• Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts (1 per person)
• 1 c. flour seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• Minced garlic to taste
• 1 lemon cut in half and only 1 half sliced thinly the other use for juice
• 1/4 c. white wine
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 1/4 c. capers
• Parsley for garnish

FLATTEN/BEAT THE HECK OUT OF the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper to 1/4-inch thickness.

DREDGE chicken in flour mixture.

HEAT butter and olive oil over med high heat. When hot brown both sides of chicken. Then and add garlic cook 30-60 seconds (don’t let it burn).

DEGLAZE pan with wine; make sure to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock and lemon slices and juice. Heat to a boil; then reduce heat.

COOK until liquid is reduced by half and chicken is done. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.

Serve with your favorite noodle with your favorite sauce or buttered with parmesan cheese and a little parsley and your favorite veggie.

Nostrovia! ~E

Ravioli Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
50-count package of wonton wrappers
3 Tbs. cornstarch, mixed with equal parts cold water
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbs. Italian parsley
1/4 cup tomato, diced

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half, remove seeds and brush cut sides with olive oil. Place cut sides down on lightly greased baking sheet and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Cool.

2. Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion and garlic. Transfer to a large bowl. Scoop out squash and place in the bowl with ricotta cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Mash to a coarse paste.

3. For each ravioli, place a wonton wrapper on a lightly floured surface. Spoon an amount of filling, about the diameter of a 50-cent piece and about 1/4-inch thick, onto the center of the wrapper. Lightly wet the edges of the wonton with the cornstarch mixture. Lay a second wrapper over the filling and press the edges onto the bottom piece. Trim edges with ravioli cutter.

4. Carefully place filled ravioli in a large pot of boiling water, one at a time and stirring very gently. Cook for about four to five minutes.

5. Remove cooked ravioli with slotted spoon and place on plate. Add lemon cream sauce (recipe below) or other sauce and top with Parmesan cheese, tomato and parsley.

Lemon Cream Sauce

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry white wine
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• salt and white pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add white wine, shallot and garlic. Reduce liquid to half a cup.

2. Strain out shallots and garlic. Stir in cream, lemon juice and sugar, and reduce to one cup of liquid. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted & Fried Butternut Squash Ravioli with Apple Cider Dipping Sauce

1 butternut squash

1/2 cup ricotta or cottage cheese

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and pepper

50 count package wonton wrappers

3 Tablespoons cornstrach mixed with equal amout of sugar

4 Tablespoons Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut butternut squash in half, remove seeds and brush cut sides with olive oil. Place cut sides down on lightly greased baking sheet and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender. Cool.

2. Scoop out squash and place in the bowl with ricotta cheese, parmesean cheese, salt and pepper. Mash to a coarse paste.

3. For each ravioli, place a wonton wrapper on a lightly floured surface. Spoon an amount of filling, about the diameter of a 50-cent piece and about 1/4-inch thick, onto the center of the wrapper. Lightly wet the edges of the wonton with the cornstarch mixture. Lay a second wrapper over the filling and press the edges onto the bottom piece. Trim edges with ravioli cutter.

4. Carefully place filled ravioli in a large pot of boiling water, one at a time and stirring very gently. Cook until just tender, about 1 minute. Remove ravioli to a kitchen towel lined baking sheet.

5. Heat butter in non-stick skillet, when sizziling add ravioli. Cook until golden brown about 5 minutes, flip and cook until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining butter and ravioli.

Apple Cider Sauce

6 Tablespoons Butter

1/3 cup chopped shallots

1-1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup apple cider

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Melt 2 TBLS butter ina large pan over medium heat. Add Shallots, saute 1 minute. Add stock and cider; simmer 10 minutes. Add parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce sauce on low heat until reduced to 1 cup.

2. Remove from heat. Add 4 TBLS butter, 1 TBLS at a time. Whisking constantly until all incorporated.

3. Place ravioli onserving platter and top with a little Parmesean. Place sauce in a bowl in the middle of the ravioli.

Try it sooner than later and you will find it is another CulinaryPrep meal to remember. You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil or bacon fat
• 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 ¾ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 onion, cut into thin slices
• 2 large green bell peppers cut into thin strips
• 4 teaspoons paprika
• 1 ½ cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¾ pound egg noodles

How to Prepare

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Toss the pork with the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Add about half the pork to the pot and brown for about 3 minutes. Remove. Repeat with the remaining pork and an additional tablespoon oil. Remove.

Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the onion and bell peppers. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the paprika. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the pork with any accumulated juices and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the pork is just done, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and whisk in the sour cream.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the egg noodles until just done, about 7 minutes. Drain. Serve the stew over the noodles.

Nostrovia! ~E

The Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) red wine
1/2- 3/4 cup (150 ml) soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml)   rosemary leaves, crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml)  fresh black pepper
6  cloves garlic, crushed
1 Fresh lemon worth of lemon juice
1   half leg of lamb, butterflied

1. Mix together all of the other ingredients except the lamb. Place the lamb in a bowl or pan, a glass 9 x 13 (22 x 33-cm) pan works well.  Only needs to be in there for 10 minutes prior to cooking.
2. Pour most of the marinade over the lamb. Swish the lamb around and get it soaked on both sides.
3. Place lamb on grill. Cook the first side for 20 minutes, basting with the mixed ingredients. Turn the meat over and cook another 20 minutes.

TIP: After 10 minutes on the second side, start checking for how well the meat is cooked. Contrary to many people’s ideas, lamb should not be well done but should still be a little pink. When done, slice thin and serve.

I hope you find this recipe to be a consistent hit for you.

Nostrovia! ~e