Mexican Fiesta

I am sure I could have came up with a more clever title than "Mexican Fiesta", as it does not at all begin to describe the food Tonya and I made last night for our monthly class with the IMX=Pilates group.  We're not talking about the fat-laden, Americanized version of Mexican cuisine that is covered with cheese and refried beans.  You can go to On the Border to get that.  We're talking about super fresh flavors, spicy peppers, and hot homemade tortillas.  You are not going to walk away from that table feeling sick and shameful (except for maybe the person who ate four enchiladas - he shall remain nameless).

Let's talk for a moment about homemade tortillas, because they are easier than you think to make.  Invest in a tortilla press to make your life easier.  I bought one from Amazon.com for $14.95 and have found several other uses for it (crackers, calzones, meat pies, etc.).  I hate rolling.  Think beyond white flour and yellow corn, too.  Whole wheat flour, blue corn, quinoa flour - all make delicious tortillas, as we proved last night.  If you can grind fresh, it's best.  Soaking your grains is even better than best.  Read here about why and how to soak your grains in order to neutralize the phytic acid and release all of the nutrients for your body's enjoyment.  The recipes below are just starting points.  Think of them more as ratios of dry/liquid/fat and plug in whatever dry or fat you want.  Grind some flaxseeds, chia seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and use in place of some of the flour.  Bean flours, such as, garbanzo bean flour will add protein.  The grain possibilities are endless, too.  Barley, buckwheat, spelt, or farro flours are good options.  Mix it up.  You are no longer limited to dry, horrible tasting tortillas from the grocery store!  Once you taste how good tortillas are when they hot from the skillet and happen to be a thousand times better for you, you will never look back. 

Beyond tortillas, we made a feast of equally tasty Mexican food, which I do not want to neglect mentioning: 

Tortilla Soup from The Real Food Daily Cookbook (made with the blue corn tortillas)
Swordfish Enchiladas with Green Enchilada Sauce (made with quinoa tortillas)
Lima Bean, Corn, and Jicama Salad
Ancho Chili Truffles

All of it was just bursting with freshness and flavor.  If I had to judge based on the majority of everyone's comments, the Tortilla Soup was the favorite.  That means if you are reading this, you need to make it.  Now, if only I had remembered to take some pictures....

Thanks to everyone for a great class last night - enjoy the recipes!

Whole Wheat Tortillas (Soaked)
Using a tortilla press makes these so much easier than rolling.  It's a low-cost investment ($14.95 on Amazon.com) and will probably encourage you to make them more often!

3 cups whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cups water minus 3 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (if soaking; otherwise 1 cup water)
3/4 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or melted virgin, unrefined coconut oil

In bowl of mixer, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using the paddle attachment, turn mixer on and add oil. Add water gradually until mixture cleans sides of bowl and forms ball in center of bowl.  Switch to dough hook and let the machine knead the dough for 2 minutes. Remove dough and knead by hand a few times just to bring the dough together.  Add more flour or water to get the right consistency.  It should feel moist, maybe even a little tacky.  It should not stick to your fingers.  If following soaked version, place the dough into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest for twelve to twenty-four hours at room temperature and then proceed. Otherwise, divide the dough into 16 parts for small tortillas or 12 parts for large tortillas. Roll each part into a ball and spread on a cookie sheet. Spray with oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the balls rest 1 hour before proceeding.

When you're ready to fry the tortillas, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.  Roll or press one ball of dough to the desired thickness.  Tip:  they are easier to handle if you make them smaller (i.e. a little thicker).  If you are using a tortilla press, you want to have plastic wrap on both sides of the press to prevent the dough from sticking.  With floured hands, quickly pick the pressed piece of dough, lay it on your dominant hand, and flip it over onto the grill.  If it wrinkles at all just use a spatula to straighten it out.  Let it cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip.  Cook another minute or two and remove.  Be careful not to overcook it as it will become crisp instead of soft and pliable.  Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.  You can buy a tortilla warmer or just place a tea towel in a bowl and stack the tortillas inside the towel.

Quinoa Flour Tortillas
You can buy quinoa flour or grind your own in a grain mill.   

3 cups quinoa flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cups water minus 3 tablespoons, plus 3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (if soaking; otherwise 1 cup water)
3/4 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or melted virgin, unrefined coconut oil

Follow the same directions above for whole wheat version, but just replace the wheat with quinoa.

Blue Corn Tortillas (with whole wheat)
These directions are for a "non-soaked" version.  If you want to soak the tortillas, start the night before, reduce the water by 3 tablespoons and add 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Prepare the dough, but do not divide it into balls.  Place it in a bowl, cover, and sit at room temperature overnight.  Proceed the next day.  This addresses the wheat, not the need to soak the blue corn.  If you want to soak the blue corn then a lime water solution would be used and the flours would probably be soaked separately.

1 1/2 cups organic blue corn meal
1 cup whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground)
1 cup boiling water

Mix blue corn and boiling water together in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Mix in 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour at first and proceed to add more flour, as needed.  You may need more than 1 cup or you may need less.  Start with less.  The consistency should be soft, but not strong.  It will be sitting for 1 hour and will stiffen up during that time, so do not add too much flour on the front end.  Once dough begins to hold together, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute.  Divide the dough into small balls (golf ball sized) and place on a baking sheet.  Cover and allow it to rest for 1 hour.

When you're ready to fry the tortillas, heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Roll or press one ball of dough to the desired thickness. Tip: they are easier to handle if you make them smaller (i.e. a little thicker). If you are using a tortilla press, you want to have plastic wrap on both sides of the press to prevent the dough from sticking. With floured hands, quickly pick the pressed piece of dough, lay it on your dominant hand, and flip it over onto the grill. If it wrinkles at all just use a spatula to straighten it out. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip. Cook another minute or two and remove. Be careful not to overcook it as it will become crisp instead of soft and pliable. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. You can buy a tortilla warmer or just place a tea towel in a bowl and stack the tortillas inside the towel.

Tortilla Soup
This recipe is only slightly adapted from The Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry.  It is so affordable and easy to make.  You can add shredded chicken for more protein.

1 tablespoon grapeseed or coconut oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoon tamari
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
8 organic corn tortillas, coarsely chopped (we used homemade blue corn)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Optional (but yummy) Toppings:
1/2 cup Crispy Tortilla Strips (strips of tortillas lightly fried)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Sour Cream (dairy or tofu)
Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the jalapeno chile, tamari, cumin, salt, oregano, and pepper, and continue to saute until the jalapeno begins to soften and the mixture is very aromatic.

Add the stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the tortillas and simmer 10 minutes longer, or until the tortillas are falling apart.  Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth. Stir in the cilantro.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the tortilla strips, avocado, and tofu sour cream, and serve.

Corn, Lima Bean, and Jicama Salad
This salad could not be any easier and the taste and presentation scream "SUMMER!!!".  Fresh corn and lima beans are always best, but frozen is just as good.

1 bag of frozen organic white corn, thawed
1 bag frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1 cup jicama, sliced into matchsticks (a mandolin makes this a snap)
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced (thinly) green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 1/2 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 tsp ground cumin
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

In a large bowl, add corn, lima beans, jicama, red pepper, green onions, cilantro and basil.  Whisk lime juice, orange juice, lime peel, cumin and olive oil in small bowl. Mix dressing into bean salad. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.

Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.

Swordfish Enchiladas
This recipe is from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  You can use any fish in place of the swordfish.  Tuna is offered in the cookbook as a variation.

1 lb. swordfish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions
4 cups green enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
12 corn tortillas
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
chopped cilantro for garnish
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high.  Brush the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Sear the fish for 7 minutes each side or until it flakes with a fork.  Be careful not to overcook.  Mix 1 cup of the green sauce with the flaked swordfish and the green onions.  Heat the tortillas to make them soft and pliable by frying lightly in oil.  Pat the tortillas dry before proceeding.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the fish mixture onto each tortilla and roll tightly.  Line each enchilada up in a greased pyrex dish.  Top with some of the remaining green sauce, cover with foil, and bake until steaming.

Serve with cheese, cilantro, and more sauce on the side.

Green Enchilada Sauce:
2 onions, chopped
8 fresh tomatillos, husked and finely chopped
3 anaheim chilies, seeded and diced
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 3/4 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
sea salt
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Saute onions in the oil until soft.  Add chilies and tomatillas and continue to saute.  Add the stock, garlic, and salt and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.  Using a food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender, puree the sauce until smooth.


Ancho Chocolate Truffles
There are so many ways to do these and they couldn't be easier.  At the end of the recipe I will suggest some variations.  Because the main ingredient of these is chocolate, use good, organic dark chocolate!  Dagoba or Green & Black's are both great. 

2 dried ancho chiles
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cups coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably fresh ground)
1 cup dark bittersweet chocolate pieces (at least 65%)
1 teaspoon Ancho powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup organic cocao powder (we used raw

Optional: 
1/4 cup goji berries
1/4 cup cocao nibs

Stem and seed the chiles, then toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until small whiffs of smoke waft from the chile.  Remove from heat.   In a small saucepan mix coconut milk and honey.  Add one of the chilies and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cover, remove from heat, and steep for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, dump the chocolate pieces into a medium sized bowl.  Place the second chili into a spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.  Measure out 1 teaspoon and add to the chocolate.  Grind the cinnamon (this will only take a small piece of a stick), measure out 1/4 teaspoon and add to the chocolate.  Lastly, add the salt.  Once the coconut milk mixture has finished steeping, hold a fine meshed strainer over the bowl of chocolate and pour the hot coconut milk into it (straining the chili and remaining seeds).  Whisk the chocolate until smooth.  If the chocolate is not melting completely, microwave for 10-15 seconds and then stir.  Now whisk in the coconut oil.  Switch to an immersion blender and blend for about 1 minute for a lovely satiny texture. Stir in the cocao nibs, goji berries, and vanilla.  Cover the surface of the chocolate with plastic wrap; set aside in a cool spot until slightly firm, about 1 hour.

Spoon or scoop about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate at a time and roll into balls.  Roll in cocoa powder and place on a parchment lined sheet.  I like to use a small cookie scooper so they are all the exact same size.

Variations:
- Change the spices to anything - cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, etc.
- Add orange zest
- In place of vanilla use a different extract, such as, almond
- Add a tablespoon or two of liquor - rum, whiskey, chambord, grand marnier (particularly good with orange zest), amaretto
- Add some ground nuts or roll the truffles in ground nuts
- Top with a course sugar (or salt)

Real Sophisticated Hor d'oerves

At the risk of never being invited to another social event that includes food again, I am going to confess that I am a bit particular about what I eat.  People who know me well (or not so well) know this about me.  It seems like any discussion around the food being served is either preceded or followed up by "I'm sure it's not healthy" or "it's probably not as good as yours" or (my favorite) "Can you eat this?".  Yes, I can eat it.  And, you're right, processed Velveeta cheese is not healthy.  Besides it not being healthy, unless you are catering to eighth graders, it's completely unsophisticated.  How awkward!  Ok, I would never be that rude towards hospitality.  I love comfort foods and, truth be told, if a bowl of melted Velveeta cheese was in the vicinity right now, I would probably eat it.  But I would never serve it.  I want my hor d'oerves to be unforgettable, but not because my guest's bodies revolt against them for three days.

Tonya and I taught a class last Thursday with the simple request of "hor d'oerves".  My favorite!  I have been known to turn a holiday dinner or two into hor d'oerves only, because they are so fun.  You can get creative and your guests don't walk away feeling as if they swallowed a brick.  So, we turned to The Real Food Daily Cookbook: Really Fresh, Really Good, Really Vegetarian for some fun and delicious recipes:  Lentil-Walnut Pate (served with Elana Amsterdam's Sesame Crackers) and Brown Rice Sushi.  These hor d'oerves are filled with wholesome ingredients and are so impressive both visually and in taste (I will upload images soon!).  Real Food Daily may use some ingredients that you are not familiar with, but I would encourage you to be adventurous.  The first forty pages contains a lot of detail around these ingredients and it can be used as a useful handbook for delving into, well like it says, really fresh, really good, really vegetarian food.

Party on!

Lentil Walnut Pate
This recipe is adapted from Real Food Daily .  The saltiness of the miso and the tanginess of the umeboshi paste both pair well with the earthy lentil/walnut combination. 

3/4 cup dried lentils
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tsp dried
3 tablespoons yellow miso
1 1/2 tablespoons umeboshi paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup Tofutti (tofu sour cream)

Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh strainer.  Combine them with the 3 cups of water, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a medium sized sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Strain the beans saving the cooking liquid for another use (soup, maybe?).  Remove the bay leaf and cool.

Add the toasted walnuts to a food processer and process until a paste forms, scraping the sides as needed.  Add the lentil mixture and process until smooth.  Add the basil, thyme, miso, umeboshi paste, and pepper and mix until combined.

Line a bowl or mold with plastic wrap leaving a 3 inch overhang.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl, smoothing and packing the top with a rubber spatula.  Cover with the extra plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, uncover the pate and invert it onto a serving platter.  Remove the plastic wrap entirely and spread the top with sour cream.  Serve with sesame crackers (recipe follows).

Sesame Crackers
Adapted from Elana's Pantry .  These little crackers are highly addictive, but are great to have around for a snack.  Make sure and roll them out thin.

3 cups almond flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cup brown sesame seeds
2 eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium sized bowl combine the almond flour, salt, and sesame seeds.  In a small bowl combine the eggs and coconut oil.  Add the wet ingredients to the dried and stir until well combined. 

Line two large baking sheets (12x16) with parchment paper.  Cut the dough in half and place one on each baking sheet.  Start with the first pan slightly pressing the dough to get it started before rolling it.  Cover it with a piece of parchment paper the same size of the pan and roll the dough out to cover the entire pan.  Remove the top piece of parchment paper and repeat with the second pan.  Score the dough into 2 inch squares and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. 

Allow the crackers to cool on the pan and then break them apart.  Store in an uncovered bowl at room temperature for up to a week.

Brown Rice Sushi
There is a little bit of work involved in making the different components, but much of it can be done in advance.  The final rolls go together in a snap and it is well worth it.  All of these are adapted from Real Food Daily. 

6 cups brown sushi rice (recipe follows)
6 nori sheets
6 collard green leaves, lightly steamed for 2 minutes
1/4 cup umeboshi paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
4 ounces marinated tempeh (recipe follows)
1 avocado, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips, and lightly steamed for 3 minutes
3 green onions cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
1/4 cup pickled daikon radish
Lemon-Ginger Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

Assembling the sushi:
Lay one nori sheet on top of a bambo mat (shiny side down).  Turn the sheet so one of the longest sides is closest to you.  Spread 1 cup of rice on the sheet leaving a 1/2 inch border on the long side furthest from you.  Spread 2 teaspoons of umeboshi paste in one horizontal line and top with one collard green leaf.  Now arrange horizontal strips of the remaining ingredients in the following order (1/6 of each ingredient per roll):

tempeh
carrots
cucumber
green onion
sesame seeds
green onion
daikon radish

Starting with the end closest to you, start rolling the bamboo mat, gripping tightly.  Moisten the nori at the opposite end and seal with the final roll.  With a sharp knife slice each roll into 8 equal pieces.  Sprinkle with more sesame seeds and serve with dipping sauce.

Brown Sushi Rice:
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice
1 cup uncooked sweet brown rice
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin (rice wine vinegar)

Rinse both types of rice well.  Add the water and rice to a 4 1/2 quart pressure cooker and lock the lid in place.  Over high heat, raise the pressure to high.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow pressure to decrease before taking the lid off.  Combine the rice and the vinegars in a large bowl. 

Marinated Tempeh:
1/4 cup tamari
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 ounces tempeh
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Combine the tamari, water, garlic, mustard, and sesame oil in an 8 inch baking pan.  Slice the tempeh in half horizontally and add to the marinate coating it well.  Marinate for 1 hour, turning half way through.

Preheat the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with coconut oil.  Lay the tempeh on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Do not throw out the marinate.  Broil the tempeh for 5 minutes and turn.  Brush the top with the reserved marinate and broil for 5 more minutes. Cool completely.

Lemon-Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup tamari
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

Whisk all ingredients and serve on the side with sushi.

Herbed Quinoa

Using chicken stock, preferrably homemade, in place of water adds all kinds of flavor to an otherwise boring side dish. Add a tiny bit of butter and fresh herbs and it's even better. This same method can be used to cook all grains. Consider even mixing several kinds of grains for varying textures and nutritional profiles.
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 scallions
fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa in a fine meshed strainer. This is a very important step, as quinoa has a natual bitter coating which needs to be rinsed off. Most boxed varieties are pre-rinsed, but it doesn't hurt to rinse it again. Heat grapeseed oil in a 2 quart stockpot over medium. Add the quinoa and toast lightly until you can begin to smell a nutty flavor. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. You can visually tell when the quinoa is finished, because the germ will separate from the seed and appear circular with a dot in the middle. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered for 3-5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add the butter, scallions, parsley, salt and pepper.

Homemade Crackers

Making your own crackers is so fun and easy. Literally, you can make crackers with flour, water, salt, and butter. Think about what you want to serve your crackers with, though, to make the perfect accompaniment. Change up the seeds, add cheese, dried fruit, herbs, or spices to make your own delicious cracker. This recipe is very forgiving, easily adaptable, and impossible to mess up. I find it easiest to work with smaller amounts of dough at a time when rolling to ensure the center is as thin as the outsides. If you find when baking that the center crackers are thicker, just remove the thinner pieces when they are done and bake the rest for a bit longer. I think it goes without saying how much better these are for you than store bought crackers. If you need convincing, though, check out the label on your favorite crackers and see how the ingredients compare to the list below.


Whole Wheat Seeded Crackers
If you cannot find whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour (most likely in the health food section), use regular whole wheat.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
¼ cup milk (plus more, as needed)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
¼ cup ground flax
2 tbsp poppy seed
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processer add the flour, salt, and grapseed oil. Pulse until mixed together. Next add the remaining ingredients and process until a ball of dough is formed. Add 1 teaspoon at a time of milk if dough is too dry. Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and kneed just a few times to bring the dough together. Form a disk and allow the dough to rest 10 minutes.

Cut the dough in half (It is easier to roll the dough out more evenly if you are working with smaller pieces at a time). Place one half in the center of a large piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough out as thin as possible, ensuring the center is not too thick. With a pizza cutter or knife, score the dough into 1 inch squares in the shape of the crackers. Transfer the entire piece of parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crackers are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Store in a tin for several days.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I use farro flour, because it's lighter in texture than whole wheat and is even better for you. To find out why click here. It may not be easy to find in a store. You can order it online here or substitute with wheat or spelt. Traditional gnocchi uses white potatoes, but I use sweet potatoes, as they are loaded with vitamins and they help balance your blood sugar. Don't worry, they are nothing like the marshmallow topped sweet potato casserole you see at Thanksgiving! Made right, they are pillow-y little dumplings that are wonderful served with Bolognese sauce. And they only have 3 ingredients to boot.

1 lb. sweet potatoes
1 -2 cups flour farro flour (whole wheat pastry, white whole wheat, or whole spelt work)
Pinch of salt

Bake sweet potatoes at 400 degrees in their skin until soft (35-40 minutes). Remove the skins and mash with a fork or process the flesh in a food processer until all the lumps are gone. Mix the sweet potatoes, salt and ½ cup flour in a bowl. Flour the counter top with at least another ½ cup flour and dump the sweet potato mixture on top. Sprinkle liberally with more flour. Start to work in the flour by kneading and continue adding flour until you get a soft dough. The goal is to use as little flour as possible but still have dough that you are able to roll out. Too much flour will produce a dense, chewy gnocchi, but too little flour will not hold together when boiled. To test the consistency, pinch a little piece of dough off and roll into a ball. Boil it to determine if you need any more flour. If it falls apart, add flour. If it’s too dense, add an egg to the dough.

Divide the dough into several balls and roll each one out to form a long rope (about the width of your thumb). I find it easier to work with smaller pieces at a time. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Flour a large baking sheet so you have somewhere to stage your gnocchi before cooking. Next you add notches to each piece so the sauce has something to grab on to. You can do this two different ways: (1) Roll each piece along the back of a fork so there are grooves or (2) poke two sides of each gnocchi long ways with the end of a fork (not the end with the prongs). As you notch each piece, place them on the floured pan without touching each other. Once all pieces are ready, you are ready to boil. You want to do this in batches (maybe 3-4 batches for this size of recipe) so the gnocchi have plenty of room and do not stick together. Drop the gnocchi into salted, boiling water one at a time (carefully, because they will splatter hot water). Once they are all in for that batch, give it a quick stir with a large slotted spoon to get it off of the bottom of the pot. They will float to the top after 2-3 minutes. Once they float to the top, continue to boil for appx. 1 more minute. Remove with the slotted spoon into a serving bowl. Repeat until all gnocchi are cooked. Toss with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Serve with bolognese sauce.

Other fun gnocchi ideas:

• Add any fresh herb to the dough before rolling it out. Thyme or sage would go nice.
• Freeze them! After you have notched them but before you boil them, arrange them on the cookie sheet dusted with flour. Put the sheet in the freezer (make sure they are not touching each other) until frozen. Put them in a ziplock back. You want to make sure and freeze them individually, so they do not stick together. When you are ready to cook them, just drop them into the boiling water straight from the freezer. Do not thaw them first. Otherwise, you will end up with a mushy mess.
• Crispy gnocchi - After boiling, pan sear in skillet with oil or clarified butter until lightly browned. Serve with tomato sauce or toss with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
• Crisp finely chopped pancetta or bacon in pan. When finished cooking, add gnocchi and toss. Serve with parmesan or gorganzola cheese.
• Gnocchi Soup - In a large pot, saute an onion plus any other vegetables you want (green beans, carrots, celery, bell peppers - any or all of this would be good). Add about 2 quarts of chicken stock (preferrable homemade) and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook as you would in water. Do not remove them, though. When they are done, just remove from heat and add fresh herbs, salt and pepper.