Ricotta and spinach ravioli with butter and sage

I don't often tout other companies and services here, but as a cookbook lover, I have become obsessed with Eat Your Books. It's a web-based service that catalogs thousands of cookbooks by recipe and ingredient. I have 140 cookbooks, more than most people, but a lot less than some collectors. Digging thru them for ideas is a time-consuming task to say the least.

Until I found EYB. I quickly added all of my books to my bookshelf and was happy to find most of them are indexed. The site quickly reported that I have more than 20,000 recipes. But here's the good part: if I have an ingredient I want to use, I no longer have to pull out a pile of books and search the index of each. I simply type in the ingredient and within seconds, I have a list of recipes that use it. That's how I found this recipe for Eric Ripert's Spinach and Ricotta ravioli with butter and sage. I had a big bag of baby spinach in my fridge so I did a search on spinach. After narrowing my search to exclude salads and such, I hit the perfect accompaniment to a grilled veal chop.

Of course, I cheated. I didn't have time to make the fresh pasta so I used wonton wrappers - my go-to trick for quick, light homemade ravioli. They're thinner than most pasta so they let the filling really shine...

I'd recommend EYB for anyone with a lot of cookbooks and a hatred for wasted food. (Watch this space ina few days to see what I did with leftover buttermilk.) There are days when nothing but a pile of my friends (Mario, Giada, Laurent, Eric...) will do - when I flip lovingly thru the pages getting ideas. But most days I don't have the time to spend sifting thru cookbooks, so it's EYB to the rescue!

Leave a comment and let me know what tricks you've found for sorting thru recipes and cookbooks...



Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage
adapted from Avec Eric by Eric Ripert

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz. baby spinach, washed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
16 wonton wrappers
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. torn fresh sage leaves

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute briefly until soft and aromatic. Add the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until just wilted then remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess moisture.

Chop the spinach then combine with the ricotta and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper then stir in the egg yolk.

Working on a lightly floured surface, place one scoop (about a tablespoon) of filling on each wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water or the leftover egg white. Fold over, then press firmly to seal, making sure there are no air bubbles. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook until they float (about 1 to 2 minutes). Gently drain and place in a large bowl. Toss them with the butter and then mix in the sage leaves. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and service immediately.

Serves 2 (can easily be doubled).

Goat cheese and tomato tarts

Last weekend, we rented the latest Mission Impossible flick. Not really a movie that'll go down as one of the greats but I don't mind Tom Cruise and I was reminded of the old MI series I liked as a kid... But it brought to mind the fact that I'm on a mission. And this time I'm serious about it. I have a lot of cookbooks; maybe not as many as some collectors, but I have more than 140. And sadly I've only made a couple recipes from most. Some I've never even used. So my mission, should I choose to accept it, is to make at least 5 recipes from each.

Maybe I'll get there, maybe not. But I've enjoyed dusting off a number of them and perusing them again. I have a bunch of the Barefoot Contessa books and I've made only a few recipes from the lot. I scanned "Back to Basics" and there are some great simple ideas in the book. Take these tarts: store-bought puff pastry transformed to a delicious tart filled with goat cheese, sauteed onions, fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs. I made a modified version for my little girl without the onions and goat cheese and she gobbled some of it and then enjoyed ripping apart the puff pastry!

I paired these with a simple marinated flank steak and some sauteed mushrooms. I'll be making them again soon with some veal chops I've got hidden away... They'd also make a great appetizer in a smaller version or an accompaniment to a salad.

We'll see how my mission progresses. At last count, I've only actually made 5 or more recipes from about 25% of my collection. I've got some work to do, but impossible? I think not.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tarts
adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
8 ounces plain goat cheese
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Repeat with second pastry sheet. Place them on sheet pans lined with parchment and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry square. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each square, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/8 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Moroccan chickpea and carrot tagine

I'm on a mission to make more fish at home. My mission is frequently thwarted for pretty mundane reasons. One: I do my grocery shopping on Saturdays, so unless we have fish Saturday, I have to go back to the store for fresh fish later in the week. Two: I struggle to make the meal exciting. We love simply prepared fish. Drizzled with a little olive oil and lemon is the best way to enjoy most fish. But that can make for a lackluster meal unless the side dishes stand out. That's what led me to this dish... sort of.

I set out to buy monkfish to make a fish tagine, but the store didn't have any... hmmm. My fish guy told me dover sole was the freshest thing he had - came in just hours earlier. I chose that, figuring I'd just broil it with a little onion, lemon pepper and olive oil. But now I needed a good side dish. The tagine cookbook was already out, so I turned to the vegetarian section and found this recipe for chick pea and carrot tagine. It's quick and easy, plus it's hardy enough to go with fish and packs in plenty of flavor.

Spicy carrot and chickpea tagine with turmeric and cilantro
adapted from Tagine by Ghillie Basan

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tbsp. honey
3 medium carrots, cut into thick slices on a diagonal
1 14.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
sea salt
a small bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy bottomed casserole dish, add the onion and garlic, and saute until soft. Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and carrots. Pour in enough water to cover the base of the tagine and cover with a lid. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes.

Toss in the chickpeas and check to make sure there's still enough water in the bottom of the tagine, cover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and sprinkle the cilantro over the top. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Wacky Chocolate Cake: no bowl, three holes, and vegan!

Some days, nothing but a moist piece of chocolate cake will do. Today was one of those days...for a number of reasons: It was cold, cold, cold out so baking seemed like a good idea. I haven't had chocolate cake in awhile. And it's my birthday, so why not celebrate with a little chocolate cake? But there's one problem: I can't have any dairy.

Why? Well, in late October (round about the time of my last post!) we found out our little girl can't digest milk protein, so no dairy for her or mommy for awhile. It's relatively easy to eliminate dairy - until you get to dessert. It seems to be some unwritten law that all the yummiest desserts contain some sort of dairy product - usually ridiculous amounts of butter. But a little digging online revealed many many recipes that are vegan or dairy free. I chose this one because it was quick and easy and promised me moist, chocolate cake.

I have to say I was more than a little skeptical. I mean, come on, this recipe calls for VINEGAR! in my cake? I felt a little like Sam I Am as he took his first bite of those green eggs and ham. The result? It's good, some might say very good. It's not dripping with buttercream, but it's moist - look at that crumb! I thought it needed a little extra chocolate so I've been dusting it with a little cocoa powder mixed with a bit of powdered sugar.

Anyway, give it a whirl. You don't even need a bowl! And while you're here leave a comment with your favorite dairy free baked goods.

Wacky Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (0.75 ounce) unsweetened, nonalkalized cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water



1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt directly into the baking pan, then add the sugar. With your finger, poke 2 small holes and 1 large one in the dry ingredients. Into one of the small holes pour the vanilla, into the other one the vinegar, and into the larger one the oil.



3. Pour the water over all the ingredients and stir the ingredients together with a table fork, reaching into the corners, until you can’t see any more flour and the batter looks fairly well homogenized.

4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack, then cut and serve it from the pan.

Storage
Keep at room temperature, wrapped airtight, for up to 3 days; refrigerate after that.

Summer grilling: Mixed vegetables with harissa dressing

Throughout the year, we love to grill. My husband will dig paths through the snow to get to the grill during the winter so we can have lamb chops or a juicy steak. But during the summer, anything and everything goes onto the grill. It keeps the kitchen cooler and it's a fresh, simple way to prepare great meals. I have a number of grilling cookbooks that I love to flip through: Italian Grill by Mario Batali and BBQ USA and the Barbecue Bible, both by Steven Raichlen are at the top of my list.

All of my foodie magazines are full of grilling recipes at this time of year, so there's not shortage of new ideas to try. Veggies are one of my favorite things to throw on the 'cue. We grill asparagus, mushrooms, squash, peppers - you name it. We've even grilled bok choy. Usually they just get a little brush of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper before they hit the heat. But this year I've noticed some more unusual veggie recipes in some magazines. I recently clipped one from Living that is a kebab of lamb and cucumbers. I've never had a grilled cuke, but add lamb and a feta tzatziki and I'm willing to try it. Another I found was in Bon Appetit for grilled vegetables with harissa dressing. I had to try it...



Harissa is a North Africa chili paste. I've made homemade for tagines, but on a recent trip to the Wine Library, I noticed a tube of it on the shelf. It went straight into my cart. It contains hot chili peppers and other flavors like garlic and coriander. The Bon Appetit called for harissa powder - I substituted the paste with no problems. According to BA, if you can't find the powder (or the paste), simply combine 2 teaspoons coriander, 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder, 1 teaspoon each garlic, cumin and paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. My modified version of the recipe follows...

And if it sounds like a lot of veggies for two people, it is! But the leftovers were delish too. I also made a grilled veggie sandwich with some hummus. Yum!

Grilled vegetables with harissa dressing 
adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2010 issue

1 red pepper, cut into 4 or 6 strips
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise
1 yellow squash, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
3 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2-3 tsp. harissa paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro



Arrange the vegetables on a large platter or baking sheet. Drizzle with the 3 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Grill on medium direct heat to desired doneness - typically just a couple minutes per side. Remove to a platter.

Whisk together the remaining oil, harissa and lemon juice. Pour some of the vinaigrette over the warm veggies and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro. Add extra vinaigrette as desired.

Note: for a spicier vinaigrette, add more harissa.

Quick and easy pasta with arugula and Romano cheese

Last weekend found us driving from NJ to MA and back in a day and then headed to Albany overnight on Sunday, so Saturday was all about getting things done. (And having time to go shopping with mom for baby clothes! Priorities!!!) So dinner needed to be quick, but yummy...

And who doesn't love a fast, easy, side dish that's packed with flavor and pairs well with just about any main course? This pasta dish takes no time to make and it goes great with steak, chicken, fish, pork or serve it on its own. I love having leftovers for lunch. With a measly 5 ingredients, this is great if you have unexpected guests or find yourself without a plan for dinner like I did on Saturday. I had decided on steaks (with Little Italy relish) and needed a side. This dish popped to mind and my husband almost jumped for joy when I mentioned it. Done and done.

Quick and easy Pasta with Arugula and Romano Cheese
recipe adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada DiLaurentiis

1/2 pound dried pasta, ant shape will work, but I like Mafalde, long wide ribbons with curly edges
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh grrated Pecorino Romano
About 2 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra romano or Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving the cooking liquid.

Cut the butter into small pieces and toss with the hot pasta to coat. Gradually toss in all of the cheese. Mix in the arugula and about 1/2-1 cup of the hot cooking liquid. Add black pepper to taste. The arugula with wilt slightly from the hot pasta and water. Serve immediately, garmished with extra cheese, if desired.

Serves 4 as a side dish or two as a main course. Can easily be doubled!

Recipe from a friend: Artichoke Pie

Last week, I ended up having numerous work functions for people who were leaving the business or retiring. All of them centered around food (of course!) One of the best things about it was seeing friends and co-workers I don't see everyday. I got a chance to catch up with my friend Patty; she's a fellow foodie so we always have plenty to talk about. When I first moved, Patty told me about local restaurants, grocery stores, bake shops and more. Lately, we share stories about the dishes we make. It was during one of those conversations last week that she mentioned her Artichoke Pie.

The recipe is simple, especially if you use store-bought pie crust. It's kind of like a quiche, but without the cream. I made it fresh this morning (a benefit of rising at 6 a.m.) and had a slice for lunch. I'll be nibbling more of it later in the week, maybe with a side salad - I'm thinking baby spinach with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I modified the original recipe slightly. I added the sauteed shallot and a pinch of cayenne. I may have also been a little liberal when measuring the Romano cheese! This is a great dish for brunch or lunch. It'd reheat superbly for a buffet. I also think it could easily be modified. Next time, I might try feta or Paremsan cheese just for a little change. You could also add a little chopped ham or bacon to bring in another layer of flavor... the possibilities are endless.

Artichoke Pie

• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cans of artichoke hearts in water (or 10 oz frozen artichoke hearts – thawed), quartered
• 1 minced garlic clove or ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• ¼ cup grated Italian cheese (Locatelli or Pecorino)
• 8 oz shredded whole milk mozzarella
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 9 inch Pie Crust (store bought or homemade)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9" pie plate with crust.
Saute the shallot and artichoke hearts in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.



Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and add sautéed artichokes.

Spread evenly into 9” pie crust. Bake for about 1 hour, until golden brown on top.