Fat Free Ricotta Gnocchi with Mushroom Ragu

Making gnocchi had been on my list for ages to make. I've pinned and saved many gnocchi recipes and for some reason or another (normally my craving for meat or desire to quickly cook dinner), put it off. A few weeks ago, Jason and I had an amazing lunch at Lupa with our dear friend Jo who was back in New York from Toronto. Jo highly recommended Lupa, and it is one of the best Italian meals I've ever had, and tied with Casa Mono for the best of the Batali restaurants (even over Babbo and Del Posto). Italian is normally pretty far down my list of cuisines, but Lupa totally changed my mind on that, by having robustly flavored dishes that were still light and nicely portioned, not at all like the traditionally thought of heavy cream, large Italian dishes; therefore, we completely indulged in the menu and had several courses for lunch. (Another positive side note on Lupa: they easily accommodate gluten free and dairy free diets, just another reason to go there.) One of Jason's dishes was a ricotta gnocchi with sausage and fennel, and the inspiration for my newest experiment. 

I had seen a recipe for ricotta gnocchi on A Cup of Jo and thought I could make it using fat free ricotta, cutting down the fat and calories in the dish, and finally got around to trying it. Making gnocchi does take a bit of time because of the shaping process, but it is not nearly as time consuming as I had pictured (ie: this little cute old Italian grandmother hand-making gnocchi over the course of an entire day, which becomes the centerpiece of the delicious meal she prepared for 30 of her closest relatives...I digress). In fact it only took about 20-30 minutes to mix, shape, and roll the gnocchi, and another 5-6 minutes to boil them and finally a couple of minutes to brown them, and the process is one of those therapeutic cooking experiences where I get lost in the process of making the dish and the peace of being in the kitchen without anything else on my mind but the end result of my work to be enjoyed with a French Chardonnay.

Fat Free Ricotta Gnocchi

Recipe slightly adapted from A Cup of Jo
Yield: 6 servings (11 pieces)
Nutrition: 201 calories; fat: 7.8g; sodium: 302mg; carbs: 20.1g; protein: 12.3g

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 15 ounces fat free ricotta (about 2 cups)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup finely grated Pecorino-Romano (plus more for serving) (The original recipe called for Parmesan. You can use whichever you prefer/have on hand.)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh basil (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk egg and egg yolk. Add ricotta, pepper, Parmesan cheese and kosher salt, and mix until well combined. Add flour; stir just until combined and mixture forms a ball. Add more flour as necessary if the dough is too wet.

2. Dust a rimmed baking sheet generously with flour. Measure out 1/2 tablespoon of dough, and roll into balls; they don't have to be pretty (I used the 1/2 tablespoon to ensure my gnocchi were uniform in size and would cook evenly. You should end up with about 63-66 gnocchi). Then roll the gnocchi with more flour so that they are coated.

3. Cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and tender, 5-6 minutes. The gnocchi will quickly float to surface, but continue cooking for the entire 5 to 6 minutes until they are fully cooked. (Save this step until your sauce is prepared, so they don't get cold while the sauce cooks.)

4. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. In a non-stick skillet, heat a few drizzles olive oil with some minced garlic, then add the gnocchi and gently pan fry for a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Add your sauce and serve with basil chiffonade.

Mushroom Ragu

Yield: 6 Servings
Nutrition: 213 calories; fat: 12.4g; sodium: 111mg; carbs: 16.3g

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• 4 ounces oyster mushrooms
• 4 ounces maitake mushrooms
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup fat free chicken stock
• 1/4 cup green onions

1. Directions: 
2. 1. Roughly chop all mushrooms; mince shallots and garlic, and chop the thyme and green onions

1. 
   
2. 2. In a French oven, melt the butter in the oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat, stirring, until tender and just browned. Stir in the wine and cook until nearly evaporated. Add the chicken stock and green onions, and cook until the liquid is about 2/3 evaporate; keep warm over low heat.
3. 

This fat-free ricotta gnocchi can be made mostly ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days (leaving only the boiling and browning). I loved the balance of the delicate flavors of the gnocchi contrasted with the strong flavors of the mushroom ragu, which really took the spotlight, and the whole dish was under 500 calories per serving! However, for those of you that don't like mushrooms (blows my mind that is possible), this gnocchi is so versatile it could stand up to tomato-based sauces or something creamy. Give this recipe a whirl when you have some time and feel like playing with your food while you make it. 

xoxo

*K

(all photos by me!)

Baked Eggs

I just finished taking the North Carolina Bar Exam last week, which meant that for the past two months I spent almost every free moment outside of work studying. I also started wearing the Fitbit Force* in mid-December, and really focusing on health, working out 5-6 days a week, and monitoring my intake (ie trying to lose 10+ pounds). So, needless to say, I have not had time for anything fun. The weekend before the bar exam, I decided to fit in a quick and easy new experimental recipe. For the past year or so I've seen many recipes for baked eggs on Pinterest, and have had it on my list of things to try to make at home, and finally created my own version of it using the random items we had in our otherwise bare cabinets.

Pancetta, Onion, and Mushroom Baked Eggs

Yield: 4 Servings
Nutrition: Calories: 223  Fat: 9.6g ; Sodium: 466mg; Carbs: 20.6g; Protein: 17.3g

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 large yellow onion
• 1 ounce pancetta
• 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 2 ounces Cabot 75% fat free cheddar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (I cheated here: I would normally make my own sauce, but since I was pressed for time, I used Classico Tomato and Basil Sauce, and I'm not sure that it makes a big difference to use pre-made sauce with a dish like this, given the small quantity used.)
• salt and peper, to taste

Directions:
1. Roughly dice tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, and pancetta.



2. Saute onion, pancetta and garlic until the onions are translucent and the pancetta is lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes) over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and half of the tomatoes for the last minute.

3. Start the layering process by placing 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce into each ramekin. (You could cook this in one large baking dish, but I really liked the individual 7 ounce Le Creuset ramekins for this. It made the perfect individual serving and really allowed the flavors to meld without losing any one ingredient, or having the eggs cook together).

4. Next, spoon the pancetta/onion/tomato/mushroom mixture on top of the sauce.

5. Add the diced cheese: 1/2 ounce into each dish.

Sorry for the blurry iPhone pictures

6. Final step of the layering: crack your egg and gently pour in on top of the cheese. (As you can see below, some stayed in the middle, and others fell more to the side. Due to my OCD/symmetry loving-tendencies, I would prefer for all of them to be in the middle, which you could do by piling the cheese and leaving a perfect little dip for the egg, but it honestly does not make a difference to the way it cooks up or the taste.)

7. Gently place two tomato halves on top/side of each egg, and then bake for 6-8 minutes, until the egg white is almost cooked. You'll know it is ready when the juices from the tomato sauce and pancetta/veggie mixture start to bubble to the top. 

Serve with breakfast potatoes or toast and enjoy the results of your 15 minutes recipe!

xoxo 

*K

(all photos by me..explains the blurry, hastily taken iPhone quality...also completely illustrates my past two months)

*Side Note: the Fitbit Force has been an awesome tool to help me monitor my food intake, encourage me to exercise, and see the results of my efforts. I officially hit the down 10 pounds-mark after eating this brunch creation. However, I am sadly one of the 1.7% of people who have had an allergic reaction to it (I think to the nickel), but fixed that by covering the metal parts with electrical tape. I fully endorse Fitbit's products and their app, especially for those of you who like me, have that bit of weight you put on gradually and didn't really notice, or are at the point of trying to lose those last few pounds and need some help. I think I have always been a pretty active and health-conscious person, but this has helped me take it to the next level, and has made it more fun and like a game with the step/active minute/stair/calorie achievements daily. (And, no, I am not receiving anything from Fitbit, nor am I any kind of spokesperson for them. I really like their products and the results I have seen in two months time--10 pounds is a huge achievement for someone my size (8% of my weight)!)