celebrating my independence

Happy Fourth of July weekend, everyone!

When I think of this holiday weekend, I can’t help but think of a few things. My very favorite version of this song (thank you, Mr. Charles)… fireworks lighting up the night sky…  get togethers with family and friends… and all the classic summer bbq foods that make their way to the table on weekends like this. It’s foodie heaven!

One of my very favorite foods on that summer bbq list is a big, juicy burger right from the grill. Of course, plain is fine… but what about when you want to take it to the next level? Allow me to share a couple of my favorite ideas with you!

Avocado Burger: grill up your favorite burger and top with a big slice of colby-jack cheese and sliced avocado.

Pimento Cheese and Bacon Burger: top the burger of your choice with a healthy dollop of pimento cheese (need a good recipe?) and crispy bacon.

Looking for something sweet to wrap up the meal? Head over to Foodie Friday at The Fat Girl’s Guide to Living (where I’ll be contributing recipes weekly) for an easy, quick deconstructed apple pie recipe.

And… since Gloria’s having a BBQ over at her blog (thanks to Louise for the heads up), I think I’ll also share these over there! Enjoy the weekend and Happy 4th of July!

Daring Bakers Bakewell Tart… er… Pudding?

Here we are again! The end of another month and time for another Daring Bakers challenge. After missing last month, I knew I needed to really get it in gear for June. And yet… I found myself making this tart… er… pudding this morning. That’s right. Making the challenge ON posting day. I’ve moved on to a whole new level of procrastination, people!

The June Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

Right. So… it’s posting day… temps are predicted to soar into the upper 90’s with a heat index of about 105… I have a movie date with my husband at 11:30 and a party to go to this evening… and I still need to bake that tart. Way to plan, eh? I suspect you can predict how I spent my morning.

Luckily, each of the elements came together rather nicely. The shortbread crust was surprisingly easy. The frangipane was a snap (thankfully we’d been warned that it might look a bit curdled – otherwise that would’ve thrown me for a curve). I skipped on the homemade jam and subbed in some local strawberry preserves that I had in the pantry.

The tart baked up beautifully while I got ready to go out. I discovered I didn’t have any sliced almonds to sprinkle on top, so I just carried on without them. Pulled that puppy outta the oven, placed it on the cooling rack, and headed out for that movie. When we got home, I sprinkled a little powdered sugar over the top (discovered I didn’t have any sliced almonds) and cut a slice for each of us. Interesting… tasty… sweet… the hubby declared it a winner! Thanks, Jasmine and Annmarie for a fabulous challenge!

Bakewell Tart… err… Pudding
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it’s overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Frangipane
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

summer sizzle

Only a few days into the summer season and already we’re hovering in the mid- and upper-90’s, breaking records, and silently (or… not so silently) cursing the high humidity and daily heat index. Too hot to spend much time outside… air conditioner working overtime just to keep the inside vaguely cool… what’s a girl to do? Break out the ice cream maker, of course!

This is one of my favorites — chocolate-hazelnut gelato. I mean, really… you just can’t go wrong with a recipe that contains a half cup of Nutella. And we won’t talk about how many spoonfuls I had on the side, mkay? It’s quality control, people! (Or was that lack of self control? Oh, whatever.)

P.S. Stay tuned for some exciting news later in the week. Good things are afoot!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato
(recipe from Giada De Laurentiis)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella)

In a saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions to freeze.

easy like Sunday morning

I love Sunday mornings. We have a standard routine around here that involves sleeping in followed by a nice breakfast, coffee, and CBS Sunday Morning. Calm. Peaceful. A nice reprieve before the last ditch effort to get everything done before another weekend is over all too soon.

This coffee cake is easy to pull together and is nicely balanced. Moist yet pleasingly crumbly (the topping perhaps more so than your usual coffee cake). Sweet yet not too sweet. And the addition of nutmeg adds a little something extra to the appeal.

This is perfect for an afternoon get together or… if you’re me… with your Sunday morning coffee. And, if you’re feeling really decadent, pile on a dollop of lightly whipped cream and take this one to a whole other level of goodness.

Cinnamon Streusel Buttermilk Coffee Cake
(from Sunset magazine)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cups (1/3 lb.) melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, nutmeg, and 2/3 cup butter.

Transfer 1 packed cup of the sugar mixture to a small bowl. Add nuts and cinnamon, mixing well.

To the mixture in the large bowl, add egg, buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda; mix well. Pour batter into a buttered 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Sprinkle cinnamon-nut mixture evenly over batter.

Bake in a 350° oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull from pan sides, about 40 minutes (about 35 minutes in convection oven).

Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes. Remove pan rim. Serve warm or cool.

polenta party… a belated part two

I have so many good intentions. Lots of big plans… to do a better job of staying in touch with family and friends… to focus more on keeping the house together… to stick to the exercise plan… to watch less tv… to blog regularly so you wonderful people keep coming by to see me. And yet… well, best laid plans and all that. Sometimes you just have to cut yourself a break, right? Who’s with me?

So… yeah, I had great intentions back in AUGUST (yes, almost nine months ago) to do a multi-part series on polenta. Life happened, time passed, and it seems I promptly forgot all about it until a week or so ago. I’m not sure where the photos of the third installment went to, but… for now… I think it’s a good time for part two! After all, who doesn’t need another appetizer recipe to add to their repetoire? Exactly.

Making polenta from scratch is wonderfully easy. You can use your favorite recipe, or feel free to use this one. To firm it up for use in this recipe, just pour it into a roll pan or baking dish, cover and chill. Or – for even easier execution, just buy a premade tube from your local grocery store (mine is sold in the dry pasta aisle) and you’re ready to slice and assemble. Either way, this is a great appetizer.

Polenta Stacks with Spinach and Gouda
(modified from Food Network)
1 recipe polenta, firmed up, recipe here – or pre-made tube
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
12 ounces baby spinach
Coarse salt
8 ounces gouda cheese, cut into thick slices
1 (15 1/2 ounce) jar marinara sauce

Position a rack about 6-inches from the broiler and preheat to high. Cut the polenta into 8 squares and transfer to a sheet pan. Pat dry with a paper towel and lightly brush with olive oil. Broil until tops are browned, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Put the spinach in the pan and season with salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Reserve pan.

Divide the wilted spinach among each polenta square. Top each square with the cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese melts and just begins to brown, another 4 minutes.

Heat the sauce in the skillet used for the spinach. Ladle some sauce onto each of 4 plates. Place 2 polenta cakes in the middle of each plate and serve.

just in time for Cinco de Mayo

Anyone looking for a wonderfully easy dish to make for Cinco de Mayo? Something that would go wonderfully with a nice, icy margarita, perhaps? And yet… something you can throw together after another long day at the salt mines? I have just the thing for you, my friends….I give you the fish taco.

Fish tacos come grilled/sauteed or battered and fried, depending on where you go. Personally, I love the fresh flavor of grilling or sauteeing. The unifying elements are usually corn tortillas, shredded cabbage, avocado, and a wedge of lime. Isn’t it just beautiful?

All you need to make these little beauties is a pound or so of a nice, firm fish (swordfish, mahi-mahi, halibut, etc.), a stack of corn tortillas, and whatever fixings happen to inspire you.  Though I do highly recommend both creamy slices of avocado and tangy wedges of lime.

Fish Tacos with Salsa Ranch Dressing
8-16 corn tortillas
1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound firm white fish fillets (I use mahi-mahi),
cut into 1/2 inch strips roughly the length of your tortilla
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, sliced into wedges
1 ripe avocado, pitted, removed from skin, and sliced into eight wedges
(drizzle with lemon or lime juice to keep from browning)
Salsa Ranch Dressing, recipe follows

Wrap stack of corn tortillas in foil and place in cold oven. Set oven to heat to 425 degrees F. When oven has preheated to 425, turn off and leave tortillas to warm until needed.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until hot. Pat fish dry with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Place in skillet and cook over medium heat until just barely translucent in the middle and flakes easily – approximately 1-3 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a plate and cover with foil until ready to assemble tacos.

Salsa Ranch Dressing
4 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
4 tablespoons salsa

Combine salad dressing and salsa; stir until well combined.

Assembling the Tacos
Remove tortillas from oven. Using two tortillas (stacked) per taco if desired, drizzle with one tablespoon of dressing. Layer on cabbage, fish, and scallions. Top with a wedge of avocado and garnish with a wedge of lime.

And we have a winner!

Behold… at my house, choosing a contest winner is a very scientific process…

Me: Hey, Honey?

Boy: Yeah?

Me: Pick a number between 1 and 28.

Boy: Between 1 and 28?

Me: Yep.

Boy: Nine… What’d I just do?

Me: You just picked my giveaway winner.

Boy: Oh? Who’d I pick?

Me: Looks like… Christin…

Congratulations, Christin! We’ll coordinate an exchange of info via email and, in no time at all, you’ll be enjoying your hazelnuts, pecans and almonds!

Thanks so much to everyone who played along and to Oh! Nuts for offering up such a fabulous prize!

the Daring Bakers and a lesson in indulgence

Oh, how I love being a Daring Baker. How can you not adore being part of a group that has you baking cheesecake? I mean… take a look at this thing! Is it not one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen? Look… not a crack to be seen.

Right, so… the details! The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. I can see why this recipe is infamous! Not only is it amazing, it’s also highly adaptable. Jenny gave us free reign to transform our cheesecakes into whatever flavor combination we wanted, and I knew immediately that mine would be a play on key lime (which also happened to be one of the suggested flavor variations – great minds!).

Springtime absolutely screams key lime to me. It’s such a bright, fresh flavor – perfect for long-awaited, sunshiney days, spring breezes drifting in through open windows, and longer days. So, I absolutely took the opportunity to make this “infamous” cheesecake my own and turn it into a key lime cheesecake with macadamia nut crust. Yum!

This was a beautiful cheesecake… so much so, in fact, that I was inspired to compliment the macadamia nut crust with a macadamia brittle to adorn each slice. Pure perfection! (I’m definitely also filing away the brittle recipe for future use – I’m already thinking of all sorts of ways to use it!) Thanks, Jenny, for a fabulous cheesecake recipe! I can’t wait to play around more with this one! Don’t forget to check out our blogroll to see what everyone else has been up to!

Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake
for the crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tablespoons / 24 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the cheesecake:
3 blocks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tablespoon liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 1. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too – baker’s choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil “casserole” shaped pans from the grocery store. They’re 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

Key Lime/Macadamia Crust Variation: add 1/2 cup finely ground macadamia nuts to graham cracker crust mixture. add zest from two to three key limes to sugar before mixing with cream cheese. substitute lemon juice, alcohol, and vanilla with key lime juice.

Macadamia Brittle
(recipe courtesy of Epicurious)
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped, cooled
1 tablespoon chilled butter, diced
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Place a large sheet of foil on a flat work surface; butter foil. Combine nuts and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl.

Stir sugar, 1/2 cup water, and corn syrup in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove caramel from heat. Immediately stir in nut mixture (caramel will bubble up). Pour caramel onto prepared foil; spread thinly. Cool brittle until hard; chop. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

look what the Easter Bunny brought… cookies AND a giveaway!

Three weeks? Seriously? Three weeks since my last post? What’s going on here? You know it’s a bad sign when your girlfriend calls you and says “When I realize I haven’t talked to you in a while, I check your blog to see what you’ve been up to. So, I checked… and there’s nothing there!” Sadly, just like I had nothing particularly interesting to tell her about my life as of late, I don’t have much to tell you guys either. So… rather than focus on what has or – more accurately – has not been going on here, let’s talk about three more important things… cookies, Oh! Nuts, and Culinography’s very first giveaway!

You might recall that, not so long ago, I received four great sample products from the fine folks at Oh! Nuts…  we had the macadamia nuts that found their way into some awesome white chocolate macadamia nut cookies (and which will have a cameo in another recipe later this month)… the pistachios that stole the show in the crispy potato rounds with herbed goat cheese and pistachios and again later in some pistachio ice cream… and the dried sour cherries that provided the perfect tart to sweet balance in those chewy dark chocolate-cherry cookies.

That brings us to sample number four… dried strawberries. To be honest, most of the bag was lost to simple snacking… these were like fruit snacks – except, well, they’re actually fruit! Yum! However, before the entire bag vanished, I did manage to incorporate a cup of these into some yummy, healthier-than-average cookies.

I thought these cookies were best while they were still warm from the oven… the combination of melty, white chocolate and the soft, sweet strawberries was amazing. However, even once they cooled to room temp, they were still pretty darn good. And, considering the decreased amount of butter and addition of white-wheat flour and oats… you could almost consider these health food. (Okay, maybe not… but I definitely felt less guilty when I went back for my fourth cookie!)

I’m pretty bummed that my time with Oh! Nuts has come to an end… it’s been so much fun to find great ways to feature their wonderful products and I’ll absolutely be looking to their site the next time I’m in need of quality nuts, dried fruits, etc. But now… now it’s YOUR turn to discover the goodness that is Oh! Nuts. That’s right… I’ve got a great hook-up for you, dear readers! One lucky Culinography reader will win the chance to choose not one, but THREE products from the Oh! Nuts website… which will ship, free of charge, right to your door. I’m telling you, I love these people.

Want to know how to enter? Just comment on this entry and tell me what three things YOU’D choose from their website and what you’d do with them if you won. That’s it. Easy peasy. Contest will remain open until 6:00 pm CST on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, April 27, 2009. Ready? Set? GO!

White Chocolate, Strawberry & Oatmeal Cookies
(adapted from Cooking Light)
1/2 cup white-wheat flour (King Arthur)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup coarsely chopped dried strawberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flours, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Add strawberries and chips; beat at low speed just until blended.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray (or lined with parchment or a silpat). Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on pan 1 minute. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks. Yields about two dozen cookies.

it’s not Olive Garden… it’s better

Times are tough. It’s all over the media. Everybody’s talking about it. Most of us are finding ourselves tightening our belts, reigning in our “discretionary” spending, staying in on a Saturday night when, before, we might have just gone out.

But… sometimes that’s not all bad. A little dinner, a bottle of wine, and a movie on DVD… and it’s date night – but more casual and without the big expense.  And, if you pick up a quick and easy recipe like this one (which I’ve had bookmarked for a couple of months from Culinary Adventures of a New Wife), you don’t even have to spend much time in the kitchen.

This is a filling recipe that’s as impressive as it is tasty. The gnocchi plays the role of the ultimate comfort food while the tomatoes, spinach, and cannellini beans balance things out into a fairly responsible dish. So, whether you’re feeling a little decadent or a little healthy… this dish will work for you and your grocery budget. So go ahead… indulge and enjoy something that’s every bit as good as any restaurant meal… at a fraction of the cost!

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and White Beans
(Adapted from Eating Well &  Culinary Adventures of a New Wife)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 16 oz package of gnocchi
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 16 oz package fresh baby spinach
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (depending on your desired spice level)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
salt to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add gnocchi and pan fry for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil. Saute garlic about 2 minutes. Add water and cook another few minutes until garlic is soft. Add spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt.

Add tomatoes, beans, red pepper, pepper, and bring to a simmer. Stir in gnocchi and add cheese. Salt to taste. Heat until cheese melts.