Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto

Internet friends!! Hi!!

Wow, it has been over a month since I shared my last recipe with you, which just happened to be this insanely delicious Sweet Chili Chicken Ramen that I am now officially craving again. Things have been a little crazy on the home-front and that's actually because we bought a home! Things moved at the speed of light, and between packing and moving I also took a quick but truly amazing trip to Sedona, AZ with my BFF. All I'm saying is, although I have been cooking and baking and eating and getting adjusted to my new kitchen, blogging took a bit of a back seat...but today, I am back!

It seemed fitting that I come back from my internet silence with this deeelicious recipe. My Creamy Lemon Gnocchi with Asparagus and Crispy Prosciutto is the quintessential meal for these early spring days. Warmer temperatures always have me craving fresh, crunchy vegetables and bright, citrusy flavors. Asparagus is just ah-mazing right now, I love the super thin stalks so much that I'll sometimes just roast off a bunch with a bit of olive oil and plop a drippy egg on top for a simple and satisfying dinner. And who doesn't love a super lemony dinner to brighten up their day??

The thing is, I live in New England. And that means that one day, it can be 75 and sunny and the next it can be a chilly, rainy and raw. So while we may be craving bright and fresh , we also still need a bit of comfort food to warm us up from the inside out. Gnocchi are basically edible pillows. soft and starchy and chewy. They are the perfect candidate to be doused in an herby lemon cream sauce with copious amounts of parmesan cheese. For an extra special, decadent crunch, prosciutto gets baked in the oven until crisp then crumbled all over the top. It's fancy bacon. It's a necessity.

So there you have it. The perfect balance of fresh and decadence. This meal needs to be on your dinner menu ASAP!

Chicken Rollatini with Asparagus and Mozzarella

I know what you're having for dinner tonight! I do! I do!

It's THIS.

This crispy, gooey, tasty, Chicken Rollatini with Asparagus and Mozzarella is the next best thing on your summer eating menu. It takes just a little bit of effort but the rewards are certainly worth it.

Here's the kicker with this chicken--I strongly recommend finding thin sliced chicken breasts in your grocery store. Then, using a meat tenderizer and channeling your inner frustrations, pound out the chicken even thinner between two pieces of plastic wrap. I use this method for my regular chicken cutlet recipe as well!

Super thin chicken breasts are the perfect vehicle for tasty summer asparagus and smooth, velvety fresh mozzarella. To take everything to the next level, a dip in an egg wash and a coating of whole wheat breadcrumbs. Yes, it's worth it - you're worth it!

So what is there to say about this dish? Really, it made us speechless, because we couldn't stop eating! Whole wheat breadcrumbs and low fat mozzarella cheese means you certainly can (and should!) have a second roll without feeling bad about it. A light arugula salad was made to live alongside these rollatinis, but mashed potatoes, brown rice, or a bit of pasta would also make great partners for this dish.

Let's roll!!

Friendsgiving and Whipped Feta Crostinis

This past weekend, Cory and I hosted our second annual Friendsgiving. Friendsgivings have become somewhat of a cliche, but I absolutely LOVE it. Everyone chipping in, bringing a dish, enjoying some craft beer or good wine, and celebrating the holidays together. There's nothing like it!

I changed up my menu a bit this year, compared to last year when I wanted to make my appetizers mimic a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatos, green beans...) Because we typically have a larger crowd of people, with folks coming and going at all different times, I like to keep our Friendsgiving table filled with appetizers and finger foods. At this point, I don't think we can handle a sit down dinner. It's not that me and my friends aren't classy. We are VERY classy.

So - finger foods, that everyone can enjoy, no matter what time they join us. I also wanted to put out some dishes that would still be tasty even at room temperature. And for my challenge, I wanted to make my very first cake! All together, everything came out great, and my amazing friends also brought some additional delicious treats that kept everyone coming back for more!

My spread was made up of the following dishes:

Whipped Feta Crostinis with Asparagus and Balsamic Reduction - recipe after the jump!!

Ina Garten's Stuffed Mushrooms

The woman can do no wrong--recipe here. I was taking tastes of the filling all morning and had to stop myself before eating it all!

Bourbon Whiskey Glazed Cocktail Meatballs

I made a double batch of these, which meant I had over 50 meatballs in my Crockpot. There was nearly a battle over the last meatball. These suckers are addicting. Next time you have any sort of party or potluck, I strongly encourage having these on the table! Find the recipe here.

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Tarts in Fyllo Dough Cups

I found this recipe in a magazine and snapped a picture of the recipe on my phone. Tangy and sweet and totally festive!

Pumpkin Dream Cake with Cinnamon Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Making a cake is so much fun and I got to put my new cake stand to good use! I will be working on my icing skills over time, but the important part is that this cake was truly a dream - so tasty and moist. I used this recipe but instead of maple syrup in the frosting, I added one vanilla bean and an extra teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Divine!

My awesome friends also brought some seriously yummy foods, including rice balls, cheesy potato casserole, butternut squash raviolis, veggie platters, spiked apple cider, and a pumpkin dip with gingersnaps. I cannot thank everyone enough!

Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and before the recipe I wanted to take a moment to be totally cliche and reflect on what I'm thankful for. My family, friends, Cory, Dot, Angelo, good health, a job that challenges me and that I enjoy, and you my readers! My life is all the better for it. I hope you all have a fabulous holiday and take some time to be thankful for the people who have changed your life!

Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce

It's taken me three days to decide on what I should name this recipe. It was an amalgamation of delicious foods all joined together over whole wheat pasta smothered in a homemade Gruyere sauce.

If you don't like brussel sprouts (or rather, if you THINK you don't like them because I assure you that you probably DO like them) I have the answer.

It is bacon. Bacon will make you LOVE brussel sprouts.

Oh, and Gruyere cheese. Nutty, creamy, Gruyere cheese will also make you love brussel sprouts.

This Brussel Sprouts + Asparagus + Bacon Pasta with Gruyere Sauce will make you love everything. I had a vision for this dish and I just went with it. I could not have been more pleased with the results.

Thick slices of center cut bacon are diced and cooked until crispy. I sliced the sprouts up into thin ribbons and toss them together in a bit of the bacon grease (SWOON) with pieces of asparagus and sliced leeks. Leeks are in the same family as the onion or the chive. They are a little softer in flavor than an onion,  making them the perfect accompaniment to a rich, creamy, and delicious pasta dish.

The gruyere cheese sauce could not be any easier. We start by making a roux, which is just a bit of flour whisked into melted butter. Add in milk and stir in gruyere and parmesan cheese until a melty, rich cheese sauce is staring you in the face, begging you to eat by the spoonful.

Oh, by the way. I'm no fool. I know that whole wheat pasta loses its nutritional value when bacon and cheese and salt are added to the equation. Regardless, I really enjoy how robust the whole wheat pasta is. It is not nearly as flimsy as white pasta and for this dish, I really recommend a whole wheat.

How to: Make a Meal out of Annie's Mac and Cheese

The title of this post is so ridiculous I am already laughing. I had some other titles in mind. Something to the effect of:

"College Food Gone Wild"

"So What, There is Powdered Cheese Product in this Meal"

and "23 Year Olds like Boxed Mac&Cheese too!"

There is context to this. I promise. So when Hurricane Sandy was plowing her way up to the Northeast, I had a mini panic attack because Mommy and Grandpa weren't going to be here to make sure I had everything I needed in case of an emergency. It was just me, the cat, the turtle, and the boyfriend.

Have I never mentioned Angelo before? He is my Russian tortoise. I welcomed him into my family during sophomore year of college. He was our suite pet. He's hilarious. And his name is Angelo, which is also funny considering he is not a human.

Anyway, so it's the four of us. We made some spare water, took a candle inventory and made sure the two little flashlights we have had working batteries. Then I ran to the grocery store to get some non-perishable snacks. For some reason, I bought a family size box of Annie's White Cheddar Shells. I don't know what I was thinking or how I intended on cooking this in the event the power went out, but I got it.

I am currently in a pantry-clearing kick and so I decided last night that this purple box with bunnies on it had to go.

 I couldn't bring myself to just make the mac and cheese according to package directions, so I decided to dizzy it up a little bit. I had a lot of great veggies lying around as well, so what I went with was a Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese.

I have to say, this really ended up being a pretty flavorful dinner and it came together in no time at all. Better still is that you can take some of the basic principles here and apply it to a real homemade mac and cheese dish (like the buttery bread crumb topping). So next time you find yourself with a box of Mac and Cheese and no drunk person to make it for, try creating something better from it - I don't think you will be disappointed!

Honey Balsamic Glazed Asparagus

Can we all agree that when it is not raining here in New England, the weather has been just beautiful recently?

Boston, MA

I wanted to take some time with the windows open and the breeze pouring through the share a quick but yummy side dish I made recently.

If you check out my last post, you can get more of an idea as to why I have been slightly MIA from the blog world, and when you can expect me back in full swing!

One of my favorite veggies is asparagus. It has such great flavor and pairs well with so many different meals. I usually will just roast up a bunch of full spears with lots of salt, cracked black pepper and a little lemon juice drizzled on top. Sprinkle that with Parmesan cheese and we are totally in business.

I decided to try something a little different this weekend and I was quite pleased with the results.

I roughly chopped the asparagus and sauteed in a little bit of lemon olive oil (O brand), then tossed it all in honey and balsamic vinegar until a lovely glaze formed. I balanced the sweetness of the honey and the bite of the balsamic with just a dash of chili powder and some salt and pepper to taste.

 The end result was tender and flavorful asparagus that paired beautiful with roasted red potatoes (recipe here) and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Crispy Chicken and Roasted Asparagus with a Balsamic Reduction

I’m not positive about many things in life, but there are 3 things I’m absolutely sure of.

1. Without Parmesan Cheese, my life would be very different; and not in a good way.
2. In cooking, a “reduction” is usually a very, VERY good thing.
3. If something is fried, it is generally better than it’s un-fried counterpart.

I usually always have breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, oil, and eggs. This means that on any given night I am usually in a good position to fry up something delicious.

In our freezer chilling away were these cute, little chicken breast tenderloins. Lovely, bite-sized cuts of chicken breasts begging to be thrown into breadcrumbs and hot oil. To their wish I obliged. I also went a little overboard and decided it was time to try my hand at a balsamic reduction. My roasted asparagus was very happy with this as well.

Tonight’s dinner was unplanned but it came together just beautifully. I knew I had to share it with you.

Crispy Chicken Tenders and Baked Asparagus with a Balsamic Reduction. Doesn’t it sound like it’s straight off some fancy restaurant menu?! Well, the taste lived up to those expectations. And I'm pretty confident any home cook can whip this meal together. Try it for your next date night or dinner party!

 

Here’s what you need:

For the Chicken
1 pound of chicken breast tenderloins
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Panko breadcrumbs are an airy Japanese breadcrumb. They crisp up even better than the traditional Iitalian-seasoned breadcrumbs and are actually lighter)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Garlic powder, fresh cracked black pepper, and salt
Vegetable oil

For the Balsamic Reduction
1 cup balsamic vinegar (store brand is fine here!)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

Side Dishes
1 cup quinoa, cooked according to the package
1 pound asparagus, trimmed

Here's what you do:

Get your quinoa cooking in a pot with chicken broth and a little bit of salt.
Pat your chicken tenderloins dry with a clean paper towel.
On a piece of wax paper, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and seasoning.
Toss your chicken into the beaten egg and then evenly coat each piece in the breadcrumb mixture. Press down lightly to ensure a good amount of the coating sticks to the chicken.

Fill a heavy-bottomed frying pan with enough vegetable oil that it will cover about 1/2 of each chicken tender. Warm it up over medium heat.
When the oil starts to move a little on the surface and is slightly smoking, add 2 to 3 chicken tenders. You know the oil is hot enough if there are tiny bubbles around the edges of the chicken.

Cook each tender for 5 minutes on each side until beautifully golden brown.

 

Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to strain the excess oil. This is so critical because if you do not strain the oil out, you will be left with a soggy chicken.

While the chicken cooks and strains, arrange your asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss in extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper and salt. Bake in a 375 degree oven until tender.

 

Just before the quinoa has absorbed all the broth, add the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Cover and remove from heat, allowing the quinoa to become aromatic with lemony goodness. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Now -- to the balsamic reduction!
In a small saucepan, add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Stir well to combine. Heat over medium heat until just boiling. Continue to stir and reduce the heat to low. Let the balsamic simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (or longer), stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. The reduction will become thick and syrupy. It will also release some of that strong vinegar smell and become a bit sweeter.

 

Prepare your plate in the following layers:

Bed of roasted asparagus.

Blanket with a generous helping of lemon scented quinoa.

Lay two crispy chicken tenders on top.

Drizzle everything with the balsamic reduction.

Cut, dip, eat, enjoy.

Is your mouth watering yet?