Spinach & Ricotta ravioli filling

Here is what you need:

About 8 oz well trimmed, rinsed spinach

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup parmesan cheese,fresh is best

3/4 tsp thyme

1 egg yolk

pinch of nutmeg

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spinach for about 4 minutes, drain well, squeeze out as much excess liquid as you can. Chop well, set aside to cool. You should have about 3/4 cup spinach.

 In bowl, mix together cheeses, thyme, and spinach. Stir in egg yolk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

 Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Fresh Pasta (Ravioli)

I love fresh pasta. I love ravioli.

Here is what you need:

Course Salt, pinch
2 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs, room temperature
Baking sheet sprinkled generously with semolina

 Lightly beat the eggs and salt until well combined. Form the flour, into a well shape on a flat workspace.

 Pour the eggs directly into flour well, and using your fingers, slowly combine.

 Once it forms into a ball, keep working it until smooth and elastic.

 Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let sit for 1 1/2 hour at room temperature.

 At this point you can make any pasta you want, follow these next steps to make ravioli.
Unwrap your pasta dough, and cut into 4 chunks.

 Cover 3 of the chunks with plastic wrap and set aside. Take one chunk and roll out as thin, on a lightly floured surface, as you can. You want it to be relatively transparent.

 Cut in half and cover one half with plastic wrap.

 On uncovered half, spoon teaspoons of whatever ravioli filling you would like, i am using a Spinach & Ricotta filling. Using a wet pastry brush, brush edges and around filling. THis is how the pasta will seal and stick together.

 Take covered half, and lay over half with filling. Carefully seal around all filling, being sure to squeeze out as many air bubbles as possible.

 Using a pastry roller, cut into squares, and trim uneven edges and excess. PLace on floured baking sheet, cover and repeat with next 3 chunks. Either cook immediately, or cover and freeze.

T-DAY recipes coming soon....

Spice Rubbed Chicken (coming soon)

Herb Garlic Rolls (coming soon)

Cornbread Stuffing (coming soon)

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Part 2

Here is what you need for part 2:

Click here for Part 1

1/4 cup very warm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1/3 cup honey
1 cup spelt flour
2-3 cups all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast and 1/4 cup warm water, add honey to yeast mixture.

Add to soaked flour mixture w/dough hook, add flours 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until not sticky,

Dump dough out on lightly floured surface. Grease bowl, and place dough back into bowl. Cover, let rise 1 hour until doubled. 

Punch down and divide into 2 lumps. 

Roll out, then roll up tightly, pinch underside seam and roll ends under. 

Place in greased bread ban, seam side down, cover and let rise 45 minutes (or freeze for later).

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until browned and sounds hollow when tapped

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Part 1

This is the recipe you have all been waiting for....ok maybe just me. It has taken me YEARS to find a whole wheat bread recipe i could stick with (no pun intended). I wanted a tall, dark, and handsome(???) loaf, but also had more whole wheat flour than white. Since i don't buy bread, i really grew frustrated with my itty bitty crumby sandwiches, UGH! A couple weeks ago a put together this recipe (using a few different recipes), and it is everything i could have hoped for, and with one added bonus....it's soaked! Why do i care and what does it mean you ask? Here, educate yourself: Soaking grains, WHY?

Okay now here is the first part of the recipe:
Click here for part 2

Soaked Whole Wheat Bread

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup butter ( i used homemade, isn't that special)

1 T salt

1/4 cup buttermilk (also homemade)

2 cups water

Heat butter and water over low heat until butter melts, and water is very warm.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add warm butter mixture along with buttermilk, stir until well combined. 

Cover with plastic wrap, and a towel. And let soak overnight. 

I will post Soaked Whole Wheat Bread Part 2 tomorrow.

Meatball Subs

I got this out of one of my Clean Eating magazines, and as always, i have tweaked it.


Meatball Subs
(serves 4)


1 batch, cooked Lentil Ricotta 'Meatballs'
1 clove garlic
olive oil
1/2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped (you can used canned whole, put be sure to seed them)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp oregano
14 oz whole wheat baguette (widest one you can find)


On a greased sheet pan, toss zucchini, pepper, and onion with oil. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes, stir, and cook another 10 minutes


IN a small bowl, stir together tomatoes, basil, oregano, and garlic. Coat meatballs in tomato mixture, place in oven about 10 minutes


Slice baguette into 4 sections, then slice each section in half horizontally so it opens like a book. Spread open each section and out a bit of bread in the middle to make room for the meatballs. Toast bread in toaster or under broiler for a minute to crisp.


To assemble, sandwiches, open up a piece of toasted bread, pile on a quarter of the meatball mixture, top with a quarter of roasted vegetables. Yum!

Lentil Ricotta 'Meatballs'

I believe that lentils are almost always a suitable substitution for ground beef. I found this recipe online (cannot remember where) and i did tweak it slightly.

Lentil Ricotta Meatballs

(makes about 20)

2 cups lentils, cooked, pureed
2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parm. cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp parsley
2 cloves garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl, mix until well incorporated. In a blender, combine lentils and eggs, puree.

Add lentil puree to cheese and breadcrumb mixture, blend until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight if you wish.

Shape 'meatballs' into about 1 inch balls.

Bake on aluminum foil lined, greased pan at 350 for about 30 minutes, turning over halfway through.
OR, you could fry them on the stove in some canola oil.

Serve however you like! I would like to use this recipe and make lentil burgers.

I will post the recipe for my Meatball Subs shortly.

Menu Plan November 12-18

So much for posting recipes, or anything, this week! And as much as i would like to say i will make up for it this week, i know that it just won't happen. I am busy preparing for a joint birthday party with a dear friend, and this week i wasn't feeling well (i blame diet coke). Maybe i will manage to stay more focused, and less ADD.

I am very pleased with the menus for the next couple of weeks. Note, i often 'rearrange' the meals on different days. Sometimes it just works better, and i don't want to give the impression i am a rigid, strict planner. Because it is simply not true. But Red Robin is definitely happening Sunday, i can say that for sure :-)

Here is my menu!

Friday: Pizza
           Green Salad ( with apples and honey lime dressing)

Saturday: Meatball subs (Lentil Ricotta 'meatballs')
               Cheesy Broccoli

Sunday: RED ROBIN!

Monday: Lemon Oregano Chicken
              Flatbread
              Green salad

tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Penne w/ summer squash, basil, and parm. cheese
                   Meatballs (maybe)
                   Green salad

thursday: tortilla soup
              Baked tortillas


Sorry, i typed this on my gimpy laptop and my "t"doesn't work (thank you copy and paste!) but i didn't want to take the time to find some capital t's. though come to think about it, it may have been faster than typing this explanation....hmmmm...

Menu Plan Nov 5-11 (updated)

Here is my menu for the next week. I will try and post most of these recipes throughout the week.

Friday
Pizza
Green salad

Saturday 
Lentil Burgers
Baked fries

Sunday
Shrimp w/ quinoa & veggies (my 'vegan' meal for the week)

Monday
Potato Soup
Wheat rolls

Tuesday 
Leftovers

Wednesday
Fajitas
Rice

Thursday 
Creamy Alfredo Giardino

Vegan Curried Carrot Soup

 Here is what you need: 1 tbls olive oil, bunch of carrots (if you must be exact, 1 1/2 lbs), onion, 1 1/2 tbls curry, 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne, salt to taste.

 Now, i would like to say...using baby carrots would make your life sweeter at this moment. No Peeling. No Chopping. But i like my big carrots. And if you do too, get peeling and chopping!

 Heat olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add carrots and sliced onion,yum.

 Saute. Smell. Saute.

 If you feel so inclined, add some garlic. Repeat previous step.

 Mmmm....

 Saute for about 5 minutes.

 Add vegetable stock, curry, cayenne, and salt.

 turn heat to high, bring to a boil and cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until carrots are tender.

 Break out the blender, large bowl, and ladle.

 And take your simmered goodness...

 And ladle into blender, about half of the soup.

 Blend that baby!

 After soup has reached your desired consistency (play around with adding more soup liquid if needed),

Pour into bowl.

 Finish blending rest of the soup. Pour all soup back into pot.

 Now, before you let the words 'baby food' leave your lips, take some of this soup to your lips instead.

It is like warm, curried air. So delicious! And 100 calories for 1 1/2 cup. Winner.