Chef Oh Boy Are Deez Good

I love ravioli. It's the universal food that no matter where you are in the world there is some regional variation stuffed with goodness.

But somewhere along the way I've lost my taste for traditional red spaghetti sauces from Ragu and Prego and all the others. Too salty, too bland (even those that promise a kick).

So I experiment. These are some of the easiest and best tasting I've had, at home or anywhere else for that matter.

INGREDIENTS:

• One package of frozen ravioli, cheese or beef or spinach or whatever else you find locally
• Fresh sweet Maui onion
• Fresh mushrooms
• Olive Oil
• Powdered or ground garlic
• Fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

PREPARATION:

Cook ravioli according to package directions, usually about 8 minutes.  Drain.  In same pot, reduce heat to medium-low and pour about 1/4 cup olive oil and sauté two thin onion slices (quartered) for 2-3 minutes.  Then add sliced mushrooms for only about a minute while adding garlic.  Put the cooked ravioli back into the pot and stir gently until warm over very low heat.  Plate and sprinkle with freshly ground hard cheese like Parmesan or Romano.  Serve with garlic bread and a side salad.

WHY NOT JUST COOK WITH RAGU?

Tomato sauce covers up much of the delicate flavors that are found in many ravioli and are high in sodium while this method is rich in two of the most desired foods for good nutrition ... olive oil and garlic. Not only does it make for a gourmet presentation but there are is far more taste than simply soaking the ravioli in spaghetti sauce.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

"Italian food is all about ingredients and it's not fussy and it's not fancy"

- Wolfgang Puck


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Turkey Tacos?

First off, the picture is not how I actually make my Turkey Tacos (of course not ... the stuffing would fall right out and it would be too hard to get to the wishbone).
 
And this isn't a recipe for how I make them.  In a taco shell my recipe is "Make tacos, substituting ground turkey for ground beef".

Chili Gone Carne

 

As winter approaches everyone’s thoughts turn to a hot bowl of chili to warm those frosty nights.  Chili is so easy to make it’s a shame to buy the high sodium canned chili that bears little resemblance to the real thing.  There are chili cookoff contests in which the namesake food is a very big deal for serious chili eaters.  Most of those people don’t like to share their recipes, but here at The Old Cooker, sharing is what’s it’s all about.

Berber Black Bean Couscous

This is a meal impressive enough to serve to your gourmand friends who will believe you slaved for hours preparing it.  I “invented” it one evening from a few things I had in the pantry when it was too late in the evening to start a from-scratch meal and didn’t want to resort to the usual suspect quickie meals.  The total prep time was about 10 minutes and as you can see from the photo this looks like anything but a fast-food meal.  After the jump I’ll share some ideas for putting just a little more energy into it to take it to the next level.

Time for thanks

Food is the glue that socially binds us together. In today’s busy world there is little as satisfying as sharing a great meal with friends and family. As you read the various recipes and ideas presented here won’t you please take a moment to give us your feedback by clicking one of the buttons below, leaving a personal comment or by sharing the post to your social media page?

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Bourbon Apple Bacon Bits

Photo Credit Michael Simon

Wait, stop, they had me at “bourbon”!  And bacon too?  This was shared with me by my friend Mike S. and I had to pass it forward with his preparation tips and photo of the ready-to-be-baked bites.  He took a basic idea and made it Mike’s way so further down are some additional ideas for slightly optional ways to prepare them.

Caramel Apple Cocktail

Credit: Margaritaville Cargo

Here's a seasonal drink that you can enjoy with your guests for get-togethers during the Halloween through Thanksgiving season, or for that matter, anytime.  It can be prepared for those who do or don't drink alcoholic beverages. Plus it's got yogurt in it so it qualifies as a health food :-)

A foil for sticking

To keep cleanup at a minimum I always line the baking tray with aluminum foil when cooking in the oven.  However many breaded frozen foods tend to stick to the foil, pulling the breading off or leaving shreds of foil stuck to the food.  Spraying the foil with non-stick spray or coating it with cooking oil helps but changes the texture of the breading, and of course can add calories.