09.11.08: Pork vindaloo with fennel and pomegranate salad

She craved some home-cooked Indian-inspired nosh, and so whipped up this family fave consisting of: pork loin, vindaloo sauce, fragrant brown rice and a spinach, fennel and pomegranate salad in record time.

HE SAYS: Nice to have a home-cooked meal after 3 weeks of restaurant food (I could never be a restaurant critic however much it looks like the best job in the world) and one we haven't had in a while to boot. I think one jar of the vinderloo sauce was plenty in this version. The flavas were intense, especially the rice with the added cinnamon, and I was grateful for the mild fresh salad which offset them. The pork was a little overcooked, but all in all, a very nish winter warmer of a meal.

SHE SAYS: I wasn't sure how much cooking mojo I could muster - still jet-lagged after long intervals of slumber and waking - but once I thought of Indian food, I had to have it. This is probably the easiest of Indian dishes we make, and it's the only one that uses a bottled sauce to good effect. It was deeply satisfying, esp paired with the tart, bracingly crunchy salad. I think I probably feel asleep again as soon as I put down my fork...