Asparagus Wontons

I have been dreaming about making my own ravioli for about 5 years, but I also have had many nightmares about making my own pasta dough. I know, I'm so hard done by. The other day I was at the grocery store and smack in the middle of the produce section I found wonton wrappers!!! And immediately I had a flashback to a recipe I had once read that used wonton wrappers for ravioli dough... So of course I coughed up the $3 for 200 wrappers.

As you might have noticed is that this post is not titled "Ravioli!" or "Wonton Ravioli" but instead I'm soliciting a wonton recipe. Don't worry, you won't be disappointed!

I was in need of a quick snack because the lunch I was making for myself and the BF was taking forever to cook, and as I rummaged through the fridge for an idea I saw the wonton wrappers! I just threw together flavors that I hoped would mesh well with a wonton concept, and the BF and I were delighted with the results! 

Of course, as with most of my recipes, feel free to take risks and try out different veggies and flavors!

Ingredients:

• 16 wonton wrappers
• a wee bit of water in a bowl (like a tablespoon!)
• 6 stalks of asparagus
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese
• pinch of black ground pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a cookie sheet. Put a medium skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Finely chop the garlic and asparagus, and add to the hot skillet with a splash of olive oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then turn heat to medium-low.
3. Add the ginger, cream cheese, and pepper to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. 
4. Remove the filling from the heat and prepare a work surface.
5. Put 1 tsp of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Use your finger to lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Lift the corners to the center, pinching the edges together to form a pyramid. Place on the cookie sheet and repeat with the rest of the wontons. 
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. The BF dipped these puppies in soy sauce and I preferred them in a sweet Thai chili sauce. 

Enjoy! 


PS stay tuned for my ricotta and Italian sausage ravioli recipe!

Mini Blackberry Pies

Blackberries were on sale at the grocery store down the street, and after a few days of regret because I passed them up, I scurried back to the store and bought 3 pints. And before I could eve begin to heat the pan I had eaten 1 of the pints... I must say that berries are quite a delight.

Anywho, it was the BF's mom's birthday this week and I wanted to whip up something snack-ish for her, and also something dessert-y. So when I was looking for puff pastry I came across mini pie shells and all my dreams came true! I know, I know. Homemade pastry is great. If it works. And lately I've been botching my pastry dough so I figured store-bought was the best thing for everyone.

These little treats are not too sweet - I didn't add any sugar because my blackberries were especially ripe and juicy, but if yours are on the tart side add sugar as needed. But trust me -- not much is needed. Especially when you top a little pie with a lot of ice cream. Just an idea...

Here goes!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups blackberries
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter (I used olive oil butter)
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 12 mini tart/pie shells
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Beat the egg in a small bowl and brush over the unbaked pie shells. Place the shells on a baking sheet and bake according to package instructions. Once they are done baking, let them cool to room temperature.
2. While the shells begin baking, put a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the blackberries, butter, and flour once the pan is hot and stir to dissolve any lumps of flour. Stir constantly as it comes to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium low. Let this cook for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat. The consistency should be thick and lumpy, so don't worry if some blackberries disintegrate and others stay large and in charge. 
3. Mix the cinnamon into the blackberries and pour the berries into the pie shells. Let the filling cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to a covered platter in the fridge. These will last 4 days refrigerated!

Enjoy!

Italian-Style Pasta with a Simple Garlic Sauce

I picked up the latest Bon Appetit issue (those magazines are like gold), and it describes a method of cooking pasta that I had never heard of before! Sad, because it was life-changing when I made it... If only I had known!!!  The silkiness... the flavor... the urge to say ciao... it's all too much.

Ingredients:

• Spaghettini or angel hair pasta
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• olive oil
• plenty of salt
• Fresh herbs (basil and oregano!), chopped

Directions:

1. Heat your pasta water, and throw in lots of salt into the water. Yes, a little more. A little more... a little more. Don't be shy with your salt! As soon as it starts to boil throw in your pasta.
2. Heat a large/deep non-stick skillet over medium heat and pour in a drizzle of olive oil and add the garlic. Put the heat on low and cover the pan with a lid, stirring occasionally. 
3. As soon as your pasta is roughly 2 minutes from being done to your likeness, use tongs to plop the pasta into the pan that is cooking your garlic. Add about 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and reserve the rest. Turn the heat to medium-high, and use the tongs to toss the pasta with the garlic sauce. Once it has boiled down and the sauce is thicker (and the pasta is done how you like it) turn off the heat and add in the fresh herbs. Toss with the tongs, and serve.

NOTE: This is the basic method - pasta in one pan, sauce ingredients in the other, use pasta water to thicken sauce... So that means you can saute anything and pour your pasta water on it... asparagus! tomatoes! squash! carrots! peas! mushrooms! sausage! shrimp! anything!Enjoy!

Restaurant Praise

Over the last couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of eating at a variety of restaurants in the pacific northwest...  And I ate some really, really good food. This is not a post of recipes, but a post of praise!
Try not to be too jealous as I describe some of the dishes I devoured!

Fries with Poutin and Cheese Curds, Whistler, BC
All I really can say is french fries + gravy + cheese = magic!

Volcano Sushi Roll and Mussels in a White Wine Garlic Sauce, Victoria, BC
I ate at Nautical Nellie's for the first time (and certainly not the last!) last week. I had the most amazing sushi roll there - it was topped in a mayo sauce and had loads of tobiko piled on top... one thing I haven't talked about on here is my love for sushi, and more specifically, my love for tobiko. It's borderline inappropriate. So after eating that I thought, how could anything I ever eat be as delicious? Well, I quickly learned that it would be about 2 minutes before I was back in heaven. They delivered a huge bowl of mussels in the most delicious white wine and garlic sauce I have ever had, and I have packed away a lot of mussels in my day. AND when I thought things couldn't get any better, I realized that I was given 4 huge slices of garlic bread to soak up all those delicious juices when I was done with my mussels... And not just any garlic bread, this was GARLIC BREAD with fireworks coming out and a religious moment. I could go on and on about how delicious their mussels are, or you can just use your noggin and imagine the glory that it is.

Buffalo Burger with Goat Cheese and Walnuts, Victoria, BC
The day after my glorious run-in with seafood, I ate at the Sticky Wicket Pub with some family and it, too was divine. I ordered the most delicious burger, not to mention buffalo burger, ever. The meat was all crumbly and moist, not overwhelmingly thick and at the same time not a piddly amount. And the goat cheese with walnuts... oh my... so yummy on a burger! I don't think I would have ever put goat cheese and walnuts on a burger, so I am very grateful for this eye-opening experience. hehehe. and so is my tummy!

Winter Squash Soup with Chorizo, Victoria, BC
I went to Maude's with the BF and his friends and their lunch special was $6 for a sandwich and the soup of the day... I was a little hesitant at first, but I just had to know what chorizo in a squash soup would taste like!!! And it was amazing. Like, a. ma. zing. The chorizo was not chunky, but crumbled up so it made it onto every spoonful and trust me, I ate all the spoonfuls of soup that they gave me. From now on squash soup is no longer going to be my vegetarian staple, because it will be served with sausage.