Gnarly

Like many of us, including Alec Baldwin, I had a phase where I played a lot of the mobile game, Words With Friends. If you are not familiar with it, think of the board game Scrabble that you play with your mobile device.

I played with relatives (including The Ranting Mom and the young son of a cousin), old friends from high school and even the random stranger. While I was a journalism major in college, it was still quite a challenge to try to come up with the highest scoring words I could during the games. Unique and unusual words can often mean the difference between victory and defeat.

One key list of words to know is the list of the unique combination of words that start GN. The not often combination of GN that starts a word can lead to being able to play in areas of the board that might normally not be open to you. Keep in mind the following if you play:

The gnostic, gnarly gnome gnawed and gnashed gnocchi with a gnu and a gnat.

Gnocchi With Squash and Kale

This gnocchi was just plain gnarly (in the good surfer-speak kind of way).

Pre-made gnocchi and pre-cut squash make this a breeze.

Fry the squash.

Add the kale.

All in the pan.

Awesome on yellow…

or light blue.

Gnocchi With Squash and Kale

Prep Time: 15 m | Cook Time: 35 m | Servings: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
1 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi
3/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

Directions:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until slightly soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Add the chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and cook until it wilts slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stirring to coat. Cover and cook until the gnocchi are just tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan; transfer to the broiler and cook until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Per serving: Calories 438; Fat 23 g (Saturated 14 g); Cholesterol 76 mg; Sodium 989 mg; Carbohydrate 42 g; Fiber 6 g; Protein 16 g

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/gnocchi-with-squash-and-kale-recipe/index.html