Gnocchi with Feta

In Salzburg, we enjoyed the wonderful music of the Salzburg Festival. We did not originally plan to be in Salzburg for the festival, but our timing worked out perfectly. Our two nights in Salzburg fell on the two opening nights of the festival, which featured many free live music events.

For dinner, we dined at a restaurant next to one of the concerts and ate a delicious gnocchi with feta and vegetables.

Last night, I made a copycat-ish recipe at home. It was delicious!

Ingredients
2T. olive oil
around 2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes
around 10 leaves of basil, chopped
salt and pepper
1 package of gnocchi
4 oz. feta cheese, roughly chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Put olive oil in the bottom of a small baking dish. Add tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Boil a large pot of salted water.
3. Near the end of the tomato roasting, put gnocchi into the salted boiling water. Watch as gnocchi rise to the surface, and then let them cook 2 more minutes. Drain the gnocchi, reserving a spoonful of the cooking water.
4. Add tomatoes and roasting juices to the pan with the reserved cooking water. With the back of a spoon, smash the tomatoes. Then, stir in gnocchi and feta. Stir until much of the feta is melted, resulting in a cheesy sauce. There should be some small chunks of feta remaining with the gnocchi and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with garlic bread and a Greek salad.

Ginger Mojitos

The perfect refreshing summer beverage you've been looking for... ginger mojitos! They were a hit at our July 4 celebration. 

Here's how to make them: 

Boil 1 c. water, 1 c. sugar, and 1/3 c. grated ginger until sugar is dissolved. Throw in a cup or so of fresh mint leaves. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, and then strain out the ginger and mint. You will be left with a ginger-mint infused syrup. 

Then, put 1 part syrup, 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice, and 2 parts rum in a pitcher. Stir well. Add as many parts as you want of sparkling lime water (I added 4 parts). Then, add a lot of ice. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Enjoy! Happy Fourth! 

I'll be back soon with exciting new European adventures... 

Creamy Jalapeno Dip

This dip is a copycat recipe from Chuy's (one Austin/now Dallas restaurant we really miss!) Eat it as a chip dip, taco sauce, or get creative and top something else like a burger or salad with it. It's really delicious so enjoy! 

Mix together: 
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 can chopped green chiles (in a can)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped jalapenos 
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

Vanilla Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

I love cupcakes. Love them, love them, love them.

These were delicious! This recipe makes only 11 cupcakes, so it is perfect when you don't want too many cupcakes.

Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. sour cream
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda

Boil butter and water. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Stir. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir until combined. Pour into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Enjoy!

Marshmallow Frosting

2 egg whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

In a double boiler (or using a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water) combine the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk the mixture frequently until it is very frothy and measures approximately 160 degrees. Carefully add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the egg mixture holds stiff peaks and is a light texture (several minutes). Carefully fold the vanilla into the egg whites mixture.

Pasta Carbonara

Inspired by a magazine article and our Italian friends Sarah and Emilio, I set out to make Pasta Carbonara on Sunday evening. Upon googling "Pasta Carbonara", Pioneer Woman's version surfaced quickly. I usually trust her recipes, so I thought at first I would make hers, until I remembered Emilio's insistence that Carbonara have as few ingredients as possible. So, I did a little more research and came up with my own method/recipe that turned out wonderfully! 

Serves 2.

Ingredients 

1/2 lb. pasta

6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces

1 clove garlic

3 eggs

3/4 c. shredded pecorino-romano cheese

freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Boil a large pot of heavily salted water. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a large bowl (can be the same bowl you plan to serve the pasta in), whisk eggs and 1/2 c. cheese, along with some freshly ground pepper. Put pasta into boiling water. Cook bacon pieces in the skillet for about 4 minutes, until crisp. Add 1 clove garlic near the end. When bacon is cooked, remove it from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate. When pasta is al dente, reserve 1 c. of the pasta water and drain. Stirring constantly, add the pasta slowly to the egg and cheese mixture. A nice sauce will form over the pasta. Add a tablespoon or so of pasta water if desired for a creamier sauce. Stir in bacon and garlic, and top with pecorino-romano. Enjoy! 

Oatmeal Cookies

These are grandma's oatmeal cookies... the best.

Ingredients

• 1 c. butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. soda
• 3 c. quick oats
• 1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional) 
• coconut (optional) 

Instructions

Thoroughly cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add oatmeal and nuts if using. Divide dough in half on parchment or waxed paper, and shape in rolls (long cylinders). Wrap and chill overnight and freeze. Slize 1/4 inch thick and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. 

Beef Enchiladas

If there are any readers left out there, I finally had the energy to post a new recipe! It was pretty delicious, so here it is... beef enchiladas, tex-mex-ish style! 

First, make the enchilada sauce:

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

1. In large saucepan saute garlic in oil for about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in flour until smooth; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

3. Stir in chili powder.

4. Gradually stir in broth, tomato sauce, oregano, salt and cumin.

5. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Then, make the meat and assemble the enchiladas: 

Ingredients

• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 T flour
• 1 T chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can rotel
• 1 recipe enchilada sauce
• 8 large habanero-lime tortillas (Trader Joe's brand)
• 12 oz. (approximately) Mexican blend shredded cheese
• Sliced green onion
• Sliced avacado

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1 clove of the minced garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Break up chunks of meat as they cook. 

Drain the fat from the beef and return the meat to the pan. (I skipped this, ha!) Add flour, chili powder, cumin, salt, and stir. Add stewed tomatoes and stir again. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour about 1 1/2 c of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13x9” baking pan. Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat for 30 seconds. Tortillas will soften. 

Scoop about 1/4 c. of beef mixture on a tortilla. Sprinkle a little of the shredded cheese over the filling. Roll tightly and place in the baking pan, seam side down. Repeat for remaining enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake about 30 minutes. Garnish with green onion and avacado slices.