Gnocchi on Eggplant Parmesan

I love gnocchi! They can easily replace pasta in any recipe to add a whole new texture to the dish. Unfortunately the ones you buy at grocery stores are quite salty so I set out to make my own. Surfing on the internet I found this Italian man making gnocchi inside his villa. I find he transfers his passion for cooking so well that it makes me want to leave everything behind and just buy a villa in Italy so I can cook all day over a fire. Essentially, I reproduced his gnocchi but with no salt because I was adding bacon to the sauce and sitting them on a bed of eggplant parmesan. Also, just a couple of pointers: when you cut your gnocchi, make sure they size is even and small enough so that they cook thoroughly, a couple of mine were slightly too large.

Ingredients
Gnocchi
1kg potatoes
100g all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
rice flour to roll the gnocchi (I used all purpose flour and they did stick a little but it's no big deal)

Eggplant parmesan
eggplant
olive oil
black pepper
bread crumbs
fresh parmesan aka parmigiano reggiano

Sauce
3 slices bacon, cut up in 1/4-1/2 inch chunks
black pepper
fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Method
1. Preheat oven at 400 F.
2. Peal the potatoes and cut them into cubes. In a large pot, bring the potatoes to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes approx.
3. While the potatoes cook, cut the eggplant in 1/2 inch slices. Starting from the larger side, cut enough for 2-3 slices for each person.
4. On a baking sheet covered with parchement paper, place the slices evenly.  Sprinkle the slices with a bit of oil, flavour with black pepper and cover the whole surface of the eggplant with bread crumbs then grated parmesan (put as much as you want). Set aside.
5. When the potatoes are done, drain and pat them dry. Mash them and allow them to cool enough to be handled with your hands.
6. Cook the eggplants for 15 minutes, and broil for 5 minutes until they are crispy on top.
7. The mashed potatoes should be cooler by now so, in a large bowl, mix them with the egg yolk and the flour to make a dough.
8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you cut your gnocchis.
9. On a clean work surface, sprinkle flour and roll out the potato dough in a long sausage - about 3/4-1 inch in diameter. With a sharp knife cut the dough sausage every 1/2 inch or so to make little gnocchi.
10. For the sauce, on medium heat, drizzle a little oil in a pan and throw your bacon chunks.
11. Your water should be boiling by now, so you can place your gnocchis in the boiling water. Let simmer, when they rise to the top they are cooked - it happens pretty fast.
12. You can then remove the gnocchi from the hot water with a slotted spoon for the water to drain, and place them in your pan since the bacon chunks should be cooked. Season with black pepper and gently mix in the chopped basil, be careful not to break the gnocchis.
13. It's time to plate your meal. Whether you put the eggplant slices on top or below the gnocchi, this meal is delicious. Enjoy!

This made enough for 3-4 portions, depending on your appetite.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Bean Salsa

We were looking for something quick and refreshing to do with our leftover pulled pork. We scavenged our pantry and came up with pulled pork tacos topped with a bean salsa. Now that I think about it, a mango salsa (with some red peppers, green onions and balsamic vinaigrette) would have been good, too.

Ingredients
Bean salsa
1 celery stick, cubed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1/2 can corn kernels
juice of 1/2 lime
pepper and a tiny pinch of salt
cilantro, minced

8 small whole wheat tortillas
about 2 cups pulled pork
salsa
mozzarella cheese, grated
sour cream or mayonnaise

Method
1. Mix everything from the bean salsa together.
2. During that time, heat up the leftover pulled pork.
3. Make the tacos and enjoy!

Spinach Pasta

This was delicious! As always, of course, because I only showcase our delicious meals and never speak of our in progress recipes. Our inspiration came from Chef John always making béchamel seem easy to make, and he's right! One part butter/margarine, one part flour, fast whisking and then you add as much milk as you want to the consistency you desire. Just check out Chef John's video, you'll see.

Ingredients
225g rigatoni (any type of pasta will do)
3 tbsp margarine
3 tsbp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
pinch of salt, if not using salted margarine
pinch of cayenne
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8-1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and patted dry-ish

Method
1. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil to cook the pasta.
2. In the meantime, in a large frying pan, melt the butter on low-medium heat.

3. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk vigorously until combined and no longer clumpy. 

4. Add the milk and keep whisking.

5. Add the spices for flavour.

6. Add the spinach and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

7. Add pasta and mix well.

8. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

A Very Spicy Chili

This chilli is pretty quick and mostly necessitates ingredients you have in your pantry. As for the recipe, I tweaked my mom's recipe and I removed the meat to make it vegetarian. There's only one problem if there is no meat, the spice is unbearable! So here's the recipe but with a little less heat than what I used.

Ingredients

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

1 large carrot, diced

1-2 cans red kidney beans

1 can low sodium corn or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can low sodium crushed or diced tomatoes

Method

1. On medium-high heat, in a large pot, heat up cooking oil and cook the onions and garlic for 3 minutes. Add in the spices and cook for 3-5 more minutes.

2. Add the the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Let simmer on low-medium for 30 minutes.

3. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro. 

If you want to add some ground meat to your chilli, just add about 1/2-1lb at the same time as the onions and garlic.

Almost Perfect Vegan Burger

The summer is here!...Well almost and this meal makes it feel that much closer. We were having our vegan friend over for board game night so we quickly combined chickpea burger recipes from Yummly and Oh She Glows, and came up with the patty you have before you. Although, this patty will not fill a hamburger craving, if you think of it as a whole new meal instead of a meat replacement, it's quite tasty! The only thing is, we have tried a couple of version of this, and the patties just can't stay together when we eat them. Our journey for a crumble free vegan patty continues but, in the meantime, here's what we used.

Ingredients
1 can chickpea, drained
1 medium carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 small zucchini
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tbsp tahini or peanut butter
1 Chinese eggplant, cooked
1/2-1 cup panko (breadcrumbs)

Method
1. Preheat oven at 400 F.
2. In a food processor, mix everything but the panko.
3. In a medium to large bowl, combine the vegetable-chickpea mush with the bread crumbs. Start with about 1/2 cup of panko and, if need be, add the rest.
4. Form into patties, makes 4-6 depending on the size.
5. Place on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes, or until they start to brown and are all warm on the inside.

Don't hesitate to use other kinds of vegetables in your patty, you can basically just use leftover vegetables that are about to go bad. For alternate methods of baking, check out the links from Yummly and Oh She Glows.

Burger dog

This is my version of a hot dog without all the salt or the preservatives...and apparently without the bun because I forgot to buy some. Oh well, it was delicious! I'd try it again with some ground pork or turkey and maybe change up the flavours in the meat to make a spicy burger dog.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of thyme, cayenne, black pepper, basil

Method
1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Form them into 4-5 sausage like shapes.
2. On medium heat, cook the meat covered for about 20 minutes - turn them so each side can brown evenly.
3. Toast your bread. And top your meat the way you like it!

Spinach Stuffed Chicken with Grown-Up Tater-Tots and Bok Choy

The chicken breasts and the boy choy were on sale so I tried to be a little adventurous and opted for stuffed chicken with smashed potatoes and bok choy. I think the work I put into the whole meal was worth it. I wouldn't change any of it! Although, the amount of garlic you put in your recipe is left at your discretion, I just happen to love garlic.

Ingredients

10 small-ish red or fingerling potatoes

olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 green onion, sliced

black pepper

2 chicken breasts

3/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped

1/3 cup cream cheese (ricotta cheese would have been good too)

black pepper, cayenne, dried basil

6-8 medium bok choy (large baby bok choy)

2 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven at 350 F.

2. Place potatoes on baking sheet, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until fork tender. 

3. Take potatoes out and let cool for about 10 minutes.

4. During that time, raise oven temperature to 450 F. Wash the bok choy, set aside.

5. Put a potato between two plates and smoosh it to about a 3/4 inch thick. Repeat.

6. Once all potatoes are smashed, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with onions and garlic, season with black pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy golden brown. 

7. During that time, mix spinach and cream cheese (softening the cream cheese before hand will help with this step).

8. Cut chicken breasts in the middle from one long side to the next, leaving about half and inch attached so as to make a pocket.

9. Stuff each breast with half the spinach mixture. 

10. Place the breasts on a baking sheet. Season with black pepper, cayenne and basil.

11. Once potatoes are baked, lower oven temperature to 375 F. Set potatoes aside and bake the chicken for about 20 minutes.

12. While the chicken bakes, heat olive oil in a wok on medium-heat. Add garlic and bok choy. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until leaves (not stems) are tender.

13. Plate up and enjoy!