Spring Vegetable Pouches

I recently was blessed to review Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine Minceur

From the million-copy bestselling author of Cuisine Minceur. Over 140 exquisite recipes fuse traditional flavors with the global influences that are redefining French cuisine, all with astonishingly low calorie counts.

This book is the mecca for healthy scrumptious recipes. Tons of mouth watering photos with easy to follow directions. I would say this is the go-to book for people who want to eat healthy, but still want foodie quality food. Get yours here: Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine Minceur

So today I have adapted a recipe from the book. With some changes of course.  These over-sized ravioli are scrumptious and nice and light. so great for the waistline. Enjoy! 

Spring Vegetable Pouches

adapted from  Eat Well and Stay Slim

1/2 cup peeled and shredded carrots

1/4 cup celery

1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced

1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp fresh tarragon, finely chopped

8 large won ton wrappers - or fresh squares of pasta dough

1 3/4 cup vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

fresh tomatoes and chives for garnish

Cut up your veggies. 

In a medium-sized covered saucepan, gently sweat the carrots in the olive oil for 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms an sweat for 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the finely chopped tarragon and set aside. 

Place 4 squares of pasta dough or large won ton wrappers.on your work surface. Place some of the cooled vegetables in the center of each pasta square. 

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each square with water. Lay another pasta square on top and then gently press the edges of the pasta squares together, making sure that there are no openings. 

Add your vegetable stock to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add ravioli and cook one at a time for 5 minutes. Serve, topped with fresh tomatoes and chives! 

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

The cold and flu has hit my house hard. I am still healthy, but my hubby not so much, and my daughter is sick too, which means she comes to stay with me so I can nurture her back to health and make her my famous Chicken Noodle Soup. 

I have been told many times that I make the best chicken noodle soup. I sometimes even tell myself when I am sick and forced to eat soup from a restaurant. I always wish someone would make me my soup instead, but I have not taught anyone how I do it. Even though it is not hard to do, when I am sick, I am usually too sick to try to show someone. So I am finally writing down my simple recipe that is sure to comfort the sick. Enjoy!

Italian Chicken Noodle Soup

1 lb. Italian chicken sausage

2 Tbsp Olive oil

8 cups chicken broth

1 onion

3 carrots

2 celery stalks

1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

Cooked Ditalini pasta, or pasta of your choice.

salt and pepper to taste

I first start out by making a mirepoix. It is a combination of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. The base to any really good soup. Chop them up into similar size pieces, except the garlic should be minced. Add olive oil to a skillet and add the mirepoix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Cook stirring often until onions are translucent. 

Meanwhile cook your pasta according to package directions. 

I like using ditalini, but you can use whatever noodles you like. 

Drain. 

In a large stockpot, add your chicken broth, cooked vegetables, Italian seasoning, and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer. 

Meanwhile brown your chicken sausage.

Remove the bay leaf from the stock. 

Add your sausage and noodles to the stock, and serve. 

Bruschetta

 

Bruschetta is an antipasto from Italy that I absolutely love. I could eat it every day. I keep a big fresh plant of basil in my window planter year round specifically for this dish. Give me a glass of wine, a little cheese and this dish and I am one happy lady. Thankfully my husband shares my love for Bruschetta too. 

It is really simple to make! Give it a try!

Bruschetta for two
by Christi Silbaugh

3 tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 loaf sourdough baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Core your tomatoes and then dice them into tiny pieces. Add to a bowl. Add your chopped basil and minced garlic. Add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. Stir and salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice a piece of the baguette up into four slices.

Add Olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. 

Add your baguette slices.

Toast over the olive oil until golden brown and crispy.

Top your toast with the tomato basil mixture and serve.

Lasagne Bolognese

It has been a while since I have put a romantic tip on here, so I thought it was time for one. I think it is important to stay connected to your love during the day. Even though we all work and have responsibilities outside of our relationships. It is still good to make your presence known through the day. Many single guys consider work a safe haven from the minefield of dating and don't want that sacred space violated. In marriage and committed relationships , though, it's different: News from the home front serves as a nice reminder of what you're working for. 

Romantic tip:  Call your love while at work, or send a mushy email letting them know how much you love them and how much of a turn on it is that they are hard working. Let them know you are excited to be together after work where you can share with each other the events of the day.

Now on to the food. 

I love a good lasagna. I also love a good bolognese. Usually bolognese is served with spaghetti. But why not a lasagna? I made this for my man and he went crazy over it. This is time consuming, and I would recommend breaking the process up into two days. Day one make the bolognese. Day two the noodles and bechamel and assemble and bake. 

This recipe serves 4 because pasta is magnificent leftover. My husband loves to take it to work the next day for lunch and make his office pals jealous with the smells of Italian food.

Lasagne Bolognese from scratch

adapted from Bon Appétit | October 2013

Bolognese sauce:

1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 medium carrot, peeled, coarsely chopped

1/2 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 pound ground beef chuck

1/2 pound ground pork

2 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup whole milk

1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups  chicken broth, divided

Fresh pasta dough:

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more

2 large eggs, room temperature

Béchamel:

2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/8 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, warmed

Kosher salt

For Assembly:

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

Make the Bolognese sauce

Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, and vegetables; cook, 

breaking up ground meat with a spoon, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and meat is well browned, 25–30 minutes; season with salt and pepper.

Add wine to pot and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth; 

bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, 2 1/2–3 hours.

Let sauce cool, then cover and chill at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. (Letting the sauce sit will give it a deeper, richer flavor.)

Make the fresh pasta dough:

Whisk salt and flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and crack eggs into well. 

Mix eggs with a fork, then slowly mix in flour until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if sticky, until smooth, about 5 minutes (it will be fairly stiff). Wrap in plastic; let sit until dough holds an indentation when pressed. One hour.

Chill dough if you are not rolling it out right away. Bring to room temperature before rolling out.

Set pasta maker to thickest setting; dust lightly with flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping remaining dough wrapped in plastic as you work, flatten dough into a narrow rectangle (no wider than mouth of machine); pass through rollers . 

Fold dough as needed to fit and run through again. Repeat without folding, adjusting machine to thinner settings after every pass and dusting with flour if sticky, until pasta sheet is 1/16" thick (setting 8 on most machines). Place pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut crosswise into 8 8"-long noodles.

If making noodles ahead, stack on a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.

Make the béchamel:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk, 1/2-cupful at a time. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until the consistency of cream, 8–10 minutes; add nutmeg and season with salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a medium bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto surface; let cool slightly. 

Cook the noodles

Working in batches, cook fresh lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just softened, about 10 seconds. 

Remove carefully with tongs and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain noodles and stack on a baking sheet, with paper towels between each layer, making sure noodles don't touch (they'll stick together).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13x9" baking dish with butter.

Assemble the lasagna:

Spread 1/4 cup béchamel in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread over a scant 3/4 cup Bolognese sauce, then 1/2 cup béchamel, and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. 

Repeat process 7 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmesan, for a total of 8 layers.

 Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50–60 minutes. Let lasagna sit 45 minutes before serving.

Serve warm.

Tomato Basil-Tarts

I have been having a lot of fun working with the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry  I made. I have put this pastry through the ringer with freezing, thawing, rolling, and it stands up to the best! 

So I wanted to make a cute little side dish/appetizer to go along with our soup I made for dinner. So I went back to the book that gave me the wonderful puff pastry Baking by Hand. 

Tomato Basil-Tarts

adapted from Baking by Hand

Makes 4 appetizer tarts

1/8th of the Lazy Baker's Puff Pastry recipe

1 Organic Tomato

Extra-virgin olive oil

fine sea salt

18 fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into circles. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Slice the tomato 1/4 inch thick. 

Take out your pastry circles. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil, and place the tomato slices evenly spaced around the circle of dough. Sprinkle with sea salt. 

Bake on a baking stone for 15 minutes, or until the tarts are golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and garnish with basil leaves and serve warm. 

Parmesan Garlic Knots

When is the last time you took off for the weekend for no reason at all? Sometimes a change of scenery is just what you need to spice up your love life. Unplug and go on an adventure together! 

Romantic tip: Pack your travel bags and get away from it all during the weekend with a surprise vacation for your love. 

Today I am sharing a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Knots. These are a favorite among friends and family. I have never shared these without someone asking for the recipe. Enjoy!

Parmesan Garlic Knots

adapted from http://hipfoodiemom.com

For the dough: 

1 cup Warm Water 

1/8 cup Olive Oil 

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt 

1/2 Tablespoon Sugar 

3/4 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast 

2½ cups all-purpose, unbleached Flour 

For the garlic coating: 

⅛ cup (30ml) Olive Oil 

1 Tablespoon (30g) unsalted butter 

4 cloves garlic, finely crushed 

1/8 cup finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley 

freshly grated parmesan 

Sea Salt to taste 

plus extra Olive Oil and Flour for making the knots

Combine the water, olive oil, sea salt, sugar, and active dry yeast in a large mixing bowl. Wait about 5 minutes to ensure yeast is activated. It will become frothy if activated correctly.

Add in the flour and mix with hands. Remove from the bowl to a lightly floured work surface if needed to shape into a ball. Place back into a large clean bowl, cover with saran wrap and a kitchen towel, and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size (one hour if proper warm temperature)

Set up your knotting station. Make sure you have prepared baking sheets ready to go. Put out a large wooden cutting board lightly floured. Roll out your dough, and using a pizza cutter, cut out the dough into strips. 

Oil your hands to help keep the dough from sticking. Tie each strip into a knot (over, under, and through) and place on your prepared baking sheet until all of the knots are finished. Place knots about an 1½” apart. When finished with all of the dough, cover each baking sheet with a dry, thin kitchen towel, and place in a warm, draft-free spot to rise; for at least one hour. 

While the rolls are rising, prepare the garlic coating. Gently warm olive oil, butter, and garlic in a small saucepan. Add chopped parsley and set aside. 

Preheat oven to 400° F 

After knots have doubled in size, remove the kitchen towel  brush with garlic coating, and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

Place sheet pans in the oven. Bake for approx. 12-15 min. or until golden. 

After removing knots from oven, while still warm, either

Best served warm, but still good at room temp.

Chicken Saltimbocca Ravioli

When is the last time you thought of every single thing that makes your love your partner? Do you tell them often? It is so easy to just dwell on the negative and not the positive. I would like to encourage you to write down everything you love about your man or woman. Keep it in a place you can look at it often. Dwelling on the positive, puts your relationship in a positive place. 

Romantic Tip: Make a list of everything you love about him or her.

Now I have a great new original recipe for you. 

Sometimes I make a wonderful dish that just does not picture well. This is one of those dishes. It just looks like a plain bowl of ravioli. This is no ordinary ravioli! It is filled with the Italian dish Chicken Saltimbocca. Rich prosciutto, Fontina Cheese, sauteed mushrooms and roasted chicken reside inside these scrumptious noodles.

Chicken Saltimbocca Ravioli

For the noodles:

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup olive oil

For the filling:

Salt and pepper to season chicken

1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1/2 lb free range chicken
4 slices of prosciutto
6 oz. fontina cheese shredded
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
6 oz sweet Marsala
6 ounces chicken stock
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
splash of heavy cream or half and half
pinch of ground sage
pinch of black pepper
Olive oil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping.

First prepare your noodles. 

Place flour in the bowl of your kitchen aid mixer. Mix egg and olive oil together and pour into the center of your flour. 

Process with the dough hook until all the dough comes together. 

Separate into 4 balls and wrap with cling wrap, or place in a large ziplock bag. Place it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Season your chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. 

Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into pieces.

Roll out your dough into several large sheets. 

Add 1 TBSP olive oil and 1 TBSP butter to a pan and add in the sliced mushrooms and saute until soft. Set mushrooms aside.

Add all but 2 ounces of Marsala wine wine to pan to deglaze the pan, allow alcohol to cook off for a minute then add the chicken stock, pinch of sage, pinch of black pepper.

Reduce heat and continue to cook while sauce is reducing. Once sauce has started to reduce add in cream and mix well. Take the butter and coat it in flour pressing flour into the butter and add to the sauce.

As the sauce begins to thicken remove from the heat. This is your ravioli sauce. 

Place chicken, chopped up prosciutto, mushrooms and shredded fontina in small round portions on top of a rolled out noodle dough. 

Repeat until you have used up all your noodles and ingredients. 

Place another noodle on top and get all the air out. 

Cut into shapes.

I use a ravioli cutter, but you can even use a knife if you aren't worried about how pretty it is. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

At this time add in the remaining Marsala wine to the ravioli sauce and bring to a simmer.

Add your prepared ravioli's to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

Serve topped with the ravioli sauce and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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