Arugula and Porcini Mushroom Ravioli

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I really like make ravioli.

I might even go out on a limb and say it is my favorite thing to make. Mostly because good ravioli is probably my favorite thing to eat.

There are few things better in this world than a delicate pasta filled with a decadent filling and topped with a scrumptious sauce.

Seriously, the only things I can think of better than that are massages, vacations and baby animals.

And it really is amazing how many delicious combinations of things you can put in and on top of a ravioli.

This here combo is different and unexpected, but oh so delicious.

You will need…

¼ cup minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 packed cups arugula

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

¼ cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon tahini

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 small can water chestnuts, rinsed and dried

Pasta Dough

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups all purpose flour

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have given off most of their moisture. About 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

While the mushrooms are cooling, blanch the arugula in boiling water for about 30 seconds. 

Remove the arugula from the boiling water to an ice batch and then squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.

In a food processor, blend together the arugula and mushroom mixture until smooth.

Add in the soy sauce, cheeses and tahini. Blend until all combined.

Season with salt and pepper and add in the water chestnuts. Blend until the water chestnuts are well chopped, but not pureed. You want the filling to have some texture.

Spread out your thinly rolled pasta dough on a well floured surface.

Place 1 tablespoon of filling every 2 inches on the pasta dough. Gently wet the bottom pasta sheet with water just so that it is lightly moist but not damp. Place a second pasta sheet over the first and push the air out around each filling. Gently press the pasta dough together. Cut out the individual raviolis and pinch closed with the ends of a fork.

Gently dust the ravioli with flour

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water is at  rapid boil, cook the ravioli for 4 to 5 minutes. Just until they float to the top.

Drain the pasta an serve hot with Arugula and Soy Shitake Brown Butter Sauce

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

¼ cup minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 packed cups arugula

¼ cup mascarpone cheese

¼ cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon tahini

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 small can water chestnuts, rinsed and dried

perfect pasta dough

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups all purpose flour

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have given off most of their moisture. About 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

While the mushrooms are cooling, blanch the arugula in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove the arugula from the boiling water to an ice batch and then squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible.

In a food processor, blend together the arugula and mushroom mixture until smooth.

Add in the soy sauce, cheeses and tahini. Blend until all combined.

Season with salt and pepper and add in the water chestnuts. Blend until the water chestnuts are well chopped, but not pureed. You want the filling to have some texture.

Spread out your thinly rolled pasta dough on a well floured surface.

Place 1 tablespoon of filling every 2 inches on the pasta dough. Gently wet the bottom pasta sheet with water just so that it is lightly moist but not damp. Place a second pasta sheet over the first and push the air out around each filling. Gently press the pasta dough together. Cut out the individual raviolis and pinch closed with the ends of a fork.

Gently dust the ravioli with flour

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water is at  rapid boil, cook the ravioli for 4 to 5 minutes. Just until they float to the top.

Drain the pasta an serve hot with Arugula and Soy Shitake Brown Butter Sauce.

Soy Glazed Vegetables with Crispy Fried Shitake Mushrooms

When I left you, I was gearing up for my last day of work and I was a blubbering emotional wreck.

Friday morning I woke up thinking it was going to be a hard day, but it was the exact opposite. I had this overwhelming feeling that I was doing the right thing and had made the right choice.

I am happy to report that I was lucky enough to feel the same way again this morning. And even better, I felt even more confident when I left my first day of work.

The new job feels totally right for me and I can’t wait till all the newness is over and I get to settle into my work.

And now I challenge you to try something new. This dish might sound odd, but it tastes amazing.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound medium turnips, cut into ¾ inch wedges

1 pound medium radishes, quartered

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ pound chard (Swiss, red, rainbow), stems discarded and chopped

2 cups crispy fried shitake mushrooms

Start by heating the oil in a large skillet until the oil is hot.

Add in the turnips and radishes and cook over medium high heat.

Cook the veggies until they are lightly browned on all sides and slightly tender. About 10 minutes.

Add in the honey and cover, stirring until the vegetables are glazed. About 5 minutes.

Add the soy sauce and cook until syrupy. About 5 minutes.

Add in the lemon juice and chard and cook just until the chard is wilted. About 2 minutes.

Raise the heat and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. About 2 minutes.

Remove the veggies form the heat and toss them in a serving bowl with the mushrooms and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Soy Glazed Vegetables with Crispy Fried Shitake Mushrooms 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound medium turnips, cut into ¾ inch wedges

1 pound medium radishes, quartered

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ pound chard (Swiss, red, rainbow), stems discarded and chopped

2 cups crispy fried shitake mushrooms

Start by heating the oil in a large skillet until the oil is hot.

Add in the turnips and radishes and cook over medium high heat.

Cook the veggies until they are lightly browned on all sides and slightly tender. About 10 minutes.

Add in the honey and cover, stirring until the vegetables are glazed. About 5 minutes.

Add the soy sauce and cook until syrupy. About 5 minutes.

Add in the lemon juice and chard and cook just until the chard is wilted. About 2 minutes.

Raise the heat and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. About 2 minutes.

Remove the veggies form the heat and toss them in a serving bowl with the mushrooms and serve hot. 

Chicken Teriyaki

Raise your hand if you worked a really long day.

Raise your hand if after your long day you had to come home and make a meal for your family.

Raise your hand if even though you had a really long day and have cook for other people, you still want to eat something yummy.

Crap, I’m out of hands.

I bet you are too.

So put your hands down, grab a pen and jot this down so you can have it on hand next time you are exhausted and you have to make something yummy.

You will need…

1 cup lemon-lime soda

½ cup soy sauce

¾ cup rice vinegar

1 onion, half grated, half thinly sliced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 pounds chicken breasts, skin on or off

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Steamed rice for serving

Start by combining the soda, soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated onion, grated ginger, garlic and sugar in a bowl and whisk it well.

Add in the chicken and allow it to marinate, covered in the fridge for 1 hour up to over night.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Reserve about 1 cup of the marinade.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet.

Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to cool enough to handle.

Toss in the sliced onion with the chicken drippings and left over oil.

Cook until the onions are softened, scrapping the chicken off the pan as you go. About 6 minutes.

Add in the reserved marinade and bring it to a soft boil. Simmer until the sauce has reduced.

Stir in the butter and the cilantro.

Roughly chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and add it back into the sauce.

Cook until heated through and then serve hot over a bed of rice.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Chicken Teriyaki

1 cup lemon-lime soda

½ cup soy sauce

¾ cup rice vinegar

1 onion, half grated, half thinly sliced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 pounds chicken breasts, skin on or off

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Steamed rice for serving

Start by combining the soda, soy sauce, rice vinegar, grated onion, grated ginger, garlic and sugar in a bowl and whisk it well.

Add in the chicken and allow it to marinate, covered in the fridge for 1 hour up to over night.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Reserve about 1 cup of the marinade.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet.

Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken from the heat and allow it to cool enough to handle.

Toss in the sliced onion with the chicken drippings and left over oil.

Cook until the onions are softened, scrapping the chicken off the pan as you go. About 6 minutes.

Add in the reserved marinade and bring it to a soft boil. Simmer until the sauce has reduced.

Stir in the butter and the cilantro.

Roughly chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and add it back into the sauce.

Cook until heated through and then serve hot over a bed of rice.