Ravioli

Ravioli is one of my go-to dinners when I have no other ideas. I get the kind with spinach filling so I can pretend my children are eating vegetables. (Seriously, does a teaspoon of spinach count as a serving? I don't think so!) I don't usually go to all this trouble, but this recipe doesn't seem so hard.

(Adapted from the March 2010 issue of Cooking Light and it's what's for dinner tonight):

Ingredients:

9 oz package of frozen ravioli

1 cup green beans (cut into 2" bits)

1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned will do)

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh grated parmesan

Method:

1. Cook ravioli. Add green beans during the last 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, chopped tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl. Add ravioli, beans, salt & pepper; toss gently to combine.

3. Top with cheese and serve!

Confession:

I didn't have the sun-dried tomatoes that I thought I had, but this tasted okay. Though I think they would butch up the sauce and shouldn't be skipped.

2nd Confession:

One child liked this, the other dissolved in a puddle of tears when served this. He is now pathetically trying to eat a single ravioli (that has been scraped clean of sauce) while choking and weeping in order to qualify for chocolate cake. How's that for excellent parenting?

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Adapted from the Weight Watcher's website.

Ingredients:

6 oz sausage

6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 clove garlic

10 oz frozen gumbo-style vegetables

1 tbsp flour

1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 medium scallion (optional)

Cooking Spray

Method:

1. Brown sausage. Add chicken breast and minced garlic when the pan is coated with the sausage grease (icky, I know, but it happens!)

2. Remove meats from pan and cut into 1" chunks. Return to pan and add frozen vegetables.

3. Cook until vegetables are thawed and sprinkle with flour.

4. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes and spices. Simmer for at least 5 minutes. (I've simmered this for up to an hour and the gumbo reduces to a lovely, rich sauce coating the meat and vegetables. Your preference.)

Snowday Gingersnaps

So named just because we made them on one of the many snowdays we had in 2010.

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup candied ginger, cut into tiny chunks (optional)
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.
3. Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms.
4. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 121 | Total Fat: 5.4g | Cholesterol: 7mg

Bread Machine Babka

This is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe from December 2009. Theirs had many more steps and they most definitely did not make the dough in a breadmaker!

Ingredients:

For babka dough:

3/4 cup warm, 1% milk

6 tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups bread flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

5 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Put all ingredients (in order listed) into breadmaker and set on "Dough" setting.

For babka filling:

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate bar)

1. When dough is complete, remove from breadmaker and stretch/roll/knead it out into a 16" square.

2. Sprinkle filling over dough, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges.

3. Roll up dough tightly, then twist, pinching seam and ends to seal. Fit dough into bread load pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Allow to rise for 45 minutes.

4. Bake in 350* oven for approximately 40 minutes (until brown on top and sounding hollow when rapped on bottom.)

5. Cook completely (or at least mostly) before slicing, otherwise it will fall apart!

Morroccan Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 3 - 4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
1 bag baby carrots
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (no pits!)
4 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into 1" pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika

Method:

1. Heat oven to 425*. Toss all ingredients (except paprika) together on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and then sprinkle paprika on the chicken pieces.
2. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Toss the vegetables at least once.

Serve with pita points toasted with garlic butter.

Bread Machine Baguettes

This recipe makes 2 flavorful baguettes. They are not the same as what the bread lady from Pezenas delivered to our villa in the South of France, but they'll do . . .

Do not be put off by the number of steps to this recipe -- using the bread machine simplifies this immensely and it really doesn't take much effort on your part!

Ingredients

for the Poolish (starter):

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast

Combine the above in the bread machine and set on the Dough cycle. Let sit in the bread machine 6 - 15 hours (the longer the tastier.) Then add the ingredients below to this Poolish mixture:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons sea salt (I use Baleine's from France because it seems authentic)

1 beaten egg (to brush on before baking)

Set the bread machine to Dough again. I like to set the timer so that the dough is ready by the time I wake up.

Remove the dough from the bread machine. Cut dough in half and knead each piece into a 12 - 18" log. Now, I have a strange little contraption in which to bake the baguettes (see photo), but you can just gently lay them on a cookie sheet. Once you're finished here, you can prepare your oven while the dough rises.

Now, a note on the oven: I hear that one of the things that give baguettes their wonderful texture is that the French use special ovens that steam the bread as well as bake it. My attempt at this is to put a large baking pan full of boiling water in the cold oven. Then, I preheat it to 500* F., reducing the temperature to 475* when I put the loves in. Beware upon opening the oven, you will get a faceful of steam if you're not careful!

Once the dough has risen for about 30 minutes, brush on egg mixture, slash the dough several times on a diagonal for extra Frenchiness (see photo) and place in oven for about 25 - 30 minutes.

Remove, allow to cool for at least 5 minutes and then serve with jam, honey, butter and peanut butter. My kids love this for breakfast!

Zucchini cupcakes revisited -- now with chocolate chip streusel!

• Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup safflower oil

2 tbsp. ground flax meal

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Chocolate Chip Streusel:

1 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
3 TBSP flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients together, then add chocolate chips. Top each cupcake with around 1 TBSP of streusel mix before putting in oven.


Method:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• 
  
• 1. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
• 2. Stir in the flour, flax meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.
• 3. Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pans, Bundt pan or muffin tins (filling these last 2/3 of the way full.) Bake at 350* for 20 to 25 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle.
• 4. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

I like to drizzle a glaze on the Bundt cake or even spread store-bought icing on the cupcakes. My kids love this and I figure it's a good way to use up the zucchini bounty of summer!

NOTE: This makes 2 loaves and about 30 cupcakes. One Bundt cake, of course.

ANOTHER NOTE: Sometimes I even make this in my breadmaker and it couldn't be simpler -- just throw all the ingredients in the pan at once. I think this might be the preferred method because it breaks the grated zucchini up so much that it's not noticeable at all! Plus, it is super easy.

LAST NOTE, I PROMISE: This freezes VERY well, no matter which form you choose to bake.