Gnocchi Cavofiore Food

CAULIFLOWER GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and place on a baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and carefully scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Add the flour and mash with a fork until just a few chunks of potatoes remain. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and set the bowl aside. Reserve the baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water. Set a steamer basket insert into the pot and bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, cover and steam until very tender and falling apart when pierced with a fork, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and use clean kitchen towels to squeeze completely dry.
• Add the cauliflower a food processor along with the Parmesan, egg yolk, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Pour the puree into the well of the potato mixture and use a fork to gently mix the potatoes and cauliflower until just combined and a soft dough is formed. (Do not overmix the dough or the gnocchi will be unpleasantly dense.)
• Generously flour a work surface. Scoop a heaping 1/2 cup of dough onto the surface and roll into a 12-inch rope. Use a knife to cut the dough into 1-inch pieces and place them on the reserved baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gently press the top of each gnocchi with a fork to make grooves.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Brush the gnocchi with the butter. Bake the gnocchi until cooked through and they spring back when pressed, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until brown bits start to form, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the capers and stir until well combined. Toss the gnocchi in the brown butter and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately with a salad on the side.

SPINACH-CAULIFLOWER "GNOCCHI" WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

Steps:

• For the sun-dried tomato pesto: Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper in a food processor. Add the oil gradually until smooth.
• For the cauliflower "gnocchi": Put the cauliflower rice in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Mix the steamed cauliflower with the spinach, cassava flour, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano and salt. Knead the dough until smooth; depending on how much moisture was in the cauliflower rice it may need more cassava flour to form a dough that is not sticky on the hands.
• Form the gnocchi by either rolling 2 teaspoon pieces of dough with your hands OR rolling the whole dough into a long snake and cutting 2-inch pieces off. Use cassava flour if it starts to stick.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the gnocchi in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side; do not overcrowd the pan.
• Divide the pesto between two pasta bowls and add the gnocchi on top.

ROMAN-STYLE GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is warm (not hot), add the garlic.
• When the garlic begins to get golden around the edges, about 2 minutes, stir in all of the milk and the salt.
• Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, stirring often to avoid a skin forming on the surface of the milk and to avoid scorching on the bottom.
• When the milk begins to lightly simmer, gradually stir in the semolina flour. Keep stirring and folding the mixture for about 3 minutes, until it begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan.
• Add the melted butter and keep folding until all of the butter is incorporated into the semolina.
• When all of the butter has been absorbed, turn off the heat.
• Even out the surface of the semolina mixture with a flat, spatula and immediately add the egg yolk and the cheese, working quickly to spread the yolk over the entire surface of the semolina and then folding the yolk into the semolina. This must be done very quickly as you want to fold the mixture in on itself before the yolk has a chance to begin cooking.
• Once the yolk has been incorporated, add the Parmesan and continue alternating between stirring and folding the mixture until everything is blended together in a nice, dough-like mass.
• Turn mixture out onto the prepared cookie sheet and flatten the "dough" with the same spatula you used before, until it's about 3/8-inch thick (you can go to a 1/2-inch if you want a heartier gnocchi, it will just take a bit longer to cook).
• Set the cookie sheet aside and allow the gnocchi 'dough' to cool at room temperature until firm enough to handle, approximately 45 minutes.
• Cut the gnocchi into whatever shape or size you would like (at the restaurant we cut the gnocchi into rectangular 'fingers', but you can be creative and use a biscuit cutter or juice glass to make round gnocchi).
• Traditionally, Roman gnocchi are layered in a buttered dish and baked in the oven for 17 to 18 minutes at 425 degrees F. At 13 Gypsies we sear the gnocchi in a hot pan to form a crust of 'grilled' cheese while keeping the center moist and tender. Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

HOME-MADE GNOCCHI WITH MORNAY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make Mornay Sauce: Heat butter. Add flour and stir in 2 cups milk. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in 3/4 cream to thin sauce and add 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• To make Gnocchi: Melt 1/3 cup butter in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk. When butter has melted, season with salt and pepper. Remove saucepan from heat and add in 1 cup all purpose flour all at once. Whisk until smooth. Return saucepan to heat and, with a wooden spoon, cook until the mixture sizzles and comes away from the sides of the pan. (You are making a panade). With a rubber spatula transfer to a baking pan and immediately cover surface with plastic wrap so that a skin does not form. Cool to room temperature. Transfer cooled mixture to a bowl and work in, one at a time, 4 large eggs. Do not add the next egg until the first is entirely absorbed. When all the four has been incorporated add 3 1/2 ounces grated Gruyere cheese.
• To cook Gnocchi: Bring water to a boil. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a 3/4 inch tip with gnocchi mixture. Rest metal tip of pastry bag on edge of pan and press the dough out. As 1/2 inch of gnocchi dough emerges, with a knife cut off dough and let it fall into the water. Do in batches of 20 or 30. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove gnocchi to a cloth towel with a slotted spoon.(gnocchi will deflate as they cool).
• To bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put some Mornay on bottom of a shallow gratin dish and arrange gnocchi in one or, at most, two layers. Spread remaining sauce over top, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup grated Gruyere and bake for 45 minutes or until gnocchi have swollen up again and absorbed sauce. Serve immediately before gnocchi deflate.

MAMA ZUQUINIS GNOCCHI CAVOFIORE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the top off of a large bulb of garlic and place the garlic bulb in a small oven safe dish and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over bulb. Roast in oven until soft and caramelized. This takes about 30 minutes.
• Boil enough salted water to cook gnocchi according to package directions.
• Drop gnocchi into boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain in colander and let cool.
• Remove garlic from oil and set aside. In a large skillet, saute cauliflower in the reserve oil from the roasted garlic until the cauliflower starts to brown. Add water and remove from heat.
• Squeeze garlic bulb, removing the tender meat and add directly to skillet. Add gnocchi, heavy cream and Parmesan. Mix. Bring back up to medium heat. Stir until the sauce is hot and the cheese has completely melted.