Sweet Potato Cauliflower Gnocchi

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Gluten, grain, & dairy free, made with cassava flour. 

Always need some parmesan.

I am 1/4 Italian. That doesn't seem like much, but as a typical American mutt of European ancestry, it's all that I have! I am also Irish, English, and Swedish... but the food from those countries don't quite compare to Italian food. I mean, come on. Italy - home of pasta, pizza, and meatballs... and Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Barbera?? It's really no competition. Therefore, I tend to celebrate the Italian heritage a little more. Plus, I get tan pretty easily, so I figure I have more Italian than any of the others in these genetics anyway. That's how it works, right? I'm a scientist. 

Always gotta add some fresh basil.

Anyways, gnocchi. Gnocchi is something that I discovered late in life - I was more of a spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan kind of girl. Why is gnocchi so good? It's pillowy, soft, chewy, and best when browned a little on the outside at the finish. I wanted to recreate gnocchi without any grain and make it lower on the glycemic index. The glycemic index measures how a food affects your blood sugar, with refined and white starches (white sugar, flour, white potatoes) causing a huge spike and unrefined, non-white starches (whole grains, sweet potatoes, coconut sugar.. maple syrup) having a smaller impact. The idea behind eating foods lower on the glycemic index, for me, is the impact on hormones. The long and short of it is, high glycemic foods lead to hormonal disregulation which leads to things like weight gain and acne. We don't need that in our lives. Ain't NOBODY got time for that.
Riced cauliflower and sweet potato 
Dough ball after adding cassava flour and egg yolk 

So, have your gnocchi and eat it too! And expect a lower impact on your blood sugar than with normal gnocchi while enjoying that it is gluten free. In addition to being able to control your own ingredients when you make food at home, you can eliminate sources of plastic waste! I have been tempted to try Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi, which I have been seeing everywhere these days. But, they're frozen and come in a plastic bag. I'm not perfect, but I really try to avoid plastic when I can. Plus, these homemade gnocchi are SO much easier than I thought they'd be, so it's not difficult to eliminate this potential plastic source. I topped mine with some sautéed shaved brussels sprouts, mushrooms, bacon, and a little parmesan! 

Dough log before cutting 
Freshly cut gnocchi.

Floated to top... boil an addition 1-2 minutes
Sautéed in butter.

Ingredients: 
  • 8 oz cauliflower (uncooked)
  • 8 oz sweet potato (uncooked)
  • 3/4 cup cassava flour 
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk
Method: 
  1. Heat oven to 450F (or prep an air fryer!)
  2. Break cauliflower into pieces and chop sweet potato into cubes. 
  3. Bake for about an hour (or air fry for about 20 minutes @ 400F). 
  4. Transfer to food processor and process into a "rice." 
  5. Transfer to bowl and mix with egg yolk and flour. Knead dough, adding a little more flour if necessary. 
  6. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and take half the dough and roll it into a log about 3/4 inch thick. 
  7. Slice 1 inch pieces and transfer to a floured baking dish (so they don't stick together). 
  8. Repeat with other half of dough. 
  9. Add half of the gnocchi to boiling water. Once they pop up to the surface, cook for an additional 1.5 to 2 minutes until puffed and just cooked through (do not overcook or they will start to disintegrate). 
  10. Transfer cooked gnocchi to an oiled baking dish and repeat process with other half of gnocchi. 
  11. Heat a skillet with butter and brown both sides of gnocchi for 1-2 minutes. 
  12. Serve with whatever sides and sauces your heart desires! 

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