Cheese Ravioli

What you need:

• Egg Pasta Dough
• 4 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Teaspoons dried parsley flakes (or fresh is even better)
• a pinch of nutmeg
• dash of salt and pepper

What you do:

Mix together ricotta, egg, Parmesan, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Roll out 1/4 of the pasta dough (at a time) as thin as possible. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, make rounds in the dough and spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of cheese mixture into the middle. Dipping fingertips into a small bowl of water, wet the edges of the round and then fold and seal together. Using the end of a fork, press the edges together to ensure the seal. Carefully lay the pasta onto a cookie cooling rack (that's what I used - but a pasta rack made for flat pastas would work too) and place in fridge while doing the rest of the ravioli. Let ravioli dry for an hour in the fridge.

When boiling your ravioli, I suggest not letting the water get to a full boil and only simmer the pasta. The rapid boil can break apart the seal of the ravioli. Simmer for about 5 minutes, the pasta will float towards the end. (I did our pasta in 2 batches to keep the water from dropping temperature too much.)

Egg Pasta Dough

What you need:

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon warm water
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semolina flour (I didn't have any so I used all-purpose here)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

What you do:

Dump ingredients in above order into bread machine and run on dough cycle.* When finished wrap in cling wrap and let set for 30 minutes.

Roll by hand on a lightly floured surface or in a pasta roller to desired thickness - 1/8 inch works well for fettuccine or lasagna sheets. Let fresh pasta dry for at least an hour before boiling. Length of boiling depends on pasta thickness and size but generally fresh pasta will float once it is done cooking.

*When doing egg pasta dough by hand: mound flour up on a clean surface and create a crater in the top. Put 4 (FOUR) eggs into the crater and work together with a fork. (There are great tutorials online). Omit the water and oil as it is not necessary when you're doing it by hand. Be sure to work in the salt for flavor though. Once the dough forms a ball, knead until smooth and then wrap in cling wrap and let set for 30 minutes. Follow the rest of the above directions.

30 minute stir-fry

What you need:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with garlic salt and lemon pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup snow pea pods, cut in half
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1/2 cup matchstick carrots
• 4 oz thin spaghetti, cooked and drained - I coat mine with a teaspoon of sesame oil, olive oil would work too.
• 2/3 cup stir fry sauce - I use House of Tsang's Classic Stir Fry Sauce

What you do:

Cook chicken in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Toss vegetables into deep pan and stir until spinach is cooked and onions are tender. Toss in noodles and stir fry sauce and combine until heated throughout.

Poppyseed Noodles

What you need:

• 3 cups egg noodles
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

What you do:

Boil noodles about 6 minutes, until tender. Drain off water and stir in butter until melted, coating noodles. Sprinkle in poppy seeds and stir until distributed.

Chicken Dijon

What you need:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut lengthwise to make 4 thin cuts of meat
• lemon pepper
• garlic salt
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half, or even milk
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

What you do:

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Season chicken on both sides with lemon pepper and garlic salt. Brown chicken in pan on both sides until chicken is done - about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a baking dish in oven set to 200 degrees to keep warm. Pour pan juices into measuring cup and fill to 1 cup mark with chicken broth. Pour into hot pan to deglaze. Mix together the flour and milk with a whisk until well combined and pour into pan. Stir often and cook until bubbly and thickened. Let bubble for about 2 minutes and then stir in dijon mustard. Place chicken breasts into sauce and spoon sauce over the top. Serve with poppyseed noodles, buttered noodles or rice.

Cinnamon Rolls

What you need:

• 1 egg, room temperature + warm water up to 1 cup mark
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour

filling:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• (optional - I added about 2 teaspoons Pampered Chef cinnamon sprinkles)

What you do:

Put ingredients (wet first, then dry) into bread machine and run on dough cycle.

or

Dissolve yeast in warm water, egg, melted butter and 1 Tablespoon of the white sugar. Let it sit until frothy. Then mix in rest of sugar, salt and flour - one cup at a time. Mix until well blended. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 8-12 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and allow to rise for about one hour, until doubled in size.

Punch down dough and roll out in a 6 inch by 12 inch rectangle (I just eyeball it). Spread softened butter on dough and sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly on top. Roll tightly starting at the longest side. Cut into equal parts about 1 inch thick. Place in greased 9x13 casserole dish and allow to rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Top with icing or cream cheese frosting.

Banana Bread

What you need:

• 2 cups flour (all-purpose or I like to use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour)
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, or I like to use vanilla)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 stick of butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:

Move rack to lower middle position in oven. Preheat to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter and vanilla. Pour wet into dry and fold together until combined. Put batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes.