Winging It

This class just proved what I had already learned at Lazlo's. When things aren't right, you figure it out quick and you fix it. My group was responsible for the grilled leg of lamb gyros, pita bread, mango chutney, and quinoa tabbouleh. Class did not start well. After grabbing our supplies for the day, we opened the lamb because it was the most time sensitive item we had in terms of plating our dishes. Unfortunately, it was not a 4-5 lb. boneless leg. Instead, it was 5 lbs. of lamb that had been cut up into chunks the size of stew meat. We all stood there for a couple of minutes trying to figure out what was up. Finally, knowing that we still had to make the gyros, we ran the meat down to the protein fabrication lab and ran it through the grinder. The only thing different that we did from the recipe was to add more spices because we had now sort of made sausage. After combining it all, we formed it into some logs, skewered it, and put it into the tandoor oven. While this was cooking, I made the mango chutney and quinoa tabbouleh. One of the other guys in my group made the pita bread as I had made it a couple of classes before. This time we decided to grill the pitas. In the end, the quinoa was excellent. I had never had it before. The most important thing to know about quinoa is that it contains a healthy dose of protein and amino acids. It is not a grain as it is not a member of the grass family. The mango chutney was good as well, and most importantly, the gyros turned out great. Nothing like adapting to what you have been given to make the most of what is going on. Plus, it's good to hear Chef say good things about what we did. I actually kind of preferred the pita bread on the grill. Maybe that's just the Nebraskan in me. Not really sure about that but I am sure that today was a good day. The last picture is the majority of the quinoa tabbouleh with some tomato and tzatziki. The other pictures are of the grilled pita and the plates that were served.

First Recipe Post

Ok, so here's the recipe for the Asparagus Pesto with Gnocchi:
Pesto:
1 bunch asparagus spears(about 1 pound) trimmed of tough ends and halved crosswise. Lightly peel tough skin off with peeler
3 bunches baby spinach, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, peeled,
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and have a dish with ice water in it to shock the asparagus.
1. Toast pine nuts in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally until fragrant and lightly browned(do NOT burn them!!) Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pan. Cook for only 2 or 3 minutes until spears are bright green and just barely tender. Remove and shock in ice water. Cut tips off several of the spears(diagonal cut about an inch from the end) and set aside to use for garnish.
3. add assparagus, spinach, garlic, parmesan, and 3/4 C of the pine nuts to a food processor. Puree and drizzle in the olive oil until a paste forms. If too thick, you can thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add lemon juice and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Gnocchi
2 lbs. baking potatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg white
1 1/2 C AP flour
1.Pierce potatoes with a fork and bake at 400 for 45 minutes to 1 hour(until fork tender). Peel while hot and press them through a potato ricer.
2. Put potatoes in a bowl with salt, baking powder, and egg white. Add flour a little at a time and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a rough dough-don't over work it.
3. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking.
4. Break off a piece of dough and roll it back and forth into a rope about the thickness of your index finger-check out picture on last post. Cut rope into 1 inch pieces and roll over back of fork while pressing a small dimple with your finger. the gnocchi should be slightly curved and marked with ridges.
5. Boil in small batches in plenty of salted water. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom. Boil 2-3 minutes after it rises to the top. Do not overcook as it will become a mushy mess.
6. Toss immediately with warm pesto sauce. Serve sprinkled with remaining toasted pine nuts, a dusting of olive oil, and asparagus tips.