GLUTEN-FREE GNOCCHI with SAGE in a DAIRY-FREE sauce

Gnocchi is something that I have always aspired to make, but negative thoughts constantly persuaded me that I was not a good enough cook to try my hand at it. As summer fades away and my business becomes steady and stable, I openly admit that whilst everything in my life is trucking along wonderfully, I need to continually set audacious goals for myself so I have things to strive for and look forward to. One of these big bold goals was decided just the other night; to run 14km for the City2South Brisbane run on June 16^th, which supports several commendable charities. Whilst I am only 25 and fairly fit, my exercise regime consists of lots of Pilates, Yoga and a few walks, with the very and I stress VERY occasional 4-5km run every month or so. So, where does this fit in with homemade gnocchi? Well, I woke up super inspired on Wednesday morning, ran 12km along the Brisbane river and came home feeling exhausted, sweaty and thinking that I could achieve anything I set my mind to. So I decided it was Gnocchi cooking time at 7:30am! Also, I must admit that the scrumptious looking gnocchi made on My Kitchen Rules on Tuesday night was another motivation for me getting my ass into gear.

For the lucky dairy and/or gluten-intolerant people, this gnocchi fits the bill perfectly. You can add sheep’s pecorino grated cheese as a topping if you desire, but I found that the simple sage & dairy-free butter sauce was delicious on its own. I am still surprised that only 6 ingredients made this tasty dish. If cooking for less than 6 people, feel free to freeze the potato gnocchi mixture before making the shapes and defrost for later use.

I am so happy that I tackled this big, hairy goal that I had put on the back shelf for so long. Any goals that you have that are close to their expiration dates? Perhaps its high time to face them head on.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g floury potatoes (I used pontiac potatoes), peeled & cut into small cubes
• 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
• 175g ( 1 1/2 cups) gluten-free plain flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 80-90g Nuttelex (dairy-free & gluten-free butter)
• 3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped

COOKING 

1. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. When boiled, add potato cubes and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain well. Return the potatoes to the pan for thirty seconds over a low heat to dry them out. Remove from the pan and mash well in a large mixing bowl so that no lumps are visible. Add the egg, flour, oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and mix well to form a sticky dough. (The dough should not be so gooey that it sticks to your hands, if this is the case, add slightly more flour. If you are having trouble forming the dough as there is too much flour, add water very sparingly, one splash at a time). 

2. With your hands, make very small oval (egg-like) shapes with the dough and lightly imprint the four tines of the fork into the dough. Repeat until no more dough remains. 

3. Gradually bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil (you can start gently warming up the water when you are close to finishing the rolling of your gnocchi) and add the gnocchi to the water. Cook for 3 minutes or until all gnocchi pieces have risen to the surface of the water. Drain the gnocchi under water and transfer to six serving bowls. 

4. To make the sage butter sauce - melt the nuttelex in a small to medium frying pan over medium heat. When the nuttelex ceases to foam, add the sage and stir for 2 minutes or until sage is crisp and the nuttelex is golden in colour. Drizzle evenly over each of the 6 servings of gnocchi and add more chopped sage as well if desired. 

Serves / 6

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes plus time to shape the gnocchi - if it is your first time allow 30 minutes for this. 

x Emily