Mix and Match Dinner

So a few days ago Cristina and I came home and decided to make dinner. Neither one of us wanted to go to the store so it was time to raid the fridge and see what we, and by we I mean what I could come up with. We had a butternut squash and Cristina has been wanting me to make butternut squash Gnocci. So that was one item... But what to do with it. I continued to look through the fridge where we had
kale, butter, cherry tomatoes, avocado, red bell peppers, shallots, minced garlic and 1 green onion. This is what I came up with...

Chilled Roasted Cherry Tomato stuffed with Mango and Avocado Salsa

Yield:1
Cherry Tomato                   1ea            Top cut off seeds removed
Blood Orange Olive oil      1 tsp
Shallots                               1 tsp        Minced
Avocado                             1 tsp         Minced
Mango                                1 tsp         Minced
Red Bell Peppers               1 tsp          Minced
Garlic                                 1 tsp         Minced
Lemon Juice                      1 tsp
Kosher Salt & Pepper         To Taste
Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar         2 tsp
Lime Olive Oil                                    1 1/2 tsp
Green Onion                    1/2 " sliver   2 ea.

Ok so here we go ..
Take the tomato ans drizzle with the Blood Orange olive oil. Bake at 300 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and place in Fridge to cool.
Gently Mix remaining ingredients minus the green onions.
Using a spoon place salsa in the tomato.
Garnish with green onion slivers.              

Butternut Squash Gnocci in a Burnt Butter Tarragon Garlic Sauce topped with Toasted Butternut Squash Seeds and Crispy Kale.


Yield: 1 portion
Butternut Squash Whole          12 ounces
Blood Orange olive oil             2 Tbl
Egg                                           1 whole
Whole wheat Flour                   As needed
Nutmeg                                     2 tsp
Cinnamon                                 1 tsp
Kosher Salt                               1 1/2 tsp
Pepper                                       1 tsp

Sauce:
Butter Unsalted                        3 oz
Dried Tarragon                         1 tsp
Garlic Minced                          1 tsp
Salt and Pepper                        To Taste

Crispy Kale:
Olive oil Canola Oil mix          2 Tbl
Trimmed Kale                           3 pieces the size of a quarter
Kosher Salt                               To Taste

Peel and cut the butternut squash. Remove seeds. Clean the seed and toast them.
Drizzel Cut squash with Blood Orange olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees until tender. Time will depend on the thickness.
Mash squash with a fork and chill. Once chilled mix in one whole egg. ADD salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and mix. Slowly and gently fold in Wheat flour until it is firm enough to roll into a log 1/4" in diameter (use only 1/4 of mix for one plate). Be careful not to overwork or the Gnocci will be dense and not light and fluffy. Cut the rolled dough in 1/4" pieces. Cook in Boiling salted water.

To make the Sauce, Mel the butter over a low flame. Once putter is melted add Garlic and Tarragon. Cook Until the butter begins to brown. you will smell a popcorn aroma. Add salt and Pepper to taste. Immediately remove from heat and add Gnocci to sauce and toss.

Crispy Kale:
Place Cold Oil in Cold Saute pan
Place Kale in pan and turn on heat to medium high heat
Fry until crispy flipping occasionally.
Once crispy Remove from pan an place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Lightly season with Kosher salt.

I hope you enjoy these two dishes as much as I did.
Bon Appetit