Tag Archives: food

Squash Ravioli with Swiss Chard and Truffle Oil

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I’ve always wanted to try making ravioli, so when I got a few squash this week I thought I would give it a shot! I don’t have a pasta maker at home, so I simply made these ravioli using wonton wrappers, which you can find at most supermarkets. Last minute I decided to drizzle some black truffle oil on top, which was of course a great idea. Truffle on anything is magical.

Ingredients: (adapted from Williams-Sonoma)
1 delicata squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 fresh thyme springs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 teaspoon nutmeg
wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Swiss chard, washed and thickly chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop the squash into quarters, then peel, remove seeds, and chop into 1-inch cubes. Add to a baking sheet with the crushed garlic and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Cook for 25-30 minute or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and toss the thyme. Add to a medium bowl with ricotta, half of the Parmesan, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Smash with a big spoon well until well incorporated. You can also pulse in a food processor to smooth it out easier. I added a little olive oil until I thought it had a nice consistency.

Place a few wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Scoop some filling into the center of the wrapper (not too much so that you can close it) and brush the edges with the egg. Take another wrapper and brush the edges as well. Place one wrapper on top of the other and seal edges with a fork. Alternatively, you can just fold the one wrapper in half and make triangle ravioli (also called triangoli) instead. I tried both to see which I liked better- I think the triangle shape makes them look fuller which is nice. Place a damp paper towel on a plate and stack your ravioli until you are ready to start boiling them. In a large pot of boiling water, add a little olive oil (to help them not stick together) and cook about 7 ravioli at a time until they all float to the top, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. While you cook the ravioli, toss the Swiss chard in a frying pan with a little olive oil until it begins to wilt.

Place ravioli on a plate and drizzle with a tiny bit of butter and black truffle oil. add the Swiss chard and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread & Muffins

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Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs- everything looks incredible. When I got some zucchini this week I decided to make her zucchini bread. It was absolutely delicious and extremely easy to make! I added the chocolate chips, but this would be great without them as well, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have. Even with the chocolate chips added, I didn’t think it was too sweet at all. The recipe was enough to make 2 loaves or 24 muffins, but when I filled the one loaf pan it didn’t look like I would have enough for another full loaf, so I threw the leftovers in the muffin tin. Both came out great- I ate mine warm with butter, of course.

Ingredients: (from Smitten Kitchen)
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or walnuts if you want a less sweet with a little crunch)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your loaf pans or muffin tins. In a large bowl whisk the eggs then add the oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a few cups at a time and mix well. Divide the batter into your pans and cook for 50-60 minutes (test with a toothpick until it comes out clean.) If you go the muffin route instead, these will cook much faster in about 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then immediately hide in your room and eat the whole thing.

Creamy Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Leek Pasta

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The fall weather was definitely here today. It was the first day I felt a little chilly walking around- probably because I’m in denial summer is over and still dressing for 80 degree weather. When I got home I decided to make some nice warm pasta for dinner. I made this delicious eggplant and mushroom dish that took no more than 30 minutes max. I will definitely be making this again! I think it might even be good with a little pancetta added next time.

Ingredients: (from Petite Kitchen)
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
4 small Japanese eggplants, cubed
Juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
Angel hair pasta

(makes about 2-3 servings)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the leeks. Let cook for a minute until they break down a little. Add the garlic, mushrooms, eggplant, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking vegetables for another 3 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock and Dijon mustard then turn down the heat to low and let simmer for another 5 minutes. In the meantime, boil some water and cook the pasta. Turn off the heat and add the cream and lemon juice to the vegetables, stir well then pour over the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and a little fresh cracked pepper.

Summer Squash and Corn Soup

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Apparently fall is on its way, and despite the past two days of 90 degree weather, I thought I would prepare myself for the upcoming season by making some soup. I had some summer squash and corn on hand and found a nice light recipe that sounded perfect for weaning my way into soup season. It could not have been easier to make and was absolutely delicious. I think next time I make it, I will have some nice bread on hand to dunk. I pretty much love any excuse to eat bread.

Ingredients: (adapted from Eating Well)
1 small shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon balm
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 yellow squash, diced
1 fresh corn, sliced off the cob
14 oz chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pepper to taste
Crumbled feta cheese, for topping

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the shallots. Let cook a minute or two then add the squash and fresh herbs. Cook for another 5 minutes until the squash softens a bit. Add the chicken broth and salt and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and tip your soup in the pot so the liquid is deep enough to use your hand blender without having it splat everywhere. If you do not have a hand blender, you can simply pour the mixture into your blender and blend until smooth. Next, add the fresh corn and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Lastly, add the lemon juice and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and top with feta cheese and any leftover fresh herbs.

After making this for the first time, I think next time I might try adding half of the corn early and blending it in with the squash, then add the rest at the end per the above. This would make it even creamier which I think would be nice. Oh and the bread, lots of bread!

Roasted Lemon Balm and Sage Chicken

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I was pleasantly surprised this week when I got a huge bag of lemon balm. I had recently read a lot about it in one of my favorite hippie books and was excited to see what I could try. The first thing I did was make myself a cup of tea by ripping about 5 leaves and adding that with some fresh ginger to my tea ball, then letting it steep for 10 minutes. Very subtle and delicious! The next thing I made was this lemon balm and sage chicken. I had a ton of left over sage and saw it paired with the lemon balm in a few recipes, but I am sure it would be great with thyme or rosemary if you don’t have sage on hand. You could eat this chicken plain or over pretty much anything. I had some polenta and used that with a little Parmesan cheese mixed in. YUM.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
1 tablespoon fresh lemon balm, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together the herbs, garlic and softened butter. Lift the skin of the chicken and spread the butter mixture underneath. Place the chicken skin side up on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil until coated well. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any loose herbs you may have leftover. Place the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. To get a good crisp on the skin, turn off the oven and spoon the chicken drippings from the pan over top of the chicken, then throw on the broiler and broil for a minute or two until skin is crispy!

Fresh Nectarine Muffins

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YUM. I haven’t made muffins in a while and I have no idea why that is. They are so good! Especially straight out of the oven with a little butter on top. These took no time to make and were nice and moist with the fruit inside. Instead of using buttermilk I went for Greek yogurt instead, which was a nice substitute!

Ingredients: (adapted from Pinch My Salt)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh nectarines, diced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just combined, then add the nectarines. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper cups and add the mixture evenly to each. They will fill almost to the top. Place in oven for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean!

Carrot, Cabbage, and Bell Pepper Dumplings

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I came across a recipe for vegetable dumplings and was excited to try making them after I got the perfect ingredients in my CSA bag- cabbage, carrots, and orange bell peppers. They were very easy to make and really good! I think the hardest part is forming the dumplings into a pretty shape, so I just simply folded them in half and called it a day. It all tastes the same, right?

Ingredients:
1 bell pepper
1 large carrot
1/8 white or red cabbage
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 package round dumpling wrappers (I got mine at Whole Foods)
Canola oil
1/2 cup water
Sesame seeds

Roughly chop the carrot, cabbage, and bell pepper, and add it to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pulse until combined. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl and add the chopped green onion and some fresh cracked pepper.

Place the dumpling wrapper on a flat surface and scoop one teaspoon of filling in the center. Dip your fingers in some water and moisten the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges together until sealed all the way around. Continue until all dumplings are ready to go.

In a large frying pan, drizzle some canola oil and add the dumplings in a flat layer. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown, then add the 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the water has mostly been absorbed and the bottoms are still golden down. Make sure not to burn them! Remove the dumplings and top with sesame seeds and more green onion. Serve with soy sauce.

Kale Salad with Peaches, Tomato, and Goat Cheese

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This was one of the best kale salads I ever made! I was inspired when my sister made a peach and tomato salad over the weekend, it was perfect for summer and absolutely delicious. I had some fresh kale, tomatoes, and peaches, so all I had to pick up was the goat cheese. It took about 15 minutes to make and was the perfect mix of sweet and sour.

Ingredients: (makes 2 small salads)
2 large kale leaves, stems removed and julienned
1 large peach, chopped
1/2 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Goat cheese
Salt and pepper

Start by removing the thick stems from the center of the kale. Lay the leaves on top of each other, roll it up, and cut thin slices. Add to a large bowl and set aside. Next make the dressing- add the olive oil, cider vinegar, and maple syrup to a small bowl and whisk well. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage it into the kale with your hands for a minute or so- this will help the dressing to soak into the kale and also break down the kale a little so it’s not as tough. Chop the peaches and tomatoes, add it to the bowl of kale, and set aside for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, cut a few slices of goat cheese and add it to a pan over medium heat. You’ll know it’s done when the bottom of the cheese starts getting a little golden brown (about 3 minutes.) Also chop a small handful of almonds and toast those in a separate pan until golden as well. To serve, place kale in a dish and top with the warm goat cheese and toasted almonds!

Roasted Corn and Smoked Mozzarella Pizza

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I remembered that I had some fresh corn and decided to stop by the local pizza shop in my neighborhood to pick up some dough on my way home. Corn on pizza is amazing. If you haven’t tried it before, I really recommend it! It’s sweet and gives a nice texture to the pizza. I like to add something a little salty with it, like prosciutto, to balance it out. Pizza at home never disappoints me, it’s always a good idea.

Ingredients:
Pizza dough, store bought or homemade
Smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced
Fresh corn, cut off the cob
3 slices prosciutto
1/2 shallot
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Start by cutting the corn off the cob and chopping the shallot. Add both to a pan with some olive oil and cook over medium heat until the corn starts getting a tiny bit browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Flour your surface and rolling pin, and roll out the dough. Make sure to keep adding flour as you roll. Brush the dough with a little olive oil, then salt and pepper to taste. Next add the smoked mozzarella, corn, and prosciutto. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden.

Eggplant and Mushroom Meatballs

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I had a huge eggplant on hand and decided to give these “meatballs” a shot. They were so easy to make and delicious! I love regular meatballs, with actual meat, but these were really flavorful and had a nice texture to them as well. So whether you’re a meat lover or a veggie lover, you’ll like these! I ate mine on their own with a little sauce, but they would be great with pasta, over some polenta, or with some melted cheese on a sub!

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped
5 baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, about 5 large leaves finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, roughly chopped
1 large egg
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop the eggplant and add it to a large skillet over medium heat with about 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cook until the eggplant becomes soft, adding more olive oil and a little splash of water at times if it becomes too dry. Remove from heat and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Next add the shallot and cook until translucent, followed by the mushrooms until soft and cooked down.

Smash the eggplant with a wooden spoon a little to break down the pieces. Add the mushrooms, shallots, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, fennel seeds, basil and egg. Mix well with your hands until fully incorporated. Roll two inch balls of the mixture and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, flipping half way through, until golden brown. Serve with sauce and more grated cheese!