Vegetarian Pot Pie

On this snowy Tuesday, all I want is something warm and comforting in my tummy.  So, I decided to make a pot pie.  I wanted Bri to be able to eat it and so it became a veggie pot pie with tofu instead of chicken.  It was super yummy and crazy simple.  Here is what I did:

I mixed a bunch of delish veggies in a pot.  Then, I poured said delish veggies into a 9 by 13 inch pan.  Then, I put unrolled crescent rolls on top and baked it in the oven for 15 minutes.  The result:  A Vegetarian Pot Pie Casserole.  Yes, I am serious.

This was super easy and now I have some awesome comfort food that incorporates a bunch of vegetables and some solid protein.

Today, I keep looking out the window while at school and I am not looking forward to my drive home in all this snow.  At least I have a yummy dinner ahead of me!

Vegetarian Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped tofu
6-8 small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
8 crescent rolls

Directions:
1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add in the celery, carrots, and onion.  Let cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add in the potatoes and tofu.  Let cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add in the veggie stock and increase heat to medium-high.  Add in the frozen peas.  Let cook until mixture starts to boil.
4. In a small bowl, place flour.  Ladel some veggie stock from your vegetable mixture into the flour and whisk to combine.  Then, pour the flour/veggie stock mixture back into the pot and stir to combine.
5.  Let cook while simmering for about 5 minutes or so.  Pour the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch pan.

6. Lay the crescent rolls on the top and cook at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crescent rolls are cooked and browned.

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Paella

I decided to take a blog-cation.  I'm not sure that is a real thing, but I am officially making it a thing.  I was feeling a little overwhelmed with how much I have going on in my life and I just couldn't keep up.  It happens.  All the stuff is really good and I totally kept cooking up a storm, but I just didn't feel like writing.  However, I am pretty pumped to tell you about this Vegetarian Paella:

Here is a quick re-cap on all the good stuff that is keeping me occupied.  First, school is busy.  I am teaching the AP Calc and Precalc groups right now, so I have a lot to plan for.  I have never taught these classes before this year and so I need more time to plan and prepare myself.  Plus, this math stuff can be really difficult!  I give these kids a lot of credit because they are learning some tough stuff and doing a really nice job! Then, I also have cheer practice or basketball games after school.  On Saturday, we attended a college basketball game and talked to the cheer team there.  It was really fun and the girls had a great time meeting the college cheerleaders.  We are also getting ready for a winter pep rally and that means lots of practice.  On top of all that, I also had a meeting on Monday with the park district to start preparing for my summer job.  Summer seems really far away, but now is the time that we start planning/hiring for summer camp.  Finally, Bri and I have been doing a lot of house shopping.  We think we found our condo and are getting ready to make an offer!  And, all of this is in addition to wedding planning and marathon training.  Jeez!  

So, needless to say, I just have a lot on my plate.  

I also found out that next year I will be teaching 12th grade.  For any of you who keep up with my life, I am currently teaching 11th grade and this means I will be teaching the same kiddos next year! I am turning into Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World!  This is just awesome since Mr. Feeny is the best! 

How can you not love that guy???  

Well, now that you are all mostly updated on my whirlwind life, here is a fabulous recipe for Vegetarian Paella.  I made this on a weeknight, which means that it takes like no time, and it was crazy yummy.  Please make this and enjoy!

Vegetarian Paella

(adapted from The Kitchn)

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

1/4 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp paprika

5-6 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp olive oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 red peppers, sliced

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp hot paprika

1 cup green beans, trimmed and halved

1 can artichoke heart quarters, drained and roughly chopped

1 cup cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the brown rice, and boil for 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

2. In another pot, bring the broth to a simmer.

3. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet and saute the onions until translucent.  Add in the peppers and garlic and cook until the peppers soften.  Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tumeric, paprika, hot paprika, and season with salt and pepper (to taste). Let this simmer for 5 minutes

4.  Fold in the green beans, artichoke hearts, chickpeas and cooked rice.  Ladel the warm broth into the mixture until the rice is almost covered.  Let simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Stir in the frozen peas and let simmer for 5 more minutes.  Then, serve! 

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Happy Marathon Monday! For the past few weeks, I have shared some of my fun running experiences.  Today, I don't really have much to share.  I did realize that I am officially a crazy person as I ran 9 miles in the rain on Saturday.  Now, I know I could have waited for it to stop raining, but I really wanted to get my run in before 9 in the morning, so I just decided at 7 am that a 9 mile run in the rain wouldn't be that bad.  As I was running, it hit me: I am a little crazy.  And you know what, I am okay with that!  In other running news, I find out TOMORROW about the 2015 Chicago Marathon, so I'm gonna get back to you with that when I find out....

I just love Sundays.  I know it's Monday now, but Monday's are typically not my favorite so I'm gonna focus on Sunday for a little bit longer.  Here is a list of why Sundays are great:

1. I can sleep in
2. I go to a kickboxing class that absolutely kicks my butt
3. I have time to cook
4. GOT (aka Game of Thrones!!!!! yes, I am a total geek)

Those four reasons make Sundays absolutely fabulous.  Plus, there is a fifth reason, but it only happens one Sunday a month and that is: Book Club.  I am in a wonderful book club with a bunch of 20-something girls from the Chicago area.  We take turns hosting and we chat about a book that we read.  Every meeting, we pick a new book and a new place/date.  It is always a really nice time and I look forward to these meetings when they come around.  This book club was about Cutting for Stone, which I highly recommend.  And, our next book is The Rosie Project.  This last book club was also extra special since it was one of our members birthdays! I, of course, baked her a Monster Cake! Yum!

Besides book club, game of thrones, and sleep.  Cooking is one of the activities that make the weekend special.  Bri and I try to find a recipe to make over the weekend that will lend us leftovers during the week.  Today's recipe is perfect for that!  I was inspired by a recipe on My Recipes and then I adapted it from there.

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
16 oz package of frozen cauliflower
Topping:
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
4 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:
1. Heat about 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Then, add in the garlic and cook for an additional few minutes.  Pour vegetables into your crock pot.
2. Put 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil into your skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add in the flour and whisk until it starts to brown.  Pour in the milk and vegetable broth and cook for about 5 minutes while whisking.  Pour sauce into the slow cooker and add in the frozen peas, cauliflower, and thyme.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3. To make the topping, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Cut in the butter until your mixture looks like coarse sand.  Stir in the cheese and chives.  Finally, stir in the buttermilk until your mixture just starts to look damp.
4. Once the veggies are done cooking, drop spoonfuls of the biscuit mixture over the top.  Turn up the heat on your crock pot to high and cook for an additional 1 and a half hours or until you biscuits are done.

Enjoy :)

5 Courses to Celebrate 5 Years

August, 3rd: Bri and I had a really great year.  One year ago, we moved into our apartment and celebrated our 4-year anniversary.  Now, we have been living together for a year and are on year 5 of our relationship!  It has been really great and I am so appreciative for all the amazing times we have experienced together.  To celebrate year 5, I thought it would be cute to cook dinner together and have 5 courses in honor of 5 years.  We shared this amazing meal and watched a movie and it was a quiet and lovely anniversary.

Zucchini Soup

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad

Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Feta and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Toasty Parmesan Tomatoes

Creme Brûlée Cupcakes

Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Feta and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Feta and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic Sauce

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat gnocchi (or homemade)
tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Cook gnocchi according to directions, drain and place back into pot.
2. In a medium pan, brown butter by melting butter over medium heat and then swirling until it just starts to brown.  Remove butter from heat and stir in the balsamic and the frozen peas.  Continue to cook over low heat until peas are cooked.
3. Pour butter and balsamic mixture over the cooked gnocchi and then stir in the feta cheese.

Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

Here I am again on a Sunday where I actually get a moment to breathe.  However, this Sunday has been particularly busy since I have so much to do!  I can't believe I've gotten so busy!  This coming week of school will actually be my first week with 5 days of teaching.  Sorta funny isn't it?  We started with a 3 day week, then there was Labor Day and that meant a 4 day week, and then we had a full week with assessment days so I really only taught 4 days.  This week, however, is totally normal.

I have a lot planned for this week and I spent the entire morning typing out my lesson plans, printing off exit tickets, and uploading warm ups and other activities to my school account.  I feel pretty prepared and that makes me feel good.  Also, I like planning an entire week at a time because it ensures that I know where the students are going during the week and where they should be by the end of the week.  This isn't to say that I'm not open to changing my lessons as I go along.  I am constantly adapting plans and changing them from class to class or day to day.  What works in one class may not work in another and that means I have to be flexible.  Lately, I have also been getting visitors in my classes.  My Division Chair has observed a few of my classes and this week the teacher in charge of the mentor program is coming to observe.  This added feedback makes me feel stressed out, but it is very helpful and I keep telling myself to stay calm and open minded.  I can't wait to see how everything goes!

The meal I have to share today was made a while ago, but it was super yummy and I just couldn't forget about it.  I was craving comfort food, Bri is a vegetarian, and I wanted to make something that would last a while.  So, I found this awesome recipe for a Vegetarian Pot Pie, I adapted it to be lightened up, and I made the Sweet Potato Biscuits to go on top.  It was a delicious casserole meal and it was jam packed with veggies!

Vegetable Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Biscuits

Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Biscuits:
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
7 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup skim milk
Pot Pie:
1 1/2 lbs. brussel sprouts, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 lb. pearl onions, blanced and peeled
1 heal cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
22 sage leaves
8 thyme sprigs
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cream
nutmeg
1 egg

Directions:
1. Prepare the sweet potato biscuits: Microwave the sweet potato on high until it can be easily pierced with a fork.  Peel the potato and mash into a bowl.  Set aside.
2. Pour the vinegar into the bottom of a liquid measuring cup.  Fill with milk until you reach the 1 cup line.  Let sit for 5 minutes (this is a buttermilk substitute).  
3. In a food processor, process the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Continue to pulse as you add in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Add in the sweet potato and then slowly pour in the buttermilk until the mixture forms into a ball.
4.  Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface until 1/2 inch thick.  Use a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut out 12 circles.  Re-roll the dough as needed. Set circles aside.

5. Prep all the veggies. To blanch the onions, let them boil in water for 3 minutes.  Drain and remove skins.
6. Preheat oven to 425.  Place cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and onions in a 13 by 9 inch pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add 6 sage leaves and 4 thyme sprigs.  Let roast in the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, throw away sage/thyme and reduce the oven heat to 375.

7. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, onion, 6 sage leaves, and 2 thyme sprigs.  Let simmer, covered for 15 minutes.  Strain the milk into a bowl, discard the onion, sage, and thyme.
8. In the same saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the flour and whisk over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add in the milk and continue to whisk until mixture thickens, 10-15 minutes.  Chop two sage leaves and the remaining two thyme sprigs.  Add the chopped sage, thyme, and cream to the milk mixture.  Season with nutmeg.  Pour over the veggies in the 13 by 9 inch pan.  Add in the frozen peas.

9.  Place the 12 un-cooked biscuits over the vegetable mixture.  Press 1 sage leaf into each biscuit.  In a small bowl, beat the egg and then brush a little over each biscuit.  Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned and puffy.

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with a Baslamic Sage Brown Butter and Goat Cheese Sauce

Bri was still on break for my first week back to school.  So, he came up to Madison with me and it was great!  We had a lot of fun hanging out together after school/work and it was nice to have the company since Madison is so dead right now with Winter Break still going on.  During the days, I had school and work so Bri worked a ton on his thesis.  It worked out perfectly that he had so much to do because I was so busy all day long.  However, at night we were able to get in some really fun activities around Madison!

On Tuesday, Bri got into town pretty late so he got a bite to eat at Potbelly's and then we discovered a new frozen yogurt place called Cherry Berry.  It was pretty awesome and it's really close (too close) to where I am teaching.

The next night, we made dinner and dessert. It was a really nice time.  The dinner we made was Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas in a Brown Butter Balsamic and Sage sauce and then for dessert, Creme Brulee. Everything was delicious and people thought it was our anniversary or something.  Nope, just Wednesday night.

On Thursday, we went to Ella's Deli for dinner on the way to the movie theater.  We saw Les Mis.  It was fantastic.  It is my favorite musical to begin with and now I can watch it whenever I want.  Anne Hathaway truly deserves her Oscar nomination.  I bawled my eyes out at the end and was a tad embarrassed leaving the theater looking like a splotchy mess.  We were able to make it to the 6 p.m. movie time, which was great since it was almost 3 hours long and I was exhausted after my long day of teaching/work.

Friday was when Bri had to leave to get back to Chicago before his long drive back to school so we went to Panera for a quick lunch between school and work and then it was time to say goodbye.  It was really nice having him around for the week.  It felt like a little preview of what next year could be like with me teaching and him in law school.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Peas with Balsamic Sage Brown Butter Sauce and Goat Cheese
(adapted from Aida Mollenkamp)

Ingredients:
1 16 oz package Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 oz. goat cheese
4 tbsp unsalted butter
12-16 sage leaves
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 shallots, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Cook the gnocchi according to the directions.  Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Cook the peas according to directions and add to the gnocchi.
3.  In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  When it starts to foam, add in the sage leaves and cook for a few minutes.  Remove the leaves and place them in the gnocchi bowl.  Return the butter to the stove and add in the shallots.  Cook until butter browns, stirring often.  Scrape the brown bits from the bottom and remove from heat.  Stir in the balsamic and pour over the gnocchi.
4.  Top with goat cheese and season with the pepper to taste.  Toss everything together and serve!

Enjoy :)

Daring Cooks' Challenge September 2012: Paella

Inma from laGalletika challenged us with making Paella for this month's Daring Cooks' Challenge!  It was so fun to experiment with this little taste from Spain and put our own twists on the flavorful dish!

I had a blast whipping up this delightful dinner with a few of my girlfriends from the school of ed.  We got together, made some Paella, enjoyed some wine, and watched tv.  It was a really lovely evening and it made me so grateful for my fellow teacher friends.

Student teaching has been so much fun and so much work! I officially started lead teaching my class this past week and it is exhausting! I am always amazed by how how tired I feel when the adrenaline rush starts to wear off when the lesson is over.  I am slowly becoming more and more comfortable in my new teaching shoes and I have learned so much already.  My class is a tough one.  There are quite a few tough cookies in that room that make life interesting.  I am trying to incorporate all of my training and readings into my practice and so far it seems to be going well.  I knew that classroom management was going to be a struggle because you really can't learn how to do it from any class.  You just gotta give it a try.  I am working on focusing on my language as I speak to the students.  I try to be consistent and persistent with my expectations and disposition.  I want to show them that I respect them, but that in return, they must respect me.  I want to develop positive relationships with all my students and I want to empower them by having high expectations of everyone.

This all sounds lovely in writing, but in life it gets tricky.  Not only do I have to focus on ALL of this, but I have to teach math too! The only tricky thing about this is that I am following the CMP curriculum, which I did not have when I was in school.  It is a very different method of learning than what I was used to and so it is new for me as well as the students! I just have to stay on my toes and learn everything a little big faster than the kids.  I am actually starting to do their homework as well so that I am on the same page as they are and have an even better understanding of the curriculum and the material.

After all this teaching and learning, one would think that one would be too exhausted to have any fun.  However, that is simply not true! Last night I have a great night with my friends watching the Bears v. Packers Game and this weekend is a Badger home game and I have a ticket! I can't wait to relax and have some fun with my friends.  It is my senior year after all!

Healthy Paella (adapted from Fervent Foodie)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
1 box mini turkey sausage links, cooked according to directions
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
2 cups arborio rice
2.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 oz cooked shrimp
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Rub:
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Mix the chicken rub spices together and coat both sides of the chicken breasts.
2. Heat a large skillet with cooking spray or olive oil and cook the chicken until just seared on all sides.  Place on a plate off to the side.
3. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes and crush with your spatula.  Add the rice, stir to combine, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.  Add the chicken broth and wine, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Add the chicken, stir to combine, and continue to cook, covered for 5 minutes.  Add the cooked sausage and continue to cook for 3 minutes before adding the cooked shrimp.  Let simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes, stir in the peas, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Enjoy :)

Simple Pasta with Ricotta and Veggies

I can't believe that I forgot about "Half Marathon Monday!"  This week has been INSANE.  Not only has my half marathon training progressed to week 4, but I also started my summer job.  I've officially made it up to a 6 mile run (Saturday) and this week I have a 3 mile, 5 mile, 3 mile, and then 8 mile run. On top of this, I've spent every day working from 8:30-4 getting ready for camp, meeting the counselors, prepping the school where we will have camp, and planning for next week when we actually get to meet all the campers!

I am the site director at a day camp for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders and I honestly could not be more excited about it.  My theme for the camp is the "Olympics" and I can't wait! This is not only a fun way to spend the summer and make some money, but it also is widely helpful for working on my classroom management skills, creativity, and people skills.  I get to plan the summer, find activities, and manage the entire campsite! It's a huge responsibility, but I love it.  Also, I am exhausted! I worked from 8 to 3 and then ran 5 miles and right now I am pooped.

Tonight was looking like a frozen meal night simply because my parents were not around and I was being lazy.  However, I decided that I really did want something more exciting and I thought it would make me feel good to put together something good to eat.  The saying goes, "You are what you eat" and I fully believe that.  I threw together this simple pasta dish and it made me feel amazing.  I loved that I was eating something fresh, filling, and healthy.  Now, I am going to go sit on the couch and not move for at least 2 hours (aka I'm going to watch So You Think You Can Dance).  

Simple Pasta with Ricotta and Veggies

I used this stuff which tasted awesome! Pomegranate!!!

Ingredients:

4 oz. whole wheat pasta

1 cup packed baby spinach

1/4 cup frozen peas

1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1-2 tbsp low-fat ricotta

dash of red pepper flakes

dash of garlic powder

parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain, and place in a bowl.

2. Place spinach and peas in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Pour about a tsp in the pan and saute the veggies until the spinach is wilted. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and garlic and toss with the veggies.

3. Toss the pasta with the ricotta until coated.  Mix in the veggies and sprinkle with more balsamic and parmesan.  

Enjoy :)

Homemade Lemon Gnocchi with a Spinach and Peas Sauce

I am in St. Louis for the weekend.  St. Louis is a great city and since Brian goes to school here I have gotten to see a lot of it.  Last night we went to this great restaurant called Bailey’s Chocolate Bar.  This place was fantastic.  Quite appropriately, the menu starts off with the dessert section and then moves to appetizers and entrees.  How could I not love this place? Instead of putting bread out on the table, they have cookies and they have a HUGE drink menu full of alcoholic and non-alcoholic sweet drinks.  Dinner and (not surprisingly) dessert were fantastic. 

Seriously great chocolatini

For tonight, we are making our own dinner.  Brian and I love to cook together and find new and exciting recipes to try out.  Isn’t that just adorable?  Anyways, I spent some time browsing epicurious and came across this fun little Valentine’s Day Menu Quiz.  You take this quiz and it tells you what the perfect menu is for you and your significant other.  I thought it was pretty silly, but the menu that it came up with actually sounded great.  I did not really feel like making the dessert, plus I had those mine heart shaped cheesecake pans, and so we decided to just make the entrée portion: Lemon Spinach Gnocchi.  We also decided to try making our own gnocchi.  Don’t worry though; we bought some gnocchi just in case the homemade stuff didn’t go according to plan J.

Homemade Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas (adapted from BLOG and Epicurious)

Make the Gnocchi:

Ingredients:

2 pounds Russet Potatoes (about 4)

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp flour, plus more for dusting

1 tsp salt, plus more for cooking

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Microwave the potatoes on high for 5 minutes.  Then, turn them over and microwave for another 5 minutes or until the ends start to soften.

2. Place potatoes directly on oven rack and bake 18-20 minutes or until you can easily slide a fork in and out of them.

3. Once potatoes are done, immediately peel them and place unpeeled potatoes in a bowl.  We found that the skins just sort of fell off and we ended up scooping potato out of the skin. Once in a bowl, use an electric mixer or potato masher and mash the potatoes. Spread mashed potatoes out on a baking sheet (we lined ours with parchment paper) and allow to cool for about 5 minute

4.  Scoop 2 cups of potatoes into a bowl.  You may have leftover potato, we didn’t, but don’t add it to the bowl.  Top warm potatoes with the beaten egg and using a fork mix until just combined.  Next, top with the flour and salt, and mix until no plain pockets of flour exist.  Don’t over mix.  The batter will not come together and will look crumbly.

5.  Lightly flour a clean surface and knead the dough until it comes together and appears smooth, about a minute.  Form into a ball and slice into 8 pieces.  Generously flour a baking sheet and, using one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough out into a long rope about ½ inch thick. Repeat with all 8 pieces.  Then, cut the rope into about ½ to 1 inch pieces.  You can leave the gnocchi like this, or using a fork, you can form the ridges as follows:

6.  Using a fork, place a piece of gnocchi between the back of the fork and your thumb and then roll the gnocchi along the fork.  You may need to use a fairly large fork.  This will create the traditional ridges!

Now, you can make the gnocchi right away, or place gnocchi on a baking sheet so that they are not touching and freeze them.  Once frozen you can transfer them to a sealed bag for future use.

We made ours right away:

Lemon with Spinach and Peas Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)

½ cup heavy cream

¼ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, smashed

¼ tsp salt

3 cups packed baby spinach

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

1 pound of gnocchi (the homemade stuff or store bought if all the above stuff is too much for you)

¼ cup of fresh, shredded parmesan

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, simmer peas, cream, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt covered for about 5 minutes.

2. Add spinach and cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest

3.  Cook gnocchi in the pot of boiling water: if using the homemade stuff, cook about half a batch at a time.  Gnocchi is done once all the pieces float to the top.  Using a strainer, scoop the gnocchi out of the pot and place into a large bowl.  Then, make the other half the same way.  Reserve ½ cup of cooking water.

4. Pour the sauce over the gnocchi and toss to coat.  Add about ½ cup of pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce.  Add more if you like. Top with the cheese.

Enjoy J

Note: the red pepper in this recipe causes the sauce to have quite the kick.  We loved this, but if this is not to your taste, use less or leave it out.  Also, we added a little more lemon than what the original recipe called for and it was great!  

Success!