So...whats for dinner?

1116311641166116811691535

Comments

  • chisandy
    chisandy Member Posts: 11,418

    Pan-seared the scallops and made a saffron beurre blanc. Cascadian Farms riced cauliflower with diced peppers was what sopped up the sauce. Grilled asparagus and tossed them with salt, EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Berries (strawberries, raspberries and some of the last of my home-grown black raspberries) and creme fraiche for dessert.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,429

    Brunch was a fresh peach & a fresh apricot. Supper was left over portobello mushroom/chicken tagliatelle served along with two delightful, delicious ears of fresh Olathe corn.

    I'm going to visit my nephew & niece tomorrow to pass along children's books & records to their 3 year old daughter. Rumor is we'll eat at Katz Deli, but nothing is ever cast in stone with millennials.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 3,186

    I read a saying that made me chuckle....."Socks that go missing in the dryer come back as extra Tupperware lids".

    Yesterday I went searching for Prickly Pear fruit. After my mom died and we sold her house, I had to switch back to the old "out in the desert" place to harvest the "pears"....well between last year and this year, the cactus patch has been replaced with a parking lot.


  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 3,926

    Lacey, I know you like ratatouille , so I thought this might interest you

    https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ratatouille-tart

    Taking the path of least resistance tonight with baked spaghetti and meatballs. I'm enjoying reading about others' more interesting fare.

    Funny and true about the socks/lids Eric. Several years ago I got tired of DH asking, "which lid goes on this?" so I switched to two sizes of plastic takeout containers that all take the same lids. They're cheap, they stack and they freeze well. I think I now have twice as many lids as containers. Go figure.

    Cheese souffle and amatriciana, two of my faves!


  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,884

    Making thick cut pork chops tonight

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,429

    Nice to see you Mommy - hope all is well with you.

  • beaverntx
    beaverntx Member Posts: 2,962

    Tonight was gluten free spaghetti with parmesan Alfredo sauce, peas and chicken. Quick and easy.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,429

    Dinner with the millennials was at Local Foods. Mostly organic & lots of vegetarian items. I had a delicious HUGE Asian salad w/chicken, edemame, green beens, cashew nuts, and a ton of different greens & cabbages. Niece had Shrimp Tacos w/sides of potato salad & baked beans. Nephew had a quinoa burger w/sides of kale & tabouli. The three year old was served selections from all of our plates. She loved the 'peanut' dressing that came with my salad so I used mostly the oil & soy dressing.

    I took a batch of my son's old books & it was so fun to sit and read to her for awhile.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 8,363

    Dinner at Vallarta (spelling?), a Mexican restaurant in Park Rapids following couples golf yesterday. DH and I each ordered the large Gold margarita, with a top shelf tequila and Grand Marnier (sp?). It was huge. I sipped slowly because I wanted it to last and ended up being too full to finish it. My meal was a taco salad which was OK. I've had better. The chips and salsa were good. I was hungry and ate too many chips waiting for the meal to be served.

    Paying the bill was interesting. Our waiter didn't pair the couples with their orders. There was a long line at the cash register. This little local eatery isn't accustomed to serving a group of 20.

    It's raining gently. Nice sound on the roof of the camper. It's so good not to have any plans for today.

  • magari
    magari Member Posts: 335

    We grilled spicy cumin lamb skewers and corn o Sat evening, with the leftover risotto on the side.

    Yesterday I used the remaining lamb shoulder to make a stew in the Instant Pot, adding homemade chicken stock and white beans, and fresh spinach and lemon juice at the very end.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 3,186

    Yesterday was a cereal night. We picked 5 pounds of prickly pears from cacti and the stove was busy simmering the pears. Today we're filtering the juice with coffee filters.

  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,884

    Tonight was ham and cheese omelettes and hash browns


  • beaverntx
    beaverntx Member Posts: 2,962

    Tonight was leftovers at our house.

    Eric, our friend who used to share prickly pear cactus jelly with us unfortunately is in poor health now. But your description brought back some very pleasant memories of good times with her. Thanks, and enjoy your prickly pear product!

  • chisandy
    chisandy Member Posts: 11,418

    Brunch yesterday was a classic French omelette with herbs, gruyère and chêvre.

    For dinner, I marinated a chicken leg & thigh in chimichurri sauce and grilled them with the last remaining slice of Vidalia onion, baking a small Japanese yam in foil. (I had half of it as my daily carb--will have the other half tonight despite having made avocado toast on low-carb bread for brunch, because the yam is so small). I thought I was buying a garnet yam, and almost threw it out after slicing it in half and seeing the flesh was white--but I looked it up online and learned it's a form of sweet potato, which is occasionally OK on my diet. Beforehand, I had a couple slices of red and heirloom yellow tomatoes from my garden that were beginning to yield softly to my touch, along with basil I picked and half of the remaining small ball of burrata with aged balsamico and basil-flavored EVOO. Ate alone, as Bob was working very late, covering for a colleague who had to take off for a Muslim holiday (which coincidentally fell on Tisha B'Av, a Jewish fast day mourning the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem).

    Tonight I will make a bone-in grass-fed ribeye in cast iron indoors (we're between rainstorms right now so outdoor grilling would be iffy). Will reheat the other half of the yam, and either saute broccolini or roast some Brussels sprouts. I could have some Pinot Noir, but I don't feel like having alcohol tonight or tomorrow. (Have one of those winemaker--St. Supery--pairing dinners coming up Wed.).

    My weight loss is proceeding very, slowly. Last week I plateaued, this week I lost 3/4 lb. I know most of it is from lack of exercise (do as I say, not as I do) though I was not instructed I needed to exercise. (My primary care doc would disapprove of my bariatric RN's advice, or lack thereof). But I wonder if it's also because I'm not eating enough protein at lunch & dinner. I'm sorry, but there's no way I can knock back a 6-8-oz. burger, steak, fish or half a chicken at a meal (twice daily--not including breakfast, which I rarely eat because I'm not an early riser) and have room for any veggies. Maybe I'm sabotaging my metabolism, but somehow I don't think eating a 3-4-oz. portion would put my body into "famine mode." And I can't do 8-10 glasses of water a day unless it was poured down a feeding funnel like a gavaged foie gras goose! I'm down almost 13 lbs. since starting the diet, and almost 28 since my MO ordered me to make an appointment with the bariatric clinic.

  • reader425
    reader425 Member Posts: 974

    Hi all, we had friends over last night who enjoy German food. So hubby grilled authentic brats and other sausages and we had various mustards available. For sides I made thin cucumber and onion vinegar salad, sour cream potato salad, red cabbage and brown sugar bake and an apple walnut cake. Not exactly health food but a good time was had by all. Our friends brought a delicious Riesling to accompany things.

    Tonight instead of making dinner "we made reservations " as they say!

    Also Sandy congrats on the weight loss so far! I've lost about 14 lbs. Aside from the above I'm basically tracking calories with a fitness tracker. And I walk ( (slowly).

  • chisandy
    chisandy Member Posts: 11,418

    I love German food (my paternal grandma, born in Poland but moved to Vienna as a teen before marrying & moving here, made a mean sauerbraten & rotkohl). Unfortunately, my fave German dish is schnitzel (no matter what meat is inside the breading) and skillet fried potatoes. The potato latkes I grew up with (and still eat on Hanukkah & during Passover) are similar to kartoffelkuchen (minus the flour & lard, of course). But the good news is that I can still have wursts & sauerkraut (and red cabbage sans sugar). Might make another choucroute garnie (there's some Alsatian in my lineage) one of these days---maybe the bacon, caraway seeds and riesling (or "cremant" sparkling wine) can mask the lack of sugar.

    Tonight I changed my mind about the Japanese sweet potato and had half a beet instead: on my diet sheet, beets are a "limited vegetable" and sweet potatoes an "occasional healthy carb." Bob hates beets, so I was able to enjoy mine while dining alone. Went with roasted Brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms (cremini and shiitake) with shallots, butter and just enough dry Marsala to deglaze the skillet. The steak was over 1 lb. raw, so I cut off and froze the boneless half of it and pan-seared the bone-in part. The bone absorbs some of the heat, as well as adds flavor.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 8,363

    Sandy, congratulations on your weight loss.

    Magari, your lamb stew sounds delicious. Here in northern MN, people don't eat lamb. Or at least those who buy their meat in supermarkets. Not even a package of ground lamb.

    Dinner last night was my version of linguini pie. Layers of leftover linguini sauced with Rao and turkey Italian sausage (homemade) sprinkled with grated cheese and microwaved. Side was composed salad of tomato, cucumber (bought from farmer), avocado, Kalamata olives, and sweet onion for dh. A much more satisfying dinner than the previous night's Mexican.

  • chisandy
    chisandy Member Posts: 11,418

    Slept late, so made brunch instead of breakfast--a lo-carb avocado BLT. Unfortunately, when I tried to take out the pit TV-chef-style, the knife blade skidded off the pit and into my L thumb--which bled for half an hour till the Immediate Care clinic doc could get to it. Two hours, two lidocaine shots and two sutures later, thumb totally numb and in a pressure dressing, I donned a rubber glove they gave me and finished making my sandwich (using a spoon to pop the avocado pit), by then a late lunch.

    For dinner, I put the glove back on and made a green salad with more of the two tomatoes (red & yellow), sauteed some frozen cauliflower "rice" and made shrimp de Jonghe (steeped some garlic in olive oil and a few saffron threads in ghee). It was delicious--and I made sure not to let my knife get anywhere near my L hand. BTW, ever try to peel raw shrimp with one hand in a rubber glove, thumb numb as a stone? I don't recommend it. (At least the shrimp were pre-deveined).

    Tomorrow night is Cellars' monthly winemaker food pairing dinner. This one will be St. Supery, a woman-owned-and-run winery in the Napa Valley. I looked at the menu, and will be able to eat "around" most of the carbs except dessert. (But I won't have the wine paired with it: a sweet moscato). It'll be nice to finally be able to take out my retainer before we walk to the restaurant and not have to brush, floss & put it back in till I get home. (Will still bring it with me, just in case any unforeseen circumstances arise. This morning taught me one can never know...).

    As for my tomatoes, they seem to be ripening almost as fast as I can use them. My huge Cherokee Purple was a dull rusty-orange but showing signs of starting to split, so I had to harvest it and hope it'll darken on my sill. At this point, every meal is gonna have to contain tomatoes lest they rot on my sill. I have two on the vine halfway to ripe, and about six more green ones. Unlike years past, when we were able to stagger ripening, pick the last ones in Oct. and ripen them till nearly Thanksgiving, we may be done with them by mid-Sept. Of course, we have only four plants compared to the six we had in years past--and all of them are full-size, not cherry.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 3,186

    Ouch...

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 8,363

    Ditto on the "ouch."

    Dinner last night was delicious and the five-person outing to La Pasta was fun. John from Texas was the driver. We first drove to Hubbard to Hilltop restaurant, with intentions of dining on Prime Rib. Hilltop was closed so we drove to Dorset and chose La Pasta from the several restaurants in that tiny village.

    I can't remember the name of the dish I chose but it had a gorgonzola alfredo sauce over sautéed chicken, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms. Served over penne pasta. The sauce was not thick and gooey and was wonderful. I brought about 2/3 home. I always order the house chianti and enjoyed it once again.

    Four of us shared a tiramisu dessert, which had the look of a bought item but it tasted good.

  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,884

    Making chicken stir fry for tonight

  • beaverntx
    beaverntx Member Posts: 2,962

    Double ouch, Sandi. Hear too many stories about knives, hands, and avocados. It is a shame something so good can be so dangerous. Hope it heals quickly.

    Fish and chips (wild caught Alaskan cod and steak fries) with "kitchen sink slaw" (chopped cabbage with onion, radish, cucumber, tomato and a mayo/ rice vinegar dressing) last night. No idea what will be tonight...

  • magari
    magari Member Posts: 335

    Carole - Lamb isn't common in supermarkets, even here in foodie SF.

    I chose to start limiting meat a few years ago and be a more "conscious carnivore". Free range, grass fed, organic, etc. and using more of the whole animal - whole chickens, "lesser" cuts. We have a number of good butcher shops where this is easy to find, though of course it's more expensive. We spend less on non- meat meals and by choosing shoulder, butt, or the like instead of steaks.

    Last night I made spaghetti aglio et olio (olive oil, garlic, chili and anchovy) with toasted breadcrumbs and a green salad topped with Early Girl tomatoes and leftover grilled corn.

  • m0mmyof3
    m0mmyof3 Member Posts: 9,884

    The main part of the stir-fry is done. Just waitin for the rice to finish!


  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 3,186

    So far I've been lucky with knives and avocados. DD's nickname at school is 'lil avocado because of her LOVE for them and it appears she's been lucky as well.

    In late May, the yellow pear tomatoes were absolutely loaded but now, it's too hot for them..the plants are all looking half dead. Supposedly there is a variety of desert adapted tomatoes, but I've not found them at the local plant nursery. I'd like to try them, especially if they are some sort of heirloom variety.


    Wemade some prickly pear jelly the other night and it's kind of slow getting set. I'm hoping it won't need a "re-make", but I won't know for another day or so. We also made some prickly pear syrup and Sharon has picked up the stuff needed to make margaritas with it. DD, now 21, is also *VERY* interested in how the margaritas turn out. :-)


  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 3,926

    Add an OUCH for me to the chorus Sandy! When I grated part of my thumb off a couple of years ago, I invested in a cut resistant glove which I cover with a latex glove when I'm preparing food. If I don't have it on, DH is sure to yell from the living room "put your glove on!" I really only use it when I'm grating certain cheeses (I'm looking at you gruyere!) or using the mandoline without the safety (a rare occurrence) but I'm happy to have it. I'll have to add pitting avocados to the list.

    Today was a full day of errands/shopping in the city so dinner is deli carryout - meatloaf and mashed potatoes for DH, smoked chicken wings and a twice baked potato for me. A side will be sliced heirloom tomatoes with nothing but sea salt.

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,429

    Oh my goodness Eric. How can DD be 21?

    I've been doing doc appointments last week & this. Saw my GYN and got my 7th Prolia shot. No side effects as usual. Loved my new PCP. She's 5 months pregnant w/her 2nd boy - and young enough to still be in practice when I'm 90. Even better, she understands that quality of life is more important to me than quantity. Sorry to report the eye doc said cataract surgery upcoming on the left eye. I thought I just needed stronger glasses. I told her she'd have to wait until after my colonoscopy, but her first date wasn't until November anyway.

    Been running errands before & after all these med center drives - and it's been 103 EVERY day. That's in the shade on my covered patio, not in the car in the parking lot. Looks like the heat wave might be breaking. Only just topped 101 today.

    Way too hot to cook. Last night was crackers, Gouda cheese & a sliced Honey Crisp apple. From the fridge I added a hard boiled egg & a Campari tomato - served w/salt only. Today between appointments I picked up a delicious turkey & Havarti sandwich on multi-grain seed bread and had that for supper. We have water aerobics tonight and the pool as almost too hot to get in on Monday.

    Lacey - I still would like your 'little ears' salad recipe when you get a minute.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262

    I too have ended up in the ER with “avocado hand” which is an actual term! I stabbed the pit, while holding the avocado half in my palm (like an idiot), the knife went through the avocado and my hand, the knife came out the other side. I was pregnant with my youngest and also had a one year old. Fortunately my parents were visiting so I called my husband at work, told him to go home - my parents were not comfortable taking care of a baby - left my son with them and drove myself to the hospital. Because I was pregnant I couldn’t have a tetanus booster so the wound had to be extensively cleaned. I had to stand at the sink and scrub with betadine. Fortunately the knife went clean through, and stitches solved all problems. I no longer hold the avocado in my hand when de-pitting. I also am super careful carrying large pots of boiling liquids - another story for another day, lol! It’s amazing how quickly even accomplished cooks can lose control of a situation in the kitchen.

    Dinner last night was penne with hot Italian sausage marinara and some zucchini sautéed in lemon olive oil. Tonight is TBD.

    Here is a pic of the completed family recipe box now in notebook form. There are 871 recipes in total. I made 4 books from the original pages, which I am keeping. The books are for my husband’s siblings. Happy to complete this project

    image


  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,429

    Special - what an amazing project. I hope they appreciate all the hard work compiling this slice of their history.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262

    minus - it was a labor of love, as were the photo albums. This was something I could contribute. It was an interesting project since the recipes spanned 60 years, included many notes from my MIL, family favorites, etc., and she was a great cook, really loved making special meals for her family. It was like spending some time with her again, which was an unexpected treat. It was important to me to provide a way for these recipes to be shared with all of her children, they are a legacy of sorts.