Homemade Ravioli / Cannelloni

Ever since I started the blog I've been wanting to make this ravioli recipe. It's one of the first things I remember making... now that I've made it again I think that's because it's such a production to make and takes such a long time that the experience made a lasting impression on my mind.

It's extremely yummy, though also extremely time consuming and as a result I told Chris I don't ever plan on making ravioli again while we still have young children at home. As it turned out I decided to switch to making cannelloni about half way through as the ravioli was taking way too long to make. While I was in the middle of making everything I kept thinking "why on earth did I decide to do this today?". I obviously didn't remember how long it took to make, and kept thinking Jacob would wake up at any minute and then wondered what I'd do. Thankfully he ended up sleeping for 3 hours today (which is un-heard of) so I was able to finish everything. And it sure was delicious!!!

Ok, so the recipe is pretty much the same regardless of if you want to make the ravioli or cannelloni, but you'll want to make sure you follow the right instructions, as the instructions are obviously different.

Homemade Ravioli / Cannelloni

Pasta Dough:

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup water

2 egg yolks

1 egg

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Combine 1 cup flour and remaining ingredients and mix with a mixer at low speed.

Add the rest of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 mins. (While kneading, knead a little more flour if necessary, should be no more than 1/4 cup)

Cover dough and let it rest for about 30 mins.

Fillings:

Cheese Filling:

2 cups ricotta/cottage cheese

6 tbsp minced fresh parsley or 5 tbsp dry parsley flakes

2 egg whites

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese ( or 6 tbsp shredded cheese)

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and stir until well mixed.

Meat Filling:

1/2 lb ground beef

1/3 cup minced onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 egg

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

Combine first three ingredients in skillet/frying pan until mean is cooked. Remove from heat and spoon off fat. Add the egg, parsley, cheese, and salt and stir until well mixed.

Spinach Filling:

1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp softened butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and stir until well mixed.

Ravioli Instructions:

Prepare dough and desired filling. Cut dough into 6 pieces. On floured surface roll 1 piece of dough into a long narrow rectangle. Then cut it into 9 smaller pieces (should have a total of 54 pieces). Drop a tsp of filling on one side of the dough. Brush dough edges with water, then fold dough over filling and using a fork dipped in flour press the edges together. Place on a floured, clean cloth and let them dry for approximately 30 minutes.

In a large pot heat water (at least 6 qt), 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil until boiling. Add ravioli and stir occasionally. Cook until thoroughly cooked and tender.

Drain well and serve with my rose sauce and shredded cheese. (You can of course also serve with marinara sauce.)

Cannelloni Instructions:

Prepare dough and desired filling. Cut dough into 6 pieces. On floured surface roll 1 piece of dough into a long narrow rectangle and cut into 4, 4 inch squares (should have a total of 24 pieces).

In a large pot heat water (at least 6 qt), 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil until boiling. Add the pieces of dough and cook until tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Once the noodles are cooked, fill each piece with filling and roll them up, placing them in a greased 9x13 baking dish (put a little sauce on the bottom as well).

Pour rose sauce or cheese sauce over the cannelloni and sprinkle with parsley and parmesan cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes or so.

Enjoy!

Basic Cheese Sauce

Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups half and half cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or 1/2 cup grated cheese of choice)

Melt butter in saucepan and then stir in flour until well blended. Gradually add the cream, water, and bouillon cubes, cooking and stirring constantly until sauce is thickened. Stir in cheese and heat just until melted.

Serve over cannelloni.

*Note: You can of course be as creative as you want with this sauce, adding sauteed vegetables, basil, parsley, or other spices and serve it over any other kind of pasta.

Enjoy!

Authentic Chicken Enchiladas

Chris loves Mexican food...he loves it so much in fact that he organizes our Mexican Heritage night every Christmas Eve (his grandmother grew up in Mexico I believe - yes it's a little bit of a stretch, but it's fun!). Some of the girls he works with at the Hospital know how much he loves it and started bringing him different dishes from time to time (one of them is originally from Mexico and one is from Guatemala). After having their enchilada's he decided he asked for the recipe and we've been making our enchilada's this way ever since. I actually really like our other, not quite so authentic recipe we have for enchilada's, so I'll post that one at a later time. I should note that recipe is a very loose term with these enchilada's because there's no exact recipe. I should note that the first time I had them I thought they'd taste really good with rice and beans added to them (aka, less chicken) so now that's the way we make them, therefore the recipe I'm going to give you below. I have to say that they're absolutely delicious!

Authentic Chicken Enchiladas
corn tortillas
chicken breasts, tenders, or any kind of chicken
minced or chopped garlic
chopped onion
green enchilada sauce
shredded cheese
cooked rice (optional - I recommend using Cafe Rio rice - it makes a large batch and I usually store some of it in the freezer)
black beans (optional)
sour cream
olives (optional)
*Note: amounts will vary depending on how large of a batch you want to make.

Boil chicken with garlic and onions.

Make rice. Or if you're like us, you'll take a container of rice out of the freezer and just defrost it.

While the chicken is cooking, fry the tortillas in a little bit of oil, just until they're cooked slightly. Place tortillas on a plate and pat the oil off them with a paper towel.

Once the chicken is finished drain the water and shred the chicken using two forks. Add the green enchilada sauce to the chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray PAM on the bottom of your baking /casserole dish and pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Put a layer of tortilla's on the bottom (you'll notice as you're doing this that you might want to cut some of the tortillas in half), then a layer of the chicken mixture, topping it with a little cheese and enchilada sauce (if your chicken mixture has a lot of sauce in it you can skip this step). Put another layer of tortillas on top and add a layer of rice and beans, followed by cheese and some enchilada sauce. Repeat the layers, alternating between the chicken and rice/bean layers, finishing with a layer of tortillas on the top. Cover the top tortilla layer with some enchilada sauce and shredded cheese and cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. You could also serve with olives, or add olives in with the chicken.

Enjoy!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

These homemade flour tortillas are very easy to make and are extremely yummy. They're nice and soft and are great as soft taco's, burrito's, with the Cafe Rio recipes, or with yummy refried beans, etc. I haven't tried frying them (Chimichanga's or Taquito's) because they're just so nice to eat fresh out of the pan...just ask Chris, he loves to eat them with a little butter or salt on them!

Homemade Flour Tortillas
2 cups of white flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl combine the warm water and oil. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time and mix the dough with a fork. Once the water is mixed in, add another tablespoon of water and repeat the process until all the water is mixed into the dough. *Note: The dough will be sticky.

Lightly flour a cutting board and knead the dough for about 5 mins, adding a dusting of flour when the dough gets sticky or sticks to the cutting board. Eventually the stickiness will go away and you will have a nice smooth dough.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp towel or damp paper towel. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into golf-ball-size balls by pinching off the dough with your thumb and fore finger. Form each ball into a nice ball shape.

*Note: This recipe makes approximately 10, 6-7 inch tortillas. If you want larger tortillas, divide the dough into 6-7 balls.

Place the balls on a flat dish making sure they don't touch each other and cover with the damp cloth. Let the dough rest again for 10 minutes.

Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan on medium high heat. Lightly dust your cutting board with flour. Take one of the balls of dough and flatten it out on the cutting board to a 4 inch circle. Rub flour on your rolling pin and begin to roll out the dough starting from the center out. Roll the tortilla until it is 6 or 7 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.

* Note: It's difficult to roll out a perfectly round tortilla so if that is important to you, you can always trim the tortilla with a knife.

Once you have rolled out the tortilla, place it on a preheated skillet. You don't need to add any oil or butter. Cook the tortilla for about 30 seconds. You will notice brown spots all over your tortilla. Flip it over and cook an additional 30 seconds. Don't over cook it as you want the tortilla to be nice and soft. Keep your tortillas warm by covering them with a towel on a plate or in a tortilla warmer.

* Note: Tortillas are best eaten hot right off the pan, but you can make them ahead and then keep them in the tortilla warmer until you're ready to eat and they stay nice and soft and fresh. I usually make them about an hour ahead and then keep the tortilla warmer in a warm oven.

* Note: They also refrigerate and freeze well. If you refrigerate them, wrap them in foil and place them in a 250 degree oven for 10-15 mins. If you freeze the tortillas, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and put them in a ziplock bag. When you are ready to use them, first thaw them at room temperature and then wrap them in the foil and place them in a 250 degree oven for a 10 to 15 minutes. Microwaving them is not recommended as it tends to toughen them.

Just Like Cafe Rio Recipes

I love the restaurant here in Utah called Cafe Rio...I guess I should say that what I love is their salad. Chris found me recipes online for their rice and dressing shortly after we got married and we've been making our own Cafe Rio salads since then.

It's all super easy and tastes pretty similar. We usually cook our tortillas, then put some cheese and pinto or black beans on the tortilla and cook them in our toaster oven on broil until the cheese melts. Then we top it with the rice, chicken (if desired), lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, a dollop of sour cream and then the dressing. Sometimes we also make our own tortilla strips for on top too. Depending on how much you put on top of your tortilla you might want to eat it like a salad, or you can fold it in half and eat it like a soft taco. We usually just end up eating it like a soft taco... sooo yummy!

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 buttermilk Ranch dressing packet, make as directed (we buy the Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning mix at Costco and then make 8 oz)
2 tomatillos
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, use seeds only if you want it spicier (you can substitute 2-3 drops green tabasco sauce instead)

Using a food processor, blend all ingredients together. Let sit in fridge for approximately 30 minutes (you can use it right away too it just won't be as thick).


Cilantro Rice
3 cups water
4 tsp chicken bouillon (you can also use vegetable)
4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 onion
1 can green chilies (4 oz)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups rice

Blend the cilantro, green chilies and onion in a food processor.

Bring the water to a boil and stir in all other ingredients. Turn the heat down and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Stir before serving.

*Note: Sometimes I make half a batch and other times I make the entire batch and put some of it in containers in the freezer to use later.

Shredded Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italien dressing (8 oz)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 lbs chicken breast

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours. Shred the chicken using two forks and cook for 1 more hour.

*Note: I don't make 5 lbs of chicken at once so I never follow this recipe exactly. Instead I put as much chicken as I want to make (usually about 6 tenders) in the crockpot, drizzle some of the dressing over it and then sprinkle some chili powder, cumin and garlic on top. I stir it periodically.


Tortilla Strips
tortillas
melted butter or margarine or oil
salt (optional)

Using a pastry brush lightly brush the melted butter/margarine over one side of each tortilla and if desired sprinkle with a little salt. Pile the tortillas on top of eachother (if you're making a lot you might want to make two piles) and cut each pile into thin strips and then cut the long strips in half. Place the tortilla strips in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until strips are crisped and lightly browned.


Sweet Pork
Chris got this recipe from someone at work claiming it's Cafe Rio's sweet pork recipe.
5-6 lb pork roast
2 tbsp cumin
12 oz hot taco sauce
20 oz coke

Cover roast 1/2 way with water and cook in crock pot on low for 8-12 hours. Drain liquid and add remaining ingredients and cook on low for another 2 hours or so.

I also found another recipe online that said it's like Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork, however we haven't made this one. I thought I'd include it for interest sake.
2 1/2 lb pork roast
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt, pepper and garlic salt
1/2 cup green chili sauce
brown sugar

In crock pot slow cook 2 1/2 pounds of pork in the water with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic salt. Once the pork is done drain the water, then pull the pork apart and add the green chili sauce and some brown sugar.

Coast Toast

When I was single we used to have breakfasts before General Conference and Sandra always made Coast Toast. It's basically an orange flavoured version of French toast! It's rich (and by rich I mean not so good for your figure), but the taste makes it worth it! Sandra had it at a restaurant on the beach in San Diego (I believe) and liked it so much that she asked for the recipe and they were nice enough to give it to her. Since then she's been spreading the love of Coast Toast so I thought I'd spread the love a little wider...it really is delicious!!!

Coast Toast
1 quart whipping cream
10 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp vanilla
3 tbsp orange flavouring
1 loaf soft french bread, cut in 1" pieces
powdered sugar

Place french loaf pieces in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish.
Combine first 7 ingredients and pour over bread slices.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Remove bread and discard liquid.
Spread butter / Pam on a flat grill and cook bread until golden brown.
Bake at 450 degrees for 5-7 mins until bread puffs up like a souffle.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately with syrup on top.

Basic Pancakes

With the weekend quickly upon us I thought I'd post a couple breakfast recipes. I know pancakes are pretty basic and many would say not even worth posting a recipe for, but I do love my pancake recipe so I thought I'd share it with everyone anyway. They're nice and thick and have a touch of sweetness in every bite. In fact, I like the taste of them so much that I like to eat them fresh off the grill with a little butter on top. Though if you're anything like my hubby you'll want to slather them in as much syrup as possible!

Basic Pancakes
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp double acting baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
2 eggs
2 1/2 - 2 2/3 cups milk, depending on how thick you like your pancakes
6 tbsps oil

Combine first four ingredients. In a separate small bowl, beat egg slightly then stir in milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until flour is just moistened.

Preheat griddle or non stick frying pan and spray with PAM, then pour batter and cook over medium heat (I use level 4 or 4 1/2 on my stove) until bubbles form, then flip over and cook the other side.

Serve with syrup, fruit, peanut butter, or anything else you like on your pancakes.

Makes approximately 10-14 pancakes (depending on how thick you like your pancakes).

Modifications:
* Instead of 6 tbsp oil, use half oil and half apple sauce, or even 4 tbsp apple sauce and 2 tbsp oil
* Add any of the following to the batter: fresh or frozen blueberries (w/ lemon juice and lemon zest), chocolate chips, cinnamon, or anything else you like;)

* Note: I've learned the trick to getting really thick pancakes is to pour the batter onto your pan (amount depends on how big you want the pancakes) and then wait for it to set for a minute and then pour a little more batter into the middle of the pancake. This way the pancake won't get bigger, but will get thicker. Can you tell I love my pancakes nice and thick;) I usually use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to pour and end up using about that much per pancake, sometimes a little more.

* Note: I keep any left over pancakes in the fridge and warm up them up later in our toaster oven OR sometimes I leave left over batter in the fridge if I want to make more fresh pancakes later that day or the next day. The batter may start to separate a little, however if you mix it with a fork it will be just as good as the first day. I've never had my batter in the fridge for more than one day so I can't guarantee how the pancakes will turn out if you leave it longer than a day and then try to use it.

*Note: I always spray PAM on the cooking surface before I make the first set of pancakes, but not between making each set.

*Note: Place cooked pancakes in a glass casserole dish with a lid or in a tortilla warmer and in a warm oven (200 - 225 degrees) to keep warm until ready to serve.

Enjoy!