Feed Your Kids

OK, so I gave Hubby the choice between the butternut risotto and the butternut ravioli for tonight. I am SO glad that he chose this. This was SO delicious. I was worried that it would be too similar to the gnocchi that we love (with the orange veggie and brown butter sauce), that we wouldn’t like this, but it was FABULOUS!

Here is the original Epicurious recipe, but I ended up changing it around enough that it will be simpler for me just to write my version here for you, rather than list all of the modifications that I made, so here is my version:

Butternut Squash Ravioli

filling ingredients:
2 cups roasted, mashed, cooled butternut squash
(get it that way yourself – a one pound squash will yield about 2 cups)
1/2 medium-sized onion, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
1/3 cup grated hard goat cheese (I used Parrano)

1 stick unsalted butter
1 package won ton wrappers (there were 52 in my pack)
1/3 cup good quality fresh pecans, cut into large pieces (each pecan cut into about 6 pieces)

In a large bowl, mix together the squash and cheese. Saute onion, garlic and sage in 1 Tbsp. of the butter until onions are softened. Add to squash and stir well to combine. Put a large pot of water on to boil (I usually add a little salt and olive oil).

Working quickly so that won ton wrappers don’t dry out, put 1 wrapper on a clean work surface and place one level Tbsp. of squash filling in the center.

Brush the wrapper (around the filling) with water and a pastry brush (or a clean finger). Put a second wrapper over the top, push down around the filling to push out any air bubbles and seal the edges well around the filling.

Trim around the filling with a small round cookie cutter (the one that I used was a little less than 3 inches across).

When you cut, don’t twist the cookie cutter, but cut straight down, so that sealed pasta edges will not become loosened. As ravioli are completed, place them gently on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat until all filling is used up.

Sit ravioli aside as you prepare the butter sauce. Place the remainder (7 Tbsp.) of the stick of butter in a skillet with the pecans. Cook over medium heat until the pecans are toasted and the milk solids have just started to turn brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside and keep warm.

Cook ravioli, in 2 separate batches, in the boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, until they start to float and are tender. Turn the heat down, if necessary, to keep the water from boiling too rapidly, which can make the ravioli come apart. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or spider strainer. Set aside, slightly separated, on waxed paper or a lightly greased platter, so that they don’t stick together, until the second batch is cooked and you are ready to serve them. Pour brown butter sauce over them carefully, trying to get some sauce on each one, to keep them from sticking to each other.

Makes about 24 ravioli.

Other possible modifications:
More sage in the filling would be good. Some finely chopped toasted pecans in the filling would be nice, too. You probably don’t HAVE to have the goat cheese in the filling – parmesan would be fine, if that’s what you happen to have on hand. Hubby said these are so good they really don’t even need the sauce, but I’m not too sure about that. I REALLY like browned butter.

I served these with some herb-rubbed grilled chicken and some broccolini cooked with garlic and chicken broth. I accidentally overcooked the broccolini a little, but everything else was really good.

We didn’t get time to do the gingerbread house decorating tonight, but we have all of the “stuff” (candy canes, green gummy Life Savers to make a wreath on the front door, etc.) and will try to do them and post photos very soon.

SO good and SO easy. This roasting technique really brings out the sweetness in the cauliflower.

Caramelized Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil
good quality salt, to taste (1/2 tsp?)

Wash the head of cauliflower well and cut in half. Cut each half into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices. Toss with the oil, then lay flat in a large baking dish (I used a very large cake pan).

Cauliflower, before baking.

Bake at 400 until it is lightly browned, about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring or turning once during cooking time (it will brown more on the bottom than it does on the top). Sprinkle with salt, toss gently and pour into a serving dish (it will soften and come apart a little during cooking and break into smaller pieces).

Cauliflower, after baking.

Fresh Beets with Greens

2 bunches fresh beets
1 aseptic box chicken (or vegetable) stock – about 4 cups
1 tsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Cut beet roots away from greens. Scrub beets well and place in medium-sized pot. Pour stock over beets and heat to a simmer, covered, over high heat.

When beets come to a boil, reduce heat. Keep covered and simmer (15 minutes or so?) until beets are fork-tender.

The stock will become BRIGHT RED. Watch out for splatters on your clothes.

While the beets are simmering, cut the greens into bite-sized pieces (as if you were cutting romaine hearts for a salad). Rinse well and dry (in a salad spinner). If the beets are REALLY fresh (from a farm or farmers market), you will be able to use most of the greens. If they’ve been sitting at the grocery store for a while (or in your fridge for a while after you brought them home), you’ll have to trim the leaves of the greens pretty judiciously. It’s much better to buy beets really fresh right before you’re going to cook them (especially if you plan to use the greens).

Heat a little oil in a medium-sized saute pan. Add washed and dried greens and saute until softened (5 minutes or more – it takes longer than you’d think – you want them to be more than just wilted). Remove from heat and set aside.

Check beets. If a fork will pierce them easily, they are probably done. You want them to be about the same as potatoes that you are cooking for potato salad – tender to the bite, but not mushy.

Remove beets from heat. Drain cooking liquid (it may have some grit in it from the beet skins and really shouldn’t be reserved for another use, although it may be tempting to think about using it in borscht).

Let beets sit until they are cool enough to handle. As soon as you can, rub the beets (I use my thumbs) so that the skin comes off. This should happen in one, easy motion, in large pieces. If it doesn’t, the beets may not be done enough. Once skins are removed, cut beets into serving sizes (you can halve or quarter them, or you may even choose to leave them whole, if they are small beets). Place in a serving bowl. Add greens to bowl (sprinkle salt in, if desired) and toss gently. Serve warm.

Here is an additional photo of some (small, golden) beets and greens that I made around February of this year. They were so beautiful that I had to take a photo at the time. My in-laws have a wonderful local organic farm and these beets (and the unusual green cauliflower) were from their place.