Time sure gets away from you this time of year! Unfortunately, it’s still not beginning to look a lot like Christmas with these temperatures! And considering our record rain pouring the last couple of days… I’m actually wanting snow.
This has never happened before.
I wish I could deliver some delicious recipes, but truth be told, I’ve been eating a lot of the same soup over and over. I’ve not been feeling well with some symptoms that haven’t perked up in awhile. That being said, my diet’s been pretty boring!
But, I ruffled through my Standard article archives and found a recipe that I think is perfect for this time of year! It’s also great for some holiday entertaining.
As well, my article that is in today’s paper features a vegan egg nog, and I can definitely post that up soon. Unfortunately, they don’t put all of the columns online anymore, but if I hunt in down, then I’ll be able to post it up.
A few other bits of exciting news:
- today I have my first radio interview!
- I received some good press about my book and will be linking that up soon!
- my trip to Disney for 2013 is all planned out!
And, another note: I’m finally going to hit the website hard and do all of the updates that I’ve been meaning to do for awhile!
Oh, and another thing: I decided what I am making for Christmas dinner and part of my holiday cookie swag. Because I was doing so much testing for my book, we ate the majority of them but I saved lots to put out on the holiday tray. But I still have to make more!
My stomach has been acting up a lot lately, and I think that might be due in part to the excess sugar I was consuming. Though my recipes don’t have a lot of sugar and rely on unrefined sugars, well, sugar is sugar and for folks with sensitive stomachs (celiac disease or otherwise) it definitely doesn’t agree. For the next 10 days I am going to abstain from any sugar at all, and then the days after and leading to Christmas, it will only be in the form of while I am doing some baking.
Eating sugar-free isn’t difficult – when I was first diagnosed I couldn’t eat any sugar at all, and before that I was trying to become healthier and had already cut sugar out other than an occasional treat. But I’ve definitely been teased and tempted this last long while doing a lot of cookbook testing! So I also definitely need to give my stomach a much-needed rest.
I’ve unearthed this recipe that I’ve made a few times. Pretty much any gluten-free flour combination (plus xanthan gum) works. A higher protein flour holds it together better than a lower protein flour, so go with something like sorghum mixed with a bit of quinoa, and, if you want to lighten it up, a bit of arrowroot. Though I’ve never measured for this, I would probably do 1/2 cup sorghum, about 2 tablespoons each of quinoa and arrowroot, and about 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum. If you need extra flour, use additional sorghum flour.
Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Winter Brazil Nut Pesto
Free of: dairy, egg, legumes, gluten, seeds, soy, yeast
This gnocchi comes together in a snap, especially with the use of leftover mashed potatoes. Make sure the potatoes don’t have anything extra added into them. If you simply don’t have the time, this pesto is perfect for linguine, too.
(Yes, this photo doesn’t look that appetizing. But I promise it is delicious!)
For the pesto:
1/3 cup brazil nuts, toasted
About 4 cups packed baby spinach
Small handful fresh basil
2-4 cloves garlic
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Whizz all ingredients together in the food processor until smooth, adding additional oil for desired consistency.
For the gnocchi:
2 cups well-mashed, lump-free potatoes (about three medium baking potatoes)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (including xanthan gum; see my notes above)
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Additional oil for frying
Mix together potatoes and olive oil, combining well.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add the potatoes, slowly mixing together to form a smooth dough, adding additional whole grain flour as needed.
Dust a work surface with flour and take sections of the dough, rolling out into a 1/2″ wide rope. Using a floured knife, cut into 3/4″ long spices. Repeat with remaining dough. (You can also do the characteristic indent with a fork on each one, although… I’m impatient).
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add gnocchi in small batches, careful not to overcrowd them. Stir frequently, tossing in the oil, browning on all sides. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining gnocchi.
When finished, toss with pesto and serve immediately.
Serves about 4.
Laurie, what other nuts might work? There aren’t many brazil nuts around here.
Hey Tracy! I am pretty sure any nut or seed would work – pesto is great like that. But in this, I think walnuts would be really lovely.