Pillowy Ricotta Gnudi, by Cheryl

I was looking for a ricotta recipe that wasn't lasagna and came across this! I don't know what I was thinking this would be except a big ball of gooey warm cheese, but that's exactly what it is. I made it with a butter sage sauce, which was good, but I think a marinara sauce like the recipe stated would be better. These would be great on some doughy pieces of bread! I liked it a lot, but it's not for dinner. Maybe an appetizer? I'm still not sure how I feel about it. And I have about 12 balls leftover. Yum? 

Ingredients: 

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

30 oz ricotta cheese, (1 large container, or two small)

2 large eggs

1.5 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups all purpose flour, divided

Sauce: 3 cups marinara sauce or butter with sage

Directions: 

1) Place Parmesan cheese in large bowl with the ricotta cheese. Add two large eggs, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Add 1 cup flour and stir until just combined.

2) Dust a rimmed baking sheet with 1/2 flour. Scoop out a golf ball size gnudi and place them on the sheet. You may have around 35 balls. Sprinkle the top with the other 1/2 cup flour. Place is refrigerator for 20 minutes. 

3) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

4) Gently place the gnudi one by one into the boiling water without overcrowding. Boil until the gnudi float and are firm to the touch, about 3-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the gnudi to the serving bowls.

5) Spoon the sauce over the gnudi. Garnish with chopped basil. 

Easy Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad, by Cheryl

Ooh it's been a hot minute since I've been on here! But I just had to make this new shrimp and avocado salad and I'm so happy I did! I've already made it twice in one week. It's so light and refreshing... perfect for a summer lunch or snack! Super flavorful, healthy, and quick! Yum!

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb cooked jumbo shrimp, chopped

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium avocado, diced (I used two)

1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions: 

1) In a small bowl, combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside at least 5 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, combine chopped shrimp, avocado, tomato, and jalapeno

3) Combine all of the ingredients together, add cilantro, and gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. 

Sheet Pan Za’atar Chicken & Veggies, by Cheryl

I wasn't sure how everyone would love the spices in this chicken dish, but it was SO good! We gobbled it up and the flavor was amazing. I would definitely make this again as it was pretty easy and quick to prepare. YUM!

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 tbsp za'atar 

2 tsp sumac

1 tsp sweet paprika

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 lemons, juiced

extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup

Chicken & Veggies:

5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces (I used red potatoes, cut in half)

5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and cut into thick half moons

salt and pepper

8 bone in, skin on, chicken thighs and drumsticks

Directions: 

1) Preheat the oven to 425.

2) Make the garlic za'atar sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. 

3) Arrange the veggies on a large sheet pan and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 3-4 tbsp of sauce over the veggies and mix well with your hands so they're coated. Spread them without overlapping.

4) Pat the chicken dry and loosen the skin by gently sliding beneath the skin with your finger, separating the skin and the meat. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides and underneath the skins. Season underneath the skins with the sauce. 

5) Nestle the chicken into the veggies. Drizzle any remaining sauce on top of the chicken pieces. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake for another 30 minutes or until the skin starts to brown and crisp. 

6) Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Girl Dinners, by Diane

 

I have been so into girl dinners/lunches, the idea of throwing a bunch of snacks on a plate as a meal. It's so freakin easy and can be planned or clean out the fridge at the end of the week. I'm posting this as a recipe because I feel like I've nailed the key to making these successful- make them visually pleasing and make sure you have a rough macro formula so they are actually filling. 

Here's the formula and some ideas:

Healthy fats (to keep you full)- think olives of all kinds, hummus, nut butters, and dips with olive oils or greek yogurt

Proteins (also to keep you full)- think rolled lunch meat, soft/hard boiled eggs with toppings (I love chili oil or everything bagel seasoning), turkey pepperoni

Snack items: different cheeses, crackers

Veggies: different colors look more pleasing, I love raw rainbow carrots and rainbow peppers or snap peas and celery, raw broccoli, or could be leftover roasted veggies if on hand

Fruits: my faves are apple slices with baking spice, or a rainbow medley of berries

Sweets: dark chocolate pieces or honey for the cheeses

And finally, for presentation which honestly makes me look forward to these, add a variety of colors and textures, a small cute bowl in the center for your dips, and arrange everything in a circle. Make sure you have at least 4 things on your plate so your brain feels like it has a lot of choices. YUM.