Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Portabella Mushrooms
I won't go into details about my weekend. At this point, all I can remember of it are fragments anyway: birthday bowling party... girls' sleepover ... junk food ... late nights ... the insidious beat of some Disney "rock" song pounding in my head. E. may have turned 10 last weekend, but the blowout celebration was this one. ALL weekend. All I can say is TGIMonday!
So last night, with all of my energy drained, I set off to make a dinner that 1) included something from the vegetable kingdom and 2) would be done before I fell asleep at the stove. I pulled out a package of pre-made gnocchi that I'd bought for just such an occasion and improvised with the vegetables I had on-hand. In the end, I made two big mistakes. First, I found that shaving the zucchini into thin ribbons may make the dish look better, but cubes probably would have been more suitable to the texture of the dish (and definitely faster to chop up). Second, I discovered that E. hates gnocchi; she picked them all out and ate the vegetables with a can of chickpeas instead. (Do I have the only child who loves chickpeas straight out of the can?)
This dish was good, but I wouldn't call it a reason to buy (and definitely not prepare from scratch) gnocchi. But if you have some stored away in your pantry for an emergency meal, this is quick to make. Just keep some chickpeas ready for any little gnocchi-haters in your household.
Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Portabella Mushrooms
(click for printer-friendly version)
one 17-ounce package prepared gnocchi (I used this brand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces portabella mushrooms, cut into cubes
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ribbons (I used a serrated vegetable peeler) or cubed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain immediately and set aside.
Lightly spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and sauté over medium-high heat until mushrooms soften. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and zucchini and cook until it is just tender (ribbons will be done in just a couple of minutes while cubes take longer). Add the gnocchi and salt and pepper to taste.
So last night, with all of my energy drained, I set off to make a dinner that 1) included something from the vegetable kingdom and 2) would be done before I fell asleep at the stove. I pulled out a package of pre-made gnocchi that I'd bought for just such an occasion and improvised with the vegetables I had on-hand. In the end, I made two big mistakes. First, I found that shaving the zucchini into thin ribbons may make the dish look better, but cubes probably would have been more suitable to the texture of the dish (and definitely faster to chop up). Second, I discovered that E. hates gnocchi; she picked them all out and ate the vegetables with a can of chickpeas instead. (Do I have the only child who loves chickpeas straight out of the can?)
This dish was good, but I wouldn't call it a reason to buy (and definitely not prepare from scratch) gnocchi. But if you have some stored away in your pantry for an emergency meal, this is quick to make. Just keep some chickpeas ready for any little gnocchi-haters in your household.
Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Portabella Mushrooms
(click for printer-friendly version)
one 17-ounce package prepared gnocchi (I used this brand)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces portabella mushrooms, cut into cubes
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ribbons (I used a serrated vegetable peeler) or cubed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain immediately and set aside.
Lightly spray a large non-stick skillet with olive oil. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and sauté over medium-high heat until mushrooms soften. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the broth and zucchini and cook until it is just tender (ribbons will be done in just a couple of minutes while cubes take longer). Add the gnocchi and salt and pepper to taste.
posted by SusanV at 9:48 AM
17 Comments:
i simply love this blog; its so inspiring!!
speaking of a child that loves chickpeas out of the can... im not exacly a child anymore but i DEFENITELY eat chickpeas out of the can!! even though i find it too salty, its one of my "lazy treats"!!
That sounds great--I love it when a throw-together kind of meal actually comes out as lovely as the one you've got here. I love gnocchi, but this actually does sound awesome with chickpeas too--I should try it both ways.
Well it certainly looks pretty! And you know how I love my gnocchi ;-)
Susan
You are right--the zucchini ribbons DO look great! Did you really just use a vegetable peeler to make them? They look so impressive!
Courtney
My youngest loves chickpeas as they are out of the can, but she's not at eating a whole can - she's only 2. I lvoe them too so maybe thats where she gets it from!
That looks simply delicious, Susan! But I'm with E. My mother has a child who eats chickpeas from the can!
I would love to see your serrated peeler.
If you're ever up for a real treat, shred the zucchini, then stir fry it with garlic and some olive oil. You don't need loads of olive oil, just enough to impart that nice olive oil scent and flavor. It will blow your mind!
Courtney, I started out using my mandolin to slice the zucchini, but the slices were too thick. So I switched to the veg. peeler. Fortunately, E. helped, or it would have taken too long. It's fairly easy until you get to the last third of the zucchini; then it becomes impossible to hold the zucchini anymore.
ATxVegan, here's a link to a peeler just like mine. I bought it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and it works SO well.
I also like making zucchini and squash ribbons with a vegetable peeler and sauteed with a little garlic and thinly sliced red onion.
No, you don't have the only child who likes chickpeas from a can. My friends and I used ot open a can and eat them ALL the time when we were younger. I still like them on my salads, but am the only one in the house who does, so lest I waste food, I don't usually eat them that way.
Oh I love chickpeas straight out of the can (well, drained and rinsed, but you get the idea...). In fact, when I know I'm going to be cooking with a can of chickpeas, I usually open another one, so I won't eat all the chickpeas out of my dish!
Maybe E. will acquire a taste for gnocchi? I think they're so comfortable and comfort-food-y. And you're right, they make the best quick meals.
Susan, it looks fabulous. Zucchini is the veeggies of the month! I recently had zucchini raita (shredded zucchini in yogurt dip) with roasted cumin powder and it was delicious.
OMG! I just came across gluten free gnocchi's last week. What a wonderful recipe to try them in!
Thanks for your great ideas....we eat better because of them!
I just saw your comment about your child being the only one who loves chickpeas out of the can? NOPE! I love them that way and have a hard time stopping before I eat the whole can! (I got your blog from Boo's-Veg-A-Nut blog, that's my mom.. in case you were wondering :)
But I had to mention the 'banzo beans (as I call them) cause I thought that was too funny! :)
~ B
Susan,
This recipe is beautiful! Just like something my family would LOVE! Can't wait to try it!
And in answer to your question about having the only kid that will eat chickpeas straight out of the can....Nope! I've got one too! He'll eat plain, straight from the can, chickpeas, kidney beans, pintos (but not black beans). Loves plain canned beans!
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I always ate chick peas out of the can (rinsed first) as a kid, and I still am guilty of it to this very day. Haha
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