Tag Archives: dinner

Butternut Squash Ravioli Won Tons

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Vegetables, Wonton Wrappers July 11, 2014 Leave a comment

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach Pesto uses supermarket wonton wrappers to create a shortcut weeknight ravioli treat.

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2.5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 36 wonton wrappers
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

6 quarts water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.

  1. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
  2. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool. Scoop out pulp; discard peel. Mash pulp.
  3. Combine oregano, squash pulp, and butter in a large bowl.
  4. Stir in 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  5. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons squash mixture into center of each wrapper.
  6. Moisten edges of wrapper with beaten egg; bring 2 opposite corners together. Pinch edges together to seal, forming a triangle. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, squash mixture, and egg. Cover ravioli loosely with a towel to prevent drying.
  7. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add half of ravioli; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
  8. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
  9. Add ravioli to pesto; toss gently to coat. Arrange 6 ravioli on each of 6 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon walnuts.

Pesto

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped, and divided
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

 

  1. Place garlic in a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Add remaining 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) cheese, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, spinach, basil, and 2 tablespoons walnuts.
  3. With processor on, slowly pour oil, broth, and juice through food chute. Process until well blended. Place pesto in a large bowl.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Bread, Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – (Medium ease)

Nothing like the taste and smell of homemade biscuits.  Here are a few tips & hints to help you biscuitsalong;

  • Do not over-bake.
  • The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
  • The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
  • I have been told that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there’s less chance of over mixing.
  • If not using a food processor – Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry – do not stir to mix – just “fluff” together
  • Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit, use your hands to pat the dough out
  • You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze freeze them, place in plastic bags when frozen for up to a month.
  • When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk ( approx) * You can make your own buttermilk: Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. (if possible use whole milk or heavy cream). Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
  3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal, using a pastry dough cutter or two knives.
  4. Add the buttermilk and using a fork mix JUST until combined, do not beat.
  5. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be wet.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
  7. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use flour to dust the board or counter if dough is sticking.
  8. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
  9. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
  10. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
  11. If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
  12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

What do do with the biscuits when they come out of the oven; drizzle with honey, biscuithoneyspread butter, or jam on your biscuit, eat naked, or squirt some whipped cream on each half and add fresh fruit on top.  Or my fav, Biscuits and Gravy – post to come.

Hint; Never cut a biscuit with a knife, always break in half.