The Food Network Super Special Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe

As always, let’s get to the good stuff. Put on some good music, maybe Madeline Peyroux and let yourself relax and enjoy this fun recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole milk ricotta, drained to remove excess moisture
• 10 ounces finely chopped spinach, excess moisture removed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

What’s Next:

In a large bowl- combine ricotta, spinach, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Add 1 1/4 cups of the flour to the bowl and mix. The remaining 1/4 cup of flour should only be used if the dough is too sticky.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface.

Divide the dough into workable pieces.

With your hands, roll the pieces of dough into long cylinders approximately 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Cut the cylinders into 1-inch pieces. Make a depression in each gnocchi to shape.

In a large pot with 6 to 8 quarts of salted boiling water- add gnocchi and carefully stir to prevent sticking.

As gnocchi start to cook they will float to the surface. Cook approximately 1 minute more.

Remove gnocchi with slotted spoon or strainer. Add a saute pan with your favorite sauce or butter. Saute briefly. Add your choice of grated cheese and serve.

Eat well & Laugh often.

A Shrimp In Every Pot Pasta Recipe

Herbert Hoover had it wrong, you need a tiger shrimp in every pot! Enjoy this spectacular and healthy tiger shrimp pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, Italian style
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• S & P
• 1 pound tiger shrimp, de-veined, peeled & washed
• 1 cup penne pasta (I love the wheat version)

What’s Next:

In a large skillet on medium-high: heat up olive oil & saute garlic cloves until browned. Turn heat down to medium-low.

Add the cans of tomatoes and chopped artichoke hearts to skillet. Mix together.

Add basil, oregano, Italian seasoning and S & P. Stir until uniform. Simmer for 30 minutes to meld flavors.

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a medium saucepan- boil 3 cups water. Add shrimp and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and add to tomato concoction. Stir and simmer together for 5 minutes.

Place pasta on plates and spoon shrimp mix on top. And there you have it, instant delicious! Serve with a side of Italian bread and you have yourself a wonderful weekend meal!

Eat well & Laugh often.

You’ll-Never-Go-Back-to-Kraft Mac & Cheese Casserole

Yay! The time has come for the unveiling of the much anticipated macaroni & cheese casserole! Have fun!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup macaroni pasta
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated (you can substitute your fav cheese)

What’s Next:

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F, or 175 C.

In a medium saucepan: add 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Drain water & set aside.

In a medium-sided casserole dish: whisk together milk & eggs. Set aside.

In a small skillet on medium-high: heat olive oil & saute chopped onion until browned. Add to casserole mixture.

In same skillet: heat butter and saute bread crumbs until uniform. Set aside.

Add pasta & cheese to casserole dish, stir until intermixed. Sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Enjoy your homemade mac & cheese!

Eat well & Laugh often.

Mac ‘N’ Cheese, Please

The ultimate in comfort food, macaroni & cheese is always welcome at my table. A common dish and favorite of soul food, macaroni and cheese is traditionally made with cheddar cheese and elbow macaroni pasta. Packaged versions are available, consisting of boxed pasta and a cheese powder which is added to butter and milk. The electric yellow-orange color of the end-product inspired Crayola in 1993 to add a “macaroni and cheese” crayon to their extensive collection. But packaged versions are for the birds, homemade is the only way.

To spice up mac & cheese, you can add just about anything. Ground beef, canned tuna, sliced hot dogs, tomatoes, onions or crispy bacon make fantastic additions to an already wonderful dish. Often macaroni & cheese is baked as a casserole combining several ingredients to form an even better experience.

Some believe mac & cheese was created by the founding father himself, Thomas Jefferson, who was known for his great interest in food. In a 1996 “Restaurants & Institutions” article, Barbare Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802. Food historian Karen Hess, however, states that he was not the inventor but returned from Paris with a macaroni mold.

According to John Mariani (almost macaroni), the author of The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, mac & cheese was first made in the 19th century, but took on great popularity in 1937 when Kraft introduced it as part of a Kraft Dinner. A company spokesperson stated that Kraft sells more than one million boxes of mac & cheese per day. That is a lot of mac & cheese, I dare say!

I stand by my statement that homemade mac & cheese is the only mac & cheese and I stay far away from the Kraft isle. Homemade mac is just as easy, takes a wee bit more effort and is not full of processed cheese or nasty little preservatives. It’s just pure, simple yum.

Stay tuned for the You’ll Never Go Back to Kraft Mac & Cheese Casserole recipe.

Eat well & Laugh often.