Sweet Potato Gnocchi {Gluten Free}

I'd like to think that I cope pretty well with a gluten-free lifestyle, and I don't tend to particularly miss it, except for when I have a craving for homemade pasta. My stomach started rumbling yesterday, and that got me to thinking... surely if gnocchi is mostly made up of potato, I could easily substitute the flour with a gluten free alternative?

Well, after a little experimentation, I think I've figured it out. The problem? I have no idea what the measurements were. I'll list how much I *think* that I used, but next time I put the recipe together, I'll be sure to measure so that  I can update this post with a real recipe. If you're the adventurous type in the kitchen, just give it a go, and let me know how if you can figure out the exact proportions!

Also, for the record, I served this to non-gluten-free humans, and they gobbled it up without being any wiser to my little substitution. I imagine that you could use regular flour, but it'll probably require less,  and the preparation will be different, so  I don't recommend following my method if you do.

Basically, I started with two peeled, diced, and boiled sweet potatoes. (There's another difficulty in the recipe, because the quantity of flour needed will vary based on the size of your potatoes. Oof!) Then I mashed them by hand, but you could use a food processor or electric hand mixer if you'd rather not do all of the mashing work.

I then added to my mash 1 egg, and (I think) 1/4 cup of cornstarch (cornflour), and about 1 cup of rice flour, though I added 1/2 at a time. The mixture sort of resembled chocolate chip cookie dough - thick and sticky, but could be rolled up into a (sticky) ball. I transferred the mixture to some non-stick paper (you can use wax paper or plastic wrap), wrapped it into a square parcel shape, and flattened it to about 1" in thickness. Then I chilled it in the fridge for about 3 hours, until it was nice and firm.

When I removed it from the fridge, I sliced it into 1/2" thick strips, and then sliced the strips into about 1/2" to 3/4" nuggets. *IMPORTANT: You're going to need to continuously wet your knife, and fingers, during this part to prevent the dough from sticking.* Then I sort of rolled each piece along the cutting board using my finger and the back of a fork, to give it that traditional gnocchi look, before dropping it into a pot of boiling water. Within 3-4 minutes, the cooked gnocchi bobbed to the top. A quick taste test deemed that they were fully cooked, and  I transferred them to a pan to saute in a bit of sauce before serving. I don't have a photo of the balsamic chicken that it was served with last night, but that was another big hit of a first-time recipe, so I promise it will be on here eventually. I tend to use my family and friends as guinea pigs before subjecting the outside world to my recipes.

The chilled dough will last in the fridge for up to a week, and you can slice off as much as you need for each meal. Just today I cut about 8 pieces and cooked them with some broccoli, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan for a light but really satisfying lunch.

The Recipe Post Fail: Apple Chips

I made apple chips, and they were great! But there's bad news - I have 0 photos of the finished apple chips. I'm really, really sorry. I ate all of them before I had time to take a photo - no lie. Camera battery had died, and I was hungry and not about to wait.

When you spend 2 hours  anticipating something delicious, sometimes these things just happen. If I make them again in the future, I promise to take a photo and add it on here. Or on my Instagram. Just please trust me that these turn out ok, and follow this super simple recipe for a delicious healthy snack!

A "Supreme" Breakfast

I have always been a "supreme" pizza lover. You know, with the spicy pepperoni and sausage, sweet peppers, and onions piled on top. YUM. And one of my favorite ways to eat my beloved supreme pizza is cold and leftover for breakfast.

 Today, I warmed it up a little and added my other favorite food - eggs - to make a delicious (and healthy) baked breakfast treat, with all of the yum factor of my favorite pizza. It's hearty enough to have as a quick dinner, too, if you're looking to cut out the crust of pizza altogether. If you want to turn this into a weekend brunch, simply multiply the recipe and use a large baking dish. You can get really creative with the vegetables, too, as long as you don't use anything that takes too long to cook (like potatoes).

To jazz it up a little, for this recipe I used chorizo instead of pepperoni (but you can use whichever you happen to have). Spicy or sweet italian sausage would be a great addition, too, if you have some already cooked on hand. And if you're a real spice lover, top it off with some chili flakes. Today I garnished with basil for a little added freshness, but parsley or oregano would add plenty of flavor as well.

"Street Meat"

Whitesaucehotsauce?

As a former New Yorker, there are a few foods that really tug on your heart strings when you're gone. One of my biggest cravings these days is the indispensable flavor of the halal cart, affectionately known to many as "street meat". It's just seasoned chicken over rice... or is it?

I've used a chicken tikka masala seasoning that I bought at a local Indian grocery store; here is a favorite foolproof brand that you can find in most middle eastern shops (or on Amazon!). If you're lucky enough to live in New York City, hop on over to Brooklyn and head to Oriental Pastry and Grocery in Cobble Hill. This is where I had my chicken tikka spices hand-mixed, and you won't get a better flavor anywhere.  I put this stuff on everything when I had the chance, and I miss it. A lot. (Get some Turkish coffee and some amazing pastries while you're there, too.)

As a standard, I serve up my beloved street meat at home with some salad of cucumber, tomato, and onion, and basmati rice cooked with chicken stock and turmeric for that trademark bright yellow color. Plain yogurt with a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper makes a great (and healthy) "white sauce", and I use sriracha as my hot sauce. Taste-wise, I actually prefer my homemade to the original, but it still holds a very special place in my heart.

Pumpkin Spice Pudding Cookies

I don't usually bake. Around Christmas time, I go into a one-weekend frenzy, and that's the extent of my cookie baking for the year. I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I can't put down the whisk and chocolate chips. Also, last week I received the most wonderful care package from my mother in America - chock full of my beloved pumpkin-spice-flavored everything.
I had two packages of pumpkin spice Jello instant pudding mix, and I wanted to use it to make something besides pudding.

Timeout - let me explain American pudding. And let me explain what pudding is over here in England: apparently, it's a general blanket term for dessert. Anything and everything that could be considered the dessert course after a meal, is "pudding".

In America, pudding is a goopy, sweet, custard-y type dessert. It's often in little cups (like yogurt) for lunchboxes. It's pretty much just sugar, milk, and gelatin, and it's great. Especially the pistachio (and pumpkin spice) varieties. (PS - Mom - please make pistachio pudding cake next time I visit).

I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for as I browsed all of the pumpkin spice recipes on Pinterest for inspiration. I knew I wanted to make a cake, or a cookie, and I wanted it to be simple. One bowl, basic ingredients. And, obviously, I wanted it to be pumpkin spice flavored.

So I combined a few easy-to-interpret recipes and, lacking the measuring cups I needed (oh, that's right, everything is measured by weight in recipes over here, so measuring cups aren't a thing), I used a small coffee cup as my measuring device. Even if the measurements aren't spot on, I figure the ratio will be correct. The result? Gooey, chocolatey (optional, but highly recommended), fluffy cookies with a crispy crunchy exterior, and the beloved pumpkin spice flavor. Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner. You're looking for a consistency that's identical to chocolate chip cookie dough when you're done (and not the ready-made packaged kind, that's hard, but the homemade kind... it should be sticky). So, please forgive me if the flour measurement is a little off. I'd start with the 1 1/2 cups in the recipe, and add up to an additional 1/2 cup if needed. The good thing about this recipe is that it should be pretty forgiving on exact measurements, because the pudding should stabilize it a little. So if your cookies are cake-ier or crispier than you'd prefer, you can just adjust the measurements next time you make it.

I'm assuming that the general recipe here would work for any flavor of Jello pudding that you have on hand. I bet plain old vanilla would be great, as would caramel. It's virtually limitless! Knock yourself out. If you're in the UK and you want to get your hands on some Jello instant pudding, check out the American aisle/section at your nearest Tesco's. I know that my local [big] Tesco's has several types at the moment. If not, Amazon is usually a sure bet for hard-to-find American grocery items on this side of the pond.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

It's a wonderful time of year, when we can turn decorations into food. And what a superfood it is! Pumpkin is extremely high in fiber, low in calories, and is a jackpot for vitamins C & E. Not to mention, beta carotene.

If you're sick of pumpkin soup, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin ravioli (a personal favorite of mine), here's a brand new pumpkin recipe - and it doesn't even require a pot to cook it in! Pumpkins are mother nature's slow cooker. Simply clean out the pumpkin, saving the seeds of course, and stuff it full of yummy seasonal ingredients. I used leftover roasted chicken, and this small sugar pumpkin quickly turned into a hearty meal that could feed up to 4 people. You could easily use beef or sausage in place of the chicken, or even omit the meat for some black beans.

Spicy Tuna Rice Bowl

If you're sushi lover (like me) who doesn't always have the time/equipment/expertise to perfect that beloved spicy tuna roll at home, then you're going to love this rice bowl.

I love how simple and delicious rice bowls can be - and they're great for those days when you have a bunch of random ingredients in the fridge and pantry that need to be used up. This recipe takes all of the flavors from one of my favorite sushi rolls, and turns it into a vegetable and protein packed dish in about 10 minutes. It doesn't get any simpler (or tastier) than this for a quick and healthy mid-week meal!

This would also work really well with leftover or canned salmon, or if you would prefer, omit the fish altogether and toss your vegetables in the spicy marinade!

Entertaining 911: The Crostini

This is the first in a little series I'm going to be calling "Entertaining 911" : it's a survival guide to the ins and outs of everything from drinks to dessert. To find more articles in the future, click on the tag "Entertaining 911" in the sidebar. 

Plans are hastily made, a doorbell rings. The impromtu cocktail party: there's plenty of wine and spirits, but what about the food?!

Enter the crostini: This little h'ors d'ouerve is going to be your very best friend. Some fresh crusty bread or a baguette, an oven, and almost anything in your fridge can transform into what is essentially a fancy piece of toast. Basically, you will want your bread slices/pieces to be 2 bites - the perfect snacking size at a party. The sky is the limit, and the bread is a blank canvas waiting to make your lack of preparedness a thing of the past. Top it with whipped goat cheese and freshly cracked black pepper, some caramelized onion with figs, or the recipe for roasted tomatoes below.

Roasted tomatoes are one of my all-time favorite snacks. The natural sugars of these sweet little tomatoes caramelize when roasted, and fresh rosemary creates such a nice balance to the salty-and-sweet flavor combo. When they're sitting on top of some toasty, garlicky bread, it's a match made in bite-sized heaven. 

Roasted Eggplant Tapenade

Every great culinary tradition seems to involve or contain a recipe made from roasted eggplants that are mashed or beaten into a rough paste with garlic and spices. As a rule of thumb, if you happen to notice the Russians, Indians, Greeks, Italians, Spanish, and Turks doing the same thing culinarily, it's probably a really good idea. And so, here is my interpretation of my very favorite variation of an eggplant tapenade. It's best served at room temperature on some nice crusty bread, and is even better if you make it a few hours (or a day) in advance, so that the flavors can really mingle.

 I'm getting hungry already.

Chicken Chimmichurri

Chicken: that go-to family dinner ingredient. I'm always trying to come up with recipes to make it feel new and exciting... and to prevent anyone from saying, "Chicken...again!?" when sitting down to the dinner table. This one's a real crowd pleaser and packs a South American punch to juicy and flavorful chicken thighs.

This recipe would also be great with pork chops, and I've used this sauce over grilled skirt steak as well. If you're not cooking in large quantities, you can refrigerate or freeze the chimmichurri sauce for later use!

Meatless Monday: Lemony Leek & White Bean Soup

This recipe is perfect for anyone who has jumped on the "Meatless Monday" bandwagon - and everyone else, too! I try to eat veg-centric as much as possible, for my own health and because of the environmental impact... but remembering to take time to go completely meat-free for a day is important. It gives your digestion time to relax and detox, especially after a weekend of heavy eating (or drinking). Today seemed like the perfect afternoon for a soup lunch, and this hearty white bean soup packs a punch of flavor with lemon zest and fresh thyme.

This recipe contains both a vegan and "regular" version: for the vegan one, omit any ingredients with an "*" next to their name.