Garden Ravioli

It's finally garden veggie season again - yay! Despite the rabbits each much of our zuchinni, spinach, lettuce, peas, beans, and cucumbers this year... we've been able to start bringing home some good tasting tomatoes, basil, and hot peppers. Here is our ravioli concoction this week:

Ingredients:

1 large package frozen spinach and cheese ravioli

15 fresh basil leaves

1 hot pepper (your choice which level of spice)

several tomatoes (we used 2 large and about 6 small)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1.) Cook ravioli according to package.

2.) Meanwhile, prepare basil, pepper, and tomatoes.

3.) Combine diced basil, pepper, and tomatoes.

4.) Season vegetables as desired with salt and pepper.

5.) When ravioli is finished, drain and stir in olive oil.

6.) Serve raviolis with veggie mix on top.

Makes 4 large servings.

Waffled French Toast

I thought this to be an interesting way to do french toast, so I gave it a try. They turned out great! Unfortunately, the egg batter leaves a bigger mess in the waffle maker than normal waffles - and since my waffle plates don't slide out, I don't know that I'll make this recipe too often. Too bad, because they taste so good.

Ingredients:

9 eggs

3 C milk

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 C brown sugar

12 slices moist sandwich bread

Directions:

1.) Turn on waffle maker to preheat.

2.) Whisk the eggs until frothy.

3.) Add in milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.

4.) Whisk until blended.

5.) Dip one slice of bread into the mixture.

6.) Allow each bread slice to soak 20 seconds on each side.

7.) Spray waffle maker with cooking spray.

8.) Place one slice in each well of the waffle maker and close lid.

9.) Cook the bread until golden brown and crisp.

10.) Serve with powdered sugar and/or syrup.

Makes 12 slices of French toast.

Sour Cream Waffles

Now that I have a new, shiny All Clad waffle maker, we've been having waffles several times each week. This is our favorite recipe so far. I chopped up fresh cherries and added them to the batter, but you can use any fruit (or go without). The waffles turned out being both super-moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Perfect!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 C milk

10 Tbsp butter (melted)

1 C sour cream

2 C flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

5 Tbsp sugar

3/4 C fresh fruit

Directions:

1.) Turn on waffle maker to pre-heat.

2.) Whisk the eggs.

3.) Add in milk, butter, and sour cream. Whisk.

4.) Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

5.) Stir in fruit.

6.) Pour batter into waffle maker.

7.) Cook waffles until golden brown and crisp.

8.) Serve with additional fruit, powdered sugar, and/or syrup.

Makes 12 - 4" waffles.

Bisquick Cheese Biscuits

Yum. A quick and easy comfort food!

Ingredients:

2 C Bisquick

2/3 C milk

3/4 C cheese

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Ingredients:

1.) Mix Bisquick, milk, and cheese.

2.) Drop 1" pieces of dough on ungreased cookie sheet.

3.) Bake at 450 F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

4.) Meanwhile, mix melted butter and garlic powder.

5.) Brush butter mixture over biscuits.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Balsamic Glazed Asparagus

This is our favorite way to enjoy asparagus. It is so refreshingly crispy. The most important part of this recipe is to not overcook the asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

Directions:

1.) Prepare sauce pan with water and steam basket.

2.) Bring water to a boil.

3.) Steam asparagus for 5-6 minutes.

4.) Remove asparagus from basket and place on plate.

5.) Sprinkle vinegar, oil, pepper, and salt on asparagus.

Serves 5-6.

Dried Cranberry Bread

I was in the mood for a bread with dried cranberries today. I found this recipe with sunflower seeds - absolutely delicious! Because the bread is so moist, I can imagine it will keep well too.

Ingredients:

1 package fast-acting yeast

1 1/3 C warm water

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 C flour

1/2 C dried cranberries

1/3 C sunflower seeds

Directions:

1.) Mix yeast and water until frothy.

2.) Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

3.) Mix in oil, honey, and salt.

4.) Add flour, 1/2 C at a time. Stir well.

5.) Knead dough until smooth and elastic.

6.) Knead in cranberries and sunflower seeds.

7.) Place dough in a bowl and cover.

8.) Allow dough to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

9.) Punch down dough and form into 2 loaves or desired shape.

10.) Bake at 350F until golden brown (took about 15 minutes on a baking stone).

Makes 2 small loaves.

Oatmeal Scotchies

These are a childhood favorite of mine. Perfectly simple.

Ingredients:

1 C flour,

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 C butter

3/4 C sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 C oats

2 C butterscotch chips

Directions:

1.) Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

2.) In separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.

3.) Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture.

4.) Add dry mixture to other ingredients and stir.

5.) Mix in oats and butterscotch chips.

6.) Drop dough onto cookie sheet.

7.) Bake at 375F for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.