20.12.08: Red Thai prawn curry and extras

He rather outdid Himself preparing the vittles for our xmastime gathering with Samski. After some he-made smoked salmon, soft cheese and herbed oatcake canapes sprinkled with dill (not pictured, sadly), He stirred up the can't-miss red prawn and mango curry, adding baby sweetcorn for good measure. Our new fave cucumber salad by way of the Ottlolenghi cookbook made a star turn, and He even sought out a spankin' new sophisticated dessert recipe: balsamic pears in honey sauce with goat cheese.

SHE SAYS: It wasn't until Samski arrived that we realised we've actually plied her with Nigella's curry wonder before. No matter, this particularly well-balanced batch was heartily enjoyed by all: heat, coconut and heft did a get-down dance of happiness on my tongue. The cuke salad supplied crunch and sweet-tart excellence, tho' I was slightly disappointed with the accidental substitution of black onion seeds for poppyseeds. The pert dessert of baked pears delivered wide-eyed delight in a sticky sauce and subtle goaty goodness; was wiping finger 'round plate to mop up the honey trail for some time. Hey we're among friends, here. And how.

hey there, sweet tang: balsamic pears with goat cheese and honey sauce

HE SAYS: I thought this batch of curry was very good. I used double the amount of the prawns which really made it a lot more decadent and shpecial compared to our regular weeknight version. I also used a whole can of coconut milk which added a more silky broth to the bowl. The cuke salad again impressed with it's vinegar pickle like quality and its shweet yet spicy dressing. I made a bit of a boo-boo with the inclusion of the onion seeds but I didn't think they were too offensive. The pud was great. I was craving some stewed pears, and baking them created that warm, soft, intense flava I was after. The balsamic mixed so well with the cheese and honey, satisfying all my taste senses, I will have to make this again sometime soon that is fo' sure.

08.12.08: Nigella's red prawn and mango curry with a tomato and beetroot salad

Deja-who? He decided on a quick 'n' easy one to put together tonight: Nigella's curry which included all the usual good stuff plus some baby corn, too. A new seasonal, mulled wine (or Glögg to Our Nordic readers)-infused beetroot plus tomato relaxed and took it easy on top of some watercress salad.

SHE SAYS: This was a really good batch - not too fish-saucy, and the prawns were nice and tender, with just enough bite. A little heavy on the curry paste, and too spicy for my delicate constitution, but v tasty and satisfying. Baby corn was a decent add-on, though not something I'd go out of my way for in future. Agree with Him the seasonal beetroot was delish, though I'm not a fan of the tomato-beetroot combo.

HE SAYS: It was as good as ever, you can't go wrong with this one (well maybe if you add too much red curry paste, which didn't happen here thankfully). The baby corn cooked a little too much and didn't add much apart from bulk. I'm enjoying the new beetroot in the salad a lot, the mulled wine spices perking things up in the salad bowl, ooh yeah.

01.12.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and cucumber salad

They both craved it, and He made it so. Tonight's Cacciatora episode included a special guest appearance of sliced carrot, and, instead of rice, pearled spelt. The cucumber salad was in reruns from last night and, because of its popularity, destined for syndication.

HE SAYS: Apart from the added carrot which gave it a little more depth of flava and the spelt, which lightened up the bowl, things were consistent from the previous outings. Those outings were great and so was this one. The salad scored high marks too, the dressing having marinated the cucumbers a little more from last night.

SHE SAYS: The mere mention of this dish perks me up; it's positively Pavlovian. I thought the carrot a fine addition for bulk, but could easily do without. The spelt added a smooth barley-like texture to the saucy bowl of goodness. I did find myself sneaking more capers from the jar for a touch of vinegary contrast, but I always do that, just don't always mention it. The salad held up well overnight; I thought the coriander might have sogged out, but it didn't.

Top Tip: pour off the dressing into a separate bowl before storing for laters.

Top Tip Deux: there is no way this dressing needs 2 Tbs of poppy seeds, they just sink to the bottom of lots of liquid. What a waste, esp in a land where they are the devil to find. Would do one teaspoon next time.

14.11.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and beetroot, mozz and avo salad

Instead of going out to eat as is usual on a Friday nite, they instead stayed in as He rustled up this familiar favourite resplendent with cannellini bnz, chix thighs, pancetta, crushed tomatoes and the usual herby goodness. A mozz, sweetfire beetroot, and avo salad served as its willing accomplice.

SHE SAYS: Perfect herb-heightened and tomatoey, chicken-brothy flavour, marred only by the firm-skinned bnz, which really needed some stewin'. He took Nigella at her word and served up after merely stirring them in. They've got to mellow, dude. Mozz was a pleasing surprise, subtly creamy in taste and with that fun pull-apart stringy texture.

HE SAYS: I should've cooked the bnz a little longer as they were a little less then tender but still edible. I added twice the recommended amount of the pancetta cubes although I felt it ultimately didn't benefit from the indulgence. The addition of a few shakes of hot sauce helped brighten its taste, adding to the richness, and after adding the forgotten capers (which are not part of the original recipe), the bowl delivered on its delish promise. I went back for a second heaping bowlful, obviously. The salad had a good balance of creaminess from the cheese and fruity sharpness thanks to the sweetfire beetroot; I managed a second serving of it and thus cleaned the bowl, burp.

18.10.08: Saag Paneer with baby corn salad

She made her Saturday nite special saag paneer, starring the return of the real paneer (instead of its understudy, halloumi) with Geeta's premium mango chutney adding a touch of class to proceedings. A fresh salad of baby corn, cherry tomatoes, carrot, and mixed lettuce drizzled with Nigella's wasabi lime dressing nuzzled up to the brown rice.

HE SAYS: This dish is always a crowd pleaser and with the rich and creamy, newly-in-stock paneer, even tastier than before. We tried a new variety of Geeta's chutney to go with and it succeeded in adding the right amount of sweet zestiness to the plate. The baby corn were crunchy, a touch sweet and a great addition to our salad fixin's repertoire. As you can tell, we are still not bored of the wasabi dressing, every time we have it I'm impressed by its knack of intensifying all that it covers.

SHE SAYS: This is probably my favourite Indian treat now, esp with the more authentic touch of paneer. I'd forgotten how nice that balance of subtle flavour and milky richness is tucked into the silky spinach and spice puree. The halloumi version will now be on hiatus unless a saag craving strikes and the store simply isn't supplying paneer again. I threw some fresh baby corn into the salad for colour as much as a new kind of crunch, and thoroughly enjoyed the nubbly texture and little bit of sweet.

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.

13.10.08: Pollo alla cacciatora

Together again: We sat down to Her latest batch of what is quickly becoming the top Nigella fave rave, plus a flamboyant salad of avo, fig, spinach and watercress with a side of wasabi-lime.

SHE SAYS: I left out the sugar this time and didn't miss it a bit - I don't think I find tomatoes as sharp as most people do. But then We do have a preference for acidity, with our lemon- and lime-lovin' palates. This was as savoury and tender as ever, though I'd like to up the sauce quotient somehow. I was a little greedy with the wasabi-lime application on my salad serving and had to pinch my nose to avoid complete nasal scorch. But now We know, if we didn't before: fig and wasabi-lime love each other everso.

HE SAYS: It's less then a week since the last time we ate this meal and I don't mind a bit. This latest version stood up to past efforts with lots of rich tastes and textures. I'm still debating which I prefer between spelt pasta vs brown rice for this dish, but since the rest of the week will be heavy on the grain side I applaud Her executive decision to go the spelt penne route. Also, like Her, I didn't miss the sugar either. The ever present figs in the salad have yet to get boring and, coupled with some avo and covered in the wasabi dressing, continue to brighten up my bowl.

07.10.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora and salad

Once again She cooked up another round of the chicken and bnz firm family fav dish from Nigella (see the video!), but this time paired it with spelt penne pasta. A mixed leaf, avo, sweetfire beetroot and physalis salad decided to join in.

HE SAYS: This dish is always pleasant to come home to; the white wine aroma not only adds to the anticipation but also really bonds all the flavours together and makes it so richly moreish. The capers also help add that certain high note to the bowl. Tonight, there were lots of generous chunks of chicken and the smoked pancetta flavours seemed to cut through more so then the regular variety we have previously used. I thought the spelt pasta worked well and served as a brief intermission from our regular brown rice program. The avo and beetroot once again succeeded in transforming the salad from the mundane to the near spectacular.

SHE SAYS: Agree with Him, the smokey pancetta shone stronger than the plain version, but I still think maybe we need to try this dish without and see if we miss it. (We've one more pack to use up, so that experiment will have to wait.) Methinks spelt pasta is the partner of choice for the pollo; it rivals corn-studded polenta and bnz in the rice-alternative stakes. Capers will lways get big love from me, but I think their fruity teasings piques the tastebuds even more effectively when complemented by tomatoey goodness. He and I diverge slightly in opinion on the salad - for me, it's the tarty physalis that lifts the level, and how.

30.09.08: Black bnz and polenta with avo

She ushered September out the door with the now-traditional black bnz ladled over slightly buttered polenta with corn kernels, all topped with generous slices of avo. A sald of figs, rocha pear, radishes and - you guessed it - mixed leaves edged into the frame all fruity and fragrant, awaiting a light drizzle of Nigella's wasabi-lime.

SHE SAYS: Despite having to reduce the cumin by half due to low supply, this batch came out might tasty. Possibly the tbsp of chili powder, added for its cumin content, gave it a spice boost. Silky polenta with crispy corn kernels still makes this a treat of a supper, as opposed to a merely good one. Salad played all its roles - sweet, piquant, salty, crunchy, seedy - with admirable versatility.

HE SAYS: I think this batch was above par in the taste dept., smoky and intensely savoury tasting.The chilli powder seemed to work a treat, adding more depth of flava, and I didn't miss the missing cumin at all. The sweetcorn is really a great touch in the polenta and I would be upset if we suddenly had a corn shortage. Salad was another fruity affair, a little of everything I'd want in a cold dish of various mixtures served with a dressing of my choosing.

25.09.08: Fusion broth with grilled chicken

She cooked up the fancy chicken noodle soup from The Naked Chef, complete with bok choi, rice noodles (and some bean thread ones, too, since the rice noodle supply was low), dry-grilled chicken breasts, and copious ginger slices - remembering, this time, the final dash of lime juice. Nigella's wasab lime dressing stood by to pep up a mildly indulgent salad of radish, mixed olives, avo, and leaves.

HE SAYS: The ginger in this nice hot and fragrant soup certainly helped clear my sinuses while the fantastic grilled chicken hit the spot. The bean thread noodles were just as tasty as their rice counterparts and the added lime managed to add a fresh tanginess to the bowl. The wasabi dressing delivered its usual punch to the salad, poured over the delish radishes and olive mix.

SHE SAYS: Dry-grilling skinless chicken breasts is, I now believe, the only way to cook them. The bbq-fire aroma alone is worth it. This time I turned down the heat after browning both sides, added a small amount of water (whoa, steam!), and covered it to cook the chicken thru instead of high-heating them into near-petrification. Miscalculated the amount of soy sauce I added to each bowl at the end, overwhelming the light and faintly tangy broth with briny intensity, but it wasn't quite ruined, and leftovers will remain nicely balanced. Salad was moreish with the double-whammy of olives and avo, plus the wasabi coating - no one can say we don't get our good monounsaturated fats!

08.09.08: Pollo alla Cacciatora

Yep, We did it again - already. She had a hankering to try the delish tomatoey-chicken dish over brown/wild rice, with a stir-thru of capers, and She made it so. The rest of the St Agur blue cheese graced a salad of sweetfire beetroot, radishes, and avocado with mixed leaves.

HE SAYS: We like this dish, we really, really like it. She cooked this one up good, a little less soupy then my try but still mighty fine. The capers added a certain tasty tang to the tomato-based sauce, me lapped it up and went back fo' more. I luvved the salad too, sweetfire beetroot and radishes! They be my bestest friends.

SHE SAYS: This is quite a mystery: even before I let the cacciatora cook with the pot lid on, it contained far less liquid than His version. So it's not the rice soaking up the gravy that's making it appear less souplike. We're using the same recipe, so it's a head-scratcher for now. Still wonderfully satisfying with that touch of woody aroma from the celery salt and the tender thigh meat. Capers def. add a little sumpin' sumpin' in the pickeldy weirdness department. Of course, We had no trouble polishing off the rest of the intensely creamy, mildly flavoursome blue cheese in an otherwise virtuous salad episode. I'm thinking St Agur is the kind of blue you could give to people wary of blue cheese intensity.

05.09.08: Chickpeas with cumin and sherry

Ok, so it's not quite a full week of the new...Friday saw us rushing back to embrace an old comfy fave (as you do, esp when it's chilly). He shook up a wokful of Nigella's chickpeas with cumin seeds, sherry and rocket, ever-so-softly boiled some eggs, and piled it all on top of some brown/wild rice with a dollop of ho-made harissa. Avo, radish, tomato and greens awaited a light sprinkle of leftover wasabi-lime.

HE SAYS: The chickpeas were not as soft and mushagood as they could have been. This was probably due to me not puttin' a lid on the pan. The eggs could have been cooked a wee more and the cumin seeds were a little burnt. Oh well, the salad was a success, with the wasabi dressing making it a "can't lose" proposition.

SHE SAYS: Good enough to keep us from braving the rain in search of sustenance, but not the best batch ever - textures were a little firm, and the cumin seeds slightly overtoasty. Still, you can't beat a golden dollop of egg mixed with the minty-chilli-garlic triumvirate that is harissa goodness. Salad once again proved an excellent wasabi-lime conveyor.

26.08.08: Chickpeas with cumin and sherry and salad with balsamic rose dressing

She fired up the wok for Nigella's chickpeas with cumin and sherry, served o'er brown and wild rice with a stir-thru of chili flakes. Not so unusual, is it? But the thought of orange blossom balsamic dressing for the pear, carrot, and toasted pine nut salad proved an itch She had to scratch. Unfortunately, Her supply of orange blossom water proved oddly insipid, with little actual orange flavour (it is set to expire in November...a clue?). Nonplussed but not defeated in the quest for a fun floral note, she reached for the rosewater, swirled it thru the vinegar, and took a pinky taste. Results below...

HE SAYS: This was a good batch of chickpeas, not too dry or chalky. I missed the harissa a bit but the chilli flakes nearly made up for it (although I added some more heat and vinegary goodness by a shake or two of hot sauce). The pear/carrot combo reappeared and again offered up a delicious sweet note offset by the tartness of the dressing (which I enjoyed but felt the rosewater seemed a little lost in the acidic balsamic vinegar).

SHE SAYS: Balsamic rose is not quite the new wasabi lime, but it is exotic and bright on the tongue, and the floral mustiness immediately rises up after the acidity to balance it surprisingly well. Balsamic rose would complement a mild goat cheese like chevre superbly. Tonite, it added sweet complexity to a low-key salad and played nicely with the sugary pear.

Chickpeas were good and velvety, but I fear they will now always suffer in comparison to the harissa-dolloped or pomegranate-peppered versions. This near-naked variety was perfectly good filler, but I craved that sweet-tart juice popping and/or garlic-chili-mint stimulus.

05.08.08: Milanese risotto redux and scrambled eggs with salad

On their tod tonight, He finished off the risotto from last night...

...while She later pulled together one of the fastest cooked dinners in anyone's repertoire: tossed salad and scrambled eggs, plus the famed lime-wasabi dressing.

SHE SAYS: More filling than it might seem, and much more appetising to look at the the photo indicates! (Could not figure out why camera was darkening every pic on any setting with greenish hue.) My simple crunchy salad of radishes, tomatoes and a bit of avo was lifted to the level of yum with the nose-tingling wasabi dressing, which actually has some of the sulfuric bouquet of egg - again, a more pleasant happening than you might think! I like my scrambles pretty dry, and this batch was perfectly to taste, and I ate it it happily with pinches of kosher salt.

HE SAYS: Just as good if not better then last night, the flavours had a chance to intensify in the fridge. A very nish dish to come home to and scoff before rushing off to take care of bizness. Forgot to pull together a salad plate, but the beetroot is set to make an appearance on my plate soon enough. Stay tuned, 'till next time, tarrah for now.

29.07.08: Big Salad

Yep, it's the return of the Big Salad, in a more manageable format, with the bacon of cheese, boiled prawns, panfried leftover polenta, radishes, celery, avo, julienned carrot, chives, gem lettuce and an inspired last-minute add-on: capers. Nigella's nose-whooshing wasabi dressing finished the plate.

HE SAYS: The halloumi was the star of this salad, not to insinuate that the rest of the ingredients were below par, but come on, grilled haloumi is the supreme cheese. Second to the cheese was the shrimp which were boiled enough but not too much and the grilled polenta a close third, it was crunchy and light, whatz not to like? I really enjoyed this meal, will have to do again sooner rather then later. Mmm halloumi, damn you, I can't get you outta my mind.

SHE SAYS: Well, I still complicated things a bit more than I intended to by frying up the polenta, but I hated to see it go to waste - and it was worth it, turning the cold gel-like mush into hot, irregular corn fries to give us a tasty little starch filler. I savoured the salty, toasty halloumi slowly - honestly, I think halloumi would be on my death-row last meal menu (glad we sorted that out already). Plenty of crunch, with avo adding a touch of creaminess, plus the refined je ne sais quoi of the capers - this was a salad I would gladly have anytime, anywhere.

22.07.08: Nigella's Chickpea special with strawberry salad

She deftly turned round this weekly fave (with added boiled egg and the last of the harrisa) quick- smart, and put together the strawberry salad which tried to edge in on the taste bud action.

HE SAYS: This serving scores high on the flav o' meter. Nish and creamy and smooth chickpeas and the harissa added an intense and aromatic overtone to the bowl. The strawberries in the salad were sweet, not too overly ripe but a little crunchy and combined with balsamic vinegar closed the show with a bang.

SHE SAYS: I've been having good luck with the soft boiling of eggs recently - this one was a really good mix of firm white bit and tender yolk. So sad to spoon up the last of the latest harissa batch, because I've come to rely on the garlic-chili-minty kick, and I'm a little pressed for time and patience right now (= not making more v. soon). Good salty, moist and velvety things going on with the chickpeas, and the plain-name British strawberries added both intense perfume and sweet flavour to round it all off.

09.07.08: Nigella's red prawn and mango curry

Midweek made easy: He spiced up our evening with the hot, sweet and creamy curry, flanked by a salad studded with Jersey jewel tomatoes and jubilee strawberries.

SHE SAYS: I know He thought it had a little too much spice heat, but I thought it was fine. Nice mix of fruity, spicy and savoury, per usual, though I think it could have done with a dab more coconut milk. The strawberries were divine with a spritz of balsamic - sweet and sour heaven!

HE SAYS: As She says, I thought the curry had a little too much heat and overpowered the rest of the flavours a bit. Also, the prawns were a little tough, cooked a little too long, I think my timings were a little off tonight. Overall, still tasty, but not as good as this dish has been in the past. Strawberries in salad, oh my, they were fantastically glorious and wundervoll!

07.07.08: Nigella's chickpeas with accompaniments

She says: this one is jockeying for the provocative title of Easy Dish o' the Year: Nigella's chickpeas with cumin seeds, sherry and rocket teamed up with some pearled spelt, ho-made rose harissa, and a rather perfectly soft-boiled egg, if She does say so. A virtuous salad of leaves, lime-infused beetroot, avo and radish stood contentedly in the shadow of its more glamourous, protein-packed neighbor.

SHE SAYS: Now we know for sure: the non-organic chickpeas take on a far more velvety texture than organic ones - maybe the nons are more processed and therefore softer to begin with? Whatever the reason, non- is nicer and wins out in this recipe. The plump beads of spelt added interesting texture, they were much more impressive mixed in than tasted right out of the pot - v. barley-like. My rose harissa is delish with its obvious floral notes, but doesn't pack the garlicky heat of 'regular.'

HE SAYS: In the last two days we've gone legume crazy and I like it, I like it a lot. As She says the bog standard chickpeas far outclassed their too posh to push organic kind ( a little un-pc to admit out loud in this day and age but I don't care. We recycle, so there). The spelt was delish, much more moist then the brown rice which we usually have with it. The egg on top is an ongoing indulgence but adds to the chewy gooey texture and tastes mmm-mm good. I can't imagine it without now. The rose harrisa took the place of my normal few shakes of hot sauce and so infused the bowl with equal parts heat, fragrance and zing.

25.06.08: Peasant salad with hot salmon flakes

Gettin' fresh: She pulled together a peasant salad of boiled Maris Bard new potatoes, grilled sweet peppers, asparagus, radishes, soft-boiled egg, and Jersey Jewel tomatoes, then flaked over some hot-grain-mustard-coated smoked salmon. Nigella's wasabi-lime dressing took it all onto another plane...

SHE SAYS: Feasted me eyes as well as me tastebuds on this one. The dressing and salmon gave it just enough piquant qualities to keep my tongue a-tingle, while the soft egg made a subtle, velevty accompaniment for the asparagus. I'll have to say it again - the MB new potats are exquisite simply boiled and put to fork, plain as you please. Did I almost forget the Jersey Jewels? Biting into one whole rewarded me with a burst of just-plucked tomato-stem tang. Well worth their non-sale price during a time when most tomatoes are half their usual price.

HE SAYS: This was a big salad...and a nice one too. Who says salads are for wimps? I found this very satisfing with the protein element of the salmon and egg, and the tasty potatoes definitely filled me up just like a hungry man meal. Could do this salad thing for dinner again and maybe add some beetroot next time for good measure.

17.06.08: Chickpeas with rocket and egg

Nigella's chickpeas and rocket, without rice, but with a nice boiled egg on top, plus a salad of young mustard leaves, cherry tomatoes, avo, boiled prawns (prawns!) an the last-minute star of the show, Nigella's wasabi lime dressing.

SHE SAYS: Always a convenient, wholesome option, but I couldn't get the chickpeas to develop that velvety texture I prefer. Wonder if the organic ones we use now are less prone to the velvety thing? Firmness seemed to be a theme: I boiled the prawns too long, which detracted from the aura of 'extra special' we wanted to add to the salad. But my quick mixin' of the wasabi dressing lifted it all up to another level of flava-flav and made us wonder why it took us so long to make this green goddess of a dressing again.

HE SAYS: The chick peas like she said were a little on the tough side, still tasty and not at all musty like some other canned verities can be. The salad dressing was wonderfully tart, zesty and hot at the same time, could have this more often and same goes for the prawns, nish touch.