Gnocchi

Ingredients:

2 lbs - 2 oz. whole baking potatoes
1 beaten egg
2-1/4 cups flour
pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes whole with the skin in salted water until cooked.
2. Once cooked drain the potatoes and then peel them being careful not to burn yourself.
3. Pass the potatoes through a potato ricer and into a bowl.
4. Add the flour, egg and a good pinch of salt.
5. Mix until you have a nice pliable ball of dough.
6. Prepare a work area and dust it with flour.
7. Take the dough, a piece at a time, and roll it out with your hands until you have rolls about 3/4 inch in diameter.
8. Cut the tubes of dough into pieces about one inch long.
9. With a fork, holding the tines against the work surface, use your finger to press a piece of dough gently against the fork and roll it slightly then letting it fall to the table.
10. The result should be gnocchi with an indent on one side from your finger and a pattern on the other side from the fork.
11. Handle the gnocchi carefully so they don’t loose their shape. Place them on a lightly flour plates. Keep them apart so they don’t touch one another or they’ll stick together.
12. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and then add the gnocchi carefully a plate or two at a time. When they float to the surface they are ready just remove them with a slotted spoon and set them in a strainer to drain off the excess water.
13. Add more gnocchi to the water and serve the others right away.

SERVE WITH YOUR CHOICE OF SAUCE (picture is with a pink suace)

Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin Lasagna

• 1/3 cups, Flour
• 1/4 cups, Parmesan cheese
• 6 tablespoons, Butter
• 1 count, Onions
• 2 1/2 cups, Milk
• 3 pounds, Spinach
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• 1 1/2 pounds, Mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons, Black pepper
• 1 pound, Mozzarella
• 1 pound, Lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds, Ricotta cheese
• 15 fluid ounces, Pumpkin
• 2 counts, Garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Stir together pumpkin and ricotta cheese until smooth and well-mixed. Set aside.
3. Steam spinach over high heat about five minutes until wilted. Squeeze out water in batches and chop coarsely chop. Set aside.
4. In large saucepan over med. heat, melt 3 Tbsp. butter or olive oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8 min. Add mushrooms and saute until soft. Add onion-mushroom mix to pumpkin-ricotta mix. Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and nutmeg. Stir to blend. Set aside.
5. Place empty saucepan back on stove and melt remaining butter/olive oil. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add flour and stir, cooking until dry, about 12 min. Add the milk and cook over med-high heat until it begins to thicken, about 5-8 min. Stir constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat when sauce is thick and creamy.
6. Grease pan, layer half of the noodles on the bottom. Spread half pumpkin mixture on top, then spinach, white sauce and half of the mozzarella. Repeat. Place Parmesan on top, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until hot and bubbly. Remove foil 10 minutes before taking pan out of oven to brown cheese on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Bryan's Pizza

Pizza Dough

Add 1 tsp instant yeast to 3/4 cup warm water (let sit for 15 minutes)

In another bowl, mix 2 Tbs sugar, 1 Tbs kosher salt, 1 Tbs Olive Oil

Add water and yeast combination

Then, mix in 2 cups bread flour

Stir mixture and then knead for 15 minutes

Place dough in large bowl and cover with a little olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap.

Keep in fridge overnight.

 

The next day, cut dough in half, mash to get air bubbles out, roll into two balls and cover with a tea towel for 30 minutes

Cover work surface with flour and form dough into 2 crusts

Brush crust with olive oil

Arrange desired toppings

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Cook for around 7 minutes or until brown

Let cool a little before eating. and then ENJOY! :)

Mini Caprese Bites

Great appetizer for a party. Recipe contributed by Therese.

1 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed, and cut in half at the thickest part
1 container marinated mozzarella balls from Trader Joe's, cut in half
1 bunch basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
long toothpicks, great ones found at Cost Plus
salt and pepper to taste, if needed

Thread tomato half, cheese half, basil leaf, then other tomato half onto picks. Place on serving plate, salt and pepper if desired, can drizzle remaining marinade over caprese bites before serving.

Laurie's Chocolate Cake

The only chocolate cake you will ever make/eat again. When choosing the cocoa powder, you can use the Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder for something even more delightful. Recipe contributed by Therese.

Cake:
1 3/4 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 C buttermilk*
1/2 vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C freshly brewed coffee (don't need to cool before adding)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 x 9 " cake pan. Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl mix wet ingredients (except coffee). Slowly add wet ingredients to dry, then add the coffee. Pour the batter into pan and bake 30 - 4o minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

*if you don't have buttermilk: put 1 TBSP white vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, add milk to equal 1 Cup, let stand for 5 minutes then use as buttermilk in recipe! (it works)

Frosting:
3/4 C butter or margarine
1 C cocoa powder
4 C powdered sugar (usually equals 1 box)
1/2 C hot milk
2 tsp vanilla

In a small saucepan over low heat melt butter, add cocoa, stirring constantly over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly thickened, about 5 - 10 minutes. Cool at room temperature to spreading consistency.