Scrumptious defined in Sweet Potato Gnocchi

The Merriam Webster dictionary website defines scrumptious as an adjective meaning delightful, excellent and delicious. All words that conjures to mind a sunny mid afternoon filled with mixing of ingredients, patiently waiting in front of the oven while the aromas rise up in the kitchen and the final satisfaction of savouring the mingling flavours when one finally gets to taste the labours of their day. That is what scrumptious means to me. What does it conjure up in your mind when you see the word?

For those who are wondering why I’ve decided to post an entry based on this, its merely due to the fact that I’ve noticed many have been searching for the meaning of the word and have landed on my little page in the wide dot com world. Since the masses have been asking for the definition, the masses shall receive (ok maybe not the masses but more like 5 people, yet still enough to get me thinking), which has drawn in my reflective side and made me wonder what scrumptious truly defines.



To me, nothing brings to mind delicious and scrumptious more than gnocchi, a staple savoury comfort food in Italy. The process of making gnocchi from potato to dough to final product is calming in its entirety, something you would find me doing on a mid Sunday afternoon when I’m trying hard not to think about the crazy week I have ahead. Instead of the typical gnocchi made with potato, I prefer the sweet potato kind, maybe it’s the orange color or the slight sweetness given off from the use of sweet potato but I enjoy the accompaniment of it more so. I have found that sautéing the gnocchi after they’re done in the water bath gives them a nice texture, especially if done with a nice sage butter sauce, but if you wanted to keep it healthy, serving them with a balsamic reduction is also quite tasty. Hopefully you too will this recipe as scrumptious, delightful or delicious!



Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe
Ingredients:
2-3 Sweet Potatoes (yellow in color) or Yams (orange in color)
1 egg
2 tsp of nutmeg (I like to experiment with different flavours including herbs and garlic powder, which I find add a nice touch)
All purpose flour (added to a certain consistency)

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Put in the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and let them cook for 1 hour or until the juices start to leak out of the potatoes. Remove and let cool for 10-15 mins.
Once cooled, remove the skin of the sweet potatoes and mash using a potato masher or press them through a potato ricer.
Form a small well and add in the egg, mix until the egg is fully combined. Add in the nutmeg (or herbs) at this point and stir until thoroughly mixed in.
Slowly add in ½ a cup of all purpose flour at a time until the consistency of the dough is a little not sticky so you can roll it in your hands (if you add too much flour the gnocchi will be hard, so be careful not to put too much in).
Once the consistency is correct, roll out the dough into 1 inch tubes and cut into 1 inch pieces and roll with a fork to form the ribbed edging.
Place a pot of water on med heat and once water is boiling, slowly put the gnocchi in and cook until they’re floating. Once they float (around 5-8 mins) remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set them aside to dry.
When about ready for consumption, head up the pan with some oil and pan sear the gnocchi slightly before serving with balsamic reduction sauce (or any other sauce you have created! The gnocchi is equally as good if you prefer not to pan sear them).

Balsamic Reduction:Pour a cup of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and set it on the stove on low-medium heat. Once the vinegar starts to boil, turn down the heat slightly and stir often (remember not to put your head too close to the pot because when vinegar is boiling off, the steam is quite pungent). When the vinegar starts to become slightly thickened, turn off the heat and let it cool. Once the reduction cools it will thicken up on its own and become sweet due to the natural sugars in the vinegar. If you like it a bit sweeter, feel free to add in a tsp or two of sugar. Drizzle over the gnocchi and serve with your favourite entrée as a side.