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Quick Eats: Butternut Squash Ravioli

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It’s been a while since I’ve done a cooking/baking post for the blog, mostly because of my schedule and the majority of my meals being unremarkable (not that they’ve been bad, but they weren’t really worthy of their own post,) but tonight I put some time aside to plan dinner- and this post. I have to say that it feels really good to be back in the kitchen cooking up different things again and adding some variety & flavor to the mix. Butternut squash ravioli is a delicious and filling seasonal dish that is perfect for this time of year. My recipe comes in two parts, the ravioli itself and the sauce, and is also made from scratch- which results in the ravioli not looking perfectly squared and cut like the traditional store bought kind- but tasting 10x better.

YOU WILL NEED (RAVIOLI:)

* Immersion blender

* Rolling pin

* 1/2 Pre-peeled butternut squash (totaling 5 cups after being rinsed and cubed)

* 2 Cups chicken stock

* 2 Cups flour

* 4 Eggs

* 1/4 Teaspoon of olive oil

* 3 Tablespoons of butter

* 1/4 Cup of brown sugar

* 1/2 Cup of potato starch

* 1/4 Teaspoons of nutmeg

YOU WILL NEED (SAUCE:)

* 3 Tablespoons of butter

* 1/4 Cup of flower

* 16 oz. (1 pint) of light cream

* 1 Cube of chicken bouillon

* Shaved Parmesan cheese

* Pinches of salt, pepper, and nutmeg

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. After rinsing and cubing the 5 cups worth of butternut squash, set it in 2 quarts of cold water and begin to boil on the stove. While the water is heating up, add the 2 cups of chicken stock. It’s going to take a little while for the squash to become soft and mushy, so you can work on making the dough for your pasta while you wait.

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2. Pour the two cups of flower on your baking surface. From there, add the 4 eggs, and begin mixing and kneading thoroughly until the dough begins to thicken in texture and consistency.

3. Add the 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil to the dough. Continue to knead. When the dough is thick and evenly mixed, rest a clean, damp cloth over it to keep it from drying out for about 10-15 minutes. Now you can focus on the squash again, which should be tender and ready to be strained by now.

4. After straining the squash and pouring it back into the pan, add the 3 tablespoons of butter, the 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and the 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the squash- and begin pureeing with the immersion blender.

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5. After pureeing the mixture for a few minutes, add the 1/2 cup of potato starch and continue using the immersion blender to mix it into your butternut squash filling. This will keep it from being watery or runny when you put it into the pasta and cook it. Once you’re thoroughly mixed everything together and your pureed squash has a rich consistency, feel free to do a taste test to see whether or not you want more nutmeg- and add whatever you feel is an appropriate amount (I just mixed in a couple more pinches to add a little more flavor.)

6. It’s time to go back to the dough. After flouring your rolling pin, roll the dough flat and cut into four inch strips. From there, scoop spoonfuls of squash along the strips of dough.

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7. Fold the dough over the spoonfuls of squash, creating pockets, and cut them into squares. Use a fork or your fingertips to flatten the edges around the squares, keeping the butternut squash filling inside the pocket and giving the ravioli it’s shape.

8. Set raviolis on a floured baking pan, and let them sit for 10-15 minutes while you mix the sauce.

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9. Using another pan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and gradually add the 1/4 cup of flour  and the 16 oz. of light cream. Begin to stir/whisk the ingredients together.

10. Add the 1 cube of chicken bouillon to the mixture, as well as pinches of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to stir/whisk until the consistency of the sauce is nice and thick. *IF THE SAUCE BECOMES TOO HEAVY, YOU CAN THIN IT OUT BY ADDING A LITTLE MILK TO IT.*

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11. While letting your sauce simmer, you can now add your ravioli to a pot of boiling water to finish cooking. When it’s done, strain the excess water from the pan and add the sauce to the pasta- making sure each piece is generously coated.

12. Serve the ravioli with the shaved Parmesan cheese and pinches of nutmeg for added flavor.

13. Spoon ravioli into face.

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These ravioli tasted so, so good, and were absolutely worth the mini-mess I made in my kitchen with the flour and brown sugar while I was preparing them.

Quick Eats: Baked Seafood Casserole

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Good afternoon!

I’m currently sitting at my desk waiting for my hair to dry and trying to accessorize for a themed lawn party I’m attending later on this afternoon at Castle Hill.

‘Til then, I thought I’d share a recipe for one of my all-time favorite dishes that I whipped up the other night for dinner. If you’re not a fan of seafood, then this isn’t the meal for you, but if you love it as much as I do- this won’t disappoint. My serving size was for four people, so the amount of ingredients and measurements may vary depending on how many portions you’re looking to cook.

Also, my apologies for not taking photos as I was cooking the casserole. I was in a bit of a rush and only had time to snap a couple of pictures of the finished product before I proceeded to stuff my face.

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YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 baking dish.

* 4 Individual tinfoil serving trays.

* 1 1/3 Tablespoons of butter.

* 1 1/3 Tablespoons of olive oil.

* 1 Can (18 2/3 ounces) of cream of mushroom soup.

* 2/3 lbs. of peeled shrimp.

* 2/3 lbs. of peeled scallops.

* 2/3 lbs. of cooked lobster meat.

* 1/3 Cup of chopped onion.

* 1 2/3 Cups of Ritz Cracker crumbs.

* 1 Lemon.

* Salt & pepper for flavoring.

Please note, I know some people like to add rice, mushrooms, celery, and different types of cheeses to their seafood casserole, and you absolutely can if you wish- but this recipe is more my personal preference.

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Melt the 1 1/3 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan, and then add the 1 1/3 tablespoons of olive oil.

2. Add 1/3 cup of chopped onion to the mixture and saute.

3.  Once onions are lightly sauteed, add the can of mushroom soup. Stir thoroughly.

4. When soup & onions are mixed evenly, remove from heat.

5. After buttering the baking dish, throw in the shrimp, scallops, and lobster meat. Feel free to mix them around so that they are spread out around the dish and not just lumped together in the middle.

6. Add your soup & onion mixture to the baking dish.

7. Sprinkle the Ritz Cracker crumbs on top.

8. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes.

9. Scoop the portions of your seafood casserole into the individual tinfoil serving trays to keep them warm and mess-free.

10. Cutting the lemon into four wedges, garnish each dish with a slice- and add salt & pepper for a bit of extra flavoring.

11. DIG IN!

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xx

Quick Eats: Turkey Reubens

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I’m not a big meat eater. That’s not to say I consider myself a vegetarian or a vegan. I’ve tried both lifestyles in the past and I admire the dedication it takes to stay diligent with it. Unfortunately, it’s not something I can keep up with on a daily or permanent basis.  When it comes to being a carnivore, my usual preferences are seafood and the occasional serving of poultry. I don’t particularly like the taste of beef or pork, so these reubens (which I suppose could also be considered a fancier alternative to a simple grilled cheese sandwich, depending on how you look at it), made with freshly sliced turkey, are a nice substitute to corned beef. They’re quick and easy to make- and they taste delicious.

YOU WILL NEED:

* A griddle or frying pan.

* A spatula

* Challah bread (or rye, depending on personal preference.)

* Butter

* Thousand island dressing

* Sliced turkey (the amount may vary depending on how many people you’re serving/reubens you’re making. I had bought a half pound and still had plenty left over to last me for the next couple of days.)

* Sliced cheddar cheese.

* Coleslaw (or sauerkraut. Again, it depends on personal preference.)

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. As your griddle/frying pan is warming up, butter one side of your sliced bread of choice, placing it buttered-side down to gradually grill. On the dry side of your bread, spread a little (or a lot of. Nobody’s judging you for it,) thousand island dressing around.

2. After you’ve got your thousand island dressing spread, layer a slice of cheddar cheese (you can do more than one, but I didn’t want it to taste too much like cheddar since there’s so many other flavors going on at once) and pile on your sliced turkey.

*NOTE* Per request, a couple of the sandwiches were made with sliced ham, instead- which explains the differences in color and texture in the meat pictured. I wasn’t using uncooked/expired/radioactive turkey or anything.

3. Once the desired cheese and meat amounts have been achieved, spoon a helping of coleslaw on top. You can use sauerkraut if you want, since that’s what typically goes on reubens, but personally I’m not a fan of the stuff, and I feel coleslaw gives the sandwich the tangy kick it needs- but with no weird aftertaste.

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4. Grabbing another slice of bread, spread a little more butter on one side for even grilling. On the other side, spread more thousand island dressing. From there, press the bread- thousand island dressing-side down- on top of your coleslaw, meat, and cheese to sandwich everything together.

5. Using your spatula, continually press down and flip the sandwich on the griddle/frying pan until both sides are grilled to a crisp golden-brown. You want your slice of cheddar cheese to melt without getting too watery.

6. Remove the sandwich from the griddle/frying pan, let cool, and enjoy!

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Typically I serve these reubens with a cup of soup or a small side salad. Fresh out of ingredients for either one at the time, however- I served them to some company with lightly salted, crisped potato wedges, instead.

Nobody seemed to mind. These sandwiches were a hit.

Beach Bum.

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Just a few shots (one including my strange looking toes) from a drive to Hampton Beach I took this past Sunday afternoon. When I wasn’t perusing the surfboards, the shoes, and the bohemian style tops at Cinnamon Rainbows (my favorite surf shop), I was perched on one of the concrete walls by the water- taking in the sound of the waves, the salty air, and the sun on my face. Heavenly.

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Also, it’s not so much a “Quick Eats” recipe post, but I just wanted to share that I absolutely love cooking the above-pictured spinach penne, chicken, and vegetables dish. It’s delicious, good for you- and so easy and fast to make.

You just need:

One package/box of spinach penne pasta

1/2 pound of chicken (cut into pieces)

1 thinly sliced yellow squash

A handful of fresh snap pea pods

And as much broccoli as you want.

While you’re boiling the spinach pasta, you simply sauté the cut chicken pieces, the thinly sliced pieces of yellow squash, the snap pea pods, and the broccoli in some olive oil until everything is cooked and crisp.

Strain the pasta, mix all the ingrediants together into your sauté pan, and voilà!

The dish I prepared was served with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garlic toast.

So yummy.

Quick Eats: Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

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Tonight I decided to mix up my usual healthy regimen of pesto and/or vegetables and cook up some very cheesy, very filling chicken enchiladas. Fair warning: this recipe isn’t exactly the healthiest thing, and I wouldn’t recommend enjoying these on a regular basis, but once in a while- a special occasion, a “cheat day” if you’re dieting, or even just to satisfy a craving- won’t hurt. These are delicious, and if chicken isn’t your thing, it can be easily supplemented with tofu or grilled vegetables. I chose chicken since that seems to be the most popular.

YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 1/2 Pounds of boneless chicken.

* 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.

* 1 Cup (or one 10 ounce can) of enchilada sauce.

* 1 Package of soft flour tortillas (burrito size).

* 1 Pouch of four-cheese Mexican blend shredded cheese.

* 1/2 Cup of of Cheez-Whiz (NOT THE AEROSOL KIND. Make sure it’s the type in a jar!)

* 1 Container of sour cream.

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Cut up the boneless chicken into small, chewable pieces, and place them into a saute pan, adding the tablespoon of olive oil to help the chicken cook properly and evenly. From there, begin to saute your chicken until the pieces are slightly caramelized and crisp. You don’t want the chicken to be dried out, so be mindful that you don’t overcook them.

2. When the chicken is crisp, add the 1 cup (10 oz. can) of enchilada sauce and let simmer briefly.

3. After giving your chicken and sauce a good stirring, add 1/2 cup of Cheez-Whiz and mix thoroughly.

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4. When everything is mixed, scoop the chicken onto your flour tortillas. Be sure to leave a little of the cheese & enchilada sauce mixture left in the saute pan. You’re going to use it again in a couple of minutes.

5. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. While it’s heating up, fold your flour tortillas and carefully place them side by side in a baking pan. Once they’re sorted, spread the excess cheese & enchilada sauce mixture over the folded tortillas.

6. Sprinkle some of the four-cheese Mexican blend shredded cheese on top of the folded tortillas. Depending on how cheesy you want these to turn out, you can add as much as you want.

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7. By now, your oven should have reached the necessary temperature. Take your baking pan jam-packed with enchiladas and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes in the oven- just enough time to melt the cheese and lightly toast the flour tortillas.

8. Remove the baking pan and enchiladas from the oven, let cool, and apply a generous amount of sour cream on top.

9. Garnish as desired (I used a little chopped parsley to add some green to an otherwise very orange looking dish before serving these.)

10. INTRODUCE ENCHILADAS TO STOMACH.

Like I said before, this meal isn’t super healthy, but it won’t cause any kind of irreversible damage if you have them once in a great while. There are ways to make them more fit-friendly, whether it be substituting certain ingredients or cutting portion sizes, but I thought this was a well-deserved treat.

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Baking Post: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

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For as long as I can remember, my mom always made “Pineapple Upside-Down Cake” for every holiday, family function, special occasion, etc. It was sort of like fruitcake- always just, there, on the table (except it was much, much tastier than a fruitcake)- but it’s always been a sort of tradition in her house.

I had a craving for it tonight, and decided to make one myself. The recipe is simple enough, and if you’ve got an hour or so, it’s a nice change from a standard scoop of ice cream or cookie for dessert.

YOU WILL NEED:

* Butter.

* Brown sugar.

* 1 Springform pan.

* 1 Box of yellow cake mix (the brand is entirely up to you- just make sure it’s yellow cake).

* 1 Can of sliced pineapples.

* 1 Jar of maraschino cherries.

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. First, you are going to use butter to “grease” the bottom of your springform pan. Make sure it’s covered to avoid any sticking. If you’re not a fan of butter, any non-stick spray should do the trick.

2. Cover the bottom of the pan with the brown sugar. Don’t be stingy. You can use a lot and it won’t ruin the cake.

3. Place the pineapple slices on top of the brown sugar.

4. Place maraschino cherries in the center of each pineapple slice. From here, you can feel free to add more brown sugar on top of the pineapple slices and cherries.

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5. Preheat your oven to 350°. While the oven is heating up, prepare your yellow cake mixture as instructed on the box.

6. Pour the mixed yellow cake batter on top of your brown sugar/pineapple/cherry concoction.

7. Place pan inside oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes-1 hour. Be sure to do the toothpick test every so often to make sure your cake is cooked all the way through.

8. When your cake is done baking in the oven, let it sit on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. *BE CAREFUL: THE BROWN SUGAR WILL BE REALLY HOT* Heed my warning- I learned that the hard way.

9.  Once cooled, flip your cake over onto a serving dish.

10. OPEN FOOD HOLE. SHOVE CAKE INSIDE.

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It came out pretty good- at least good enough where I know my mom would be proud of my efforts- although I can’t say for sure that I’ll carry on her tradition of baking one for every gathering I have with family and friends.

It’d be kinda’ funny, though.

xx

Quick Eats: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

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I’m officially snowed in for the weekend (SNOWPOCALYPSE 2013!), and I physically CANNOT watch any more movies on Netflix. I just don’t have it in me. I had to take a break and get up to do something, anything, to pass the time.

Since I’m fortunate enough to still have power, I decided to bake a ton of macaroni & cheese- and document it!

*NOTE: I went a little overboard and made enough mac & cheese to serve a dozen people, or in my case, enough mac & cheese to last me a solid week and a half- so amounts and measurements may vary depending on how much of this stuff you want to bake.*

YOU WILL NEED:

* 2 1-lb. Boxes of penne pasta.

* 2 Quarts of 2% milk.

* 2 Quarts of light cream.

* 8 Cups of 4-cheese blend shredded cheese (Make sure the package DOES NOT contain mozzarella cheese!).

* 4 Large (or 8 small) Chicken bouillon cubes.

* 2 Cups potato chips.

* 2 Cups Plain bread crumbs.

* 1/2 Tablespoon of salt.

* 1/2 Tablespoon of pepper.

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Pour the 2 quarts of cream, the 2 quarts of milk, and the 8 cups of shredded cheese into a 5 quart pot and slowly bring to a boil while stirring.

2. As the sauce is boiling, gently crumble the chicken bouillon cubes into the mixture. Continue to stir.

3. As the cheese begins to melt and the cube crumbles dissolve, swap the spoon for a whisk, and whisk the mixture so it thickens as it continues to boil.

4. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of pepper. From here, if you so desire- you can add additional ingredients. I’ve heard of some people adding pieces of bacon, jalapeño pepper, bits of tomato, etc. Whatever you want! Just be sure to continue whisking the sauce to get it nice and thick.

*The sauce has to come to a boil, and not just while you’re stirring it. If you stop stirring and the sauce is not bubbling, it needs to be heated more*

5. When the sauce reaches a thick texture, let it simmer. You can now begin boiling water to pour the 2 pounds of penne pasta into. Add the 1/2 tablespoon of salt to give the pasta a little more flavor as it cooks.

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6. While your pasta cooks, and your sauce simmers, take the 2 cups of potato chips and the 2 cups of plain bread crumbs and HULK SMASH THEM TOGETHER into a bowl.

7. Preheat your oven to 350°.

8. When your pasta is done cooking (the goal is to still have some texture to it. Try not to let the penne get too soggy!), strain out the excess water and pour the pasta into a baking pan.

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9. Pour your sauce over the pasta and mix thoroughly. Try to get every piece of penne coated in the sauce.

10. Sprinkle, or shake, your crunchy chip & breadcrumb topping over the pasta and sauce.

11. When your oven is ready, heat for approximately 30 minutes. If you want your macaroni and cheese to be crunchier, heat for a little longer- roughly 45 minutes.

12. Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and let cool.

13. SHOVEL MAC N’ CHEESE INTO MOUTH.

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The best part about making so much of this? I have enough of it left over to last me if I remain snowed in for any significant amount of time.

Quick Eats: Homemade Tomato Soup

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In case you haven’t heard by now, the Northeast, specifically Massachusetts, is due to get slammed with what is expected to be a record-breaking winter storm/blizzard in less than 24 hours. The estimate of snowfall amounts vary, but the last report, at least the last one that I’ve heard, says we could get more than three feet of snow over the course of tomorrow through Saturday afternoon.

Massachusetts has essentially come to a screeching halt in preparation for the worst, with state-wide school closures and public transit shutting down early. My office is closed tomorrow, and drivers have been ordered off the roads by noon- roughly the time the brunt of the storm is anticipated to hit.

I’ve got plenty of candles, blankets, DVDs, and laptop battery to get me through any potential power outages, so braving the mass hysteria at the markets today was (thankfully) not necessary, but all this talk of snow and ice and cold had me wanting to make something warm and comforting for dinner tonight- and there’s nothing more warm and comforting than homemade tomato soup.

 If you’ve got an hour, this recipe is so easy, and the result is, to me, a lot better than just heating up a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup in the microwave for three minutes.

YOU WILL NEED:

* 1 Vidalia onion (“sweet” onion.)

* 2 Cans of whole tomatoes (I use Hunt’s brand.)

* 1/2 Quart of chicken stock.

* 8-10 Fresh basil leaves.

* 1/2 Quart of light cream.

* Sour Cream.

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OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. After slicing up the vidalia onion, pour all of your ingredients, EXCEPT the light cream & the sour cream (you use that near the end) into a 5 quart pot.

2. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and then let simmer for 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally.

3. Using a immersion hand blender, puree the ingredients inside the pot until thick in texture. *Be mindful to turn the blender off before you lift it out of your soup. Take my word for it- if you don’t- it goes everywhere.*

4. Add the 1/2 quart of light cream. Puree a little more with the immersion hand blender to mix the cream in thoroughly.

5. Simmer mixture for another 1/2 hour. Stir occasionally.

6. Pour, or spoon soup into small bowls or serving saucers. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a basil leaf, and any desired amount of salt and/or pepper.

7. Wrap yourself in fleece blanket, and enjoy!

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I love preparing the soup with the ingredients above because when it’s done, it doesn’t taste like you’re just eating bland liquefied tomatoes. It has a really nice, warm, full flavor to it. Perfect for apocalyptic snowy days.

To all my friends reading this in Massachusetts- stay off the roads, stay bundled up, and stay safe. I’ll see you all when the storm is over and after I tunnel my way out my front door.

Baking Post: Salted Caramel Cupcakes

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Yesterday was my birthday, and was celebrated in a quiet, low-key fashion. I worked most of the day, and spent most of the evening with my mom and some of my relatives at her house. It was nice.

Knowing my love of all things red velvet, which is only matched by my love of all things salted caramel, my mom, aunt, uncle, and cousin all teamed up to create the above-pictured “Red Velvet & Salted Caramel Cupcakes” in lieu of a traditional birthday cake for me. They were DELICIOUS, and I borrowed the recipe from my aunt to share with any foodies who may read this blog, or for anyone who is just interested in attempting to bake something new:

YOU WILL NEED:

* One box cake mix, and the ingredients to bake it (eggs, flour, milk, etc.) It can be any kind of cake mix, depending on your preference.

* Sea salt.

* 4-5 Heath Bars (Butterfinger bars are also a good substitute)

* Caramel ice cream topping

* Buttercream icing

* Squeeze bottle

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

1. Bake your cupcakes according to the package directions.

2. When the cupcakes are nearly done baking, pour the caramel ice cream topping into a measuring cup.

3. Add 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt per 8 ox. of caramel. You may have to add a little more, depending on how salty you want them to taste.

4. Warm the mixture in the microwave for one minute, and then stir well. From there, pour the mixture into the squeeze bottle.

5. When the cupcakes are done baking, use the squeeze bottle to inject the mixture into the center of the cupcakes. Be sure to save some of the mixture for later! When all of the cupcakes have been filled, move them to a cooling area.

6. Keeping the Heath (or Butterfinger) bars in their packaging, HULK SMASH ‘EM INTO BITS. When you’re done, unwrap them and pour the pieces into a bowl.

7. When the cupcakes are cooled, frost them with the buttercream icing, sprinkle them (or dunk them) into the broken up Heath/Butterfinger bits, and drizzle more of the salted caramel mixture over them.

8. SHOVE CUPCAKES INTO MOUTH.

The sweetness of the red velvet cake, the salted caramel filling, and the broken up bits of Butterfinger made for an unexpected and pretty awesome flavor combination. Definitely one I never would have thought of before.

Before I wrap this entry up: many, many thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes and kind words yesterday! It really meant a lot. I love you all and I had a great day!

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And can we all just stop for a moment and appreciate this birthday card my mom gave me? Holy shit.