Chicken Gyros (with amazing soft wrap bread)

This is another fabulous recipe from "My Kitchen Cafe." The soft wrap bread and the tzatziki are really amazing. I highly recommend it. Jeremy gets so excited when he finds out I'm making it for dinner (whenever I do). It is a bit time intensive, so you need to plan a day ahead (to drain the yogurt for the sauce).

This looks like A LOT of work. It really isn't bad. You've got to try this if you like Greek food. I promise, you won't regret it and it can be assembled in little pieces throughout the day.
Ingredients:

Tzatziki sauce (needs to be started the night before):
16 oz plain yogurt (not fat free)
1 regular cucumber
2-3 cloves garlic through press
1 t. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

Chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 t. red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping T plain yogurt
1 T dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 1/4 pounds chicken breasts cubed

Soft Wrap Bread (Pita Bread): (takes about 2 1/2 hours)
3 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup potato flour or 1/2 cup potato flakes
1 1.4 t. salt
2 T vegetable oil
1 t. instant yeast

Assembly:
Tomatoes
Sauteed red onions
Lettuce (if you want)

Directions:

Tzatziki: Place a few pieces of paper towel (or cheesecloth) over a strainer with a bowl underneath. Pour the yogurt into the paper towels, cover and let sit in the fridge overnight. This takes most of the moisture out of the yogurt (alternatively you could use a greek yogurt and forgo this process). The next day, peel and seed the cucumber and then shred it with a cheese grater. Add the cucumber, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon to the yogurt in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top and refrigerate to let the flavors meld. Serve with your chicken and pitas.

Chicken: Put everything into a ziplock bag and let marinate for 1 hour. Cook the chicken in the skillet or with a broiler. Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 5 minutes.

Pita Bread: Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl and pour the boiling water over. Stir until smooth, cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flakes, 1 cup of the remaining flour, salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour mixture and stir and then knead for several minutes to form a soft dough. Let the dough sit and rise for 1 hour. Divide the dough into 8 balls and let rest for 15-30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7-8 inch circle and dry fry them (no oil) in a frying pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately with your Greek Food--yum yum!

Assembly: Re-heat the pitas. Top with the tzatziki, chicken, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions and lettuce. Serve immediately.

This is such an amazingly yummy dinner. You have to try it at least once to really understand--yum, yum!

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is such a yummy dinner. It made enough for leftovers too--the best! If you like Indian food, then you will really love this recipe. It makes your house smell so good! I love this recipe and will be making it for a long time to come (plus this is SO much cheaper than going to an Indian restaurant--and it tastes the same!).

Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 T lemon juice
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. paprika
2 t. black pepper
1 T fresh, minced ginger (I used ground)
1 t. salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 T butter
1 clover garlic
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup cream (I used a combination of cream/milk)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

4 cups cooked white rice

This recipe also calls from 1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped which I left out. I also doubled the sauce (so 2 cans of tomato sauce and extra milk/cream) because we love the sauce part.

Directions:
Combine the first set of ingredients to marinate the chicken. I combined them all in a ziplock bag and set it in the fridge for an hour. Grill, cook in a frying pan, or bake the chicken. Discard the marinade. Use the second set of ingredients in a large skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic (and jalapeno if you choose) for one minute. Season with cumin, paprika and salt. Stir in the tomato sauce and cream. Simmer the sauce on low heat until it thickens (about 20 minutes). Shred the chicken and then add it to the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over the hot rice.

We love this meal and I can't wait to make it again!

Original Recipe from: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/09/chicken-tikka-masala.html

Balsamic Noodle Bowl

Oh boy this is SO yummy. I've always loved pasta salad tossed with a balsamic vinegar instead of a mayo-y dressing. This is kind of a warm version of it, but it is oh so yummy. Here's where I found this recipe and I definitely will be making it a again. I changed it up just a touch when I made it, so here's my version:

Ingredients:
1 pound linguine
2 red peppers (cut into thin strips)
1 package sliced cherry tomatoes
4 T balsamic vinegar (I put a bit more)
5 garlic cloves minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T dried basil (yummy)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup feta cheese
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (optional)

Directions:
Cook the linguine in boiling water (I cooked it in a bit of chicken broth to add flavor to the noodles). As you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, put a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Saute the red peppers until they are tender, but still crisp. Add the cherry tomatoes in the with peppers and turn on low heat. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and basil. Once the linguine is finished, drain and toss into the skillet with the peppers and tomatoes. Add the balsamic sauce and both cheeses. Toss until all combined and the cheese starts to melt. Enjoy :)

This was absolutely fabulous. We made it with chicken (just add that in at the end too) and loved it, but I think it would have been fabulous without too. I love the flavors of balsamic vinegar. It was just so yummy. I've been eating it for lunch the past few days (it makes a lot!) and have been looking forward to it every day...it's that good. If you love the flavor of balsamic vinegar, this is a pasta for you.

Bastian Chops

This is one of Jeremy's FAVORITE pork dishes :) We got this recipe from our great friends, Noelle and Phil and LOVE it. Here's the recipe on their cooking blog. I had to add it to mine because it's easier for me to find and we just love it! Yum, yum!

Ingredients:
4 thick, boneless pork chops (I usually get mine from Costco)
1 package stove top stuffing (pork recommended, but I've used other ones before)
1 chopped granny smith apple
2 T. butter
4 T. brown sugar
(original recipe calls for 1 cup craisins--I usually leave this out)

Directions:
Line a casserole dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cut the pork chops in half (to make a pocket)--kitchen shears work great for this step! Mix up the stuffing according to the package and add in the chopped up apple (you could also add the craisins at this point). Stuff the pork chops with the stuffing mixture and put them in the casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Once the pork is cooked, take it out and spread the butter/brown sugar mixture over each pork chop. Then broil until golden. I also put the remaining stuffing around the rest of the pork chops in the casserole dish to let it bake a bit. It's yummy! We really love this dish and it makes for a great Sunday dinner! Thanks Noelle and Phil :)

Easy, Easy Lasagna

My mom taught me how to make this lasagna and I wouldn't make it any other way (really, I wouldn't...I'd BUY it first and sometimes I do, but when I'm in the mood to make lasagna, this is my go-to recipe)!

Ingredients:
Spaghetti Sauce (ground beef, onion, etc...)
Ricotta cheese
Shredded cheese (parmesan, mozzarella)
1 egg
Lasagna Noodles

Directions:
This lasagna comes together really quickly and is yummy, yummy! I don't have exact measurements on everything because I don't tend to really measure, I cook more by taste. Anyway, begin by making a spaghetti sauce (ground beef, onion, mushrooms if you want, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, whatever you want). While that simmers, in a separate bowl combine a big tub (not the smaller ones) of ricotta cheese and the shredded cheese. I often put in parmesan and mozzarella (a few cups at least). Then add the egg to the mixture and stir it around. From here you're ready to start layering! Take your uncooked noodles (that's right, you DON'T have to cook them) and layer them on the bottom of your lasagna pan. Next add a layer of the ricotta mixture and then add a layer of your spaghetti sauce mixture. Continue this process until you have 3 layers of each thing. Sprinkle mozzarella or cheddar cheese over the top (whatever you prefer) and then this is the important part: Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of water all around the edges of the lasagna. Cover it with foil and bake it for about an hour at 375 or 400 degrees until it's nice and bubbly. I really think the lasagna noodles taste so much better this way and they cook up perfectly! It also saves you time and the hassle of having to cook lasagna noodles and use them in your dish. Yay!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This was literally MY FAVORITE dinner when I was a kid. I used to always love it when mom made this for dinner and I always wanted seconds :) It's really not very good for you (all the sauce stuff), but it definitely hits the comfort button where food is concerned! Just make sure you control your portion size--cause it's SO yummy!

Ingredients:
12 breasts of chicken
3 lbs broccoli (trim stems)
3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups mayo
1/2 t. curry powder
2 T lemon juice
Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
1 cube margarine
Cheddar Cheese

Directions:
Cook the chicken by boiling it and reserve a bit of the stock for later. Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cook the broccoli until it's firm, but cooked. In a saucepan combine the cream of chicken, mayo, curry powder and lemon juice. Add a bit of the reserved chicken stock and warm the mixture slowly. Get out your casserole dish and put down your first layer of chicken and broccoli mixed together. Then add 1 cup of sauce over that layer. Then put your second layer of chicken and broccoli and pour the rest of the sauce over that layer. Melt the margarine and mix it with the stuffing mix. Put the stuffing mix on the top of the casserole about 1/4 inch deep on top. Sprinkle cheese on top (this can be done before or after the stuffing mix layer). Bake in your oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Another family favorite in the soup department! It was a favorite of mine growing up and a favorite of my husband's now! He especially likes the "big tomato chunks" that are in this soup. I love it too because it's so easy to make, smells great and tastes even better. Yum! I love taco soup!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1 quart stewed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 12 oz can corn (with juice)
1 can kidney beans (with juice)
1 package taco seasoning
Toppings (cheese, sour cream, Fritos--a family favorite)

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion. Drain grease. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for 20 minutes. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy! I've also toyed around with making this with shredded chicken instead of the ground beef. I think it would taste pretty good. I've also wondered about subbing black beans for the kidney beans. I might try that next time...

Broccoli Soup

This is a really yummy soup that I like to make every so often during the winter. It's one of the ways that I can get my hubby to eat broccoli and like it! I love this creamy soup too!

Ingredients:
Fresh or frozen broccoli (I fill up my big cooking pot a little over halfway)
1 or 2 packagse golden onion soup mix (depends on your taste)
White sauce (butter, flour, milk)

Directions:
Cook the broccoli in your big soup pot with water. Drain the water and mash the broccoli down. Add the golden onion soup mix and 2 cups of water. While you're doing this, make the white sauce. Use about 6 T butter and 1/3-1/2 cup flour. It should make a roux. Then add your milk to the sauce (about 4 cups). Stir the mixture over medium heat until it thickens up and then add it to the soup. Sometimes I use a bit of half and half instead of just milk to make it a bit creamier. Combine all the ingredients in your soup pot and serve. Yum, yum!

When I just recently made this, I also added potato to the soup and I really liked it. It made it a bit heartier and had good flavor. I just cut up the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, boiled them and then added them to the soup when they were soft enough. Yummy!

Shepherd's Pie ala Amy

I never knew what Shepherd's Pie was until I went to college and was cooking in the FLSR. I needed an easy, yummy, recipe to feed 20+ starving Germans and so I called my mom and she recommended I make Shepherd's Pie. And so I did. It was yummy, but my recipe for it has changed over the past few years as I've modified and changed what I've made. So...here is my recipe that I really LOVE. It has the perfect tomato/meatyness too it (not too much tomato, not too much meatyness, but a great combo). And I do know that some people don't put tomato in theirs when they make it, but ahh...it's so yummy...so I do :)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey (lean)
1 small onion
2-3 T olive oil or butter
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2-3 T Worcestershire sauce
2-3 squirts ketchup
salt to taste
2 cans green beans (or package of frozen)--I use green beans instead of peas cause I like them a WHOLE LOT better, but you could use any veggies that you have on hand.
A bunch of carrots cooked
Mashed Potatoes (I used 6 russet potatoes for a 9 X 13 pan, boiled them and then mashed them--added some butter, sour cream and salt and they are CREAMY and yummy)
Cheddar Cheese

Directions
Chop up the onion and saute in pan with butter. Add the ground beef and brown. Drain and then add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add enough worcestershire to give flavor (I kept tasting and eyeballing) and a few squirts of ketchup. Then add the green beans. Mix together and layer in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan. You could also do this in a pie plate, but I would probably half the recipe. Then add the cooked carrots on top (and any other veggies you want to add). Add the mashed potatoes on top of it and spread it out--like a cake :) Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it's warmed throughout.

This is the epitome of yummy, warm, winter, comfort food and it's great because you can really use what you have on hand. And let me tell you, I ALWAYS have crushed tomatoes on hand. I LOVE them. They are so good in pizza sauce and in almost any tomatoey recipe :) So...go make yourself some yummy shepherd's pie. It's yum, yum, yummy!

Sour Cream Chicken

When I first heard the name of this, I can tell you it didn't sound very appetizing to me. After I tasted it, though, I changed my mind. This is VERY yummy and SUPER SIMPLE (as Sandra Lee on food network would say). Grandma makes this for sunday dinner every so often and I decided to try my hand at it tonight. The longest part of this recipe is baking it--so leave yourself a good hour before you want to eat for it to bake.

Ingredients:
4 large chicken breasts (or 6-8 smaller ones)
1 sixteen oz tub of sour cream
1 1/2 packages of Ritz crackers (not boxes, the packages that come inside the boxes)
1/3 cube margarine or butter
Chicken seasoning (I used paprika, garlic salt, salt and pepper)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Put the chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 baking dish and season. Then spread the tub of sour cream over the chicken (covering it completely--it's like spreading frosting on a cake--super simple). Crush up the ritz crackers in a ziplock bag until they are very fine. Pour the crackers on top of the dish, covering all the chicken. Melt the butter and spoon over the crackers. Put in the oven for 1 hour to bake. I used frozen chicken breasts, but if you use thawed ones, you might not need to cook it for as long.

This is a very yummy dish and I definitely recommend it. It's YUMMY :)

Lasagna Rolls

This is really a fabulously yummy recipe. Mmm...if you like creamy, yummy pasta, this is one from you. I got it off Food Network from Giada De Laurentiis.

Ingredients

Bechamel Sauce
2 T butter
4 tsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk (I used half whipped cream, half skim milk--which was what I had on hand).
salt
pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Lasagna
1 container ricotta cheese (15-ounce)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups pasta sauce (red sauce)
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Make the bechamel sauce in a saucepan by melting the butter and whisking the flour in. Then whisk in the milk, a bit of salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg (yum)!!! Whisk on medium-high until thick and smooth and then pour on the bottom of your lasagna pan to cover the whole pan.

Next cook the lasagna noodles. While they are cooking mix together the ricotta, parmesan and an egg. Once the pasta is finished cooking pull them out and spread about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture along one of the noodles. Then roll up the noodle like a jelly roll and set it on top of the bechamel sauce. Continue this with all of the noodles. Pour the red sauce over the noodle rolls and top with mozzarella and a little bit of parmesan.

Bake at 450 degrees, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until bubbly. Serve with some extra pasta sauce on the side.

This was very yummy. I didn't have spinach or prosciutto as the original recipe called for, so I used a ground turkey meat red sauce. I would have loved to put the spinach in with the ricotta mixture, but I didn't have any when I was making it. Regardless, this was a fabulous dish and I would definitely make it again! Yum, yum!

Chicken Turnovers

I used to LOVE these when my mom would make them for dinner and I'm going to give them a go this week. They are really very yummy :) Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Turnovers:
6 Peppridge Farm pastry shells
4 chicken breasts (cooked--boiled)
Cream cheese with chives mixed in (4 oz)--cut in 6 pieces

Sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
1 T butter
1 1/2 T flour (might need a bit more)
1 T worstershire sauce
1 t. lemon juice
1 c. sour cream

Directions
Roll out the shells until flat (oblong circle). Spread with cream cheese. Fill with chicken. Fold in half and pinch sides together. Bake according to the pastry shell packaging directions. Top with the sauce. For the sauce combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

I'm excited to make these this week. They're one of those "childhood" dinners :) Yummers!

Cream Cheese Fondue

This one was a hit at our fondue party and is relatively inexpensive. Yum :)

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 to 1 1/2 cups light cream

Directions
In a large, heavy, non-stick skillet, sauté the garlic in the olive oil, just until tender. Add the cream cheese, and continue cooking on low heat, stirring, until the cheese is smooth and melted. Gradually stir in the cream, a little at a time, until the mixture reaches the right consistency for dipping. (It thickens as it cools.) Add the parsley, oregano and basil, and continue cooking for two or three minutes to let the herb flavors blend. Transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot. Serve with bread, veggies, crackers, shrimp, or anything you can think up.

Note: This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, but needs to have a bit more cream added to it when you heat it up again.

This fondue was a definite hit and I highly recommend it for any fondue party!

Swiss Fondue

We had a really fun fondue party the other night and made some great fondues. I think Jeremy is kind of a connosieur of fondue because he served his mission in Switzerland, but since the cheese is so expensive we decided to make one "more expensive" fondue (which is the real thing) and a couple less expensive ones. The one I'm sharing right now is the original Swiss fondue (without the alcohol--if you want to make it with white wine--sub that for the chicken stock). We like the taste better without the alcohol, so here it is. I HIGHLY recommend this one and it was well worth the pricier cheeses :)

Ingredients
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2 cups shredded Emmentaler
4 t. cornstarch
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
1 T lemon juice
nutmeg to taste
pepper to taste
1 loaf of cubed french bread

Directions
Grate the Gruyere and Emmentaler (I used my food processor and it went super fast). Mix 2 cups of each of the cheeses together and coat with 4 teaspoons of cornstarch. Then put a saucepan on the stove (or you could use your fondue pot--that would probably work even better), add the milk and chicken stock and bring it to a weak simmer (so it doesn't even get to a boil). Add the lemon juice and let it simmer. Then take a handful of the cheese mixture and add it to the pot, stirring constantly. When the cheese is almost completely melted, take another handful and stir in more cheese. Continue this process until all of the cheese is melted in the pot. Add a pinch of nutmeg and pepper to taste. Then have fun dipping your bread into this very yummy mixture! You can also dip veggies or other savory foods.

I would definitely recommend this fondue to anyone. If you like Swiss fondue, you'll love this recipe.

Homemade Pizza--a few recipes

I love homemade pizza. It really is one of my favorite things to make. In high school I would often make pans of pizza for dinner on a whim and I loved it. My high school dough recipe, though, really wasn't my favorite and since then I've come across some recipes that I like better. Who knows, maybe I'll find one even better later on, but here goes:

Pizza Crust ala: Dixie (this is Heather Whitehead's Mother-in-law's recipe and it's awesome--probably my favorite right now) You can check it out on her recipe blog "It's So Tasty Too"

Ingredients
2 cups of warm milk
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 T oil
1 T yeast
4-5 cups of flour
(this makes a DOUBLE crust--if you just want one, make sure you half it all)

Directions
Check out Heather's write-up for the "real" way to do this, but this is how I do it. I put the yeast, salt and sugar in a big bowl and then heat up the milk (until it's warm enough--you just kind of know). Add that to the mixture and stir. Then add the oil, mix and then add the flour. I do all my mixing with a wooden spoon and then my hands. Knead it for about 5 minutes until all the flour is incorporated. Break it into 2 balls and then let rise for 10-20 minutes. Toss and roll until you get the shape you want. Pizza stones work great, but if you don't have that a round or rectangular pan works great took. Prebake the crust for 5-10 minutes at 425. Then take out and put on the toppings. Back until the cheese is light brown (usually 10-15 more minutes). And there you go--amazing pizza crust :)


Another Good Crust Recipe--This is the recipe I really liked until I found Dixie's. I still like this one and might play around with it a bit to try a wheat crust...hmmm...that would be good. But here it is--unchanged and still yummy.

Ingredients
2 T yeast
1 c. warm/hot water (I just kind of fell it and know)
2 T honey
1/4 c. olive oil
3 1/2 c. flour (you might need a bit more)

Directions
Use the same process as I outlined with the crust above and you should be good to go! Yum :) Oh...and if you have leftover dough--I like to make a few cinnamon rolls. The dough is actually a lot lighter and I kind of like them better for cinnamon rolls. If you don't have cinnamon, use brown sugar and butter. They are yummy!


And now for the sauce...
Now I know that you can use Ragu or some other pasta sauce, but I like to make mine. It tastes better and is really easy. So...here you go--go make your own sauce:

Ingredients
1 big can of crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Any other good "Italian" seasoning you can think of

Directions
Put both cans of tomatoes into a saucepan and put it on medium heat. Add a bunch of diced garlic to it (you could also put the garlic in first and saute it if you want, but this is easier. Then add the seasonings. If you have an all-in-one Italian Seasoning, that's great, but you can put any other Italianish seasoning in it and stir it up. Just keep tasting it to see if you need more. Simmer it in the saucepan for 15 minutes and it will make enough for 2 pizzas. If you have extra sauce you can freeze it and use it later on pizza or I sometimes use it as pasta sauce. Yummers :) My sister-in-law Liesl with the homemade pizza we made together. Yummy!

I just love making pizza. It's a lot of fun and makes for a yummy meal. The best part is that you get to put on all your own toppings and can make it however you want--and in the amount of time it would take for delivery to arrive. So...go make pizza. It's yum!

Borsch

This is Tania's grandmother's recipe for Borsch. It is really delicious. It is also great as leftovers!

• Chunk of your choice of meat (pork, beef, rabbit, chicken, Tonia used pork)
• 1 large beet
• 2 carrots
• 4-5 potatoes
• 1/3 head of cabbage
• ½ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbs ketchup or 2 small very ripe tomatoes (over ripe)
• Some dill, paprika, or whatever spices you want to add
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Boil the chunk of meat in a large pot full of water for apx. half an hour (if the meat is on the bone that is great).
2. Peel the beet and put it into the broth and boil for another 30-60 mins, continue adding water so the pot is full when you begin to add the other vegetables.
3. As you add the vegetables keep the heat at a low simmer.
4. Take the beet out to cool but leave the meat in the whole time.
5. Add the shredded carrots and bring to a boil. (Make sure it boil's before moving on to the next step!)
6. Dice the potatoes and add them to the broth, bring to a boil.
7. Slice and crush the cabbage into small shreds, sprinkle with salt and knead to release juices and soften
8. Add to the pot and once again bring to a boil.
9. Make a paste with the onion (chopped very fine), salt and pepper to taste, garlic, dill, paprika, etc.
10. Add the onion paste to the boiling pot.
11. Add the ketchup or tomatoes, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.
12. Grate the beet and add it back in just before you are done, (the later you add it the more red your borsch will be.)
13. Bring all of the ingredients to a boil one last time then switch it off and eat it!

Homemade Gnocchi

I posted this on my blog a little while ago, but I've decided to consolidate my recipes here and if you haven't made this one, you've got to. It's fabulous--and really, homemade pasta tastes SO much better than the store-bought stuff. It's like baby's bottom goodness. YUM!

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs Russet Potatoes
1 egg
1 cup flour (white flour--the good stuff)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Start by microwaving 3 Russet Potatoes (mine were about 1 1/2 lbs) until they were soft inside. (you could also bake them, but I'm not patient enough for that). You do have to be careful microwaving potatoes though, they will explode all over. I poke holes in them and wrap them in a wet paper towel and they come out perfectly. Then scoop out all the insides and put them into a bowl (with a wet cloth on top to keep the moisture and heat in). Mash up the potatoes and then add a beaten egg and some salt and pepper and mix that all together. You could also add some rosemary at this point, or other seasoning that would be yummers (this is why I love cooking...you get to do whatever you want and make your own adaptations).

Then start adding the flour and kneed it at the same time. Keep adding flour if the dough is too sticky. This should take about 5 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Then break it into four sections and roll each section into a "snake" about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut them into gnocchi-sized pieces (that's pretty small) and then toss them into a pot of boiling, a little bit salted, water. Once the gnocchi is finished you will know because it will all float to the top of the water. Serve it immediately (yum) with your favorite sauce! I used a tomato-cream sauce (a recipe to come) and it was phenomenal! I also threw some roasted garlic into it and some parmesan cheese. Yummy!

Anyway...I highly recommend trying gnocchi. It was surprisingly easy to make and very yummy. Homemade pasta rocks :)