Recipe – Gnocchi with King Oyster Mushrooms and Wilted Spinach

So Ireland is in full bloom.  All around us, greenery is shooting up through the cracks.  Yes it’s annoying when it’s your driveway, but on farms and in polytunnels the time is NOW.  Our fresh Irish organic produce is really beginning to hit the shelves and it’s exciting to be in a position to link you guys up with Ireland’s very best organic growers.

 

This week we’re heavily featuring the Irish produce.  Ireland’s known for its mushroom growers, but some folk have upped their game from the button mushroom that was the pride of Longford’s agricultural output for many years, and we now have access to many more exotic varieties, none of whom we prefer to the king oyster.  With a name like that it better be good, and it bloody well is.  With flesh like a lobster’s, the king oyster is buttery and rich and oh so good for our bods.  Few foods are as nutrient dense as this guy, and paired with organic Irish spinach, this recipe stealthily sneaks a boat load of nutrients to our bloodstream, like a ninja in the dead of night.  And it comes bearing gifts for our tastebuds too…

 

What you won’t need for this and most of Finn’s other recipes (except perhaps for the odd croissant and kardemummabullar)

  • Weighing Scales

  • Measuring Cups

What you will need (makes enough for 3 generous portions, 4 smaller ones) – we will always be recommending organic where possible

  • 2 400g packs gnocchi (we sell a yummy one from Ciemme)

  • 1 jar Peppup tomato sauce (or 1 tin tomatoes)

  • 1 courgette

  • 300g king oyster mushrooms (or whatever mushrooms you can find, if you don’t want to ponce about gourmet health stores.  But you DO right??)

  • 200g fresh spinach

  • 1 200g block firm tofu (our pick for this is Taifun almond and sesame smoked tofu, but anything will do

  • ½ tub Happy Pear basil pesto

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or equivalent butter

  • Oodles of juicy delicious olive oil for finishing- the best you can afford

  • Juice of half a lemon

  • 1 tbsp miso paste

 

This is such a simple supper. Making it so you spend your time eating, enjoying your tastebuds and your dinner table pals, whoever they may be.

 

First thing is to boil that kettle with 1.5 litres of water.  Cos this all happens quickly once it starts.

 

Thinly slice your mushrooms, stick them into a shallow frying pan with 1cm of bubbling water on a medium heat.  Add miso paste.  This process saves you from the horrid thing mushrooms do of swallowing your delicious butter/oil or whatever grease you usually fry them in. So give them 5 minutes here or until they soak up all the water.  In the meantime, shred spinach, cube tofu, use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons from your lovely courgette.

 

Add in the coconut oil or butter, then the tofu.  Then get your gnocchi boiling in a separate pot.  Keep stirring the mushrooms and tofu till they start to brown.  Drain the gnocchi, refreshing with a little cold water.  Add the spinach to the mushroom/tofu pan, adding the jar of Peppup sauce. Stir and lower the heat.  Cover and leave for 2 minutes to wilt the spinach.  Add the gnocchi, pesto and courgette ribbons and stir through.  Squeeze in the lemon juice.  Sprinkle a little S&P to taste.  Serve in great big bowls.  Chop some parsley over the top.  Cos’ that’ll help you absorb the goodness, and prevent all the badness that happens when we gobble yummy food too fast. 

 

Enjoy x

 

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