Week Five: Ravioli, Teriyaki, and Pizza Rolls, Oh My!

Due to preparations for Halloween, this one is coming to you a little bit late. While I don't have any money-saving tips for you this week, I can promise that next week will be a Holiday Special focusing on turkey and interesting cookies. :)

This Week’s Recipes Are: Ravioli Soup, Teriyaki Stir-Fry, Homemade Pizza Rolls

Ravioli Soup (pg. 19 of Cheap! Fast! Good!)

Photo by Me

Serves: 4 Start to Finish: Under 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

· 2 teaspoons olive oil

· 1 large onion

· 8 ounces fresh button mushrooms

· 1 clove fresh garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

· 2 cans fat-free chicken broth

· 1 can diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and onions

· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

· ½ teaspoon dried basil

· 2 cups mini cheese ravioli

· Shredded or grated parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Heat the oil in a 4 ½ - quart soup pot over medium heat. While the oil is heating, peel and coarsely chop the onion, adding it to the pot as you chop. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes.

2. Rinse, pat fry, and slice the mushrooms, discarding any tough stems. Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook until they begin to release their liquid, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, broth, tomatoes with their juice, Worcestershire sauce, and basil. Raise the heat to high, cover the pot, and bring the soup to a boil.

4. When the soup is at a rolling boil, add the ravioli. When it returns to a boil, cook until the ravioli are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve at once.

Review-
Most people wouldn't think that ravioli and soup would go together - ravioli is a pasta, after all, and that usually involves sauce, not broth. This recipe will surprise you. It smells amazing, and while it may look questionable on paper, it looks amazing in person. This recipe combines that mom's-best-soup feeling with age old Italian style. I highly recommend this recipe, as it is one that is sure to amaze you.

Teriyaki Stir-Fry

Photo by me. Pictured vegetables: baby corn, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, celery, red pepper, carrots.

Serves: 4 Start to Finish: Under 25 minutes

Ingredients:

· 1 Tbsp sesame oil

· 4 meat fillets, ¾” thick (can be salmon, chicken, beef, pork, etc: )

· ¾ Cups teriyaki sauce

· Any selection of stir-fry or wok vegetables

1. In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat (I use medium heat, as my stove burns hot). Add the fillets and move them around so they do not stick to the skillet. Cook for 4 minutes on each side.

2. Add the teriyaki sauce and vegetables. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until fillets are cooked thoroughly, about 5 to 7 minutes. When fillets are cooked thoroughly, serve teriyaki stir-fry on plates and enjoy.

Review-

This is a recipe that I often cut my fillets into bite-sized pieces for, since it allows the chicken that I typically use to cook more thoroughly in a shorter period. Sometimes, cooking fillets can take longer than the recipe says, so be prepared to cook the fillets for longer or shorter based on what kind of meat you’re using. Don’t take any chances, especially with pork and poultry.

This is another recipe that I adore; it’s tasty, it’s delicious, and it reheats like a dream. I like to serve this with white rice, which can be on the side, or in a bowl with the stir-fry over it, or even just in a side bowl.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

Serves: 2 – 4 Prep Time: Less than 15 minutes

Ingredients:

· Pepperoni

· Shredded cheese (mixed, mozzarella, pizza blend, etc; )

· Pizza sauce

· Ready-to-bake crescent rolls (such as Pillsbury)

1. Preheat the oven according to the directions on the crescent roll packaging. Separate the crescent rolls and spread them into triangles on a non-stick cookie sheet.

2. Place a few pepperoni slices in the center of each triangle, as well as cheese and optional pizza sauce. Fold the two longest points of the triangle inward, so that they overlap, and then roll the crescent roll so that the third point wraps around the pizza roll.

3. Place the pizza rolls on their seams on the cookie sheet, and bake according to the directions on the crescent roll packaging. Serve at once, dipping in or drizzling pizza sauce over the rolls.

Review-

This is a recipe that a friend of mine taught me. Very simple, and oh so delicious. One package of crescent rolls will make more than most packages of store-bought pizza rolls, and they’ll be more filling and healthier for you. You can use any kinds of filling you want – sausage, hamburger, ham, or even just plain cheese – and it’ll turn out fantastic. Just make sure that your crescent rolls get fully cooked, and you’re goof to go. :D