Sunday Dinner - Sept 12, 2010

Last night was the second Sunday Dinner.  And the chaos that was my kitchen after displays just how great of an evening it was.  I had 10 people total (including me) and what a fun time we had. The kitchen was an absolute mess by the time all was said and done, and it was well worth the 2 hours of clean up. 

The menu was:

Appetizer: St. Louis Fried Ravioli (Cuisine at Home)

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese (courtesy of Tyler Florence), Basil Green Goddess salad dressing over some spring greens (courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa), Olive Cheese bread (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

Dessert: Pretty little mini brownie bites (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

The St. Louis Fried Ravioli's were a big hit...especially with Baby Jack (Baby Jack who's no 1 year old).  He seemed to really love those little bits of goodness.  I made enough for 3 per person and discovered that 2 per person would have been fine.  Had a couple left over, that I'm hoping will heat up nicely today.  Scroll down for this recipe.

I made the Bolognese on Saturday fearing I wouldn't have enough time on Sunday for it to sit and cook for hours.  Turned out to be the best thing I've done for the Bolognese.  Things like that are always better the day after...and this Bolognese is no different.

The Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is by Tylor Florence and can be found here.

The olive cheese bread was a HUGE hit.  For the record, there is NOTHING fat free with this bread.  It is full of flavor and something I highly recommend.  My friend Kim saw the recipe hanging on the refrigerator and said, "Oh man, I hope we have this for dinner."  She had no idea we were having it.  When I brought out the bread she all but cried. Joking, but she almost did.  Sent her home with the recipe and the left over bread...she promised to make the bread (and she's not a cook). 

The Olive Cheese Bread recipe can be found here.

The salad was quite good as well. I had been watching Barefoot Contessa (whom I used to really dislike and now kinda like). She was making this Bibb lettuce salad with Basil Green Goddess dressing.  I'm a big fan of Green Goddess dip, so I figured a salad dressing can't be all that bad.  I didn't use Bibb lettuce because it was expensive and didn't look so great. Instead I used a baby spring mix. If I did it again, I'd use a heartier lettuce.  Still, it was good.  I think it would make a great vegi dip too.

The salad recipe can be found here.

The mini brownie bites were the big hit.  Several people didn't believe I had actually made them. They look so fancy, but are so easy to do.  They do take time and planning, but I promise they are worth it.  They are rich, so the small bite size pieces are perfect.  I'm not a huge fan of homemade brownies, so when I do these again, I may use box brownie mix. I'm a rebel that way.

The Mini Brownie Bites recipe, can be found here.


Recipes

St. Louis Fried Ravioli's

• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 egg
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 T Paprika
• 1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli (you can either thaw them or not, it's up to you)
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Get your dredging station set up. First bowl, put the flour.  Second bowl, combine milk and egg (whisk together). Third bowl, place breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dip ravioli in flour tapping it to remove excess.  Then dip it in the milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs mixture.  Set aside.  Allow ravioli's to sit for 15 minutes after dredged. Helps keep the breading on the ravioli.


Cook ravioli until golden brown in heated oil.  Allow them to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Put them on a plate for guest, garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Heat the marinara and set alongside the ravioli for guests to add to their plates.

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