3 lb Country White Bread

This is a recipe that Raymond has tinkered with. Originally used for bread machine-bread, I much prefer cooking bread on sheets or pans vs. bread-machine. This is a good solid loaf bread, great structure for sandwiches, soft enough to eat on it's own with butter.

3 lb Country White Bread

Ingredients:
1 tsp salt + pinch
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp cocoa (optional, for richness)
1 Tbs instant espresso powder (optional, for richness)
3 Tbs dried milk (optional, for flavor)
5.5 cups (680 g.) flour

1 Tbs honey
3-4 Tbs salted butter

1 tsp yeast
2 cups water, luke-warm

Instructions:
1. In small bowl, combine honey, butter, yeast, and luke-warm water. Let sit for 10 minutes until top is foamy.
2. In a large bowl, combine salt, sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, dried milk, and flour in a large bowl.
3. Add liquid to dry ingredients and combine well. Once ingredients are incorporated, dump onto a counter and knead bread for 5 minutes, until smooth and tacky.
4. Cover bowl with warm damp tea towel and let sit until dough doubles in size (~1 hour depending on the temperature of your home and how happy your yeast is).
5. After your bread has doubled, punch it down, give it a minute or two of kneading on a lightly-floured surface, then place into 2 buttered loaf pans. Cover both with a damp tea towel, and let both rise again until doubled in size.
6. Pre-heat oven to 350F, and bake loaves for 30 minutes.
7. Once finished baking, remove loaves from baking pans and let rest on drying rack for 30 minutes to allow inside to finish cooking.

Serving suggestion: fresh sliced thick and drizzled heavily with sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate/nutella.

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.

Chocolate Candy Filled Chocolate Cookies

Now this is not my usual: I have been trying to avoid processed sugars and unhealthy food. In fact, one of my friends has persuaded me to try a juice detox coming up here soon! That being said, we had a couple of cool Canadian associates doing some training at my work for a couple weeks. A group of us locally-based associates took them out for a bar tour of Kansas City last weekend and good times were had by all. One of them who was sweet and vegetarian was leaving this last Friday, and for his departure I wanted to make a truly American cookie. In my mind this means extremely unhealthy. My first thought was chocolate chip, as to me this is very American but I was unable to find my chocolate chips and I ended up finding this recipe.

I put dark-chocolate covered salted caramels as the center for these bad-boys (since I had a Costco-sized container that's been living in my room, so many bad choices there I know). The original called for Snickers bites, but I have boycotted candies like that in recent years. A home-made snickers would be a fabulous cookie filler though. I also used craisins instead of chocolate chips since I was unable to find my chocolate chips this time and, somehow, all of my 85% bars have migrated to work <.<

I definitely plan to make this one again, but cutting the caramels in half and squishing them into a ball. There was way too much caramel and the cookies too large. It also meant I only had 13 to share which, among my self, my co-workers, and my house mates, isn't as much as I'd like to have.

Chocolate Candy Filled Chocolate Cookies
from Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:
125 g. flour (I used whole-wheat flour and it was fine in these)
42 g. cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
113 grams butter, softened
100 g. brown sugar
100 g. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup small chocolate chips
16-18 candies
coarse sea salt, to sprinkle

Instructions:

make dough
1. In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars for 3 minutes using electric mixer until fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla to combine.
3. Add dry ingredients and gently mix with by hand or wooden spoon until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, cover with damp towel, and chill for 1-2 hours or overnight (helps with cookie spread-age)
assemble and cook
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and line a baking pan with a silicon mat.
2. Take 1 Tbs of cookie dough, press candy on top of it, and take another Tbs of cookie dough and press edges together until candy is completely sealed in dough.
3. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt (if desired) and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges start to set. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Radish Carrot Top Pesto Lasagna with Sage Infused Béchamel and Pan-roasted Carrots and Kale

On my recent locavore mission, I've been going to my local farmer's market on Saturdays and buying the fresh, local, in-season produce there, with ambitious goals to . But then throughout the week I find I have no time, energy or even drive to cook and get to the next weekend with a fridge full of not-as-fresh produce giving me the pouty-face for wasting their best days sitting in a cold waiting room. It really is a tragedy.

 This time, though, I didn't let that happen: I used ALL the local produce I had. Every last bit. I would have to say this is actually the most locally-based then I've ever made. If I had gotten the freshly-ground flour that can be found at the local Hy-vee and made the lasagna noodles, it would have been pretty much pure-local. Radishes, carrots, and kale from my local farmer's market, sage from my garden (my first garden produce of the year, from my first truly-mine garden!), milk, cream, and butter from Shatto, and Kansas City-made mozzarella from Hautly Cheese Company. This is light and hearty at the same time, and tastes just like spring.

Radish Carrot Top Pesto Lasagna with Sage Infused Béchamel and Pan-roasted Carrot Purée and Kale

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
1 recipe raddish and carrot top pesto (below)
1 recipe sage-infused béchamel (recipe here)
1 recipe ricotta (recipe here)
1 bunch carrots
herb for carrots (I used rosemary)
1 Tbs. butter
salt, pepper
1 bunch kale
8 oz. mozzarella, grated
2 oz. Parmesan, grated

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. 
2.. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
3. While water boils, melt butter in a cast-iron skillet on medium-heat. Add carrots and pan-roast with herb of choice, and sprinkle with salt.
4. Place a plate over the pan and cook until carrots are softened, stirring occasionally. When soft, food-process (adding oil if needed) until a purée is formed. Cover and set aside until assembly.
5. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. While cooking, make raddish and carrot-top pesto below.
6. Pour the lasagna water into a bowl with the washed kale, and let kale soak for a minute until kale is softened. Strain and squeeze as much liquid out of the kale as possible, and set aside.
7. Butter the lasagna dish, and assemble the lasagna: Pour 1/4 of the béchamel on the bottom of the pan. 
- Lay 4 noodles across the pan, slightly overlapping if need be. 
- Spread a layer of 1/2 the carrot purée, half the ricotta, half the carrot top pesto, half the kale, spreading out the leaves, and another 1/4th of the béchamel
Repeat above 2 bullet points for the next layer. Place remaining lasagna noodles on top, then remaining 1/4th of the béchamel on top and evenly sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top. 
8. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until cheese on top starts to get golden-brown and bubbly. Remove from oven.
9. Let lasagna sit and set for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Raddish and Carrot-top Pesto
2 cups mixed carrot and/or radish tops, stems chopped off
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
2 - 4 Tbs. oil, as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until they are completely ground.
2. Add the tops and process until completely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Process again, slowly adding oil until a nice paste is formed. Add salt and pepper to taste and put aside in a covered bowl until assembling lasagna.

Pumpkin Lasagna with Sage-infused Bechamel

This lasagna is a show-stopper. It's what I served at my first official dinner party:

My Bosnian family was moving to Boston (far away from the KC-area!) and one of our mutual friends had a small get-together where we all had snacks and celebrated our Bosnian family.

The Bosnian mother brought a beautiful gelatin cake on of her co-workers made for her. It was from a moulde, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen food-wise. I broken vegetarian-edge for it *gasp!*

All the flowers were completely suspended within this thing, and it was 100% edible and (somehow) 100% gelatin-based food-stuffs, with the most delicate flavorings.

The mother is all about local, organic, seasonal natural-foods and since that's been my focus as of late, I proposed that night that I throw a dinner party the following day, as I thought I could whip up something everyone would enjoy : D

Appetizers:
Butternut Squash Tahini Dip with fresh locally-made pita bread (Olive Cafe)

Salad:
Citrus, Feta, Walnut Salad (without the squash)

Entree:
Pumpkin Lasagna (recipe shown below)
Blanched Green Beans with walnuts, walnut oil, and light salt

Desert:
Pear Almond Tart

I was pretty proud of myself after this dinner, not gonna lie. All in my mother's beautiful home and on her nice china (since they both live a few blocks away from each other in the burbs and my apartment is hardly of the dinner-party accommodating size) Though this has made me realize: I'm getting old. I'm addicted to NPR, I seriously enjoy throwing dinner parties, and I'm out-of-my-gourd excited to start working and being completely independent and responsible for myself. But if this is what getting old feels like, SIGN ME UP!

The picture shown above is a re-make (I was far too busy cooking and entertaining to take pictures at the time of the lasagna or the other dishes I made for the dinner), and I made it for my roommate from my Indian study abroad program when I visited her in her family home on Long Island, NY. It was beautiful and snowy, the perfect background for this winter-squash lasagna.

The original recipe calls for the pumpkin to be pureed, but I like it in layered strips for texture-sake. Also: you aren't limited to pumpkin, pretty much any squash would do. My original make of this lasagna was with pumpkin, the second one (featured above) is using butternut squash, as pumpkin was unavailable at the time.

Pumpkin Lasagna with Sage-infused Béchamel
from Gobo Root

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
4 cups sage infused béchamel (recipe below)
1 pumpkin, peeled, sliced thinly, oiled, salted, and roasted
1.5 cups ricotta (recipe here)
1 large bunch Swiss chard, washed and leaves separated from stem
1 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Reserve cooking water and dunk Swiss chard into the water for a few minutes.
2.  Squeeze excess moisture from the chard and cut into 1" pieces. Set aside.
3. In the bottom of the baking dish, spread evenly 1/4th of the béchamel. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce.
4. Top with 1/2 of the pumpkin slices, then 1/2 the ricotta, then half the Swiss chard and another 1/4th béchamel.
5. Repeat with second layer: 4 more lasagna noodles, last 1/2 of pumpkin slices, last 1/2 of ricotta, and last of swiss chard and last 1/4th of béchamel.
6. Lay remaining 4 lasagna noodles over the top, and sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella evenly.
7. Bake until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Sage-infused Béchamel
makes 4 cups

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
6 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. flour
a sprig of sage
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg

Instructions:
1. Place milk and sage in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl to let stand for 10 minutes. Discard leaves.
2. While milk is standing, melt butter in the sauce pan over low heat. Sprinkle in flour and stir quickly until flour has completely combined with butter. Let bubble for a few minutes until roux starts to smell nutty.
3. Turn heat up to medium and slowly add in sage-infused milk, whisking constantly.
4. Let sauce cook until thickened, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Remove from heat and cover.

Carrot Cranberry Muffins

These are by far the most delicious healthy muffins I've ever had! They're the perfect balance of oats, flour, and carrot. The banana makes them the perfect amount of moist and the cranberries, coconut, and pepitas give it great texture (and flavor!) I'm definitely making these again for quick grab-and-go breakfasts.

Carrot Cranberry Muffins
from Princess in the Kitchen
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:
1.25 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
4 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or chopped walnuts

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in oats, cranberries, and coconut.
3. In a separate bowl, combine rest of the ingredients (oil, egg, milk, carrots, banana, and pepitas).
4. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add wet mixture. Stir until just combined.
5. Coat muffin tin with oil, and place 1/4 cup batter into each well. Top with additional pepitas for garnish if you wish.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry Gingerbread Cookies

These delicious gingerbread cookies are soft will still having the gingerbread dry-texture. Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Cranberry Gingerbread Cookies
from Hy-Vee Seasons Magazine

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another medium (or large) bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with a mixter until smooth. Beat in molassas, egg, and orange peel.
3. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and beat until just combined. Fold in walnuts and cranberries.
4. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 7" log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refridgerate for 1.5 hours (or freeze for 45 minutes).
5. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Unwrap logs, cut into 3/8" slides, and place 2" apart on an un-greased cookie sheet (use a silicon pad if you have one). Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, until light brown on the bottom. Lightly sift powdered sugar over cookies.

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Pinwheels

Ah, Thanks giving day! A true foodie holiday. My immediate family and I went over to my aunt's on my mom's side and had our feast there. But before going, I asked my mom (same morning, of course): What are we supposed to bring? She tells me a vegetable dish and an hors d'oeuvres tray. When I ask what vegetable and hors d'oeuvres, she said sweet potato and pickles (respectively). I had a minor panic, knowing that neither of those would be the options my aunt was looking for. Sure enough, when my mom called over to see if sweet potato would be an acceptable vegetable substitute, someone else had already been assigned the task of brining the sweet potato side, so I quickly whipped up these little guys for hors d'oeuvres and a ratatoulli (which ended up becoming a south-west vegetable fry, because chili-ready diced tomatoes != diced tomatoes).

In the end, it all worked out. Everyone loved the pinwheels, so much so that I didn't end up taking any of these little guys home (probably for the best, given all the days of over-eating unhealthy foods to come). With these, I substituted in toasted blanched almonds, chopped finely because my parents' pinenuts had gone bad, but it worked out quite well! Feel free to make said substitution yourself. I didn't happen to have scallions on hand (as my dad doesn't like onions of any kind), but they would definitely make this appetizer pop.

I hope everyone got to enjoy their family and good food this Thanksgiving holiday, and bon appetit!

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Pin-wheels
from cook and be merry

Ingredients:

Crepes:
3 eggs
1.5 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10 oz. fresh spinach
1 cup finely minced scallions (I omitted)
olive oil

Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs vodka
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and minced
3 oz (1/2 cup) toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped

Instructions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-heat. Add about 1 Tbs. of oil, and saute spinach until completely wilted. Remove from pan and finely chop.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Whisk in minced spinach.
3. Heat a pan (or multiple) on medium-low heat, add a little bit of oil to coat the pan, and add 1/4 cup batter. Swirl around to evenly coat the pan. Cook the crepe until the crepe stays together enough to be flipped, then flip and cook until the other side has set. Place to the side on a plate and repeat with remaining batter.
4. Mix together all filling ingredients.
5. Take a crepe, spread 1/4" thick filling across the top, and roll together. Place on a plastic wrapped tray and repeat with remaining crepes and filling.
6. Cover finished rolls with more plastic wrap and chill for an hour to over-night.
7. When ready to serve, take out and slice slightly diagonally (if desired), munching on the ends as you go, and place pin-wheels on a platter. Serve cold or room temperature.

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Empanadas

These things are additively delicious. Please be careful!

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Empanadas
from Sandy Hoopes

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup butter, cold and diced
3/4 cup ice water

2.5 cups butternut squash, diced very small
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs oregano or rosemary, diced
1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper
2 eggs, divided
1.5 cups ricotta (recipe here)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbs parsely, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs milk

Instructions:
1. In a food processor combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and process until just incorporated. Slowly drizzle in water while processing until water dough mostly comes together. Dump onto a surface, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refridgerate for at least an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.
3. Peel, seed, and dice butternut squash (very small-ly). In a large bowl, combine the squash, oil, herbs, and chili pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes, until fork tender. Then remove from oven and chill.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat an egg. Then add ricotta, parmesan, parsely, salt, and pepper. Cover and chill.
5. Roll out the dough into 1/8" thick circles. Cut into 4" circles with a biscuit/cookie cutter.
6. Place a spoonful of chilled squash and a spoonful of ricotta onto the center of each circle. Fold one half over the filling to form a half-moon, then seal the edges by pressing with your fingers (or a fork). Then fold the edge back to create a ridge around the seam. Place onto a baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper.
7. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with the milk. Brush over the empanadas, cut 3 small holes into the top of each, and bake for 16 minutes (or deep fry)

Apple Onion Cheese Gratin

This pairs well with a hearty salad and a glass of white wine. The apples I used were from my family's trees at home, so the brown sugar wasn't necessary. It ended up being quite sweet naturally. Thank you fall for your bounteous goods!

Apple Onion Cheese Gratin
from Erza Pound Cake (originally from Moosewood New Restaurant Classics)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 cups apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cheddar (or Gruyère), grated
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. brown sugar (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 11" x 7" (3 qt.) baking dish.
2. In a small pot, scald milk over medium heat, just before boiling but not after.
3. In another small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Then whisk in flour until fully combined.
4. Slowly whisk in the scalded milk. Add nutmeg, salt, and cloves, and whisk continuously until the sauce starts to thicken.
5. Spread apples and onions evenly in prepared dish. Sprinkle the grated cheese over, and then pour the sauce on top.
6. Sprinkle over the pecans, bread crumbs, and sugar (if using). Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.

Jalapeño Poppers

One of the many things that happened on fry-day. These were by the far the best jalapeño poppers I've ever had, and I think a large part of that had to do with the fresh jalapeños being used. We froze some of these for later, and they weren't nearly as good after being frozen. I would make just as many as you're going to eat, and try to find local jalapeños. They were 18 for 1$ at the Kirksville farmer's market, so you can probably find them pretty cheaply in your area!

Jalapeño Poppers
from Whisk the Pantry

Ingredients:
8 jalapeños
3 Tbs. cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 cup panko (or fresh) breadcrumbs
1/3 cup flour
oil for deep frying (I used peanut oil)

Instructions:
1. Fill deep-fryer to indicated level with high-smoke point oil, and let come to temperature (365F).
2. To prepare the jalapeños, cut a line length-wise on the jalapeños. Then cut a line half way-across the top, just down from the stem. The jalapeños should now open up like a coin purse when you press the ends together. Gently scoop out the seeds.
3. In a small bowl, mix the cheddar and cream cheese.
4. Spoon the mixture into the jalapenos. Dip the stuffed jalapeno first into milk, then flour. Do this with all of them, letting them dry before dipping in milk, and then bread crumbs.
5. After having dipped them all in the breadcrumbs, do a second coat of milk and then breadcrumbs.
6. Once oil is at heat, pop the jalapenos in (I suggest holding by the stem and sliding them into the oil to avoid getting splattered) and cook until outter coating is golden-brown.
7. Take out finished poppers with a slotted spoon and set on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve hot.

Vareniki (Cheese Dumplings)

This is my second recipe in my Russian collection. Serve with a side of borscht (recipe here) and hot tea!

Note: pan-frying is recommended, but optional. After dumplings have been boiled, pre-he a a large skillet on medium-high heat with half of butter (2 Tbs) and lightly fry each side of the dumplings.

Vareniki (Cheese Dumplings)
from SheSimmers

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ricotta (farmers' cheese) (ricotta recipe here)
1 egg
2 Tbs. sugar (omit for savory dumplings)
1/4 tsp. salt
1.5 cups flour
4 Tbs. butter
sour cream, to serve with
veggie bacon bits, caramelized shallot, sauerkraut, to serve (optional)

Instructions:
1.  Set a large pot on the stove filled half-way with water to boil.
2. Whisk egg, cheese, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl until well combined.
3. Stir in flour, and mix until combined enough to turn over onto the counter and kneed. Flour counter if necessary and kneed just until a ball is formed.
4. Divide dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into a 1/2" thick rope, and cut into 2" pieces, then flatten a bit in the middle if intending to pan-fry.
5.  Drop the vareniki into the pot of water. When they float to the top, remove them from the water and combine with butter in a medium-bowl.
6. Serve with add-ins.

Sweet Potato Schupfnudeln with Brown Butter and Thyme

 These delicious little things are basically sweet potato gnocchi, rolled long and pan-fried. Definitely worth the work. You could probably serve these with simple olive oil and grated Parmesan.

Sweet Potato Schupfnudeln with Brown Butter and Thyme
from 1 big bite

Ingredients:
1 lb. sweet potato
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
5 Tbs. flour + more (I used quite a bit more)
2 tsp. ghee (or oil) + more as needed

for browned butter:
5.3 Tbs. butter
5 sprigs thyme

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 450F. Pierce sweet potato all over with a fork, and bake on a lined baking sheet (or I used my bread pan) and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a fork slides easily through the flesh.
2. After sweet potato has cooled for a bit, mash with a fork and add yolk, salt, nutmeg, and flour. Once thoroughly combined, add just enough flour to get a dough that comes together nicely (may be a little sticky)
3. Dust hands and cutting board with flour. Form a log, and cut into ieces until each piece is finger-length and thick.
4. Heat pan to medium-high heat, and melt ghee. Cook schupfnudeln until golden brown, rotating so at least 3 sides of each are browned.
5. Garnish with browned butter and leaves of 2 thyme sprigs.

for browned butter:
1. Add butter and leaves of 3 springs of thyme to sauce pan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir until little brown specks form at the bottom. Take off heat, and drizzle over schupfnudeln.

Ricotta Gnocchi

Ricotta Gnocchi
from Cookbook of the Month

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 lb. ricotta (recipe here, I needed a little over 2 batches)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. olive oil

Instructions:
1. Beat the eggs together in a small bowl.
2. Whisk together flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add ricotta and combine gently with flour.
3. Make a well in the middle of the ricotta mixture and add the eggs, and gently incorporate. Once eggs are mostly mixed in, use hands to briefly knead the dough until it comes together into a ball. If too moist, add more flour (I had to add quite a bit more).
4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured cutting board, cut into 8 equally sized pieces and cover with a kitchen towel.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Taking 1 piece out at a time from under the towel, roll into a 1" (or less) thick rope, and cut into 1" pieces. Take a cut piece, place on the tip of your thumb, and roll the tines of a fork around on the opposite side from your thumb, creating the classic gnocchi texture with the fork and a well with your thumb for sauces.
6. In batches, pop the gnocchi into the water. Once the gnocchi have floated to the surface, let cook for 1 minute, and then take out with a slotted spoon and place on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil.
7. Serve with sauce of choice (mushroom/corn/sage/browned butter recipe here)

Carrot Cake Pancakes

This was one of the main dishes in Sunday brunch, and it was absolutely delicious. Make sure to make the cream cheese syrup to go with it!

Carrot Cake Pancakes
from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
1.5 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1 cup buttermilk (or substitute)
3 Tbs. sugar
1 cup flour
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 recipe Cream Cheese Syrup (recipe here)
chopped pecans, to garnish

Instructions:
1. In a medium airtight container, whisk together grated carrots, buttermilk, and sugar. Cover container and refridgerate overnight.
2. Heat 2 skillets over the stove on medium heat (or a non-stick griddle to 300F).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Add egg mixture and carrot mixture to flour, and whisk until just combined.
5. Butter the skillets and pour on 1/3 cups batter onto each, and slightly spread batter out. Cook until bubbles begin to form and bottom is golden brown, then flip, and cook until opposite side is golden-brown.
6. Serve immediately with syrup and garnish with chopped peacans.

Fried Green Tomatoes

The last of my recent deep-frying adventures. These are truly amazing with Gutherie's Sauce.

Note: for the buttermilk, I used the sour cream watered down with milk until buttermilk consistency is reached substitute.

Fried Green Tomatoes
from Dash of East

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized green tomatoes, cut into 1/3" slices
salt
1 cup buttermilk (or substitute)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
oil for deep frying
1 recipe Gutherie's Sauce (recipe here)

Instructions:
1. Fill oil to specified line in deep fryer and heat.
2. Sprinkle salt on both sides of tomato slices and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat an egg. Add buttermilk, and mix well.
4. In another medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, pepper, sugar, paprika, and cumin and mix well.
5. Wipe of excess salt from the tomato slices.
6. Dip each tomato slice first into butter milk mixture, and then into flour mixture. Repeat with each slice for a double coating.
7. Once the oil has come to temperature, drop slices in and cook until outside is golden-brown. Serve hot with Gutherie's Sauce.

Squash Fritters

Since my friend was in town, that was a special occasion. Special occasions warrant cracking out the 4-cup deep fryer that my roommate gave to me a couple years ago. Best (and worst-for-me) xmas present ever. We made tempura green beans (and a delicious wasabi sauce to boot), jalapeño poppers (amazing using fresh, local jalapeños), potato fries (your standard cut, throw in oil, salt-to-taste), but best of all: These squash fritters. These are basically little delicious rosemary-squash soufflés.

Squash Fritters
from What About Second Breakfast?

Ingredients:
1.5 cups pumpkin or squash puree
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cups grated Parmesan
2 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped
pepper
oil for deep frying (I used peanut oil)

Instructions:
1. Fill deep-fryer to marked level, and heat.
2. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Stir in squash purée with eggs. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine flour mixture in with the purée mixture. Add Parmesan, rosemary, and pepper. Stir until it just comes together.
3. When oil is at temperature (340F), scoop 1 Tbs. of dough into the oil, being careful not to get splashed with hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides, making sure to turn fritters so both sides get cooked.
4. Remove fried fritters with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Frangipane (Almond Cream)

Frangipane (Almond Cream)
from Yasmine's Kitchen

Ingredients:
100 grams blanched almonds (3/4 cups)
100 grams sugar (1/2 cup)
100 grams butter (1 stick)
2 tsp. cake flour (regular flour works too)
1 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg + 1 egg white, beaten together
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
1.  In a food processor, grind up almonds to a fine texture. Add flour, cornstarch and salt, and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add sugar, and pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixed in.
3. Add eggs slowly and pulse until a runny paste is formed. Mix in vanilla extract and refrigerated until used.

Cookie Bars

Cookie Bars
from food.com


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/5 cup sugar
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 - 12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 F, and grease a 15"x10" jelly roll pan.
2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Then add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.
4. Gradually combine flour mixture with butter mixture. Then stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Spread evenly into pan, and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Gnocchi

Gnocchi
from bon appetit

Ingredients:
1 lb. white potatoes (old if possible)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2.5 oz. grated Parmesan
1 cup flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. salt
2 dashes (1/2 tsp) nutmeg

Instructions:
1. Boil potatoes for 25-30 mins, or until tender throughout. Drain and let cool for a bit.
2. Peel potatoes and using a ricer, rice the potatoes (if you don't have such a thing, mash them as well as possible, getting ALL lumps out.
3. Whisk egg and the yolk together, then add all other ingredients to the potatoes, combining with your hand.
4. Onto a well-floured counter, kneed the dough for a bit until not sticky on the outside. Then divide into 4 parts.
5. Keeping the other parts of the dough covered while working with one part, roll into a 2-ft long strip, and then cut a gnocchi into 1" pieces.
6. Hold a gnocchi with your thumb, and then with a thin-tined fork, push your thumb up against the gnocchi in a rolling motion. (Good tutorial here) Place finished gnocchi on floured surface (baking sheet, cutting boards, whatever you have that's large and flat)

Now there are two paths:
7a. Using gnocchi immediately:
use in 0-4 hours from making, keeping out. Set a pot of water to boiling, and throw gnocchi 12 or so at a time, . Take them out when they begin to float, adding more and taking out while floating until completely finished.

7b. Saving gnocchi
Place the long flat board where the finished gnocchi where put and place that in the freezer. Once completely frozen, you can transfer to a bag and keep them until read for use. There's no need to un-thaw before cooking, and cook as described in step 7a.