Gnocchi a la Parisienne

This past week my friend Megan and I decided to make Gnocchi a la Parisienne. It's basically a gnocchi version of macaroni and cheese, or a gnocchi casserole. We decided to make our ramekins healthier than Brett's and add sauteed kale and mushrooms, with a drizzle of truffle oil on top just for kicks. To accompany our gnocchi we wrapped chicken in prosciutto and ate it on a bed of arugula. Fancey shmancy dinner indeed!

Ingredients:

1 bag of gnocchi

2 cups milk

3/4 cup shredded Italian blend of cheeses (mozzarella, parmesan, and asiago)

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

2 slices chopped prosciutto

sauteed vegetables of choice

salt and pepper to taste

First sautee chopped prosciutto and vegetables until prosciutto is crispy and vegetables are cooked. Remove from pan and set aside. In a separate pot bring 4-5 cups of water to boil.

While you're doing that, add the butter to a sautee pan (same one that you used for prosciutto and veggies) on low heat. Add the flour and whisk repeatedly for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the milk slowly, continuously whisking. Turn up the heat a bit until the milk starts to thicken, then lower to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese to the pan and whisk again until thick.

Meanwhile add the pre-made gnocchi to the pot of water, boil for 2-3 minutes, drain, and add to the pan of cheese-milk mixture.

Add prosciutto and veggies to pan as well and transfer to ramekins (or small baking dish if you don't have ramekins).

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and put in oven on 450 for just a few minutes until they are browned on top. Watch these closely!

Once they are browned, remove them from the oven and drizzle truffle oil on top. Voila!

Greek Salad- A Quick Lunch

One of my favorite things to eat is greek salad. It's healthy and DELICIOUS. Just chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and onions, with a sprinkle of feta and olive oil, finished off with a piece of garlic whole wheat bread, it's the perfect lunch or dinner appetizer.

Oat Bran-Yogurt Pancakes

Okay so I've been really bad about updating this blog. After moving to Colorado and getting a job that I absolutely HATE, I've found little motivation to do blog posts. But I've decided that as much as I'd love to spend my time watching Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City re-runs, I should probably do something more constructive. So here it goes!

A while ago I came up with a Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancake recipe (which I need to post as well) and it quickly became Brett's favorite breakfast choice for our days off. However, the last time I attempted to make them, I discovered I was out of ricotta. So I did some exchanging and I came up with a healthier version of these delicious pancakes. With the addition of oat bran, greek yogurt, and agave nectar (instead of white sugar) I came up with a tasty pancake recipe that won't make you feel guilty.

Ingredients:

1 cup non-fat greek yogurt
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons oat bran
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sour cream, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and oat bran in a large bowl. Stir together gently. In another bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla, and agave nectar. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and whisk. If it's too thick, add a bit of milk until it's the perfect consistancy. Cook in a well-buttered skillet for 1-2 minutes on each side. You'll never go back to bag-o-pancake mix again.

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

In between meals I like to have a healthy snack that will keep me full. This is one of my favorite smoothies because blueberries and bananas are two of my favorite foods. I sweeten it with vanilla agave nectar and add chia seeds to keep me feeling full.


Ingredients
1/3 cup blueberries
1/2 a banana
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/2 cup lowfat milk or soy milk
cup of ice
tablespoon of chia seeds

Add all ingredients to a blender until well blended.

Kale Chips

I had never tried kale prior to this little snack. My friend Megan had always told me that I NEEDED to try kale chips and that kale was SO good. I was skeptical. I mean, how could a baked vegetable possible be that good. But indeed, she was right. It's a delicious little snack that I believe will become part of my weekly routine. I added garlic salt and cayenne to them for a little kick. Yum.



Ingredients

A bunch of kale
olive oil
salt
garlic granules
cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Clean and tear the kale into chip size pieces. Coat in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and set them on a cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with garlic granules and cayenne pepper.

Tomatillo Soup

I've been looking up new soup recipes because I love soup and it's a great filler, especially if you're looking to drop a few pounds. I came across this tomatillo soup recipe and decided to try it out with my own little twists. I added shredded chicken to it and some quinoa to make it a bit heartier. Not bad at all! I think next time I will boil the tomatillos in a pot of their own and then blend them, because I didn't really like the chunks of soft tomatillos. But if you're into that, then go for it!














Ingredients

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 can of corn
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
7-10 tomatillos, husked and chopped
2 c water
3 c chicken stock
juice of 2 limes
2 t salt
2 t cumin
1/2 c chopped cilantro (I opted out because I don't like cilantro)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring, and sauté 5 minutes, until onion is translucent. Stirring, add jalapenos and sauté 2 minutes. Add tomatillos, chicken stock, water, lime juice, salt, cumin and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in cooked quinoa (or rice), and cooked chicken and simmer, 5 minutes. Season to taste. Remove from heat and ladle into soup bowls. Top with avocado slices, cheese, sour cream, or all three! Serve with chips on the side.

(If you'd prefer the blended tomatillo version, before sauteing the onions, garlic and jalapenos, bring the chopped tomatillos, water, and chicken stock to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Let it cool then blend it in a blender and add to the onion, garlic, and jalapeno mixture. Then add the lime, cumin, salt, and cilantro, chicken and quinoa, and let simmer 5 minutes)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, so I'm months behind on this blog. But now that I don't really have a full time job, I'll be posting a lot more. Well, hopefully. Planning a wedding has taken up most of my time, but now we're in the final few weeks and most of it is done! Anyways, here is a recipe for yummy peanut butter cookies. I found the recipe on this awesome website called Seven Spoons, I just tweaked it a bit. I added rolled oats for texture and decreased the amount of peanut butter just a bit. They're delicious!














Ingredients

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons/1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup chunky (or creamy) peanut butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed golden or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and honey and beat on high for three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla, then mix on medium speed until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, and oats, and stir to just combine. Using a 1 1/4" ice cream scoop dish out mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet (alternatively, use a generous 2 tablespoons of batter for each cookie), spacing them about 2 inches apart. Place onto baking sheet and freeze the batter for 10-15 minutes to set up and chill thoroughly.

Dip a fork into warm water and use the tines to press the dough balls lightly; you only want to slightly flatten their shape and leave the imprint of the fork. Freshly dip the fork between pressing each cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes, rotating the sheets once during baking. Cool on pan for two minutes, then remove to a baking rack to cool completely.