Gnocchi...easy and delicious!

I LOVE gnocchi! But only the home made ones...store-bought varieties leave a lot to be desired! Fortunately they are easy to make and they freeze so well that there is really no reason to waste your money. This is a basic italian recipe, and adding grated cheeses or chopped herbs and spices can give you some great new flavours. A traditional meat sauce is perfect for gnocchi, but cream sauces and pestos work really well too. When I make a batch, I usually cook  half right away and freeze the rest, uncooked, in small ziplock bags (for single servings). When a gnocchi craving hits you all you have to do is drop them into boiling water and about 2 minutes later they are ready to enjoy!






Ingredients:
3 lbs  potatoes
2 cups flour + more for kneading
1 egg, ligthly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
(optional 1/2 cup grated parmesan)
1 tbsp butter


Directions:
-wash potatoes, place in a pot and cover with cold water to cover potatoes
-bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pricked with a fork
-drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes
-peel potatoes while still hot, transfer to a large bowl and immediately mash (or pass through a potato ricer and into a bowl)
-add flour, egg, salt and pepper and combine with a fork and then with your hands until a dough begins to form
-turn out onto a well floured surface and form a ball, cut it into 6 pieces
-take one piece and roll it out with your hands on a well floured surface to form a long rope of dough about 1" thick
-cut across it diagonally into 1" pieces to form gnocchi
-repeat with remaining dough
-at this point you can either cook the gnocchi right away or freeze them for future use
-if freezing lay out gnocchi on a lightly floured cookie sheet and place in freezer for about 2 hrs, then transfer to a zip lock bag (will keep well for several months)
-to cook gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in fresh (or frozen) gnocchi in batches (do not crowd) and cook until  the gnocchi float to the surface (about 1-2 minutes)
-remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl with a tbsp of butter in it, cover and keep warm and repeat with remaining gnocchi


-serve immediately topped with your sauce of choice and a good grating of parmesan cheese


*meat sauce, pesto and cream sauces are perfect for gnocchi


*serves 8 

Rustic Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pancetta Cream sauce

I love gnocchi! I used to have them only on the rare occasions I actually found them on a restaurant menu, since the store bought variety leaves a lot to be desired. But then I decided to try making them at home and discovered that it is actually really easy. What is even better is that you can change the recipe up in endless ways, such as using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Double the recipe and freeze the uncooked gnocchi for another time, they cook in only 4 minutes so you can have a great dinner on the table in flash!

Ingredients:

for gnocchi:
1 large sweet potato
1 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

for sauce:
1/2 cup chopped pancetta (or bacon)
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
grated parmesan for garnish

Directions:
-peel sweet potato and cut into large cubes
-fill a small pot with water, add potato cubes and cook for about 20 minutes or until potato is soft when pricked with a fork
-drain water from pot, add butter and salt and mash with a potato masher or fork, set aside to cool slightly
-transfer sweet potato mash to a large mixing bowl
-add egg, both cheeses, salt and pepper and blend together well with a fork
-add flour and mix together with a fork until dough  forms
-cover a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper, set aside
-on a lightly floured surface cut dough into 4 equal parts
-roll each piece into a log about 1 inch thick
-cut into 1 inch slices and place on cookie sheet
-freeze until firm or until ready to use
-in the meantime make sauce
-in a small pan cook pancetta for about 2 minutes to soften and brown
-add cream and basil and simmer to thicken
-cook gnocchi by tossing into a pot of boiling, salted, water and cook for about 4 minutes or until all gnocchi float to the surface
-remove to serving plates with a slotted spoon, add a dot of butter and top with cream sauce
-garnish with grated parmesan and serve immediately

*serves 4

*an original recipe by jcsmama

The Angry Chef Garlicky Pepper Chicken....a fabulous recipe

Here is a link to a great recipe I found while surfin the web with StumbleUpon....check it out, give it a try and let me know what you think!


Garlicky Lemon Pepper Chicken

Italian Salsa Verde...perfect with your grilled meats!

*a recipe seen on  CityLine by Massimo Capra

This is a great salsa to serve over grilled meats, chicken or fish....or serve it on the side with some fresh bread slices for spreading...delish!

Servings:         about 1 1/2 cups
Prep time:       10 minutes
Cook time:      refrigeration time

Ingredients:
1 small bunch italian parsley
1 small bunch mint
1 small bunch basil
2 oz capers
4 anchovy fillets
6 small gerkins
2 cloves garlic
2 slices white bread
red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-soak the bread slices with some vinegar and set aside
-wash and dry herbs and set aside
-put all the other ingredients in a food processor and blend, adding oil a little at a time
-add the bread and blend until creamy
-season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for a few hours before serving

Spaghettini with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

*an original recipe by jcsmama

I love making this dish in the summer with my garden fresh cherry tomatoes and freshly picked basil, however it is february and all I had on hand was a store-bought cello pack of not so great tasting grape tomatoes. But I had a craving so I gave it a go, and I have to say that it was probably the best way to use them up!

Servings: 4

Time to make: about 40 min.

Ingredients:

3 cups cherry tomatoes

salt to taste

4 tbsp bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp parmesan cheese
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
about 450g (2 lbs) spaghetti
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp chopped basil for garnish
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
-wash and dry tomatoes and cut in half
-lay out tomatoes on an lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, set aside
-preheat oven to 375F
-in a small bowl mix together bread crumbs,garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and basil

-top each tomato half with some of the bread crumb mixture

-bake for about 30 minutes

-in the meantime cook pasta as per package directions

-drain pasta, return to pot and mix in 2 tbsp butter, parsley, chili pepper and oregano

-serve immediately in indiidual bowls, topping each with 1/4 of the tomato mixture, a pinch of chopped basil and some freshly ground black pepper