Cauliflower Gnocchi Bake

January 22, 2019
Up close and personal

Up close and personal

The blog is back, Bitches.

I have a new goal, that seems somewhat reasonable-ish, seeing as I have made lots of promises with very little follow through. Each week, I’m going to aim to have 2-3 new posts a week, focusing on recipes for 2, kid friendly meals, and quick and easy. This one falls into all three categories as long as your kid(s) will eat cauliflower. Mine don’t eat anything that isn’t a grilled cheese, a meatball or a nugget, so I’m shit out of luck on that one. Anyways, back to the blog…

I couldn’t find/remember my password, but turns out, I had it saved in an email from 2012, so I only had to go back 6+ years of deleted emails to find it. Easy enough with two tiny dictators running around all the time. But alas, I’m back, and sharing a recipe that won’t benefit any of my West Texan friends, but will benefit anyone with a TJ’s in their city (aka every other human).

I love my life. Great friends, great family, blah blah blah, but there is truly one thing missing in my life. Some people may want a baby, or a new car, or a new house. Not me. All I want is for a frickin’ Trader Joe’s to open in Midland. Someone make it happen. TJ’s has some of the best shortcut staples (ie. Cauliflower Gnocchi) and Midland needs one. We are lazy, we like good food, and while HEB has great sh*t, nothing compares to Trader Joe’s. I would like to say that my family is my favorite thing about going to Dallas, but lets get real…My fatass likes to load up a cooler full of Kung Pao and cauliflower gnocchi. Speaking of, this cauliflower gnocchi bake is super easy and a perfect meal for two. You should have plenty of leftovers for a lunch the next day, or enough for a kid or two to share.  Here it goes.

Salami bake getting the attention it deserves

Salami bake getting the attention it deserves

Cauliflower Gnocchi Bake

Feeds 2+ depending on your appetite

  • 1 package of Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi (Don’t cook it how the directions state)
    • If you don’t have cauliflower gnocchi, you could just roast some regular cauliflower or use any sort of cooked pasta
  • 1.5 cups marinara sauce (I like Rao’s tomato basil or Michael’s of Brooklyn)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 to 1 ball of burrata cheese, cut into smaller slices
  • 5 basil leaves, chopped
  • Optional: salami, pepperoni, ground chicken/beef or any other meat you have lying around.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Baked cauliflower gnocchi for 10 minutes, then flip and bake 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and turn the oven on broil (or 500 degrees if your oven doesn’t have broil settings)

Divide the gnocchi between two mini skillets (or one big one) and mix with marinara sauce (1.5 cups total) of your choice (I like Rao’s – any variety- or Michael’s of Brooklyn). Top with the mozzarella cheese and dollop the burrata as wanted. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Top with chopped basil. 

If you’d like, add in any meat you wish. It’s great with crumbled cooked ground chicken, salami (pictured in one), pepperoni, or ground beef. Enjoy!

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Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

January 30, 2018

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In keeping with my promise to try and post at least once a week, here is this weeks post… What I’d really like is for someone to pay me to write, because my dad doesn’t give me allowance anymore (but my daddy does), and baby shit is expensive. I can’t continue to buy $40 jammies for my kids and feed my family at the same time. Therefore my children are naked, but me and Craw are well fed. COME AT ME SPONSORS. Anyways, enter this week’s post–easy beef stir fry with veggies. This serves 2 with leftovers. I served with quinoa fried rice and some shrimp potstickers.

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For the meat and vegetables

  • 1 lb. steak, I used a Delmonico cut from Midland Meat Company, if you aren’t in Midland, or that cut isn’t available, grab a ribeye.
  • 1/2 head broccoli, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used orange)
  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno, cored and chopped (omit if you can’t handle heat)
  • corn starch
  • 2 tbs. avocado oil (or olive oil if you don’t have avo oil)
  • chopped basil for garnish, if you like basil (about 5 leaves)

For the sauce

  • 1/2 C. soy sauce
  • 1/2 C. beef broth (I used bone broth)
  • 1 tbs. ginger paste or 1″ fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 tbs. oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp. corn starch
  • 1 tbs. sambal chili

Thinly slice the beef, trimming any excess fat. The meat will have some good marbling so some fat is normal, I just trimmed off any huge chunks. Toss the beef in some cornstarch to coat, and set aside. You don’t need the meat completely doused in the corn starch, just dusted. Steam your broccoli (I added a splash of water and microwaved for 3 minutes). While the broccoli is steaming, in a cast iron pan (or any heavy bottomed skillet) saute the onions, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno in 1 tbs. avocado oil until softened, approximately 5 minutes. Add to the steamed broccoli (drain any excess liquid from the broccoli before) and set aside. Heat the pan to medium high and add in the other tablespoon of avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering and realllllly hot, add in half the beef. Cook for one minute then flip, cook another 30 seconds and remove, doing the same to the other half of the meat. If your meat is sliced thin and your pan is hot enough, this is plenty of time. In the same pan where you cooked the beef and veggies, add in the sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the veggies and beef and cook for another 3 minutes until the sauce has reduced and everything is coated in the sauce. Serve with steamed rice or this quinoa fried rice.

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Kale & Toasted Quinoa salad with Pesto Dijon Vinaigrette

January 23, 2018

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I write this post while in a deep depression from my couch. I am only 3 episodes away from the completion of the entire Gossip Girl series (yes, I’ve seen it, just binge re watching it). I have watched 118 episodes, and upon completion, I will have spent 4,017 minutes watching high schoolers be way cooler than I can ever hope to be. Time well wasted, and to drown my sorrows, I believe I’ll open a bottle of Sauv-B and wait for my husband to come home and judge me.

Watching all these high school hotties made me realize that my post baby bod could use a little more lettuce in my life, and inspired me to amp up my salad game. Enter in the chopped kale/arugula salad with pesto dijon vinaigrette.

Pesto Vinaigrette

  • 1 bunch basil
  • 1/2 C. toasted pine nuts
  • 1 C. olive oil
  • 1/3 C. grated parmesan
  • juice of one lemon
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 C. white wine vinegar
  • 2 tbs. dijon mustard

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. You can also omit the vinegar and mustard for a plain pesto.

Kale and Arugula salad (chicken optional) 

makes 4 entree sized portions

  • 1 bunch kale, chopped
  • 1 bag/box arugula (5 oz.) chopped
  • I had some spinach in the fridge, which I added. If you have any leftover salad greens you need to use, throw them in there
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 C. chopped candied pecans
  • 2 chicken breasts (I just used ones from a rotisserie chicken) thinly sliced
  • 1 C. toasted spicy quinoa, recipe below
    • 1/8 tsp. cayenne
    • 1/8 tsp. garlic salt (really just a few shakes of each)
  • 3-5 dried apricots, chopped (could also used craisins, golden raisins, dried cherries)

Combine all the ingredients together and toss with dressing (you probably won’t need all the dressing, just add in enough to moisten (EW) the salad.

I served mine with bread because I’m human, and I wanted my friends to like me.

To make the toasted spicy quinoa, cook 1/2 C. dried quinoa according to the package instructions. Transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with cayenne and garlic salt, and  cook at 425 for 10 minutes until toasted. I use cayenne because the candied pecans and apricots give the salad a little sweetness, and the acid from the dressing and spice from the quinoa balance it out well.  I actually like to buy the central market pre-cooked quinoa that they sell in the rice section, which saves time (this one: https://www.heb.com/product-detail/central-market-quick-heat-white-amp-red-quinoa/1761920). You could really use any grain, just make sure you toast it, as it adds a nice crunch!

 

Well, hope you enjoy. I have to get back to what is really important in my life….my family GOSSIP GIRL

 

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