Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sweet Peas & Tomatoes

 

With the summer months approaching, I am forced to deal with the fact that the dreaded "bathing suit" season is on its way. Due to my passion for food, I am an extremely unsuccessful dieter. Cutting back on the food I love is just too difficult, so instead I try to create healthier options that still satisfy my decadent cravings. Leading the list of these cravings (second to chocolate) is pasta. If I could eat pasta every day of the week I would. However, since I would like to be able to fit through my doorway on a daily basis, I am forced to keep it at a miminum. 

This light pasta dish is the exception. Not only is it great for spring, it is forgiving on the waistline. The use of wonton wrappers make it super easy, while the tomatoes and squash keep it fresh and healthy. Freeze the extras and use them again later!

Ingredients:

1 lb butternut squash peeled and diced

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper

1 egg beaten

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

juice of lemon

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen peas 

1 pkg wonton wrappers

1 tbsp lemon zest

*This recipe makes 4 dozen ravioli. I used half and froze half in a freezer bag. 

Strawberry-Orange Granita

As the weather begins to warm up, this granita is the perfect icy dessert to cool you down. It's fast, delicious, and only uses four ingredients! It is the perfect chilly treat to share with friends during those warm summer (and 90 degree April) days. Try spiking it up with a few shots of vodka!

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries

1. In a small saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil. Simmer until all sugar is dissolved, 3 min.

2. Puree orange juice and frozen strawberries in a blender until smooth. 

3. Pour water and sugar mixture into a glass baking dish and allow to cool for 10 min. Add orange-strawberry juice (and vodka if desired) and mix until combined.

4. Place in freezer on a flat surface and scrape down ice with a fork every 30 min until no liquid remains, 2 hrs. *Freeze time may vary depending on baking dish size. Serve granita in a fun glass or ice cream dish.

Fishs Eddy: A Dinner Party Dream

If you live in New York, and you love to entertain, then most likely you have heard of Fishs Eddy. I discovered this store a little over a year ago, and I have been a fan ever since. Upon entering this boutique you are greeted by a wall of ceramic hands. What are they for?  I still don't exactly know, but I promised myself to one day own one. My first steps into this store made me very nervous. I am extremely accident prone. Some may even call me a bull--and this was my china shop. Plates and bowls stacked 20 high were glaring at me with a frightening tilt. After completing my first trip without a single item being broken, I knew I would be OK. In fact, I have never witnessed a single accident there in all of my many trips. I digress..



Fishs Eddy offers everything from mason jars to cake stands. The best part about the store is in the front when you first enter, well second best if you include the giant hands. There is a stack of all white dishes, mugs, bowls and containers that are all usually discounted. They are perfect for any dinner party, a bright canvas to show off your most recent culinary creation. If white isn't your style and you would like something a bit more fun, try some of their cool patterns. New York skylines, crossword puzzles, and Alice in Wonderland are just some of the unique options they offer.



So next time you are in the flatiron district make a pit stop over on 19th and Broadway to check out with beautifully eclectic store.  You won't be disappointed.  Check out their website! Fishs Eddy

Attempt at Cake Decorating #2

After my first attempt at cake decorating, my best friend was so impressed (and most likely just wanted to flatter me) that she asked me to make a cake for her birthday. After much hesitation, and nightmares from my first 10 hour experience, I decided to accept the challenge. Instead of using cake mix, I decided to use a basic yellow cake recipe since I would not be coloring the inside. I made the cake using a 5'' and 6'' round cake mold. I rolled out white fondant and covered each later separately. *Use a thin strip of colored fondant to cover up any mistakes between the layers.

To make the bow, I gained a bit of help from my old, trustworthy pal YouTube. I colored the white fondant pink with gel based color and rolled it out into a long rectangular sheet. I cut out 16 one-inch strips and folded 14 of the strips to make loops and let them dry. The last two strips I cut out to look like the end of the ribbon. To assemble the ribbon, mound a small amount of frosting a bit off center on the cake. Attach the two flat ribbons in place so they dangle off the side of the top layer. Place another dollop of frosting on top of the flat ribbons. Attach 7 of the loops in a circle using the frosting as glue. To make the bow look realistic, turn some of the loops on to their sides. For the second layer of the bow, use 6 loops and layer them on top of the original ones. *Make sure to alternate the direction of the loop to be opposite of the one it's laying on top of. Finally, top the bow with the last ribbon. TA-DA!

Brussel Sprout, Goat Cheese & Pancetta Flatbread

If somebody told me when I was ten years old (and only ate spaghetti and chicken) that I would someday be eating brussel sprouts, goat cheese and pancetta, I probably would have responded "EW" and then asked what goat cheese was. I have overcome many food aversions in my life, and now I eat pretty much anything (accept for bananas-- to which I will still respond "EW").

Brussel Sprouts have become a new favorite of mine, and I try to incorporate them into any dish I can. For a while I think it was the only vegetable my boyfriend and I ever cooked. I was a bit obsessed and needed a 2 month brussel break, but now I'm back! This recipe is quick, simple and again can be altered using whichever veggies you happen to have on hand that day. Although the inner child in me is screaming a little inside, maybe all of this new food will inspire my future self to someday post a recipe about bananas.

Ingredients:
1 pkg whole wheat pizza dough

¼ lb pancetta, diced 

2 cups quartered brussel sprouts

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 8-oz pkg herb goat cheese

Salt and Pepper

Honey (optional)

Home Made Lasagna (Pasta and All)

Lasagna is such a classic dish. I have made it many times before, but never like this. I decided to challenge myself and make the entire dish from scratch. This means no wavy sheets of pre-made pasta from the beautiful blue box. As I began to roll out the dough my inner Italian began to surface. Not your typical New York Italian, but the small, plump, mustache clad Italian. I couldn't stop myself as I began to sing “When The Moon Hits Your Eye”.

Since I have never made this dish using fresh pasta I really had no idea how it would turn out. I must say, I don’t think I can ever go back to my old ways again. The pastas was soft and slightly plump. It held up well to all of the toppings. My only word of advice is to make sure you cover all of the pasta with sauce or the edges will become very crispy and dry. The few times I have made my own pasta I follow a great Mario Batali recipe. I tweaked this recipe a tiny bit to get the correct amount for my lasagna.

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1½ cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 tsp honey

2 cups baby spinach

½ cup mozzarella

My Attempt at Cake Decorating #1

For my nephews first birthday this past January, I decided to make an attempt at decorating a cake as they do on those fabulous shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Wars. Due to my limited experience working with fondant and having never taken a class of this sort during culinary school, my little experiment was going to be a complete crapshoot. I knew the design I wanted, I was just slightly unsure on how to get there.

I started with a 5x9 loaf pan and divided my cake batter into four separate bowls. Using blue gel based color I died each bowl of batter varying shades of blue. I will fill you in on a little secret-- use cake mix, at least for your first try. White cake mix is sturdy and easy to color. I made my own buttercream (see spring lemon curd cupcakes) and used 2 boxes of white fondant. I had two loaf pans that I was using so I baked the cakes in batches of two. Since it was his first birthday I also bought a #1 cake mold that I filled with plane white cake.

While the cakes baked I rolled out my fondant into a rectangle big enough to cover the cake. I took a small chunk of white fondant that I had left over and dyed that a pale blue. I rolled that out into a sheet bf enough to cover the #1 part of the cake.

After the cakes had cooled I trimmed them down and layer them with the buttercream. I carefully covered the cake with the rolled out white fondant as best I could, same with the #1 and blue fondant. Although he could not appreciate the 10 hours it took me to make it, I think he enjoyed it.

Spring Lemon Curd Cupcakes

I’m not sure what it is about cupcakes lately but they are taking over the pastry world. From TV shows like Cupcake Wars and DC cupcakes to books, shops and videos dedicated solely to the tiny treat. The funny part is they have been around forever, so why now? Don’t get my wrong I love me a good cupcake every once in a while. A piece of cake topped with delicious frosting and usually filled with some kind of scrumptious filling all compact in a cute wrapper that you can take down in just a few bites!

I decided to tackle this captivating confection. I totally get it now. They are addictive and dangerous and I’m pretty sure I have thrown myself into early onset diabetes with the amount of sugar I consumed upon testing this recipe. I focused on spring colors for the buttercream but you can use any colors you wish. Try them this memorial day using bright summer colors, or on 4th of July using varying shades of red and blue.

Cupcake Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tbsp)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

¼ cup low-fat milk

Filling Ingredients:

3 eggs

Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/3 cup)

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Not-So-French Onion Soup

The absence of winter this year in New York has left me with a hole that is usually filled by warm comfort food. There is nothing like a bowl of ooey gooey French Onion soup to warm the soul on a crisp, cold day (or what happens to be a freakishly warm day in March). It’s just something about the combination of toasty bread and melted cheese that satisfies any and all cravings.

I have made French Onion Soup many times using the traditional beef broth method. I wanted to lighten up this dish a bit by substituting vegetable stock instead; which will also lower the sodium. This super easy recipe is very flexible and is designed to use things you have lying around the house (hence the reason I am using a mixture of red and yellow onions). You can use a combination of any type of onions you happen to have in the refrigerator. Don’t have asiago or mozzarella? Use provolone or even some white cheddar. 

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced.

½ cup red wine

¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp flour

2 qts vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 baguette, sliced