Roasted Chicken and Artichoke Purses

These were fun and relaxing to make, I kind of got into mindless assembly, and before I knew it, I was finished. They were delicious inside and we all liked them, a little different something to look at on your plate. I made them for our daughter and her friend to have after a tough volleyball workout (those girls can really put away the groceries!)

Chicken Purses adapted from a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

1-1/4 C shredded roasted chicken (1 large breast roasted)

3/4 C whole milk ricotta cheese 1/2 lemon, zested 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 tsp grey sea salt + more for sprinkling 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper + more for sprinkling 1/2 can of whole artichoke hearts, diced 1/2 C cremini mushrooms, diced 32 small, square wonton wrappers 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 T water

4 T butter

1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

In a small bowl combine the chicken, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, thyme, salt, pepper, artichoke hearts and cremini mushrooms. Stir to combine

On a dry work surface place 8 wonton wrappers. Place a rounded teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash around the chicken mixture. Bring the four corners of the wonton square together over the filling to form a purse. Press the edges together tightly to form a seal. Wipe the board with a towel until dry and continue making batches of n8 with the remaining wonton skins until all of the filling is used.

Place wontons on top of lettuce leaves inside a bamboo steamer, alternately, you can boil salted water and cook for a few minutes until they float to the top. If steaming in bamboo steamer, the lettuce is used to keep the wontons from sticking to the steamer. Steam for about 4-5 minutes.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Turn off the heat and add the cooked purses, gently toss. Transfer the purses to serving plates, sprinkle with cheese, salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

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Dinner last night was a hit!

Pasta Shells Filled with Feta, Ricotta and Mushrooms

Marinara Sauce: 2 - 3 Tbls olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper 2 28-ounce cans San Marsano tomatoes, break up with juices 1 Tbl Double concentrate Tomato Paste (from tube) 1 1/2 Tbls Tony Chachere seasoning 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 tsp dried basil 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Filing: 1-2 Tbls olive oil 8 small cremini mushrooms, small diced 1 small onion, diced 1 lg clove garlic, minced Salt & Pepper to taste 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg 2 15-oz containers ricotta cheese 2 8-oz ounces feta cheese blocks, small diced 1/4 cup fresh basil , chopped 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped 2 eggs 1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells shredded mozzarella cheese Preparation For sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, crushed red pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, Tony's, Worcestershire sauce and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 5 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) For filling: In medium saute pan, heat oil to med-high and saute mushrooms, onion & garlic until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, do not burn garlic. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine ricotta, 1 1/3 cups feta, chopped basil, parsley and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Add mushroom saute mixture and combine well. Cook shells in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water until cool. Drain thoroughly. Preheat oven 350°F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of each of two 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dishes. Fill 30 shells and divide between dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool and refrigerate.) Bake shells until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with hot bread and salad. Chianti is a nice choice with this. Notes: I usually prepare this in two smaller baking dishes and freeze one for later. About the Tony's, I like a little kick of heat. Tony's has quite a bit of garlic but is mostly cayenne, a little goes a long way.

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