Gnocchi's!

Ohhhhh how I love Gnocchi's!  For any of you that have had gnocchi's and love them, you know they are always made with potato.  Not mine!  I have a friend that I have known since I was 10 years old.  She is italian, has 6 brothers and a sister and her mother was one of those italian women that can just cook up a storm!  I used to love going over her house while I was growing up because of all of the good italian food her mother always had made. 
When I was a teenager I used to go over her house and her mother would teach me how to cook.  She is the one that taught me how to make spaghetti sauce. 
About 3 years ago I went to Massachusetts for a visit and of course her mother had me over for dinner.  She taught me a new way to make Gnocchi's.  Not only is it easier but I swear they taste even better.
Here it is. 

Ingredients

Ricotta Cheese
Flour !!  That's it!

You just use equal parts of ricotta cheese and flour.  Mix it all together and make a dough.  Take pieces of it and roll it into snakes.  Then cut into about one inch pieces and form the ghocci's whatever way makes you happy. 
Drop in boiling water.  When the ghocchi's rise to the top, they are done.  Actually, after they rise I usually let them cook just a tad longer.  Maybe a minute or two. 

Then just put them on your plate with some good homemade spaghetti sauce...add some parmesan cheese or romano...there ya go!  Enjoy!

Chicken Soup!

Ohhhh I loveeee homemade Chicken Soup.  I have been making it for years.  This is what I do.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
2 to 3 good size tomatoes, cut up in small pieces
1 large onion
6 or 7 good sized carrots
Fresh Green Beans...at least a pound
3 to 4 minced Garlic cloves
Parsley
Basil
Rosemary
Salt and Pepper
1 box of Swanson Vegetable Broth (or any brand you like)
Sambal  or Tabasco or Red Pepper Flakes  - all are optional but it really does give it a better flavor.
1 box of Orzo's. Some people like Rice, some people like Pasta in chicken soup.  I love the Orzo's.  Orzo's are rice shaped pasta and it's almost like having rice and pasta.

In a large pot, empty the box of Vegetable Broth.  Years ago, I used to use Chicken Broth but because I use a whole chicken in this recipe, it makes it's own chicken broth.  I discovered than if I add vegetable broth it tastes sooo much better.
Put the chicken in the pot with the vegetable broth and add water.  Make sure you add enough water to totally cover the chicken.
Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down to a high simmer. 
While the chicken is cooking I get all my other ingredients ready.
I usually cut the carrots in large one inch pieces.  I put the green beans in whole unless some are really long ones.  Then I will break them in half.
Cut up the tomatoes, onion and garlic and have it ready. 
When the chicken has been cooked to the point that the meat is literally falling off of the bone...take it out and put it on a platter.  Then, I take a seive and seive out all of the little bits and pieces that came off of the chicken.
Bring the pot back up to a boil.  Add all of your ingredients.  I usually put about a tablespoon of Sambal.  It really does give this soup a wonderful flavor.  Tasbasco or Red Pepper Flakes will too but I think the Sambal is the best.  I am addicted to it you know.
Now, debone the chicken and put the chicken back into the pan with all of the other ingredients. 
I just when it is done by the carrots.  When the carrots are tender, it's done.
When the soup is done, in a seperate pan, I boil the Orzo's.  When the Orzo's are cooked, I pour the hot water out of the pan and put in cold water so that the Orzo's do not get overcooked.  I keep the Orzo's seperate from the chicken soup until it has completely cooled down.  Then, when the soup is cook, I add the Orzo's.
When the soup is done and it's in my bowl, I top it off with Parmesan Cheese....Also, a nice fresh loaf of Italian Bread with butter is awesome with this!  Yum...I'm wanting some right now!

Spaghetti Sauce and Eggs

Eggs
Spaghetti Sauce
Cheese - Provolone or Mozzarella or Parmesan or all of them (which is what I use).
Fresh loaf of Italian Bread

Everyone knows what Poached Eggs are. This is just a different variation of that - The Italian version …
In a frying pan put about an inch of spaghetti sauce. Bring the sauce to a high simmer.
Crack open and drop the eggs in the simmering sauce, much like you drop an egg in boiling water.
While the eggs are cooking in the sauce, slice the bread and toast it. Put the toasted bread slices on a plate waiting for the eggs.
When the eggs are almost done cooking (and I like to cook them to the point where the yolks are a little runny) put your cheese on top.
Take a spatula and scoop the egg with the cheese melted on top of the Italian toast. Then sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese ... yummy! Trust me - this one you will like, and it's so easy to make.

Chicken Pot Pie

I was watching Rachael Ray the other day and she had Paula Deen as her host, who I adore. Paula made Chicken Pot Pie. I watched how she made it and tonight for the very first time I’m going to try making it. I’m using Paula’s recipe as a base and I am adding my own touch to it.
So right now I can't tell whether this recipe is good or bad. I have a feeling that it’s going to be good. How can any recipe NOT be good when it's made with Cream Cheese! LOL! It’s impossible.
I am making 2 chicken pot pies. I don’t know why but I always have to cook in bulk.. Maybe it’s because I raised a son who, as he got older was huge and ate like 3 people. So if you only want to make 1 pie just cut the below ingredients in half.
 

Ingredients
Chicken - I bought a bag that is in the frozen section of the grocery store of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I am using 3 good sized breasts.
Vegetables - Use any kind of vegetables that you prefer. I bought 4 different frozen bags of veggies: 1 bag each of frozen peas, frozen corn, frozen carrots, and frozen broccoli.  You don't use the whole bag of each veggie.  Just put in whatever quantity you think best.
2 or 3 potatoes - peeled and cut up into bite sized pieces
1 Large Onion
2 or 3 cloves of Garlic
(2) 8 oz. packages of Cream Cheese
Store bought Pie Crusts - I bought a box that contains 2 crusts. The crust are going on the top of the pie.
Parsley
Basil
Rosemary
Last but not least my very favorite Sambal -1 Tsp. (Optional)
I might add some grated cheddar cheese. I haven‘t made up my mind about that yet. It’s up to you whether you want to add it or not.
I told you I haven’t made this yet. I will be making it sometime after 7 tonight. I always cook after the animals have been fed.
I have my chicken cut up in bite sized pieces in the frig. I peeled and cut my potatoes in bite size pieces. I have already boiled them til tender. They are sitting in the pan of water that I boiled them in. When I add the potatos to the frying pan, I am going to drain the water out and put the potatoes on paper towels to dry them.
I have my veggies in a big bowl, letting them thaw out.
My onions and garlic are already cut up and waiting.
My cream cheese is sitting on the counter letting it warm to room temp.
I have a really big cast iron frying pan that I am using. I put some oil in it and a teaspoon of my Sambal.
The first thing I am going to do is the start frying the onions. When the onion starts to become transparent I will add my garlic and spices.
Fry those ingredients until the onions look almost done and then add the chicken. When the chicken is cooked, and make sure not to overcook because you are going to be baking it in the oven also, add your cream cheese. Keep stirring it on a medium/low heat until the cream cheese is all melted and makes a sauce. At this point you can also add the cheddar cheese if you've decided to add it.
Now, pour the mixture into your pie plate.
Then, put the pie crust on the top and pinch the edges all of the way around to make it look pretty.
Take a knife and cut some holes in the top of the pie crust for venting.
Bake at 350 degrees. I have no idea how long because I haven’t made it yet. Just keep checking it and when the crust looks done…that’s it!
It all sounds really good to me .. I can’t wait to try it.

Italian Spaghetti Sauce

  I have been making my Italian Spaghetti Sauce for years. I usually cook my sauce for at least 4 hours. The longer you cook the sauce, the better is tastes. The meat that you select will end up being extremely tender from cooking so long in the sauce. You can make it with many different kinds of meats. I always use hot and sweet sausages. I cut one of them in half in the sauce so that you know which is hot and which is sweet. Sometimes I buy pork (just about any kind of pork) and put it into the sauce. Sometimes I make meatballs. Later on in another post I will write how to make my meatballs. Every once in a great while I also put chicken in it. I think that when you put chicken in the sauce, that's when it tastes the absolute best. The only thing about putting the chicken in is that it breaks up in the sauce from cooking it so long. But it’s delicious!

So sometimes I just use sausages and other times I use all of the above.

The more you put in, the better it tastes.
Here is how I make it ...

4 large cans of crushed tomatoes
1 very large onion or 2 medium sized onions
4 to 5 cloves of garlic (or more according to your taste)
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Salt and Pepper
Parsley
Basil
Rosemary
Red Pepper Flakes
Red Wine (if you have any)


In a big pot put EVOO in the bottom of the pot. Put enough to cook the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and spices.
First, cut up your onion and start cooking on medium heat.
When the onion is starting to get transparent (halfway cooked), then add the minced garlic. You don’t want to add the garlic too soon because you don’t want it to burn.
When you add the garlic, also add all your spices.
It should all make a mush in the bottom of the pan the consistency of oatmeal.
Just cook it long enough for the onion and garlic and spices to all blend together.
After that is done, open your cans of Crushed Tomatoes and add them in the pot. Also add water. I use at least one half of an empty large can of the tomatoes. Because the sauce is going to cook for 4 hours a lot of the water will end up cooking out. But, in the beginning you want to add water so that the mixture will not be too thick.
This is just about it! I promise you if you make a sauce like this you will love it! I usually make a big batch of it and when it all cools, I put smaller batches of it in the freezer for later on. That way, I don’t have to cook it all the time. It’s already done.
Hope you try it my way and I hope you like it!

Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and Egg

This is a recipe that I discovered years ago.  It's fast, it's easy and it's inexpensive.  When I first started making this I used to make it with the Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup in the dry packet...It comes out just as good if not better with the Lipton.  The only difference is that you have to cook the soup first before adding the extra ingredients.  So, you can try it either way...


1 can of Chicken Noodle Soup
1 can water
2 to 3 eggs
¼ to ½ Tsp. Sambal (Chili Garlic Sauce)
Parsley
Basil
Parmesan Cheese

  In a Saucepan put 1 can of Chicken Noodle Soup and 1 can of water. While heating to a boil add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of Sambal, depending on how spicy you want it. If you put just a ¼ of a teaspoon, while it won’t make it really spicy,it will give it a wonderful flavor. When you put ½ teaspoon it will make it hotter. If you don’t have Sambal you can add a few shakes of Tabasco or any kind of Hot Sauce. Or you can add a few shakes of Red Pepper Flakes. Add some Parsley and Basil.
On the side while that is heating up, take 2 to 3 eggs and scramble in a bowl.
When the soup comes to a boil, add the scrambled eggs. After pouring in the eggs, put the cover to the pan back on and for about 20 to 30 seconds bring it back up to a boil. Then, take the lid off, turn heat down to medium and use a fork to stir the egg to break it up.
Let that simmer for about another minute.
Pour the soup in a bowl and add Parmesan Cheese.