Whats for dinner?

recipe please suse!!!

Here 'tis

Gnocchi Sorentina

800gm-1kg dry/floury potatoes
approx 200gm plain flour
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
3 yummy, ripe, (preferably vine-ripened tomatoes), peeled, seeded and chopped
500ml tomato passata
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
about 200gm buffalo mozzarella (or bocconcini), cubed (approx 1cm)
about 1/3 cup grated parmesan
about 1/2 cup shredded basil
salt & pepper,

Parboil potatoes (whole, with skin on), then bake in oven until tender.
Peel potatoes while still hot, then push through a ricer/mouli (or mash, but it doesn't get as even as result).
On floured surface, knead 1/2 the flour into potato, adding more depending on the dryness of the potato until a smooth dough is achieved. The less flour used, the lighter the dough. Knead until elastic and shape into a ball. Cut or tear into four pieces.
With palms of hands, roll each ball into a long sausage about 1 - 1.5cm in diameter.
Cut into pieces 2cm long and roll in a little flour. With finger, press an indent into each piece.
Boil water, and cook in small batches until gnocchi rises to the top. Put into a bowl containing a little olive oil and swish around to keep separate as each batch is added. Add a splash more olive oil as needed.

To make sauce, heat oil and add garlic. Gently fry for a few seconds only then add passata. The sauce will seem very oily! This is OK, the oil will help prevent the gnocchi from drying out when baking. Simmer for about 5 minutes, adding sugar and salt & pepper to taste. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Add sauce to gnocchi, stirring gently. Stir through mozzarella, 1/3 of the parmesan and 1/2 the basil. Using either a large shallow baking dish or four individual gratin dishes, spoon gnocchi into dishes. Top with 1/3 of the parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the top is golden and a little crisp.

Serve topped with remaining parmesan and basil. Good with garlic bread and steamed green vegies or green salad.

mmmmmmmm might have to try this one this wee, was saying to DH just last night i want to make some gnocchi, thanks suse~!

My pleasure hon!! Love to hear how it goes!

suse what is tomato passata???

and can the gnocchi be made int he morning and left or needs to be made and used straight away?

Passata is just pureed & strained tomatoes. It can be bought in tall glass jars/bottles.

I've made the gnocchi in the morning prior to assembling it - it is harder to separate once it's been refrigerated. Otherwise, it can be pre-made and assembled ready to bake a day in advance. Next time I make it I'm going to experiment with freezing it like lasagna!

One tip for this recipe - the key to making gnocchi is to keep the potato dry, otherwise it's impossible to make a decent "dough" - you can do this by par-boiling and the oven drying as per suse's recipe....or just pop them in the microwave without any water, cut them in half and scoop the nice, dry flesh out - much quicker/easier.

Gnocchi keep very well in the freezer without the sauce - you will find that if you try to freeze them in the sauce then they will break up whilst being reheated.

This is one of our favourite supper dishes too, although we add chopped black olives to the sauce as well.

We also make a fried gnocchi dish (don't boil them) just shallow fry with olive oil, pancetta, garlic, mushrooms and finally fresh spinach...finish with a splash of cream and a little parmesan and pepper. The fried gnocchi have a great texture.

We're making Tex Mex Pies tonight, a new recipe from the Taste website that looks really yum.

Oooh, thank you Bear!! Good tips indeed - I've had fried gnocchi before and it is rather tasty. It's why I like it baked, crispy on top, but soft and melting inside. Mmmm.

Tonight we're having mum's lamb roast with baked and steamed vegies, cauliflower & cheese, and red-wine and rosemary gravy. Tom Cruise can get stuffed.

Tonight we are having Baked Chicken, lemon and chorizo. Yum! From my Delicious mag. I found some yummo chorizo at the markets, so I had to find something to cook other than paella with them :)

Chorizo with scallops or prawns

Braised Lamb Shanks with chorizo, rioja, saffron and chilli

ohhh braised lamb shanks with chorizo, that would go noicely.

Puchero Cordero

4 lamb shanks
2 small tins tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
4 chipotle chillies
8 baby chorizos
2 large onions
1 sweet potato
half a celeriac
1 carrot
bunch of coriander, chopped
1 jalapeno chilli
half a bottle of spanish red wine
seasoning
oil

Serves: 4 People

Roast the lamb shanks in a high oven for half hour until browned. Fry the roughly chopped onions and garlic in oil for a few minutes, then add the chorizo and fry together for two minutes. Add a large diced sweet potato, together with celeriac, carrot and jalapeno chilli, and fry for a further five minutes. Now add the tinned tomatoes, chipotle chilli and red wine. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and season well. Put the browned lamb shanks and the sauce into a large covered crock pot or similar, and cook in medium oven for an hour and a half until the meat is really tender. It should be falling off the bone. Serve!

Looks just like my lamb shank recipe minus the chipotle and the choriso! Easy peasy... Thanks :D

we had vegetable frittata and scalloped potatoes

beef, prune and orange casserole.

bbq pork loin chops with juniper butter, saute leeks, onion and garlic with king brown mushroom gnocchi

suse im making this for tonight but dont have the buffalo chesse or basil!! will it be ok?