FRIDAY
Carrot Pudding Ravioli | Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Today is a day in which dinner holds little interest, in fact, eating in general has lost most of its appeal…
I am one of those people…I don’t like clutter {things just hanging around}. Every year, the Christmas tree, garlands, wreaths…it all starts to get on my nerves the day after Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I love indulging in all the seasonal trimmings but when it is done…I want it gone. I have been building up to this point since Halloween, when the pumpkins & gourds started making their appearance in and around the house. The bowls and trays displaying harvest’s bounty {apples, pomegranates, persimmons}, which added such beautiful color to my kitchen counters, have dwindled to the last few pieces. My kitchen cabinets, faced in glass, have lost their sparkle. The stainless steel appliances are covered in a blanket of streaks and fingerprints.
The day after Thanksgiving signals my “taking back” the kitchen. Re-gaining control after weeks of marathon culinary sessions & minimal maintenance. Today, the butcher block counters will be cleared, washed & oiled; the stainless steel, cleaned & polished; the porcelain sink scrubbed white again; the stovetop cleaned with steel wool; cabinets wiped down & glass faces left gleaming…
Look at how that dishwasher shines & there is NOTHING being chopped or diced on that beautifully cleaned & oiled butcher’s block cutting board.
A polished stove with NOTHING simmering upon it.
A gleaming {and EMPTY} cake plate…those cabinets back there look squeaky clean as well.
Just as I am replacing the last glass shade on the pendant lamps hanging over the island {sparkling clean after a session in the dishwasher} Max comes in & asks “What’s for dinner?”
Oh well, it is a reality that the heart of the home can only stop beating for so long. I sit down at the counter & admire my clean canvas, thinking to myself…time to start baking for the Christmas season…
Dinner tonight started out as Pumpkin Ravioli {as featured in the November 2012 issue of Saveur magazine} but we had some left-over Carrot Pudding from Thanksgiving dinner so I decided to use that for the filling. This pudding was a new recipe for us this year and it stole the show. Light, fluffy & so savory!
- 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch sections
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons grated yellow onion
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- Place the carrots in a medium saucepan & add enough cold water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer and cook the carrots until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain & cool slightly.
- Purée the carrots in a food processor. Add the lemon juice & process to combine. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 2-quart soufflé dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, the sugar, the flour, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Add the onion & puréed carrots, and beat until well-blended.
- Add the milk & eggs and mix until smooth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish.
- Bake, uncovered, until the pudding is puffed and lightly browned and the center is firm to the touch, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve immediately.
Carrot Pudding Before…
Carrot Pudding After…
Making the homemade pasta dough…
The stove wasn’t dormant for long…
For the Maple Roasted Brussel sprouts…
OK…I am going to be honest here…tonight’s dinner involved a lot more effort than I wanted to put forth {the day after Thanksgiving and all…you know} but I have to admit that the carrot pudding-stuffed ravioli was to die for {I just wish I could have ordered it through delivery tonight}. Mallory had a blast making the pasta with me tonight & that made all the effort worth it!
Best Wishes for a Wonderful Weekend & Happy Dining!
Great post. Love the “taking back the kitchen” line. I have put the carrot pudding recipe in my Forkchop file. Doesn’t look difficult to make at all.