Potato Gnocchi with Garden Tomato Sauce

I LOVE Gnocchi.  It has to be one of my absolute favorite Italian foods.  They are quite yummy served with tomato sauce or I also enjoy them with sage infused melted butter and lots of good parmesan cheese.  This recipe is for potato gnocchi but I also make spinach gnocchi and sweet potato gnocchi.  You can even make them with butternut squash!  I hope you enjoy my recipes!

Elizabeth's Family's Potato Gnocchi

• 2 lbs potatoes (I like to use new potatoes, like yukon gold but you can use jacket potatoes if that is what you have on hand).  
• 1-2 cups semolina flour (or all purpose, although semolina is really better)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
• 1 tsp. salt (plus more if needed)
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp. dried italian herbs

Pierce the potatoes with a fork several times and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes or until soft.  Allow to cool enough to be handled.  Peel the potatoes.  Squeeze the potatoes through a potato ricer (or grate with a cheese grater) into a bowl.  Add all ingredients except the flour.   Mix together with a fork until the egg is fully incorporated.  Add the flour a little at a time, kneading the dough with your hands until it comes together and is no longer sticky.  Cut the dough into 4 chunks and then roll each chunk into a log about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Cut the logs into chunks.  If you want, you can roll the chunks along the tines of a fork or on a gnocchi board to make them have lines, but you don't have to do this.   At this point, you can place them on a kitchen towel to "dry" for about an hour or two, or you can cook them right away.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the gnocchi in batches so they do not stick when cooking.  Cook only until the gnocchi float to the top.  When gnocchi float, remove them with a slotted spoon (or just remove your pot insert), drain and set aside.  Do the next batch the same way.  Serve hot with your favorite sauce and cheese.  Yummy!

Garden Tomato Sauce

• 2-3 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 small head garlic, cloves removed and minced
• 1 cup dry red or white wine
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. italian herbs
• 1 tsp. sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large pot over medium high heat, except for the tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar.  Saute for 5 minutes, stirring until the onions are translucent.  Add the wine and cook another 2 minutes or so until it has reduced by half.  Add the tomatoes, crushing them between your fingers as you add each one.  Stir to mix.  Bring to a simmer, turn down to low and simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add the rest of the ingredients and remove from heat.  Using an immersion blender, or regular blender (you will have to do this in batches if that is the case), puree the sauce until smooth but thick.  If the sauce is too thin you can add another can of tomato paste, if it is too thick, you can add a little bit of chicken or vegetable stock to thin it out.  Return to the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes on low.  Serve over your favorite pasta.  This can also be easily frozen or canned.  

My best friend Heather also makes an amazing gnocchi recipe.  Her blog is The Casual Girl Cuisine, you should stop by and check it out!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Ratatouille

• 2 lbs peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup herbes de provence 
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

Roughly chop each of the following ingredients:

• 1 medium or large eggplant
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 medium onions
• 2 large green peppers
• 6 cloves of garlic (minced)

Add the chopped vegetables to a large dutch oven or soup pot.  To this, crush 2 lbs peeled tomatoes with your hands.  Add the olive oil and the herbes de provence.  Saute on medium heat until the vegetables begin to sweat.  Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer 2-3 hours or until the vegetables are reduced and stew like, stirring occasionally.  Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.  Simmer another 30 minutes on medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve over couscous, noodles, or rice!  Yummy!

Lean Kids Class

HAVE YOU ENTERED THE "MAKE YOUR OWN BABY FOOD KIT" GIVEAWAY YET?

IF NOT, BE SURE TO CLICK HERE! ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER!

Hello Everyone! Today is Admirer Monday! Be sure to link up!

This past Saturday morning, I had the privilege of visiting the Lean Kids Class that is run through the Marion YMCA in Marion, IA by Becky Clabaugh. Becky and the Marion YMCA have partnered with Kara, the registered dietitian at the Marion Hy-Vee and Marion Independent Schools in Marion, IA to make this class available to kids and their families who may not otherwise be able to participate. This is a REALLY WONDERFUL program that focuses on helping kids make healthy changes in their lives through exercise, wellness, and nutrition education. The class runs for 6 weeks on Saturdays for 1 hour each week. Normally the class is held at the YMCA but this past week it was held at Hy-Vee where Kara organized a scavenger hunt for the kids to help them learn about how to make healthier food choices, read nutrition labels, and prepare a nutritious snack at the end. The kids were led around the perimeter of the store where they were instructed on the wonderful nutrient rich foods that they would be using to make their snacks. In addition, Kara taught the kids about NuVal, a type of scoring system for foods that helps you make better choices when grocery shopping. If you are interested in learning more about NuVal, you can visit their website. Currently, the Marion Hy-Vee has NuVal scores posted for a majority of the products they carry. I really enjoyed my visit and I hope that more classes like this will appear around the country!

Here are the recipes that are featured in the video:

Caramel Cheese and Apple Kabobs

• Henning's Creamy Caramel Cheddar Cheese, cubed (if you can't find this, you probably could just use regular cheddar)
• Apple slices
• Wooden skewers or toothpicks

Cut apples into slices, thread apple and cheese onto kabob alternating apple then cheese, apple then cheese.

Valentine Parfaits

• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup Kashi Heart to Heart cereal
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

In each of two parfait glasses (or small bowls), pour 1/4 cup cereal. Top each with 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup sliced strawberries. Repeat layers once. Serve immediately.

Thanks so much for reading everyone! Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Camp Huston Sugar Cookies with Auntie Teri

I have a massive weakness for cookies. My favorites are chocolate chip, but I also happen to love these very simple sugar cookies that my aunt makes. I have the philosophy that you can eat with you want as long as it is in moderation and you make it yourself from whole ingredients. These cookies are perfect! Simple and Delicious.

Camp Huston Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups very cold butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• more sugar for sprinkling on top of cookies if desired

Cream the butter and the sugar together, mixing well for about 10 minutes, until mixture is really creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition to make sure eggs are well incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined - do not over mix! Scoop dough out and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator 4-12 hours or until you have a stiff dough.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease one or more cookie sheets and set aside. Roll out your dough on a floured surface to 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough with any cookie cutter shape you like. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sugar. These can also be frosted, so if you are going to frost them omit the sugar on the tops of the cookies.

Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned but still soft.

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Abbe Hills Farm CSA

Today Boonie, my Auntie Teri (who is visiting me from Seattle), and I visited Abbe Hills Farm CSA in Mount Vernon, IA. Laura Kraus, owner of Abbe Hills was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to show us around and tell us about her farm and CSAs! Stay tuned tomorrow for pictures from our veggie pick-up day!

If you are interested in getting more information about Abbe Hills, please visit http://www.abbehills.com/.

If you want more information on a local CSA in your area, please visit http://www.localharvest.org/.

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Turkey Burgers, Homemade Ketchup, and the Immersion Blender

Homemade Ketchup - I like to make homemade ketchup instead of buying it, because it is one of those things that has copious amounts of HFCS. It is really, REALLY hard to find ketchup that does not contain HFCS in the regular grocery store. Ketchup is really easy to make and you can store it in the fridge for up to a month! I have one of those red ketchup squirt bottles that I put it in and reuse.

• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tbsp. celery salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Blend with the immersion blender until smooth. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Turkey Burgers
We love burgers, especially David.  I make all sorts of burgers, but my classic turkey burgers are my favorite.  I put out an assortment of toppings so everyone can have his or her own personalized burger.  Tonight I served the burgers with homemade ketchup, tater tots (we rarely have tater tots, but they sounded good tonight) and steamed carrots. 

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. minced onion (dried or fresh)
• 1 tbsp. herbes de provence (or a mix of thyme, marjoram, sage, and rosemary)
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 4 burger buns

• A choice of toppings: sliced cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced onions, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, barbecue sauce, etc.

Mix the turkey in a bowl with garlic powder, onion, herbes de provence, pepper, and parmesan cheese.  Shape mixture into four patties. Grill on an indoor or outdoor grill over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle.  If you are adding cheese, place a slice of cheese on each burger, tent with a large piece of foil, and cook until cheese is melted. Serve on buns with your choice of toppings. 

I hope that you enjoy these recipes!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

The Bread Machine

As promised, here is a demonstration video for the bread machine. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like me to demo other types of bread. I am always happy to honor requests! Thanks for watching!

Chicken Milanese with Fennel Tomato Sauce and Polenta

Here's a super easy and yummy dinner that looks really fancy. Chicken Milanese with Fennel Tomato Sauce and Polenta. If you have never had fennel, it has a really unique flavor that really meshes well with chicken. This dish is perfectly paired with polenta. Polenta is a really easy side dish that takes no time whatsoever. Made from yellow cornmeal, it can be creamy, or you can dry it out and serve it hard. Yummy!


Chicken Milanese with Fennel Tomato Sauce

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 cups breadcrumbs (seasoned with italian seasoning)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 -3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. butter

Using three shallow dishes, add the flour to one, the eggs to the second, and the bread crumbs and parmesan to the third. Dip the chicken in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs. Heat oil and butter in a large deep skillet. Add the chicken and fry in batches about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. To the pan, add the fennel, and the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and diced tomatoes. Cook another minute or two until the wine has reduced by half. Return the chicken to the pan, and cover, let simmer another 5-10 minutes. Turn the chicken and allow to cook another 5-10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the fennel has become soft. Serve over polenta and if desired, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.

Soft Polenta

• about 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1-2 cups yellow cornmeal (you may need a little more or a little less so add it slowly)
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. italian herbs

In a small saucepan bring chicken stock to a boil. Once boiling, pour in cornmeal, whisking constantly until it begins to thicken. Turn heat down to medium low. Add the milk and butter and continue stirring. Add the cheese and italian herbs and stir. Serve immediately.

Don't forget to sign up for the Wacky Mac Giveaway! Winners will be chosen tomorrow at noon Central and 10 am Pacific!

Remember, if you become a follower of my blog, and you are chosen as a winner, I will throw in a second coupon or package of Wacky Mac!

I know my kitchen was a HUGE mess while I was cooking in this video clip. My bff Heather is here visiting me from Seattle and she and I had been cooking this afternoon, then add little Chef Boonie to the mix, throwing stuff on the floor and you have one messy kitchen! I cleaned it, don't worry! Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Breakfast

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is especially important that our kids eat breakfast. Some of us have gotten into the habit of skipping this important meal. Eating breakfast gives us a boost of energy to start the day. Our bodies cannot run on empty until lunchtime. Eating breakfast also helps with concentration, your mood, and it is a great way to spend a little time around the table with your family at the beginning of the day. I have a few breakfast ideas including my multigrain waffle recipe that comes from Eating Well. Please excuse the quality of the video, I was doing my own filming. I will post the recipe for the waffles at the end, but first, let me share with you a few of my breakfast ideas:

1. Cereal with milk and fruit - I really like cereal. We eat multigrain cereal (like Cheerios) with sliced banana or strawberries or other berries.
2. Breakfast Yogurt Parfaits - These are very tasty. Just layer fruit with any flavor of yogurt you like, and granola or other cereal.
3. Sausage, egg, and cheese muffin sandwiches - I make a breakfast sandwich out of a multigrain English muffin, a poached egg (you can do it scrambled or any way you like eggs), a turkey sausage patty (my husband also likes bacon or turkey bacon) and some shredded cheese. I put these together ahead of time and freeze them. Then all you have to do is take them out of the freezer and pop them in the microwave for an easy breakfast.
4. Oatmeal with dried fruit - I buy dried fruit in the bulk section of the grocery store. Whatever they have is what I buy, dried apricots, cherries, raisins, pineapple, you name it. I then chop it all up into small pieces. I make a huge pot of oatmeal and add to it some cinnamon, a little brown sugar, some milk, a little butter, and the dried fruit. I keep it in the fridge. Daniel LOVES it. You could also do this with apples or peaches.
5. Breakfast smoothies - I always keep a frozen fruit mix in the freezer for smoothies. We love them. For breakfast, I mix the frozen fruit with some milk, vanilla flavored yogurt, and silken tofu (yes, tofu, it has a TON of protein and takes on the flavor of whatever you are making) in the blender until smooth. Daniel also LOVES these!
6. Peanut butter toast (or almond butter) with grapefruit - I am a grapefruit fan. Love it! I usually will have a half a grapefruit with a slice of toast. I like peanut butter on my toast but since David has a peanut allergy, I can't really have it in the house, so I buy almond butter instead.
7. Multigrain Freezer Waffles- I love to make waffles and I make a ton of them and put them in the freezer. I got this recipe a couple of years ago from Eating Well. I like it because I can easily sneak a serving of vegetables into the batter. In the video I just made the basic recipe but a lot of times I will add some pureed sweet potato, carrots, squash or beets to the batter. Here is a link to the recipe: Multigrain Waffles.

I would love to hear your breakfast ideas! Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Meatball Subs

I decided to see how easy (or difficult) it would be to make a video cooking demonstration for my blog. Amazingly I found it to be fairly easy and I had a lot of fun doing it! Tonight I made meatball subs for dinner. Here is the recipe written out:

Meatball Subs

The Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground meat (I used turkey, you can use beef if you want)
• 1-2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. italian herbs
• 1/2 cup pureed cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray - set aside. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands until all are well incorporated into the meat. Next, form the meatballs into the size you want, and line them on your cookie sheet. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes for small to medium sized meatballs and 25 minutes for larger meatballs, or until they are no longer pink and starting to caramelize and turn brown. Do not over cook or they will be dry.

The Marinara Sauce

• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/2 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup red or dry white wine (I usually use red but didn't have any on hand today so I used white, which will taste just as good)
• 3 tbsp. italian herbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

In a medium sized saucepan over high heat, heat the olive oil and the veggies until the onions are translucent and the zucchini and carrots are starting to sweat. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Bring to a simmer and turn heat to low. Simmer on low for 1-2 hours or until the vegetables are very soft. Using an immersion blender, or a food processor, puree the sauce. You can use this sauce for pasta too!

The Sandwiches

• Meatballs
• Marinara sauce (you can use the recipe above or you can certainly use store bought sauce. Barilla actually has a decent sauce that doesn't have any of the "no no ingredients").
• Enough sandwich rolls for each person eating a sandwich (I made mine, but you can use store bought rolls, of course)
• two slices of Provolone (or your favorite cheese) per sandwich

Slice the rolls, then slice the meatballs. Spread sliced meatballs on each roll, then top with sauce, then top with cheese. Roll sandwiches up in foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sandwiches are hot. Serve with small bowls of sauce for dipping. Yummy!

Please let me know what you think of this video demonstration. I welcome your feedback and would love to hear if you like it, dislike it, or have any suggestions for making it better. I would also like to hear if you want me to make more and post them.

Thanks for reading (or in this case, watching!)

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!