Gnocchi with Butternut Squash & Kale

Before bombarding you with more dessert recipes (Think more cookies and homemade ice cream!  Oh yeah, there's more coming.), I figured I'd throw a relatively healthy dinner in there.

This recipe came from Food Network's website.


You'll need:


2 tbs butter
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, and roasted until tender
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups chicken broth and/or water
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped roughly
1 17.5 oz package of gnocchi (I used the whole grain stuff)
3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated


Melt 1 tbs butter in an oven-safe skillet.  Add the squash and cook until slightly soft, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Cook until the garlic is soft.


Preheat your broiler.  Add the chicken broth to the skillet and allow it to come to a simmer.  Stir in the kale and cook until it wilts slightly.  Add the gnocchi and stir to coat.  Cover the skillet and cook until the gnocchi are just tender, takes about 5 minutes. 


Uncover the skillet and stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese and remaining 1 tbs of butter.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Transfer the skillet to the broiler and cook until everything is golden and bubbly.  Then dig on in!

Sure, you could probably make this even better for you by cutting back on the butter and cheese, or throwing in some more vegetables, but I thought this was pretty good as is!  Even Sean ate it without saying that it "would be better if it had meat".  Which reminds me, you could definitely add some protein if you felt so inclined.  Enjoy!

Creamy Orzo "Risotto" with Butternut Squash

With this being a perfect recipe for Meatless Mondays, I really should have posted this yesterday, but I was on the road for most of the afternoon, and then really didn't feel like doing much of anything once I got back to Bmore.  So here it is, a bit late.  This is another Weight Watchers recipe, and I've modified it slightly.


Although the original title of the recipe indicates that it's a risotto, it really isn't.  But it's a good, far less labor intensive mock risotto.


You'll need:


Cooking spray
1 small-medium butternut squash, cubed
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbs unsalted butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet or two with foil and spray the foil with the cooking spray.  Put your cubed squash and olive oil in a gallon zip top bag.  Season with salt and pepper.  Seal the bag and toss everything around until the squash is well coated.


Put the squash on the baking sheet(s) in a single, even layer.  Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through until the squash is tender and lightly browned.


Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and garlic.  Sautee until the onion is translucent.  Add the orzo.  Stir constantly until the orzo begins to smell toasty.  Add the water, broth, and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir occasionally.


Stir in the cheese and roasted squash.  Season well with salt and pepper.

It's really nice and creamy, despite not having to go through the whole ordeal of constant stirring.  The saltiness of the cheese and sweetness of the squash contrast with one another nicely.  Enjoy! 

Autumn Vegetable Pot Pie

This post has been sitting around in my backlog of recipes for some time now.  I figured it's about time it saw the light of day.  You know, before autumn is officially over and winter is upon us full force.  Not that you can't make this during the winter... but the name is "Autumn Vegetable Pot Pie" after all.


Anyway, the recipe for this seasonally-appropriate pot pie was found at the blog Heather Christo Cooks.


You'll need:


1/4 cup butter
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup leeks, chopped
1 small butternut squash, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)
1/4 cup flour
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
kosher salt
~1 tsp dried thyme (fresh would be great if you have it)
pre-made refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg, beaten
water


In a large, heavy pot, melt your butter and cook until browned.  Add the vegetables and coat with butter.  Cook until slightly softened.  This took quite a while for me (~15-20 minutes... no really, it did).  


Add the white wine, and simmer until your vegetables are nice and soft.  Add the flour, and stir until the vegetables are well-coated with flour.  Cook for a couple of minutes until the raw flour taste has cooked out.


Add the broth and simmer for about 15 minutes until the stew base is slightly thickened.  Season with Kosher salt and dried thyme.


While your filling is simmering away, preheat your oven to whatever temperature your pre-made pie crusts' packaging tells you.  Place one crust in the bottom of a pie pan.  Fill the pie pan with filling and top with the other crust.  Trim the edges to remove excess.


Prick the top with a knife or fork to allow steam to escape.  Combine the beaten egg with a little water.  Brush the top with the egg wash.


Bake according to your pie crusts' packaging directions.  Serve hot.

The finished product!

I enjoyed this pot pie immensely.  Sean's assessment?  "It would be better if there was meat in it."  *Sigh*

I would make a few tweaks next time around, though.  1) I'd boil the potatoes separately and then add them to the filling once the broth was added.  2) Add some chicken or something for Sean.  3) Add some mustard or other flavorings to punch up the filling a bit.  4) Try to thicken the filling a bit.  You can see in the picture that it's still pretty soupy.  It thickened a lot in the fridge overnight (it makes for great leftovers!)

All in all it was very good.  Enjoy it!