Beef Stew with Gnocchi ~ Slow cooker

Beef Stew with gnocchi

PRINTABLE VERSION


What you need:
1 pound chuck steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 medium-sized carrots, cut into 1/4 inch-thick coins
1 package (10 ounces) mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound frozen pearl onions
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 package (17.5 ounces) gnocchi

How to Make it!:
1.  In a large bowl, toss together steak, flour and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place steak in slow cooker with carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions, broth, red wine and 1/2 teaspoons thyme.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or LOW for 7 hours.
2.  Remove lid and stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and dried thyme and the gnocchi.  Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes or until gnocchi is tender.

This is one of the best stews I have ever made. The gnocchi adds a terrific flavor to the stew. The very first time I was buying ingredients for this recipe, I could not find frozen gnocchi at my grocery, so I found a recipe and made homemade gnocchi. I have since found gnocchi in the freezer section at my local grocery.  If you can't find it and decide to make it on your own, it is very simple to make and very tasty!!

Nutrition info:
322 calories
4 g fat
20 g protein
45 g carbs
4 g fiber
604 mg sodium

Four Cheese Pasta Florentine



Four Cheese Pasta Florentine

PRINTABLE VERSION
The Essentials:
4 cups Penne Pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese
2 eggs
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Making It:
1.  HEAT oven to 375ºF.
2.  COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and eggs until well blended.
3.  DRAIN pasta. Add to spinach mixture with mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into a 13 x 9 baking dish and then top with Parmesan.
4.  BAKE 15 min. or until center is set.

This dish is DELICIOUS! However, for those of you out there like me who are counting calories or following a diet program, I am going to add the nutrition facts.  I'm not sure what a serving size is, but to be on the safe side, I am assuming 1/2 - 1 cup. This stuff is Amazing, so if calories don't matter to you, then I suggest just digging in. The flavor is great!

Nutrition Stuff:
Fat:  28 grams              
Calories:  690
Carbs: 69 grams
Fiber:  5 grams
Protein:   42 grams
Sodium:  950 mg
Sugars: 6 grams