Get you some

Please make these. I must admit, they are probably not considered a "health food". These are probably not the sort of foods one with high cholesterol should be eating (not that I know of anyone that has high cholesterol. nope. huh uh. not this girl.) Let me tell you how to make these:

Fried Ravioli

ingredients:

1 pkg fresh cheese ravioli (at Walmart when the craving strikes? it's in the front of the store. go figure)

1/2 box panko bread crumbs (just trust me on this. they are better than regular)

2 eggs

1 tbsp italian seasonings (from a mix or from your creation of multible spice jars in your pantry...it matters not)

1/2 c canola oil or olice oil (after all, they are heart-healthy)

jarred marinara sauce (I like the refrigerated kind best and I whirl it with the hand blender to make smooth)

1. beat eggs and add seasonings to panko mixture

2. get pan hot then add oil (yes, this matters)

3. coat ravioli in egg mixture

4. cover in panko crumbs

5. fry until golden brown and then turn. pull out when done (maybe 3 mintues total)

6. lay out on paper towels until you can't stand it anymore and then eat.

7. serve with warm marinara for dunking

p.s. as you are coating your ravioli, you may not think the mixture sticks well to the pasta. don't worry. just you wait, it will be perfect!

Shepard's Pie

We had this tonight. Needs some tweaking...not as good as other versions I've had and certainly nothing as good as I had in England and Scotland! 

I made my own mashed potatoes (with lite sour cream and a spalsh of milk, no butter or cheese like listed below)

(picture from the Food Network)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb (beef for our pie)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 1/2 cups garden peas
• Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.

Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic until tender for about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown a little add the tomato paste and mix evenly. Add the ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook and simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix in peas. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Place potato on top of ground beef mixture and spread out evenly, once the top surface has been covered, rake through with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Place the dish into the preheated oven and cook until browned about 20 minutes. Spoon out the shepherd's pie and serve.

• Mashed Potatoes
• 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated mature white Cheddar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large saucepan with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Add potatoes to the water and bring to a boil. Let potatoes cook until soft about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are at a desired density,drain the potatoes and place them back into the saucepan for mashing. Add butter and cream and begin to mash potatoes into a semi smooth consistency. Once at desired texture add cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.