Celebrate with gnocchi!
Find yourself seated at the dinner table, surrounded by loved ones enjoying the same meal. Does this picture seem all too unimaginable? I challenge you to try.
Yes, the texture might be a little different but celebrate the same flavours, colours, and aromas. Explore ways to present food to spark your appetite. Don’t forget, dysphagia meals and creativity go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.
Allow yourself the pleasure of inclusion while enjoying fresh, nutrient-rich foods with your loved ones. Like pumpkin gnocchi… A dish that is both flavoursome and pillowy soft. Then paired with a white bean and thyme dip, it is a simple combination of flavours that mustn’t be overlooked.
So what are you waiting for? Invite your family and friends over for that dinner party you’ve missed so much. Let this pumpkin gnocchi recipe lead the way.
Pumpkin Gnocchi with White Bean Dip
Serves 6
1 kent pumpkin (roughly 1 1⁄3 cups)
1 1⁄2 cups GF plain flour
2 large potatoes
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp garlic powder
Pinch salt
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Cut the pumpkin and place it onto a lined baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil. Place into the oven for 45 minutes until soft.
While the pumpkin is cooking, place a pot on the stove with boiling water. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Strain and peel the potatoes, then mash with a fork until smooth.
Once the pumpkin has cooked, remove it from the oven. Remove the skin and mash the pumpkin into a smooth pulp. In the same bowl, combine the pumpkin with the potato and remaining ingredients until a dough has formed. Roll the dough into long ropes (1.5cm wide) and cut along with a sharp knife until your gnocchi pieces have formed.
Dust the gnocchi with a little flour and gently press each with a fork to create your desired pattern. Bring a large pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt. In small batches, drop a handful of gnocchi into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes or until they float to the surface.
With a fry pan at medium heat, lightly fry the gnocchi with a generous drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Toss with the white bean and thyme dip to serve.
White Bean Dip
Note: Makes about 2 cups
850g cannellini beans (2 cans)
6 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp chilli oil
1 brown onion
6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
Roast the onion and garlic with a drizzle of olive oil for 30 minutes until soft and golden.
Place the roast onion, garlic and remaining ingredients into a conventional blender, mixing until smooth with no lumps. Serve and enjoy!
Simply Modify
Easy-to-chew: Suitable.
Soft & bite-sized: Ensure gnocchi pieces are cut no larger than 1.5cm x 1.5cm.
Minced & moist: Place the gnocchi into a food processor and blitz until the lumps are no bigger than 4mm. In small amounts, slowly incorporate the white bean dip until a cohesive mouthful has formed (see test guide).
Pureed: Once cooked, using a high-speed conventional blender, blitz 1 cup of gnocchi with roughly 100ml of water and 2 tbsps of white bean dip until the mixture becomes smooth. Once the gnocchi mixture is ready to serve, dollop it with a spoonful of white bean dip. Ensure the consistency holds its shape on a spoon rather than running flat (see test guide).
Written by Brie Simons
Speech Pathologist
Want to explore more recipes?
The Simply Modified cookbook is available for purchase via the online shop.
