meatless

SRC: Gnocchi with Sweet Potato in Garlic Cream Sauce

~ lk529 ~ 30 Comments

newsrcbanner

Today is another Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the secret recipe club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was assigned the blog Food Baby Life written by Susan. Susan blogs all the way from Australia! (No wonder I stumbled upon ingredients I’d never heard of!) Susan has three boys who are growing up in a happy home with some healthy food. Susan has decided to cut most processed foods out of their diet and opts to make as much as she can from scratch and uses alternative sweeteners in place of sugar.

I have to say, I found and made my recipe for today’s reveal within the week of being assigned Susan’s blog. I don’t think I’ve every accomplished a task so quickly. Trust me, with a very busy almost 10-month-old son who is on the move, very curious, and highly interested in eating paper, I’ve been feeling very “scrambled” when it comes to my blog. I’m always frantically typing up posts, replying to comments, and visiting blogs during his short naps. And most nights I find myself crawling into bed after he falls asleep (he has a late “bedtime”).

So, I knew I didn’t want to let my SRC assignment fall into neglect. I was intrigued by Cornmeal and Fruit Loaf, tempted by Oat Pancakes with Strawberries, and inclined to try her Healthy Bread.

I ultimately went with a hearty meatless meal which I served on Good Friday. Stuart and I really like gnocchi but very rarely eat it. I am always a sucker for a creamy sauce. And sweet potato is a favorite of not only my husband, but my little man, too. Mushrooms aren’t my favorite and I tend to pick around them, but my brother was in town for the Easter holiday and he and Stuart enjoy them. (Recent discovery indicates that my son also likes mushrooms.) I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this dish although I had an inkling that I’d be wanting bacon in it. Fun fact: it doesn’t need the bacon, although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt.

This recipe makes 6 servings and can easily be halved if desired.

Gnocchi with Sweet Potato in Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into bite sized cubes
  • ~1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 pkgs (16 oz) gnocchi
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 pkg (8 oz) mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 3/4 C heavy cream
  • 1/2 C shredded Parmesan

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss sweet potato in olive oil, season with S+P. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, or until tender.
  2. In a large, high-sided skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms until onions are translucent and mushrooms browned. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and season to taste with S+P.
  3. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and add to the sauce along with Parmesan and sweet potatoes.
  4. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Susan at http://www.foodbabylife.com/2012/03/meatless-monday-gnocchi-with-roasted.html*

gnocchi with sweet potato in garlic cream sauce | sew you think you can cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

Mexican Monday has taken a serious hit this year. The league that I bowl on happens on Monday nights and while I don’t bowl every week it’s often enough that our traditional dinner gets switched around or even skipped.

The enchiladas I’m sharing with you today are a meatless variety – perfect for a Friday during this Lenten period. Which is when I made them. If you want to add some meat to these be my guest; cooked shredded pork or chicken would be great. The meat isn’t missed though.

There are some changes I would make though. The sweet potato is cubed instead of mashed, which provides body and meatiness to the filling, but I struggled with the texture. Next time, I’ll mash the sweet potato and add some Mexican rice to the filling to add some more substance.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1/2 C corn & black bean salsa (I used Kroger brand)
  • 2 C shreded Mexican blend cheese, divided use
  • 2 C red enchilada sauce
  • 8 flour tortillas

Steps:

  1. Microwave potato for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and remove the skin. Cube or mash as desired.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Mix sweet potato with salsa and 1 1/2 C of cheese.
  4. Pour half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  5. Assemble enchiladas: Place about 1/3 C of the sweet potato filling into each tortilla, roll, and place seam side down in the prepared casserole dish.
  6. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Averie at http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/06/sweet-potato-corn-and-black-bean-enchiladas.html*

Sweet Potato Enchiladas | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Eating the Bible: Eternal Dust

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Each year during Lent I try to reconnect with my faith. I am not the most religious girl, and I don’t often enter into conversations regarding religion and in no way offer to convert someone. I have an almost all-encompassing view of God. I was raised Catholic and when I do go to church I attend the local Catholic Church – I like the rhythm of mass. And while I don’t always agree with the Catholic viewpoint, I still get something out of each homily.

I see religion as a human’s way to understand life, as a way to provide a purpose to human existence. I do believe that there is a God – I don’t have an image of God, and I definitely don’t provide Him with a human quality – more of a giant ball of light and energy. I believe that every religion is actually one in the same (not I’m not trying to spark a debate here), and that different cultures and peoples choose to understand and believe in their vision of God differently.

With my blog I have decided to take a different outlook on my Lenten journey this year. It’s been a long time since I’ve given something up (candy, soda, fast food, etc) and instead I look to adding something to my life – usually it’s going to Church each Sunday (as I don’t do that weekly) or reading the New Testament. But with the blog I thought it’d be great to add a food aspect to my journey. I’ve never failed a Lenten promise and I don’t want to set myself up for failure here, so two times a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) I plan to cook a recipe from Rena Rossner’s Eating the Bible.On those days my posts will be in the evening after supper.

Rena took it upon herself to enrich her bible study through food. These recipes are inspired by the Old Testament. And even though Lent is about the 40 days Jesus spent wandering in the desert, renouncing the Devil and Temptation and ends with Holy Week which marks the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Easter!), I can still find Rena’s cookbook to help me slow down and think about God. While she references many stories from the Old Testament, she provides “food for thought” both in recipes and in questions to ask about God.

The first recipe that I’m trying from Eating the Bible is Eternal Dust which was inspired by Genesis 13:16. 

“And I will make your progeny like the dust of the earth: so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then your progeny could also be counted.”

I feel this recipe applies greatly to Ash Wednesday. During Ash Wednesday mass, ashes are placed on our forehead in the shape of a cross while the words from Genesis 3:19 “Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return.” are said.  Ash Wednesday serves as a reminder of earthly mortality and repentance to God.

Rena decided to make a spice rub, or a spice “dust”, as a compliment to this bible study. She titled her spice blend “Earthly Seasoning”.  I used this “Earthly Seasoning” on roasted shrimp and broccoli which I served over rice.

“Earthly Seasoning” is a mix of 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1 tbsp sugar.

Earthly Seasoned Shrimp and Broccoli

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 3/4 lb broccoli florets
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, divided use
  • 2 1/2 tsp “Earthly Seasoning” (recipe above), divided use

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Toss broccoli in 2 tbsp of olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Season with 1 1/2 tsp “Earthly Seasoning”. Roast for 10 minutes.
  3. Gently toss shrimp in remaining olive oil and seasoning. After broccoli has been roasting for 10 minutes flip broccoli and add the shrimp to the baking sheet. Cook another 8-10 minutes, turning half-way.
  4. Serve over rice with a squeeze of lemon.

*This recipe is modified from Adam at http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/02/roasted_shrimp.html*

Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.