Tuesday's Black Pepper Fest

On Tuesday Joe let me back in the kitchen and I felt we had some making up to do after the poor show on Monday night - I didn't know you could make beans on toast look even more basic!  Anyway, armed with some pretty simple ingredients of chicken, broccoli, peppers and some spices, we ended up with pretty tasty chicken and broccoli in a black pepper sauce with rice.  Admittedly, by the end of the meal both Joe and I were suffering from the spice but it was worth it!  Yum.

Chicken and broccoli in black pepper sauce

Joe's bowl, with some cheeky chilli chutney (perhaps thats why it seemed so spicy!)

Friday dim sum

I love Fridays.  The end of the week, no work for two days, and an evening to have a bit of a blow out and celebration.

This Friday, my celebration was the visit of the lovely Zanna, long time friend and bridesmaid to be, who was coming up for a general visit and do some wedding planning.   We needed a good catch up and the perfect location was some pre-dinner drinks at the Roundhay Fox.  We supped some white wine and then when the time was right, dispatched Joe to go home and rustle up some M&S dim sum and prawns with broccoli and cashew nuts.  What a star.

It was rather lovely to arrive back at the house to find dim sum steaming, broccoli stir frying, more wine in the cooler and candles lit.  Dinner was also exactly what we needed, even if Joe did try to melt my face with some very spicy chilli!

M&S dim sum - a not too shabby alternative to making your own (and much less hassle)

Prawns with broccoli and cashews (and super spicy chilli!)

Thursday Chilli Prawns

So Joe is out on the town AGAIN!  This time playing (and hopefully winning) pool with the boys he works with.  Don't feel too sorry for me though, my social life hiatus is totally my own doing.  I am going on what should be my last bridal dress shopping excursion next week so I am off the booze and eating steamed vegetables.  No pain, no gain, hey?!

So tonight my dinner comprises of stir fried prawns with chilli, pineapple, steamed broccoli and pak choi with steamed white rice.  It's actually not so bad for a healthy dinner, although I definitely now want to eat all the chocolate in the house....

Chilli prawns with pak choi, broccoli and rice

Sunday Roast Chicken and Risotto

I sometimes think I'll make a terrible wife as I'm really not one for the traditional Sunday roast.  There's nothing wrong with it, I'm just not a huge fan of roast beef, roast lamb, all the trimmings....it doesn't seem very exciting. 

I will make an exception for roast chicken though - I think a properly cooked roast chicken is an absolute delight - juicy, moist, full or flavour.  It also suits a huge range of accompaniments - no soggy carrots and flaccid roast potatoes for me! 

This weekend my roast chicken was done with a paprika, oregano and olive oil marinade, pea and bacon risotto and broccoli.  I cook a chicken for around an hour and a half and rest it for at least 20 minutes - the result is really tender and juicy meat packed with flavour.  As its bloody freezing outside, it seemed only right that it was accompanied by a rich and creamy risotto.  The broccoli was only really there for the 5-a-day thing but you know, no one's perfect.

Roast chicken

Pea and bacon risotto

And a super juicy chicken leg

Sunday Steak and Ale Pudding

Joe has long been telling me about his fond memories of steak and kidney pudding as a child.  I can't recall having ever eaten it before - I'm not a huge fan of kidneys and I don't think my mother was ever into cooking with suet.  After some serious hinting falling on my deaf ears, Joe decided to take the bull by the horns and try making it for himself - although it was sans the kidney and a steak and ale version instead.

He did everything from scratch - the suet pastry, the steak and ale filling, and steamed it for hours in the slow cooker.  The end result was pretty impressive - it looks a little flat as the bowl was a bit large (damaged by gravity following the up turn) but everything was really quite tasty.  I may have even been converted to a pudding eater so well done Joe!

Steak and ale pudding

Steak and ale pudding - a close up with broccoli

Friday - another weekend already?

We've had a good, but busy week this week, so we rounded it off by an evening at home with comfort food, wine and movies. 

Since Joe is running so much at the weekends, he informed me that he needs to fill up on pasta.  I'm not usually a huge fan, but luckily back in December we were given some nice pastas by @gustoitalianouk in our hamper of goodies. 

I made a slight fusion dish of pasta with chorizo, grilled peppers, broccoli and prawns in a tomato sauce.  It was seasoned with smoked paprika and everything came together really well - livened up with a squeeze of lemon, it was light and tasty - no stodge in sight.

Pasta with chorizo, grilled peppers, broccoli and prawns

Pasta, topped off with some fresh parmesan. 

Tuesday - Back to Work!....Boo

After having such a hefty time off work, for some reason Tuesday and being back to work rolled round very quickly!  We both had a proper back-to-school feeling on Tuesday morning - struggling to get out of bed, do anything at any sort of speed, or feel remotely enthusiastic about the day ahead!  It probably didn't help that it was blowing a gale, pouring with rain, and bloody dark.  God, I hate January!

Anyways, much like the first day back at school, being back at work wasn't actually so bad!  It felt like everyone was still waking up from hibernation, but I'm sure that won't last!  Joe and I are both now struggling with disgusting illnesses too, but hey ho...  I do at least know how to make myself feel better - spicy stir fried turkey with cashews and green peppers and stir fried noodles with pak choi and broccoli.  Lots of leafy greens, ginger and chilli - the perfect way to blast out a cold!  Still no booze too....how very virtuous!

Turkey with cashews and green peppers

Stir fried noodles, broccoli and pak choi

Wednesday - Jo finished work at 9.30pm!

So it was a very quick dinner made by me - chicken, broccoli, chilli and mushrooms on toast with pesto and cheese on top!! Sounds a bit pants but quick and pretty tasty (this is a dull post but it is 10.30pm and time to get ready for bed! - it has been a lonnnnng day!)