So...whats for dinner?
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NatureGrrl,
I'm with you in that I seem to just have a mental block today on cooking anything. Even with all the great ideas, I can't seem to come up with something that I feel like eating.
We had Chinese take-out Friday because I got back a bit late from picking up my daughter at college. My husband left yesterday morning to visit his parents so, last night my daughter and son had take-out spaghetti dinner from a Boy Scout fundraiser that I had bought tickets for and I had cereal.
My husband is due back tonight.
Feel like we haven't eaten well in a couple of days so don't really want to do take out yet AGAIN.
I think I have everything for a really big salad. Maybe what I'll do is roast some shrimp that I have in the freezer (yeah, one more thing gone from the freezer) and have those either on the salad or with some cocktail sauce along with the salad. Barefoot Contessa has a recipe for roasted shrimp with a cocktail sauce that I made for Christmas Eve. It was sooo good. Although breakfast for dinner sounds light and good too.
Hmmm.....
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Although, you may have given me a different idea, Valgal!!
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Hi everyone! Looks like everyone's been cooking up some great stuff! Can't wait to try some of your ideas when we get back from Disney World...we are leaving Tuesday. Of course, I'll probably be too tired to do anything when we get back. Those grandkids will wear me out, for sure!
Today is my first "Chopped" experiment. I found turkey and gravy in the freezer (leftover from Thanksgiving). And I had leftover cornbread from earlier this week. DH loves sausage cornbread stuffing but the basket didn't have sausage. It did have some nice smoky bacon and I found a recipe for apple bacon cornbread so that was my inspiration. The recipe called for hard apple cider (who keeps that on hand???). I had some low sugar apple drink and some apple brandy so that was my substitution. I had to reduce the recipe by 75% because I don't want a bunch of leftovers. Here is the recipe:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001672983
It's in the oven, I hope it's as good as it sounds. I'll report back after dinner. I'm making glazed carrots as a side dish.
Edited to add: well, the stuffing was just OK. We like very savory food and this seemed a bit bland. Hubby declared it sweet, although I didn't think so. But in any case, it's not worthy of a repeat in our house. Maybe if you actually went to the trouble of making the specific cornbread in the recipe, it might taste different.
Michelle
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shawnna, I found a new recipe for granola that uses less fat than I normally use (and mine was already pretty lean), and in the ingredient list was ground ginger, which I didn't have and had never thought of adding to granola -- so I minced up a bunch of crystallized ginger and threw it in instead. You could easily add crystallized ginger to any granola, ready-made or not -- it's a nice addition -- and I'm thinking minced fresh might work, too, although I haven't tried that yet. I love ginger! Used to like it but since chemo I positively love it!
luv, any kind of stuffing/dressing sounds good to me! Hope your experiment turned out well.
No inspiration for dinner, I finally pulled some frozen ravioli out, cooked it, drizzled with garlic and olive oil, and had a Caesar salad... good thing I'm not kissing anyone tonight
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Hmmm I would love raviolis tonight but husband is making chicken burgers. Had fun eating crap this weekend ( french toast, Pakistani food and 2 slices of pizza). Back to eating properly tomorrow.
Granted I could take that ground chicken and make tacos.
Love the recipes. I hope they never delete this thread!
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Laurie08-Just wanted to let you know that I made your recipe for salsa chicken from about 10 pages back and it was delicious!!!
Mary
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valgirl
Your shrimp dish sounds delish-
Jo- i love subway and they have good sannies that are low cal too- nothing wrong with taking the easy route when it taste good and so much faster
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Has any one tried the tofu shirataki? It is a angel hair shapped noodle substitute- i found it in the produce section at safeway where the toful is, i put it in my stirfry the other day and it was so delicious tastes just like angel hair pasta, only 20 calories per 4 oz serving only 3g of carbs no cholesterol or sugar- The only problem i have with it, is its tofu- and im really wary about soy but i guess in moderation is ok- would be good with a healthy marinara sauce too.
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valgirl- That's almost exactly what we had tonight! DH makes a mean Puttanesco sauce and we add shrimp. It's almost like yours but with lots of garlic, capers and kalamata olives too. And we don't have those fabulous fresh shrimp here either! How are the shrimp doing in Louisiana? Praying things are getting back to normal there.
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LuvRVing,
Your initial foray into "Chopped" land may not have been all that you hoped (as was true, and still is, for me) but I applaud you for giving it a whirl... Even if the dinner wasn't what you hoped, it IS one more thing out of your freezer so that's a plus!!!
A really good stuffing recipe that I will be using this week is Rachael Ray's Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins. Sometimes I include the apple and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I make them as individual "muffins" and sometimes I just put it all in a 9x13 to bake. We'll see which way I go this week!
Hope you have a fantastic time at Disney this week!! Look forward to hearing about it!!
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NatureGrrl,
DH and I went out for salad and pizza (his idea). I ate more salad than pizza but the pizza WAS a garlic one.... I figure, as long as we BOTH ate it the garlic will cancel each other out!
We'll see...LOL
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We had a huge guacamole for lunch - a late lunch, at around 3:30 pm so dinner was just a salad.
I make the guacamole very simple - at one point in my life I lived in Del rio, in SW TX, and after I got diagnosed with Graves Disease it was really hard for me to keep up with the housekeeping. Was married at the time to a guy who was working a civilian job for the USAF. We had a huge house and 3 dogs and it was really hard to keep it clean after I got to be severely hyperthyroid. Anyway, we hired a housekeeper. She was Mexican - one of those ladies who had a work permit, lived in Mexico and was crossing the border every day to go to work. I had really good references from other ladies at the base about her. She was an awesome lady, and taught me lots of authentic Mexican recipes.
Ok, so enough with the long introductions, lol. The guacamole is really really simple. Nice ripe avocados, lemon juice, tomatoes, green onions, mashed garlic and fresh cilantro.Tomatoes, green onions and cilantro are getting chopped very very fine, avocadoes mashed with a fork (we like chunky guacamole) and everything mixed real well. After readign and reading about the health benefits of avocado, I decided to even grow one. I'll tell you how it works.
Anyway, what I will be making next week - and I will share the recipes with you.
The first one is a specific Romanian recipe. It's a potato salad with smoked fish. I usually buy smoked salmon, and a little 3 oz piece has enough taste for about 4 servings.
You need about 1 1/2 lb of red potatoes (the small ones preferably), a small onion, about 3 to 6 oz of smoked fish (the quantity depends on the fish, how strong it is), a pinch of garlic powder, salt, a tablespoon of seasoned rice vinegar, two tablespoons of your favorite vegetable oil, salt to taste.
Boil the potatoes in the peel, peel them once they're boiled, chop them in cubes about 3/4" big. Julienne the onion, break the fish apart with your fingers (like you would do for pulled pork for example). Mix everything well - add the salt at the end, because if you have salt water fish it will be slightly salty. You can add a pinch of yellow mustard if you think it would be good, but it's optional.
The second recipe involves salmon too (you can use it with tuna as well), and it's the result of a cooking experiment I did once. My girlfriends decided it's an "orgasmic" food.
You need:
2 nice salmon or tuna fillets or steaks, of about 1/3 to 1/2 lb each.
1 small ginger root
2 tablespoons of honey
juice and zest from one lemon
about 2 teaspoons of butter if you are going to fry the fish - you can fry or grill it, your option.
While you fry or grill your fish, prepare the following sauce:
Peel the ginger root, and grate it on the small grater. Squeeze the grated ginger in a small bowl, keep the juice and discard the pulp (I usually dont' discard it, I set it to dry then grind it for other flavorings). Mix in the honey, the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Mix well.
When the fish is done, set it on a plate, then drizzle generously with the sauce. Cover and let sit for 3-4 minutes before serving. Serve with a quarter of a lemon and a sprig of parsley or cilantro.
If you grill the fish, you can also make the sauce beforehand, then use half of it to baste the fish before grilling and half of it drizzled over the fish.
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I did the salsa chicken tonight---fabulous! I added green chiles, corn, and then sliced black olives with the cheese. Oh, so good!! thanks for the recipe
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The last 2 nights we've had dinner out so I will make something for tonight...just not sure what. I'll have to scan back and get some inspiration from all the recipes on here!
Iago Challa bread French toast is so good! A bakery near my onc office used to give out a loaf of Challa bread every Friday to all those receiving an infusion. I did chemo on Thursday but was there several times on a Friday for a hydration infusion so I went home with a loaf. My husband would make French toast out of it.0 -
Its Turkey chilie for me tonight I use 3kinds of beans,2kinds of onions and lots of spice including a Habenero pepper seeds and all.I make a big pot so its there all week for when youjust don't feel like fussing with dinner.The first nightg I usually make fresh cornbread to go with it.
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mum, yum!!! Can you share your recipe? I love trying new chili recipes.
Tougher, what a great thing for the bakery to do.
seaside, you're right, as long as both reek of garlic it's OK
day, great sounding recipes, especially interested in the salmon-ginger-sauce one. On my list!!
Tonight I'm cooking up a pot of brown rice so I can have things like rice balls and mushroom gravy, stuffed peppers, etc., later in the week with the leftover rice. Not sure what I'll have with the fresh hot rice tonight, but salmon with ginger & some broccoli is sounding good...
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Jo, YUM! Would you share your baked rigatoni recipe?
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So glad some of you have tried the Salsa Chicken recipe!
I need to figure out what I am goignto make tonight...
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Laurie- I made the salsa chicken recipe twice and am hankering for it again. I passed it on to a friend who also used the Paul Newman's mango salsa. She says next time she is adding pineapple too. This recipe has legs!
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Laurie- I cant find your recipe for the salsa chx can you repost it again? thanks!
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My son is home sick from school today and I might not be able to get to the store, so I have to make something I have on hand. It's either going to be chicken stir fry with peanut sauce, or those store-bought Butoni ravaiolis. I haven't tried these particular ones (4-cheese, and spicy beef and sausage ravaioli), but it will be effortless, so it earns extra points just for that!
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I was surprised to discover that ground turkey is good in quite a few recipes. I recently made a Shepherd's Pie recipe from the WW online site. It has lots of veggies and ground turkey breast for the bottom and mashed potatoes with light sour cream for the top. DH and I both liked it. Had it for two dinners.
Love Dreamfield pasta. Started buying it some years back when the South Beach diet was popular. Also started buying Laughing Cow cheese spread, which is delicious and low cal.
We have a fig tree in our yard but we head north for the summers when we become summer rv'ers so the birds feast on the ripe figs. Have never used dried figs. This thread is really fun to read because the participants eat such a wide variety of foods.
DH and I cooked a pork shoulder roast yesterday using a preparation we saw on America's Test Kitchen. You rub the roast with a mixture of Kosher salt and brown sugar, wrap it in plastic wrap and marinate for at least 12 hours. Before you put the roast in the oven, brush off excess salt/sugar mixture. Roast for 6 to 8 hrs. in a 325 degree oven to temp of 190. I have cooked and eaten many pork roasts but this was truly succulent and delicious served with a sauce made with frozen peaches and some other ingredients. You can find the recipe on the America's test kitchen website.
I tried cooking kale for the first time using a Rachel Ray recipe with portobella mushrooms, evoo, red wine, salt, pepper and fresh grated nutmeg The kale was tough and bitter. I added some balsamic vinegar in an effort to improve the taste, but we discarded the leftovers. I've had no success with collard greens either. I grew up eating fresh mustard greens from the garden and they are delicious. America's Test Kitchen recommends blanching the bitter greens like kale prior to using them in recipes. I suspect the bagged kale I bought in the supermarket may have not been the best.
Tonight DH has a woodworkers guild meeting so I'll be on my own for a simple dinner, maybe leftover pork sandwich.
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Carole, your pork roast sounds great!! I may have to try that for a family gathering sometime.
I love kale, and it's one of the few greens I do love. I have to say, I've never seen bagged kale -- only in bunches or loose. I don't find kale bitter but that can partly be a personal taste thing and is sometimes related to when something was harvested/grown. I find many cool season crops, like lettuce and spinach and other greens, bitter if they're harvest in or grown in warm/hot weather. Some varieties of kale may be more bitter than others (the lance-leafed and dinosaur varieites are supposed to be sweeter); also, look for smaller, rather than larger (older) leaves.
Tougher, hope your little one (or is he "little"? for all I know he's a teen!)
is well soon!I'm having rice balls with mushroom gravy, sweet potatoes, and broccoli with lemon juice and olive oil tonight...
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debbie6122,
The chicken salsa was one of the earliest recipes Laurie posted. It's back on page 1 about half way down the page...
Hope this helps!
Edited to add: I think her original recipe called for a tomato based salsa but, quite a few people have substituted the mango salsa with great results!
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day,
That salmon sounds fabulous. I may just try that potato dish as well! My husband loves smoked salmon so I could see that being something he would like alot.
Jo,
Your dinner sounds just perfect for a cold snowy night... We've been getting quite a few of those here in the NE as well! I'm with Mandy1313. Would love to have your recipe for the rigatoni if you wouldn't mind sharing it!
tougherthanithought,
Hope your son feels better soon! And... yes.. effortless for SURE picks up extra points!
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Debbie if you don't see it on page 1 let me know and I'll re post.
Sherrill, I hope your son feels better soon. I also hope it's not the dreaded stomach flu!
Naturegrl- Please tell me about these rice balls. How do you do them?
Once again I didn't do too much cooking on the weekend. Saturday night I made Spaghetti Pie and last night was just left overs. To clean out the fridge and get ready for a new week. Tonight shall be a boring dinner of pork chops. I made the decision last night and instead of putting them in the freezer will cook them up. I am debating on trying a new recipe for them or just going the easy way of baking them.
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carolehalston,
That pork roast sounds soooo good. It must just be falling apart tender!!
If the kale you used is what I'm thinking of, it's already washed and chopped and comes in a bag, I also tried that once and it really was very tough and bitter. I suspect what they do is use the really large, older plants. Maybe the kale that you buy whole is harvested earlier and is more tender??
NatureGrrl,
Rice balls... Not sure I've ever heard of them. Would you be willing to share your recipe??
I think you are right about growing the cool weather crops in the heat making them bitter. I had my very first vegetable garden last year and one of the things we planted was arugula, which I love. We had a very hot summer last year and the arugula was almost inedible because it was soooooo bitter.
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I made a spiral ham on Sunday, so I am taking the leftovers and making boxed scalloped potatoes and green beans. Just getting back in the kitchen. I finished 6 rounds of A/C, and friend have lovingly sent food the entire time!
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RealtorJackie,
Love those spiral hams!! Sounds like you have some pretty special friends!
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Jo-5,
That rigatoni sounds GREAT and VERY cool idea on the Healthy Burger!!! I'm definitely trying that one especially in things like meatloaf where there's lots of other ingredients!!
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