Sun's out and birds are chirping :)
Harissa Chicken and Saffron Rice
4 hours ago
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
~ Ham and Cheese Sandwich Squares
While I was busy with my gnocchi, my lovely Mum made me some sandwiches..
...squashed and squared! But they look yummy, don't they?
There was a surprise visit from a bold new-comer too:
What beautiful eyes:
~ Gnocchi in Basic Tomato Sauce
Description:
Soft potato dumplings coated with tangy tomato sauce~
Soft potato dumplings coated with tangy tomato sauce~
Ingredients:
3 medium size potatoes (~300g)
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 C flour
1/4 C flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp mixed herbs
2 tsp ketchup
3 medium size potatoes (~300g)
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 C flour
1/4 C flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp mixed herbs
2 tsp ketchup
Directions:
1) Cut potatoes into quarters and boil in salted water till easy to mash but still firm. Mash and leave to cool.
2) Add in egg, 1 1/2 C flour and 1/4 tsp pepper. Knead into a pliable dough, adjusting with the 1/4 C flour.
3) Separate dough into 4 parts, and into 4 rods. Cut into small gnocchi with a knife and press each down with a fork.
4) Cook in salted water till the gnocchi floats, and remove to set aside.
5) Reserve 1/2 tomato, and blister 2 tomatoes with some water. Mash slightly and set aside.
6) In a cooking pan, fry garlic and chilli flakes in oil till fragrant. Add in all the tomatoes, ketchup and mixed herbs. Cook for another 3 min, and adjust to taste with pepper or salt.
7) Stir in some gnocchi till heated up, and serve hot.
Remarks:
I like the tomato sauce, so much like those you can find in eateries - the blistered tomatoes imparted a plummy sweetness to the chunky sauce which was also punctuated with the zingy taste of garlic and herbs. On the other hand, the gnocchi was rather lacking in taste, I think I boiled the potatoes for too long and subsequently added too much flour to make a pliable dough since the potatoes absorbed a lot of water when boiling. But they look soooo good when raw:
And yes, it's too much gnocchi as well!!! The quantity can serve 3-4 people, whereas the sauce is only for one! The excess cooked gnocchi were kept in a tupperware filled with water to prevent them from sticking to each other. I tried toasting some and they tasted like.. flour crackers?
1) Cut potatoes into quarters and boil in salted water till easy to mash but still firm. Mash and leave to cool.
2) Add in egg, 1 1/2 C flour and 1/4 tsp pepper. Knead into a pliable dough, adjusting with the 1/4 C flour.
3) Separate dough into 4 parts, and into 4 rods. Cut into small gnocchi with a knife and press each down with a fork.
4) Cook in salted water till the gnocchi floats, and remove to set aside.
5) Reserve 1/2 tomato, and blister 2 tomatoes with some water. Mash slightly and set aside.
6) In a cooking pan, fry garlic and chilli flakes in oil till fragrant. Add in all the tomatoes, ketchup and mixed herbs. Cook for another 3 min, and adjust to taste with pepper or salt.
7) Stir in some gnocchi till heated up, and serve hot.
Remarks:
I like the tomato sauce, so much like those you can find in eateries - the blistered tomatoes imparted a plummy sweetness to the chunky sauce which was also punctuated with the zingy taste of garlic and herbs. On the other hand, the gnocchi was rather lacking in taste, I think I boiled the potatoes for too long and subsequently added too much flour to make a pliable dough since the potatoes absorbed a lot of water when boiling. But they look soooo good when raw:
And yes, it's too much gnocchi as well!!! The quantity can serve 3-4 people, whereas the sauce is only for one! The excess cooked gnocchi were kept in a tupperware filled with water to prevent them from sticking to each other. I tried toasting some and they tasted like.. flour crackers?
Monday, June 29, 2009
~ B'day Rant
Gosh, this blog dedicated to experiments in the kitchen is really (unintentionally) turning into an avenue for me to vent my frustrations out=x Here's a sms conversation I had with my Dad over my b'day celebration (they asked me to make reservations for Swissotel buffet dinner previously):
T: swisshotel havin crab buffet dinner (along with int'l buffet) going for $46/pax. If got HSBC card 1 pax free for 3 pax dining. May need to book 2 weeks in advance. But I haven called. how?
D: I am ok
T: Ok u make reservations den. I dun like to pay more than wat other people pay for. Rather eat sth else
D: ok... lets eat at sakura after fun in down town east escape- good idea?
T: Nope.
D: wats good then
T: Slack at home, eat homecooked food, sleep and live normal
D: Good lah.....
Not funny at all, but I just want to emphasize my lack of interest in celebrating my 21st b'day. Why celebrate for being older? I don't give a hoot for any of my previous b'days, what makes 21st so special that I have to celebrate it? Simply because others did? Simply because others want me to? I'm still myself anyway, before or after my 21st. So no point wasting the $ for some insignificant issue (Mum said I'm just being stingy). Family aside, there are still external factors. I try to tell my friends not to get me any presents in the nicest way possible, and at the most a simple cheap meal treat will do, that's it. And then they start questioning me and shooting me with sarcastic remarks. Eventually they may get something which I do not need nor want (happened countless times before). Why can't anyone understand?
Leave me alone, and just let me be. Please.
T: swisshotel havin crab buffet dinner (along with int'l buffet) going for $46/pax. If got HSBC card 1 pax free for 3 pax dining. May need to book 2 weeks in advance. But I haven called. how?
D: I am ok
T: Ok u make reservations den. I dun like to pay more than wat other people pay for. Rather eat sth else
D: ok... lets eat at sakura after fun in down town east escape- good idea?
T: Nope.
D: wats good then
T: Slack at home, eat homecooked food, sleep and live normal
D: Good lah.....
Not funny at all, but I just want to emphasize my lack of interest in celebrating my 21st b'day. Why celebrate for being older? I don't give a hoot for any of my previous b'days, what makes 21st so special that I have to celebrate it? Simply because others did? Simply because others want me to? I'm still myself anyway, before or after my 21st. So no point wasting the $ for some insignificant issue (Mum said I'm just being stingy). Family aside, there are still external factors. I try to tell my friends not to get me any presents in the nicest way possible, and at the most a simple cheap meal treat will do, that's it. And then they start questioning me and shooting me with sarcastic remarks. Eventually they may get something which I do not need nor want (happened countless times before). Why can't anyone understand?
Leave me alone, and just let me be. Please.
~ Sleeping Positions and U
This kitty sure has lots of cute sleeping positions :)
Freefaller:
Yearner:
Starfish:
Miscellaneous:
Learn more about your personality from the way you sleep!
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