Ravioli with Spinach Pesto

As a kid, I'd spend a complete day at my father and step mother's home making homemade ravioli for Christmas each year and it was definitely a "labor of love". The house would be buzzing with lots of noise; mainly laughter, as one person would be mixing the dough and another would be rolling out the dough using an old wooden closet rod that had been passed down. Usually it was my dad and grandfather that would take turns as it's a very stiff dough and hard to roll out. Then the rest of us would make the filling, fill, cut and seal the ravioli and place in cornmeal lined shirt boxes so that we could freeze them for the special day. 

The last time I made homemade ravioli was when we first got married and were living in our townhouse. It was the blizzard of 1995 and my best friend Barbara (who also lived in the same townhouse community) and I pooled our resources and managed to find all of the ingredients to make ravioli to keep us busy while we were snowed in. So we spent the day making several different varieties; then treated our new husbands to an Italian treat. I don't think I've made them since, but will have to try it again soon. It's a little hard for me to roll out the dough as my wrists are too weak, but I got a new pasta attachment for my mixer recently so I do want to give it another try soon. 

Ravioli are a type of Italian filled pasta and are made by creating a filling inside two layers of egg pasta dough; then sealed shut. You can fill it with just about anything you wish, but the most popular (or at least the kind we made from scratch) were cheese filled. Since today is National Ravioli Day, I thought I'd share a quick and easy ravioli recipe that has such a robust flavor. Serve with a tossed salad and you'll have a quick, restaurant quality weeknight meal your family will love in minutes! 

Ravioli with Spinach Pesto
24-1oz. Cheese Ravioli
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 c. Prepared Spinach Pesto (see below)

Directions:
1. Add water and salt to a large pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Slowly drop in the ravioli and cook until they start to float to the top. Times may vary depending on whether you're using fresh or frozen ravioli. 
3. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon and place in a serving bowl. 
4. Add the pesto and mix well. Serves 6 (4 ravioli per serving). 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 248, Carbs 34.5g, Fat 7.1g, Protein 11.7g, Fiber 2.2g, Sugar 1.1g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Spinach Pesto
2 c. Fresh Baby Spinach; rinsed, stems removed, firmly packed
1/4 c. Fresh Parsley; rinsed, stems removed, firmly packed
1/4 c. Pine Nuts
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 c. Asiago Cheese
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1. Add the spinach, parsley, pine nuts, garlic and cheese to a food processor and blend together.
2. Gradually pour in the oil and pulse until smooth. Stop the machine in the middle to scrape down the sides. Makes 3/4 cup. (You can also make this ahead of time and freeze in an airtight container until you're ready to use).

*Nutritional Information per Tablespoon: Calories 43, Carbs .8g, Fat 3.9g, Protein 1.1g, Fiber .2g, Sugar .1g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Happy 1st Day of Spring! 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I want to see a raise of hands. Who has buttermilk all year round in their refrigerator? I certainly don't, but thanks to this tip I learned a few years ago, it's not a problem! Simply mix together 1 cup of milk + the juice of one lemon + 5 minutes to rest = Buttermilk. That's it...Easy Peasy! It will get thick just like the buttermilk you buy at the store. 

One morning while asking the kids what they wanted for dinner, Gab stated she wanted fried chicken on the bone, like the kind you can get at KFC. Now, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've eaten at a KFC in the last 20 years, let alone make chicken at home that way. There aren't many foods I deep fry with the exception of chicken/pork/eggplant cutlets and homemade french fries. I never even owned a fry daddy; well until I won a REALLY small one at a tricky tray recently! But it was a dreary kind of day and I did have some chicken thighs in the freezer so I figured why not.  

I soaked the chicken for about 2 hours in the buttermilk before coating and frying them. I also used my Dutch oven to fry the pieces and worked in two batches. After I was done frying, I also put them in the oven just to make sure they were cooked (as I have a real fetish about making sure my chicken is fully cooked). I can't compare these entirely to KFC; however, they were delicious and crunchy just how I remembered them and the kids loved them! 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken
2 c. Buttermilk (I used 2c. 2% milk + fresh juice of 2 lemons)
8 Chicken Thighs (You can also use chicken breasts and legs)
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
2 tsp. Fresh Thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for frying

Directions:
1. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. 
2. Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag along with the buttermilk and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (you can leave them there all day if you'd like). Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you're ready to fry. 
3. Prepare the coating mixture by mixing together the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dry mustard and thyme. 
4. Pour the oil into a large pot, Dutch oven or deep fryer and allow to heat over medium-high heat. 
5. Coat the chicken one piece at a time by dredging it into the flour mixture; then add the chicken to the oil. (You may have to work in two batches to avoid overcrowding). 
6. Fry the chicken 7-8 minutes per side; allowing them to turn golden brown. 
7. Drain the chicken on paper towels; then place on a baking sheet lined with a rack or foil. 
8. Bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken has reached proper internal temperature. Makes 8 pieces. 

Now the nutritional value on this one was a little tricky to figure out due to the frying aspect. I calculated this recipe using 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil; which was based on how much oil was left after frying so this is just to give you an idea. It's fried=not real healthy! :)

*Nutritional Information per Piece: Calories 397, Carbs 25.8g, Fat 24.1g, Protein 20.7g, Fiber 1.2g, Sugar 4.3g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

BTW, today also happens to be National Poultry Day. If you're looking for more dinner inspiration, here are the Top 5 Main Entree Poultry recipes based on page views to date on the blog. Click on the name to be taken to the original recipe! 

Chicken Balsamico

Chicken in a Lemon Butter Sauce

Grilled Chicken Buffalo Pasta

Chicken, Zucchini and Portobello Mushrooms in a Chianti Wine Sauce

Feta & Sage Mini Chicken Meatloaf

Enjoy! 

Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms & Giveaway

Did you know that nearly 18 million people suffer from a wheat allergy, sensitivity or intolerance? In an early report back in the 1980's, they found that allergies can affect any system of the body, including the central nervous system and can cause a diverse range of symptoms. 

According to an article on Foodforthebrain.org, most food allergies develop in reaction to the protein in food and wheat is on the top of the list because it contains a substance called gliadin; which is a type of gluten and irritates the gut wall. Gliadin is a sticky protein that allows pockets of air to form when risen with yeast, which is how bread is made. Eating a lot of wheat products isn't good for anyone and there have been proven connections between wheat allergy, autism and ADHD in children. In fact, just last week, before writing this post, a friend and I were discussing how her son's ADD(Attention Deficit Disorder) is progressively getting worse. I told her about what I had found out regarding the connection to wheat and told her to get a copy of Lauren's book. Since then I also found this very informative article on Wheat-free.org entitled, "Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other developmental disorders possibly affected by gluten". 

Someone with a wheat intolerance or allergy may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Nasal congestion
• Asthma, 
• Eczema or skin rash
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Chest pains
• Heart palpitations
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Throat swelling
• Joint pain
• Depression
• And a state of fogginess
• Anaphylaxis 
• Decrease in blood pressure
• Skin turning flushed, very pale or bluish in color

So when my foodie friend and fellow NJ girl, Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition, first told me she was going to be writing a Wheat-Free Diet cookbook, I was thrilled. Many people I know have experienced one or several of these symptoms, yet when they went to their physician, they only tested for Celiac Disease. Though the two are similar and some of the same symptoms may occur, Celiac is an autoimmune disorder where when the person eats gluten, the immune system attacks normal tissue in the intestines; which causes patients to not get the proper absorption of crucial nutrients. Wheat allergy sufferers do not have the same problems with absorbtion. They are only allergic to the protein found in wheat and must only avoid wheat. 

I have many pages flagged in this book with recipes I can't wait to try and it's such a great resource. There are over 300 wheat-free recipes along with so many helpful tips, answers to common questions and important information. There is also a complete section with foods to avoid. I have also created a category here on my blog for recipes I've created which are Gluten Free;  many of which are also Wheat-Free, but check the ingredients first to make sure.

I wanted to tackle something quick and easy for my first recipe and since I've been on a recent quinoa kick (and I can only seem to get my kids to eat it when it's prepared cold in a salad!), I wanted to try her version of Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms as a side dish to go with one of our weeknight meals. Well, I'm happy to report EVERYONE in my family LOVED this, including the kids! How could they not with many of our favorite Mediterranean flavors like garlic, mushrooms, oregano, thyme, basil and Asiago cheese. 

Asiago Quinoa with Portobello Mushrooms
 The Everything Wheat-Free Diet Cookbook
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. Leeks, white part only, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 c. Portobello Mushrooms, chopped
2 Sprig Fresh Thyme, removed from stem
1 Sprig Fresh Oregano, removed from stem
1 c. Quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
1/4 c. Asiago Cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Add the chicken broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil; then add in the quinoa. Bring to a boil then let simmer covered over low heat until the liquid has absorbed. 
2. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick saute pan and add the leeks, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and oregano. Cook until the mushrooms have softened and are lightly browned; approximately 5 minutes. 
3. Add the quinoa to the mushroom mixture and stir in the basil and cheese. Serves 6. 

*Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories 168, Carbs 19.5g, Fat 6.5g, Protein 8.7g, Fiber 2.4g
*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate. 


And now for the Giveaway!

Lauren has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a copy of "The Everything Wheat-Free Diet Cookbook". Click on the Rafflecopter link below to enter and tell me which recipe you would make from Lauren's book next! 

• Cauliflower Pizza Crust
• Quinoa Pudding
• Black Bean Quinoa Chili
• Avocado White Bean Hummus
• Spicy Olive Chicken
• Sweet Potato Gratin with Leeks and Onions
• Double Chocolate Quinoa Muffins
• Vegetarian Quinoa-Black Bean Cakes
• Sicilian Eggplant Rolls

a Rafflecopter giveaway