Ravioli Caprese & Spicy Mozzarella Meatballs

One of my favorite FoodTV chef's in Giada De Laurentiis. She is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and has a catering company in LA. I often use her recipes as a starting point for my own dinners, and sometimes I copy her 100%. Her Ravioli Caprese is one of those perfect recipes that I don't tweak at all... it's perfection! The ravioli's are stuffed with ricotta, basil and rotisserie chicken. I make a simple marinara sauce and pair it with Giada's Spicy Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs.

Ravioli Caprese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 cup very hot water

Filling:

• 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup finely shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the flour and the water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6-inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 19-inch rectangle. Place 9 rounded teaspoons of filling about 1-inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares and press down around the edges again with your fingertips to seal. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli.

Pour the olive oil over the cooked ravioli. Add the basil, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat and serve immediately.

Chinese 5 Spiced Chop with Peanut Satay Noodles

My wife loves peanut butter and I love pork, so this recipe is a winner for both is us.

The center cut chop is rubbed with a chinese 5 spice rub. Chinese five-spice rub is a bold mix of cinnamon, clove, fennel seed, star anise and Sichuan peppercorn.

I used a variation of Emeril's "Sesame Peanut Noodle Salad" for the rice noodles. You wouldn't think that the peanut butter with the noodles would work, but they do. The key is to take it easy on the sesame oil, use light peanut butter and add some fresh chopped cilantro.

A Favorite Breakfast

This is a healthier version of one of my favorite breakfasts. We use turkey sausage with a maple syrup glaze, and a single egg on crusty italian tuscan bread. On the side, try some egg noodles with alfredo sauce for a new twist. True alfredo sauce has eggs in it, so the eggs are tied into the main and side dish. Some sliced pears will cleanse the palate prior to the multigrain toast, cream cheese and red pepper jelly.

What is your favorite breakfast combo?