A Gnocchi-Inspired Christmas Menu

The Menu

I scored two bags of Aldi's Christmas Gnocchi earlier this month and decided to base our Christmas dinner menu around it. 

We went with a brown butter & sage sauce for the gnocchi accompanied by a kale/cranberry salad, air fryer broccoli, and oven-roasted mushrooms. Dessert was apple pie à la mode.

Recipe-by-Recipe Breakdown

Gnocchi

The gnocchi were awesome! Would definitely do that again (and fortunately, we have a second bag to experiment with). The shapes are super cute and hold up well even after boiling and sautéing. The gnocchi themselves are also very tasty and have a great texture.

Brown Butter & Sage Gnocchi

The brown butter & sage recipe called for a LOT of red pepper flakes. We used about half. Ultimately, my husband thought the spice level was just right, my 15yo son thought it could have been spicier, and I could have taken it down a notch. For the next batch, I'll probably try a different type of sauce, maybe something tomato-based to kick up the red on the plate.

Cranberry Kale Salad with Roasted Pecans and Feta

This is a lovely salad. We took a couple of shortcuts by buying pre-chopped kale and pecans. The cinnamon gives the dressing a very interesting flavor that contrasts well with the tangy feta, and the combination of crunchy and soft bits is perfect. The 15yo is not a huge fan of kale but still liked the dressing and feta.

Air Fryer Broccoli

The air fryer makes this recipe super easy, quick, and delicious! We took a shortcut with this one, too, by buying a bag of pre-chopped broccoli florets. Still, some of the larger stem pieces were still quite crunchy after air frying, so if I make this again, I will take time to be sure that everything is small florets. The flavors and textures were just right!

Garlicky Roasted Mushrooms

This recipe was definitely the hit of the meal! Even though the 15yo is not a big fan of mushrooms, he loved these. The flavors are amazing, and it was very easy to prepare. 

Apple Pie à la Mode

Aldi came through for us on the apple pie, too, with their Baker's Corner Apple Pie Filling. We also got a frozen pie crust, though we dressed it up a little and made a lattice top. Be sure to read the ingredients to verify that they are vegetarian; the first crust we got had lard in it. 

Although the can for the filling seemed to indicate that one can would work for a 9-inch pie, we found that we needed two. Adding a little vanilla ice cream on the side made for a perfect conclusion to the meal!

The Verdict 

It was a great meal! It was tasty, a nice change of pace from the traditional holiday fare, and it looked very festive with lots of green, white, and touches of red.

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Too much of Grandma Edgecombe's Cranberry Sauce sitting in the refrigerator after Thanksgiving? Here's a great way to use up leftovers and make a delicious breakfast!

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (allspice works, too, in a pinch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 cup Grandma Edgecombe's Cranberry Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup cranberries, roughly chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Topping

In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour and all the sugar. Cut in butter until pea-sized clumps form. Remove 1/2 cup crumb mixture; stir in nuts and cinnamon/allspice. Set aside.

Coffee Cake

To remaining crumb mixture, add remaining flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add eggs, cranberry sauce, and almond extract; mix until well blended. If desired, stir in chopped cranberries. Pour into a greased 8x8x2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake in a 375 oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Serve warm. Serves 9.

Mazidra

This is a delicious vegan Middle Eastern dish that we love!  It takes 45 minutes to an hour to cook, but the hands-on time is still quite short.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 2 cups (1 bag) dried lentils
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Bring all ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until lentils are tender and you have a nice, thick stew.

Serve over rice.

You may like a splash of balsamic vinegar added just before serving.  For a luxurious treat, caramelize some onions to go on top.

Some people also like to top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, black olives, fresh lemon juice, and/or fresh garlic.

Quick Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes!

Have a Kindle? I just got this recipe book with 15-minute breakfast recipes for free!  If you miss the free window, looks like it's only going to cost $0.99 after that.  Also, note that if you don't have a Kindle, you can download free readers for most operating systems and phones.  I read my Kindle stuff using the free reader for my iPhone.

Easy Cuban Black Beans

Oh my word.  This crockpot recipe for Cuban Black Beans from Betty Crocker is SO GOOD.

We had chopped cilantro and avocado on top.

Totally to die for.  And totally vegan!