Kale and Garlic Gnocchi by Colleen Guenther

Gnocchi can be slimy and gross but all I have to say is that I love this dish and will likely make it again tomorrow since I have some dough left over and because it was just that good. Try it!

What You Need:

Gnocchi dough:

1.5lb russet potatoes (about 2-3 potatoes), boiled until soft
1 egg

3/4-1 cup flour

Dish:

2 TBS Olive Oil

2 TBS butter

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 large handfuls of de-stemmed and veined kale, chopped

1/2 squeeze juice from one lemon

2 pinches of red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 freshly cracked black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (for topping)

Directions:

Peel and mash your cooked potatoes in a bowl and add your egg and flour. Mix, with your hands. Once nicely blended, if it is too sticky to handle, keep on adding a bit more flour to the mixture until you are able to make tiny rolls of dough without it clumping up on your hands. Flour your countertop. Take small portions of your dough and roll out with your hands into long 1/2 wide tubes. Slice off small portions of the tubes and roll with your hands into tiny balls (I prefer smaller gnocchi's opposed to larger). Toss your gnocchi balls onto a floured baking sheet until you are ready to cook them. Boil water in a separate pot and add a couple of pinches of salt. Individually add your gnocchi, in batches, to the water and boil for a couple of minutes or until they all rise to the top of the water. While the first batch is cooking, heat up your oil and butter in a sauce pan on medium high. Gently scoop out your gnocchi's with a slated spoon out of the water and add to the sauce pan until all of them are done. (BTW, this recipe makes a lot more gnocchi dough than I used, so make around 1/4-1/2 of the dough and feel free to freeze the rest). Add a pinch of salt and pepper and sautee your gnocchi for a couple of minutes, then add your garlic. Be sure not to toss/stir too often to ensure browning. Sautee for about 10 minutes or until the gnocchi is starting to turn a nice golden brown. Then, add your kale, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sautee for another 8-10 minutes or until your kale is wilted and your gnocchi is a nice golden brown. Once done, plate your gnocchi and sprinkle with a healthy topping of parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!! I'm on my way for seconds….. (it's actually thirds at this point)...

Spinach Rolls with Thyme and Sage Brown Butter Sauce by Colleen Guenther

There is something about paste roll-ups that makes them taste better. Maybe it's a visual thing….. try them.

Serves 4

What you Need:

For Pasta:

8 Sheets of oven-ready lasagna noodles

9ounces of Spinach

1 medium finely diced white onion

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 cup of ricotta

½ cup of shredded parmesan (and extra to sprinkle on top)

1 egg

1 TBS olive oil (and extra to coat your rolls with)

1 freshly grated lemon peel

For Sauce:

1 stick of butter

6 fresh thyme stems

6 fresh sage stems

Directions:

1. Boil your pasta noodles in water until malleable (about 2 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 

2. Sautee your onions and garlic on medium in the olive oil for 5-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Then set aside in a separate large bowl to cool. 

3. Blanch your spinach for 5 seconds, drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop and add to your onions and garlic. 

4. Then, in the same bowl, add your ricotta, parmesan, egg and lemon peel. Mix well. 

5. Once mixed, lay out your partially cooked lasagna noodles and spread, evenly across, your mixture on all 8 of the lasagna noodles. 

6. Gently roll your noodles up into tight rounds and place on greased baking sheet close together. 

7. Spread a thin but even coat of olive oil on each of the rolls and cover completely with tinfoil. 

8. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. 

9. After the 25 minutes, take your rolls out of the oven (keep covered) and let sit until your butter sauce is done. Letting the rolls sit for 5 minutes or so helps set them up which makes them easier to handle and cut into slices. 

10. For the sauce, heat up a sauce pan to high and place your butter in the pan and let it melt, foam and brown. 

11. After a minute of melting, add your thyme and sage and continue to cook down your butter, gently swirling in the pan as it melts. 

12. Once melted and nicely browned, turn off the heat and slice each roll into 4 equal parts. 

13. Place individual parts on a plate and lightly drizzle your butter onto them. Serve and enjoy.

Fresh Tomato Pesto Pasta Sauce by Justin Guenther

Tomatoes are growing out of our ears this time of year and no better way to enjoy them than in their natural state. Everyone loves a pesto and this tomato pesto is one of the best! There are many different types of tomatoes that you can use, but I prefer the Campari tomato. You can also use this as a topping on croistinis or eat it straight up.

What you Need:

1 package of Campari tomatoes or 3 cups of cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup raw almonds

1 - 3/4 oz. pack of basil

2/3 to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 garlic cloves

pinch or two (or three depending on the level of kick you want) of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat your almonds in a med hot pan for a minute or two. Do not burn them. Blend all ingredients finely together (EXCEPT for the Parmesan). Once blended, add the parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY! It's that easy.

Grated Brussel Sprout Spinach Tomato Goat Cheese Farfalline

Deeze bow ties are fun. Grating the brussel sprouts is probably one of the best ways I have ever eaten them. So, make em.

What you need:
1.5 cups of uncooked farfalline pasta
2 cups shredded brussel sprouts (I shredded them in a food processor)
2 cups of cherry tomatoes (sliced in halve)
1.5 cups of fresh spinach Goat Cheese
2 TBS Olive Oil
1/2 Poppy Seeds (optional)
1/2 squeeze of one lemon
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

First, get your pot of water ready on the stove to cook your pasta. While that's heating up, put a TBS of Olive Oil in a pan on medium-high. When warmed up, add your brussel sprouts, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and sautee for a couple minutes. Then add your poppy seeds (optional) and sautee for a couple more minutes. Do not cook until they are mushy. Then, take your sprouts off the stove and set aside. In that same pan, add another TBS of Olive Oil and warm it up. Add your tomatoes and spinach and sautee, constantly stirring, until your spinach has wilted (it just takes a minute or two). While that is all being cooked, you should have been cooking your pasta. When done, drain while saving some of the water. Transfer pasta back to the pan, add 2 TBS of the left over water and two TBS of goat cheese. Mix until the cheese has melted into the pasta. Then, add your sprouts, spinach and tomatoes. End with a 1/2 squeeze of one lemon. Salt and pepper to taste.

Paella by Colleen Guenther inspired by Vegetarian Times

This is a delicious vegetarian version of Paella. Who says you need seafood in a Paella to make it sing.... I really liked this dish! Double the recipe to make enough for 4. This one makes enough for two.

What you need:
1.5 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 cups broccoli florets
3/4 cup chopped red pepper
4 green onions thinly sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic minced
4 pinches of saffron threads crumbled
1/2 cup short grain white rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
6 pitted green olives halved
6 pitted black olives halved
1 juice from a lemon
1/4 chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli, bell peppers and green onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in broth, garlic, and saffron; bring to a boil. Sprinkle rice over ingredients, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Then, sprinkle your peas, tomatoes, and olives over the rice. Cover and cook for 8 more minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 more minutes. When done, squeeze on your lemon juice, salt and pepper (if you like) and the parsley. Enjoy!

Fontina and Oyster Mushroom Fettuccini by Colleen Guenther

This is a rich and creamy pasta just in time for winter. You won't loose weight by eating it but who cares. Life is to be enjoyed and it simply tastes good gosh darn it!

What You Need:
1 lb. fettuccini cooked
Save the water to add to the pasta sauce when you mix it into the pasta

Pasta Sauce:
2 cups grated fontina cheese
1/2 shredded parmesan (then a little extra to sprinkle on top of finished dish)
1/2 heavy whipping cream

Mushrooms:
2 small packages of oyster mushrooms chopped
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley (then a little extra to sprinkle on top of finished dish)
1/2 TSP chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 squeeze of a fresh lemon
3/4 stick of butter

Broccoli:
2 heads of broccoli
1/2 squeeze of a fresh lemon
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 scallions chopped
2 TBS olive oil

Directions:

While letting your water boil and cooking your pasta, in separate pans, add all of the ingredients for the mushrooms in one pan (except for the lemon juice) and all of the ingredients for the broccoli (except for the lemon juice) in another pan and your pasta sauce ingredients into another sauté pan. Cook pasta sauce on low for 10-15 minutes constantly stirring. Sautee your broccoli and mushrooms (separate pans) on medium for 20 minutes or until a bit browned. I even like my mushrooms a tad crispy but not overdone. Timing is everything for this dish so be cognizant of that. When everything is done, add your pasta sauce to your pasta along with 1/2 cup or more of the pasta water. The consistency should be creamy. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on your mushrooms and broccoli and stir. Place a serving of the pasta on a plate and top with the broccoli (or put the broccoli on the side) and mushroom mixtures along with a dash of salt and pepper, parmesan sprinkle and a pinch of parsley.

Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto by Colleen Guenther

Risotto (period). YUM (period).

What you need:

2 red beets with greens
2 Tbs olive oil
5 cups chicken broth
2 large scallions chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup goat cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano
Chopped parsley (for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400. Trim off greens from beets and set aside. Scrub beets with a clean sponge or potato brush. Place beets in a glass baking dish cut side down (when I trimmed the beets I cut off the stems along with the "top" of the beet) into 1 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes (35 minutes with the foil on and 5 without the foil). When done, peel your beets and set aside. Keep the beet juice from the roast.Wash beet greens well, spin or pat dry, slice thinly and set aside. Warm your vegetable broth in medium pot over medium heat. When heated, turn down to low.
Saute your scallions in 2 Tbs olive oil until softened but not browned, 4-5 minutes. Add rice and continuously stir to toast, 2-3 minutes. Add wine and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add the water from your roasted beets (it turns out to be about 3/4th of a cup). Stir in until absorbed. Begin adding warm broth, one ladelful at a time, stirring, until liquid is absorbed and rice is al dente, about 20-22 minutes. You may not need to use all of the vegetable stock. Keep tasting until done.
When almost done, add your diced beets, beet greens and goat cheese. Stir to wilt greens and melt cheese. Remove from heat. Add parmesan and stir vigorously to create a creamy texture. Taste and season as needed with salt/pepper (I actually did not need any of either). Garnish with parsley.

Asparagus Lemon Spaghetti by Colleen Guenther

Pasta of the year (at least for today)! That's it folks.... make it!

What you need:
3/4 package of spaghetti

Pasta sauce:
1 small red onion chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of red wine
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS butter
2 zest of lemon
1 full lemon squeeze
Extra virgin olive oil and butter to caramelize onions

Asparagus:
1 bunch of asparagus cut in half
Dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dash of salt and pepper
1/2 squeeze of lemon

Garnish:
Parmesan
Chopped Parsley

Directions:

Put your onion, a dash of extra virgin olive oil and a TBS of butter in a sautee pan on mid-low heat and caramelize for 15-20 minutes. Mid way through, sautee your asparagus in another tall sautee pan along with the olive oil, salt and pepper and the squeeze of a half of a lemon. Cook asparagus for 5-8 minutes until a little soft but still has some crunch then put to the side. Do not over cook. When the onions are caramelized, add 1/2 cup of red wine and let simmer for 3-5 minutes (until soaked up), then, add 2 TBS butter, your heavy whipping cream, zests of lemon and lemon juice. Stir, take off of the heat and cover. When your asparagus is done and set aside, cook your pasta in the same pan as you cooked your asparagus. When done, add a 1/2 cup of your pasta water to the cream sauce, add your asparagus and drained pasta. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Dish and serve topped with parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Green and Butter Cream Bean Lemon Spaghetti by Colleen Guenther

This pasta is so fresh tasting that your gonna want to make it just for yourself;) No really, don't do what I did and not make enough pasta.... it was the only thing that brought this awesome recipe to a screeching halt. Serve it with a side of french bread and a light salad and your taste buds will be singing' for days. Seriously though... do share....

What you need:

Spaghetti (make as much or more)
1/2 white wine
1 cup parmesan (splurge for the good stuff (always)
Handful of Green Beans
1 can of Butter Beans
2 cloves garlic minced
2 shallots chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 squeezes of lemon juice
1 zest of a full lemon
handful of basil chopped
handful of flat leaved parsley chopped
sprinkle of cayenne or red pepper flakes
tad of EEVO
1TBS butter

Directions:

Make pasta by following directions on the box. In a saucepan, sautee/caramalize your shallots, garlic, cayenne and lemon zest in a tad bit of EEOV and butter. Sautee on low for 18 or so minutes until shallots are a nice light brown. Halfway through, add your butter beans and green beans. Then add your lemon juice, wine and a cup of the water from your pasta. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add 1/2 cup of the parm. and cook for another 5-10 minutes. When done to your desired consistency, add your pasta and toss (note that the sauce gets thicker and thicker as it sits so don't be too worried if it seems a bit thin). Top with a dash of parm, pepper and your chopped parsley and basil. ENJOY!