Chick pea and nori gnocchi with smokey, heirloom carrot ribbons, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, and spring mix

The chick pea flour gives this gluten free version of this dish a lovely, soft chew that’s similar to potato and wheat flour. If you don’t have a spiralizer or a mandoline, you can shred the carrots using a box grater. The texture will be slightly different, but the flavor will be consistent.

Ingredients

For the gnocchi
1 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 cups chick pea flour, 1/4 cup reserved
1 cup boiling water
1T green nori flakes
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 liters water with 2t coarse sea salt
1T olive oil
2T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the carrots
4 medium purple heirloom carrots (about 1 packed cup when cut)
1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2t red Thai chili paste (or similar or to taste)
2t tamari (use gluten free)
2t coconut sugar (maple syrup makes a good substitution)
A dash liquid smoke
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the spring mix
1T olive oil
2t balsamic vinegar
1 scallion, minced (4″ green reserve for garnish)
2t fresh garlic, minced
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 cups packed spring mix
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the garnish
2T sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (use dehydrated, not jarred)
2T walnuts, chopped
Scallion green sliced on a diagonal as above

Instructions

Make the dressing, start the gnocchi and then carrots. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, scallion, garlic, and the coarse sea salt in a small dish until well combined. Set aside for the flavors to mix and start the pasta.

Mix the flours for the pasta with the course sea salt and nori. Whisking as you pour, add the boiling water. Be careful; it will be quite hot, but keep mixing. This will result in a dry and crumbly dough. That’s fine — it will continue to absorb flour, soften and become moist. Turn the dough out onto a cutting board. As soon as its cool enough for you to do so, knead as you would a regular dough until all the flour is absorbed and you have a smooth, pliable dough. Add additional chick pea flour 1 tablespoon at a time as you knead. Let rest 2 minutes.

When the dough is ready, roll out on a well-floured board in a rectangle until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Tear or cut 2t pieces of dough. Roll each piece into a firm, smooth ball, then roll the dough gently into a slightly oblong shape. Ridge each gnocchi with a fork by gently but firmly pressing the back of the tines into the gnocchi. Repeat until you’ve used all of your dough. Let rest about 10 minutes and start the carrots.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Whisk the dressing for the carrots, and toss together until the carrots are well-coated. Add the carrots in a shallow layer to a roasting pan. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for about 10 minutes — until the carrots are lightly browned and chewy.

While the carrots roast, cook the pasta. In a large pot, bring the 2L water and sea salt to a simmer for the pasta. Add the gnocchi and simmer until they begin to float, about 3-5 minutes. Don’t boil and don’t overcook. Add 1T pasta water to the spring mix dressing. Drain the gnocchi, rinse thoroughly in cool water, toss in the 1T olive oil and nutritional yeast until well-coated, and season to taste.

In a large bowl, dress the spring mix, add the gnocchi, toss very gently to combine, and set aside until the carrots are ready. Once the carrots are ready, remove from the oven and season to taste. Then, plate the dish. Add the gnocchi and spring mix first, then add the carrot on top. Sprinkle with the sun-dried tomato, chopped walnuts, and scallions, and then serve.

Flourfree chocolate torte with lemon vanilla chai icing, swirled with dark chai ginger caramel

No flour, no baking, no gluten, simple, but rich and flavourful, the cake part of this torte is lovely all by itself. This makes 4 larger portions or up to 8 small slices.

Ingredients

For the cake
1/2 cup whole grain, brown teff
2 cups water
50g bittersweet chocolate (I use an organic, fairly traded bar)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
A pinch coarse sea salt

For the icing
1T plant-only shortening
1T plant-only margarine
6T powdered sugar (I use an organic brand) (1) (2)
1t lemon juice
1 chai tea bag and 1T reduced tea (explained in the directions)
1/4 cup boiling water

For the caramel
1T reduced chai tea (as noted)
1T coconut sugar (2)
1/2t plant only margarine
1T unsweetened soy milk
1/4t fresh ginger, minced

Directions

First make the cake part of the torte, then the icing and caramel.

In a small sauce pan with a lid, toast the teff for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 – 25 minutes or until the teff is thick, the water has been absorbed and the teff pulls away from the sides when stirred. Stir periodically until the last 5 minutes or so, and then stir frequently to avoid sticking.

When the teff is ready, add the coconut sugar and sea salt and stir to combine. Simmer on the lowest possible heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the chocolate and stir continuously until melted.

If you haven’t worked with chocolate much, this is the most delicate step in the recipe. Don’t add water, don’t change the temperature or do anything that may cause the chocolate to seize. Just keep stirring. When the chocolate has melted, pour the resulting batter into a 3″x9″ loaf pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes uncovered. Cover loosely and let cool 1 hour to setup.

When the cake has setup, make the icing and the caramel. Bring 1/4 cup water to boil, and steep the tea for 5 minutes. The tea makes a big difference to the taste. Use a tea with good, strong flavours that you like. Start the icing while the tea steeps. Add the margarine and shortening to a bowl to warm up a a little.

When the tea has steeped,remove the bag and give it a good squeeze. in a small sauce pan, reduce the tea by about half. Pour 1T or so of the tea into a small cup to cool. Add the coconut sugar, margarine, ginger and soy milk to the tea left in the pan. On medium heat, bring to a simmer and reduce to about 1 1/2 – 2T caramelized syrup over medium low heat.

The mixture will bubble and take on a noticeable shine as it caramelizes. Reduce heat to low once the process starts and stir constantly to avoid scorching the caramel. Once you have a dark,melted caramel texture, remove from heat let cool while you make the icing.

Whip the margarine and shortening until smooth (I use a fork). Add the icing sugar, and whip. Add the 1T cold tea you set aside from the caramel and lemon juice, and whip. Keep whipping until smooth peaks form in the icing (this should only take a couple of minutes). Add more powdered sugar 1t at a time if it’s too thin.

Turn out the cake carefully, ice the top, and drizzle with the caramel in a lattice if you like, or drip caramel onto the icing and swirl. Let stand for a few minutes to settle. Eat immediately for the richest flavour or refrigerate, very loosely covered.

  1. Some white sugars are still bleached with animal bone charcoal. Organic sugars typically are not.

  2. I find this type of icing very sweet. If you want to reduce cane sugar, you can replace the icing here with my walnut date fudge frosting or something similar. Since it’s a single layer torte, the frosting should be fine, but it won’t have the magical staying power that saturated fat, sugar and corn starch do. You can also replace the caramel with my chai date caramel recipe (although you’ll have leftovers).

For the fudge
3T warm water
1/4 cup dried,soft dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1t lemon juice
1/2t vanilla extract
1/4t coarse sea salt

Soak the dates and walnuts in the warm water for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the seal salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add 1T warm water if too thick, or an extra date and some walnuts if too thin. Add the sea salt and let stand 10 minutes to setup.

For the data caramel
1/4 cup boiling water
1 chai tea bag
1/4 cup dried, soft dates, pitted and chopped
1/4t fresh ginger

Steep the tea as above and the dates and ginger in the warm water. Remove the bag. Blend the chai with the dates until smooth. Add 1t frosting. Stir to combine and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Pepper, tomato and onion stew (lecsó) with black lentils and kale

Inspired by lecscó, my version adds a little nuance with the poblano pepper and rounds the dish out with some kale and black lentils. Shown here with freshly made spätzle (gluten free, plant-only) dusted with nutritional yeast, but fresh bread, roasted or mashed potatoes, rice or similar accompaniments should all go well.

Ingredients

1/3 cup black beluga lentils
3/4 cup water
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
4 scallions, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup red peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
1 cup Hungarian peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
3/4 cup poblano peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
1/2T smoked paprika
1/2T coconut sugar (or a little maple syrup)
1/2T lemon juice
1 cup tomato passata (or puree)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 cups green curly kale, stemmed and chopped
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: There are a number of regional variations for lecsó, but tomatoes, onions, and peppers form a common base. Use some fresh tomatoes, slice the peppers and onions in strips rather than dice and use green pepper rather than poblano for a more traditional version. If you do, saute the onions first, add the paprika and sugar and then the rest of the peppers. Lecsó is often stewed. You ca make this dish in a slow cooker if you prefer (just be careful not to overcook the peppers). A tablespoon of cooking oil will also add some richesse to this dish.

Method

Bring the water to a boil in a small pan with a lid. Add the lentils and kombu. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove the kombu and set the lentils aside to cool for 5 minutes, covered.

With the lentils underway, bring a large frying pan to heat on medium high. Add the peppers, scallions and sea salt. Stirfry for 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers are starting to wilt. Reduce heat to medium. Add the paprika and coconut sugar. Saute for 3-5 minutes.

When the pan starts to brown, add the lemon juice and deglaze. Add the passata and stock, and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered or until the passata has been reduced by about 1/3, stirring periodically (but gently).

When ready, add the kale and black lentils. Stir to combine. Let stand 2-3 minutes to cool and to wilt the kale. Season to taste and serve.

Noodles and cabbage sauteed with oyster mushrooms, onions, and garlic

A simple, syncretic dish, haluški is typically made with a potato pasta (similar to gnocchi) in central and eastern European cuisines. This is a North American version made with soft (gluten free) noodles and cabbage.

Ingredients

For the noodles
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup masa harina
1 cup tapioca flour
2T egg replacer
A pinch sea salt
A pinch turmeric (I use 1/4t)
1 cup boiling water
2 liters water for cooking the noodles with 2t coarse sea salt

For the cabbage
2T plant-only margarine
2T pasta water
4 scallions, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t black pepper, freshly cracked
1 cup oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 cups shredded green cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the black pepper with dried red chili for a spicier dish. Use a tablespoon coconut oil and a little sea salt in place of the margarine if you prefer. A dash of liquid smoke will add some additional flavor to this dish. Scallions add colour to the dish, but vidalia onion will also work (adjust the saute accordingly).

Method

Make the noodles first, then the cabbage. Mix the flours, masa, sea salt and turmeric. Stirring briskly with a fork, slowly pour in the boiling water to mix into a dough. As the dough cool, knead by hand until a smooth elastic dough forms. Roll out on a lightly (tapioca) floured board into a large rectangle about 1/8″ thick or between sheets of plastic wrap.

With a pastry cutter or a knife, cut into 2″ x 3/4″ noodles (or the size you prefer). Traditionally, haluški is scraped off the board with a knife into boiling water, but the noodles in this version are a little sturdier.

In a large pan, bring the water to a boil with the sea salt. Add the noodles and simmer for 3 – 5 minutes, or until the noodles float. Drain carefully, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water. Rinse gently with cold water. Spread them in thin even layer on a dry, clean cutting board or other surface while you make the cabbage.

While the noodles dry a little, start the cabbage. Bring a large frying pan to heat on medium. Melt the margarine and add the scallions and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the oyster mushrooms and black pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and increase heat to medium high. Stir fry the cabbage for 5-8 minutes, until the cabbage is nicely wilted (reduced by about half) but not mushy.

When the cabbage is ready, add the noodles and reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Cook another 30 seconds or so. Remove from heat. Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Season to taste. Spoon out, garnish with scallion sliced on an angle, and serve.

Soda bread

Soda bread is quick, versatile, and easy to make, involves no kneading and no worries about whether your dough will rise because of the yeast. This version trades the traditional wheat for gluten free flours and produces a chewy crust and a light, lightly sweet crumb. Shown here as a roasted tofu sandwich with spring mix and kale.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1T masa harina flour
1T coconut sugar
1T milled flax seed
1t baking powder
1/4t baking soda
Coarse sea salt to taste
1 cup soy milk
1T balsamic vinegar

Optional: Glaze with 1T unsweetened soy milk for a browner crust. Raisins are a common addition. This version uses no oil, but 1T cooking oil with the liquids will yield a flakier crust. Replace the balsamic vinegar with white vinegar if you prefer.

Method

Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix the wet. Mix the dry with the wet until a stable dough forms, form into a ball, but don’t knead. Preheat the oven to 450F (or the highest temperature to which your baking paper is rated). Let the dough rest while the oven warms up.

When the oven is ready, add the dough to the baking sheet lined with baking paper, press down slightly, and cut the top of the loaf with a large cross (or similar design). Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, or until the bread is lightly browned. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the bread as a guide. Remove from heat. Cover with a clean tea towel while the bread cools. Slice and serve.

For a more traditional version, replace everything up to and including the flax seed with 2 – 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour. Start with 2 cups and add more flour as necessary. Replace the baking powder and soda with 1t baking soda. Replace the 1T balsamic vinegar with 1/2T balsamic and 1T unpasteurized sauerkraut vinegar if you have it. Adjust the baking time accordingly.

Single-serve banana walnut breakfast cake

A lightly sweet, airy breakfast cake with no added oil, sugar, gluten, or salt.

Ingredients

3T sweet sorghum flour
1T brown rice flour
1/2T cornstarch
1/2T tapioca flour
1//4t heaping baking powder
1 medium, very ripe banana (about 3/4 cup)
1/2t pure vanilla extract
2T unsweetened soy milk
1T chopped walnuts, 1t reserved for garnish
1t milled flax seed
Stevia to taste

Optional: Use shelled sunflower seeds in place of walnuts. You can use a tablespoons or so coconut sugar in place of the stevia but adjust the baking time accordingly. You can use other plant milks, but this will also affect the crumb and bake time.

Method

Mix the flours, cornstarch and baking powder. Puree the banana, vanilla, and walnuts until relatively smooth. Add the soy milk to the banana and puree.

Whisk the wet with the dry to form a smooth batter. Add the flax seed and stir to combine. Sweeten to taste with the stevia (it should be sweet to the taste). Pour the batter into a ramekin. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 450F.

When the oven is ready, bake for 15 minutes on the middle rack at 450F. Sprinkle with reserved walnuts, reduce heat to 350F, and bake another 15 – 20 minutes or so. Ovens vary; use a toothpick to determine when the cake is done.

Remove from heat. Cover with a clean tea towel and let cool. When cool, run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen and carefully remove from the ramekin. Enjoy fresh or wrap in plastic wrap to enjoy later.

Masa hot pocket with portobello mushrooms and poblano peppers

Inspired by gordita, pupusa, and other dishes, but not very authentic, this wraps a thick layer of masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour) around a savoury filling. Because it has no gluten, working with corn-based dough takes mindfulness and some practice.

Ingredients

For the filling
2 large portobello mushrooms (about 5″ diameter), stemmed, sliced 1/4″
2t tamari
1t lemon juice
1/4t dried red chilis
1T scallion, minced
A good pinch coarse sea salt
1/4 poblano pepper (about 1/2 cup), 4″ x 1/8″ julienne
1T sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (jarred, not dehydrated)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the shell
1/2 cup masa harina
1/4t coarse sea salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup hot water

Optional: Once you have practice with the base, you can try other fillings. Garnish with coleslaw or sauerkraut if you like. Refried beans make for a nice, traditional filling.

Method

Make the filling, then the shell.

Preheat the oven for 450F. Mix the tamari, lemon juice, chilis, scallions, and a pinch of sea salt. Toss the portobello slices until coated. On a baking sheet or roasting pan, roast the portobellos in a thin layer on the middle rack until nice and brown. Expect about 20 minutes, but adjust accordingly for your oven.

When done, remove from the oven and toss with the peppers and the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside. Mix the flour and sea salt. Whisking with a fork, add the water slowly to the masa. Whisk until a dough comes together and then knead as soon as the dough is cool enough for you to do so. Add more water or more flour to balance out the dough. It should be firm, and slightly elastic.

Roll the dough out to about 6″ between sheets of plastic wrap. Fill, and with the dough in the palm of your hand, gather it up around the filling and pinch closed. This is the tricky part. You have to be gentle with corn-based dough to avoid tearing. You can shape it into a cylinder as I did here, but for something more traditional, press it flat into a circle (carefully). Either way, the dough should be about 1/4″ thick.

Once the dough is sealed, wrap in foil and return to the oven. Bake on the middle rake at 450F for about 20 minutes. Unwrap carefully. Broil for about 2 – 3 minutes (for a crispier crust). Remove from the oven and serve.

Note, you can also try breaking the dough in half, rolling out two pieces to 6″, fill and then seam the two pieces of dough together. You can also fry on the stove top with a little oil if you prefer that approach to baking, but it can also be a challenge if you haven’t fried corn-based dough before.

Tacos with spicy tempeh, white miso sauce and baby greens

Soft, hand rolled corn tortillas, warm spicy tempeh and lime accented greens make this a lovely and flavourful dish. Fresh tortillas are terrific and when you make them from scratch, you control all of the ingredients. Be sure to use masa harina rather than regular corn flour
for this recipe. This makes eight small tacos.

Ingredients

For the tempeh
1T cooking oil
1T fresh garlic, minced
1T red Thai chili paste (or similar and/or to taste)
250g tempeh, crumbled (use pasteurized)
1/4 cup tamari (or to taste)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4t coarse sea salt

For the tortillas
1 1/2 cups masa harina
1/2T ground flax seed
1/2t coarse sea salt
1 cup hot water

For the white sauce
1 cup unsweetened plant milk (I use soy)
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T white vinegar
1T sesame seed butter
1T white miso
2T tapioca flour dissolved in 2T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the greens
1T olive oil
1t lime juice
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T nutritional yeast
1 cup loose baby kale
1 cup loose baby spinach

For the garnish
1/2 cup passata (or tomato puree)
1/2t red Thai chili paste (or similar and/or to taste)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste.
2T nutritional yeast

Method

First, start the tempeh, then the tortillas, the white sauce, the greens and the garnish.

In a frying pan with a lid, bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium high. Add the garlic and chili and fry for 2 minutes. Add the tempeh and fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the tamari and deglaze the pan.
Add the stock, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

While the tempeh simmers, make the tortillas. Mix the dry ingredients and add the water. Stir to form a smooth, pliable dough, neither too dry nor moist. If the dough is too wet, add more masa 1T at at time; if too dry, add water 1T at a time. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts, and flatten each into a 2-3″ round disk. Cover the dough with a damp cloth while you press the tortillas.

Heat a frying pan on medium high heat. If you have a tortilla press, follow the instructions provided.
If you don’t, roll the tortillas out gently between two sheets of plastic wrap into rough circles about 1/8″ thick, about 5-6″ in diameter. It’s the peeling of the tortilla that’s of the most difficult part — go slowly. Carefully peel and add the tortilla and cook until the top of the tortilla is start to look dry. Flip and cook the other side (it should be about 1 minute each side, a little more on the first, a little less on the second).Little brown spots make a tortilla look lovely. Repeat for the remaining 7 tortillas and cover with a warm, very lightly damp tea towel.

Let the tortillas rest for about 20 minutes to cool and soften until you’re ready to use. The tortillas will keep, but you’ll likely have to steam them to use them later. At the 40 minute mark, preheat the oven to 450F. In a shallow pan with sides, bake the tempeh for another 20 minutes or until the moisture has been absorbed the tempeh has started to brown. Ovens vary; use the colour as your guide. Don’t overcook.

Start the white sauce and broil the tempeh for another 5 minutes. In a small sauce pan, bring the soy milk to a simmer. Add the sea salt, miso, sesame seed butter and vinegar. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes uncovered. Slowly add the tapioca solution stirring continuously until it thickens.
Remove from heat and season to taste. Remove the tempeh from the oven. Let the white sauce and the tempeh cool for a few minutes.

While they cool, whisk the dressing for the greens and toss. Whisk the ingredients for the garnish.
To assemble, fill each tortilla with 3-4T tempeh, 2T white sauce, 1/4 cup greens and then about 2t passata mixture. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve.

Black lentil and amaranth soup with sesame and roasted kale

Warm and satisfying, and with the amaranth, a fairly nutrient dense soup. This make a large bowl for 1, small bowls for 2, and easily doubles.

Ingredients

For the soup
3T dried black beluga lentils
3T dried amaranth
2 cups water
1 ‘spring’ kombu (about 1/2″)
1 scallion, minced (1t set aside for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced (1/4t reserved for garnish)
1/2t fresh ginger, grated and minced
3T tomato passata (or puree)
1t sriracha
1t prepared brown mustard
1t balsamic vinegar
1/4t black pepper, freshly cracked (or to taste)
1/4t blackstrap molasses
1/2T green herbs (I used herbes de Provence)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the kale
1 cup green curly kale, chopped
1t scallion (as noted above)
A pinch coarse sea salt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the sesame ribbon
1t sesame seed butter
1/2t lemon juice
1/4t fresh garlic, minced (as noted above)
A pinch coarse sea salt
1t cold water

Optional: Add a tablespoon nutritional yeast to the kale after roasting for some additional flavor and nutrition.

Method

In a medium pan with a lid, bring the water to a light simmer. Add the black lentils and kombu. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer. At the 10 minute mark, add the amaranth.

Simmer until the amaranth has dissolved into the soup (about 20 – 30 minutes). Remove the kombu. Add the remainder of the ingredients for the soup. Stir to combine. Return to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer another 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the kale with the scallion, garlic and sea salt. Roast in a thin layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan for 6-10 minutes until the kale is lightly wilted and a vibrant green. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the kale as a guide. When done, remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together the ingredients for the sesame ribbon in order until the sesame becomes a little fluffy. Set aside until the soup is done.

When everything is ready, season the soup and the kale to taste. Ladle out. Pour the sesame ribbon out in the design of your choice. Add the kale in the center, and serve.

Pillowy, chili-garlic, gluten free potato gnocchi

A simple, gluten free variation of the traditional potato pasta, the tapioca helps keep the softness of the original dish. Shown here with sauteed kale, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, gnocchi goes well with a variety of sauces.

Ingredients

1 large floury potato (about 1 1/2 cups, mashed — I use organic russets)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t dried basil, rubbed
1/2t dried oregano, rubbed
1/4t dried red chilis (or to taste; I use 1/2t)
1/4t black pepper
Up to 1/2 cup tapioca flour (see the note below)
1/4 cup brown rice flour
Coarse sea salt to taste
2 liters water with 2t coarse sea salt for boiling

Optional: Add a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast to the dough for some additional flavour and nutrition or dust with the nutritional yeast when drained. Traditionally, you would peel the potato once it has cooled, but I don’t. A lot of the fiber and other nutrients are in the skin, the skin provides a lot of the starch, etc. It’s also traditional to add a little nutmeg, but it would be overpowered here.

Method

Boil the potato unpeeled in enough water to cover for about 30 minutes. Drain and chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Puree smooth. Add the herbs, 1/4 cup tapioca, and brown rice flour until a soft dough forms. Add salt to taste (depending on the sauce you’ll use).

Roll out gently into lines about 1/2″ thick and cut into 1″ segments or roll 1T sized bits of dough between your palms for more of a dumpling shape. Lines are more traditional. Decorate each gnocchi with a gentle fork press (striation helps to hold the sauce with the pasta).

In a large pan, bring the 2 liters water and salt to a light boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add the gnocchi and swirl the pan to avoid sticking. Simmer the gnocchi until they float. Don’t overcook. Drain carefully. If you have to leave the gnocchi before saucing, rinse gently but thoroughly with cold water. If not, toss with your sauce and serve!

Note, this makes a soft, light, fairly traditionally textured gnocchi. However, because of the size of the potato, the type, the exact amount of water it absorbs, its age, and how much it dehydrates while cooling, gnocchi often takes a few tries to get the texture you prefer.

If you find your dough doesn’t come together, add more tapioca flour one tablespoon at a time. But start with 1/4 cup. If you’ve never made gnocchi and don’t know from the touch of the dough whether it will hang together, you can also always test one piece and see what the resulting texture is like before committing.