15.12.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and mixed leaf salad

Tonite's instalment of the Cacciatora adventures included the carrot from the last episode plus a new variety of spelt (this time from a can). A mixed leaf salad made its presence felt.

HE SAYS: Yummy as always, this dish has yet to jump the shark. I nearly forgot to add the capers but She reminded me at the last second. The canned variety of spelt was still a good, lighter alternative to the usual rice and quicker to cook to boot.

SHE SAYS: Much the same review here, though I don't necessarily think spelt is lighter. I think it's heavier in texture, much like barley, but lighter on the digestive plumbing somehow, and more modest in flavour. The canned variety appears to retain its hull, and is pleasingly al dente - almost bouncy! Overall, I look fwd to this meal in the same way I look fwd to lemon chicken: I just know it's going to be extremely tasty, soothing and hearty.

09.12.08: Blk bnz and carrot and beetroot salad

She conjured up another dose of blk bnz wonderment, serving it over polenta with added sweetcorn and a mound of avo. The mixed leaf salad kept things simple by offering julienned carrots and some mulled wine-spiced beetroot to the party.

HE SAYS: No complaints from Me about repetition. This batch was as herby and morish as the first time She made them. The sweetcorn helped out the polenta a bit on taste intensity and the avo contributed to the creamy texture factor. Oooh, I luv me some silky smooth, black-skinned legumes, I swear they get my pulses up! The slivers of carrot were so fine in the salad, the beetroot had to up its game to stay in the super salad bowl, that's fo' sure.

SHE SAYS: It's been long enough since I last made the bnz that I actually had to look up my own recipe, but I'm glad I did. Good balance of heat to herb, especially. Only 'enh' factor was the polenta, which could not be coaxed out of a somewhat watery state. Carrot and beetroot partnership was much more harmonious for me than last nite's salad pairing - sweet strips lashing across the allspice tartness, oh my...

27.11.08: Pea, pesto and mushroom risotto

Playing it safe, He put together this favourite made up of peas, homemade sundried tomato pesto, regular mushrooms and dried porcini 'shrooms too, pairing it with a spinach salad of avo, julienned carrots, and physalis. And he even managed to plate it in time to get Us out the door for a members-only open house at the Tate.

HE SAYS: I think the dried porcini mushrooms added another kind of intense savoury flavoursome something to this batch. I forgot to dress it with the usual sprinkle of parmesan cheese and basil but I don't think it suffered for it. The avo was nice and creamy in the salad tonight, by the way.

SHE SAYS: Always cheered to see a bowl of this risotto coming my way. The usual raves apply: garlic-basil-parmesan heaven from the pesto; luxurious texture from the arborio rice; and a subtle richness from tthe mushrooms. Quibble: the peas needed a little more time to soften, but they were ok. Thouroughly enjoyed the mix of sweet, tart, crisp and smoooooth from the salad too.

26.11.08: Lamb Lasagne

Trying hard to make up for last week's baked dish disaster, He went to work cooking up a minced lamb, spinach, carrot, onion, peas and many cheeses lasagna. A radish, spinach and physalis salad poked its head 'round the corner.

HE SAYS: I haven't cooked minced lamb before and I'm not adverse to eating or cooking lamb usually, but I quickly realised that cooking the minced variety is gross and the smell makes me want to gag. So I was put off my food from the start, and the rest of the ingredients, including the sea of cheese, could not hide the lamby taste of the lamb. Now even the thought of it makes me feel ill. I should've just used minced beef instead or the quorn alternative. The salad was a refreshing refuge and helped fill me up. Aaaarrrgh.

SHE SAYS: This is one of those rare nites when we completely differ in our dinner reviews. I absolutely loved this indulgent pasta pie. Prob'ly helps that I didn't cook the mince. (I do recall feeling similar revulsion when attempting to cook minced turkey years ago.)

Truly, this dish was really just a lamb and cheese conveyor, but I thoroughly enjoyed the very lamby taste he despised, and thought the lasagne would have had little flavour without it. Really not so in favour of the quorn substitution unless a heavier flavour playa is introduced next time, too - maybe some sundried tomatoes? Meanwhile, the salad played its role of fresh crunch provider with slightly acidic dignity thanks to the physalis.

18.10.08: Saag Paneer with baby corn salad

She made her Saturday nite special saag paneer, starring the return of the real paneer (instead of its understudy, halloumi) with Geeta's premium mango chutney adding a touch of class to proceedings. A fresh salad of baby corn, cherry tomatoes, carrot, and mixed lettuce drizzled with Nigella's wasabi lime dressing nuzzled up to the brown rice.

HE SAYS: This dish is always a crowd pleaser and with the rich and creamy, newly-in-stock paneer, even tastier than before. We tried a new variety of Geeta's chutney to go with and it succeeded in adding the right amount of sweet zestiness to the plate. The baby corn were crunchy, a touch sweet and a great addition to our salad fixin's repertoire. As you can tell, we are still not bored of the wasabi dressing, every time we have it I'm impressed by its knack of intensifying all that it covers.

SHE SAYS: This is probably my favourite Indian treat now, esp with the more authentic touch of paneer. I'd forgotten how nice that balance of subtle flavour and milky richness is tucked into the silky spinach and spice puree. The halloumi version will now be on hiatus unless a saag craving strikes and the store simply isn't supplying paneer again. I threw some fresh baby corn into the salad for colour as much as a new kind of crunch, and thoroughly enjoyed the nubbly texture and little bit of sweet.

18.09.08: Sherried pork chops, carrot salad, and green bnz

Pretty fancy for a Thursday nite alone, but after a mostly disappointing week-and-a-bit of solo meals, she was prepared to indulge: sherried pork chops with mushrooms, green bnz, brown and wild rice, and harissa-coated torchi chfenaria in gem lettuce cups.

SHE SAYS: A little own-blog sleuthing turned up this tasty pork recipe from Cooksister, last prepared back in March (why did I wait so long to have it again?). I forgot to marinate the chops in advance, but half an hour in the fridge seemed to infuse them with herby goodness well enough. Creamy, delicate and slightly indulgent sauce made me glad I had some nutty rice ready to sop it up. The tangy, caraway-tinged carrots also proved a fork magnet, tho' I think I prefer them a bit warmer than room-temp.

HE SAYS: After a long, tiring journey back from the States, with lots of 'orrible plane food, I couldn't resist a bowl of the nish fresh, herby carrots with their sweet and zesty goodness. A cuppa tea and a sit down did accompany this dish and brought on that warm n' fuzzy feelin' I was missin'.

16.09.08: Butterbnz with chorizo and rocket

She was determined to have a nice dinner after so many recent disappointments, and so went with the can't-miss butterbnz stirred up with chicken stock, sage, oregano, chorizo and rocket. A virtuous attempt to re-introduce veggie roughage and some enzymes resulted in a plain carrot and radish salad.

SHE SAYS: Aaaah....finally, a comforting, tasty dish I can eat with joy, not just need. No extra seasoning or touch-ups needed, this was velvety and savoury, with satisfyingly intense bit of chorizo upping the treat factor. For balance in health and colour, the salad proved a winner; even after a few months of introducing it, I'm still finding the texture and sweetness of professionally shredded carrot ridiculously pleasant.

HE SAYS: Back in NYC and dinner with family which included a pork loin roast with roast potatoes and green beans, and a yummy orange infused gravy (not pictured). The pork was great, nicely cooked, moist and not dry at all. The potatoes were crunchy, and the green bnz added a little freshness to the plate. The orange sauce or gravy was especially nice and I had seconds and thirds of the whole shebang. A fruit salad medley including raspberries finished things off nicely.

31.08.08: Lamb burgers in pitas with carrot fixin's, grilled broccoli and tomato-mozzarella salad

Going for the grill: We finally managed to bring Her favourite Saturday treat, the lamb 'hetties' from Twickenham Farmer's Market, back to the nest for home consumption. Hetties are burgers, made with a mix of herbs and exceptionally fresh lamb - like maybe two days in from pasture- and one stall at the market flips 'em fresh off the grill into white buns for instant enjoyment with apple or tomato chutney. We have no idea why they're called hetties, but we bought some patties, panfried them up, then tossed in the sliced, blanched broccoli for a few good stirs to soak up the flavour-flav.

A carrot salad, based on this recipe (but without the grain and seeds) stuffed in the toasty pita rounded out the action, with sultanas, mint, fresh coriander, orange juice and a plop of ho-made harissa (yes, it's back thanks to yesterday's double-team, double-batch sesh!). Tomato, mozzarella and pea shoot salad loosened up with some olive oil brought a softer touch to the plate.

SHE SAYS: The best sage-y, rosemaryish flavour comes thru in every mouthful of the ever-lovin' hettie. I was afraid maybe I didn't cook these enough as they were quite pinky inside despite a good while in the pan, but the ones at the market are fairly pinky too, and these were delish. They're so fresh I don't think a little underfrying would matter. Broccoli finally tenderised and absorbed a good bit of hettie flavour, and improved with a little lemon sprinkle. All other salads did their job of moistening and sweetening and palate cleansing...all good, but a little too much prep for Her liking on a Sunday eve.

HE SAYS: Very tasty lamb burgers with a fantastic citrusy carrot salad, yum. The broccoli added some fibre but also benefitted from being grilled in the pan juices, increasing their depth of flava and making them not too firm and dry. The moz salad created a light, fresh finale to another rainy and grey Sunday.

13.07.08: Butterbnz with chorizo plus carrot-pumpkinseed salad

Sunday comfort food: butterbnz with chorizo and rocket, plus a salad of young mustard leaves, carrots prepared with the KTOTY, roasted pumpkinseeds, and an improvised dressing
of apple juice, lime juice, fresh basil, grated ginger and olive oil.

SHE SAYS: The butterbnz with chorizo never fail to fill me up right, all savoury and creamy, with a virtuous crunch of sorts from the rocket. I say this every time we have chorizo, so I might as well immortalise it here: I can't believe when I tried chorizo for the first time (2005), I hated it. And I know now it was v. good chorizo, too - thin slices not overly smoky or spice-hot, just salty and fatty. Yum! If I could turn back time...but anyway, the salad was excellent, this is such a great way to eat your carrots, but the dresssing (inspired by Mildred's) was only so-so. prob'ly needed more ginger, and maybe some cider vinegar.

HE SAYS: I luved the butter beans, even without the chorizo this dish would be a winner. Although traditionally a winter warmer, with the summer we are having you could eat it every day if you felt like it. With an intense gravy and herby stew-like consistency this one fills you up but don't bloat you out. The salad with the thin crunchy carrots and the fruity dressing made a fitting side dish and companion to the more umami packed bowl o' beans. More please.

30.06.08: Smoky salmon, carrot tablouleh, and grnz

The salad strikes back: after sitting on the sidelines for many a post, the salad portion of the programme takes the main plate by storm. This carrot tabouleh, made oh-so-easy with the Kitchen Tool of the Year, pepped up our standard fare of smoked salmon fillet and plain, boiled- beyond-belief grnz.

HE SAYS: I was impressed by the carrot salad, the sultanas added a little sweetness but not too much, the pumpkin seeds helped out with salt and crunch duty, and the carrots were the star of the show - really intense fresh, carrot-y taste and bright citrus-y overtones. I managed to wolf down 2 and a half salmon fillets, seems I can't get enough of their smoke-infused goodness. And as for the salad...oh yeah, I mentioned it already, stoopid.

SHE SAYS: I was afraid the tabouleh (you know, I hate that spelling, should be an 'i' on the end!) would be too sweet, but lemon juice and ho-made harissa kept it even-steven in the flavour dept. This has got to be one of the best ways to eat carrots, esp in the summer, and the ease and fun of using the K.T.O.T.Y. ensures more such julienned delights are to come. Should have stirred some chili flakes into the grnz, never mind; and the salmon was good, but not inspiring. Might try give it a twist of sumpin' sumpin' next time.

19.06.08: Butterbnz with chorizo and watercress

She concocted butterbnz with chorizo, hot pepper, white wine, sage, dill, green onion, oregano, chix broth, and a flutter of watercress to fill in the corners on an almost-Friday nite. Salad of romaine, sweetfire beetroot, and leftover torchi chfenaria (carrot and caraway salad, when it's at home, made previously for lunch) held its own on the plate.

SHE SAYS: Divine, if I do say so myself. Perfect balance of smoky, salty, spicy and herby - we even forgot the obligatory hot sauce. Salad was very crisp and fresh with virtuous veg, but couldn't quite compete in the flavour stakes.

HE SAYS: Another really authentic comfort food beanie special, this number definitely had a lot of rich flavours and herby goodness. The fluffy butter beans made every bite a silky delight. The chirozo wasn't totally needed but it rounded out the tastes with some rich, salty, spicy goodness. I luv me some beans, yes I do.

01.05.08: Butterbnz with chorizo, whole carrots and salad

Good cookin' and good lookin: She used up the other half of the chorizo in a simple butterbean stew pimped up with some white wine and rocket, spooned over some leftover brown basmati, wild and red camargue rice. Whole organic boiled carrots and a salad of Apetina, physalis, radish, and various leaves.

SHE SAYS: The bnz were made quite the treat with that smokey intense chorizo, though even without they would have made more than passable filler. Carrots were ok, but not nearly as tasty as the Chantenay variety, though I still found myself reaching over for one more skinny stalk...and the salad was typically praiseworthy, with equal elements of tangy, soft, salty and crunch.

HE SAYS: I like me some butter beans, they are nice and soft and potatoesque in texture, one thinks. Chorizo was a tasty treat, fried to a crisp, bacon-styley and crumbled into the stew a lá posh baco bits, yumm. I though the carrots had quite an intense carrot-y taste which you sometimes lack in the larger varieties, the taste mimicked the smell of 'em, if that makes any sense. Salad with the newly discovered Apetina tickled the tastebuds once again.

20.03.08: Quorn, carrots, and lemony spinach-artichoke supreme

A switcheroo of a Thursday night dinner: we were going to have black bnz, but She rebelled, and cooked up some lemon-pepper quorn fillets, then topped them with Lloyd Grossman's wild mushroom sauce. While roasting up some carrots Jamie-style (thyme, olive oil, red wine vinegar, S&P), She devised a new way to bring spinach and artichoke hearts into tastebud-tingling harmony. A little leftover salad from last nite was refreshed with more leaves, some grapes, and the last shavings of manchego.

SHE SAYS: I just couldn't face more legumes, as I had a variant of them for lunch, on top of chickpeas last nite! Quorn and sauce were delish - I didn't add anything to the sauce since we had so many other veggies on the go. Carrots were virtuous and filling, though not as tasty as other times I've used this recipe (possibly I put in too many carrots and not enough seasoning.) The real excitement of the evening, however, was my healthyish spinach supreme. I was craving a big creamy pile o' spinach, but didn't want to drown it in fat. And the Lemony Spinach Artichoke Supreme was born:

splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 a preserved lemon, chopped into small bits
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
500g bag fresh spinach
1/2 tsp dried dill

Saute the garlic and lemon in the oil over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the artichoke hearts and saute for a couple minutes more, letting them soak up the flavour. Begin adding handfuls of the spinach, stir in, and cover to let spinach wilt. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted, them sprinkle in the dill. Now eat it while it's hot and enjoy the tangy, guilt-free goodness!

HE SAYS: The quorn with the tomato sauce turned out nicely rich and tangy, and the spinach was also a very tasty treat. Agree with Her that the carrots could've been cooked a little longer. The leftover salad with the Manchego cheese did also please and overall it was lovely Thursday nite nosh.

21.01.08: Grilled chops and veg

Grilled trimmed lambchops, baked carrots, and red cabbage, with ALT salad on the side (avocado, lettuce, tomato). Super easy and quick, since She marinated the chops and baked the carrots with olive oil, thyme, red wine vinegar and garlic the day before (and yes, we're still digging into the stash of red cabbage He made weeks ago).

SHE SAYS: Filling and tasty; like the way we have almost every primary colour in this dinner! I have three truly fab carrot recipes now: this one from Cook with Jamie, one from Eating Well, and the carrot salad from Medina Kitchen. Mmmmm...carrots...

HE SAYS: Lambchops were nice and tender, red cabbage again very good; the carrots were another welcome new addition.

16.01.08: Magic lentils and carrot salad

The coconut dal is back this week, with a tangy new partner served over radishes and salad leaves: Torchi chfenaria, or carrot and caraway salad, a fabulously easy recipe from Medina Kitchen (love!).

HE SAYS: Very nice tonite. More dal than rice this time. The carrot salad was tasty!

SHE SAYS: All usual praise to the dal. I'm so very pleased with the carrot salad: the caraway seeds gave such a nice variation of unusual flavour to the meal, and it was a great way to use up extra carrots. Also got to use my ho-made harissa paste (Medina again).