Chicken (or Turkey) Stuffing Bake

This is by no means a 'fancy' or 'interesting' recipe.  It's just a quick and easy meal.  I typically have the ingredients on hand so it's a "go to" for me when I am just not in the mood to try new things or stand in the kitchen to cook.

1/2 lb cooked chicken or turkey, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 jar of turkey gravy (Eric usually uses the rest of the jar when he is eating the left overs-he likes things saucey)
1 1/2 c frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted, drained (I use a combo of corn, carrots, and green beans)
1 box stuffing, prepared according to box

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a 2 1/2 quart baking dish, layer veggies, chicken, gravy, and then stuffing.  Bake for 25-30 minutes uncovered.

Hot Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta Sauce

Jarred pasta sauce is great for most things (especially when you don't know any better like us) but this is a dressed up version I concocted during our first year of marriage.  I never actually had a written recipe for this or had ever really measured any of the ingredients until I made this today.  This is a meal Eric typically overeats on :)  I've also made double and triple this recipe before to serve at our gatherings/parties.

1/2 red pepper, chopped*
1/2 green pepper, chopped*
1/2 onion, finely chopped*
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb hot italian sausage, casing removed
1-14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1-26 oz jar pasta sauce (I pick something a "boring" one like meat flavored)
1/4 c water
1/4 c red wine
1-6 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 sprigs of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
freshly grated parmesan cheese to top if desired


In a large pan, heat EVOO over medium heat.  Once pan is heated, add peppers and onions.  Saute for 5 minutes and add garlic.  Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.  Add hot italian sausage, casing removed, and crumble as you brown the meat.  Once the meat is cooked, add diced tomatoes and jar of pasta sauce.  To the emptied jar, add the 1/4 c of water, shake well (to get the rest of the sauce) and pour into the pan as well.  Add red wine and tomato paste and stir all well.  Stir in basil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and parsley, mixing well to combine.  Reduce heat to low/simmer and cover.  Cook, stirring occassionally, for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

This is more than enough pasta sauce for a 13.25 oz box of wheat pasta.  I usually freeze the leftovers, which is about enough for a single or double serving of pasta and use it as a side dish to another meal. You can always add the leftovers to some plain old pasta sauce if there's not enough.

*A lot of times, my recipes will use only 1/2 of a pepper or onion.  I actually buy peppers in bulk (it's cheaper!) then chop some finely, coarsely, in strips, etc, and divide them up into smaller freezer bags like 1/2 of a pepper, a whole pepper, etc, and freeze them in a larger freezer bag.  Then when I want to use them, depending on the dish, I just toss them in the pan or microwave them for 20-30 secs.  I know you can do this with a lot of vegetables, including onions, but with onions, I always pick two recipes that I would use 1/2 of a onion for in a week.  I am not a huge onion fan (however, I know they are needed for flavor.... sometimes) so if you love onions, it's probably best to double what my recipe calls for since, unlike cheese, I will typically skimp on the onion factor.

Lemon Sage Chicken

Chicken:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c asiago cheese
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch of salt, pepper
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp EVOO

Sauce:

1 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c white wine
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Heat EVOO in skillet over medium heat.  Flatten chicken to 1/2 inch thickness.  In a shallow bowl, place flour.  In another shallow bowl, combine eggs, cheese and seasoning.  Coat chicken with flour (shake off excess) and then dup in egg mixture.  Brown chicken in skillet, turning once.  Transfer to a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes.
While chicken is baking, begin the sauce.  In the skillet, saute the shallot and garlic in the drippings.  Cook 2  minutes.  Add wine, scraping bottom of the pan.  Add lemon juice and herbs.  Cook over medium heat until liquid is reduced by about half.  Add cream and cook until thickened about 3-5 minutes.  Stir occassionally.  Stir in butter until melted.  Serve sauce over chicken with vegetables and bread for a meal for two.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

So I've been dying to try the new Philadelphia Cooking Cremes.  Those of you that know me well know I am obsessed with couponing now (thx Kristin! haha) so I really wanted to try them when I found them for under a dollar (because of sales and coupons, of course).  Eric says I'm cheating by using them... I guess he isn't very hungry tonight then (he later retracted that statement once he ate his dinner).  I think this meal is pretty tasty, quick, and easy :)  Plus it did not involve dirtying a lot of dishes... which earns huge bonus points with me.

1 tbsp EVOO
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1/4 c chicken broth (I didn't have any so I made so using bouillon granules)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tub of Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme (I plan on using the other half on vegetables in the next week or so-it has to be used within 10 days of opening)
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 lb bow tie pasta
1/4 c asiago cheese, shredded
salt, pepper, garlic powder for seasoning

Begin cooking pasta as directed.  Heat the EVOO over medium heat.  Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder lightly.  Cook chicken and garlic in heated pan 5-6 minutes or until done. Add broth-cook 2 minutes.  Add cooking creme-stir well to combine.  Add tomatoes.  Cook 3 minutes.  Stir in drained cooked pasta and basil.  Top with shredded cheese.  Serve with a salad for a dinner for 2.

Southwest Chicken Stromboli

First, I'll start by saying that although this was very tasty (and Eric agrees) next time I make this or (any other stromboli for that matter), I will be finding a new recipe for the dough.  This was a pain to mix, knead, and then roll.  Secondly, I should also note that I am a huge cheese lover so when a recipe calls for 3/4 c of cheese, I assume that should mean 1 1/2 c of cheese.  So if you are not as much of a cheese lover as I am, please make adjustments accordingly to all of my recipes :).

Dough:

3/4 c warm water (110 F)
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 c yellow cornmeal
2 1/4 c bread flour
1-2 tbsp water

Filling:

1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp EVOO
1 1/2 c cooked chicken, chopped
3/4 c salsa
1/2 c black beans, washed and drained
1 1/2 c Mexican shredded cheese
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Egg wash:

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp water

In large bowl, combine warm water and yeast.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Add oil, milk, sugar, salt, and cornmeal-mix.  Slowly add in bread flour, mixing as much as possible in bowl.  With floured hands on a floured surface, begin to knead the dough.  Add 1-2 tbsp water as necessary to make dough more pliable.  Cover in cling wrap and let sit on a floured surface for about an hour.

15-20 minutes before the dough is done resting, begin preparing the filling.  In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat.  Add pepper, onion, and garlic.  Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat.  Add salsa, chicken, and beans.  Add seasonings-mix well.  Turn heat down to low and heat through for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add half of cheese. 

On a floured surface, begin rolling out dough with a floured rolling pin.  Roll dough out to about 14 in by 12 in.  (The original recipe that I went off said to roll the dough out to a rectangle.  If anyone is able to pull this off, I applaud you.  Mine was an oval  Again, this dough was a pain to handle).  Place dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle rest of cheese over 1/2 of the dough.  Spread filling over 1/2 of the dough with the cheese, going within 1/2 in of the edge.  Brush edges of dough with egg wash.  Fold dough over the filling.  Pinch seams to seal.  Brush stromboli with egg wash.  Cut a few slits into top.  Bake 25-30 minutes until top begins to brown.  Let sit for 5 minutes after cooking.  Serve with sour cream.

Spinach Alfredo Chicken Pizza

1 c Alfredo sauce
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (I didn't use all of it-most of it but not all)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c chopped bacon

1 roma tomato, chopped small

1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
**recipe for Wheat Pizza Dough

Make pizza dough as directed in recipe Wheat Pizza Dough.  Once dough has been precooked for 5-6 minutes in a preheated oven of 425 F, spread Alfredo sauce evenly over surface of pizza, leaving room for crust.  Layer on spinach, chicken, bacon, and tomato.  Top with cheeses and red pepper flakes.  Bake in 425 F oven for 13-15 minutes until cheeses melt.

Wheat Pizza Dough

In an effort to eat better/follow the diet better... wheat pizza crust :)

1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 c very warm water (110 F)
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp salt
2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c all purpose flour (additional for kneading purposes)

In large bowl, dissolve sugar in water.  Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 10 minutes or till foamy.  Stir EVOO and salt into yeast mixture.  Then mix in wheat flour and 1 c of all purpose flour till dough just starts to come together.  Place dough on a floured surface and add rest of all purpose flour.  Knead dough until all flour is incorporated.  Lightly oil a large bowl and place kneaded dough in-roll dough around to coat in oil.  Cover loosely with a towel and put in a warm place to rest for an hour. 
After the hour, preheat oven to 425 F.  On a floured surface, begin rolling out the dough as far as possible.  When unable to roll out further, using floured hands, place dough on fists and pull dough outward carefully, rotating in a circle till dough reaches desired diameter.  Lightly grease a pizza pan and place dough on pan. Prick surface of dough in several places.  Bake 5-6 minutes. Top with desired toppings and place in preheated oven.  Bake for 13-15 minutes depending on thickness of dough and amount of toppings.

5 Minute Banana Bread

One of my bestest friends from college gave me this recipe when we were living in a crummy house in West Philly (thanks Chrissy!).  I recently started putting vanilla in it and I like the addition a lot. A lot.  Since today we're eating left overs for lunch and Eric asked me to bake for a bake sale at his work (proceeds benefiting the ACS), I figured I'd post my banana bread :)

3 very ripe bananas (mostly black-if they aren't ripe enough then they are not sweet enough for this recipe)
1 stick of butter, slightly melted
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
nuts to top ** optional

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl, place bananas removed from skins and mash with a potato masher.  Add rest of ingredients and combine well.  Place batter evenly in a greased loaf pan.  If adding nuts, add them to top of batter. Bake for 1 hr 5 minutes until top puffs and browns and fork comes out clean.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Fresca

The name is misleading-it did have some 'kick' to it but I don't feel as though it was truly "cajun."  Definitely yum though-I love fresh pasta sauces especially because I love the smell of garlic cooking in EVOO. 

Chicken:
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out till about 1/2 inch, cut into 2 pieces
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp EVOO

Pasta:
1/2 lb whole wheat linguine
8-9 red ripe roma tomatoes, diced, juices kept
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp onion flakes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt, pepper

To make chicken: Heat 1 EVOO in a small pan over medium heat.  Combine flour, cajun and red pepper flakes.  Lightly coat chicken with the flour mixture and place into heated pan.  Cook chicken till browned on each side.  Remove from heat once cooked through, cover with foil to keep warm.

To make pasta:  In a large skillet, heat EVOO over heat heat.  Saute garlic for 1 minute.  Stir in chopped tomatoes and juices.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let cook until begins to bubble.  Mash tomatoes carefully in pan with fork or potato masher.  Stir in parsley, onion flakes, and red pepper flakes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.  In the meantime cook pasta according to directions.  Drain and place in large bowl.  Toss pasta with sauce, cajun seasoning, and cheeses. 

Serve pasta topped with chicken and a caesar salad for a dinner for 2.  For 4-if making about 1 lb of chicken-adjusting chicken prep accordingly.

Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

If Italian is our favorite cuisine, "Mexican" is our second favorite and I needed a break from all of that pasta we've been having.  I said before that I have "go to" meals at each restaurant that we go to... At OTB, chicken empanadas are my absolute favorite.  In my opinion, although these were tasty... nothing can compared to the delicious, cheesy, fried goodness of OTB's empanadas.  Eric, however, finished all of his and then some of mine.

1 lb cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 1/4 c finely shredded Mexican cheese
2-3 oz Velveeta cheese, ripped into pieces
1-2 tbsp milk
1/4 c salsa, hot or medium depending on personal taste
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 pkg ready to use refrigerated pie crust (2-9 inch pie crusts)
flour for rolling dough
chili powder

Preheat 375 F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Unroll pie crusts one at a time onto a lightly floured surface.  Using a floured roller, roll out pie crust to about 12 inch.  Using a 4 inch round cookie cutter (I didn't have one so I used a butter knife and the lid to my bread crumbs, which was just about 4 inches), cut each pie crust into 8 circles, re-rolling dough as necessary.  Set aside. 
In a small microwave safe bowl, place velveeta chunks and 1 tbsp of milk.  Microwave for about 45 seconds.  Remove from microwave.  Stir,add additional 1 tbsp milk if necessary, and microwave again for 30 secs.  Add 1/4 c shredded Mexican cheese and 1/4 c salsa.  Stir well and add to shredded chicken.  Add chopped cilantro and rest of shredded mexican cheese, and stir mixture together. 
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tbsp of water together.  To prepare empanada, brush edges of dough circle with egg mixture.  Add one spoonful of chicken mixture to center of circle.  Fold over in half carefully and using a fork spread gently down to seal.  Place on parchment paper.  Continue until all 16 empanadas are complete-8 per cookie sheet.  Brush each with egg mixture and sprinkle chili powder on top.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with salsa and/or queso.

Baked Pasta Primavera

Definitely a weekend meal--too many dirty dishes for a weekday "I just worked all day and want to just eat now" meal in my opinion.  Plus on the weekends, Eric is here to help with the clean up... for once.... and why not take advantage of that?!  And this makes a LOT of food... probably will half the recipe next time or make it when we have company.  Considering this is a meatless entree, I'm quite surprised that we both enjoyed it since we're both meat-lovers-pizza people.... or rather half-bacon-half-sausage-pizza people ;)  When I asked Eric how he liked it, he replied, "It's as good and delicious as anything could be without meat."

12 oz ziti or penne
2-24 oz jars of pasta sauce
8 oz Ricotta cheese, part skim milk
3 oz frozen spinach
1 1/2 c broccoli, chopped
2 tbsp EVOO
5 oz baby carrots, chopped
1 small squash, sliced and then quartered
1-2 mushrooms, cleaned, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt, black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Cook pasta till firm according to directions.  Onced cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.  Whisk 1/2 of a jar of pasta sauce and the ricotta in a bowl.  Add to pasta.  In a small pot, cook frozen spinach according to directions and drain well.  In the small pot, bring 2 c of water to boiling.  Add broccoli.  Boil for 1-2 minutes.  Drain well and set aside.  In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium high heat.  Add carrots to skillet and cook 4 minutes.  Stir in squash, mushrooms, broccoli, and minced garlic.  Cook an additional 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in spinach, diced tomatoes, and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning.  Add vegetable mixture to pasta mixture and stir well.  Add 1 jar of sauce to mixture and sprinkle in half of the mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Spray a 13x9 pan with olive oil cooking spray.  Spread a 1/4 jar of sauce into the bottom of pan. Pour in vegetable-pasta mixture into pan and spread remaining 1/4 jar of sauce over top.  Sprinkle remaining 1 tsp of Italian seasoning over top.  Cover with foil and bake 45-50 minutes.  Remove foil and sprinkle remaining 4 oz of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over top.  Turn broiler to high and place pan under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I have a confession to make: most of the time, my cookie bars are not from scratch.  I think most everyone that has eaten these [when I had them here/brought them to a party/was asked to bring them somewhere] assumed that I make these from scratch.  Technically, I don't think you could say I lied about this fact.  I don't believe I was ever point blank asked "did you make these from scratch?" but I admit I let people believe that.  Don't get me wrong-I make most baked goods from scratch and can even make these from scratch-but I typically get a little help from Betty Crocker on this one.  In the end though, the direction on the back of these cookie pouches are not the ones I follow but rather I went through a few variations before I arrived at this one.  Following the cookie pouch directions, they come out too thin and who doesn't like a thick cookie?  So here's my secret on these.

2 Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie pouches
2 sticks of butter, unsalted
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a small bowl, place the two sticks of butter and microwave for 30 seconds.  You don't want them completely melted but rather more soft (a little melted is fine).  In a large bowl, place the contents of the 2 cookie pouches, 2 eggs, and 2 sticks of butter.  Mix until all of the cookie mix is incorporated with the egg and butter.  Spread evenly into a lightly butter sprayed 13x9 pan.  Bake 30-33 minutes.  The bars should start to look lightly browned and the center of the pan should not 'jiggle' a whole lot when you shake the pan.  Yes, I do a jiggle test on these.  A fork test is no good because they will seem slightly undone in the center but they continue to cook once you pull them out.  Let them sit till cooled.

Citrus Sauced Pork Chops

So after a night "off" (I made tacos, beans and rice last night) it's onto something new to try.  Most of my (good) friends will tease me because they know how picky I am or rather how I am afraid to try new things especially when it comes to food.  Some of them can even tell you exactly what meal I order at what restaurant, opting not to try anything else once I've found *my favorite* meal there.  I am so picky [aka fearful of trying new things] that I have refused to try entire continents worth of food (in fact I've been known to reply "Nothing from the continent of Asia" when asked where I'd like to go to eat) or I will refuse to try certain flavors at all.  Citrus inspired main courses are one of those things.  So I tried to step out of my comfort zone on this one.  I was not a huge fan of using any additional sauce but it gave a good flavor (in small amounts) to the pork and carrots.  In the end, I will most likely not make this meal again unless Eric comes home and loves it... he is the hungry one after all.... ;)



1 c low sodium chicken broth, divided
1/4 c corn starch, divided
3-4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
Salt and pepper
2 tsp Creole seasonings
2 tbsp corn oil
2 c orange juice
1 1/2 c baby carrots
2 tbsp minced onions
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, divided
1-2 c brown rice, cooked

Stir 1/4 c chicken broth and 2 tbsp corn starch in a small bowl until smooth, set aside.  Season pork with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.  Coat lightly with remaining 2 tbsp corn starch.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add pork chops.  Cook turning once 8-10 minutes or until done.  Remove from pan and keep warm.  Drain any excess fat from skillet.  Add remaining chicken broth, orange juice, carrots, and onion.  Cover.  Simmer 12-15 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Stir honey, corn syrup, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and crushed red pepper into corn starch mixture.  Mix well and add to skillet.  Stirring constantly, bring to boil over medium heat and boil 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 tbsp of parsley parsley.  Spoon rice onto plate, top with pork.  Spoon carrots on top and spoon some of citrus sauce on top.  Top with remaining 1 tbsp of parsley.  Reserve some extra sauce to serve with meal.

Meal for 2-4 depending on size of pork chops.

Pesto Chicken Florentine

I thoroughly enjoyed this and it's going to be hard not to eat any more...

2 tbsp EVOO
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into strips
2 c fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
1-4.5oz packet of Alfredo dry mix (I used Knorr so I also needed 1 3/4 c milk and 1 tbsp butter)
2-3 tbsp pesto sauce, divided
8 oz penne or rotini pasta (I prefer whole wheat pasta)
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 c cherry tomatoes, quartered

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic to pan and saute for 2 minutes.  Add chicken and cook 5-7 minutes on each side until chicken is close to being cooked through.  Add spinach and saute until spinach wilts down, turning, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep warm.  Start cooking pasta as directed.  Begin preparing Alfredo sauce according to packet directions.  If using Knorr packet, be sure sure to stir constantly as not to burn sauce on bottom of pan.  Add 2 tbsp pesto sauce to Alfredo sauce and set aside, keeping warm.  Place pasta in large bowl, add chicken spinach mixture and stir in sauce.  Mix well.  Top with remaining pesto, tomatoes and cheese.

Serve with garlic bread and side caesar salad for a meal for 4.

Potato Gnocchi (from scratch)

I find it amazing and unbelievable that neither Eric or I are Italian as that tends to be our favorite cuisine.  One of Eric's favorite dishes is potato gnocchi and it, again, goes back to our trips to the North End in Boston.  So Sunday night dinner turned out to be make-gnocchi-from-scratch night.  I was skeptical but Eric was willing to help with the process (and he actually did-I took pictures for proof!) so we gave it a shot.  Side note:  there are no left overs :)

1 lb potatoes
2 cups all purpose flour (some extra for kneading purposes)

Wash, skin, and cube potatoes.  Cover completely with boiling salted water, cover, and cook approximately 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain the potatoes, reserving some of the liquid, do not rinse with cold water.  Potatoes should remain *hot*.  Put the cooked potatoes on a lightly floured working surface (I used a silicone sheet) and mash the potatoes.  Have the flour measured and ready.  Pour the flour on top of the potatoes and mix well to make an elastic dough.  Knead the dough until it is pliable, adding some the reserved hot water as needed. (So easy... even Eric helped!  See.)

Start adding water slowly.  (I used about 3-5 spoonfuls.)  To knead the dough, fold the opposite side over toward you.  Using the heel of your hand, gently push the dough away from you.  Give it a small turn and repeat the same process until the dough is smooth and elastic. Use small amounts of additional flour as needed. 
To make the gnocchi, break off small pieces of doughs.  Roll the dough into pencil thickness.  Piece should be about 3/4 of an inch long and fold over.  When done, should look like the picture below.

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil.  Add gnocchi gradually, a few pieces at a time.  Boil rapidly uncovered for about 8-10 minutes or until tender.  Drain carefully and toss wth sauce of your choice and top of grated cheese.

May be frozen-place freshly made on a tray and put in freezer.  Once frozen, place into plastic freezer bags.

Pomtini aka Razztini aka Who cares what this is called tini

I'll preface this recipe by saying that yes, I admit that (way) in the past I have served curdled shots (apparently, when you have lime juice and Irish cream that does not mean that they mix well especially on a humid summer night without ice) at backyard parties at my dad's and at the Pink House in college.  However, I've also made progress on my drink recipes as I have with my cooking/baking and I have definitely gotten this one right so I figured I'd share the love.

1 1/2 parts raspberry vodka
1 part Razzmatazz OR Pomegranate Schnapps
1 part pomegranate mixer**
1 part either Sprite OR Verdi Raspberry Champagne

Combine first 3 ingredients in shaker full of ice.  Shake well.  Add Sprite or Verdi.  Pour into a sugar rimmed martini glass and serve cold.

** I use Daily's Pomegranate mixer and it can be ridiculously hard to find in the Reading area so when I do, I stockpile :)

Cheesy Corn Bread=FAIL

For those of you that have known me for a long time know that I have not always been able to cook or bake.  One of my biggest failures was a batch of corn bread muffins I made for a field hockey tournament in either 8th or 9th grade (yes, I played a sport, yes, I was terrible and yes, I did quit).  The muffins were so hard that prior to boarding the buses to go to the tournament from the high school, we decided to use them as hockey practice.  Some things go without saying but yes, my cooking and baking skills have improved.  However, until today I have never again attempted corn bread (obviously, this was a huge trauma for me ;) haha).  I decided to attempt a recipe for cheesy corn bread, which I found on a recipe website.  It sounded awesome in theory so I planned I would make it this week with the "Chicken Corn Chowder."  I followed the recipe perfectly, making no changes or adjustments, fearing I would screw it up.  Needless to say, I feel as though it failed.  It was dark brown (aka almost burnt) on the sides and bottom and slightly undercooked in the center.  The gooey cheesy top turned into a hard crusted cheese top and to me, the actual corn bread should've been sweeter.  It seemed like the cheese should've been stirred in instead of put on as a topping and that it should've been baked at a lower temperature for longer.  Did I say that it also could've been sweeter?!  (note: Eric felt it tasted 'just like corn bread.' I feel he was being kind because like I said, he's always hungry.)  I'm putting the recipe on here only because I would love to hear if anyone has a **good** recipe for (cheesy) corn bread.

2 c all purpose flour
1 c yellow corn meal
1/3 c sugar
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F.  In a large bowl combine first five ingredients and cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs.  Stir the milk egg mix into the dry ingredients until just blended.  Pour into a greased 8x8 pan and top with shredded cheese.  Bake 35 minutes.

Chicken Corn Chowder

1/2 lb bacon
1 large chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 onon, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into small pieces
4 c low sodium chicken broth
1 c frozen whole kernel corn
1-14 oz can cream style corn (this grosses me out when I have to use it)
1/4 c corn starch
1 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until brown and crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble when cooled.  Reserve 2 tbsp bacon drippings and saute chicken, onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the drippings.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink and onion begins to soften.  Add chicken broth, frozen corn, pototoes and can of cream style corn.  Combine corn starch and milk and slowly stir into soup.  Heat to boiling and boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add bacon, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes if desired, and shredded cheese (reserving some to top each bowl). 

***I had originally wanted to serve this with corn bread and for those of you who've know me a long time (aka prior to 1997) may remember that the last time I attempted corn bread was when I made corn muffins in 9th grade and that did not go so well.  It did not go well this time either--although Eric disagrees-see "Corn Bread=Fail" and let me know if you have a good corn bread recipe.

Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel with Warm Potato Green Bean Salad and Creamy Mustard Sauce

Although I liked this, this recipe was time consuming and involved dirtying a lot of dishes (and for those who know me, dirty dishes are not my forte) so I would have preferred making this on the weekend.

Chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast in 4-4oz pieces
1 c low fat buttermilk
1 large egg white
3-4 slices fresh whole wheat bread, cubed (about 2 1/2 c)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
salt
black pepper
EVOO

Warm Potato and green bean salad:
1/2 lb fingerling potatoes or baby red potatoes
1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tsp spicey brown mustard
1/4 tsp mustard seed

Creamy mustard sauce:
EVOO
1 tbsp minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c evaporated skim milk
1/3 c light sour cream
1/4 c spicey brown mustard
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
black pepper

Chicken breasts should be about 1/4" thick to cook properly.  Cut breasts horizontally if thick and place between saran wrap.  Use flat side of a meat pounder and pound to desired thickness.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg white.  Pour into an appropriate size baking dish and place chicken in dish, turning over to coat.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 275 F.  Process the bread in a food processor until ground into crumbs.  Arrange the crumbs in a thin layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.  Toast in oven until completely dry and hard about 15 minutes.  Lower oven to 200 F.

Cut any of the larger potatoe in half, leave smaller ones whole.  Put potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough water and cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, until fork tender about 20 minutes.  Add green beans to pan and cook additional 2 minutes till beans are crisp tender.  Meanwhile in a metal bowl whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, amd mustard seed.  Drain potatoes and beans and add to bowl.  Toss to combine.  Cover with foil and place in oven to keep warm.

Mix bread crumbs wth grated Parmesan in a shallow dish.  In a large nonstick skillet coated with small amount of EVOO, heat over medium heat.  Remove chicken one piece at a time from buttermilk, season with salt and pepper and press each side into bread crumb cheese mix.  Place as much chicken in heated skillet.  Cook until the under side is golden brown and crisp about 4 minutes.  Turn and cook until the other side is golden brown and crisp and chicken is cooked, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to a platter and keep warm in the oven while finishing other pieces of chicken.

Place just enough EVOO to lightly coat bottom of small sauce pan and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook till fragant but not browned, stir often about 2-3 minutes.  Whisk in evaporated milk and bring to simmer.  Whisk in sour cream, mustard, mustard seed, and Worcestershire sauce.  Remove from pan and stir in black pepper, cayenne pepper and parsley.

To serve, place a mound of warm potato green bean salad and chicken on plate.  Serve with sauce.

Big meal for 2 but with another side could probably work for 4.

Tomato Walnut Tilapia

2 4oz tilapia fillets
1/2 tbsp butter
salt, pepper
1/2 roma tomato, thinly sliced

topping:
1/4 c Italian style bread crumbs
2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp butter, melted

Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper.  In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium high heat and cook fillets on each side for 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned.  Place fillets on a small greased baking dish.  Place tomato slices over the fillets.  Combine the topping ingredients and spoon on top of the tomatoes.  Turn broiler onto high and place the baking dish 4 inches from broiler.  Heat 2-3 minutes until topping is browned and fish flakes easily.

I made seasoned sweet potato fries and I had fresh green beans with this :)