roasted pepper and garlic gnocchi with feta

Gnocchi is great but as you may recall from a previous entry I like to find other things to put with them besides creamy cheesy sauce, despite it's gorgeousness.

I love roasting vegetables in the oven, particularly the fleshy ones. Some peppers left in the oven here, a few cloves of garlic, both coaxed along with with olive oil, thyme and s&p. When they are ready to burst, I mash them up with a fork and toss it with some boiled gnocchi. Add some peppery rocket, some salty sharp feta and it's there.

A good one this, but six months too early. In Summer it would be divine.

spanish goulash

I was extremely pleased with this. I knew a cold evening was coming up and that we had guests round, so I wanted something big, hearty and packed with warming flavours. I knew I had to look to tomatoey-based stews to heat the cockles. I also really wanted something paprika-y. Here's what I came up with.

I griddled some thickly-sliced chorizo first, to get those attractive black bar-marks, as well as to get an interesting charred flavour on them. Then in a big-ass Creuset pan I fried a red and white onion, and a fair whack of garlic. Then some diced pork chop went in, and when browned some lovely sweet paprika. It never fails to amaze me how it's flavour permeates the whole dish and resonates for such a long time. Then a tin of tomatoes, and my chorizo chums join the party. To this I add a jar of drained peppers and leave to simmer for about two hours. I served it with sour cream and homebaked bread for a true winter warmer.

chicken a la king

I've never been quite sure what's kingly about peppers, but it's tasty so that'll do me. Yet again using the ever-bounteous frozen chicken, I warm this up with some ham from the deli. Then I add a drained jar of peppers in oil and end up with a very yummy dish that makes me grin all over.