Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Vegetables, Mushrooms, Chicken Sausage, and Basil

I really don't cook with gnocchi enough and I don't know why.  They're made with one of my favorite foods (potatoes) and they're like lil pillows of heavenly goodness.  Well problem now solved because I found my perfect gnocchi recipe!

This dish is super flavorful, adaptable, and quick to make.  I did most of my prep work on Sunday, as usual, and then on Thursday of that week I just had to cook up the gnocchi and throw everything else in the pan.  Makes for a great weeknight meal when you want something easy and yummy to make after a long day at work (and boy have I been having some long and terrible days at work lately).  And while I added my current favorite vegetables and mushrooms here you can add almost whatever vegetable you have handy.  If you'd like a drier dish you can leave out the can of diced tomatoes, but I like the extra sauciness it adds.

This is definitely getting added to my regular meal rotation because it's yummy and easy.  While I love all the recipes I post here, I definitely favor the easy and fast ones in my day-to-day cooking because that leaves more time for lounging with my pugs, and believe me I need a lot of that with the past few weeks I've been having at work.

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 pound gnocchi
12 ounces chicken sausage (I like a spicy kind with jalapenos), sliced
12-16 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 small/medium zucchini, chopped into half or quarter moons
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
10 ounces of baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, julienned
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Shaved or grated parmesan for topping (optional)

Instructions:

• Boil salted water and cook 1 lb gnocchi for 2-3 minutes until the gnocchi just start floating to the top.  Drain well and toss with drizzle (or spray) of olive oil (this will prevent them from sticking together).  Set aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray the pan or drizzle some olive oil.  Add 12 oz chopped chicken sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sausage starts to brown.
• Push the sausage to the side of the skillet and add 12-16 oz halved grape/cherry tomatoes and cook on high heat for 1-3 minutes.
• Stir the tomatoes and sausage together and add 10 oz chopped mushrooms, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 1 chopped zucchini to the skillet.  Stir together and cook for 2-4 minutes.
• Add the gnocchi, the can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper (optional) to the skillet and stir together.  Cook for a couple more minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of basil.  
• Salt and pepper to taste and top each bowl with some grated or shaved parmesan and enjoy!

And now time for the pictures!

I'm never without my two sous chefs, Sunny and Rosy.  Though it looks like one's sleeping on the job!

This dish was so yummy and flavorful but I also loved how bright and colorful it was.  I would've added more basil but most of my basil had already gone bad by the time I made this late in the week. Darn you perishables!  I really wish I had a nice garden with some fresh basil.

Basil is a nice topping and all but nothing really compares to cheese.  CHEESE.

And a nice sprinkling of coarse salt and black pepper and some crushed red pepper!  Rosy's tail was doing its happy helicopter twirl as soon as I got out the cheese.

Rosy put your licker away!

As soon as Rosy smelled the pepper the bowl lost all temptation.

Instead Rosy and Sunny patiently waited for me to finish taking pictures so that they could get their own lil pepper-free parmesan slivers as treats.

"Take that away human and place some fresh and clean parmesan stamps on our tongues!"

Adapted from The Kitchn.

Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale

Snow day, snow day! Yippee!

I'm always torn between wanting a lot of pretty snow with a day off from work and having to battle dog walks with two stubborn pugs. Well for now I'm happy to have spent an extra day with my lazy girls lazing on the couch, catching up on household chores, and making this yummy Dijon chicken stew! A cold, snowy day always calls for a hot and hearty dish for dinner to eat as you watch the snow blowing by your window.

Servings: 6 servings (for me this is 2-3 meals)

Ingredients:
2 cups sweet onions (or leeks), sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
12-16 oz chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 ounces chopped kale, swiss chard or collard greens (stems removed)
10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon flour, divided
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 medium/large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Olive oil or cooking spray
Extra salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven or use a cooking spray/oil diffuser and heat over medium-high heat. 
• Add 2 cups chopped sweet onions and 10 oz sliced mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl and set aside.
• Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper into a shallow bowl. Dunk the 12-16 oz chopped chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts, but you can use dark meat if that's your preference) in the flour and shake off any excess.
• Heat another tsp of olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes, browning it on all sides. To help the browning, it's best to cook this in two batches. Set aside the cooked chicken with the onions and mushrooms.
• Add 1 cup white wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up the browned bits. Continue until the wine has reduced by about half.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup chicken broth with 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Add this to the Dutch oven, along with 3 cups of chicken broth, and 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil.
• Add back in the chicken, mushrooms, and onions, and add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp thyme. Stir everything together and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add 2 chopped potatoes and 5 oz kale. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• Season to taste your bowl with additional salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (I like mine spicy!).

Ok enough with all the words. Now the pictures!

My messy stew. I kinda ruined my Dutch oven with this recipe as I wasn't paying close attention to the onions at first and then I compounded that with the browning of the chicken. That's ok, I'm letting it soak now in some hot water and baking soda.

The girls were relaxing on the couch but as soon as I started spooning the stew into my bowl they jumped down and ran to the kitchen. They know they get a little treat if they pose nicely for photos!

As you can tell I like to add lots of black pepper and crushed red pepper to my bowls! My brother-in-law thinks me and my sisters have completely warped our taste buds because we're all heavy pepper users.

Sniff test!

Rosy knows by know that she never gets what's in the bowl so she doesn't even try to eat what's inside (unless it's something she really loves, like cheese) and just waits for me to give her the doggy-safe treat.

Spot the pug below?

Adapted from My Recipes.

Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables, Bacon, and Ginger

Sorry I've been neglecting this food blog! I had a bunch of great summer recipes I planned on posting but then I got really busy at work and lazy at home. Well, at least I know I'll have recipes to post next summer. 

October, where is all the cool and brisk weather we're supposed to be having??? It's been crazy warm the past few days and the girls and I are not pleased. I love fall and it just doesn't feel like fall yet! I'm craving some of my fall recipes (which are mainly soups and stews) but it's just too hot for those kinds of foods. So I was really excited to see this recipe pop up again on my favorite food blog, The Kitchn. It takes a bit of time to make but it's pretty easy and it has all those delicious fall flavors that I've been craving.  I made this dish with turkey bacon because in case you couldn't tell from my past recipes, I <3 bacon (of all kinds), but you can easily make this vegetarian by not adding any bacon, and it can even be made vegan if you omit the cheese at the end as well. Alternatively, I bet this would taste great with some sausage instead of bacon.

Servings: The original recipe says this serves 4 as a main dish and 6 as a side dish, but I think this is a 2-3 mealer for me.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried orzo

1 large sweet potato (or two small/medium ones), peeled and diced

2 medium onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 slices of thick bacon, diced (I used Trader Joe's peppered uncured turkey bacon)

6-8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps diced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 cups chard or kale, stalks removed and chopped

Grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil

Shaved parmesan to top (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Cook 1 cup dried orzo according to instructions but only for 6 to 7 minutes until it's barely al dente. Drain orzo, stir in a little bit of oil, and set aside.
• Heat a very large pan over high heat and then heat up a little bit of oil in the pan if you're not going to add bacon. (Use an oil with a high smoke point, so that means no olive oil.) If you are making this with bacon, cook the bacon for a few minutes and then spoon the bacon into a bowl and set aside but leave the bacon grease in the pan. (If you're using turkey bacon or a low fat bacon, you may need to add some oil to the pan if there's not enough leftover in the pan.)
• Add the peeled and diced sweet potato to the pan and spread it out into one layer. Cook for about 4 minutes until the potatoes start to brown and then flip/stir the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium, push the potatoes to one side and add two diced onions to the pan with a sprinkle of salt. Cook onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown.
• Add 1 tbsp minced ginger and 4 minced garlic cloves to the onions.  Stir together and push to the side next to the potatoes.
• Add 6-8 oz diced shiitake mushrooms to the pan and let cook for about 4 minutes.  Flip/stir the mushrooms and then cook for another 4 minutes.
• Add back in the cooked bacon and stir everything together. All the ingredients should be browning nicely and the potatoes should be softened.
• Whisk together 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp oil (I ran out of my other oil and had to use sesame (love the taste of sesame oil!), which doesn't have a high smoke point but at this point most of the cooking is done and I didn't have too many problems so long as the vent fan was on high). 
• Pour the vinegar-oil mixture into the pan and mix everything together, scraping the bottom as needed.  Cook for about 3 minutes. (If the food is really sticking, you can add a tiny bit of water to help scrape.)
• Increase heat to medium-high and gradually add in the cooked orzo, continuing to scrape the bottom as needed. Cook for about 5 minutes. The orzo should be browning nicely, helping to deepen the flavor and color of the orzo with all the other ingredients.
• Stir in 2 cups of chopped chard or kale and cook for about 1 minute so that the greens are just wilted into the mixture.
• Remove pan from heat and salt and pepper to taste.
• Before serving, top each dish with some shaved parmesan (optional).

Sunny and Rosy volunteered to be tasters, but too bad they can't have onions! I did set aside two itty bitty bites of bacon for them after I cooked it.

You don't have to add the cheese at the end but it really adds a nice punch of flavor to the dish!

The girls are looking at the dish so longingly!

Hey, keep that tongue in check Rosy! No tasting!

Ok, enough torturing the girls. Now it's time for their well-deserved bacon treat!

This recipe does take some time to caramelize all the vegetables but it's such a fantastic fall dish! I'll definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of favorite recipes.

Adapted from The Kitchn.

Spanish "Tortilla"

This is one of my favorite recipes for spring and summer because this Spanish omelette is flavorful, but not too heavy, and you can eat it hot or cold.  I actually prefer this cold which makes it great in the warm weather and easy to prepare in advance for weekday meals as I'll cook it up on Sunday night for some of my weekday meals.  It's also a great vegetarian dish (if you eat eggs) so I like to make this when I'm not in the mood for any meats.

I've had Spanish tortillas in tapas restaurants quite often and love them (it combines so many things I love in one dish - eggs, cheese, and potatoes!).  Contrary to what you may think from the name, this is not anything like a traditional tortilla and is more like an egg and potato omelette.  This recipe is not quite like the authentic dish but it's a faster and easier version because you cook the potatoes in advance in the microwave and don't need to flip it because you finish it off with the broiler.

This recipe is also really easy to modify based on personal tastes.  I've made this with other ingredients like green onions and zucchini (instead of the sundried tomatoes and mushrooms) and that was really yummy too, but this one is my favorite version that I make quite often.  Keep in mind that if you eat it cold you may need to season it extra with some salt and pepper before serving. Also, the more additional ingredients you add, the more eggs and milk you may want to consider adding to keep the "tortilla" together.

Servings: 4 (but for me this is a 2-3 night meal dish)

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz sundried tomatoes, chopped
2-4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (I do 4 because I'm a goat cheese monster)
5 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup skim milk
1//2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray or olive oil
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the boiler.
• Peel and dice two medium-sized potatoes and microwave them, sprinkled with some water, in a lightly covered bowl for about 3-5 minutes until they are fork tender.  I usually do 5 minutes with my microwave.  Drain excess water and set aside.
• Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and when warm spray with a cooking spray or pour 1-2 tbsps of olive oil.
• Add 1 chopped onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.  
• Add 3 oz chopped sundried tomatoes, 5 oz chopped mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and cook for an additional couple minutes.
• Add the softened potatoes to the onion mix and cook for an additional few minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the onion and potato mixture is cooking, mix 6 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 2-4 oz crumbled goat cheese in a bowl.
• Increase heat to medium-high and pour the egg mixture evenly over the onion and potato mixture.  I sometimes poke holes in the mixture and tilt the pan around a bit to get the egg mixture to spread evenly.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on the stovetop until the eggs are just starting to harden.

• Carefully move the skillet into the oven under the broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and the top is golden brown.  Watch the "tortilla" carefully to make sure it doesn't burn as it cooks pretty quickly.
• Remove from oven and either serve warm or refrigerate it to serve cool later (I like both ways but in the summer time I prefer it cool).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Optional: Tease your pugs by placing delicious Spanish "tortilla" in front of them for pictures.  This is especially tempting for Rosy who is also a goat cheese monster.

Rosy kept trying to sneak a taste.  At first she started with licking the plate, but then she got more audacious!

Now these pictures of the single slice of the Spanish "tortilla" look nice and pretty but I feel like this is not really accurate.  Usually my plates are a mess because the slices fall apart and I also don't eat in nice and neat lil slices and instead just heap large amounts on my plate.  So here are a couple pictures of what this really looks like when chowing down!

Mmm!  I just made some tonight for dinner this week!  With this crazy hot, humid, and rainy weather lately I have not felt like cooking after coming home from a gross and sweaty commute.  Hope you enjoy and if you come up with any interesting adaptations let me know!

Adapted from the potato and goat cheese Spanish "tortilla" recipe in The Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook.

Curry Shrimp and Potatoes

I don't normally cook seafood but I was in the mood for shrimp and Trader Joe's makes it so easy with their frozen shrimp.  All you need to do is thaw it and then it's ready for a quick cooking!  This dish was so easy and yet incredibly satisfying without feeling heavy.  I'm a meat and potatoes kind of girl and this hit all the cravings while keeping it a bit light.  The curry flavor is a bit strong but if curry isn't your thing you can halve the amount of curry or try a different kind of spice.  I also love the zucchini in this recipe.  I'm going through a huge zucchini kick (so are my pugs) and so there's a nice amount of veggies in here to balance the dish.  So start defrosting that bag of shrimp now and get ready for a yummy curry dish!

Servings: 4 (but I ate this for two meals)

Ingredients:
2 baking potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 scallions, chopped
1 pound frozen shrimp, peeled, deveined, and thawed
1 small zucchini, halved and chopped
5 ounces mushrooms, chopped (I like baby bella)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray (or olive oil)

Instructions:

• Heat a large nonstock skillet over medium-high heat.  Spray skillet with cooking spray or heat some olive oil.
• Add 2 chopped potatoes (scrub the potatoes well when you clean them and leave the skin on when you chop them) and cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender inside and browned and crisp on the outside. 
• Add 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1 chopped zucchini, 5 oz chopped mushrooms, and 4 chopped scallions (sometimes if I have extra chopped yellow onion I add that too because I love onions!).  Cook for about 5 minutes or until zucchini and mushrooms are tender and then transfer to a plate and return empty skillet to stovetop.
• Spray pan again with cooking spray (or use oil) and add 1 lb shrimp and 2 tsp curry powder to skillet.  Stir occasionally until all shrimp are cooked and coated with the curry.
• Add back the cooked vegetables to the skillet and toss with the shrimp until everything is coated with the curry powder. 
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mmmm now dig in and enjoy!

My pugs didn't seem that entranced by the shrimp and curry but they do love zucchini and were begging for some when I was chopping and cooking the vegetables. Lucky for them zucchini is on the ok list for dogs so I gave them a teeny bit.

Sunny loved the zucchini so much that she wouldn't leave the kitchen the whole time I was there in the hope that I may give some more food.  So while I cleaned up and washed the dishes she snoozed on the cold and hard kitchen floor (even though carpet and numerous dog beds were only a few feet away).

I'll definitely be making this again and I'll experiment with different summer vegetables as the season arrives and maybe with some different or more nuanced flavors.

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Chicken Sausage, Mushroom, and Potato Gratin

This is a very hearty and savory dish that is perfect for the colder months.  When it gets cold I crave soups and hearty, savory meals. Something about this reminds me of Thanksgiving - I think it's the chicken broth and onion flavors. There’s nothing more satisfying than a good meat and potatoes dish and with the use of chicken (or turkey) sausage, it’s much healthier than most comfort foods.

Servings: 4 (although for me I can easily eat 2 servings a meal, making this a 2-night meal)

Ingredients:
10-12 oz spicy chicken/turkey sausage (sliced)  (I like the Trader Joe’s jalapeno chicken sausage)
3 cups chopped onion
4 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
1½  pounds red or baby yellow potatoes (chopped in coarse chunks)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
Cooking spray

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray.
• Add 10-12 oz sliced chicken/turkey sausage to pan and saute for 5 minutes or until browned.  
• Remove cooked sausage from pan and add 3 cups chopped onion.  Saute onions for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 4 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms and saute for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add 1½  lbs chopped potatoes and ½ tsp kosher salt and saute for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the sausage, ½ cup of chicken broth, 2 tbsps thyme, and ½ tsp of rosemary, and remove the skillet from heat.
• Spoon the mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, coated with cooking spray.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  
• Uncover and sprinkle ¾ cup shredded cheese on top and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Add salt and cracked pepper to taste. I also like to add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce!

And beware of any lurkers who might be plotting to steal your food.

Inspired by My Recipes.