Sweet Potato Chestnut Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian word meaning dumplings. (The singular being gnocco.) Gnocchi is traditionally made with potatoes and flour. However, I have read that in some parts of Italy, chestnut flour had been used to make this dish in historical times.

Chestnut flour is made by grinding dried chestnuts. It is available in some supermarkets and bulk food stores in the Greater Toronto Area. I have been able to find it at Highland Farms and Johnvince Foods.

I have taken the very historical recipe and have put a modern twist on it. I decided to use sweet potato instead of regular white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a vegetable that is related to potatoes, but contain a rich amount of nutrients, including beta carotene (giving it its rich orange colour). Beta carotene is the same substance found in carrots that give them the same colour.

Generally, gnocchi is extremely easy to make. Sweet potato chestnut gnocchi is no different. Begin with any sized sweet potato. Wash and cut the sweet potato into half-inch discs. You may keep the skin on, as the vegetable is easier to peel once cooked.

Boil the medallions in lightly salted water until they are tender. Basically, cook them to the point where it is easy to pierce a fork or knife through them.

Once cooked, remove the skins. (I told you it would be easier to do this afterwards!)

The sweet potatoes can be mashed easily using a fork.

There are no measurements for making gnocchi. You must slowly kneed in enough chestnut flour to form a dough. The finished product should:

- feel slightly firm

- be able to form a ball

- not stick to the sides of the bowl or your hands

Once your dough is made, "make a snake".

Cut the "snake" into small pieces (approximately the width of your index finger).

Using the back of a fork, and with light pressure, roll the pieces of dough against the fork so that a slight mark is made on each dumpling.

You may set the raw gnocchi aside on a kitchen towel. Do not overcrowd the gnocchi or pile too many on top of each other.

To cook the gnocchi, simply place them in salted boiling water. Once cooked, the gnocchi will rise to the top. This process should only take approximately 2 minutes. You may remove them from the boiling water using a slotted spoon. Do not over cook the gnocchi.

The gnocchi can be enjoyed in any way you normally eat pasta. Keep in mind that it is a relatively "heavier" dish.

This type of gnocchi is so flavourful, I like to have it with only a drizzle of high-grade extra virgin olive oil.

A la mejor cocinera se le va un garbanzo entero

Chickpea cake is wonderful. You read it correctly! Chickpeas can be used to make sweet desserts. It is actually not uncommon to find chickpea flour used in Indian sweet dishes, which are quite yummy. However, this recipe uses canned chickpeas! The recipe I used to create this cake was based on one I found by Nigella Lawson. However, over the years, I have changed it so that it is easier to make. Also, I find that it yields a better tasting and textured cake.

To begin, you will require one can of rinsed chickpeas. A 540 mL can will do.

Place the chickpeas in a blender and add the following ingredients:
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- a dash of ground cinnamon

Blend the ingredients together until it becomes a smooth batter. Then place the batter into a greased baking pan.

Note: I would suggest using of a springfoam baking pan for this recipe, as the finished cake is very moist and can be rather difficult to remove from the pan.

Bake the cake in a 350°F oven for approximately 45 minutes. Believe it or not, but this cake will actually rise and become fluffy.

The chickpea cake has a very pleasant flavour, is extremely moist, and has a texture similar to rum cake. Also, it is completely gluten and dairy-free!