In the Kitchen With Ju-Ju: Zucchini Ribbon Salad and Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

For as long as I can remember, Julie and I have been swapping recipes, trying wines, and cooking together. Whether it was just the two of us hanging out and enjoying the meal, or hosting a part for 20 of our good friends, it’s always fun to get together and create and enjoy. I think we have as much fun in the kitchen prepping food and talking as we do trying the finished product. Well, that is until tonight. I think we just may have outdone ourselves. With similar tastes in foods, and each having memberships on Pinterest, it was only a matter of time before we started coming up with the makings of meal menus and feasts to enjoy. Tonight was the first, but I doubt it will be the last!

The Menu

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Cheesy Artisan Bread from local grocer’s bakery (well, if I hadn’t forgotten it at home)

I will give you my disclaimer again – these are not my recipes. I occasionally come up with a unique creation, but I am far more adept at finding recipes and making them my own, or putting them together in some (If I do say so) rockin’ flavor combinations in the form of dinner menus. Having said that, like my other posts, these recipes have hyper-links provided, and adaptations explained below:

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

This was every bit of phenomenal! Julie found this recipe via Pinterest, and it originates from prouditaliancook@blogspot.com.  I am not a big salad person, but this one had me at hello. So many great flavors and textures, and it’s got great visual appeal too!

With a (hopefully) brief return to cool weather here, we opted to sautee the Zucchini on this recipe rather than fire up a grill, and chose the toasted almonds for the nut in this light, but awesome salad:

Zucchini - shave thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler.

Sautee zucchini until tender-crisp

Cool completely.

Add spring mix to a large serving bowl, top with cooled zucchini ribbons.

In goes the Feta!

Toast almonds, cool, and add to the salad

Add the dressing - a vinaigrette of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine vinegar, added a touch of Dijon, a crushed garlic clove, salt, black pepper and oregano.

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

I should’ve been born Italian … I’m certain of it. And while i love love love Italian food, I defer on all things Italian to my friends Jeannie and Vic. Jeannie found this recipe through Pinterest (pinned from here), and I will love her till the day I die for doing so.  If you’re not familiar with gnocchi, think of pillowy kidney shaped pasta that cooks fast and tastes great. And in this recipe, it is a flavor MAGNET.

Garlic, basil, cheese, and Dijon all come together in this dish and when the meld and spread over the Gnocchi, wow.

Gnocchi cooks more quickly than most pasta, taking five minutes or less. While it cooks, get the sauce going, starting with a roux of butter, flour, and minced garlic.

A roux is the base of many cream sauces, it acts as a thickening agent.

Add the Dijon...

Add the cheese, a small handful at a time, stirring in between each. Basil was an optional ingredient in this recipe, so I did add basil paste (to taste) into the sauce

Cooked and ready for flavor. I had tri-color, but any gnocchi will do.

Blend in the sauce.

Pour into a sprayed baking dish.

Top with Parmesan and into the oven!

Sound the dinner bell!

What comes out of the oven is a cheesy pasta with just a slightly browned surface and a soft inside. IT.IS.AWESOME.

A couple adjustments I’d make the next time –

• Double the recipe (you were right, Jeannie!) – it’ goes quickly
• I think I’d make about 1.5x the amount of sauce the recipe calls for – I would’ve liked it a little cheesier, but that’s a preference thing
• Just a little more garlic (also a preference thing) or maybe a slight coating of garlic powder before it goes into the oven

And in the glass, we did a chardonnay – goes great with the flavors in the meal!

Now, who’s making the cannolis for dessert? 😉