Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 412

moments 4.19.16.

someone got a haircut! cue all the emotions.

Tuesday Things.

1. If you take a look at the Tuesday Things category, you’ll notice the realness of my current tulip obsession. It’s embarrassing. I swear I have a life. (maybe.) I just cut ones out of my yard!

2. GUYS. Bubble tea oatmeal. Is this real life.

3. Did you get anything from the Target Marimekko release? I did not, but I’m in love with some of the outdoor things! And we’ve wanted one of those tables with the fire in the middle (I mean, I want a Restoration Hardware one, but tell me, do I need to be that much of a brat?) so tell me about them please.

4. My serious question of the day is: do they not put a resealable zipper-like thing on Snap Pea Crisps because they know that every normal person is eating the bag in one sitting? Not me though. Noooooo.

5. On being hard on yourself. I am so guilty of this (half personality, half defense mechanism, I think) and should read it everyday.

6. Did you watch GIRLS? Ummm I loved it. Like loved it so much that I’m not sure I’ve ever loved an episode this much. I usually watch for the trainwreck and with extreme annoyance but I thought these episodes were so good. I was of the belief that there was NOTHING Hannah could do to redeem herself annnnnd… she kind of did. Also that Adam and Jessa stuff. Holy crap.

7. Terrible habit I’m currently doing: lying in bed at night and reading all those hilarious instagram accounts, like texts from your ex and funny texts your mom says and all that stuff and seriously LAUGHING so hard and loud that I wake Eddie up. But I can’t stop.

8. I might tell you this story soon about how a hologram purse has reinspired me and helped me find myself again. It’s probably super first world but it’s also changing my life.

Kale Caesar Salad Pizza on Parmesan Crust.

I have this thing about pizza and salad.

This thing, as in, I’m completely crazy about it.

And I always have been.

Even when I really couldn’t stand vegetables, back in the early days when I was trying to eat them regularly, I loooooved salad with pizza.

And I bet we all know why!

THE DRESSING.

If you ever look at my salad recipes, you’ll notice they certainly are not lacking in the homemade dressing department. I’ve never really cared for any sort of bottled dressing, which I believe also contributed to my lackluster salad love in the early days. Because not only did I not want the veggies, I couldn’t even find something that I loved to go on top! Whomp whomp.

Sometimes I’d make do with a bottled balsamic or oil and vinegar blend (Newman’s Own and DeLallo’s sweet Italian are both ones I enjoy) but it wasn’t until I started making my own vinaigrettes that I started to seriously enjoy salads. What can I say… I’m a vinegar freak.

However. The dressing always mattered when it came to pizza + salad for dipping purposes. Right? RIGHT.

Here’s the other thing. You might think I’m totally crazy but I would never, never ever ever dip my pizza crust in ranch dressing. I would never put real ranch dressing ON my pizza either. No drizzle.

Do you?? I bet you totally do.

I know it’s a favorite, I even get it. I’m sure it tastes good. But ranch dressing is just something that I don’t love (I sort of like homemade avocado ranch, but that’s about it) and the thought of dragging my crust through a ranch river is just… no.

Instead, I want to drag it through an Italian blend river or some sort of delicious briney, vinegar based dressing. I want to soak the crust in that and pile salad on top.

So I did it!

As usual thought, as typically basic as you can imagine, I have an exception.

Caesar dressing is the one creamy dressing I can get behind. Especially this greek yogurt version that’s a major staple in our house. I’m talking WEEKLY. We use this dressing constantly, if not every week, certainly a few times per month.

Eddie requests a kale Caesar all the time, and a kale Caesar isn’t completely without some croutons. So I put said kale Caesar on top of one giant crouton!

It’s not as plain and boring as it looks, I swear. Eddie walked in the door and was like… soooo it’s just salad on crust?

Well, no. But yes. Kind of.

Parmesan pizza crust that is crunchy on the outsides but a little chewy and fluffy on the inside. Drizzled with garlic butter, sprinkle with parm and piled high with kale salad. Lots of cheese shavings and a few extra breadcrumbs, just in case you like to eat bread with your bread. Raise your hand if you do!

Kale Caesar Salad Pizza









Ingredients:

crust

1 1/8 cups warm water
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 garlic cloves, minced
extra parmesan for sprinkling

kale salad

1 head of kale, stems removed (about 4 to 6 cups)
1 stalk of romaine lettuce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons greek yogurt
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil



Directions:

crust

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 2 1/2 cups flour, the parmesan and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 1/2 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Using a rolling pin or your hands, form it into your desired shape (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas - this specific dough will yield one pizza large enough to feed about 3-4 people) and place on a baking sheet or pizza peel. Place the towel back over the dough and let sit in the warm place for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. (If I use my pizza stone, I heat my oven to 475 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. If you're just using a baking sheet, follow the directions below for baking and set to 425 degrees.) Brush the dough with extra olive oil and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven. In a bowl stir the melted butter with the garlic cloves and brush it on the crust. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

kale salad

Add the kale in a large bowl. Chop the stalk of romaine and set it off to the side.

To make the dressing, add the garlic, yogurt, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until pureed. With the processor still on, stream in the olive oil until a creamy dressing forms. [This will make more dressing than needed, but you can store it sealed in the fridge for about 3-4 days and stir well before using.]

Add about 1/4 cup of the dressing on the kale and toss well to distribute. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Toss in the romaine.  Add a touch more dressing if desired.

Deffffinitely health food.

a brunchshop weekend!

BRUNCHSHOP WAS SO MUCH FUN!

My mind is blown that it’s already over. We had the most lovely morning and there is nothing like spending time with other creatives who just… GET it.

12 people for the workshop was PERFECT. It was intimate enough to get to know one another, spend some one-on-one time chatting about blogs and business and entrepreneurship and not feel overwhelmed.

In a nutshell, we spent the morning talking about finding your own genuine style and branding yourself, determining your passion and how to use blogging as a launchpad, building an engaged audience and getting through creative ruts along with creating content that inspires.

The DeLallo space was so ideal for this event. You’ve seen the kitchen before in the videos I’ve done with DeLallo and it is super open, bright and a food photographer’s (or kitchen lover’s) dream.

We had the most delicious yogurt parfait bar with yogurt from Naturi and tons of granola from my friend Nicole at Blissful Eats. Guys, I haven’t even told you about this yogurt yet but it’s a local Pittsburgh company, it’s grass fed and it’s RIDICULOUSLY delicious.

Also, they have a coffee flavor. I cannot. It’s to die for. (P.S. so is the lemon. so is the pure!)

I’ve raved about Nicole’s granola now (it’s what I used on this oatmeal latte) and it’s definitely the kind that you never want to stop eating. After we had our podcast interview, she was so generous and sent us tons of granola for brunchshop. Such a hit.

Also, obviously, tons of croissants and muffins (um, hi, peanut butter filled chocolate) and delicious pastries from the bakery in DeLallo and champagne and mimosas galore.

After I rambled for what seemed like a billion hours (god I’m so wordy), we had an avocado toast bar (yes, with my favorite ever tangy peppers, ah!) and a style-your-own cheeseboard bar for practice, tips and of course, well, eating.

I was so super spazzed about brunchshop and had to keep reminding myself that it was only four hours. FOUR. I knew it would go quickly but wasn’t prepared just for how quickly our time together went. It flew.

I’ll definitely hire a photographer next time (!!!) because our group was just so… enagaged and wonderful and BUSY chatting and learning and sharing and asking that the conversation flowed and I didn’t even notice anyone on their phones. Four hours is a short time to talk about turning your dreams into reality, and while I should have figured out the photo issue before we began so I could better document this, knowing that those four hours were chock full of valuable info, sharing ideas and being real about what it takes makes me so happy.

[I do have to give a HUGE shoutout to Alexa, who did run around and take almost all of the photos in this post and so graciously is allowing me to use them.]

I just told Eddie tonight – this weekend re-energized me. It’s no secret that I really love my job, am insanely passionate about what I do everyday and feel so lucky to do it. But I’ve struggled with finding a working balance since having Max. I’m so flawed with the all-or-nothing attitude and it’s been a change to not be able to “literally” give my ALL to just this one thing anymore. You know?

Sharing the things I’m most passionate about with a group of people who is equally as passionate? It’s fabulous. So stay tuned… there will be more!

[Super gigantic thanks to DeLallo for allowing us to use their incredible space, I heart them and all of their food. You can find them on instagram, facebook and snapchat at delallofoods. You can find Naturi on instagram and facebook, as well as Blissful Eats on instagram and facebook too!]

Currently Crushing On.

{via}

HI!

I’ll keep this short and sweet since it’s BRUNCHSHOP DAY! *throws confetti* If you want to follow along with the festivities, join in on instagram, snapchat and/or facebook. (P.S. you can also follow Alexa on those as well, as she will be giving lots of behind the scenes sneak peeks.)

It’s been a highly caffeinated week. How was yours? What are you doing this fine weekend?

Peek at my favorites on the internet below and as always, thank you so, so much for your support. Major hearts.

could there BE anything more fun than peanut butter and jelly bread pudding? i think not.

i’m sorry to do this to you, but… fried chicken grilled cheese.

marzipan stuffed almond sugar cookies. these sound SO freaking good.

how adorable is this post of the first year of marriage? I LOVE IT.

this potato pizza with kale pesto sounds ridiculously dreamy.

what i wouldn’t give for a vegan raspberry coconut scone. the combo sounds fab.

tequila + kahlua is all i need to know.

ummmmm guys. DIY fairy bread sprinkles. way way way too adorable.

chopped salad with spiced chickpeas – it’s on the menu this week!

is this real life? is real.

everyone needs a pina colada blondie.

annnnd let’s finish off the weekend with some peanut butter rice krispie treat ice cream pie. as if.

Almond Butter Roasted Banana Bread.

There is a time and place for banana bread, amiright?

Lucky for us, that time and place is NOW.

Hiiiii. It’s Friday! We made it. How are things? What’s new?

I’m super excited because tomorrow is our first official BRUNCHSHOP(!!!) and besides losing my brain all week (it’s definitely why I’ve been MIA on instagram and snapchat), I can hardly wait for the fun we have planned.

Let’s be real: is there ever a bad time for banana bread?

The only bad time in our house is when we don’t feel like eating an entire loaf in one evening, which is ummmm…. never. We always end up eating the entire thing. One little slice here, one little bite here, toast a piece after dinner, have a taste as a pre-breakfast snack, you know. All those things. 24 hours and it’s gone.

Before I know it, there is a crumb covered empty loaf pan sitting on the counter.

Banana bread has no hope for a lasting existence here. And I don’t hate it.

This banana bread is totally PACKED with flavor. Packed with lots of good things. Good things for us!

First up, I used olive oil instead of butter or coconut oil. Health food right there.

Second, I used lots of almond butter. Remember when I used to abhor almond butter? I wasn’t a fan at all and then I was introduced to Justin’s. Now I actually LIKE almond butter enough to put it in my banana bread.

I’m so glad that it’s been a part of my personal growth.

Third, almond flour. Yes! I added some in because I love the texture that it adds to baked goods. This isn’t gluten-free (however there are tonnsssss of gluten free banana breads on the internet. Truth.) but I wanted to add a touch more almond anyway.

And finally… I roasted the bananas. I freaking roasted them. I have no idea how I went all these years without roasting them for bread. Or at least caramelizing them in some way since “caramelize” is practically my middle name. Caramelize your life, friends!

Roasting the bananas took just a few minutes and you need to preheat the oven anyway, so it’s no bigs. They are so super sweet and wonderful, I don’t know if I can ever make banana bread another way now.

Ha. Hahahahaha.

That’s a complete lie because I am always looking for the next best banana bread. I am a hopeless millennial who will never be satisfied with the best version of whatever I have, but that only means good things. MORE BANANA BREAD FOR EVERYONE.

Almond Butter Roasted Banana Bread

Yield: makes one 9x5-inch loaf

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

4 medium bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond butter



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Place the bananas on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, until they are black. Let cool slightly. Once cool, mash with a fork.

While the bananas are roasting, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, yogurt, olive oil and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add in the bananas and almond butter. Stir until the mixture just comes together. Pour it into the loaf pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the outside is golden and the center is set.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Apologies in advance for your whole loaf consumption.

Amaretto Bourbon Punch.

Can you tell how badly I have SUN on the brain?!

I am ready.

I am ready to sit in the driveway and sip boozy punch. I am ready to throw cherries in my cocktails and feel good about it since I get a serving of fruit. I am ready to cheers these pink glasses at 6PM (okay, 4PM) on a Thursday while grilling pizza. And I hate cheers-ing.

AND.

I might have went a little overboard and starting planning some Kentucky Derby-like cocktail ideas a month early, but it’s never too early to throw a party for about 63 seconds, right?

I’m a huge huge huge fan of amaretto. Huge. An amaretto sour was the first “real” drink I had in an actual bar when I was in college – something other that watery beer in a pitcher and Malibu rum in our dorm room.

Sidenote: we couldn’t even keep an unlit coconut scented candle in our room without wanting to die after the Malibu evening. Whoops.

Eddie probably likes amaretto – as long as he doesn’t know that it’s amaretto – but he definitely doesn’t like bourbon or whiskey or anything of the sort. Two years ago when he went to the Derby, he tried to drink a mint julep and just couldn’t do it. His cocktails of choice usually include lots of fruit juice, rum, lime and umbrellas and I’m not even joking.

In fact, if there is an umbrella involved he almost will love it for sure.

Because of that, I threw a little tropical taste in here in hopes of maybe getting him to taste it. You may have noticed that I’ve been sharing more of my favorite cocktail recipes since the new year began and I just have to say that making a pitcher of a delicious drink is near impossible when you are the only one in your home that wants to sip it.

It’s fun until it’s not!

In those cases we do something delicious called GRANITAS. Boozy, lovely granitas. Just a (non-drunk) tip.

This punch works for everything, I am declaring in a very biased manner. It’s perfect for spring, summer, Mother’s day and all sorts of gatherings that you want to have that may or may not include pizza and brownies or salad and potato chips.

This drink looks pink, but it’s not super pink – I used some cherry juice in the bottom of the glasses, but the glasses themselves are pink! Therefore I want to drink everything out of them everyday forever and ever.

We will start with amaretto punch though, and go from there.

Amaretto Bourbon Punch

Yield: serves about 6

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups bourbon
2 cups ginger ale
1 cup amaretto
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice, plus extra for the glasses
maraschino cherries, for topping
orange juice for garnish



Directions:

Combine the bourbon, ginger ale, amaretto, simple syrup, lime juice, orange juice and cherry juice together and stir. (At this point I would taste and adjust for any sweetness - you might want more amaretto, more bourbon or more syrup depending on your preferences!)

Fill a glass with crushed ice and add a few drops of cherry juice. Pour the punch over the ice and garnish with cherries and orange slices!

Note: simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar. 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar heated until boiling, whisk until the sugar dissolves, and let cool to room temp!

I still cheers you because you’re my fave.

Greek Marinated Flank Steak and My Favorite Party Hummus Plate .

How much flavor can we pack into one plate?

THIS MUCH.

As I’m writing this post, I’m actually feeling waves of sadness that this dish is not in front of my face at the moment. That’s how special it is.

Soooo. Anytime I’m ordering greek-style food or greek inspired dishes, you’re ALWAYS going to find me going for the app plate. The hummus plate, the Mediterranean platter, whatever it may be, I want tastes of everything.

That’s not unusual with most cuisines. I always want tastes of everything. I not-so-secretly might be the millennial that orders four dishes just to taste and share. But with greek food, there are so many delicious dips and dippers and OLIVES!! and roasted peppers and cheese. It’s like my pickled and brine-loving brain died and went heaven.

If heaven was sprinkled with feta and olive oil and lemon.

To say that I’ve exhausted this marinade would be an understatement. It’s originally from my cookbook and I’ve used it on chicken and pork and shrimp. Additionally, this salad? You have GOT to be tired of seeing it. I’m always tired of seeing it until I taste it and then I’m like, why am I not making this every single day?! The flavor is unreal and potent. It makes me care about veggies and actually do ridiculous things like crave them.

That so rarely happens. You know this.

Because no matter what it takes, no matter how many days I force myself to eat vegetables in a row so I love them, they will never be my number one authentic choice. They might be my number one I’m-feeling-smart-today choice. But real life choice? No.

I feel like this is the third time I’m saying it in a week (and perhaps the 310th on this blog) but don’t freak over the ingredient list! It’s long, but it contains a lot of the same ingredients for separate parts (e.g. dill for the dressing, dill for the tzatziki) and everything makes it win together. This is a huuuuge platter and I certainly don’t expect you to make this for dinner on a random Wednesday, but I hope that it serves as inspiration for more mini hummus platters in your very near future.

And the steak should be made all the time, period. Because after throwing this plate together I discovered my very real and very weird love for flank steak strips dipped in hummus. What the what? No, I’m definitely not pregnant and yes, you should try it ASAP. Face smash explosion is the only way to describe it.

Greek Marinated Flank Steak and My Favorite Hummus Plate

Yield: serves 4 to 6 (or more, depending on how many appetizers you have!)

Ingredients:

marinated flank steak

2 pound flank steak
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

for the plate

2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, some sliced if desired
6 ounces feta cheese
your favorite hummus (mine is from jerusalum), plus extra chickpeas
artichoke hearts (current faves are these grilled ones)
roasted red peppers
pita bread
lemon wedges

quick tzatziki

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 seedless cucumber, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



Directions:

Place the flank steak in a baking dish and season with salt and pepper.In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, dill and oregano. Continue to whisk while streaming in the olive oil. Cover the flank steak with half of the dressing.  Let marinate at least 4 to 6 hours, or even overnight. When ready to cook, you can sear it in a cast iron skillet (I do about 5 minutes per side) or you can place the flank steak directly on a preheated grill. If it's about 1-inch thick, grill for 5 to 6 minutes per side to still have some pink in the steak. When you remove the steak from the grill, let it rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, slice the steak against the grain in to super thin strips.

In a large bowl, combine the shallots, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and half of the feta. Pour the rest of the dressing over top and let the mixture marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. It's SO delicious the longer it sits!

Arrange your platter with the hummus in the center and spoonfuls of the marinated salad, the flank steak strips, peppers, artichokes, extra feta chunks, pita bread, tzatziki bowl and lemon wedges. Devour!

quick tzatziki

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until combined. You can leave this as chunky or as smooth as you'd like!

Waist deep in hummus. That’s the way to be.

Tuesday Things.

1. Not only did I not know we had tulips (must have been planted before we moved in), I didn’t find out until they were covered in snow. Whyyyyyyy.

2. Ummm can we talk about these pool float donuts?! Also, can we talk about how I want to buy all of those pool floats even though I don’t have a pool, just so I can be cool on instagram?

3. The cookie monster + apple outtakes kill me. Just kill me.

4. It’s totally grapefruit beer season, right?! I tried Ballast Point and really wasn’t a fan. My favorite is still Leinenkugel since it tastes like… juice.

5. I’m trying really hard not to eat sugar at night at the moment (seriously between too much caffeine, too little sleep and a still-nursing babe I’ve been dessert-ing ALL THE THINGS late at night) and you’d think I cut my arm off or something.

6. Thoughts on the season finale of Billions?! I loved it so much, albeit a little lacking in fireworks – but Wendy!! She is the best. Axelrod is by far my favorite character next to her… he’s like a slightly better, non-murdering Tony Soprano. And GIRLS? Could there BE a more unlikeable character in the universe besides Hannah? I think not.

7. Is Twitter over for you? Do you still use Twitter? Eddie says he gets his news from Twitter. I get my late night cravings from Twitter.

8. Remember when I forced myself to like coffee? I kind of want to do the same with tea even though it tastes like dirty water. What’s your favorite tea? Deal breaker: if it says it tastes like chocolate fudge, it should taste like chocolate fudge and not dirty water with hints of chocolate fudge.

9. 5 ways to stop limiting your beliefs. I’m a self-help junkie and I love it.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto.

This bowl contains every ingredient ingredients for a happy Monday, wine on the side.

And what if I tell you that it can be done in one hour? Homemade pasta – in one hour  – with not too much of a mess. And covered in garlicky, cheesy asparagus pesto. Are you feeling all the feels right now? I’m feeling every feel imaginable.

I’ve decided that ricotta gnocchi is by far my favorite gnocchi. Not only is it so much lighter than potato gnocchi, it took me barely any time at all to make. Serioulsy! I was blown away. It was made so quickly that I’d even do this on a weeknight with no issue.

And at this moment in my life, I want to make dinners that take approximately 45 seconds. So that says a lot.

Let’s talk about how you need to try it!

I’ve told you for YEARS about how Thursday night was pasta night in our house when I was growing up. And how I… hated pasta. I dreaded pasta night. It wasn’t only the tomato sauce (but that was probably the biggest reason) – I just didn’t care for pasta either. So my options were limited to:

1. tantruming. I did this bunch. I was such a joy.

2. whatever noodles my mom made, covered in a river of butter and tons of parmesan cheese. No really. I’m talking tons.

3. gnocchi. It was never homemade in our house, but I still enjoyed it and it was the one thing I’d actually have tomato sauce with.

With my strong feelings on Thursday night dinner as a kid, it also meant that I had a lovely disdain for Italian resataurants. I KNOW. Are you wondering how I’m even human right now? However, we did have a few Italian Ovens that were only open for a handful of years, and I loved that place. I became closely acquainted with the stromboli and calzone. And pizza, obviously.

But anyhoo, if we weren’t at an Italian Oven and we were at another place with Italian cuisine, gnocchi was my order choice. Simple and done.

It was until my early twenties when I first had ricotta gnocchi – or gnudi, as it’s more frequently called – and very much enjoyed it. And it wasn’t until four or five years ago, when I had April Bloomfield’s gnudi at The Spotted Pig that I was like UM YES PLEASE NOW FOREVER give me nothing else for the rest of my life yes yes yes.

Life.Changing.

Ugh. Like I can still TASTE the gnudi. (Along with the roquefort burger and the shoestring fries but whatever, that’s neither here nor there.) When I say it was like eating pillows, it was like eating pillows. In the best way ever. (Is there a best way? Say yes.)

Super light and fluffy. Covered in brown butter. Crave city.

Ricotta gnocchi is the answer to all my whiney pasta prayers. Potato gnocchi itends to be so… heavy. I’ve made gnocchi with pumpkin and squash as well, and while it’s more delicious that traditional potato, it still doesn’t match up to the version with ricotta.

Should we talk about the asparagus pesto? Maybe.

It’s asparagus! Made into pesto!

Think lots of garlic, cheese and olive oil. It’s heartier than a pesto made with herbs and it tastes exactly like spring. We have the teeeeeniest bit left in our fridge because I’ve been hoarding it like nobody’s business – it’s gone on toast with eggs, I ate it with pitas and hummus last Friday and I kind of marinated some chicken in it too.

LOVE.

Eddie loved it. Max loved it. It’s been added to the pesto list for summer. Can I grow asparagus somehow? I should probably shut up and start with mint, I know.

Because I can’t leave well enough alone, I topped this springtime hug-in-a-bowl off with the crunchiest of all the bacon. After a little spritz of lemon, a shaved parm shower and a glass of pinot gris on the side, the dinner game is majorly elevated.

Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Asparagus Pesto

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients:

ricotta gnocchi

12 ounces ricotta cheese
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

asparagus pesto & pasta

1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends removed
1/4 cup  toasted sliced almonds
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves
pinch of crushed red pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
shaved parmesan, for topping
lemon wedges for spritzing



Directions:

ricotta gnocchi

Place the ricotta on a triple layer of paper towels. Cover it with another triple layer and press down, releasing liquid from the cheese. Scoop the cheese into a bowl and weigh out exactly 8 ounces for the gnocchi. If there is any leftover, use it for another dish! (or spread it on bread. mmmm.)

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, 3/4 cup flour, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper until just combined - using a rubber spatula. Add the remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Press it into a dish on a floured surface and cut it into four equal pieces. Take each piece and roll it into a log about 16 to 18 inches long. Cut 1-inch pieces with a sharp knife.

To cook, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once it's simmering, add the gnocchi and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, until it floats for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon or sieve to drain. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

asparagus pesto & pasta

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut the asparagus spears into thirds. Take a handful of asparagus and set it off to the side - we will toss the spears and pieces in the pasta. Add the remaining pieces to the boiling water and cook until slightly tender but still bright green, about 5 to 6 minutes. Strain the asparagus.

Add the asparagus, almonds, garlic, cheese and crushed red pepper to a food processor. Pulse until blender and the mixture begins to come together, the stream the olive oil in while the processor is running. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired. (Note: this will make enough pesto that you will have some leftover - keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it on everything! Toast, eggs, salads, sandwiches, chicken, shrimp, etc!)

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until completely crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the asparagus pieces that you set aside and toss. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly tender.

To serve the pasta, add it to the skillet with the asparagus. Toss the hot gnocchi with the pesto and a touch of pasta water - I only add about 1/4 cup first until I get the consistency I like. Add to a bowl with the asparagus pieces and spritz with lemon - then sprinkle the bacon overtop. Top with extra shaved parm.

[gnocchi from serious eats, pesto inspired by NYT]

anything green is healthy in my book!