It’s the first Monday of the new year and what better time than now to take on your own Meatless Monday challenge? The great thing about the Meatless Monday campaign is that it has the power to promote good health and protect our planet by changing your diet just one day a month, that’s it! So to start you off I’ve got this healthy, filling and scrumptious plant-based take on Spinach & Sausage Gnocchi.
The inspiration for this plant-based gnocchi came from a meat and cheese gnocchi dish I recently saw in a magazine. From my education in plant-based nutrition and all my own personal research, I’m a firm believer that a plant-based diet maintains and restores good health, whereas a diet rich in animal products promotes ill-health. Therefore, when I saw the meat and cheese version of this recipe I wanted to take on the challenge of making it totally plant-based. And I did just that!
And as far as veggie meats go, I heard some great advice once that 90% of your time at the grocery store should be spent in the produce section buying fresh produce. So, since veggie meats aren’t fresh produce they don’t make up a large portion of my diet but every now and then I like to eat them. And if you’ve never tried veggie sausage before, give it a shot! I bet you will be surprised at how good veggie sausage can taste.
I buy my veggie sausage at Whole Foods. There are many different brands so try a few to see which one you like best. And by the way, if you haven’t checked it out yet, take a look at the top menu bar here on my blog to see my list of must see documentaries and must read books about health and nutrition. I hope I can help inspire at least some Meatless Mondays for you in the year to come! 🙂
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 of one medium size onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
- pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
- 1 12 oz bag spinach
- 1 veggie sausage link (6 oz)
- 1 16 oz package dairy-free gnocchi
- Cook gnocchi according to package.
- Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat in large pan. Add onion and cook until onion begins to brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once onions have started to brown, add garlic and sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until tomatoes begin to soften, about 5-10 minutes. Uncover and add spinach and sausage to pan. Sauté until spinach wilts and sausage is cooked. Break sausage into smaller pieces with wooden spoon while sautéing.
- Once gnocchi is done, strain from water. Add cooked gnocchi to pan with sausage and veggies. Stir together and cook another minute. Serve hot and enjoy!
