So...whats for dinner?
Comments
-
I tried something new today. I made a grain dish with quinoa, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, basil, cherry tomatoes. Then I sort of invented a shrimp, lemon, olive oil, garlic shrimp scampi made in the oven. My husband went on and on about it. Truthfully, it only took about half an hour and was beyond easy. I'm not telling him! He insisted on totally cleaning up the kitchen because I must have slaved over the stove. Hah!
0 -
Oh My DesignerMom,
That sounds soooooo yummy!! What your hubbie doesn't know won't hurt and you come out the star tonight AND with a clean kitchen to boot!!! LOVE it!
Sometimes those create as you go dishes are somewhat hard to give directions of what you did but that dish sounds soooo good that I hope you can give us a bit of direction as to the recipe you created!
0 -
I sort of improvised, but here are the basic recipes:
QUINOA AND VEGGIES
Sautee in olive oil
1 container of mushrooms sliced
When brown, add about 5 cloves of chopped garlic, briefly saute
Add 1 1/2 cups water
Add 3/4 cup quinoa
bring to a boil, lower to simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes till most of the water is absorbed. Check periodically.
Add 1 Tblsp. fresh basil or 1 tsp dry basil
Add 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Add 1 can red beans (drained and rinsed)
add 1 chopped fresh zucchini
add 1 small container fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half
Heat through and correct seasoning with salt and pepper
QUICK SHRIMP SCAMPI-preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a small saucepan put
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard
6 cloves chopped garlic
juice of one lemon
Warm ingredients in saucepan
Thaw about 20 frozen, deveined shrimp in cold water and pat dry. I like to leave tails on, have more flavor.
Place shrimp in a pyrex dish and cover with the olive oil mixture.
Bake about 12-15 minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque.
Enjoy dinner and enjoy DH cleaning whole kitchen in gratitude. I confess, my DH usually cleans the kitchen after I cook. Aint life sweet!
0 -
Sorry I've been MIA for the past few days. DesignerMom QUINOA AND VEGGIES recipes sounds great.
We had salmon with steamed brussels sprouts and broccoli. My husband wouldn't tell me what he put on it. I purchase him this Cuisinart Grill this fall. (If you want a man to cook just give him a grill).
The food cookes & tastes so much better than any Forman grill we owned.
This weekend I'm going to make another batch my chicken chili. Just bought a bunch of banana peppers today.
0 -
lago,
"If you want a man to cook just give him a grill".
THAT is the truth in my house!!
0 -
Lago- Can that grill be used indoors or is it for outside? I live in a NYC apartment and miss grilling!
0 -
Seaside- My dinner came out great, after we ate we all went to a place called the seahag in depot bay, oregon we know the singer there had a great time, i ended up making a couple more dishes to go with what i was already making, an asperagus casserole and a lemon cheese cake also some zuccini, oatmeal muffins for the morning, (two of our friends are staying the night) i told them im a good host for lunch and dinner but for breakfast you are on your own lol! I think i drank and ate my self sober so now cant sleep!
Saturn, i agree with seaside i try to eat healthy most of the time, and you cant always have organic food where you go, so as long as i do things in moderation i feel good about how and what i eat.
0 -
I'm wondering if it would work to cook the chicken salsa in a slow cooker. It's too warm to think about using the oven because I would probably have to turn on the A/C!
We went out to dinner last night at a good restaurant about 2 min. from our house. I had the soft-shelled crab, battered and deep-fried with a creamy shrimp sauce on top. Usually feel some guilt pangs after going out and spending a lot of money on one meal when our home meals are tasty and healthier. I brought half of my dinner home because we had appetizers in the bar while we waited for a table. The appetizers were delicious. Spinach and parmesan dip in a gratin dish (hot from the oven) with toasted French bread slices and Homemade chips served with a blue cheese dip (cold). We shared these appetizers with the couple we were with, younger neighbors. I didn't step on the scales this morning! DH had crab cakes. This restaurant is actually a steak place but the seafood is very good, too.
Now I'll go and walk 3 miles.
0 -
DesignerMom I live in Chicago and it's February. You think we are outside grilling?
Yes this is an indoor grill. I am a city girl living on the 17th floor. I haven't tried either of these recipes but it look good and easy.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Honey balsamic glazed chicken and potatoes
----------------------------------------------------------------Ingredients
• 2 4 chicken breast halves on the bone with skin
• 2 1 pound small yellow potatoes, cut in half
• 2 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 1/4 cup honey
• 2 1 tablespoon walnut oil or olive oil
• 2 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, dried thyme
• 2 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Fresh thyme sprigs, optionalDirections
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 55 minutes Makes: 4 servings1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken and potatoes into a large roasting pan (chicken should not be crowded). Mix remaining ingredients (except thyme sprigs) in small bowl. Spoon some of the honey glaze over chicken and potatoes; stir potatoes to coat with glaze.
2. Roast chicken 40 minutes. Brush chicken with reserved honey glaze. Roast, basting every 5 minutes, until deep brown and chicken juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Arrange chicken and potatoes on a platter. Stir pan juices well; spoon over chicken. Garnish, if desired, with sprigs of thyme.
For even more flavor, marinate the chicken in about 1/4 cup of the honey mixture in a zippered food bag in the refrigerator up to 1 day. This also works well with boneless skinless chicken. Simply reduce cooking time by about half.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 392 calories, 26% of calories from fat, 11 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 82 mg cholesterol, 41 g carbohydrates, 32 g protein, 385 mg sodium, 2 g fiber_____________________________________________________________________
------------------------------------------
Tandoori-style chicken chop
------------------------------------------Prep: 25 minutes
Marinate: Overnight
Cook: 40 minutes
Makes: 8 servingsBasmati rice or flatbreads would complement the zesty chicken. So does steamed broccoli and a refreshing sauce made from plain yogurt mixed with grated fresh cucumber, salt and a little fresh mint.
Ingredients
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, peeled, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons each: fresh lemon juice, olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons tandoori seasoning, recipe follows, or bottled curry powder
• 6 to 8 whole chicken legs (leg and thigh attached), skin removed
• Parsley sprigs, red onion rings for garnishDirections
1. Put yogurt, onion, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, oil and tandoori seasoning into a blender. Process until smooth. Put chicken into a bowl. Add yogurt mixture; turn to coat chicken well. Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.2. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch drippings. Roast until chicken juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Garnish with parsley and onion.
Tandoori seasoning: Mix 2 teaspoons each ground cumin, coriander and paprika with 1 teaspoon each salt and ground red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in a small bowl.
Nutrition information
Per serving: 144 calories, 42% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g carbohydrates, 20 g protein, 97 mg sodium, 0 g fiber--------------------------------------------------------------------
** Source for both recipes: Bone up on Chicken **
--------------------------------------------------------------------0 -
Lago- LOL! For all I know, you are like the other city dwellers out on your fire escape grilling in the snow! I may have to get that grill....now I just have to find counter space in my city kitchen! I love Tandoori chicken, most anything Indian. Now that I know curry and turmeric help fight cancer (very low cancer rate in India), I am experimenting with Indian cooking.
0 -
Fire escape? what's that? I live in a modernist building totally Mies Van Der Rohe. All glass and steel. No fire escape no balcony. Also it's warmer in NYC than Chicago in the winter.
I love Indian food too but it can be fattening. You need to watch the butter and oil. My next door neighbor is Indian. The smells that come out of that unit are nice many times, except when she burns/starts fires.
0 -
lago- Mies Van Der Rohe was one of my dad's friends! Hope your building has sprinklers as you have no fire escapes and your neighbor starts fires!! I haven't had butter in the house in four years. I use olive oil and some coconut oil. No options, no dillemas!
0 -
Hi all! I've been MIA like Iago! I haven't really been cooking b/c we're having work done on the house (replacing carpets, molding, doors, etc) and the house is in complete disarray, so the less time I'm home, the better! We've been eating out, but I plan on making something either tonight or tomorrow.
The last thing I made was pretty good. It came from Allrecipies.com and was a Garlic Alfredo Tilapia. You basically just saute some garlic and add jarred alfredo sauce (I reduced the amount to attempt to have a little less fat). The tilapia was brushed w/ olive oil and some creole seasoning and baked. When fish was done, I spooned a little of the garlic afredo sauce on the fish. I also added chopped sun-tried tomatoes and fresh parsley which the recipe didn't call for but gave it a little color.
I love grilling season, and am happy that it is starting to get a little warmer!
Sherrill
0 -
Still fighting my flu. I had a delivery of vegetarian matzoh ball soup from a small vegan caterer--it hit the spot so tonight that is dinner. Hubby is away for work so it is just me. Today is the first day I am starting to feel half human in over a week.
I have one of those cuisinart grills but always have used it just for pancakes. If anyone wants to share their griddle fish or veggie recipes, I'd be interested in expanding my horizons.
Have a nice evening.
Mandy
0 -
Mandy- So you bother to get the flu shot and then get the flu anyway? That's just not right! Here is my sure-fire cure for the flu or colds. Brew very strong fresh ginger root tea (slice root and simmer in water). Run a bath as hot as you can stand and put lots of epsom salt in. Get in the bath and drink the hot, spicy ginger tea while in there. You sweat from places you didn't know existed! Afterwards, put pjs on and get in bed and sleep. By morning, you will feel right as rain. The first time I used this cure, 20 years ago, I felt like death warmed over with the flu. The next night I attended a fabulous benefit at Carnegie Hall on the arm of a spectacular man....I wasn't going to miss that!
0 -
Debbie6122,
Would you be willing to share the asparagus casserole recipe? I've been getting really great deals on it lately here and would love new ways to cook it!
JO-5,
The Beef Stew recipe sounds really good. I know Laurie was looking for a stew recipe! Do you cook the rump roast in the crockpot until done and then add the rest and cook over night? Or is the meat uncooked when it goes in and the whole thing cooks together overnight?
tougherthanithought,
That sounds like a pretty big re-model! It is such a pain when you're going through it but, it will look so nice when you're done! That Tilapia sounds good. I tend not to use Alfredo Sauce on pasta too often but, just a dollop on the fish sounds delicious!
carolehalston,
I have not yet made the salsa chicken but, I don't see why you couldn't cook it in the crockpot. May have to wing it a bit on how long to cook it. Hopefully Laurie or someone who has made it can give you a more definitive answer.
I must ask.... I have eyed soft-shell crab on the menu when we have been on vacation and not gotten it because I wouldn't know how to eat it. Do you eat the whole thing? Or only certain parts?
Weird to think it's too hot to use your oven where you are but, here, I was standing close to mine trying to get warm!!
Mandy1313,
Hope you feel better soon!!!!! I had heard on the news that the flu is really hitting a peak right now in the NE. Much later than last year!
Lago,
Both of those chicken dishes look great and have been added to my ever enlarging collection!!
DesignerMom,
I think that scampi with the quinoa is on my list for this week!! My daughter heads back to school tomorrow so will have a little more freedom in "What's for Dinner"
0 -
Mandy- sorry you are sick hope you feel better!
I have been fighting a cold all week and i woke up this morning congested, fever, chills, and bone aches- I will try your method Designermom!
Seaside, yes i will go get it send it to you shortly!
) 0 -
Here is my recipe for the asperagus casserole- it calls for gruyere cheese sometimes this can be spendy so i will substitute it for swiss.
Asperagus Casserole:
1- tbl veg oil, for sauteing- 1- med onion, (finely diced)- 2- cloves of garlic, (minced)- S&P- 1 1/2 pds of asperagus, rough ends removed, cut into 1 inch peices- 2-eggs- 1-cup of heavy cream- 2-tblsp of freshy chopped dill (optional) 1 1/2 cups of gruyere cheese (or swiss)- 1-cup of montery cheese-1/4 cup (or more) of grated parmesan cheese- 1 1/2 cups of panko bread crumbs (or italian bread crumbs)- 2tbl of smoked paprika (reg is fine)- 4-tbl butter (melted)
Preheat oven to 350%
Heat the oil in a saute pan over med-high heat, stir in the onions and garlic saute till transulcent, season w/ s&p. Add the asperagus, saute untill just tender. remove from heat and let cool completly.
In a small bowl whisk in the eggs, heavy cream, dill and cheeses.
In a seperate bowl, add panko, paprika and butter. mix well to combine.
Place asperagus in casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture over the asperagus and top w/ the panko mixture, spreading evenly.
Put in preheated oven and bake untill casserole is set and bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20-30 minutes
0 -
debbie6122,
Sorry to hear you are under the weather as well....
Thank you so much for posting your recipe! Hoping that asparagus are still on sale this week (or at least reasonably priced) so I can give it a try! I think I'm going to give many of these recipes a try this week.... My family won't know what hit them! lol
Rest, give DesignerMom's remedy a whirl and hope you are feeling better soon!
0 -
Hi All,
I just wanted to share my new favorite salad with you all. A friend brought it over after my surgery and I've been eating it ever since! It's super easy and nutritious. We had it tonight with some pork chops.
Spinach and Strawberry Salad:
One container of fresh organic spinach (it says it is already washed and ready to use)
One container of strawberries (it is strawberry season here in central Fl)
Pecan halves
Put spinach in bowl. Wash and halve strawberries, add as many as you want. Add a handful of pecans.
Dress with a vinagrette of some kind. I like Ken's Lite Asian Sesame & Ginger dressing. How easy is that?
DM - I copied and pasted your recent recipe. Can I make it with brown rice instead of the quinoa? I haven't tried that yet. Maybe I will get brave and give it a try soon.
0 -
shelley- That salad sounds unusual and great. I love unusual. My favorite summer salad is watermelon, red onion, black olive and feta cheese. I'm not sure how my dish would come out with rice instead of quinoa. I was initially intimidated by quinoa, but it is SO good and you really can't screw it up. I think it is very high in protein and other nutrients, I think the Incas ate it. Just get a small bag at the healthfood store. It keeps in the cupboard forever too.
Tonight I made Bistro chicken with roasted garlic, brown rice and brocolli
BISTRO GARLIC CHICKEN preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut up 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts into large bite size chunks
In an oven proof fying pan, brown chicken in olive oil
cut the root end off of about 20 cloves of garlic, leaving the paper part attached
sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, 1 Tbsp Rosemary, 1 Tbsp. Thyme, 1 Tbsp Basil
put all the garlic cloves in pan and stir to mix herbs and coat garlic
Bake for 12 minutes
Remove chicken and cover to keep warm, also remove garlic
"Squirt" each cooked garlic clove back into the pan, discarding the garlic paper
Over a medium flame, carefully add 1/2 cup extra dry vermouth and cook and smash the garlic with a metal spoon and reduce liquid.
Put the chicken back in and stir.
My family never gets tired of this.
WARNING! When you take the pan out of the oven, put an oven mitt on the handle or you will accidentally grab the pan and get burned.
0 -
So many new suggestions! I want to try them all!
Debbie the asparagus casserole sounds delicious! I love asparagus and Guyrere is one of my favorite cheeses!
Shelly, I make a similar salad (I add a few small pieces of goat cheese), but it is basically the same. It is so easy and delicious and is a great summertime salad. One of my favorite summer meals to make when we have people over is grilled fillet migon sliced up, grilled veggies (red pepper, red onion, asparagus, yellow squash), the spinach/strawberry salad, and sliced Jersey tomatoes drizzled w evoo and sprinkled w a bit of oregano and salt. I can't wait for summer!
So, last night we ate out again, partly because the house is a disaster, but also because my son had baseball from 6:30-7:30, so we planned to grab something after with friends. I will make something tonight, but my husband is away Monday-Wednesday so those nights will be grazing nights.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone!
Sherrill0 -
SeasideMemories, you eat the whole softshell crab and it is delicious. Periodically hardshelled crabs molt and become very vulnerable to predators (including humans!) until the new hard shell forms. Here is south Louisiana, crab harvesters select "busters" who are soon to molt and isolate them in a water box until they lose the old shell. Restaurants or individual cooks "clean" the soft-shell crabs by lifting the soft shell and removing what isn't good to eat. My mother cooked soft-shell crabs and I have cooked them a few times. Unfortunately, the batter-and-fry cooking method is the best, so I don't eat them often since I try to avoid fried foods.
Yesterday for lunch I heated the left-over crab in my toaster oven. Now I have three days to get back on the wagon before Weigh-in Wed!!
My intention to cook chicken salsa for dinner last night underwent a transformation. I opened my refrig/freezer to take out chicken and saw a package of pork chops that were frozen in Jan. Took them out instead and also a qt. bag of home-cooked lentil/blackbean/corn chili. Took that out, too. Placed thawed pork chops on the bottom of an electric cooker, dumped thawed chili on top and added bottled blackbean/corn salsa on top. Cooked for several hours on 250. Had to add some water at one point. Served on brown rice. It was good and easy. So the chicken salsa is still in the future!
Much to my surprise I spotted bunches of fresh kale in the Walmart produce dept. for $1 a bunch. I paid $2.50 at Fresh Market but it was organic. The Walmart kale looked pretty fresh so I bought a couple of bunches.
Happy Sunday!
0 -
...doing my Horseradish Beef today. I've a couple of small cheap roasts, studded with garlic, in a large crockpot with a can of French Onion soup and tons of horseradish dumped on top. A family favorite. I serve it either as sandwiches or with griddled cheese toast...ellen
0 -
Shelly- I agree the salad is great. We do a variation of it in the summer with Gorgonzola and a poppy dressing. It's one of our favorites.
The asparagus casserole sounds great too. Unfortunately asparagus has been about 3.99 a pound lately so I'll have to wait for the prices to come down for that one.
Tonight is the chicken Parmesan I was too lazy to make the other night, we'll have garlic bread and Caesar to go with it.
Earlier we were talking about what we do to eat healthy when we go out. After writing and reading through this thread, I have come to the conclusion that I don't eat as healthy as I should. Old habits die hard I suppose. We eat much healthier in the summer, double vegies and no carbs with lots of grilling but I guess not so much in the winter. I need to work on that.
0 -
JO - I used to can peaches and blackberries but my tree's have died and I haven't picked blackberries since dx, too worried about LE flare from all the mini cut's and abrasions when picking.
We are talking about putting in a veggie garden this year...so maybe this summer.
0 -
My mother always did the canning. She would do tomatoes, green beans, beets and pickles. She would also make strawberry and raspberry jam. The last year she was alive, she didn't have the strength to do it so she "supervised" my father as she told him how to do it. My father still has the garden going and every summer I am his assistant. I have no idea what I am doing with the whole boiling popping etc but I can cut chop and soak like a champ. Someday I'll have to pay more attention to the process.
0 -
I am finally making the crab cakes I planed for Valentines day. They are already in the refriderator chilling for tonight. Recipe on page 9 of this thread.
I will be serving sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil and maybe a few tiny red potatoes.
0 -
Thanks Jo for the clarification on the stew recipe...
I have started a word document where I copy and paste the recipes that are posted. I found there were just so many that sounded good that I was losing track of ones I wanted to try (Thanks, Lago, for the suggestion).
I have not tried canning although have been thinking about trying it! I started my first vegetable garden last year and had so many tomatoes ripen all at the same time. I wound up making spaghetti sauce and freezing it.
O2B,
Hope you get your garden this year!! I think last year we were talking about it over on the quit smoking thread. I learned an awful lot about what to do and, maybe more importantly, what not to do...lol
Tonight is a recipe I haven't tried before.. It's a pork tenderloin with roasted grape sauce that I found on the EatingWell web site. Laurie, it calls for Medeira wine so I will be trying that for the first time! Going to put it with some jasmine rice and the spinach strawberry salad that was mentioned on the last page. The strawberries looked/smelled fabulous and were buy 1/get 1!! Perfect!
DesignerMom,
I saw that tip on a cooking show about putting a towel or pot holder on the handle of any pan that comes out of the oven to indicate that it's hot! It really is a great idea because as much as you think you won't forget, you do! I know I've burned myself many times!
0 -
carolehalston,
Thanks for the info on how to eat a soft-shell crab! This thread is not only entertaining but, educational as well! I may work up the nerve to order it next time we are at the shore on vacation. Let us know if the kale bunches work out better for you than the bagged did!
thePuppetLady,
I copied that horseradish beef recipe to my file. Always looking for good crockpot recipes!
0
