20.08.08: Quorn with fresh veg and tomato sauce

Despite at least one previous protest against making fresh tomato sauce, She did it again, adding a green pepper and aubergine for filler and finishing with shavings of parmesan reggiano. (It didn't seem such a task this time, not sure why.) Crisp quorn patties and a salad of carrot, fresh 'healthy living' mozz, physalis, and rocket didn't exacty play second filler either.

SHE SAYS: I enjoyed this probably more than I should - it was merely good, with contrasting crisp quorn coating and rather mushy veg, but the sweetness of the tomatoes and the treat of my fave fake chicken hit a little-kid note of appreciation in me. The 'healthy' mozz had surprisingly good stringy, pull-apart texture and mild milky flavour - better than I expected and a good foil for the tangy physalis.

HE SAYS: The homemade sauce once again delivered: I thought the aubergine was nish and tender, the tomatoes not too shweet and the green peeper still a little crunchy. Maybe I would've added a wee bit of vino into the mix but it still turned out tickling ma tastebuds good and plenty. The salad was another crunch fest, what with the carrot making a return after a short break. The moz was happy to see its new pal again but missed Ms Beetroot rotten.

30.07.08: Quorn, fresh tomato-olive sauce, pesto gnocchi and snap peas

Bit of a mish-mash tonite: She was taking it easy with 2-minute gnocchi rolled in her freezer stash of ho-made pasto, a quick flip of lemon-pepper quorn escalopes in the pan, and snap peas zapped in the m-wave...but the thought of a dry quorn cutlet sticking in the throat sent Her to the store for some tomatoes and raiding the fridge for remaining garlic-stuffed olives (not to mention tipping in a little red wine) to make a fairly quick sauce. Salad of mango, beetroot and moz balls nestled in rocket leaves nearby.

HE SAYS: The gnocchi was tasty because of the yummy pesto but succeeded in putting me on the bloat boat bound for Stodge City and consequently I temporarily sport a more rotund profile. I enjoyed the special tamater sauciness over the top of the chi-qourn cutlets best, and the snap peas offered another fresh and crisp escape from the starchy gnocchi. The salad also was a fruitilicious and zingy addition to this food cruise.

SHE SAYS: Figured I'd use up that second pack of gnocchi we froze, but I'm not tempted to get it again - it becomes mush within a minute, and I thought it might disintegrate as I stirred in my pesto. V. filling but not v. nice, tho' the pesto was tangy and savoury enough. The 2-minute snap zap is highly recommended - the peapods emerge crispety-juicy and bright green. And how I do luv the quorn, esp with this sooper-easy sauce - no choppin' and not so much stirrin'. Salad was sweet and spicy, but I ws already experiencing the great potato expansion and couldn't finish.

25.07.08: Out to BBQ at worky funday

He and She met on the field of battle, I mean softball, along with Her work colleagues and drank lots of Corona while inviting mild sunburn. Then, finally, at 6:00 they fed Us. He had the heapin' helpin' you see above, while She had the only slightly less heapin' one below.

All in all, We downed lamb and veg skewers; tuna prawn and lemon skewers; spicy sausages (with and without bun); a burger; a sort of Waldorf salad with apples, celery, romaine, and lots of mayo; grilled veg; avo-moz-tomato salad; various forms of white bread; and chicken skewers (not shown).

SHE SAYS: Enjoyed the range of salads and should have had another sausage - it was orangey-red and reminiscent of spicy smoked sausage from home. Bread was bread, except an oddly herbed one that was chewy and ammonia-flavoured. The tuna and prawn skewers were v. v. good - I feared the tuna would be overcooked but it was perfect, and the grilled lemons made a nice accompaniment. Should have piled another one on the plate instead of a truly disgusting chicken kebab - it was pasty in texture and icky in faux-mediterranean flavour.

HE SAYS: It was a pleasure to take part in Meat Fest, haven't had a burger for a while and it tasted good. The sausage? Ditto, it was spicy, not too fatty and burnt to perfection - just the way I like 'em. The salads were okay but too mayonnaisey for me; still, enjoyed the giant pieces of avo, it's just a shame there was no beetroot to be found. The lamb kebab was standard pub bbq fare but I ate it and went back for seconds nonetheless.