Savoury Cheese Blintzes

Last week, I was lucky enough to find farmer's cheese (dry cottage cheese curds) at Ideal Grocery, in Lincoln. There's nothing better for making cheese fillings, but it is getting difficult to locate these days.

A blintz is a crepe that has been fried in clarified butter. Typically, blintzes are sweet, filled with fruit or a sweetened mixture of cheese and eggs. A sour cherry blintz served with a dollop of rich sour cream is a wonderful weekend breakfast, and in recent years I've even seen them filled with chocolate. Still, we have them most often as a savoury, and as I had both spinach and chard ready to harvest from the garden, the availability suggested this recipe to me.

Both the filling and crepes may be prepared ahead of time, then assembled and fried when ready to serve. The crepe batter will work better if permitted to rest for several hours before use. Allow at least two hours.

For the crepes:
1 cup cold water
1 cup milk (I used 2 %)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain flour
4 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter

Combine water, milk, eggs, and salt. Whisk together. Whisk in the flour one cup at a time, then add the butter and whisk until smooth. Cover, and chill several hours.

To make crepes:
Pour out batter into a hot pan, tilt to cover and cook until top of crepe is dry. Flip, and cook about 30 seconds longer. Remove to a plate t cool. I find stacking them between sheets of wax paper helps keep them from sticking. When cool they can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge.

For the cheese filling:
1 lb. dry cottage cheese curds
2 large eggs
1 cup cooked spinach, chard or whatever green you prefer
A good grating of nutmeg
Salt/pepper to taste
Heavy cream to moisten

Combine the curds, eggs, spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. At this point you may need to add a bit of heavy cream to get a smooth enough consistency to your filling-this will be a matter of taste, but keep in mind it will thicken as it sits.

Chill the mixture well before filling.

To assemble to blintz:

Place a mound of filling in the bottom part of a crepe. Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose. Fry over medium heat in clarified butter until nicely browned on both sides.

Not health food.

If you have more blintzes than you need, they can be frozen before frying by wrapping them tightly in freezer paper. These are a great thing to have on hand in the freezer for a quick meal.

Serve with a good, thick sour cream (or skyr if you have it).

Now, you'll need a salad to go with that. How about a bit more dairy to go with all that dairy?

Thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, fresh tarragon, thyme,lemon balm,  and dried dill. Salt, pepper, and a mixture of sour cream and buttermilk for the dressing. Scallions would be nice here as well, but I didn't have any. Serve well chilled.

The turnip greens have been harvested this week as well, but that's a recipe for another day.

Mushroom Crepes

Sit down, this is going to be a long recipe. Comfy? OK, let's talk about crepes. Or we can talk about serving white food on a white plate which is a very Midwestern thing to do except it is typically creamed cod and cauliflower. *shrug*

I filled these, and baked them with a white sauce in the oven. You could serve them just folded over the filling with a thin sauce atop them if you prefer, but I was going for a casserole effect, and a few subsequent meals out of it. These are closer to filled pasta shells, except I used rolled crepes.

The biggest problem I've encountered with crepes is not letting the batter rest long enough. some recipes say an hour is sufficient. I am telling you it is not. You need at least six, or overnight, at least for this particular batter. Hot pan, cold batter needs to be the mantra here, and you must work quickly once you pour. I can't tell you what pan/method will work best for you on your stove, with your ability. What I can tell you is to have all your equipment ready at hand, and make sure that batter is well chilled. Get yourself a very thin, flexible spatula (Oxo makes a nice inexpensive one) to help you flip. You'll find it is a useful tool for dislodging egg from a pan as well. There are many kitchen tools I could survive without, but good spatulas are a necessity.

Here's the batter recipe you'll want to prepare early in the morning. This is basically the Julia Child recipe, the only difference being I don't prepare it in a blender, and I use lowfat milk.
 1 cup milk (I use 1% because that's what we drink. There's plenty of fat in the eggs and butter so I wouldn't get too worried if you must use skim).
1 cup very cold water
4 eggs graded large
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted (if using salted butter, omit salt above)
2 cups plain flour

Pour the milk, water, eggs, and salt into a bowl. Whisk until combined. Add 1 cup of the flour, whisking until smooth. Add second cup of flour and repeat. Finish by whisking in the butter. You can use a mixer, but I've always had good results with a whisk-it isn't a terribly heavy batter. The batter should be smooth. Cover it with cling film, and chill at least six hours before using.

Make your crepes in a hot pan over medium heat, tilting the pan as you pour so that the crepe will be even. Cook until top looks dry, flip and cook about 30 seconds longer. Remove to a plate with sheets of wax paper between the crepes. Cool before filling.

Meanwhile, make the mushroom and cheese filling:

1 lb. mushrooms finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup ruby port

Heat the butter in a heavy pan until melted. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until they have given off quite a bit of liquid. Add spices. Turn up heat to high, add the port and cook until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and chill until needed.

For the cheese:
3 cups cottage cheese forced through a sieve, or ricotta. You can use low fat as long as you strain  the extra liquid away first.
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (or other hard cheese). Plus 1/2 cup for topping before baking.
2 eggs or 3 egg whites
Mix together well.

Combine mushrooms and cheeses for the filling.

For the sauce;

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons quick blending flour (I use Wondra for sauces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups milk (again, I use 1 % as there's plenty of fat to go round in this recipe)

Melt butter, add flour and cook until foamy. Slowly whisk in the milk. Add spices and cook until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat. If not using right away, pour a thin layer of cream over the top to keep it from forming a skin.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the pan for easier cleanup(I use a 9x13 metal pan). Fill each crepe, and roll like you would a burrito tucking in the edges. Arrange them in the pan. Pour over sauce, then top with reserved cheese. Cover tightly with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 30 minutes longer.

This is a heavy dish, so either serve it with a salad or vegetables lightly roasted in oil (I mean, really lightly). I has some green beans, carrots, and beets which also gave a bit of colour to an otherwise bland looking meal.

Re-heats beautifully in either a slow oven, or the microwave. We got a few meals out of this. I wouldn't freeze the finished dish, but any extra crepes may be frozen for later use.

Tomato Phyllo Pie

Earlier this week, I made this pie to have a quick meal with leftovers that would work cold. So much of what I cook, I don't bother posting as it seems too "ordinary" however, with New Year's Eve coming up], I thought this could be pressed into service as an appetiser. It also works as a main course with a nice salad. I don't remember where I first came across this recipe, but it isn't original. I've done my own thing with it over the years, but I see no reason you can't do the same, and add greens, or use vegan cheeses, or whatever else you like. Phyllo is so versatile, and quick once you get the hang of working with it. Make sure you have it completely thawed, and at room temperature before you start working, or the sheets will become a fiddly mess. If you're slow with this sort of thing, keep the sheets beneath a damp towel as you work to keep them from drying out-personally, I never bother, but I'm comfortable working with phyllo.

You Will Need:

20 sheets phyllo (about 1/2 package)
3-4 ripe tomatoes, sliced thin and drained
4-5 shallots, sliced thin
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or a stem's worth of fresh leaves if you have them)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
Olive oil for cooking and brushing phyllo sheets
1 cup cheese (I used a combination of romano and provolone)grated
Optional handful of sliced olives

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking sheet. Cook the shallots in about a tablespoon of olive oil with the herbs over medium heat until they are soft, but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Salt carefully as the cheese you use may be salty.

 Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in the pan brushing each lightly with olive oil as you go. Spread half the cheese over the phyllo, then arrange the tomatoes in a layer. If using olives, arrange them as well. Spread the cooked shallots over the tomatoes, then top with remaining cheese. Layer another ten sheets as before, and when completed, tuck the sides under inside the pan. If you have extra phyllo sheets, crumple them up, and place them atop the pie. Brush everything (including the crumpled phyllo) with more oil, and pierce the pie several times with a sharp knife. Bake about 40 minutes, or until deeply golden. Let it stand at least five minutes (ten is better) before cutting.

Spinach Pie and Tomato/Onion Salad

Crap photo, great pies.



This recipe makes a huge batch. That works fine for us, as we enjoy leftovers (I like to cook and get it over with). If you prefer variety in your diet, the recipe may be halved.

I made these in individual pies as they travel better for lunches. You can however, layer it into one or two large rectangular pies that you serve cut in squares. I also opted for clarified butter, though the phyllo can be brushed with olive oil if you prefer. I'm not a cook that insists on following the recipe exactly. I don't use garlic in my spinach pie, but some people do. I use scallions here some people would use shallots. I used frozen spinach, but fresh would work too. I think you get the idea.

You Will Need:

1 box frozen Phyllo (it should have two rolls in the packet-you'll need both if not halving) thawed
1/2 cup clarified butter, melted (you won't need it all, but better to have it) or olive oil for brushing
3 blocks frozen, chopped spinach, cooked, drained, and squeezed dry
1 lb. cottage cheese drained through a sieve overnight, then forced through the sieve until smooth
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 ounces parmesan cheese, crated
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt/Pepper to taste
3 large eggs

Combine everything except phyllo and butter in a large bowl and mix very well. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and grease a baking sheet. Work with one roll of phyllo at a time, and keep it covered with a damp cloth to prevent it drying out as you go.

To make individual pies:

Cut sheets in half. Brush a sheet lightly with butter, and top with another sheet. You need about 5, but you could do more (no more than 8). Don't soak it with butter, but make sure to brush the edges so it won't dry out. Place a dollop of filling in the centre. Carefully fold over into a triangle trimming anyway any excess. Fold up edges. Brush top and edge generously with butter. Pierce the top with a sharp knife. Repeat until you have a full tray (you can make the rest as the others bake).

Bake about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on racks. These are best served at room temperature.

To make a large pie:

Do about 5 sheets of the full-sized phyllo for the bottom. Spread on the filling. Top with an equal number of sheets. Fold up edges, brush with butter, pierce and bake. This will take longer. You can also do this in a greased, rectangular pan, just make sure to tuck the top layers down the sides as you go. It is also nice to crumble a few sheets for the top, and brush them with butter-it makes an attractive pie.


Tomato/Onion Salad:

3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut into 8ths.
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stemmed
(about) 8 olives (I used Kalamata, but any you like will do)
1 small onion, sliced as thinly as possible
1 tablespoon dried chervil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small jar pickled artichoke hearts
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt/pepper

Set your tomatoes, olives, onion, and drained artichoke hearts in a bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the thyme, chervil, sugar, vinegar, oil, and salt/pepper. Mix well. Pour over the tomato/onion mixture and let sit, covered in the fridge several hours before serving. Bring it to room temperature, and serve it over crisp, cold lettuce.

Phyllo Spinach Pie-Sort Of

The child hates feta cheese. I can understand this, but that doesn't mean I'm pleased about it. I made a version of a spinach pie that he found acceptable, and Mr. ETB didn't even mention missing the feta. That said, I hesitate to call this a spinach pie, but I also haven't a clue what I should call it.

You Will Need:

1/2 package of Phyllo dough (about 20 sheets) thawed and at room temperature
2 blocks frozen spinach, cooked, drained and squeezed dry of moisture in a towel
1 pound cottage cheese, drained and forced through a sieve
1 cup hard cheese, finely grated (I used a sheep's milk cheese because I had it)
Salt/Pepper/Thyme to taste
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1 large egg

Combine all.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13 pan. Work quickly with the Phyllo, and keep the remainder covered with a damp towel as you work. Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a bowl. Grab a pastry brush. Layer 10 sheets of Phyllo, brushing well between each layer with oil, and tucking the sides down as you go. After 10 sheets, pile in the filling, and smooth to distribute evenly. Layer on all but the last two sheets in the same manner as before. Score the pie in a diamond patter with a sharp knife cutting all the way through. Crumble the last two sheets of Phyllo with your hands and scatter atop the pie. Lightly brush with more oil. Bake 30-40 minutes or until top is deeply golden and filling appears cooked. Let stand at least ten minutes before serving. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Cheese Filled Baked Crepes with Pumpkin Sauce

The only real trick to making crepes that I have to share is permitting the batter a proper rest before using-two hours at the very least. This is a rather plain crepe batter, not the sort one would use for dessert crepes.

Honestly, you can make this dish as filled pasta, or even a lasagne if you find crepe making daunting. I do not have a crepe pan, but have always had good results using my well-seasoned 20 year old cast iron pan. I use the tiniest bit of oil or butter at the start, and then never need to add more as I make the crepes. That is a common mistake-using too much fat in the pan.

You will need to make sure your pan is hot enough first. A drop of water should, "skip" across the pan when it is sufficiently heated. Cast iron tends to distribute heat well and retain it-medium is usually hot enough for crepes. You'll have to learn to judge your pan, but that's why the first crepe often fails-after a while you'll get the hang of it and there will no longer be, "test crepes."

The crepes may be prepared well ahead and any extras may be frozen for future use.

For the crepes:

1 cup cold water
1 cup cold milk
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain flour
4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled

Whisk together the water, milk, eggs, and salt. Whisk in 1 cup of the flour, then the butter, then the remaining flour. You will need to keep whisking until it is smooth and free of lumps. You may use a blender, or hand mixer for this, but really a whisk works fine and why wash a blender jar if you don't need to?

Chill the batter and let it rest at least two hours before preparing crepes. This recipe makes about 10 medium sized crepes.

For the cheese filling:

1 cup drained, 4% milkfat cottage cheese
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 large eggs
Salt/pepper

Mix all together well and keep chilled until ready to use.

For the Sauce:

1 15 ounce tin of pumpkin puree (unflavoured)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt/Pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Combine pumpkin, broth, butter and spices in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter melts and sauce is warm but not boiling. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream.

Topping:

3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan

Put it together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 9x13 pan, place a bit of the sauce in the bottom to thinly coat. Take a prepared crepe and fill it with a couple tablespoons of cheese filling. Roll and fold it into a square, and place in the pan. Continue until you run out of space, or ingredients. Any extra crepes can be frozen. Cover with remaining sauce and top with shredded cheese. Cover tightly with foil, and place on a baking sheet. BAke 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake 20-25 minutes longer until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Veggie Calzones

A bit of everything went into these. All the fillings can be made well ahead and then assembled at the last.


For The Dough:

2 1/4 teaspoons dry regular yeast (not instant)
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 cups bread flour (strong flour)
Egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water for wash

Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar. When foamy, add salt, oil, and two cups of the flour. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Add additional flour a cup at a time until you have a dough that is no longer sticky and can be kneaded until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down, divide in fourths. Let stand 10 minutes before rolling each out into a thin rectangle. Proceed to assemble with filling below.

Fillings:

I used a number of fillings layered in for a nice effect. Any or all of these would work.

For the cheese layer:

2 cups cottage cheese drained and sieved.
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
Black pepper
Mix all together, and chill until ready to use.

For the Carrots:

6 carrots, peeled and finely sliced on the diagonal
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
Salt/pepper

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the carrots and cook until softened. In last two minutes of cooking, add the garlic. Adjust salt/pepper. Chill until ready to use.

For the Mushrooms:

heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a pan with 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Add 1/2 lb. mushrooms thinly sliced. Cook over high heat until browned. Remove and chill until needed.

For the spinach:

cook 1 block frozen spinach, then drain and squeeze dry in a dishcloth. Chill until needed.

Put It All Together:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet.

Roll out sections of dough one at a time. It should be no more than 1/4 inch thick. In the centre, begin layering the fillings ending with carrots at the top. This will become the bottom and the carrots are the sturdiest of the fillings. Fold and pinch closed. Invert onto baking sheet. Pierce top with a sharp knife to vent. Brush with egg wash. Bake about 30 minutes or until deeply golden. They may run some liquid out as they bake-this is OK. When done, remove them to a rack to cool slightly, but place another baking sheet beneath to catch any drips. leftovers can be stored in foil and re-heated in a hot oven for ten minutes. They do not take well to microwaving.

Ukrainian Lasagna

Fine, there's no such thing as Ukrainian lasagna-but if there were, this would be it. Think of kasha varnishkas with cheese and sauce. I wasn't sure buckwheat would make a good lasagna noodle, but it works for soba. Yes, this is really how my thought process works. I thought about adding beets and cabbage, but opted for a salad instead.


(Come on, doesn't that make you want to drink to excess, write depressing poetry, possibly emigrate to Canada?)

You Will Need:

For the noodles:

3 large egg yolks plus 1 whole large egg
3 tablespoons cold water
1 scant teaspoon salt
1 cup buckwheat flour
1-1 1/2 cups pasta flour (semolina/durum blend)

Beat the eggs until light and slightly thickened. Beat in the water and salt. Beat in the buckwheat and half of the semolina. Add the remaining semolina (more or less) until you have a very stiff dough. Wrap in cling film and let rest 20 minutes before rolling.

For the Cheese Filling:

16 ounces cottage cheese, drained and forced through a sieve. I drained mine in the fridge overnight.
2 large eggs, beaten
2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley
A generous grind of black pepper
2-3 tablespoons of hard cheese

For the Grated Cheese:

1 lb. cheese, grated. Use a combination of hard and semi-firm cheeses. I used Swiss for the semi, and parmesan, paive, and something else (I can't remember) to round it out. Use what you like, but make sure to balance it so you don't end up with an overly runny cheese layer. I wouldn't use mozzarella.

For The Sauce:

4 cups (1 qt.) vegetable or beef broth (You can use milk, but with all that cheese, I thought it would be overkill)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
A generous grind of black pepper
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. With a wooden spoon work in the flour, stirring constantly until it foams. Slowly whisk in the liquid. Keep whisking and cooking until the thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

For The Kasha/Mushroom Filling (Can be made up to a day ahead)

4 tablespoons butter, divided
16 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 large onions, chopped
1 cup kasha (buckwheat groats) rinsed and drained
2 large egg whites, beaten (save the yolks for making the noodles)
2 cups vegetable or beef flavoured broth
Black pepper to taste (I like a lot of black pepper with grains)

In a large frying pan or stock pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cook the onions and mushrooms until soft over medium heat. When the onions are soft and the mushrooms have thrown off most of their liquid, Push everything to one side of the pan. Add the remaining butter on the cleared side. Toss the kasha with the beaten egg whites and add to the buttered side of the pan. With a metal spatula, scrape and move the kasha until it is dry. Mix with the onions and mushrooms, and add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until nearly all the liquid is absorbed (It will absorb more upon standing).

Put That Damn Thing Together:

Cook and drain your noodles. Let them cool before handling unless you enjoy burning your fingertips. Hey, I'm not judging if you do. That's between you and your lasagna noodles. Me? I prefer to let them cool. I'm kind vanilla that way.

Get out your best 9x13 lasagna pan. Grease it for easier clean up. Start layering. The final layer should be sauce and grated cheese. Place it on a baking sheet, cover it with foil and bake it 40 minutes in in a 350 degree F. oven. Remove the foil and bake another 20-30 minutes or until the top is deeply golden. Here's the part no one does, but I feel obligated to mention anyway-let that lasagna alone for a full ten minutes. Fifteen is better. It will be easier to slice, and as it is already an unapetising shade of greyish brown, you won't help it any by having it sqim across the plate. Go check your email or something, then slice into it.

If you have leftover kasha:

I had kasha, noodles and sauce, but was out of cheese. I cut the noodles into small strips, combined it with the kasha and sauce and froze it. This will be a handy side dish some evening when I don't feel like cooking.

Mushroom Lasagna

From the outset, I want to point out, this is not a quick, weeknight dinner. I happened to be home all day, but I certainly wouldn't attempt this expecting to have dinner on the table in anything approaching a reasonable time.

There are a number of steps that can be made ahead, but again, they are time consuming at each stage. My only consolation is that for all the exhaustion of putting this thing together, the boys really enjoyed it, and there is enough of it to feed them for a few days. Cooking in quantity rocks.

I opted to make duxelles from the mushrooms, and then add them to a rich sauce. You could simply cook the mushrooms down to the point where most of the water evaporates, but this is for lasagna- a dish prone to becoming watery under the best of circumstances. With that in mind, I went ahead and wrung the chopped mushrooms out in a dishcloth. Surprisingly, even after extracting a measurable amount of liquid, they still gave off a few ounces when I cooked them. This may vary by type of mushroom.

I used cottage cheese, but ricotta would also be fine. You should however, leave several hours (or overnight) for the liquid to drain before forcing it through a sieve. Same problem as the mushrooms-too much liquid in lasagna can be unpleasant. Take the extra time, and drain your cheese. "Oh my mama said, you can't hurry cheese, so you just have to wait, she said lasagna don't come easy, so shut your mouth and clean your plate..." Wow, sorry, I have no idea where that came from.

For The Mushrooms:

2 lbs. mushrooms chopped very fine, then squeezed dry in a dishcloth a handful at a time
4 finely minced shallots
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup veggie or beef broth
1/4 cup Madeira
Salt/Pepper

In a large, heavy pot cook the mushrooms and shallots in the butter and oil. When they start to reduce, add the thyme and salt/pepper. Cook over medium high heat until they begin to brown and come apart. Add the broth and Madeira. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside until you are ready to make sauce. These can be made well ahead (days, if need be).

For the Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
Salt/pepper

Melt butter until sizzling. With a wooden spoon, beat in flour over medium heat until it foams. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continue whisking and cooking over medium heat until sauce thickens-about five minutes. Remove from heat, stir in mushrooms. Cover with cling film to prevent a film from forming on sauce. You could drizzle a bit of cream on the top, but cling film has less calories, and we haven't even gotten to the cheese yet.

For the Cheese Filling:

1 lb. cottage cheese (4%) drained and sieved
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Salt/pepper

Beat together until well combined. May also be made several hours ahead and kept chilled.

For The Shredded Cheese:

Use what you like, strangely I prefer a bit of Swiss in lasagna, but use what you like. About 3-4 cups.

For The Pasta:

3 large egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon salt
(about) 2 cups semolina flour

Beat eggs until light. Beat in water and salt. Add semolina slowly until it comes together. Knead lightly, then wrap in cling film. Let rest 20 minutes. Roll out as thin as possible and cut into 9 sheets if using a large 9x13 pan. Otherwise, cut to adapt to your cookware.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook lasagna noodles for 3 minutes (I do a few at a time, removing them to a baking sheet while the next batch cooks). Pat them dry, and assemble your lasagna in layers. The top layer should be mushroom sauce and a scattering of shredded cheese. Cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. remove foil and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until cheese is nicely browned. Let stand a good five minutes before cutting.

Makes a "big old plate of lasagna!"

Baked Cheese-Filled Squash Blossoms

I seem to be on some sort of filled vegetable kick. Today's offering, squash blossoms.

You Will Need:

Squash blossoms
Sieved and drained cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
1 ounce finely shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped, preserved lemon rind (or 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh zest)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Pinch dried thyme
Salt/Pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup crumbled cracker crumbs (I used Breton, but any rich sort of cracker will do)
1/2 teaspoon dry breadcrumbs (I had sourdough, but again, use what you have)
1/2 cup AP flour
Butter

Wash blossoms carefully and remove pistil. Let dry on a towel. You'll need to carefully spread the flower to dry, which is tedious, but you don't want to tear it. Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, parsley, lemon, fennel, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mash together well. You can beat-in an egg as well if you prefer a lighter filling.

Carefully pull back the petals and fill the blossom. Don't over-fill it. The ends can be folded over each other, or neatly twisted closed. Set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and crumbled crackers. In another, place the AP flour. In a third shallow bowl, beat the eggs.

If your blossoms have squash still attached, cut them into fans. Carefully roll the blossom in flour, then dip in egg mixture to coat well. Roll carefully in breadcrumb/cracker mixture. Place on a plate. Repeat until all are done. Chill until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a shallow baking dish and arrange the blossoms/squash. If you have squash, place small pats of butter between the fans. Dot the blossoms generously with butter as well. Bake 10-15 minutes or until filling is done, and blossoms have a crisp, golden coating.

Carrot Ravioli With Roasted Tomato Sauce

The boys insist this is the best ravioli I've made-so who am I to argue? Little do they realise, I cobbled it together from odds and ends in the kitchen (a cup of cottage cheese, the ends of hard cheese, some overripe tomatoes). I had enough filling for a triple batch-I ended up with close to four dozen ravioli, which I froze for quick dinners at another time. While the filling recipe can be halved, or doubled easily, I wouldn't do that with the pasta. make two separate batches as you will have better control over the dough. Or use the filling for something else-crepes, blintzes, a noodle casserole, lasagna filling-it is certainly versatile, and freezes amazingly well.

For The Sauce:

1 dozen Roma tomatoes, halved-seeds removed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt/Pepper
Olive oil for drizzling
3 cloves garlic, smashed

In a large casserole dish, arrange the tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, Salt/Pepper. Drizzle with olive oil (about 2-3 tablespoons). Toss in the garlic and roast, uncovered for several hours (mine went 4) at 225 degrees F. Give it the occasional stir. if it cooks too quickly, reduce heat to 200 degrees F. When tomatoes have collapsed and garlic is soft enough to smash with a wooden spoon, remove from oven and cool slightly. Put everything except the bay leaves through a food mill. You don't want to use a food processor as it will grind up the rosemary and tomato skins-a food mill will keep that out. When you have extracted all you can, return liquid to a saucepan and reduce by 1/3. If using right away, enrich it by whisking in a few tablespoons of heavy cream. If not, do this when you reheat the sauce. You may of course skip this step, but the sauce will be quite thin.

For The Pasta Dough:

3 large egg yolks plus 1 whole egg (save the egg whites for the filling)
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1-1 1/2 cups (or more) semolina or other pasta flour (for ravioli I wouldn't recommend using part AP flour as you want something strong enough to hold a filling).
Extra flour for dusting

Beat the egg yolks until light. Beat in water and salt. Add the flour by hand until you have a stiff dough. Roll into a ball, cover in cling film and let rest 30 minutes before rolling out and filling.

For The Carrot Filling (this can be made several hours ahead and kept chilled)

6-8 medium carrots, peeled, chopped and boiled until soft enough to put through a food mill.
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese 4% milkfat (the light cottage cheese will separate some, but you can use extra egg whites to bind it)
1/2 cup hard cheese, finely grated (I had the ends of some domestic Parmesan)
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Salt/Pepper
Pinch of sugar

Put the cooked carrots through a food mill and chill before proceeding. Drain the cottage cheese through a fine mesh while the carrots cool. Discard liquid, then force through sieve with a wooden spoon. It should be quite fluffy. Combine cottage cheese, carrots, hard cheese, egg whites and seasonings. Mix well. This can be made several hours ahead. Any leftover egg whites should be saved for sealing the ravioli edges.

Put It All Together Already!

Yeah, OK fine. Roll out your dough as thin as you can, or use a pasta making machine. You need to leave enough room around the filling to seal the ravioli, so plan accordingly. I used a round biscuit cutter to get the shapes uniform, but you can of course hand-cut squares with a knife. A star-shaped cookie cutter might be fun.

Once you have the filling dabbed out, roll another piece of dough for the top layer. Lightly brush around the filling with egg whites, then carefully place the top layer on. Here's the tricky part-you need to pinch out (gently) the air around the filling or it will explode in the pot. Start at one end of the row, and slowly move from each ravioli to the end. When you are satisfied that you have filled your ravioli with carrots, rather than air, cut the pieces. If you're really skilled, the sides will stay shut, but if you're less confident, carefully crimp the edges with a fork. At this point, place them on a rack over a baking sheet and transfer to the fridge until you are ready to cook. If you are freezing some, place them on a wax paper lined tray in the freezer until firm, then transfer to freezer bags with wax paper between layers. Freeze flat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the ravioli slowly, a few at a time. You don't want them to boil so hard they burst, so keep an eye on it-a gentle boil is better for ravioli. Fresh pasta does not take but a few minutes, though you want the filling to heat through. Mine went about 5 minutes. Rather than dumping into a colander to drain, remove them with a slotted spoon to a lightly oiled baking sheet. This will prevent them sticking together. Serve with sauce and a bit of grated hard cheese.

Cheese Blintzes

This is a nice way to use-up half a package of cream cheese and some cottage cheese nearing the expiration date.

For The Crepes:
(This is basically the Julia Child recipe)

1 cup cold water
1 cup cold milk
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups AP flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, and cooled

Whisk together the water, milk and eggs. Whisk in salt and flour working out any lumps. Whisk in the butter, and whisk until smooth. Cover with cling film and chill at least two hours before using.

Heat your pan, lightly butter it (you will only need to do this once) and pour on about 4 tablespoons of batter. Tilt the pan to coat it, and cook until underside is lightly browned. Flip it, give it another minute, and stack crepes on a large platter as you work. You should end up with about 1 dozen 6 inch diameter crepes, but I got 14, but I think I do mine a bit on the thin side.

For the filling:

2 cups cottage cheese, sieved
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white (or whole egg if you wish)

Mash together really well with a potato masher. You can beat it with a whisk if you like, but don't overwork it-the filling will be on the runny side to begin with.

Take a crepe and at the bottom, centre a dollop of filling. Roll up from the bottom folding sides under. Place in a well-buttered baking dish. When all are made you can either dot them with additional butter and bake immediately in a 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until browned-or, set them in the fridge until you are ready to cook. They can also be pan-fried in butter if you prefer. This makes quite a few blintzes, and despite the cheesy filling, they freeze remarkably well. Wrap the uncooked blintzes in freezer paper and seal tightly. This is handy when you want a single blintz for lunch or a snack.

Tomato and Corn Pie

Still using up tomatoes. This recipe relies on tinned corn, and beans because that was what I had. You could of course, use fresh corn or home cooked beans. Danny isn't wild about corn or tomatoes, but once it gets baked in a pie crust he seems to think they are no longer the same vegetables. Funny how everything tastes better in a pie crust.

You Will Need:

(about) 8 large, ripe tomatoes, skins and seeds removed
1 tin corn, rinsed
1 tin vegetarian chili beans, rinsed (it still retains the "chili" flavour without the sickening sauce cheap beans are tinned in)
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 tablespoons dried, minced onion(these give more of an onion-dip flavour than fresh onions, which was kind of in keeping with the idea I had)
1 teaspoon dried garlic granules
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated sharp Swiss cheese
2 large eggs, slightly beaten

Combine, mix well and pour into crust-lined 9 inch pie plate.

2 layer pie crust


For the pie crust:

2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
3-5 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until fine like cornmeal. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. Divide in half, roll out and line bottom with crust Fill, then top with other half of crust. Cut vents, crimp edges, and brush with either an egg wash, or heavy cream (I used cream this time). Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. for about 1 hour, or until nicely browned and filling bubbles up through vents. Serve warm or cold.

Green Zebra Tomato and Eggplant Lasagna

I figured out what to do with the roasted tomatoes from yesterday.

I'll go ahead and apologise in advance for my plunging right into the recipe without much chatter-busy day, and my brain is used-up. The boys kept telling me how good this was, so that must count for something. I didn't try any. The recipe makes quite a bit of food-enough for a couple days at least, which is great, because my brain is all used-up. Sorry, I've been teaching classics.


For The Pasta:

3 large egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
3 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
(about) 1 cup AP flour, plus more for rolling and dusting

beat the eggs until light. Add water and salt. Stir in semolina, then stir in as much AP flour as you can until dough is very stiff. Wrap in cling film and let relax 30 minutes.

Roll out as thin as possible into long sheets. Let dry on racks until no longer tacky (about 1 hour). Chill until needed.

To cook noodles- in a pot of boiling, salted water, boil a few sheets at a time for around 5 minutes. Remove to a rack, and cook remaining noodles.

For the Sauce: see previous day's post HERE.

For the Eggplant:

Peel and slice an eggplant into rounds about 1 inch thick. Layer in a colander, and salt generously with coarse salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse very well, then dry on towels.

Dip dried slices of eggplant first in plain flour, then beaten egg, then roll in dry breadcrumbs. Arrange coated slices on a large plate and chill at least 30 minutes before frying.

Heat oil to about 350 degrees F. (stoves vary). Fry a few slices at a time, then drain on a rack. Chill until needed.

For the cheese filling:

24 ounces full-fat (4%) cottage cheese, drained and forced through a sieve.

1 lb. grated provolone cheese.

Put it together:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bottom of a 9x13 pan, spread a bit of sauce. Place down a layer of cooked noodles. Cover with cottage cheese, shredded cheese, and eggplant. Top with a bit of the sauce. Add another layer of noodles and repeat. After the top layer of noodles is layered on, spread remaining sauce evenly across top, and spread grated cheese generously over it. Place the dish on a baking sheet, and bake about 1 hour, or until deeply golden and bubbling. Let stand about ten minutes before cutting.

Mushroom and Cheese Blintzes

We took Danny for his five year check-up today. Mr. ETB took the day off work, which he has done for all of Danny's regular check-ups, so we made a day of it. I really am thankful to have a husband that is involved in his child's life. I know how lucky we are. Everything went great (though Danny was less than pleased with getting a series of jabs) and we need not return until Danny is nine.

After an entire day enjoying the sights in Omaha (well, LaVista, and Millard, mostly) we arrived home at dinner time. I know mushroom blintzes sound incredibly fussy, but they were quick, and simple to throw together.

No trip to "the city" would be complete without purchasing large quantities of books, and this haul was particularly impressive. I'll have another 1950's vintage Homes and Gardens cookbook to share later in the week. There's a burnt sugar chiffon cake calling me.
Yep, that's how you grow a kid into the 90th percentile for height, and the 50th for weight. I'm going to buy him a basketball, maybe it will pay for university. The doctor actually sighed when he said, "He's tall and thin...and lucky." I credit the blintzes, but I guess his 6'4 Papa might have something to do with it.



For the blintzes:

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups water
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons potato starch. Blend really well until it looks like thick cream. Don't over-do it if you use an electric mixer as it has a tendency to foam-up. Before each crepe, you should give the mixture in the bowl a stir as it tends to settle.

Heat a small skillet with a few drops of oil (you don;t need much). The heat should be medium-high. Pour in a few tablespoons of batter, tilt to distribute, then cook until top is dry, Flip, cook other side for a minute and transfer to a plate. When all crepes are cooked, fill with recipe below (which can be made ahead)

Mushroom/cheese filling:

1 lb. mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
1 cup chopped onion
5 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4-1/2 cup red wine (to your taste)
1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
1 cup grated Swiss cheese

In a heavy pot, melt the butter and add the mushrooms, and onion. Cook a few minutes over medium heat, then add spices. Increase heat to high and add wine. Cook until most of it has burned off. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until mushrooms are quite soft. Remove lid and again turn to high and burn off any excess liquid, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool slightly, them mix in cheese.

Fill crepes, fold, and fry in a pan over medium heat until nicely browned on both sides. Makes 8-10 blintzes.

Herb Pie In Phyllo

This was quite a bit of work, but no one told me to go and make my own ricotta. I used the recipe HERE, but I used almost completely different herbs and cheeses. It went over really well. It was served as a picnic meal-OK we had the picnic on a blanket in the living room because the Spring-like weather wouldn't cooperate with our picnic whim. You can't very well have a picnic with 35 mph wind gusts. Anyway, it was devoured happily, and there was still plenty left for tomorrow's lunch. With any luck, we might even make it outside.

My filling ended up being:

Onion
Kale
Parsley
Mint
Peas
Preserved lemon
Thyme
Salt/Pepper
Ricotta
Pepato Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Swiss Cheese
3 eggs rather than 2

I know it sounds like an utterly bizarre combination, but it turned out lovely. I think Danny was astounded when he tasted it.

I really like the way olive oil works with phyllo, and it seems marginally better for you than a bunch of clarified butter. This will certainly become a regular dish in rotation at our home.

For Ricotta:

2 quarts whole milk
2 cups buttermilk

Heat together over high heat, stirring and scraping the bottom to keep it from scalding. When heat reaches about 170, curds will start to form. Stop stirring and remove from heat. Remove clumps with a slotted spoon to a cheesecloth lined sieve. Drain well, do not press. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.

A First Attempt-Kale and Bean Tart

Here's something you don't hear people say everyday:

"I really wanted to make a tart with kale and white beans."

So I did, by golly. It was acceptable, and the boys were both relieved that it didn't really taste like kale, but the crust was less than perfect, and I should have added much more salt. I'll note the salt in the recipe, and encourage you to find a pastry recipe you prefer. Otherwise, it is a nice tart to serve hot or cold. And it doesn't even taste like kale.

You Will Need:

1 partially baked tart crust
1 bunch kale, stripped from stems, chopped, boiled and squeezed dry of all liquid
1 heaping cup of cooked white beans
1 cup bechamel sauce
Salt (use more or less depending on whether you used tinned beans) You should taste it before baking.
Pepper
Nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese (I used the imported stuff for this as it is drier, and has a more assertive flavour)

Make a cup of bechamel sauce. Stir in the cooked kale and beans. Mix in the egg, and half the cheese. Pour into partially baked tart shell and top with remaining cheese, Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven until puffed and browned on top-about 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Calzones-Meatless Sausage and Kale

The boys said the kale and cheese filling was indistinguishable from spinach, which is great because it is much less expensive than spinach. The fake sausage meat was a big hit, but not the sort of thing I typically buy. I had half a bag of fake meat crumbles left from making Danny "meatballs" yesterday, so I browned it up and tossed it in the leftover spaghetti sauce.

Neither of these fillings follow anything approaching a proper recipe, and as always I encourage you to use what you have on hand. Frozen spinach? Great. Ricotta? Cottage cheese? Doesn't matter. You get the idea. Instead, I'll give you the recipe for the dough which will make eigh large calzones, and some pointers for assembling and baking them.

First, it helps if you're resigned to the fact the calzones will leak fillings. They always do, at least a bit and yeah-the pan is a pain to clean. That's the price you pay for baking with cheese. Try not to over-fill them and they will leak a bit less, but they will spill fillings onto the pan-they just will.

Your first calzone will look like crap. Again, no one will care. Pinch the dough together and proceed with the rest. Subsequent calzones will improve in appearance.

The dough needs an hour to rise and fifteen minutes to rest after being punched down. Use this time to prepare the fillings. If you time it correctly the whole thing can be done in a couple hours. If you're really on the ball, fillings can be prepared ahead.

You can either toss cornmeal on the pan or grease it lightly with oil. I used oil today, but I don't really have a clear preference. They are both equally difficult to clean.

When they are finished baking, remove them to a rack set over a baking sheet (the leak issue again) and let stand a few minutes before serving. They re-heat well in an oven next day, less well in a microwave.

For the dough:

2 cups warm water
3 teaspoons granulated yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups bread flour

Dissolve the sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl. When foamy, stir in salt and flour adding only enough flour until dough can be kneaded and is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth. Place in a generously oiled bowl and let rise, covered for 1 hour. Punch down, divide into 8 pieces and let rest fifteen minutes, lightly covered.

Roll out each piece into a square. Place filling in centre and fold. Pinch shut and place seam side down on sheet. Cut a slit in top. Brush with an egg wash of 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Ravioli With Browned Butter

I made browned sage butter to serve with these spinach and cheese ravioli...and I didn't burn it. I think that might be a first. I wish I had some helpful advice other than keep whisking and don't take your eyes off of the pan-but I don't. So just keep whisking, and don't take your eyes off the pan. There, wasn't that helpful? You know what else is helpful advice? Don't make browned butter when you can't eat-the fragrance is torture. Most of the time I feel too nauseated to be tempted by anything I'm cooking, but there's something about the smell of browned butter that makes me just want to go hide somewhere and cry because I can't eat it. I don't think I'm going to be making that again for a while. I actually thought about putting it in the blender with some extremely thin, runny porridge to see if I could manage it, but decided it wasn't worth cleaning the blender afterward for something I probably couldn't eat anyway. I spend a lot of time walking into the kitchen looking for something to eat, out of habit I suppose-and then kind of shrugging and walking out. I do that a lot. It's maddening, really. I have no idea why I still maintain a cooking blog. Wow, that was off-topic. Sorry. Back to the ravioli...

The filling for the ravioli wasn't terribly exotic. A cooked block of frozen spinach, a container of full-fat cottage cheese (drained and forced through a sieve) some dried minced garlic, and a generous grating of hard cheese. See, I told you it was basic. I made a pasta dough with a bit more than half semolina, which I find helpful when making ravioli. The recipe made quite a bit of food, so I froze half of the ravioli for a quick dinner in the future.

For The Filling:

A large container of full-fat (4%) cottage cheese, drained and forced through a sieve until smooth.
A block of frozen, chopped spinach-cooked and squeezed dry of liquid
1/4 teaspoon dried garlic granules
Black pepper
About 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or any other hard cheese you like)

Mash it all together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Chill until you are ready to fill ravioli.

For the Ravioli Dough:

3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg beaten until light
3 tablespoons cold water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
(about) 1 cup AP flour

Add the cold water and salt to beaten eggs. Stir in semolina and as much of the AP flour as you can until you have a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Wrap in plastic and let rest 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling out.

Don't overfill the ravioli. I know you want to-but don't. I let mine dry on racks at room temp for about 20 minutes and then I keep them (still on racks) in the fridge until I'm ready to boil them. If you freeze the extra, chill them on a plate before transferring them to a bag to prevent sticking. Boil the ravioli gently, so you don't burst the filling and lift them out with a slotted spoon rather than dumping them in a colander to drain. Drizzle on the butter and serve immediately.

Kale Filled Ravioli With Creamy Squash Sauce

Oh stop scrunching-up your face-it'll stay like that!

I know that it looks rather uninteresting from the photograph, but trust me when I tell you it was worth the hours I devoted to making it. I did manage to freeze another dozen ravioli for future use from the same batch, so think of it as getting two meals for the effort of one-albeit, quite a bit of effort.

You could adapt this recipe to use pumpkin rather than squash, or spinach rather than kale, or ricotta rather than cottage cheese...and so on. Just keep to the basic proportions and you should be fine.

For the Kale/Cheese Filling:

2 cups full-fat cottage cheese, well drained and forced through a sieve
1/2 cup hard cheese, finely grated (I used Parmesan and Pepato)
1 large bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped-cooked until soft in boiling water and then drained and squeezed dry of excess water in a dishtowel

Combine well and keep chilled until needed.

For The Pasta:

3 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg (reserve whites for assembling ravioli later)
3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1-2 cups All Purpose flour plus much more for rolling and dusting

Beat eggs until light. Beat in water and salt. Add the semolina and beat well. Slowly knead-in by hand as much AP flour as it will take and still be pliable. Wrap tightly in cling film and let rest 30 minutes before rolling out.

Divide dough into 6 parts and lightly dust with flour. Roll out as thin as possible without it tearing (or use a pasta machine) and make a long strip. Brush outer edges with beaten egg whites and place a mound of filling (about 1/2 teaspoon) on the pasta leaving about 2 inches on either side. Brush in-between mounds with egg whites. Fold top over carefully and then gently press out the air around each mound of dough. Cut into squares. Dust lightly again with flour to prevent sticking and transfer to a rack to dry a bit as you make the others. When completed, you should have about 25 ravioli. If you choose to freeze some, place them on a plate in the freezer and let them solidify before transferring to a freezer bag. A piece of waxed paper between layers helps them stay flat in the bag as well. Take remaining ravioli and transfer to a waxed paper lined baking sheet dusted with flour and let sit in fridge, lightly covered until you are ready to cook. Mine sat several hours and were just fine.

Cook in boiling, salted water for about fifteen minutes at a gentle boil (you don't want them to burst). Carefully remove from water with a slotted spoon (don't just dump them out roughly into a strainer or they will be damaged). Top with squash sauce and serve hot.

For The Squash Sauce:

2 cups of cooked, mashed squash of any variety you prefer (I used an acorn and a dumpling squash)
2 tablespoons clarified butter
2 teaspoons crumbled sage
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
Thin shavings of hard cheese for garnish

I cooked my squash by halving them, scooping out the seeds and placing cut-side down in about an inch of water in a pan. 400 degrees F. for about an hour did the trick.

Make sure your squash is well-drained if you boiled or steamed it before beginning. Mash squash and then force through a sieve to remove any stringy parts. Place squash in a heavy saucepan with about half of the vegetable stock, the spices and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk to incorporate. At this point, you may need to add the rest of the stock, depending on how thick your puree was-this is really a matter of taste. You can always use the stock to thin it down later if need be. Cook about ten minutes until sauce thickens, whisking now and then. Before serving, stir in the sour cream and heat through. Pour over cooked ravioli and top with cheese. Serve immediately.