Gnocchi with Butternut Squash in a Creamy Porcini Mushrooms Sauce



This is before it goes into oven

I started off thinking I was going to make a butternut squash sauce for this recipe but decided to keep chunks instead.  The sweet, creamy consistency of this dish is delightful.  I wanted to make to gnocchi from scratch but was missing flour at home so used a package of imported gnocchi from Italy, I buy from a massive international marketplace here that specialize in imported foods.  The gnocchi is quite good, very light and fluffy.  I served this with a  Mediterranean braised beef roast - recipe below.

Ingredients :
one butternut squash, cut into cubes, coated with olive oil, bake in 375 oven for about 30 minutes.

1 package of gnocchi, or about 2 cups of home made gnocchi

3 TB olive oil
1 shallot, diced fine

1-2 oz of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water to soften them
1 tsp of fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
juice of one lemon
fresh parsley
a good pinch of nutmeg
about 3 Tb of parmesan cheese
 2-3 Tb butter
salt and cracked black pepper

How To :
First prepare and bake the squash in the oven while you prepare the remainder of the recipe. This will take about 30 minutes.

After 15 minutes of cooking time for the squash,  cook the gnocchi, this takes about 10 minutes after the water has come to a boil.  The gnocchi are done when they start to float to the top of the pot.  Don't forget to add salt to the water.

In a pan, on medium heat, add olive oil and shallots.  Sautee for about 1 minute. Add cream to the pan, the porcini mushrooms, thyme, lemon juice and the nutmeg.  Let cook and reduce some for about 5 minutes. Then add the parmesan cheese, stir well, this will thicken the sauce.  Add fresh chopped parsley.  Add the cooked gnocchi, lightly toss in the cream sauce.  Add the butternut squash gently.
Then place the gnocchi  and cream sauce in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, place in oven, turn on broil and cook until the cheese is golden.

Enjoy Every Bite !

Smoked Salmon with Sundried Tomatoes, Lemon and Pasta

When in New Mexico last Thanksgiving, my friend Michelle made us an aswesome lunch. I asked for the recipe because I wanted to definitely have this again. I changed it a bit but still awesome. If you love smoked salmon... you are going to love this recipe ! Took about 10 minites to make.

Here's here recipe :

4 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 TB minced garlic
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned
zest of 2 lemons
1/3 cup butter....tossed in hot pasta
2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 3oz smoked salmon, bite size (about 3/4 cup)
3 Tb pine nuts

3 Tb fresh parmesan cheese

pasta of choice - I am using pappradelle - enough for two people, I like more ingredients rather than more pasta

Cooked pasta and toss the butter in the warm pasta.

In a bowl, break up smoked salmon and add remaining ingredients... toss ingredients with pasta.

** adjust olive oil and butter to how saucy you like it... I added a little more olive oil.

Serve and enjoy every bite !

Creamy Chicken and Mango with Linguine

This is a quick awesome pasta dish. When I lived in Ontario in the mid 90's I visited a tea house... I forget the name of the tea house but it is in the picturesque town of Elora. I had a pasta dish with chicken, mango, mint, cream, parmesan cheese. It was accompanied with a tomato basil bread that was sooo good that I couldn't possibly create myself. I remember the next day, after returning from this tea house I tried to recreate this pasta dish... it turned out tasting just like it. Here's my version of the recipe, I have been making it for about 15 years. This is a favorite of my Mom's, she makes it a lot as well.

2 persons.

Enough linguine for two people, salted water, cook al dente

Two boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size slices

2-3 TB olive oil

1 TB mince garlic

1 large mango or two smaller ones, skin removed and chopped into pieces

2 Tb butter

shaved fresh parmesan cheese, about 1/4 cup (or as much or little as you like)

about 1/2 cup or cream or more if needed (you can use half n'half...just not milk, too watery)

fresh chopped mint

Prepare pasta according to box.

In a pan, medium heat, saute chicken pieces in olive oil and when chicken is almost cooked, add garlic. About 7 minutes...when chicken in no longer pink.

To the same pan, add mango and cook 3-4 minutes until mango break down somewhat and the juices from the mango come out. I mash it with a fork if the mango isn't ripe enough.

Add the butter and cream. Sprinkle the cheese over the mango cream sauce and blend until cheese melts into the sauce making the sauce thicker.

Add the well drain pasta in the chicken mango mixture and coat the pasta well.

Plate it :

Place the Chicken mango pasta on the plate, sprinkle more shaved Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with the chopped mint. The mint adds a wonderful flavor to this dish... try not to omit it.

Serve and Enjoy !