It's Choux Time, Part 2: Baked Gnocchi (ala Gnocchi Parisienne)

Gnocchi is one of those things I feel like is easier to learn if you spent a lot of your time watching your grandma make it. It's a dish I'm scared to attempt, especially after hearing how hard it is to make the perfect gnocchi. I've been trying with easier versions, namely ricotta gnocchi that has not ended up as light and fluffy as I have hoped. When I saw a recipe for gnocchi parisienne, I was excited to find a new way to approach the dish, using the choux dough I've become so fond of.

The process of piping and cutting the dough into boiling water (described below) sounds weird and difficult, but is actually pretty gosh darn easy. I read one recipe that recommends transferring the cooked gnocchi to a baking dish to dry in a single layer. I'm going to try that next time - the gnocchi was so delicate even after it cooked that it mushed up a bit when I put it in a bowl before baking it. I actually ended up browning the gnocchi in a bit of olive oil before mixing it with the sauce.

I'm thinking the possibilities for sauces for gnocchi parisienne are endless. Pretty much anything you'd put into a baked pasta will work here. Also, when you're serving this up, keep in mind the gnocchi are deceptively filling - they taste all light and airy, but are packed in with a lot of butter and flour.

Note: I've been using the Cordon Bleu recipe for my dough, which calls for four eggs. However, I found that the dough came out a eggier than my liking. So, I've adjusted it to three eggs. Try it either way, and see which you prefer.

Baked Gnocchi (ala Gnocchi Parisienne)

1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3-4 eggs (see note above)
1 large shallot, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 6 oz. bag of baby spinach
1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta
2 cups (1 8 oz. bag) Italian cheese mix (mine was three cheeses - Mozzarella, Provolone, and Parm)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the choux dough: in medium stock pot, bring butter and water to a boil. Once butter is melted, remove from heat and stir in flour until dough is smooth and shiny with a wooden spoon (whisks don't work in my experience). Add eggs slowly and mix until well incorporated and smooth. Return to low heat and stir a minute or two to dry off any excess moisture.

2) In a large saute pan, cook the shallot and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the mushrooms, tarragon, and a generous pinch of salt, and cook on medium-low heat until mushrooms are soft, 10-15 minutes.

3) Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Transfer the choux dough to a 1-gallon ziplock bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Using one hand, squeeze the dough out of the bag. Using the other hand, cut the dough into 1-inch strips into the water with a kitchen night. Continue until all your dough is done. Gnocchi are ready when they float to the top of the pot. (If your pot can't hold all the gnocchi, remove some with a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl or dish, and drizzle with a touch of oil.)

4) Add the spinach to saute pan with the mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

5) In a large bowl mix together the cottage cheese/ricotta and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Add the gnocchi and spinach-mushroom mix and fold gently (be careful not to crush the delicate gnocchi.) Transfer to a greased pan and top with remaining cheese.

6) Bake until cheese is brown and crispy, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Bacon and Corn

Not gonna lie, this was a good meal.  A really really good meal.  So good I had to call my parents to tell them how good the meal was, even though my mother doesn't really like it when I go all "foodie" on her.  I can't take credit for the idea, though.  Roomie made a corn pesto last week, which unfortunately I didn't taste.  But the thought of it: a corn puree with a bacon fat base.  Well, geez, now if that just doesn't drive you crazy with the possibilities, something is wrong with you. 

I wanted to make this with pancetta, but then I found out you can't get thick slabs of pancetta in any of the grocery stores near my house.  Only that dry pre-packed stuff.  So, bacon it was.  I was tempted to get the duck bacon at Giant Eagle, but I wasn't sure if it would go as well with the corn.  Still, duck bacon, I'm going to have to try that out.  

I made my own pasta for this dish, but I'm sure pre-made pasta will be equally delicious.  And don't skimp on the parsley.  It's normally not my favorite herb, but it complements the rich, salty base of the bacon fat super well.  

Pasta with Bacon and Corn

4 strips bacon
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kernels of four ears of corn, about 2.5 cups (frozen corn will work fine, too)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley (about half of a large bunch)
Shredded Parmesan

1 pound fettuccine or other thick cut, long pasta

1) In a large and deep saute pan or wok, cook the bacon until crispy.  Remove the bacon strips, and keep fat on medium heat
2) Add the minced shallot and garlic, and cook for about a minute.
3) Add the corn kernels and toss until bacon grease and shallot cover everything.
4) Add the stock and cook until corn is tender, about 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta and chop the cooked bacon into small bits, for garnish.
5) Remove about a cup of the whole corn kernels to save for garnish. Using an immersion blender or standing blender, puree the rest of the corn mixture until only slightly chunky (depending on your taste).  Return the sauce to the saute pan, and keep over low heat.
6) Cook the pasta. While pasta cooks, add lemon juice and half of the parsley to the pureed corn sauce.  Taste, and add salt and lemon juice as necessary.
7) In a large bowl, mix together pasta, corn puree, whole corn kernels, and chopped bacon.
8) Garnish with Parmesan and remaining parsley.

5 servings

Whole-Wheat Orzo with Marinated Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Shredded Chicken, and Corn

Roomie inspired me with her incredible (and incredibly easy) caprese pasta. Those tomatoes were sweet as candy! But, of course, I didn't want to copy her too much (tempted as I was), so I was looking for a similar idea with different flavors and textures. I decided to peruse one of my favorite cookbooks, Urban Italian, (which I lovingly refer to as "food porn") for some ideas on a dish where fresh cherry tomatoes would shine. I didn't want to roast them or make them into a sauce (why muddy up the flavor with too much cooking?) and a salad would just be a waste (salads, alas, are not my favorite way to eat). And there it was, a recipe for a fettuccine with marinated tomatoes and a goat cheese cream sauce. My curiosity was piqued.

Don't get me wrong, I love goat cheese. With caramelized onions on a tart, on top of a beet salad (a salad-type I do approve of), or spread onto a crostini with some slow roasted garlic and honey or apples. Mmm, mmm, good. But I'm not one of those people who can eat goat cheese with a spoon. The flavor can be a little intense for me. So while the idea of a goat cheese cream sauce sounded deliciously decadent, I decided it'd be better to take a more subtle approach with a scant sprinkling of crumbled cheese. Trade in the fettuccine for some whole wheat orzo (a texture I prefer) and throw in some chicken and corn to make the meal more complete and seasonally-friendly, and I had myself a pretty gosh darn satisfying dish for this summer-to-fall transition.

A few notes. First, I boiled my chicken because I had some locally-raised free range legs and thighs on hand. But, for vegetarians, you can leave out the chicken, and for those of you in a hurry, a store-bought rotisserie chicken will do just fine. Just ignore those parts of the recipe, and start straight in with the shredding. If you do decided to cook your chicken, be sure to save the liquid, as it makes a pretty easy chicken stock.

Second note: this meal is definitely on the sweeter side of savory. I mean, it's tomatoes, corn, balsamic vinegar, and tangy goat cheese. I liked it, and mine turned out pretty well-balanced for the ingredients used. Plus, in the summer/early fall heat, a little sweetness with a nice crisp wine ain't all bad. But, if you tend to like your food on the saltier side, this might not be for you. If you have any ideas on a good way to make the dish a little more savory, let me know!






Lastly, tomatoes are key here, so make sure you get some good ones! Enjoy!

Whole-Wheat Orzo with Marinated Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Shredded Chicken, and Corn

Marinated Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Shredded Chicken
1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces, on the bone
1/2 onion, loosely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, whole
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme

8 oz. whole wheat orzo pasta
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles plus more for garnish
Chopped basil (for garnish)

1) In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, shallots, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Let it hang out while you do everything else.

2) In a large pot or dutch oven, bring a hefty amount of water to boil. Salt the water generously, and add the chicken, chopped onions, garlic cloves, thyme, and oregano. Boil until chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 30 minutes. Taste along the way to make sure the broth is salted enough.

3) Remove chicken to a large cutting board. Strain the cooking liquid of the onions and garlic, being sure to reserve the liquid. Return about half of the stock to the pot (to cook the orzo) and reserve the rest for a later cooking use.

4) When stock returns to a boil, add the orzo. While the orzo cooks, with two forks, shred the chicken. If you haven't done it before, it's basically like you're using a fork and knife, but with two forks. Also kind of like when you're fighting with someone over the last piece of dessert (but maybe that's just me...) You can also use your fingers if you feel like getting messy.

5) About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, add the corn to blanch it. Drain the corn and orzo together, and mix in the goat cheese until its all melted (it'll look like a thick cream sauce). Add the chicken and tomato mixture and toss until well combined.

6) Garnish with more basil and goat cheese, and devour immediately.



4 servings

Lemon Pasta with Chard and Chives

The post's title is somewhat misleading: this dish is packing tons of good stuff, and should probably be named "Creamy Lemon Spring Pasta with Chard, Chives, Shrimp, and Edammame"

Two main points of inspiration for this cheery/delicious/nutritious spring dish:

1. There is a literally a tugboat's worth of lovely green chard growing in the community garden across the street from our house, which I'll try to photograph when it's a sunny day.  So, I've decided to use bundles of it regularly before it goes to waste (or the squirrels).

2. I recently discovered that one can make a classic French béchamel (white creamy basic sauce) with SKIM milk instead of the usual whole milk, and it works just fine.  Hurrah!!!  This discovery is super-appealing to me because creamy white sauce feels like a luxurious and rich indulgence, but who wants all the fat, calories, and heavy feeling from a sauce that's essentially one step down from a full-on cream sauce?  Skim milk-based béchamel provides the best of both worlds: you get a creamy, luscious sauce for a fraction of the fat that's in classic béchamel or cream-based sauces.  And, while plain béchamel itself doesn't have a lot of flavor, it's a welcoming canvas for almost any flavor profiles you can dream up: roasted garlic, white wine and thyme, goat cheese and rosemary, or in the recipe at hand--lemon and spring chive.  Deeee-lish.

--K, quite excited about the "light béchamel" discovery

Risotto, Part 1: Basic Risotto

Risotto is one of my go-to, mid-week dishes, no matter what the season.  It's rich, luxurious, healthy, and easy to do with whatever I have on hand in my pantry.  I have been trying to share the risotto love with my friends and encourage them to try it - it's not so hard!  But many of us are used to ordering risotto at restaurants and depriving ourselves of it in our day-to-day lives.

If you're like me, though, once you start making risottos, you won't be able to stop. You can throw in pretty much anything you have on hand, and it makes for great leftovers.  I like to make a big batch Sunday or Monday, and keep a container of it in the fridge for lunch. When you're reheating the risotto, it helps to put in a little water first so it doesn't dry out in the microwave.