ROASTED ANJUNA BEATS RAVIOLI

There’s this feeling of restlessness that has taken over our generation. At first I thought it was just a post college trauma kind of thing but the I noticed that most of our generation is afflicted with this restlessness, this desire for more, this belief that we deserve and that we need more even when we seemingly have it all.

I started to notice this restlessness when asked what I’m up to and after explaining my daily routine of culinary adventures and scientific dissections, I was always greeted with a “that’s awesome!” Eventually, I began to realize it is awesome! But why did I still not feel satisfied? Why didn’t I feel as happy as I should be?
Then I recognized that happiness and satisfaction are not the same thing. It is okay to be restless. What isn’t okay to let that restlessness overpower your happiness. As a generation we are groomed by our parents, by our teachers, and by the media that we can accomplish anything. This desire to accomplish anything and everything has translated into this restlessness, which isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I believe this restlessness is good. It is this very restlessness that will push us to achieve whatever we want. It is this restlessness that will allow our generation to make an impact on history.
However, this restlessness can easily cross the line and begin to affect our happiness. This happens when we find ourselves only looking to the future and never pausing to realize how awesome our life and how awesome we are in this present moment.
This recipe and this playlist are to serve as reminders to myself and to whoever else shares this restlessness to step back for a moment and relish in what is the present. Stop and remind yourself that life is made of small moments like the time you made ravioli from scratch like a boss.


The combination of roasted butternut squash, cream sauce and Anjuna beats will help you feel like you on a good day. Only the sounds of Above & Beyond, and the rest of the Anjuna family, with their mesmerizing melodies and enchanting vocals can accomplish the feeling of living fully in the present but still dreaming of the future at the same time.


So dream on little dreamer, follow all of your signs, you gotta gather up what you need, you gotta choose a direction, and when the moment is right for you, you gotta go and make this ravioli.




Beats:










Materials:
Ravioli:
1 butternut squash
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Wonton Wrappers
1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water
olive oil, salt, pepper




Cream Sauce:
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup parmesan cheese
Salt, Pepper
Optional: fresh basil, lemon zest




Methods:
1. Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds.
2. Coat cut side of the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Roast cut side down in a foil-lined pan at 400 degrees until a fork goes in an out easily. (about 30 minutes)
4. Allow squash to cool for 5-10 minutes then scoop out roasted flesh.
5. Puree squash with 2 tablespoons whipping cream until smooth.
6. Place one small spoonful of squash mixture slightly above center on each wonton wrapper.
7. Using a brush or finger, line the edges of the wrappers with egg white mixture then close into triangles.
8. Cook ravioli in slightly salted boiling water until wrapper is somewhat see-through.
9. For sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan, then add cream and cheese. Simmer on medium heat until sauce is thickened to desired consistency then flavor with salt, pepper, basil, and lemon zest.
10. With extra squash puree, you can easily make a soup by heating it in a pan with chicken or vegetable broth until soup-like then flavor with salt, pepper, paprika, and parmesan cheese.