Charlotte Veggie

Well hello there everyone and happy spring! I know I am returning after a long hiatus. Thank you for continuing to visit the site and to those of you who regularly reached out to ask when the next post will be! I’m not gonna lie; the last couple of months have been a tough road over here personally. The changes and circumstances were great enough in magnitude that I had to step back and focus on my family and myself. Now that things have settled down, I have decompressed, and am regaining some sense of my new normal, I am more excited than ever to continue developing and providing yummy, healthy recipes!
IMG_2394Keeping this all in mind, I couldn’t think of anything better to start back off with than comforting, simple yet so gourmet, sweet potato gnocchi. The sweet potato provides loads more natural taste, fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants than regular potatoes. At the same time, this version of gnocchi is more like dumplings than pillows. They are not light and airy but chewy and filling.

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In line with my friend Jen’s awesome idea, I’ve been baking a bag of sweet potatoes once a week. I use them to supplement my dog’s diet and my own meals. It really saves time during the week and it’s nice to always have something ready to go in the fridge that lasts 5-7 days.
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Mixing ricotta in is a method that eliminates the need for eggs.
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Add the flour gradually as needed to absorb the moisture of the sweet potatoes and ricotta.
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The dough should be soft but pliable.
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Flour your surface well so that you can roll the dough on it well and so that the freshly cut gnocchi doesn’t stick. The excess flour will fall off in the boiling water.
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You can use fork tines to imprint the gnocchi but I found that the lines didn’t last and also flattened my pasta more than I would have liked so I stopped after doing the first few.
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Fresh oregano from my garden was infused into the extra virgin olive oil and at pat of Irish butter.
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A quick pan fry in this sauce browned up the gnocchi and further developed its flavor.
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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Oregano Olio
Charlotte Veggie

NF, Soy free

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 large or 4 small sweet potoatoes, each rinsed and pierced a few times, then baked at 375 degrees for 45 minutes and cooled to at least room temperature
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used the whole milk variety.)
2-2.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Fresh oregano leaves, about 1/4 cup loosely packed
6 tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp butter
Parmesan cheese to garnish
*Note: You can replace any or all of the oregano with parsley.
Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Peel sweet potatoes and mash in a large mixing bowl with ricotta and spices.

Gradually add in flour 1/2 cup at a time.

Form dough with your hands and divide into 6-8 parts.

Roll each of these parts on the counter or holding up between your hands to form 1/2 inch thick “ropes”.

Place on a floured surface and cut into 1 inch pillows.

Heat fresh oregano, oil, and butter in a wide sauce pan or skillet over low medium heat.

Place gnocchi in boiling water, wait for them to rise to the surface, and then cook for an additional minute.

Removing with a slotted spoon or colander, gently place the dumplings into your butter oil sauce.

Flipping occasionally, cook for 10 minutes or until well browned.

Serve with a sprinkle of coarse salt, red pepper, flakes, and or parmesan cheese.

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