So...whats for dinner?

MinusTwo

Eric - I'm interested. I much prefer salty or tart to sweet. Would you please post? Thanks

M0mmyof3

I am too. Trying to come up with different ways to cook chicken. Tired of the same old ting.

eric95us

I'll see about listing the recipe tomorrow...I'm helping DD get moved in to the apartment. School starts on Thursday. :-)

eric95us

Mix together 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of lime juice in a bowl.

Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small pieces and coat the small pieces in the above mixture.

Heat a couple of tbsp olive oil over medium heat and cook the chicken--stir frequently.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken from the skillet. Then, to the skillet, add 3 cups of small broccoli florets, 2 cups frozen corn, 2 minced garlic cloves and 4 diced scallions to the pan. Cook until the corn is heated through, then add 1-1/2 cups of "store bought" salsa (chose your heat level) to the corn-broccoli mixture, cover and cook until the broccoli is cooked to your desired level of tenderness.

Put the chicken back into the skillet and re-warm the chicken. Remove from heat and stir in 4 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro.

Serve and add Parmesan cheese as desired.

illimae

Tonight was 1/2 a grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup Texmati Royal Blend rice, corn on the cob and spinach.

I also made a large salad and grilled extra chicken for the next few days lunches.

Halo Top Mint Chip for dessert

ChiSandy

Surprised by Bob arriving home in time for dinner, so we went to Cellars. Was their prix fixe night (2 courses for $18, 3 for $23). App. was a chopped kale-frisee salad with pecans, bacon, cranberries and feta. (At the whole thing—skipped lunch). Entree was fish & chips (best in the city, better than I had in London). I brought home half my entree for Gordy. Dessert was at home: 6 prunes and 1/2 c. of vanilla kefir. Tasted better than it sounds. Might make salmon steaks tomorrow night—Cook’s Illustrated has a great recipe and WF has ‘em on sale.

M0mmyof3

Leftovers from last night

MinusTwo

Mommy - how are you feeling? I know this is a dinner thread, but we all care how your recovery is going. And Susan - are you back on an up-swing?

For that matter: Nance, how's your dad adjusting to the roommate or did he get a new room? Carol, how's your Mother doing since you went back North? Special, did your DD get settled? Eric, so glad your DD is happy with school & settling in for another year.

MinusTwo

And Joyce - keeping you in my thoughts. Let us know about your tests.

And everyone else who needs an extra hug.

M0mmyof3

No more Taxol. The oncologist took me off of it today since I had such problem with the side effects. Only on Herceptin and Perjeta now every three weeks. Much improved today.

auntienance

Hello all - it's been a busy few weeks. We decided to get rid of a lot of stuff in our basement which meant garage sale. What a job. Now I remember why I only have one every 10 years. We did get rid of quite a bit of stuff though, including a lot of dad's.

Dad is much improved. At our last visit he requested pizza so that's what we took. He ate most of it and seemed to have his appetite back. He had lost about 10 pounds with the blockage and has gained about half of that back. The exercise program at the nursing home has helped him get his strength back which has greatly improved his attitude. At our last visit, dad actually told us he liked it there. He feels the staff takes good care of him and the food is good. The roommate situation is not ideal but he says he's getting used to it. So all in all, I think things are as good as they can be. A great relief to me.

There has been food. DH had dinner with a friend tonight so I grilled half a dozen jumbo shrimp for myself. I ate that with a small handful of haricots verts from the garden and some mashed potatoes and gravy left over from a chicken fried steak dinner two nights ago. Tomorrow I need to finish off some gazpacho I made with the influx of tomatoes from the garden.

Trying to clear out the fridge because Saturday we are leaving for the gulf coast for a week. Tonight's shrimp was frozen from Costco, but Sunday will be the real deal! So looking forward to fresh seafood . . . We'll be watching the eclipse from the beach.

I'm missing Olivia updates. And I really think we need a Charlie report Bedo.

Hey Red! Good to hear from you!

Max_otto

Auntienance,

Good news that your dad is doing better. I understand the basement ordeal, it took a month to organize everything, paint the workroom and get rid of stuff.

We went to Goodman theater and saw La Havana Madrid yesterday and after, we had dinner in China town, hot and sour soup, peapods with garlic and king mushrooms with beef. We have enough for another dinner. Tonight a son is coming over, we may try a new restaurant featuring Polish food. These are suppose to be authentic regional dishes. Hope there is something on the menu i can eat.

Kathy

ChiSandy

Kathy, which Chinatown restaurant did you visit? Every time I think I’ve tried them all, a new one opens (not to mention the few up here amid the Vietnamese places along Argyle St.). Two of my guilty pleasures are S. Side E. European diners: Peaches & Pears on Archer near Bob’s office (Polish) and Mabenka on Harlem (Lithuanian).

Bob got home early enough last night to go out to dinner in the neighborhood. For once, we were early enough to hit Mango Pickle before the kitchen closed (and on a day it’s open). The owner is Indian, and his wife the chef is Italian. The food was off-the chart amazing, several cuts above the run-of-the-mill Punjabi stuff along Devon Ave. (not to mention Ogden Ave. and the Indian banquet halls in Schaumburg). The samosa was gigantic—one fed both of us. (And the vegetables & potatoes in the filling were precisely diced and perfectly seasoned). The pakoras were addictive. We got a salad of chickpeas, tamarind, mushrooms, pea pods, and coconut; entrees were a vegetable stew with garam masala risotto, and the best butter chicken I’ve ever tasted (not mushy chicken in gloppy red cream sauce), with thin-sliced oven-dried tomatoes, two kinds of mushrooms, and herbed basmati rice and baked-to-order naan on the side. It was already past 10 pm, but how could I turn down a press pot of cardamom-spiced monsooned Malabar coffee? Dessert was creme brulee, but made with yogurt, tamarind and jaggery (a sugar made from cane & date juice, boiled down to crystals, pressed into a cone and shaved). It took every ounce of discipline remaining to keep me from picking up the empty dish and licking it. We brought home leftovers of everything but the samosa, pakoras, coffee & dessert. Just nibbled on the salad.

Tonight I will make seared salmon steaks, tomatoes atop grilled zucchini slices, and tostones (that plantain is mighty ripe but the little green tomato will not budge). We have 15 ripe tomatoes in the kitchen, at least 3 ripe enough to pick tomorrow, a few more ripening and about 4 still green (but growing) on the vine.

illimae

tonight was leftover Benihana from lunch!

Moonflwr912

Hi all. Another hit and run post! LOL. Heres whats been going on:

Well, things have been pretty weird for me this last month.

I've needed an ultrasound for my kidney, one for under my arm, and a PET Scan among other things. (You may already have heard some of this)

So, Bad News is/Good News is

(BN)Oncologist finds kindney acting up sends me to my Primary care pulls me off my diabetes meds, my blood pressure meds, and my anti inflamatory

(GN) found it before major damage is done

(BN)Ultra sound because of above, and my kidney still hurts

(GN)ultrasound showed nothing wrong

(BN) ultrasound of underarm shows weird node

PET Scan ordered

(GN) PET shows no metateses.

(BN) PET scan shows KIDNEY STONES?

(GN) Kidney stones are why my kidney hurts. LOL

(BN)I started on insulin shots. 1x a night

(GN) my numbers came down a bit

(BN) Numbers not down enough, so Insulin at mealtimes too

(GN) I'm now taking 6 less pills a day.

Life is fun! LOL

On the Goid News side, my DGD2 turned 2 we tried to take pictures, but she wouldnt stand still long enough so they are blurry. LOL

Abd heres her cousin DGD1 - age 2 1/2

Shes a flower girl in a wedding. Im blessed.

And, with DGD1, on our visit, we went to Panera after swimming, I had the Pick2, with summer corn chowder and the thai salad. It was yummy.

Ive been eating corn on the cob every chance I get, and I dont care about my blood sugar! So there! LOL.

I think things are actually getting back on track, so will try to check in more often.

Supper tonite was pepper steak. Yum

Much love to all.

Tappermom383

Sandy - I'm drooling over the description of your dinner last night. We have no Indian food near us; I love it when I can get it.

MJ

ChiSandy

Monica, ouch! But glad it’s “only” kidney stones. (Burt Reynolds once quipped they were created by God for people who’ve never birthed a baby and never will to have the experience vicariously).

Slight change in dinner plans. Bob had a lot of hors d’oeuvres at a colleague’s retirement party and was only minimally hungry. So doing the salmon Sunday night. Instead, I took the leftover veg. stew & risotto from Mango Pickle (Gordy left less than half of it, which was half of the original to begin with), added 2 c. of diced zucchini (I still have half the dang mega-gourd), a homegrown tomato, 1/2 c. sliced cremini mushrooms and the chicken picked off the carcass of a leftover WF rotisserie bird and sauteed it all in a blend of coconut & olive oils & ghee (about a tsp. of each, in a 12” skillet). Added some mild curry powder, Hungarian half-sharp paprika, and salt to taste, and let it simmer covered for an hour. It was pretty darn good. Drank some homemade Meyer lemonade (steeped with a sprig of rosemary and the peel of an apricot I’d eaten for lunch), which hit the spot.

Tomorrow night will be a panzanella, using some sourdough bread, a couple more tomatoes, cooked lupini beans (like smaller favas), Italian parsley, olive oil and humble ol’ red wine vinegar, with shavings of Parm-Regg. and pecorino Romano on top. Maybe some zoodles Alfredo too. Or maybe a panino.

Max_otto

illimae,

Sometimes, leftovers are the best.

Sandy,

The restaurant last night had decent food, not great but worth a quick stop, although last night we left rather quickly because of the noise. So, I wouldn't recommend it as a great place.i did like the peapods with garlic though. Tonight we went to the Polish restaurant, Cory and Jurgen had a European plate, a mix of sausages , a stuffed cabbage and a pototoe pancake. I had red borst soup with a meat roll, you take a sip of broth and then a byte of the roll, it was ok, but I prefer the Russian borst soup. I then had a pototoe pancake, thin and crispy, delicious. Next a stuffed cabbage roll with mushroom sauce, different, maybe the leftover will go better when I try it again. We've been at Star Polska which I thought had a more varied menu. The guys liked their dinner, so I think we may be there again. I'll just stick to their pototoe pancakes.

I will keep Mango Picle in mine when we're in the area, it sounds wonderful. My favorite food is Japanese, French and really good Italian fare.

Kathy

ChiSandy

My grandma (who was Russian Jewish) made fabulous borscht and stuffed cabbage. No pork, though my mom didn't keep kosher nor do I, so no sausages. The women on my mom's side (sis & I included) are known for killer potato latkes (hand-grated). There's a restaurant near Orchestra Hall & the Art Institute called Russian Tea Time (owned by an Uzbek immigrant family who belong to my temple). Their borscht is the only kind my beet-averse husband & son will eat. And for dessert we always get Russian tea: deep black, served with a dollop of raspberry jam in a glass with a silver holder. A dish of sugar cubes is served alongside—you hold one between your front teeth and sip the tea through it, which was how my grandma (who hated being called “Bubbie") drank hers. (Swee-Touch-Nee brand, sold in a little metal box that looked like a treasure chest—highly collectible now).

My favorite Chinatown restaurants are Triple Crown for seafood and Phoenix for banquets (not sure if it's still around). But we have a terrific one up here in our “Chinatown North" on B'way, called Furama. They serve dim sum every day till 9:30, though they wheel the carts around only during lunch until 2pm—after that, you order off the menu. For Peking duck (and oysters as big as your head), Silver Seafood. We sometimes go to Sun Wah up the street for Cantonese BBQ duck to go.

For Italian, we love Calo, a mile s. of us in Andersonville. It's been there at least 50 years, and has always been the nerve center of the neighborhood. (We lived in A'ville for 7 years before moving up here to Edgewater Glen). Entire generations have grown up eating at Calo (which blows Leona's out of the water). It used to be a pizza-and-red-sauce joint but has become more upscale. The owners originally came from Bari, so they have a few dishes “alla Barese." They do a zuppa di pesce that will feed four and give any bouillabaisse a run for its money. Excellent steaks, veal, seafood (whitefish and octopus, especially). They have several styles of pizza, including hand-stretched Neapolitan, slightly thicker & smaller Barese, deep-dish and standard thin crust “party-cut." All the old downscale red-sauce stuff is still available though not on the menu—just have to ask for it.

We eat at least once, maybe twice a week at Cellars (formerly Broadway Cellars). The line is around the block for brunch—they've recently had to add Fridays. $5 burger Monday nights (1/3-lb.,choice of toppings & cheeses, regular or sweet potato fries). Excellent fish & chips. And at least monthly there are either $20 unlimited wine tastings with a buffet to match, special themed winemaker dinners (when they feature France, their French dishes are terrific), or both. It's also our go-to for hosting dinner parties.

Good Japanese at Indie Cafe (also has Thai). Around the corner from us is En Lai Asian Bistro, pan-Asian. Their sushi & Thai are better than their Chinese dishes. Our favorite Japanese restaurant is Kuni, on Main St. in Evanston.

Not much in the way of actual French in the 'hood. Chez Delisay in Rogers Park is Louisiana Creole, but we haven't gone there yet. Next door to Calo is an excellent Carolina low-country restaurant called Big Jones. So (we're Lettuce Frequent Diners members) we go down to Mon Ami Gabi in Lincoln Park for bistro French. On (very special) occasion we've gone to Everest. Still mourning the loss of LaTour, Ambria, Brasserie Jo, Paris Club, Le Français, Cafe Provençal and of course Charlie Trotter's. Have yet to be able to score a table at Alinea.

PM me if you plan to be in the area!

MinusTwo

Moon - so glad to see you. Sorry about the bad news but it's looking like the good cancels out much of the bad. And hooray for 6 less pills every day. Cute granddaughters.

Nance - thanks for the update on your Dad. How wonderful that he said he likes the place. What a load off your mind.

Susan - hoping you're OK.

illimae

Alight, you all decide my dinner tonight. I feel like a project today, so, your options for me are fish & chips using Atlantic Haddock or a pepperoni pizza both from scratch. What's it gonna be?

(I'll post a pic later)

auntienance

Monica, so glad they've gotten to the root of your problems. For what it's worth, I'm so happy to have switched to insulin. Management is so much easier, although it takes more planning. Only drawback is it's expense. Well there's the needle thing if you're adverse.

On our way to the gulf coast! Stopping overnight in Jackson MS. Dinner will be at a Logan's Roadhouse since we'll be too tired to drive further than the hotel. But tomorrow night I see broiled oysters in my future!

illimae

Pizza's! My dough recipe makes 2, so one is pepperoni with red onion and ricotta and the other is a chicken alfredo with spinach, red onion and ricotta. Both are pretty good

ChiSandy

Pizzas look delish, Ilona. Did you see the episode of ATK (or was it Cook’s Country—PBS here is doing pledge month again) with cast-iron skillet pizza?

MinusTwo

Very late lunch was more than 1/2 a pound of very decent cold boiled shrimp and a Bloody Mary with V-8 since I don't put red sauce on my shrimp. Since I'm still full, supper was several handfuls of roasted, salted peanuts. I was reading & didn't want to stop to pop corn so I settled for peanuts and a Gin & Tonic. Saturday night after, and one of the few days I don't have a darn exercise class of some kind or another.

illimae

ChiSandy, I haven't seen the show but did just look up the recipe, great tip, I'm gonna try it!

Tappermom383

That sounds like my kind of lunch and dinner, MinusTwo!

MJ

bedo

MOmmy I'm glad that you are feeling better on your new regime and I am hoping and praying that it works 100%. I am thinking of you!

Moon, those are some cute pics! I just spent 1 week with Charlie, as his parents are back at work. He is in daycare now, and I will go on an 8 week assignment in a few weeks. I keep trying to retire and my bills keep sending me back to work.

I've wondered if selling a house is more stressful than buying. Yes it is, if the renters are out. I'm at the point where I just want to say, "Take the da#n thing, your can have it"

Here is a pic of some salsa from my garden. Tomatoes, cilantro, chili peppers, and I bought the lime and red onion. Too many tomatoes. Everyone gets some, whether they want it or not.

I have a BF now.. He's 18 years younger than me. I should be ashamed, but I'm not.

MinusTwo

Bedo - great to hear from you. I wish I lived close enough to get some of your tomatoes. We had so much rain this spring most of the tomatoes didn't set before it got too hot. I love the idea that you have a BF. Who cares if he's younger? Why should you be ashamed? Just look at the wife of the French president. I just hope he's kind and funny and helps when you need things done. Or maybe you even go dancing!!!

illimae

Tonight was grilled steak, grilled squash & zucchini, seared scallops and garlic parmesan roasted red potatoes.

This dinner celebrates my friends birthday, my Hungarian name day and my half birthday 8/18. It is followed by a slice of chocolate pudding cake!