So...whats for dinner?

carolehalston

Specialk, yay for the undamaged house!

I stirred a fair amount of fresh grated asiago cheese into the leftover pasta with tomato sauce before microwaving it. Then we had extra cheese on the side. The salad was romaine, tomato, blue cheese, kalamata olives and avocado with a dressing of vinegar and light mayo. A satisfying, easy meal.

It was 46 degrees here in northern MN this morning! Definitely winter temperature in Louisiana.

We may be eating out tonight. Not sure.

eric95us

During the deployment, I gained four pounds...sigh....

Sitting in a staging area (at hotel next to an industrial park) on a "short leash"...must be able to get back to the hotel within 15-20 minutes...leaves few options for food. The food choices were described by one of the team's medical folks as "nutritional pornography".

MinusTwo

Eric - thinking of you. Speaking of deployed... and food...

Interesting article in our morning paper about a breakthrough in food for U.S.troops - combat-ready pizza. Yup - a 3x5 Sicilian style pizza MRE. They've worked for 20 years to make this one item possible since that's what a survey of the troops always showed pizza on top of their 'want' list.

"To qualify for MRE duty, a food item has to be able to survive years in storage in a dank ship's hold or a sun-baked shipping container, withstand Arctic freezer and tropical monsoons, stave off assaults of insects and remain intact through a parachute airdrop, or even a free fall from 100 feet... It has to stay fresh for 36 MONTHS and be tasty enough to eat."

In the taste test, a slice of pizza that remained stable for 6 months in 100 degree storage scored 7 out of 9.

M0mmyof3

Dinner tonight is a pork tenderloin, baked potatoes and salad.

MinusTwo

Pork sounds wonderful. It's raining & nasty looking here & that would be comfort food.

My dunch will be fresh (made at the grocery store) sushi - California Roll. Or maybe it will be a big salad. Hmmm. Obviously haven't decided yet.

auntienance

Turkey pot pie tonight to use up the remains of last week's turkey breast. May make some gumbo tomorrow. The weather is beautifully cooler here this weekend and into next week.

The stir fry looks wonderful! May have to work that into next week's menu.

KatyK

Illimae- stir fry looked so good! I like salt but not too much. I often find restaurant meals too salty, especially soups.


I’ve been in a “manic” cooking phase the last few days getting ready for a trip in our camping van. I love putting meals in the freezer and then just have to microwave. So nice when traveling. I have made enchiladas, burritos, eggplant parmigiana, chicken wild rice soup, butternut squash soup, and apple pie! I’m trying some frozen breakfast foods from Traders Joe. I’ll let you all know if they are any good. And well stocked with some nice wines!

Last night at home will be grilled chicken thighs, a box of rice pilaf and spinach. Good and easy after all the cooking I’ve done! I may let my husband handle it!

Lacey12

Interesting pizza MRE info, Minus! I can just imagine how much our troops must miss having pizza. So it's great that they made one to pass the MRE test!

Last night I was on my own for dinner. DH was in Western Mass at his board meeting (enjoying a delicious mixed grill dinner of scallops and lamb!), and in the afternoon I had part three of my molar implant that has been going on for over a year. So I ended up making myself a nice soft bowl of oatmeal to go along with a peach and some cantelope. I do love my “alternative" dinners, even if just oatmeal, which tend to be rare...so even more appreciated!

Tonight we'll warm up some of the paella I made on Wednesday. My mouth still hurts, so am hoping I can enjoy some salad.

Sorry about the weight gain, Eric. Doesn't exactly seemfair, does it!

Enjoy your trip, Katyk! You are certainly well prepared.

ChiSandy

Made a cacio e pepe with the remainder of one of my homegrown tomatoes and three cheeses (asiago, pecorino Romano, and Parm-Regg.). Bob brought home bacon rolls from a Lithuanian-Polish bakery near his office last night--had a late snack, and then one with a fried egg & tomato for brunch.

Dinner tonight will be the season's first Black Tie Hospital Gala From Hell. Treated myself to a new outfit (well, not the pants--my 5-yr-old Chico's Travelers black knit crepe pants will do fine) at Nordstrom--a 2-pc black tank + sheer black/gold/bronze embroidered jacket. (I liked it because it didn't shed glitter all over the place). Alas, didn't pop for the palazzos, as even the 1X were too big (apparently, I'm now plus size only from the waist up) and they had neither XL nor petites. Those Chico's have done me yeoman service and cat hair doesn't stick to them. Tried on various dress shoes from my closet last night--the adorable little Stuart Weitzman metallic strappy mid-heel sandals I bought 4 yrs ago will no longer slip over my bunion--and the glitter shredded my toenail polish. Fortunately, I am a pack rat and found a bottle of almost exactly that shade (sorta like Chanel Rouge Noir, but Morgan Taylor--which is available only to nail salons) by Salma Hayek, much cheaper. I will wear my gold glitter orthopedic Alegria flat platform slides, invoking old-fart bad-feet privileges. Sadly, it's chilly out and the cocktail hour is out on the hotel's rooftop deck. BRRRR! I could take or leave that, but Bob doesn't want to miss it, as they usually have great pass-around appetizers.

M0mmyof3

Pork tenderloin came out perfect and juicy. It was one of those you can buy in the store pre-marinated. The marinade was garlic and lemon. Salad was good and the baked potatoes were leftovers from our dinner at Texas Roadhouse on Thursday night.

eric95us

For supper tonight, I'm going to make a chicken salad...more salad, less chicken.

It's still kind of warm here, so cool and light foods are very welcome! :-)

Magari

Tonight we'll grill a butterflied chicken, shishito peppers, and cabbage on the Weber. The latter gets a spicy Thai dressing. We bought strawberries and blackberries at the farmer's market this morning, so I will make drop biscuit shortcakes for dessert. (Also got long beans, various kinds of tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, plums and gorgeous figs.)

I'm thawing boneless leg of lamb which will also be grilled, along with some corn, tomorrow night.

Leftovers from both of these meals will be repurposed during the week.

SpecialK

mommy - I use those pre-marinated pork tenderloins often, they turn out great and they are fast! Love them!

eric - same boat here in FL, hot and sticky, translates to light dinners.

lacey - sorry about your tooth - that is sure a long process, are you done now?

chisandy - hope you enjoy the evening

illimae

Thanks for the stir fry compliments.

Tonight was an easy broiled turkey burger topped with provolone and avocado slices with a sautéed veggie mix of yellow squash, zucchini and red onion.

Not pictured were the Cesar salad and red wine🍷

M0mmyof3

Special, you are so right. Love the pre-marinated ones. Fast prep, packaging to pan to oven. Minimal fuss and no mess to clean up.

MinusTwo

I agree. And for one - half is an entire meal, and the other half becomes a stir fry or medallions w/either brandy cream sauce or some luscious gravy.

But I do miss the pork roasts covered in sizzling fat to pick off & eat separately.

Lacey12

Our leftover paella was really flavorful.. I made a salad of cukes and tomatoes from the farmer’s market, and cubes of avocado, with a bit of my fave horseradish dressing.

Before dinner, I made a couple of small loaves of banana walnut bread, which should have been baked half way through our dinner....but every time I got up to check them, they were still uncooked inside. Took me three times before I realized that I had inadvertently pushed “clear/off” (which is next to the number 1) when I was resetting the timer for 10 minutes, so these little loaves took forever! I was basically using up three extremely ripe bananas, and wanting to bring a little treat to our friend who spent the summer dealing with side effects of his metasticised prostate cx treatment, the most recent of which has been radiation burns to his esophagus from spine radiation. Anyway, he is starting to eat again and I thought banana bread would be a good safe comfort food.

Special, this tooth thing has been interminable!! Apparently, I have one more appt with implant guy, then off to my regular dentist for the imoressions and crown process. Lots of appts with long times in between.....especially b/c I needed the bone restoration. Of course, as soon as this marathon process is complete, I’ll probably have another tooth that needs attention! I have a very old mouth!

This week we are dog sitting for DS2’s and DD2’s pooch....a silly Scotty. He is very low maintenance in the house, but not too friendly to other canines on our walks, and if I let him in the backyard, he hunts all the way to China for chipmunk villages. And we have lots of chipmunks! So our backyard is now full of giant holes. And he has a brown layer of excavation dirtover his black fur. Oy!

Moonflwr912

all of you have been cooking so much! I was going to say cookong up a storm, but we have hadb too many of those! Im glad everyone made it through that weather though!

It got downright cold here last night, 40. Fall is really here.

I made chili yesterday, and today i picked up a stuffed pork steak. It was plenty big enough for both of us, served with roasted potatos and carrots. Stuffing was ok, pork steak was just ok. I love potato and carrots cooked with meat, its the best part. Asked Stan if he liked it, he said it was ok. So I asked him, should I make it again, he said no! LOL. Thats why I asked! LOL.

Seeing nuerosurgeon on the 23rd for 2nd opinion on Stans healing. Daughter still at her home, will be bringing DGD1 back here for 2 days every week, while DD2 stays at home. On the day I drop her off, I take a nap! LOL.

Much love

ChiSandy

Wow, Monica, what a difference a couple hours' drive north makes--it's only down into the mid-50s here in Chicago.

Hospital banquet at the Ritz-Carlton was pretty nice--though it was chilly, there were both infrared heaters and a big outdoor fireplace. Pass-arounds were lamb kabobs, grilled prawn skewers, Vietnamese vegan summer rolls, marinated ahi on tasting spoons, and mushroom mini-spanakopitas. Dinner was a Caprese of rainbow heirloom tomatoes (regular & cherry) with burrata & arugula; "airline" chicken breast saltimbocca (prosciutto-wrapped) with baby haricots verts and potatoes Anna; and a wicked dark chocolate flourless terrine with brandied dried cherries & whipped cream. Of course, they were more generous & timely pouring the wine than they were the coffee. Some people see coffee and think "I need something sweet." Me, I see dessert (especially dark chocolate) and think "bring on the black coffee!"

The chicken was fairly dry--we asked for some extra gravy for the table, and it helped. The potatoes were meh--undercooked though seared at the edges and woefully underseasoned. For the life of me, I don't know why caterers and restaurants are so big on chicken breasts, when thighs are cheaper and much more flavorful.

The outfit I bought came together beautifully. Almost wore my gold Coach mini-crossbody satchel (which is my everyday purse), but Bob said this was probably going to be the most formal event of the year, so why not carry the gold-and-bronze crystal & leather mignardise he got me 4 years ago? So I did--using the chain to sling it over my shoulder. Looked fabulous as we made our entrance and hit the open bar.

It was when I tried to take the purse off to put it on the table that I found out that textured chain links and embroidered jackets are not a very fortuitous combination. The chain kept getting caught on the jacket, and Bob had to haul out his nail clippers (I had no idea he actually carries a pair--I was joking when I asked) and free my jacket from bondage. I promptly stuffed the chain inside the purse and carried it as a clutch (haven't done that in years).

Ironically, most of the women who weren't millennials carrying teeny little whimsically. ironic designer wristlets (that wouldn't hold more than a credit card and an aspirin) were carrying regular purses. And none of the men were in black tie. In fact, Bob's black suit & white shirt was about as formal as any of the men got--and nobody noticed that he'd forgotten to change out of his black New Balances into dress oxfords. (My gold leather Alegria sandals were perfect--and perfectly comfy. Not bad for $50 on their closeout site).

DownNotOut

dinner last night was requested by DD1 and was as good as ever: Grilled, thinly sliced medium rare NY strip and grilled asparagus in a huge warm bowl of wild rice and wilted fresh spinach tossed with a Tamari soy sauce/dry sherry/garlic/sesame oil sauce. DD3's 14yo sleepover guest (whose parents never cook) ate her fill & I felt good giving her a healthy meal that did not come from a box.

I'm investigating the Instant Pot & I know some of you have one... if cooking for 8, which onewould you recommend? I had no idea there were so many models from which to choose! Do you like cooking in it? I'm working late at the hospital so often I need something fast, & I'm going in so early that getting something in my normal crock pot means getting up at 4:30 instead of 5 & I'm just NOT that good of a woman!

M0mmyof3

Making chili for tonight

KatyK

I know what I’m doing for dinner tonight - I’m going to Illimae’s house for dinner! Your pictures of your dinner always look so good! 😁

I would also like to get an instapot, so any advice on make or model,would be appreciated.

illimae

lol, katyk, come on! On Sunday nights I have two couples over for dinner and tv (the walking dead, game of thrones). Tonight I’m making grilled bourbon chicken, first time cooking it, wish me luck!

M0mmyof3

Chili is prepped and ready to heat up later.

auntienance

I have an instant pot duo 6 qt. In it I can fit a whole chicken or a 5 pound roast. Cooking for eight, I might recommend the 8 qt, depending on what you like to cook. Mostly I cook for two. This is my second pot, I wore the first one out. Today I've made applesauce in it and tonight I will make gumbo in it for the first time. I'm a huge fan. There are a gazillion recipes out there, some actually pretty good. My best dishes are the ones I've adapted from recipes I've used for years. Serious Eats has a lot of good ones. Like I said, I'm a fan and I would recommend it to anyone. Its worth the real estate in takes up in your kitchen.

illimae

Bourbon Chicken with rice, broccoli and a side salad with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Lacey12

Okay....now I am starting to feel the shame of my as yet unpacked Instant Pot...a full year it has been in the basement. If I clear a few things from the kitchen side counter, I should be able to accommodate it. On the list of things to do it goes! I do hate giving up counter real estate to more appliances.:/ But I bet making my kale soup in it will be a fast snap....eh Nance?!

Today I bought my favorite salad bowl lettuce at the Farmers’ Market, and some corn. Then DH popped into our nearest grocery store to get salmon fillets for our dinner. I made a very simple cooking marinade for the salmon...minced garlic, lemon, evoo, diced fresh basil leaves,(my only plant yield) salt and pepper. It was actually a recipe for campers, to be made on grill or over campfire in foil packets, but I made them in a stoneware casserole at 375 for about 20 minutes, longer if you like it not at all rare. Sides were salad and several ears of what seemed like almost last of the season’s corn crop. Neither of us finished a whole fillet, so tomorrow we have leftover salmon, nuked sweet potatoes and more salad that is our staple. Tonight’s was particularly colorful, so I’m sharing a pic...again! Under all those reds and oranges is a combo of romaine and mybfave salad bowl lettuce

carolehalston

Such good meals! It's difficult to decide who to visit at meal time!

We were treated to dinner at Clancy's Restaurant last night. Ho hum. Not an exciting menu. We had a two-piece dark meat broasted chicken dinner with baked potato and house salad with blue cheese dressing. I had a glass of cabernet.

Tonight our neighbor John wants to share his home-cooked chili, to be served over whole wheat spaghetti. I will probably cook the spaghetti and make a salad. Another ho hum.

I went fishing with John yesterday on Long Lost lake. It was windy and cold so we were bundled up. John was a fishing guide at one point in his life and is an expert fisherman. We caught bass and some northerns that we threw back into the water. John cleaned the fish for us so I have fresh fish to cook tomorrow night.

We are into jeans and sweat shirt weather here in north MN. We will be packing up this week and heading south on Sunday.

auntienance

Carole, I can't believe you're heading home already, (although your'e probably ready) it seems the summer has gone so fast! I fear that we've seen our last hummingbird after a record year of them. Makes me sad.

The gumbo turned out very good except not quite spicy enough. I didn't use andouille as I had some smoked sausage I needed to use. I'll add some more spice to the leftovers that will be lunch.

I have round steak languishing in the fridge that will be turned into Swiss steak, again in the pressure cooker. Sides will be mashed Yukon gold potatoes and steamed broccoli.

eric95us

I didn't feel like eating tonight...I managed to get strep throat and I'm not feeling the greatest.

The only thing I did today was to copy the files off my mom's and FIL's computers. Turn the computer on, issue the command to copy all the files onto a thumb drive and lay back down....work up some more energy and do the 2nd computer...

When I feel better, I'll make a 2nd copy of the thumb drive and leave it at MIL's place...then I'll do a complete wipe of the disks and take them to the recycle place (decade old computers aren't worth taking to a thrift store)...