Baked Spinach + Ricotta Gnocchi

And now for a simple recipe you’ll want to make over and over again. We tend to overdo the pizza in this house. So, I was looking to make something that uses many of the same ingredients we always have on hand -- just in a different way.

If you’ve never had baked gnocchi, you’re in for a treat. The gnocchi (pronounced like this) are super tender yet a hint crisp. You can bake them and eat with any kind of sauce you please (a pesto or brown butter sauce is divine!). I chose to use some store-bought tomato sauce from Aldi and fresh mozzarella. And if you’re into individual portions -- these guys freeze quite beautifully.

Mangia!

SPINACH + RICOTTA GNOCCHI

What you’ll need . . .

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
• 1 cup packed spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup flour*
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• salt + pepper
• Pasta sauce
• Fresh mozzarella cheese

* I used caked flour because I wanted to see how it would work. All purpose would be a good substitute. I also think this recipe would lend well to gluten-free flours, just play with the amount. To get the right mix. You want the resulting gnocchi to be a bit firm but mostly tender.

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking pans or dishes with olive oil and set aside.
2. Blanche spinach leaves in a small pot of boiling water (1 minute). Immediately submerge in cold water to stop cooking. Dry leaves as much as possible using a tea towel and chop finely.
3. Toss all ingredients into a bowl and mix until you form a wet dough.
4. Portion out by heaping tablespoonful onto/into greased baking sheets or dishes.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until firmed up a bit and slightly golden.
6. Turn the oven to broil.
7. Then cover gnocchi with tomato sauce (a lot or a little, depending on your preference) and top with cuts of the cheese. Broil for 5-7 minutes until the cheese browns and bubbles.
8. Serve immediately.

FREEZE:

• Spoon onto wax paper lined baking sheets in the tablespoon portions.
• Put in your freezer until completely frozen -- a couple hours.
• Store in an airtight freezer bag for up to 6 months. 
• Then bake as instructed above in whatever size portion works best for you.

I’m going to try to get my new year thoughts out today, but I’m still getting over this pesky sickness. So, whatever the case -- that post is coming next. I hope you enjoy this recipe, though. It’s definitely one that is getting put into the regular rotation because it’s so easy and delicious.

Here’s to more recipes in 2015!

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Sourdough Soft Pretzels

Quirk // I write many of my recipes on the backs of unopened junk mail.

It's a strange habit that started in college and it's stuck to this day, apparently. I need to invest in some composition books or something. Oh, and my writing instruments of choice range from markers and crayons to sharpies and Stephen's red grading pens. Whatever is around and not out of ink.

All that sloppy scratching =


SOURDOUGH SOFT PRETZELS
 Makes 4 >> vegan << pretzels

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter (straight from the fridge) 
• 1/3 cup low sodium veggie juice (I used R.W. Knudsun's Very Veggie)***
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoons flax meal
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• pinch salt
• rosemary + paprika, to taste (optional)

*** You can also use water, I'm sure of it.


Method . . . 

1. Easy enough: Toss all wet ingredients into a large bowl followed by the dry ingredients.
2. Mix together using a spoon, then work into kneading with your hands, adding extra flour if necessary. Form a smooth, elastic ball.
3. Put a bit of olive oil in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap overnight (or 8 to 10 hours should do it).
4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside.
5. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Then, on a slightly oiled surface (I used a large plate) roll out into a long snake. Shape into a pretzel, as per these instructions from another recipe.
6. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a raging boil. Then place the pretzels in one by one (or two by two, if you're comfortable) and keep submerged for about 30 seconds (they will begin to float).
7. Repeat with the other two pretzels. Then sprinkle with coarse salt (and more paprika, if you like).
8. Bake for 5 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

I've been making a lot of stuff with my sourdough starter. Honestly, I didn't know there were so many uses for it. Bagels, pretzels, pancakes, waffles, just to name a few. My favorite creation has to be the basic sourdough loaf, though.

I've also noticed a gigantic difference in taste, sourness, with letting things rise overnight versus just a few hours. It's well, well, well worth the wait, whenever possible.

And I took your advice and bought a non-Le Creuset dutch oven. Got it -- a Wolfgang Puck, 5.6 qt -- at TJ Max on clearance for $39. THIRTY NINE DOLLARS. As in, at least $100 under what I thought I needed to spend.


You'll be getting good use this weekend, my friend.

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Dinner in a FLASH: Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Wow. Coming home from work and having to exercise AND clean AND do laundry AND cook dinner . . . well, it's difficult to do. Those of you with kids -- I seriously have no idea where you find time for it all. That's why we like super fast, super simple, super easy-to-prepare AND healthy recipes. We have several in our arsenal reserved specifically for when the laundry piles are high and the daylight hours are dwindling.

Hey! That sounds a lot like . . . tonight!

We've done veggie stuffed peppers before. You'll remember them from yet another Dinner in a Flash Post (you know, the posts where we cook something great and then insult it by taking god-awful flash photos . . . food porn at its worst!). So, what's different about this recipe?


It's vegan. So stop reading and start gathering your ingredients! The sun is already setting, can you see it there -- so low in the sky? And I imagine your stomachs are growling -- mine is -- THANKFULLY this recipe will make up a big dinner for two.

VEGAN VEGGIE-STUFFED PEPPERS

What you'll need . . .

• 2 hefty green peppers, sliced in half and de-seeded
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup TVP, depending on how "meaty" you like it
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (diced and drained)
• A splash of your favorite white wine
• Pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Hot sauce
• Nutritional yeast
• 1 healthy avocado, sliced
• Red quinoa, for on the side

Method . . .

1. Set your oven to the broil setting and place a sheet of aluminum foil on a cookie pan. Cut the green peppers in half and take the seeds out of them. Be careful to keep them as bowl-like as possible.
2. Place peppers skin-side up (you'll flip them later when you cook everything) under the broiler for about 10 minutes. Until the skins begin to display brown spots to show they're roasted.
3. While those are in the oven, in a medium saucepan, toss in some olive oil. Cook the chopped zucchini for a few minutes. Then combine it with the beans, tomatoes, and TVP. Season with the wine (I was drinking some while we were making this, so I just threw in like 2 tablespoons worth), pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce. Cook until bubbling.
4. Take the peppers out of the oven and flip over carefully. Scoop large scoops of the bean mixture into each pepper until piled high. Top with nutritional yeast.
5. Sprinkle on some more nutritional yeast, pile on the avocado, and serve with the quinoa!

All you work-outside-the-home people (and the rest of you, too!!!): What are your favorite fast and easy dinners? Do you cook when you come home . . . or before work? We'd love to plan ahead, but unless it's a slow-cooker meal, don't seem to ever make time in the AM. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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