Spinach and Cheddar Strata

The same day I made the muffins  for our tournament team meeting, I also decided to make something else for our brunch.  While muffins are great, they aren't quite filling.  We also happened to have - not exaggerating - about 4 loaves of stale bread sitting out on the counter.  Mark and I have gotten obsessed with Rose32 Cafe in Hardwick; we go as often as we can and buy tons of breads.  They are sooo good, and they do stay fresh fairly long, but a family can only eat so much bread!  We ended up with way too many leftovers loaves going stale on the counter, so I decided to try to find a good way to use them up - and thus I came across Martha Stewart's spinach and cheddar strata.

Talk about an easy brunch item!  You wilt some spinach, and try to press out all the liquid from it.  Then chop up some old bread, and put it with the spinach into ramekins.  Then you mix up eggs, milk and cheese, and pour that mixture over the bread and spinach.  Bake 20 minutes, and you've got brunch!  I was happy with how easy and quick it was; you are eating these in under 30 minutes, which was good since my tournament teammates were waiting and hungry! 

One thing I did which I think made these even more delectable was that I used potato rosemary bread.  The addition of the rosemary flavor to everything else was a great idea. 

In the end, they were very popular!  Christy said she couldn't wait to see the recipe here and try it out herself.  And she had been full when she got here, but she ate it anyway because it was so good ;)  Even Mom liked it, and she doesn't even like spinach.  So: quick, easy, and delicious- what more can you ask for in a breakfast item?

Recipe:

spinach and cheddar strata

from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces spinach

3 cups day-old bread cubes (1 inch)

5 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup whole milk (I used 2% and it was fine)

1 1/4 cups grated sharp white cheddar (3 ounces)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

 

Instructions:

 

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a rubber spatula to release as much liquid as possible. Divide bread and spinach among four small, shallow 8-ounce baking dishes.

 

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 3/4 cup cheese. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide mixture evenly among baking dishes and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Set dishes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until set in middle and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

Citrus-Topped Double Blueberry Muffins

Two weeks ago, we had our first golf tournament meeting.  It was more of a "email the golf course/ plan the date/ catch up on my wedding plans" kind of meeting, but it was nice to get things going (who wants a great day of golf on June 21!?).  Since my team was meeting here, I decided to make them some breakfast, which turned into brunch because I got up late, but it was still delicious and much appreciated!  I will blog next time about one of the recipes I made, but the other was one that I had spotted in my mom's Better Homes and Gardens magazine and immediately knew it sounded absolutely perfect: citrus-topped double blueberry muffins.  I love citrus in anything, and citrus in a blueberry muffin sounded fabulous.

The citrus topping is a mixture of lemon peel, orange peel, and sugar, which sounded amazing to me, and the double blueberry part comes from both berries and blueberry preserves.  Can you imagine anything that sounds better?!

So, I made them, and I am glad that I did.  They are definitely best when they are right out of the oven, because they are so moist that they get really mushy and wet if they sit for too long (they are pretty strange by day 2 so eat them all day 1!).  But if you eat them when they are hot and still steaming, they are an amazing experience.  Christy exclaimed that she couldn't believe how many berries were in there; I had to break it to her that some of it was the preserves that you spoon right into the middle of the cups and cover it with  more batter!  But they were really good: sweet, tart, with lots of berry flavor.  All but one of them went here, and that's a pretty good record for me!

Recipe:

citrus-topped double blueberry muffins
from Better Homes and Gardens, March 2013

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2  1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk or milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup blueberry preserves
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line twelve 2  1/2-inch muffin cups with paper liners.  Set aside.

2) Stir together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; set aside.

3)  Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and 6 tablespoons melted butter.  Add all at once to the dry mixture.  Stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in blueberries.  Remove 1 cup of batter.

4) Spoon remaining batter into prepared muffin cups, fillimg about half full.  Spoon 2 teaspoons of blueberry preserves into the center of each muffin.  Top with remaining batter to cover the preserves, filling muffin cups about two-thirds full.  Bake 20 minutes or until golden.

5)  Meanwhile, stir together orange peel, lemon peel, and the 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Remove muffins from the oven; brush with the 2 tablespoons melted butter.  Sprinkle citrus-sugar mixture on top.  Cool in muffin cups on wire rack 15 minutes.  Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Crab Rangoon

Let's be honest: the best part of Chinese food is the lo mein, but the second best part is the crab rangoons.  Preferably doused in insane amounts of soy sauce, they are crunchy, creamy, and delicious.  And deep-fried, unhealthy, and probably not actually containing any crab whatsoever.  It was time to find out what a real crab rangoon can taste like, made with real crab, and baked, not fried.

The night that I made the steamed vegetarian dumplings, Kenzie had requested crab rangoons as well.  I figured it would be a nice night to make two different types of dumplings, so I had her pick up the ingredients for that as well.  I even used the same wonton wrappers for both recipes.

The creamy filling is made up of a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream.  The flavoring is scallions, garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, and a little sugar.  And then of course there is the crab.  We used a can of crab, since you only need 1/2 cup .  I couldn't help but notice that this crab meat was all white, whereas the tiny specks of "crab" that you find in Chinese restaurant rangoons are pinkish red, but hey, whatever!

If you make these, be careful about pressing all the air bubbles out of the wonton wrappers when you wrap them; bubbles make them split open when they are baking!  I had quite a few do this.  Ah well!

The end results were mixed, based on who you talk to.  Maggie was here that night, and she raved about the crab rangoons.  She voted that they were way better than the steamed vegetable dumplings.  However, everyone else's votes were for the dumplings.  The rangoons were good, don't get me wrong; the ginger and scallions were a great flavor combination, but I think my family doesn't actually like crab.  And these are definitely way more "crabby" than the crab rangoons you get at restaurants.  Kenzie kept saying they tasted way too much like crab, which I think is probably the point, but perhaps for the Tucker family, fake crab is best!  If, however, you know you like crab, then I'd definitely suggset making these.  They are fast and easy, and a rather impressive alternative to running out of the house for takeout :)

Recipe:

baked crab rangoons
from Tracy's Culinary Adventures, originally adapted from Food.com (via Iowa Girl Eats)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sour cream (light is fine)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat is okay too)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup crab meat, drained
wonton wrappers

1) Preheat oven to 415 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2) In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, cream cheese, scallion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sugar together until well combined. Fold in the crab meat.

3) Lay a wonton wrapper on your work surface. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling mixture in the center of the wrapper, then brush two adjacent sides of the wrapper lightly with water. Fold the wrapper over on the diagonal. Press around the filling to remove air pockets, then press the sides to seal the wrapper tightly. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4) Spray the tops of the wonton wrappers lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crisp.  Serve with soy sauce, or sauce of choice.

Makes 20-24

Vegetarian Steamed Dumplings!

Well, folks, it has happened: I got my family to eat tofu and not complain about it.  Yes, this includes even Nick, and my mother, and both sisters, and Maggie.  How did I manage this magical feat, you ask?  I'll tell you how: I made steamed dumplings, and it was awesome.

The backstory: for my birthday, Caitlin gave me a gift card to Chefs.com.  I wasn't sure what to use it on for a while, until my Food Network magazine had a dumpling recipe that showed a woman using a bamboo steamer.  I thought the basket-like structure was pretty cute, and suddenly the fact that I was currently unable to steam rice,  vegetables and dumplings was unbearable. I ordered it right away.

Last Saturday night ended up being the perfect night for dumplings.  Kenzie was the one to suggest we try it out, and she picked up the groceries for me.  A lot of dumpling recipes call for pork, but I really wanted to try a vegetarian recipe.  Unfortunately, the vegetable recipes all called for tofu.  I was afraid to even add tofu to Kenzie's grocery list, but she said nothing and just picked it up for me.  I tried to hide the container, but Nick spotted it and was immediately grossed out.  I told him to just wait; I'd win him over!

The filling of the dumplings required a lot of chopping of veggies, but it wasn't hard.  It's made of tofu, Napa cabbage, grated carrots (thanks, wonderful food processor!), scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy and hoisin sauces, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and an egg.  Can you just imagine how all those flavors meld together to just explode in your mouth!?  There is so much going on in these healthy little nuggets!

I was lazy and used store-bought wonton wrappers, which did save me a lot of time.  Kenzie helped me fill the dumplings since the ones I folded looked more like those little papers we used to fold in elementary school where we'd ask, "pick a number" (do you have any idea what I'm talking about?).  Hers looked more like an actual dumpling.  Then it was time to steam!  We poured a couple inches of water in a big frying pan and got it to a simmer.  Then I put some of the dumplings into the basket, put the cover on top, and put the whole contraption over the water.  Let the steaming begin!  It only took 12 minutes for them to be perfectly steamed.  The veggies were cooked but still give a nice little crunch, and the wonton wrappers were translucent and soft. My steamer has two stackable baskets, but I ended up only using one at a time to make sure the dumplings would all cook the same way.

I served the vegetarian steamed with soy sauce, and they were absolutely delicious.  Even the people you would never expect to eat a tofu-stuffed dumpling were devouring them.  In fact, I made about 40 dumplings, and they all went!  We all really loved them.  They are so flavorful and healthy and simply amazing.  As for anyone nervous about the tofu, you can hardly tell it's even there.  It has no taste and the texture just blends into the rest of the vegetables.  These little guys will definitely make a reappearance in my bamboo steamer ASAP :)

Recipe:

vegetarian steamed dumplings
from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1/2 pound firm tofu

1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots

1/2 cup shredded Napa cabbage

2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bowl of water, plus additional water for steamer

35 to 40 small wonton wrappers

Non-stick vegetable spray, for the steamer

 

Instructions:

 

2) Cut the tofu in half horizontally and lay between layers of paper towels. Place on a plate, top with another plate, and place a weight on top (a 14-ounce can of vegetables works well). Let stand 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, cut the tofu into 1/4-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the carrots, cabbage, red pepper, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.

3) To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the tofu mixture in the center of the wrapper. Shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

4) Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/4 to 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Spray the steamer's surface lightly with the non-stick vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a heatproof platter and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all dumplings are cooked. 

Spiced Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk

When I came across this recipe, I was pretty pumped.  First of all, you know my new love for lentils in soups.  Second, the fact that it has coconut milk in it was very intriguing (not to mention coconut oil).  And lastly it calls for interesting things that I have never even cooked with, like lemongrass.  I knew my family would probably be pretty skeptical, but I was excited to try out spiced lentil soup with coconut milk.  And by the time I was done making it, the rest of my family was intrigued as well because it makes the house smell really good!

Let me just say that lemongrass might be my new favorite thing.  It's a little twiggy-like, like a mixture between a leek and a stick.  You can peel off the outer layers and then you really need to mince what is left because it can be kind of hard to chew.  But it smells amazing!  It's so lemony and bright and makes me want to just gnaw on it.  Luckily I controlled myself and just used it in the soup.

Another reason why the soup was so cool is that it has awesome flavor combinations that you might not expect in a soup: things like cardamom, cinnamon (a half teaspoon!), and citrus juice (I used lemon).  When you saute the onions and lemongrass with the spices, the whole house smells like... I'm not sure where.  India? The Caribbean? Something exotic and spicy and sweet-and-savory at the same time.

I ended up using spinach as my leafy green just because I had it on hand.  The spinach bites ended up being my mother's (and my!) favorite ones, which is surprising because she doesn't like spinach that muc, but it made for a nice soft texture in among all the tender lentils. 

Besides the fact that the lentils have to cook for 20 minutes, this was a pretty quick soup to make.  While you boil the lentils, you work on sauteing the onions anyway, so you can do two things at once, while making your house smell Indian/Caribbean and intriguing your family.

In the end, I thought this soup was awesome, and my mother, who had been skeptical, ended up eating it for lunch two days afterwards.  It is definitely weird, but I knew that when I set out to make it.  Weirdness was expected, appreciated, and devoured.

Recipe:

spiced lentil soup with coconut milk

from Sprouted Kitchen, originally adapted from the Traveler's Lunchbox and Once Upon a Tart

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed (green suggested)
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp. tumeric OR curry powder (I used turmeric)
2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks lemongrass, outer layer removed, lower portion finely minced
1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cup coconut milk (use full fat)
3 Tbsp. lemon, lime or orange juice
a few handfuls of swiss chard, spinach or kale
1 cup flake coconut, toasted (optional - I did not use this or the cilantro)
chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1) Add the rinsed lentils, broth, thyme and tumeric or curry powder to a large pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.

2) While the lentils cook, heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add the onion and saute until just browned. Add the lemongrass, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, pinch of red pepper flakes and some fresh ground nutmeg and saute another minute. Add the onion mixture to the lentils and stir, keeping the heat on a low simmer.

3) Add the coconut milk and greens and simmer another five minutes, stirring occasionally until just wilted. Taste for salt and spice and add as you prefer. Finish with the citrus juice and serve warm with toasted coconut flakes and cilantro on top.

Minestrone Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Parmesan Biscuits

I am pretty excited to share this recipe with you, because I absolutely loved it.  It's filling, flavorful, full of vegetables, covered in biscuits, and even has some bacon in it for my family of carnivores :)  Minestrone pot pie with whole wheat parmesan biscuits: can you even imagine anything sounding better?  Neither can I.

The recipe starts off with cooking some bacon, and then using the fat to saute the onions and leeks.  You have to know when recipes start out like that,that it's going to be good!  Added to the pan are mushrooms, garlic, spinach, kale, butternut squash, cannellini beans, a can of whole tomatoes, and chicken stock.  Add some salt, pepper, and grated parmesan, and you've got your minestrone.  There is no other spice in the soup part, and yet my mom kept asking what the flavor was when she ate it because it is just so flavorful!  The answer is that it's just a lot of great vegetables sauteed and simmered together.  You've never tasted such flavorful veggies, I swear.

Added on top are parmesan biscuits (hence the pot pie name).  I did end up using more whole wheat flour than the recipe called for because the dough was insanely sticky.  And I made 12 biscuits instead of 8; I thought it would be better to make more, smaller servings, and I am glad that I did.  It's filling enough!

The whole thing is baked, casserole-style, and it really does thicken up so it is almost more like a casserole than the minestrone soup that the name suggests.  Even the staunch meat-eaters in this house were digging it (hey, there's a little bacon in there for them). ,And I was seriously loving it.  I ate it for dinner that night, and then happily brought it for lunch at least two more times this week.  It heated up well, and the bites of flavor-bursting vegetables with soft, flaky biscuits on top... oh man.  This meal is good. So good that you have to make it tonight.  No excuses on this one.  It has meat, it's full of healthy vegetables, it has biscuits on top, and it is casserole-ish for those weirdos who claim that soup isn't a main dish.  Make this ASAP.

Recipe:

minestrone pot pie with whole wheat parmesan biscuits

from howsweeteats.com , adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

minestrone pot pie
2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 cleaned and trimmed leek, thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped baby bella mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash
3 cups raw spinach leaves
3 cups torn kale leaves
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) peeled whole tomatoes (I think if I make it again, I will use chopped tomatoes)
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup parmesan cheese + 1 parmesan cheese rind

whole wheat parm biscuits
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream + 2 tablespoons (and more for brushing)

Instructions:
 

1) Heat a large pot over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered, then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions and leeks to the pan with a sprinkle of salt, cooking for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add spinach, kale, squash, tomatoes, beans, stock and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook f0r 20 minutes, covered. While soup is cooking, make biscuits below and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2) After 20 minutes, stir parmesan and bacon into soup and transfer to a 9x11" baking dish. Top with biscuits, then brush each biscuit with cream. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To make biscuits: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter cubes, and using your fingers, a fork or a pastry blender, mix until coarse little crumbles remain. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then add cream and cheese. Stir until a sticky dough forms, then make 8 small rounds of dough (or drop in 12 dollops of dough like I did!).

Pasta!

This post is dedicated to Kaz and Andrea, who made today's recipe possible :)

I HAVE MADE MY OWN PASTA!  Yes, you've read that correctly.  I literally made fettucini and raviolis from scratch.  I am so excited about this, you cannot even believe it.  It was fun, it was easy, and it was absolutely delicious. 

Back at Christmas time, I started pining for a pasta machine.  Preferably, the one that attaches to my Kitchen Aid mixer.  Except for the fact that... it's about $500.  I really thought I was going to get one, but then I got an engagement ring instead, which is 100% okay with me!  Then, Andrea gave me a ravioli mold that can press out 12 perfect raviolis at once, and it even came with its own cute little rolling pin.  But still, no pasta machine, no raviolis.  Then last week, Kaz gave me the pasta machine that his mother gave to him (since people with celiac disease can't exactly be making their own pasta left and right!), and I officially had all I needed to start being the good little Italian girl that I am!  I decided to make a double batch of doughs and make some raviolis (and I ended up making fettucini with the extra dough).

Dough balls resting under their wet towel!

After much research, I decided to do a flour blend using half regular, half semolina.  I am very glad that I did, because semolina hs a really high gluten content, which makes the dough easy to work with and stretch, which is definitely a must for making pasta.  It also had the perfect consistency, so I will do that again.  Then I just mixed the flours and salt with eggs, olive oil, and a little water.  I used my mixer for most of it, and then kneaded it by hand until I had a dough.  Then I let it sit for a while (Annie says to let it rest 30 minutes) and made my fillings.

I decided to make two different fillings for my raviolis, based on my family's requests.  Mom asked for a spinach and ricotta, and Rachael wanted plain cheese.  After some research, I came upon the Pioneer Woman's recipes for three different fillings.  I mixed and matched them a bit and came up with two absolutely delicious fillings that were both very well loved (although there is a special place in my heart for those spinach raviolis... oh man... so fresh-tasting and amazing!).

Then it was time for the real fun to start.  To use the pasta machine, you have to roll out the dough thin enough to fit through the widest setting, then feed it through and crank away.  After one swipe through the machine, it is a bit shaggy and torn-looking, so you fold it into thirds, roll it out again, and put it back through the machine.  Some people suggest doing this a few more times, but my machine must be extra awesome, because I was ready to go down to the next thinnest setting.  My machine has 7 settings, and I found that the perfect ravioli setting to end on was 4.  5 was too thick and 3 a little bit too thin.  This part was really fun and exciting- maybe I am a dork - but it was awesome to watch the dough getting thinner and longer and stretching so perfectly.

Once the dough was ready, I laid one end of it over my mold and pressed the dough inside the holes. Then I filled each hole, and folded the other end of the dough over the top.  Here is where the trusty little rolling pin came in handy to press the dough down, sealing the raviolis and cutting them out.  I used a toothpick to help me get the first ravioli out, and then I was able to pull them all out easily.  Again - this was so much fun!!!  Am I weird?!

These guys only required 3 minutes in boiling water, and they were ready to go.  And go they did!  I had Kenzie and Nick make me their spaghetti sauce (meatless this time!) and it was really a wonderful meal.  I am already looking forward to my next pasta creation.  Tortellini?  Spaghetti?  Some other bizarrely-stuffed ravioli!?  My options are endless.  I am pumped with my new hobby.

One last note: I told you I made fettucini because I had leftover dough and no more filling.  I laid them out (on an upright cutting board since I don't have a drying rack!) to dry for an hour and stored them in the fridge.  Today my mom went to cook them, but she only cooked them for the 3 minutes we gave the other pasta.  The issue was, once you dry them, they do take longer than 3-5 minutes, so be careful if you dry your pasta to cook it long enough!

Recipes:

homemade pasta dough
from Annie's Eats

Yield: about 1 lb. of fresh pasta

 

Ingredients:

1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surfaces
1½ cups semolina flour
½ tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. water, plus more as needed

 

Instructions:

 

1)  Combine the flours and salt in a bowl or on a work surface, creating a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well. Using a mixer or by hand, slowly mix, incorporating the flour into the egg mixture a little bit at a time. Once you have a dry, shaggy dough, mix in the olive oil and water and knead by hand until the dough is fairly smooth and homogenous. Divide the dough into four portions and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 20 minutes; if you are making a filled pasta, make your filling now.

 

2) At this point, proceed with thinning and cutting as desired, depending on equipment available.

 

3) To cook, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3-5 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and serve immediately.

 

ravioli two ways: three cheese and spinach and ricotta

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

 

Ingredients:

12 ounces Ricotta

1 cup freshly grated parmesan or romano (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, and cuts out the mozzarella; do as you wish!)

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 whole egg

salt and pepper

4 cups baby spinach (you could also use arugula as the original recipe did)

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Instructions:

1) Mix together ricotta, grated cheeses, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Split into two separate bowls and set aside.

2) In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and wilt spinach (this'll only take about 30-45 seconds.) Remove from skillet and chop. Allow to cool, then stir into one batch of the ricotta mixture. Set aside.

3) Once the ravioli are assembled, drop them four at a time into boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.