Spring Gnocchi with Lemon-Thyme Sauce

When I start seeing asparagus in the stores in early spring, this is always the first thing I make. This recipe is light, nutritious, and tastes like sunshine, making it especially pleasant at this time of year. I usually use pasta, but I had some gnocchi to use up, so I did that instead. This dish is elegant and impressive enough to serve to guests, but only takes a few minutes to make... what could be better?

Recipe
16 oz packaged gnocchi (or 1.5 cups uncooked pasta)
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup peas, fresh or thawed frozen
1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 t fresh thyme, chopped
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Place asparagus, beans and peas in colander in sink. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Pour excess water from cooked gnocchi into the colander containing the vegetables. Place vegetables and gnocchi back in pan. Add oil, lemon juice, and thyme and stir to coat evenly. Serve topped with cheese, if desired.

Naughty Dog Swedish Cookies

Like many of my recipes, these have a story. This Swedish cookie recipe comes from my great grandmother, and someone in my family always makes them at Christmas time. They are supposed to be rolled in walnuts. I had planned to make these for a party at a friend's house. I got the nuts out of my freezer to thaw and went out to run an errand. When I got home, I found my dog had somehow gotten the nuts of the counter and eaten them all! Two cups worth! I didn't have time to go buy more, so I just made the cookies without them, and Naughty Dog Swedish Cookies were the result.

You can view the original version of this recipe, with nuts, here. It's even in my great grandma's handwriting!

Recipe
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 cups flour
colored frosting

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, egg yolk, and flour. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheet. Press thumb into the middle of each ball in order to flatten each cookie and create a "dent" the center. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. When cooled, fill the center of each cookie with frosting.

Good Ol' Fried Rice

This recipe makes me smile. I learned to make this in a 10th grade home ec. class. I was completely obsessed with Chinese food at the time, and was very proud of my ability to make my own fried rice. I think I made this once a week at least throughout the rest of high school.

I have been sick to my stomach all week and am only tolerating bland foods at the moment. I have to work 12 hour shifts the next two days, and when trying to come up with a bland recipe that is still nutritious and has some protein, this came to mind. It's very low in fat, contains protein and vegetables, and is easy on the stomach. It's also dirt cheap and takes only a few minutes to make, making it an excellent weeknight standby recipe.

I felt like my former giddy 15-year-old self as I fried this one up tonight. All I need now is a Bush CD and my Doc Martens :)


Recipe

1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 cups frozen peas and carrots
3 cups cooked brown rice
10 oz. firm tofu, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 T minced garlic
1 T soy sauce
1 egg
1/2 t sesame oil (optional)

Spray a wok or a large frying pan with cooking spray and heat on high. Place corn, peas and carrots in wok and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add rice, tofu,garlic and soy sauce, stir fry another 2-3 minutes or until all ingredients are hot. Push fried rice to sides of the pan so there is a "hole" in the center. Crack the egg and drop it into the center of the wok and stir fry the egg until completely cooked. Mix the egg into the rest of the fried rice. Add sesame oil, if desired.