22.12.08: Lemon chicken with beetroot, radish and avo salad

He prepared the lemon chix meal earlier so She could just simply stick it in the oven, set it and forget it. She chopped the salad fixin's of avo, sweetfire beetroot and radishes and added them to the watercress tentacles.

SHE SAYS: He does good prep, I must say. It was terribly satisfying to simply remove clingfilm and pop the pan in the oven so I could go do my thang. Potatoes and chix were crispy and delish, with plenty of garlic kick. My only quibble was the extreme sourness of the lemons, and you know I'm a lemon-lover. These were toothsuckin' bitter. Salad gave us all the joys of crunch and creaminess with a touch of sweetfire sugar.

HE SAYS: It's been a relative while since we experienced the lemony power of this dish. Perhaps this is the last one of 2008 but I'm still digging it with lots of tartness and savoury goodness – roll on 2009. As per usual the beetroot in the salad was on fire with its overall sweetness 'n' deliciousness.

04.10.08: Out to Samski's

Hearty good cheer and fresh, wholesome yumminess abounded on a visit to our pal Samski, who deftly prepared us all a supper of poached dill-flecked salmon, new potatoes, green bnz and broccoli...

...accompanied by a sumptuous dill mayo and butter (remains of fruity salsa and pistachio nibbles also shown)...

...all finished off with a wheat-free bramley apple-almond bake. Such heavenly refuge from the blustery night outside – we simply could not ask for more.

SHE SAYS: Exactly what I wanted after last nite's meatfest: a generous plateful of items both delicately delicious and nourishing. I'd forgotten about poaching salmon: the clean, bright flavour and firm yet moist texture of Samski's offering had me thinking I'll forswear the grilled version for a while in favour of this gentler method. Could not resist dotting the dill mayo on everything, though all the perfectly cooked veg had their own excellent flavours to offer. And how I was craving baked apples today - how did she know? Cinnamon sweet and almond-infused, the hearty bake went down a treat. Cheers all 'round!

HE SAYS: Samski came up trumps in the nosh dept. tonight. The salmon was cooked to perfection, very moist with a lot of herby flav-a-flav. The veggies were nice and springy, not a wilting green to be seen on my plate. Like Her, I also enjoyed slathering on the dill mayo with abandon. The pud was pure classic comfort food, cinnamon apples spell autumn to me. All in all a great night out - but in.

01.10.08: Lemon chicken

He fired up the oven and cooked up the family fave of lemon chicken with the garlic green bnz, exquisa 'taters and lemon slices. A salad of watercress, spinach and rocket with avo, tomatoes, beetroot and sunflower seeds looked up from the rim.

HE SAYS: Ummm, not one of my best efforts, in fact it was a tad watery. I may have added too much oil and not enough salt. The garlic was representing and livin' it large but got a little burnt on top of the chix. The potatoes were not as fluffy as other varieties we've tried, either. The beetroot was as good as I remember (from a few days ago), it being, stil,l one of my fave salad veggies along with it's peppery pal, the radish.

SHE SAYS: Really, same as He said - it was oddly watery, and the lemons weren't v. jammy - but still pretty good and garlicky, nonetheless.

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'.

17.09.09: Nothing, and chicken stew

SHE SAYS: It's a rare occasion I don't feel like having anything at all for dinner, but said occasion has arrived. Overtime at work, a bit of snacking late in the day, and a nasty fall while running for the bus conspired to ruin my appetite. No worries, but nothing on the menu tonite.

HE SAYS: My last night in New York featured some tasty chicken stew. Generous amounts of meat with a savoury broth and served with a generous amount of cous cous and green bnz, it was more then a satisfying way to end my trip. A simple salad of leaves and balsamic vinegar dressing paired well with the stew and some blueberries cleaned my palate and filled in the edges.

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.

24.08.08: Spinach & chorizo omelet and French green bean salad

It's the Sunday omelet made indulgent with chorizo and a little more healthful with spinach. a quick flip thru Jamie's Dinners brought us to a capery, shalloty, mustardy green French bean salad, for which she substituted the last two Tbs of wholegrain mustard. A salad of rosy toms, pear, and radishes kept it simple.

HE SAYS: The green bnz were great. They were nice and mustardy, with the capers adding a citrusy tartness. We don't eat many shallots and maybe we should begin to include them more, since they added a much more subtle flava then regular or red onions. The chorizo is always a crowd pleaser round these parts and was used to great effect tucked in the middle of the omelet with some mature cheddar and fresh spinach for company. I believe the omelet completed its mission to satisfy, with honours. The fragrant and sweet pear in the salad was yummy coupled with the ever-so-peppery radishes and the juicy tomatoes.

SHE SAYS: You can't go wrong with chorizo in every bite - and with chorizo, who needs bacon? Definitely got my fix. The green bnz were tangy and piquant with mild garlic flavour, definitely due for a repeat performance, but I might try French mustard for a slightly thicker consistency to the dressing next time. Salad gave Us the fresh and soothing contrast I was looking for, and the pear added a welcome sweet note.

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.

23.07.08: Lemon chicken with moz and pear

He put together the lemon chicken dish with a mozzarella, pear and avocado salad gussied up in wasabi and lime dressing.

SHE SAYS: Really jammy on the lemons tonite, I've been missing that element. Tried to cut in a bit of lemon with every bite! Exceptionally garlicky roasty green beans, and in this dish, the more the grn bnz feel the heat, the better. Typical nods of approval to the chicken and potatoes as well. Enjoyed the wasabi whoosh of the dressing - a kicky partner for pear - but felt it overwhelmed the shy moz, leaving it only texture, not taste, to wow with.

HE SAYS: I par-boiled the potatoes a little longer then I intended but they still came out pretty crunchy and not the mush I was half expecting. Chicken was done perfectly, not too dry and crispy skinolá to boot. The lemons were jammin' but I could have done with a little extra lemony-oil to spoon over the top of the chix - still, I'd rather have less then it be a sea of grease. The salad was quite the extravaganza, what with the mozzarella cheese anf the lovely pear paring, I couldn't complain so didn't.

08.07.08: Lemon chicken

Ain't no fight about lemon chicken nite: He did the honours with the garlicky green bnz, jersey royal potats, whole lemon slices, and the chick-chick-chick-chick-chicken...plus a salad of vine tomatoes, garlic-stuffed olives, and avo.

HE SAYS: Got to luv that lemony goodness, yes sir. I thought tonight's rendition was especially pleasing. I chopped the garlic a little coarser and was a little conservative with the oil and lemon juice, thus reducing the liquid ratio a tad, keeping things crunchy and not at all soggy on the bottom. The salad did its job of a tasty distraction, the olives helped keep the tang theme alive to the end.

SHE SAYS: Mmm-mmm good - never lets us down, but some are better than others and this was a winner. Good crunchy-to-fluffy ratio on the potatoes, and excellent chicken: crisp and juicy. Lemons not as jammy as some other times, but still tempting.