let's pretend we're somewhere tropical.

Remember that time I talked about how the last time I was vegan, all I would eat was microwaveable crap, pasta, and corn and bean salad? No? Well, here's a reminder!

My goal to experiment with different vegan cooking and to steer clear from pre-made things is going better than I imagined. I've been eating some of the most interesting and most healthy things, and it's wonderful. I've been on a cooking and baking rampage. The other day, I made spaghetti and beanballs. Yes. Beanballs. Meatballs sans meat, plus mashed up kidney beans, along with some other random ingredients. It doesn't taste as weird as it sounds, pinky promise. It was amazing. Today I baked banana wheat germ muffins.Also, I've been eating quinoa, with avocado, chickpeas, and cilantro up the wazoo. Did you know that one cup of chickpeas provides you with more than your daily requirement of protein? So yes, I do get more than enough protein, thank you mucho! That was me going off on a tangent. I'm here to share with you a super interesting, and super tasty gnocchi recipe. Gnocchi is heaven sent. For those of you who don't know what gnocchi is, it's basically pasta made from potatoes. It's sort of like a dumpling pasta lovechild. 

pumpkin-y gnocchi with tropical salsa fresca

ingredients:

1 package of pumpkin gnocchi (I got mine at World Market!)

1 cup pineapple, chopped into 1/2- inch chunks

1 avocado, peeled and pitted, and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

5-ish cherry tomatoes, halved. (really, it's however many you want. cue you saying, "I do what I waaaaant!" you sassy reader, you.)

juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons)

directions:

1. boil a pot of water, and start cooking your gnocchi. Gnocchi is awesome because it takes like, hardly any time to cook.

2. mix all of the other ingredients together. 

3. dance around in excitement until your gnocchi is done. make up a song about the many wonders of gnocchi. Also, try not to eat all of the salsa fresca before it's done. It's hard not to, trust me. IT'S THAT TASTY. 

4. drain your gnocchi, let it cool. 

4. relish in this tropical summertime pasta and pretend you're on a beach watching dolphins swim by. HIIIIIII, FLIPPER!

droooooool.

note: the recipe for the salsa fresca makes about three cups, so you can adjust the amount of ingredients, depending on how many people you're making it for!