Tuscan Gnocchi Bake

I love gnocchi.. this is not a secret to anyone who knows me. I also love olives  (especially kalamata olives!), spinach, sun dried tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and vegan cheese sauce that's extra garlicky.  This is my perfect dish. Creamy, salty, loaded with veggies and soft gnocchi.

This us my dream dish for you.. and it's EASY to make. 

Looking for more great vegan recipes? Try my Kale & Almond Pesto Pasta, Vegan Fajita Soup , Mushroom Egg Rolls , Mediterranean Hummus Pizza, Basic Marinara Sauce, and Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes 

Recipe :

2 (17.5 oz) packagesof gnocchi 

1 bunch of fresh spinach 

1 large zucchini, chopped 

1 onion, chopped 

Italian seasoning 

3 Tbsp. Vegan butter 

3 Tbsp. Flour 

3 cups unsweetened plant milk

5 cloves of garlic, crushed 

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (3 oz.) package of sun dried tomatoes*

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped 

1 (8 oz.) Daiya mozzarella shreds**

1 cup panko breadcrumbs  (optional)

1/2 cup of vegan Parmesan  (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400°

2. Sautée onions and zucchini over medium heat with Italian seasoning until tender. Set aside. 

3. In a large skillet over medium heat,  melt butter and flour together to form a roux. Stir with whisk to prevent lumps. 

4. Once you have a blonde colored roux, add plant milk, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to form your sauce. 

5. Whisk well as the sauce comes to a boil. This will prevent lumps.

6. Add your Cheese and allow to melt and become thickened.. about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. 

7. Pour your packages of gnocchi into an 11×13 casserole dish. 

8. Add fresh spinach, zucchini and onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives and your cheese sauce. Toss well.

9. Bake gnocchi for 20 minutes. If using breadcrumbs (see below), add to your gnocchi when there is 10 minutes left to cook. 

optional topping: 

1. In a small dish, mix panko breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese. 

2. Pour breadcrumbs over gnocchi. 

Makes 4-6 servings.

* if you don't have sun dried tomatoes in your grocery store.. substitute 1 (15 oz) can of  petite diced tomatoes, drained well. 

** You can use any vegan mozzarella you enjoy. If you don't like processed vegan cheese, you can use 1/2 to 1 cup of nutritional yeast in its place.. adjust to your tastes. 

Our Anniversary Dinner

This is not a recipe, but a way of saying "Thank You" to a wonderful chef for making our anniversary wonderful. This is the Trip Advisor Review I published. I want to share it with all of you to show you eating Vegan is not restrictive on your social life. This is how you make sure your vegan meal at a non vegan restaurant is perfect. You have to plan ahead, yes, but it is worth it to get treatment and a meal like the one we had for our anniversary.....

"Last night was our 22nd anniversary. My husband called ahead to request a vegan meal for me and spoke with the Owner/Chef, Curt personally. He told my husband, he was more than happy to create a custom meal for me on our anniversary. He was so pleasant and professional to my husband, that he booked a reservation. 

We arrived and were greeted immediately by our server ( I wish I remembered to write down her name because she was wonderful!) with fresh bread and a tomato sauce ( both were vegan). She made a nice suggestion for a pinot noir, so we ordered a bottle. When the wine arrived, she presented it nicely & we were both very happy with her suggestion. The atmosphere was relaxed, like being in an Italian friend's home, not just a restaurant. People were laughing, having conversations and Curt was visiting tables to make sure everyone enjoyed their meals. We felt welcomed from start to finish at Curt's.

Curt had asked my husband what I liked before we arrived, so he had arranged a meal for us based on our tastes. I didn't even have to try to figure out the menu, like I usually have to do at other restaurants. We had a nice salad to start with, and then our meal arrived. Curt came out to explain his creation and make sure that we were happy with the meal. It was BEAUTIFUL and perfect! He made a gnocchi with several different olives, artichokes and veggies in a sweet basil sauce. He is truly a gifted Chef and all around great guy, you can tell this by the way he runs his business and the food he presents. He made sure we were enjoying our meals and even took a few minutes to talk with us and wish us a happy anniversary. The food was so good, we ate in silence. We just savored the experience, food and wine, as you should when you are given such a wonderful night out.

After our meal, Curt came back to check on us and let us know he would love to cook more meals for us in the future. We will be taking him up on his offer. We have found a new perfect date night location.

Curt made our anniversary perfect. His food was a gift to us & I want to publicly thank him for going out of his way on a Saturday night to care for us like family."