Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Kale

Don't mind my crappy counter tops...

I've been so busy with nurturing my newest geek-mom blog, I've hardly been here to post. It's been months! I'm so sorry for the neglect!

So, I'm not sure how many of you out there subscribe to the Food Network Magazine, but in our house, it's one of our favorites! We love the way the recipes are laid out and easy to find, not to mention actually do-able, unlike other cooking magazines (I'm lookin' at you Bon Appetit!).

This recipe is one I got from the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine, only I added to it, and put my own spin on things, like I usually do with recipes.

Of course, my four year old hardly tried it, since it didn't look like pizza or a hamburger.

My eight year old, however, really liked it, even though it had the dreaded "green stuff".... Kale!! She ate it all. Even though she's still complaining that I made her eat kale. Two. Hours. Later.

This recipe seems fancy, so you could serve it at a dinner party, but it's also easy enough to throw together, and would even be great for potlucks.

It's hearty, somewhat quick/easy, and pretty cheap (about $3/serving).

And gnocchi (pronounced nyo-key) is fun to say.

 

 

Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Kale

 

3-4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Strips Thick Cut Bacon, cut into 1/8-1/4 inch bits

1/2 Onion, diced

3/4 Bag Pre-Washed, Pre-Cut Kale (I get mine at Trader Joe's, but Costco sells it too. Or about 4-5 cups hand chopped kale)

2 Packages Potato Gnocchi

2 Cup. Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half (Plus a drizzle of Olive Oil for roasting)

3/4 cup Fresh Grated Parmesan-Romano Cheese

1/3 Cup Fat Free Half and Half

Salt and Pepper

 

Preheat your oven to 425. Toss your cherry tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper. Roast for about 10-12 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and starting to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. (You don't have to roast the tomatoes if you don't have time, or just don't feel like it. It just adds to the flavor of the dish when they're roasted. If you choose not to, just add the halved tomatoes right before the gnocchi to make sure they cook through.)

 

At the same time the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil, like you would for noodles. When it comes to a boil, add the gnocchi. When they float to the surface, cook them for another 4-5 minutes. The package will have different directions, but they never come out done enough for us, so I always cook them a tad longer. but if you like 'em firmer, cook according to the directions.

 

While those things are going (there's a bit of multi-tasking going on here, I know... but I believe in you!), you can heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is well browned and crispy.

 

Add the onions and cook then until they're tender and translucent.

 

Add the chopped kale, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale is completely wilted and soft.

 

Stir in the roasted cherry tomatoes.

 

The gnocchi should be done now. Carefully scoop it out of the pot with a spider (The cooking tool. Not the arachnid.) or a slotted spoon. Add about 3/4 cup of the gnocchi water (this sounds odd, but trust me. It makes for a great sauce base.).

 

Stir it together.

 

Add the Parmesan-Romano cheese and the half and half, and more salt and pepper if needed. Heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes more.

 

Serve with more Parmesan-Romano, and maybe even a little crushed red pepper flake if you want to spice it up, sprinkled on top.

 

This makes about 6 hearty servings.

 

Enjoy.



A Really Soup-erb Knockoff! (Zuppa Tuscana)

Who DOESN'T love the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden?! It's seriously one of my favorite soups. Ever.

While stalking people I know on browsing Pinterest, I came across this recipe for that glorious soup, and decided to try it, and make it my own by using slightly different ingredients.

It's so similar to Olive Garden's version, but I'm sure it's slightly better for you, as I used Fat Free half and half... not that it's healthy by any means. But it's hearty, and really, it's the heart that counts. Amiright?

Knockoff Zuppa Toscana
5-6 Italian Sausage links, casings removed (I used mild so my kids would eat it, but hot is great too.)
4 slices Thick Cut Bacon, cut into thin slices (so they'll be like bacon bits when they cook.)
1 small Onion, finely diced
4-5 cloves of Garlic, minced or pressed with a garlic press.
4-5 small/medium Russet Potatoes, washed very well, with the skins still on.
1 32 oz. box Chicken Broth
2 cups Fat Free Half and Half
3 cup Kale, washed very well, main stems/veins removed and leaves torn into bite sized pieces.
1/2 tsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
About 1 Tbsp. butter
Salt and Pepper
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Red Pepper Flake (Optional)

In a large pot, cook the bacon and sausage until sausage is crumbled well and browned and bacon is crispy.

Add the onion and garlic.

Thinly slice the potatoes. If you have a mandoline that would be great. I used the Simple Slicer from The Pampered Chef, and it was so much quicker than trying to hand slice 5 potatoes thinly and evenly.

Add the potatoes to the pot, along with salt and pepper.

Add the box of Chicken Broth, and the FF Half and Half, and stir until it's all combined.

After it's come to a good rolling boil, let it cook until the potatoes are tender. You'll probably want to add a little more salt now too, since potatoes will absorb a lot of salt while cooking, taking it from the rest of the soup.

When the potatoes are all cooked through, and the broth looks has thickened a little, it's time to add the Fresh Parsley and Kale.

Now is when I add the little bit of butter, and about 2 Tbsp Parmesan. Cook until the kale is just slightly soft.

Top with more Parmesan and sprinkle of red pepper flake, and serve with fresh french bread.

This could easily serve 6, probably 8, depending on the hunger level of your crowd. I have no idea if it freezes... if you try it let me know if that works.

Happy Eating!