Week 71: Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi

This recipe for gnocchi intrigued me because it didn't contain any potato. I'm also a huge fan of lemon in pasta, so that always catches my eye.

We had to change the recipe as we went, because the dough was way too sticky with the amount of flour that it called for. The recipe below reflects the recipe as we made it (more or less).

Next I want to try this. Pan-frying gnocchi sounds pretty much like perfection.

I wanted to try to make a light tomato sauce to top the gnocchi. I don't know that it turned out to be very "light," but it sure was yummy, cheap, and easy! Now I'm motivated to try to make more of my own sauce, and to experiment with different flavors.

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS
For the gnocchi:
1 1/2 15-oz containers of whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups of flour (give or take...we just added flour until the dough was easy enough to work with)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 egg
zest of 2 small-ish lemons

For the sauce:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 large garlic clove, crushed
several basil leaves, roughly chopped
salt to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Start the sauce by just throwing all the ingredients in a large, shallow pot, and allow to simmer while you're working your gnocchi magic.

2. Spread the flour out on a clean, dry work surface. Place the ricotta, salt, black pepper, egg, and zest on top of the flour and lightly knead it with your hands bringing together all the ingredients. Gently knead the dough into an 10-inch log and allow it to rest a few minutes.

2. Lightly dust a clean, dry work surface with flour. Cut the log into four equal pieces. Gingerly, lightly, roll each piece into a 1-inch thick piece of rope. Cut the gnocchi into 1/2-inch pillows.

To Cook: Place gnocchi in boiling salted water. When the gnocchi have floated to the top, allow them to cook for another two minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and serve.

Week 70: Yummy Chicken Tenders

I was proud of Abby for looking one of her fears in the face this week: RAW CHICKEN! She really showed it who was boss. One of my favorite things about this recipe was the fact that it was dipped in mustard before it was "breaded." That really gave it some great flavor! This was a great alternative to the stuff you can buy at restaurants or even the grocery store, when you don't quite know the quality of the chicken you are eating. We knew exactly what we were eating!

You will notice that the original recipe calls for you to bake the chicken, but we didn't want to wait that long, so we pan-fried it for a couple minutes on each side before baking to reduce cook time. This added some extra oil to the chicken, plus it was a difficult to keep the "breading" on, but was still yummy!

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

INGREDIENTS (Exactly how we made it...thanks, Abby. You're funny.)
1.37 lbs of chicken, cut into strips
a little jar of brown mustard
4 c crushed corn flakes...this is dangerous if done by hand!:)
2 TBSP olive oil
salt & pepper
400 degree oven

DIRECTIONS
1. Toss chicken with mustard to coat.

2. In another bowl, mix cereal, oil, and salt & pepper.

3. Coat mustard chicken with cereal mixture.

4. Put in oven in a casserole dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

5. Time saver: fry 1 min. each side, then but in baking dish for 20 minutes



It was a cold evening, so Abs and I got cozy with some hot green tea.

Week 69: Dried Mushroom Soup

I've been wanting to make a mushroom soup for a while, and a lot of the recipes that I have run across have called for re-hydrated/dried mushrooms. My mom had a huge vat of dried mushrooms from Costco, so I went ahead and tried the recipe on the side of the container. I considered trying to make it healthier, but decided I didn't' want to change it TOO much the first time I made it. The only thing I changed was to use half and half instead of heavy cream.

Year of Yum Rating: 2 STARS

Here's the deal. The flavor was good-ish. The problem was that the mushrooms (especially the larger ones) were incredibly rubbery, and I just couldn't get over it. It's possible that I just prepared them incorrectly, but I still think I am going to find a recipe using fresh mushrooms next time. I think I also prefer soups that I don't have to chew. Does that make me lazy...?

INGREDIENTS
3 cups re-hydrated Gourmet Mushroom Blend
2 large onions, finely chopped
8 large cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 Tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
3 cups half and half
6 cups chicken broth
2-3 Tablespoons sea salt
1 stick whole butter
1/2-1 cup flour (more flour = thicker soup)
1 cups sherry

DIRECTIONS
In a large soup pot, melt the butter on medium low heat. Cook the garlic and onion until translucent. Add the re-hydrated mushrooms and cook until the moisture is mostly gone. Add the flour. Stirring often, cook for 5-7 minutes or until the flour looks and/or smells slightly toasted. Add the wine, and cook for two minutes. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for fifteen minutes. Add the fresh thyme and cream and cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve with crunchy croutons or toast.

Week 68: Grilled Fontina, Mushroom, and Sage Sandwiches

Good news: I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth.

Bad news: A few of our recipes have gotten forgotten in all the craziness that's been going on.

Can I make it up to you with a WHOLE LOT OF MUSHROOMS? Let's hope so, because that's what you're about to get...

Year of Yum Rating: 4 STARS

This was really delicious. Unfortunately I didn't really feel like eating at the time, so I may not have given this yummy sandwich a very fair shot. I should probably try making it again soon. Just to be fair...

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons butter (2 melted)
1/2 pounds mushrooms (cut into thin slices)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage)
8 slices bread
1/2 pounds fontina (this cheese was HEAVEN in my mouth)

DIRECTIONS
1) In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and dried sage, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh sage, if using. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and wipe out the pan.

2) Using a pastry brush, coat one side of 4 slices of the bread with half of the melted butter. Put them, buttered-side down, on a work surface. Top the bread with the cheese and then the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread; brush the tops with the remaining melted butter.

3) Heat the frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.



This recipe even came with a wine recommendation! How fancy! Try a crisp, dry, Italian white, such as Soave, Frascati, or pinot grigio to refresh your mouth after every bite of this flavorful sandwich.