Squash and Gnocchi 'Mac' and Cheese

I got the idea to make this dish after trying this recipe for Gnocchi Mac and Cheese.  It was super good, and easy to make, but I like to add vegetables to everything I can and I thought squash would be a great additive to this dish.  I also added a bit of spice in the form of paprika and cayenne and I used a smoky Gouda cheese.  It turned out so well!  The squash blended in so nicely and added some colour to the dish.  Unfortunately the lighting in my house is terrible for taking food pictures, so this pic doesn't do it justice.  But trust me, in real life...yum.

Squash and Gnocchi Mac and Cheese

1/2 a large Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed

1 tbsp olive oil (or other cooking oil)

1 pound of fresh Gnocchi

2 tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp flour

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.  Put the squash into a 9x9 pan and coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.  (I like a lot of pepper, but season to your tastes.)  Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked.

Cook Gnocchi according to package directions, drain, and set aside.  Melt butter over medium heat, add in garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.  Whisk in flour until it bubbles.  Add milk and whisk constantly for about 3 minutes or until it begins to thicken.  Stir in the Gouda cheese until melted.  Season with cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper.  

Mix the Gnocchi in with squash and then pour the cheese sauce over top.  Top with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake for another 20 minutes, until top is golden and cheese is bubbly.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Hearty Salmon Vegetable Chowder

This chowder just amazes me.  I have been making it for years and will never, ever tire of it.  It's a bowl of pure deliciousness; hearty vegetables and salmon in a creamy broth.  So good.  When I first began making this chowder I would omit the zucchini, because for some odd reason I thought I hated zucchini.  Crazy, now I love it and cook with it all the time!  And I don't always use green pepper, any colour will do, I actually like using red because it stands out more in the soup.  I'm sure other vegetables could be used in this as well, like finely chopped cauliflower, but I love it just the way it is and don't want to mess with a good thing.  

This soup doesn't take long to make cooking-wise, but there is a lot of chopping involved.  I start off by chopping everything except for the zucchini and parsley.  Then once the other vegetables are cooking I chop up those two.  All the chopping is definitely worth it though, because it's a wonderful, filling soup and I can't get enough of it!

 

Hearty Salmon Chowder

1 can salmon, drained and flaked 

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 large potatoes, cut into small cubes (about 3 cups) 

2 medium carrots, diced

1 cup each of chicken broth and water

1 zucchini, diced

1 14 oz. can of evaporated milk

1 14 oz. can of cream style corn

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

ground black pepper, to taste

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat.  Cook onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the potatoes, carrots, broth, and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.  

Add the zucchini, stir, and continue simmering for 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Add the salmon, evaporated milk, corn, parsley, and pepper.  Cook until heated through and then serve and enjoy!

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

These are simply amazing!  I made them last night and could not believe how chocolatey and delicious they were.  And there isn't even any sugar in them.  They take about 5 minutes in total to make too, so very easy to whip some up when you are craving some chocolate.  I don't ever eat dates, and really don't like date squares, so I was worried that these would taste too much like dates for me.  But all I could taste was chocolate.  I did add a bit of sugar to these ones because I threw in some mini white chocolate chips that I had (about 3 tablespoons) and I dusted icing sugar over them to make them look pretty.  But I had tasted them before adding those 2 ingredients and they were just as delicious, so if you want sugar-free, vegan truffles they will still taste good!  The next time I make these I am definitely doubling the recipe because they are just that good.  This recipe makes about 20 balls.

Healthy Chocolate Truffles

1 cup sweet dates
1/2 cup pecans (walnuts would probably work too)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of salt
Optional: chocolate chips and/or icing sugar

Mix all the ingredients (except icing sugar, if using) in a food processor until dates are finely chopped.  Shape into small, bite-sized balls.  Dust with icing sugar.  Enjoy!