Swiss Chard Ravioli

Swiss Chard is my favorite food. It's green, healthy and delicious. You can eat the whole thing- stems and all. It has great flavor and can be turned into anything, as you can see by this recipe for Swiss Chard Ravioli.

I can't remember how I found this recipe but I knew I was going to make it as soon as I saw it. I love any take on Swiss Chard and this was something that I thought looked really original and interesting.

The ravioli is made with wonton wrappers, which makes that part of the recipe much easier. I decided to use water to seal my ravioli, instead of an egg-which the recipe suggested, simply because that is what I use to seal wonton wrappers when making pot stickers. I had one ravioli that exploded and I think looking back, using an egg would have been a better idea, since boiling the ravioli really spins them around a lot.

The swiss chard is sauteed with a shallot and a little oil (the recipe used butter, but I avoid butter when I cook), and then mixed with some ricotta cheese, thyme, and fresh parmesan. That is what makes up the filling for the ravioli. Then the stems are boiled in some chicken stock, mainly to give the stock some color. The recipe said to drain the stems, but I left them in there, with a few of the leftover leaves and we ate them too.

This was a fun twist of ravioli and a great new way to use swiss chard.


Here is the Recipe for Swiss Chard Ravioli adapted from Martha Stewart
* I used a Tablespoon of canola oil instead of butter to saute the shallot and chard
* I did not discard the stems and extra leaves- I served them in the broth
* I used skim ricotta cheese
* instead of using an egg to seal the ravioli, I used water

Red and Yellow Fruit Salad in Cinnamon Sugar WonTon Cups

I guess you could say I am on a WonTon Cup kick. I had some wonton wrappers left in the fridge and the idea came to me for a fruit salad cup. I cut up all my fresh fruit and realized all the fruit I had was red and yellow, hence the name. You could really use any fruit that you wanted to. I made my WonTon cups with cinnamon-sugar (watch everyone in the house- these will get swiped and eaten without anything in them), and filled them with this delicious salad. We had some as a afternoon snack and some with dinner. This would also be a great appetizer. It would brighten up any table with all the beautiful colors that are included in this salad.

Red and Yellow Fruit Salad in Cinnamon Sugar WonTon Cups by Mary Ann

1 small red apple, cut into slices and then in pieces

1 cup chopped, fresh strawberries

1/2 red grapes, cut in quarters

pomegranate seeds

1 cup fresh pinapple, cut in cubes

1 mango, cut into cubes
* Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups

Combine all fruit in a bowl. Make Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon cups and fill with fruit salad.

*Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups
12 wonton wrappers
cinnamon-sugar mixture
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray regular muffin tin or mini-muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one wonton wrapper over each cavity of muffin tin. Spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray. Generously sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over wonton wrappers, so that they are covered. Press wonton wrappers down into cavity of muffin tin, so wonton makes a cup. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes. Fill with fruit salad.

You can also store the pre-made cups, in a airtight container, for 4-5 days.

Coming Up Next- Tuesdays with Dorie- Dorie's choice- French Pear Tart

Greek-style Stuffed Peppers and Greek WonTon Cups

The other day I noticed that I had a little bulgur and some feta I needed to use and 6 gorgeous peppers, so I turned to The Food You Crave and found a recipe for Greek-style Stuffed Peppers. I made a couple changes to the recipe- I used ground turkey breast instead of ground beef and added a can of cannellini beans. I was able to fill 12 pepper halves and still had a little of the meat mixture leftover, so I made some Greek WonTon cups- using Greek Seasoning to flavor them and cooked up the leftover meat mixture. I put the mixture inside and topped them with some chopped plum tomatoes. Yum!

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

1 pd lean or extra-lean ground beef ( I used 20 oz. ground turkey breast)

One 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated ( about 1 1/2 cups)

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 small onion, minced

1/2 cup bulgur

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1.2 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

3 medium red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, core and ribs removed

Two 14.5 oz cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, finely chopped and juices reserved (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes, seasoned with olive oil and garlic)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, beans, onion, bulgur, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomatoes with their juices over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake the peppers until filling is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 45 minutes longer.

To make Greek WonTon cups- Go to this post and substitute Greek Seasoning for spice mix used.

Up next- Homemade Samoas for my Matt, on his birthday

Cowboy Cavier in Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups

I remember a few years ago tasting Cowboy Cavier for the first time. I was pregnant and I couldn't get enough of it. I got the recipe, but misplaced it somewhere and kinda forgot about it, until the other day when I was fixing an appetizer for a holiday get-together. I wanted to make a dip, but something a little more hearty and healthy. I remembered Cowboy Cavier and recreated it in a very delicious way. I wanted something cute to serve it in and decided to use some WonTon Cups. I came up with this idea during the summer and used them for 2 Bean WonTon Cups and also as a cup when I made fresh peach ice cream, but used a sweet Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cup. I decided these Cumin-Chili spiced WonTon cups would be the perfect little way to serve this delicious dip. I just made a quick spice mix of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder and used that to spice up the wontons. If you have a party and need an appetizer, this one will disappear!

Cowboy Cavier by Mary Ann

1 15-oz can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 Tbls red wine vinegar

1 tsp canola oil

juice of 1 lime

1 garlic clove, minced

2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine black-eyed peas, black beans, and bell pepper. Run corn kernels under hot water and drain. Repeat and let sit for a few minutes. Add vinegar, oil, lime juice, minced garlic, cilantro, and green onions to bean mixture. Stir to combine. Mix in corn and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups or with tortilla chips.

Cumin-Chili Spiced WonTon Cups by Mary Ann

24 wonton wrappers

cooking spray

equal amounts of ground cumin and garlic powder (1-2 tsps)

1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine spices in a small bowl and mix with fingers. Spray a muffin tin generously with cooking spray. Lay out 12 wonton wrapper, each one over a muffin cavity. Sprinkle with spice mixture, using fingers to spread evenly over top of wonton. Press each wonton wrapper down into the muffin cavity. Bake in the oven, until tips are brown and entire wonton is crisp and cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. Fill with Cowboy Cavier, just prior to serving.

Coming Tomorrow- My pick for Craving Ellie- Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Barefoot Bloggers- Savory Palmiers (why not some sweet ones too?)

Fresh Peach Ice Cream in Cinnamon-Sugar Won Ton Cups

Unbelievable as it may be, I still had some leftover wonton wrappers in the fridge. I made those super yummy taco wonton cups last week and as I was thinking, I decided that a cute individual dessert could be served in a wonton cup too. So, with all the lovely fresh peaches on the countertop I decided to make ice-cream. And, why not serve it in tiny little scoops, (Thank you melon baller!), in a cinnamon-sugar wonton cup. It was delicious and so cute! Unfortunately we had a huge storm and I didn't get very good pictures. Some of us were daring and drizzled leftover chocolate sauce from the eclairs I made the other day. Yum! This was the best peach ice cream, not too sweet, and really peachy. I left some of the skins on just to give it a more homemade, natural taste. It was good!



Fresh Peach Ice Cream in Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups by Mary Ann

1 1/2 cups sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon (2 Tbls)

2 pds. fresh peaches (without pits removed)

1 pint half and half

1 cup whole milk

Remove pits from peaches and some of the skins. Mash peaches in a large bowl. Combine sugar and lemon juice with fresh peaches that have been mashed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Combine with other ingredients in ice cream maker and proceed according to manufacturers instructions. When done churning, remove to container and freeze for 4 hours or more.

Makes 2 qts

Cinnamon-Sugar WonTon Cups

18 wonton wrappers

cinnamon-sugar mixture

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Place one wonton wrapper over each cavity of muffin tin. Spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray. Generously sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over wonton wrappers, so that they are covered. Press wonton wrappers down into cavity of muffin tin, so wonton makes a cup. Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown on edges and crispy. Let cool for a few minutes. Scoop ice cream with a melon baller and fill wonton cups. serve

2 Bean WonTon Taco Cups and Beef Fajitas

I had some leftover wonton wrappers and we were going to have tacos, so I combined the two in these cute little appetizer cups. These kept the kids busy while I finished everything else for the adults. I love beans, so I doubled up with refried and black. I also love the new lean ground turkey I found in the grocery store that already has the taco seasoning mixed in. It is super moist, which makes it taste wonderful. The brand is Jenny-O, click HERE to see the packaging. You could also just use lean ground turkey or ground beef and use a pkg of taco seasoning. I also had to share the best fajita marinade I have ever tasted. Whenever I serve it, everyone just eats the meat plain, out of the pan because it is so yummy. I added matchstick carrots and thin slices of zucchini to up the veggie intake there. No one even noticed. If you are craving tacos or fajitas, give these a try!

2 Bean WonTon Taco Cups by Mary Ann

18 wonton wrappers

1 pkg. Lean Ground Turkey with Taco Seasoning

1 green pepper, diced

1 can of corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can fat free refried beans

2 tomatoes, diced

shredded cheese

greek yogurt or sour cream

cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Push one wonton wrapper into each cavity of the muffin tin, gently. Spray wontons with cooking spray. Bake in oven until corners are golden brown and toasty, about 4-6 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

In an electric skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil. Add green pepper and onion flakes. Saute for a few minutes and add ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey, for a few minutes. Add corn and black beans. Continue to cook, until turkey is cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat up the refried beans. Scoop a teaspoon or so of refried beans in each wonton cup. Spoon a Tbls of meat mixture over top. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Add tomatoes, a small dollop of greek yogurt, and top with a cilantro leaf.

Serve- There will be enough meat mixture to have regular tacos as well, or serve on top lettuce for a salad the next day

Fajitas by Sussy Jones with vegetable adaptations by Mary Ann

*Fajita marinade

1- 1 1/2 pds beef, cut for stir fry (you could also use chicken or pork)

Flour tortillas

2 Tbls olive oil

1 each, green, red, yellow, and orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 small zucchini, sliced horizontally and cut into thin strips

2 cups matchstick carrots

greek yogurt or sour cream

black beans

salsa and other toppings, if desired

1. make fajita marinade and add beef strips. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but not longer than 24 hours.

2. Preheat Broiler
3. Remove plastic wrap from pan and place in oven about 3-6 inches from the heat. Broil for 8 minutes. Stir and turn meat; broil for 3 more minute or until cooked through to your liking

4. While beef is broiling, heat oil in 10-inch skillet or electric skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bell peppers, zucchini sticks, and matchstick carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with onion flakes, reduce heat and cover. Cook until veggies are tender.

*Fajita marinade

¼ cup canola oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Mix all ingredients in a oven-safe 9 by 13-inch pan.