Eggless Ricotta Gnocchi

Soft pillows of happiness made and served in minutes thanks to Thermomix.  I finally found a Thermomix ricotta gnocchi recipe that calls for no eggs.  I had this recipe on file for a rainy day and one when I had a container of my favorite local sheep's milk ricotta from Ewenity: http://www.ewenity.com/  I usually have their feta in the fridge, I have been known to pick up 3 containers at a time from St. Lawrence Market here in Toronto (best price directly from them).  I have a tendency to hoard food products that I really like.  The ricotta has less shelf-life, usually about a week so I buy as needed.  I had tried making potato gnocchi in the past but ended up with such a disaster, I am not the neatest in the kitchen and I am quite used to messes, but it was too much for me.  I'm sure that with more practice, I would see the errors of my novice ways.  This time, with ricotta, the gnocchi dough came out perfectly and with no mess or mess-ups.  I was so happy that my first-time go at it turned into a success instead of an experiment.  We really enjoyed the gnocchi topped with tomato sauce, also made in the Thermomix, and topped with a heaping amount of fresh basil.  Now, I have a great eggless gnocchi recipe in my back pocket.  It is such a treat for me when I go out, and now I can have it made fresh at home.  I can't wait to see if my toddler wants to roll out the dough into logs the next time.  It's really not all that different from playdough, really.  I will consider using Gran Padano or another type of cheese, or one that cost less than Parmigiano Reggiano, in the future.  I want to add one allergen note: please make certain that you use fresh Parmesan.  Some pre-packed varieties can contain egg protein.  And that stuff isn't what you want to be using anyway.  


What you need, I halved the recipe with enough left over to freeze one portion:

80g Parmesan cheese cubed/I used 40g

230g bakers flour/ I used 130g WF All purpose organic flour

450g drained ricotta cheese/ I used 300 g

Pinch salt

Pinch nutmeg

Thermomix method from http://thermorecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/gnocchi

Place Parmesan into TM bowl and mill for 10 seconds on speed 9.

Add remaining ingredients to TM bowl and with dial set to closed lid position, knead for 1 minute on Interval speed.

Turn out onto floured ThermoMat and divide into 5 equal portions.  I did 4 equal portions with half recipe.

Roll each portion into a long ‘snake’ and cut into equal sized pieces. You can cook them at this point, or roll them down a gnocchi board to create ridges.

Cook gnocchi in a pot of salted boiling water. (Do not add gnocchi until water has reached a rolling boil.)

When they rise to the surface, they are cooked. Remove, drain and add sauce of choice.

While the gnocchi is cooking, make the following sauce, or simply serve with some minced garlic sauteed in a little melted butter, chopped fresh herbs of choice and plenty of freshly milled Parmesan.

Steps for how I made gnocchi and sauce for dinner tonight using Thermomix. 

1.Chop one shallot and 1 garlic clove 

2.Saute 1 minute, 100 degrees, speed 1

3.Add tomato:  defrosted frozen small container left over from bolognese sauce: mixture of canned whole tomatoes and heaping amount of tomato paste (love the sweetness).  I added to it dried basil and crack of black pepper and  pinch of salt.  Cook 2 minutes, 100 degrees, speed 1

4.Move to sauce pan and set aside.  Then simmer gently when water is already boiling and ready for gnocchi.

5.Clean TM bowl and bring pot of water to boil for gnocchi.

6. Proceed with gnocchi recipe above.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

This could be my new favorite go-to dessert recipe. For now it is still an experiment.  I will see what my non-allergic friends, and their friends have to say about it tomorrow morning. And what will the toddlers think?  I really like that this dessert is full of protein from the garbanzo beans, has no dairy, nuts or eggs. I think that parents will appreciate the hidden nutrition instead of the standard chocolate chip cookie.  Oh, and it is vegan (Enjoylife chocolate chips are vegan) and gluten-free(notice that quick oats, not flour is used) to boot! So, this treat should work for everyone, even for kosher families serving a meat meal.  Did I mention that it is really simple to make?  A food processor or Thermomix blends all the ingredients into a smooth mixture in seconds. Allergen remember, if there is a peanut allergy involved, double check with families/host if chickpeas are a problem as well.


I am entering this post just after taking the cookie pie out the oven.  It looks nice and smells good, I wonder what it tastes like.  Not that I'm not already famous for tricking my dad with an old favorite: orange chickpea loaf cake.  It happens to be loaded with eggs and hasn't been made in my kitchen for quite some time now.  This chocolate chip cookie pie has the same goodness of my old garbanzo bean cake but without the eggs and added chocolate chips.  Maybe I should have been adding chocolate chips to the loaf cake, what a good idea!  For original recipe, go to: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/31/deep-dish-cookie-pie/       


*****THOUGHTS AFTER TRYING:  Super!  Great flavor and texture.  This recipe is a keeper and I am sure I will be making it and sharing it often. I think that you could even cut 1/4 cup of sugar, I will cut back a little since I don't like my treats overly sweet.  I was shocked by how much I enjoyed this.  I thought that I was going to just like it, not really like it.  Even with all the garbanzo beans, the chocolate is the most noted flavor for me.  I warmed my piece up a little so that the chocolate would get gooey again.  I froze a few pieces for later in the week.

                                                
What you need:
500 grams (2 cans) canned chickpeas or white beans, rinsed and drained. 
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 T canola oil                                                        
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners).  I decided not to cut back on the sugar in this recipe.
1 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoylife brand)


What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all the ingredients, except chocolate chips, to food processor or Thermomix. Blend into smooth mixture.  Mix in chocolate chips and pour into oiled 10 inch spring-form pan.  Bake for about 35 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan.  You can make a deeper dish version by using a smaller pan.