Butternut Squash Ravioli

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Veronica

I can spend an entire day decorating a cake but I have no patience when it comes to preparing food. So despite my affection for anything Italian, I have thus far prepared ravioli solely by buying it frozen and pouring sauce over it. Who has the time to make the dough from scratch, roll it out, blah blah blah? Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

Enter last month’s issue of Good Housekeeping. Near the back was their featured “Easy” recipe of the month–Butternut Squash Ravioli. You use wonton wrappers so that you don’t have to make the dough yourself. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t too bad….until I made a serious error in judgement.

These suckers are supposed to dry for 30 minutes before boiling. I figured I’d prepare them the night before and let them dry all day in the fridge. Well, the edges got so dry that most of them cracked all the way to the filling and the middles got so soggy on the bottom that they were nearly impossible to pry off the cookie sheet. They fell apart in the boiling water and I had a spaz attack. I was starving and I get CRANKY when I’m hungry. All I could think about was how long it took to fill each one of those ravioli and then seal the edges and all for nothing!

I started banging the hell out of the edge of the pot and things started falling off the back of the oven…picture frames, vitamins, fake ivy….

Then when I started draining them one by one and laying them on paper towels as the recipe (I thought at the time) directed, the mangled mess began sticking to the paper towels. I lost it completely. I started banging cabinets until the apple clock fell off the wall. It didn’t break so I picked it up and threw it one the floor. That did the trick.

After stirring them into the sage butter sauce and watching them further disintegrate, I slid a few remaining whole ones onto a plate and dug in. My sizzling nerves gasped and then settled into complete bliss. At least it was all worth it. So worth it.

Butternut Squash Ravioli
Printable recipe

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (4-6oz)
12 ounces frozen winter squash
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 pinch nutmeg
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
12 ounces wonton wrappers (50 wrappers)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage leaf

In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and cook about 12 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cook squash in microwave as label directs; cool slightly.

In medium bowl, combine onion, squash, parmesan, bread crumbs, whole egg, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. In small bowl, whisk together egg white and water.

Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. With pastry brush, brush egg white along edges; place 1 rounded tablespoon squash filling in center of wrapper, keeping filling away from edges. Top with second wrapper; press down firmly around filling to seal ravioli, pushing out any trapped air. Place ravioli on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers, using a second cookie sheet so that ravioli do not overlap. Let ravioli dry 30 minutes, turning over halfway through to evenly dry both sides.

Ten minutes before cooking ravioli, heat large pot of salted water to boiling on high.

Add ravioli to pot; cook 3-5 minutes or until tender, stirring gently to separate ravioli.

Meanwhile, in 4-quart saucepan, cook butter on medium 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring. Remove from heat; stir in sage and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper.

With large slotted spoon, lift out ravioli, 1 at a time; drain, on paper towels. Transfer ravioli to saucepan with butter; gently stir to coat.

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Posted in Italian, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Pasta and tagged butternut squash ravioli sage butter sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Veronica

Whenever I buy buttermilk for a recipe, I end up with about 2 cups left in the carton and it usually goes bad before I get the chance to use it.

Although the buttermilk currenty sitting in my refrigerator (which I purchased to make Marina’s Orange Bitty Buns) is a day past it’s expiration date, I was delighted to discover it had not gone bad (though it’s sometimes hard to tell with buttermilk!) when I finally decided it was time to try a recipe that required it.

I’m a recipe hoarder and they tend to stay in my hard drive for over a year before I finally print one out and try it for the first time. I think I’ve had this one for over two…maybe three years. And now I wonder why in the world I waited so long? This recipe was meant to be made on a monthly, if not weekly basis! These cookies are just fantabulous, people. Let me know if you like ’em as much as we did (yes, even the oatmeal cookie-hating husband approves!). Paula Deen proves herself worthy of my undying love yet again…

Paula’s Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Icing, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 1 or more cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

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Orange Biggie Buns

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Veronica

Marina recently posted a recipe for her “Orange Bitty Buns” and I could neither resist making them ASAP, nor the impulse to turn those “bitty” buns into giant-sized monster rolls so that I couldn’t even call them by their intended name when I was finished with them. Sorry, Marina, but I’m all about BIG when it comes to fat and sugar. :)

I’m going to post the recipe as Marina originally intended since I’m sure they will turn out better for you that way. Doing it my way (rolling out a large rectangle of the dough, layering on the filling and rolling the whole thing up to slice with floss/thread, like cinnamon rolls), was messy and difficult and didn’t make the rolls very pretty. Course, they tasted divine and the glaze covered up the ugliness so who cares? Either way, they’ll be great!!!! I think I actually like them BETTER than cinnamon rolls, even Aunt Becky’s (which are the best cinnamon rolls in the world). I hope you like them too.

MARINA’S ORANGE BITTY BUNS

Biscuits:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened (1 teaspoon per biscuit)
1 cup and 2 tablespoons orange marmalade (1 1/2 tablespoons per biscuit)
1/4 cup brown sugar (1 teaspoon brown sugar per biscuit)

Icing:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese
Dash salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons orange zest

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Biscuits: Combine dry ingredients for biscuit. Cut shortening into dry mixture. Add buttermilk and blend. Roll out biscuit dough on floured waxed paper until about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut with a round biscuit cutter as if you were making biscuits. You’ll get approximately 10 to 12 biscuits. Roll out each individual biscuit until it is 5 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick.

On each biscuit, layer butter, marmalade and brown sugar. Roll up each biscuit and slice into 3 pinwheels of equal size. Place rolls in 2 (7 by 7-inch) baking pans. (You can also use other dimensions of pans. The key is to keep the rolls close together). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing.

For Icing: Mix powdered sugar, orange juice, butter,
cream cheese, salt, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle over rolls.

Makes 3 Dozen

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Beer Bread

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Veronica

Update: I have revised this recipe twice since posting this. For the best version, which stores well, click here.

I hate beer. Short of vomit and diarreah and possibly gasoline, I find it to be the most vile substance on the planet. I truly believe that the only reason anyone actually likes the taste of beer is that they repeatedly forced themselves to drink it in order to get drunk and/or be social and then the taste grew on them. Am I wrong?

Anyway, when I got a beer bread mix for Christmas, I was actually excited, despite my aversion to beer. I don’t like drinking it, but suddenly I was willing to try eating it. (Which implies a lot about my relationship with food but I’ll ignore that for the time being.) The resulting bread was mildly disappointing so I decided to make another loaf from scratch and found a recipe that only had a few ingredients and didn’t require rising time, so it was quick and easy to make.

I was beyond full when I tried the first slice, but it was difficult to keep from taking another to see if the second would taste as good. It has a thick, crunchy and buttery crust, it’s center is hearty and rich with a yeasty and slightly sweet taste. Eating a loaf of this stuff may be the only way I’ll ever consume an entire bottle, and that may be happening by the end of the day. If I can wait that long.

Whether you enjoy beer or not, I think you’ll like this bread, too.

Beer Bread

3 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12-oz) can beer
1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk, then stir in the beer with a spoon. The batter will be thick, like bread dough (at least mine was). Dump in into the prepared pan and spread out as evenly as possible. Pour the melted butter over the top and bake for 1 hour. (Some reviewers reported that the butter boiled up and over the pan during baking, making a smoky mess. This didn’t happen to me, but I would recommend putting a baking sheet on the rack below the pan just in case.) Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.

White Bean Enchiladas

Posted on January 11, 2009 by Veronica

A vegetarian friend asked if beans could be used in place of the chicken when I posted my recipe for chicken enchiladas. I recommended using white beans and then liked the idea so much I decided to try it myself. My husband and Dad like them even better than the original, I like them about the same (which is a lot) and my Mom and sister hated them. But the majority vote wins and my oppinion is the only one that really counts, anyway.

White Bean Enchiladas

2 cans Cannellini (white kidney) beans

1 (16-oz) tub sour cream

2 (4-oz) cans green chiles, drained

¾ cup chopped onion

6 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (Cheddar, Monterray Jack, (reserve 2 cups for topping)

2 tsp garlic powder, or to taste

2 tsp salt, or to taste

20 flour tortillas

3 cans enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two 9×13 pans with cooking spray and set aside.

For the filling:

Drain and rinse one can of beans. Put in a large bowl and mash them, then drain and rinse the other can and add them to the bowl along with everything else (minus the 2 cups of cheese for topping later). Taste the mixture when you’re adding the salt and garlic powder so you stop before you add too much. Stir until well incorporated.

Assemble the enchiladas:
Warm the first bag of tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds (I leave them in the bag). Put about 1/3 cup filling in each one and roll. Line them up in the pans until both are full. Pour 1 ½ cans of enchilada sauce over each pan and use a spoon or pastry brush to distribute over any dry parts of tortillas that didn’t get any sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle 1 cup of reserved cheese over each pan and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cake

Posted on January 2, 2009 by Veronica

I had today off and finally had the time to make a cake for the December babies in my family–Dennis, Danielle and Lacey. Yes, I’m horrible. Yes, I’m the worst wife and sister on the planet. Yes, I only made one cake for all three birthdays. And I didn’t even bother decorating it. But there were NO complaints, let me tell you. I do not have the vocabulary to express just how awesome the flavor of the buttercream is. If you like cherry cordials, you’ll love this cake.

I know not many will appreciate this blog since it’s New Year’s Day and you most likely wrote “LOSE WEIGHT” at the top of your resolutions (again), but save the recipe for Valentine’s Day–by then you’ll have lost enough weight to afford a slice and your sweetheart will be clamoring for cake since you banned it from the house for the last two months.

Chocolate Cherry Cordial Cake

1 Devil’s Food Cake, prepared according to package directions
1 recipe Cherry Chocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)
Marashino/Candied/Fresh cherries
Sliced almonds (optional)
Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Frost the cake with the buttercream and embellish with the cherries, almonds and chocolate chips or whatever else you want to use.

Cherry Chocolate Buttercream

3 sticks butter, room temperature, soft
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cherry extract
¼ cup + 2 tbsp. milk
1 1/3 cups cocoa powder
1 ½ oz. melted semisweet chocolate

Beat butter; Add sugar and mix until moistened. Add salt, extract, milk, and chocolates. Beat until fluffy and desired consistency, several minutes. Makes enough to fill and frost two 8 or 9 inch layers, plus more for decorating.

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Posted in Cake & Frosting and tagged birthday, chocolate cherry cordial cake, easy, romantic, special occasion cake, Valentine's Day. Bookmark the permalink.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Posted on December 24, 2008 by Veronica

I’ve made a lot of fudge this year and I’ve finally come up with a basic fudge recipe that I really like. It is non-temperamental, doesn’t require that you heat it to a certain temperature, doesn’t get grainy, and is rich and dense and gooey. You can use it as a base and add different things like nuts, liqueur, or candy. Here’s the basic recipe and notes on how to turn it into the dark chocolate peppermint fudge (my picture shows just the regular fudge with the peppermint but I later tried using dark chocolate, which I think tastes better with the peppermint).

Veronica’s Basic Fudge

1 (12-oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Fill a medium saucepan about 2 inches deep with water. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, dump everything but the vanilla and nuts in a metal bowl and set it on top of the saucepan so that it’s suspended over the hot water. Stir the contents intermittently while it heats, until everything is melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and nuts (if you are using). Pour into a buttered 8×8″ pan and refrigerate at least overnight before cutting. Makes about 2 lbs. Lasts forever (I’ve kept some up to two months without it getting dry or going bad) tightly covered at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Fudge: substitute dark chocolate chips (I use Hershey’s Special Dark) and sprinkle Andes peppermint baking chips on top once the fudge is poured in the dish and smoothed. You don’t have to wait for it to cool first. You could also use crushed peppermints if you don’t mind crunchy fudge.

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Posted in Candy and tagged andes peppermint chips, basic fudge, dark chocolate peppermint fudge, easy, fast. Bookmark the permalink.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Posted on December 22, 2008 by Veronica

With my passion for baking, it’s a wonder I haven’t tried baking treats for Jessie until now. It’s more time consuming than throwing a bag in the shopping cart, but they’re much healthier and she loves them enough to make it worth the extra effort.

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

3 c whole wheat flour

½ c old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tsp baking powder

¼ c wheat germ

1 ½ c milk

1 ¼ c peanut butter

1/3 c molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter, milk and molasses until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients (knead by hand if necessary). Roll to ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave inside until it is cool. Store in an airtight container.

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White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Posted on December 9, 2008 by Veronica

So far the post office has not been working us overtime–they’ve been letting us go home early instead! My Christmas miracle! :)

Anyway, I’m trapped indoors b/c driving in the snow terrifies me. I wanted to make some chocolate covered pretzels but since I can’t leave to buy the pretzels (four pounds of almond bark and nothing to coat!), I decided to make something with what I had. So I made some fudge with Ande’s peppermint baking pieces on top and then some white chocolate cherry chunkies from the lard Queen, Paula Deen.

But they turned out pretty awful. What is wrong with me? I knew when I opened the macadamia nuts that they were rancid. Yes, nuts go rancid. I had them in the freezer (which makes them last 20 times longer) but I bought them on clearance so they were probably rancid before I even froze them. Then I left them in the freezer for a year. So I took a delicious recipe and totally ruined it b/c of my stubborn refusal to substittute the macadamias for another nut (I have three other kinds, people!). I’m so mad. You can tell the cookie is good and it’s only the crappy nuts messing with the flavor. I hate failing.

So I’m going to take them to the post office and let my co-workers choke on them b/c I can’t bring myself to throw them away. They get to eat all my baking failures that I leave anonymously on the counter with a note to “help yourself.” Pretty soon they’re just going to start chucking the cookies, cakes and brownies that get left on the counter b/c they’re sick of they’re eyes going crossed and the diarreah that follows soon after.

White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup candied cherries
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Batter should be stiff.

In another bowl, combine nuts, cherries, and white chocolate. Then add to batter, stirring only to blend. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

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Holiday Eating Tips

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Veronica

It took us two days, but Dennis and I finally addressed, signed and stuffed all 140 of our Christmas cards (never again!). Now I’m thoroughly in the Christmas spirit and ready to follow these holiday eating tips (ha–I actually got a jump start on them this year!).

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas Spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next next door, where they’re serving rum balls.8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert?
Labor Day?

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnogaholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free.

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10 lb plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across smething really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind,

you’re never going to see them again.

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all costs. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.