Gruyere Chive Popovers

These are delicious! Even though I served them for dinner, they would make a great brunch or lunch item as well. I made two batches: one of "mini" popovers, and another "regular" size. The only change is next time I plan to use more chives to balance the flavors a little more. Since I don't have a popover tin, I used my muffin tins and they turned out just fine! If you make the mini version, make sure to decrease the baking time, and enjoy!

3 cups whole milk
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) shredded Gruyere cheese, separated
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk just until bubbles form around the edges.

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, and then slowly whisk the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly so eggs don't cook. Whisk in the flour mixture just until combined, then whisk in 1 cup of the cheese and the chives.

Place the popover pan in the oven for 2 minutes to heat. Remove it and add a pat of butter to each cup. Once the butter has melted, portion the batter into the cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Top with a portion of the remaining cheese.

Bake the popovers for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF, and continue baking about 10 more minutes. (See Kelly's Notes.)

Remove the popovers from the oven and serve warm.

Gnocchi Mac 'n Cheese

This recipe is an adult take on mac 'n cheese. I loved the texture of the gnocchi with the cheesiness of the sauce. Next time I might add in some vegetables, like roasted tomatoes, kale or spinach. And, definitely more panko crumbs!

2 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic, smashed (about 2 cloves)
1 tbsp flour
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/3 cup fontina, grated
1/3 cup gruyere, grated
1/3 cup parmesan, shredded
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the gnocchi in salted, boiling water and cook until they’ve floated to the surface for a couple of minutes. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. 

Combine the gruyere and fontina, and then add the cheese by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding more. Once all the cheese is melted, taste the sauce and season it with salt and pepper. Pour sauce evenly over the gnocchi. 

In a small bowl, combine the parmesan and panko – then, sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the gnocchi. Bake the gnocchi until they puff and the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let the gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lasagna "Roll Ups"

I am not much of a lasagna person -- even though I love pasta, lasagna just doesn't do it for me. But I loved these roll-ups! They combined those wonderful flavors of cheese and tomato, with an interesting twist. And, it makes for a great weeknight meal -- not too much work, and easy to clean up! I can't wait to try it again with different variations (eggplant, spicy sausage, etc.)

8 lasagna noodles

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic

12 ounces spinach

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup burrata cheese

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 C tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a large pot of water to boiling over high heat.  When it reaches a boil, salt liberally and drop noodles.  Stir occasionally and cook to just al dente, approximately 10 minutes.  You want to leave them slightly more firm since you'll be baking the pasta.  Drain noodles and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach and sautee until wilted.  

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg.  Add ricotta, Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray.  To assemble, on a drained noodle, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture.  Top with a spoonful of spinach and roll up.  Place seam side down in pan.  Continue until you've used all the noodles.  Top each with with burrata and tomato sauce.  Bake approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Roasted Beets and Sweet Potatoes

Whenever summer begins to end, I always crave the flavors of fall. So when I found this recipe for beets and sweet potatoes, it seemed like a perfect side for dinner. The colors of the beets and potatoes are vibrant! And the seasonings only enhance the natural flavors of the vegetables, so it isn't too overwhelming. This is definitely a recipe that I will make again!

6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks

3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large onion, chopped

2 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t garlic powder
1 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
1 t sugar

Preheat oven to 400*.

In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and seasonings in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil and seasoning mixture.

Bake the beets 15 minutes. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

Banana Spice Muffins

I always have extra bananas in the house -- mostly because I buy bananas almost every week, but we never manage to eat them fast enough! So, I end up freezing them -- but now I have a freezer FULL of bananas! And the perfect use for extra bananas is to make a batch of muffins. This recipe has a great banana taste, with a little bit of spice. They are great "on the go" breakfasts, or a mid-morning snack.

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t ground allspice
1 t ground ginger
1 C mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
2/3 C low-fat milk
1/3 C low-fat buttermilk
1/3 C ligt ricotta cheese
2 T vegetable oil
1 T vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 egg
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400*.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the mix. Combine banana and next 7 ingredients (banana through egg) in a bowl, and add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on a wire rack.

Asian Marinated Flank Steak with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

This was a really interesting twist on a typical "meat and potatoes" dinner. The marinade in particular was really good-- a little spicy, a little savory, with a hint of ginger! Especially after broiling the steak, it almost had a Korean BBQ taste. The mashed potatoes had a nice hint of wasabi, but I think next time I will add even more to make sure it really stands out!

1 1/4 pounds flank steak
1/4 C soy sauce
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 T Sriracha
1 T honey
1 t sliced fresh ginger
3 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 C skim milk
1/2 C nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 t ground ginger
1 t wasabi paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, honey, and fresh ginger in a ziplock freezer bag. Close the bag and turn it to coat the steak with the marinade. Marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water. Cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain fully and return to pot. Pour in the milk and mash until smooth. Gently fold in the yogurt and add the ground ginger, wasabi paste, and salt.

Meanwhile boil the steak on high for 3-5 minutes on each side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice steak into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Tomato and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

This was a great one-dish meal -- perfect for the weekend lunch, or a weeknight meal. I loved all the vegetables -- they really made the dish lighter, and not too thick. This has just the right amount of cheese!

3 C broccoli florets
1 C grape or cherry tomatoes
8 ounces uncooked penne (or pasta of your choice)
1 T butter
1 1/2 T all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C non-fat milk
1 C reduced-fat cheddar, shredded
1/4 C thinly sliced green onions
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Preheat oven 350*.

Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Pat dry, and keep warm.

Place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to blister.

Cook pasta in boiling water in a large pot for 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels, then return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat.

Add cheese, stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Combine with broccoli and pasta.

Add all ingredients to a large baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden-brown on top.