So...whats for dinner?
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Michelle (LuvRving),
I just visited your blog. You are in my thoughts often, and you are one of the first people that I turned to when I didn't know what to do and had questions. Much love and prayers going out to you.
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Tonite I made scalloped potatos and ham. Yum. But guess ill have a lot of leftovers, even though I made half my usual recipe. Usually, when I want that combo, I head over to my favorite Greek restaurant on Wed. Thurs. Nite is stuffed pepper nite. But I just wanted go make something and I had the ham since it was on sale after New Years.
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I refuse to shop at Walmarts, so I have no idea what they might or might not have. I adore leeks, especially if they will be put through a food mill or blended! Then I don't have to make pretty cuts. To clean leeks, cut them so that you can expose the insides and put in a large bowl of water. Swoosh them around. The dirt will settle to the bottom of the bowl, so scoop the leeks out with your hands so you don't disturb the dirt.
Leeks are great in soups, stocks, tarts, soups [did I mention that], braised, gratin, and soups. :-) You can buy tons of leeks when they are cheap [late Summer around here], clean them and then freeze them. I don't. Simply don't have the room. But when I use the white part of the leek, I freeze the darker green parts for my chicken stock.
Dinner tonight was the Weisswurst, Munich-style pretzels, sauerkraut, and a few sautéed potato slices for Mr. 02143. We are actually doing a real food shopping trip tomorrow. 'Bout time! We have been running on empty for almost a month.
*susan*
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Moon,
DH and I love scalloped potatoes and ham although it is a tough sell to our kids...
Growing up my Mom made it as scalloped potatoes and SPAM... We liked it but it's so much better with actual ham...lol!
Funny but the diner I mentioned in my previous post is also Greek and they have some pretty awesome nightly specials!
Tonight's dinner was Chicken Parmesan and I am so psyched! I finally used some of the frozen homemade spaghetti sauce made from the tomatoes that I grew myself. Was scared to use it because I wasn't sure how it would taste and didn't want to ruin whatever I would be using it for.... Well, I shouldn't have worried... It was delicious!0 -
Seaside,
Doesn't that just make your heart smile? I love when my little freezer gifts are actually good.
*susan*
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Susan,
Yes, it sure did make my heart glad as my tomatoes were the ONE thing that did well in my garden... I had bad zucchini seeds so, while everyone was dodging the neighbor's excess, I was encouraging it! I then had the 'Mean green bean munching machine' bunny who visited my garden daily and caused me to raise the white flag in surrender on that front!!
Peppers and tomatoes did well...0 -
I always used to freeze "starter" bags. Tomatos, peppers, onion, celery. Cooked to blend a bit of salt and pepper. Then in the winter, use it for spaghetti, or chili, or just soup. Tasted so fresh. Just adjust the seasonings when you use it, that way, I always had the right base to make anything!
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I'm sitting at hospital dh therapy app and a family got called in the mom was walking while looking at her cell phone in tow behind her was a little baby boy about 4 looking at his smart phone then dad behind him walking and looking at his big iPad my gosh what is this world coming to? I think they need phone control not gun control lol!
Slow thread today hope every one is feeling better xo0 -
That describes my grandkids and their parents to a "t"!!! But the parents do limit the their usage.
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Susan, I won't shop at Walmart, either - but I use leeks a lot. One of my favorite soups....
1 organic chicken
2 boxes organic chicke stock
3 or 4 lemongrass stalks cut in 1/4ths lengthwise and in approx 1" pieces
1/3lb (or more) ginger, washed well and sliced in approx 1/4" slices
Cook the chicken, lemongrass and ginger in the organic chickn stock plus enough water to cover (the chicken) covered, until the chicken is tender. Allow to cool. Strain the broth into a different kettle. remove the chicken from the bones chop into relatively small pieces, and add to broth. Slice 3 or 4 leeks in 1/8" slices (only the tender parts). Simmer gently for approx 1/2 hour. Add approximately 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms, the juice of 1/2 lemon. Serve hot. (If you like it spicy, and a squirt or two of srirracha to the bowl when serving...
)You can also add either rice or orzo if you like more heft to the soup. Sometimes I add some coconut milk and leave out the lemon juice.
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If it weren't for Walmart, I wouldn't even be able to buy parsley in my little town (or anywhere for 30+ miles) much less something as exotic as leeks. Here, all the garlic comes in boxes. It's nice you have a better choice.
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Does any one have simple/easy, authentic Mexican dishes they can share? I'm really not into the Ortega, taco bell kind of Mexican food..blech! Maybe enchiladas...mmm! DD is out, DH is working OT for the "snow" we are getting for the state.
Seaside...oh my word! Scallloped potatoes and spam! Wow. We were so poor growing up, (6 kids) that's all we ate. lol! Kind of the yours mine and ours situation!
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Hi all, yes it is a quiet day on this thread....
I got up early today to drive out to the Berkshires, where DH has a hospital board meeting this afternoon, after which we attend a dinner tonight. We may also remain here until Sunday and do some local stuff, since we get to stay at this beautiful estate owned by one of the other board members (a sinfully rich smart one who is basking in the sun on an island while he loans out his art filled "country home" to us proles.....but believe me I am not complaining, even tho the temp outside is 13 degrees...no Marco Island feel in Western MA). I feel like we are starring in Downton Abbey when we are here....huge estate, impeccable period decor and antiques in every room, original art work from all over the world, and just a few staff to meet everyone's needs for food drink, and anything else.
But for all that he has, this generous man's wife died of breast cancer about ten years ago, and they had no children. So, aside from travelling the world and accumulating original artwork, he spends much of his fortune supporting young people who are starting out in that field. I am writing this as I look west over the pastures and to the hills....very peaceful.
Back to food....on the way here, we stopped for lunch and I had a delish basic BLT....always think of you when I have bacon, Michelle. Last night DH was out, so I ate the rest of a spinach pie I'd started while at lunch with a former colleague, along with the last of Amelia's soup. It was particlarly good after a few days in the fridge. Love the sound of your soup, Carole, and I might even try your minestrone, Nance....minus the celery which will set off another allergic reaction. I feel like I will soon be one of those people no one wants to have over for dinner, given these food allergies!
Luv, I had always been hesitant to work with leeks, also due to the cleaning issues, but found that it works fine if you do what Susan said. When doing that I usually cut mine in half-inch rings, allowing the dirt to release easily. I scoop the clean rings from the water with a chinese wire scoop (the name of which I obviously have no clue). Also Traders sells frozen sliced leeks which are clean as far as I can tell! I think it would be more annoying when you have to prepare leeks for brasing, taking each section of the stalk apart and washing all that dirt out.
Back to faux Downton Abbey....I think I'll head down to the library for a little read, while I wait for DH... or just take in all of the statues, paintings, rugs, etc.
Have a good evening all.....0 -
Lacey, your faux Downton Abbey sounds delightful. Yes, wealth can't always buy health. But it's nice to see someone spend their money well, isn't it?
I shop at Walmart's, Winn-Dixie, Rouse's (Louisiana grocery chain), Fresh Market, and a little Piggly Wiggly that's nearby. I've often said I probably need help for my grocery shopping addiction! Walmart's produce goes out the door so fast that I find the selection usually fresh. And the country of origin is clearly stated for those who buy only USA. I also buy certain "staples" like Hellman's Light mayo at Walmart because the price is $2 less. $5.98 at Winn-Dixie and $3.98 at Walmart. I deliberately park a long way away from the entrance in order to get a good walk. I also buy my prescriptions at Walmart because we travel several months during the summer and it's easy to get refills.
Dinner tonight will be chicken marsala with baby bella mushrooms. I loosely follow Emeril's recipe. I think the side dish will be roasted brussel sprouts with a little olive oil and garlic and some sprinkled parm-reg just before serving. DH isn't crazy about brussel sprouts but I love them roasted. And I'm cooking! So there.
Today was a gorgeous day. Sunny with high in the 70's. I played golf and really enjoyed being out of doors. Tomorrow I'm taking my mother to Tylertown, MS, to visit her cousin Marie who is the same age, 90. Marie's daughter is supposed to be cooking chicken and dumplings for lunch. It's about an hour and a half drive and the weather is supposed to be like today.
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We don't have have much of a choice either but we shop at Safeway any thing else we need we have to drive the 30 miles to Waldo's.
Lacey- sounds like a beautiful, peaceful setting.
Seaside- must of missed the post on spam lol i dont care for it at all,dh loves it but not sure he will eat it again after the last time he ate it he ate spam every day in Hawaii (mooseabe) ? Then one morning while sitting out by the beach he called me to tell me he wasn't feeling good, I raced down there and I guess his throat closed up and he had foam coming out his mouth scared the livin day lights out of me, he thinks he got an allergic reaction to the spam and won't eat it again, I think it was the tumor but at least I won't have to fix it for him any more lol0 -
annemarieh, rickbayless.com. He has some wonderful recipes.... one of the two best authorities [authors] in Mexican cooking. The other one is Daine Kennedy, but she is quite a stickler for exact duplication.
Dinner was supposed to be chili tonight. I bought the big chunks of meat to grind, made the chili blend, but on the way back to the house we stopped at Bob's Italian Deli and Mr. 02143 bought a meatball sub. A five meatball sub. Needless to say, even though I ate one meatball, he didn't need chili for dinner. Quick pivot... I had some homemade beef stock in the fridge, and the gruyere from Christmas, so that is French Onion Soup! It was delicious. Tomorrow will be the chili day.
*susan*
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AWW! Susan~ Thank you very much!!!
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Debbie,
The spam post was in reference to how we had scalloped potatoes growing up... with SPAM rather than ham as my parents didn't have a lot of money early on.
Interesting aside, when my kids were little we transfered from NY to Rochester, MN with our jobs. A little bit to the south and west is a small town called Austin, MN where the hormel plant that makes SPAM is located. They have a festival every summer celebrating America's favorite canned meat...SPAM... lol!!
Lacey,
Everytime I watch Downton Abbey I am just in awe of how those people really lived (live?). It just is so beyond anything I can imagine. So interesting to see how even though they all share the same house, the experience is so different based on whether you're upstairs or downstairs! Enjoy your foray into the world of the 'Rich and Famous'...lol!!
Carole,
I make Emeril's Chicken Marsala all the time and we really love it!!! Chicken and dumplings sounds really good, too.....
Gardengumby,
Noted your soup recipe as well!! Loving all those hot, delicious soup recipes since it's been so bitterly cold here!
Moon,
Great idea on the freezer starter bags. I seriously don't know why it never occurs to me to freeze more things especially during the summer when the produce is so great and usually at a really good price... I did buy zucchini at the farmer's market last summer when it was abundant and cheap (and my harvest of it was horrid). I shredded lot of it and froze it in 2-3 cup measures. Then when I want to make zucchini bread or fritters, I can thaw it and I'm good to go! Need to do more of that!
AnneMarie,
I have a recipe for pork or chicken enchiladas that is really good (at least we think so) but, it's a little involved and not sure how authentic it is but way better than Taco Bell. It has a creamy chile verde sauce rather than the typical red enchilada sauce. I can dig it out if you're interested. I will check to see what else I may have...0 -
Beef Enchiladas. This is always a hit in my household.
Tortilla stuffing:
2 cups cooked roast beef
1 can of diced green chilies
1 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup salsa8 Corn tortillas (recipe calls for the little tortillas although I’m sure you could use the big ones – I had lots of stuffing leftover which would probably be tasty over rice)
To put in the bottom of baking dish:
2/3 cup salsa
Topping:
2/3 cup salsa
Olives
Jalapenos
1 cup sharp cheddarSo basically, you cook whatever beef you wanna use – I defrosted some stewing beef and more or less boiled it to get it tender. Seasoned the beef with salt and cumin. Once cooled, I mixed it with the chilies, corn and salsa. I use a hot salsa. You can basically control the heat level of the dish with the salsa you choose. Anyways, mixed it all and seasoned with a bit more cumin.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish and then put 2/3 cup salsa in the bottom of it.
Next, put about 1/3 cup of the mixture into a corn tortilla and fold the two sides over before placing in a baking dish. I didn’t think of this until after but you’d be best to use a toothpick to hold it together. Corn tortillas are not the easiest thing in the world to work with. Once you’ve lined the entire baking dish with your stuffed tortillas, top them with another 2/3 cups salsa, 1 cup sharp grated cheddar, olives and jalapenos.
Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degree (COVERED), then remove the cover and bake for another 15 minutes.
serve with a green salad
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I didn't cook tonight, we went out for sushi
Last night, we had a black eyed pea soup that I'd frozen from New Year's Ever Day. It was so tasty. I'd used the left over ham from Christmas, added tameric and collared greens. When I made this on New Year's I found a lot of conflicted information on how to prepare black eyed peas! Who knew! It was my first time. I have more peas still frozen because I made so many not knowing what I was doing I went a little nuts. I guess I needed a lot of good luck this year.
I've been putting a lot of effort into working toward new meals for my family and myself, giving up some old habits and adding new. I'm starting to go crazy with the garlic, onions, ginger and tumeric. I need more clever ways and means to add anti-cancer possibilities to our diets.
We have a juicer and when my DH juices I seem to get an upset stomach. :-(
I need to figure out what to do with this cabbage & kale I bought.
I have a really great recipe for grilled fish I'll post later.
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Tazzy,
Those beef enchiladas sound good! I have added them to my list to make soon!
Welcome QueenKong!
Lol on the over abundance of black eyed peas but a little extra luck never hurt anyone! I think there are a couple of people that juice here so hoping they can help you out with that. Love your screen name and look forward to that fish recipe!0 -
Had a fabulous day today making fresh pasta with my SIL. We made pappardelle and fettuccini. The pappardelle was cooked in chicken stock then cream, garlic, butter and parmesan added. Simple but outstanding. The drying racks DH made worked wonderfully well so I am now officially a fresh pasta addict.
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OK, just back from the dinner where there were so many passed appetizers I was afraid might contain an allergen, that I stuck to mini portabellas (sp?) stuffed with blue cheese, and kielbasa topped with (you guessed it) sauerkraut. Our dinner was buffet style: lamb chops (had to pass on the allergen filled mango sauce, damn!), catfish with mexican seasoning and black bean salsa, duck with broccoli rabe, and chicken marsala. It was all wonderful (except I didn't dare try the catfish, which looked great). Dessert was beautiful fresh berry compote and/ or a burnt sugar glazed cake....wow, was that good!
I actually had both!
Heading downstairs where my DH was assigned to find the Port for a nitecap with the crew that is staying here....0 -
Lacey Oh my goodness I feel as if I am in the company of a movie star! I would never leave that place! Maybe hide out in one of the bedrooms?
Thanks for the enchilada recipe, I used to have a recipe for these but have forgotten about making them in forever...now on my list.
Nance Sounds like so much fun making the fresh pasta, do you make enough at one time to freeze?
I, too, am gonna make some chili this weekend. Who had the chicken chili? Want to share the recipe?
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Carrie, If you dry the pasta it will keep fine, no need to freeze. Most receipes I've used make enough to serve 8 to 12. It has been more than 44 years since I last bought any rolled out form of pasta. I got my pasta machine a year or two after we were married.
I made my first batch of pasta a month or two after we got married. DH loves pasta, so I decided to make a double batcch so I would have plenty to dry. Poor DH really wondered what he had gotten himself into when he got home that evening. I had no idea how much i had made until I started rolling it out and cutting it. Had one of those swing out towel racks with multiple arms at the end of my kitchen counter and filled that. Didn't make a dent. Hung it over the sides of all my tall tupperware. Put clean towels over the backs of the dinning room chairs, the towel racks in the bathroom, the shower rod. There was pasta drying everywhere! I even strung some kitchen twine between the TV rabbit ears. But it was good.
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Carrie - I think I was one of the ones making White Chicken Chili. Mine came from Cooks.com called just "White Chicken Chili". Has ground turkey, boneless breasts (I used thighs) and so on if you want to look at the original on-line.
1# ground turkey, 3 large bonesless breasts, 1 pkg. white chile mix (I think nearly every manu. makes one now), 1 onion, 2 cans mushrooms (I skipped this), 1 pkg froz. chopped spinach, 1 packet Goya Sazon (I think I couldn't figure it out since there were several types of Sazon), 2 tsp Goya Adobo (I think this is generic seasoning though does have MSG in it), 1 TBS Goya Sofrito (this is a salsa type in a jar that I have fallen in love with, not hot, I'm sure you could sub any chunky salsa and I think I added more than this), 1 TBS Goya Recaito (a cilantro based sauce very green), 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 c cilantro (I skipped just put at little extra Recaito), 1/2 c frozen corn, 2 c chicken stock, olive oil, taco cheese, sour cream. INSTRUCTIONS - in large soup pan, heat olive oil over med. heat. Says to crush garlic cloves in bottom of pan just to flavor the oil, then remove so it doesn't burn. I think I added it a little later and didn't bother to remove it. I always cheat and use the stuff in the jar. I actually just found my garlic crusher buried in a drawer. Add turkey and chicken and saute until white. Add onion (I think I used 2 - can't have too many onions) and saute about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir and cook on medium low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. I think I skipped the corn but I did add the spinach which was good in it. "This will be rick in flavor. You can make it thinner by adding milk of water, or thicker by simmering a little longer." I had to keep adding liquid since I simmered so long. Top servings with a dollop of sour cream and taco cheese. It was only mildly spicy which is to my liking. Another recipe I had off of Cooks. com was Lewis and Clark's White Chili which does call for canned chopped green chilies. I know I cooked my longer than an hour but that's just because I started too early and made it for a party. Put it crockpot and took it that way. Doesn't say why all the Goya ingredients but they are very common here. Enjoy.
Carole - My local grocery is Brookshires which was a Winn Dixie b4 they pulled out of Texas. For a small town it's not too bad but I have more trouble esp. with produce counting on them having something special even if I've seen it there b4. When we 1st drove this part of the county about 18 years ago there was only an IGA dinky, dark, dirty. We made another pass through after some financial detours about 3 years later and low and behold they had built the Winn Dixie. That was a big part in us deciding on this particular property.
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Chili sounds good! Anyone have any ideas on recipes I can make my dad? We are going to meet him in Portland Monday for his Dr appointment to see if they wil clear him now for surgery. Then he will follow us back to our home and stay a couple of days. I have always known what to cook for him when he comes, but now it is different since he can't hardly swallow. He is vegetarian, no eggs. nothing acidic. no fish or chix. I know that beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are acidic or hard to swallow. Im a wreck trying to figure somthing out!
Edited to add, he will eat things with eggs in it, just not eggy dishes like quiche, or eggs by themsleves.
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Debbie- How about a potato leak soup or a cream of broccoli soup?
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Laurie- That is an excellent idea! I know he would just love the potato leek soup. Then with that soup gave me another idea of maybe doing a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it! Thanks very much that is what im making for him now. Yay! I was stressing!
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For someone who is vegetarian with no acid, the soup idea is wonderful. Another meal could be a mushroom risotto [oh yum!] served with a winter salad. Make some mushroom stock from the stems to give it a lovely flavor. I very often do a vegetable ragu served over soft oven polenta. None of these meals gives him the proper proteins, but they are delicious!
*susan*
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