Tooch's Kitchen

where happiness is homemade...

Crispy Ravioli

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I know it’s called Crispy Ravioli, but make no mistake about it – these are fried, and crispy sounds better than fried.  I tried, I really did, to do a baked version of these and was sadly disappointed.  They weren’t… crispy, or golden, or… fried.  They were pale, soggy, sad imitations of what this dish is not.  Sorry Friends, but fried is the only way… just call them “crispy” and you may feel a little better… I know I do….

I have had this on my “To Make” list for a while, as I am obsessed with everything pasta and saucy. These are great to feed a crowd, or as a mid Saturday “it’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner”, which I call “Lupper” or “Linner”.

Crispy Ravioli | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

It is cheaper to buy frozen ravioli then fresh, and since you are precooking them it really doesn’t matter what form you buy them in, just make sure they are good quality and feel free to use ones with different fillings for a new twist.  Best part: you can bread these a day in advance and keep them in the fridge until its time to cook.  If they are not being consumed right after cooking, keep them warm in the oven on low and make sure the Italian Marinara Dipping Sauce is piping hot when it’s time to present.  Speaking of Marinara sauce, I despise all the store-bought varieties, so I inserted a link (well, 2 links now) for you to one of my recipes.  Again, the Marinara can be pre-made days in advance and taken out when needed.  🙂

See why this makes such a great crowd pleasing dish?!

 


Italian Marinara Dipping Sauce

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This is a little keeper of a recipe.  I cannot stand anything store-bought or pre-made in the Marinara Dipping Sauce department.  Now just to be clear this is not the Tomato sauce that you would throw in with your pasta of preference.  This recipe is mainly for dipping of delicious things.  We use it for Mozzarella Sticks and Crispy Ravioli to name a few.

It takes a little time to make and it’s fully worth it.  I store the unused amount into smaller, individual zip top bags, label it with “marinara dipping sauce” with the date and take it out when I need it. Defrost in the sink with some warm water and heat up in a small sauce pan.  Done – good bye and good riddance store-bought !

 


Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs

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Lately while at the grocery store I have been looking at the labels on products.  I usually don’t think twice about breadcrumbs, but one day I flipped that familiar tube over and was floored.  I could’t believe how many ingredients were in there. Worst part: I couldn’t pronounce a few of them, that was it for me.  Back on the shelf it went and this little beauty of a recipe came to life.  Simple, dead easy, and with ingredients you probably already have. Make this once and you will never go back to store bought again.

Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

Head over to a local bakery and buy a bag of their breadcrumbs – you know, the loose ones they have in a bin with conveniently placed plastic bags next to it… yeah, those ones.  It may cost you a buck or two.

When you get home, double, triple or quadruple this recipes based on how much you actually use.  You can store them in a zip top bag and toss them in the freezer, or do what I do and reuse a previously emptied (read as immediately discarded contents) bread crumbs tube.  Store leftover, unseasoned bread crumbs in the freezer as well.  There is no need to defrost when you go to use them.

 

Authentic Canadian Poutine

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Now what kind of Canadian Food Blogger would I be if I didn’t have a classic poutine recipe on this site?  I mean really – what Canadian has NOT had poutine?!  Admittedly not everyone loves it but those that do, love it to the point of loyalty.  I group myself into the last category, flag waiving and all.

Lets get the the pronunciation of this correct right off the bat.  If you are an English speaking Canadian, you’ll almost certainly pronounce it “pooh-teen”. French Canadians might suggest that it should be pronounced as “pooh-tin”.  To be safe, if you find yourself in Quebec, you could try the latter (some folks WILL correct you if you don’t) but  pretty much anywhere else in Canada and elsewhere, “poo-teen” will serve you just fine and successfully get you the goods. Sources say  the dish originated in rural Quebec, Canada, in the late 1950s but no one has been able to pin point where in Quebec it was first served.

So what is poutine? Short answer: It’s a textural experience.  Long Answer: It is a combination of really crispy french fries, topped with squeaky cheese curds and then smothered in good quality, rich gravy.  The gravy warms up the cheese and makes it softly melted, stringy,  squeaky yummieness that you scoop with with a fry already in place on your fork… I personally go for the “Holy Trio” with every bite to make sure I don’t leave anyone out of the party that’s about to happen. If you are not Canadian, don’t snark (I can see you… ) – I employ you to try it…. it’s fantastic !

Authentic Canadian Poutine | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

Poutine is truly the sum of all its parts.  Pay attention to details and your dish will blow your mind. Lets start with the French Fries: they need to be crispy or they will turn into a soggy mess and not be able to hold up with the rest of its counterparts on your fork.  For this recipe I used my Oven Baked Italian Fries as some of you will remember that I am not able to control myself  around french fries, so I health it up a bit and sleep better at night knowing I at least tried.

Cheese Curds, what the heck are those?  They are little rubbery, squeaky pieces of cheese.  If you cannot find cheese curds, I suggest you use mozzarella broken into bits.  While cheese curds are called and considered cheddar, using cheddar in their place is not the same.  To take it one step further, when I go to a restaurant for poutine I ask what kind of cheese they use.  If they say regular cheddar, I pass.

The Gravy needs to be good!  It can be all chicken, beef, or veal based;  or a combination of any of the 3.  For this recipe I went for a even divide of chicken and beef but feel free to play with the ratio’s until you get it where you like it. Also, a little plea here if I may: make the gravy from scratch – don’t be tempted by the powder “poutine” gravy packs I know you see in some grocery stores.  If this gravy takes you longer than 6 minutes, I will eat a poutine with straight cheddar cheese…

Oh, for all those non-Canadians who will be making and eating poutine… you can arguably consider yourselves a Canadian now 🙂  Bienvenue au Canada !  (I don’t speak french FYI — that was googled, lol )

Oven Baked Italian Fries

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God how I love french fries, especially home made french fries.  My grandmother still tries to bribe me to come over by offering to make her homemade “patatine fritte” – its not that I don’t go over, but she would have me there everyday and gladly make these to get me there.

The problem is the fries like me as much as I like them… they specifically like to stick to my body and not leave without a fight.  So I had to find a way to have my fries and not feel so guilty about it.  That’s where this recipe came into play.  Even though these are cooked in the oven, they turn out crispy every time – and I am actually starting to enjoy them more than I did with their friend counterpart.  The addition of the Parmesan cheese adds another dimension to the recipe that will keep you coming back for more.

Oven Baked Italian Fries | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

Now I am not saying go ahead and eat 10 pounds of this stuff, but you will be able to eat them without so much of a viscous battle later on.  Don’t forget to pair them with my Japanese Spicy Mayo!

 

Japanese Spicy Mayo

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Ever wonder how to make that spicy mayo you get at Japanese restaurants?  You know the one, it comes on the spicy salmon rolls and the spicy dynamite rolls… yeah, this recipe is THAT sauce and it’s so incredibly easy to make.

Japenese Spicy Mayo | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

You can make a huge batch of it and put it into a squeeze bottle for easy access or make it as you need it.  Either way, now you know how. I suggest you start putting that sh*t on everything right away 🙂

Kalbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs)

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Oh these are good… I mean restaurant good! I LOVE going for Korean BBQ and these are a must order every single time.  I have been dabbling into Korean flavours and dishes lately as it is a much different flavour profile then I am used too. Naturally this made it to my “must try” list as driving over an hour is a bit much when the craving for short ribs hits.  I found a Korean supermarket nearby and they always have the best short ribs.  Try not to get ones with a lot of fat on them.  While fat usually equals flavour, in this case – fat mean less meat… and you want the meat.

Kalbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs) | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

The smell when the ribs hit the open flame on the BBQ is intoxicating.  We often see the neighbours peeking out of the window… probably wondering what that crazy short girl is up to this time 😉

 

Korean BBQ Marinade

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The secret to success has always been in the details.  In this case the details is this marinade. It can be used on beef short ribs, tofu, tempeh, and even vegetables. Once on the grill, the sauce caramelizes and provides a smoky, savory, somewhat sweet flavor.  If you are like me and like to dabble in the exciting world of Korean flavours, you will find you have most of the ingredients already on hand.

Marinade on my friends, marinade on!

Korean BBQ Marinade | © www.toochskitchen.com |

 

Classic Scones

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I used to love Sundays, I mean I still do but for very different reasons these days.  In my previous life, one of the restaurants I worked in did a Sunday Brunch every week.  I was lucky enough to make batches and batches of Scones for our Brunch crowd.  Yes, I said and meant “lucky enough”, you see – I HAD to test them to, you know, make sure they were good.  I got to get my hands on these bad boys as soon as they came out of the oven and they were HOT… I would crack one open down the middle, spread on some butter and jam and have at it.  Probably one of the best breakfast’s I’d had all week.

Classic Scones | © www.toochskitchen.com |

These are easy to make and the little effort you put in will pay off with the reward of eating them.  You can top them with the traditional whipped cream and Jam combination, or if you are like me – try it with one of my Fruit Butters. And don’t forget to “test one” as soon as they come out of that oven… you know, to make sure they’re good !

 

 

Fruit Butters

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Now this is Brilliant !  If you follow me on Instagram (you do don’t you?) then you know I love my toast with Jam. But I think of all the time wasted buttering my toast THEN spreading the jam onto it. All that time, forever gone.  Well no more !

Fruit Butters | © www.toochskitchen.com |

Above you will find Blackberry Butter (Top), Peach Butter (Bottom Left) and Raspberry Butter (Bottom Right). It really doesn’t get much simpler than this.  Take unsalted room temperature butter and mix in your favourite Jam and viola ! You now have added more time for the things you love – which for me may possibly be Pinterest these days 🙂

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