When The Wind Blows

I was a big fan of the Little House on the Prairie series when I was little, and I used to pretend that I was in my log cabin during a blizzard. The other night it was 4 degrees. Four degrees! Not a blizzard, but still freezing cold! I wanted to cook something quickly so that I could spend as much time by the fireplace as possible.  So I put on my "homesteader woman" thinking cap, looked in my larder, and pulled out the ingredients for dinner.  The  vegetables roast up sweet, the bacon adds a smoky flavor. Our family camped out in the living room by the fireplace and shared this meal together. The wind was howling outside, but we didn't care.  We were together and warm, inside and out.

Gnocchi with Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

3 sweet potatoes, peeled & diced small
1 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cauliflower, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup raisins, plumped in hot water, then drained
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 package gnocchi
1/2 pound bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes, red onion, garlic, cauliflower, and water in an oven-proof skillet or roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir to coat. Cover and roast until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the lid, add the raisins and almonds and let cook another 10 minutes until the vegetables are slightly browned. Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain and crumble. Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain the gnocchi and mix with the vegetables and bacon.