Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Had a little bit of a cookathon the other week that produced some interesting results. True to form, not everything worked out the way it should.  Anyways, due to my fear of all things flour-related, I had a little help with this dish from my resident baker Ruedi. Needing and forming dough takes patience and technique: I'm fresh out of both.

The gnocchi itself was doughy and delicious. I would most certainly create it again. The sauce, however needs an overhaul. There isn't enough flavour or substance to bother with it again. Next time I might attempt the creamy sage sauce recipe I just found here: http://www.foodrepublic.com .

I've attached both the gnocchi and original thyme sauce that it went with for you to consider. Grating some of your favorite cheese on the finished dish does enhance the flavours of the sauce a bit, so I'd encourage to pour on the cheese.

Adapted from: http://www.simoneanne.com

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the gnocchi:

• 1 lb sweet potato
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup chick pea flour
• 1/2 t salt

For the sauce:

• 1 red onion, sliced
• 3 T lemon juice
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme
• 1 T olive oil for sautéing
• Salt and pepper 

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potato for 30-45 minutes or until well cooked and soft all the way through. Peel and discard the sweet potato skin. Let the potato cool completely.

Place the sweet potato in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the flours and salt. Knead the dough well, adding flour to assist in handling it. Avoid adding more flour than necessary, as it makes the dough tough.

When you can easily handle the dough, separate it into four segments and roll each part into long strands approximately 3/4'' in diameter. With a fork, cut each strand into 1 inch segments. If you'd like to make the segments look like gnocchi pieces, press a fork into them and round out the edges with your fingers (I opted not to). You can store these in the fridge for 2-3 days.

When ready to cook the gnocchi, boil a pot of water just as you would when making pasta.When the water boils, add a pinch of salt and the gnocchi. Keep the water simmering and stir occasionally to prevent the gnocchi from sticking. When they float to the surface of the water, let the cook for another 5-10 minutes to taste.

Sauté the onions in oil for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the lemon juiced and thyme and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix with the gnocchi, adding grated cheese to top off the dish if you like (I do!).