Fried gnocchi with salad and pesto

Well this isn't really something hard to create. It's one of those meals when you have things in your cupboard but you want to do something a little different with it.

So one Saturday night I wanted to try something a little different with it. Why don't we fry it for a change? The texture is amazing, almost like a roast potato. Crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Why hadn't I don't something like this before?

What you'll need:
x1 packet gnocchi (we used the one that you buy off the store shelf)
olive oil
salt & pepper to season
chilli flakes (optional)
red pepper pesto
sundried tomatoes (optional)
fresh basil (optional)
rocket or any other salad leaves
parmesean cheese

How to make it:
1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Tip in the packet of gnocchi and lightly fry it until they turn light brown and crispy. Add the chilli flakes at this stage, then the sundried tomatoes.

3. Season well with salt & pepper, add some fresh basil and serve on top of the rocket or salad leaves.

4. Drizzle some red pepper pesto over the top and sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

5. Stuff your face and wonder why you hadn't done this before!

"Skinny" sweet & sour chicken

I love a good takeaway and usually it's good ol' fish & chips if I'm honest, but sometimes I feel like a curry or maybe Chinese.

Recently the Hairy Bikers went on a mission to lose a bit of their excess weight that they'd put on over the years. To be fair, I'd rather cut down my portion sizes rather than make recipes "low fat", but I thought I'd give one of theirs a go.

We made this last Friday night, served it with some flavoured rice and the result was lovely! We both agreed it tasted better than a shop bought one and it was minimal effort so you could even make it mid-week.

I substituted the bamboo shoots with carrots and it worked perfectly for us. I recommend you give it a go.

You can find the recipe on the BBC Food website: Sweet & sour chicken, by the Hairy Bikers