Baked Gnocchi

 Even though it is still very warm here in Florida, there is nothing better than a baked comfort dish. We often do a quick stove-top gorgonzola gnocchi which is great, but this one really hit the spot. Using what I had on hand, fresh tomatoes and greens...that does seem to be a common thread with me...and cotija and fresh asiago cheese (I know that's strange but it's what I had). If you want it more saucy you can add tinned chopped tomatoes.

 Baked Gnocchi with Tomato and Spinach

• 1 package gnocchi (500g)
• 1 teaspoon herbs (you can use Italian I use Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbes )
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 chopped garlic cloves (or garlic seasoning)
• 3 tablespoons grated cotija (or Parmesan)
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste or 2 T tomato sauce if that is what you have 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 or 4 tablespoons cream/yogurt
• large handful fresh spinach, chopped (or chopped frozen) 
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 oz mozzarella, sliced

Method:

Cook the gnocchi according to the directions on the package. In the meantime, make the sauce, in a sauce pan add a little oil, heat it and add the garlic and paprika and cook for 30 seconds, then add all of the tomatoes and the sugar, allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream/yogurt, spinach and seasoning. When the gnocchi is floating at the top remove with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce, stir in the cotija/parmesan cheese...transfer to a baking  top with the mozzarella. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 Of course you can add bacon or mushrooms or kale or cilantro, or any kind of cheese you like...to make it your own. I have just started using gnocchi, and my daughter just loves it enough so she will prepare it herself! Now I will have to have her make the gnocchi from scratch!

Coconut Oil and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

Funny, when I was a kid I didn't really like mashed potatoes....I wasn't a potato fan at all. I had to stay at the table until I finished everything that I took on my plate. Needless to say it was often potatoes...Now my mom wasn't that strict about eating...she just never made anything different for you if you didn't like something, and she made you at least try it...even if it was a tiny bit. So if you took a helping you had to eat that helping.

Today I do like potatoes and they are so fun to make them your own, you can add many things like wasabi, cream cheese, Parmesan, herbs, butter and much more...

This time I decided to try making a vegan mashed potatoes, using coconut oil and coconut milk. I get my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions, the first time I had it I won it on a blog giveaway, and now I Buy it regularly. It is good for skin, hair, ans well as cooking. They often will have free shipping or buy one get one free, so it's a good deal for a good quality product.

Ingredients:
3 potatoes cooked (peeled and boiled like you would for any mashed potato)
1/2 cup  coconut milk
1/3 cup coconut oil
1-2 clove garlic (cooked with the potatoes)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary or any fresh herb that you like or have to taste
sea salt to taste

After potatoes are cooked, drain and mash while still warm add coconut oil if it is in it's hard form it will melt quickly, add coconut milk until desired texture. You can leave the skins on the potatoes if you prefer, make sure the garlic is mashed along with the potatoes, it should be very soft by now. Last add the sea salt and stir in the fresh herbs.


I am sharing this and linking to My Meatless Monday's hosted by Cheah.

Mexican Street Corn with Chipotle



I don't serve corn very often...I don't add it to my chili, salads, or beans. The only way I really eat corn...other than in tortillas, and corn bread is corn on the cob, and that is only when it is in season. When I ran across this "Mexican/Italian Street Corn" on Krystal's blog Recipes of a Cheapskate I just had to try it. She adapted her recipe from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice and made her version of Mexican street corn Italian style. Funny I am a big fan of Reeni's blog too.  I was excited to get to it, but I stuck with the Mexican Street Corn, because I had the ingredients. 

Most street corn is sold on the cob, which would be fantastic, and I have been meaning to try it for awhile now, but I like how Krystal did it off the cob. I changed it a little I didn't have fresh cilantro left so I went out in the garden and snipped some chives (I just can't grow cilantro). I used my new favorite Cotija cheese, and frozen organic corn I had just bought.

4 corn on the cob or 1 bag frozen organic corn

3 tablespoons mayo (or 1/2 cup)

juice of 1/2 lime

1 cup grated cotija cheese

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro (I used chopped chives)

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (more or less to taste)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Dry roast frozen corn on cast iron griddle or skillet for about 10 - 15 minutes until it gets a nice golden color and is not wet, try not to toss it around too much to break down the corn. Remove from heat.. In a bowl mix mayo, lime juice and chipotle powder. Stir into corn, and add the cheese, mix well, salt and pepper to taste. Use the other half of lime for garnish and to squeezr on top if you like.

If using corn on the cob, you can oven roast or grill it first, then remove the corn.

Of course you can make it the original way grilling the corn on the cobs.

I loved it! So easy to make too. I will definitely be serving more corn like this. A great side to go with the Father"s Day meal you are planning!

Leek, Bacon and Pea Risotto

Finally I made Martha Stewart's leek, bacon and pea risotto for Martha Mondays! I know it's not Monday and it was only about six weeks ago, seriously. It just goes to show you ...it's never too late!  This was Sassy Supper's choice and it was a good one, I just didn't get a chance to make it then. This week I had some organic leeks, and used up the end of the organic arborio rice, and I also had some bacon that was left over from breakfast and was already cooked!! Perfect I thought of this recipe.
About the only charge that I made to the recipe was the pre-cooked bacon..oh and I used up the chicken broth that I had on making chicken noodle soup for my "sickies" so I used beef broth, it was okay, but I'll bet it would be much better with the chicken broth.

Since I didn't have to cook the bacon, I added a little bit of oil in the pan to cook the sliced leeks until they were nice and tender.

After the leeks were tender I added the chopped bacon, then the arborio rice.

Cook until edges turn translucent, about a minute. 

Pour in a cup of white wine, and cook until absorbed about 2 minutes.

After adding all the broth a cup at a time, and the rice is al dente about 35 minutes, add the peas with the last cup of broth, then stir in the Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and cover while you let it stand for 2 minutes. 

Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Top with a little fresh grated Parmesan!



King Oyster Mushrooms

I just love mushrooms, and I wish I had more varieties available to me to try. Yes, I know I can order them on line...maybe some day I'll be able to do that. For now I'll just pick up some along the way that I happen to run across, and share them with you.
Like these King oyster mushrooms I found at an Asian Market down the street from my husband's jet ski shop. Where they have quite a large area for produce and fresh fish. It is so much fun going in there. They even have many already prepared foods, and smoothies and bubble tea.

Back to the King oyster mushroom, also known as king trumpet mushroom, French horn mushroom. I saw a similar abalone mushroom on My Little Space, it is an oyster mushroom variety, that tastes a little stronger...I think...so they say...I hope to try that one too.

I thought I would making it a couple different ways, oven roasted (of course) and the other is sauteed and I will post that one next.
It is a little different than the mushrooms I am used to. The cap is small and the stem is thick and the bulk of the meat, and cooks up tender. To prepare after a quick wash, remove the crusty part on the bottom...you want it nice and smooth. Slice and place on a cooking sheet sprinkle with some seasoning, garlic, olive oil and sea salt

This was another good way to use my Parmesan & garlic olive oil! Roast in a medium oven 375 degrees, for 15-20 minutes until tender. I also threw some asparagus in the oven too.

Topped with some Parmesan cheese and it makes for a nice side dish...or lunch!

It has a good texture and was very mild flavor to me. My daughter actually tried it...she said it was good, but then she didn't want any more. I was happy she even tried it. I think this will go good in most any dish. It was my lunch!



A sandwich for my husband made with roasted king oyster mushrooms, some sweet Florida onion, horseradish cheddar, cheddar cheese, arugula, radicchio with a pesto mayo to finish it off. Wonder what I'll come up with next?

Tuna Anelletti Salad

A co worker from Albany New York was looking for some ring shaped pasta since she moved to Florida. I guess they used to get it up there all the time and make a tuna salad dish from it. Well I found some at an Italian deli that I like to go to and told her about it. She said it was close to what she would get, but a little larger. So I ended up using it myself.

The ingredients are all subject to taste and I rarely measure when making things like this, but I'll try to give some measurements.
1 can of solid white Albacore tuna
8 oz anelletti (ring shaped pasta)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup chopped olives (or capers) I used black olives
1 shallot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
a few chopped chives, I had some garlic chives too
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley or cilantro chopped

Cook pasta per package directions, and set aside to cool. Prepare ingredients that needs to be chopped and place in a mixing bowl. Open and drain the tuna, then add to the bowl along with all the other ingredients and mix until combined. You can adjust the amount of mayo and yogurt to the way you like it. If you have any fresh herbs here is a great way to use them.

It looks better in person, but it makes a good lunch any time of year.


Add some grape tomatoes or dice up some from you garden...if you are one of those you are lucky enough to get them from the garden. It is nice to serve on a bed of lettuce too. Sometimes I like to add a little curry powder just to change things up.

Oven-Baked Risotto ~ Martha Monday's

Another week... another Martha Monday project. This week was my choice and I went with Oven-baked risotto...of course you know me it had to be easy and tasty. The chicken was in the slow cooker and I had everything ready for the risotto so I could pop it in the oven when we got back from the beach. Sunday evenings we like to walk the beach for sunset when we get a chance. This evening the sun was amazing and an awesome color red as we were driving the short distance to Crescent Beach, but when we got there they are working on the access so we drove a little farther down the key to Turtle Beach...


Here is Martha's recipe from Everyday Food:
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine, (optional)
2 to 2 1/4 cups hot water
1/2 cup homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

2.Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese, and parsley. Serve immediately.

I caramelized the onions slightly first and added a few dried herbs, my Fine Herbes blend, and a bit more cheese. I think it could of used a little more liquid, but that is easy enough to fix (I know risotto is suppose to spread). I like the size of this recipe, it's perfect for a small family like mine. The baked pumpkin risotto that I've made before was such a large amount, we could never finish it all. That one is good for Thanksgiving or big gatherings.

Mmm...stir in all that goodness when it comes out of the oven...nice and creamy. I think I could use this recipe again and try it with some butternut squash that I have in the freezer, or spinach...

I love how easy this was, so nice I didn't have to stand at the stove and stir, would much rather be walking the beach. I think it really pulled the Sunday supper together nicely.

This evening it was such a wonderful walk on Turtle Beach...with a nice breeze blowing...


...sand between your toes...

It's funny how different the sand is here from Crescent beach's white sand when it's just a mile or so south.

...waves rolling upon the sand...so much funto watch the sandpipers run back and forth with each wave.

Enjoy each day!

Another way to use Chickpea flour ~ Cabbage Fritters

I think Indian households aren't the only ones that should have chickpea flour as a regular staple in their pantry. I have really enjoyed using it. Also known as gram (besan) found in Indian markets, or garbanzo bean flour that can be found in your health or natural food markets and even in some supermarkets. Many use it in gluten - free diets. I am keeping it on hand in my pantry from now on!
I have been using Bob's Red Mill brand and have found it in many stores near me. I think Walmart carries one that is garbanzo bean and fava bean blend. I haven't tried that one yet.
I found another recipe from Jay's blog Tasty Appetite this time she uses shredded cabbage. I happened to have a cabbage on hand and tried it right away. Cabbage Fritters are easy to make and oh-so-tasty!
I had some savoy cabbage so I sliced it thin, then cut it crosswise, in a nice loose chop. I made just a little adjustments to the original recipe. In a bowl I mixed:


1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 Tbsp rice flour
1 tsp green chili powder (New Mexico green Chile)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp celery seed (more or less)
a pinch of asafetida
salt and pepper to taste
oil to fry

To that add some water to make a thick batter. Then ...


...add the shredded cabbage about 2 cups, and mix well...


Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan. I made them into little patties and dropped them in the hot oil, I like to pan-fry rather than deep-fry, that is just my preference. Fry the fritters until they turn golden brown.
Drain the excess oil by placing the fritters on paper towels. Sprinkle a little sea salt over them while they are hot if desired.

Here is another yummy snack or side that you don't feel so guilty eating. It's a great way to get your kids to eat their cabbage or any veggie, my daughter liked them. So quick and easy and tasty. They went almost as fast as I made them.

We ate them just as they were like this, but I'm sure you could find many thing to dip them in.

I wanted to see how they would be it I just dropped then into the oil and fried them like this.

It was good that way too, but I think I prefer the first way in the little fritter patties.

Of course doesn't frying make everything taste good? This is a double goody with the benefits of garbanzo bean flour and cabbage so I think it balances out don't you?

My sister and niece are flying in to night for a week long visit. My parents rent a place out on the key for a month, so they stay with them. I know it only takes 4 minute to drive there from my house. They are right there at the beach. It will be nice for them to get out of the snow for awhile. I hope the weather keeps up like it has been for them, it's been in the 70s F. It's nice having family around.