Wheatless Foodie

This post is the beginning of a series of "under $5 per person" gluten free meals. Some days I don’t feel like cooking. I mean I reeeeeealy do not have the slightest inclination to prepare food at all. But we have to eat, and besides, I enjoy the time spent with the family around the table at the end of the day. I’m not the only one here capable of cooking a meal, but I am Chief Cook and Bottle Washer in this household and the one who usually at least organizes what we’ll be having for dinner. Today is one of those days that I have no intention of cooking. We enjoy eating out (who doesn’t?), but budgetary constraints require eating at home more often. In order to avoid breaking the bank, or in this case the budget, I keep the freezer stocked with a few meals that can simply be popped into the oven on days like this. Some of my freezer stash comes from home cooked meals that were prepared in double or triple batches with the extra batches going into the freezer. Add a s...

Making homemade gnocchi takes a good part of the day, as does its slow simmered sauce. Making Gnocchi and Sugo (sauce) is truly a labor of love. It is especially so for my husband and I. Fred’s late nonna (grandmother), an Italian immigrant and a wonderful cook, taught us how to make gnocchi and sugo. She didn’t teach us both how to make the entire dish but taught a part to each of us. Fred learned how to make the meaty red sauce, and I learned how to make the gnocchi, or potato dumplings. So we must come together to make this family favorite, and that is what we did this year for Valentine’s Day. We made gnocchi and sugo for dinner. I’ve never tried to make gnocchi without wheat, so I made half the batch the usual way and half gluten free. The gnocchi begin with cooked potatoes. When they are well drained and have cooled, mix in an egg for every 3 or 4 potatoes and enough flour to form a soft dough. For the gluten free gnocchi, I added an egg white with the whole egg to add some...