Wonton Raviolis with Basil Brown Butter Sauce

Hey everyone!

So I think that the more irritated I get with my day, the better I cook at the end of it.  I wandered around the kitchen in search of what I was going to make.  I had pretty much decided and then I went the opposite direction.  I have been wanted to experiment with the different uses of the wonton wrapper and I found some at a reduced price at the grocery store; thus, the experiments begin!

I knew I wanted to experiment with a few specific recipes.  I want to conquer:

• crab rangoon
• raviolis
• pot stickers
• mini lasagnas 

 Tonight, I started with the raviolis.  I love to fly by the seat of my pants when I cook.  I LOVE making up stuff as I go.  I usually end up with great ideas when I let the juices flow.  This was one of those occasions.

What ended up happening was a cheese ravioli with a basil brown butter sauce.  This was SO EASY and it literally took me 25 minutes start to eating and it makes 4 servings.  What I love about the wonton wrappers is that it's lower in calories (so you can have a butter sauce with it) and really easy to work with.  Here is how to do it:

The Raviolis

The Filling:

1 cup cottage cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried basil

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

32 wonton wrappers

water and olive oil

In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese, onions, egg and Parmesan cheese.  It should be easily blended.  Then add the spices, stir, and let rest while you assemble the wrappers.

Preheat oven to 375

Brush two baking sheets lightly with olive oil.  Place 8 wonton wrappers per baking sheet down and add one spoonful of the filling to each wrapper (there will be a small ball in the center and plenty of space on all sides of the wontons).  Then you are going to dip your finger into some water and wet the circumference of each filled wonton wrapper.  Then place another wonton wrapper on the top and press down until sealed.

 

 Brush the tops of each ravioli with olive oil.  Place both baking sheets (16 raviolis total) into the oven for about 9 minutes.  The tops of the raviolis will start to puff up and you will smell the filling cooking.  Remove from the oven and let set until the sauce is ready.

The Sauce

1 medium onion chopped

1 orange pepper chopped

1 cup chopped chicken breast (I used tofu chicken breast substitute)

3 medium mushrooms sliced

1 T minced garlic

1 tsp basil

salt and pepper

6 T butter

Start by sauteing onions and garlic together in 1/2 T of the butter on medium heat until the onions are soft.  Add the chicken (or tofu) and stir for 1 minute.  Add the peppers, mushrooms and seasonings and stir for about 3-5 minutes.  You want your orange peppers to be slightly softened.  Then add the rest of the butter and immediately reduce the heat to low.  Throw in the raviolis and stir to coat in the sauce.  Stir the butter and let it set until it starts to turn brown.  Serve.

I finished this off with a little Parmesan cheese.  This is really tasty and easy.  I ate this with a solid glass of wine on the side.  It's fun to put together with kids or a spouse.  It's a great way to get some help in the kitchen and being quick about it.  I highly recommend throwing the ravioli into the sauce and mixing it before you serve it.  I just poured the sauce on the top and I found the edges of the wontons a little crunchy.  Throwing the raviolis into the sauce before serving should remedy that.  Let me know how it turns out for you!

Let us talk basic kneeds!