VEGAN GNOCCHI BAKE
Apart from being able to munch on delicious cakes and cookies being a prominent reason for cooking, baking can also be a very calming activity.“Cooking and baking is both physical and mental therapy,” this quote from Mary Berry truly reveal the therapeutic nature of baking. You couldn’t agree more, right?
Baking can soothe ruffled nerves. Moreover, Baking has a set start and end point. It furthermore helps people feel a sense of control and purpose. Hence baking is considered to be very therapeutic. To keep you inspired, today I would like to introduce you one of my favourite bake: vegan gnoochi bake.
Is it the first time you have ever heard about Gnoochi? But it is very popular in Italia.I provide you more information about this dish as below:
What is Gnocchi?
Gnocchi is pronounced nyo-kee. The word gnocchi may be derived from the Italian word nocchio, meaning a knot in wood, or from nocca, meaning knuckle. They are perhaps one of the most ancient homemade pastas made by cutting small pieces from the dough and cooking them in boiling water. They can be purchased either commercially or made artisanally.
A Brief History of Gnocchi
Gnocchi is a traditional Italian dish, however, depending on who you ask, they may tell you different things about what region these dumplings really came from. The word derives from the Italian word for knuckle, and there are many Italian regions that lay claim to the fact that they invented this dish.
Depending on where your gnocchi is from, it may be prepared in different ways or with different sauces and serving styles. In areas such as Lombardy, gnocchi is typically served in a simple butter dressing, while in Verona, it is typically prepared in tomato sauce. If you are trying gnocchi in America, you can find virtually any traditional Italian sauce on top of this dish.
Is gnocchi a pasta or potato?
Gnocchi is not a form of pasta. It is actually a dumpling made out of potatoes. You can serve gnocchi with a variety of sauces and toppings such as cheese, tomato sauce, cream or pesto, just like pasta.
How many carbs are in gnocchi?
Potato gnocchi (1 cup) contains 32g total carbs, 30g net carbs, 11.7g fat, 4.4g protein, and 250 calories.
INGREDIENTS
PAN FRIED MUSHROOMS
- 2 large shallots
- 3 garlic cloves, divided
- 20-30 ml / 4-6 tsp olive oil
- 300 g / 10½ oz mushrooms (I used chestnut / cremini and a few oyster mushrooms), sliced
BECHAMEL
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp all purpose wheat or chickpea flour (for GF version)
- 450 ml / scant 2 cups almond milk (or any other neutral tasting plant milk)
- 2 tsp white / shiro miso paste
- 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard, more to taste
- 1 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or rosemary leaves, chopped)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (for the entire dish)
- ¾-1 tsp salt flakes (for the entire dish)
- 20 ml / 1½ tbsp lemon juice, more to taste
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- 500 g / 17½ oz shop-bought gnocchi** (gluten-free if needed)
- 150 g / 5¼ oz tenderstem or regular broccoli, chopped small (optional)
- 50 g / 1¾ oz vegan cheese, grated or homemade cashew cheese
- 2 tbsp coarse breadcrumbs (optional)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
Now i highly recommend you how to make gnocchi as my experiences:
PAN FRIED MUSHROOMS
- Dice shallots and two garlic cloves finely, grate or mince the third garlic clove and set aside for the bechamel.
- Heat up a cast iron skillet or a medium size pan on a low-medium heat. Add 2-3 tsp of olive oil and once the oil is warmed up, add shallots and diced garlic. Fry them off gently until fragrant and translucent, stirring often.
- Remove shallots and garlic from the skillet. Heat up another 2-3 tsp of oil in the skillet.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and fry them off gently, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned and all the water has cooked out. Season the mushrooms with a generous amount of salt and pepper and some picked thyme leaves. Return shallots and garlic to the pan, mix well and set aside for later.
BECHAMEL
- Preheat the oven to 200° C / 390° F.
- Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium size pot. Once the oil comes to temperature, whisk in flour. Allow the flour to cook off for a bit in the oil stirring with a wire whisk. The flour should bubble very gently and it will turn a little golden after a few seconds, but don’t allow it to brown too much. Add in almond milk slowly, whisking the whole time, to create a béchamel sauce.
- Season the sauce with a grated garlic clove, miso, mustard, nutritional yeast, thyme leaves, salt, pepper and a good squeeze of lemon to cut through the richness. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
ASSEMBLY
- Transfer the sauce to the skillet you used earlier (if you don’t have a skillet you can use a baking dish instead), place raw gnocchi, cooked mushrooms, raw broccoli chopped small in the sauce. Top with grated vegan cheese, breadcrumbs, pine nuts and some more thyme leaves.
- Cover the skillet tightly with a piece of kitchen foil and allow it to bake uninterrupted for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, take the foil off and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until everything is beautifully browned. Divide between bowls and enjoy immediately.
Here are four tricks to help you make fluffy, pillow-like gnocchi.
- Use cold water. Put the potatoes in a pot, fill with cold water then bring the water to a boil. With this method, the skins will be less likely to split open. If the potato absorbs too much water when being boiled, it will also absorb too much flour.
- The less amount of flour used, the better the gnocchi. Never dump the entire amount of flour into the potatoes, but gradually add it in. Stop when you are just able to form the dough.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Over-kneading the dough will create too much gluten, and will leave your gnocchi rubbery. Work the dough just enough so it comes together and you’re able to roll it out, then stop.
Frequently asked answers when serving vegan gnocchi bake:
- How do you know when gnocchi is done?
Follow the recipe until you get a good feel for the dough. It should feel soft, pliable, and slightly sticky. Adding too much flour makes the gnocchi heavy; adding too little means they’ll fall apart in the boiling pot. With cutting and shaping, the dough develops elasticity.
- What To Serve With Gnocchi
- Tomato Marinara Sauce. This refreshing marinara is sweet, tangy, and bursting with bright, earthy flavors. …
- Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing. …
- Italian Stuffed Tomatoes. …
- Tuscan White Bean Salad. …
- Garlic Mushrooms. …
- Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts. …
- Parmesan Cookies. …
- Garlic Parmesan Green Beans.
- Can a baby eat gnocchi?
Gnocchi is theoretically fine from the age of 6 months, but you’ll need to choose the right moment to introduce it based on their ability to manage thicker, stickier foods.
- Does gnocchi go off?
Keep fresh gnocchi in the fridge for up to 1 month, once opened use within 48 hours. Vacuum packed gnocchi can be stored in a dark, dry cupboard for up to 3 months. Once opened store in the fridge and used within 3 days.
- How do you store uncooked gnocchi?
Transfer cooked or uncooked gnocchi into a plastic food container featuring an airtight lid. Place parchment paper in between each layer of gnocchi to prevent the dumplings from sticking together. Store the gnocchi in a refrigerator for up to two days.
- “Nothing says home like the smell of baking.” I hope you can make your home full of love by baking. Enjoy your best time with your family with vegan gnocchi bake. I hope you will success to make it with my recipe. Happy Cooking.
