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While we were in the States a bit earlier this year we were discussing our various diets and decided that we’d do a bit of a comparison for a month. So following the lead of some guy who took pictures of every meal he ate for a year, we’ll be taking pictures of our evening meal each day in November. Pictures are thumbnails, so if you really want a closer look you’ll be able to have one.

You can see what they’ve been eating in the States here. Check back and see how we ate!

Thurs 30th – The Finale

Weds 29th – Roasted Vege & Chicken

Tonight was our last homemade cooking meal for the month, as we’re out tomorrow night. Roasted potato, butternut squash and onion, accompanied by chicken and topped with creamy mushie sauce.

Tues 28th – Chicken & Avocado Quesadillas

We found this recipe with the avocado’s we brought, so we figured we’d give them a try. They weren’t too bad, but needed some tomato or chilli we reckon.

Mon 27th – Smoked Salmon and Caper Pasta

One of our regular dishes. Doesn’t take much effort really, and yummy.

Sun 26th – Crab Cakes with Aioli

Trying these for the first time, and I have to say they’re not bad at all! Might be even better with fresh crab rather than canned stuff, but still nice.

Sat 25th – Butternut Squash pasties & Pizza

What could go better with beer and ruggers. Rach came to watch the NZ vs. Wales game and so we sat drinking fosters and eating pizza and homemade pasties. Then we had some Thai whiskey and a game of charades to finish it off!

Fri 24th – Out at Wagamamas

Out for drinks for one of Bec’s workmate’s engagement, and so stopped at Wagamamas on the way home for din-dins tonight. Chicken Katsu curry for Bec, Yaki Udon for Mike, and some gyoza and ebi-katsu. Far too much food!

Thurs 23rd – You get 2 for one today!

Bec was staying overnight in Manchester for work tonight, so you get a meal each…

Mike – Steak, Spuds and Spinach…

With Bec away for the night for work I got to cook myself a big fat piece of red MEAT! Yum yum, yum, yum, yum! A nice piece of tender aged sirloin. Cooked pretty rare, of course!

If I’m honest, if we weren’t taking photos I might not have bothered dragging the good leaves out of the manky spinach bag. And if I’m really, really honest, there are times when even the potaoes are maybe optional!

Bec – Mediterranean Vegetable Risotto

What a huge portion of risotto with aubergine, peppers, artichoke, and rocket and parmesan salad on top. It was quite nice and better still came with a free glass of red wine (oh that’s because they forgot to put it on my bill)!

Wed 22nd – Quiche and Wasabi Potatoes

A few veges to use up in the fridge, and a couple of eggs, so a quick quiche was called for. And the wasabi mayonaise on the potatoes certainly cleared the nose!

Tues 21st – Prawn Laska

Tonight was the first repeat meal of the month. Prawns to use before tomorrow, so Mike decided he liked prawn laska and wanted it again, so who am I to disagree if he wants to cook!

Mon 20th – Sausages & Mash

Yum Yum Yum. Talk about a true English meal tonight. I love sausages and mash, you just can’t beat them topped with gravy. Vege sausies for Bec (on the left) and Vension for Mike (on the right) – but they look the same. Oh and we had some NZ Cloudy Bay to go with it, nice!

Sun 19th – Leek & Goats Cheese Tart

As we had some leeks in the fridge that needed using, we decided to get some goats cheese and make a lovely tart. It tasted great but I am not so sure it’s something you want to eat for any evening meal. Neither of us got much sleep that night, so it was either too much cheese or wind caused by the leeks (tee hee). Maybe better for a lunch time meal.

Sat 18th – Greasy Burgers!

A busy day out for Bec at the rugby (see her story on the main blog soon), and then we went and watched the All Black – France game at the Walkabout, with Welsh commentary, which they didn’t have on… So after a few too many beers and a random snakebite, it was a midnight feast of greasy burgers at the train station on the way home.

Fri 17th – Shrimp Empanaditas

These always remind us of Pete and Wendy, who got keen one day when they were staying with us and found these in our Mexican cookbook and made them for us. A bit of work, and needs a bit of time planning, but good!

Thurs 16th – Tom Soup. From a can.

Creamy Tom Soup from a can. It’s not at all time consuming to make, but it did us for a Thurs night tea. Bec adds grated cheese to hers, which she says is good, but I am not convinced!

Wed 15th – Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

At least it’s not a curry tonight! But nothing that special either…

Tues 14th – Thai Green Salmon & Vege Curry

Could that be another curry for tea tonight?! Oh my god yes! You’ll just have to excuse the pasta bowls. Tonight’s was different to the normal Thai curry we cook. And it had loads of vegetables to keep Bec happy. It was rather tasty.

Mon 13th – Japanese Curry

Japanese curry for tea tonight. The curry flavour comes from a packet and its pretty nice really. We used less water than it recommended which was a good idea, as I think we usually have it too runny.

Sun 12th – Salmon & Ginger Parcels

This must be the 2nd attempt that I can remember at making this and it’s still as nice as I thought it was. Keeping with the salmon theme tonight, we had pretty easy to make salmon and ginger parcels, and who doesn’t like pastry (as it’s sooo good for you!). We accompanied this with some butter and dill potatoes. Pretty nice really! Now tomorrow night we’ll probably have to use the left over pastry, unless I can think of something else to do with it!

Sat 11th – Potato Rosti & Smoked Salmon Layers

After spending the day at the Food Festival, it inspired us to have more than the instant soup we had planned. So we settled for one of Bec’s old favs and made potato rosti and then layered it with smoked salmon (usually we’d put some spinach in it too, but we didn’t have any).

We usually have it topped with some hollandise sauce but instead decided to top them with some condiments we bought at the food show. One each of wasabi mayo (def cleared the nose), and some dill and mustard sauce (very good)!

Fri 10th – Prawn Laska & Broccoli with Oyster Sauce

At least a little more of an effort tonight! This was kind of East meets,erm, East! Apparently we had to use the broccoli, so that explains the side dish. And then we thought we’d give a good laska a lashing too. Yummy. Odd. But yummy.

Next time though, more corn flour in the sauce to thicken it a bit more…

Thu 9th – Sardines on toast!

Right. The lady of the house was out at work drinks for a lot longer than she thought, and by the time she got home we decided it just wasn’t worth bothering to cook anything. Hence, sardines on toast. (I can’t believe he called me a lady)!

Wed 8th – Chicken Nonya Curry

An excuse to get out the coffeegrinder tonight. I have no real idea where or what Nonya is, all I know is that it makes a nice curry! Chicken, tomatoes and potatoes. And stuff. Not hot, but warming in a nice kind of garam masala, spice-based way. All the spices get dry roasted and then gound up in the grinder. Luckily one effort at making the spice powder lasts for a few meals.

But “conny-saws” that we are, we decided that we had the wrong type of potatoes tonight. Too waxy and hard. Needed to be lots more soft and floury for a change. But kind of nice not to have a curry that needs rice for a change.

Explains why I have to buy ready ground coffee though! Not sure how coffee would taste after all that spice has been mixed in!

Tues 7th – Easy Vege Nacho’s

Another lazy night of cooking. So we decided on some quick and easy vege nacho’s. Could’ve done with some chilli powder to spruce it up a bit. But it’s a good job that refried beans in the mix look nothing like they do when they come out of a can!

Tomorrow night we’ll back to more of an effort with tea!!

Mon 6th – Pasta Ravioli & Arriabbiata sauce

Monday. This must be the least inspired/inspiring night of the week. After last night’s effort of making the curry paste etc., we took the easy way out tonight and had quick and instant food. Spinach and ricotta ravioli with a slightly spicy tomato sauce. All instant. Well, except the fresh chilli I put on mine, and the freshly grated parmesan.

Still, for a grand total of about £2.50 for the both of us, you really can’t beat it. Cheaper than my sandwich for lunch! Maybe when we finally get a pasta maker and the squadron of hens out the back door we might make our own, but until then….

Sun 5th – Thai Green Curry

We normally cheat when we make Thai Green curry and use ready made paste. But every now and then we make it from scratch, pounding the paste with a mortar and pestle. Must be good for the arm muscles! And what a result, the flavour the heat and yum yum, all good really! And it’s even better with home grown chillis too!

Sat 4th – Baked cod with tapenade & roasted red pepper sauce

A bit more time today, given that it’s the weekend. Not too hard though.

Fri 3rd – Chicken Breasts with Mascarpone and Tomatoes

A new favourite. Chicken with fennel seeds, lemon, mascarpone and capers and stuff. Yum! And so quick and easy too. Some Oyster Bay Sav Blanc washes it down nicely too!

Thurs 2nd – Homemade Smoked Salmon Chowder

With homemade garlic bread and a sneaky glass of cab sav, to warm us up on the second cold night of November. And the smoked salmon needed to be used. Would’ve been really nice with some parsley… We look forward to the day when we have our own herbs out the back door!

Wed 1st – Homemade Fish Pie

“Comfort food” for the first really cold (comparatively) night this year.