Gnocchi

If there is one thing I swear by in order for any change in diet to be successful, you must have access to like replacements of the foods you once enjoyed with equivalent flavor and texture.  The sacrifice must be kept to a minimum for success.  That is my goal with everything I place on this blog.  This post is one of those rare ones.  One of those ones that not only meats my goal, but takes it to the next level and puts the traditional equivalent to shame.  Perhaps I am cocky, or perhaps my belief is stemmed in the fact that I have never tasted the Italian real deal.  There is only so much that a store bought prepackaged product can offer and had I made my own Gnocchi in the days of Gluten gluttony, I am sure the end result would also have superseded the prepackaged store bought version. What a pleasant surprise this was!!  Sure to attract the attention of ALL gnocchi lovers regardless of dietary displacement.

For those of you not familiar with Gnocchi, it is like a cross of a noodle and a dumpling and can replace noodles in many dishes.  We like eating our Gnocchi with giant meatballs and seasoned tomato sauce.  I think these would be great in a chicken soup or a hearty stew too.

Gnocchi

4 small - medium or 2 large potatoes

*  *  *  *

2/3 cup Tapioca Starch

1/3 cup Rice Flour

2 TBSP Fresh Ground Flax

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Salt, Scant

1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings (oregano, basil, thyme, sage)

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder, Scant

1/2 tsp Onion Powder, Scant

*  *  *  *

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1) Bake the potatoes.  I do mine wrapped in foil in the crock pot on high for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. No liquid added.  (I recommend doing this the morning or night before.)

2) After baking them, let cool 'til you can touch them comfortably; peel and grate them using a small sized cheese grater.  Grate them into a medium sized bowl.

3) Mix 2nd group of ingredients in a small bowl.

4) Spread the shredded potato out (still in its bowl) and put half of the flour mixture on it.  Cut the flour into the potatoes til the grated potato appears to be coated in the flour. 

5) Add the eggs.  Use a rubber scraper to combine into the potato and flour mixture.

6) Add and incorporate enough flour to just dull the stickiness, but not completely take it away.  You should have about 1/3 cup left.

7) Leaving the dough in the bowl sprinkle some of the remaining flour over the dough and cut dough into handfuls.
8) Using the same flour, dust a cutting board and your hands generously.  Grab a handful of dough and roll into ropes of about 3/4 inch diameter. you should have enough flour on your hands and the dough that the dough does not stick to hands or cutting board.

9) Cut the rope into 3/4 inch pieces and roll/press down the tines of a fork.  Set aside as you finish each. (Since Gnocchi floats when it is cooked through, uniformity is not really important except for attention to detail.)

10) When the Gnocchi is formed place a handful in boiling water until the Gnocchi floats.  I keep it in the boiling water til it has been floating about 15 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a greased colander. Toss with oil in a bowl after they have drained in the colander sufficiently, to prevent sticking.

11) Use as desired; you can freeze leftover Gnocchi.  I don't recommend freezing it with any sauce.

You may be tempted to skip pressing the Gnocchi down the tines of a fork, but don't skip it.  The ridges that the fork forms holds the sauce on the Gnocchi thus adding to the flavor.