Chickpea Gnocchi with artichoke or pepper cream

la ricetta in italiano qui

Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen is hosting this month MLLA # 61, the monthly event about legumes first started years ago by Susan and now carrried on by lovely Lisa.

I tried these dumplings a few months ago, seasoning with an artichoke cream, but they will be perfect for the Summer season with a pepper sauce, the recipe at the end of the post.

Chickpea Gnocchi as an alternative to potato ones, very healthy and more nutritious.

Serving 4:

500 g boiled chickpeas *

100 g organic buckwheat flour

(mine was half buckweat/halfspell)

salt

about half a cup soy milk

* weight referring to cooked and drained chickpeas, you can use organic canned

 

Mash the chickpeas until they are fine powder, add salt and knead with flour and milk (add little by little) until the mixture is compact and does not crumble. Adjust with milk, using as much as necessary.
As for the potato gnocchi, cut a piece of dough at  time and roll it under the palms of your hands on floured surface to form a sort of log. Cut the dumplings with a knife of the desired size and place on a lightly floured tea towel.

Artichokes cream:

artichokes stems
3 or 4 spring onions
extra virgin olive oil
toasted sesame seeds
chili
yeast flakes
some chopped almonds

Slice the spring onions, fry lightly in a little oil and then sauté 5 minutes adding a little water. Keep half aside for garnishing.
In the remaining half add the artichoke stems and let cook for a few minutes, then whisk everything with the blender.
Cook the dunplings in salted water, they are ready when they float.
Drain and gently sauté in the pan with artichoke cream, combining a dash of cooking water (if necessary) to keep the cream very soft.
Serve with a sprinkling of almonds, sesame seeds and yeast and a pinch of chili. Complete with spring onions kept aside.

If you do not like to have the onions in the plate, simply blend all.

For the orange cream:

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
500 g carrots
extra virgin olive oil
salt
crushed dried chili or fresh sliced
yeast flakes

Boil the carrots and cut into chunks.
Blanch peppers in boiling water for 15 minutes, then peel and remove seeds.
Blend together carrots and peppers, salt and use this sauce to sauté the dumplings, 

adding a little cooking water if necessary.
Sprinkle with chili and a pinch of yeast flakes.