Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables

So fresh and delicious!

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
2 zucchini or yellow squash, or one of each, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 package (15-16 oz) frozen gnocchi (I used non-frozen, vacuum-sealed gnocchi and it was fine)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 T grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or parmesan, and much more of it!)
1 T butter
2 t. fresh lemon juice


Preparation

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes.  Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions.  Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet.  Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create a sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

- Sarah

*Recipe from Everyday Food Issue 63

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak with Grated Potato Pancakes

This is a very simple and healthy recipe with few ingredients.  It didn't take long to make and I served it with steamed zucchini squash!  Enjoy!

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in a glass or plastic dish, and stir to combine. Add skirt steak, and coat well with marinade. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. Preheat broiler or grill. Remove steak from marinade, and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Season meat generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Place under broiler or on grill, and cook about 3 minutes, turn over, and cook for 3 minutes more for medium rare.
3. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain, and serve.

**Martha Stewart Living, May 2001

Grated Potato Pancakes

• 2 Idaho potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Peel potatoes, and grate on the large holes of a box grater. Place grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze tightly, removing all excess moisture.
2. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 teaspoon canola oil. When very hot, add grated potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to press potatoes into a flat, round shape. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, shaking pan periodically, until pancake is nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip pancake, and add remaining teaspoon of oil, drizzling around the edges of pancake. Gently swirl pan to distribute oil. Season again with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until golden brown and crisp on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes more.
3. Transfer to a cutting board; cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

*Martha Stewart Living

Happy Cooking!!!

~Lynn

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

With asparagus now in season, this is an excellent recipe to try! It comes from the fabulous book, "Eat This, Not That." It's super healthy and full of taste too.  Hope you enjoy it!

1/2 C instant brown rice (measured dry)


1 tsp canola or other cooking oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 C mixed chopped peppers

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 C chopped raw asparagus

8 oz shrimp
1 tbsp soy sauce

hot sauce to taste (like sriracha)

Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

Prepare the brown rice according to the package directions. Add the oil to a large saute pan or wok and place over high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the onions, peppers, garlic, and asparagus, then stir fry for 5 minutes, until the vegetables have browned slightly. Stir in the shrimp, soy sauce, and hot sauce and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
 
Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes

                           

Follow instructions on your pancake box mix (or you could make your own)

Add 1/2 c. sweet potato puree --I usually have this and butternut squash puree on hand to add to pastas, breads, even put it in taco mix too! besides the point. --

Add 1 ripe banana mashed up.

Mix it all together...cook on the griddle till browned...easy peasy and delicious!

These would be great for Breakfast Lunch or Dinner.

you get your fruits, veggies, grains, drink a glass a milk and you got all the groups covered.

Enjoy!

~ Kristen

Moroccan Tagine

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (I used cumin instead)
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• cooked couscous to serve with Tagine

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken, onion, and garlic about 15 minutes, until browned. 

2. Mix the squash, garbanzo beans, carrot, tomatoes with juice, broth, sugar, and lemon juice into the skillet. Season with salt, coriander, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, and continue cooking 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.  

3. Serve over couscous.

Yummy and healthy!

*Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

-Sarah

Kit Kat Bars

A homeade variation of the popular candy bar! Very tasty, and maybe not all that healthy :)

Ingredients:

• 60 buttery crackers, such as Keebler Club Crackers
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Preparation:

1. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish. Line with a layer of 20 crackers.
2. In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugars and milk together to a boil over medium heat. Stir in crushed graham crackers. Let boil 5 minutes.
3. Pour half of the sugar mixture over the crackers. Cover with another layer of 20 crackers, pressing down lightly. Pour remaining syrup mixture over crackers, smoothing to coat.
4. Top with the remaining crackers, pressing lightly.
5. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave-safe dish. Heat on high 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until chips are melted. (Alternatively, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat.)
6. Pour evenly over the top layer of crackers, making sure the crackers are completely covered.
7. Refrigerate until kit kat bars are firm.

Makes 36 kit kat bars.

Enjoy!

Lynn

Mexican Wonton Cups with Chili Con Queso

Mexican Wonton Cups with Chili Con Queso
These are awesome!  Last night for dinner, I was trying to figure out what I could make without going to the store.  I remembered I had these wonton wrappers for the Gyoza I made a few weeks ago. Michael wanted to make homeade salsa, so I searched for Mexican wontons and got this recipe.  It takes a little while to make, but it's worth it! 

**I halved this recipe and it still made a lot.  I would probably advise doing the same!

Chili Con Queso Sauce:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 14 1/2 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 4 oz can mild green chiles
• 2 chipotle in adobo, crush with side of knife then chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• Additional cumin, cayenne, chili powder, salt and pepper, to taste

 Won Ton Cups:

• 1/2 of beef mixture from above
• 1 pkg taco seasoning, mild
• 1 1/2 cups chili con queso sauce from above
• 1 1/2 shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese plus an additional cup of Cheddar for garnish
• 50-60 won ton wrappers

Directions:

Chili Con Queso Sauce: Heat vegetable oil in large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add onion and peppers then cook about 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove half of beef mixture and set aside. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and chiles then use a potato masher to break down tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and stir, then cook another 5 minutes. Add chipotle in adobo and stir. Add cheeses and stir until cheese is melted.

Won Ton Cups: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To reserved beef mixture, add taco seasoning and stir, but do not add water as directed on box. Add chili con queso sauce and cheeses. In batches of twelve, press a wonton wrapper in each cup of a muffin tin and bake 5 minutes. When removing from oven, stuff each cup with about 1 tbsp of mixture and sprinkle with cheddar. Transfer to a large baking sheet and cook another 10 minutes.

Serve Chili Con Queso Sauce with tortillas chips for dipping. Serve salsa and sour cream on the side for both the tortilla chips and the wonton cups.

Enjoy!

Lynn