pumpkin gnocchi w/ mushrooms & spinach

gnocchi. not as complicated as you think. with a little help from martha. :)

gnocchi is one of those dishes that i’ve always thought was easier (and better) to order at your favorite italian bistro. my friend sam had nothing but great things to say about this simple pumpkin gnocchi recipe from martha stewart. the gnocchi got rave reviews from her adorable three-year-old twins. so i just knew that i had to try out this autumn recipe in my kitchen… and for my friends south of the border, this pumpkin gnocchi would make for a fabulous side dish to go with your thanksgiving turkey! (gobble, gobble.)

adapted from martha stewart recipes

- pre-heat oven to 400F

the pumpkin:
- 1 small pumpkin (cut in half, seeded)

(tip: reserve pumpkin seeds and roast them on a baking sheet at the same time as the squash. see previous yumyumyummers recipe for roasted acorn squash seeds.)

- add 1 tbsp water to each pumpkin half
- place pumpkin halves (cut sides up) in baking pan lined with cooking parchment paper (wrapped around the pumpkin like a present)
- cover baking pan with aluminum foil on top
- roast pumpkin for approx 45min at 400F. remove from oven. allow to cool on cooling rack before handling pumpkin.
- scoop pumpkin puree & reserve in prep bowl. discard pumpkin rind.

the dough:
on a clean, flat surface (eg, cutting board), sift the following ingredients together by hand
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tbsp salt (reduce amount if you’re not a big fan of salt)
- fresh ground nutmeg

(tip: use a rasp to grate fresh nutmeg for best flavour, instead of the pre-ground spice.)

smoked paprika pork & spinach empanadas

empanadas are one of my all-time faves.

i guess i’ve been a tad spoiled with all the delicious homemade empanadas over the years – thanks to incredible homecooking by my mom and my aunties! though i didn’t tackle the dough made from scratch or the traditional chicken & potato filling this time around, i was inspired to try making empanadas in my kitchen over the weekend… with my own twist on the dish, of course. :)

and if you’re looking for an inventive way to repurpose fresh pizza dough from the bakery, read on…

prep the filling:
fold together the following ingredients in a large prep bowl until well combined:
- 350g lean ground pork
- 1.5 cups red bell pepper (pitted, diced)
- 1/2 fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
- dash of sea salt
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- sprinkle 1 tsp smoked paprika evenly over meat

cook the filling:
- heat up a large saucepan on high heat
- add 1 clove garlic (peeled, diced) and 1/4 cup water to pan
- pour the pork & veggie mixture into the pan
- stirfry for a few min until the meat is no longer pink
- fold in 2 cups fresh organic spinach (chopped) with pork mixture

- preheat oven to 400F

prep the dough:
- sprinkle some whole-wheat flour on a clean, flat surface before rolling out the fresh pizza dough (i bought some fresh from the bakery.)
- using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough into a thin, round pie
- sprinkle some more flour on the dough pie, flip over before applying the rolling pin again
- use a round cookie cutter to cut-out circular pieces of dough for each empanada

roasted beet & blueberry spinach salad

bring on the beets! i think i’m still in a food coma from indulging in all the rich, delish food on my culinary adventures this summer. what better way to up the ante on the post-vacation cleanse than a gluten-free beet salad.

i thought i’d take a new spin on a previous yumyumyummers recipe for roasted beet & watercress salad — with baby spinach, fresh blueberries & black japonica rice this time around.

best to start cooking the japonica rice before you start prepping the beets, as it takes about an hour to cook the japonica rice.

black japonica rice:
in a small pot, add the following ingredients:
- 1 cup black japonica rice & 2 cups of water
- bring to a boil (covered)
- once boiling, stir once & reduce heat to simmer. replace lid & simmer for 45min until water is absorbed into grains.
- remove from heat & allow to sit for approx 10min before removing lid. set aside.
- fluff with fork

pre-heat oven to 400F

roasted beets:
- 10-12 small beets (chopped into bite-sized chunks)

(tip: wash beets gently w/ cold water. best to handle raw beets in the kitchen sink, to avoid staining your countertops. i would not recommend using your fave dishcloths, as cooking with beets can be a messy endeavour!)