Day 24: Ravioli

I don't buy many convenience food products. I aced General Chemistry in college so it concerns me when my food has things in it that I can't pronounce. But more that than, I think homemade foods just taste better and I get a huge amount of satisfaction from creating a meal from scratch.

Some things just are not feasible to do at home on a regular basis. My rule for convenience foods is the same as for eating out - it has to be something I cannot (easily) make at home. This list includes Chinese food, Asian dumplings, anything deep fried, and ravioli. Fortunately Costco sells frozen ravioli that is quick and easy to cook and very yummy. On a day like today, where time just got away from me, it's nice to be able to pull this bag out of the freezer and have a hot meal on the table in 10 minutes.

Another advantage to this meal is that everybody mixes up the pasta the way they like it. My son is a purist - he likes just olive oil and salt. My daughter likes the cheese herb mix that comes in the ravioli package. I like spaghetti sauce and parmesan.

I stir-fried asparagus in olive oil with a little garlic and salt for about five minutes. I like it to have a beautiful bright green color and for it to be still-crunchy. Add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper and it is a real treat to eat.

Busy Mom Modifications and Tips

• Be sure to cook the ravioli in a lot of water and that it is at a full, roiling boil when you drop the pasta in. Stir to keep them from sticking. As soon as they float to the top, they are done.
• To ensure the asparagus cooks enough to get the raw flavor out but maintain crunchiness, your frying pan should be almost smoking hot before you drop them in.
• Both kids love to take this in their school lunches. Neither the spinach nor the cheese ravioli requires refrigeration.

The Results
These are both family favorites.

Ratings

• Difficulty: Easy
• Time to prepare: 20 minutes 
• Prognosis: I make this frequently when we are tight on time.

My Shopping List

Nothing - I made do with what I had on hand.

The Tally

• The day's tally: $0
• Total this week so far: $0
• Total this month, to date: $36