Carrot Parsnip Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

CarrotParsnipGnocchi-7887

This last week was intimidating and exciting at the same time. I joined a new gym and started working with a personal trainer. I’m enjoying the guided kick your ass work-outs and I am definitely feelin’ it!  Spending some time on ME has been a long time coming, so it feels good.

I was a little concerned to make gnocchi the same week that I jump into a healthy kick, but these carrot and parsnip gnocchi really didn’t seem that unhealthy since the most prevalent ingredients are the veggies.

The simplicity of this dish completely blew my mind! Just carrot, parsnip, and flour? So many possibilities and the FMP members pulled out all the stops. Our host this week, Joanne whipped her rendition up with Butternut squash instead of carrots.

I chose to add some sweet parsnips and loved how they turned out! This would be a really unique dish for your Thanksgiving dinners this week.

 


Carrot Parsnip Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter

Prep Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Serving Size: 2-3 servings

adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

Ingredients

  1. 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  2. 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
  3. 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  4. 1/2 cup regular flour
  5. salt and pepper to taste
  6. pinch of nutmeg
  7. 2 tablespoons butter
  8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  9. 2-3 sage leaves

Instructions

Place carrots and parsnips in just enough water to cover them and bring to boil. Add a pinch of salt. Boil until soft, about 45 minutes, then drain. Return carrots and parsnips to your pot and let them dry over the lowest possible heat for 10 minutes. Puree carrots in food processor or by hand (I used a potato masher and did this by hand) and add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes. Boil a small salted pot of water (this will be used to test the dough).

Combine both flours in mixing bowl. Add carrots to mixing bowl and stir until just combined. Pinch off a piece of the dough and boil in your test pot it to make sure it holds its shape. If it falls apart add more flour to mixture, until gnocchi just holds together.

Turn dough onto floured surface and roll into 1/2-inch ropes. Cut rope into 1-inch pieces. Arrange gnocchi on a floured baking sheet then cover with a towel. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. (At this point the gnocchi can be frozen on the sheet pan, then transferred to a plastic bag for 3 months. Do not thaw before boiling.)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Also heat oil, butter, and sage over medium low heat in a large skillet. Heat until sage begins to crackle and butter begins to lightly brown. If butter is browning a lot turn down the heat. Cook a few gnocchi at a time in boiling water, until 1 minute after they rise to the surface. Transfer cooked gnocchi to skillet with a slotted spoon and lightly toss to coat. Continue process until all gnocchi are covered in the sage brown butter sauce.

Serve immediately.

https://keelymarie.com/2012/11/19/carrot-parsnip-gnocchi-with-sage-brown-butter/

 

Head here to see what the rest of the members created this week.

This week I’m heading to Orlando then Ft. Myers for some family time. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Follow my Facebook page by clicking below to to easily find new recipes or subscribe via email in the column on the right. 

Follow Me on Facebook

::: keelymarie :::

 

 

Twisted Chick Parm ::: Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto

 

:::Twisted Chicken Parmesan w/ Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Pesto:::

We ate really well last week. Well we had a  few good excuses with Peter’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, and I was home for a week from work travels.

It started with Jambalaya for Peter’s birthday.

We have been making Sarah’s TO DIE FOR jambalaya recipe  since she posted it a year ago, if you love spice please make this ASAP. You should also visit her fabulous blog to wish it a happy 2nd birthday!

Then we had filet, lobster (that we caught ourselves in the Keys!), and whole artichokes for Valentine’s Day…

…and then what I am calling “Twisted Chick Parm” with the Roasted Red Pepper Walnut “Pesto” from the Food Matters Project. {The pesto recipe was chosen by Heather from girlichef this week and can be found on her blog post today.}

I first made the “pesto” from scratch on Valentine’s day, with hopes it would be a nice dip or sauce for our steak. It is really red peppery and rich, so I decided it would taste better with chicken and whole wheat pasta the next day.

The FMP is expanding my ideas for cooking fresh veggies, but I will say we are still eating a lot of meat and non whole wheat carbs. Hopefully once we are through a few months of the recipe book I will be able to combine some of the favorites for more full meals.

Twisted Chicken Parmesan & Pasta     serves 2

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan and mozzarella mix, shredded
  • 3- 4 cups of whole wheat pasta (we use rigatoni)
  • 1/2 recipe of previously prepared Roasted Red Pepper Walnut “Pesto”
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Prepare Roasted Red Pepper Walnut “Pesto” and set aside at room temperature.  I roasted the red peppers myself and still used 2 cloves of garlic even though I only made half of the recipe.
To see other uses for this flavorful pesto head here to see recipes from the other Food Matter Project members.
***After seeing many of the posts this morning I think I found MONSTER sized red peppers at the grocery store.  I can see how a little less red pepper and adding cannellini beans or chickpeas might balance the flavors even more than just adding parmesan cheese as I did in this recipe. 

Pre-heat over to 350°F. Crack the egg into a prep bowl and whisk. Mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt & pepper in separate prep bowl.

Wash and clean chicken breasts. Place each in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs, and then on a nonstick or greased baking pan/sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes. Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 more minute.

Cook pasta as directed on box. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, blender, or mixer; mix the parmesan with the Roasted Red Pepper Walnut “Pesto.” Then in a saucepan on medium heat, sauté 1/2 of the pesto with whole wheat pasta until warm. Pour the second half of the pesto over the chicken and serve.

 

Like this post? Don’t forget to like my facebook page or subscribe via email for updates and posts!

Follow Me on Facebook


 

keely marie

The Food Matters Project ::: Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers

 

Interrupting your :::Super Bowl Hangover Monday::: with your new favorite butternut squash dish.

When I saw that Sarah chose Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers as the first recipe for The Food Matters Project I was really curious to see what’s used to make the “Chipotle-Glaze.”

The glaze is pretty simple, made using a mix of chili peppers in adobo sauce (canned at your grocery store), olive oil, honey, and garlic. These squash skewers are a great dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck and a fantastic main dish if you are eating more vegetables and less meat.

 

Head over to 20somethingcupcakes for the full recipe.

The glaze is a blend of smoky, spicy, and sweet. I added an extra tablespoon of honey after tasting. I was a little worried because there are not many dishes I make that call for so much olive oil for, but a lot if it drips off while you roast the skewers. The recipe calls for the glaze to be muddled, but somehow I am without a muddler (makes no sense with  my love of mojitos!). I used the chop option on a food processor for a few seconds.

{TIP: I had a hard time getting the bamboo skewers in the squash without breaking them, I think I soaked the skewers in water too long. So instead I used metal skewers. They were long enough to sit on the sides of my baking sheet which was perfect for roasting the squash cubes. The skewers suspended in the air above the baking sheet, which made it easy to turn them once in a while.}

Next time I make these I will add some pineapple and green bell pepper to the skewers for color & variety in flavor. Since I’m not used to eating only vegetables for a meal (especially not just 1 type of vegetable), adding something else to the skewers would make it more interesting and I think the flavors would go really well together.

You can also head here to see how the other members of The Food Matters Project fared.

::: Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers Recipe :::

Like this post? Don’t forget to like my facebook page or subscribe via email for weekly updates and posts!

Follow Me on Facebook


 

keely marie