Baked Gnocchi

I could not get a pretty picture of this dish....not in the baking dish, not in the bowl, and not an action shot. I was also really hungry and impatient. The baked gnocchi was perfect for my snow day, it was warm and filling. It was like a nice warm hug for my tummy. The smoked paprika was a little strong so I decreased the amount to 1/2 teaspoon. This dish was definitely better the next day after the flavors had more time to mix together and mellow out.

Gross.

But seriously, how are you suppose to photograph gnocchi? You can also see my carpet and a piece of garlic bread that I threw on a coaster. I'm just keeping it classy these days.

Baked Gnocchi

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1 package fresh store-bought gnocchi
3 strips of bacon, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 of onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can (15 oz) tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Shredded mozzarella, enough to top
Directions:

1. Fry bacon until crisp, pour off the fat. Saute the garlic and onion for 30 seconds and then add the tomatoes and smoked paprika.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook gnocchi according to directions. Drain and add to the tomato sauce pan, mix well.

3. Transfer the sauced gnocchi to an oven safe container and top with mozzarella. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted and golden. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled Eggplant Parm

Mr. Lawyer's mom makes a banging eggplant parm that he is absolutely in love with. Obviously I would never attempt making it because it will result in horrible comparisons (from Mr. Lawyer) and tears (um, from me). I saw this lightened up eggplant parm recipe and thought "well...I could probably pull it off because it's a completely different recipe." Plus I've been craving all sorts of fresh veggies and this recipe fit the bill. 

Man oh man was it a hit! The only thing left is the bits of burnt cheese stuck to the pan. I followed the recipe and used a grill pan but I imagine that using a real grill would add some amazing flavor. It was a great summery dish. I loved the pop and freshness of the tomatoes, the gooeyness of the cheese, and the slight spice from the red pepper-basil mixture.

Grilled Eggplant Parm

(adapted from Food & Wine Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
4 large plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup finely shredded basil, plus whole leaves for garnish
6 ounces Fontina cheese, thinly sliced (I used mozzarella)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Salt your eggplant! It will make your eggplant less bitter. Sprinkle salt over eggplant slices and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry. While your eggplant is being salted, combine the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and red pepper flakes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450° and heat a grill pan. Brush the eggplant and tomato slices with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Grill the eggplant in batches over moderately high heat, turning once, until softened and lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Grill the tomatoes, turning once, until lightly charred but still intact, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the shredded basil to the red pepper-olive oil mixture. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In the center, arrange half of the eggplant in a 9-inch square, overlapping the slices slightly. Top with half of the grilled tomatoes, basil mixture, parmesan and fontina/mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese.
4. Bake in the center of the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread.

All layered up and ready to go!

Cheesy Caprese Dip

There were a couple different versions of caprese dip floating around on pinterest, one added cream cheese and parmesan for a more creamy version. For the sake of time and less calories I went with the basic version: mozzarella, tomato, and basil. It was very good but a little messy due to the stringy nature of the cheese. It was super easy and required little effort and had minimal ingredients. Some of the comments mentioned that it could get soupy due to the liquid releasing from the cheese and tomatoes. By the end of the night one dish had a little extra liquid but the other did not. I tried to do my best to seed the tomatoes and wrapped them in a paper towel overnight to absorb the leftover liquid (I did a lot of prep work the night before). The brand of fresh mozzarella I purchased didn't have any extra liquid in the packaging like some do, I'm sure that helped eliminate some liquid.

Caprese Dip

(Pinterest find! Adapted from howsweeteats.com)

Ingredients:
1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed
Your desired amount of fresh basil, chopped (I put in a fair amount)
Directions:
1. Cut grape tomatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Dry the tomatoes as much as possible with a towel. Cube the mozzarella and chop the basil.
2. Mix everything together and place in an oven safe dish.
3. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes until melted and then broil until golden.

**You can always add more or less tomatoes or basil depending on your tastes**

An Italian Dinner

I've taken another kitchen break! All week I've been eating my healthy Rainbow Salad for lunch (and once for dinner!). It's been a great way to get back on track and detox...or prepare for another weekend of Shore Eating! One night Mr. Lawyer made his famous Spicy Chicken Cacciatore and we ate leftovers for a bit. He use to make it a lot in grad school, one of his dishes that won me over! It's a crock pot meal so it's super easy and super torturous when you stay home all day and can smell it cooking away. The recipe is HERE!

We set up our dinner stations: get your pasta, bread, chicken and some fancy Italian wine!

I forgot to take a picture before I started to dig in. Whoops!

Tuscan Chicken

In honor of Mr. Lawyer's parents who are off galavanting around Italy and torturing us with amazing photographs I picked out this Tuscan inspired dish for Mr. Lawyer to make. He has mentioned that he misses cooking and after his chicken parm freak out I decided that he could cook this weekend. It came out great! I'm sure it can't compare to all the delicious grub that the parental units are indulging in but it was perfect for a cold rainy Sunday!

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
4. While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
6. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

I can feed manly men just fine thanks.

I caught a lot of flack from a certain someone for wanting to make this dish for the mini college reunion that occurred this weekend. First the dish was too fancy for a bunch of manly men and then there was drama about it being a white sauce not a red sauce. However, there was very little remaining after dinner on Friday and when I woke up Saturday morning there wasn't any left (evidently mushroom lasagna is a wonderful 3 am snack for manly men). So who wins this one? This girl obviously. 

We got the pancetta from Di Bruno Brothers so it was sliced nice and thick which was perfect for the recipe, thinly sliced would not have worked well. The amount was also upped to 8 ounces by Mr. Lawyer due to manliness concerns. I did the full 4 portobello caps but was a little light on the 1.5 pounds of baby bellas because that's a ton of mushrooms. Next time I would try to get a little closer to the 1.5 pounds but by no means was the dish lacking because I reduced the amount. I realize that the béchamel recipe is only for 3.5 cups and not the 4.5 cups required in the lasagna recipe but it worked out fine and it was not dry at all. But if I used the full amount of mushrooms an extra cup of sauce might have come in handy. 

Official Review: Amazing. I loved it and obviously the mostly boy crowd did as well. Definitely a keeper.

Portobello and Pancetta with Parmesan Lasagna

(from For the Love of Lasagna by Sorrento)

Ingredients:
16 oz mozzarella, shredded
6 oz pancetta, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large portobello caps, ribs removed, 1/2 inch dice
1.5 pounds baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, 1/4 inch slices
3 medium shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 bunch chives, chopped (reserve small amount for garnish)
4.5 cup bechamel sauce (recipe follows)
12 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
2 eggs
1.5 cups parmesan
Directions:
1. Cook pancetta in large saute pan on medium in 2 tablespoons oil until rendered and crispy. Remove the pancetta and keep the oil in the pan.
2. Saute the portobello and baby bella mushrooms in the pancetta oil (in batches) until caramelized on medium-high heat. Set cooked mushrooms aside.
3. Saute shallots and garlic in the saute pan on medium heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil for 4 minutes. Add the cooked mushrooms and 1 cup white wine. Cooke on medium-high until the liquid has evaporated. Toss in chives and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To assemble, spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1.5 cups béchamel sauce on the bottom of the pan and top with 4 lasagna noodles.
5. Mix remaining béchamel with 2 eggs. Layer 1/2 of the mushroom mixture, 1/3 of the béchamel egg sauce, 1/2 cup parmesan, and 1/4 of the mozzarella.
6. Top with 4 noodles, remaining mushroom mixture, 1/3 more of béchamel sauce, 1/2 cup parmesan, and 1/4 mozzarella.
7. Finish with a layer of 4 noodles, and the remaining 1/3 béchamel sauce, 1/2 cup parmesan and mozzarella.
8. Cover with parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and parchment and bake for 10 more minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and garnish with reserved chives.

Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 shallots (or 1 medium yellow onion), minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
3.5 cups whole milk
3/4 tsp nutmeg
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium heat until foaming.
2. Add shallots and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes taking care not to brown.
4. Whisk in milk slowly and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.