So, I had this idea the other day (hey, they don't happen often so I've gotta jump on 'em when they do). I decided I'd make a low-carb version of gnocchi buy subbing winter squash (acorn in this case) for the taters and soy flour for the white flour. I took the steamed and cooled flesh of one acorn squash and used a cheese-cloth to squeeze out some of the excess liquid. I put the squash through the ricer (a neat little gadget I hardly ever use). Then I added salt, pepper, fresh nutmeg, most of one egg and folded lightly to combine. I added soy flour and a bit of wheat flour till it got to the right non-sticky yet not too dry consistency, perfect for rolling into a snake-like shape.
I hacked 'em into wee bits, used the ol' fashioned gnocchi fork trick to make 'em purty, and cooked 'em in boiling water for a few minutes. Then when they floated to the top, I drained them and put them in a hot pan with a bit of cooking spray (a li'l olive oil would have been good here, too) and some chopped rosemary and browned them a bit. This was a necessary step to get rid of that raw taste soy flour has until it's fully cooked.
In the meantime, I finished up a side veggie dish of asparagus and tomatoes with a garlic, basil and tofu puree. Remember to eat a green thing every day.
Next, I tossed 'em with some sauce/broth I made from sauteeing garlic and soy sausage (yes, I'm a vegemetarian), and adding white wine and veggie broth and a twig of rosemary and letting it reduce on medium-high heat. I topped 'em with a few shavings of romano. Pretty tasty, but next time I'll make cavatelli-type pasta instead so they're less doughy and lighter. Not bad for a first-try without a real recipe though.
Oh, and did I mention the Punk Rock Kitchen is in the midst of a makeover? It's nearly complete, but we still have to paint the wood paneling (I think we're going with a dark, muted grey green color). Here's what it looks like right this very minute:
