30.07.08: Quorn, fresh tomato-olive sauce, pesto gnocchi and snap peas

Bit of a mish-mash tonite: She was taking it easy with 2-minute gnocchi rolled in her freezer stash of ho-made pasto, a quick flip of lemon-pepper quorn escalopes in the pan, and snap peas zapped in the m-wave...but the thought of a dry quorn cutlet sticking in the throat sent Her to the store for some tomatoes and raiding the fridge for remaining garlic-stuffed olives (not to mention tipping in a little red wine) to make a fairly quick sauce. Salad of mango, beetroot and moz balls nestled in rocket leaves nearby.

HE SAYS: The gnocchi was tasty because of the yummy pesto but succeeded in putting me on the bloat boat bound for Stodge City and consequently I temporarily sport a more rotund profile. I enjoyed the special tamater sauciness over the top of the chi-qourn cutlets best, and the snap peas offered another fresh and crisp escape from the starchy gnocchi. The salad also was a fruitilicious and zingy addition to this food cruise.

SHE SAYS: Figured I'd use up that second pack of gnocchi we froze, but I'm not tempted to get it again - it becomes mush within a minute, and I thought it might disintegrate as I stirred in my pesto. V. filling but not v. nice, tho' the pesto was tangy and savoury enough. The 2-minute snap zap is highly recommended - the peapods emerge crispety-juicy and bright green. And how I do luv the quorn, esp with this sooper-easy sauce - no choppin' and not so much stirrin'. Salad was sweet and spicy, but I ws already experiencing the great potato expansion and couldn't finish.

15.07.08: Gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce and courgette strands

In the ongoing quest to reduce wheat while yet employing effective sauce transport, She got Him to pick up some spinach, carrot and potato gnocchi from Waitrose and then boiled it up. Roasted peppers and portobello mushrooms, lots of fresh tomatoes, a few splashes of red wine, and a big handful of basil leaves cooked down into a sauce, while she julienned the the courgette with the KTOTY* and fried up the delicate strands on high heat to make a Ramsay-esque topping. Salad of avo, physalis and leaves looked on.

SHE SAYS: This had an understated roasty flavour that perfectly suited my appetite on a night warmer than usual, but. But but but. I'm not convinced that the elbow grease I put into fresh sauces like this is worthwhile when Lloyd's sauces are just as good. (Sad, but true.) My courgette topping was good - courgettes in the UK generally lack flavour, and even this good performance was not great - but next time I would try using peanut oil to have a better chance at crisping them.

HE SAYS: No knead to knock the gnocchi, it was yum. The sauce waz flavourful but subtle in taste compared to the off-the-shelf jar. I was tempted to lunge for the hot sauce but paused and contemplated enjoying the softer palette-pleasing attributes of the sauce á naturale, which I proceeded to do with gusto. I was pleased I abstained, the tomatoes were especially sweet and tangy. The salad tried to compete with its inclusion of physalis in the tomato-esque taste stakes and did well but perhaps not enough to deserve a photo finish...still, we obliged.

*KTOTY - kitchen tool of the year