Last night my husband had a training class to conduct so I was on my own for dinner. I had three options: 1. Cook 2. Pick-up fast food on my way home from work or 3. Order a pizza. I selected option number 1 because I remembered seeing in the Italian isle at our local grocery store a package of pre-made gnocchi and I’ve always wanted to try this dish. Lately when we go to an Italian restaurant I want the dishes that have a tomato cream sauce so this is where my inspiration for this dish.
Note: I don’t have exact amounts of ingredients as it was a trail and error type of sauce. I added a little of this and that and then I’d try it and add a little more or whatever else I thought it would need until I hit my liking. This dish is made for a 1 person serving.
Ingredients:
1 package of Gnocchi
1 small can of tomato sauce
Garlic
Olive oil
3 basil leaves
Half and half (You can use heavy cream or light cream if you’d like)
Salt
Pepper
Italian seasoning
Sugar
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Put on a small pot of water to boil, salt liberally.
Heat a skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Chop up one small garlic clove and 3 basil leaves. Add all of the garlic and about three-quarters of the basil to the pan and cook for one minute. Add three-quarters of the small can of tomato sauce and stir everything together. Add salt, pepper, sugar and Italian seasoning and stir together. Let sauce simmer for 5 minutes.
Add half of the package of gnocchi and cook for 4 minutes.
At this point I tasted my sauce and added more of what I thought it was lacking. I then added the crushed red pepper flakes and about a ¼ of a cup of half and half. You can add as much or as little as you like depending on how creamy you’d like your sauce to be. Once the gnocchi is done add it to the sauce and lightly toss. Spoon gnocchi in bowl and garnish with parmesan cheese and the rest of the basil. Enjoy!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Carbonara…Thank you again Rachael!
You may have realized by now that I like a lot of recipes from Rachael Ray. I can’t help myself – they are just so yummy! I’ve made this recipe over and over again since I received Rachael’s cook-book for Christmas in 2006. This is a favorite of ours and I’m sure it will be one of yours too.
Ingredients:
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound rigatoni
¼ cup EVOO
¼ pound pancetta, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
5 to 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup dry white wine (I use cooking wine since we don’t drink wine)
2 large egg yolks
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta for 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.
In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.
Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lot of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated cheese.
Ingredients:
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound rigatoni
¼ cup EVOO
¼ pound pancetta, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
5 to 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
½ cup dry white wine (I use cooking wine since we don’t drink wine)
2 large egg yolks
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta for 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.
In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.
Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lot of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated cheese.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
I was at my mom’s house and noticed her BH&G magazine sitting on the table – on the front cover it had a picture of this pie that just looked out of this world. I flipped the pages and couldn’t believe what it was called – PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE!!! What more could I ask for? Three of my favorite things! I had Thanksgiving for the IL’s at my house this past year and I just had to make it. Everyone raved about it! It’s April and I’m craving this pie!
1 frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust
12 oz. cream cheese, softened (1-1/2 8-oz. pkgs.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chocolate pieces
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 sp. pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
Chopped chocolate (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture in cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate.
In bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in half-and-half. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To prevent over browning, cover pie edge with foil.
Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hour. Top with chopped chocolate.
Note: Your pie will be very full – most of the time I cannot put all of both fillings into the crust. Just use your judgment so that the pie will be evenly filled.
Rachael Ray’s Chili Suizas Bake
This is another recipe my husband and I saw on Rachael’s show and just had to try! It was just as amazing as it looked on the show. I do make some changes to this recipe and I will note them below.
Ingredients:
3 large poblano peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 pounds ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 large or 16 medium to small tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and halved
1/4 cup cilantro, a handful
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup creme fraiche
3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips --whole-grain tortilla chips, such as flax seed tortillas add a wonderful texture and flavor
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, about 1/3 pound
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, about 1/3 pound
My changes:
1. My local grocery store doesn’t carry crème fraiche so I use sour cream.
2. I use regular tortilla chips to save money.
3. I also add a tablespoon of chili powder, cumin and coriander.
4. I also use pepper jack cheese instead of swiss to add spice to the dish.
5. I use 1 pound of ground chicken as 2 is too much for two people.
6. A lot of the reviews say that the recipe uses too much liquid but my husband and I both like a lot of liquid because the flavor is just soo good! If you think it’s too much cut the stock in half and cut back on a couple of the tomatillos.
Here is the normal recipe without my changes:
Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.
While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and cilantro in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.
When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice. Add dollops of creme fraiche on top of the chili, placing spoonfuls evenly across the pan. Cover the pan with a layer of crushed chips and top with Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Serve from hot skillet, spooning out chili into shallow dinner bowls.
With my changes:
Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.
While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and parsley in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.
When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Add sour cream to the mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice and add to baking dish. Cover the dish with cheese. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Spoon chili into shallow dinner bowls and add chips around edge of bowl.
Ingredients:
3 large poblano peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 pounds ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 large or 16 medium to small tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and halved
1/4 cup cilantro, a handful
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup creme fraiche
3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips --whole-grain tortilla chips, such as flax seed tortillas add a wonderful texture and flavor
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, about 1/3 pound
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, about 1/3 pound
My changes:
1. My local grocery store doesn’t carry crème fraiche so I use sour cream.
2. I use regular tortilla chips to save money.
3. I also add a tablespoon of chili powder, cumin and coriander.
4. I also use pepper jack cheese instead of swiss to add spice to the dish.
5. I use 1 pound of ground chicken as 2 is too much for two people.
6. A lot of the reviews say that the recipe uses too much liquid but my husband and I both like a lot of liquid because the flavor is just soo good! If you think it’s too much cut the stock in half and cut back on a couple of the tomatillos.
Here is the normal recipe without my changes:
Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.
While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and cilantro in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.
When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice. Add dollops of creme fraiche on top of the chili, placing spoonfuls evenly across the pan. Cover the pan with a layer of crushed chips and top with Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Serve from hot skillet, spooning out chili into shallow dinner bowls.
With my changes:
Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.
While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and parsley in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.
When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Add sour cream to the mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice and add to baking dish. Cover the dish with cheese. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Spoon chili into shallow dinner bowls and add chips around edge of bowl.
Rachael Ray’s Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
I want to start my blog off with some of the recipes that I’ve made previously and took pictures of to share.
Rachael Ray’s Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
My husband and I were sitting around on lazy Sunday morning when we saw Rachael’s show with this recipe. It was a show geared to heartbreak and comfort food without the calories…let me tell you this recipe will not cause heartbreak…its delicious! My husband and I love this recipe and it’s become apart of our menu on almost a weekly basis. Her recipes makes too much for the two of us so I’m going to give you her recipe and then in parenthesis give you the amount I used.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (1 ½ tablespoons)
2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (1 pound)
1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full (same)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs (3 sprigs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced (same)
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced (same)
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (same)
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes (14-ounce)
1 quart chicken stock (½ – ¾)
1 bag white corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
When we watched the show on television she also used a tablespoon of cumin and a tablespoon of chili powder. I add these as they provide great flavor.
Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, chili powder, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.
While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley. (We find that the chips get too soggy too soon so I place the chips around the bowl so that we can then use them as scoops.)
Enjoy!
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