This post is created in partnership with Stemilt. Stemilt is a family-owned and operated fruit grower here in Washington State, dedicated to sustainability and social responsibility. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep the Flourishing Foodie delicious, and as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
My favorite kind of meal is one that is slightly indulgent yet healthy. When it comes to food, it’s all about balance. For example, this cauliflower and sage gnocchi is made with one full head of cauliflower, nutritious Piñata apples, and sage, but also butter and cheese.
When it comes to gnocchi, I could eat it every day. I love the little soft and pillowy balls of dough. Seeing as I eat gnocchi at least once a week, I thought it would be fun to develop a healthier version using cauliflower as the base. I’m not even kidding when I say you can’t even tell that it’s made from cauliflower, which is incredible. I love the cauliflower gnocchi you can get pre-made from the grocery store – we eat it all the time when I don’t feel like making gnocchi from scratch. I thought to myself that I could probably make a homemade version, possibly even better! I grabbed my head of cauliflower and went to work.
Are you a gnocchi-nut too? Check out this version with apples and sausage.
After a few trials and errors, I realized that it is extremely important to wring out the cauliflower after steaming. My steamer was too close to the water and a lot of the water became absorbed by the cauliflower. In the end, this resulted in a sticky dough that was quite difficult to work with. Once I managed to get the gnocchi to appropriate texture, it was then just a matter of shaping those cute little gnocchis into their desired shape. After I was done shaping them, all they needed was a quick cook in some boiling water for 3 minutes. So easy.
I knew that I wanted to toss the gnocchi in a luxurious brown butter sauce. I browned some butter, added some sweet Piñata apples, and some fried sage for the perfect combination. I topped the whole meal with some Parmesan cheese, of course. My kids ate it, my in-laws ate it, my husband ate it, and no one even guessed they were made from cauliflower. So, if you’re like me and always trying to get those extra veggies into your kids or add a little more balance to your life, might I suggest this apple and sage cauliflower gnocchi? No one will be the wiser.
Click here for the recipe.
