Send in the sage!

I decided to take a night off training with a view to nailing this lingering cold which, quite frustratingly, has now transferred to Mr BBB...oops ;)

So I headed straight to the kitchen after work with extra time on my hands and a craving for something hearty.

Oh and with a wonderful Mystery Box ingredient for inspiration...

                              

Sage!

Did you know? Sage belongs to the lamiaceae family, which also includes mint, marjoram and rosemary. It has a slightly peppery flavour, and is a good source of Vitamin A, calcium, iron and potassium. Over the centuries it has been said that sage could aid conception, treat the plague, protect against witchcraft and spells, enhance the memory and even bestow immortality.

Now that is quite a CV!

I decided to try something different this evening, and make my own gluten free gnocchi!

I cooked desiree potatoes then, not having a potato ricer, finely shredded the potato using my trusty microplane.

After adding an egg and some gluten free plain flour…

I shaped the dough into a ball.

Sectioned, and rolled out.

And cut into bite size gnocchi.

(they don't have to be perfect lol). Placed into large pot of salted boiling water, and removed once they had risen to the surface.

For the sauce, I kept things simple. I fried the sage leaves in butter, and removed them when they had turned nice and crispy.

In went a couple handfuls of spinach, and cooked until wilted. The gnocchi was added to the pan, stirred, and cooked for a couple minutes.

Topped with a sprinkle of grated parmesan....

And most importantly, the cooked sage leaves!

A (relatively) easy yet tasty dish.

I think a good amount of cracked pepper would have made this even better...

Although the sage leaves worked well to add a nice peppery flavour to the dish in themselves.

As for the gnocchi…

Well they didn't last very long at all ;)

GF gnocchi with sage butter sauce (serves 2)

• 800g desiree potatoes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60g GF flour
• 1 egg
• 80g butter
• 10 sage leaves
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• * cracked pepper and grated parmesan to serve

For the gnocchi

1. Place 750g desiree potatoes in a large pot of water.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes have cooked through.
3. Strain, and set aside for 10 minutes.
4. Peel the potatoes, then grate or shred using a potato ricer or microplane.
5. Add egg, salt and flour, and combine gently.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4.
7. Roll each section into a long rope, then cut into gnocchi shapes.
8. Use a fork to create 'ridges' on one side of the gnocchi.

For the sauce

1. Heat butter in a small frypan until bubbling. Add the sage leaves, and cook until crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel.
2. Add the spinach to the butter, and cook until wilted.
3. Add the gnocchi to the pan, and cook, stirring, for a couple minutes or until well combined.
4. Divide amongst serving dishes, and top with sage leaves, pepper and parmesan cheese.

What about you? What is your favourite way to use sage?

Happy Baking :)