Gnocchi with Spinach and Gruyere

Rachel Ray is one of the Food Network chefs that I can only take in small doses. Its not her recipes that I have a problem with, quite the opposite, I've always had good luck with her recipes ... rather its her overly bubbly, chipper, excitable... whatever you want to call it, personality. That aside, I find her recipes for the most part to be easy and quick. I wouldn't necessarily say that I finish her dishes in 30 minutes but I definitely finish them a lot faster than some of the more "frightening" chefs on TV. The fact that they are quick dishes is a definite plus for me since as a single gal in the city, I am cooking for just one and a complicated meal is the last thing I even want to think about after work.

For Christmas this past year, my mom gave me Rachel's Just in Time cookbook. Not only is filled with interesting and hopefully tasty dishes that are 30 minutes, she also includes several even faster 15 minutes meals (like this one). For days when quickness isn't as important, she even adds a few 60 minute meals. Since I received this book, I've made numerous meals from it. Because I am new to food blogging this is the first that I've featured from it. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back and fix some of the ones I've enjoyed the most of the others (Tuna and Tomato Stoup for one.)

What attracted me to this dish was the gnocchi. Ever since I read a story where it was the favored dish of one of the characters and then enjoyed the dish myself, I have been a fan of the tiny, potato dumpling. While Rachel uses walnuts and Gorgonzola in her original recipe, I went with pecans (that's puh-cahns, puh puh puh...Only truckers use pee-cans) and delicious Gruyere cheese. So yummy! I'm sure the possibilities are endless with this dish and cheese. Below is my adapted version, if you prefer to use Rachel's original, just substitute the same amounts of walnuts and Gorgonzola for the pecans and Gruyere.

• 2 (10 ounce) boxes of frozen chopped spinach (I used frozen leaf), defrosted
• Salt
• 2 (14 to 16 ounce) packages of fresh gnocchi
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the gnocchi and season it liberally with salt. Cut open the gnocchi packages and set aside.

Place the nuts in a small skillet and toss over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until toasted and fragrant.

In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic to the warm oil, then add the spinach, separating the clumps as you add it to the garlic oil. Season the spinach with salt and pepper, add the stock, and bring to a bubble over medium heat. Add the Gruyere to the spinach and stir until it melts.

While the spinach heats, cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the float to the surface. Drain, then add to the spinach and toss for 1 minute to coat, then adjust the seasonings. Serve the gnocchi topped with the toasted nuts.

Adapted from Rachel Ray's Just in Time Cookbook