Zucchini Pizza Bites

I got this recipe from www.skinnytaste.com.  My daughter loves zucchini, so I made them and we all fell in love with them.  So quick and easy.  It would be a great appetizer for when company come over. 

RECIPE:

• 4 slices large zucchini 1/4" thick (or 1 medium zucchini cut on diagnal)
• Spray olive oil or pam spray
• 2 tbsp pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella (or jazz it up and use pepper jack cheese)
• salt and pepper

Directions: 

Cut zucchini about 1/4 inch thick. Spray both side lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil or grill for about 2 minute on each side. Top with sauce and cheese and broil for an additional minute or two. (Careful not to burn cheese) 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Homemade Sausage Brats

I saw this recipe on diners, drive ins and dives called jalapeno sausage.  The recipe is suppose to be wrapped in corn husks and smoked in a smoker.  I grilled them on a grill and called them a brat.  They were very good and full of flavor. I have some meat mixture left over, so tomorrow I am going to smoke them in corn husks and see how they turn out.  I will add them to my blog if they turn out good from smoking them.

       

16 corn husks

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped and seeded jalapeños
• 1/2-ounce chicken base dissolved in 2 ounces cold water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
• 2 1/2 pounds coarsely ground pork butt

Heat a smoker or grill to 250 degrees F.

Soak corn husks in warm water for 15 minutes. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and add the ground pork. Combine well. Add the other ingredients. Put approximately 6 ounces of the sausage mixture 8 of the open wet corn husks. Put another corn husk on top and wrap and tie each end with string. Smoke until the sausage temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the husks to a serving platter and serve.

If you are going to grill them, omit the corn husk and form them and grill until done. 


PRINTABLE RECIPE

I had my local butcher shop coarse grind my pork butt.

 I chopped 1/4 cup of jalapeño

then I added them to my food processor and minced them smaller

I added all the dry spices in a bowl then added them to the pork

This is the chicken base I used.  I added 1 Tbls of this and blended in 1 Tbls of water, mixed them together then added it to the pork.

 I formed them and grilled them

Salmon Ravioli with Mustard Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on the web from thetravelingtable.com.  I changed it up just a little.  I also added the 

mustard cream sauce.  I thought it would go good with salmon.  

Salmon Filling

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
4 ounces cream cheese
6 ounces ‘hot’ smoked salmon, or cooked salmon
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

2 tsp chopped fresh dill

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened. In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, salmon, Old Bay, dill and onion mixture.
Assemble using a ravioli cutter as shown below
Roll the pasta dough as thin as possible using a pasta machine or by hand.  I used level 6 on the pasta machine, it was the thinnest i used.  Or cut the pasta in 3-inch strips. Place 1-tablespoon scoops of salmon filling on top of the pasta, spacing about 1 1/2-inches apart. Lay a second strip of pasta on top and seal around each mound of filling. Cut out each ravioli with a knife or cookie cutter. Pinch the edges to make sure they are sealed. These can be frozen on a cookie sheet until solid and then transferred to a zip bag to cook as desired. 
I froze my on a cookie sheet, then transferred them to a zip lock bag.  Then when I cooked them, I boiled them from frozen for 14 minutes. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE FOR ALL THREE RECIPES

 flake the salmon 

 I added the cooked onions and red pepper

 Add the rest of the ingredients

Lemon Pasta Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a food processor combine the flour, egg, zest, juice, oil, and salt. Process until dough forms. Depending on the flour, you made need to add a bit of water or more flour. Dump onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and let rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes.

 If you look real close you can see the lemon zest in the dough.

Mustard Cream Sauce

1 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup whipping cream (35%)
1 tsp. grainy mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch dried chili flakes, to taste
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp. chicken stock, if needed

PREPARATION

To fry pan, add butter. When butter melts, add cream, grainy mustard and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens or reduces by about half, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chili flakes, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Place the raviolis into the sauce and let heat through, about 1 minute. If sauce becomes too thick, thin with 1 to 2 tbsp. chicken stock or cream. 

 Put the raviolis in the sauce, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy.

 These are so so so good.  My kids loved them.

This is the ravioli tray I used to form my raviolis. 

Ricotta & Goat Cheese Ravioli

These are your basic cheese ravioli's for my picky daughter who just likes it plain.  I added the goat cheese because I had some left over from when I made my chicken and sausage ravioli's and it really gave it a nice tangy flavor. 

Ricotta & Goat cheese recipe:

3/4 cup Ricotta cheese

3 oz goat cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

Put the goat cheese in a 1 cup measuring cup and add the ricotta cheese to equal 1 cup.  Mix cheese with 1 egg. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until it sets. 

PASTA DOUGH:

1 1/2 cup Semolina Flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 TBls water

2 Tbls olive oil

Combine semolina and salt.  Add beaten eggs, water and oil in the center of the flour.  Slowly blend until it makes a stiff dough.  Knead 10 minutes or until the dough is elastic.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.  When ready, on a lightly floured surface, roll our dough using a pasta machine to the number #6. and assemble raviolis. 

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Chicken Sausage Ravioli

Chicken Sausage Ravioli

Pasta stuffing:

2 TBls unsalted butter

one medium onion (diced)

8 ounces ground chicken

4 ounces sweet italian sausage, ground or casings removed

1/4 cups ricotta

1/4 cup grated mozzarella

 3 tablespoons goat cheese

4 leafs of basil, chopped (optional)

Cook the onion and both types of the meat with the butter.  Cool on a paper towel.  Grind in a food processor.  Add the chicken mixture to the three cheeses.  Mix well.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

Cook the onion and both types of the meat with the butter.

I used 1/4 of package of Italian sausage and half the package of ground chicken.

When cooled, grind up in food processor.

Blend the 3 cheeses together.

Add the 3 cheeses to the ground meat.

I added 4 leafs of basil, chopped to the meat mixture.

PASTA DOUGH:

1 1/2 cup Semolina Flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 TBls water

2 Tbls olive oil

Combine semolina and salt.  Add beaten eggs, water and oil in the center of the flour.  Slowly blend until it makes a stiff dough.  Knead 10 minutes or until the dough is elastic.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.  When ready, on a lightly floured surface, roll our dough using a pasta machine to the number #6. and assemble raviolis.