Spinach and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Oh Yum! This delicious, rich and cheesy Spinach and Mushroom Cream Sauce served as a landing pad for the Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Three Cheeses and Basil I posted earlier this week.  I'm not going to argue against the calories contributed by the half and half, but I will point out that spinach is high in fiber, and you get plenty of calcium in each serving of the sauce, so go ahead and make a batch!

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Three Cheeses and Basil

To celebrate my friend's birthday, I offered three choices - a gift, dinner/drinks out, or a homemade meal.  Priya, the birthday girl, picked the homemade meal.  Once we agreed on the date and time, I asked Priya to send me a few options for a recipe to prepare. 

The night before I got her answer, I was staring at a butternut squash, thinking how delicious it would be turned into ravioli.  I kid you not, but I almost fell off my chair when the next morning I read Priya's message, requesting butternut squash ravioli for dinner.  I guess it was meant to be!

On the night of the dinner, Priya came over and we assembled these delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with Three Cheeses and Basil along with the Spinach and Mushroom Cream Sauce.

How do you make the ravioli at home?  Originally, I was considering using fresh pasta for the ravioli, but unfortunately my grocery store did not carry this item.  Rather than using won ton wrappers and boiling ravioli, I chose the thicker and larger version of the won ton wrappers - egg roll wrappers.  After we stuffed and formed the ravioli, we baken them in the oven, skipping the mess of boiling altogether.

Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes and Toasted Walnuts

Last Saturday night, as I was marinating the lamb for the Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Leg of Lamb, I decided to be a great daughter, and for once, do what my mom suggested - make rice!

You see, when bribing my mom with a home cooked lamb dinner, to get a few stems of her gorgeous peonies from the front yard, I asked her what she wanted as a side.  She asked for rice.

Since "plain" is not a word in my vocabulary, nor is it in hers, I decided to make a spectacular side rice dish that could shine along what proved to be a fantastic lamb recipe.  This one is it - Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes, and Toasted Walnuts. 

Good thing for all your vegetarian and gluten-free family and friends - this recipe is delicious and filling on its own.  Just yesterday, I enjoyed the pilaf leftovers, jazzed up with soy sauce and sesame oil as a base for sauteed eggplant and vegetables. 

Enjoy!

Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Leg of Lamb

It's not every day you arrive home to a box of lamb.  Ground lamb, rib roast,  and boneless leg, the three cuts were nicely packed and kept cold by bags of ice inside the styrofoam box.  I stacked the ground lam and rib roast in the freezer and stared at the boneless leg of lamb.  The gift arrived from Superior Farms to promote their Supper Club facebook group. Have you liked it yet?

I decided to skip the traditional rosemary that so often adorns the lamb, and instead, opened a bottle of pomegranate molasses - the fantastic, dark ruby-red liquid with both sweet and sour tones.  I married the molasses with olive oil and garlic and appropriately called the recipe Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Leg of Lamb.  Do you think it's worth $500 photo contest prize? ... I hope so!

Are you curious about the colorful rice dish pictured along the lamb?  I will be posting the recipe for the Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes and Toasted Walnuts later this week, so be sure to come back!

And now we are ready to roast some lamb!  Let me just say that this recipe got rave reviews from both my mom and the Artist.  I would like to thank both of them for their patience while I cooked, photographed, stressed, and then served.  And many thanks to Superior Farms for the lamb, I look forward to cooking more delicious lamb-y meals in the future.

Brunch at the Fat Hen in Seattle - Will it Make You Fat?

One of the best things about the weekend is brunch!  Alcoholic beverages in the morning, hanging out with friends, crisp fried potatoes, and bright oozing egg yolks.  As much as I cook brunch at home, I love going out for brunch and have someone else wash the dishes.  Last week, my dear friend Lera took my sister and me to her local neighborhood brunch place - The Fat Hen.  Two words - charming and delicious!

Individual "Cupcake" Frittatas with Smoked Salmon and Roasted Poblano Peppers

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but what happens when you imitate yourself?  In my case, you come up with yet another combination of ingredients for the Muffin/Cupcake Individual Breakfast Frittatas.  This time around, I build these mini-in-size but colossal-in-flavor breakfast delights around smoked salmon and a roasted poblano pepper.

Along with the salmon and the pepper, I threw in a few other refrigerator hermits for color, texture, and flavor.

Just in case you might be curios about the origins of this recipe, previous versions include Broccoli and Italian Sausage Egg Muffins and Roasted Vegetable Frittatas.