Ravioli with Roasted Vegetables

You would think I'm trying to torture my children by making a dish with a lot of vegetables but they liked it. My husband thought we were torturing him though. He did eat the ravioli and some of the chard but nothing else. No eggplant for him. I tried cooking the ravioli by boiling then in a skillet and baking. I think the baking way is easier since I just added the ravioli with the roasted vegetables. The skillet way tends to give a nice crispness but it sticks easier to the pan. I'm going to use the baking method since I like the easier method plus less cleanup after.

Ravioli with roasted vegetables
3 medium zucchini, chopped
1 eggplant, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 cup swiss chard
1 package frozen ravioli
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil for the ravioli.  
3. Arrange the zucchini, eggplant, onion, and garlic onto a baking sheet.  
4. Toss the vegetables with the oregano and the olive oil.
5.  Season with salt and pepper.   
6. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.
7. Cook the swiss chard and ravioli in the boiling water for 8 minutes.
8. Drain the water from the swiss chard and ravioli.
9. Turn the vegetables.
10.  Add the swiss chard and ravioli to the baking sheet. 
11. Bake the ravioli and vegetable for 15 minutes.
12. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and melted butter.
13. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago............................I made Lots of Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Two years ago..........................I made Bangers and Mash.

Did you already know............
-The small and medium zucchini has more flavor than the larger ones.
-Zucchini has more potassium than a banana.
Other names for zucchini are courgette, summer squash, green squash, and Italian squash.

Lots of Chocolate Chips Cookies

I love chocolate chip cookies but sometimes there isn't enough chips. I wanted to make the chocolate chip cookies with a lot of chips in each bite like when you eat chocolate chip ice cream. So, I took a cup of semi sweet mini chocolate chips and chopped them. Then I chopped them some more. I didn't want to shred the chocolate since I still wanted chips just a lot smaller chips. I made this recipe and my husband family ate the whole batch. Since I wasn't able to take any photos, I made the recipe again and hid a couple of cookies. My youngest daughter still found them but she had to wait until I had taken my photos. She did not want to wait. I think her strategy was she was hoping I would make them a third time within a week. Yes, she liked them that much.

Lots of Chocolate Chips Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips, chopped several times

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar and sugar.
4. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix until incorporated.
5. Add the vanilla and mix well.
6. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until incorporated.
7. Fold in the chopped chocolate chips.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Scoop the chilled dough into about 2 Tbsp balls onto the cookie sheet spaced about 3 inches apart.
10. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

One year ago........................I made Bangers and Mash.

 Did you already know..........

-Ruth Wakefield owned a tourist lodge named The Tollhouse Inn.

-She was making cookies when she realized she was missing an ingredient so she chopped a chocolate bar and created chocolate chip cookies.

-The chocolate bar that was used had been given to Ruth Wakefield by Andrew Nestle of the Nestle Chocolate Company.

Creamed Spinach

Did you see any leprechauns today? Any leprechauns making trouble? A friend told me about how a leprechauns painted a dog's tail green. I'm glad nothing like that happened here. My children had plans to build a trap to catch one but forgot. I'm glad since I didn't want any mischief. so we made sure to wear green today except my brave husband. I think he secretly enjoys being pinches since the kids have gotten him several times. He could go change but no. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I made bangers and mash with creamed spinach. I love baby spinach. I add it to all the salads I make. Also, I use it in place of lettuce on our sandwiches. The kids eat it and never complain. They really liked this side dish and there were no leftovers.

Creamed Spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter 
1 1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves (I used baby spinach leaves.)
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the butter. 
2. Add the spinach, garlic, and shallot. 
3. Cook and stir often for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cream cheese and mix well until the cream cheese has coated the spinach.
5. Stir in the heavy cream and allow the cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve warm.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago.....................I made Brownies.

Did you already know.......
-The color blue was first associated with Saint Patrick.
-The Saint Patrick blue can still be found on ancient Irish flags.
-During 1798 Irish Rebellion, the Irish began to wear green to make a political statement.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Bangers and Mash

Since my oldest daughter just returned from England, I asked her if she had Bangers and Mash when she was over there. She said no so I asked her if she saw it on the menu. She said yes but she didn't know what it was. My Dad said she never asked. My Dad said Bangers and Mash is a common pub dish. 

I told my daughter that Bangers and Mash is sausage and mashed potatoes. She said she would have ate it if she had known. My family really liked this dish very much. It is an easy dish to make. The sausage and potatoes are served with a sauce or gravy. I will admit that I don't know how authentic my dishes will be this week but they taste good. The traditional gravy is made with a stock but when I went into the pantry I couldn't find any. The meal was done and I didn't feel like having anyone wait so I decided to make ours cheesy.

Bangers and Mash
2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and diced
8 links beef sausage
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbsp flour
4 cups milk
 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water.
2. Bring the potatoes to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In a skillet, add the oil and heat over medium heat.
4. Add the sausage to the skillet and brown.
5. Remove the sausage and place on a plate to the side.
6. To the skillet, add the onion to the pan. Cook the onion until soft about 5 minutes.
7. Add the flour to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. 
8. Whisk in the milk to the skillet and return the sausage to the pan.
9. Cook the sausage for about 15 minutes until the liquid is reduce to the desired consistency. Stirring occasionally. 
10. Stir in the cheese.
11. When the potatoes are done, drain the potatoes and mash.
12. To the mashed potatoes, add the butter, milk, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. 
13. To serve, place the mashed potatoes on a plate. Place the sausage on top of the potatoes. Cover the sausage and potatoes with the cheese sauce. 

Recipe adapted from Foodnetwork. com.

Did you already know...
-Bangers and Mash is a traditional English meal. 
-Bangers and Mash are often served with an onion gravy.
-A popular side to Bangers and Mash is peas.