the strategic shopper, wk 2/pt 3

homemade ravioli:  what a fab way to close out the week!  :))  well, technically, i used asian ingredients and italian technique, so i don't know whether to call these "wontons" or "ravioli".  i think i'll stick w/ ravioli, LOL.

honestly, i was really surprised how well these came out...  i worked the concept out in my head, but i used a product that is new to me:  extra soft tofu.  i wasn't sure that it would mimic ricotta cheese the way i hoped.  long story short:  the extra soft tofu was a DREAM and had the exact cheese-ravioli texture i thought it would.  the most surprising factor:  these ravioli are JUST SHY of vegan!  there are some egg yolks way down on the wonton skin's ingredient list, but other than that, the entire dish had no animal products.  this was a personal first for me.  ^_^  anyway, the only new thing i purchased for these ravioli was the extra soft tofu which i found for $1.29 at the international market.

ravioli:

~  1 cup boca meatless crumbles, frozen

~  1/4 c finely minced lemon grass

~  1 extra large (4 regular) radish, finely diced

~  1 1-inch piece of ginger, finely diced

~  1/4 finely minced scallion, white part preferred

~  1 tsp fish sauce

~  1 T sriracha sauce (or to taste)

~  3 T (approx) of well-drained extra soft tofu (see today's tips)

~  kosher salt, black pepper

~  approx 20 each square wonton skins

~  water, to seal

1.  mix the first 9 ingredients together in a bowl.  set aside.  the mixture should be relatively tight and keep its shape when pressed.

2.  working w/ one wonton skin, place 1 tsp of filling on the pasta.  to make triangular wontons, place wonton on the work surface so that one corner is pointing towards you.  put the filling just above horizontal center, wet the edges of the pasta w/ water, and match the corners up, pressing to seal.  to make half-moons, a flat side of the wonton skin should be facing you, but do everything else the same.  once the pasta is sealed, use a cutter to remove excess wonton.

3.  place in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze.  (see today's tips.)

i served my ravioli steamed and hot w/ a quick cucumber salad and a vinaigrette made from the salad liquid.  these could also be served fried, cold, in a soup, or w/ a heavier sauce.  they would also be good as a garnish in a vietnamese cold noodle bowl (i always get the one w/ egg roll pieces anyway).

super basic cucumber salad:

~  english cucumbers, seeded and thinly sliced (if you prefer, you can skin them, but i don't.)

~  enough seasoned rice wine vinegar to cover

1.  put both ingredients in a tupperware container and let sit for at least 24 hrs before using.  (see today's tips.)

2.  to make the vinaigrette, i just whisked some of the cuc vinegar into some oil w/ a little salt and pepper then tossed the hot ravioli in it.

TODAY'S TIPS:

1.  when i opened the pouch of extra-soft tofu, the first thing i wanted to do was try it, so i squirted a tablespoon or so into a small bowl.  it's a good thing i sampled it b/c i immediately noticed how watery the product is, despite its great, mayonnaise-y texture.  i decided right then and there to strain it before i used it, the same way i would yogurt.  i just squirted the entire tube into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl, covered the tofu w/ plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, and stored it in my fridge.  i have kept mine stored just like that since then, but i would recommend leaving it like that for at least a day or so.

2.  these ravioli need to be frozen solid before cooking b/c the wonton skin is more delicate that semolina pasta.  also, once they are frozen on the sheet tray, they can easily be stored in a ziploc bag and cooked as needed.  below is a slide show of my ravioli production.

3.  another, quicker way to do a cucumber salad is to bring the two ingredients to a boil over a medium-high flame.  once a boil is reached, transfer the contents to a bowl to cool and store in the fridge.  the only reason i don't do my cucumber salad this way most of the time is b/c it changes the texture; i like my cucumber salad a little on the crisp side.  also, i leave the cucumber skins on is b/c it imparts a nice "green" flavor to the salad liquor, which i love.

this post is a great segue into next weeks TSS item...  but i'm not telling!  :D

thanks for reading, bbs!  xoxox.