Goat Cheese-Arugula Ravioli with Tomato-Pancetta Butter

Two years ago Andrew bought me the pasta making attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. Occasionally he brings up that its still sitting in the box on the bottom shelf of the pantry but I've learned to pretend that I don't hear him. Who wants to take the time to make fresh pasta?! Well this weekend Andrew decided he wanted to do just that. We worked out a compromise - he made the pasta dough and I made the filling. It was actually really fun and not nearly as difficult as I assumed it would be. It was the perfect lazy Sunday activity!

I followed this recipe, with the exceptions that we made fresh pasta dough instead of the won ton wrappers (if you didn't want to make your own pasta - I wouldn't blame you if you didn't! - using the won ton wrappers is a great shortcut) and I used half goat cheese and half ricotta. Andrew's not a huge fan of goat cheese so this way I could still enjoy the tang of the goat cheese but it wasn't overpowering. Overall, I felt like this dish was restaurant-worthy! It was delicious and the sauce that goes with the ravioli was just perfect. I can't wait to have it again! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-Arugula-Ravioli-with-Tomato-Pancetta-Butter-104784

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Steamed Artichokes

I heart artichokes! So I was very excited to see that artichokes were on sale at HEB and I knew they would go perfectly with our ravioli that we were making for the main dish. Here's an article about how good artichokes are for you, just in case you may be interested: http://www.wholeliving.com/article/power-foods-artichokes

I usually just steam them and serve them with melted butter in which to dip them. If you've never worked with artichokes before, they can be a little intimidating, but if I can do it, you can too! Here's an easy recipe for steaming the artichokes, along with a couple of recipes for other dipping sauces if you want something other than melted butter. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/steamed-artichokes

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Ricotta Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

My mom made this dish for us about a year ago and I really enjoyed it so I made a mental note to make it myself. Unfortunately, my mental note was misplaced somewhere in my noggin for a long while. The good news is that I eventually remembered about the yumminess of this dish and made it this week. It was absolutely delicious! If you like gnocchi, then you'll love this untraditional gnocchi recipe. In hindsight, I should have doubled the recipe!

I used this recipe for the gnocchi but I didn't make the sauce that the recipe used. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ricotta-Gnocchi/Detail.aspx Instead, I used a bolognese sauce because I wanted something heartier.

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Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus

asparagus

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/2 lemon

Preheat oven (or a toaster oven works great if you're not making very much) to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Snap off, trim and discard the woody ends of the asparagus. Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the asparagus, probably only a tablespoon or two. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes. When the asparagus is done, remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

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Warm Potato Salad

Warm Potato Salad
1 1/2 lb new potatoes, halved or quartered depending on their size
2-3 slices bacon
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
1 t dijon mustard
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 green onions, sliced
handful of parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Boil water in a large pot and cook potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, fry bacon in a saute pan. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. When cool, coarsely chop bacon.

Reserve 1 T bacon grease and place in small sauce pan. Heat pan over medium-low heat and add vinegar, mustard and olive oil. Whisk together while heating so that the ingredients come together, about 3-5 minutes.

Add sauce to potatoes. Toss in chopped bacon, green onions and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

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Balsamic Flank Steak

Balsamic Flank Steak

1 lb flank steak

1/4 c balsamic vinegar

2 T brown sugar

1 T dijon mustard

1/2 t dried rosemary

1/2 t dried thyme

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag and marinate meat in refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer. (I marinated mine for several hours.)

Preheat and oil grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill for several minutes on each side until it is medium-rare. Let meat rest for 5-10 minutes, slice thinly against the grain.

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Picadillo Empanadas

These were a little too tomato-y for me but they still tasted good. I think I'd make them again but add smaller amounts of the the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Also I was short on time so I used refrigerated pie crust dough in place of the cornmeal dough the recipes uses. Since I made appetizer-sized empanadas, the recipe made a ton (about 60!) so this would be a great recipe for a party.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Picadillo-Empanadas-with-Cornmeal-Crust-12750

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