Gnocchi with Crispy Sausage & Swiss Chard

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Enjoy this warming dish made with simple, yet quality ingredients to prepare for any occasion

George’s Gnocchi with Crispy Sausage & Swiss Chard

Makes 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | georgehirschlifestyle

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

8 ounces Italian Sausage, cooked whole, cooled then sliced thin

4 cups Swiss Chard, Tuscan Kale, or spinach; washed, green leaves roughly chopped

8 cloves caramelized garlic

2 apples, 1 green / 1 red, chopped small

2 fresh sage leaves

1 pound gnocchi

½ cup of water from gnocchi

¼ cup Parmesan cheese or to taste

Fresh ground black pepper 

Pre heat a large sauté pan to medium high heat.

Heat a large pot of water to a boil.

To the sauté pan, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil, sliced sausage and cooked until sausage begins to crisp and brown. Remove sausage and add remaining olive oil, kale, apples and sage. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until kale and apples soften.

Meanwhile, add gnocchi to the boiling water and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove gnocchi with a strainer and add to the kale. Top with crispy sausage and Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Rice Pudding as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Enjoying time sharing food for the soul in-studio with Msgr. Jim at Telecare TV

Enjoying time sharing food for the soul in-studio with Msgr. Jim at Telecare TV

And, join me in February on Create TV and your local PBS station as I share warming comfort recipes and more!

Having really no economic barrier and universal appeal- I’ve seen rice pudding on restaurant menus from diners and joints (my favorite place to find RP) to high-end linen napkin on-your-lap digs. Personally I‘ve made more batches than I can even remember. Here are a few variations that come to mind; Rum Raisin, Berry, Pomegranate, Coconut Mango and Banana. Keep in mind, I made mega batches. I prepared rice pudding batches to feed a daily buffet for about 10,000 people with list of ingredients like; 18 gallons milk, 12 pounds of rice, 12 pounds sugar. . . 

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Creamy Rice Pudding from George Hirsch Lifestyle

Making a batch for 10 thousand or 10 hungry people at home is pretty easy, as most ingredients are probably already in the pantry and can even be made by using leftover plain cooked rice. 

Creamy Rice Pudding

Makes 2 cups, about 4-6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle 

 3/4 cup uncooked short grain rice

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar, or if using Turbino slightly less

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup raisins, plumped with dark rum or water 

1 Tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, add rice and water bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. 

In a separate bowl mix 1 cup milk, salt, sugar and salt. Add to cooked rice and return to heat and gently simmer and stir for 15 minutes.

In separate bowl mix remaining 1/2 cup milk to beaten egg, plumped raisins, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

 Stir egg mixture into milk and rice and simmer 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly. Serve warm or chill in small cups. Sprinkle small amount of granulated sugar on top to keep skin from forming.

Serve with fresh chopped fruit, toasted chopped nuts, whip cream or meringue.

TIPS:

Knowing your grains is important, as each type of rice will provide different results. Here are your options; long or short grain white rice, brown, basmati, or jasmine. Cooking times and consistencies will vary wildly, ok maybe widely. Long grain rice makes a pudding that is slightly drier and chewier than one made with short grain rice. While brown rice will be nuttier. Arborio rice is starchier and therefore can set up without addition of eggs. Cooking times will also depend on the type of rice, along with the amount of milk used. 

Other important tips: Do not combine any sugar to rice until the rice kernels are completely tender or the starch will begin to set and harden and will not become additionally tender. Do not use converted rice as it contains pre-gelatinized starch, which will not thicken rice properly. To keep a skin from forming over rice pudding, sprinkle a small amount of granulated sugar over the top as soon as you pour the pudding out of the pot.