12 Days of Christmas Recipe Countdown: Chestnut Ravioli with Madeira Mushroom Sauce

Maderia Mushroom Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 Tablespoons Shallots, minced

1 Tablespoon Garlic, fresh, minced

2 cups            Mushroom, sliced

1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh, chopped

4 ounces Madeira wine

1 ½ cups Veal stock or brown sauce reduced

2 Tablespoons Half and half

1 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh, chopped

½  teaspoon Salt

½  teaspoon White pepper

¼ cup Cold water

2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (mix with cold water to make slurry)                    

 

PREPARATION:                                                                                                    

• Heat sauce pan; spray with cooking spray.


• Sauté shallots for about two minutes on medium heat.


•  Add garlic, mushrooms and thyme; sauté for another two minutes.


• Add Madeira wine and let reduce for about 1 minute.


• Add the veal stock (or beef stock), parsley, salt and pepper; let this reduce by 1/2 for approximately 5 minutes.

• Add cornstarch slurry if a thicker consistency is desired.  Slurry is corn starch and cold water—about one to one ratio.

                                   

Chef’s Note:  This technique can be used with any type of liquor or wine. This sauce goes great with chicken breast, or beef tenderloin as well as pork tenderloin.

 

Number of servings: about 6

Serving size: 2 ounces

Calories: 50

Fat grams: 3

 

Chestnut Ravioli

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups All purpose flour

½ cup Ground flax seed

4 each Eggs

1 teaspoon Olive oil

Filling:

½ pound Chestnuts, crushed

3 cups Ricotta, fat free

½ cups Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons Shallots, sautéed or softened

¼ teaspoon Cinnamon

1 egg Egg mixed with little water (for making pasta stick)

PREPARATION:

• Preheat large pot of boiling water.


• Set up food processor, with “S” blade attachment.


• Add flour and flax then add eggs and oil to food processor bowl.


• Process until the flour is incorporated and evenly moistened.  The pulse button on your machine is best for this if you have one.


• Lightly flour your work area and knead your dough.


• Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes


• While dough rests, prepare filling.


• For the filling, mix the crushed chestnuts (your food processor works great for this) then add the ricotta, parmesan cheese, sautéed shallots and pinch of cinnamon.


• When dough is ready, use the pasta roller attachment on your Kitchen Aid mixer and simply feed the dough through. Repeat until you get to level 4 on your pasta roller. (Level 4 is the desired thickness for your raviolis.) If you do not have a Kitchen Aid mixer, roll out dough on floured surface as thin as you can without our tearing the dough.


• Once your pasta is rolled out, simply scoop 1 ounce of filling in rows on your sheet of dough.  Be sure to keep plenty of space between raviolis.


•  Brush an egg-water mixture around and in between the raviolis—this helps the sheet of pasta that gets placed on top of your filling to stick so your filling does not come out during the cooking process.


• Use a ravioli cutter, or even a circular cutter, to cut the raviolis. Press the sides of the ravioli with your hands to make sure all filling is sealed inside.


• Repeat until you have made 24 raviolis, or reserve your dough for a later day.  (Raviolis can be made ahead of time, stored in freezer and simply cooked from frozen state.) 


• Boil pasta for about 12 minutes or until pasta is soft and slightly aldente.  (Pasta will float after a few minutes but continue to let cook.)

Servings: 12

Servings Size: 2 raviolis

Calories: 250

Fat: 6