Raviolis with Shrimp & Hot Peppers
18 frozen
ravioli (or make your own-recipe below)
26 medium
shrimp
1½ cup turkey,
chopped
1¼ cup
shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
¼ cup shredded
cheddar
2-3 jalapeño
peppers, chopped
½ red bell
pepper, chopped
2 clove
garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive
oil
1 cup milk
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
Cook ravioli
according to package directions. Peel and devein
shrimp. Sauté garlic and peppers in hot olive oil for about 2
minutes then add shrimp and sauté another 3-5 minutes until shrimp turns pink
and opaque.
In medium
sauce pan melt butter and stir in flour, add milk and heat until thick and
bubbly. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Add
shrimp, turkey and peppers to cheese sauce stir to blend.
Place nine
raviolis each on oven safe plates; pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheddar
cheese. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes just until cheese
bubbles. Serve immediately.
Homemade Ravioli
2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/3 cup water
½ tsp. salt
Beat the egg
and water together. In large bowl combine flour and salt. Create a well in the
center and slowly pour in the water and egg mixture. If too dry add a little
water until pliable dough is formed.
Knead the dough until elastic.
Cut into two separate balls. Cover with damp cloth and rest for ten
minutes. Cut each ball into four equal pieces and roll into 10x10 inch
squares. Cut each into nine
squares. Fill with cheese & turkey
mixture. Seal and cook in boiling water
for 5-6 minutes.
Turkey/Cheese Filling
1½ cup chopped
turkey meat
2-3 chopped
jalapeno peppers
1 8 oz. pkg.
cream cheese
Combine all
ingredients together until smooth. Spoon into prepared ravioli wrappers.
Food for thought:
→Pasta originates in
China or Greece, but it’s a myth that the concept of combining flour and water
was brought to Italy by Marco Polo upon his return from China in the 13th Century.
→At first, dry pasta
was a luxury item in Italy, because of high labor costs, as the semolina had to
be kneaded for a long time. Only after the industrial revolution in Naples,
when a mechanical process allowed for large scale production of dry pasta, did it
become affordable and popular among the common people.
→The founder of one of
the world’s leading pasta makers, Pietro Barilla, is said to have dusted flour
on the sleeve of his black suit on a daily basis. If he could blow the flour
off without a trace, it meant that the flour was dry and finely grained and
perfect for pasta making.
→There are more than 600 pasta shapes worldwide, but
in Italian pasta names don’t sound particularly appetizing. Spaghetti
means strings, vermicelli are small worms, farfalle are
butterflies, orechiette small ears, linguine little tongues
and ravioli little turnips.
→Italians never use a spoon and a fork
when eating spaghetti. This is an American habit. In Italy you simply twirl a
fork against the dish.
→Italians eat the most pasta per capita per year of any
population in the world. But exactly how much is that? 60 lbs., per person, per
year!
→October 25th is World Pasta Day.
Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging
challenge. This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the
challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year
as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is
a challenge.) Some years are better than others. Some I
just lose track of time. This year I have decided to put my favorite
hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful
insight. Please note some of these recipes have been shared before,
however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected
recipe. I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought”
inspires you to do something great. Enjoy the read and the photos,
try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with
the challenge this month!
Cheers,
