22.12.08: Lemon chicken with beetroot, radish and avo salad

He prepared the lemon chix meal earlier so She could just simply stick it in the oven, set it and forget it. She chopped the salad fixin's of avo, sweetfire beetroot and radishes and added them to the watercress tentacles.

SHE SAYS: He does good prep, I must say. It was terribly satisfying to simply remove clingfilm and pop the pan in the oven so I could go do my thang. Potatoes and chix were crispy and delish, with plenty of garlic kick. My only quibble was the extreme sourness of the lemons, and you know I'm a lemon-lover. These were toothsuckin' bitter. Salad gave us all the joys of crunch and creaminess with a touch of sweetfire sugar.

HE SAYS: It's been a relative while since we experienced the lemony power of this dish. Perhaps this is the last one of 2008 but I'm still digging it with lots of tartness and savoury goodness – roll on 2009. As per usual the beetroot in the salad was on fire with its overall sweetness 'n' deliciousness.

17.12.08: Pesto and pea risotto

A night out to see the Boosh initiated an early dinner. He prepared the risotto with some of the pesto He made and froze earlier, and added the usual suspects to make the risotto dream a reality. A mixed leaf salad with sweetfire beetroot, radishes and avo stopped by for a chat.

HE SAYS: Instead of the alternative of grabbing a bite and running to catch a train, this meal was a lot more civilised and tasty. If only I could get the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot it would be the perfect no-fuss, easy meal and light washing up deal everyone can enjoy. I ended up soaking the pan overnight, which did the trick of lifting the remnants of the night before. The return of the shweetfire variety of beetroot was a pleasant addition to the salad, not unlike an old friend you haven't seen in a while, popping round for a cuppa.

SHE SAYS: Certainly more of a gourmet turnout than I was expecting before embarking on our 45-min journey to the zooniverse of the Boosh. Lots of meaty porcini added delicate flava to the savoury pesto richness. My only quibble was the speed of consumption, which delivered too much to my tummy too soon.

16.12.08: Chickpeas with cumin and sherry

Wearied by a ridiculous pre-xmas work sched, she turned to our fave chickpea recipe for ease and comfort, topping it off by boiling an egg and placing it neatly on top, next to the dollop of ho-made harissa. A pear, avo and mulled wine spiced beetroot salad saddled up for the ride.

SHE SAYS: A pretty good batch, if I do say so myself. Sometimes I let the cumin seeds cook a little too long, but this time they were perfectly toasty, without that slight bitter taste of blackening. I'm liking the holiday beetroot with its heavy-on-the-allspice m.o., and vote to make it our exclusive beetroot add-on for the season.

HE SAYS: The homemade harissa and boiled egg do a perfect job of elevating the flavas of this dish beyond what you would expect, adding an exotic saltiness and creamalicious element to the proceedings. The mix of the avo, pear and limited-edition beetroot satisfied all my salad fixin' tasty requirements too.

10.12.08: Lamb tagine with carrot, avo and preserved lemon salad

He rolled up His sleeves and set to work creating this winter fave of lamb tagine served over couscous. A chopped half of a preserved lemon made a special appearance in the salad along with its friends the avo and friendly carrot.

SHE SAYS: What a huge treat to come home to on a Wed. nite. I sank into my bowl like a bath. The deep mingling of spice and tomato and honey on my tongue was somehow soothing and exciting at the same time, while the lamb fell apart the minute We looked at it, let alone approached with fork. Given all this savoury bliss, I was slightly wary about the added intensity of preserved lemon lurking among the leaves and shreds, but the appropriately small bits of translucent whole lemon resulted in tastebud intrigue, not overkill. Even so, I do think my near-year-old lemon that's left is approaching ammonia level...must find new applications for the remains and start another batch.

HE SAYS: I was very pleased with the outcome of this tonight. I went strictly by the recipe for the spice quantities and, gasp, it worked out well. The lamb was so very tender and butter-like in consistency and all the dried fruit, moist and flavoursome. It's a bit of a to-do getting this one to the table but definitely worth the prep. It tastes like you should feel guilty but fear not, this is a very healthy dish. Dried fruit, tomato juice, naked couscous, no butter, just olive oil and lean lamb chunks make for an indulgent tasting, satisfying bowl.

And wow, the preserved lemons were still okay after about 9 months or so (though slightly more grey then yellow), in fact more intense tasting and so extremely salty. They were like a vegetarian anchovy addition to the salad.

09.12.08: Blk bnz and carrot and beetroot salad

She conjured up another dose of blk bnz wonderment, serving it over polenta with added sweetcorn and a mound of avo. The mixed leaf salad kept things simple by offering julienned carrots and some mulled wine-spiced beetroot to the party.

HE SAYS: No complaints from Me about repetition. This batch was as herby and morish as the first time She made them. The sweetcorn helped out the polenta a bit on taste intensity and the avo contributed to the creamy texture factor. Oooh, I luv me some silky smooth, black-skinned legumes, I swear they get my pulses up! The slivers of carrot were so fine in the salad, the beetroot had to up its game to stay in the super salad bowl, that's fo' sure.

SHE SAYS: It's been long enough since I last made the bnz that I actually had to look up my own recipe, but I'm glad I did. Good balance of heat to herb, especially. Only 'enh' factor was the polenta, which could not be coaxed out of a somewhat watery state. Carrot and beetroot partnership was much more harmonious for me than last nite's salad pairing - sweet strips lashing across the allspice tartness, oh my...

07.12.08: Fusion broth with fruity salad

Just the ticket for a sniffly Sunday: He pulled together the fusion broth with dry-grilled chicken, rice noodles, and Chinese greens. Salad of tomato, watercress, pear, pomegranate and avo looked on.

HE SAYS: The broth was a little on the spicy side (I think some stray shreds of chili got in the pot as it was cookin'). Good thing it had loads of ginger which made it still fragrant and light. I especially enjoyed the addition of the baby corn, which added a crunchy element to each mouthful. The salad was a shweet affair, maybe too shweet. An experiment with salad fixin' combinations gone too far, perhaps?

SHE SAYS: The chicken was perfecto, but the broth was way too spicy for a fragile throat - I normally prize this dish for its mild nourishment. Still pretty good and I did spoon up my fair share. Could be I was just in a sickie mood all-round, but the salad seemed a bit damp with too many ingredients (not a fan of pear and tomato mixin').

06.12.08: Magic lentils redux plus meatball pasta bake

Her leftover magic lentils casting a spell over the salad

By a twist of fate, or perhaps a hole in the space time continuum, He and She were home together but ate different meals. She indulged in the leftover lentils from the nite before while He overindulged in a beef and pork meatball penne pasta bake from Waitrose. In a mark of defiance, They shared the same salad of mixed leaves, beetroot, avo, tomato, carrot and a special guest star - baked butternut squash seeds.

SHE SAYS: A few shakes of hot sauce and I was set to be satisfied. I was even looking forward to these leftovers, as I have a stinkin' cold, and this sort of thing, with its unobtrusive flava and soft textures, goes down easy when you're feeling poorly. Unexpectedly, I also craved the salad once I chewed a radish or two. Normally I don't want anything cold and moist when my throat is sore and my nose is stuffed up, but I went back for greedy scoops of the green and purple and pink. The seeds were ok, not my crunchiest batch ever despite plenty of toasting time, and a little more strongly squash-flavoured than I would like.

His cheesy meatball pasta bake threatening the dainty veggies

HE SAYS: A little overindulgent on the pasta bake, methinks. The colour was a few shades short of being fluorescent orange and the sauce was a little on the shweet side for my taste. But, it was very tasty despite these minor quibbles. The meatballs were the main attraction, I haven't had any such things in a long time, I think I may have been missing out 'cause these were only store bought but still Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (and bountiful). The cheese quota didn't hurt either. The salad I feel was healthy and virtuous enough to not only ward off the evilness of the bake but also reverse its effects on my colon – that's my story, anyway.

05.12.08: Magic lentils with beetroot, radish and avo salad

They both had cravings for some vegan comfort food, and voila! This family fave was rolled out by Her once more, to great applause. A mixed leaf salad of avo, radishes and sweetfire beetroot crept into shot.

HE SAYS: The magic in the lentils tonight was not as powerful as previous go rounds. I suspect it could have been the cheapo coconut milk I picked up at the store. The spice factor was a little subdued and there was a subtle "playdough" type tang to the bowl that was either emanating from the coconut milk or a made-up mental tic going 'round my mind. Still, a merely okay magic lentils dish is still a better-than-average meal compared to some average meals of some average people. The sweet, peppery and crunchy combination of the beetroot and radishes in the salad again managed to cause a stir in salad fixin' community. The avo was a little miffed.

SHE SAYS: Mostly agree with him – this was not a stellar batch, but I'm not sure the coconut milk was at fault. Possibly it was the aged curry powder (We're onto a new box next time), or the broth was a bit weak. I didn't detect the strange tang He did, but I won't quibble – it was all a little off. Texture still shone through for its contrast of creaminess vs the sweet and slightly firm onion bits.

20.11.08: Blk bnz with a pear and tomato salad

He escorted this ole fave to the table. Herby blk bnz with avo were the headline while the pear, tomato and shredded beetroot salad offered moral support.

HE SAYS: Lots and lots of fresh coriander was duly chopped and placed in the pot for this batch (about a handful or two over the normal quota) and the result was herbtastic. Unfortunately I cooked up brown rice instead of the silky smooth palenta that we've come to know and luv, making it feel a little heavy on the tum. Still, a satisfying bowl of wonderfulness was had by all two of us. As for the salad - lovely, pear is the new radish this week for me.

SHE SAYS: Truly excellent batch o' bnz. Adding lots of coriander is one of the keystones of aromatic black bnz (selectively pureeing to release full flavour is the other), but he took it to a new height tonite. It really was too-too. I did wish we'd had polenta, though - perhaps you've noticed we're a little riced out this week? Wasn't sure how tomato would take to pear, but they traded sweet for acidic well enough.

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.

10.11.08: Nigella's chickpeas with pomegranate and avo salad

After a while away, a week of classic meals was in order to get back on track. Thus, she cooked up the chickpea staple, adding the ho-made harissa for good measure. A spinach, avo and pomegranate salad nudged into frame.

SHE SAYS: Now I'm feelin' it - that evening pleasure that only the classics can deliver. Velvety soft chickpeas with cumin-seed fragrance got the necessary garlic and coriander spice kick from the harissa, and the salad was just what I'd been missing from our travels: a cool, fresh, tart counterpoint to savoury bliss.

HE SAYS: As good a batch as ever, the chickpeas still silky and flavorsome with the harissa propelling it skywards in taste and yuminess. The salad was sproused up with the pomegranate seeds, which added a certain fruity, tangy and peppery touch that only pomegranate seeds can deliver.

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.

11.10.08: Blk bnz with sweetcorn polenta and Austrian gala dinner

Second night on his tod he cooked up the black bnz over some polenta with corn kernels garnished with big slices of avo. A salad of figs, tomato, radishes and sweetfire beetroot tried its best to keep Him company.

HE SAYS: Definitely not as fun to make and eat this one alone but felt better knowing that there was enough leftovers for tomorrow's meal too. This batch o' beans was pretty good but not spectacular. I managed to get the polenta's consistency pretty spot-on and the sweetcorn helped it out by giving it some crunchiness amongst the tasty goop. The salad took a break from fancy dressings and acted as a fresh and zingy closure to the lonely night.


Meanwhile, She sneaked a snap of the main course among five: pictured is the pork filet served in pepper crust and cream sauce with a vegetable bouquet and a healthy helping of spaetzle. Before that She managed to get down her neck some slices of duck breast over Waldorf salad; consomme with a splash of sherry; Rabbit filet served on a puff pastry pillow of juniperjus; and a small scoop of melon sorbet floating in campari. Afterwards, a small square of the prosaically titled chocolate cake managed to find a corner to squeeze into.

SHE SAYS: Thankfully, most portions were smaller than last nite's, and the quality mostly nipped up a notch. The duck and consomme are not much worth commenting on, and if there was sherry in that soup I'll eat my hat. The rabbit filet was actually a kind of rabbit sausage in a few little sections over some sort of thin grilled bread; nice herby flavour, but toughish. The fruity palate cleanser went straight to my head and put me in an expansive mood for the main course, which was rich and satisfying, if a bit bland. (I do love me some spaetzle.) Choccy cake was a thin but rich square of the German variety (I was hoping for sachertorte, but it's just as well this was a little lighter as I was uberstuffed).

06.10.08: Frittata and chard

He gussied up Nigella's spanish omelet (known 'round these parts as a frittata) with thin slices of chorizo and red leicester cheese, heated up the remnants of last nite's chard, and called upon the radish, the avo, the baby fennel, the cherry tom, and the mixed leaf to do their enzymatic duty as salad.

SHE SAYS: Most satisfying, this humble potato-and-egg skillet combo - just moist enough, nicely browned, and a good balance of salty chorizo and cheese to mellow spring onion and yellow pepper. Salad was a crisp reminder of the happy need for good fresh veg, while the chard once again surprised and delighted with its sweetness, even when warmed over.

HE SAYS: A posh omelet on a Monday night tasted just right. I secretly added some cheddar and a few sprinkles of Parmesan to make it the trifecta of cheesiness. The chorizo added its usual deep spicy lushness to the mix while the grilled yellow pepper turned out distinctly shweet and yummy. The chard was a plain but pleasant distraction from the headliner, and the salad with the crunchy radishes and baby fennel gave my teeth a good work out and my cheeks a healthy glow.

01.10.08: Lemon chicken

He fired up the oven and cooked up the family fave of lemon chicken with the garlic green bnz, exquisa 'taters and lemon slices. A salad of watercress, spinach and rocket with avo, tomatoes, beetroot and sunflower seeds looked up from the rim.

HE SAYS: Ummm, not one of my best efforts, in fact it was a tad watery. I may have added too much oil and not enough salt. The garlic was representing and livin' it large but got a little burnt on top of the chix. The potatoes were not as fluffy as other varieties we've tried, either. The beetroot was as good as I remember (from a few days ago), it being, stil,l one of my fave salad veggies along with it's peppery pal, the radish.

SHE SAYS: Really, same as He said - it was oddly watery, and the lemons weren't v. jammy - but still pretty good and garlicky, nonetheless.

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.

28.09.08: Spelt penne with veg and tomato sauce

When Sunday means simple: She stirred up some panetta cubes, shallots, portobellini mushroms, capers, and an orange pepper with some glugs of red wine and a basil-tomato sauce from good ol' Lloyd to coat some spelt penne pasta (it's back in stock!). Shavings of grana padano took top honours, while a salad of figs, toasted sunflower seeds, avo and mixed leaves peered over the edge.

SHE SAYS: Soothing and subtle, nothing you shout about, but something you quietly enjoy and linger over. And it's all the more endearing for being easy and quickish. I do think pancetta cubes are not the world's most exciting seasoning - there's a shallow undercurrent of hamminess, not a smoky or salty surge of it. Capers gave us the most interesting note, as they tend to do. Sunflower seeds held their roasty own against the playfully seed-textured figs and creamy avo.

HE SAYS: Funny, unlike Her I thought the sauce was pretty rich and bold. With the cheese, capers and red wine it was, to my taste, salty and tangy (two flavas I especially enjoy). The spelt penne was lighter in texture, also less glutinous then it's wheat cousin and did a good job of holding and delivering the sauce to me gob. Agree with her that the pancetta did not add too much to the plate and we probably could leave it out next time without forfeiting taste. The inclusion of the figs always brightens up the salad, their appearance reminds me of passion flowers, which are also sort of beautifully alien looking, but figs are probably nicer to nibble.

27.09.08: Leftover soup and open-faced bagels

After being generously plied with an excellent pork-roast lunch by friends in the afternoon, we had little energy or appetite for full-on evening dining, so splitting the one bowl of leftover fusion broth and topping up with an avo-tomato bagel half seemed just the ticket. He added another bagel half with Marmite and a slice of mature cheddar just to be sure late-nite hunger pangs would not interrupt a dreamy sleep.

HE SAYS: With ma belly half full this assortment of tastes managed to fill in the blanks of dinner with opposing flavas and textures. It was nice to have a second helping of the great soup from earlier this week and the avo and marmite bagel combo helped tip the balance of washing up vs. taste and satisfaction strongly in the latter's camp.

SHE SAYS: Just enough, and nourishing. I think I've said this before, but this soup is not the kind of thing that improves with a nite or two in the fridge - the flavours and consistency are too delicate to develop much. Still good, and with the highly-prized quality of being a heat-n-eat option. Plus, avocado on toast with a bit of salt has been my idea of perfect food since 1993 - and the addition of some rich cherry toms only gilds the lily.

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.