How to transform leftover baked potato into a summery Italian feast | Food

I’m rolling these gnocchi out of yesterday’s leftover baked potato and feeling reasonably happy with myself, as a result of if you’re capable of reduce out a step from a usually scratch-cook dish equivalent to gnocchi, it makes life simpler. Crisp up the leftover potato skins in a pan with sea salt to get pleasure from as a snack, or freeze them for making loaded potato skins (recipe coming subsequent week).Baked potato gnocchi with broad beans, pecorino and mintA nice option to make extra-flavourful fluffy pillows of gnocchi is to make them with leftover baked potato. Baking the potatoes as a substitute of boiling them reduces their moisture content material, which means much less flour is required, which in flip ends in a lighter, much less pasty gnocchi. Leftover baked potato additionally saves about an hour of prep time.This recipe serves two, utilizing only one leftover baked potato, which I’ve changed into a one-pot surprise with seasonal broad beans, feta and mint. I wouldn’t advocate baking a single potato only for this, not least as a result of the recipe is designed to utilize leftovers. Should you’d prefer to make it from scratch, plan a baked potato meal earlier within the week and make one additional. In any other case, steaming is an efficient, environment friendly various.If you wish to get forward, gnocchi freeze properly. Lay them flat on a tray to freeze, then switch to a sealed bag or container and retailer for as much as three months. Cook dinner straight from frozen, and provides them just a few additional minutes to rise to the floor.As a wholefood chef, I exploit wholemeal spelt flour, which provides flavour and vitamin, and likewise helps scale back waste by retaining the bran and wheat germ. To economize and potential waste, as a substitute of utilizing an egg yolk to bind the combination, I add a pinch of baking powder to lighten the dough.Serves 2For the baked potato gnocchi1 medium-large cooked baked potato, flesh scooped out to yield 200-250g50-60g wholemeal flour (I used spelt), plus additional for dusting½ tsp baking powderSalt and black pepperFor the broad bean, feta and mint toppingJuice of ½ lemon, plus the finely grated zest if natural and unwaxed2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil2 massive sprigs mint150g broad beans (from roughly 450g pods), or frozen broad beans100g feta, crumbledPut the potato flesh in a bowl, add the flour and baking powder, then combine and knead right into a ball; if it’s slightly sticky, add slightly extra flour. Cut up into 16 similar-sized items, then, utilizing your palms, roll every one into the form of a rugby ball and prepare in a single layer on a floured tray. Cook dinner the gnocchi both by frying them in slightly oil till golden brown throughout, or by dropping them into boiling salted water for about 60 seconds, or till they float to the floor. Raise out, drain and serve along with your favorite topping.Right now of 12 months, I prefer to serve gnocchi with broad beans, feta and mint. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice (and, if it’s natural and unwaxed, the grated zest, too) with the oil. Choose the leaves off the mint sprigs, then finely chop the stalks, add these to the dressing bowl and season generously.Blanch the broad beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then raise out and drain. In the meantime, prepare dinner the gnocchi both by frying them in slightly oil till golden brown throughout or by dropping them into boiling salted water for about 60 seconds, till they float to the floor, then raise out and drain. Stir within the blanched beans and dressing, garnish with the crumbled feta and the reserved mint leaves, and tuck in.