Fried Ravioli

Two years ago this coming January, my friend Miranda convinced me to try Fried Ravioli's at TGIFriday's.  It was an appetizer and she swore it was *the best*.  And it was pretty darn good!!!  Except we went back the following year (this was a yearly birthday celebration) only to discover that they were off the menu.  It probably had something to do with the fact that they now list the caloric value of all their food on the menu.  I'm quite sure it wasn't pretty!  

But forget calories!!  What really counts is the taste because these were only a once a year treat!

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 2 TBS milk
• 2/3 c Panko bread crumbs (the only ones I use now!)
• 24 refrigerated raviolis (cheese or a filling of your choice)
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Pour enough vegetable oil into a large, deep pot so that it reaches a depth of 1 inch. Warm oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil, and line a plate with paper towel.  
   
   
   While vegetable oil is heating, whisk together egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Working in batches, dip ravioli into egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, then coat with bread crumbs. Place coated ravioli on baking sheet. Discard remaining bread crumbs.
   
   
   Fry ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes total. Be careful not to crowd ravioli in pan, and make sure oil comes back to 325°F before adding another batch of ravioli. Transfer fried ravioli to lined plate to drain. Sprinkle fried ravioli with grated Parmesan.Warm marinara sauce in a pan over medium-low heat or in a microwave. Spoon sauce into 4 small bowls. Serve fried ravioli with warmed marinara on the side.
   
   ++Blogger is not formatting nicely today!  Sorry about that...

Grilled Shrimp Scampi

A few weeks ago, my family and I went out to my new favorite seafood restaurant, Pappadeaux's.  While my family dined on an amazing meal, the bill at the end was amazing too (lucky for us, I had a $50 gift card which covered about half the meal).  But I was reminded about how much my family enjoys seafood.  While seafood is a little pricier than chicken, making it at home saves a substantial amount!  I picked up a $5 bag of frozen shrimp at Walmart for this meal.  In the future, I'll spend the money on the larger bag as we all would have enjoyed a little more shrimp, but this was a meal the whole family loved!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
• 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

1. In a large, non-reactive bowl, stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and black pepper. Season with crushed red pepper, if desired. Add shrimp, and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard any remaining marinade.
3. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

I used fettuccine noodles for this.  I doubled the sauce except for the garlic and reserved half of it. I then used the leftover marinade and sauteed the garlic, then added just that to the reserve mix.  I then tossed it with the pasta and shrimp, served a fresh green salad and some garlic bread on the side.  This meal with the one bag of shrimp cost me about $9 to make.  For a family of 6!  Even adding an additional bag of shrimp, $11 for a seafood dinner is a great bargain.

Not Your Mother's Coleslaw

My dear friend Jessica posted a request for coleslaw last night, so I thought I would oblige her!  This is not your typical coleslaw because I personally don't care for mayonnaise (you can blame my youngest child - couldn't handle the smell while I was pregnant with him and that didn't change after he was born!).  I personally add more olive oil and red vinegar but you can flavor to your taste.

Ingredients

• 6 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup red wine (or cider) vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, celery, green pepper and onion. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid (a large mason jar works very well!), combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper and paprika; shake well. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Ravioli with Garlic

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg (20 oz) refrigerated four-cheese ravioli
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large clove garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp each snipped chives and minced parsley
1/4 tsp salt

PREPARATION

1. Bring a 5- to 6-qt pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli and cook as package directs; gently drain and return to pot.

2. Meanwhile, put oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in a 1-qt saucepan. Heat over medium heat until garlic turns light golden; remove from heat.

3. Add garlic oil mixture to pot with ravioli. Add chives, parsley and salt; toss to coat ravioli.

Garlic Potatoes

The most wonderful potatoes you will ever eat!!!!  And if I don't have red potatoes handy, I substitute russet or Yukon gold.   No green onions?  You can omit those too....but I wouldn't if you have them!!!

Ingredients

• 4 pounds small red potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup olive or canola oil, divided
• 16 unpeeled cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of oil, garlic, rosemary and salt. Pour into two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring every 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, sugar, pepper and remaining oil until smooth. Squeeze roasted garlic into vinegar mixture (discard skins). Pour over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with onions.