Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans

from Real Simple magazine, September 2008

Pesto Gnocchi with Green Beans

1 lb gnocchi
salt and pepper
½ lb green beans, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
8 oz pesto (about 1 cup)
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup ricotta


Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add salt. Add the green beans and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain.

Add the pesto and cream to the gnocchi and cook over medium heat, stirring, just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Diving among bowls and top with the green beans, ricotta, and black pepper.

Marvelicious Mac and Cheese

from the American Dairy Association. They are the ones who gave it that silly name, not me. I love the recipe because it tastes like Stouffers. Yum!

Marvelicious Mac and Cheese

8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 ½ cups milk
1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
¾ tsp salt
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8oz)
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour and salt. Simmer for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in 2 cups of cheddar cheese until melted. Add drained macaroni to saucepan and toss with cheese sauce.

Transfer mixture to a greased 8-inch or 9-inch square backing dish. Sprinkle ½ cup cheddar cheese on top if desired. Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Canadian Cheese Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

from Cooking Light magazine

Canadian Cheese Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

3 1 oz slices pumpernickel bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
1 celery stalk, quartered
1 tsp butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 16 oz cans broth, divided
3 cups milk
½ tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (6 oz)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place bread cubes on a pan and bake for 15 minutes or until toasted.

While the croutons bake, combine onion, carrot, and celery in food processor and pulse until chopped. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Gradually add 1 can of broth to flour in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pan. Stir in remaining can of broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes or until thick.

Stir in milk, salt, paprika, and pepper; cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; add cheese and stir until cheese melts. Ladle soup into bowls and top with croutons.

Curried Chickpeas, Cauliflower and Spinach

from Vegetarian Times

Curried Chickpeas, Cauliflower and Spinach

3 cups cauliflower florets (about ½ a crown)
1 ½ Tbs olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp salt
3 Tbs curry powder
4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
3 cups green cabbage, chopped into 2-inch pieces (about ¼ head)
2 Tbs vegetable broth or water
4 cups cooked chickpeas or rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
¾ cup coconut milk
4 ½ cups spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In wok, bring 2 ½ quarts lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add cauliflower and cook 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

In wok, heat 1 Tbs oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, 1 tsp salt and stir-fry 1 minute. Add curry powder and stir-fry 1 minute. Add remaining ½ Tbs oil, carrots, cabbage, and remaining ½ tsp salt and stir-fry 2 minutes.

Gradually drizzle broth/water around outer perimeter of vegetables (not in center). Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and coconut milk; cook, uncovered, 2 ½ minutes.

Add spinach, reserved cauliflower and cilantro and cook, stirring, just until spinach begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

Honey and Black Pepper Beef

from The Complete Asian Cookbook by Bay Books

Honey and Black Pepper Beef

oil, for cooking
1 lb round steak, cut into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, sliced
10 oz sugar snap peas
2 Tbs honey
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
2 tsp cracked black pepper*

Heat a wok or frying pan until very hot, add 1 Tbs of the oil and swirl it around to coat the side. Stir-fry the beef in batches over high heat. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Reheat the wok, add 1 Tbs of oil and stir-fry the garlic, onion, and sugar snap peas until softened. Remove from the wok and set aside.

Add the honey, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and cracked pepper to the wok. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Increase the heat, return the meat and vegetables to the wok and toss for 2-3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through.

*if you are using freshly ground black pepper use less. Additionally, if you are making this during a power outage use caution as the poor light from your flashlight could cause you to add enough black pepper to melt your face off. You've been warned.

Fried Rice

from The Complete Asian Cookbook by Bay Books

Fried Rice

2 Tbs peanut oil
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 onion, cut into wedges
8 oz ham, cut into thin strips*
4 cups cold cooked rice **
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 Tbs soy sauce
4 green onions, but into short lengths
8 oz cooked small shrimp, peeled

Heat 1 Tbs oil in a wok or large frying pan and add the eggs, pulling the set egg towards the center and tilting the wok to let the unset egg run to the edges.

When it is almost set, break up the egg into large pieces to resemble scrambled eggs. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok, swirling to coat the base and side. Add the onion and stir-fry over high heat until clear and softened. Add ham and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rice and peas and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the rice is heated through. Add the eggs, soy sauce, green onion, and prawns. Heat through and serve.

*we use sliced deli ham and then cut that into small strips
**cook the rice the night before and refigerate to allow the grains to dry out and separate

Potato Latkes

This recipes comes courtesy from my mother-in-law who adapted it from the book Jewish Cookery.

Potato Latkes

Ingredients
6 medium sized potatoes
1 onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
oil for frying


Peel and grate potatoes (I use my food processor). Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out liquid (this is an important step!). Grate onion into potatoes and transfer into food processor fitted with the chopping blade. Pulse until things are well chopped.* Add eggs, flour, and salt and stir together. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Drop the batter from a spoon into the hot oil, making pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until brown on the underside and then turn. Lift out and drain off excess oil on a paper towel lined plate.

Yield: about 25-30 latkes

*many recipes do not call for this step, but we much prefer them all chopped up. Yum!

First Post

Just testing this out. I'm going to use this site to host my recipes.