Gnocchi Alla Amatriciana

 



I found this recipe while browsing through a Family Circle magazine in the Seattle airport.  I made this for Corey this weekend and we both really liked it.  It's tomato-y, a little bit spicy, and a little bit salty from the pancetta.  What's more, it is supposed to make a 9x13 casserole, but I made two 8x8 dishes and froze one of them to have next month.  I just made it through Step 8 and then put half in the freezer instead of the oven.  This is easy to make, doesn't require a large number of ingredients, and is fairly healthy - not a lot of added fat or oil.

 

GNOCCHI ALLA AMATRICIANA

 

Recipe Notes

You can pick up the pancetta already diced and in the perfect-sized portion (4 oz.).  I found a 4 oz. container of pre-diced Boars Head pancetta at Kroger in the deli section and it worked great.

 

Nutritional Information

460 calories - 13 g. fat - 15 g. protein - 72 g. carbohydrates - 8 g. fiber

 

Ingredients

• 4 oz. pancetta (diced)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (such as Cento)
• 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 (17.5 oz) packages gnocchi
   

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil for gnocchi.

3.  While waiting on water to boil, saute pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until crispy (8-10 minutes).

4.  Add diced onion and saute 4-5 minutes more over medium heat until softened.  The rendered fat from the pancetta will help to soften the onion.

5.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes, saute 2 minutes more.

6.  Stir in tomatoes, 2 tbsp. shredded cheese, and thyme.  Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.

7.  Meanwhile, add gnocchi to boiling water and remove with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl when cooked through.  Gnocchi is ready when it floats up to the top of the pot of boiling water.  At that point, you can skim the pasta off the top.

8.  Add gnocchi to tomato sauce mixture.  Transfer to either a 9x13 baking dish or two 8x8 baking dishes.

9.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  If freezing half, put half in the freezer at this point.

10.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and tomato sauce is bubbling.

 

 

Un-Fried Tomatoes

Corey loved this Martha Stewart Food recipe, and they are so much better for you than fried green tomatoes because they are baked in the oven. 

 

UN-FRIED TOMATOES

 

Recipe Notes

My oven needed a bit more time than the recipe called for - about 20-22 minutes instead of 15.  I used my Cuisinart to crush up the cornflakes to a fine meal.

 

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)

267 calories - 4 g. fat - 9 g. protein - 53 g. carbohydrates - 4 g. fiber

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 5 c. cornflakes, crushed
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 lbs. firm tomatoes, cut into 1/4 in. rounds (these can be any color)
• Lemon wedges or ranch dressing, for serving

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Place flour, eggs, and cornflakes in three separate shallow dishes.  Season each with salt and pepper.  Stir cayenne pepper into seasoned flour.

3.  Coat each tomato slice first with flour, then with egg, and finally with cornflakes.

4.  Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.

5.  Bake until deep golden brown, or about 15 minutes. 

6.  Serve with lemon wedges or ranch dressing.

 

 

Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

 





These chicken enchiladas were recently featured in Southern Living.  I am lazy and didn't want to make my own tomatillo salsa, so I modified this a bit and also used bottled tomatillo salsa (I used Herdez).  I also cut the cheese to make them a bit more healthy as well.  Corey LOVED these and so did I!

 

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS VERDES

 

Recipe Notes

These can be assembled the day before and refrigerated until ready to cook.  Be sure to stop after Step 7 below if making ahead.

 

Ingredients

•   1 c. diced sweet onion
•   3 garlic cloves, minced
•   1 tbsp. canola oil
•   2 c. chopped fresh baby spinach
•   2 (4.5 oz.) cans chopped green chiles, drained
•   3 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
•   8 oz. (1 package) reduced-fat cream cheese
•   6 oz. (1-1/2 c.) shredded hot pepper jack cheese
•   8 (8 inch) soft taco-sized flour tortillas
•   1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
•   Bottled tomatillo salsa
•   1 medium avocado, diced

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Saute onion and garlic in canola oil for five minutes or until tender.

3.  Add spinach and green chiles.  Saute until spinach has wilted (1-2 minutes).

4.  Add chicken and reduced-fat cream cheese.  Stir constantly until cheese melts.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

6.  Spoon approx. 1/2-3/4 c. chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. 

7.  Sprinkle pepper jack cheese over chicken mixture, then roll up tortillas and place in a 9x13 glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Tortillas should be placed seam-side down.

8.  Lightly spray tortillas with Pam cooking spray.

9.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

10.  Top with tomatillo salsa, followed by avocado and chopped cilantro.