26.09.08: Brekky for dinner

After a particularly trying week, She was pleased to slip into something a little more comforting: sausages with chunks of apple and generous sprinklings of sage; scrambled eggs with bits of chorizo; plain bagels; and pan-reduced balasamic tomatoes. Avo, leaves and sweetfire beetroot made a nod to enzymatic health.

SHE SAYS: Breakfast for dinner always feels like a treat, and this one especially so. Sausages AND chorizo bits? I was in salty, porky, protein heaven, esp with a touch of maple syrup to highlight the contrasting herby-apple flavour of the sausages. I nudged my eggs off my half-bagel (His plate, with a whole one, is pictured above) and spread the jammy tomatoes on it instead for a uniquely savoury-sweet brekky bruschetta. Salad acted as a spiky palate cleanser with a drizzle of leftover wasabi-lime.

HE SAYS: Agree with Her. Egg on toast with sausages equals divine culinary experience. The jammy tomato hot compote helped spread the luv all over the plate. The salad eased our healthy consciences and offered a respite from their fellow indulgent meal pals.

22.03.08: Pancake breakfast for dinner

Seduced by the sudden appearance of Bisquick in Waitrose, He mixed up some pancakes with crushed pecans, adding some thinly sliced banana along the way and drizzling the stacks with maple syrup. Chipolatas provided one savoury counterpoint, while tomatoes-on-the-vine got the balsamic vinegar treatment and mingled with some leftover chickpeas to second that savoury motion.

SHE SAYS: I suspect the directions for 'American-style pancakes' were developed for crepes, even though the box offered separate directions for those. The batter was way too thin, and although adding more mix improved it, the pancakes just didn't fluff up - they remained dense and doughy. Shame, b/c the buttery banana pecan flavour was excellent. The chipolatas were excellent as usual, and the chickpea combo was a delightful discovery; the dark rich taste of the balsamic tomatoes set off the bright cumin seed and sherry flavours in a very moreish manner!

HE SAYS: Agree with Her about the dense pancakes, must find better from-scratch recipe before attempting again. Sausages were nice if a little dry from keeping them warm in the oven but were brought back to life with lashings of maple syrup. The chickpea/tomato portion of the programme was inspired and sure to return to our plates in the near future.

02.03.08: Sausages and banana bread??

We had a huge Mothering Sunday lunch at Banners, and by the rules o' the blog, we cannot disclose details of any meal but dinner. (Shame, because it was awfully nice. And we saw some celebrities. But we digress...)

He bought some special apple, sage and pork sausages on a whim yesterday, thinking we may have breakfast for dinner tonite, but we were still kind of stuffed (see above). So he cooked them up alone for us to nibble on. However...

...we also had some overripe bananas in the bowl, and that means banana bread, this time using up some storecupboard dried cherries plus crushed pecans and orange zest.

SHE SAYS: The sausages had big pieces of apple in them, extremely more-ish. We'll def. have those again. Warm banana bread gives off possibly the best scent in the world - I almost prefer sniffing it to eating it. Almost. The cherries added a slightly juicy, tangy touch, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy them. Next time I think I'll add lemon zest, too.

HE SAYS: These bangers were the best. The banana bread was a success, but could have done with a touch more sugar. Still, the addition of the cherries and pecans made it more indulgent than usual, and there ain't nothin' wrong with that.