Two days ago we showed how to give international flair to poke, the Hawaiian spin on sashimi salad.

Today, our colleague Hannah Kaminsky transforms one of the blandest foods in America (via Italy): gnocchi.

Here, she makes a fusion dish of potato gnocchi and Indian spices (photo #1), to create “samosa* gnocchi,” inspired by the spicy Indian fried potato dumplings.

She illustrates how you can take any bland food, from noodles to tofu to chicken breasts to tilapia, and turn them into fab food with the right spices.

“Fix up the gnocchi with a pinch of curry powder, for example” says Hannah, “and you could consider each starchy sphere as a naked samosa, stripped of its deep-fried pastry shell.”

Hannah, who specializes in making flavorful food in under 10 minutes (see her new book in photo #3), notes that packaged gnocchi make fast work of this preparation.

In addition to a main dish, she suggests serving them “as a brilliantly spiced side dish that could complement a wide range of proteins or simple stews.”
 
 
RECIPE: SAMOSA GNOCCHI

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING a medium pot of water to a boil and add the gnocchi, using a spatula to gently break them apart. Cook just shy of al dente, as the dumplings will continue to soften in the curry sauce. In some cases, this might amount to only 1 or 2 minutes in the water, so keep a close eye on the process and test frequently by poking the pieces with a fork. Drain and rinse with cold water to immediately stop the cooking process.

2. MELT the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the par-boiled gnocchi. Spread out the gnocchi to cover the bottom of the pan as evenly as possible. Resist the urge to stir for about two minutes, allowing the gnocchi to dry and very lightly toast. Separately…

3. WHISK together the coconut milk, both spice mixtures, and salt before pouring them into the pan. Turn down the heat to medium-low, stir thoroughly, and simmer for 1 or 2 minutes longer, until the sauce coats the gnocchi nicely. Toss in the thawed peas and serve with mango chutney on the side, if desired.
 
 
RECIPE: QUICK MANGO CHUTNEY

Chutney is a spiced condiment of Indian origin (chatni is the Hindi word for strongly spiced) made of fruit or vegetables. It is typically served as an accompaniment to food, not as a spread.

[1] Fusion food: Italian gnocchi meet Indian curry (photo courtesy Hannah Kaminsky).

[2] There are many recipes for chutney, both sweet and savory. You can buy them or make them (photo courtesy Indian Home Cooking). Here, cilantro and tamarind chutneys.

[3] Delicious, plant-based meals in 10 minutes? How can you resist? Get Hannah Kaminsky’s book on Amazon.

“There are more types of chutney on the market than there are days in the year,” says Hannah, “from creamy coconut to fiery habanero varieties. One of my favorites is made from mango. You can pick up a jar of it at most grocery stores, but you can also throw together a quick version at home.”

This recipe makes 2 cups (3 – 4 servings).
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the mango and all ingredients in a microwave safe dish, stir well, and heat on full power for 4 to 7 minutes. The fruit should be softened, syrupy, and well-seasoned. This chutney will keep well for up to a week if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
 
 
ABOUT HANNAH KAMINSKY

Hannah is a food photographer, recipe developer, and specialist in vegan cooking and baking. She is the author of five books, most recently, Real Food, Really Fast.

Follow her on BittersweetBlog.com.

________________

*Samosas are individual fried or baked triangles, often eaten as an appetizer or snack food. It has a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas and lentils, minced lamb or minced beef. They can also include macaroni/noodles and cheese. Here’s more about them.
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[2] Jackie Chan commissioned this portrait, made from 64,000 chopsticks (photo courtesy Red Hong-Yi).

Take inspiration from the edible collages by Malaysian artist Red Hong-Yi, created on dinner plates [photo #1].

She calls them “painting without a brush.”

In 2012, Red Hong-Yi, was an architect designing residential towers on a computer screen. Then she decided to take a right turn, and transitioned to handmade art.

She created massive portraits:

It’s less than a month to Father’s Day. If you’re looking for something special and Dad is a pork lover, we love this idea:

Consider a gourmet combination plate—a pork version of a pu pu platter*.

This idea was inspired by steakhouse Rare Steak and Seafood in Washington, D.C. (photo #1).

Executive Chef Marc Hennessy serves a Pork Tasting charcuterie board that highlights nose-to-tail cuisine. He turns heritage pork from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia into a pork-four-ways plate, celebrating some of the different textures and flavors of pork cuisine:

 
The combination provides four different texture and flavor experiences.
 
 
CREATE YOUR OWN PORK EXPERIENCE

You can serve a pork variety plate as a first or second course, depending on the size of the portions. You can also purchase some of the ingredients, such as bacon jam, dumplings, fried pork rinds, meatballs pork sausage and pulled pork, among others, can be purchased.

While there are many, many pork dishes, select four or five that can easily be served in neat portions on a combination plate. Pulled pork sliders work, pork stew doesn’t, unless you serve it in a ramekin to hold in the juices.

Here are some ideas for your combination plate.

 
 
PORK RECIPES

 
 
CHECK OUT OUR PORK CUTS GLOSSARY.
 
 

________________

*A pu pu platter is an assortment of Chinese restaurant appetizers, is fun—and sounds so much more interesting than “assorted appetizers.” Here’s more about it.

†Pork loin and pork tenderloin are not cut from the same part of the animal, and in fact, look really different — pork tenderloin is thin and small, while a pork loin is wide enough that you can cut steak-like pieces from it.

[1] Gourmet pork combination plate from Rare Steak and Seafood in D.C.: pork pâté, slow-cooked pork belly, chicharrón and lardo.

[2] Pork skewers (photo courtesy National Pork Board).

[3] BBQ Pork Sliders (photo courtesy Pig Of The Month).

[4] Pork meatballs (photo courtesy Frontier Fiesta).

[4] Pork belly on spicy tomatillo salad (photo courtesy Chef Eric B. LeVine).

[5] Bacon or pork belly potato skins (here’s the recipe from Idaho Potato Commission)

[6] Ham croquettes (photo courtesy Kyle Books).