17 May - disappointing chicken

This evening we were out at the theatre, so I had my main meal at lunchtime. I was having a busy day and didn't really have time to shop or think much about food, so when it came to lunch, it was just what was in the fridge. I decided to use the chicken breast I hadn't used in the stir-fry last night and the quick thing seemed to pan-fry it. To go with it I had more new potatoes and asparagus. To add a bit of interest, I made up some fresh mayonnaise but added a bit of extra lemon juice; to make it a bit more lemony and also to make it more the consistency of a sauce to pour over the asparagus. To be honest, the result wasn't particularly exciting, but well, it kept me alive!

9 May - fresh garlic mayonnaise and stuffed peppers

Lunch today was a classic combination for this time of year; asparagus, parma ham and a few new potatoes. To add a bit of luxury, I made up a batch of fresh garlic mayonnaise. A small clove of garlic sprinkled with salt and crushed with a knife point to a paste, then whisked into an egg yolk. Then olive oil (mild first, followed by some extra virgin) dribbled into the bowl, whisking all the time, until the mixture becomes so thick and shiny that it all sticks to the whisk. Then a squeeze of lemon juice brings it back to the right consistency - well worth the effort!

This evening was a bit of using up - one of the green peppers from the vegbox and the lamb mince left over from the weekend's burgers. I fried a chopped onion and some garlic, added some pine nuts, the lamb mince and then a couple of chopped tomatoes. I added some tomato puree, salt and a pinch of dried oregano, then piled the mixture into the halved pepper and baked it for about 25 mins. Served with some minty couscous, it made a tasty supper.