By Hiba Giacoletto, Healthwise
This is a healthier version of gnocchi than the traditional white potatoes, white flour and eggs that are make up this Italian alternative to pasta. Instead of normal potatoes, I used sweet potatoes - a completely different vegetable despite the name which is significantly higher in vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin A is key for eye health and the immune system and just 1 medium-sized sweet potato covers more than 200% of your daily needs in vitamin A and 50% of your daily needs of vitamin C. (source). I have also used a gluten-free, whole grain flour which is a much better option than nutrient-void white flour.
Start by cooking 2 medium sweet potatoes.
Wash the sweet potatoes, then roast them in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes or until you can poke them with a fork. Take out and leave to cool. You can make these up to 2 days in advance and simply wrap them in the baking sheet and put in the fridge. It is essential that the sweet potatoes be cold for this recipe.
Red Pesto
- 1 red bell pepper (red peppers are the ripest peppers – making them easier to digest + more nutrient dense than green or yellow peppers)
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- 12 dried tomatoes (buy them without oil)
- 2 garlic cloves
- olive oil amount depends on desired consistency
- salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Cut the red bell pepper and remove the seeds. Place it on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Add the bell pepper and more olive oil or a little water if you prefer a more liquid consistency.
Set aside while you prepare the gnocchi. You can use any leftovers as a spread on bread, crackers or vegetables.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi (serves 4)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and cooled (see above)
- 1 egg
- About 200g of buckwheat flour, chestnut flour or other flour
- A dash of salt, pepper and ground nutmeg
Peel and mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl, then add the egg, salt, pepper and ground nutmeg.
Add the flour and mix with your hands until a dough that isn’t too sticky is formed. You may need to add a little more flour.
Roll out your dough into a snake-like shape and cut it into small pieces with a knife. Do this for all your dough mix.
Bring a pan of water to a boil and drop in a handful of gnocchi. Leave them for about 1 minute, until they float to the surface, then take them out with a slotted spoon and place them in a dish. Do not overcook the gnocchi or they become hard! Keep doing this until you have finished your gnocchi reserve.
Once your gnocchi is cooked, combine it with the red pesto and serve on a bed of greens.
Author's bio
Hiba Giacoletto is a Certified Health Coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) with a Masters Degree in Psychology
Hiba helps people lose weight, feel more energetic or take control of their eating without diets or deprivation. She believes that no one way of eating or living works for everyone and that it is about experimenting to find what truly works for you. She uses a unique blend of NUTRITION + PSYCHOLOGY + COACHING to help people start trusting their body's wisdom to make food and lifestyle choices that enable them to look and feel their best. She is convinced that regardless of what you might have tried in the past, she can help you get unstuck, overcome self-sabotage behavior and find your mojo!
You can book a FREE 45 minute Health Chat via her website, www.healthwise.ch to find out whether Health Coaching is right for you.
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