Creamy Cauliflower gnocchi with sausage & kale
What up Friends!
Goodness Gracious. This is my first blog post of 2021…and it’s February 2nd. So…I guess I should say Happy New Year and at this point, Happy Black History Month too!
I hope everyone’s 2021 is off to a great start. Lord knows the first couple of weeks were a HOT catastrophe, but with a new month comes new mercies, new opportunities and lucky for you, a new recipe - Creamy Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sausage + Kale! (Don’t you dare click off because of the kale…even Husbae liked this dish, so keep reading!)
Every January, I like to do a reset. As I get older, I’ve learned that my body is so sensitive to foods. It’s becoming clear that I have to follow a clean diet or I’ll end up suffering from severe bloating + inflammation…not just in my belly, but really everywhere in my body - my face, neck, fingers…it’s so painful. I'll talk more about that in a post hopefully next week.
Long story, short - it’s back to basics - lots of whole foods, fruits, veggies, lean meats (chicken + seafood), minimal sugar and snacking and no alcohol. I’m already dairy free, but also try to stay away from gluten + grains. While this may seem super boring, because pasta is LIFE< just know that there are so many ingredients out there these days in all the grocery stores (Aldi, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, of course Whole Foods) that make it incredibly easy to create delicious + healthy meals, plus get my pasta fix. ;)
“You don’t have to be skilled in the kitchen to make a great meal, and you don’t have to use 45K ingredients to make a great meal that will fill your belly + fuel your body. ”
I made this Creamy Cauliflower Gnocchi with Sausage & Kale after a evening workout for a quick meal-prep + dinner one night, but it was so good, I almost ate what I prepped for lunch the next day! It was ready within 15-20 minutes which is good because I was STARVING! The cauliflower gnocchi came from Trader Joe’s, which if you didn’t know if one of my fave grocery stores. It’s my second home. The sausage (from Aldi) was fully cooked and just needed to be warmed. Everything else - pantry + fridge staples that I always have on hand. Alright - let me stop talking and get into the recipe! :)
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER GNOCCHI WITH SAUSAGE & KALE
INGREDIENTS
1 package of Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi
3 or 4 links of paleo / gluten free chicken sausage sliced into medallions
1 small onion diced
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (or more if you love garlic like me)
1 cup of button sliced mushrooms (already sliced thanks to Trader Joe’s).
2 cups of kale (I like the Trader Joe’s Tuscan Kale because it has a nice bite.)
1 can of diced tomatoes (you can grab the one with Italian one with basil, oregano and garlic)
1/4 coconut cream
1 tablespoon each of the following spices: basil + oregano If you don’t use the tomatoes with spices, you’ll need to add your own. Then again, it’s never a bad idea to add spice.
Salt & pepper
Optional: crushed red pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Brown your cauliflower gnocchi. BIGGGG NOT: Do not follow the instructions on the back and do not thaw them out. Simply add your frozen gnocchi to a pan on medium heat with avocado oil. Cook until your gnocchi are golden brown and then flip. Cook until the other side is light brown and then remove from the pan. You can add a smidge of salt + pepper to season this step.
Add your sliced sausages to the pan. They are prepared fully-cooked, so you’ll just have to warm through and brown. Once complete, remove from the pan.
Now for your veggies: add the onions to the pan and cook until they are soft + clear; time for the mushrooms and cook until they are tender; add your garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.Season your onions + mushrooms with S&P.
Add your kale for about 2 minutes until it starts to shrink. This is a good time to add more if you’re a big fan of kale.
Add your diced tomatoes and the spices.
Time to add your Cauliflower Gnocchi + sausage back into the pan. Mix it all together and cook for about 2-5 minutes before adding the final item, the coconut cream, so rich + luscious.
Put into big pasta bowls and enjoy! Again, this is perfect, if not even better the next day, for meal prep! I made a big batch and ate it for lunch + dinner!
Make sure you tag me on IG or Facebook if you make it!
XO,
Vicky D
