30.09.08: Black bnz and polenta with avo

She ushered September out the door with the now-traditional black bnz ladled over slightly buttered polenta with corn kernels, all topped with generous slices of avo. A sald of figs, rocha pear, radishes and - you guessed it - mixed leaves edged into the frame all fruity and fragrant, awaiting a light drizzle of Nigella's wasabi-lime.

SHE SAYS: Despite having to reduce the cumin by half due to low supply, this batch came out might tasty. Possibly the tbsp of chili powder, added for its cumin content, gave it a spice boost. Silky polenta with crispy corn kernels still makes this a treat of a supper, as opposed to a merely good one. Salad played all its roles - sweet, piquant, salty, crunchy, seedy - with admirable versatility.

HE SAYS: I think this batch was above par in the taste dept., smoky and intensely savoury tasting.The chilli powder seemed to work a treat, adding more depth of flava, and I didn't miss the missing cumin at all. The sweetcorn is really a great touch in the polenta and I would be upset if we suddenly had a corn shortage. Salad was another fruity affair, a little of everything I'd want in a cold dish of various mixtures served with a dressing of my choosing.

19.08.08: Black bnz with grilled corn palenta and salad

She took the new fave of black bnz 'n' polenta one step further towards gourmet by grilling a few ears of corn and slicing the roasty kernels into the mix. The usual avo accompaniment was green with envy (heh, I say, heh). The remains of last nite's salad fluffed up with more leaves, the last few grilled asparagus, radishes and a couple of big o' strawberries had to wait their turn.

HE SAYS: She did a great job grilling the corn to add a new dimension to the polenta, nearly like corn grits which I luv. The bnz were also more then up to par: smokey and herbie, very nish yes. The salad's strawberries tasted great with the leftover grilled asparagus from last night.

SHE SAYS: The added steps - overseeing the roasting and stripping of the corn - tired me out a bit, but the result has almost convinced me it's worthwhile. I savoured the bits of crunch and added flavour along with the thick texture, hot spice and herby kick of the bnz, though the polenta still needed a dab of marge to come to life. The crispiness and variety of the salad helped my tummy turn away from thoughts of another main-plate helping - but only just.

10.08.08: cod with green bnz, corn and pesto

This recipe from Real Simple has one-pan convenience, healthfulness, and a different (for us) veg combo going for it. Pan-toasted halloumi, plain beetroot, avo and spinach/watercress added richness to the Sunday nite proceedings.

HE SAYS: The cod was an unusual diversion for us (used to be dirt cheap, a lá fish n' chips, now a posh and expensive fish) and I enjoyed its subtle flava and flaky consistency, no need for breadcrumbs and deep frying. The veg medley was also pretty tasty and fresh, no cream or butter necessary. The corn was especially edifying naked and, give or take one or two glugs of white wine, it needed no more thrills or bacon to embellish it. Talking about bacon, the halloumi from M&S was very nice, the texture was firm, the squeak factor was high, the salt content reasonable and the hint of mint deducible. Overall, far better then Tesco's own version and a close second behind Waitrose's offering. I found the beetroot in the salad sans sweet fire or lime marinades tickled my taste buds a trifle too. Who knew?

SHE SAYS: Top Tip: add 1/4 cup white wine to the pan instead of the water the recipe calls for; it's an easy way to add a little extra flavour and sophistimication you won't want to miss. Although I was happy to spoon in some ho-made pesto I had handy, I do think the veg would be great even without it, as long as you add the vino and some capers. The cod had lovely delicate flavour and decent texture, though I almost overcooked it. Vinegary beetroot without the usual dose of sugar from the brand-flavoured varieties held up pretty well, but the nite really belongs, as always, to the bacon of cheese, this time from M&S. It seemed firmer and released less liquid than other varieties - would be great in my saag halloumi.

02.08.08: Out to Nando's

Um. We were hungry. And so our Sat evening stroll to Nando's ended with the whole-chicken feast, including two grilled corn portions and large chips. Bwaaak!

HE SAYS: It's the fast food that's a little better then the average chicken joint and if you're hungry it will fill you up and not make you feel sick afterwards. The chicken was spicy and I enjoyed splattering my chips with malt vinegar and dunking them into the extra peri-peri sauce on hand. The corn although nice was suspiciously sweet, do they glaze it with sugar water before grilling? Will have to ask next time.

SHE SAYS: I don't think I ate much more than my usual order, but I did manage enough to feel like I offset the walk to and from. Roasty corn went first, then a few perfectly crispy and pillowy chips. Chicken was tender and nicely charcoaled, as always, though the white meat does get a bit dry and required dipping in peri-peri sauce, which I find too vinegary. All in all, a good Sat. nite stuffin'.

29.06.08: Ready-roast chicken, spicy polenta, and snap peas

So Sunday didn't feel like Monday, He hunted and gathered the rotisserie half-chicken while She whisked up polenta with roasted corn kernels and chili flakes, then steamed some sugar snap peas. A supa-fresh salad with avo and Jersey Jewels looked on.

SHE SAYS: All good - didn't get chickened out by the well-seasoned bird; the snap peas had plenty of crunch, and the polenta was a star - roasting a couple of cobs with chili flakes and stirring in the kernels added excellent texture and perked up the flavour considerably. I am loving the Jersey toms and suspect they'll be regular guest as long as they're on the store shelves.

HE SAYS: The polenta was extra good tonite, especially enjoyed the grilled corn aspect but also the consistency was spot on, and far from the warm glue like gunk it so easily can turn into. The rotisserie chicken was the bbq variety and it didn't disappoint neither. The oriental leaf salad was still going strong from Friday and I'm still lovin' those tomatoes dearly.