Homemade Gnocchi

Yesterday was rainy and chilly, which is the perfect weather for making soup. I couldn't decide which soup I wanted to make, so I made two kinds. Thank goodness the missionaries were coming to dinner to help us eat it!

I made Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, which I have posted the recipe to before, and Sausage and Potato Soup, which I should post the recipe to soon. Both are imitations of Olive Garden soups and both are delicious.

I used to buy pre-packaged gnocchi from the store, but never will again. It is so easy to make gnocchi and it tastes much better than the store-bought variety. Let me show you how easy it is!

First, wash and boil whole potatoes. (I'll put the recipe at the end.)
When they are done(about 20 minutes or so, but depends on the size), peel the potatoes. You'll want a sharp paring knife and a dish towel(since they'll be hot). They should peel easily.



Run the potatoes through a food mill, ricer, grate them, or mash them with a potato masher(this works ok, but not as well as one of the other options as they will incorporate more air into the potatoes making the gnocchi fluffier).



Slightly beat one egg, then add it to the potatoes, stirring quickly to keep the egg from cooking from the heat. Mix in salt & pepper and part of a cup of flour until it starts to all stick together, then sprinkle the rest of the flour on the counter, dump the potatoes onto it and knead it into a dough. You may need a little more flour, but don't use too much.



Cut the ball into 4ths(and maybe even 8ths), then roll each section into a "rope" that is about 3/4 inch in diameter. This is where all those years making play-dough snakes comes in handy. ;c) Cut it into pieces of about 1 inch.



Now, you can either cook them as they are and have them be little "pillows" or you can shape them. To shape them, press one section against the back of a fork. You might need to dip the fork in flour first to keep it form sticking. Maybe your fingers, too.



Then pull back on the gnocchi, rolling it back on itself. I wouldn't normally do this with one hand, but I had to take the picture with the other hand. You could also just press them into the fork to mark one side with the tines and not roll it back. Basically, shape them how they look most appetizing to you! ;c)



The first couple might seem time consuming, but you really get going once you get the hang of it and as long as you don't expect them to be perfect.



Drop them into a pot of boiling, salted water and cook. They will sink when you first put them in and float when they are done(about 2 minutes or so).



Scoop them out with a slotted spoon or sieve. That's it! You have gnocchi! You can toss them with olive oil(or butter), sprinkle with herbs and eat as they are or use them in a recipe. (You can see the last few of them I didn't shape, but just left as "pillows".)



Yummy!!

Potato Gnocchi

About 2 pounds of potatoes: Russet will do, King Edward are best if you can find them, the Yukon gold and red are too waxy to use.
1 egg, lightly beaten: These can also be made without the egg, but I would advise against trying that until you've made them a few times. The egg is what helps hold them together.
1 cup of flour: fine flour works best, but you can use all-purpose. You might end up needing more. Don't use too much, though, or the gnocchi will be too dense. You want the dough moist, but not sticky.
salt & pepper to taste

Advent Day 7 - French Onion Soup

It was chilly here again today, so another good soup is in order. This is another great recipe from my mom and is delicious.

French Onion Soup
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cans condensed beef broth(look for low sodium)
1 1/2 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoon sherry (or you can sub. apple juice, apple cider, red wine vinegar, or chicken broth)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash of pepper
croutons
6 tablespoons grated cheese(mozzarella or whatever you like)

Melt the butter in a pot and cook the onion on low heat for 20 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients(except the croutons and cheese) and bring to a boil. Put into oven-proof bowls(individual servings), top with croutons and cheese. Broil to melt cheese. Serve with crusty bread.

Advent Days 5 & 6 - Pancakes and Chicken à la King

I was out at a charity knit-in all day yesterday, so I didn't find the time to post the advent. Here are two days in one! :c) These are two of our favorite dinner recipes.

Every Sunday is "Breakfast for Dinner" at our house. This is the recipe for pancakes that I always use.

Pancakes - This is the single recipe, but we usually triple it or more
1 cup all purpose flour (I have made it with whole wheat before as well)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil(mild to no flavor, I wouldn't use olive oil)

Mix it all together. Pour desired size onto a hot, greased/buttered griddle or pan. We usually use a 1/4 cup scoop, or 1 tablespoon for dollar-size pancakes. Cook until golden brown on both sides, turning to the second side when the pancakes have a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Should make around 10 pancakes or 36 dollar-size pancakes, depending on how large you make them.

Here's another great comfort food! This is wonderful on a chilly night.

Chicken à la King
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups cubed chicken or turkey

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Add the milk and chicken broth all at once. Cook ad stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for one minute more. Stir in the chicken or turkey and heat through. Serve over toast or rice. We also like to serve it with peas that are delicious mixed in. Serves 4.

Advent Day 4 - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are sooooooo yummy! It's a recipe I got from a friend years ago and we love them. They don't last long around here when we make them. The recipe makes a LOT of cookie dough. You might want to just make half a recipe. I usually bake a bunch of cookies the day I make the dough and then either put the rest in the refrigerator so we can have fresh cookies in a hurry all week or I scoop them out, flash freeze the balls of dough, then put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for even faster cookies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups butter, softened(Yes, a whole pound. It makes a LOT of dough)
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all those together then add:

1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups flour (3 3/4 cups if all wheat flour)
5 cups oatmeal - Measure out and then grind in a blender or food processor
chocolate chips - up to 2 bags depending on how many chips you prefer

Mix it all together. Scoop out desired size, I use a cookie scoop. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375*F. Cool on a wire rack. Don't cook them too long, or they will get too hard when cooled. Of course, those are yummy dipped in a glass of milk. :c)

Advent Day 3 - Corn Chowder

I'm cheating a little again. ;c) This is one I already had typed up. I'm using it because after another attempt at that recipe I'm trying to figure out has flopped, I don't have energy to work on something else. I will figure that recipe out!!

I did make the No Bake Cookies today, so I can update the previous day with a picture. :c)

This recipe is one from my mother. She can comment and tell where she got it, if she likes. I'm sure she has told me, but I always forget. It's a definite family comfort food and is perfect on a chilly day like today was.

Corn Chowder
2 cups chicken broth(or vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal)
4 cups cubed potatoes
½ cup chopped celery
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cups cubed ham, cooked (can also be made with chicken or turkey, as we learned after Thanksgiving, but you'll definitely want to add salt & pepper in that case, you can leave out the meat entirely for a vegetarian dish)
1 pint half-n-half
salt & pepper to taste(most of the time we don't add any at all)
8 slices bacon(more if you really like bacon, or skip it for a vegetarian meal)
dried parsley

Sauté bacon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Sauté the onions in the grease. (If there is too much grease, pour some off leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot. If you are skipping the bacon, use oil or butter to sauté the onions.) Add the remaining ingredients (except the half-n-half & parsley) and cook until the potatoes are done. Add the half-n-half and cook until heated through. Sprinkle crumbled bacon and parsley on top of the individual servings.

Serve with some yummy rolls or crusty, buttered bread.

Advent Day 2 - No Bake Cookies

Ok, so my trial recipe didn't work out. I'll post about that tomorrow(probably, ha!), but first I need a recipe for my second advent day! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture to go with the post since I wasn't planning to post these tonight. I'm sure the kids won't complain if I make some tomorrow to get a picture. ;c)

Our family *loves* these no bake cookies. They are addicting, so be warned! If you ignore the fact that they have sugar in them, though, you could think of them as slightly healthy. Hahaha!


(I always use dark chocolate cocoa so mine are darker than usual.)

No Bake Cookies
Part 1:
1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal
1/4 cup peanut butter

Part 2:
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Combine the ingredients in part 1 until a coarse mixture is obtained. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients in part 2 in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Allow it to boil for one minute(continue to stir).
Remove from heat and pour part 2 over part 1. Stir to combine. Drop by teaspoon or desired size onto waxed paper. Allow to cool. Try not to eat all of them yourself.

Enjoy! :c)

Advent Day 1

Each year I enjoy the online advents done by some blogging/online journaling friends of mine. They post one item each day along a theme of their choice. They are so fun to read and just thoroughly enjoyable. (Unfortunately for you, they are not public, so I can't link you to them.) This year, one of them invited all her e-friends to participate as well. I decided to give it a try! It was hard to narrow my choices down to one theme. The top two contenders were knitting and baking/cooking/bread/etc. LOL I decided on the latter, but since baking/cooking/bread/etc. is too long of a theme, I've decided to go with "Recipes" as my advent theme. I'll post a recipe every day until Christmas. :c)

I missed yesterday, so I'm going to post Day 1 right now and will post Day 2 later today(tonight?). *Hopefully* the recipe I'm tweaking right now will pay off. If not, I'll pick another recipe until I can figure this one out. (Hint: it involves ginger!)

The first recipe isn't a new one and I might have posted it here before, but it's the one I use most often -- my whole wheat bread! I promise to not just post recipes I've posted before. ;c) I figured this one *had* to be a part of my advent, though. It's such a staple in our house. I got the recipe from a friend a few years ago and had added the flax seed to it, but it's essentially the same recipe.


Whole Wheat Bread -- makes 4-5 loaves
5 cups hot water (as hot as your faucet gets, which should be about 115*F)
7 cups whole wheat flour(I use a home-ground mix of red and white wheat berries)
1 cup gluten flour (I use Hodgson Mill Natural White)
2.5 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoon dough enhancer or gluten(*This is optional, but it does improve the loft and crumb.)
1/3-1/2 cup ground flax seed

Mix above ingredients in order for about 2 minutes, then add...

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or orange, lime, any citrus)
2/3 cup oil (extra virgin olive oil or whatever you like)
2/3 cup honey

Mix, then add between 5-7 cups of whole wheat flour(not the all-purpose). Add enough flour until it scrapes the bowl clean, but no more! (Usually for me it's around 5.5 cups. This will vary depending on the weather. On more humid days you will use more flour.)

Knead for 15 minutes. (You may have to do this by hand if your mixer doesn't like all the whole wheat. I make this in my Bosch mixer, so I can let it knead away with no work from me.)

Shape into 4-5 loaves and place in greased loaf pans.(The number I make varies depending on the weight of the dough and/or how lazy I am feeling. I weigh out each loaf to make them all the same size. :cP If I don't feel like weighing them, I just chop the dough in 4ths.)

Cover and let rise until double, which is slightly over the edge of the pan. (This takes about 20-30 minutes, if you've used room temperature ingredients, longer if the ingredients were chilled.)

Bake at 350*F for about 30-35 minutes or until internal temperature is 190-200*F.

Cool on wire rack, if you can wait that long!

Now, cross your fingers that I can post each day *and* come up with 25 recipes that aren't copyrighted. ;c) I'll give it my best shot!

Good Eats!

While looking through my posts, I found a few I had never published for whatever reason. One of them was this one that appears finished, but was never published. Maybe I was waiting for pictures? Whatever the reason, here it is now from December 2008.

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I made a couple things last week that were so good that I'm still thinking about how yummy they were! If they were that good, then I think I need to share them. That and make them again as soon as possible. I'll put the recipes at the end of this post.

The first was made thanks to a lunchtime date to Olive Garden with my main squeeze and two littlest squeezes. Kirk took the whole Thanksgiving week off from work, so we went out to lunch one day. I had the most delicious Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. Mmmmmmm... I salivate a little just remembering. 'Scuse me. I wanted to recreate it, so I found a recipe that seemed kind of close and then tweaked it. What I ended up with was very, very close to the Olive Garden soup. It was a bit too thick, but that can easily be remedied with a little bit of chicken broth or milk. I also wasn't a huge fan of the gnocchi I bought. I think I might make my own next time or try a different brand.

The second thing I made was Spinach Artichoke Dip like the kind that is popular in restaurants. I think this also turned out very close to the "real" thing. I think I might have gone a little heavy on the artichoke with the first batch, but I can change that easily in the future. I thought it was delicious, but others thought it was a bit strong. That's ok, I ate most of that batch all by myself over the following few days. Ha!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
1/3 cup olive oil or butter
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 lb. chicken(breasts, thighs, whatever you like) cut into cubes
1/3 cup flour
some onion, diced(amount depends on how much you like onion)
1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach(I like a little more spinach, so I used more than this.)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream(I may reduce this amount in the future.)
3 chicken bullion cubes
pepper to taste
gnocchi

Melt the butter(or heat the oil) in a soup pot(I used my cast iron pot) over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sautee. Add your chicken and cook until done.
Stir in the flour and mix well until the flour is cooked into the chicken.
Add your milk and heavy cream. Mix it up well.
Add the veggies.(You could also add some carrot and/or celery if you wanted.)
Add three bullion cubes.(Next time I think I will add some chicken broth instead of or along with these, since mine came out too thick.)
Cook until soup thickens, stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Add your gnocchi during the simmer time. It takes 3-4 minutes to cook them throughout.


Spinach Artichoke Dip
For this one I don't really have a "recipe" per se, but rather a list of ingredients. You add them in amounts that suit your fancy. I'll try to give estimates for how much to use, but please do follow your gut when making it. ;c)
Spinach, fresh or frozen - I used fresh and chopped it up, but you could also thaw a small(10 ounce) package of frozen cut spinach.
Artichoke hearts, diced - I used a small jar(I think 14 ounces or so), but that was a bit too much.
Light Mayo - about half a cup
Parmesan cheese
Mozarella cheese
garlic to taste, either from pressed cloves or garlic powder

Mix it all together and put it into a dish. You want it to heat through easily, so put it in a dish that will allow it to be only about an inch or so thick. Sprinkle a little extra mozarella on the top. ;c) Bake it in a 350 degree oven until it is bubbly and heated throughout - about 15-20 minutes, but you might want to check it after 10 to make sure it isn't browning on top.