Gnocchi Salad

Way back in my Ann Arbor days I used to frequent a local deli on State street called Amer's.  This place was chock full of goodies to eat, but one of my favorite things on the menu was a simple looking but fabulous gnocchi salad. I have honestly thought about this dish more than once over the years and I have never seen another deli anywhere make a salad like it. Since it has been a dozen or so years since I was a townie kicking around A2,  I simply couldn't remember what was in the salad that made it so tasty.  So, fingers crossed, I called the good people at Amer's and they were kind enough to tell me.  Obviously this salad is a local favorite because it is still on the menu after all o this time. Thank goodness for that! The ingredient list is short and sweet and as they stated "the cheese makes it".  :)

Here is my version of Amer's gnocchi salad. I have substituted mini gnocchi for full size gnocchi and gouda for chedder.  I also used garlic olive oil. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 package of mini gnocchi. I used the brand "Anna" 17 oz. 
• 1 large roasted red pepper from a jar.
• 1 green onion
• 1/2 a wheel of Trader Joe's Smoked Dutch Cheese (Gouda) cubed
• 1 clove of garlic
• drizzle of garlic infused olive oil. 
• one sweet basil leaf

Directions:

1. Boil gnocchi until they float to the surface of the pot. Rinse under cool water and drain. Try to leave gnocchi slightly warm.
2. Stir in chopped red pepper and cubed cheese.
3. Microplane one clove of garlic and add to the mix.
4. Add thin slices of green onion
5. drizzle with olive oil, and salt & pepeer to taste. Mix well.
6. Chiffonade a leaf of basil and sprinkle on the finished dish.

Best at room temperature.

Black Cherry Zevia Granita

Zevia - I love this soda. I found it three years ago when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. Half way into my pregnancy I developed gestational diabetes and ended up on a daily routine of finger pricking and insulin shots. Food choices were tricky and I was limited. I needed cola and I needed a cola without sugar or any of the chemical replacements like Aspartame or Splenda. I thought I was out of luck until I stumbled across Zevia at our local Whole Foods. Zevia is made with Stevia. No gluten, no sugar, no calories - and it is delicious. Yeah!!! I loved it then and I still love it. One of my favorites is Black Cherry. So, in honor of cherry season, I hope you dieters out there will enjoy my Black Cherry Zevia Granita. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of of pitted dark cherries
1 can of Black Cherry Zevia soda


Directions:

Puree pitted cherries in a blender. I added the entire 3 cups and blended all at once.
Add in one can of Black Cherry Zevia.
Pour mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish.
Place in the freezer.
Scrape the mixture every so often (40min) or so until frozen.

Eat it up. Yum!

Mango Blackberry Salad Two Ways

I was messing around with mangos last week and created two recipes inspired by a Martha Stewart salad we tried last summer. One salad was made with fresh buffalo mozzarella and the other was made with Brun-Uusto (bread cheese).  I am not sure which one I like better. The Brun-Uusto cheese is delicious grilled. It is buttery and chewy while the fresh mozzarella is light and tender. Try them and let me know which one you like better.

Salad Ingredients:

1 champagne mango

buffalo mozzarella or Brun-Uusto cheese (Juustalepia)

1 pint of blackberries

red onion

arugula

Cardamom dressing

1/4 cup white balsamic w/ lemon or squeeze lemon in.

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp cardamom pods (dry roasted & then break open pods & add seeds)

salt & pepper to taste

Version One: Juustalepia Salad

Cut the Brun-Uusto in chunks and then pan fry until completely heated through. Arrange the arugula on a plate with a few slices of red onion. Arrange slices of mango and cheese on the plate. Top with whole fresh blackberries and 2-3 tablespoons of the cardamom dressing. For this version I blended the dressing with 4-5 fresh blackberries. 

Version Two: Mango Mozzarella Salad

Arrange the arugula on a plate with a few slices of red onion. Arrange slices of mango and cheese on the plate. Top with whole fresh blackberries and 2-3 tablespoons of the cardamom dressing.

 

Mango Caprese

This one is a deconstructed version of another salad I make with blackberries and arugula. For this you need:

1 champagne mango
1 large tomato
buffalo mozzarella
2 leaves of basil
white balsamic
olive oil, salt & pepper.

Slice and arrange your fruit & cheese, top with salt & pepper and a drizzle balsamic and olive oil 

Japanese Potato Salad

In Japan mayonaise is added to the oddest things. It is squeezed onto pizza, it is served on french fries, in yakisoba sandwiches, and on top of octopus balls (takoyaki). It is a popular condiment and for good reason - it is crazy good. Mayonnaise made in Japan is richer and tangier than any American mayonnaise out there. The eggs in Japan, if I recall correctly, had dark orange yolks and Kewpie mayo is made with only egg yolks - no whites. The following is one of the more traditional recipes cooked up by many of my Japanese friends. I never could get a recipe from them but here is my best shot. 

Ingredients -

2-3 large golden potatoes or about 5 small (peeled, cubed, and boiled until fork tender). Let cool.

3 oz of ham diced. I used Trader Joe's Black Forest Ham

3 thin slices of onion - chopped or diced. 

1 persian cucumber deseeded and thinly sliced. I discard the entire middle of the cucumber.

1/8 cup julienned carrot

1/4 cup kewpie mayonnaise or to taste

a few sprinkles of dill for the top if desired. 

This doesn't make much about 1 1/2 to 2 cups. However, you are supposed to eat just a scoop as a side dish.  

Kewpie Mayonnaise = delish

Grapefruit Chu-hi

Getting together with friends in Japan often meant making home made Chu-hi at the Izakaya. The server would come to our table with seltzer, grapefruit halves, and a bottle of Shochu and we were set. When we needed more of anything all we had to do is push a button to "buzz" our server to bring us more good eats and mixers for our drinks. This is one of the most refreshing drinks you can have on a hot summer night. Enjoy.

Ingredients for one tall glass:

2 jiggers of Shochu (or to taste)

8 oz of seltzer water

Juice of 1/2 of a grapefruit

plenty of ice. 

Serve in a big tall glass or divy it up between friends. 

My painting "Otafukus' Night Out"

Pancetta Egg & Kale Cups

Eggs! Eggs! Eggs! The low carb diet staple goes great with pancetta and savory sauted kale. I cooked my eggs until they were completely cooked so you could literally pick up and walk away with your egg cup with very little mess.

For this recipe simply

1. line muffin tins with 2 slices of pancetta for each "cup". One package of my Whole Foods pancetta made enough for six cups.
2. add a tablespoon of kale that was sauted with onions and garlic into each cup. I used just under a cup.
3. crack an egg into each cup
4. bake at 400 until eggs are done and pancetta is cooked through. 

note: I cooked mine until my eggs formed a bit of a "crust". I sliced that off and ended up with a hard-boiled style egg. The kale was crispy on top like kale chips and the pancetta was crispy and chewy. So good. Serve with tomato slices topped with basil and a touch of olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Daikon Salad

For three years I lived in Yokosuka, Japan during my husbands time in the Navy. While we were there we would visit a local Izakaya with friends to drink and eat.  Oh, the things I ate there: mochi cheese, pregnant fish on a stick, octopus "suckers" in wasabi sauce.  I would try anything at least once and there were many items I would order every time we went. One of my favorite dishes was the daikon salad. It was fresh, crisp, and probably the lowest calorie item on the menu.  Here is my version of the salad. You will want to add the dressing and garnishes at the very last minute. Don't make too much as it doesn't keep well and it will get soggy & limp.

Ingredients:

8oz Daikon julienned

3 oz English Cucumber - only edges julienned

1-2 radishes julienned

1/4 tomato sliced thinly

a sprinkling of micro greens

a sprinkling of deep fried mung bean threads 

Ponzu

Olive oil

Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Julienne all of the veggies with the exception of the tomato. I use a mandolin to make life easy.
2. deep fry a small amount of mung bean threads in canola oil, sprinkle with sea salt and set aside.
3. Place julienned veggies in a bowl and mix with 3 tsp ponzu and 1 tsp olive oil
4. Season with sea salt. Mix well
5. Arrange on a plate and then add tomatoes around the edges 
6. Sprinkle micro greens on top and then add a touch of the fried mung bean threads just before serving
7. Enjoy! 

Stracciatella Soup w/ Chicken Sausage

Twice now we have been hit with the 24 hour flu bug. What better time to make soup? Stracciatella is an Italian soup also know as "little rags". Basically, it is the thinner cousin of Chinese Egg Drop Soup. The broth is thinner and less gloppy. This recipe can also be made low carb and gluten free by omitting the pasta.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Free Range Chicken Broth (1 carton)
2 Tablespoons of grated parmesan + more for garnish
3 Tablespoons of stelline (tiny star) pasta or other small pasta
2 Eggs
2 Chicken Sausage links. I used Trader Joe's Spinach, Fontina, & Roasted Garlic.
1 tablespoon or so of fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnish.
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tbs or so of olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and garlic in small dutch oven 
2. Brown Sausage
3. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and one cup of water + salt and pepper
4. When soup comes to a boil crack one egg at a time into the broth and then whisk
5. Add cheese & parsley. Reduce heat and let simmer for ten minutes
6. Add pasta and cook until done
7. Taste and re-season. Add additional parmesan and parsley just before serving