Somethin' For Your Chow Chow To Chow On - Cheesy Vegetable Chews

First, I must apologize for being MIA over the last couple weeks.  Yeah, I posted about Consomme and Eggs in Aspic (Ouefs en Gelee) but that was not without it's difficulties.  My Mac crashed (dead hard drive) so I was forced to bring my old Titanium 500 back into service again.  Yeah right.  The thing is antique and the operating system (Panther) is positively ancient.  Thus, due to the overwhelming amount of Flash all over the net, it was impossible to navigate anywhere or "see" anything.  The two posts I DID succeed in releasing took 3 hours to type up cause I kept loosing my connection through the decrepit airport card.  On top of that, I had to re-learn how to use the old version of Gimp to edit my photos which took an additional couple of hours to process. (sigh) Don't get me started on trying to check Facebook or anything else for that matter. 

I guess I should count myself lucky that the poor old thing worked at all at this point.  Luckily, and finally, I now have a new hard drive in my Aluminum 1.67 and life is good again.  Un-luckily, nothing on my old hard drive was salvage-able, so every photo I have taken is suddenly gone (Insert sound of flushing toilet).  But it is time to stop lamenting and get back to the main topic.

Dog Treats....... (though in a pinch, they are consumable by humans)

Just like humans, dogs need vegetables to stay healthy.  And while most dog foods DO contain some form of vegetable matter, it usually consists for the more questionable "vegetables" such as Potatoes, Corn or Peas; all of which are extremely high in starch.  While I realize that the FDA lumps all of these into the vegetable group, being why school lunches often include French Fries or Tater Tots (Insert eye roll), this is the same organization that deemed Nutrasweet to be safe for human consumption.

FDA charlatans aside, I figured it would be a good way to mix up the textures a little as well.  I have already made 2 hard and crunchy treats as well as crisp yet airy pumpkin treats, so I decided to mix it up a little further and go for a more chewy texture.  This was made infinitely easier by the inclusion of vegetables, though the cheese lent a proverbial hand as well.  :)   Some healthy Quick Oats and that hint of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese along with vitamin A rich Carrot and some vibrantly verdant Spinach and we have a winner. 

Cheesy Chicken Vegetable Chews

1 1/2 cup Barley Flour
1 cup Quick Oats
1/ 4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2/3 cup shredded Carrot
1/2 cup frozen Spinach, measured after thawing and squeezing out the water
1/2 -3/4 cup Chicken Stock

Combine Barley Flour, Quick Oats and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a bowl, whisk together well.

Add Spinach and shredded Carrot in a blender jar.

Add 1/3 cup of chicken stock and blend into a puree... Add up to an additional 1/4 cup of chicken stock if the mix is too dry to puree properly.

Add the Vegetable/Stock puree to the dry ingredients.

Stir until well combined and a soft sticky dough forms.

Grab a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon.

Spoon small balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Fill a small glass cold water and grab a fork.

Dip the fork in the water and then press a crosshatch pattern in the "cookies" just like you would for Peanut butter cookies.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Then store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks,

if you need them to last longer, store in the refrigerator.

I promise - my next post will be human food.... Gruyere scones to be exact.  I realize that over the last couple months about 50% of my posts have "gone to the dogs", but let me assure you, I am steering back towards Human consumables...  LOL

Mangia!!
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"Creamed" Spinach Pasta - Spaghettini with Mascarpone and Spinach

This is one of those recipes that created itself when I was emptying out the refrigerator.  LOL

It's a quick and simple way to use a whole lotta fresh spinach. In my case, it's before it has a chance to wilt.  I went a little crazy the last time I was at the grocery store and bought just a little bit too much.  One can only eat so much spinach salad.  oops!

The key to this dish is the ability to make a sauce very quickly by combining 3 ready made ingredients...  Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pasta Water, and either Mascarpone or Cream Cheese; depending on which one is in your refrigerator.

Yep, it really is that simple.  Of course your gonna need a couple of other things, like some long pasta (I like Spaghettini) and the a fore mentioned spinach.  I always have a shallots lying around, so I throw those in as well.  I like shallots, cause it kind of saves on chopping time... It's like Sweet Onion and Garlic all rolled into one papery bundle of goodness.  This particular time, I had some green onions lying around as well, but they are not really necessary to the deliciousness of this creamy spinach pasta dish.

"Creamed" Spinach Pasta

Printable Recipe
10 oz Baby Spinach
1 TB Olive oil
1 Shallot
1 bunch Green Onion (scallions), sliced (white and light green parts)
1 TB Fresh Tarragon, chopped (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1 lb Spaghettini
3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water
8 Oz Mascarpone
1/2 cup (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (plus extra for serving)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Place a large stock pot full of water over high flame to bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and toss it into a large pasta bowl.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame.

When the oil is hot, add the shallot and saute about 1 minute.

Add the green onion and tarragon, sauteing about 1 minute more.

Remove from heat and dump on top of the spinach in the pasta bowl.

When the water in the stock pot is boiling, salt it really quick, then drop the pasta.

Cook according to package directions.... Spaghettini usually takes about 6-7 minutes.
Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and into the pasta bowl to help wilt the spinach.

Dip out 3/4 cup of the hot starchy pasta water with a Pyrex pitcher and pour over the spaghettini. (the starch in the water will help bind the sauce together)

Toss this all together a couple times.

Spoon the Mascarpone (or Cream Cheese) over the pasta and toss again.

Once the Mascarpone has melted and become distributed through the pasta, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and toss again until it melts as well.

Season with Salt and Pepper if necessary and serve with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

Delicioso!

Mangia!!
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Pasta Striptease - Ravioli Gnudi al Forno

Well, I am finally on the mend from my bout with strep throat. I suppose I should have known that I would eventually catch it after switching climates. But I thought I was gonna get lucky this year, since it's almost JULY. I was wrong. This has put a damper on my cooking as well as my ability to sit and write a post. ;) But my fever has broken and I am feeling a much better.

SO lets get naked!!! - Naked Ravioli that is. (keep it clean people - This is a family blog after all) ;)

Basically, all Ravioli Gnudi is, is ravioli filling, sans pasta wrapper. The addition of a little flour will to hold it together so it can be boiled without falling apart and turning into soup. This particular recipe is very similar to a Ricotta Gnocchi. This is a great alternative for anyone on a pasta free diet. (though I find it hard to imagine life without pasta) LOL

The "al Forno" part? Well, after I boil them, I like to toss them with melted butter, place them in a gratin pan, sprinkle them with more cheese and bake them for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees... YUM.

Ravioli Gnudi al Forno

24 oz (675 g) Fresh Spinach (though Swiss Chard is nice too)
8.8 oz (250 g) Ricotta Cheese
4.6 oz (130 g) AP Flour
3 large Egg Yolks
5 oz (150 g) Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus a little more for topping
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 Shallot, finely minced
4 oz (227 g) Unsalted Butter; divided
Kosher Salt

Wash the Spinach and drain the spinach, but do not spin it dry.

Place it in a large pot, with the water still clinging to the leaves.

Add a little salt....

Cover and place over medium heat, cooking for 15 minutes.

Drain and let cool enough to touch it.

Squeeze out as much water as possible.

Then chop it finely.

Melt 2 oz butter in a sauce pan.

Add minced shallot and saute for about 2 minutes.

Add the spinach and a pinch of salt, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Mix AP Flour, Ricotta and Egg yolks in a medium bowl.

Stir until you have a soft dough (Just like making gnocchi)

Add Nutmeg and a pinch of Kosher Salt.

Add the spinach and stir to combine.

Finally, stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour (this will make it easier to handle)

Lay a large piece of Wax paper on the counter and remove the Ravioli filling from the refrigerator.
Spoon out about 3/4 tsp of the filling.....

and "roll" it into a small oval "pellet".

Continue until all the filling has been used. (It seriously helps if you have someone to assist)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Melt 2 oz (4 TB) of butter in a small sauce pan.

Boil Ravioli Gnudi, in batches, for about 3 minutes...

or until they float.

Remove with a strainer.

Toss with the melted butter and lay out in a gratin pan.

Continue until all the Ravioli Gnudi are cooked and tossed with butter.

Sprinkle a small amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. (Until the cheese melts)

Serve while still hot.

Mangia!!
~~