Gnocchi with Spinach & White Beans

Adapted from Eating Well

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 16 oz package frozen gnocchi

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

6 cups spinach

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can white beans, rinsed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions.  Transfer to a bowl.

2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook for about 2 minutes.  Stir in garlic and water.  Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes.  Add spinach and cook, stirring until it starts to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, beans, and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.  Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Ginger-Cumin Infused Carrot Zucchini & Chickpea "Pasta"

This is a super easy and tasty meal to put on the table during the work week. This meal would be a great in the middle of summer when it's hot outside and the zucchini and squash are growing rampant in the garden!

Adapted from Sunset Magazine

2 zucchini and 1 summer squash
2 carrots
1 onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

1. Using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini, squash, and carrots into long, fettuccine like strips. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, slice the onion into very thin pieces. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add garlic and onion. Allow the strips of onion to gently sweat until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the broth, then zucchini, squash, and carrots. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chickpeas, ginger, cumin, salt, and pepper.

4. Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, with a twist

It's a cold and rainy Sunday night and I've been craving a chocolate chip cookie all weekend so I figured tonight would be a perfect night to make them.  I avoided my usual go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe because I'm a little tired of it and if you don't have whole wheat pastry flour the dough can get crumbly and hard to work with.  

I went through my cookbooks looking for a traditional recipe but most of the ones I found called for shortening, yuck.  I finally came across one that didn't call for it so I used it and added my own little twist with some hazelnut flour.  We had a bag of it from a dessert pizza recipe that didn't pan out (no pun intended!) and I have been wanting to bake with it.  It gave the cookies a nice and subtle nutty flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup hazelnut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup high quality baking chocolate (I use Scharffen & Berger semi-sweet baking bars), chopped 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Using a stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Reduce speed to low, beat in flour mixture until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheets, spreading the dough 2 inches apart.  Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Repeat with remaining dough.

Saag

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
16 oz fresh spinach, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
15 oz can stewed or chopped tomatoes
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup water

Spice Mixture
1 tsp salt
3 tsp coriander
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp grama masala

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add jalapeno and 1 tsp salt. Cook until reduced, strain and set aside.

2. Boil potatoes until fully cooked and set aside.

2. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and jalapeno , cook until softened, then add garlic. Add tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the pieces begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Add the spice mixture and a half a cup of water, stir and continue to cook until all the pieces are broken down, another 5 minutes. Add the spinach and potatoes, stir until combined. Continue to cook the mixture for 15 minutes on medium to low heat, until the tomato and spinach are fully integrated. Add more spice as necessary.

Baked Falafel Sandwiches

Adapted from Cooking Light

Tzatziki sauce:

1 cucumber, shredded, seeded, and strained of liquid

1 small Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, minced

Pinch of salt

Falafel:

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup uncooked bulgur

3 cups cooked chickpeas (a little less than 2 15 oz. cans)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Dash of Cayenne pepper

3 garlic cloves

Cooking spray

Pita bread

Tomatoes, sliced

Lettuce, shredded

Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. To prepare tzatziki, combine the first three ingredients, stirring until blended.  Chill until ready to serve.

2. To prepare falafel, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; add bulgur to pan. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 30 minutes or until tender.  Drain and set aside.  

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

4. Combine chickpeas and the next 9 ingredients in a food processor; pulse until well blended and smooth.  Spoon chickpea mixture into a large bowl and stir in the bulgur.  

5. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions; shape each portion into a 1/4 inch thick patty.  Place the patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes on each side or until browned.  Top each pita with falafel, tomato slices, lettuce, tzatziki and cilantro

Potato, Fennel, and Leak Soup

5 thin slices of pancetta, cubed

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 leeks, washed and well chopped

1 bulb of fennel, chopped

3 lbs of yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 bay leafs

1 32 oz box of vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

water

1 cup whole milk

In your soup pot, cook the pancetta until crispy.  Remove and set aside to drain on a paper towel. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, fennel, bay leaves, and salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until soft. Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, and enough water to cover the ingredients.  Cover and simmer over low heat for an hour.  Remove from heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until it has reached a smooth consistency.  Put the soup over low heat and add the milk.  Stir until heated through.  Serve the soup with the sprinkled pancetta crumbs on the top.

We also made homemade garlic bread to serve with the soup, it's delicious and very easy to make.  Simply toast some bread, once toasted, rub a garlic clove over each piece and spread with butter.  Enjoy!