Spring is Here: The Dutch

Spring is finally here! We met up with our friends and went to at the Dutch in Soho. I was feelin' extra hungry and went with the fried chicken. I can't turn down a biscuit.
Feeling extra springy we also opted for some Rose wine to celebrate the season!

Chicken stuffed with feta and oregano

• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  

1. 
   Directions:

2. In a small bowl, combine feta and oregano. Make a pocket in chicken breasts:  make an incision in thicker side of each breast with a paring knife. Stuff pockets with feta mixture, dividing evenly; generously season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.

3. 
   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until browned on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes per side.

4. 
   Cover skillet, and continue cooking until isn't pink.

5. 
   Add butter to the skillet stirring up brown bits with a wooden spoon until reduced slightly. Reduce the heat to low, and swirl pan until butter is melted, and sauce is slightly thickened. Serve chicken drizzled with sauce.

I served it wit carrots and full mashed potatoes

Homemade Gnocchi with a Wild Mushroom and Gorganzola Sauce

Who owns a potato ricer?

This is what I asked myself after going through many recipes for homemade gnocchi which usually call for the peeled potatoes to go through a ricer. I decided to try to use my good ol' fashioned grater and see if I could get the job done.

Ingredients for the gnocchi:

2 pounds Yukon potatoes

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten.

Ingredients for the Gorgonzola mushroom sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup homemade or store bought vegetable stock

4 ounces of Gorgonzola cheese

1 pinch of nutmeg

Coarse salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces of fresh mushrooms, cremini and portobello work best

Directions to make gnocchi

1. Preheat oven to 499 degrees. Prick all potatoes all over with a fork and place them on a baking sheet to bake for 45min to 1 hr. Halfway through bake time, shake the pan or turn the potatoes over.

2. After the potatoes cool, peel the skin off lightly to not mush the potatoes

Grate them through the largest holes of a grater into a large bowl. 

3. Add lightly beaten egg and salt to the potatoes and mix well with a large spoon.

4. Add the flour a little at a time, using just enough to where your hands don't stick. After the flour has been added, bring the dough together with your fingers.

5. Put the dough on a floured surface. Knead dough by pressing down with the heel of your hand, fold over, make a quarter turn, repeat for 3 or 4 minutes. Just like making bread!

6. Form the dough into a ball then divide into 6 smaller balls. Roll out the balls individually into long ropes- about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch pieces.

7. Traditional gnocchi has ridges so get out your fork and start marking the sides. I'm pretty sure I didn't do it right but they look pretty cute.

8.place the gnocchi onto a floured parchment dish. If you want to freeze them later, put the dish into a freezer bag where they won't all stick together

9. To cook gnocchi, boil water with salt. Place gnocchi in and they should rise. Leave them for one minute and remove.

To make the sauce:

1. Bring cream and stock to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce heat and let mixture thicken for about 10 minutes. Add Gorgonzola, stir until melted. Season with pepper and salt. Remove from heat and cover.

2. Remove the stem from mushrooms and coarsely chop. Heat oil on a large skilled over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and cook, stir occasionally for about 4 minutes. Add gnocchi, cook and stir gently until heated through. Pour cheese sauce over gnocchi and toss to coat evenly. 

Serve immediately!

Grape and Vine

Grabbed a drink and mushroom pizza at Grape and Vine in the Sage hotel. It's a new hotel in Greenwich Village. Great new spot!

The Jade Hotel

52 W 13th street 

Savore, Soho

My mom is in New York for the weekend and along with the museum trips and walking to every far off destination, my mom has an eye for a good restaurant. She always makes me try new restaurants and break away from my West Village regular spots. Yesterday we stopped into a new restaurant for me called Savore in Soho. It was a pleasant surprise! Super Italian- they even have the girl who tempts you with free pizza outside... 

                      Fried artichoke 

Pappardelle with mushrooms and melted pecorino cheese

 Asparagus Tagliatelle with Canadian         crab meat.

Savore: 200 spring street New York, NY 

Shake Shack

People have said Shake Shack rivals In and Out and I didn't believe it until now. Wow!

Before:

After:

Multiple locations in New York City

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ever since I graded my thumb open trying to make a key-lime pie, I've never been keen on baking pies. I wanted to try it out once more to test my skills. Cheesecake really isn't that hard to make, just follow a recipe and viola!

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch (6 ounces) graham cracker crumb crust: Directions for this below.
• 2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can)Evaporated Fat Free Milk
• 1 package (8 ounces) fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups halved fresh strawberries
• 3 tablespoons strawberry jelly, warmed

 

preheat oven to 325° F.

place evaporated milk, cream cheese, egg, sugar, flour and lemon peel in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into crust. 

BAKE for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Arrange strawberries on top of pie; drizzle with jelly. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.  

 

Graham Cracker Crust

ingredients:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/3 cup butter  

To make the graham cracker crust,combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 I didn't want to buy the springform pan so I used a normal one. For best results, I would use the springform for easy serving.