FRIENDS 10

RICOTTA GNOCCHI
1/2 Pound Ricotta
1-1 1/2 C Flour
1 Extra Large Egg
1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Salt
SAUCE
2 Cups Chopped Canned Tomatoes
6 Fresh Basil Leaves, Shredded
2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 T Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes
3-4 Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls, Cut Into 1" Pieces
In a bowl, place ricotta, grated cheese, egg, and salt. Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Add only as much more flour as needed for a workable dough. Do not overwork. Divide dough into fist size pieces, roll into long logs as thick as your thumb. Cut into 1" slices and gently place on lightly floured baking sheet. Continue with rest of the dough in this manner. If not using immediately, place in refrigerator. To prepare sauce, heat oil and add the garlic cooking only until fragrant. Do not brown. Add tomatoes, basil, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Turn to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. To cook the gnocchi, drop into lightly salted water and remove as soon as they float to top, after 1 or 2 minutes. Place in warmed bowl, top with some of tomato sauce and mozzarella cubes and gently mix. Serve with additional sauce if desired.   TIP: The secret in making gnocchi is to dry the ingredients as much as possible before using. Let ricotta drain of excess water by placing in a strainer over a bowl, leaving it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using

SPINACH RICOTTA GNOCCHI
1/2 Pound Ricotta
1-1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Extra Large Egg
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Pound Fresh Spinach
SAUCE:
7 T Butter
6 Fresh Sage Leaves
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Cook spinach in boiling water about 3 minutes. Drain, when cool, press out as much water as possible and chop finely. In a bowl, place ricotta, grated cheese, chopped spinach, egg, and salt. Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Add only as much more flour as you need to create a workable dough. Be careful not to overwork. Divide dough into fist size pieces, and roll into long logs as thick as your thumb. Cut into 1" slices and gently place on lightly floured baking sheet. Continue with rest of the dough in this manner. If not using immediately, place in refrigerator. To cook, drop into lightly salted water and remove as soon as they float to top, after 1 or 2 minutes. Place in a warmed bowl. Melt butter in a small pan, add sage leaves. Add salt & pepper and pour mixture over cooked gnocchi. Top with parmesan and serve. TIP: Squeeze spinach between paper towels, and let ricotta drain of excess water by placing in strainer over a bowl and leaving it in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before using

PUMPKIN GNOCCHI with SAGE BUTTER
Drain the pumpkin puree first in a strainer to remove excess water.
1 (15 oz.) Can Pumpkin Puree
Salt & Pepper
Dash Of Nutmeg
2 3/4 C Flour
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
6-7 Finely Chopped Sage Leaves
1 Large Clove Garlic, Minced
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Mix flour, pumpkin and seasonings to make a soft dough. Divide dough into 6 parts, and on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 1" in diameter. Cut rope into 1" pieces and roll each lightly along the floured surface. Continue using all the dough. Place on lightly floured baking sheet, refrigerate until ready to use. Place butter in a saucepan and heat. Add garlic and sage. Cook gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes or just until gnocchi rise to surface. Remove from water, mix with butter sage sauce, and serve topped with freshly grated cheese

POTATO GNOCCHI with CHEESE SAUCE
Bake rather than boil the potatoes. This gives more flavor to the gnocchi, and keeps the moisture level low. Use just yolk of egg, dough stays more tender.  4 Medium Sized Potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 Large Egg Yolk
1-2 C Flour
Salt
CHEESE SAUCE
4 oz. Gorgonzola Cheese (Room Temperature
1 oz. Butter
8 oz. Heavy Cream
Fresh Chopped Parsley
Grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 375º. Wash & dry potatoes. Bake potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes. While potatoes are baking prepare sauce by cooking cheese, butter and cream over low heat until cheese has completely melted into cream and sauce has slightly thickened. Set aside. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and put through a potato ricer. While still warm, place prepared potatoes on a large board forming a mound with a hole in center. add yolk and salt into center. Slowly start adding flour a little at a time, mixing well with your hands and continue until you have a soft workable dough. Knead gently briefly until you have smooth, pliable if slightly sticky dough. To shape the gnocchi, first break dough into fist sized pieces, and roll each piece into a log about thickness of your thumb. Cut into 1" pieces. To finish, take a fork and place it against your work board. With it's back towards you, press each piece of dough with your index finger firmly up length of the fork tines. Let gnocchi fall back onto the board and continue with remaining pieces in this manner. Place prepared gnocchi on a lightly floured baking sheet and either cook immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to use, preferably not more than 3 hours. To cook, drop carefully into salted boiling water and remove immediately as they have all floated to the surface. Drain and top with gorgonzola sauce.

SQUASH GNOCCHI with BROCCOLI
3 Pounds Butternut Squash or Squash Of Choice
Salt & Pepper
Dash Of Nutmeg
1 1/2 C Flour
SAUCE
1 Bunch Broccoli
1 Large Clove Garlic, Minced
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Freshly Grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese
Cut squash in half, remove seeds and cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven until fork tender, about one hour, cool, then scoop out pulp and put through a ricer. Put pulp in a sieve, and place over a bowl. Allow to drain for 1 hour. Wash and trim broccoli. Coarsely chop stalk and florettes into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Drop broccoli into lightly salted boiling water, and cook for a minute or two until stalks are tender crisp. Drain. In same pot, heat olive oil and once sizzling add broccoli and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and cook a few minutes until flavor of garlic has permeated greens. Remove from heat. Mix together flour, squash and seasonings to make a soft dough. Divide dough into 6 parts, and on a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rope about 1" in diameter. Cut rope into 1" pieces and roll each lightly along floured surface. Continue using up all dough in this fashion. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet, and refrigerate until you are ready to use them. Add garlic and sage. Cook gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes or just until the gnocchi rise to the surface. Reserve a cup of gnocchi water, and drain the gnocchi. Return gnocchi to the pot with broccoli and butter, and cook a minute or two over medium heat, mixing carefully so you do not break up the gnocchi. Moisten with some of the cooking water if the mixture seems dry. Serve with freshly grated cheese

BEER & SAUERKRAUT CAKE
2/3 cup Butter
1 1/2 cups Sugar
3 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Cocoa
2 1/4 cups Sifted flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Soda
1 cup Beer
2/3 cup Sauerkraut
1 cup Raisins
1 cup Chopped nuts
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Sift cocoa, flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with beer, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir in sauerkraut. Raisins and nuts are optional. Turn into two 8 or 9 inch greased and floured cake pans. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes. Cool and frost as desired.

PIZZA CAKE
1 Yellow cake mix
1/4 Cube margarine
 2 Eggs
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Nuts -- chopped
1 can Mandarin oranges
1 can Fruit cocktail
1 cup Pineapple chucks
2 Bananas
1 package       Strawberries
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 large Containers Cool Whips
Coconut
Mix cake mix, butter, eggs, brown sugar and water. Add nuts. Grease and flour a 16" and 12" pizza pan. Spread on batter and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Drain canned fruit and save 1-1/2 cups of juice. Bring to a boil the juice and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/4 cinnamon. Cook until thick, but will still pour. Cover cooled cake with Cool Whip and top with fruit. Sprinkle with coconut and drizzle with cooled sauce.

KENTUCKY HOT BROWN SANDWICH~Bev
From a Crossville, Tn. Red Hatter
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup freshly grated grated Parmesan cheese, divided (can use Cheddar
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 pound thinly sliced cooked turkey
8 slices bread, toasted
8 slices bacon, cooked
In a large skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to absorb all of the butter. Slowly whisk in the milk, and 6 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Stir in the egg to thicken the sauce, but do not allow to boil. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet. Saute mushrooms in the butter until soft. Set aside.
Preheat your oven's broiler. For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast onto a heatproof plate or dish. Cover the toast with about 1/4 cup sauteed mushrooms and a couple of tomato slices. Place a liberal amount of turkey onto each Hot Brown, and pour an even more liberal amount of sauce over. Smother that baby. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place the entire dish under the broiler until the sauce is speckled brown and bubbly. Remove from broiler, criss-cross two slices of bacon on top, and serve!