Gnocchi - Try a New Ingredient

3 large baking potatoes (1 ¼ lb.) scrubbed

1 large egg

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or more if needed

(The soup above is called Chicken & Gnocchi Soup and is also featured on my blog)

Place potatoes in a large pot with enough cold water to cover.  Bring water to a boil and cook, partially covered until potatoes are easily pierced with a skewer but the skins are not split, about 35 minutes.  Drain potatoes and let stand just until cooled enough to handle. Remove skins and put through a ricer or use a very fine grater. Spread the potatoes into a thin even layer on the work surface without pressing or compacting them.  Let cool completely.

In a small bowl beat the egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Gather the cooled potatoes into a mound and form a well in the center.  Pour the egg mixture into the well. Knead the potatoes and egg mixture together with both hands gradually adding the grated cheese and enough of the flour to form a smooth but slightly sticky dough.  It should take no longer than 3 minutes to work the flour into the potato mixture. Remember the longer the dough is kneaded the more flour it will require and the heavier it will become.

Wash and dry your hands.  Dust the dough and your hands and work surface lightly with flour.  Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and set off to the side. Using 1 piece of dough and both hands in a smooth back and forth motion roll dough into a rope ½ inch thick.  Slice ropes into ½ inch thick rounds. Sprinkle rounds lightly with flour and roll each piece quickly into a rough ball.

Flour dough balls and hands lightly again.  Hold a fork at a 45-degree angle to the table.  Take a ball of dough and with the top of your thumb press the dough lightly against the tines of the fork as you roll it downward toward the tips of the tines.  As the dough wraps around the tip of your thumb it will form into a dumpling with a deep indentation on one side and a ridged surface on the other. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment lightly floured.  Continue making gnocchi with remaining dough. Cook gnocchi immediately or freeze.

Fresh Spinach Salad - Try a New Ingredient

fresh Spinach

cup cottage small curd cottage cheese

red bell pepper, cut in small pieces

fried onions

sliced nuts (of your choice)

Dressing

1 Tablespoon cranberry Mustard

6 Tablespoons blueberry balsamic dressing

Toss spinach, cottage cheese, bell peppers and nuts. Mix together mustard and balsamic dressing. Dress salad as desired and top with sliced nuts.

Cream Style Corn with Chorizo - Try a New Ingredient

2 cans of cream corn

9 oz. of chorizo meat

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies

Mixed together and put in crock pot. Let cook for 4-6 hours on slow.

Victorian Sponge Cake - English Holiday

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks quality butter, room temperature

1 cup Tate+Lyle® Organic Pure Cane Sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

For the Filling

1 stick quality butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk, plus more as needed

Good quality strawberry or raspberry jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a nonstick mini cheesecake pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until incorporated. Be careful not to over-stir or the cakes will be dense.

Spoon the batter into the mini cheesecake cups to the halfway point. Bake on the middle oven rack for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.

Allow the cakes to sit in the cupcake pan for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the buttercream filling, beat together the butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. If the buttercream is too stiff, add a tiny amount of milk until a spreadable consistency is reached. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag with a medium or large round tip.

Once the cakes have cooled completely, slice them in half.

Pipe a dot in the center of the bottom cake half and pipe 4-5 more dots around the center dot. Spoon some jam on top, carefully helping it to run between the dots for a prettier presentation.

Place the top cake half in position and repeat for the remaining cakes. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the cakes. Store the cakes in an airtight container.

Roasted Root Vegetables - English Holiday

2 large carrots

2 medium parsnips, peeled

2 medium beets

1 medium red onion,

1 medium sweet potato

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary or sage

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut carrots and parsnips into ½ inch thick slices on the diagonal, then cut into half moons. Cut beets and onion into ½ inch thick wedges. Cut sweet potato into ¾ inch thick cubes. All vegetables combined should be about 12 cups raw vegetables.

Toss the vegetables with oil, vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl until well coated. Divide between the prepared baking sheets, spreading into a single layer.

Roast the vegetables, rotating the pans top to bottom, halfway through, until the vegetables are fork-tender, 30-40 minutes.

To make ahead: refrigerate roasted vegetables in an airtight container up to 5 days.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/257723/sheet-pan-roasted-root-vegetables/

Cranberry Treats - English Holiday

crescent rolls

chocolate chips

fresh cranberries

soft cheese - such as cream cheese or ricotta

coconut flakes

nuts

Stuff a muffin tin with a flat piece of crescent roll, add cheese, chips, cranberries, coconut flakes, and nuts. Bake as directed on crescent rolls!

Sparkling Berry & Pomegranate Mocktails

2 12-ounce cans Sparkling Berry Water, chilled
4 ounces fresh pomegranate juice
8 to 12 cranberries, for garnish

In a highball glass, add half the serving of berry water, 1 ounce of the pomegranate juice and 2-3 cranberries.  Enjoy!