Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Pine Nut Sauce

It has been a busy month for me, hence, not a lot of posting. I had a midterm, went to Arizona for a week, and bought a house. The latter of which has caused all the deeply buried hate I have for the kitchen in my current apartment to explode out and I refused to cook until I was in the newly renovated, cockroach-free, garbage disposal and dishwasher-possesing kitchen in my new home. But that won't be for 8 more days and I still need to eat, so the cooking strike ended.

Last weekend my friend Alex came over and we finally made homemade ravioli after postponing several times. It was definitely worth the wait though. We adapted recipes from both The Gourmet Cookbook and Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Cooking. It was not as complicated as I thought it might be, although I am definitely adding a pasta machine to my wedding registry after rolling the dough out by hand (actually, I made Alex roll it out. I am fine with rolling pie dough or pizza crust, but ever since the Great Cracker Disaster of 2009, I get scared when something has to be very thin). Don't let that scare you though, Alex didn't really have any trouble rolling out the dough, it's all in my head. The recipe seems long and work-intensive, but it's really quite simple and everything came together quickly. Don't let all the steps scare you!

Spinach & Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Pine Nut Sauce
Serves 4

Fresh Pasta
Adapted from The Art of Simple Cooking

2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Put the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the eggs in the well and mix with a fork, incorporating the flour bit by bit. When it becomes too stiff to mix with a fork, mix by hand. (Note: If it is too crumbly, add small amounts of water until it is dough-like. You can also do this step in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment).

Turn the dough on a floured surface and knead lightly, for about 4 minutes. Shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and let rest for at least one hour. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured board or using a machine. Roll the dough into rectangles. Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling along each sheet of pasta, leaving about 1.5 inches inbetween. Fold the pasta over the blobs and seal the layers together with your fingers around each blob, making sure to gently squeeze the air out of each pocket. Cut the raviolis using a knife or pastry cutter. (Note: We also re-squeezed the sides together after cutting).

When finished, cook the ravioli in salted boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Drain and serve.




Filling
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 lb. baby spinach (the original recipe calls for arugula)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Heat the butter in a skillet until the foam subsides. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and lemon zest and cook until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer and extract the excess liquid. Finely chop mixture and then stir with cheeses in a bowl (Note: We chopped and added the cheese in the food processor).



Sauce
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup spinach leaves, chopped

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides (Note: I added the butter before realizing we had not chopped the garlic, so while Alex did that, the butter browned. This was the best mistake ever and I highly recommend browning the butter on purpose). Add pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and oil, swirling skillet to combine. Remove from heat. Sprinkle the spinach leaves over the raviloi and drizzle the sauce on top.

Broccoli Spinach Soup

After all those cakes and cupcakes, I really needed something green. So the other day when Joy the Baker posted this lovely little Broccoli Arugula soup, I ran over to the Seward Co-op to gather the ingredients. While I do love arugula, once I was there I decided I would rather not buy an entire package of it and be forced to eat arugula every day until I resented it. So instead, I went with spinach, which comes in bulk and the amount for this recipes came out to about fifty cents (and was probably more than a cup since I am terrible at eyeballing such things). That and broccoli were all I needed, the rest of the ingredients are staples I always keep on hand.

There aren't any pictures of the finished product. You know what that means: It. was. good. I gobbled it up before I could remember to grab my camera (and also before I added the squeeze of lemon, but that was rectified for the last half of the bowl at least). Keep this recipe in mind if you ever make an Irish Car Bomb Cake and need some vegetables in your system to counteract the sugar, stat.

Broccoli Spinach Soup
Adapted from Joy the Baker's Broccoli Arugula Soup who adapted it from goop.com

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water (I used 2 cups veggie stock with .5 cups water. I definitely recommend using stock over water in any recipe.)
1 cup baby spinach
splash of lemon juice (fresh is best)

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and broccoli and cook until the broccoli is bright green. Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and stock or water and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.

Transfer the contents into a food processor or blender (two batches might work best, I did one in my food processor but made a little mess), add in the spinach, and blend until smooth. Makes two servings. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice mixed in and a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.

PS- I did grab this shot of the leftovers the next day:

Spinach-Tofu Burgers

My family has developed a somewhat strange Christmas tradition. It was started by my father several years ago. He would be handed a present and read the label aloud "To Dad, From Santa" and then say "Oh, I wonder what this could be...oh my gosh, look at THIS! This is GREAT! How did Santa know?" while my mother, sister, and I would look at each other trying to figure out who had gotten this gift. We'd then realized none of us had, and that he had, in fact, purchased the item for himself. In the years since, we have all given into this gag (except for my little sister). I remember the first time I indulged. It was a black lacy Free People skirt that I found while buying a purse for my sister. I couldn't resist.

The same thing happened this year. I should've known it was dangerous to enter the cookbook section at Barnes and Noble to find something for my sister. I saw the Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health. I barely even looked through it, just picked it up in some sort of cookbook trance. I brought it home, wrapped it up, and snuck it under the tree.

It was definitely a good decision. Everything I have made from it so far as been absolutley amazing. Well...I've only made 3 recipes, but I am deeply in love with them all and plan to make them over and over for the rest of my life. The Banana Maple Oatlmeal I made this morning? I don't think I can ever make any other type of oatmeal again. Tempeh-Quinoa burgers with Sweet Potatoes? Perfection.

And here, I give you the Spinach Tofu Burgers. The recipe makes 6 and I froze the rest. They are great reheated, between two slices of whole wheat toast, and drenched in ketchup (I loooooove my ketchup). I used leeks instead of scallions because the scallions I had in the fridge had been there a lot longer than I realized...oops. Also, make sure you have precooked brown rice on hand, or else you will have to take a 45 minute intermission...not that I did that or anything. No, I am always incredibly prepared. Mmmhmm...



Moosewood Restaurant's Spinach-Tofu Burgers
(Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health)

10 oz fresh spinach (frozen chopped spinach works too)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions (or leeks)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
16oz firm tofu (1 cake)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp light miso
Dash of ground black pepper
2 tbsp copped fresh dill or basil (I used dill)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam the spinach and drain it well. Set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat and cook the scallions (or leeks), carrots, oregano, and garlic until soft (about 3-4 minutes).

Pulse the walnuts and brown rice in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside in a mixing bowl. Pulse half the tofu and half the spinach until well combined. Add this mixture to the bowl. Pulse the rest of the tofu and spinach and add the mustard, miso, black pepper, and dill (or basil) until well blended. Add the scallion/carrot/garlic mixture and mix well. Feel free to add some more miso or soy sauce to taste (I added a bit of soy sauce).



Shape the mixture into 6 burgers (about 1/2 cup each) and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes until puffed and browned (I would recommend flipping them at some point. The bottoms of mine weren't brown and fell apart a bit when I lifted then off the pan).



PS- They are completely vegan!

Thanksgiving Muffins

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberries.

I think of spinach...and oranges.

More specifically, my mom's Spinach and Orange Muffins, also known as Thanksgiving Muffins. I spent many of my childhood years as The World's Pickiest Eater and ate countless Thanksgiving dinners consisting of only these muffins and a slice of pumpkin pie.

"They sounded terrible, I have no idea why I ever made them," says my mother when asked how this tradition started, "but they turned out to be delicious. I made everyone try them before I said what was in them." Which is pretty much what I always have to do, as the words spinach, orange, and muffin in one sentence tend to elicit the words "ew" and "gross" from most people. But trust me. They are delicious.

This year was my first Thanksgiving away from my family, and the first time I made these muffins myself. I don't usually stray from what is written in a recipe (it frightens me, especially when the stakes are a muffinless Thanksgiving) but I made a few substitutions and they turned out perfectly. I put the recipe below with my alterations in parentheses. Give them a try, they are a perfect savory winter treat.

Thanksgiving Muffins (Spinach Orange Muffins)

3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed

1 medium orange, seedless and halved

4 large eggs

1 and 1/3 c vegetable oil (I used walnut oil, which is better for you, but expensive, so I wouldn't substitute it all the time)

2 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1 cup sugar .75 cups raw blue agave nectar)

1 cup chopped pecans

4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1 and 1/4 tsp salt (I used sea salt)

1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan, even if it is nonstick.

Wash the spinach and drain well. Cut into 1/4 inch ribbons.

Cut the orange in half and grind in a food processor, one half at a time.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then add the sugar and oil and mix well. Stir in the spinach, orange, and pecans.

Sift together dry ingredients, then add to the liquid ingredients until just moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon into muffin pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes and turn the pan halfway through. When done, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then on wire racks. They are best served warm, so if you make them ahead of time, warm them in the oven or microwave before serving.

Makes 2 and 1/2 dozen muffins.