Fried Ravioli

My middle child Simon spent the summer in Tennessee working at an outdoor adventure camp for kids; he loved every aspect of it! One of his favorite things about the camp was the night the cook made fried raviolis. He mentioned this to me the other day so I decided to recreate them for him. We were all pleased with how they came out, they were easy to make and so tasty. A perfect appetizer for a party, or for dinner, served with a big salad and crusty bread. 

Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
1 c milk
2 c Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store -bought cheese ravioli (about 24)
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar marinara sauce, for dipping

Directions

Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Ingredients

Place milk and breadcrumbs in separate bowls

Dunk raviolis in milk

Dredge in breadcrumbs

Place on cookie sheet 

Simon helping out

They fry very quickly, and puff up

Place on paper towel to drain

I crammed them into the pan

Top with parmesan cheese and serve with dipping sauce

Enjoy! 

Lasagna with Meat Sauce

I love inviting friends over for dinner, I think mealtimes are where friendships are solidified. To me food is love, and I love to share my love with others. Lasagna is one of my favorite things to make, it feeds a crowd and is super easy. My son's girlfriend Julia loves lasagna so I try to make it at least once a month for her.  I love to use my meat sauce recipe for the red sauce, but with canned sauces tasting so good it's not a deal breaker to buy store bought sauce.

Ingredients for Lasagna
1 box no boil lasagna noodles
15 ounces part skim ricotta
4 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs ( I like the Italian version)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 bag fresh spinach
1tsp garlic salt
Pasta Sauce (two bottles if store bought)

Preheat oven to 350
In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, 1 cup mozzarella and garlic salt. Use a 9x13 pan and start with some red sauce and place noodles on top of sauce. Spread out some of the ricotta mixture on top of noodles. Then place a large handful of spinach on top of ricotta mixture, top that with red sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat this process 3 times. Top lasagna with cheese and place a tin foil tent over top. Bake for 30 minutes with foil, then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ingredients

Ricotta mixture

First layer of noodles 

Then some ricotta spread evenly over noodles

Next spinach

Some red sauce and cheese

I like to alternate directions of my noodles for each layer

I topped mine with some fresh basil

Out of the oven

Yum! Who got the first piece?

Enjoy!

Pasta Sauce with Meat

I discovered this recipe a few years ago and our family has come to love it. I don't make it very often but when I do I wonder why I don't make it more. This batch makes enough for one lasagna or 2 lbs of pasta. I always double the recipe.

Ingredients for Meat Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, sliced
• 1 pound round steak, cubed
• 1 pound veal, cubed
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the sausage, round steak, and veal 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Remove meat from skillet and drain, reserving about 1 tablespoon drippings.  Stir the garlic into the skillet with the reserved meat drippings, and cook about 3 minutes over medium heat. Place the crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Season with Italian seasoning, bay leaf, garlic powder, oregano, pepper, and parsley. Cook 15 minutes.

1. Mix the tomato sauce into the skillet, and continue cooking 15 minutes.
2. Return the meat to the skillet.
3. Use either an immersion blender or blender to puree half of the sauce. (this makes the sauce lose a little of it's dark red color, but makes not so 'full of big pieces of meat') Reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

Penne Pasta with Lemon Basil Shrimp

Tonight I was in the mood for shrimp and pasta, so I invented this recipe and was thrilled with the results. It tasted so fresh and light and was the prefect ending for an 85 degree day here in sunny Florida.
I hope you enjoy it too!



Ingredients
8 ounces Penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Splash of white wine or chicken stock
1/4 c parmesan cheese

In large skillet heat olive oil and garlic, letting cook until garlic is fragrant. Add in 1 tsp black pepper, lemon juice and basil, let saute for 2 minutes. Add raw shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink, just a few minutes per side. Add in cooked penne pasta, and a splash of wine or chicken stock. Let cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste at this point for salt. Take off heat and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve.
Serves 4

Ingredients

There is nothing better than olive oil and fresh garlic cooking

Make sure you roll the lemon on the counter before cutting,

it helps release more juice

Ready for the saute pan

I placed the juiced lemon in the pan to help with the flavor

( I took it out when I added the shrimp)

Cooking the shrimp

What a great combination of flavors!

Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese

I never liked mac and cheese as a kid, my mom always made homemade and all I ever wanted was the fake stuff out of the blue box. But since moving to the south seven years ago I've decided that mac and cheese needed to become a staple at our parties. It seems everyone loves mac and cheese, kids, adults, college age kids, everyone. I went on a quest to find a good mac and cheese recipe, Paula Deen makes a good one, but for some reason mine is always still a bit dry. I spent a day googling mac and cheese recipes last year and finally found a winner. This is a recipe that has been requested numerous times and I'm proud of the tweaking that I've done to make it my own. I've always doubled this recipe, it freezes great! For Simon's graduation I quadrupled the recipe and it still came out awesome. This recipe is for the single version and it serves 6-8.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 16 oz elbow macaroni
9 tablespooons butter
1/2 c smoked Gouda cheese (cubed)
1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups half and half
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
( I also occasionally add Goat cheese or Pepper Jack cheese for an extra kick)

Directions


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the oil and the pasta and cook for 8-10 min, or until al dente; drain well and return to cooking pot. Add 8 tablespoons (one stick) butter to hot noodles, stir. In  a large bowl combine all cheeses, beaten eggs, half and half, stir. Add noodles, mix well. Add salt and pepper and sprinkle some extra cheese on top. Dot with 1 tablespoon remaining butter. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Add the butter to the drained pasta

I love Gouda cheese

I love how it only takes one big bowl 

Look at all that cheese

Mixing it all together, the white chunks are Goat cheese

Pour in the half and half

Add the noodles

Stir

Sprinkle some extra cheese on top

Right out of the oven

Happy New Years

Enjoy

Homemade Pasta

When my kids were younger I always made homemade pasta noodles, but for some reason (life/me getting too busy) I quit making it. Olivia found my pasta maker  crammed into the back of the pantry and asked if I would teach her how to make it. I still have all the tools to make the pasta and the cold/windy day today made it seem like the perfect time.

The tools 

Pasta Maker

Cuisinart 

Drying Rack

Ingredients for Pasta

2 c flour

2 eggs

less than a 1/4 c olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

water

( I love adding additional ingredients to my pasta like, garlic, spinich or tomato paste)

Follow directions on pasta machine to make the pasta of your choice, ie. spaghetti, linguine, etc. If you do not own a pasta maker then roll the dough out onto a floured countertop and using a pizza cutter cut into thin strips.

After making the style of pasta you want then hang the pieces on the drying rack or over the back of your kitchen chairs. Let dry. 

You can store in a ziploc bag in freezer, but it's best to use it the same day as it's made.

Put flour, eggs, olive oil and salt into food processor and start. 

Add a small amount of water and continue adding water until mixture turns into a ball. 

Remove from Cuisinart and divide into 3 pieces. 

Feed pasta into machine

The 3 balls of dough are now thin and flat

Place flat pieces of dough into the cutting side of pasta maker

Drying rack

Make sure to separate all of the pasta

Dry the pasta

Enjoy!