Well, plenty, I suppose. Top of the list no-can-dos have to include facilitating world peace and being an adequate bacon substitute. But really, here's yet another product predominantly and scientifically featuring Brassica oleracea var. botrytis...Trader Joe's Caulifower Gnocchi.
Cauliflower was a definite punishment veggie growing up. You know what I mean: the kind you were made to eat for dinner after a day full of misbehavin'. Gnow this is the kid of stuff we gnaturally reach for. Odd.
Anyways, we sauteed our gnocchi per the recommended prep directions. As is our usual, we gneglected to take an actual picture of the finished product - tsktsk, I know - but let me assure you: it looked GNOTHING like the package picture. Look at that gnocchi, with it's fine tan lines and gnice browning. Gnope. Our was pale and limp and and kinda soggy. That may have been our fault, a little, but we did the best we could. Sandy said somewhere on the interwebs there were some folks who suggested alternate methods to achieve that gnice gnocchi as advertised, but we didn't get there with what TJ's was telling us to do.
Of course, it's gnot just cauiflower here. There's also cassava (basically fancyish potato) and potato flour as ingredients, I guess to help hold it all together. I'm gnot an expert on such things, but, say, if the point of cauilflower rice is to enjoy a rice-like substance which is gneither rice gnor grain, then what's the point of this gnocchi? Is it to be more gluten-free than anything else? It seems to me that this TJ's cauli-gnocchi contains right about as many carbs as regular gnocchi, so if that's a concern for you, you may have to pass. Maybe that's a gknock, maybe gnot.
Sandy said she'd buy again and experiment with prep for her lunches. I could take it or leave it with this gnocchi to be honest. Kinda like uneccessary silent letters in that regard. Middlin' marks from the two of us.
Bottom line: Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi: 6.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons
I used TJs kerrygold like butter not evoo :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, very clever review! I bet your spell check was having a fit!!
ReplyDeleteYeah I don’t think i “get it” , it’s lower carbs than regular gnocchi but certainly not low carb enough for the people worried about it. And not exactly low enough in calories that it’s permission to eat the whole bag like plain cauli rice.
I might try it out of curiosity but I really just wish TJs would bring back that sweet potato gnocchi (the plain one on the shelf, not the frozen one with butter they still sell)
Ttrockwood
Ps
I predict cauliflower steaks will feature in the next TJs cauliflower product. Maybe as a frozen meal...?
Ok, I just made a bag of these, full disclosure: I'm gluten free, so my standards aren't very high, for all things pasta-ish. But wow, if you eat low carb or gluten free - PLEASE get these while you can, stock up, and make them right! I did them in a nonstick pan with olive oil and a very small amount of water, steamed for 5 min, then added more oil and turned up the heat to get them nice and brown. I turned them once or twice. Don't add salt - they are already salty. Then I mixed with sundried tomato pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, sliced basil, and small fresh mozzarella balls (all purchased at TJoes today!). Topped with parm and WHOA delicious. A very good sub for traditional gnocchi, which I miss terribly after my diagnosis :( so this made me very very happy tonight!
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI-in order to get an accurate carb count you need to subtract the fiber from the carbs. That is your actual carb count. These are better for you. I love these. I made my first batch with sea salt, cracked black pepper, parmesan, roasted garlic & a little olive oil/butter. I inadvertently let another bag thaw overnight so I ended up spraying them with olive oil & tossing them in the air fryer. Crispy outside, fluffy inside. So yummy!
ReplyDeleteWe had these last night for dinner and I was mega impressed. The amount of EVOO I used was border line "frying". I also threw in chopped garlic and parsley and let it all sit for longer then 10 minutes. I got super crispy edges and served it with marinara and cashew parmesan "cheese". You should give it another go!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review! I just bought some, but haven't tried it yet and wasn't sure which cooking method to use. I actually got really excited when I saw these because I'm vegan. Their other frozen gnocchi contain milk/cheese in the sauces. It looks like these also have a little more fiber than traditional gnocchi.
ReplyDeleteI cooked these like KeriL and rena, albeit with almost the 1/4 cup of water recommended on the package. I fried longer than I steamed and used a lot more olive oil than the package said to. They crisped/browned nicely and had a great texture; they came out a little chewy. Toward the end of the cooking, I added a few frozen peas, garlic, and cream, then snipped chives over it all. It made a nice side dish. My husband and I were both very pleasantly surprised at how good these were. I'll definitely buy them again!
ReplyDeleteThese came out terribly for me, probably because I do not have a nonstick pan. I tried making them in a frying pan, nope--just gummy. I mean, I ate them, because I like carbs in general and this was all I had for dinner on pasta night. Then I tried another bag (i'd bought two), this time boiling them. They were a bit better, but still not good enough for me to buy again. I'm sure it was the lack of nonstick pan that did me in. Taste wise, they were pretty good. It's just they turned out quite gummy and didn't hold together well.
ReplyDelete