What We Ate Wednesday--Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes with Parmesan Kale and Potatoes (Or Gnocchi)

Hello lovelies! As I am now working the evening shift to close at work I get home around 6pm tired and hungry and am always looking for easy and quick meals. This is sort of a hybrid of other meals I make and definitely will go in the rotation for easy dinners.

We had a lovely day out in Swansea last week and we went to the vegan market shop Brontosaurus where I bought some vegan and gluten free potato gnocchi. I hadn't had gnocchi since I had to give up eating wheat several years ago, so this was a treat. We got the spinach kind and it was fun to have those pillowy potato dumplings again. But as they are not available locally and are a bit expensive (not to mention the plastic they come in) as well as the fact that they are less whole food and more processed, the next time we eat it I will just use potatoes boiled in vegetable stock.

Make no mistake--the gnocchi was a huge treat, but I know just good ole spuds will be just as good, cheaper and better for us. But you can make it either way, depending on what suits you.

Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes with Parmesan Kale and Potatoes (Or Gnocchi)
1 onion, thinly sliced into rainbows
as much garlic as you like (we did about 6 cloves, crushed)
100g kale, de-stemmed and torn into bits
3 TB vegan Parmesan like Good Carma or use recipe below

punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
mixed Italian herbs
pepper

potato gnocchi or 400g potatoes, diced
*Note* if you are doing gnocchi, boil your kettle and add it to your pan and when the water boils again add the gnocchi and cook as the directions say (basically, for about 3 minutes until they begin to float then drain.) If doing potatoes, start them when you start the onion and then boil them in vegetable stock. Potatoes take longer than gnocchi so adjust accordingly. 

1. Preheat your grill/broiler to about 220C/425F. Move your oven rack up to the top.
2. Start cooking your onion in a splash of water so it has time to soften.
3. Add the tomatoes cut side down to the pan then add the oil and vinegar. Smoosh them around so the cut sides have all got the O and V mix on them then flip them over to cut side up and shooka shooka shooka lots of Italian mixed herbs and pepper on them.
4. When the grill is hot and ready, roast your tomatoes for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add your garlic and kale to the onions and cook until greens are reduced and softened. Add 3 TB Parmesan and stir to coat the greens.
6. Mix in your gnocchi or boiled potatoes and top with the roasted tomatoes.

Parmesan
1.5 TB ground almonds
1.5 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Blend to combine.  

This is surely going to become one of our regular meals. Fast, easy and delicious.