super easy caramelized onion, sun dried tomato and ricotta ravioli

Okay - I am going to give you the easiest "home made" ravioli recipe ever!!! The ravioli are made with won ton wrappers! So easy and so delicious! Here is the recipe - enjoy!

Won ton wrappers - you may use the small round ones or the small square ones.
1 tub (500gm or ml) of ricotta - you can use the low fat one as we will add lots of flavour!
1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
olive oil
butter
1 clove of garlic, minced finely
a few leaves of fresh thyme
sun dried tomatoes (in oil), minced very small
salt and pepper
1 egg, in a small bowl, whisked

In a medium hot frying pan, melt butter with olive oil. Add the onions and fry, slowly until the onions turn golden and soft. Add some salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and set aside.

In a second bowl, mix the ricotta, the clove of garlic, fresh thyme, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add the onions, and mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Lay out the won ton wrappers on a board, and place a tsp of the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Brush the sides of the won ton wrappers with the egg and close, cross wise for the square ones, making triangles, or in half for the round one, making sure to squeeze out any air. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and let dry. At this point, you can either boil them in water, and serve with your favourite sauce, or you can freeze them to use at a later time!

So easy, and sooo good!
Cheers!

Italian Flag Burgers with fresh basil mayo

This weather has been so fantastic this year that we seem to be cooking outside all the time! Burgers are often on the menu and these are a family fanourite! They have a few parts to them but are totally worth it! If you don't have time to make your own patty just a buy one and use the mayo and toppings - it'll still taste delicious! 

Burger patty:

1 lb Ground beef

A bunch of fresh basil, finely julienned (thin strips)

A Tblsp of tomato paste

½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt and pepper

a pinch of dried oregano to taste

a splash of balsamic vinegar

Place all ingredients in a bowl, and combine well.  Form the patties for our burgers.

Basil mayo:

I don’t measure for this – use as much of each ingredient as you like to your own taste!

A bunch of fresh basil

Fresh garlic

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup or so of mayo - not the salad dressing type - use the Hellman's type mayo, not the Miracle Whip type - this is very important and it'll completely change the taste! 

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a spread.  Set aside

Topping:

Fresh buffalo mozzarella (the one you buy in the bag!), sliced thickly

Heirloom tomato (these can be expensive so just buy as many as you need – I usually only buy one large one for six burgers), sliced thickly.

You will also need some fresh basil leaves, large ones, and some crusty Italian buns.

Preheat your bar be cue and cook your patties. Toast your buns on the bar be cue too!  To build your burgers, place your patty in the bun and top with fresh mozzarella, and then the tomato slices, topped with the fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the basil mayo and enjoy!

Let me know what you think! 

Happy summer!

Caprese Salad

WOW! It's hot outside! Perfect time for a no-cook, refreshing, yet filling salad! The classic Caprese salad is easy, fresh, full of flavour, and really filling!

This makes enough for 4

Ingredients:

A large heirloom tomato
1 ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella (the one in the liquid!)
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, rind, and juice
a bunch of fresh basil, julienned
olive oil

Slice your tomato in 8 slices. Slice your mozzarella into 8 slices. Place your tomato slices on a large plate and top each slice with a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the zest of half lemon and then the juice. Top with the basil and then a splash of olive oil. Serve cold.

Just as a side note - you can top this salad with grilled chicken or canned tuna for a satisfying, no cook meal!

Enjoy!

Basil Arugula Pesto Pasta Salad

WOW! The heat is on! I am really enjoying this hot weather! This is what I call summer! And, summer is all about bar be cuing! With pretty much anything I bar be cue, I make a fabulous pasta salad to go along as everyone who knows me knows I am all about pasta! So, try this recipe for pesto pasta salad - it's so good! It also keeps in the fridge for up to four days so you can enjoy it over and over again! Enjoy!

Ingrediets:

1 large bunch fresh basil
1 bunch arugula leaves
1/4 cup or so toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup or so grated parmesan cheese
1 garlic clove
juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
salt and pepper
1 box of farfalle pasta, cooked and cooled
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 large bell pepper, red, diced
1 small container grape tomatoes
1 bunch asparagus, blanched, and chopped to 1" pieces

In a food processor, process the basil leaves, arugula, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and garlic clove. Add enough olive oil to form a loose paste. Put the mixture in the bottom of a large bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients and toss together with pesto. Serve at room temperature, or place in the fridge and use up within 4 days:)

I love this salad so very much - I hope you do too!
Cheers to all
P

It seems I have been neglecting my blog! Sorry everyone! We have a very busy teen ager who seems to take up a lot of our time, add that to work, a 95 lb dog, and a house, and it leaves very limited time for anything else. At this time, I vow to make time for my blog! So, here is a recipe to begin with for the summer - easy, easy, easy!!!! Simple ingredients for a simple week day meal! Enjoy!

Grilled Lemon Chicken with lemon mayo

Ingredients:

Chicken

4 Chicken breasts, bone in preferred (if using boneless, reduce the cooking time)
Juice of 2 lemons
Fresh garlic to taste, minced
Half an onion, cubed very small
Fresh Thyme, chopped
salt and pepper

Mayo

1 Cup Mayonnaise (your favourite)
Zest of one lemon
salt and pepper
fresh thyme, chopped

Place the chicken into a baggie with all the ingredients except some fresh thyme for about a half hour (in this case you don't want to marinade too long as the lemon will begin to cook your chicken). Place on your pre-heated bar be cue and grill for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Place all the Mayo ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Serve over the chicken. So good!

Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 large Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sweet golden raisins
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (more or less is okay too)
1 grated clove of garlic
salt
pepper
Juice of 1 lime, fresh if possible
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender - about 45 minutes or so, depending on how bit the potatoes are.

When the potatoes are almost ready, whisk all the remaining ingredients into a bowl, excluding raising and onions, making sure the dressing is fully mixed together.

Add the raisins and onions, and let sit for a few minutes.

After the potatoes have cooled, dice them and add them to the dressing and raisin mixture. Gently toss them together. This salad is great if it sits for a few hours!

Cheers!

Moroccan Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

2 large Sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sweet golden raisins
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (more or less is okay too)
1 grated clove of garlic
salt
pepper
Juice of 1 lime, fresh if possible
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender - about 45 minutes or so, depending on how bit the potatoes are.

When the potatoes are almost ready, whisk all the remaining ingredients into a bowl, excluding raising and onions, making sure the dressing is fully mixed together.

Add the raisins and onions, and let sit for a few minutes.

After the potatoes have cooled, dice them and add them to the dressing and raisin mixture. Gently toss them together. This salad is great if it sits for a few hours!

Cheers!