It’s that time! Working up some new goods for my Etsy shop and upcoming events…take a look!
I love free-form machine “writing.” Lots of concentration and forethought to form the letters, connect them just so. I relish the challenge of it. Some nights, that is!
I have wanted to make ravioli for forever. I always thought it would be really really hard and talked myself out of it. Then I grew a squash.
That’s right, one squash. Oh there were many squash plants but only one grew and grew and was ready to be eaten. I wasn’t sure what to do with it, this being my first one! I’ve had spaghetti squash and grilled squash but I will be honest…this silly vegan did not really like it.
Of course, I turned to my online recipe source: Pinterest. I’ve had great luck of late with brownies and tofu, so why not squash? And there I found it, the perfect recipe: Squash Ravioli with Sage “Butter” Sauce from http://gamerwife.com/ . I had a squash and I had some lovely sage growing outside. Perfect!
I took a deep breath and jumped in, roasting the squash first in the morning when it was cool. After putting the wee ones down for a nap, I rolled up my sleeves and got to it! Of course I made substitutions. I did not have semolina so I just used all white flour….less healthy I’m sure but it worked well. I also did not have on hand any vegan breadcrumbs so I toasted some rye bread and made my own. My squash was not butternut, but an organic long squash variety.
I’ve made pierogi by the dozen and I have to say, this is the easiest method by far to make a filled pocket! I think I will do this when making pierogi again, instead of making little circles with a glass, pinching them together by hand….sorry, Eastern Europeans but the Italians got it right!
I got exactly two dozen ravioli out of the recipe before running out of filling. I rolled out my leftover dough and made some noodles. You could call it pasta but I won’t.
The end result? Even Nature Boy loved them! Let’s say that’s amazing. The first night I fried them in the sage butter, sort of like pierogi, and they were crispy and brown and bubbly on the outside, soft and creamy inside. I think I would maybe add some additional seasoning to the filling next time, maybe a little garlic? Yes, I am really fiending on garlic of late!!! The second night, as they were preboiled, we just warmed them up a bit and I smothered mine with a vegan nacho cheesy sauce. This was really yummy too! I have plans to make a TON of different kinds of ravioli now; mushroom, squash, vegan sausage, tofu ricotta and even some square pierogi! Hoping to freeze them and eat them on hectic chaotic how-is-it-already-six-o’clock nights. Or in the case of pierogi, when watching the Steelers play.
The best part? I had my two dozen ravioli and noodles made and dishes done by the time Nature Boy got home from work. We woke the wee, feasted, then headed downtown and spent the evening watching the Pirates play (until halfway through the 6th when a rain delay and tired wees called it a night). Really, you can do this!!!
brown bird green string 