In the summertime, we like to make easy, quick meals. Gnocchi fits the bill for stove top cooking with great results. First off, I thought I wanted to make my own gnocchi from scratch, but after reading the instructions, no, no, no. Lengthy, involved, AND you must use every one you make immediately. The package stuff I get at Trader Joe’s is made in Italy and easy to fix and use and tastes great.
Gnocchi
You just have to boil some water and drop the gnocchi in and wait 2-3 minutes for it to float and drain. I usually toss in a little neutral oil if I am not immediately using it in a recipe.
Let’s get to the recipes!
Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage Gnocchi
Serves Four
Ingredients:
12 oz pkg. Spinach, Fontina, and Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage
17.6 oz pkg. Potato Gnocchi
1 med. or 2 small Shallots
½ med. Onion
6 cloves Garlic
8 oz pkg. Mini Bell Peppers (red, orange & yellow)
4 oz Crimini Mushrooms
¼ Cup Pimento stuffed small Manzanilla Olives
1 tsp dried Oregano
4 oz Dry White Wine
3-5 oz Chicken Stock
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for sauteing
Equipment:
8 qt saucepan
Large skillet for preparing the dish
Putting it Together:
Bring salted water to a boil in the 8 qt saucepan. Add Gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface, approx. 2-3 min. Remove with spider and set aside.
Slice sausage in 3/8” discs. Slice mushrooms to match. Cut olives in half. Chop onion and peppers in a med dice. Crush garlic and dice finely.
In a large skillet, add EVOO and heat to med-high. Saute Gnocchi until golden brown all over. Remove and set aside.
Add more EVOO and saute chicken sausage until lightly browned all over. Remove and set aside.
Add more EVOO and saute mushrooms until all liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are evenly caramelized. Remove and set aside.
Add more EVOO and saute onions, shallots, and peppers until translucent but not browned. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add dry white wine and mix with vegetables. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated.
Return Gnocchi, sausage, and mushrooms, along with olives and dried oregano to skillet. Add chicken stock until all ingredients are wet. Cook until almost dry again.
Remove from heat, dress with EVOO, and mix thoroughly.
Serve along with shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese.
Sweetie is submitting this recipe from his creative mind to the Trader Joe’s Recipes website.
Here’s a couple of side gnocchi dishes I’ve made in the last year:
Balsamic Glazed Gnocchi
½ package gnocchi, cooked
equal amount frozen pearl onions (or if you can get peeled fresh ones, please use them!)
½ C slivered baby red and yellow bell peppers
salt and black pepper to taste
balsamic reduction
chives for garnish
Add gnocchi to a hot skillet with a little olive oil and brown slightly. Add onions and peppers and heat until slightly softened. Toss with the glaze and add salt and black pepper. Garnish with chives for serving.
The balsamic reduction I make:
1 C balsamic vinegar (I use a combo of regular flavor, juniper and Neapolitan)
2 T brown sugar
1 T soy sauce or tamari
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and boil until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and cool. Can be stored in fridge or cool pantry.
I just made this Thursday for Bastille Day.
Tricolor Gnocchi
1 T butter & 1 T EVOO (add more if needed)
½ pkg gnocchi, cooked
½ medium shallot, small dice
3-4 sweet cherry peppers from the salad bar (they are tangy, a little hot and sweet), thin slice
2 T drained capers
1 tsp dried marjoram, rub between your hand to bring the flavor out
salt and white pepper to taste
chives for garnish
Heat the butter and oil in a medium high skillet. Add gnocchi and brown. Add shallot and heat until softened. Add marjoram and white pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add sweet peppers and capers and heat through. Take off heat and serve with chives.
Here’s a couple more recipes I like:
Gnocchi Chickpea Bacon Stew
This one is really good in the late winter to early spring. I use regular bacon and add baby bell peppers, chopped roasted hatch chiles, za’atar and pimeton (smoked Spanish paprika).
Gnocchi Sweet Potatoes, Greens and Goat Cheese Skillet
Also a good one for late winter early spring. I used spinach and some roasted sweet potato chunks. At various times I’ve added onion, different herbs, orange zest, mushrooms, leeks.
BTW, Sweetie and I have been changing out courtyard beds from nothing much to an herb wonderland. I have marjoram, oregano, three different thymes, parsley, rosemary, chives, garlic chives, yarrow, calendula and thinking of more outside my kitchen door. I usually clip off a few branches and let them dry for a few days. I find dried marjoram and oregano is more potent than fresh in a lot of ways (and in the winter thyme). One limb of marjoram was broken off by some critter, so I stuck it in water and put it in the window and several weeks later, I have a new plant!
Dinner tonight will be a green seaweed quinoa salad, sauteed Hood Canal spot shrimp, some of our radishes with herbed butter and farmers market beautiful golden cherry tomatoes with a nice crisp white wine!
What’s for Dinner at your place?
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