Mad skillz....

I leave a lot to be desired, but I think I've come a long way in my housewife skills. It's not exactly hard work, but during the hockey season when I'm not working and Derek is, I like to do what I can to keep things tidy and keep him fed. Being a housewife or stay at home mom may not be something I will always get to do or even want to do, but for now it actually brings me a lot of joy!

I've become a pretty decent cook in the past two years and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm only good at like two things, so I have to take credit where I can get it! Now, I'm not the fanciest cook around so no judging, but I think that takes the fun away from it. I like nice simple things with fresh ingredients. That's when you get the best flavor. I enjoy baking even more, but ingredients are different in Italy, and it's a major bummer to start off your cookies knowing they're going to taste peculiar. Needless to say, I don't do a ton of baking here.

Now I would like to present to you one of my favorite recipes I discovered this year! I say it's Italian, but my Italian friend Paola says it's not.... Tomato, TomAHto.....

It's easy, it's tasty, it's the main course, it's an appetizer, it's (drumroll please) GNUDI! From what I read, it's naked ravioli, ravioli without the pasta.

1 lb (500 g) fresh ricotta cheese, drained
1 large bunch raw spinach, chopped
5 tablespoons (75 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for smearing hands
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt to taste
4 tablespoons (60 mL) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
all-purpose flour
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 - 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

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Place your drained ricotta in a mixing bowl. Chop your spinach and saute it with some olive oil and garlic. Let it cool down, then add it to the ricotta. ( I used frozen spinach so squeezed it dry first. I am not sure if this is necessary for the outcome of the dish but I always prefer it). Add 2 pinches of salt, a good handful of Parmigiano, or more spinach. (Make it your own and what is right for you!!!) David says, " if the texture seems a bit liquid to you, add a pinch of flour, but not too much. You just want to bind the mixture. The texture should be fluffy and delicate, not heavy".

Pour a bit of olive oil on your hands and rub them together. (As David says this will prevent the gnudi mixture from sticking to your hands, and the bonus is that your hands get a nice spa treatment at the same time!!!) Now take a bit of the mixture and roll it in your hands to make little balls about the size of golf balls. Use all of the filling.

For the tomato sauce cut up the cherry tomatoes. Heat some olive oil and garlic in a pan, throw in the tomatoes along with some salt and cook for a few minutes until they get soft.

Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish. Lay the gnudi on top, then spoon some more of the sauce on top. Sprinkle some Parmigiano on top of each gnudi ball. Toss the basil on top. Bake in a 350 - 400F (180 - 200C) oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden.

Serves 4

*You can also serve this with pasta for a different treat!!!

(recipe taken from www.morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com)

And don't forget salt! Use more salt than is called for! Salt is the key to everything when cooking from scratch.