Cheese Ravioli w/ Peas & Prosciutto

Cheese Ravioli with Peas & Prosciutto

(Adapted from the Food Network magazine)

Ingredients:

1 lb cheese ravioli
4 oz chopped prosciutto
2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 T tomato paste
1 cup reserved pasta water from ravioli
1/4 c half & half
1 c frozen peas
chopped parsley
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook for about 8 or 9 minutes until done. Reserve one cup of the water, set aside. Right before you drain the pasta, add the frozen peas and stir until slightly blanched. Drain, set aside.

Meanwhile, saute the prosciutto in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Stir in the garlic & tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add the water from the pasta and simmer for about 4 minutes, or until it has reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half. Toss the sauce with the ravioli & peas, garnish with parsley & grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Cajun Jambalaya

(This recipe was adapted from a recipe that was featured in Bon Appetit's March Issue. This makes a lot...theres 3 of us and we had a ton of leftovers, so you might want to cut it in half. I will definitely cut it in half next time!)

Cajun Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 12 ounces bacon, diced
• 4 smoked sausages, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick semi-circles
• 4 andouille sausages, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper
• 3 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3 cups (19 to 20 ounces) long-grain white rice ( I used brown rice, so it had to cook longer)
• 8 green onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• Chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

• Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Cook bacon in very large pot over medium-high heat until brown but not yet crisp, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes. Add smoked sausage, andouille, and ham. Sauté until meats start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Mix in chicken. Cook until outside of chicken turns white, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes. Mix in paprika, thyme, chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Cook 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes with chiles and broth; stir to blend well. Add more cayenne, if desired. Mix in rice.
• Bring jambalaya to boil. Cover pot. Place in oven and bake until rice is tender and liquids are absorbed, 45 to 48 minutes. Uncover pot. Mix chopped green onions into jambalaya; sprinkle jambalaya with chopped parsley and serve. Garnish with Crystal hot sauce, if desired.
  

Baked Ziti with hot Italian sausage & zucchini

This recipe was adapted from the Mix & Match Baked Pasta article featured in the March issue of the Food Network magazine:

Baked Ziti with Hot Italian Sausage & Sauteed Zucchini

Ingredients:
1 lb penne pasta
1 lb hot Italian sausage, cooked & crumbled
Extra virgin olive oil
4 zucchini, sliced and sauteed
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
pinch of red pepper flakes
3 cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup water
4 sprigs of basil
1 15 oz container of ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella or asiago cheese
1 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil; cook 1 pound of pasta until very al dente, 3 minutes less than the label directs; drain. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Saute your zucchini in olive oil and set aside. Cook your sausage, drain, set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook until the garlic is golden, just a few minutes. Add the diced tomatoes & water into the skillet. Add the basil; simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 20-25 minutes. Discard the basil; season the sauce with salt. (you could also just use 4 cups prepared sauce and skip this step.

Toss the ricotta, zucchini, & sausage into the sauce and stir until the ricotta has incorporated itself into the sauce. Toss the cooked pasta and half of each cheese into the sauce. Turn the mixture into a greased casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 20-25 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Cuban Sandwiches

I love Cuban sandwiches! They are super easy, especially if you use leftover roasted pork! All you need is some rolls, dijon mustard, pickles, ham, & shredded or sliced pork. Some people use turkey, too. I discovered this awesome Asian chili sauce by Franks the other day. I mix it with some Sriracha sauce and serve it with the Cuban. Yum.
I've been spending a lot of time on my blog lately, and its affecting my waistline! I've packed on a few pounds, so its time for me to start doing something about that. I will still be cooking great food, but trying to cut out some calories here and there, and getting off my butt and exercising more. Today I walked 2.5 miles and I'm about to go play tennis for 90 minutes with my team. Its February and I feel like I'm that much closer to Spring & Summer, so I feel a lot more motivated to get outside and work out. I always feel better when I've been working out.

Happy February!

Pork Chile Verde

Is Pork Chile Verde a bit redundant? Because it does go without saying that there is pork in Chile Verde, right? I couldn't find a recipe that worked for me, so I made it up myself. I bought a 7 pounds pork shoulder and wanted to roast it and save half for another use. Basically, I just rubbed the roast with garlic, squeezed a grapefruit and an orange over it, drizzled some olive oil, and sprinkled it with a teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, & oregano. Cover the roast with foil and cook on 350 for about 4 hours. Set half of it aside for another use (tamales, carnitas, Cuban sandwiches, etc), and shred the rest for the Chile Verde.

Now for the sauce.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
1 each: red, yellow, & orange bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon each: ground cumin & cumin seed
salt & pepper to taste
32 ounces chicken stock
10 tomatillos, hulled, and quartered
2 bunches cilantro, plus a handful chopped for garnish
3 1/2 to 4 pounds of cooked pork, shredded or in chunks. (see above)

Directions:
Using a large Dutch Oven or sauce pan, saute the onions & bell peppers in oil (I used corn cuz I am low on olive oil) until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, cumin seed, salt, & pepper and give it stir. Add the chicken stock and the tomatillos and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cilantro and very carefully blend the ingredients with an emulsion blender, being careful not to splash yourself with the hot liquid. If you don't have an emulsion blender, run out right now and get one or order on Amazon asap! In the meantime, you could use your regular blender and then return the sauce to the pan. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add the shredded pork and simmer for at least 15 minutes, but longer is ok. If it gets too thick, you can thin it down with more chicken stock or water. Check for salt & pepper before serving.

Serve with corn tortillas and these suggested garnishes: sour cream, cilantro, diced onions, avocado, pickled jalapenos & pinto beans. You can eat it as a stew or in tacos. Enjoy!!

Garlicy Chicken & Roasted Cauliflower

1) Put boneless skinless chicken breasts in a Ziplock bag. Pour evoo over chicken, add tons of minced garlic, and some salt & pepper. Marinate for an hour or two. Broil for 10 minutes per side.

2) In a casserole dish, add cauliflower, diced... shallots, salt, pepper, and a generous drizzle of evoo. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Meatballs

I love meatballs! I had some ground beef and some sausage that I needed to use before going away this weekend. We're moving my daughter into the dorms in So. Cal. tomorrow! I'm going to miss my baby so much!! I'm trying to keep it together until after I say goodbye....then I know I'm going to start bawling! :(

Anyway, these meatballs are a little too brown, but they turned out soooooo good.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage (in the tube)
2 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper
4 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 shallot, diced
4 scallions, sliced (not the green tops)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
4 slices of white bread, crusts trimmed off, cubed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
Canola or vegetable oil
Olive Oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Using your hands (yuk, I know...and don't forget to de-bling!), mix very well. Form about 14-16 golf ball sized meatballs. Heat equal amounts canola & olive oil in a frying pan, about 1/4 inch deep. Cook the meatballs in two batches on medium, about 5 minutes per side, or until done in the middle. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

I served mine with tortellini & red sauce, but if I had rolls, I'd have made meatball sandwiches! Yum!