I started a new job last week which I’m absolutely loving. Problem is, I forgot how exhausting a new job is — Having your mind ON constantly to absorb everything, meeting a million new people and trying to remember their names, figuring out what in the world you’re doing. Throw in the fact that in general, my new job is far more demanding than my last job, I’m trying to figure out a balance between life and work.
We love gnocchi especially for a quick & easy weeknight dinner! Homemade is definitely better, but there is some good shelf-stable gnocchi out there which is super handy to have on hand since gnocchi boils in about 2 minutes. This recipe is our go to favorite. We eat it without spinach too if I don’t have any. I’ve tried it with peas which is okay but the spinach is definitely better. Garlicky goodness.
Garlic Chicken & Spinach Gnocchi
1 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (17.5-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi
2 large cloves garlic, minced (~1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 – 3/4 cup chopped spinach
Cook the gnocchi according to directions. Meanwhile, heat ~1 teaspoon of olive oil and add diced chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned. Add minced garlic and cook until softened & fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add remaining olive oil (~2 teaspoons), butter, drained gnocchi, salt & pepper. Cook until gnocchi are golden brown on the bottoms. Use a spatula to flip the gnocchi. Add the spinach, tossing frequently, until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Hubby is a flight instructor which means he’s always got a flow of students coming & going. Most are local but sometimes he gets international students. Recently, he had two students from France who were here for six weeks. We gladly took the opportunity to show them some good old Texas / Southern cuisine, which included cornbread. We couldn’t let them leave without trying cornbread because it really is just fabulous. I love love love sweet cornbread.
I already have a go-to cornbread recipe that took me a couple years to find so I didn’t go into this one expecting too much. But not surprisingly, I really enjoyed this recipe. Hubby is anti-corn in this cornbread so I usually make it without but followed the recipe this time and included some fresh corn which adds a bit of extra sweetness. These are perfectly sweet and buttery tasting. I usually like a little extra butter slathered on my cornbread but did without for these. 
The recipe says it yields 2 dozen muffins, but I got 2.5 dozen out of mine.
Head over to Amanda’s blog, Fake Ginger, for the full recipe. Thanks Amanda for a great choice!
This week was my turn to host Project Pastry Queen. Its hard choosing a recipe from a cookbook where every recipe looks and sounds fantastic, especially as we continue to try more recipes and learn that Rebecca’s recipes are in fact just as tasty as they look and sound! There are some caramel brownies in the cookbook that I am dying to make but the end of summer is approaching (wishful thinking?), so I decided to make a practical recipe choice — Watermelon Lemonade. Locating watermelon in a few months will be tricky so I figured now would be a good time to try this one out!
I honestly didn’t read the recipe until after I picked it out. I assumed there would be watermelon puree but there’s not. Its basically a regular lemonade recipe with lots of chunks of fruit although the watermelon does break down the longer it sits! I served it immediately and ended up loading up my glass with at least 1/2 cup of watermelon and eating/sipping my lemonade with a spoon! Its delicious… a perfect summer beverage!!
Watermelon Lemonade
Yields: 12 servings
Sugar Syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
Lemonade:
2 cups water
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 cups ice cubes
2 cups diced watermelon
Mixed diced fruit of your choice (such as apples, pears or strawberries)
1 orange, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
1 lemon, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
1 lime, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
To make sugar syrup: Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and boil for 10 minutes. If you are planning to make the lemonade immediately, place 2 cups of the sugar water in the freezer or refrigerator while you do the rest of the prep. (The recipe makes about 2 cups syrup. When stored in a tightly sealed glass jar, sugar syrup keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator).
To make the lemonade: Mix 2 cups of sugar syrup, watermelon, lemon juice, and lime juice in a big bowl or pitcher. Add the ice cubes, diced watermelon and other fruit. Add the orange, lemon, and lime rounds. Stir well and chill until icy cold.
Source: The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather
