So...whats for dinner?

auntienance

Carole, I've had very good results with sous vide thicksteaks but lately I've been using the method Alton Brown is talking about - reverse sear. The difference is that with sous vide, the outside is moist and its hard to get a good sear while the oven method dries out the meat so that it sears beautifully.. Here's the timing:

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2018/10/reverse-seared-steak-recipe.html

auntienance

Btw, if DH likes his carrots "carroty", he would love them sous vide.

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/sous-vide-glazed-carrots-recipe.html

I eat tons of raw carrots but disliked them cooked (unless cooked with a hunk of meat) until I tried these. I even reduce the sugar.

ChiSandy

There's a MOD in Skokie (and a Blaze up the street from me near Loyola), but Chicago--and my neighborhood--has pizza joints every few blocks.

Gotta leave for rehearsal in an hour. Had big breakfast (2 bacon, 2 eggs, cappuccino) and tummy can't handle anything but water now. So no food before tonight's rehearsal (maybe an energy bar if tummy calms down), and maybe a slice of pizza or a wing or two at the social hr. next door after rehearsal. But can't stay long--tomorrow is an early, long and brutal day: schlepping costumes--will need an Uber or Lyft) for preliminary dress rehearsal; then the stupid Disney Festival of Lights Parade at dusk, which totally snarls traffic downtown. (Once burned, twice shy--that's why I'm not driving; took me >2 hrs to get home last year, for a 20-min. drive). Then taking the train back in the cold.

carolehalston

I used the reverse sear method to cook our rib eye steak last night. The result was good. Next time I will try to remember to thaw the steak the day before and do a longer dry brine. Our side was baked russet potatoes cooked in the oven the old-fashioned way. I cooked extra potatoes to have leftovers for home fries. DH and I halved one potato and then I had an additional half of a half. Delicious with a little butter.

Yesterday I searched for a recipe for pralines a tennis friend shared years ago when I was a tennis player. I finally located it. During the search I found a looseleaf notebook of saved recipes from cooking magazines, neatly enclosed in plastic sleeves. I thought of you, Nance, as I looked through the notebook because I wondered, Why did I save these recipes? Only one or two of them seemed worth saving!

I also noticed a recipe book, Healthy Comfort by Art Smith, who was Oprah's chef for ten years. I looked through it and saw a couple of bookmarked recipes. Smith weighed over 300 lbs when he began his journey to lose weight and get healthy. All his recipes are "chef-y" and the photos of dishes are professional. I would have to take a list to the supermarket to make any of them.

I think tonight's dinner will be fresh catfish fillets.

Lacey12

All this talk about pizza is making me think that could be a good option for tonight's dinner. MOD sounds neat. I doubt it is in this area. Pizza is my weakness. But I do need to use up a large container of baby kale in the fridge to clear some room for a turkey. And besides, I have yet to make my fave kale/chicken sausage soup that is great to have on these cold days. We had 7" of heavy wet snow Thursday night...and now everything is frozen over. Good soup weather!

Other than soup making today, I will be baking a ton of pumpkin breads and muffins for tomorrow's church coffee hour. Not sure why DH signed us up to do this the Sunday before T-giv, and on the same day we are “greeters", and when there is an informative lyceum on gender going on there, too. Our church and town groups have so many activities and causes going on currently, that it's a bit overwhelming to me. Even tho I have more free time since retirement, I have less energy.

I did attend an interesting discussion, entitled “Conversations About Food: Balancing Food Choices and Traditions” this week. One piece was each person sharing what he/she ate, growing up in their family of origin. It was an interesting look at how diets (and family roles/schedules) have changed over the years, for a variety of reasons. Several of the group members are vegan, some vegetarian, and some omnivores, with very few who still eat beef. Fortunately, given the lovely folks in attendance, there was no heavy handed effort to convert any carnivores! I think at this point, I'm pretty content with us keeping our chicken/fish and lots of vegetables and greens (and occasionally a mammal!) diet in place.

Last night we trekked into town for the Celtics game and I had my fave dinner of salmon over sauteed mixed vegetables at The Harp. Since I had the same thing Wednesday, I'm thinking we might change restaurants for our next game to mix it up a bit...but it will depend on how long and cold a walk is involved!

I finally wrote out a T-giv menu, and need to get started with a plan for when I'll make all the sides...the “kids" are frying the turkey....probably on top of a back yard snow mound!

Tomorrow we are invited to our neighbors’ for a chili and pizza gathering and I'll contribute the salad.

Beaverntx

Lacey, We've eaten primarily poultry and fish for so long that DH says he is growing feathers on his gills!

auntienance

Lacey, 7" is about what we had too. Thankfully, most of it is gone now.

We liked the sheet pan tenderloin with apples and fennel so much that we're doing it again tonight. I'm putting some golden beets in the sous vide as well. First time in the sous vide for those. I'm dry brining a beef roast for tomorrow night and will roast some baby potatoes with it.. Don't know what the green part of that meal will be yet - probably broccoli or salad.

Where oh where is Special k?

SpecialK

I’m here, I’m here!! Just eating a spectacularly boring diet - still on softish food, then DH and DD left town so I was cooking nothing at all and I didn’t think posting about Greek yogurt and mashed potatoes would be too exciting for anyone - including me, lol!

DH returned late last night, DD on her way home now. I did help her with an orzo salad, apple crisp, sans oats, along with an herb and parm mix to add to sautéed zucchini to make with her former beau last night. They seem to be reconnecting and grilled steaks at his house. She doesn’t cook much not involving a microwave, so this was a little nerve wracking for her.

I like the reverse sear for steaks, I find them more tender and usually cook in the low oven to 125 F, then finish on the hot grill briefly. Even less tender cuts seem to be better using this a method.

Here is my collection of saved/clipped recipes in a notebook. I have at least as many recipes that need another binder... I can’t seem to stop.

carolehalston

I would love to be invited somewhere for chili and pizza. Sounds so good.

Today I bought catfish fillets and veal scallopini. We'll have the fish tonight. The fillets are too large so I will cut them into pieces to allow for crispy surfaces. The breading will be either fish fry or cornmeal. May use the air fryer. Or a skillet. Side may be be sauteed zucchini. Or home fries made with leftover baked potatoes. And/or salad.

Hmm. Lots of indecision!

A Fine Cooking magazine came in the mail today. The photography in that magazine is excellent. I read through it in about 45 minutes.

I don't look forward to a road trip up to IN for Thanksgiving dinner. But I'm just as happy not to be cooking a turkey and all the side dishes for a crowd. We'll be contributing roasted pecans. DH roasted 4 lbs of pecan halves using two different recipes. Tomorrow I will try my hand at making pralines, which also contain pecan halves. If they turn out good, we'll take them up for a dessert offering.

auntienance

Carole please drop some pralines off here on your way to Indiana

ChiSandy

Pralines, IIRC, are wicked tricky--as soon as the sugar mixture hits the right temp, you have to work fast to drop them onto the Silpat or parchment lest they cool too fast, seize up and get grainy before they spread out enough. Think I'll wait till my next trip to NOLA in March.

Snow? We got less than 1/2" of big fat wet flakes that were gone without a trace by 11 am. Still trying to wrap my head around St. Louis, >300 mi. south, getting all that snow while we at the Chicago lakefront got nearly zilch.

Had a mini-sausage biscuit for breakfast before leaving for rehearsal, and nibbled on a croissant throughout the afternoon. Got home (see the "Drinking" thread for my public transit adventure) and got a call from a cousin in NY to whom I hadn't spoken in a dozen years--she too is a retired lawyer (everyone on my dad's side is a lawyer, a musician, a lawyer-musician, or married a lawyer or musician). We're among the only 6 heirs of a cousin whom till last month we didn't even know we had in Paris, and dealing with tracing the family tree and determining assets is messy & complex. Fortunately, the French genealogist hired by the "notaire" (the French equivalent of a probate attorney/court-appointed administrator in an intestate--i.e., no-will--estate) will do all the grunt work. But by the time Macron gets his 60% estate tax, and the notaire & genealogist get their 19% (including VAT), not to mention two independent appraisals of our dead cousin's apt. (which, while it'd be nice for us to share a pied-à-terre in Paris, would cost a fortune in annual property taxes if we kept it), selling broker's commission, and court filing fees, we might end up with maybe a couple hundred euros each. Still, it's found money (and due to a taxation treaty, Uncle Sam can't charge us). And we are filling in major gaps in our family tree that not even Ancestry.com, the Mormon archives nor the Tel Aviv Jewish surname database could find.

But we talked for so long that Bob & I were starving. Path of least resistance: comfort food at the Fireside, where we'll host Thanksgiving. Now, my ultimate comfort food is schnitzel and pan-fried potatoes--so the closest they had was chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes & gravy, and green beans. Close enough--it hit the spot. Took half home and was still too stuffed to even imagine dessert.

carolehalston

Sandy, your comfort food meal is one of dh's favorite diner specials. He also likes the meat loaf and mashed potatoes special. We're always on a road trip when he orders a diner special so no to-go box.

The air fryer did a great job on the breaded catfish last night. I sprayed the catfish with a canned oil spray, pre-heated the fryer to 400 degrees and cooked until the catfish was brown and crispy on the surface. I turned the leftover baked potatoes into home fries by cooking them in a cast iron skillet on the stove top.

The only tricky part about making pralines is spooning the candy mixture on waxed paper at just the right moment. I used this recipe a number of years ago and the result was good. I thought my pralines were better than Aunt Sally's in the French Quarter!

carolehalston

The praline making venture was successful. I'll package them up to take to IN for a dessert choice. The bought pralines don't have as many pecans and are a paler color. Mine are like pecan clusters. I may make some for Christmas presents for neighbors.

auntienance

Oh yum Aunt Sally, I mean Carole! If you can't deliver, is your recipe shareable?

Came across this Minus, thought you might be interested

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/11/basic-french-lentil-recipe.html

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MinusTwo

Nance - thanks. I like that you 'saute' the lentils after they are initially cooked.

Dinner was left over brown rice with quinoa and Olathe corn I cut off the cob last year. Splashed with Thai sweet chili sauce. I served with 3 little pre-cooked Jimmy Dean turkey breakfast sausages from Costco. Must do something with mushrooms tomorrow - since I forget again today. Even though I bought the container Special recommended, I can't seem to use them fast enough before they spoil.

Edited to add - yes, I know this meal was boring but I decided to post anyway since leftovers are good.

Moonflwr912

Dinner tonight was leftover casserole. Spaghetti, but with curly noodles, onions and peppers( red and orange and green) side was peas. Dessert waz a lovely carrotcake cupcake from a food truck at the farmers market i stopped in at yesterday. Also bought some honey, but passed on the jellies. And other bakery items.

Im going to have to try the reverse sear, sounds so good! Minus, my favorite method for mushrooms is the george forman slice them thick and pop them in. Potato slices (thick)are also so good done that way. One potato will fill up the small one so its hard to make them for more than 1 person at a time, unless you have a family one. But they dont need any oil, and taste better than fries, and oh so fluffy inside.

Much love to all.

carolehalston

Nance, I'm happy to share Rita's recipe. It's so simple and easy. In a large heavy pot, mix 1 cup buttermilk, 2 cups white sugar, and 1 tsp baking soda. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns a caramel color and reaches soft ball stage (236 degrees). I stirred pretty often and had to lower heat to low on my gas stove.

Remove from heat. Add 1 T butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 2 cups pecans. Beat until glossy with your spoon or spatula. QUICKLY spoon onto waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow to cool and harden. Rita got about two dozen pralines. I didn't get that many.

DH's digestion still has not returned to normal, a status that causes difficulty for me in planning and cooking meals. I decided against a piccata preparation for the veal scallopini and browned it in butter and olive oil with a plain panko breading. I cooked large dice zucchini in plain diced tomatoes and did a heavy sprinkle of Italian cheese on the finished dish. The zucchini was very good.

Looks like we will have a cold day tomorrow to begin our trek north.

MinusTwo

Carole - They look like they are chewy pralines, but thought I'd best check? Have a safe trip tomorrow.

Just went to have a patty melt with my ex-DH at a Country Cafe close to my house. Even though he lives 30 minutes to the south, he's in love with these patty melts.

Cold here & rainy. Supposedly the rain will stop for Thanksgiving Day. I hope so since I'm driving a bit more than an hour North to eat with my BFF Pat and some of her assorted remaining family.

Special - glad to hear you're on the mend. Moon - thanks for mushroom idea. How is your DH doing?

SpecialK

minus - I would kill right now for a patty melt.... I have meatloaf, mashed potatoes and dilled green beans for dinner tonight and I am hoping to have a little meatloaf!

moon - glad your DH is getting out and about, fingers crossed all continues to go well.

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving to all! We are staying in town and getting together with old friends (so, really a Friendsgiving!) with whom we trade holidays often. We will have all the traditional stuff - I am bringing a bacon/chive cheese log for an appetizer, a yummy salad with strawberries, candied pepitas, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, homemade cranberry sauce, green beans, twice baked sweet potatoes with maple drizzle and pecans, and I am responsible for making gravy there with the "magic gravy spoon" that was my mom's - it somehow produces the best and smoothest turkey and beef pan gravy. It is an ordinary slotted spoon with a wooden handle (I actually have two - one to hand down to each of my children) but it just works! My DD will be here, but DS starts his new job, long awaited, as a federal firefighter on the Monday after Thanksgiving - he was nervous about having cancelled flights and missing his first day so chose to remain local in Virginia.

carolehalston

Minus, the only "chewy" factor is the pecans. The candy will melt in your mouth.

auntienance

Tonight is oven fried chicken, something I have not had a lot of success with in the past. We'll see. Sides will be buttered noodles and steamed broccoli.

Safe travels for all of you thanksgiving travelers.

auntienance

Tonight is oven fried chicken, something I have not had a lot of success with in the past. We'll see. Sides will be buttered noodles and steamed broccoli.

Safe travels for all of you thanksgiving travelers.

GreenHarbor

Tonight’s supper was curried butternut squash soup from the freezer and ham and cheese scones. I’ve made them from scratch for years, but last time I made them, I started with Bisquick, added chopped ham, grated cheese and a dash of cayenne. They were tasty, and much quicker than the original recipe

ChiSandy

Carole, those pralines DO look better than Aunt Sally's. Maybe Kate Latter's too. My teeth hurt just looking at the photo! (Speaking of teeth, SpecialK, is your mouth calming down any)?

SpecialK

chisandy - thanks for asking, seems to be pretty gradual. I definitely can’t chew on that side and I get some discomfort in the jaw if I chew on the other side if it is anything with very much resistance. I have moved from totally soft to things like pasta. Yesterday I did try a piece of toast with a hard boiled egg sliced on top and that went well with very small bites. The surgeon was happy with my post-op so I’m content to take it slow. I’m glad that a lot of Thanksgiving food seems to be non-chewy, I’m looking forward to it

LaughingGull

Hi ladies,

Joining this fun thread to announce that I made dinner this morning before leaving the house. Butternut (+zuccini +carrot) squash soup for dinner, curried too. Then I will have fruit + yogurt -and maybe a bit of chocolate. Trying to cut on the daytime snacking is the challenge!

SpecialK, I am glad to hear from you, best wishes for quick healing.

LaughingGull

MinusTwo

LaughingGull - welcome. We love new members who bring new ideas & recipes.

GreenHarbor - I looked up Bisquick ham & cheese scones. Something I'll try.

Special - soooo glad that the surgeon is giving you a good report. And that you are taking your time with recovery. Does that mean afternoon naps?

Found this quote in an old 1988 women's mystery novel and thought it was apt for the holidays - at least for me. "Losing weight is a misnomer. It always knows it's way back."

SpecialK

laughinggull - hey girl! Glad to see you here! You are going to love this thread - these folks are the best!

minus - no, afternoon naps are not happening. Working two projects simultaneously - redoing my files (yes, I am a dinosaur and have a LOT of paper and keep it all. Just in case...Lol!) and I also have all of my in-laws photos and am compiling albums for my DH and each of his sibs. So far I finished my BIL's, and he had six full albums which I did chronologically including photos of my in-laws and their family from before he was born, and then from his baby pics to recent ones. Doing this meant I had to de-construct and then re-construct. DH has 3 additional sibs, but thankfully they have fewer pics because they did not live in the same town as the parents - my BIL/SIL and their two kids did so they had lots of photos! I have made copies of all photos with multiple sibs in them, as well as the historical ones so everyone has them. No rest for the wicked...

eric95us

HI Laughinggirl.

It sounds like butternut squash is popular right now.... I'm working on a stuffed butternut squash recipe for Thanksgiving...see here

It says that it can be made up ahead of time and baked up at the last minute, so that's what I'm doing.

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. Sharon and I have been eating just two meals a day--a very late breakfast and a very late lunch, and then then we've been skipping dinner. So, there hasn't been much cooking to talk about. I've been somewhat reluctant to get back to cooking as the eating schedule seems to be working for Sharon's weight loss....she's down 21 pounds since May.

The exercise we've been doing has likely been contributing, but not as much as the eating....it's so easy to out eat the exercise. :-)

She's been hiking 4-5 days a week, 4-5 miles a day and I've been running 3-4 days a week, 4-5 miles a day and then hiking with her the other days.

Special...I could eat *most* stuff, carefully, after about a week...but I would run the risk of biting down on the wrong place and when (not if) I did, I would just about be launched into orbit.....It took a couple of months for the orbit launching to stop.

carolehalston

I like oven fried chicken when it's cooked the way I first ate it. Bread the chicken pieces in seasoned flour. Dip the piece of floured chicken in melted butter in the baking pan, then set the chicken in the pan with the wet side up. Cook until the chicken is golden brown. My hostess at that long-ago dinner gave me the recipe and I made it numerous times.

Chicken has become a favorite meat, especially roasted.

Dinner tonight will be the Kick Back buffet at the Drury Inn in Sykeston, MO. Served from 5:30 to 7:00. Limited but enough food selections for tired travelers. Also free cocktail, beer, or wine.