Smoked salmon

Thick slices of smoked salmon, served with diced shallots, blinis, creme fraiche and lettuce

Chilli

Tasty Sunday lunch - chilli with french bread, cheese and creme fraiche

Thai red pork curry

Red thai curry paste, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, sugar, lime zest, turmeric

Pork fillet added

Served with basil leaves and coconut rice

Weekend food 7

Sandwich

Ciabatta, mayonnaise, mustard, steak, blue cheese, tomato, green saad, olive oil

Good, if slightly messy to eat

Weekend food 6

Poached eggs, potato cakes, bacon - I don't like the white of poached eggs!

Weekend food 5

Great breakfast - french toast with a raspberry compote

Weekend food 4

Slow roasted pork, with carrots, shallots and potatoes cooked in the same dish.

Served with a homemade apple sauce

I used a meat thermometer with an externat readout for the first time - it was excellent - you leave the probe in the meat, and run the wire out to a digital display outside the oven.

Weekend food 3

Friday evening - frying peppers and onions for fajitas

Chicken with peppers, lettuce, cheese and salsa

Weekend food 2

Chocolate cake to keep us going through a weekend of Harry Potter reading

Wekend food 1

Sushi as a light Friday lunch

Quick lunch

River cafe carbonara with a green salad

Steak

Rare rib-eye, dijon mustard, dressed salad, fresh tomato

Thai food

Making a dipping sauce - chilli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil

Raw prawns, peeled

Basil and dried lime leaves

Thai red prawn curry with coconut rice

Store cupboard risotto

A really good Sunday lunch risotto, with just what we had in the house. I love being able to make food like this without having to go shopping. Started off with softening some onion, and adding lots of dried porcini.

Added risotto rice

Cooking it with white wine, chicken stock and the water I soaked the mushrooms in

Served with parmesan, truffle oil and a little butter mixed in

Chinese takeaway

Chinese with friends, so lots of food.

Pork chow mein, sweet and sour chicken, lemon chicken, chicken in cashew nuts and beansprouts, beef in black bean sauce, rice, prawn crackers.

Croissant, butter and jam. I always eat my croissant with a knife and fork - everyone thinks it's a bit odd, but it works.

Bacon, hash brown, sausage, beans, bacon and toast

Dinner

Dinner out at the new Loch Fyne in St Albans. It was a bit formulaic, but very well executed. Staff a bit over enthusiastic, but they've only been open a few weeks. Started with 6 oysters.

Followed by an excellent steak. Came with a green bean and mushroom salad, with a side order of chips and a green salad.

Banana bread

Banana and walnut loaf

Mmmm

Pork chops braised in onions

Pork chops

Covered with onions, sage, thyme and butter

And cooked in a low oven for a couple of hours

Great - very moist