Christmas Takeout

Hello Hello!! So first off, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! It's so hard for me to believe that it's already 2011!! But like it or not, it's here!!! Gonna be posting two blogs tonight, and unlike last time, I will actually get both posted. This first one is from our Christmas Lunch. On the menu was Rachael's "Teriyaki Pork Chops with Pineapples & Peppers" and "Satay Lettuce Wraps" for the appetizer. 

So as odd as it may seem, I am not a fan of the traditional Christmas dinner. In my family we always had the the turkey and dressing and southern vegetables etc. on Thanksgiving and then again on Christmas. I really don't like it at Thanksgiving so I seriously don't want it for Christmas again. I actually refused to come to my Mom's house for Christmas a couple years ago if she made all that. Instead, that year we did a big pot of Spaghetti and kind of started a tradition of making something different every year. Last year it was steak and shrimp, this year, it was some Yum-O! Rachael Ray food :)

So first up are the satay lettuce wraps. This might have been one of the quickest recipes I've ever made and it was phenomenal!  Some of the ingredients may seem a little strange to you but give them a chance,  promise you won't  be disappointed. So first up grind up the peanuts in the food processor. Next you want to brown up your meat. The recipe calls for either sliced pork/chicken or ground pork/chicken. One of my favorite things are the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs and they use ground meat. Since I was doing pork chops, I decided to go with ground chicken and have a little variation from the main course. So anyway, you want to brown the chicken for about 5-6 minutes. Rachael Tip: Once you add the chicken to the pan, break it up with a wooden spoon or paddle. Then, let the chicken go for a few minutes and don't mess with it. You get a great caramelization that way!! Once the chicken is browned up, add in your mushrooms, scallions and garlic, and grate in your ginger. Rachael Tip: When you bring your ginger home from the store, peel it up and cut into 1-inch pieces, then place it in the freezer. If you leave ginger on the counter, it pretty quickly shrivels up. If you keep it in the freezer it stays nice and fresh and grates into any dish you need it to like ginger snow :) Once you add the vegetables let them cook to soften up and then you're ready to build the sauce, right there in the pan. Scoot the meat mixture over to the side and add your peanut butter and let it melt. Not to sound like a giant kid, but it looks really cool watching the peanut butter melt. Then add in the apple juice, tamari and hot sauce and whisk it all together. Add your peanuts and mix it all together to combine everything. Take your lettuce, core it and quarter it. Scoop the mixture into a lettuce leaf, wrap and enjoy!! These were so good. My mom was a little skeptical when she saw some of the ingredients. But, she ended up eating like 5 of them, so needless to say, she enjoyed them. These would be great at a party or for just a great appetizer some time so give them a try!!

Next up is the main course, the teriyaki pork chops! So first up you can get the rice going. Put two cups of chicken stock into a pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes up to a boil, add in 1 cup of rice along with the edamamae and bring it back up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn it down to simmer, place the lid back on and let it simmer 15 - 18 minutes. Once it's done fluff it with a fork and stir in the scallions. I actually stirred the scallions in with the rice and edamame and let them cook with it. I'm not a huge fan of raw scallions and I knew my sister wouldn't touch it if they were raw. But by all means, do it whichever way you prefer. I think next time, I will stir them in at the end and broaden my horizons :) 

Next you want to start you pork chops. In a pan add a tablespoon of oil and heat it over high heat. Season your chops with salt and pepper and then cook them 7 - 8 minutes until they are just done, turning them once. Mine actually got a little burned  on a couple, so you should watch them and if need be, turn the heat down a bit. Once they are just done, reserve them to a plate. At this point you can add in the pineapple, bell pepper and chili. Rachael Tip: Sure-fire way to pick out a ripe pineapple. Pick one in which all the eyes are uniform in size from bottom to the top of the pineapple. Works everytime!! Let the pineapple and peppers cook for a few minutes until the veggies are a nice tender crisp and the pineapple starts to brown at the edges, then reserve them on the plate with the pork chops. At this point you can make the sauce in the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium-high and add in the chicken stock, lime juice, teriyaki sauce, honey and ginger. I actually used agave nectar in this instead of honey and it was great. If you have honey that's no problem but if you have never tried it, give the agave a try. It's a little pricier but a nice alternative. Anyway, add these and combine together and reduce by about half which should take about 5 minutes. Add back the chops and the veggies and let it simmer for about 5 minutes then serve with the scallion rice. 

This entire meal is a real winner. it was a lot of fun to make and tasted fantastic. I apologize for the ghetto picture in this one. Not a lot of places to take a picture in my sis' apartment :) I'm also trying something different with the recipes. Rather than type them out all over again, I've posted the links to each one! Thanks to Rachael for a nice out-of-the-box idea for a Christmas lunch. Give this one a try. You'll definitely enjoy it!! Until next time, Happy Cooking!!
 

Satay Lettuce Wraps: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/satay-lettuce-wraps/

Teriyaki Pork Chops w/ Pineapple & Peppers: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/teriyaki-pork-chops-pineapples-and-peppers/

Meeting RACHAEL!!!

So this one isn't food related, but, had to post a blog to let you guys know that I actually got the pleasure of meeting the inspiration behind this blog, RACHAEL RAY!! What you see on tv is what you get in person. She was sweet, bubbly and personable and even more beautiful in person than she is on TV. She definitely exceeded my expectations and was a joy to meet!!. Here are pics from that night! Thanks Rachael for an awesome experience!!



Mole...Pronounced Mo-lay

Hey guys!! So, my apologies for not posting this the other night. I was just too sleepy to do it so sorry that I inadvertently lied to you all and didn't actually post two blogs in one night. But, here is the second one. This one is a great one for a cold night or maybe even a game day party! Here is Rachael's "Mole Chile" with "Baked Fresh Chili Fries" and "Ranch Dipper".

First up is the dipper. Like the buffalo sauce from the last blog, you can make this first and let it sit. The longer it sits, the better it gets! All you have to do is chop your fresh herbs, combine them with the buttermilk, sour cream and hot sauce and you are good to go. Makes a great dipping sauce that you could use for lots of different snacks too!!!

Next up, the chili fries. Now, like most of you, i assumed these were gonna be fries covered with chili, but no. These are actually chili peppers that are sliced and then baked!! First, slice up your jalapenos and poblanos. Make a breading station of the flour, milk mixture, and bread crumb mixture. Coat the peppers in the flour, then milk mixture, then bread crumb mixture!! Place on a baking sheet and then place in the oven until done. Now, I put these on just a baking sheet, and forgot to turn them, so they didn't get crispy enough and were soggy on the bottom. One way to combat this is to actually remember to turn them lol. What I will probably do next time I make these is to put them on a cooling rack and then on my baking sheet just like I would to make bacon in the oven. This way, the heat wraps all around the peppers and they cook evenly on both sides because lets face it, I'm gonna forget to turn them again :) Once they are done, take them out and serve with the ranch dipper!

Lastly is the Mole Chili. This one is really good. Very smoky flavored and it's so good! First up add in your Ancho chilis to a pot and add in your entire quart of beef stock. Rachael Tip: To seed your anchos, if they are really dried out, just cut off the ends and pour out the seeds. If they are still a little pliable, use a pairing knife to cut off the end and then split the pepper open down the side and scrape out the seeds. Heat these up to a boil an then simmer for 10 minutes so the chilis can reconstitute. I've heard Rachael describe these as "spicy raisins", which is how Bobby Flay describes them, and when i opened the bag, they actually smelled like raisins! Then, heat your oil in a skillet. This one calls for vegetable oil. I actually didn't have any but I had some safflower oil. It's a high heat oil like vegetable oil so it works fine. But, when it runs out, I will be switching back to vegetable oil. From taking my nutrition course this semester, it actually has the lowest levels of bad cholesterol than any other oil. EVOO is a great substitute because of the antioxidants in it and they are both nice fats to use to lower LDL's which helps reduce the risk of heart disease. So , there is your health lesson for the day!! Back to the chili. So, heat the oil and then add the bacon. Once it is crisp, add in the ground sirloin and raise the heat up to high and let the meat go for about 7 - 8 minutes. Once it's browned well add in the veggies and let them go for another 5 - 6 minutes. At this point, add your anchos and stock to the food processor and pulse until the anchos are broken down! My food processor overflowed when I did this so if yours is a little small you may wanna add some of the stock and leave some in the pot so it doesn't overflow. Add your tomato paste to the meat mixture and cook for a minute then add in the ancho stock, the tomatoes and spices. One of the ingredients that may seem a little odd in this one is the unsweetened cocoa powder! Sounds crazy but the flavor in this chili is fantastic so don't leave it out! Let it simmer to combine all the flavors for a few minutes and it's ready to serve. The recipe calls for white extra sharp cheddar, raw purple onion and chopped pickled vegetables to go on top. All we used was the cheese so on the toppings go with what you like!!

This one is definitely a great alternative to  a traditional chili with beans. Dawn doesn't really like chili because of the beans but this one, she enjoyed. Hope you guys enjoy it as well. Have a great one and until next time, Happy Cooking!!

Manwich Smanwich!!

Hello everybody!! So here is the first of two blogs I'm posting tonight! This one takes on two classic American dishes, Sloppy Joes and Buffalo Chicken Wings, and combines them into one awesome dish, "Sloppy Buffalo Joes". The side dish takes on a gameday pub favorite, fried potato skins and makes them into "Mashed Potato Skins"! So first up, lets make the sauce!!

Now making the sauce is pretty simple. All you do is combine all the ingredients in a bowl and it's done. It's a good idea to mix it up early on so that is can just sit and the flavors can combine. The longer it sits, the better it gets!!

Next up lets get the potatoes started. So for this one you use a couple pounds of baby yukon gold potatoes. I have a hard time finding these around Birmingham so what i use is the green giant small yellow potatoes. They come in 1 lb bags so just get two bags and you're good! Quarter the potatoes and put them in a pot. Add just enough water to cover them and then heat them to a boil. Rachael Tip: Put the lid on the pot to bring it up to a boil, but when they do, take the lid off. Otherwise, the starches in the potatoes will cause the water to overflow! Arrange your bacon on a baking sheet sitting on a cookie sheet and place in the oven and back 12-15 minutes. Remove it, chop it and set it to the side!

While the potatoes are boiling, you can start to work on the sloppy joes! Heat the oil over medium-high heat and then add in the ground chicken. Break the chicken up and let it cook for 5 - 6 minutes. Rachael Tip: Use a wooden spoon or wooden kitchen paddle to break the meat up. They work great! You could use a potato masher, but, ground chicken is a little more wet than ground beef so it might prove a lil tricky. This is a "Ryan tip", lol, but you could also use this nifty tool from pampered chef if you know anyone that sells it. It's made specifically for breaking up meat. It is a star shaped tool and it works great. When I lived with my aunt in Tuscaloosa after moving there for work in 2008, she had one and it works great!! But anyway, back to the meal at hand. After the chicken has browned for  a few minutes, add in your carrot, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and let it go for 7-8 minutes. Anytime you order wings out, you usually get some celery and carrot sticks to go along with it. That's what the celery and carrots are here for! While the veggies sweat out, toast your hamburger buns. Once the vegetables sweat out, add in your sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes. Pile your buffalo joes onto the buns and top them with the blue cheese crumbles and a couple slices of dill pickle. After making these, you will never make manwich again!

To finish off your potatoes, drain them and put them back into the hot pot. Add in the buttermilk, salt and pepper and mash them to your desired consistency. Fold in your chives, cheddar and bacon and you are ready to serve. These are fantastic and would make a nice side dish to several different casual meals!!

This one is definitely a winner. My friends have a lower heat tolerance than I do and when asked if they were too hot, my friend Dawn replied, "Nope...it's a good hot". Until next time, enjoy and happy cooking!!

Sloppy Buffalo Joes 

2 Tbs. EVOO
2 Lbs. ground chicken or turkey breast
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped or grated
2 Stalks celery, chopped
1 Yellow onion, finely chopped
2 - 3 Cloves garlic, grated
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
¼ - ⅓ C. hot sauce
1 C. tomato sauce
1 C. chicken stock
8 Good quality burger rolls, toasted
1 C. blue cheese crumbles
2 Large dill pickles, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet with EVOO over medium-high heat. Add meat and break it up with a wooden spoon, cook 5 - 6 minutes. Add in carrots, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook 7 - 8 minutes more. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, and Worcestershire, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and stock. Pour into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer a few minutes more. Pile sloppy buffalo filling onto buns and top with blue cheese and chopped pickles.

Mashed Potato Skins

6 Slices bacon
2 Lbs. small Yukon gold potatoes, halved
1 C. buttermilk
¼ C. fresh chives, chopped
½ C. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

 Preheat the oven to 350°.
 
Arrange the bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until crisp. Cool and chop.
 
Put potatoes in a medium sauce pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash potatoes with buttermilk and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives, cheddar and fold in bacon.

Take-out, without the going out!

Hello All!!! Time for another awesome recipe from Rachael! On the menu today is a great take-out style meal that's totally easy to make at home. Here's "Teriyaki BBQ Beef or Chicken Noodle Bowls". 

My mom and Aunt Marla came up today so I decided to cook lunch for them. I wanted something I could get a small amount of groceries for as well as would be pretty simple to fix. I found this recipe last week when it was featured on Rachael's talk show during her "What's For Dinner" segment. It looked and sounded really good and I had some of the ingredients already in the pantry and fridge so I didn't have to buy too many ingredients. So first things first, you start the teriyaki BBQ sauce. 

You start out by mixing all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a pot and place it on the stove. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  You'll notice that one of the ingredients here is a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger. Rachael Tip: Store your ginger in the freezer. If you store your ginger in the pantry or in a basket on the counter, it will shrivel up and go bad on you. But, if you peel it and the put it in the freezer you get a long shelf life and it won't shrivel on you! So anyway, you let the sauce simmer 20 minutes to combine flavors and then remove the ginger. 

Meanwhile, put your water on to boil in a large pot for your broccoli or broccolini and pasta. I used the broccolini here rather than broccoli. The broccolini is a little bit more tender in my opinion and in this I think it works well. Once the water comes up to a boil, salt it liberally and then drop your chopped broccoli or broccolini. Let it cook for about 5 minutes then remove it and drop the past and cook to al dente.

While the water is coming up to boil, place the blank steak or chicken in the freezer to firm up. Rachael Tip: If you put the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes, it will firm up and make it easier to thinly slice. You can use either beef or chicken for this recipe. I chose to use beef. When i went to Publix, they actally had some beef that had been cut up into strips for stir frying or fajitas. I did still put it in the freezer and then slice the strips in half to make them a little bit thinner, as thinly sliced strips work better in this dish. While you are slicing he meat, heat a tablespoon of either vegetable or peanut oil over high heat until it smokes. I had safflower oil on hand from a previous recipe. It has a high cooking temp like that of peanut or vegetable oil so if you have that or any high temp frying oil, you should be fine. Once the oil begins to smoke add the meat and brown. Once it is browned, add in the edamame, broccolini and sauce and combine it together. Saute a minute or so to heat the edamame through. The recipe calls for some scallions finely chopped as a garnish. I don't particularly care for the flavor of raw scallions so instead I added them into the dish when I added the edamame and broccolini. If you like the  raw scallion flavor, by all means use it as a garnish. That's what I really enjoy about these recipes. They are versatile and leave you room to bend and tweak them to fit you and your needs. 

Once the meat is combined with the veggies and sauce, add in the pasta and toss to combine it all and then serve in shallow bowls. This one is a real winner. The flavors are fantastic. If you are a fan of take out give this a try. It's always healthier to make your own food and control what's in it rather than go out :) Look for another blog towards the end of this week. Until then, Happy Cooking Everybody!!!




Teriyaki BBQ Beef of Chicken Broccoli Noodle Bowls

For Teriyaki BBQ Sauce:
½ C. beef or chicken stock
1 C. organic ketchup
½ C. teriyaki or low-sodium teriyaki sauce
⅓ C. agave nectar or honey
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
½ Palmful coarse black pepper
1 Inch ginger root, peeled
 
For beef or chicken vegetables and spaghetti:
1 C. frozen, shelled edamame
¾ Lb. flank steak or boneless skinless chicken breast
1 Bundle broccolini or 1 small head of broccoli
1 Lb. whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti
2 Tbs. vegetable or peanut oil
4 Scallions, very thinly sliced on an angle

Preparation 

Place ingredients for BBQ sauce in a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes to thicken and concentrate flavor a little. Remove ginger root.
 

Place a large pot of water on to boil.
 

Pour a cup of edamame from freezer to defrost. Add meat to freezer to firm up, about 15 minutes.
 

Trim broccolini or broccoli and cut into 2-inch pieces. Add salt to boiling water and cook to tender crisp, 5 minutes. Remove with spider or slotted spoon and drain well. Add pasta and cook to al denté.
 

Remove meat from freezer and very thinly slice on an angle, against the grain if you’re using beef.
 

Heat oil, a turn of the pan, in a large skillet or wok over high heat until smoking. Add meat and stir-fry to brow. Add edamame, broccolini or broccoli and pour in sauce. Drain pasta and toss into the skillet to combine.
 

Serve in bowls topped with scallions.

Not Your Mom's Lasagna!

Hey guys!! As promises, second blog in one night! This one is a twist on lasagna that takes it out of the oven and puts it on the stove top. This is Rachaels "Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls"!! 

First up, put on a pot of water to boil for the pasta. The pasta for this meal is a short cut pasta called campanelle. It looks like little flower shaped pasta and works well for this dish because the edges are curled like a lasagna noodle. I've had difficulty finding it and the only place I did find it was at Target. So, if you want to use it you may have to find a target and get it there. If you don't care so much about the pasta, you can use any short cut pasta. Once the water comes up to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta cooks you can start your sauces. 

This dish has two. One is a bechamel or milk sauce and the other is a meat sauce. The bechamel sauce takes less time so we'll start off with the meat sauce. First up, chop your pancetta. If you've never used pancetta give it a try. It's a rolled, cured meat like American bacon but it isn't smoked. If your local supermarket doesn't carry pancetta, feel free to use bacon. Add a couple tablespoons of EVOO to the pan and drop the pancetta. Let it render out for a few minutes and then add in the meat. let it begin to caramelize and then break it up. Rachael Tip: You can use a wooden paddle to break up the meat or if you have a potato masher, they work great for breaking up the meat! Once the meat is caramelized, add in your onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, all spice, salt and pepper. Let the veggies sweat out a little bit and then add in your tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste out for a minute or until it becomes aromatic. At this point add in the red wine. I use Yellow Tail Pino Noir. It's usually $5.99 at Publix and works great. But by all means, use whatever dry red wine you have at home! Let the wine cook out a minute and then add in your beef stock. At this point, reduce the heat and let it simmer to combine your flavors. 

In seperate pot, you can make your bechamel sauce. First up rub the inside of the pot with cut garlic. This will add just a hint of garlic flavor to the sauce. Add in the butter to melt. Once it is melted whisk in your flower. Rachael Tip: Don't over whisk the flour and butter. The more you whisk it the more thickening power it loses. Let the flour and butter cook out for a minute and then whisk in the milk.  Season with salt, pepper and a little freshly grated nutmeg and then reduce the heat to let it thicken up for you. 

Once the sauce is thickened, you are ready to make your bowls!! Toss the pasta with the bechamel sauce. Put a few ladles of pasta and bechamel into a bowl and make a well in the center of the bowl. Ladle in your meat sauce, top with parsley you are ready to serve. To me, this one didn't take like the lasagna I grew up with. But, more than likely, the lasagna I grew up with is an Americanized version of it so maybe this is what a more traditional Italian lasagna tastes like :) Give this one a try! It's now one of my roommates new favorites. Hope you guys like it and until next time, Happy Cooking!!!

"Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls"

 1 Lb. campanelle pasta
2 Tbs. EVOO
¼ Lb. pancetta, a couple of thick slices, chopped
¾ Lb. ground beef pork and veal mix or ground beef
½ Large carrot, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1 Small to medium onion, chopped
3 Cloves garlic, 2 chopped or grated, 1 peeled
½ Tsp. allspice, a couple of pinches
1 Bay leaf
3 Tbs. tomato paste
½ C. dry red wine
2 C. beef stock
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 C. milk
Nutmeg, to taste
½ C. grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al denté.
 

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat EVOO in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add pancetta and render 2 - 3 minutes then add meat and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 - 5 minutes,add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Cook 3 - 4 minutes more to soften onions and carrot bits then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to simmer.
 

While red sauce cooks, cut remaining whole clove of garlic and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, thicken 8 - 10 minutes.
 

Toss pasta with white sauce and ½ cup grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing in. Garnish with parsley.

A Southern Favorite...Italian Style!

Hello All!!! So it's been 6 months since my last post and for that I give a huuuuuuuuuge I'M SORRY!!!!! Things got a little tight for a while and I didn't get to cook a lot but finally back in the swing of things and have two new ones for you tonight. First one is an Italian twist on a southern classic, chicken and dumplings!!!

This recipe has a different take on the dumplings part of the meal. The dumplings her are gnocchi, or potato dumplings. If you've never tried them, give them a shot, they're great. First things first, put a pot of water on to boil for your gnocchi. While the water is coming up to a boil, you can start the chicken and gravy part of the meal. In a large skillet, add a couple tablespoons of EVOO and brown your boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or both, cut into bite-size chunks. I used all breast meat for this, but the dark meat will give it a little bit richer flavor since it's a fattier cut of meat, so if you want that extra richness by all means go for the thighs. If you want a hint of that you could mix the two. Once you have the chicken browned remove it to a plate and cover with foil. You don't have to cook the chicken all the way through. Once the gravy gets going good you are going to add the chicken back into it to continue cooking through. After you get the chicken browned, add a drizzle more oil and the butter and add in your mushrooms, carrots, celery and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are softened you add in your flour, stir and let it cook out for a couple minutes. At this point you add in your chicken stock and stir to combine. Slide your chicken back in and simmer to let the gravy thicken and the chicken to continue cooking. 

One  of the coolest parts of this dish is that you make a pesto to mix into the gravy. While the gravy is simmering away you combine your parsley, garlic, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiana-Regianno, salt and pepper. Two Rachael Tips: 1) Toast your pine nuts before you make the pesto. Toasting them will develop their flavor. It only takes a couple minutes on low to medium heat. When you can smell them they are ready to go! 2) Grate in your garlic or finely chop it and mash it with salt to form a paste. Sometimes the food processor can miss a piece or two and  leave big chunks of garlic. Since the pesto isn't really being cooked, just folded into the gravy, this could cause you to bite down on a chunk of raw garlic which you won't enjoy! So any way once you get the pesto ingredients into the food processor, hit it with the chicken stock and turn on. Stream in the EVOO till it comes together to form a nice consistency pesto!

While the gravy is continuing to thicken, the water should be boiling for your gnocchi. Salt the water and drop in the package of gnocchi. They are only going to take a couple minutes to cook. As soon as they float to the top, they are done. Once they are done drain them off. In a skillet melt the butter. Grate in your lemon zest and mix together. Roll the gnocchi in the lemon butter and season with salt and pepper and cook a couple minutes to brown a little on the edges. 

Fold in your pesto into the gravy and you're ready to serve! Put a few ladles of the gravy mixture into a bowl and top with the gnocchi and you're done!! This one is really good. It's a healthier alternative to the traditional chicken and dumplings and it is a really hearty, comfort food kind of meal. Give it a try, you'll love it!! Until the next one, Happy Cooking!!






Italian Chicken and Dumplings 

5 Tbs. EVOO, divided
2 Lbs. chicken tenderloins, diced into bite-sized pieces
4 Tbs. butter, divided
12 large white mushroom caps, sliced
1 C. shredded carrots, store bought
4 Ribs celery from the heart, very thinly sliced
1 - 2 Bay leaves
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 C. chicken stock, divided
1 C. basil leaves
1 Clove garlic
A generous handful parsley leaves
A handful pine nuts, lightly toasted
A couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 Lemon, zested
2 (10oz.-12oz.) packages, fresh gnocchi
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a large pot of water on to boil for gnocchi.
 
Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon EVOO, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown. Remove to a plate and add another tablespoon of EVOO and 2 tablespoons butter and heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Soften 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in 2½ cups stock, slide the chicken back into the pot and simmer to allow sauce to thicken.
 
Place the remaining ½ cup stock in food processor with basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and cheese, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and pour in the remaining few tablespoons EVOO.
 
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat with the zest of 1 lemon.
Salt cooking water and drop gnocchi in the water, cook until the gnocchi floats, drain and add to the lemon butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the gnocchi 2 - 3 minutes in lemon butter until light golden at edges.
 
Turn heat off chicken and stir in pesto sauce. Serve the chicken in shallow bowls and top with lemon butter dumplings.