I know, it seems like we just put away the Christmas decorations and we are already into February. And, as Catholics, when we see Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we tend to think ahead of the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and flowers and realize Lent is around the corner. We also know that meatless Fridays will be mandatory and not left to our own discretion as to what sacrifice we might want to make on that day as during the rest of the year. With that in mind, friends and I start thinking about and sharing meatless meals. In our family, we do meatless on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent. It doesn’t sound that difficult but when you also need two, meatless work lunches for your husband, too, it keeps you on your toes.
A friend shared an gnocchi meal idea with me but it called for using a mix for the gnocchi. Now, gnocchi is an Italian dumpling of sorts and all it contains are potatoes, flour, and a bit of egg. We both figured we could probably make our own and at much less expense. This is a recipe I came across that seems simple.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/perfect-potato-gnocchi-recipe.html
Once you’ve accomplished the preparation of a batch of gnocchi, you have many possibilities for serving it. You can saute it in browned butter with a sprinkling of Parmesan just before serving. Tossing the hot gnocchi with some Pesto to give you a real Italian side dish. Often, it is just served with a dousing of good pasta sauce. I’ve even toyed with the idea of frying them until they have a crisp crust.
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