"What's for dinner?"

[bascar]

Desperately trying to clean out the fridge before I leave for CA. So - saute the last onion with some garlic and last of the bacon. Add diced pork and brown. Deglaze the pan with brandy (because brandy goes off if you leave it. Well known fact). Add the rest of the wild apple puree, some whole grain mustard and the last of the cream. Served over buttered noodles. Eat while watching Downton Abbey.

[Rockabilly]

Well, it was a cold rainy day here so that called for some comfort food which we had along with a homemade cherry pie for dessert.

So very good to see you here, bascar. "What's for dinner?" should be its own topic. I'll ask Chancellor.

[Moutaineer]

That sounds rather good, Bascar. It has bacon and noodles in it...

We have left overs tonight. Pretty damned good leftovers--lamb and lentil casserole, yummy.

[stella]

I'm low carbing, so shrimp scampi and steamed green beans finished in garlic wine sauce. It was quite delightful.

[bailey]

Husband with friends watching 'the game', so California Pizza for me tonight (yes, another under achiever here!).

[Paints]

I'm low carbing, so shrimp scampi and steamed green beans finished in garlic wine sauce. It was quite delightful.

That sounds great. My friend and I are trying to follow the Wheat Belly diet. I don't eat wheat normally and I am finding this a challenge....... LOL. I did make a really interesting, in a good way, rutabaga casserole last night which I now have to try and remember what I put in it so I can make it again.

[kande50]

It doesn't sound like it would work, but I've had chili and coleslaw for my last 3 meals and it's very good. I just plop the coleslaw right on top of the chili and eat them together, and then make some vanilla pudding for dessert.

[carpevita]

I mix cole slaw and chicken salad all the time--its def a great way to add some crunch to a meal--I cant wait to try it in chili now, lol.
As for dinner last night, I wanted to make minestra for my housemates and I, so picked up some Italian sausage and broccoli rabe, only to look more closely and realize it was broccolini when I got to the register.
So the cashier called the produce guy who apologized for being totally out of rabe and insisted I take the broccolini as his gift, lol.
I will shop there again for sure!
Anyway, it was good and garlicky and I served it over spiral noodles. My housemate made excellent garlic bread and we finished a bottle of red together.

[kande50]

I mix cole slaw and chicken salad all the time--its def a great way to add some crunch to a meal-

I use coleslaw like relish, and I like sweet and sour so use quite a bit of sugar and vinegar in it. Chicken salad is good with lots of fruit in it too, and it seems like just about any kind of fruit will work, although I haven't tried bananas, yet. Sounds good, though.

[Moutaineer]

Hmmm, coleslaw... I know what I'm doing with the left-over smoked chicken now

[Mirabella]

I bought a 6 lb Boston butt pork roast and made bascar's carnitas. I guess that was in an old UDBB recipe book. Slow cooked it for 6 hours and then one hour in the oven but makes tons to freeze.

[PaulaO]

Question: I have frozen, cooked shrimp. What can I do with it besides eating it cold with cocktail sauce or as a shrimp salad(neither appeal to me). How can I mix it with spices, etc. without overcooking it?

[Canyon]

PaulaO - for a quick dinner, I stir fry chopped onion, garlic, and whatever green vegies I have on hand (zucchini, green peppers, green beans). Maybe add some chopped tomatoes towards the end, then the thawed, peeled shrimp and cook long enough to heat them up. Add a splash of sherry, soy, bottled stir-fry sauce, whatever. I also add red pepper flakes to the vegies while they are cooking, because I like my food spicy.

Or, use them in a green curry.

Or, add them to a nice tossed green salad for a complete mini meal.

Or, make shrimp kabobs.

[viscountessleftfield]

Minute Rice and Canned gravy. There's nothing else in my house, I've been on the road too much!

Well, there is a jar of avocado hearts, half a jar of pickles, and some pasta with no sauce.

[Koolkat]

Chicken enchiladas with green tomatillo sauce accompanied by corn and cheese spoonbread

A family favorite!!

[carpevita]

Bbq shredded pork over rice and corn. I made a big batch as there will be a bunch of teens here later.

[Chisamba]

I was late, brought rotisserie chicken home, deboned it, threw a bunch of stuff in for sauce
Mashed white sweet potato, and made crunchy green bean salad.

Tasted soo good I am trying to remember what I put in the sauce, curry, peanut butter and Chinese five spice, with coconut milk, but there was something else too that I just cannot remember.

[bailey]

Chicken noodle soap, cheese biscuits, cole slaw with apples added, raspberries with lemon yogurt....
One item only made from scratch!

[bailey]

opps, meant soup, not soap!

[Moutaineer]

shepherd's pie, with broccoli. Comfort food for a bleak night.

[Don Giovanni]

It was really cold, windy and rainy here yesterday so comfort food was the order of the day. Parent teacher meetings after work, so no time to make a "serious" meal. I had seen a recipe online for 1 pot Pad Thai and made that - very yummy, even though I didn't have the bean sprouts that would have lightened up the texture and added a bit of crunch. I'll definitely make that again.

[Canyon]

I had seen a recipe online for 1 pot Pad Thai and made that.

Would you please share the recipe or the link? I need to expand my collection of Thai recipes!

[Don Giovanni]

I'm sure it's not authentic, but boy was it tasty!!
Here you go:
One Pan Pad Thai
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 8 oz rice noodles
• 2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 diced chicken breast
• ¼ diced shallots
• ¾ cup Pad Thai Sauce – see below
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• ½ cup crushed peanuts
• ¼ cup green onions
• ¼ cup cilantro
Pad Thai Sauce:
1/8 cup each of fish sauce, rice vinegar, soya sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and Sriracha.
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions; drain & toss with 1 tbsp sesame oil; set aside.
Pour ½ tbsp. sesame oil into pan and add two slightly beaten eggs. Stir until cooked, set aside.
Pour another ½ tbsp. sesame oil in pan; add chicken and stir fry until cooked. Set aside; add shallots to pan (shouldn’t need any more oil, but add if necessary) and cook until slightly browned and fragrant. Return noodles, egg, chicken to the pan, add Pad Thai sauce and combine. Top with bean sprouts, peanuts, green onions and cilantro. Stir until well blended.
Enjoy!

[Chancellor]

Mmmm, that sounds fantastic and I am pretty sure I have ALL the ingredients!

[Canyon]

Thanks, Don Giovani! Authentic or not, it sounds great.

I'm adding a few items to my shopping list.

[carpevita]

I'm gonna try it too, I love pad thai and this looks doable.

[Canyon]

Yesterday I made a big pot of minestrone soup to use up some of the tomatoes, zucchini, and kale from the garden.

I had some girlfriends over for a potluck dinner and movie night, while DH is out of town. The soup was great, and we had a wonderful time (although we all agreed we were a bit unwise to have stayed up until 2:30 am! A nap is in order.)

[hoopoe]

the Pad Thai sauce recipe is totally useful

tonight saute chantrelles, a cubed leftover potato and egg to make a pancake, toast and perhaps some decaf

[westisbest]

Just opened a jar of this year's dill pickles, put up in July. Super crisp and delicious, I could eat the whole jar. Will restrain myself. The rest of a pan of baked spaghetti with meat sauce topped with lots of mozza that I made last night.

[Rockabilly]

It sounds like everyone is a good cook! I love reading your posts and I would love to know what influences you most when it comes to food. It is a blustery rainy day here where everyone appreciates being cozy. For us it is meatloaf, kennebec mashed potatoes, pinto beans that have been simmering all day, a small chopped salad and cornsticks. All made by me. No dessert tonight.

[StraightForward]

Roast chicken with all kinds of roasted veggies. Maybe a kale and cherry tomato salad.

[silk]

Last night, I literally ate flatbreads straight out of the oven, with butter. By the time we'd lit the bonfire, I wasn't hungry. There is *nothing* quite like bread, fresh and hot out of the oven, with butter.

Tonight, the last of a bunch of locally grown asparagus. Which means I need to call past and buy more! And the last of some pork & paprika stew I made. Probably served with the garlicky flat breads from last night. I'll fry off some onions, throw in some sliced carrots, then the asparagus, and lightly "steam" in the butter. Simple and delicious.

Tomorrow is a slow cooked pork stew with a sort of vinegar, soy sauce (etc) sauce/gravy. I forget what it was called but it looked good so I made it. Asian-inspired. Probably to be served with the last of the flat breads, and followed by a bread and butter pudding.

ETA pork adobo. I saw it on a cooking show. I'm watching more TV seeing I'm confined to the house (not really, but I'm not allowed to go out with the horses, and I'm still not back at work).

[heddylamar]

Curried butternut (sub acorn, too many from CSA) squash, kale, and garbanzo soup

[musical comedy]

Lasagne today, but made a little different than most make it. I use hot sausage rather than beef. I fry up loose sausage and then put it in a grinder. I lay the pre-cooked noodles out flat on wax paper (all over my counter top). Next I spread the whole milk ricotta on each noodle. Next I start with the layering. Sprinkle some meat, then mozzeralla, then sauce and some oregano. It was delicious. The noodles I buy are shorter than the typical super-market brands, so I do not use a lasagne pan. I use two smaller deep glass dishes.

[Chancellor]

Fettucini alla carbonara. Fresh made pasta. It was fantastic

[Moutaineer]

Short ribs braising in red wine have just gone in the oven... will have with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts, in about 3.5 hours.

[Avola]

Homemade/homeraised butternut squash ravioli with butter and sage with roasted brussel sprouts also from the garden.

[kande50]

Lasagne today, but made a little different than most make it. I use hot sausage rather than beef. I fry up loose sausage and then put it in a grinder.....

When I make lasagna I make quantities and then freeze part of it, so use the whole box of noodles and make it in a roasting pan. I use sweet sausage, ground beef, stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sliced carrots, onions, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, and zucchini if I have it, and usually add some sharp cheddar along with the mozzerella. I guess it's more of a lasagna cassarole than lasagna.

[Moutaineer]

I haven't made Lasagne in ages. Could be about time with some of these ideas.... thanks MC and Kande!

[Koolkat]

It's another windy rainy day here and the freezing level is dropping to 4000 feet, the best weather to bring out the best in hot food:

Sweet and Spicy Brisket in the slow cooker - brisket with dried figs/apricots/carrots/onion with chicken stock + 2 T of harissa paste
Just a simple cous cous for accompaniment
Brownies/ice cream for dessert

Definitely improves with age as the flavors get absorbed by the meat - and don't have to cook Monday night after work, what could be better!

[Avola]

Sweet and Spicy Brisket in the slow cooker - brisket with dried figs/apricots/carrots/onion with chicken stock + 2 T of harissa paste
Just a simple cous cous for accompaniment
Brownies/ice cream for dessert

Oh my that sounds absolutely delicious

[Don Giovanni]

Please tell me what in heaven's name possessed me to read this at 9:30 in the morning???? I'm starving now! Everything sounds so good.

as for lasagne, the only one I make anymore is Three Cheese Lasagne with Italian Sausage from the UDBB cookbook. Excellent!

Rockabilly - what are pinto beans (I mean I've seen them in the store, but have no idea what to do with them)

[viscountessleftfield]

Anyone tried the lasagna slow cooker recipe? I have everything for it, just haven't gotten around to trying it.

This weekend was my last travel wedding for three months, I hope to cook more now. Tonight, though, I'm meeting girl friends at a local steakhouse.

[Racetrackreject]

It doesn't sound like it would work, but I've had chili and coleslaw for my last 3 meals and it's very good. I just plop the coleslaw right on top of the chili and eat them together, and then make some vanilla pudding for dessert.

The cajun thing to do is to put potato salad in your gumbo like you did with the chili and coleslaw. I don't eat potato salad, but everyone tells me that it's quite good.

I use sausage in my lasange too, but with ground beef.

PaulaO- You could make an alfredo sauce and add your thawed shrimp in at the end to warm them, then spoon over pasta. The recipe I used recently actually called for the shrimp to be cooked and cooled beforehand, but for the crab and scallops to be added raw. I've only made this seafood alfredo sauce once, but it was delicious! I can't remember which recipe I used though. >.>

[StraightForward]

Chile verde in the slow cooker. I didn't do the big Hatch chile haul this year, so I'm getting frighteningly low on supplies, but luckily I have to go to NM for work in February so I'll figure out how to bring home a stash of frozen goodness.

Ate it over chopped Romaine with some refried black beans and DH had his on tortillas with cheese.

[Canyon]

I am roasting some slices of blue pumpkin (from the garden) with onion and garlic chunks.

[carpevita]

I'm making pea soup in the crockpot.
Had to buy a biggass ham for the bone so there will be ham and eggs, bubble and squeak and ham sammies all week long lol.

[Rockabilly]

[quote

Rockabilly - what are pinto beans (I mean I've seen them in the store, but have no idea what to do with them)[/quote]


Only the south's most excellent comfort food! Take a pound of pinto beans and soak them overnight. The next morning change the water several times (water to cover the beans) and add a nice large smoked ham hock. Bring the beans to a boil then lower the heat and simmer just about all day. Add some cornbread and you have a meal that is southern nectar! I have a recipe for navy bean soup. I'll look it up and post it. It's so good on a cold day.

[Canyon]

For those cold nights when you need something warm in your stomach, but you don't quite feel like cooking a big dinner - how about crock pot cocktails?

[Don Giovanni]

thanks Rockabilly Sounds good and definitely comfort food-ish.