Southern Living in the Midwest

Slowly but surely we are all turning into our mothers.

When you have a spouse and your spouse spends time with your mother he is realizing what you will soon become. 

Luckily for me Adam likes my mom. Which is good because in about 25 years that is what he's going to get but probably with a few extra pounds and a dash of Gianeskis sarcasm.

My mom makes a mean Pimento and Cheese Dip (among many other things!) and Adam can't get enough of it. After trying to recreate it here in Chicago I realized that this must really be a southern thing because I had to search high and low for some of the ingredients, but it was worth it. 

Anna's Pimento + Cheese

What you will need:

8 oz brick of cream cheese

3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar

1/2 cup mayo

5 oz jar Kraft Pimento & Cheese spread

4 oz diced pimentos, drained

1/4 t each S & P

1/4 t Chipotle Chili Powder

1/4 t Garlic Powder

What you will do:

First microwave cream cheese in a bowl for about a minute until melted and smooth. Stir. Add in the pimentos.

Stir in everything else but the cheddar. 

Stir in the cheddar cheese. Serve immediately OR chill for 4 hours in the refrigerator. 

Perfect with crackers, chips, on toast or as a grilled cheese sandwich.

For the newlyweds

Short on time and inspiration I had decided not to blog anymore

But...

Over Christmas vacation I was chatting with my newlywed sister about our abandoned blogs and I started thinking that even though I am no longer just starting out as a home cook or as a wife it still might be worth giving it another go. I have learned a few of things about making meals and managing my kitchen and perhaps I might have a thing or two to share. So here I type. Ready to crank out a few more posts for my sister in hopes that I might inspire her to feed her new husband well and to give her hope that great meals can come from a little planning and a short time in the kitchen.

Tonight I made a very quick and easy dinner (and did I mention it was pretty budget-friendly, too?).
I have been flipping through some of my cookbooks and came across this little gem and of course I added a few of my own touches, too.

GNOCCHI 
with peas + prosciutto
Basic idea borrowed from Cook This, Not That

What you'll need:

Butter, 2 Tb
Asparagus, about 10 spears chopped into 1 inch pieces
Frozen Peas, 1 cup
Prosciutto, 1/4 lb sliced into strips
Chicken stock, 1 cup
S & P
Package of Gnocchi
Parmesan
Half & Half

Hermana, I always use real butter. It just tastes better. And Paula Dean told me to. 
Asparagus is expensive right now, but it was worth it!
Prosciutto is usually in the deli case and they slice it really thin for you, but if you can't find it there sometimes it is prepackaged with lunch meat in the case. The deli slices are preferred.
You can make your own stock and it's practically free! 
We'll get to all these things eventually.

What you'll do:

Boil the water for your gnocchi (just follow the package directions).
Meanwhile...
Get out a medium to large skillet and melt 1 Tb of the butter (medium heat).
Saute the asparagus for a few minutes (2-3).
Add the peas, prosciutto, and stock and let those hang out for a minute (3-4).

About this time your gnocchi water should be boiling so stop to throw those little guys in. NO NEED TO SALT YOUR WATER for this recipe. The prosciutto is going to salt everything for you.

 It was about this time that I started thinking that this dish was going to need a little richness so I added 1/4 cup of half and half.

Crank your heat up to high for a minute to get it bubbling, then turn it down to low and just let it all mingle and reduce.

Are your gnocchi floating? If so, scoop them out gently and let them drain for a minute.
Pepper and salt if you must the veggie mixture. Add the gnocchi to the rest of it and serve with shaved parmesan (should make 4 helpings).

This was very tasty and with the exception of the prosciutto and the asparagus I already had everything on hand. This could very easily be gluten free if you just substitute the gnocchi for GF gnocchi. 

Approx 300 cals per serving.

Also, Bella says Hi!