Oh my beautiful friend Gnocchi, how I’ve missed you!

Remember how much we crushed on this Spicy Tomato & Basil Gnocchi last winter?  mmmmmmmmmmm…

Soooo delicious and comforting – not to mention ready faster than you can say where’s my other fluffy slipper?!  Gnocchi is usually a sure-fire hit with everyone.

And just because I’m having so much fun with vegan ‘Goat cheese’ and my funky new tapas dishes this week, I decided an experiment of the pumpkin kind was in order!

If you have the time to make gnocchi from scratch, all the better.  If not, a packet of store-bought gnocchi (checking the label to make sure it’s vegan), and you’ll be whipping up this incredibly simple and easy mid-week dinner in no time!

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Pumpkin, Rocket & Vegan 'Goat Cheese' Gnocchi

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4

Author Rebecca Weller - Vegan Sparkles

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped Pumpkin
• 1 cup Vegetable Stock/Broth
• 1 Garlic clove peeled and chopped
• 1/3 small Red Chilli chopped (optional)
• 1/2 medium Brown Onion
• 2 cups Rocket leaves rinsed
• 500 g/17.6oz packet of Gnocchi check ingredients for vegan & gluten-free

Vegan ‘Goat Cheese’

• ½ cup raw Cashews
• ¼ cup raw Macadamias
• ¼ cup raw Pine Nuts or more Macadamias but the flavour is better with a mix
• ¼ cup filtered Water
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• Pinch Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

To Serve

• Pumpkin Seeds Pepitas
• Fresh Herbs chopped

Instructions

• At least an hour or two before you are ready to make this (or overnight), pop the ‘Goat Cheese’ nuts into a large bowl of water and allow to soak.
• When you are ready to make this dish, drain nuts and combine all ‘Goat Cheese’ ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy and then transfer mixture to a small bowl or jar.
• Heat vegetable stock in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add garlic, chilli, onion and pumpkin, and simmer until pumpkin is soft.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly (for safety), and blend in batches until smooth and creamy.
• Return blended pumpkin sauce to the pot, season with sea salt and fresh black pepper, and place over low heat.
• In a second pot, bring 4 cups of water to the boil over high heat.
• Carefully add gnocchi (watch out for hot splashes!) and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes until gnocchi rises to the top.
• Remove gnocchi from heat, strain, and divide among plates or bowls.
• Remove sauce from heat and pour evenly over pasta.
• Garnish with 'Goat cheese', fresh herbs and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

The post Pumpkin, Rocket & Vegan ‘Goat Cheese’ Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.

bbbbbrrrrr, it’s freezing in Perth this week!  I’m not at my sparkly best in the cold.  Sunshine makes me sparkly.  Running around in the cold makes me crave fast, comforting meals so I can get back to snuggling on the couch with  re-runs of Gossip Girl  a good book, a block of chocolate and my favourite blanket.

It doesn’t get much faster, easier or more comforting than this.  My favourite winter midweek meal – the one I rely on to make me feel better after a day of dysfunctional umbrellas and icy cold puddle splashes from passing cars.   Hot, spicy, filling and ready to munch in less than ten minutes.  Bliss.

For 2-3 serves:

• Gnocchi (my friend Kyllie makes incredible home-made pasta but if you’re not that talented, I hear ya!  Us mere mortals can find pre-made gnocchi in the fridge or health food section of our local supermarket or wholefoods store.  If you’re lucky like me, you will find one that is vegan and gluten-free.  Fist pumping!)
• 1 jar of organic tomato pasta sauce
• 1/2 brown onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red chilli, seeded and chopped
• 3 handfuls mushrooms, sliced
• 1 handful English spinach leaves
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• Pine nuts (to serve)

The post Spicy Tomato & Basil Gnocchi appeared first on Vegan Sparkles with Rebecca Weller.