Foodjianese |
Food is not my life but it makes me feel alive. I was born in Fujian, in southeast China, and somehow got dragged onto a plane to New York at the turn of my teenage years. (Thanks mom!) I inhaled 3 plates of roast pork and cabbage on rice after sneaking my way out of summer tutoring school (I'm Asian) during lunchtime to gorge on Indian Mee Goreng and Indian pancakes when I was in junior high, so there is no doubt that I LOVE to eat. Cooking, on the other hand, is a recent obsession. I generally do not rely on recipes except for baking because I feel constrained by the scientific preciseness of most recipes. I like to improvise. The lingering taste of a sweet and spicy lamb tagine from a recent restaurant meal prompts me to turn on my stove. The smell of sweet cardamom and rose water gracefully peeking their way out of an Indian bakery seduces me to invite them to my kitchen. Ok, enough about me, let's cook, eat, and share, which is what food is all about. |
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Easy Breezy Meal
Gnocchi in Creamy Lobster Ricotta Sauce
There are nights when I come home exhausted to my core but the hungry beast in me still want something tasty, quick. Leftovers to the rescue! I’m the “variety type” so I rarely eat the same meal more than once within a short period of time. Privileged anyone? I know, I know. However, I never throw out perfectly edible leftovers. That would be wasteful and besides, leftovers challenge me to be inventive and creative!
It all started with the leftover ricotta which was in its last days of glory. I also had leftover lobster tails. Lobster raviolis?! I was dreaming about it all day but that would’ve required time that my inpatient stomach did not have. And In the spirit of cleaning out my fridge, I used the last handful of the gnocchi I got from Trader Joe’s eons ago. Some of the ingredients are particular but here’s the recipe anyway. You can always substitute. It won’t taste the same but your stomach only cares if it tastes good. So, let the fun start! Enjoy!
Gnocchi
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Uncooked Gnocchi
DIRECTIONS
Cook al dente as directed on the package.
Creamy Lobster Ricotta Sauce
INGREDIENTS
2 Cloves Med-sized Garlic (Minced but not too fine)
3/4 Cup Seafood Stock
1 TBSP Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Spread
1/4 Cup Part Skim Ricotta
1/2 Cup Steamed Lobster Tail (Diced)
1 tsp Parsley (Finely Chopped)
Salt, Pepper, and Pecorino Romano To Taste
Olive Oil As Needed
DIRECTIONS
1. Sweat (cook without browning) the garlic in oiled sauce pan over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add seafood stock and red pepper spread to the pan and reduce heat to low -medium. Let the stock mix reduce for 5 minutes. (You can also add a splash of white wine if it tickles your fancy!)
3. Stir in ricotta and mix well.
4. Add cooked gnocchi and lobster to the sauce. Turn off heat. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with pecorino romano and parsley to finish.
