Butternut Squash Gnocchi

I LOVE butternut squash. It is probably my favorite of the fall squashes. So when I found a recipe for butternut squash gnocchi, I knew I needed to try it! I was a little disappointed after making it, that you loose a lot of the squash's flavor, but it was still delicious with a kale salad on the side. Next time, I may try to make butternut squash ravioli to try and maintain the sweetness. 

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash (about 2.5-3 lbs)
3 1/4 cups flour (plus additional for rolling out gnocchi)
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel and slice squash and roast on a lined baking sheet for 30-40 minutes until very tender. Remove and let cool.

2. Once cool, puree squash in a blender or food processor then transfer to a large bowl and add flour, egg and salt. Mix until a dough forms then knead on a heavely floured surface until smooth.

Almost finished kneading

3. Divide gnocchi dough in half and roll each half into a large, thin rope then cut the rope into small one inch slices. At this point you can either proceed to cook the gnocchi or you can freeze the pasta until ready to cook! (I cooked half & froze half)

4. Once the water is boiling, drop the gnocchi in and boil until they float. Then drain the gnocchi, put them back into the pot, add parmesan cheese & the sauce of your choice. 

Candied Pecans

This recipe is perfect for adding something sweet and crunchy to a salad. I put it on my apple, kale, and goat cheese salad and it was delicious! So easy to make too. I love the sweet yet spicy kick the cinnamon and red pepper flakes give the pecans.

1/2 tablespoon butter

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

pinch of allspice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup pecan halves

Heat butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in cinnamon, allspice, pepper, sugar and pecans. Toast pecans for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the sugar has melted and the pecans are lightly toasted. Spread on wax paper to cool.


The pecans can be added to salads, desert, or eaten as a snack!

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I will try not to buy a pre-made salad dressing again, when I can make a pretty great dressing at home with pantry staples. I made this dressing today for my kale, apple, and goat cheese salad. It was sweet and light without too much overpowering flavor.

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (red wine vinegar will work too)
1 teaspoon Honey or Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon clover honey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the vinegar, honey and mustard in a bowl. While whisking, slowly pour a steady stream of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Interesting Quotes

"Respect your dinner, idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be by many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life happier if you do." -- William Makepeace Thackeray from "Memorials of Gormandising"

Kale 101

In our share this week, one of the greens we got was kale. I was really excited because I love the Kale Salad at Woodshed! They serve the kale with celery greens, guanciale (pork cheek), smoked pepita (pretty sure they are pumpkin seeds), and Manchego cheese & It is absolutely to die for. 

I have never cooked with kale before, so I watched this video on YouTube to gain more information about this leafy green. I think I may try making my own kale salad with sliced apple, goat cheese, candied pecans, and a vinaigrette. I also may try those kale chips in the oven. Either way, I will post what I do! 

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

1 ½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp salt

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I used Rotel)

1 medium onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper

½ red bell pepper

12 flour tortillas

Toppings such as cheese, sour cream, and guacamole

Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.

2.  In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt

3.  Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.

4.  Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.

5. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings.

Community Shared Agriculture

This is how the shares comes, complete with reusable bin

Last month I became a member of a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) program called Urban Acres. Every two weeks, I pay a set amount of money for a share of local, organic produce. I enjoy knowing that the food I eat comes from the area and not millions of miles away. Also, the produce is seasonal so we will be exposed to new produce every two weeks! I wanted to share with you how fantastic this program is, so every two weeks, I take pictures of my share! I am sure many of my recipes will come from these fruits & vegetables as well! 

Urban Acres has a farm store in Oak Cliff, but I pick up my produce from a Fort Worth location! (off of 7th street).  If you want more information about CSA's in Fort Worth you can go to this website http://www.ecovian.com/s/fort-worth-tx/csa. 

Lovely bananas, apples, a lemon and a pomegranate. I can't wait to try and eat the pomegranate, it should be another experience entirely. I'm curious if people just eat them plain or in recipes?! 

Sweet potato, red potatoes, acorn squash, and lots of butternut squash!!! 

Romaine lettuce, broccoli, kale (newly obsessed with kale), and collard greens!