• Ravioli bolliti - shuijiao, letteralmente "fagottini d'acqua" (Cinese: 水餃; pinyin: shuǐjiǎo)
• Ravioli al vapore - zhengjiao, letteralmente "fagottini al vapore" (Cinese: 蒸餃; pinyin: zhēngjiǎo)
• Ravioli brasati - guotie, letteralmente "bastone al tegame", (Cinese: 鍋貼; pinyin: guōtiē), chiamati anche "fagottini fritti asciutti" (Cinese: 煎餃; pinyin: jiānjiǎo).
• Ravioli all'uovo - se avvolti con uovo invece che con la pasta (Cinese: 蛋餃; pinyin: dànjiǎo).

Di solito si usa per il ripieno carne tritata di maiale, bovino, agnello, pollo, pesce o gamberi, spesso mescolati con verdure come cavolo, scalogna, cipollotti o erba cipollina cinese. I ravioli sono accompagnati da salsa di soia con aggiunta di aceto, aglio, zenzero, aceto di riso, salsa piccante o olio di sesamo.
I ravioli sono uno dei principali cibi consumati al Capodanno cinese. La forma assomiglia a un Tael d'oro (moneta cinese) e simboleggia un augurio di buona fortuna per l'anno nuovo. Per tradizione, le famiglie e gli amici si riuniscono per preparare i ravioli insieme. Nelle campagne si sacrifica il bestiame migliore e si conserva la carne per i ravioli approfittando del clima freddo. Sono anche popolari un tipo di ravioli dolce.

Per la pasta:
@ 200 gr di farina bianca 00 setacciata
@ acqua tiepida (30° C) quanto basta

Per il ripieno:
@ 150 gr di carne di maiale e 150 gr di manzo
@ 200 gr di erbette o verza
@ 200 gr di cavolo cinese
@ 1 porro
@ 1 cipolla
@ 1 pezzo di zenzero (come una noce)
@ 1 cucchiaio di salsa di soia e 2 di olio di sesamo
@ 2 cucchiai di fecola di patate
@ sale quanto basta
@ 1 pizzico di glutammato monosodico

Il segreto di una buona riuscita sta principalmente nella qualità della sfoglia che dovrà essere così liscia, sottile e uniforme da risultare quasi trasparente una volta cotta. Per ottenere una simile sfoglia è consigliabile impastarla una prima volta e lasciarla riposare 12 ore. Si procede nel seguente modo:si dispone a fontana sull'asse la farina setacciata con l'aggiunta di un pizzico di sale e si impasta aggiungendo a poco a poco dell'acqua tiepida fino ad ottenere un impasto abbastanza consistente e ben omogeneo che andrà lavorato a lungo.  Si copre la pasta con un tovagliolo e si lascia riposare. Al momento di preparare i ravioli, si riprende l'impasto e lo si rilavora nuovamente con cura: poi si spolvera di farina e si tira con il mattarello fino ad ottenere una sfoglia sottile come una seta che andrà poi ritagliata in tante sfogliette rotonde con l'orlo di un bicchiere. 
Per allestire il ripieno, lavare e asciugare accuratamente le verdure, tritarle molto finemente e metterle in un recipiente; aggiungete lo zenzero precedentemente grattugiato, un pizzico di sale, eventualmente il glutammato, la salsa di soia, la fecola, le carni ben tritate e i due cucchiaini di olio di sesamo (in mancanza si può usare del buon olio d'oliva); mescolare bene il tutto fino ad ottenere un ripieno morbido.
Questo ripieno, suddiviso in tante pallottoline, si porrà al centro di ciascuna sfoglietta che si ripiegherà in due dopo averne inumidito leggermente i bordi interni.
Per chiudere il raviolo, premere accuratamente sui bordi. La cottura ideale e più tipica è quella al vapore: un buon accorgimento può essere quello di predisporre un canovaccio umido di tela sottile sul fondo del cestello. Mettere al fuoco una casseruola con poca acqua e quando questa bolle disporvi il cestello (che non dovrà toccare l'acqua) e cuocere a vapore.
Questi deliziosi ravioli saranno pronti quando la pasta sarà diventata trasparente.

The basket spend for the ingredients far outweighed the cost of buying ready made tortellini, for instance, but in the pursuit of making an affordable, memorable meal and enriching my culinary skills, the end result was far better value.

discuss ...

The first was creation was a riff on the classic pork and beans. In this case it was green beans wrapped in prosciutto and plated on a toasted piece of baguette. The parcel was small enough to eat with your fingers and absolutely delicious. I sprinkled the creation with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Incidentally this allowed for something very tasty to dip the bread in after everything else was gone. I would be tempted to add a small shaving of parmesan to this dish to add one more flavour combination.

Dish number two was breakfast for dinner. It consisted of a bacon apple cheddar crepe. The apples were slow roasted in the oven and drizzled with honey. The bacon was crisp and the cheddar was bold.

For the pasta course I reused a dish from the day before and served pumpkin ravioli. It was too good to pass up and I also needed to finish the pasta before it went bad.

The main was a beautiful beef rib on top of homemade gnocchi (the reason for the night) accompanied by broccoli. Jessie did something amazing with broccoli using soy sauce. I'm not entirely sure how it was accomplished but the end product was fabulous. I braised the ribs for 2 hours in an incredible broth. The meat literally fell off the bone. It was fabulous. The gnocchi were absolutely beautiful. I could eat them every night.

To round everything off we had dessert. It consisted of arborio rice cooked with a sweetened milk instead of water. This was topped with roasted pineapple coated with cinnamon and sugar. It was a wonderful way to finish off the meal with a dessert that is simple and delicious.

I had a fabulous time. I don't think I've ever cooked so much on what would otherwise be considered a fairly ordinary Monday.  It was also a good chance to use up several leftovers from the fridge so as not to waste.  What do you think my favourite course was?

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 40 min
Serves 6

• 2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb total), cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1 package (26 oz) frozen large cheese ravioli
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 oz lean ground beef (90% fat free)
• 1 jar (26 oz) tomato-basil sauce
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with paper towels. Grease 1 quart ceramic baking dish.
2. Heat large covered saucepot of water to boiling over high heat. Add zucchini and cook 5 minutes. With tongs or slotted spoon, remove zucchini to prepared cookie sheet to drain. Return water to boiling. Add ravioli and cook until ravioli rise to the top.
3. Meanwhile, in 3 qt saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 8-10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned; transfer to small bowl. In same saucepan, in remaining 1 tsp oil, cook beef over medium high heat 3-4 minutes or until browned, breaking up beef with side of spoon. Stir in tomato sauce and onion; heat to boiling.
4. Drain ravioli; return to saucepot. Add meat sauce to ravioli in saucepot and stir until combined.
5. In prepared baking dish, arrange half of zucchini; top with half of ravioli, then half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layering all ingredients. Bake 20 minutes or until hot in the center and golden and bubbly on top.

**Personal Review: This is one of my favorite recipes - it's really simple to make and it tastes wonderful.  It's a big hit with everyone.**

Well, the same afternoon as I made these babies, I saved a few and plopped them on top of my ham, mozarella, roasted pepper and olive pizza, crossing each ball with some anchovies.  The labneh bakes to a fairly firm consistency and it was DELICIOUS!  A definite thumbs up from me!

Yesterday, I had it on bread with some smoked salmon and it was perfect.  Very creamy but tastier than cream cheese would ever be.

It was so good that I decided to try my first ever ravioli.  I made a batch of fresh pasta dough (recipe here) and rolled it out into sheets, mixed some labneh with smoked salmon diced very finely, some dill, a bit of garlic and salt, and dotted this mix onto the sheets, covered with the spare sheets and used my trusty old pastry cutter to cut the ravioli squares.  Then, while these were drying a little in the fridge, I made a quick arribiata sauce (diced onion, garlic, 1 small chilli, white wine, tomato sugo, seasoning to taste).  I quickly boiled the ravioli in salty water for 3 minutes, slung them into the sauce with some chopped parsley and The Husband and I devoured them.  Alas, I wasn't quick enough to take a photo, but I'm trying this again shortly.  DAMN, but it was GOOD!  Even if I say so myself, if I'd ordered this in a restaurant I would have been extremely happy.

Anyways, the rest of the labneh can sit safely in the fridge while I think of other delicious things to do with it.

What are the top 5 best meals you’ve ever had?

I've asked this question to pretty much everyone I know at sometime or another. For some reason I find the topic of ‘best meals’ very interesting. A meal is such a fabulous part of human interaction and day-to-day life. For all of history, people have always shared meals together. I truly enjoy sitting with friends or family, eating good food and having a solid conversation. Dinnertime is a beautiful thing and it doesn’t receive the attention and appreciation that it deserves. Usually, the best meals have some sort of story behind them. There is some other reason that a meal makes the top 5 besides the food. It’s really the story that I am after when I ask anyone about his or her Top 5 meals. So if you’re interested, here are some of my favorite meals and why they are so memorable.

Antipasto in Italy
When I was 16, my family took our first vacation to Europe. We started in Rome for 3 days before boarding a cruise ship and sailing to Greece, Malta, Spain and France. The trip was full of memories, but one of the best was our last night in Rome. We went to a small, family owned restaurant. I don’t remember what the place was called, but there couldn’t of been more than 5 tables in the whole place. We ordered the antipasto to share and separate dinners for everyone. This was no average antipasto, with a few olives and cheese on a platter. The waiter brought us bowls of different types of olives, melon with prosciutto, five different kinds of sausage, roasted vegetables, and some of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted. We canceled the orders for dinner and just feasted on the antipasto.

Christmas Eve
There is no specific Christmas Eve that sticks out. Instead this meal makes the list because it has been exactly the same for as long as I can remember. That’s what I love about Christmas Eve in my family, the tradition. My great-grandmother used to cook the traditional Polish meal and have everyone (about 25 people) at her house. When she was too old, my grandmother took over. Every year, the meal is exactly the same. Grandma makes pierogie, sauerkraut, mushroom soup, fried white fish, pickled herring, and fruit compote. The food is homey and comforting and cooked with lots of butter. After dinner we open gifts and then return to the huge table for cookies, nut roll, and coffee. I love my family’s traditions and take pride in them. And someday, I might be the one cooking this same exact meal for my grandchildren.

Family Dinners at Kiawah
The reasons for cherishing the family dinners during our summer vacations at the beach are very similar to the reasons for loving Christmas Eve dinner. Whereas Christmas Eve is always celebrated with my mom’s side of the family, summer trips to the beach were always with my dad’s side of the family. All of the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents stayed in the same beach house and each person was in charge of making dinner for everyone one night of the week. After a long day of playing in the waves, building sand castles, and flying kites, there was always a big plate of spaghetti or barbequed chicken shared with all my family to look forward to at the end of the day.

Backyard at Mickey’s
Last summer I had a few friends, Jamie, Alyssa and her roommate, and Dave, over for dinner at my aunt’s house when they were out of town for the weekend. I made a spinach salad and ravioli for dinner. And we had lots and lots of wine and rum. We sat for hours in the backyard drinking and talking and enjoying each other’s company. It was exactly what a good meal should be: good friends and good food. Everyone stayed late and some of the guests hooked up later that night, but that’s another story completely.

Picnic in the Park in Madrid
Jamie, Jordana and I traveled to Spain and visited with Amy in Madrid. Amy was a great host and gave us a full tour of the city. We spent Sunday afternoon in the park, eating our picnic, dancing in the drum circles, drawing by the lake and smoking jays. The picnic was a feast of tomato and cheese sandwiches, pistachio nuts, corn nuts, chocolate covered raisins, grapes, strawberries, and cheap wine mixed with coke. It was a great afternoon and one of the highlights of the whole vacation.

Honorable Mentions:Maryland crabs at Mickey’s lake house, the best seafood I’ve ever had in New York City, Indian food in Amsterdam, Rasta at All Good Festival, Samrat and dude lunches, corn on the cob on the backyard bonfire, Saturday morning pancakes with Kath.

DEDICATO A MIO MARITO CHE HA FATTO L'ALPINO...

Ingredienti

Per la pasta sfoglia per paste fresche ripiene:

400 grammi di farina 00

4 uova

1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine d'oliva

sale.

Per il ripieno

1 formaggella L'ALPINO

latte q.b.

erba cipollina q.b.

Per il sugo

4 pomodori freschi

aglio

olio

basilico

sale e pepe

Preparazione

Versate la farina sulla spianatoia, unite le uova, un pò di sale e l'olio. Impastate molto bene fino ad ottenere un impasto omogeneo ed elastico.

Coprite con un canovaccio umido per trenta minuti, poi impastate nuovamente e stendete delle sfoglie sottili con il mattarello. Per lavorare bene, non lasciate essiccare la sfoglia.

Nel frattempo preparate il ripieno: in una ciotola schiacciate con la forchetta la formaggella L'ALPINO avendolo privato prima della crosta, aggiungete del latte ammorbidendo il tutto; aggiungere l'erba cipollina lavata e tritata finemente, mescolare energicamente per ottenere una crema omogenea.

Con un coppa pasta dal diametro di cm 10, tagliate dei cerchi, mettete al centro un cucchiaino abbondante di ripieno e ripiegarli a mezzaluna schiacciando i bordi con una forchetta sia da un lato che dall'altro.

Preparate il sugo: tagliare a dadini i pomodori e metterli in una pentola con l'olio e l'aglio; far rosolare bene i pomodori, salare e pepare aggiungendo acqua di cottura per non far asciugare il sugo. 

Passare in acqua bollente salata per cinque minuti i ravioli cosi ottenuti, scolarli e condirli con il sugo di pomodoro, aggiungere del basilico fresco tritato.

rating: 5

Ravioli with Peas & Shallots
(from the October 2008 issue of Real Simple magazine)

1 1/2 pounds cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce bag frozen peas
1 tsp grated lemon zest
kosher salt and pepper

1. Cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the peas, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the reserved pasta water. Cook, partially covered, until the peas are heated through, 3-4 minutes.
4. Divide the ravioli among bowls and top with the pea mixture.

• 4 oz. cheese ravioli
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. butter, divided
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb. crab (imitation is fine)
• 1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a small skillet, saute garlic in oil over medium heat until pale gold, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Cook ravioli, al dente; drain. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in flour, then gradually milk. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth and thick. Add salt, pepper and sauteed garlic mixture (with oil).

In a small pan heat the remaining tablespoons of butter. Add the crab and toss over medium heat until hot. Remove.

Place ravioli on platter. Top with hot crab mixture, then sauce. Toss lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Actually, there was more, but it's even more boring, so I'll skip it.

This ravioli had spinach, white beans, and ricotta inside. Like I said, it was pretty great, not that it matters since it put a damper on my evening. Matt did very generously offer me the pieces that actually managed to maintain some individual shape. He also cleaned the living room to the point that I actually walked in and wasn't sure it was our apartment. So he's on my good list.

On my bad list: homemade ravioli. Never again.

This is a beautiful combination of squash, onions, a little garlic, olive oil and seasonings all wrapped up in fresh pasta.

For this recipe you'll need:

1 portion of fresh pasta dough

1/2 small butternut squash
1/4 sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
1 egg
cheese
oregano, salt and pepper

To prepare the vegetables I prefer to do the squash in the microwave with a little butter and brown sugar. It will sweeten the recipe.  Cook on high for 13 minutes on a pie plate or other suitable dish.

Sweat the onions and the garlic in olive oil.

Mix the cooked squash with the onion and garlic.  Add the cheese (I used mozarella this time and I've used Parmesan before).  Let the cheese melt into the mixture.  Add the egg and combine with spices.

Assembly

Roll out two sheets of pasta, one for the bottom and one for the top. I recommend using a pasta machine because it makes life a lot easier, but it is possible to use a rolling pin.  Place a tablespoon of filling for each ravioli on the pasta.

To glue the sheets of pasta use either water or egg whites. Make sure to cover whether you will join the top and bottom sheets of pasta.

Place the top sheet of pasta over the bottom and seal the individual ravioli's together. Cut the ravioli into individual pieces.

Prepare a pot of boiling water with salt. Boil the ravioli for 2-3 minutes max and remove with a slotted spoon.

Drizzle with Olive oil and balsamic, or top with a sage butter.

Enjoy.

Chard filling: (Thanks to having 2 1/2 lbs of chard, I basically tripled this)

• 3/4 lbs chard (or spinach)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup ricotta
• 3/4 c. grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg yolk
• salt

Wash and stem the chard.  Leaving water on leaves, put in a pot over medium heat.  Heat, stirring occasionally, until leaves are just wilted.  For best flavor, the chard should stay a nice bright green.  Remove from heat.  Run leaves under cold water to stop the cooking process.  Squeeze all water of leaves.  Chop fairly finely.

Heat butter in large skillet.  Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add chard and stir until evenly mixed.  Remove from heat.  Salt to taste.  I add a bit more salt to chard than I do to spinach in order to bring out the best flavor of the chard.  Sometimes chard can taste too much like "greens" without enough salt.  Let cool.

Mix ricotta, parmesan, and egg yolk.  Add cooled chard / onion mixture.  Stir until cheese and greens are evenly mixed.   Store in refrigerator until pasta is made.

Handmade pasta can be a real pain in the arse, but I've found that it is really worth taking the time to figure it out.  The hard part is getting a sense of how much flour the dough needs on that particular day.   Believe it or not, weather conditions really do seem to make a difference.

Basic pasta recipe:

• 2 cups bread flour  (I've made pasta with both all purpose and bread flour, and I've found that the bread flour results in a softer dough, which I like)
• 2 eggs
• pinch salt
• 2 tsps olive oil
• water (2-4+ tbsp)

Through everything but the water in a standing mixer and mix with a dough hook or a paddle.  Add a little water until the dough comes together enough that when you grab a handful, it sticks together when you release it.  It is ok if it is somewhat of a shaggy mess.  If the dough is a little dry now, it'll save you work later.  Put it in a ziplock bag or wrap it in plastic and let it sit for 30 minutes to 2 hours.  I find the longer it sits, the easier it is to roll.

Then, roll it out using whatever pasta machine you have.  I have an attachment for my KitchenAid mixer.  It's noisy, but it gets the job done.  I roll it until is at the 5th setting on mine.  If it's thinner, I find the pasta tears too easily.

Here's what I've taken to lately.  Many cookbooks talk about dusting your cooking area with flour.  Some recommend dusting with rice flour.  I have invariably torn the ravioli at some point using these methods.  I've taken to putting the pasta directly on parchment paper.  It is very easy to drag the parchment paper onto a baking sheet to slip it into the freezer.  Once frozen, the ravioli slide right off the parchment paper and into a ziplock bag.

And thus, endless leaves of chard are turned into ravioli for fall dinners.  These twelve, of course, are just the beginning of a long but rewarding process.

per 4 persone:

1. 4 Uova
2. 300 gr di Farina 00 
3. 150 gr di Grana padano grattuggiato
4. 2/3 rametti di salvia
5. Brasato e sugo (freschi...avanzato di recente, a meno che non lo facciate apposta per il ripieno ma di ravioli lì ne fate per 40 persone, ne avrete avanzato da poco)
6. 40 gr di burro
7. 1 Patata media (opzionale)

La cosa bella è che se un piatto ti viene bene, poi replichi con porzioni sempre più abbondanti... e quindi magari ti avanza qualcosa, o magari lo fai avanzare di porposito, così poi ci fai i ravioli!!!...molto semplice, molto economico!

Disponiamo a cono la farina su una spianatoia di legno o su un tavolo ben pulito, vi facciamo un bel buco al centro e vi rompiamo 3 uova, con una forchetta iniziamo a sbattere molto dolcemente le stesse cercando di inglobare sempre più farina dai bordi, quando è diventata una pasta molto morbida, e il grosso della farina è stato inglobato con le uova, riprendiamo la pasta a mano e la impastiamo per bene fin che non diventa compatta e uniforme. Prendiamo un canovaccio umido e la lasciamo in frigorifero chiusa una mezzora, se si intende aspettare di più, si può usare la pellicola ma non aspettare mai più di un ora...la pasta si secca prima o poi!

Per preparare il nostro ripieno utilizziamo la carne il suo sugo di cottura(ad occhio ma non troppo che il ripieno deve risultare compatto!), una patata precedentemente lessata e passata (Opzionale) un uovo e il grattuggiato. Passiamo carne e sugo al mixer (magari dopo averlo tagliato in pezzi piccoli) quindi in una insalatiera capiente, aggiungiamo la patata (passata e fredda), l'uovo e 100 gr di Grana Padano, mescoliamo energicamente sino ad ottenere un denso ripieno.

Prendiamo la pasta e procediamo! ora la possiamo stendere, se volete a mano (non tutti hanno voglia tempo e pazienza da nonna!) semmai, come me, con la mitica nonna papera imperia, e farne delle sfoglie belle sottili (qui va a gusto..) da cui ricavare dgli ottimi ravioli, o con lo stampo e il mattarello, oppure a mano con una formina o un bicchiere: ricaviamo dei dischi vi poniamo il ripieno al centro chiudiamo a mezzaluna facendo attenzione a far uscire bene l'aria, e schiacciamo leggermente i bordi con una forchetta. Attenzione a non scolare, a cottura togliere i ravioli con una schiumarola! (a meno che non abbiate usato una sfoglia un pò meno sottile)

Consiglio di condire con un classico burro e salvia, facciamo sciogliere metà del burro, Vi aggiungiamo le foglie di salvia e facciamo insaporire qualche minuto a fuoco lento. una volta scolati i ravioli condire col burro fuso e massaggiare uniformemente i ravioli con il burro rimanente e l'aiuto di una forchetta, di modo che questo si sciolga sulla pasta per effetto del calore.

NON AGGIUNGO ALTRO!

Scarica - Ravioli al Brasato

This is a fantastic, easy meal for kids...and adults!

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 pkg. fresh, pre-sliced mushrooms

1 t. vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (26 oz each) jars tomato-and-basil pasta sauce

1 c. water

1 T. dried Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

1 (20 oz) pkg. refrigerated 4-cheese ravioli

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown the beef in a Dutch oven; drain; wipe out Dutch oven. Saute onion and mushrooms in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in beef, garlic, pasta sauce, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring sauce to a boil; add frozen ravioli. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes. Stir in cheese.

Serves 4

• From the kitchen of ... Shannon & Mark

Chanterelle mushrooms

Sauteeing onions, mushrooms and herbs in earth balance.

The joy of ravioli making

Our finished product, yum

There are three basic parts to this recipe, the dough, the filling and the sauce. This was made in a particularly punk rock way so I'm not too sure on proportions.

Cashew cream sauce

Saute mushrooms, onion and herbs in earth balance or butter for 5-10 minutes. Mix cashews with water and nutritional yeast in blender or food processor --- until sauce-like. Combine cashew cream and onions/mushrooms --- season with herbs. Dry white wine is a fantastic addition! Cook for 15-25 minutes.

Filling

Take assorted summer veggies (zucchini, bell peppers, onions, seeded and juiced tomatoes, beans, carrots, etc) chop and roast in oven for 30-45 minutes at 350. you might want to drizzle a little olive oil or salt and pepper. Remove from oven when cooked, mix and saute with crumbled tofu.

Dough

Some people are really into egg pasta, but you can make great dough without eggs! Mix 2 cups of wheat flour with a teaspoon of oil and a nice sprinkle of salt (semolina flour is particularly tasty for pasta making!). Add maybe 1/3-1/2 cup water and knead for 5 minutes or a minute or two in the food processor/mixer. The dough should be easy to work with and not too sticky.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2 packages lobster ravioli (frozen or from the cold case in the supermarket; Monterey Pasta Co. makes a good one. )

1/4 cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed (2.5 tsp if you use the wet garlic in the jar)

2 cans diced Italian tomatoes.  Get the flavored ones with garlic and basil.

Hot pepper flakes to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 TBS chopped fresh basil

3/4 cup grated or flaked parmigiano-reggiano cheese for garnish

chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Bring salted pasta water to boil in a large stock pot over high heat.  Add ravioli and cook according to package directions.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet.

3.  Add chopped garlic and cook until lightly browned -- about 3 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes, bring to a boil and add salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

5. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the pasta is finished cooking.

6. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and fresh basil.

7. Drain pasta and place in serving bowl with sauce.

8. Top with cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

I was on my way to soccer practice and wanted to try out a place on the Seestrasse heading out of Zurich towards Rapperswil. There are some nice places around and I landed at the Restaurant Schönau. Beautiful location on the lake, it was warm and nice weather, you could even go there by using the regular boat service on the lake of Zurich. I got a crappy table (understandable since I didn't have a reservation and was on my own), but since I was reading preoccupied reading the local tabloid I didn't mind. Knowing that I had to run after some strikers and sweep them off their legs in another hour I opted for a rather light dinner. To get me started I chose a Gazpacho. The presentation was beautiful, minimal and non fussy. I really liked it, although not as much as the one at the Hiltl, since this one was lacking sauteed scallions. The real killer though was the main course. Check out the picture, what the hell is going on ? Are we back in the 1980s? Who knows, maybe the cook learned his handicraft while listening to Like a Virgin and Billie Jean. If my wife (not-existing and not taking any applications to the great despair of the swiss female population) were to cook a meal like that, I'd smile dearly and tell her I'd love her. If I was a restaurant owner I'd hit my chef with the mallet used to flatten Schnitzels. The name of the dish is "Schönau Ravioli". It's described as Ravioli with veal, mortadella, fennel seeds served with a light butter sauce and old Balsamico. I didn't taste much of the fennel seeds and I wasn't too keen on the mortadella - veal combination. The foamy part doesn't warrant an even longer description. All in all it's a beautiful place to go for dinner with people you'd like to impress, enjoy the view and drinks, forget the Ravioli. A bit pricier, but it's worth paying the premium for the location.

i mainly ate it because i'm basically the only one in my family who cooks so i knew no one else would cook it and i didn't want it to go to waste. i made it with mushrooms and it was satisfying but nothing special. okay onto the recipe~

vegetable crab cake recipe

these are a family favorite. instead of using real crab, which is expensive, we use imitation crab meat (which is actually made from fish). you can find these at your regular grocery store. it gives these crab cakes a really unique and delicate flavor. and it goes PERFECT with tabasco sauce! i made a HUGE batch of this so you can halve or even quarter this recipe.

ingredients:

• 1 package (315g) imitation crab meat
• 2 small or 1 large (320g) zucchini
• 1 large (341g) onion
• 1 large (175g) carrot
• 1-2 (23g) jalapenos
• 6 large (342g) eggs

directions:

1. very finely dice (almost to a mince) the zucchini, onion, carrot, and jalapeno

the key is to dice everything REALLY small. doing this makes the crab cake "prettier" and also makes it stay together better during the actual cooking process.

2. "shred" the imitation crab cake into little pieces with your knife:

3. mix all the ingredients in step 1 & 2 in a large bowl. add the eggs and mix everything together. the egg should "bind" everything together (use less or more eggs accordingly):

4. heat a pan on medium high heat and spray the pan with oil.

5. add the "batter" by spoonfuls into little rounds onto the pan:

6. enjoy!! (with tabasco sauce!)

nutritional information

serving size: 4 crabcakes (79g)

• calories: 63cal
• fat: 2g
• carbohydrates: 6g
• fiber: 1g
• sugar: 2g
• protein: 5g

i love these because you can eat a lot without too many calories!