Crunchy Baked Ravioli

A few posts ago, I made Fresh Ravioli with White Bean, Bacon & Leek Filling. I boiled some to eat that day, and I froze the rest to eat later.

Today, I wanted something crunchy and admittedly unhealthy. Usually, when I get this "munchy" feeling, it means I want something fried, although I try to stay away from frying because it's not that healthy.  To overcome this feeling, I generally reach into the freezer for my Baked Spring Rolls, which provide all the crunch without the fat. Unfortunetely for me, I had already polished those off during a previous freezer siege.  I did, however, have the ravioli, so I decided to try my luck with them.

So, I put them on a baking sheet, drizzled them with a little olive oil, and baked them at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. They browned up beautifully and were crunchy and delicious! Just the cure for the munchies!

Now, you could jazz this up for entertaining by serving it along side some warm marinara sauce. Yum!

Crunchy Baked Ravioli

Frozen Ravioli (click link for recipe)

Olive Oil for Drizzling

Marinara Sauce for dipping

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Farenheit).

Place the ravioli on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Recipes using Juicer Pulp: Apple Carrot Muffins

I have never been a big juice fan. I guess it’s the idea that when you drink juice, you get all the sugar and calories without the benefits of the fiber and other good stuff in the pulp. So, I always thought why not just eat the fruit or vegetable whole?

My reservations about juice were confirmed a few years ago when I got a juicer as a gift. I tried it once, felt that it was a lot of work and a lot of waste, and gave it away to my brother.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Every once in a while I love to sip a glass of fresh, frothy juice. But I just didn’t see the point getting a juicer and making it a daily routine.

But today, well, I gave in. I got a juicer. And I was so excited about my new gadget that I started to juice everything in sight… apples, carrots, pineapple, oranges, grapefruits. The resulting juice was amazing. Sweet, fresh, foamy. And then I saw the pulp container. It was full! I couldn’t believe that a couple of glasses of juice could result in so much waste! So came my determination to find a way to use this pulp.

And here it is. The first of what will likely be many recipes for juicer pulp. And let me tell you… they were amazing! Cheers to juicing and all the waste that comes with it!

Of course, if you don’t have any pulp left over from juicing, you could just use fresh grated fruit and vegetables and omit the water in the recipe.

Apple Carrot Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

Dry Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

2 tsp Baking Soda

Wet Ingredients

4 Eggs

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Water

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups Apple Pulp

1 cup Carrot Pulp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, water, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Stir in the apple and carrot pulp. Fill muffin tins with mixture (you can fill them to the top as this mixture won’t rise much). Bake for 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.

Not Your Average Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls can be interesting! They really can! Let me prove it by sharing my recipe for these classics.

Usually filled with meat, my rolls are filled with a mix of ground beef, bulgar wheat, and veggies making them healthier and a little more interesting. I also added some fresh lemon to add a nice sharpness and then topped with a homemade tomato sauce.

Not Your Average Cabbage Rolls

Makes 24 rolls (serves 8) – 2 casserole dishes

1 Large Head of Cabbage

For the Filling

1 1/2 cups Bulgar Wheat, dry

2 tsp Vegetable Oil

500 grams Ground Beef

1 large Onion, small dice

1 cup Carrots, cut in small dice

1 cup Eggplant, cut in small dice

1 cup Zucchini, cut in small dice

2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup Parsley, chopped

Juice and Zest of 3 Lemons

Salt and Pepper

For the Tomato Sauce

1 tsp Canola Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

1 Medium Onion, finely chopped

2 tsp Herbs de Provence

3 cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes

2 tbsp Tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Making the Filling:

Place the bulgar in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up with a fork. When just cooked, remove the beef from the pan. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the onions, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are just softened. Remove from heat.

When the bulgar is ready, stir in the beef, vegetable mixture, and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Making the Tomato Sauce:

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic, onions, and herbs. Cook, stirring until the onions are soft. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, breaking up the tomatoes using your hands or a spatula. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Preparing the Cabbage Leaves:

Cut out the core of the cabbage and remove the leaves. Cut out the hard veins from the cabbage leaves. Boil a pot of water and when just boiling, place the cabbage leaves in the water, and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Assembling:

Place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of 2 casserole dishes. Place a cabbage leave on a cutting board. Spoon some of the filling into the leaf and roll it. Use a toothpick to hold it together. Place the roll in the casserole. Continue with the other leaves. Once all the leaves are rolled, spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls.

Bake in a 180 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Chicken and White Bean Chili

I wanted something spicy. Honestly, I was craving something Mexican. But Mexican food doesn’t come easy in these parts of the world, so I needed to improvise. So, I checked around my kitchen, and decided to make a white bean chili. Okay, I know it’s not traditional (for a more traditional Chili con Carne recipe, click here), but sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got.

The result? Delicious! And somehow, much lighter than a regular chili. Even though it had meat and beans, I guess the absence of red meat and the thick, tomato sauce made more delicate. I ate it over rice, and believe me, I probably could have eaten the whole pot, had my husband not come home!

Chicken and White Bean Chili

Serves 4

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into small chunks

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2 Medium Onions, medium dice

1 Large Green Chili

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Cumin

3 tsp Chili Powder (for moderate spicy…adjust as desired)

1 cup Grated Carrots

Juice of 1 Lemon

4 cups Chicken Broth (Low Sodium)

4 cups Cooked White Beans

2 tbsp Cornstarch mixed with 1/4cup Cold Water

1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a large pan over medium- high heat, heat the oil. Cook the chicken until just browned. Add the garlic, onions, green chili, and spices. Cook for a few minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the carrots and lemon juice and stir to combine.

Add the chicken broth and beans to the pan and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Add the cornstarch and water mixture, and let it come up to a boil again. You should notice the chili getting a little thicker. Stir in the fresh cilantro.

This chili is great served over rice.

Leek and Olive Tart

I was feeling French today. So I made a Leek and Olive Tart. I realize this thought process seems kind of random. I mean, after all, if I was feeling French, why not duck or escargot or foie gras??

Well, first because I didn’t have any of those things kicking around, and second, because I did have these ingredients. Well, that’s not really the only reason. My (French) husband really loves leeks, and it a popular French thing to turn leeks (well, everything) into a tart.

One major faux pas, however, is that it’s actually not a tart. A tart is sweet. This is savory. Therefore, it’s a torte. Oh well. And my second faux pas? My tart (or torte, if you want to be absolutely correct) is not made in the French style at all! But then again, it can’t be my fault…I’m not French!

Leek and Olive Tart

Makes 1- 9 inch tart

1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed (about 300 grams)

1 tbsp Olive Oil

4 cups Leeks, sliced, white part only

½ tsp Dried Thyme

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

¾ cup Black Olives, sliced

3 Large Eggs, beaten

2/3 cup Evaporated Milk

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the puff pastry into a greased tart or pie pan. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a pan, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook until leeks have just softened. Remove from heat. Stir in the olives. Let the mixture cool to room temperature (this is important so that the eggs do not cook when you stir them into the mixture). Stir in the beaten eggs and the evaporated milk.

Pour the filling mixture into the pre-baked puff pastry shell. Bake in the oven for another 20 minutes, until the filling is just set and the pastry is golden.