microwave ovens are The Devil. which sucks big time. but goat-cheese gnocchi is very yummy.

lunch was tasty. i reheated the swiss chard & rice in the adbrite kitchen's toaster oven. i've sworn off microwaves...yeah, exactly: *way* inconvenient. the only thing i'll use it for now is to boil water. which makes kevin much peeved at home b/c now there are a lot more pots and such to clean. :D to round out lunch, i also had some country bread with a piece of sharp cheddar cheese. yum.

i didn't waste the basil for once! i actually managed to remember it and turned it into a little bit of pesto. only really enough for either one serving (which would be ok b/c kevin doesn't really like pesto) or to use on several sandwiches. we'll see how it goes. i'll probably forget about it and it'll go bad. but at least it's a start.

btw, i realized that tonight was the 4th night in the row that we ate a home-cooked, made-from-scratch dinner. i think that's a new course record. granted, i cheated a little by making the rest of the goat-cheese gnocchi (i made enough pasta on saturday to make 5 servings...hmm maybe i'll try the last bit of gnocchi with the pesto). i put the (fresh) mozzarella cheese *under* the sauce this time before popping it into the oven to bake. much better! the cheese melted all gooey. [on saturday i put it on top; the cheese sort of just became rubbery. bleh.] the recipe is below. makes enough for 4. it sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't!


Baked Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Arrabiata Sauce
Sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Gnocchi
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
6 oz fresh goat cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup to 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 8-oz balls fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/8" thick

(Start by putting potatoes in oven first, then start sauce)

For sauce:
Heat olive oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute garlic and onions until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. While simmering, break up tomatoes with spoon or use stick blender.

For gnocchi:
Preheat oven 450 deg. Pierce potatoes, bake until soft (about an hour). Let cool until you can touch them without causing horrid pain (about a half hour). Bring a small pot of salted water slowly to a boil (you'll use this to test the gnocchi).

Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh, throw away the skins (or save them and make potato skins). Mash with a fork along with the goat cheese and salt. Stir in the egg.

Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time and knead the mixture with your hands until the dough holds together (it'll still be somewhat sticky). Take a 3/4" piece of the dough, roll it into a ball and put it into the boiling water. if it holds together and within a few minutes rises to the top, the gnocchi is ready, if it falls apart, add a little more flour and test again (repeat as often as necessary).

On a well-floured surface, divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into 3/4" thick ropes. I find the easiest way is to roll the dough in both your palms and work your way first toward one end and then the other (think kindergarten, play-doh, making snakes. you get the picture.) cut each of the ropes into 3/4" pieces. using the tines of a fork, press one of the cut ends to make slight indentations. dust the gnocchi with flour. cover and refrigerate on a parchment-covered cookie sheet for half an hour. (or freeze and then store.)

preheat oven to 450 deg. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top (about 3-5 minutes). remove gently with a slotted spoon into a colander. after they're drained well, divide the gnocchi into 4 individually-sized gratin dishes. layer fresh mozzarella over pasta and then 1/2 - 1 cup tomato sauce. place in oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling. (be careful, dishes will be HOT!)