View Full Version : what's for dinner in 2014?
Blackdog Lin
1-21-14, 10:49pm
Sorry, I miss this thread when it's not around. I enjoy and learn so much from hearing about what everyone is cooking. So, anyone committed to anything new for the new year? Diets, learning, techniques, aids, resolutions?
I am just ongoing with my quest to (1) reduce waste, utilize leftovers, and try to serve the best possible meals for our money; and (2) work harder on eliminating processed grocery items (i.e. cream of mushroom soup etc. :)) and more of making meals from more "real" foods.
Sunday was homemade biscuits and gravy (I've switched from Crisco to lard for my biscuits), with orange juice as a nod to nutrition. :) Monday was steaks (getting old in the freezer), baked 'tators, and a wondermous hot-bacon-spinach salad. I've finally found a way to serve DH spinach that he will eat! He was very iffy and suspicious when I set it in front of him.....and then went on to have a second big bowl for desert! The recipe is a keeper (but hey, it's called hot bacon dressing - I mean, how could it not be good?), and I am a happy woman.
Today was ham-n-pinto-beans, using the freezer hambone from our Christmas ham, along with corn muffins. Tomorrow is crockpot-roasted whole chicken (getting old in the freezer), with Stovetop dressing (I just don't have enough leftover bread items in the freezer to go to the trouble of making homemade) and some sort of salad utilizing the rest of the spinach and a cucumber. I'll eat the spinach, and will make DH a salad from this-n-that-and-cucumber. And Thursday we'll just have the ham and beans again. It'll be new again by then. :)
I should get a meal's-worth of extra meat from the chicken to save for later, and will boil the carcass for broth for something this weekend. Frugal.
Chime in.
Chicken and kale soup, curried ground beef over smashed cauliflower...The Whole30 (elimination diet) is going well. I bought some full-fat plain Greek yogurt to celebrate its being finished, however. Ten days to go. I'm still drinking unsweetened swill in lieu of a tasty coffee drink in the morning, but not for long. I'm perfecting my homemade mayo--first batch, too salty; second batch, a little loose and not salty enough. A challenge! And while I was at it, I whipped up some homemade ketchup, which turned out to have too much vinegar. It will make a good BBQ sauce, with a little fine tuning.
Tonight was the last of the lasagna and tater tots. I really wanted to make popcorn, but felt too tired...lazy.
The pantry here is gettin' low, and it is interesting that I am thinking biscuits and gravy for a quick and tasty dinner after my ten-hour day at work tomorrow. Grocery shopping in Thursday, after laundry, and I cannot wait for greens and salad again.
Monday we had salmon, broccoli, couscous and a salad and clementines (from California) for dessert
Tuesday we had homemade mushroom soup with rice and a yummy casserole bread with cottage cheese/dried onion/dill seed, and clementines for dessert.
Leftover soup tonight with probably crackers and cheese.......and clementines for dessert. :)
happystuff
1-22-14, 9:18am
Love hearing about everyone's meals. Definitely gives me ideas.
Question about those who make biscuits and gravy as a meal. I know how to make biscuits, but how do folks make their gravy? Anyone care to share their recipe??? Thanks in advance.
SteveinMN
1-22-14, 11:23am
This year I'm trying to concentrate on matching food purchases with use. Doing decently well so far. This week's meals are a slow-cooker Hungarian goulash using meat that has languished in the freezer for a bit too long and a braised pork-rib dish which uses only pantry staples and an additional pound of ribs beyond what I had in the freezer. In previous weeks this year, I made meals centered around food gifts I'd received at Christmas (some chicken-something sausage, whole-wheat gnocchi, etc.). Somehow, though, it seems I'm always at one market or another ...
We continue to eat at more home and cooking/shopping has become a shared hobby for DH and I. We have such fantastic grocery/food market options here that looking for food can be entertaining. Last weekend, we went to the Asian markets and purchased some things I like to have in the pantry - coconut milk, dried mushrooms, black vinegar... There is a great Middle Eastern grocery down the street where we can get fresh pita bread, feta and olives. We have been trying to do at least three days a week meatless again or more if it happens so one can make veggies more interesting by trying "ethnic" versions. One thing I have started doing is making all my own stock so I have a bag in the freezer to which I add all the veggie scraps. I also routinely cook up a pot of beans for the freezer - pintos, red, black in glass jars. Last night, I thought we had garbanzos in the freezer and I was going to make a biryana (sp?) but I was wrong. Instead, we made a turkey rice soup from turkey meat and stock already in the freezer. Served with sliced oranges and roasted cauliflower florets. My next adventure will be making my own tortillas as I just bought a small bag of masa. Part of the fun is throwing together something with what is there, ie improvising.
happystuff........I used to think I needed to make a white sauce first, but then realized that after the sausage was cooked (and you can drain off fat if you want), I would just sprinkle a couple tablespoonsfull of flour over it and mix it up. Then I would add milk and keep stirring until it thickened.
happystuff
1-22-14, 3:37pm
Thanks CathyA!
You're welcome happystuff! Now I'm hungry for biscuits and gravy! :)
frugal-one
1-22-14, 5:27pm
Having my all-time comfort food tonight.... scalloped potatoes and ham. yummmmmm
Chili-marinated pork roast with onions, carrots, and apples.
Made veggie stir fry over leftover quinoa last night. The extra stir fry went over leftover rice for my husband's lunch for today.
I have a couple legs of octopus in the fridge that need to be eaten so they will go in a vegi marinara sauce over pasta with fresh baked bread.
Found a great little mom & pop fruit, vegi & fresh seafood market less than a 5 minute walk away from my home so I visit most mornings to check out what's fresh & reasonably priced each day. Doesn't allow for much meal planning ahead but it forces me to eat more seasonally and a much wider range of foods.
Tonight we are having pasta with caramelized onions and a salad.
Tomorrow - I'm not sure yet. I have a little bit of ham, 1 lb. of ground beef & frozen tilapia. I'm betting I won't be cooking the tilapia lol
Packratona!
1-22-14, 8:24pm
Tonight, black beans cooked in the crockpot. I make it with a little red wine, olive oil, garlic, onions, a little vinegar, a little sugar, 1/2 tsp. cumin. I soak the beans for about 24 hours before cooking. Tossed in some fresh cilantro which I grow in pots on the patio. It reseeds itself so just one packet of seeds makes lots of crops. Fajita chicken breasts that I bought on "clearance" at ALDIS for about 40 cents a pound. Rice. Tossed salad with my homemade Italian dressing. All delicious. Cost of meal was less than $1 a pound. Other additions to this meal would be some yuca cooked and with garlic and lime, or some fried tostones (green plantains), with a homemade garlic-tomato dipping sauce.
I worked eleven hours today, with only two bathroom breaks. So, no fresh biscuits. No creamy gravy.
Sunday was smoked ham, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Monday was homemade lasagna from the freezer. Tuesday was orange chicken over brown rice. Tonight we had leftover tomato lentil soup with Swiss chard in it that I had made on Saturday, with feta cheese sprinkled over the top, along with homemade whole wheat rolls. Yum!
ApatheticNoMore
1-23-14, 12:23am
Salmon and fried potatoes, emphasis on herbs. Salmon coated with spice mixture (sage, lavender, thyme, etc.) I got last year on a trip to Northern Cali. sauteed in olive oil then baked. Old cold potato fried with olive oil, onion, garlic, and wild sage I gathered recently in the foothills.
I worked eleven hours today, with only two bathroom breaks. So, no fresh biscuits. No creamy gravy.
This sounds amazingly similar to my job. But I managed a nice lo mein stir fry.
Last two nights were pasta with pesto, a huge green salad, and apple slices. Tonight, probably Happy Hour at the local Fonda! Tamales, margaritas, & salad, and all for under $25 for two people.
Yesterday I made Old Fashioned Beef and Noodle Soup in the slow cooker. It was sooo good! Leftovers tonight with rosemary sourdough bread toast.
Made a quick bean soup using canned beans and leftover ham steak. I started it when I got home from work at 1:15 in the crockpot and made the mistake of not turning it to high. So I put in a pan on the stove to finish it off. It was ok but not as good as starting from dried beans. Cheddar bay biscuits on the side. Those did turn out good :)
Packratona!
1-23-14, 8:21pm
Sunday was smoked ham, mashed potatoes and broccoli. Monday was homemade lasagna from the freezer. Tuesday was orange chicken over brown rice. Tonight we had leftover tomato lentil soup with Swiss chard in it that I had made on Saturday, with feta cheese sprinkled over the top, along with homemade whole wheat rolls. Yum!
I can tell you are a great cook.
Packratona!
1-23-14, 8:22pm
Having my all-time comfort food tonight.... scalloped potatoes and ham. yummmmmm
I wonder if this could be made with turkey ham?
We had bean soup, too. I bought the 13 bean package at the store, soaked them all last night then this morning used half of the beans and froze the other half. Added water, can of chicken broth, tiny bit of onion, clove of garlic , carrot and crock pot on high for a few hours, then on low and added a can of tomatoes. It is very tasty and my husband never considers soup a meal, but did tonight!!! The key for us is no meat and just a small bit of onion, too much makes it not so good for us. I'm pleased!
ApatheticNoMore
1-23-14, 10:03pm
I can tell you are a great cook.
and a busy one. My menu reads more like this: ok one day I cook, something tasty, I can post something, the next day I eat the leftovers of that, the next day the leftovers again, the next day well ... it's happened :). Think I'll fast tonight though really.
Blackdog Lin
1-23-14, 10:23pm
Beans of various stripes seem to be popular with us'all - must be the winter weather, eh?!!! Enjoying all the responses.
Today was the leftover ham-n-pintos, along with fried potatoes and orange juice. We're going shopping tomorrow, so lunch out, and will smash the rest of the pintos for a layered dip for the guys (and their beer-drinking) tomorrow night.
Saturday thinking sour cream chicken enchiladas, using the rest of the baked chicken from yesterday, and Mexican rice. And lately I'm just consumed with the idea of trying to make chilaquilles - so that's what I want to fix for Sunday brunch, but DH may balk at so much Mexican food all at once - we'll see.
I can tell you are a great cook.
Why thank you! That was very sweet! I do love to cook.
SteveinMN
1-24-14, 10:40am
Last night's dinner was boneless pork ribs braised in soy sauce/scallion/ginger/star anise/shallots, with rice and mixed frozen vegetables. Oh, my, it was restaurant quality (that does not happen often) (well, except for the vegetables). This recipe is a keeper. Enough leftovers for the weekend, too.
Last night we had a stir-fry with meat strips marinated in soy sauce/ginger/garlic/sherry and lots of veggies......broccoli/carrots/celery/onions/water chestnuts/mushrooms, over rice.
Tonight we'll have the usual Friday night meal......a frozen thin Freschetta 5 cheese pizza and I add onion, red pepper and spinach.
iris lilies
1-24-14, 12:21pm
Last night our friend, who is a great cook, dropped off chicken in a creamy tomatoes sauce, and lots of it, enough for dinner plus one more serving.
All I had to do was put the rice in the rice cooker and warm up a veg. It was lovely.
She does that now and then, drops off food for us.
frugal-one
1-24-14, 1:27pm
Have a turkey in the oven. Really enjoy having cooked turkey or chicken in the freezer for quick meals. My DH always says the leftovers are better than the first meal. I try to morph the original meal into something tasty. So today is the original turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy and vegetable. It sure is nice to have the oven on today. The wind is howling and we have weather alerts for the cold.
So the plan for this weeks meals is, in no particular order :
BBQ chicken pizza - it was delish!
nachos
chicken pot pie
roasted garlic soup (a new recipe)
tacos
non-traditional BiBimBap
parmesan crusted tilapia
non-traditional BiBimBap
Azure, I'd like to hear more about that!
This week's dinners:
- pizza (usual Friday night dinner)
- leftover pork ribs braised in soy sauce/Shaoxing wine/ginger/anise, with rice and veggies
- pork chops cooked with cabbage and carrots, with potatoes
- chicken in almond sauce, butternut-squash noodles, and string beans
- tilapia in a bread-crumb/sun-dried tomato coating (prepared and frozen) and ... I'll figure out 'and' :)
Asian-style chicken curry soup with garlic and ginger, peppers, kale and zucchini "noodles."
Tonight was grilled ribeye steak with garlic, grilled onions, broccoli and quinoa.
Steve - I consider it non-traditional because the recipe calls for brown rice and grilled shrimp. I guess it's probably not as non-traditional as I think it is. But I've only seen it made with white sticky rice and usually beef or pork.
Rice stick noodles, lots, the last of the frozen shrimp, canned mushrooms and caps of frozen garlic and ginger. I had two big helpings and there is enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow and lunch on Wednesday. A couple of small navel oranges for dessert. A piece of dark chocolate. Best dinner in a long time.
What I really want is pizza. It is too cold here, with expected low temps of 40 below zero tomorrow, so I will just have to hope that Thursday is warm enough to get groceries and do the laundry.
Although this miserable weather calls out for bean soup, I am getting my slow cooker revved up to make Beef Stroganoff and noodles.
Last night we had chili and cornbread. Tonight I'll pull out the frozen homemade broccoli soup and maybe make some more of that dill casserole bread, and a salad.
I have my eye on the frozen eggplant parmesan in the freezer for another night this week. Its so much fun to have something in the freezer, and not have to make a dinner from scratch.........almost like being on vacation!
Gosh this thread makes me hungry! hahaha
Packratona!
1-29-14, 7:41am
Make some tamales with that masa.
Blackdog Lin
1-29-14, 5:09pm
Sunday was my first try at chilaquiles. My oh my, LOVED them. I fried corn tortilla strips for them (another first), used enchilada sauce, and served with a couple fried eggs on top. Unfortunately, DH just liked them, didn't LOVE! them like I did, so I won't be fixing them once a week like I might want to otherwise. :)
Monday was minestrone w/Italian bread sticks, yesterday was hot shredded beef sandwiches and a relish plate, and today was chicken yakisoba. Tomorrow is furniture shopping (yuk!) so will have lunch out.
Had a really good dinner last night. Broiled salmon, roasted cauliflower and sweet onions with lemon juice and garlic, and mashed sweet potatoes with a little butter. Yum!
onlinemoniker
2-14-14, 4:16pm
I made Chik'n Veggie Barley soup yesterday while home for snow (still home...) I have eaten about 1/2 already. It includes the following:
carrots
celery
onion
red pepper
corn
lima beans
green beans
peas
tomatoes
cabbage
barley
soy chik'n
veggie bullion
herbs (Italian mix)
garlic
crushed red pepper
Mushroom bourguignon. It's delicious and is great for the vegetarian/meat-eating couple, because the mushrooms taste so meaty. My meat-and-potatoes DH loves it.
iris lilies
2-14-14, 6:44pm
I took a vacation day from work and styed home to cook and freeze food and listen to the radio. I made:
* 6 stuffed peppers
* Two nights worth of
--noodle soup with ham
-- beef and tomato topping for spaghetti or rice
--chicken curry
--shreded pork/beans for taco fillings.
I am cleaning out the pantry and the big freezer. We are completely out of dried beans and have precious little pasta. I used up all of the coconut milk, all of the pineapple, and much of the frozen peppers from our garden as well as the cherry tomatoes that we froze.
We have entirely too much Arboro rice so I will have to figure out a way to use it up; I did use some of it for stuffing peppers. We have bags and bags of frozen sweet corn, donated by my father-in-law last summer. I think that will have to go into next winter.
Blackdog Lin
2-15-14, 5:41pm
Friday was hamburger sandwiches (needed to finish up a loaf of bread) along with some leftover broccoli-n-cheese-sauce. Today bacon and pancakes for brunch; gonna make tacquitos for this evening. Tomorrow is my first try at Mongolian Beef, along with rice and bacon-spinach salad. And the weather is supposed to be downright warmish tomorrow, so DH is wanting to grill. We'll have whatever he grills Monday along with squash medley and more bacon-spinach salad.
SteveinMN
2-16-14, 11:06am
Lin, grilling sounds wonderful, but our grill is under about a foot of snow right now...
Last night's dinner was a slow-cooked beef salsa casera -- some chuck cooked with a can of salsa casera, some diced tomatoes, and onions. It was supposed to be served on sprouted-grain tortillas, but they became science experiments, so it was served on those thin-slice bread things instead.
The night before that was what is purported to be the (Seinfeld) Soup Nazi's Chicken Chili, though the texture is much closer to soup. Still tasty and a great way to stretch a pound of chicken breast.
I think tonight's dinner will be some sort of okonomiyaki or egg fu yung; we've got lots of dribs and drabs we need to get out of the 'fridge.
Blackdog Lin
2-16-14, 10:02pm
I was about to set out the last 4 slices of oldish bread for the chickens this morning, when I thought "croutons!" Why waste it on the chickens when we might enjoy it on our bacon-spinach salad? And so I did and they turned out very good. The chickens only got the crust(s).
Sorry about your grill being buried Steve. Not to gloat (:)) but I have a batch of slow-grilled fat ribs (country-style ribs, they call them) making my kitchen smell heavenly right now, and ready to finish in the oven tomorrow with some bbq sauce for our main meal. And DH is finishing the coals with a big smoked sausage we had in the freezer needing used - will freeze it for future use. It did him good to get outside and enjoying some fresh air, warmer weather, and his grill - he's in a much better humor tonight.
Sometimes life just smells delicious.
SteveinMN
2-17-14, 11:04pm
Lin, that grill is a cr@ppy Walmart-version Charbr0il. Secretly I'm hoping that maybe it will die some winter and we'll have to revert to the Weber I used to have. That grill is horrible to use even in the middle of summer. But it would be nice for it to even be an option.
The 'fridge cleanout came up mostly canned-tomato and onion leftovers. I sauteed the onions with some garlic and olive oil, cooked down the tomatoes and added some basil and oregano, put it all together and made homemade spaghetti sauce. A little sundried-tomato breaded frozen fish and dinner was served. And the refrigerator has much more space.
ApatheticNoMore
2-17-14, 11:46pm
Well yesterday I cooked with my mom, and just to make you jealous it was linguine in a clam cream sauce (clams, half and half made into a white sauce, wine, fresh picked oregano, block Parmesan etc.). With a fresh salad: romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, topped with already made 3 bean salad (a version with green beans, yellow green beans and garbanzos in a vinaigrette).
But I can't really make you jealous today. I've mostly just been eating this laziness: 1/3 lb ground beef, onions, garlic sauteed in olive oil with a can of pinto beans, chili powder, onion powder, epazote, hot sauce - topped with a bit of sour cream and avocado.
SteveinMN
2-18-14, 11:08am
ANM, nothing wrong with good lazy food! :)
I am going to jump in here because I'm pretty proud of what I made for dinner yesterday. We have several farm-raised rabbits in the freezer. I took one out, thawed it, then pressure cooked it (20 min!). It was SO tender at that point. I took all the meat and chopped it up, set it aside. Chopped up some potato, carrot, celery, onion, and half a rutabaga and saute'ed them. I added in the rabbit and 6 chopped fresh mushrooms and a cup of frozen peas. Added all that into a baking pan, made a quick gravy from the juices left in the pressure cooker, poured it over. I had some pie crust in the freezer which I had thawed out while making this dish. Rolled it out, placed it on the mixture, baked at 450 for 15 min. OMG, it was SO good!!! And I just came up with it all in my head -- no recipe!
ETA: Oh! And I also canned 5 half-pints of mango chutney yesterday. Bought a carton of mangos really cheap at Costco.
Blackdog Lin
2-18-14, 6:51pm
Rabbit pot pie! That's just the most awesomely homey-sounding dinner ever. Very cool.....
SteveinMN
2-19-14, 10:11am
Wow, Kay! The get-it-going vibe was strong yesterday!
On Monday I made "Cassoulet". It had skinned, deboned chicken thighs, kielbasa, tomatoes, onions, northern white beans. DH loved it so much he wanted to have it again on Tuesday. There wasn't much left, so I just cut the chicken into smaller pieces and added more tomatoes, onions, kielbasa, and beans, and he was again, happy as a clam.
Can't decide about tonight's meal.........either Tortellini soup that's in the freezer or hamburgers with a salad. Sure wish I hadn't fired the cook. haha
Packratona!
2-19-14, 9:16pm
Nicaraguan stew. You buy onions, yuca, plantains, calabaza, chayotes, malanga/sweet potatoes, green peppers, some corn on the cob broken in half, and some beef on the bone. I seared the meat in some oil on all sides, then added some onions and cooked until translucent. Then add a lot of water, some yuca, plantains, the calabaza, the sweet potatoes. Cook them awhile. Add some garlic and salt. Add the chayotes and the peppers and cool a little while longer. Then add the corn and turn off covered. Sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top just before serving. It takes a few hours to cook on low. The only pricey ingredient is the beef. Yum.
Well yesterday I cooked with my mom, and just to make you jealous it was linguine in a clam cream sauce (clams, half and half made into a white sauce, wine, fresh picked oregano, block Parmesan etc.). With a fresh salad: romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, topped with already made 3 bean salad (a version with green beans, yellow green beans and garbanzos in a vinaigrette).
But I can't really make you jealous today. I've mostly just been eating this laziness: 1/3 lb ground beef, onions, garlic sauteed in olive oil with a can of pinto beans, chili powder, onion powder, epazote, hot sauce - topped with a bit of sour cream and avocado.
I started seeing this around several years ago. I bought some. (plant). But I'm having a hard time figuring it out. It doesn't taste like anything to me.
ApatheticNoMore
2-20-14, 2:30am
I started seeing this around several years ago. I bought some. (plant). But I'm having a hard time figuring it out. It doesn't taste like anything to me.
It doesn't have very much flavor after awhile (especially just a spice you buy after awhile). It's supposed to help with the gas in beans, I don't know if that's true or not. It basically grows wild here, the better flavor is definitely when I've picked it fresh and let it become dried (just let it sit around) and crumpled the leaves into beans - that has some flavor, I like it.
SteveinMN
2-20-14, 10:23am
Last night: leftover beef salsa casera.
Night before and tonight: a stew of chicken thighs, butternut squash, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and quinoa. Hearty food for cold weather.
Blackdog Lin
2-20-14, 10:27pm
Packratona!: your exotic stew sounds entirely interesting and delicious. I wish I could - but alas, the ingredients are not available out here in ..... small-town flyover country. :)
Steve: I am starting to suspect that you cook much the same way I do, but you are able to give your creations wonderful ethnic descriptive names. I am jealous of this. Please tell me what beef (okay, got it) salsa (easy enough) casera (what is it?! I don't have a clue!) is. Tell me the truth: you threw some leftovers together and knew enough to give it the proper descriptive name, didn't you?
:)
Tell me the truth: you threw some leftovers together and knew enough to give it the proper descriptive name, didn't you?
Yes, Lin, I think you and I cook very much alike, if posting history is anything to go by.:)
Actually, these were "firstovers", but it's a simple recipe -- beef chuck in a slow cooker with some onions and ... salsa casera (http://www.mexgrocer.com/1455.html) (which translates to "homestyle salsa" though it came from a good brand). The idea is a riff on the ol' slab o' meat (sorry, vegetarians) and sauce in a slow cooker. My mom's favorite variation of this was beef and a bottle of French dressing. I also like making pinto beans in the slow cooker with a large jar of medium salsa. Quick and easy and reasonably healthful if made ahead and the fat skimmed.
onlinemoniker
2-21-14, 4:21pm
The idea is a riff on the ol' slab o' meat (sorry, vegetarians) and sauce in a slow cooker.
You don't have to apologize to we veggies and vegans. We all have our own lives to live!
Nicaraguan stew. You buy onions, yuca, plantains, calabaza, chayotes, malanga/sweet potatoes, green peppers, some corn on the cob broken in half, and some beef on the bone. I seared the meat in some oil on all sides, then added some onions and cooked until translucent. Then add a lot of water, some yuca, plantains, the calabaza, the sweet potatoes. Cook them awhile. Add some garlic and salt. Add the chayotes and the peppers and cool a little while longer. Then add the corn and turn off covered. Sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top just before serving. It takes a few hours to cook on low. The only pricey ingredient is the beef. Yum.
Ooo! Sounds delish! Thanks.
Blackdog Lin
2-23-14, 10:54pm
Steve: thanks for the explanation, though you kind of ruined it for me. I mean, Beef Salsa Casera just sounds ethnic and homemade and practically gourmet. Like you should have spent 1 1/2 hours in prep work on it.
I have GOT to start coming up with better names for my concoctions. :)
Blackdog Lin
2-23-14, 11:27pm
Back on topic, Friday was Creamy Black Bean Soup, which turned out to be a total surprise. I liked it, but DH loved it - he cleaned out the saucepan. And it was totally healthy - the creaminess just came from taking the hand-blender to half the soup before adding the rest of the beans, no dairy necessary for creaminess. Gonna remember this trick for other creamy soups.....
Tonight was Han-Seng Garlic Meatballs in sweet sauce with pineapple. It turned out very very good served over rice.
(Steve - that was for you. There is no such thing - but it was so fun coming up with a name for it. A pack of our homemade meatballs out of the freezer, put on top of 1/2 an onion saute'd in olive oil, the rest of this morning's pineapple rings that we had for brunch, and a cup of store-bought bbq sauce that was languishing in the fridge.)
Hee Hee. Sorry, having fun with this. Probably the 2nd glass of wine.....
Salad with romaine and baby kale, heirloom tomatoes, blanched broccoli, sweet onions, cucumber, and dressing made with homemade mayonnaise, Daisy (tm) :-D sour cream, anchovies, green onions, garlic, tarragon, and parsley.
Tonight was Han-Seng Garlic Meatballs in sweet sauce with pineapple. It turned out very very good served over rice.
(Steve - that was for you. There is no such thing - but it was so fun coming up with a name for it. A pack of our homemade meatballs out of the freezer, put on top of 1/2 an onion saute'd in olive oil, the rest of this morning's pineapple rings that we had for brunch, and a cup of store-bought bbq sauce that was languishing in the fridge.)
Love it, Lin! :+1:
I have to say that I don't usually come up with the names of the dishes I cook. I may riff heavily on a recipe, but I usually start with a recipe. The only meal I cook regularly for which I wing it almost all the time is my "Musgovian Chicken Soup" -- and even for that I borrowed the term "Musgovian" from an Internet cooking group of which I've been part for a couple of decades.
Blackdog Lin
2-25-14, 10:48pm
Jane, am so jealous of your salad with heirloom tomatoes! In our neck of the woods, in the winter, the grocery tomatoes are just.....tasteless. Tomatoes only in the theoretical sense. :) We are forced to use canned (either our own home-canned or store-bought) or do without.
This week: Monday was "kitchen-sink" beef stir-fry over rice. DH devoured it. Today (his day to cook) tator tot casserole along with a bowl of marinated veggies. Tomorrow will be oven-fried chicken and macaroni salad. And Thursday (again his day to cook) he can utilize the chicken leftovers, and the rice leftovers, for sweet garlic chicken over rice. Think I'll throw some more veggies in the marinade/dressing from today to go with it. And a jar of pickled beets.
Yes, Lin, I think you and I cook very much alike, if posting history is anything to go by.:)
Actually, these were "firstovers", but it's a simple recipe -- beef chuck in a slow cooker with some onions and ... salsa casera (http://www.mexgrocer.com/1455.html) (which translates to "homestyle salsa" though it came from a good brand). The idea is a riff on the ol' slab o' meat (sorry, vegetarians) and sauce in a slow cooker. My mom's favorite variation of this was beef and a bottle of French dressing. I also like making pinto beans in the slow cooker with a large jar of medium salsa. Quick and easy and reasonably healthful if made ahead and the fat skimmed.
I love homemade pintos. It's one thing I don't try and do fat free. It's so delicious with a slice of bacon simmering with it, and I confess to the "real" thing, a little lard. SOooo Delicious. Worth the fat splurge. I also don't subscribe to the thought that Lard is any worse than any other fat since I use it so seldom. I don't add much fat to anything, but when I do, I'm going for real and I'm going for taste.
ApatheticNoMore
2-26-14, 1:30am
Potato-cauliflower soup: 1/2 cauliflower, 1 potato, 1 carrot, 1 onion, fresh dill, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 2 TB cream. Blend it. Topped with cheddar cheese.
This evening it is going to be left-over slow-cookered black lentil and kidney bean dahl (http://www.netplaces.com/indian-food/lentil-and-yogurt-dishes-dal-aur-kadhi/creamy-black-gram-dahl-dal-makhani.htm) (sort of a thick spicy Indian stew. Use coconut milk instead of cream) and pita, with a beer to wash it down. I had veggies for lunch so I justify the lack at dinner.
rodeosweetheart
2-27-14, 6:50pm
Yesterday was chicken breasts with sweet potato souffle and salad with balsamic viniagrette dressing.
Today's lunch, leftover chicken made into chicken salad sandwiches.
Tonight' dinner, clam chowder (celery, onion, clams, salt and pepper, fresh thyme, rosemary, and oregano from kitchen windowsill, and milk) plus fresh baked bread.
Tonight I made salmon in parchment paper. I put a little olive oil on the salmon filets and on the paper. Then I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon slices, dill weed, and capers and then closed the paper up tight. Only took about 15 minutes in a 400F oven. Was very good. Also had green beans and couscous with tomatoes. And clementines for desert.
Tonight I'm making a Trader Joe's recipe using their Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup in the carton. Saute chopped onion and garlic; add a paste of flour, chili power, cumin, salt, pepper and water; add soup, rinsed kidney beans (2 cans); rinsed black beans (2 cans); and I add a can of drained corn. Bring to a boil and simmer. I serve with a little grated cheese and dollup of sour cream. I can eat this all week - either for lunch or dinner. So good!!!
ApatheticNoMore
2-28-14, 2:28am
Made Becker lamb patties from joy of cooking and proceeded to devour a half a pound of lamb (the total I made) in one sitting (so much for it being enough for 2 days) and then was hungry enough for a very small bowl of potato-cauliflower soup (which was all I had for dinner yesterday and the day before - at least that one potato and few veggies made into soup is going to last me forever and a day as it's fairly watery).
Tonight I'm making a Trader Joe's recipe using their Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup in the carton.
that is a good soup - even plain.
Tonight I made salmon in parchment paper. I put a little olive oil on the salmon filets and on the paper. Then I added salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon slices, dill weed, and capers and then closed the paper up tight.
I need to try that.
Blackdog Lin
3-4-14, 10:53pm
Still enjoying everyone's menus. Salmon in parchment paper: would t'were that we could get a filet of truly good fresh salmon here in small-town flyover country!!! It sounds wondermous.
As for this household: Monday was spaghetti w/meatballs and garlic toast. Today was pinto bean soup and crackers - perfect for our frozen surroundings (though it's melting quickly, thank goodness). Both meals utilized pantry items and freezer leftovers that were needing used. Tomorrow, well I asked DH how he wanted his pork roast, the one partially grilled and put away in the freezer and needing to get used - and after discussing many possibilities we decided on pork carnitas soft tacos - I didn't tell him I really don't know how to cook pork carnitas, but it's something I think I can wing well enough and I have the rest of the potential ingredients in the house - without having to go to the store. Something different anyway.
All the talk about Kale soups got me inspired. I made a Kale/potato/cauliflower soup, in the slow cooker that came out delicious. I went to add some dairy and didn't have any. I buy milk and cream much more rarely than ever before. I really like the "dinosaur" kale a lot better, but the regular grocery stores only sell the tougher kind. I got this at the organic grocers. And they had the most fabulous lettuces!
Blackdog Lin
3-5-14, 9:55pm
Pork carnitas soft tacos rock. Carnitas meat, Mexican rice, lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, and a sour cream sauce which was simply sour cream thinned with the carnitas broth, all wrapped up in warmed flour tortillas. Oh my. So good (and ok, between the pork roast and the rice I made WAY too much) that we're just having it all again tomorrow. 'Cause it's DH's day to cook, and the meals he cooks best are reheated leftovers..... :)
The last of the Endless Chicken Soup (tm) for breakfast (chicken, tomatoes, peppers, okra, onions, garlic, kale, parsley) and bacon and cheese scramble for dinner. Fage yogurt and cream for lunch.
Today I'm making a big batch of braised pork. I'll be using this recipe as a template: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chile-braised-pork-shoulder-tacos
This whole meal looks soooo good in those pics! I'll probably use ground chile instead of making the sauce from dried ones, and I'll use the Gordon Biersch lager that I have on hand. Mexican tacos with a German twist!
I'm hoping posting on here will motivate me to do this earlier rather than later.....>8)
Blackdog Lin
3-14-14, 8:10pm
Jane: Endless Chicken Soup (tm) - made me snort (with laughter).
watergoddess: how were the tacos? DID you get motivated?
Around here lately: Thursday was homemade Sloppy Joes served with what I call "fridge relishes", which can mean whatever is in there that's needing used - in this case cottage cheese, home-canned bread-n-butter pickles, store-bought pickled beets, and store-bought hot mix pickled stuff. Today was a wondermous Mexican Chickenish casserole, using a can of chicken, some onion slices, and getting rid of the following freezer leftovers: Mexican rice, tortilla soup, and crushed tag-ends of tortilla chips (I crush the bottom of the bags when they get too stale for DH and throw in a bag in the freezer.) It was one of those casseroles you wish you could make all the time, but can't, 'cause it was just an incidental confluence of leftovers that melded perfectly into a meal. I sliced some cuke, shredded some carrot on top and sprinkled with diced green onions and called that our salad/veggie.
Tomorrow is sausage-n-egg-n-cheese toasted bunwiches (need to work on the rest of the buns from the sloppy joes), with the rest of the cuke for early meal, and will use the rest of the sausage with the last of the pepperoni in the freezer for a pizza for late meal. And Sunday am planning fajitas using a pork roast that DH lightly grilled earlier in the week with the awesome warmer weather. Around here we've been able to smell spring coming, and DH is all excited to be grilling again.
In honor of Pi day, dinner tonight is a slice of cheesecake!
Open faced tuna salad sandwich on homemade focaccia bread (GF) with homemade mayo. Asparagus swimming in butter.
Recent meals
cauliflower bisque and quinoa-asparagus salad
rosemary-garlic chicken and green beans
spinach-tofu enchiladas with green chile sauce
curried rice salad
gumbo with chicken, ham, okra and green beans
spiced pork roast with quinoa and broccoli
roasted zucchini "pizzas" (sliced and roasted, then topped with sauce + cheese for DD; just tossed into a salad for me)
lentil dhal and salad
rosarugosa
3-17-14, 5:43am
Last night, we had a great dish that originally came from a recipe in a magazine, but has evolved over the years. It's a one-pan dish including chicken, sweet potatoes, & frozen mango. Yummy & healthy!
Last night I made a birthday meal for my son. He's Pescatarian. Haha......I tell him he's Presbyterian........
We had an appetizer of shrimp and coctail sauce and then for the meal we had salmon in parchment with lemon and capers, roasted green beans, and couscous with tomatoes and a "wedgie" of lettuce with olive oil/balsamic vinegar, feta cheese and sunflower seeds.
For desert we have a chocolate/tofu pie (that doesn't taste anything like tofu) with whipped cream and toasted almonds. It was a nice splurge!
Blackdog Lin
4-1-14, 9:49pm
Reviving the thread, just 'cause I like the subject. :)
Lately, main meals, around the homestead.....
- fried fresh-frozen crappie (bartered, we don't get around to going fishing) w/calico salad.
- ate out Saturday. Mountain oysters-n-fries/tots/rings. It was righteous.
- toast and hash browns under sausage gravy. OJ as the "veggie".
- egg salad sandwiches, filling in breakfast and supper holes. The newest hens have started laying with a vengeance.
- grilled pork steaks, broccoli-n-cheese sauce, and calico salad (lucky it gets better the longer it sets, 'cause it makes way too big a bowl).
- deer burgers w/cheese and lettuce and onions and pickles; along with the rest of the calico salad. Glad to see the last of this salad!
- tomorrow: spaghetti (red sauce) w/meatballs and garlic toast.
- and Thursday is a pot of ham and beans with corn muffins and (?something?) for a veggie/relish.
Frozen blackberries processed in the blender. With heavy cream. I'm contemplating warming up a country rib with homemade BBQ sauce.
Gerald Iversen
4-2-14, 1:17pm
edited because it is a duplicate post.
Gerald- how does your post have anything to do with the topic- and why are you posting the same message on multiple threads that have nothing to do with your message?
I guess Gerald is having Spam for lunch!
Gerald- how does your post have anything to do with the topic- and why are you posting the same message on multiple threads that have nothing to do with your message?
I think Vicki Robin's new book about locavore movement has a lot to do with gardening and less to do with cooking, so I'll delete this message of Gerald's and keep his message in the Gardening forums.
DH made wonderful homemade fish cakes tonight using a recipe I had seen on Kristen the Frugal Girl's blog. The hake we had bought was too strong to eat unadorned, but it was great for fish cakes and we'll definitely be using that recipe again!
I'm sharing the link in case anyone is interested:
http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2013/05/homemade-fish-cakes/
Hi folks! I am so uninspired lately with our meals that i've come over to steal your scrumptious menus. Seriously, Tuesday's dinner was hot dogs and baked beans. No, we are not camping nor do I have any of the grand children present. Major rut-city here! That being said, today's meal was beef tips over noodles with broccoli. Hubby raved. ( Guess that just adds to how ho-hum our meals have been.)
Anyone got a go-to idea for boneless skinless chicken breasts? I was thinking chicken parmesan. What do you guys suggest - I always have them on hand, so throw some thoughts my way!
DH makes a dish with chicken breasts (Cut into small pieces) and cut up sweet potatoes and mango (we use frozen). It all gets cooked in a saute pan with some seasonings and it's one of our favorite dishes. It isn't pretty, but it's a one-pan dish that is hearty, healthy and delicious!
Blackdog Lin
4-3-14, 9:04pm
Imerullo: can't really suggest any ideas, without knowing more about your "cooking challenges", like time constraints, or health issues, or healthy-cooking preferences.....
.....I can, however, say: PINTEREST! Put boneless chicken breasts into their search engine, and oh my, you'll have more ideas for meals than you'll know what to do with!
I just came across this in my newsfeed: http://low-carb-news.blogspot.com/2013/05/bacon-cheddar-chicken-breasts.html
I like stir-fries; they're infinitely variable. Also soup. Chicken mole is good.
DH makes a dish with chicken breasts (Cut into small pieces) and cut up sweet potatoes and mango (we use frozen). It all gets cooked in a saute pan with some seasonings and it's one of our favorite dishes. It isn't pretty, but it's a one-pan dish that is hearty, healthy and delicious!
That sounds like something we'd like.
And I am always attracted to those African recipes that use peanuts and sweet potatoes and other stuff.
happystuff........I used to think I needed to make a white sauce first, but then realized that after the sausage was cooked (and you can drain off fat if you want), I would just sprinkle a couple tablespoonsfull of flour over it and mix it up. Then I would add milk and keep stirring until it thickened.
I think that's how I do it. With sage.
Tonight is honey mustard salmon, salad and bread.
Blackdog Lin
4-4-14, 9:29pm
Yesterday: ham-n-butter beans (limas) with corn muffins and celery/carrot sticks. Today was shopping/errands day, so Chinese Buffet! Tomorrow is waffles and sausage links (early), then hot wings with more celery/carrot/cucumber relishes (late). The menus are dictated by finding both a pack of chicken wings, and a box of pre-fab sausage links, buried in the frost of the bottom of the freezer day before yesterday. And since they're both old, but not TOO old (I hope).....
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