So...whats for dinner?
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Chicken Fajitas, yummy
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It's Taco Tuesday here! We often go out on Tuesdays for $1.99 margaritas and $3.99 for 3 tacos. But I have all the fixin's so we are having them at home.
Michelle
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Been away for a bit and have quite a bit of catching up to do! Will have to copy the latest recipes to my file when I can. Been dealing with a little bit of yuck results from a DR appointment! Hopefully, it is a whole lot of nothing!
Anyway... even though I haven't posted, we HAVE been eating! LOL Tonight is a whole chicken in the crockpot and a farrow, roasted squash, red onion and walnut side dish. Recipe was from the back of the farrow bag. We shall see how it is!
Hope tonight finds all of you well!!
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I made roasted Brussels sprouts Never had them before, they weren't too bad but I wouldn't say they were my favorite roasted veg. Also had some brown rice infused with a frozen veggie mix when I steamed it this morning. I usually hear a portion and then add sliced green onions and toasted slivered almonds, it's quite tasty. Also had a piece of cod that I pan fried in a bit of white flour (gasp!!) and then finished in the oven. It came out pretty good for my first time but was a bit overbooked because I have a fear of undercooking things. I will be snacking on a few delectable strawberries later to cap things off. Sometimes I feel like all I do is eat all day!
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Fish tacos. Yum. I first ate them in California a couple of years ago. They're not easily available here in south Louisiana.
Another food I learned to like out west was Indian tacos with fry bread. The toppings are typical taco fare, ground beef, veggies, sour cream and salsa. Delicious. And high in calories, fat and carbs!
Tonight we had Cuban-style black beans and yellow rice with saffron along with a delicious green salad. I cooked the black beans yesterday. On a visit to the Tampa area a couple of years ago, we had black beans at Cuban restaurants. They were so good that I searched for a recipe when we returned home.
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Michelle- I totally agree i have tryed both versions of the shepards pie and even though the squash was ok, it was not potatoes lol!
Laurie- I love breakfast anytime of the day- your kids sounds so cute and funny!
Seaside- I hope you are feeling ok?
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tougherthanithought- turkey would be easier and more healthy too, what brand of peanut sauce do you use? I had my wraps tonight they are really good, but time consuming, i have tryed different brands of the bottled sauce but havnt found one i like yet.
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Carole - could you share your recipe for black beans? I was watching $10 dinners on Food Network and Melissa D'Arabian is always talking about cooking your own beans because they are so much cheaper. I bought a bag, now I need an inspiration.
Debbie - I've tried a couple of times to substitute things for mashed potatoes and hubby just rejects the idea. No mashed cauliflower, no jicama fries...he likes his spuds.
Seaside - hope everything is OK. Sounds like you've had a tough time.
Michelle
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Saturn- Your rice sounds yummy! Sounds like your eating pretty healthy, strawberrys are always a good snack-
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I love the recipes that I am getting here. Thanks to all who post!
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I would like the black bean recipe too, and your tip for soaking/cooking them. I bought some dry beans the other night and tried to soak overnight and then cook in the morning, but they seemed to take way longer to get tender than the recipe said. Cooking on electric burners suck when trying to regulate the heat so I probably had them too low for fear of breaking all the skins, which happened anyway!
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Debbie, the Peanut sauce I have now is by House of Tsang- Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce. I've had other kinds, but this is what I had on hand now and I think it's good.
Tonight I will be making eggs for dinner. Not sure exactly how, either scrambled, omlets, poached on toast. I love eggs just about any old way.
Sherrill
PS: please feel free to use my real name "Sherrill" When I registered here, I didn't think the user name through...tougherthanithought is really quite a lot to type out
I really should consider changing it. But it just happened to be how I was feeling in those moments it took to register on BC.org0 -
Sherrill- thanks, i havnt tryed that sauce yet-
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Oh wow. Plenty of these additional foods sound good, but I'm not (and will never be) the "complicated" cooks you ladies so obviously are. I don't have the "equipment," the money to buy it (or to be willing to risk "wasting" food when "experiments" don't work out) nor do I even understand enough of the terminology (and no brain left to remember it if anybody tries to teach me).
And on top of that.....since I only do extremely simple and fairly quick cooking, I've got nothing to offer you anyway.Thank you for the simpler recipes, though, and somehow it helped me remember how to make real mashed potatoes again (last night's dinner: chicken with gravy [from a package of course], mashed potatoes and peas).
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Lena, some of the best things are simple -- a few ingredients and an easy cooking method -- if the ingredients are fresh and flavorful, the simplist dish can taste like a gourmet meal. So don't think you have to be complicated to be a good cook! I don't have lots of equipment, just pots and pans and knives and spoons and stuff. I do have a small food processor but I chop mostly by hand anyway. I use a large skillet instead of a wok. I don't even have a blender or electric can opener
My mom was a gadget freak but I'm not -- at least, not in the kitchen.I'm heading toward a pilaf kick, I haven't made it in ages but used to make it all the time, varying the ingredients depending on what I have and feel like. It can be a complete meal in one pot if I add the right foods (lean protein and veggies).
Saturn, I rarely soak beans overnight, I do a "quick soak" -- put them in a pot with plenty of water, bring to a simmer, turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for an hour. They're then ready to cook; after the quick-soak method; most beans will cook to the firm-but-done stage in about an hour (some take longer), and if I want them softer I just cook a little longer.
Also, you would think dried beans are dried beans and should keep forever, but from my experience when I used to grow my own (yes, I grew my own dried beans -- I was such an earth mama!) -- that after a year they get hard as rocks and are really hard to cook to anything edible. So watch out for old beans.
If I'm using a slow cooker and know they'll be cooking all day anyway, I usually don't soak at all, just toss them in. The long slow cooking does all the hydration they need. Cooking slowly also helps keep them from bursting. Also, it beats having to watch them and stir them to keep the bottom from burning.
I know a lot of people throw away the soaking water but when you do that, you throw away a lot of the soluable fiber that leaches out during the soaking process, so I never toss it. I rinse the beans really well first so I don't have dirty water.
Well, that's more than enough about beans!
bon appetit, everyone!
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Thanks Naturegrrl, I'll have to try it your way. I must say lastnight's dinner came out really good though. I used the Whole Foods recipe for Spicy Vegetarian Chili, made a few adjustments like adding tons more chili powder, and had cornbread to go with it. my DH really liked it! Now THAT'S saying something!
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My Mom is from Cuba so I have made/eaten many a black bean in my day
. This is the recipe that I use, although, I think every one of my relatives seems to have their own idea on the RIGHT way to make it!
Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)
Ingredients For cooking the beans:
1 pound dry black beans
2 1/2 quarts water
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed but still whole
1 large slice onion
Ingredients To Complete The Dish:
1/3 cup spanish olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Soak and Cook The Beans:
1. Place the beans in a colander and rinse them under cold running water.
2. Transfer the beans to a large pot, cover them with the 2 1/2 quarts water (important to measure because you will not be draining this water) and soak for at least 8 hours. (As NatureGrrl said, I often do a speed soak instead)
3. Add the green pepper, garlic and onion slice to the pot and bring it to a boil
4. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook the beans until they are tender, about 1 hour, skimming any foam that may develop periodically.
To Complete the Dish:
1. While the beans are cooking, saute the onions and green peppers until they are softened and translucent. Add in the garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano and cook for a couple of minutes more. This mixture is called a sofrito.
2. Remove the sofrito from the heat and place half in a food processor. Add a large ladle full of the cooked beans and pulse until pureed.
3. Stir the puree, the remaining sofrito, the bay leaf and sugar into the beans. Bring the beans to a boil again, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid has the consistancy of a thick gravy. Make sure to stir frequently so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
4. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf, stir in the vinegar and a little splash of olive oil.
5. Serve over fluffy white rice
NatureGrrl,
Typically, Cubans cook the beans in the water in which they were soaked. I know some people say that by changing the water out for fresh helps to prevent certain... err... unpleasant gastric issues. I have never found that to be true and you are right... many of the nutrients go down the drain too!.
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Seaside, yum! Thank you for sharing that. I may make it this weekend -- I'm in a rice mood lately so anything over rice sounds good, and that sounds great! I would love to see some more Cuban dishes if you'd like to share!
Saturn, I love veg*n chili, can you share the recipe? I have one I love but it's still in storage boxes so I'm always looking for something new to try.
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Seaside, thank you so much for the recipe! And I would also like more Cuban food recipes. We took a trip to FL a few years ago and had a chicken dish with the most scrumptious tomato-y broth and I wish I knew how they made it. Had lots of onions too. Can't even remember the name of the dish now either, but I might know it if I heard it.
Naturegrrl - I will post that recipe, but I have to log out and get onto Internet Explorer first.
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debbie6122 and LuvRVing,
I'm doing much better now! Thanks for asking!
Had some GYN tests where the results were not what I had hoped for which triggered, along with a LOT of worry, more stupid tests. I don't want to ruin anyone's appetite so won't go into detail here but, I posted the long version over on the Quit Smoking thread. So far, additional testing has come out good. I have one last test to get through next Tuesday and depending on what that shows I may need one last procedure.
Boy, for an appointment that was supposed to be routine, this sure has turned out to be anything, but!!
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Oh, I love beans, especially black beans! They are so hearty and filling!
I haven't ever made corned beef and cabbage, and every year my husband wants to have it on St. Patrick's Day, so I plan on gettting a take-out corned beef and cabbage tonight. Wegman's has corned beef and cabbage dinners and choice of two sides for take-out for $12 so I think I'll try that. Of course, my kids likely won't want any part of it, so I'll get them something else. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be more motivated to cook
Sherrill
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Naturegrrl- Here's the recipe from Whole Foods website. They have some great recipes on there! I didn't have the celery, and used ALL black beans instead of kidney bc that is what I soaked, and added tons more chili powder and more cumin bc I like it that way. Also used 3 carrots bc I love them! Would be good with corn added too I suppose.
Spicy Vegetarian Chili (from Whole Foods) Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drainedMethod
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned. Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with green onions or sour cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 17oz/495g-wt.): 230 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1200mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 11g protein
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Seaside - glad things turned out OK. I had my own adventure today. I have an infected seroma resulting, probably, from a large hematoma from my initial Mammotome biopsy last June. Today the radiologist aspirated it, got two large syringes of guck, and then bound me up with a very tight ace bandage and an ice pack. One syringe is being cultured to determine the type of bacteria and the other is being checked for "abnormal" (read that more cancer) cells. I am on Levaquin for ten days. Oh such fun. Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is looking very attractive at the moment - this breast is going to be nothing but trouble. Oh, and my tumor markers have gone up from 34 in August to 64 this week. Let's hope it's a false positive caused by the infection.
I'm letting hubby figure out dinner tonight!
Michelle
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Oh LuvRVing,
I think I felt the same way earlier this week in that I told my husband, "Ya know... when I had a lumpectomy I knew I was signing up for a bit of stressful testing a couple of times a year... and we agreed that it was worth it. I felt I was truly a good sport during my first go round and played the hadn I was dealt with grace and dignity. BUT... IF I get a recurrance OR this stupid uterine thing turns out to be something, ALL bets are off and it can all go as far as I'm concerned.!!"
The second round of testing has been much more encouraging as I hope it will be for you!
I didn't cook much this week either. We had tacos and a chicken in the crock-pot and most of the week was leftovers or a sandwich. Just had all I could handle dealing with the tests!
Sending only good thoughts your way!
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Seaside- I sent you a post on the "quit smoking thread"
Michelle- Hope it is a false positive, and results are b9
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tonight i made a chicken dinner with 40 cloves of garlic, it was so yummy, DH loved it. I also roasted some broccoli in the oven ,and made a baked sweet potato.
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Saturn, thank you -- looks great!! Copied and pasted and printed!
Debbie -- 40 cloves of garlic -- wow! Did you stuff the chicken with garlic, or.... ? It sounds delicious and I'd love to know what you did. (Your whole dinner sounds great, love broccoli and sweet potatos!).
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Naturegirl- I know 40 cloves sounds like a bunch, its actually 3 whole heads which amounts to about 40 cloves, i could of used another head of garlic i think because even though it was very flavorful it was mild, at least to me, ( i love garlic) the original recipes calls for skin on chicken, but i used boneless, skinless breast, pat dry with paper towels so chx is not moist, season liberly with kosher salt and pepper,
Seperate all the cloves (skin on) and drop in boiling water for 60 seconds, drain- the peel comes off very easy, leave whole.
In sauce pan, add: 1 tbsp of butter or evoo- sauted chicken on both sides till browned about 3-5 minutes on each side- work in batches- remove chx- add a little more butter, add whole cloves of garlic, and saute about 5-10 minutes, scrapin up brown bits, watching so garlic dosnt burn- turn heat up and add 1 1/2 cups of white wine, 3 tbsp of cognac ( can use brandy or any other liquor you prefer) bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and add chx back in pan, add, 1 tblsp of tyme leaves, cover and simmer about 30 minutes if using whole chx ,or 20 minutes if using boneless, skinless chx- take chx out of pan and put on plate tented w/foil, then take about 1/2 cup of sauce and mix it with 2 tbsp of flour add back to pan, add 1 more tbsp of cognac and 2 tbsp of heavy cream- cook for about 5 minutes more, when ready to serve top with the sauce-
broccoli- preheat oven to 350-375- on sheet pan put brocc florets on pan toss w/ evoo, minced garlic, salt and pepper, parmesan cheese, roast for 15-20 minutes, take out of oven and toss w/ more evoo, parmesaan cheese and some lemon zest.
I love sweet potatoes, i put a little honey, and lots of cinnamon and a little pumpkin pie spice.
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NatureGrrl and saturn,
If you love rice, then Cuban food would definitely fit the bill!!. Seems most of the dishes I enjoy contain rice in some way, shape or form!
This one is a favorite of mine and, since it contains ingredients that aren't too unusual, is a good choice for when you are introducing someone to Cuban cooking. MUCH tamer than roasting a whole pig in the ground in the backyard as I remember my uncles doing...lol
There are probably as many versions of this recipe as there are cooks. There is even disagreement in my family as to how to make it. Some use the oven, some use the stove-top, different cuts of chicken, covered/not covered..... Well you get the picture...lol! It all tastes good not matter how you got there!
Here is the one I use.
Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Yellow Rice)
Ingredients:
Chicken - (Can use bone-in or boneless. I usually use boneless breast cut into bite-sized pieces. My Mom would disagree and say it has to be bone-in thighs and maybe a breast!)
14 oz (roughly 1 and 3/4 cup) Vallencia style or medium grain rice. Not long grain.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 cups chicken stock
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 strands saffron OR 1 tsp tumeric
1 beef boullion cube (I use about a tablespoon of a paste called Better Than Bouillion - low sodium)
1 cup beer or white/rose wine (I make it both ways depending on what I have but, prefer the beer)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Frozen Peas
1- 6oz jar pimientos, drained and cut into strips
Instructions:
1. If you are using the boneless chicken, cut it into bite sized pieces. Place a small amount of olive oil in a large dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan and brown the chicken pieces (boneless or bone-in). You are not looking to cook them all the way at this point. Move the chicken to a platter to hold. Drain any oil from pan.
2. Using the same dutch oven saute the onions and green peppers in the 1/4 cup olive oil until slightly softened. Add the crushed garlic and saute for just a minute or two being careful not to burn it.
3. Add the chicken and all of the other ingredients EXCEPT for the rice, frozen peas and pimientos
4. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for around 20 minutes. You want the chicken to cook all the way through at this point.
5. Add the rice. Stir. Cook over low heat, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (about 20-30) minutes. If at the end of this time, the rice is still not tender, add a little more beer or wine stir and cook, covered, a bit longer. If liquid remains but rice is tender, simmer uncovered, for a bit. This is meant to be a fairly moist, but not soupy rice.
6. Sprinkle in the frozen peas, however many you prefer, cover and let the steam thaw the peas.
7. Garnish with pimiento, if desired and serve!!
ENJOY!.
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saturn,
That chili sounds so GOOD!!!
debbie6122,
I bet that chicken is great! All that garlic, yum! For the tablespoon of thyme is that fresh or dried thyme?
tougherthanithought,
How was the carry-out corned beef and cabbage? Wegman's stuff is so good you really can't go wrong there. I bought a corned beef because they were ridiculously on sale but, we won't be having it until maybe tomorrow or Sunday.
ps... I like your name... wouldn't change a thing!
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