisture to it. Otherwise the order of these things makes no difference.

If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoon of milk; if it is too wet, add some more wheat germ or powdered milk.

Roll these into small walnut size balls and coat with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

To experiment with other flavors, look for flavored instant coffee mixes. The "International" line has several, and Starbucks has some new instant coffee products as well. These can be very overpowering, so start small - a couple of teaspoons, at most, and then add if needed.

Other options are to use smooth peanut butter and then add chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts. Chopped chocolate pieces would also be an option for sweeter snack.

Cover and refrigerate. These can make a nice gift, and they're a good alternative to candy.

There are days in a life in which one is the fly, and rare, magical moments in which one is, at long last, the windscreen.
Molly MacDonald (character from Monarch of the Glen)
This quote is not in keeping with the others on this blog, but it may resonate with those who tend to take the long suffering approach a bit too far at times.