So...whats for dinner?
Comments
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Sorry to break in here, but...I read this whole thread and most of this stuff sounds YUMMMMMMM!!! I copied all of the uncomplicated recipes that didn't involve avocadoes (ewww), Mexican or any other kind of hot and spicy. Oh, wow, recipes for Shrimp Scampi!! I LOVE that but thus far that's has always been a rare treat which I only eat restaurants (more than once a year is ALOT). Well maybe now I'll be able to make my own so can have it a little more often. Thanks!
Ummm, just one stupid question, if you don't mind: what's the difference between dijon mustard and plain old regular yellow mustard? Are they interchangeable for cooking?
...and for dinner tonight -- I'm going to eat a small salad (finishing up the rest of the salad stuff) and microwave a plate of leftover spaghetti with "4 hour simmer sauce" as I call it. I made it last night for me and my Pack Rat. (my Pack Rat is my boyfriend...LOL!).
From what I've been reading, it seems that there are a lot of tuna lovers here...am I right? :-)
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Oooops... Thanks Laurie!
I had started my post and then had to finish the soup so I had a rather long pause there!
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nora_az,
The corned beef and cabbage sounds good... We also have that here, once a year, for St Patty's day. My husband and I enjoy it.. the kids not so much.
Lena,
No need to be sorry...lol... Pop right on in!
I didn't think that was a stupid question at all.... In fact, while there is a big difference in flavor between the dijon and yellow mustard, I was hard pressed to put into words what that difference is. I would describe it as yellow mustard is more tangy or vinegary and dijon is a bit spicier. From what I read they are generally NOT considered interchangable in cooking....
Here is an "official" description that I found:
"Dijon mustard is available in most supermarkets or specialty stores. It has a more pungent flavor than regular yellow mustard, making it a great choice for cooking or other uses where yellow mustard would break down and lose its flavor. Honey Dijon mustard obviously has honey in the recipe, making for a smoother, slightly sweeter condiment used widely on salads, chicken nuggets and wings everywhere. "
As for tuna, I had it before and ordered it way over-cooked (not good). I am trying to get up the nerve to try it rare. We'll see!
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I eat my tuna rare but I also eat sushi… therefore eat my tuna raw too.
I agree that you can't interchange yellow, brown or dijon mustard.
Lena no spicy or Mexican. I'm not coming to your house for dinner.
Seriously welcome to the thread.0 -
I like Coleman's mustard....Looks like normal French's mustard but it's got a huge "kick" to it.
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Laurie, thanks for the rice and cheese recipe. It sounds like something my hubby will love!
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Thanks for telling me about the mustard, Seaside and Lago. Exactly HOW spicy is the dijon -- is it HOT-type spicy? How does it compare, in "hotness," say, to mild salsa? I ask because mild salsa was the last hot-spicy thing I tried and when I came down from the ceiling, I decided that was it, no more taking chances even trying any more even "weak" hot stuff. Every hot-spicy food I ever tried (a little Mexican/Tex-Mex, a little Indian) even only a couple of bites burned my mouth so bad I couldn't even taste anything else, it hurt and I ended up with diarrhea. And that includes the "mild" salsa!
Would you believe that this violent painful reaction I have to hot-spicy food is so bad that I can't even kiss my Pack Rat right after HE eats it? He likes Mexican food at the medium hot-spicy level, so I would occasionally buy tortilla chips and medium salsa for HIM to snack on when he came over. Well one day we were watching Star Trek on DVD and snacking -- he was having chips and salsa; I just ate the chips plain...well about ten minutes after he was done eating the episode ended, I got up planning to take the bowls to the sink but he gave me a sudden hug and French kissed me, and it was like *I* had actually tried to eat the salsa! :-O OMG!
LOL Lago, so I won't come to your house for dinner either -- too spicy for me! ;-) The only place I enjoy hot and spicy is in BED, not on my PLATE! ;-)
Hmmm, maybe the chemo brain hit me. I thought I had read, albeit way earlier in the thread, a few posts about eating tuna (which I love)...Oh well.....
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It's not spicy hot. IMO I wouldn't even call Dijon mustard hot. More tart. Mustard seed is not like peppers at all. If you can handle brown mustard most likely you will be fine with Dijon.
Indian food is very hot/spicy. Never ever try chicken Vindaloo. Even I, who eats spicy all the time must have my Vindaloo over rice or I die.
We had Salmon tonight. I made a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, Cajun spice and a little Dijon mustard. Brushed it on the fish and baked. Would be better grilled but I let my husband do all the grilling. I've been doing most of the cooking the past few weeks.
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Lena,
Nope... You did not imagine it... There were a few posts here that had recipes for tuna! In fact, they sounded so good that they were my inspiration for trying to work up the nerve to try it! It's funny but I have no problem eating rare steak but rare/raw seafood has always spooked me...
I'm thinking I'm going to give it a try!
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Lago- I must say I always look forward to your posts-- my mouth always waters! And everything you make is so healthy! You sound like a really awesome cook, and thanks for sharing I really appreciate it. Keep 'em coming, you could write a book for all us non-cook survivors!
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Saturn I don't think many of the recipes I post are super healthy. I do try to change out things that aren't. The salmon I made last night was an adapted recipe. I changed the butter for olive oil and didn't use mayonnaise or bread crumbs. Added a few extra spices of my own. It's still salty with the Worcestershire sauce.
I find the trick to making things healthy is include lots of veggies and replace ingredients like butter with olive oil, reduce sugar and if you can reduce salt. I never add salt except for my chicken soup. I also try to avoid using cheese although some things can't be helped so I used low fat. I mean who ever heard of a taco without some cheese?
The real trick to in the seasonings. Most spices are calorie & fat free but can make your food taste great. Yes I have lots of spices.
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I don't know if I can handle brown mustard or not. IF I ever had it, I don't remember, it would have to have been it was way long ago (1982-1996) while I was still at least open to TASTING something said to be -- by either the person suggesting I try it or on the label of the food itself -- "only a little" or "mild" hot-spicy. That mild salsa incident which burned out my mouth was about 15 years ago and that's both when and why I closed my mind COMPLETELY to even TRYING anything even MINIMALLY hot-spicy; the surprise medium salsa kiss was about 5 years ago. It's actually too bad in a way that I can't eat that stuff because my Pack Rat loves Mexican food. But then again, I passionately love Chinese food, green veggies and seafood, all of which he could easily live without short of an occasional tossed salad and rare order of pepper steak at a Chinese restaurant (his cousins also love Chinese food, but in their case, it's in ADDITION to Mexican!). Fortunately we both love Italian, and "regular American food."
I like plain yellow mustard -- yeah, tart but not at all hot -- but I only use it rarely. When it comes to sandwich spreads, I'm a Mayonnaise (or Ketchup and Mayonnaise) girl. Until this recent wonderful meat loaf recipe I tried called for it, the only time I ever used mustard was on hot dogs. Now, I totally love hot dogs -- BUT ONLY WHEN I'M IN THE MOOD FOR THEM -- and to me they REQUIRE mustard, but I only get in the mood for them at intervals of YEARS. Every 2-3 years or so, I totally crave them so I'll buy a package or two of hot dogs and hot dog rolls plus a small bottle of yellow mustard, and (along with whatever else I have), I proceed to eat anywhere from one to three hot dogs per day, every day (with moderate slathers of the yellow mustard), until they're all gone. Then I'm done for the next couple years and don't eat ANY! My last hot dog binge was about 2-3 years ago so I'm probably "due" soon, and when I wanted to try this meat loaf recipe I had to actually buy mustard because I didn't even have any in the house.
LOL Lago, I learned "no Indian food for me at all" back in 1992 or 1993 when one of my Indian coworkers brought in this...hell if I remember what it even WAS, much less what was actually IN it...it was some kind of crunchy sorta breaded-ish-looking snack commonly eaten in India and also by Indian immigrants. She made a great big batch of it special to share with us all (a few other Indian immigrants like herself, a Polish woman, and a couple of Americans). Cautiously, I decided to try it. I was actually able to eat and enjoy two or three bites of it and thought "oh wow maybe I can eat this, it's really tasty!" but then my mouth exploded in its usual painful reaction to spicy-hot food! If it hadn't been hot-spicy I'd have loved it, but to the best of my knowledge, spicy-hot is one of the defining attributes of Indian food...that is, if it's not hot and spicy, it's "not really Indian." So, since then, no more Indian food for me!
Oh good Seaside, thanks for assuring me my brain isn't as dead as I thought it would be, and that there really are other people besides me who love tuna. Soooo....here for all you tuna lovers is my
COMFORTING TUNA CASSEROLE
What You Need
1 10-oz can of tuna (or 2 of the "little" 5-oz I think cans)
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup.
1 can of peas (or a package of fresh-frozen cut green beans if you don't like peas) (*)
2 cups of elbow macaroni
Big bowl
Casserole dish or one of those aluminum disposable casserole sized pans, with cover (or tinfoil)
Several tablespoons of flavored breadcrumbs (I use Italian-flavored, you use whatever you like or think will go with it better).
What You Do
1. Cook the macaroni al dente and also cook the green beans (firm, not mushy), unless you're using the canned peas (*).
2. Mix the tuna, mushroom soup, and can of peas (or cooked green beans) so they're distributed evenly in the bowl, then add the cooked macaroni and mix THAT thoroughly for an even mixture of everything.
3. Put the mixture in the casserole dish/pan, and sprinkle enough breadcrumbs over the top to cover it all thinly.
4. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Yield = 4 servings, approximately 235 calories each.
(*) The original recipe uses the canned peas, but when I called to invite my friend and her husband over for dinner one night and asked "Do you guys like tuna casserole?" she said she loved it but her husband hates peas. I asked "How about green beans?" and she said yes, so I made it with green beans and it was loved by all -- even me -- to the point where for the next several years I made it with the green beans! It has only been since this past fall that I went back to making it with the peas! And, as someone who loves peas and green beans equally, the first time I ate it "with peas again" I wondered how come I hadn't changed back to using peas a lot sooner! LOL
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Lago--- fish tacos are just fish (duh!), cabbage or slaw of some kind, and salsa... can add onions or cilantro, avocado... YUM! Don't need cheese on those, at least for me. But do I bother to make them? well,thats another story!
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Well OK there are some exceptions. I agree Fish/seafood and cheese doesn't usually go together for me. My tacos usually only have avocado, lettuce, onion, tomato, salsa and of course cheese. Yes we eat the healthier soft corn taco shells.
I haven't made fish tacos but have ordered them out. Tasty.
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Yes, I love them. We used to live on Maui and they were "ono" (translates into "delicious" in Hawaiian, but is also a type of fish). Wish I had some now, I'm hungry.
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I love fish tacos! I've never made them myself, either, Iago, but I'm sure it's easy. Saturn, I had the best fish Tacos in Maui last Christmas (actually Christmas 2009) at a causal place in Kaanapali ( can't remember the name of the place). They were sooooo good! I may just have to try to replicate what I had and make them at home. We'll see!
Sherrill
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NatureGrrl,
I made the beer bread last night and it was just ridiculously quick and easy!!
I almost didn't do it because I was running behind but, it literally took maybe 10 minutes to get it mixed and in the oven. I used the recipe that was published in the USA Weekend thing that came in the Sunday paper just because I had it handy.
Looking at the recipe from the site Saturn posted, I think I would like it even better because I thought the recipe from the paper had an ever so slight sweet taste that I wasn't sure I liked. The one from this site uses only 1 Tbsp sugar. Also they have a whole wheat version there as well. http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/11/beyond-easy-beer-bread.html
One tip if you use the one from the paper, they are not kidding when they say to mix it together and knead it quickly. Once mixed, it went from being manageble to very sticky quickly. Not as much a problem in the farmgirlfare recipe because you're putting it in a loaf pan. The newspaper one has you kind of free form it on a cookie sheet. It was really sticking to everything but, all worked out OK.
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Seaside.... so you liked it, aside from the slightly sweet taste? I saw the whole wheat version too and want to try that one, but I think I'm going to make yeast bread (rosemary) this weekend instead.
Put some chili in the freezer, it really was good. Now I want a light dinner tonight -- maybe yet another Caesar salad or some fruit and something.
Lena, that sounds like the tuna casserole my mom made in the 60's, except she put cubes of cheese in it and topped it with crumbled potato chips. I don't think I could tolerate that topping now
but when we were kids we loved it! 0 -
NatureGrrl,
Yes I did like it and so did my husband! I'm sure a regular yeast bread would taste better but, if strapped for time this sure tasted good! I actually looked like I had really worked all day on it!
Do you make your bread by hand or use a bread maker? My Dad used to make bread by hand on the weekend when I was growing up and it was sooo good. I have a bread maker that I haven't used in years and years. I may dig that out and give it another whirl!
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Oh my goodness, Seaside -- I got the tuna casserole recipe from MY mother, who made it in the 1960s!
Getting hungry now...oh it's dinner time anyway! OK, I'm thinking some of that yummy meat loaf I froze some of the leftovers, and an apple for dessert. :-)
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So- my husband is gone. He almost never travels and the house feels so quiet without him. The kids enjoyed their dinner though. I sliced up strawberries and bananas and let them eat it dipping in yogurt.(usually only done at breakfast.) Now they are eating left over ham and cheese and rice. I am having a bit of it all. My husband and I went out to lunch together before he left and I am not that hungry.
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Laurie,
My husband was away for a week not that long ago and I know just how you feel... It definitely feels a bit empty in your home. Hopefully your little guys keep you busy and the days pass quickly!
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The other night while draining some peas my hand slipped and I got burned. Rembering Sherrill's post about pouring cold soy sauce on a burn, I ran to the refrigerator, grabbed the brown bottle and poured it on, liberally. I just want to assure everybody that worcestershire sauce does absolutely nothing for a burn!
Yep, ole Sherlock here grabbed the wrong brown bottle!
Kathy
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Oh QCA...
Good thing that you remembered the tip but, bad that you grabbed the wrong bottle! Hope your burn feels better!
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Lots of family joining me for March break so made huge pot of Marinara sauce with home made meatballs added in.My meatballs have beef,pork,veal,parsley,fresh parm cheese and italian bread crumbs 1 egg,a squirt of ketchup.onion grated 3cloves choped garlic, S and P Brown them in olive oil before adding to homemade sauce to finish cooking.0
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QCA- Your post made me laugh (Definitely NOT funny you got burned, though!) Hopefully if you ever burn yourself again, you'll try the soy sauce this time. It really does work.
Mumayan, you just reminded me that I haven't made meatballs in a while. Maybe Sunday I'll make mine. Yours sound similar to mine: Ground beef, fresh parm, fresh parsely, minced garlic, egg, milk, Italian bread crumbs, salt & pepper. I bake at 475 on oiled baking sheet (5 min, flip over and bake 5 min more) Then add to sauce. It's one of the rare meals I make that pleases everyone, including the picky kids.
So last night I made simple breaded chicken and served it with roasted cauliflower and garlic. Instead of making a spinach salad like I planned, I decided to saute a few slices of bacon crisp, remove some of the fat from the pan, added a few sliced mushrooms and a little minced garlic, then wilted the baby spinach. It was very tasty. Definitely cancelled out some of the health benefit of the spinach by cooking it in bacon, though! But since my husband was on a business trip and eating out all week, he was so happy to have a home cooked meal.
Sherrill
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seaside, I make bread by hand (well, with the help of a mixer that I use to partially knead the dough). I started baking bread when I was in my 20's and just really learning to cook, etc., and have never stopped -- in fact, for about 10 years I baked all my own bread, rolls, buns, tortillas, etc., because I was unhappy with most of what I could get in the store. I still prefer my bread to most of what I can buy, especially here -- when I lived in Portland I found some really good options, but now that I'm out of a city, even with a Great Harvest nearby, I generally like what I can do better -- and I just love baking. It's fun and relaxing and the results are yummy
I'm thinking maple-roasted root veggies (parsnips, carrots, maybe beets & sweet potatoes and for sure onions) tonight, just have to figure out what else to go with.
Bon appetit!
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mumayan,
Spaghetti and meatballs is a hands-down favorite with my family and the ONE dish that my daughter asks for every time she is home from college!!! Yum!
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NatureGrrl,
I live in a small'ish town but we do have a fairly large Italian population and there are several places here that sell wonderful bread. Yet, there really is something about making it yourself that is so satisfying... and the smell of bread baking.... nothing like it! I suspect, in my case, it has a lot to do with the memories!
I think I may just give it a try!
Never even thought to make tortillas but I bet that's really good too!!
The veggies bring back really great memories as well. We are big beet fans here.... When my husband and I were first married we lived in a very small house in the country.. We had no idea what the heck we were doing (think back to the show "Green Acres". We were truly that bad!)
There was an elderly couple who lived next door that we became friends with. They knew what they were doing and had a very large garden. Both my husband and I worked and all summer long we would find a basket filled with whatever they were picking that day waiting for us on our front step when we got home from work! Many nights, whatever was in that basket was "What's for dinner"... Looking back now, although I don't think they knew it, it was the beginning of the CSA movement...
Such simple times but, I think it was the happiest time of our lives!!
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Hi everyone! DD has gone back to NH, so tonight I cooked...beef stir-fry with snow peas, mushrooms, red peppers, scallions and celery with a sesame ginger sauce and served over brown rice. DH is in his "eating glory"! I'm glad he's enjoying it, because I'm leaving next Friday for 9 days in MA with the grandkids. He'll eat a lot of crap while I'm gone.
Boneless chicken breasts were on sale today at our local Price Chopper - $1.19 a pound...a ridiculous price and I bought three packages. I'm pretty sure there is chicken in our immediate future. Anyone notice that veggies are really expensive at the moment? I guess the cold weather everywhere is taking its toll, and transportation prices will probably continue to have an impact. Spring and local farmers' markets are not far away!
Michelle
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