Ravioli with Spinach, Pancetta & Sage

Lynne made this tonight, and it was really good!  Took about 15 minutes total.  She got the recipe off the Birds Eye vegetable website - we used ham instead of pancetta, fresh sage from the garden, and BAM, quick, simple awesome weeknight dinner!.

INGREDIENTS

·         1/2 cup diced pancetta*

·         2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         1 box (10 oz) Birds Eye® Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

·         1 pound cheese ravioli, cooked according to package directions

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

·         Grated Pecorino Romano

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Cook pancetta and garlic in olive oil and butter in a 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat until pancetta is crisp.

2.     Add spinach; season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is cooked through, about 4 minutes.

3.     Add ravioli and sage; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.

4.     Serve with Pecorino Romano.

KITCHEN TIPS

Bacon can be substituted for the pancetta

Asparagus and Potato Egg Bake

Lynne made this for my Mother In law's birthday brunch.  It came from the May, 2007 Oprah Magazine recipe... and was really, REALLY good.  Lynne, as a rule, does not change anything in the recipe's that catch her eye - unlike me, who simply can't help myself from adding SOMETHING...lol  - makes for interesting conversation when we are cooking together!  So this is straight from the magazine.  Simple, yet great tasting, this dish was the hit of the day!  It was also AWESOME reheated for lunch the next day ( with a little hot sauce added..... lol, sorry honey!)

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus or minus
1 lb Asparagus spears - try to get the really thin ones, woody ends snapped off.
1 small white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt,
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 cups shredded plain frozen hash-browns ( about 1 bag)
2 cups shredded FRESH Parmesan cheese ( about 8 ounces)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 1.5 qt souffle  or baking dish with olive oil, set aside.  Cut off top 3 inches of Asparagus spears, set aside tips.  Cut remaining bases into 1" pieces and set aside

2) Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, and garlic, and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add Asparagus base pieces, increase heat to med high and cook till warmed through, and bright green, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Stir in potatoes, cheese, and reserved onion mixture.  Transfer to prepared dish and arrange Asparagus tips over top in neat pattern.

4) Bake until firm and light golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!  This is a really nice brunch dish, or just an interesting breakfast dish for a lazy Sunday morning!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

Pumpkin Yumminess!

Meant to make this for the holiday, but clearly never got around to it.  This recipe is AMAZING and really simple.  I HIGHLY recommend adding the brandy - it gives the flavor a nice depth.  Use a scoop of this over hot apple pie, and you will think you died and went to heaven.....

There is the recipe.  Again, you need an ice cream maker - I have a Cuisinart, that retails for about $50 bucks - and is WELL worth it!

Ingredients: 

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin filling
1 tbs brandy or cognac....optional, but recommended

Instructions:

1. In a 3 qt sauce pan, combine the half and half, cream and brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the sugar, for about 4 minutes, until mixture is warm, steaming and bubbles form around the edge.  Do NOT boil.  Remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice and salt together until smooth.  Whisk about 2/3 cup of the hot cream mixture SLOWLY into the egg mixture, until smooth.  Poor egg mixture back into hot cream mixture.  Add vanilla, pumpkin mixture and brandy.   Heat gently, whisking often till smoothly blended over med heat until warm and steaming, and the mixture coats a spoon - again, do NOT boil or simmer.  This only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Pour mixture into separate bowl, and cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.  Refrigerate for at LEAST 3 hours, preferably overnight,  till chilled.  Alternately, put the bowl in the freezer, whisking often to stir and cool, and it will be ready to churn in about an hour. The mixture should be cool to cold. 
4. Pour the mixture into the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker, and churn until the proper ice cream texture.  Pack into a freezer safe container, and enjoy!!!