Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes and Sausage

Serves 2

Ingredients
Fresh basil leaves - 30g
Pine nuts - 100g
Parmesan cheese - 50g (grated)
Extra virgin olive oil - 1/4 cup
Garlic - 1 clove (peeled)
Salt
Pepper
1 medium sized tomato - cut into smaller pieces.
Pasta - 200g
Parsley - for garnish

Method
- Dry fry the pine nuts in a frying pan on low heat. Set aside to cool abit.
- Using a food processor / mortar and pestle, combine the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts and the olive oil until a thick paste forms.
- Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. (If you don't like it too cheesy, you can reduce the amount of cheese). The paste will be coarse and thick but avoid adding too much olive oil. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta (I used tagliatelle) until al dente, reserve about 3/4 cup of pasta water.
- Toss the cooked pasta and (raw) tomatoes in a large mixing bowl with the pesto, adding enough pasta water to moisten the pesto and let it coat the pasta evenly.
- Serve while hot and garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and parsley.

Comfort food - Porridge

Yesterday was a busy work day for both myself and the hubby. He wasn't feeling too well, so I decided to cook something simple and nutritious for dinner, with whatever ingredients I can find in the fridge.
It turned out really tasty and satisfying.

Ingredients

- 1-2 carrots (grated or chopped up)

- 5-6 dried scallops (pre-soaked till soften)

- A handful of wolfberry seeds (washed)

- 1/3 cup of corn nibblets (I used those frozen pre-packed ones)

- 1.5 to 2 litres of pork bone / chicken stock
- Uncooked rice for 2
- Salt and pepper

Method
- Rinse the rice and cook with pork / chicken stock in a pot over medium heat. Add the scallops.
- When it boils, turn down the heat to low and add the grated carrots.
- When the porridge is about cooked, add the corn and wolfberry seeds. Continue cooking for another 10-15mins. Add more stock or water if the liquid dries up.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve while hot.