Recipe Review from 1/5/09

Arrgh! I haven't printed out my recipe tracking sheets yet so I'm kinda doing this from memory. It was an okay week recipe wise. I made some homemade chicken noodle soup (emphasis on the noodles) that turned out decent. I was able to use some of my duck stock in it so that was a plus. The Husband was gone for Guard weekend for 4 days so I didn't need to have much on hand, plus I ended up eating out a bit more than I had expected. Not that I'm complaining! It is always a delight to eat out with fun company.

We also had several standbys:
Sweet Potato Samosas, Eating Well magazine
Fish Packets, Irish Pub Ckbk


Muesli with Cranberries and Flaxseed (CL Jan/Feb 09, pg 97) 3.5
This intrigued me: an overnight soak of oats, flax, wheat germ, dried cranberries with maple syrup for flavor. The in the morning add yogurt and toasted nuts. It looked like oatmeal when I pulled it out. I dolloped a bit of yogurt on top and sprinkled with nuts. It was good, but I think it would have been outstanding warmed up. Easily done if you have a microwave - which I don't. I will be making this again this week and trying variations on it.

Muesli, the German word for "mixture," typically refers to a breakfast cereal of grains, dried fruit, and nuts. A hearty breakfast like this—full of heart-healthy fats, whole grains, calcium- and protein-rich yogurt, and dried fruits—will help you stay full all morning.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 cups regular oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
3 tablespoons pumpkinseed kernels, toasted
3 cups plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Preparation

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; pour milk over mixture, stirring to combine. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight.

2. Combine nuts and pumpkinseed kernels in a small bowl. Spoon 3/4 cup oat mixture into each of 6 bowls. Top each serving with 1/2 cup yogurt; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons nut mixture, and drizzle with 1 teaspoon maple syrup.


Skillet Gnocchi with Chard and White Beans (Eating Well, Feb 09, pg 26)
This recipe was getting good reviews over on the Ckng Lght BB as being tasty and quick. Plus I love the ingredients in it - gnocchi, chard and white beans!




In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.

Makes 6 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi (see Tip)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
6 cups chopped chard leaves (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.