Skillet Gnocchi

Loosely adapted from: EatingWell

Gnocchi is my all time favorite kind of pasta - although I can only eat it every once in a while because it is so filling and heavy! I used a whole wheat brand of gnocchi by Racconto to up the nutritional value. It was also fat-free, zero cholesterol, and a great source of fiber! I found this recipe on the EatingWell website that I mentioned earlier. I altered it a bit to what I had around the house, and it turned out DELICIOUS! Full of fresh ingredients and spices - you can't feel guilty about this dish!

Ingredients:
1 package of Gnocchi of your choice
1.5 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/8 ts italian spices
1 Tbs marinara sauce
1 Tbs red wine (cooking or table wine)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

What to do:
1. Heat 1 Tbs of olive oil in a small saute pan and toss in the shallots and tomatoes over low-medium heat
2. Let them cook together for about 3 minutes, then add in the garlic
3. After about 2 more minutes, add in the red wine
4. Let the wine reduce down (about 2-3 minutes) then add in the spices and marinara and turn the heat to low
5. Heat an additional saute pan with a couple Tbs of olive oil, and then toss in the gnocchi over medium heat
6. Toss every so often and let cook for 5-7 minutes, until they are plump and golden
7. Combine the tomato mixture with gnocchi and let simmer together for another 2 minutes
8. Add most of the parmesan cheese, and save a little to throw on top when you serve

Pumpkin-Dijon Chicken

After yesterday's successful execution of the use of Pumpkin, I was feeling fall-inspired yet again. Taking inventory of the entire kitchen I found: pumpkin butter, honey-dijon mustard, and frozen chicken. I know I must seem like a crazy-pumpkin-addict to have so many pumpkiny things around the house. And so it goes. In the end, the pumpkin butter was straight-up rockin' in this dish.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast (frozen or fresh)

2 Tbs of pumpkin butter

1 Tbs of dijon mustard

What to do: 

1. In a mixing bowl, add the pumpkin butter and the dijon mustard

2. Make sure the chicken is defrosted and ready to go - salt and pepper for flavor

3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil into a frying pan

4. Add the chicken pieces one at a time into the sauce mixture and coat liberally.

5. Add to the hot oil and cover.

Let the chicken pieces cook for about 3-4 mins before turning them, and re-cover. I learned that as a trick to keeping chicken nice and moist on the inside - locks in all that yummy deliciousness.

Chicken should be ready in about 6-8 mins - give it a slice down the middle to make sure.