So...whats for dinner?
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chisandy - your post reminded me of drinks my college roommate and I had at some party back in the day - made with Crème de Menthe, we called them Scopes!
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Hello All! Welcome to Peggy and Freya.
Happy for Lacey the CT was good.
Sk, was it you going for the colonoscopy? Ive run into a few weird roadblocks every time i schedule one. So ive not had one yet. Tried to make an apt and my record had a hold til July. LOL. Trying to see what got messed up there, but my DD2, the GI nurse, has been bugging me so much I want it done. LOL
The whole family has been down with the flu. First my DSIL2, then the 2 year old. Then my DD2calls me cause shes so sick and so is the 2 year old. Buscia to the rescue. Come home after 2 days of helping them out, my DH is now crawling into bed with the flu. 2 days later he heads back to work and I'm alone. Sit for my DD2 family as usual cause she's on call. Leave and start coughing my head off. Make it home and crawl in bed. That was Friday. Fever is only 99 this evening, so I think I'm on my way to better, but I'm dragging. Ugh. Be glad this isn't smellovision..... LOL
Been eating light and not cooking much for myself. I am looking forward to my Home Chef box coming Wed. Haven't had one since 2 weeks before Christmas. I might even be able to cook something by Wed.
I did cook for my daughters family while i was there. I made chickem and rice in a 9x12 pan. Then i took all the bones, made stock in the pressure cooker. Left her with it to warm up with the leftover chicken. In hindsight, i should have kept it fir myself....LOL
Much love to all around the expanded table!
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Ham steaks, home fries and a veggie
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Moon - great to see you. Sorry about the flu running through your family.
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Last night I made spaghetti sauce with fresh Italian sausage our neighbor made. It really was yummy! DH likes baked spaghetti so after making the sauce and cooking the pasta- into the oven it all went. During dinner we talked about how baked spaghetti was what I made with leftover sauce and pasta when the boys were young. Now, it is just what we have initially as that is what my guys like. We never have "just" spaghetti and sauce.
That leads me to ask- any one else have something like this that you make for your family that sort of changed up over time?
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My chili has gotten spicier, and I’ve used more actual chili peppers (soaked and seeded anchos) and less tomato.
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Chi, I'm following the same path with my chili. In my case, I use Chiltepin peppers because i grow them in the back yard.
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Thats a great question Happy. Since I have stopped working and have a lot more time, I cook and bake so much more. We try and travel to Europe every second year and I always do a 1 or 2 day cooking class for a particular dish or just the basics known to that area.
Now I just cant bring to mind anything I have made our own lol.
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I adapted recipes that my kids wanted to eat so that they are healthier and not filled with as much sodium. For example, my kids would eat at a friend's house and have "Hamburger Helper" cheeseburger mac. That stuff is nasty so I made my own and they did not know the difference until they were older and used to it. Or, I would make chicken soup but buy special little macaroni (like stars or little dinosaur shapes) and make them "real" homemade soup. Also make homemade "rice a roni" so anything they wanted, I would adapt to a recipe. Guess that is about it for me.
Tonight is chuck roast with potatoes, onions, parsnips, celery and carrots made in the oven until it falls apart. I browned it last night and will throw in the oven when I get home at 4:30 and it will be ready for 7. Eating later tonight as I have a meeting from 5:30 to 6:30.
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Making hamburgers for tonight.
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I found some dinosaur meat in the freezer...So we will turn it back into London Broil.
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Whether it was being 'broke' on purpose: saving for another house, vacations, etc. or due to having 3 children in 4 years, my recipes have changed. We made the decision early on that I would be a stay at home mom for the kids. As a result, we ate very little meat. One chicken breast (bone in) would serve our entire meal. Usually in some form of casserole or skillet dish.
Very much like April485. I would do the homemade version of hamburger helper, rice a roni etc.Don't know how I fed and clothed everyone on one salary but I did.
Now, i use more exotic ingredients. Different veggies, and experiment more on the gourmet side of cooking. My cooking is spicier as well.
'
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val - we made that same decision, mainly due to being a military family and feeling that at least one parent needed to be more available - at least until my children were older. We didn't take vacations and had to be careful with spending, we didn't eat out and stretched the grocery budget similarly! We ate a lot of pasta dishes and rice based ones, always with lots of vegetables. If I cooked a larger piece of meat it appeared in lots of different dishes made with leftovers. My children were not adventurous eaters in childhood, but are very much more so as adults. DS is a great cook, DD not so much, lol!
Dinner tonight is thin pork chops. Will marinate in organic soy sauce and garlic, then dredge in cornstarch and pan sauté. Steamed broccoli and brown rice as sides. Love this prep method as the marinade leaves even the thin chops pretty tender, and they cook super quick.
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SpecialK, it is amazing how tender the soy and cornstarch makes meat. I use it a lot with chicken in asian dishes.
It's 5 am right now, but tonight we will have a crunchy asian style salad with teriyaki glazed chicken balls. I'm having trouble controlling pain at the moment, so making easy meals using things I have premade and frozen for these situations.
Val, I'm using a lot more herbs and spices these days as well.
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Freya - sorry to hear about your pain. I hope you get some relief.
I too was mostly stay-at-home. After my DS started school, I worked part time jobs so was I there see him off to school in the morning and home when he got back. I'm still glad I made that choice, but it sure plays hell on the retirement funds or pensions that of course are not there. Oh the plethora of tuna casserole, chili w/mostly beans, fake beef stroganoff with hamburger, cheese enchiladas, fried rice w/tiny pieces of meat, etc. A special treat was hot dogs & a bit of cheese rolled around Crescent Rolls. Eeek. I too have increased the use of spices and rarely cook meat more than twice a week.
One question my DS asks is why we only had iceberg lettuce when he was growing up. Well - it was the cheapest for sure, but also what was available if you lived in a city w/o a garden. He ate it only under protest. It's amusing that the only vegetable he liked was corn (off the cob) and now he's been with a vegetarian for 16 years.
Val - I like your one chicken breast stretched for a whole meal memory. Now one half chicken breast will usually last me 3 meals in different dishes.
Dinner last night was steamed BokChoy with a touch of olive oil & some garlic salt. (I sure wish Spice Islands still made MeiYen seasoning). Accompanying that I had 1/2 a toasted rye bagel with salmon & cream cheese spread. Tonight I'll do a riff on Laurie's beans & chili with some leftover rotisserie chicken from the freezer.
Love the concept of dinosaur meat Eric. I definitely have some of that in the back of my freezer.
I miss Bedo!!! And what about LuvMyGoats?
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I've copied this from a study about mortality after breast cancer & eating grilled, BBQ or smoked meats, which was inconclusive. Although the study was flawed, I think some of the information is good. The comment about herb marinade is interesting. You can read the entire report at the BCO 'Breaking Research" thread.
...When meat is cooked at high temperatures until well-done, a group of chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) forms. The longer and hotter the cooking, the more HCAs form, especially in the blackened parts of the meat. The National Cancer Institute has identified 17 HCAs that may increase the risk of cancer. Another group of chemicals -- polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) -- form in smoke produced when fat burns or drips on hot grill coals. PAHs have been linked to breast cancer.
...We do know that HCAs and PHAs produced when meat is charred are linked to cancer. To keep your exposure to these chemicals as low as it can be, you can:- Choose lean cuts of meat and trim the fat to avoid PHAs.
- Grill at lower temperatures.
- Consider precooking (roasting or baking) meat before grilling to cook off fat.
- Don't use recipes for "blackened" foods.
- Trim off any charred or burned parts of food.
- Avoid overcooking (and undercooking) by using a meat thermometer to cook meat to the correct temperature indicated on the thermometer.
- Marinate meats in herb mixtures to reduce HCAs. Research shows the herbs in marinades reduce HCAs.
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A new concept for me to dredge in cornstarch. Is that Asian?
We're having catfish fillets for dinner. A side of brussel sprouts and probably a romaine salad with avocado and blue cheese and kalamato olives.
Another gorgeous spring like day today. I played golf in cropped pants and short-sleeve shirt. I have a suspicion that winter may end early without having made much of an appearance.
I have been missing Luvmygoats, too. She has been absent a long time. I wish our newcomers could meet Susan. Does anyone know how she's doing with her treatment
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Made an old family favorite, Hot Dish
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Yes, Carole - it was so good to see quick baking post before Christmas. Lacey visited her around the same time so we know she's really busy with that cute grandaughter, Airbnb, her DH and treatments. I too hope she is doing OK and miss her always.
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carole - I have no idea if the cornstarch thing is specifically Asian - I do it because I had a package of thin chops (like the breakfast kind?) and googled for ideas and that came up. I like it because it is not a heavily breaded way to go with a thinner cut. I think susan is just busy and doing ok, but I miss her - maybe lacey has talked to her? It looks like luvmygoats has not signed on since last November, hope she is ok
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Dipping in cornstarch (and shaking off until only a fine dusting remains) is done often in Asian cuisine—the Chinese call it “velveting.”
En route home from my mani today, stopped into the pharmacy/deli to pick up my letrozole and a quart of homemade chicken matzo ball soup. It and pho are the best things I know for a cold. Had a big bowl and about 2/3 of a matzo ball for lunch.
Tonight will be last night’s leftover fish & chips reheated in the toaster-oven, and Sunday night’s leftover broccoli either sauteed in olive oil & lemon or napped with hollandaise.
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So fun to read about how you have all modified or changed recipes or how you cook/cooked. DH is a carnivore but not me so much so a few chicken thighs, or breasts, or pork chops usually make 2 or 3 meals for us now.
Tonight- grilled marinated butterflied pork chops, split a baked sweet potato and a nice tossed salad with lots of veggies. I make dressing with canola oil/apple cider vinegar and whatever herbs with a bit of S&P...no sugar....added some blue cheese crumbles in this last batch...YUM!
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Hammer - sounds great.
I know my SIL uses cornstarch a lot because she has to stay gluten free. For her this means no flour/wheat.
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minus - the cornstarch makes a very light coating that gets crispy with a short cooking time too!
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Thick pork chops seem to be popular. I'm seeing them in the meat cases.
Dinner will be the final portion of the shepherds pie with salad.
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carole - I usually use the thick cut ones as DH loves pork chops, but occasionally see the thin ones and think they would be a good quick dinner. DH got home at about 6, did some planting in the pots out by the pool, and then took a 5 mile walk, so it was late by the time he got done and was ready to shower and eat! There were 8 chops in the package, for just over $6. DH had 3, I had 2, and the rest are lunch for him. The texture of the cornstarch breading is a little like tempura, and the chops cook super fast as they are only about 1/2 thick at the most. The short marinade is soy, garlic and sesame oil. Also the chops can cook in just a little oil since they aren't tall.
also for all - has anyone tried oven baked rice? I made some for the first time last night. Rinsed the 1c. rice and put it into a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray (I used organic olive oil), sautéed some celery, onion, garlic, and shredded carrot. When they were about 3/4 cooked I added 2 c. of chicken stock, then spooned that over the rice, covered with foil and put it in a 350 F oven. After 20 mins took off the foil, cooked 20 mins more. Had not cooked the rest of the dinner yet so turned the oven off and re-covered with foil. Came out perfect and I had no starchy mess in a pan or all over my stove - which seems to always happen to me. Rinsed the pan off and put it in the dishwasher! Yay! Do most of you use rice cookers, regular stovetop prep, or another way?
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SK, I of course, make rice in the pressure cooker. Perfect rice every time. Occasionally I make a baked rice dish consisting of short grain brown rice, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese and a small amount of cream or half and half. If I have it, I might throw in some chopped broccoli. Haven't made it in a while, so I might have to do that soon.
But today is chili day so I'm off to cook some pinto beans. I too, use a variety of dried peppers (ancho, cascobel, guajillo, etc.) but haven't cut back on tomato. We like it.
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Nance, I would love to know how you do your rice in the pressure cooker, I have never thought to use it for rice.
SpecialK, your baked rice dish sounded lovely, something else for me to try.
DH has requested schnitzels for dinner. I know he would like spatzle as a side, but he will have to settle for potato salad.
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mmm, now I want shepherd's pie Carole! Have not made that dish in a long time. My son used to love it.
Tonight will be pasta primavera (I want spring to come so I will make something I make more often in the spring/summer!) I just sautee lots of veggies in olive oil and a little butter and pour the pan over pasta. I will make hubby a couple of chicken drumsticks to go with but I will be happy meatless.
Ok, back to work!
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April - be still my heart. Any mention of pasta makes me excited. I was going to have several different steamed veggies for dinner that are approaching the end of their usefulness. Now I might have to saute & pour them over pasta. Hmmm, wonder how turnips will be with pasta? Sounds weird. I can probably get away with cauliflower, spinach & bok choy. And I think I still have some carrots lurking.
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