13.11.08: Mac n' cheese and Quorn with fennel salad

Using one of the culinary treats brought back from the States, She enthusiastically put together the evening meal which included Annie's rice pasta mac n' cheese, quorn cutlets and snap peas. The fennel, radish, and spinach salad felt jealous and missed its pomegranate companion.

HE SAYS: Yum. It's been a long while since we ate mac n' cheese at home and it felt sooo good. Since it was wheat-free it also felt oh-so-virtuous. The quorn was crispy but I missed its usual pasta sauce accomplice to aid in alleviating the dryness quota (the mac n' cheese was too good on it's own to combine with other bites). The snap peas were nice if a little boring but they helped highlight the taste sensation of the pasta even more.

SHE SAYS: This meal was like a throwback to 2003, when we ate Annie's mac 'n' cheese every week, with Boca burgers. I reeeeally wish we'd brought home a crate or so of this v. American delicacy, but have you seen what they're charging for overweight luggage these days? anyway, it was perfectly creamy and tasty, and the pasta lost nothing for being rice, not wheat. Agree with him the quorn could've used some saucy assistance, but I speared the plain but perfectly al dente snap peas with some of the quorn bites to help.

08.08.08: Ready-roast chicken, snap peas, oniony rice salad and more salad

He pulled together an unexpected feast of coconut-lime rotisserie chicken and a spring onion rice salad (both courtesy of Waitrose); cooked up some snap peas; and mixed in a colour treat of a salad with cherry toms, pomegranate seeds, and leaves. More of last nite's wasabi dressing rallied for an encore performance.

HE SAYS: I didn't really enjoy the taste of the chicken, I think they muddled them up in Waitrose and I got this one instead of the bbq variety. Snap peas were okay but I should have steamed 'em instead of boiling (I like them nice and crunchy, which these were not).The pomegranate added a sweet and sour touch to the salad and the rice was savoury good, wholesome and on sale, what a bargain!

SHE SAYS: Salad was crunchy and tart, just the way I like it, and tho' the oniony rice salad imprinted its scent indelibly upon the tongue for the evening, it was delish - I found myself spooning up the last bits from the carton by way of seconds. That funky chicken, tho' - not so yummy, with an overpowering, very odd artificial coconut flavour. Waitrose chicken is usually moreish, so we'll overlook this little hiccup. Snap peas played the role of virtuous veg rather limply, I'm not sure even finished mine before we headed out to the gig.

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.

17.07.08: Frittata and snap peas

Trying to sort out what to do with some leftover Jersey royal potatoes that would be easy-peasy before a weekend away, she hit upon the fritatta solution, which also used up a leftover roast pepper, some basil, and a couple of grated Li'l Moos cheese stix. Steamed snap peas plus salad leftover from last nite (freshened with some spinach, physalis, and half an avo) rounded out the pre-jaunt plate.

SHE SAYS: Good enough filler for the nite before a holiday break. Not the tastiest frittata ever - that happens with manchego cheese, methinks - but not bad. Too full to sample the salad, but the snap peas were crisp and juicy.

HE SAYS: Look, up in the sky, Is it an omelet, is it a quiche? No it's not a bad frittata. I agree with Her that manchego cheese would've improved it, a few more roasted peppers wouldn't've gone amiss either, but you do what you can with whatcha got. Salad was good but greatness it wasn't, the leaves were on their last legs, they tried their best to impress, could've done with less, I have to confess.

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.

18.05.08: Another wedding feast

Ceremonial feasting in Kingston Vale: red pepper soup with a swirl of creme fraiche to start...

...and a stylish plate of salmon with basil mayonnaise, chicken with broad beans and snap peas, herbed couscous, boiled new potatoes, and two kinds of green salad with fennel. An indulgent cheese plate of Shropshire blue, brie and sharp cheddar with an assortment of fancy crackers followed (not pictured).

HE SAYS: Salmon was poached nicely but I had to prompt the server for more then a baby-sized portion. Couscous was tasty and fresh as were the veggies. Was pretty famished beforehand and was relieved when we got to sit down and tuck into the soup, which was a little on the sweet side for my taste. Overall, great food and a great end to a smashing do and an eventful weekend.

SHE SAYS: Soup was light and sweet, and I thought the cold plate main meal was very refreshing and nicely paired with the wines. I was dipping everything in that yumsome basil mayo, must admit. Probably had more than my share of the deeply satisfying cheeses, if you pleases, but no one at the table was going without.

12.03.08: Sherried pork chops and mushrooms

He prepared a somewhat decadent midweek feast of herby, sherried pork chops and mushrooms finished with single cream; potatoes roasted in duck fat; steamed sugarsnap peas; and simple cherry tomato and mixed-leaf salad.

SHE SAYS: The herby sherried mushrooms and onions gave a luscious dimension to the nicely browned chops. Crispy roast potatoes will never do me wrong, and the perfectly al dente snap peas balanced it all out with virtuous veggie goodness. Snips of Her ho-made preserved lemons raised the salad to yum level - an inspired touch.

HE SAYS: Once again deglazing the pan come up trumps. Have to thank Cooksister for her great recipe, will def. try again but perhaps with a little more single cream at the end. The slow roasted potatoes needed quite a bit of babysitting what with the consistent basting, but it was worth the effort: crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the centre. Loved the preserved lemons in the salad too, so salty, tangy and generally fab.