Sweet Potato Gnocchi

From eVite - posted by Grace

There are lots of delicious ideas for a turkey-less Thanksgiving: squash lasagna, veggie stew, your favorite stuffing as a main dish and now — drum roll, please — sweet potato gnocchi.

I have always loved any type of dumpling. When I was little, my mom’s Italian friend Isabella would always make gnocchi for me and her daughter Sara if we were well-behaved (sadly, that didn’t happen too often). The only ingredients were potatoes, flour and salt, and the sauce was just plain old melted butter. Sounds boring but so not!

The sweet-potato version here, flavored with brown sugar, is a little more elaborate, but it just seems sooo right place, right time. It’s vegetarian, hearty and has that simple butter sauce that’s like a taste of freakin’ heaven! Plus, wouldn't these be pretty on a Thanksgiving table?

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 1-pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), rinsed, patted dry
1 cup ricotta
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup Parmesan
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ to 1¾ cup flour
1 stick butter
8 sage leaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400° and roast the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 50 and 60 minutes. Cut in half and let cool. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and mash, then transfer 2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add ricotta and blend. Add salt, pepper, Parmesan and brown sugar and mash to blend. Mix in flour, ½ cup at a time, until soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto floured work surface and shape into a ball; divide the ball into six equal-size pieces. Roll out each piece to make a cigar-shaped strip, about one foot long. Cut each cigar-shaped strip into 12 pieces. Gently press and roll down each piece on the tines of a fork. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or kitchen towels (don’t use paper towels or the gnocchi might stick).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add gnocchi and cook until tender but not mushy, about 5 or 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and tent with foil to keep warm.

Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until butter begins to brown. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add butter sauce to gnocchi and serve.

Ginger Ale Pork Chops

from "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

When just a little ginger won't do…The sweetness of raisins and cream mellow the lively flavor.

4 portions

Ingredients

4 loin pork chops, about 1 inch thick

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3/4 cup ginger ale

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup slivered crystallized ginger

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Sprinkle the pork chops all over with the ground ginger.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet, and brown the pork chops over medium-high heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a flameproof baking dish.

4. Add the ginger ale, fresh ginger, and crystallized ginger to the skillet, and cook over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour this over the chops, transfer to the oven, and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Sprinkle the walnuts and raisins over the chops, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and keep warm. Add the cream to the baking pan and place it over high heat. Cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chops, and serve immediately.