Ravioli with Arugula, Tomatoes and Pancetta

From Giada De Laurentiis, FoodNetwork.com

Overall Rating: 4 stars
Tasty Factor: 4 stars
Ease Factor: 5 stars
Food Value Factor: 4 (depending on how you make it)
Husband Factor: 4

The ravioli you choose will make or break this dish! I unfortunately chose a spinach & herb cheese ravioli that wasn’t great with this recipe. But generally this is a great way to make ravioli more nutritious (the arugula not the pancetta!), and more interesting than just the pasta & sauce. I plan to try this again with better ravioli.  It’s also really, really easy for  week night meal which I appreciate. This is what I learned:
1) Use a home-made (if possible from a small gourmet store) 4-cheese ravioli. The quality matters!
2) Make this lighter! I subbed bacon for pancetta and used 1/2 of the requested amount and it still added a lot of flavor without getting too fatty. If you generally don’t eat bacon, the recipe will still hold without it just fine. I also skimped on the butter and it was still good.
3) Remember the arugula melts into the dish so don’t skimp on the amount!

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound cheese ravioli
• 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3 cups arugula
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook for 7 to 9 minutes until tender. Drain.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add the pancetta and cook stirring frequently, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 2 minutes until tender. Add the arugula and 1/4 cup basil and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Stir in the butter and melt. Add the ravioli and cooked pancetta and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the ravioli to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining basil and serve.

Cheddar Dill Cornbread

Overall Rating: 3 stars
Tasty Factor: 4 stars
Ease Factor: 2 stars
Food Value Factor: 2
Husband Factor: 3

I’ve made cheddar dill biscuits from the First & Forever Cookbook (reviewed on its own page on my blog) and they are 5 stars!! So I was disappointed that the cornbread wasn’t more delicious. Also, I don’t normally make such an unhealthy side so I’m really disappointed when it doesn’t work out!
1) Note she suggests letting the cornbread sit before baking … so that takes awhile
2) Put only 2 cups of the cheddar in the bread and reserve the rest to sprinkle on the top.

12 servings

Recipe by Ina Garten (aka Barefoot Contessa) Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided so you can put some on the top of the bread!
• 1 cup minced fresh dill

Preparation

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don’t  ! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar and the dill, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Short Ribs by Barefoot Contessa

“Scott’s Short Ribs” by Barefoot Contessa

Overall Rating: 4 stars
Tasty Factor: 4 stars
Ease Factor: 3 stars
Food Value Factor: 3
Husband Factor: 5

If I have the opportunity on Sundays, I like to cook something that takes awhile and is extra delicious. I have made short ribs before and really enjoyed them and after watching a recent Barefoot Contessa show, I thought to try her recipe. It’s tasty but I made better short ribs before and I remember them being more delicious. I will find that recipe and share it with you to compare.

I also served this with the cheddar & dill cornbread and will review that next. In the mean time…
1) This isn’t a very healthy recipe, there is a lot of fat to skim off
2) Don’t count on the “sauce” as a vege side – perhaps bake sweet potatoes as a side
3) Short ribs always take awhile because you slow cook them, but this was absolutely forever! So be prepared to spend time with this to get it right. That being said, because the sauce isn’t really a side, you can skip boiling down the sauce at the end.

6 servings

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

• 6 beef short ribs, trimmed of fat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (2 onions)
• 4 cups large-diced celery (6 large stalks)
• 2 carrots, peeled and large-diced
• 1 small fennel, fronds, stems, and core removed, large-diced
• 1 leek, cleaned and large-diced, white part only
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (750-ml) bottle burgundy or other dry red wine
• Fresh rosemary sprigs
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, and leek and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the wine over the vegetables, bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the rosemary and thyme together with kitchen twine and add to the pot.

Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the beef stock and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.

Tandoori Spiced Chicken Breast with Grilled Tomato Jam and Herbed Yogurt Sauce

From Bobby Flay, Food Network

Tandoori Spiced Chicken - Photo from FoodNetwork.com

Overall Rating: 4 stars
Tasty Factor: 4 stars
Ease Factor: 5 stars
Food Value Factor: 4

This was a little spicy for my husband & I  … but a great combo and it’s really easy. We both cooked tonight and this is what we learned:
1) I substituted pita for naan bread because we love naan, who doesn’t love naan!
2) The tomato jam didn’t really thicken that much for me, but it still worked. The yogurt sauce was easy and made the dish.
3) The spice is serious on the chicken – tone it down if you prefer a mild spice.

4 servings (only 3 for us)

Ingredients

nocoupons2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground cayenne
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 (8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pita breads, warmed on the grill
Tomato Jam, recipe follows
Herbed Yogurt, recipe follows Heat grill to medium-high. Combine all spices and the oil in a medium bowl to make a paste. Rub a thin layer of the spice paste onto 1 side of each chicken breast. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until slightly charred and just cooked through. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes, and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve openface on pitas: the chicken slices, a few dollops of Tomato Jam, and a drizzle of Herbed Yogurt.

Grilled Tomato Jam

nocoupons5 plum tomatoes
1 serrano chile
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Pinch saffron Heat grill to high. Brush tomatoes and serrano with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill tomatoes and serrano on all sides until charred. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on the grates of the grill or on the side burners. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes, serrano, balsamic vinegar, and saffron and cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Herbed Yogurt Sauce

nocoupons1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Ginger and Honey Baby Back Ribs

From July 2009: bonappetit.com

Overall Rating: 5 stars
Tasty Factor: 5 stars
Ease Factor: 5 stars
Food Value Factor: 4
Husband Factor: 5

Now we know why these ribs were on the cover – they are delicious! They are such a treat, we loved them. We also loved the dipping sauce. We just ate the ribs with grilled corn on the cob for a Monday night dinner (I prepped the ribs on Sunday.) It was easy & delicious to come home to.
1) Like any BBQ, the longer you can marinate, the better. I put the marinade on a day in advance and the flavor was perfect.
2) I was tempted to skip the fish sauce because I don’t like fish sauce. However, I was glad I used it as it just works with everything else – and without it, I think it’d be too sweet.
3) Don’t skip the dipping sauce – it’s terribly easy and adds a lot to it. I went easy on the salt & white pepper and was glad.

6 servings

Recipe by Steven Raichlen
Photograph by Hans Gissinger

Ingredients

Ribs and marinade

• 2 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-pound meaty baby back pork ribs, cut into 6- to 7-rib sections
• 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)

Dipping sauce

• 6 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
• 6 teaspoons ground white pepper, divided
• 3 large limes, halved
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray

• Ingredient Tip:

  Ask the butcher to remove the papery membrane from the underside of the ribs—it can be a little difficult to do.

Preparation

Ribs and marinade:

• Place rib racks on work surface. Using small sharp knife, carefully pry papery membrane off underside of each rib section (use caution—it will be slippery). Place ribs on large rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine ginger, garlic, sugar, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, and black pepper in processor and puree to blend well. Add honey, soy sauce, and fish sauce and process until blended. Spread spiced marinade on both sides of ribs (about 2 tablespoons marinade per side for each rib section). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead; baste ribs occasionally with accumulated marinade on baking sheet. Keep chilled.

Dipping sauce:

• Place each of 6 very small bowls on each of 6 small plates. Place 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 teaspoon ground white pepper in neat mounds side by side in each bowl, then place 1 lime half on plate next to each bowl.
• Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Spoon any juices from baking sheet with ribs over ribs before grilling. Place rib racks, rounded (meaty) side down, on grill rack. Grill ribs, uncovered, 8 minutes per side, then cover barbecue and grill until ribs are cooked through, about 8 minutes longer per side.
• Transfer ribs to cutting board. Cut between bones into individual ribs. Transfer ribs to platter. Before serving, allow each diner to squeeze juice from lime into bowl with coarse salt and white pepper and stir until mixed, then dip ribs into sauce.

Enjoy! It’s so delicious!