This is the first Christmas Eve in recent memory where I will have the entire day to prepare dinner. The past few years, Christmas Eve has fallen during the work week and I’ve had to rush through dinner prep in a few hours (which isn’t easy when you’re planning for 20!). Luckily, I work from home so I have the luxury of being able to fit my Accidental Chef duties around my client commitments. But it’s nice to have a day where I can just focus on being in the kitchen today and reliving the memories of my childhood as the smells and flavors of the dishes come alive.
My kitten is pretty happy too. She’s sitting patiently beneath the Christmas tree, waiting for the samples of people food she knows are coming her way (once she’s start her cute dance… she’s napping right now LOL).
Christmas Eve was always a special time in my house growing up and I’ve tried to carry on that tradition into my own home. My mom would be up all night on the 23rd, making the most amazing vegetarian lasagna. She would roll out the dough by hand until it was paper thin and layer thousands of delicate (okay maybe it was only about six or seven) layers of pasta, her amazing sauce, ricotta, spinach, paper thin strips of zucchini and the best bechamel sauce that added a special touch to her finished dish. Then she’d roll out enough gnocchi verdi to feed an army (and with five kids, we ate like an army) and make a little Christmas Tree out of strufoli (Italian Honey Balls). Mmm yum!
When we awoke on Christmas Eve, we’d find her still at her post in the kitchen and open the fridge to peek at what she’d been up to all night. As a child, my main job on this day was to keep my siblings entertained and out of the kitchen so mom could continue whipping up her amazing feast. The five of us would head down to the basement and plan our Christmas show. We had a trunk full of costumes that mom had made us for Halloween and we’d all work on the after dinner entertainment.
Mom would still be busy in the kitchen making a radicchio salad and tiramisu. She’d pile oranges and grapes and apples in two large bowls on the table that would serve as our centerpiece and our dessert (for some reason, we never got to eat the tiramisu LOL). One of my sisters would head upstairs at some point to help hold the pot while mom stirred the polenta and help peel the chestnuts and then we’d all be called for dinner. Oh and did I mention she’d also make fish for my dad… usually a seafood salad and trout.
As we grew older, the menu expanded a bit. She’d make breaded chicken or chicken saltimbocca and steamed mussels for my sister and would always ask our boyfriends and girlfriends who started to join us for dinner what their favorite dish was and she’d make sure that it was also on the table. I don’t know how she did it! My mom is amazing! Christmas was truly her favorite holiday. She was happiest when everyone was eating and laughing around the dinner table.c
As if that wasn’t enough, the best part came after dinner, when we were allowed to open one of our Christmas presents: our Secret Santa present (we’d draw names at the table at Thanksgiving). Then we’d all head downstairs and it would be showtime.
So many happy memories. Today I will be reliving them fondly as I prepare dinner for my family. Where ever you are today, I hope that you’re able to enjoy the day with your family and I wish you all the best for the holiday season.
Hugs!
Gnocchi Verdi
2 pounds fresh spinach, washed and cooked or 2 packages frozen spinach (10 ounce boxes)
1 cup ricotta
2 large eggs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour (or you can use regular flour if you don’t have any food allergies)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter
Grease an oven proof baking dish.
If using fresh spinach: Wash the spinach well, making sure no sand or soil is left on it. Place in saucepan, cover and cook till tender, a few minutes, without the addition of water. The water clinging to the spinach leaves from washing will be enough to cook the spinach with a minimum loss of flavor and nutrients.
If using frozen spinach: Cook spinach according to package directions.
Drain spinach well and let cool. My mom used to squeeze the spinach dry and then leave in the fridge in a colander over night to dry out even more. Squeeze spinach very dry. You can wrap it in a clean tea towel and twist the ends to squeeze as much water as possible from the spinach.
Once sufficiently dry, chop spinach very fine. If you’re using frozen chopped spinach, run your knife through it the few times to chop it more finely. Place in medium bowl.
Stir in ricotta cheese. Again, you can leave this to drain in a cheese cloth over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours or over night.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons of flour, the salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir to mix very well.
Refrigerate covered 1 hour. If you’re pressed for time, you can start to roll out your gnocchi and pop into the freezer for 10 minutes before you start cooking.
Sprinkle some additional flour in a shallow baking pan. You may need about half a cup. Lightly roll the gnocchi into round balls (as you would meatballs) and dust lightly with flour. Continue until all the spinach mixture is used.
If you did not chill the spinach mixture before starting, pop your rolled gnocchi in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove your tray and slip 8 to 10 gnocchi into a large pot of boiling salted water. Return the gnocchi to the fridge or freezer to continue firming while the first batch cooks.
Once you’ve added the gnocchi to the pot of boiling salted water, reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered until gnocchi are slightly puffed and start to float to the top (about 3-5 minutes). They should be medium firm to the touch. Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander or a paper towel-lined plate; then transfer immediately to greased broil proof shallow baking dish.
Reheat water to boiling. Continue cooking and draining gnocchi in batches until all have been cooked.
Arrange gnocchi so that they are in a single layer in the baking dish.
Heat broiler. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Spoon butter over gnocchi; sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Broil gnocchi, 5 inches from heat source, until cheese topping is light brown, 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.
Deborah, or iDeborah as she’s affectionately known on Twitter, loves to experiment in the kitchen. Some of her best dishes were created by accident! She started this blog to encourage others to get creative in the kitchen… and to record some of her accidental creations so she can enjoy them again! To learn more about
Sat, Dec 24, 2011
Chef Inspirations, Entrees, Gluten Free