Dinners at home

4/3/2008 – Jac cooked up some potatoes with mixed herbs, topped with a little melted cheese.

Potatoes with cheese and herbs

She served the potato dish with lamb steaks which she’d marinated with a tasty combination of Worchestershire sauce, tomato sauce, garlic and fresh rosemary and then pan-fried, and a vegetable medley, of carrot, peas and corn. She’d cooked the lamb so it was still pinkish (not bloody though, I don’t do bloody!) and so very tender.

Marinated lamb steaks with vegies

5/3/2008 – I’d had an energy and spirit-sapping day at work, and Jac offered to grab some takeaway from the Roman Palace Restaurant. We shared an Italian salad (AU$6.00).

Italian salad

I asked for some garlic bread (AU$3.50), which I always enjoy. There were no discernible garlic chunks on the bread, but it definitely had a satisfyingly strong garlicky flavour. The bread is always soft and fluffy in the middle, with chewy toasted crusts.

Garlic bread

Jac had ordered the Lasagne Al Forno (AU$10.50), which is made with three cheeses. In between the layers of pasta and cheese was a thick, creamy bechamel, and layers of meaty sauce. It was unbelievably cheesey, rich and delicious.

Lasagna

I had the chicken parmigiana with spaghetti napolitana (AU$17.00). I’ve mentioned before my preference for eating meals on a proper plate. Jac happily ate her lasagna straight out of the takeaway container, but I carefully arranged my chicken and pasta on a plate before tucking in. In this photo I’ve only got about half the pasta on the plate. I attacked my dinner with voracious hunger but this plus salad and garlic bread and a few mouthfuls of Jac’s lasagna (I looooved that bechamel!) I was soon very full. In the end, I had half a parmigiana and half the pasta for breakfast the next day.

Chicken parmigiana with spaghetti napolitana

6/3/2008 – I finished work late enough to stop by Chutney Mary’s to get takeaway dinner (after 5:30PM). Jac requested a chicken korma. I’d say korma is her favourite Indian curry, whether it’s made with chicken, vegies or prawns – she regularly raves about an amazing prawn korma she ate many years ago! Chutney Mary’s chicken korma is a mild curry (as korma should be), with a creamy cashew nut gravy. The chicken pieces were boneless thigh meat, and very tender, but I thought for AU$18.50 there should’ve been more meat – this photo shows the curry as it was when we took the lid off the takeaway container – I’m sure you’ll agree it looks as though someone’s already taken a share! Long-time readers may remember a similar criticism I made of Chutney Mary’s butter chicken, which was delicious but somewhat lacking in chicken content (see this previous post). While the chicken pieces in the korma were beautifully tender, I thought the korma sauce was a little bland – mild shouldn’t mean bland! – and had too much cream in it.

Chicken korma

The green beans and potato curry (AU$12.50) was really good – spicy, and tasty. In addition to the beans and potatoes were tomatoes and julienned carrots.

Green beans and potato curry

I also ordered a serve of fish tikka (AU$14.50) – red emperor fillets marinated in ginger, garlic and other spices and then cooked in the tandoor. The fish pieces were chunky and meaty but deliciously tender.

Fish tikka

My plate. I’d asked for basmati rice for two, which cost AU$3.00 per serve. Note the bright green minty sauce on the fish tikka. I don’t like minty sauces with Western food, but with Indian food it’s a different story (and a very different sauce!). It was a tasty meal overall, but arguably a little on the expensive side. The whole lot came to just over AU$50.

My plate

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