Potato Pillows

Well, tonight I decided to make some gnocchi, using my new (old) potato ricer, as well as this gnocchi board that my brother bought me a few months ago. Making the actual gnocchi was about as far ahead as I had planned for tonight's meal, however, so this was going to be a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" type of dinner!

from Flickr - by Samer Farha

I got the potatoes in a pot to cook, and then focused my attention on what I could do to make this ingredient into a meal! You've seen the gnocchi process before, so I won't bore you with it again. I do have to apologize however, because I was so engaged in making this dish up as I went along...that my camera got left behind. I have a picture of the finished dish...but nothing along the way. Don't worry, we can always rely on Flickr for some pretty images. :)

My husband was running to the store for something, so as he ran out the door, I yelled to him to get some pancetta. Pancetta makes for a nice, salty component in a pasta dish, so I started with that. Okay, what else do I have? A shallot, some garlic cloves, some greens left over from the CSA share (I'm pretty sure they were baby bok choy), some frozen peas...and some butter and white wine. Okay...I can totally do this!

from Flickr - by Patent and the Pantry

Once the gnocchi was made, and boiled, I started sauteeing some minced garlic and shallots with some butter. Once they had a nice aroma, I added the pancetta to the pan and allowed it to simmer and brown for a few minutes. I added some white wine, and another pad of butter...and the gnocchi. While everything was browning together, I added the greens (allowing them to wilt) and the peas (allowing them to thaw quickly). The final touch was some grated parmesan, and some salt and pepper. A quick taste...and YUM! I worked it out!

I served the gnocchi alongside an artichoke, because we all know that I love artichokes! :) It was a totally delicious and fulfilling meal, and I was so psyched that it came out as well as it did! No recipe required - although, feel free to give this a go - because goodness, it was hearty and delicious!

My Favorite Kind of Onion

from Flickr - by roboppy

We went grocery shopping today, and I was inspired by an item that I buy every time we go to the grocery store. The leek! It's a part of the onion and garlic family, but it's much more mild than either of those ingredients. Leeks are generally sold in stalks that have a gradient of white (at the bottom) to dark green at the tips of the stalk. Generally, we cut off the dark green portion because the leaves are very tough. Using the light green and white parts of the leek can add a lot of flavor to so many different dishes.

Because of the way a leek is formed, it's easier to clean it once you've cut it in half. Normally, I will slice the leek down the middle, the long way, and then run cold water over each half, pulling the layers of stem apart a little bit in order to get the dirt out. You can also soak the pieces in cold water once it is sliced completely.

from Flickr - by mingfoto34

Leeks make for a great side dish if you cut them a bit thicker, and saute them in a bit of butter and salt and pepper. They make a lovely bed for a piece of salmon, and a nice thick sauce for a chicken breast as well. You can use them in place of onions in a risotto, and they make a great addition to a spaghetti carbonara. One of my favorite things to add to an omelette are leeks, too! 

Next time you are at the grocery store, pick up a few leeks...and experiment with using them for all sorts of different meals. I love when I find an ingredient that I seriously can't live without! I guarantee you if you open my fridge, you will always find at least one leek in there...unless I've eaten them already!

Making a Delicious Meal, Making it Healthier

Sometimes, we come across that recipe...it sounds amazing, the picture makes it look delicious, and then - we start reading the ingredients. Odds are, the recipe that calls for 8 tablespoons of butter doesn't REALLY need all 8 tablespoons, although it really will taste phenomenal! I try to cut that unhealthy stuff whenever I can, and the rule of thumb is pretty easy - trust your instinct.

Mmm...butter makes things taste so good, but we don't need a lot of it!

Now, I've told you before that I'm not a huge baker, and this is one of the reasons why. You canNOT alter ingredients when baking. There is a lot more chemistry involved in the measurements of certain ingredients when baking so this rule of thumb goes for cooking, NOT baking.

If it calls for cream, most times you can use 2% or skim milk in its place. If it calls for eight tablespoons of butter, start with three or four. If it calls for 1/2 a cup of sour cream, get the low-fat variety. Lots of stuffed pasta recipes call for full-fat ricotta cheese, but the low-fat kind works JUST as well. Cut where you can! Also, as a rule, brown is better than white - go with brown rice, wheat bread, wheat flour and wheat pasta...see what I mean?

Milk

The key is to keep tasting your food while cooking, and if you walk into any restaurant kitchen, you'll see it happening. Chefs and cooks always taste their food as they're making it, adjusting the seasonings, adding a little this, a little that, until it's just right. You have an advantage over them as well...all the time in the world! So, take your time, adjust your measurements to your tastes, and go with the healthier option when you can...unless you're just in the mood for an all-out decadent feast...which is fun to have sometimes, but everything in moderation, right?