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.