Rick's Chicken Gnocchi

This recipe was inspired by the Olive Garden, years ago they had a great chicken gnocchi dish,  so Rick searched the internet and add some amazing touches and now the finished product.  Our kids beg for this dish on their birthday.

Fontina Sauce:
2 tsp. flour -
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2c. hot milk or cream
1/2 lb. cubed Fontina Cheese - 
olives
artichoke hearts
grilled chicken
toasted pine nuts ( optional, but taste wonderful in this dish!)

Fry flour and butter until it is a paste.  Add hot milk, whisk, bring to a boil.  Add cheese and simmer gently ( over very low heat- do not boil!)  until melted.  If too thick add some cream or milk.  Cook gnocchi (can use penne pasta instead) according to package, then add sauce and add cream if too thick, or parmesan cheese if too liquidy.  Add olives (we use black), artichoke hearts, and grilled chicken, can also toast pinenuts and add to this, heat and serve. 

 Bon Appetit!   
                                                                                

Chimichungas

                                                    Chimichungas


                                                                                  One of my favorite recipes to make!  I learned this recipe from a cookbook clear back in the 80's.  I make it mostly in the summer.

put a beef (any cheap cut will work, rump, or chuck is what I usually use.) roast in crockpot with about 16oz. of salsa (great way to use up the homemade salsa)  - let cook on low for about 6 to 7 hours or until the roast will shred.  take out and save some of the liquid to keep the shredded roast from drying out.  Shred roast.  

* put about 2 to 3 Tbsp. (or more if you like) in the middle of flour torilla and tuck ends and roll up.  Place in frying pan with oil that is already hot and fry until golden brown.   Serve warm with shredded cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice, salsa, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, guacamole and onions,   And enjoy!  

Ghiradelli Classic Brownies

                     Ghirardelli Classic Brownie

( This recipe is rich and works best with vanilla ice Cream :)  I found this on the back of the baking bar-- it is fudgy)

4oz Ghirardelli semi-sweet Chocolate baking bar (1 bar)

1 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick butter (1/2c), cut into pieces

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. plus 2 TBSP. flour

1/3 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

*** Preheat oven to 350*F.   Butter and flour 8x8 pan.  In heavy 1 1/2 qt. saucepan, melt chocolate bar and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove pan from heat; cool to room temperature.  Stir in brown sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs, mix well. In bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Slowly fold in flour mixture, mix well.  Stir in chips.  Pour batter into pan, bake for 25-30 min or until a tester comes out clean.  

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

               Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

(yep this is another one of Becky's famous recipes-at least in my book!  My daughter who loves junk food, really loves this, and I'm happy to make this for her-at least there is zucchini in it right?  This is a keeper and wonderful way to use up that zucchini, also I love that is has applesauce for 1/2 the oil)

3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2c. vegetable oil
1/2c applesauce, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2c. grated zucchini, 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted, 2c. flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1c. chopped nuts (I omit this my kids won't eat nuts), 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips.
***Cream together eggs, sugar, and oil.  Add remaining ingredients slowly while beating.  Bake at 350 F for 50 min or until tests done.  Makes 2 regular loaves.  Enjoy!  * I sprinkle a little sugar on top before baking-  

Brazilian Cheese Bread

             Brazilian Cheese Bread 
   Just like a famous Brazilian  restaurant

(my son went to Japan on his mission, there are a lot of Brazilians there, these are close to what he ate-they are a little bit of work  but worth it, my kids gobble these up I double this recipe)

1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. salt
2 c. (10oz) Tapioca flour
2 eggs
1 to 1 1/2c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
(I use 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 Parmesan) .
 Preheat oven 450F.

  Line baking sheet with parchment paper, or baking liner.

1.  Boil Milk and oil -combine the oil, milk, and salt in a saucepan, and whisking occasionally, bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat as soon as you see big bubbles coming through the milk.

2.  Add the Tapioca Flour- add all the tapioca flour to the saucepan and stir until you see no dry tapioca flour.  The dough will be grainy and gelatinous at this point.

3.  Cool the dough-  transfer the dough to the bowl of a standing mixer (I use a good hand beater)fitted with a paddle attachment.  Beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed until it smooths out and has cooled enough that you can hold your finger against the dough for several seconds.
4.  Beat in the eggs-  whisk the eggs together in a small bowl.  With the mixer on medium beat the eggs into the dough in two additions.  Wait until the first addition is fully incorporated into the dough before adding the second.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5.  Beat in the Cheese-  with the mixer on medium beat in the cheese until fully incorporated.  The resulting dough will be very sticky, stretchy and soft with a consistency between cake batter  and cookie dough

6.  Portion the puffs- using an ice cream scoop, a tablespoon, or a dinner spoon, scoop rounded portions of the dough into mounds on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Space the mounds an inch or two apart.  Dip your scoop in water to prevent sticking.

7.  Bake the puffs- put in oven and immediately turn oven down to 350F.  Bake 25 to 30 min.  until the puffs have puffed, the outsides are dry and they are just starting to color.  Cool briefly and eat.
Leftover puffs can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week.  And re-crisped in a warm oven or toaster oven.

**Makes about 2 dozen

Note:  Bob's Red Mill makes a tapioca flour (I found mine at a local health food store, or local grocery store in the flour section.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie

                Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie

(this pie will bring back so many memories of  my mother-in-law.  She was an amazing cook and would make this for dessert a lot.  The kids loved this one the most and it's easy to make! Her ward made these and sold them for their girl's camp fund raiser)

Makes 3 pies, In parenthesis for 2 
**Cream together until smooth:  1 1/4c sugar (1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp.), 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa (2 1/2 Tbsp), 8oz softened cream cheese (4oz), 
2 Tbsp. softened butter(1 Tbsp) .  

**Gradually add 2/3c milk (1/3c) **Whip until thick and creamy; then fold in 16oz.Cool Whip (8oz) .  Pour into Oreo pie shells.  Add a little Cool Whip on top and decorate with chocolate curls, refrigerate.  Great and easy pie for Thanksgiving! 

Grammy's White Sheet Cake from Eat Cake for Dinner

 Grammy's White Sheet Cake
(from:  Eat Cake For Dinner)
I just made this today and I will say, I ate way too much it was that good, but honestly it's the frosting, which is like a glaze that makes the cake--this was easy and well worth making!- this came from pinterest, another winner in my book!
Cake:
1 c. butter (2 cubes)
1 c. water
2 c. granulated sugar
2 1/4c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream

****Frosting: 

 1 c. butter

 6 Tbsp. evaporated milk

 4 1/2-5 c. powdered sugar

 1 tsp. vanilla,

 1/8 tsp. salt

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Melt butter and water in large saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, flour, salt and baking soda.  Stir with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in the sour cream and mix until blended.

 Pour the batter into a well greased 11 x 17 " pan (not jelly roll, its a cookie sheet). 

 Bake for 20-25 min. or until the cake springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

 Remove cake from oven and allow to cool slightly while you make the frosting.  

  Frosting :  

Put the butter and milk into a medium saucepan.  Heat until the butter is melted and bring to a simmer. 

 Remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and dash of salt. 

 Whisk until completely smooth and spread over cake.  

Can add Almond extract instead of the Vanilla if desired.   Enjoy!   ps. my daughter just texted me and asked me to save her some extra, she is craving it :)