23.12.08: Veal piccata, mash, veg medley

It was a nice idea: since She jumped on the beef bandwagon, He decided to make Ramsay's veal piccata with - veal! (Normally we adapt it with pork.) Maris piper potato mash plus a side of steamed mangetout and baby sweetcorn filled out the plate, while a salad of baby leaves, pomegranate seeds and avo sparkled nearby.

HE SAYS: I thought I would splash out on the expensive veal tonight so We could both experience the joys of this recipe done authentically. Unfortunately for Her, She couldn't eat it and left Me with the job of eating two portions of the tasty, milky meat. Although the veal was great, I think pork works just as well or even better, adding a little more fulfilling, salty tastiness to the gravy. The mash worked well as a sauce sponge, and the mangetout & sweetcorn reminded us to eat our veg. Yum was the salad.

Her top-up of goat cheese and Dr Karg seeded spelt

SHE SAYS: I don't know what happened to my newfound beef tastebuds, but they conked out on this one. I've had veal before and liked it well enough, and the sauce smelled divine, but the main item grossed me out. It just tasted rancid to me, though He had His and Mine and was perfectly fine. Dang. I ate the rest of my meal with a good heart, esp the creamy-yet-chunky mash, and had a little snacky top-up (above) for good measure. The tarty little salad helped put it all to rights as well.

19.05.08: Lamb steaks with mash, peas, mangetout and shiitake gravy

Comfort food to kick off the week: lamb steaks marinated in a Mexi spice mix and topped with shiitakes cooked in the pan juices and finished with some white wine; Exquisa potatoes mashed up with marge and milk; plaincooked peas and mangetout; and a salad with the remaining halloumi cheese, new fresh bunched radishes, plum tomatoes and lotsa leaves.

SHE SAYS: It was a nice, hearty meal, but I agree with Him that the lamb was gristly and put me off a bit. What is it with lamb right now? Isn't it lamb season, shouldn't it be at its best? The potatoes lived up to the hint of luxury in their varietal name, and the double-pea dish made for a very pleasing, subtle-tasting green veg portion of the programme. The radishes were the real star, though: finally, a little heat to go with the earthy crunch!

HE SAYS: Apart from the lamb being a little too tender, after grilling for a few more minutes it turned out great, although lamb leg steaks are a little gristly, I find. Still, the meal was quintessential rustic French fare. The mash was yum and so were the peas, covered with a little white wine gravy, mmmm... gorgeous!

06.04.08: Spring prawn, tomato, and green bean stir-up

Something a little lighter for spring, even if it is snowing: She turned her hand to a slight adaptation of the 'pan-cooked giant prawns with mangetout, peas and butterbeans' from Jamie's Dinners, subbing fine green beans for the mangtout (snowpeas) and less-than-giant prawns, plus sneaking in a couple of slugs of white wine near the beginning The salad nudging in on the scene brought pear, grapes, Apetina feta cheese and mixed leaves to the party.

HE SAYS: A nice, lighter meal compared to recent dinners. Thought the inclusion of white wine was a genius stroke, as it proved the vital base note for the other flavours after simmering. The organic butterbeans had a very interesting and complex taste to them. Will have to try and include them in more recipes. The salad was greatly improved by the inclusion of my favourite feta (I'm very particular about my feta, anything remotely goaty makes me gag) - its saltiness and sharp flavour do it for me, baby.

SHE SAYS: Tasting as I went along, I wasn't sure this was going to be anything but a bland, soupy mess, but the lemon juice and parsely stirred in at the last minute really pulled it all together. Also, I thought this combination of stuff surely cried out for a few cloves of garlic, but I'm so glad I stayed my hand: the result was tangy and shrimpy, with a hint of bisque to it, and garlic would have disrupted the lightness of flavour with a taste too pungent. Felt rather virtuous to chomp down all those green veg as well, esp after last nite's brunchy extravaganza. Like Him, I enjoyed the intensely salty feta, but as you may already know I have a soft spot for goaty cheeses, too - bring on the feta in any form, sez I!

14.01.08: Fishcakes

Thought we'd try the Two Fishwives smoked haddock fishcakes again, after a long hiatus. The steamin'-hot red cabbage is from the same giant frozen batch as last week, and the steamed mangetout poses as a virtuous side veg.

HE SAYS: Fishcakes were blander than I recall from previous experience, had me reaching for the Crystal. Red cabbage continues to tingle the tastebuds. As for the snowpeas, they were nice and crunchy, but failed to deliver on taste. Mangetout = mangepoo (this time).

SHE SAYS: Now I know why we stopped getting these: sopping with potato mash and not enough fish, these never fry up crispy and firm like they should - they just fall apart in wet chunks. I remember them being smokier, at least, and these had little flavour. Mangetout was bo-ring, but would have been soothing next to a tastier main. Red cabbage saved the plate.