Double Yummy!

I love Mondays!! Have I mentioned that lately?! I usually have Monday's off from work, but I work a part-time job every other week here in Reynoldsburgs for some extra money.  I started off by taking clients here from my group home I use to run, then I obtained an intership here and then after obtaining my Master's Degree and counseling license I obtained the job I have now, but continue to work at this place every other week, for approximately two to four hours. Well today I have did not go in therefore I had the whole day to myself.  I did however have assessments to work on on since I neglected to do so all weekend. I did this until noon today, and then decided to start cooking! I not only made dinner for today, but also for another day this week. First for tonight's dinner. Shallot and Apple Chicken!!

Shallot and Apple Chicken

1 Whole Chicken (mine was 4lbs)
3 shallots, diced
2 apples, diced
3 garlic cloves,  minced
1 Rosemary Spring
A couple pieces of bacon
3T butter
Seasoning of your choosing (will explain below)

Preheat oven 350
Okay so first you chop your shallots, apples, and mince your garlic. Melt 1T butter in pan and add shallots. Sautee for 5 minutes or until browned. Add Apples and Garlic and cook until apples turn a little brown but still firm. (I used HoneyCrisp since that is all I had in my fridge). Once this is cooked, stuff your chicken with this mixture and add the Rosemary Spring inside the chicken. Melt the remaining 2T of butter and add seasoning. You can use whatever you want, I added garlic powder, garlic salt, steak seasoning, and alittle bit of red pepper flakes. Brust this mix on the chicken. Then you wrap your pieces of bacon around the breast of the chicken. I cooked mine for 1 hour and 45mintues. If you use a smaller chicken adjust time.  This was delicious!! We of course had our green giant corn again, and I used the rest of my Spaetzle but added some apple butter and cooked it up in the pan. It actually was pretty good!

Before the oven

After the oven and plated

Okay the next thing I made today, I have not tried yet, but plan to make later in the week. I LOVE Gnocchi!! Whenever we go to the Italian Festival in Columbus I always get the Gnocchi! I once tried to make it a long time ago and it just did not work. Well I wanted to try to make it again. Sooo of course I found a recipe and tried it out!

Ricotta Gnocchi

16oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1T olive Oil
1/4c grated parmesan cheese
Nutmeg to taste
2c Flour, sifted, plus extra for rolling

Add egg to ricotta, add oil and mix. Add cheese and sprinkle with nutmeg. Add flour a little at a time and stir until forms dough. Spread flour on counter and dump dough on counter. Form dough into a ball. Add more flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Once in a ball, cut the dough like you would bread. Roll out into ropes. It said to do two ropes at a time, but I did one or two, didn't see the point or needing to do two at a time. Cut into 1 inche pieces. Roll off the back of a work and place on lightly floured baking sheet. You use the fork to make indentations to hold sauce. This I found difficult to do, but got the hang of it after a while. I then put them in the freezer. You should let them freeze before putting in zip lock bag so they do not stick. There ya go!! Finished! I plan to make a recipe with my left over chicken from today and the gnocchi later in the week so stay tune!!!  Ohh and yes note my counter space.... this is it!! I dream all the time of having a HUGE lovely spectacular kitchen!! Some day! Luckily my lovely awesome fantastic father made me a little stand next to this to have some extra space!