The end of summer has arrived, the kids are heading back to school and holidays are coming to an end. I admit we don’t have kids but life always seems to speed up this time of year. There’s this subconscious feeling that time is running out, just as the days start getting shorter. I even had someone quip to me last week that ‘Christmas is only four months away’! With the hectic days it’s still important to take some time to chill. Surprise, surprise, I’ve always enjoyed using mindful recipes as a chance to pause.
Gnocchi is so easy to make, a few leftovers, a spare 30 minutes, and you have some comforting little pillows. I don’t see myself ever attempting homemade pasta (gluten free and vegan). It’s so much work without much reward. But gnocchi, is both easy to make and actually tastier than shop bought version. Fresh gnocchi is fluffy, comforting, full of flavour, and so quick to cook. Boil yours for just a few minutes or pan fry till crispy. Toss with a little pesto or toss with your favourite pasta sauce. You can eat it as soon as it’s ready or it keeps well in the fridge. So whip up your gnocchi when you’ve got time on the weekend and you’ll have dinner ready in just three minutes on your busy day during the week.
Let me know what you do with yours!
- Makes: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 600g Cooked Sweet Potatoes*
- 70g Potato Starch**
- 100g Chickpea Flour
- 100 - 200g Gluten Free Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
Directions
Peel and mash your cooked sweet potatoes. In a large bowl mix the potatoes with the starch and chickpea flour. Gradually mix in the gluten free flour, a quarter cup at a time, until you form a soft, slightly tacky dough. The amount of flour you might need for this will depend on how much liquid your sweet potatoes contain. I find it easier to switch from a bowl to a lightly floured counter top once you get closer to a dough like texture and kneed in the flour. Feel free to use whichever method works best for you but if you’re using the counter then I find a bench scraper to be essential.
Cut the dough into four equal sized pieces before rolling each one into thin tubes, ever so slightly thicker than your thumb. Now cut the dough into 1 inch pieces and lightly flour. If you wish, you can roll of the back of a fork for those classic gnocchi ridges but that’s entirely optional.
Cooking the gnocchi just in boiling water is the classic cooking method. It will result in light, pillowy dumpling and can be just so quick. Boil a large pan of salted water before adding your gnocchi. The gnocchi is cooked and ready to eat when it floats to the top – remember to stir in case any of them stick to the bottom. Drain completely.
For Crispy Gnocchi (optional): Going the extra step and crisping your gnocchi before eating takes a little longer but it worth it for a tasty crisp outside to pair with their delicious fluffy inside. Cook the gnocchi as per above before heating a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan, on a medium to high heat. Cook until crispy on both sides, touching only to flip once one side is cooked.
Once cooked using your preferred method, toss in your favourite accompaniment – pesto, some crispy sage leaves maybe – and eat straight away.
Notes
* If you don’t have any cooked sweet potatoes to hand then toss about 700g of scrubbed sweet potatoes in the oven, pricked a few times. Cook until soft at 200 degrees – the time this takes will vary depending on the size of your potatoes but will likely take between 45-60 minutes.
** Corn starch and tapioca starch work as good substitutes here if you don’t have any potato starch to hand.
Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free but keep an eye on anything you put with your gnocchi as plenty of classic pairings – like pesto – aren’t always allergy friendly.
