Tag Archives: ricotta

Basta Pasta or Sausage . . . or Meatloaf or . . . Meat balls!!

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Spinach Ravioli with Basil, Olive Oil and Balsamic VinegarHo Ho Ho Merry Hanu-Kwansa-mas!!

I could not wait. Nope, I just could not do it.  I bought myself a Christmas present early.  I know, I know.  You are never supposed to buy yourself a present right before the holidays. But I just could not help myself.  Want to hear what I got? I got a ravioli attachment for my little Atlas pasta machine.  Man, it’s the coolest.  Roll out the pasta, drop it into the ravioli maker, spoon in some filling and Volia!  Raviolis!!

Pasta Maker AttachmentIf it were only that simple.  I had great fun whipping up the meat filling for those little pillows of goodness but it was definitely a trial and error process for me.  The pasta sheets kept ripping and sometimes the raviolis would not fill.  But after a few failed attempts I got it down.  So will you so don’t get frustrated just keep at it and soon your ravioli will be as good looking as mine.

This time around I used a classic technique that makes for a flavorful and meaty ravioli. I am so excited to share this with you as it is fun technique and it gives the meat a great texture and incorporates the different ingredient flavors completely. What is best about this technique is that you can use it to make raviolis, meatballs, meatloaf, sausage or meat patties.  Let me describe it for you.

Meat GrinderFirst: Put your food processor bowl, lid and blade into the freezer. You want the pieces to be as cold as they can be.  Having all of your ingredients super cool will aid their ability to combine.

Second: Grind the meat yourself.  Please use a meat grinder as this cuts the long muscles of the meat at regular intervals. I used a blend of lamb, chicken, pork and beef. Using a food processor to grind meat only separates the muscles strands and will cut them unevenly giving the final product a lumpy texture.

 

 

Third:  After all the meat is ground put it into the refrigerator covered or into the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes so that it becomes very cold.  

Fourth: Separate one egg for each pound of meat you will be processing.  You will be using the egg whites. Go ahead and cook up the egg yolk for breakfast or save it for your nog!

WhiteOnionFifth: Prepare your flavoring ingredients.  You will always need a little salt as this helps the proteins bind.  I saute’d an onion with some garlic and separately toasted about a tablespoon a fennel seed per pound. Don’t be bashful with any of the ingredients except salt. If it is not enough add more next time or vice versa.

Time to make Force Meat!!

Force MeatPlace up to one pound of meat into the chilled food processor.  Add the saute’d onion garlic mixture and a heavy pinch pf salt. Process at high speed for about 15 seconds then add the egg white while processing. Process for another 15 to 30 seconds and Voila! You have force meat.

To test the flavor I put a small pan of water on to boil. When the water begins to simmer, the point just below a boil when little bubbles gently begin to rise, drop a small soon of the meat mixture in to it and let it cook for about 3 minutes.  Remove it and cut the piece through to make sure it is done.  Give it a taste.  If it needs a little pepper go ahead and blend it in for another 15 seconds.  If it wants more toasted fennel, repeat the process.

Return the mixture to the refrigerator and let it chill for about 15 minutes before using. Now you can make raviolis or sausage or even Wanton, or Potstickers. This classic technique is so easy and all purpose you are going to blow your friends and family away with it.

I got so excited using my new ravioli maker that I had to whip up something a little extra so I grabbed a Spanikopita recipe off of the InterWeb and used it to fill some left over pasta I had lying around.

Spanikopita FillingSpinach Filling

2 bunch    Spinach, chopped and washed
1               Onion, chopped and saute’d
6               Green Onions, chopped and saute’d

Chop the above ingredients and saute’ them for about 10 minutes.

1 cup         Feta Cheese
1/2 cup      Ricotta
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the saute’d ingredients and the cheeses to the food processor and blend until all the ingredients are blended. Use to fill pasta or puff pastry as desired.

To see how I make my pasta read  my Roly Poly Ravioli!! post. The basic recipe I use is

Pasta Recipe

2 cups      Semoilina flour
3               Eggs, large
1               Salt pinch

Kneading PastaMix all the ingredients in a bowl and knead together. If the dough doesn’t stick together add one teaspoon of water at a time and mix well until the pasta holds together. Knead on a floured table for about 10 minutes until the dough ball is relatively smooth then let rest for about 15 minutes before using or wrap in plastic and place in the refrigerator or freezer until needed.

Pasta DropMeat in the Ravioli Hopper

 

I rolled out the sheets of pasta and popped them in to the magic Atlas pasta maker and dropped in my new favorite meat filling into the hopper and look-out-world . . . Raviolis!!

Sheet of Raviolis!!

My holiday dinner this season will be cracked crab, chicken ceasar salad, antipasta with the ravioli to finish.  I hope that you are looking forward to your holiday meal as much as I am.

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

tj

p.s. I’ll start my diet next year.

Vive La France! Vive La Crepe! Vive La . . . My Breakfast!?

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Crepe Thomas

Mai Oui!! (pronounced in my kitchen, May Weeeeeee!!)

My father was a patient, intelligent, saint of a man and he proved this by making our family pancakes every Sunday morning. His techniques were unique to say the least. I remember one morning he fired up the dual waffle/pancake griddle and began to rub wax paper onto the surface. (Herein lies the genesis of my love for the science of cooking.) “Wax paper,” I asked “shouldn’t you be using butter?” He smiled that knowing, fatherly smile at me. The one that suggested that, even though my, age appropriate, test scores matched his I was still without a clue. Cluelessly I awaited a response.

“The wax is slippery and keeps the pancakes from sticking without using oil.”  My father was a pharmacist and smart as a whip.  When I began to learn about emulsions in culinary school he helped me understand the similarities and differences of oil-in-water suspensions and water-in-oil suspensions. (It’s a volume thing. Evidently size matters here too.)  Anyways, I asked about eating wax to which he replied, “A little wax never hurt anybody.”  My mother raised an eyebrow, we ate the pancakes and the next Sunday he used butter.

Speaking of pancakes, Le French have a pancake of their own: La Crepe.  Thinking of my father, he was half French but never made us crepe, I set to the blender and stove to make this morning’s breakfast: Fresh crepe with Grand Marnier Strawberries and Ricotta cheese. (It’s okay to say Yum out loud.) It was yummy. Now crepes are not difficult, nor are they easy.  They require a medium skill level to prepare and just the right pan.  The great thing is that if you make enough batter you can practice, practice, practice and if you get 2 right, you can eat!

Crepe Batter

1.5 cups                flour, all purpose

1.5 cups                milk, 1%

3                            eggs, whole

3 Tbsp                   butter, melted

Mix all the ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Stop mixing and scrape down sides.  Continue mixing for 30 seconds more or until fully blended.  Pour into a jar and let stand covered for at least 1 hour.  This will let the bubbles settle out.

 

Cooking Crepes

1                              sauté pan, 6 – 9”; you may use Teflon it the surface is not marred at all   ¼ cup                    oil

For metal sauté pans:  Pour all of the oil into the pan and place on medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Do NOT walk away from the stove. As the oil starts to shimmer, gently rotate the pan so that the oil begins to coat up the sides of the pan.  Warm for one more minute then remove from the burner and let sit to cool.  (This process opens up the pores in the metal and allows the warm oil to slightly penetrate the pan creating a nonstick surface.) Pour cool oil into a container and set aside.

Warm the pan over medium heat until a drop of water spatters and evaporates immediately.  Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the warm pan and ladle in enough batter to just coat the bottom. Lift the pan and rotate it to spread the batter up the sides just a bit.  Pour any excess back into the container for a nice thin crepe.  Work the edges gently with a spatula to keep from sticking and after the crepe sets, slide the pan back and forth so that the crepe slips in the pan.  When the edges turn brown flip the crepe with a spatula, cook for about 1 minute then slide onto a paper towel.  Wipe the pan with a clean towel and repeat until batter is finished alternately stacking crepe and paper towel.

The trick is to keep the pan heat just right; neither too hot nor too cool.

If wrapped well these will hold for about a week in the refrigerator or can be frozen.  Allow to warm to room temperature before using.

 

Grand Marnier Strawberries

 

2 dozen                  strawberries, quartered (sliced not fed and bedded.)

4 Tbsp                   sugar, white

4 Tbsp                   Grand Marnier

 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let stand at least one hour.

Lay out a crepe. Dollop some Ricotta cheese and spoon some of the strawberries in a line.  Roll the edges over and turnover on to a plate.  Drizzle with the syrup from the strawberries and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve 2 at a time.

 

Eat Well and Smile Often,

tj

p.s. Let Eataly top that!