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.

15.10.08: Quorn cutlets with tomato and veggie sauce

She masterly pan-fried two lemon-pepper quorn fillets. At the same time, She grilled a green and yellow pepper, spring onions and aubergine, then mixed it all up with a jar of Lloyd Grossman's chili-tomato sauce, shaved off some parmesan, and voila, tonite's dinner! A fig, physalis, pear, beetroot, watercress, spinach and rocket salad patiently stood by the side of the stage ready to perform.

SHE SAYS: Sauce was def. improved by a few slugs of wine, but I missed the fat, silky slices of regular onion. A quorn patty is like the best big chicken nugget ever, so just go from there in your imaginative assessment. Unlike Him, I was beginning to find our salad combo a little tiresome, but it was still v good by any normal dinner standard.

HE SAYS: Its been a little while since we had this culinary creation. The quorn was ever so crunchy and the sauce, mamma-mia! it was awfully tasty (I think the added red wine gives it a distinctly rich depth of flava). I didn't mind the spring onions replacing the regular variety She usually puts in the sauce and the peppers brought a sweet note and crunchy texture to the plate. I'm not yet tired of the figs or for that matter, sweetfire beetroot, in the salad and the pear was a nice touch too.

14.10.08: Red prawn and mango curry

Five days, aaaand we're back: He stirred up the red prawn and mango curry from Nigella, already, pairing it with a brown and wild rice mix. A heartily varied salad of avo, figs, radishes, sweetfire beetroot, spinach and watercress did its best to upstage the bowl, aided and abetted by leftover wasabi-lime.

HE SAYS: I think I put in the right amount of fish sauce this time around. Also, the shrimp were cooked just enough - instead of turning rubbery, they were fresh tasting and delish. Agree with Her about the rice not being cooked enough, I added more water but it just wasn't enough. The salad was a cornucopia of freshness, hitting sweet and savoury notes. The dressing added the peppery tang we luv and after the last bite and the washing-up, it was all over until tomorrow.

SHE SAYS: Really perfect balance of coconut milk to curry paste (heat!) and fish sauce (quite a bit less than recent versions). Rice could have used a little more cooking time for the wild rice to soften up some more, but it's a small quibble. Salad was a sweet-tart delight made zingy with the dressing, but do prefer fewer types of veg in the salad in general or it becomes a kitchen sink kind of thing.

08.10.08: Red prawn and mango curry

He whipped up the weekly red prawn and mango curry made with butternut squash and sweet potato, courtesy of Nigella Express. A mixed leaf, tomato, olive, Apetina cheese and physalis salad tried to muscle in on the action.

SHE SAYS: Soothing, sweet, tangy and yet mild - a soothing bowl of sumpin' sumpin' to offset yet another trying workday. I appreciated the generous coconut milk content, and he got the rice nice and tender this time. The lightly marinated Apetina-garlic-olive combo was mighty pleasing, too, though it's somehow not as salty as the plain variety.

HE SAYS: I was back to the easy pre-cubed squash and and sweet potato variation tonight and I am not sure if it made too much difference in taste compared to the chopping-your-own version we've had of late. The consistency was definitely more soupy then we've recently had, that's for sure. I may have put a touch too much fish sauce in (again) but the depth of flavour was good and spicy. A welcome return of the Apetina with olives provided the salad with a special guest segment enjoyed by all.

02.10.08: Magic Lentils

She rounded up the ingredients, cooked and stirred up a pot of coconut dal with spinach, plus a salad of mixed leaves, pear, physalis and radishes.

SHE SAYS: This was def. the Yellow Dinner, complete with a bargain of a sauvignon blanc to tentatively celebrate the end of a headbanging couple of weeks at work for Her (and I ain't talkin' 'bout the Motley Crue kind). Gingery and just a tad above mildly spiced, the dal proved its worth all over again, being so easy to make and yet so decadently delicious to eat.

HE SAYS: Very creamy batch this time 'round, and just enough curry powder to make it spicy enough without it being too overpowering. The garlic and ginger are very detectable and fragrant in this dish that I never get bored of. The salad fulfilled its fresh, sweet and savoury objectives with aplomb and served as a nice palate cleanser, too.

23.09.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and rocket salad

He put together this fast-becoming-weekly staple stew of chicken, pancetta, crushed tomatoes, cannellini bnz and white wine reduction. As an added treat he cut up some chorizo and added it to the pot and then served it all over brown rice. A rocket salad with radishes, tomatoes, avo and physalis looked on eagerly.

HE SAYS: The inclusion of the chorizo really upped the taste stakes, a very nice addition, creating another note of spice and paprika within the sauciness of the dish. I added a touch more wine to keep the liquid ratio high and a little more chopped rosemary then the recipe called for in order to add more of an intense rustic herby flava. The chicken thighs really tasted fantastic, are a cheap cut, and helped season the broth (unlike breast meat, which although tasty doesn't release any flava and doesn't tend to infuse anything). The rocket salad was more savoury then we have had recently, the crunchy radishes making their peppery presence felt and finding only small resistance in the tiny shweetness of the physalis.

SHE SAYS: Agree the chorizo was a splendid indulgence, though this dish already packs quite an intensely savoury flavour punch. I think this version achieved the perfect ratio of brothy to saucy, and again totally agree with His observations on the infuse-ability of dark vs white meat. The tang of the physalis worked my tastebuds more strongly than His, it seems, or maybe it just gets more of my happy attention - I found the radishes more of a crunch supplier than a tastemaker.

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.

18.08.08: Crispy duck with plum sauce and asparagus

He riffed on the Perfectly Cooked Crispy Duck from Cook with Jamie, including carrots and onions in a five-five spice caramelisation, made the three-grain rice, and prepared more grilled asparagus (hey, it was buy-one-get-one-free, and We don't even pretend to resist free gourmet veg). Salad of soft lettuces with physalis, cherry toms, radishes and avo stood by. Special guest: some five-spice and star anise plum sauce She made on Sunday.

SHE SAYS: The meat was perfectly tender and the skin tres crispy - call it the bacon of duck, if you will, I crunched my share of it. Asparagus with lemon squeezed over were a very suitable complement to the rich skin and spicy-sweet sauce. Salad was a welcome calmer after all the gastro-excitement, though the physalis did its usual tangy best to provoke the tastebuds.

HE SAYS: Pretty easy one to put together: slice a few veggies, stuff with an orange, coat with five spice, honey, and fresh ginger, and stick in the oven. 2.5hrs later, hey presto! A pretty crispy duck. The veggies were a little on the charred side but overall I was happy with the crispy to tender ratio. The plum sauce added some delicious, sweet and tangy chutney topping to the mountain of rice, duck and veggies. Also spooned over some duck fat for an added yum factor. Salad was made all the more fantastic with the crunchy, peppery, French breakfast radishes.

PS: You want plum sauce? I'll give you plum sauce:

- 10-12 plums (note: these were also on sale, down to 85p for six!)
- 5 Tbs sugar
- few pinches five-spice powder
- two Tbs soy sauce
- tsp chili powder
- a few whole star anise (optional)
- good splash of water
- orange zest (optional)

Pit the plums and chuck in a pot with the sugar, spices and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer with the pot mostly covered* for 30-40 mins, until the plums have mushed down and the mixture is all glossy, occasionally stirring and pressing down the plums with the back of a spoon. Add more water if needed along the way. Zest over some orange peel, if you have an orange lazing about.

Heck, you can even skip pitting the plums and just pick out the pits at the end (along with the bits of star anise, if you can be fussed). This is my preferred route, since I get to savour the bits of plum pulp clinging to the pits as I spoon them out.

Makes about 1.5 cups of sauce. Don't save it just for the duck - it's the ultimate yoghurt, cereal and toast topper!

*If you reeeeeallly want to peel the plums, take the plums out with a slotted spoon once they've boiled and the skins have broken, remove the skin, and plop your naked plum back in the pot. But the flavour and texture are marvelous without this extra step, and I'd only advocate it if you have trouble digesting edible fruit peel.

14.08.08: The Pesto and the Pea Risotto

Before We set out for an unusually late school nite, He cooked up the Milanese risotto with plenty of fresh basil and judicious application of Her ho-made pesto (the frozen mass quantities are steadily decreasing!). A herby watercress, physalis and tomato salad looked on.

HE SAYS: It was my first time making this new fave dish of ours. It tasted like it has previously: savoury, rich, with an almost gravy like sauciness, which was a relief as risotto rice is easy to screw up and make lumpy and porridge-like if you take your eye off it. The salad was elegantly thrown together with the physalis, which worked the tang, sweet thang rather marvelously, I must say.

SHE SAYS: A much nicer and rib-stickin' fuel-up than I was expecting before we dashed off to meet friends in Isle of Dogs. I think We both prefer to cook off more wine than the recipe suggests (1 cup), but we only had just enough. Still deeply satisfyng and saw me thru te next, um, 6 hours!

07.08.08: Big Salad and black bnz

They both put together the big, big serendipitous salad which included prawns, eggs, beetroot, tomatoes, physilis, radishes, and carrot with wasabi lime dressing. The leftover bnz helped fill in the corners.

SHE SAYS: It was impossible to plan dinner tonite due to work overload mixed with potential (but not realised) social calls, but various freezer and fridge odds 'n' ends came to the rescue. while overall it was v. good, and it was fun to have the bnz as a sort of hot treat rather than centre-plate, there was one letdown - those frozen prawns were wrinkly, tough and not-nice in flavor at all. Only the wasabi dressing made them palatable. All the rest made a great combination, though, and it was quicksmart to boot.

HE SAYS: The big salad was a big hit with me. The egg was the crowning glory of the plate, agree with her that the prawns were a little tasteless and rubbery. I added a few slices of smoked salmon to my serving (She didn't fancy it, even though She is a smoked salmon fiend) and drizzled on the dressing o' the week (or the year?), thus making the big salad a little bigger and a smidgen mo' tasty too.

04.08.08: Milanese risotto with physalis salad

Slow cooking fast with the world's easiest risotto, with peas, mushrooms, and ho-made pesto. The physalis and roasted pumpkin seed salad eagerly pushed into the frame for a close-up.

HE SAYS: The added white wine makes this dish so satisfyingly tasty, even without the exotic mushroom mix She usually uses, this was a top draw dinner, no word of a lie. Who knew frozen peas could be elevated to such a posh nosh status. The salad was piquant, shweet salty and toasty at the same time, it's magic I tell you.

SHE SAYS: This is one of the Most Consistent meals we've had, and it's closing in on lemon chicken and magic lentils for the title. Always easy when you have pesto in your (freezer) pocket, eminently savoury and deeply comforting. And how I do love the inimitable physalis, it's subtle tang playing ever so nicely with the roasty-toasty pumpkin seeds.

15.07.08: Gnocchi with fresh tomato sauce and courgette strands

In the ongoing quest to reduce wheat while yet employing effective sauce transport, She got Him to pick up some spinach, carrot and potato gnocchi from Waitrose and then boiled it up. Roasted peppers and portobello mushrooms, lots of fresh tomatoes, a few splashes of red wine, and a big handful of basil leaves cooked down into a sauce, while she julienned the the courgette with the KTOTY* and fried up the delicate strands on high heat to make a Ramsay-esque topping. Salad of avo, physalis and leaves looked on.

SHE SAYS: This had an understated roasty flavour that perfectly suited my appetite on a night warmer than usual, but. But but but. I'm not convinced that the elbow grease I put into fresh sauces like this is worthwhile when Lloyd's sauces are just as good. (Sad, but true.) My courgette topping was good - courgettes in the UK generally lack flavour, and even this good performance was not great - but next time I would try using peanut oil to have a better chance at crisping them.

HE SAYS: No knead to knock the gnocchi, it was yum. The sauce waz flavourful but subtle in taste compared to the off-the-shelf jar. I was tempted to lunge for the hot sauce but paused and contemplated enjoying the softer palette-pleasing attributes of the sauce á naturale, which I proceeded to do with gusto. I was pleased I abstained, the tomatoes were especially sweet and tangy. The salad tried to compete with its inclusion of physalis in the tomato-esque taste stakes and did well but perhaps not enough to deserve a photo finish...still, we obliged.

*KTOTY - kitchen tool of the year

03.07.08: Peasant salad with squeaky cheese

She was a blur of prep-in-motion: boiling, slicing, pan-frying, roasting, peeling and whisking to put a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy on the table. Physalis, roasted red pepper, gem lettuce, watercress, radishes, jersey potatoes, green tiger tomatoes, halloumi and a boiled egg all took a bow as the powerful lime-wasabi dressing stood by.

SHE SAYS: Immensely satisfying, if a bit too much work for a Thursday. You can't go wrong with the halloumi though this cheap Tesco variety was not as tasty or springy in texture as some others we've had. Not a hint of mint, either - points deducted! The fresh roasted pepper was a treat I wanted each forkful to deliver, so I did my best to cut it into small enough pieces. It esp complemented the halloumi and the potatoes.

HE SAYS: Salad days are here again. Quite an indulgent variety tonight with the bacon of cheese - halloumi - and the boiled egg and potatoes. Still, mighty tasty, and smothered with the hot and tangy dressing it served us well as a main and salad course combined.

12.06.08: Quorn and fresh veggie sauce

The great tomato experiment of '08 continues: She got the pan sizzle-hot, threw in the onion, tomatoes, pregrilled aubergine, freshly grilled peppers, and basil, then shook it up til saucy. A quick flip of the lemon-pepper quorn patties and the plate was done. Salad with physalis and an olive-feta mix edged into the frame, too.

HE SAYS: The quorn reminds me of a giant veggie-friendly Chicken McNugget; crunchy, crispy and tasty too. I once got paid in Chicken McNuggets but that's another story for another blog. No store-bought sauce for us (at least not tonite), we went old school and it waz first class with rich flavours from the roasted veg and cooked-'em-to-death tomatoes. The salad was a marked improvement on recent attempts, with olives and feta competing for my luv and affection. Luckily I luv 'em both equally, aahh bless.

SHE SAYS: The tomatoes took ever so long to cook down this time - overcrowded the pan a bit - but when they did they were sweeeeet. The bottled grilled peppers were only so-so, I bought them b/c no fresh ones were to be found. I don't know how much more I can heart lemon-pepper quorn. And any salad with that tart, juicy yet somehow grainy je-ne-sais-quois de physalis is a success.

09.06.08: Risotto with mushrooms and peas

Play it again, ma'am: She used up the second tub of ho-made pesto from the freezer to throw together the world's easiest risotto once again, then used Her ample free time (ha!) to concoct a salad of physalis, bunched radishes, cherry toms, and young mustard leaves.

SHE SAYS: Even more flavourful than last time, though I've no idea why. Maybe I snuck in a little more boullion. Nice balance of savouriness to bright pesto flavour, and I didn't even think about salt. Would like to take it up a level with a few porcini mushies next time. I've searched high and low for this recipe online since we found it in a free paper, but said free paper pretends that it doesn't publish recipes even though its site lists every other minute topic it covers in print. Well, folks, if you want it let us know and we'll type it on out....but you gotta ask!

HE SAYS: Wow, tonight's risotto was exceptional, better then last week's version, and that was mighty tasty too. The rice was so well-cooked - soft and a little mushy but not glue-like - and the
consistency of the whole dish was right on. I think the chicken stock and white wine fusion brought this too another level of yum. I love pesto in pasta, but mixed in with the mushrooms and wine/stock, it created a new way of appreciating its intense flavour. The salad also had a nice crunchy element, what with the radishes, and a tart element what with the physalis. We ate the whole salad bowl portion, but we have some risotto left for lunch tomorrow, by which time the taste will be outta this world.

06.06.08: Omelette and stirfry

Fast food after a Friday-nite dash around the sto': spinach omelette with the remains of the vintage cheddar; a pack of precut stirfry veg padded out with oyster mushrooms and mung bean sprouts; plus a salad of mustard leaves, tomatoes, and some seriously scenty physalis.

HE SAYS: The stir fried veggies were not that inspiring and I reached for the hot sauce once or twice but they still were a nice accompaniment to the omelette, which was light, fluffy, fresh and tasty. What with the inclusion of spinach and the hint of aged cheddar (and a half a toasted bagel for good measure) I felt very satisfied and warm inside.

SHE SAYS: Spinach omelette is my favourite flash in the pan - and that pan makes such perfect omelettes: toasty on the outside, hot and melty on the inside. Makes me want to do breakfast every day for dinner. Stirfry was rather enh, the extra veg didn't add anything special - it was all a bit soggy, should have held the soy sauce and mirin. The salad had a heady aroma of physalis, which made it more than a virtuous afterthought.

07.05.08: Salmon cakes, fancy veg, and salad

Not your averge Wednesday nite: She tackled Nigel's salmon and dill fishcakes, stirred up the yoghurt-mustard-dill sauce just like he said, sauteed the fancy veg (plus guest star baby corn) in some wok oil, and sliced garlic-stuffed olives, sundried tomatoes and physalis for the salad.

SHE SAYS: I just had a feeling this weekend that Nige would show us the way out of rice-n-pulses repetition, which is why his firmly in-season inspirations are so prevalent lately. Even so, I figured I was taking a risk attempting something as traditionally fiddly as fishcakes midweek. But nooooooo! Not only did they bind properly, they browned perfectly and had an incredibly dilly-of-a-pickle zing to them. I have never, ever had such success with seafood cakes of any kind! (My modifications: 5 Tbsp dill, double the flour.) I kept inhaling the scent of the second one on my plate, b/c it was so fresh and toasty good! The good veg were made remarkable with the unusually sweet baby corn, and the salad reinforced all the savoury goodness of the plate.

HE SAYS: Fishcakes done right. No potatoe-y stodge here, thank you, these specimens were the business. I would of paid top dollah for these babies, yes. Light, crispy on the outside and deliciously moist inside, I luv them long time. The special yogurt sauce that acompanied them was very moreish with heaps of dill keeping it nice and fresh. A perfect mayonnaise replacement for you to cherish. I will have to spread some leftovers on some bread before it's too late. Salad tried its best to impress and with the sweet, tart and tasty physalis, it succeeded, sorry I doubted you, really I am.

23.04.08: Return of the magic lentils

Welcome home: She stirred up a batch of coconut dal with spinach, ladled it over some remaining brown basmati and wild rice, and tossed together a salad of avo, physalis, cherry toms, cucumber and mixed leaves with rocket.

SHE SAYS: Mild, creamy, and moreish. Sometimes a lack of spice is the right thing, esp when you have a nutty rice mix to up the yum factor. Still marvelling over the tingly, tangy contribution of the gorgeous physalis, too.

HE SAYS: I really missed this dish, glad it's back in rotation, I likey a lot. Would have had seconds but was trying to save some for lunch tomorrow, gorged on the star physalis salad instead, thumbs up all round. Trust in me, you should def. try it.

22.04.08: Chicken tikka with spiced rice

Pretty healthy and filling: chicken breast pieces baked in a readymade tikka masala sauce combined with the infamous spiced rice from the pork vindaloo recipe share the plate with a salad of avo, crispy leaves, cucumber and physalis (which, interestingly, is a close cousin of the tomatillo - who knew?).

HE SAYS: I think I enjoyed this one more then She did, but I was also not too impressed by the sauce. Having baked in the oven smothering the chicken, it evaporated a little too much (will have to remember to save some next time to add after cooking) making the chicken a little drier then expected. The rice section was nice with some added coconut flakes in it to make it that bit more special. I thought the physalis were yum, nice and juicy and sweet, a nice addition to our ever-growing salad fixings repertoire.

SHE SAYS: Underwhelming, and I thought the chicken was a little whiffy again, but it seems it was ok. The tikka sauce was quite disappointing - it had a sharp raw-onion flavour. So far the vindaloo is the only good version in the 'Bombay Authentics' range of sauces. The onion and green pepper He rustled up in the grill pan had a nice, mildly charred taste, though, and the rice pulled the flavour level up to good, though it couldn't make it great. Fortunately, the tart physalis in the salad did much to lift my spirits, esp when combined with the swanky new olive oil (sale item!).