16.11.08: Breakfast 4 dinner

She put on her pinny and served up some brekky in the evening. On the plate were: pork n' apple chipolatas, black bnz, plum tomato and balsamic vinegar salsa, cheddar cheese omelet, plain bagel and a fig and carrot mixed leaf salad.

HE SAYS: Always somewhat of a treat to do a great switcheroo with the meals. The tomato salsa thang was incredible, very tangy and morish. The blk beans were from a box of dried flakes that we brought over from our trip to the States. They were pretty good, a little soupy, but next time we'll add less water and all will be right with the world.

The chipolata snausages never let us down, and as always they were tasty but We did miss the maple syrup which is their perfect accompaniment. The omelet was good and cheesy and best eaten in combination with the bagel, so I tried to construct a breakfast sandwich by towering all the ingredients on top of one another but feared a collapse. Quickly rethought my plans and carried out a controlled demolition, eating each ingredient one by one. Luckily no one was harmed.

SHE SAYS: Aah, yum. Brekky really is the perfect dinner, esp when there are apple-packed, sage-kissed chipolatas to be had. I slathered the sweet-tang tomato salsa (just tomatoes and balsamic vinegar cooked down in the pan after the sausages) all over my bagel slice and took it slow. Agree with Him about the bnz - will do better next time, but still amazed by how nice they are. I wouldn't consider them a replacement for my aromatic black bnz, but they make a great snack or quickie side dish. Ashamed to say I was too full for salad and had to have mine next day!

05.07.08: Grilled fish tacos with cilantro-lime coleslaw

Jonesing for a new fish dish, she trawled some back issues of The Splendid Table's Weeknight Kitchen newsletters for this crunchfest of a dish: corn tortillas snugly encasing lots of raw red cabbage with sour cream, lime juice, coriander and sweet onion that topped chipotle-marinated and grilled haddock with a little help from some avo. Salad with pre-julienned beetroot, Jersey jewel tomatoes, and excellent Jubilee strawberries got the balsamic treatment for added, tarty contrast.

SHE SAYS: This was good, but not the knockout dish I thought it would be. We figure the coleslaw needed more of a cider vinegar kick.... We have v. little choice of corn tortillas here, so ther bland blanket o' starch didn't add a lot. Still, the marinade was fairly spicy and the fish notably fresh and good-for-ya. These strawberries are v sweet and best of the season yet, esp with a little balsamic drizzle to bring out the big berry tang.

HE SAYS: Trying to recreate our fav fish tacos of yore from our fave mexican restaurant was a bit daunting but She made a noble attempt, not quite hitting the mark but still tasty and authentic enough to bring back some taste flashbacks. The fish, although not the recommended red snapper, was actually very tasty, it seemed the marinade was its secret weapon. I went back for seconds, oh yes I did. The strawberries for our dessert/salad were already so sweetly good, yet with a splash of balsamic vinegar, they bettered themselves - and how.

23.02.08: Black bnz

Nice 'n' easy for Saturday nite: the usual black beans, livened up with new and improved chipotle chiles in adobo, and topped with ho-made salsa and avo. Plain salad with tomatoes and radishes contributed cool overtones from the next bowl over.

SHE SAYS: Soothing and satisfying after a long day of running around. Could do two spoonfuls of the chipotle sauce next time. Slight disappointment in the radishes we bought at our local Saturday market - no kick to them, but they were more tender than supermarket ones.

HE SAYS: Love dem beans. I never seem to tire of them. Nearly ate two big bowls, but decided to leave some for leftovers tomorrow.