January 5, 2014

Spinach and Goat Cheese Gnocchi


I feel like I'm out of practice with this whole food blogging business. Like, this whole mini-vacation I gave myself kind of screwed me over.

Like this recipe, it came from my photo archives. The archives, man. I don't archive. This is not how I do things.
But you know, it's all your fault. You said you wanted more savory dishes, even though this was always meant to be a primarily dessert blog (and crafts. Desserts and crafts. That's why I called it Treats & Trinkets). I don't do recipes when I cook savory. I do throw-things-in-a-pan-and-see-what-happens. But here I am, with a savory dish from the photo archives and now I'm all screwed up because of it, and it's all your fault.
Good thing is, I can cross something off of my foodie bucket list. I've wanted to try making gnocchi for a while now, and I stumbled across this recipe from Brokeass Gourmet when I just-so-happened to have some spinach and goat cheese in the fridge that needed to be used. The gnocchi was good, tangy, flavorful, and filling. Spinach and goat cheese is an a-plus combo in my book, and pasta is always a good thing, so when you put them together, something magic happens.

I also had some Roma tomatoes in the fridge that were on their way out, so I whipped up a simple tomato butter sauce (literally just tomatoes and butter, with some seasonings), but while it was good, it was a little too creamy to go with the gnocchi in my opinion. I'd suggest going with something lighter, or maybe even just toss it with some olive oil, minced garlic, and diced fresh tomatoes. You really want to give the gnocchi a chance to shine.
So here's your savory dish. I must admit, it was pretty tasty, and I'm glad I tried out something new. But can we please go back to our regularly scheduled sugar and butter posts now?

Spinach and Goat Cheese Gnocchi
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
1 cup packed chopped spinach
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
4 oz. creamy goat cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (I used freshly cracked)
Pinch nutmeg
Olive oil, for frying

Directions
In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients except for the oil until well incorporated. If the dough seems too sticky, add some extra flour. Gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

In a large frying pan, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom and heat on medium-high. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two thin logs, about 8 inches long. Cut them into one inch pieces.

Add the gnocchi to the prepared pan, and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Brokeass Gourmet