Focaccia and Pasta Aglio e olio

Prep time: 15 mins

Waiting: ~1h (dough rising etc)

Serves: 5

Focaccia

1tbsp yeast

4c white flour

2tsp salt

1tsp sugar

1cm slice Crisco/ vegetable shortening

Place 1tbsp yeast in a small bowl along with 1tsp sugar and 2cups warm water. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes. While waiting, fill a large bowl with 2c white flour, 2tsp salt, and a 1cm slice of Crisco. Mix the Crisco in. After the yeast is prepped, pour into the large bowl, and add another 2c white flour. Mix an knead dough. Add more flour if too sticky. Place in a bowl and cover for 45mins. After this time, spread the dough out on a full size baking sheet, and let rise for another 15 minutes. Bake for ~10 minutes at 370F or until lightly browned. 

Pasta Aglio e Olio

1/2 package spaghettini or spaghetti

1/4c olive oil

salt as needed

6 cloves garlic, chopped in half

5 large mushrooms

Heat the oil in a small pan over medium. Add the garlic cloves and chili peppers if desired. Stir to ensure garlic doesn't burn. After the garlic is browned slightly, turn the heat to low and cook mushrooms for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot full of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to desired consistency. 

Mix pasta and oil. Salt as needed (don't hold back on the salt! It brings out the flavour). 

Meal 1 Summary (Mushroom Wine Risotto)

A classic Italian dish. Using Arborio is key here in order to create the thick consistency desired. Usually risotto is cooked with white wine, but Adam had some leftover red from a friend, which gives it a super dooper wooper fun colour.

Oh, we also had some leftover baguette and bruschetta topping from a family supper, so we tossed it in!

Mushroom Wine Risotto (Adam 4/5 Alex 4/5)


A great filler meal. Prep was easy and decent output. As it always happens when I don't watch Alex, he added too much rosemary. I keep telling him, but he doesn't listen. BEWARE! Rosemary is good, but not too much. edit: yes I do

Mushroom Wine Risotto

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time 40 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1lb mushrooms, chopped
2tbsp olive oil
chili peppers to taste
1tbsp Rosemary
2tbsp wine vinegar
1.5 cups wine
1.5 cups Arborio rice
~4 cups water

Fry the cut onions and garlic in a large pan with 1/2 the oil over medium for 5 minutes. Add the chili peppers, rosemary and rice, cook for another 5 minutes (to brown the rice). Add the wine and 1cup water. Simmer for 40 minutes, adding water as needed (try to maintain an oatmeal consistency). Add salt as needed to the risotto.

While the risotto is simmering, prepare the mushroom topping! Fry the cut mushrooms in a small pan over medium along with the other half of the oil. Fry until desired consistency is reached (~10 mins for us).

Once both are done, serve the risotto on a plate with the mushrooms on top.

Note: For the wine, you can use leftovers (we had some leftover homemade red!) or if you are even cheaper, you could probably get away with wine vinegar, which we bought at the grocery store for about $2.