Beetroot & Stilton Risotto and Bacon Wrapped Chicken - November 2013

I've been testing risotti for Essential Cuisine stocks, for their Facebook competition recently (did you enter it? Oh, you SHOULD they give amazing prizes you know....) and really liked one that I tested, so made a slightly different version for dinner.  Followed by chicken breast wrapped in fabulous Gourmet Bacon (which I bought at the Good Food Show on Friday) and baked in the oven, with a salad on the side.

Aren't the colours all lovely for a grey November day?

Flash Fried Pigeon Breasts with Quince & Blackberry Glaze - November 2013

Fabulous little things are pigeon breasts, they look so small but they are so meaty and flavoursome that two little breasts make a perfectly sufficient dinner portion.

I flash fried these - no more than 1 minute per side, so they stay nicely red inside, glazed with home made quince jelly and blackberry vinegar, then rested for another couple of minutes to let the heat even out inside.  I served these with a bulghar wheat pilaf made with chicken stock , seasoned with sumac and parsley, and then topped with seared red pepper strips, toasted pine nuts and raw pomegranate seeds. The sweetness of the little garnishes and glaze really goes well with the light gaminess of the pigeon, which is quite a sweet meat anyway.

Some broccoli to make sure I have something green and light, and a really toothsome dish.