Creamy Pesto Gnocchi

I've been dreaming of having a really nice food processor to make homemade pesto forever and the joy of having a registry has made that dream come true! I honestly like the original pesto better, but Jase is a boy and doesn't have to worry about fat so he likes it creamy. This forced me (shh, don't tell him) to find a recipe that didn't include butter and/or heavy whipping cream and I must have done a good job, because he didn't notice. I cheated and bought the tri-colored gnocchi making this a super easy recipe.

Ingredients: 1/3 c. walnuts finely chopped, 1/2 c. olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 2 c. fresh basil leaves, 1 8 oz container of low fat sour cream, 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, 1 pkg of gnocchi.

Directions: Cook pasta or gnocchi according to instructions. Pulse walnuts until fine pieces then add basil, garlic, and olive oil pulsing until smooth. Move mixture to a skillet and heat on medium heat then add sour cream and parmesan cheese. That's it!

Other Options:
Skip the sour cream and cheese all together. The original pesto is fabulous.
Mix into mashed potatoes or pour over a baked potato
Stir in a risotto
Use as a sandwich or burger spread
Add to scrambled eggs
Mix original pesto with cream cheese and spread on a bagel
Make brushetta and top with pesto and tomatoes
Add to grilled veggies
Use as a chicken marinade
Dollop over a nice grilled fish

Guiltless Chocolate Brownies with Raspberries and White Chocolate

I don't throw the words "guiltless" and "chocolate" together easily or without caution. This recipe was inspired from (or copied from) the TV show "Cook Yourself Thin" and has an amazing secret ingredient. We've all heard the healthy adaptations that blow kid's minds when you tell them their chocolate cake has zucchini in it or their cup cakes have apple sauce...this recipe will do the same!

Ingredients:
1 c fresh raspberries, 2 c. butternut squash peeled and finely grated, 1 handful of white chocolate chips if you want to keep this guiltless (2 if you don't care), 1 c. ground almonds, 1 1/4 c. sugar, 3 medium eggs, 1/4 self rising flour, 1/2 c cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pan with cooking spray, or use parchment paper to save calories. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl for 4-5 minutes until BIG and fluffy. Add butternut squash, ground almonds, flour, salt, and baking powder until well mixed. Pour half of this mixture into pan and sprinkle raspberries and white chips on top. Cover with remaining brownie mixture. Cook for 20 minutes then cool in the pan for 20 minutes.

Need an amazing way to save time on this recipe? Buy Trader Joe's No Pudge Brownie Mix, all you have to do is add vanilla yogurt. This is a much thicker recipe so you'll need to use a small square pan to spread 1/2 the mixture, add the raspberries and white chocolate, then add the other 1/2 of the mixture and spread the best you can.

Chicken Picatta

This is one of my favorite meals to order in the North End of Boston, Italian's finest, but I found the recipe to be a close second. For being given that kind of standard, it is VERY easy to make. This goes nicely with whole wheat pasta so cook according to directions on box.

Ingredients:
1 lb of chicken cutlets (thin cuts works best, but you can pound them if they're not), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, flour, 3 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 c chicken broth, 1/3 c of lemon juice- about 2 lemons (I always add more because I like it extra lemony), 1/4 c dry white wine, 1/4 c capers drained and rinsed, 2 tbs parsley.

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and set aside. Heat butter and olive oil to med heat and add the chicken in batches. Cook 3 minutes each side until lightly browned, then set aside. When finished cooking all the chicken, add chicken broth, lemon juice, white wine, and capers to the pan and heat to a boil, then simmer. Add chicken and cook another 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Place chicken over pasta and pour the sauce on top. I like to sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top.