Grain-free spinach gnocchi with browned sage-butter

I got this wonderful recipe from my mother-in-law (who got it off of the Cooking Channel). She and my daughter made it during her last visit and the entire family LOVED it!

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Ingredients:

  • 1 8-ounce container organic ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup organic shredded parmesan cheese (and 1/4 cup or more to sprinkle on top at the end)
  • 1 lb. organic spinach
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 20 or more fresh sage leaves (the more the merrier. They. Are. So. Good.)
  • 2-3 T organic salted butter for making sage-butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

  • Boil 3 cups of water and then add spinach for literally 1 minute. You just want to wilt it, not cook it.
  • Strain spinach in strainer and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking. Then squeeze as much water out of it as possible. Don’t be gentle. Like seriously wring it.
  • Separate 2 egg yolks into a large bowl (keep the whites to add to an omelette the next morning) and beat them thoroughly.
  • Chop the spinach finely and add to egg yolks.
  • Add ricotta and parmesan and mix up.
  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • On a buttered baking sheet, form little smushed teaspoon sized balls of mixture OR just lather the whole concoction onto the baking sheet (about 1/2 inch thick). It’s going to taste the same, so it’s really just a matter of how you want it to look. Put in oven for 20 minutes. After 20 mins, turn broiler on low for 5 minutes until gnocchi starts to brown and crisp.

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  • While baking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet and add sage leaves. Saute the sage until it turns brown and crispy. This really is the most amazing part of the recipe! The gnocchi is really just a carrier for the crispy buttered sage leaves.
  • Serve the gnocchi with the sage and sage-butter sauce and top with Parmesan.

When we made this recipe, the balls didn’t remain intact in the oven and became one big flat piece. We cut it into squares and enjoyed it just fine. This would be an excellent pizza crust, I imagine. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 🙂

 

Bec’s Healthy Hot Cocoa

It is my pleasure to share my favorite cocoa recipe with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do! We don’t wait for special occasions to partake in it’s deliciousness: it’s so healthy, we don’t need any excuses! Between the cocoa powder (packed full of antioxidants, iron, magnesium, calcium and fiber), gelatin (high quality protein that’s easily digestible, collagen, and gut healing constituents), and raw dairy (probiotics, healthy fatty acids including CLA, and immune-boosting immunoglobulins), this cocoa packs an insane nutritional punch.
Be sure to check out the pictures below: I even brought cocoa powder, gelatin and stevia with me when we went to Germany last year so we could enjoy it on vacation 🙂
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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw milk (full fat) or coconut milk
  • 1 tsp-1 T of raw butter (you could also use coconut oil, MCT oil or ghee…or leave it out, it’ll still be yummy)
  • 1 tsp.-1 T gelatin (Great Lakes)
  • 1 T raw cocoa powder (I love Navitas Naturals or Divine Organics)
  • 2 tsps. or more of chia seeds (optional)
  • 1-2 tsps. ground cinnamon, dash of cayenne (optional for both taste and immune boosting benefits)
  • Stevia to taste (1-4 drops Sweetleaf)

How to:

On low heat, add all ingredients and stir to blend as beverage warms. Cocoa powder and gelatin can get clumpy so don’t be shy when stirring. Optionally, add cinnamon or nutmeg to the cocoa once it’s  in your mug.
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