Friday, January 22, 2010

Homemade Ravioli...

These are my lovely petunias that I have growing in a large terracotta pot on my front porch. I only planted them(1 punnet) 2 weeks before Christmas and they have gone crazy.
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Wednesday - Chicken Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli a la Joolz!
Okay, now onto the pasta making. I made a standard dough out of 500gms plain flour and 4-5 eggs. Knead it then rest it for 30 minutes. Take a small amount and start feeding it through your machine.
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It is a back-breaking job doing this by yourself - it helps if you have a helper to wind the machine while you fedl the dough through. Thank you, Brianna!
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I made a mixture of Ricotta cheese, 1 egg, finely chopped cooked chicken breast, wilted baby spinach, salt, pepper & parmesan cheese. Place small spoonfuls on a strip of pasta. Brush milk around each mound of filling.
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Cover with another strip of pasta, remove air bubbles by pressing down around each shape. Take a fancy scone cutter and cut out each shape - or you could just use a knife.
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Using a fork, press down to seal each portion.
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I put my finished ravioli on a plate but a sheet of baking paper would have prevented them from sticking. This was a major problem when I went to put them in the boiling water. They stuck! Aaargh!
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The finished result - not too bad but not that tasty either. And I was absolutely wrecked from making it! Will try making it earlier in the day or the day before.
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Trouble shooting: - I think my pasta could have been a bit thicker - they were quite fragile. More flavour needed for filling - it was bland.
More time needed to made a better butter & oil sauce (with sage leaves maybe).
Don't be tempted to overcook - they really only need probably 5 minutes tops!
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I will try again soon with some fettucini or tagliatelle with a good old bolognese sauce. The actual pasta was lovely and tender.
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Thursday - Pork leg steaks with apple slices in Marsala - served with...
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a side of seasoned baked potato pieces and honeyed carrots... and a green salad.
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Friday - Rump Steak and some lamb shaslicks on the BBQ tonight. Absolutely had it from a couple of very busy days. I'll have some pics of our weekend later next week.
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Cheers - Joolz

5 comments:

  1. they do look like an awful lot of work, but you did a nice of them, they look perfect, even though they stuck together! I'd forgotten you'd asked me about my pantry....I will def. do a post in the next few with pics.
    Have a restful weekend
    Niki

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  2. Oh yum...not only are they aesthetically pleasing, I just betcha they were delish!!!
    Great photos of a work (an art) in progress!
    Smiles,
    Jackie

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  3. Ravioli fillings always eem to lack lustre but the sauce often is the star.
    The burnt butter and sage would be perfecto!
    I reckon I would've loved them,I like the delicate taste of simple ingredients.
    Hmmmmm??? In fact it makes me hungry

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  4. The young ladies are beautiful.
    My friend just went to Aussie land, she climbed that Bridge in
    Sidney.
    I am a new commer to your site.
    yvonne

    ReplyDelete

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