EASY Homemade Gnocchi

Gnocchi is Italian.  I'm not Italian.  Not even a little bit.

I'm Russian/Welsch.

I know.  What an exotic combination.

Scott's heritage is German though, and that's kind of close to Italy...they were on the same side in the war after all.  So yeah, maybe I'm almost Italian by marriage.  Makes sense.  

My mother's family, being from Russia, made a lot of halupki and halushki.  The restaurant I used to work at, being in an originally very Polish/Russian town, served a lot of halupki and halushki.

I also learned how to do the polka in elementary school.  But that's beside the point...

How cool is this...

It's Creed and Kate (a.k.a. Meredith) singing the Pennsylvania Polka at "The Office" Convention in Scranton.  I wonder if that was the same Convention I was at in 2007...

 OOPS.  How did that ^ get in there...

Anyway, my grandmother (as well as a couple of my teachers) used to sing this Pennsylvania polka song.

I'm assuming she sang it to herself as she made halushki.  The best part of halushki?  The little balls of dough cooked in butter.  They taste a lot like gnocchi.  So I gave gnocchi a try.

Oh, and in case you need a little background music while you make gnocchi, the Steelers also have a polka.

 EASY Homemade Gnocchi
adapted from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

1 two-serving package of garlic-flavored instant potatoes
1 cup boiling water
1 egg
about 1 cup of flour
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add the boiling water to the potatoes and mix well.  Let it cool for a minute or two before stirring in the egg (no need for scrambled eggs in this dish, my friends).  Add enough flour to make it into a dough that's easy to work with (it took me about a 1/2 cup).

Flour a cutting board and roll the dough into a thin strip.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Toss into a pot of boiling water (I did this in 3 batches).  When they float, they're done.  Strain with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet.  Toss in the gnocchi (once again, 3 batches), and brown lightly on each side.  Place on a serving plate and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Shared at:
Cast Party Wednesday
This Chick Cooks


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