Mmmmmm......That's Good Eat'in

I said this blog was going to be about all the things that make us happy. So far, it seems that has been limited exclusively to complaining about lib'ruls and faux Republican senators! Well, what do you expect, thats some good fun!



Alas, I know there are those of you out there that may not fully see the wisdom of conservatism yet, and my goodness I want you folks along for the ride too. So step one in my evil plan - all us conservatives are evil you know - is to tempt you with food.



Now this is gonna require some work on your part, but I made this dish the other night and every single dinner guest was vibrating with glee afterwards. Try it, you'll like it!



Smoke Chicken Ravioli, With Lovely Sage, Pecan Cream Sauce



Ingredients:



Filling:

5 strips smoky flavored bacon

4 Chicken Breasts, cut into medallions

4 Shallots, chopped

1/2 C dry white wine

2 C Ricotta - use the fat free and I come to your house and beat you silly

1/4C Parmagiano Reggiano - more if you like

Pepper to taste

Nutmeg to taste, but go easy here

1/2 lb. of thinly sliced prociutto



Sauce:



1/2C pecans

3T butter

2 Shallots

1/2c white wine

1 1/2C heavy cream



Pasta:



1 1/2C flour

2 eggs

10 oz frozen chopped spinach cooked, minced super dried of water



Step one: Make the filling



Fry bacon in pan until rendered. Remove bacon, but save grease. Chop shallots and saute in grease until translucent. Add chicken medallions and saute on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add wine, and cook until wine evaporates. Put chicken, and shallots in food processor and process until well ground, like sausage meat. Approximately 1 minute.



Put ricotta, parmagiano in bowl and mix. Add ingredients from food processor and combine completely. Season to taste with pepper and nutmeg. Consider salt, but cheese may do this for you already.



Make Pasta:



In Kitchen Aide or Food processor, add flour and then eggs one at a time and pulse until combined. Add Spinach and pulse. At this point a ball should form. If not, and a drop our two of water until you get a ball of dough - but be very careful, its easy to over do it at this point. Once you've got it, remove to floured surface, knead for one minute and then put through a pasta machine to form long pasta strips.



On each strip, take a ball of filling approximately one tsp. in size, wrap a small piece of prosciutto around it place on pasta and repeat until strip is filled with evenly spaced dots of filling on one half of strip. Now fold the unfilled half of the strip over the filling and press down forming little connected squares - these will be your ravioli. Cut with a knife and ensure that all sides are sealed. Remove to wax paper on a cookie sheet and finish with rest of pasta and filling.



Get the water boiling in a large pot to cook the ravioli



Now you make'a the sauce



Melt butter in the pan and add pecans. Saute for one minute or until nicely brown, remove from pan. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Add wine, cream and bring to gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered until reduced by one half.



As sauce is reducing, boil your ravioli in batches. As each batch cooks remove from the pot with a slotted spoon to a bowl and sprinkle a little oil on to prevent sticking.



Once sauce is done, return nuts to the sauce, serve ravioli in bowls and cover with sauce to taste.



Accept compliments graciously!