Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta (from Real Simple, Total Time: 20 minutes, Servings: 4)

Ingredients

·         1 pound gnocchi, fresh or frozen

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         3 yellow squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 3/4-inch pieces

·         3 cloves garlic, chopped

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         4 oz. Feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

·         1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions

1.       Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.       Add the squash to the gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the Feta and basil. Season with pepper.

Another simple recipe that was pretty tasty.  My only complaint is that it was a little too salty for me, so when I make it again I’ll omit the added salt.  Overall, though, it was good.  The gnocchi was light, soft and chewy.  When paired with the crisp yellow squash, it was fantastic.  My husband also really enjoyed this dish, which is always a plus in my book.  I may add a little more garlic next time, but other than that, no changes (except less salt!).

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta

Gnocchi with Summer Squash, Basil and Feta (from Real Simple, Total Time: 20 minutes, Servings: 4)

Ingredients

·         1 pound gnocchi, fresh or frozen

·         ¼ cup olive oil

·         3 yellow squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 3/4-inch pieces

·         3 cloves garlic, chopped

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         4 oz. Feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

·         1/3 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions

1.       Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions; drain and return it to the pot.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

3.       Add the squash to the gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the Feta and basil. Season with pepper.

Another simple recipe that was pretty tasty.  My only complaint is that it was a little too salty for me, so when I make it again I’ll omit the added salt.  Overall, though, it was good.  The gnocchi was light, soft and chewy.  When paired with the crisp yellow squash, it was fantastic.  My husband also really enjoyed this dish, which is always a plus in my book.  I may add a little more garlic next time, but other than that, no changes (except less salt!).

Columbus Inn (Wilmington, DE)

http://www.columbusinn.com/

My husband an I went to Columbus Inn for City Restaurant Week.  The price-fixed options were pretty plentiful and it was one of the only restaurants participating that had a vegetarian option.  The outside of the restaurant is a bit rustic, with a stone exterior and and a patio overlooking Route 52.  As you enter the front door, you are greeted by a hostess stand and a staircase.  To the left, in a separate room, is the bar area and the outdoor seating.  To the right (looking into the windowed wine cooler) is the dining room.  The Atmosphere is upscale, yet comfortable; dark, but inviting.  The employees were quite friendly and our server was excellent – suggesting drinks to pair with our meals and acting in a genuine manner.

I ordered the Mixed Greens Salad and Goat Cheese Gnocchi as the first part of my three-course meal.  Before our food arrived, we were offered a bread basket with warm rolls.  The rolls were good, nothing special, but felt and tasted almost fresh-baked.  I like it when restaurnats do that!  The salad greens were crips and fresh, with a few cherry tomatoes in the mix, and a savory dressing (unfortunately, I cannot remember what it was).  The gnocchi was a larger portion than I expected – enough for two servings if I wanted to save room for my third-course dessert!  The gnocchi is served with cherry tomatoes and covered in a fresh basil pomodoro sauce and goat cheese “parm”.  Excellent!  I loved the soft gnocchi paired with the roasted cherry tomatoes.  Everything was creamy and the sauce coated it nicely – not too much, not too little.  I am a definite fan! 

After I had the remainder of the gnocchi boxed up, it was time for a big decision: dessert.  They let you choose from any of the options on their regular dessert menu.  I opted for the homemade vanilla gelato with peanut butter and chocolate chunks.  The gelato was rich and the peanut butter and chocoalte chunks provided a nice crunch against the soft the otherwise soft and creamy texture.  They gave me two scoops, which I was unable to finish, but ate most of it again.

The food at Columbus Inn is delicious and I definitely recommend it for vegetarians AND omnivores J

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Citrus Cream

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Citrus Cream (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes; Servings: 8)

Ingredients

·         2 lb. sweet potatoes (about 4 large)

·         ½ cup  Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese

·         ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

·         1 tsp. salt

·         3 cups flour

·         1 pkg.  (8 oz.) 1/3 Less Fat or Fat-Free Cream Cheese, cubed

·         1-3/4 cups skim milk

·         2 Tbsp. margarine

·         ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

·         1 tsp. orange zest

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.      Prick potatoes several times with fork; place on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 45 min. to 1 hour or just until tender. Cool slightly. Scoop potato flesh into large bowl; mash until almost smooth. Layer paper towels on baking sheet; spoon potatoes onto towels to drain. Replace paper towels as necessary until potatoes are stiff but not dry. Spoon into large bowl.

3.      Add ricotta, ¼ cup Parmesan and salt; mix well. Stir in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture forms soft dough. Place on lightly floured surface; knead in additional flour if necessary until dough is no longer sticky.

4.      Cut dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion on floured surface into 3/4-inch-thick rope. Cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Roll each piece into ball, dusting with additional flour if needed. Press each dough ball onto back of fork tines to form ridges on one side, pressing with thumb so that dough piece becomes indented with thumb on other side. Place in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets.

5.      Add half the gnocchi to large pot of boiling water; stir. Cook 4 min. or until gnocchi float to surface. Remove with slotted spoon to colander; drain. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

6.      Cook cream cheese, milk, margarine, nutmeg and remaining Parmesan in saucepan on low heat 10 to 15 min. or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring occasionally. Stir in zest.

The gnocchi takes a while to make, but it is very tasty. Soft and chewy, but not too chewy.  I definitely think that it is worth the time it takes to make, but if you don’t like sweet potatoes, I would not recommend it! The sauce is a different story for me (and my husband), we did not like it – because of the orange zest.  It was just a little too far outside of our comfort zone.  I think that when I make this again, I will leave that ingredient out, but add some garlic or Italian seasoning.   The dish as a whole is very filling and I am excited to try it again.  Don’t be scared about adding too much flour – I had to add a lot in order to get the dough from being sticky (and, in the end, it was STILL sticky).

Union City Grille (Wilmington, DE, http://www.unioncitygrille.com/)

My husband and I took my father to Union City Grille when he came to visit us.  I had purchased one of the daily deals to the restaurant because it looked like it had meals that would please both my husband and me.  We entered the restaurant through the Dining Room entrance and were greeted by a small hostess stand and a coat check.  While waiting for a table, we entered the lounge area.  There were a number of tables as well as a bar.  It was not too dark in the lounge and the bartender was quite friendly.  When our table was ready, we entered the brightly lit dining room.  There are tables and booths and the atmosphere is slightly upscale for a grill restaurant.  The patrons were mostly dressed in khakis and skirts, but there were a few people in jeans.

I started with the UCG house salad – mixed greens, grape tomatoes (chopped), cucumbers, carrots, and croutons in a champagne vinaigrette.  The salad had a nice coating of vinaigrette, not overly dressed, but certainly not under dressed.  It had a sweet taste and I ate every bite (except for the croutons).  Our salads were accompanied by sesame seed rolls.  They were served warm and were very soft and delicious.

I was really excited about a gnocchi dish that I saw on the menu, Ricotta Gnocchi Gratin.  Its description “roasted exotic mushrooms with tender hand-made gnocchi in silky goat cheese fondue drizzled with truffle oil” made my mouth water.  I had to order it.  Unfortunately, the actual dish did not live up to my excitement.  I found it slightly bland and think that it would taste much better with a little cracked black pepper added to the top.  Even though I was disappointed with my entrée, there were 3-4 other vegetarian options to choose from.  I do plan on visiting this restaurant again.

Barbazzu - Philadelphia, PA

http://barbuzzo.com/barbuzzo/

Friends of mine made reservations for Philadelphia Restaurant Week at Barbuzzo.  They touted it as a nice Mediterranean-style restaurant, so I was looking forward to it.  The Prix Fixe menu had some good options from the vegetarian perspective, but I would like the opportunity to go back and taste from their full menu.  The Prix Fixe option started with two crostinis for each person, one was a Smashed Fava-Goat Cheese Crostini with preserved lemon, mint, and extra virgin olive oil.  It was OK – a little too minty for my taste.  There was also a Smoky Chickpea Crostini with roasted garlic, cumin, and smoked pimento.  I definitely liked this one better (although the rest of the table chose the other one as their favorite).  It was a nice way to start the meal.

For my appetizer course, I chose the Roasted Beet Salad with goat cheese, orange, pistachio pesto, and tuscan kale.  An interesting combination for sure – and pretty good.  The crisp beets were a nice contrast to the goat cheese.  It was refreshing and light.  I ordered thePan Seared Gnocchi for my entrée (of course, without proscuitto).  It was served with kohlrabi and wood roasted mushrooms in homemade truffle butter.  I finished my meal before the other people at the table were halfway done with their’s!  It was really tasty.  The gnocchi was soft and chewy and the truffle butter was creamy.  The kohlrabi – or cabbage to us plebians – and mushrooms were a nice addition of vegetables to the pasta dish.  The dessert options were not appetizing to me – a Salted Caramel Budino or Tiramisu.  I chose the Budino because it had a dark chocolate crust.  It was a vanilla bean caramel pudding topped with even more caramel.  Not exactly what I expected.  I gave my husband the top layer of caramel – once I got to the pudding, it was good – not what I would pick, but definitely acceptable.  It was not heavy at all – a light pudding with a thin chocolate crust. My husband, who loves caramel, said that the all of it was just too much. 

I would like to try this restaurant again, if only to pick my own chocolate-lovin’ dessert!