Looking For Healthy Quick Meal Prep Tips For Summer
Summer can be tons of fun, but theres a tremendous amount of pressure to cook, entertain, and spend time outdoors, all while keeping up with everyday chores and work. I can relate, and Im a chef thats used to juggling a lot in the kitchen and beyond! Below are a few tips that I use to help me stick to eating healthy meals all summer long and still enjoy time outdoors with family & friends.
- Time saving healthy tips for summer meals:
- use pre-made store bought base ingredients where ever possible dough, pasta, pizza crusts, wraps, broth, condiments, sauces, etc.
- purchase already prepped vegetables cauliflower rice, shredded cabbage, diced vegetables, zucchini noodles, peeled garlic , etc.
- prep larger amounts of ingredients than your recipe requires when chopping, dicing, slicing vegetables for a meal, put some aside to use for other recipes through the week.
- clean produce ahead of time and place in reusable baggies with paper towels to absorb moisture so it will last longer.
- re-purpose grill larger amounts of proteins or vegetables that can be added to other meals the following day.
- practice zero waste get creative and combine veggies to make a sauce or soup, use herbs for a dressing or pesto, blend veggies & fruits in a juice or smoothie, or add to a compost bin.
Divide Dough Into Portions And Roll Into Gnocchi
Turn dough out onto a cool gluten-free floured surface, and use your hands to form a round disk. Divide disk into 6 equal portions . Using floured hands, roll out each portion to the thickness of a finger and cut dough into 2 to 3-inch portions and roll into a an oval-sized gnocchi, then set gnocchi aside on a gluten-free floured tray or plate. Repeat until all the pasta dough has been used up.
Can You Freeze Gluten Free Gnocchi
The best thing about making your own gnocchi is that you can make a big batch and then freeze it.
I tend to lay my gnocchi out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, so they’re not touching, then freeze them like that.
As soon as they’re frozen you can transfer them to a tub or bag – this just stops them freezing in one big solid lump!
Then, when you want to cook your gnocchi, simply defrost and cook as normal from chilled.
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Senza Gluten In New York
Given that we were zipping in and out of New York for just two short days, the only day that we could have dinner there was Saturday night, so we booked a table to make sure we would definitely have seats, especially since wed invited our friend Vennie along.
Itd been a long while since Id enjoyed Italian food so much: we had chicken soup and fungi bruschetta for starters, followed by pasta for our mains, and tiramisu for dessert. Each dish was a delight for both our eyes and taste buds, but the one dish that really stood out with Juans potato gnocchi with a creamy mushroom sauce. Now, Ive never been a huge fan of gnocchi, but the gnocchi served that night was just the right size with the right texture neither too soft nor too chewy. It was simply so good, I couldnt stop raving about it to anyone who asked us about our NYC trip.
Rice Or Grate Cooled Potatoes
Once the potatoes are cooked, allow them to cool. Then go ahead and peel them. I know that some cooks make gnocchi with hot potatoes. However, in my non-scientific tests, I found that the negatives outweighed any benefits. Once you peel the potatoes, pass them through a potato ricer or food mill. If you dont have a potato ricer handy, you can grate the potatoes or mash them.
Whisk together your eggs. Pour over your shredded potatoes.
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How To Cook Gluten Free Gnocchi
There are actually several ways you can cook gluten free gnocchi once you get to this stage.
The most common way to cook gnocchi is to boil it – but it only needs a couple of minutes.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, then once bubbling add the gnocchi.
Pop a lid on to return it to the boil and wait until the gnocchi floats to the top – this should only take 2-3 minutes.
As soon as it’s done remove it – if you overcook it, you’ll end up with sludge.
You can also pan fry gnocchi if you like, so it goes crispier around the edges.
If you’re making a gnocchi bake you can bake the gnocchi in the sauce.
I’ve even recently seen people air-frying it to create crispy little gnocchi dippers!
However you choose to cook your gnocchi, I have a couple of recipes to inspire you including my 10-Minute Gnocchi with Spinach and Bacon.
Or for something more indulgent, check out my Blue Cheese and Mushroom Gnocchi Bake.
Is There A Gluten Free Gnocchi
As the main ingredient in gnocchi is potato, you may think that gnocchi is gluten free. This is definitely not the case. More often than not, wheat or semolina flour is added to gnocchi, meaning that it is no longer suitable for a gluten free lifestyle. Flour works perfectly as a binder for the gnocchi, so it is a key ingredient. However, it’s relatively easy to find gluten free gnocchi, and it should be easily accessible in your local grocery stores. The warning signs to look out for on ingredients labels are: wheat, rye, barley, spelt and oats .
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Shape The Gf Dumplings With The Tines Of A Fork
If you plan to make gnocchi often , you may want to buy a gnocchi board. Its just a small rectangular piece of wood with ridges that are made to create the proper ridges in your dumplings. Its those ridges that help the dumplings hold onto whatever sauce you serve them with.
I dont own a gnocchi board. Although my family loves these little dumplings, I only make them every couple of months. I simply use the back of the tines of a large dinner fork to create the proper ridges. Its a little more difficult to create prominent ridges, but it does the job.
You can also create ridges by pressing down on both sides of each dumpling with the tines of the fork as the dumplings lay flat on the counter. But that compresses the dumplings into flatter pillows, which isnt the shape we want.
My Love Affair With Italy And Pasta
I have a long-term affair with Italy one thats lasted for at least a decade and counting. The first time I laid eyes on the boot-shaped country in 2007, Italy effortlessly won me over. Just like that, as my friends and I visited Cinque Terre, Florence, Venice and Bologna in slightly less than two weeks, I fell in love with the architecture in Italian cities, the wit and charm of dark-haired Italians, and the passion with which the people lived.
Later, when Juan and I visited Italy for 10 days in 2014, where we covered Rome and the Amalfi Coast, we sought out pizza and bruschetta in Naples, oxtail soup and octopus salad in Rome, and plenty of seafood pasta all along the coast. Italian food now became the highlight of our trip and as we re-discovered Italy bite after bite, savoring the flavors of vinegared olives, crusty bread dipped in olive oil, creamy gelato and refreshing lemon slush, I knew Id found a cuisine that would always bring a glow to my face and happiness to my tummy.
When Juan was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease early this year , we thought that our relationship with Italian food was now over. Both he and I love pasta, and how could pasta exist without gluten? For a little while after receiving his diagnosis, our food-inspired world seemed to come crashing down.
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Cauliflower Gnocchi With Seasonal Peas & Greens
Cauliflower is working its way into everything, even gnocchi! Whole Foods Market sells a tasty packaged Cauliflower Gnocchi thats super easy to heat up and add a few veggies for a quick mid-week meal. Recipes like this are life savers because you can still work in preparing a home cooked meal with healthy organic veggies. Theres simply no need to order in food when you stock your pantry well with some key ingredients to have on hand. Check out my post on stocking a pantry so you can whip up some quick meals. You can add gnocchi to the list because its pantry safe.
I pulled this one together last minute and the flavors blended so well together. Im not a big gnocchi fan because it tends to be too doughy for me, but this cauliflower gnocchi is a bit lighter and tangy in flavor. Yes, I said tangy which seems kinda weird for gnocchi but it works!
If you want to make your own cauliflower gnocchi, try out this Homemade Cauliflower Recipe by Pinch of Yum. Its actually quite easy, but if youre short on time like Ive been lately, the store-bought brand works great.
Cauliflower Gnocchi from Whole FoodsIn a pinch use this delicious vegan pesto by Gotham Greens!
Need To Pay Attention To These
- Alessi* Apparently the front of the packaging clearly states gluten-free, but the ingredients list contains wheat flour. Always be cautious and read the full info on the packaging before buying anything.
- Capellos* It is gluten-free and grain-free, but not vegan with ingredients like organic potato, almond flour, cage-free eggs, tapioca flour, sea salt
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My Gluten Free Gnocchi Recipe
Here’s my gluten free gnocchi recipe, which makes enough for four people.
This is a super fun kitchen project and something I think kids would really enjoy making and eating too!
It’s also dairy free as well as gluten free.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Cook Time: Total Time:
Gluten free gnocchi is super simple to make – little Italian potato dumplings which are delicious with melted butter or sauce. Make them in bulk and freeze them too.
- 1kg floury potatoes
- 200g plain gluten free flour
- 2 egg yolks
- Salt and Pepper
Usual Ingredients Of Gnocchi
Gnocchi are Italian potato dumplings that are cooked and served like pasta. The main ingredients of a classic recipe are potato, wheat flour, and eggs.
There are also other variations, but sadly all classic recipes are using wheat flour in one form or another.
- cavatelli ,
- gnudi ,
- malfatti ,
- malloreddus ,
- strangolapreti .
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How To Mash The Potatoes For Authentic Gluten Free Gnocchi
If youve ever made mashed potatoes, you know you want them to be smooth but never sticky or glue-like. You never want to mash potatoes in anything like a blender or food processor, which will heat the potatoes and either liquify them or turn them into a thick glue.
The best tool for making light and fluffy mashed potatoes is a potato ricer, which looks a bit like a citrus juicer. It forces the cooked potato through small round holes and makes a rice-like product. I have a simple one from Priority Chef brand that I bought online.
Ive also used a food mill to make mashed potatoes, which is sort of like an old-school, hand crank food processor. If you dont already have a food mill, though, dont bother buying one. It takes up way too much space and is awkwardly-shaped, making it difficult to store. Its utility is limited, too.
If you dont have a potato ricer, a large fork will work just fine. Make sure you dont leave any hard bits of potato that havent been riced or somehow processed. Its those larger bits of potato that tend to make the dough crumbly.
Is Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi Gluten Free
Good news – the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi is gluten free! But not just gluten free, it’s also sugar free, dairy free and egg free. The only ingredients in this particular gnocchi are: cauliflower, cassava flour, potato starch, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. At $2.99 for a 12oz bag of this gnocchi, you can’t really go wrong. Not only that, but it receives rave reviews among the gluten free community.
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Ingredients Youll Need + Notes/substitutions
For the Pumpkin Gnocchi:
- Pumpkin Puree: I always recommend using fresh homemade pumpkin puree if possible . However, if you only have canned pumpkin available, that will work as well.
- Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend: I like using a light gluten-free flour blend that is made up of lighter flours and starches such as rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch and xanthan gum. Make sure your blend comes with xanthan gum as that is what will help to bind the ingredients together.
- Egg: The egg is necessary as a binder in this pumpkin gnocchi. I havent tried making this with an egg-replacer, so Im not sure how that will work.
For the Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce:
- Butter: Since were going to be making a brown butter sauce to go with this gluten-free pumpkin gnocchi, butter is absolutely essential. However, if you prefer it to be totally dairy-free, feel free to use vegan butter instead.
- Rosemary: Fresh rosemary will add a delicious fragrance and flavor to the sauce, but if you prefer using other herbs such as sage or thyme, feel free to go ahead and do so!
- Crème Fraîche: This literally means fresh cream in French, and is basically a type of thick cream made from double cream with the addition of buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. You should be able to find this easily in the supermarkets. If not available, you can use sour cream to replace it, but note that sour cream is slightly more sour than crème fraîche.
- Salt and Pepper
How To Make Gluten Free Gnocchi
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but here’s a step-by-step photo guide too.
Firstly, to make this gnocchi you need to bake the potatoes.
I find this creates a much nicer consistency than boiling, as they don’t get too wet and slushy.
Once baked, cut them in half and when cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mash it.
You can either use a potato masher or a potato ricer to mash the potatoes so they’re nice and smooth.
A ricer will create a really fine consistency but you can also use a food processor or push the potato through a sieve if you want to.
I found a combination of a potato masher and a hand blender worked just as well.
Once the potato is mashed, leave it to cool and then add your egg yolks, beating it all together with a wooden spoon.
Don’t throw away those egg whites through as they’re great for meringues.
You can use them in my Cheesecake Eton Mess or Bonfire Night Pavlova recipes!
Once mixed, sieve your flour in and then bring the whole thing together into a dough, like this:
Once the dough has started to come together, turn it out onto the work surface and knead.
It should come into a smooth dough, and then you’re ready to make your gnocchi shapes.
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