Cheesy Spinach & Artichoke Dip | Gluten Free

December 18, 2017 Red Rose & Honey1 Comment

The holidays are in full swing which means many of us will be attending party after party. Although you can’t go wrong with bringing a good bottle of wine (or two), it’s nice to bring one of your favorite dishes to share, and this one is mine! I have made this so many times over the last three years. I’ve been changing it up and must say, I’m pretty happy with my current recipe. I love to try new things and give recipes I’ve found my own spin. If you caught me making this on Insta Stories, you know I love making fresh chips to go with this dish too. This dip is filled with hot and cheesy goodness. Make it for your next party and I’m sure your friends are going to love it.

Ingredients

16oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

16oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed drained and chopped

8oz smoked gouda

8oz fresh mozzarella

8oz cream cheese

1/4-1/2 cup of pecorino Romano (parmesan works too)

1/4 gluten free panko bread crumbs

1 small shallot finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp EVOO

1/4 tsp black pepper, crushed red pepper & sea salt

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Thaw then drain spinach and artichoke hearts (the more water you can remove the better. Excess water will make your dip soggy). Roughly chop both.
Sauté shallot and garlic in 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Grate mozzarella, smoked gouda and Pecorino Romano.
In a medium size bowl combine spinach, artichoke, mozzarella, smoked gouda, 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, cream cheese, sautéed onions and garlic. Season with black pepper, red pepper and salt (remember, pecorino Romano and parmesan can make a dish salty, so be mindful of the extra salt you add).
Very lightly grease the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil. I like to drizzle a little oil in then spread it around the dish with a paper towel.
Add mixture to the dish and top with remaining Pecorino Romano and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes (until dip is bubbling) then broil for 6 minutes and serve with your favorite chips, crackers or veggie sticks. Best if served warm!

Bistango at The Kimberly Hotel | NYC

December 15, 2017August 19, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in New York City is Bistango on 29th and 3rd {read my review here}. Everything on the menu can be made gluten-free. They even serve fresh gluten-free Italian bread. At the original location, the gluten-free tortellini with pesto is my meal of choice. On a recent trip into the city with my co-workers, we made reservations at Bistango at The Kimberly Hotel, a second location, opened in 2014.

Before heading to lunch we stopped a few must-see midtown spots to show a first-time New York visitor around. The library was beautifully decorated for the holidays, as is most of the city. A new stop for me was in Grand Central Station. I’ve been there many times, but I never knew about the Whisper Gallery. Downstairs near the dining area there is a corridor where you can hear whispers across the room. If you stand diagonally across from someone else, your voices will travel across the arched ceiling, and you will be able to hear their voice as if they were standing right next to you.

It was a really chilly morning in the city, so we were all looking forward to warming up with a good lunch. The restaurant is located on the first floor of the Kimberly hotel. It is small, but has enough seating for small groups and a bar over looking the open kitchen. It was cozy and decorated for the holidays too. I’ve heard the roof top bar at the Kimberly is beautiful, but it wasn’t open at the time we were there {another reason to go back}.

I opted for the butternut squash ravioli because I rarely have the option of eating them {welcoming gluten-free ravioli suggestions}. This was a super rich dish! The ravioli were in a brown butter sauce, filled with pureed butternut squash and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. As if that weren’t rich enough, the dish was topped with parmesan and salty peanuts. It was a great lunch.

If you are in NYC and looking for gluten-free Italian food, I highly recommend stopping at either location. Gluten-free or not, the meals do not disappoint!

xo Miss Alyss

Italian Style Chicken Soup|Quick Dinner

December 11, 2017 Red Rose & Honey3 Comments

Super short blog, for a super easy dinner…

Soup is a great dinner for chilly nights, but not all of us have time to let a pot simmer on a stove for hours. While I’m sure this soup would work great in a slow cooker too, I actually didn’t have one at the time. If you don’t have a slow cooker either, you can still whip up this tasty soup in 30 minutes, making it perfect for weeknights.

Ingredients

4 cups of unsalted chicken broth

2-3 cups of cooked chicken

2 14.5oz cans of petite diced tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can of cannelloni beans, rinsed

1/4 cup of pec Romano

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

6oz fresh spinach

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 tsp black pepper

Sprinkle of dried parsley and oregano

Directions

Saute the onion in about 2 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until they’re translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes then add chicken broth and tomatoes (with juice) and bring to a boil.
Add cannelloni beans and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken which is a huge time saver), black pepper, oregano and parsley. I did not add salt because one can of tomatoes I used had sea salt in it.
Let soup boil for 10 minutes then turn down heat. Add cheese and spinach, cooking for about 5 minutes.

xo Miss Alyss