Black Bean and Cilantro Ravioli with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

So I went a little crazy and had a ravioli bananza! Although these are fried again, I am definitely looking forward to steaming them in the future. The body can only handle so much fried food. So without further ado...cilantro black bean ravioli. Pretty much the same idea as the cilantro and shrimp ones....

Chop up some cooked (or canned) black beans and mix with chopped fresh cilantro, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Heat up the bean mixture a little in a sauce pan and place on the egg roll wrapper square putting egg on the edges to seal.

Fry the little guys up in some oil until golden brown

MMM so good!

Here is an internal view

To add a creamy touch I put together a lemon yogurt sauce. I can't remember exactly what I did, but I think this is the general idea...
-1/4 stick of butter
-1 cup Greek yogurt
-splash of almond milk
-fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
Heat on low-medium heat until smooth and creamy. Top the ravioli with sauce and then smile a little because dinner is done :)

Artichoke with Lemon Balsamic Butter

As I wandered through the grocery store last week, I could not help but notice the pile of artichokes. In the coming days I was determined to do something about it! What is the best way to enjoy artichoke? Boil it and make a delicious butter sauce for dipping.

Artichoke with Lemon Balsamic Butter Sauce
Recipe by Jeff
• 1 whole artichoke
• ¼ stick butter
• 1 lemon (juice)
• A few shakes of balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
Submerge the artichoke in boiling water and boil until soft (around 20 minutes). Melt the butter and add the lemon juice, balsamic, salt and pepper. Add a random sprig of really anything to make it beautiful! (This was my contribution). Peel the leaves off one by one, dipping soaking them in butter. Once you reach the center of the artichoke…enjoy the heart!

How do you like to use artichokes in cooking?

Fizzy Summer

As the summer days have been absolutely scorching I thought it would be lovely to make a light, crisp summer drink. Using these silicone ice trays I picked up at Bed Bath and Beyond last week, I made lemon-raspberry ice cubes. I squeezed out some fresh lemon juice and added a tiny bit to the bottom of each square. Then I tossed in 2 raspberries, finishing by filling the squares with water. Adding the ice cubes to a glass of sparkling water and there you have it: A light, citrus, refreshing, healthy summer drink.

Does anyone have any other ideas for ice cubes or ice trays?

Guest Cooks

Here are pictures I have taken of the yummy food that others have made. They are all sure to make it into the recipe book!

Sheppard's Pie - Mom

Egg Salad on an everything bagel - Jeff and Jenna (Jeff toasted the bagels)


Breakfast Bagel - Ali and Rob (sister and brother-in-law)


M & M Cookies - Ali


Lemon Cake - Penny (cousin)

Cherry Cheesecake - Mom

Bunny Cake - Aunt Debbie and Family

Apple Snicker Salad - Jenny (cousin)

Spicy Cream cheese, Ham and Pineapple roll-ups - Uncle Bob

Deviled Eggs - Mom

Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Pudding and Toffee - Mom

Creamy Club Sandwich - This one was me, but no great blogging stories to go with it

Deep Dish, Traditional Chicago Style - Rob (he made two, but one unfortunately was served to the floor, RIP deep dish)

Chicago Pizza, thin crust - Rob

Easy Scramble - This is me again, but this picture is storyless

Caprese Bites - Amanda

Lemon Bars, Larimer Toffee Squares, Lime Manhattan

I was invited to Adam’s house for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I made the decision to make a dessert every time I visit anybody. This way I am not stuck at the house with 20 desserts to eat. I had some coffee in the morning which was perhaps not the wisest choice. I don’t usually drink caffeine so I was absolutely hyped up! I exercised, made a big breakfast, list-made like a pro, and went to the store. I don’t think I have ever navigated King Soopers that quickly. I then stopped at the liquor store to get some booze…that took a little longer because I was completely undecided on what to make. Once all was purchased I made my way home. My heart was racing and I could barely keep my mind in one direction; from only one cup of coffee! Man, my tolerance is low. So I rampage and cook and feel like I am on Iron Chef, where I only have an hour and an impossible 3 dishes to make. Will she do it? Bobby Flay gives me the thumbs up and I slowly realize I am home in my kitchen and going Mad! Jeff is trying to finish a paper before a deadline at 4, so I try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible. But with the caffeine, I talk to the food…..no don’t do that, yes you are yummy; and the cat….Max, no lemon bars for you! I am keeping a close eye on Max. A few months ago I had made lemon bars, I was cooling them before I added the glaze topping and got distracted. I look over only to find little Max up on the counter munching away at the lemon bars. He ruined a good ¼ of the bars! Cats aren’t even supposed to like citrus. He got a good whack that day and maybe learned his lesson, because he didn’t bother the bars. I cooked them up and let them cool, glazed the top and let them harden. I cut a shamrock template out of a note card and made little powdered sugar shamrocks on top of each lemon bar. The Larimer Toffee Squares were easy and full of butter! A lot of the pecan toppings fell off the squares, so I saved them in a bowl as another sweet snack.
Now the fun part; a lime Manhattan. I poured a generous amount of whisky in a martini glass, added some ginger ale, lime juice and grenadine (you are usually suppose to use a cherry liqueur, but my wallet talked me out of it). I plopped a maraschino cherry in the bottom and garnished with a lime wedge. The whole point in making the martini was to get a picture while it was still light out but I hadn’t thought about what to do with it after that. Since Jeff had to go to work shortly, it fell on my shoulders to drink it….mustn’t waste! I took a shower and sat on the couch for an hour or two sipping my martini. After I had dolled myself up a bit, I went to the party. It took the help of Mike and Amanda to carry all the stuff I brought in. I was determined to get these sweets out of my life and never let them return.
To my dismay, the little powdered sugar Shamrocks I had spent so long on had melted into the glaze. Apparently the glaze has to be absolutely dry and then exposed to no heat. Oh bother! They were still delicious and Adam managed to find the outline of a Shamrock to show to everyone. The Larimer Toffee Squares were a huge hit! Aaron couldn’t stop eating them. The squares ran out by the end of the night but a few lemon bars remained. I abandoned the lemon bars in hope that someone one else would eat them. I spent the night at Mike and Amanda’s with two cats by my side, Max was sure jealous when I got home.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy some whiskey for me!