Gnudi Ricotta pasta

Hi everyone! It's been a while

I always buy a gallon of milk because it's the best price, but never consume the entire thing. I hate throwing out food, so I generally make ricotta. What do I do with all this ricotta? That's a good question, one I have to ask myself frequently.

This delicious ricotta pasta (think gnocchi but ricotta instead of potato) is easy to make, delicious, and can be used in a variety of ways. It's like cheese ravioli but nicely mixed with the pasta component so you aren't chewing lumps of cheese like in ravioli. Easy to freeze too for later.



Gnudi
from little scratch kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
2 tsp. olive oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup flour, plus more for dusting

Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except for flour. In two parts, add flour stirring fully to incorporate in between.
2. Kneed dough into a ball adding flour as needed so the ball sticks together but is still wet.
3. Dust a workspace with lots of flour, and cut dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a snake until it's about 9" long. Cut into 3/4" pieces, and roll pieces into little balls.
4. Sprinkle flour on a cookie sheet and place gnudi balls on flour. Sprinkle on more flour on-top and let sit for an hour to develop a skin.
5. At this point, you may freeze the gnudi or cook. To cook, bring a pot of water to boil. Add gnudi in batches so they don't touch, and they are done once floating.
6. Serve hot by plating and adding sauce, or pan-frying gnudi once boiled in sauce such as butter or oil.

Slow Cooker Biryani

Easy and quick Biryani recipe. You can add or change out vegetable or even the protein as desired. I've added quite a few recipes compared to the original. Delicious with raita sauce (recipe not included).

Slower Cooker Biryani
Serves 4
Adapted from Awaken Living

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken, cut into small cubes (optional, can make as veg by adding hard boiled eggs sliced at serving time)
4 Tbs. ghee (or butter)
1 green chili, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbs. ginger & garlic paste
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. black cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper or chili powder
1/2 tsp. tumeric powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
2 bay leaves
1" stick cinnamon, whole
2 cloves, whole
3 green cardamom, whole
2 black cardamom, whole
1 star anise, whole
1 1/2 cups yogurt
2 cups rice
3 cups water
1/4 cup onions, diced small
1 large carrot, diced small
1 potato, diced small
1 handful green beans, cut into small circles
1 handful corn kernels
1 handful peas
1 handful cooked Lima beans

Quick raita sauce:
1/2 sweet red onion, sliced into thin quarter-circles
1 cucumber, diced small
1 tsp. salt
2 cups yogurt, plain

Instructions:
1. Heat some oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add carrot, onion and potato and cook until carrots are semi-soft. Add green beans, corn, and peas and fry for a few more minutes.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except rice and sauteed vegetables.
3. Place chicken and spice mixture in the bottom of your crock pot. In the same mixing bowl, add vegetables and rice and stir to combine.
4. Pour rice and vegetable mixture over chicken and spice mixture in crock pot.
5. Cook on high for 2-3 hours, until chicken and rice is cooked. Serve with raita sauce.