Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients:

4 Russet  potatoes, baked and peeled
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
3/4 cup flour
1 tbsp salt


Directions:

1. In a 350 degree oven, bake the potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. Make sure to poke holes in the potatoes prior to cooking.

2. Peel the potatoes and using a ricer, pass the potatoes through the ricer and into a large bowl.

3. Add the flour, egg, cheese and salt to the potato and mix by hand until everything is incorporated. Don't overmix the dough.

4. Prepare the work area with extra flour. Separate the dough into chunks and roll out the chunks into thin rolls. Make sure to do this very gently.

5. Cut the dough into tiny pieces, about 1 inch in length. Pass the small pieces over a fork or gnocchi board. Place on a baking dish that is lightly dusted with flour.

6. At this point you can cook the gnocchi right away or put in the freezer for a few minutes.

7. Then, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the gnocchi for about 1-2 minutes until they float to the top. You don't want to crowd the pot because it will lower the temperature of the water, so you can cook the gnocchi in batches if necessary.

8. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce!

Kimchi Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 onion, diced
1 cup baby spinach leaves
3 stalks celery, diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups kimchi, roughly chopped
2 cups precooked rice, preferably day old
2 cloves garlic, minced
eggs
soy sauce
olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large pan or wok, saute the onion in olive oil on medium heat until soft. Then, add the chicken breast and cook together. Once the chicken is basically cooked through, add the chopped kimchi and garlic.

2. Once the kimchi heats up for a few minutes, turn up the heat to high and add the precooked rice. You want high heat so that the rice gets a hot and crunchy. Add soy sauce to the rice and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the spinach, celery, and green onions and cook together until all of the spinach has wilted, about 10 minutes.

4. Adjust the seasoning and top with a fried egg for serving. Enjoy!

Vichyssoise

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter
4 cups leek whites, diced
2 1/2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chives
1 sprig fresh thyme
3-4 parsley stems
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt the better over medium high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the leeks and sweat until very soft, but not brown.

2. Add the potatoes, stir and pour in all of the chicken stock.

3. Wrap all of the herbs in a cheesecloth and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are well cooked, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the herbs.

5. Blend the soup using an immersion blender until it is creamy. Gently whisk in the heavy cream. Adjust the seasoning and garnish with the chives. Typically served cold.

Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp Creole seasoning
1 tsp gumbo file
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the flour. Cook the flour and oil, whisking constantly, until dark brown, about 15-20 minutes.

2. Lower the heat and add the onion, pepper and celery. Stir and cook until everything becomes tender, about 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

3. Add the stock to the pot 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Season with the Creole seasoning, file, salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Add the chicken. When the chicken is nearly cooked, add the shrimp. Take the gumbo off the heat and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve alongside steamed rice.

Fennel and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, cored and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups frozen corn, cooked
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook the corn over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.

2. In a large soup pot, cook the bacon until it has become crisp. Add the onion and fennel and cook until tender, about 12-14 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Add the flour and stir constantly.

4. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking to remove any lumps. At this point, add the potatoes to the soup and cook until tender.

5. Add the corn and the cream to the pot and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce the heat and season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Mexican Corn Dip

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup Mexican cheese
chili powder
cumin
salt and pepper
tortilla chips, for dipping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking dish.

2. In a large pan, saute the onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper, spinach and green onions. Season with all of the spices to taste. Make sure all of the vegetables are fully cooked.

3. In a separate pan, cook the frozen corn until fully cooked and browning.

3. In a bowl, mix the cooked vegetables with the mayonnaise and about 75% of the cheese.

4. Put everything into the baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15-18 minutes and serve alongside tortilla chips.

Sausage Strata

Ingredients:

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 packages of breakfast sausage
half a loaf of French bread, cut into cubes
2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp sage, finely chopped
10 large eggs
2 1/2 cups light cream
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large skillet, heat the butter and saute the onions until soft and golden. Add the sausage and cook  until browned. Drain off the excess liquid in a strainer and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Add the bread cubes, cheese, parsley, and sage and transfer to the prepared pan, spreading the mixture easily.

4. In another bowl, beat the eggs and cream with the salt, pepper, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Pour the mixture over the bread and sausage mixture. Cover the casserole with foil.

5. Place the strata in a hot water bath with boiling water. Bake covered for 50 minutes, remove the foil, increase the heat to 400 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown.

6. Remove from the hot water bath and let sit for 20 minutes before serving.