So...whats for dinner?

auntienance

Made the trip to global market today and hit the jackpot. Not only did I find fresh culantro and pigeon peas but also ajices dulces (although they're jarred.) I stocked up on some fresh Asian veggies, including bird peppers but also scored some lamb shanks, which were considerably cheaper than the ones I had so much difficulty finding last year. Some salt packed capers and jarred piquillo peppers rounded out my cart. Tonight is hot pepper beef using some of my purchases.



So much Michelle on my mind too.

Laurie08

I don't do it often, but I am going to toot my own horn.  Dinner was amazing.  I never usually flour the eggplant first and tonight I did, I also cooked at a very high heat.  It came out amazing.  I am going to do it again in a couple of nights with the last eggplant from the garden.

Lacey12

Toot away, Laurie! It is a great feeling when something you cook comes out particularly well.....and especially if it is right out of the garden!



Also feeling the sadness about Michelle's fragility. Caring thoughts to her and her family, and of course to you, Joyce.



Tonight I brought our neighbor a caprese salad over romaine lettuce (we like it that way since you "get more greens"!), corn potato and leek chowder, and ratatouille. Also made some oatmeal raisin cookies for her to have something sweet.



For our dinner, we had the caprese salad, leftover grilled pork loin, and ratatouille.

Moonflwr912

Just sloppy joes today. Tomorrow a version of Shepherds pie with the leftovers and a can of mixed veggies, unless I can find the half bag of mixed veg hiding in the freezer! Nance wanna move next door? LOL. That dinner sounds great.

Laurie congrats on everything working out for your dinner. Sounds great. I like eggplant on the first day but I hate the leftovers. They never taste even remotely like they did. And I usually have leftovers cause I cook for only me mostly during the week. Much love to all.

carberry

Laurie  Just Yum!!

Just getting back from NC and I think we have finally found a home!  YAY  now we just have to get it...let the negotiations begin! We did some sailing to try to figure out the lay of the water and try to get our bearings for when our boat is there, went to a fort on the Atlantic beach, and basically hung at the new restaurant that is right in the community we will be living.  Met the chef (he is from Roch NY  LOL) and ate lots of his meals. His fried fish was Swai and it was delicious....I am just seeing this frozen in our grocery store, never heard of it before.

Last night was homemade sauce with pork in it over ziti.

susan_02143

Swai or Basa fish is one that I avoid. Read too many articles about the horrid conditions of the waters at Asian fish farms. Its greatest redeeming quality is that it is dirt cheap. In general, I don't buy any farmed fish though, so I may be over reacting.

Just consider doing a few google searches before choosing to eat this fish on a regular basis.

*susan*

auntienance

It's very disconcerting to me that many times in gulf restaurants, in spite of the availability of local fish, swai will be the offering. It's especially prevalent on fried fish plates where the fish is unnamed. I always ask if the fish is local and I'm usually told it's swai.

auntienance

Carrie, good luck on your house negotiations. I love Atlantic beach. Some of the best she crab soup I've had was there.

Monica, you'd have to move someplace warmer lol! I love Wisconsin in the summer, but it doesn't last long enough!

gardengumby

I've seen swai in Hawaii as well. My MIL loves it and I haven't had the heart to tell her that it's farmed in Asia.

carolehalston

That fish is sold in the local Winn-Dixie a couple of miles from my house, but I buy the farm-raised catfish that comes from farms in MS.  I buy only Gulf of Mexico shrimp, and before I'll order shrimp in one of our local restaurants, I ask about the source.  Of course, I buy from our local shrimp man who buys directly from the shrimpers on the docks over on the MS coast.  They're gorgeous shrimp with heads firmly attached to the bodies and no pink color where the head attaches. 

You can actually go to the docks in MS and buy directly from the shrimpers if you want to take your cooler and go to that trouble.  I opt for convenience and pay the middle man for his trouble.  I usually buy 10 or 20 lbs and almost always have shrimp in the freezer.  I remove the heads and portion the shrimp into ziploc bags and add enough water so that the shrimp are encased in ice.  Same process with fish filets.  I doubt you could tell the difference in a taste taste test with fresh/frozen and fresh.

Carrie, congratulations on finding your ideal house in NC! 

My thoughts are with Michelle and her family. 

auntienance

Carole, that's one of the things I love about the coast, going to the fish market where the shrimp boats are docked right behind the shop. On our last trip to Gulf shores, I developed quite the taste for royal reds. Wowza! And yet nearly everywhere but Galveston, my beloved, abundant, golden tile, is considered a "trash" fish.

Laurie08

My crock pot chicken and dumplings was not good.  The dumplings were too pasty for me.  Disappointed.  This is why I hate trying new recipes that are not recommended by someone I know!

SpecialK

Tonight was chicken fried steak with country gravy, sauteed zucchini with lemon zest and pepper flakes, and chipotle and bacon mashed potatoes.  I probably make chicken fried steak only once every couple of years because it is messy and not really on the list of healthy foods, but man, it is comfort food!  I promise I will go back to the good stuff tomorrow!

Lacey12

That does sound like a whole comfort meal, Special. You must be nicely comforted I have never had chicken fried steak....is it really fried??



Laurie, batting 500 over two days is pretty good....and maybe strike that last dumpling recipe.....;)



Had a somewhat light dinner...that corn potato chowder (it's nice that you don't really even have to have it too creamy if the corn is nice and sweet) and a small medley of open faced avocado sandwiches, made on three slices of a little multi grain dnner roll. On one I put a roasted tomatillo, roasted onion, lettuce and the avacado mashed with some garlic....another had a sliced fresh tomato, avocado, lettuce and some red onion slices, and the last had just a roasted tomato with the avocado mix and lettuce. They were all tasty and just using that little roll, made it not too heavy.



I'm eager to make some of that soup in Deb's photo, as well as a pan pizza I recently saw the recipe for. This particular pizza dough recipe calls for letting it sit in a bowl on your counter all night, and I have not been able to plan ahead enough to get it made, risen for that very long time, assembled when its time is UP, and cooked up in my caste iron skillets. Maybe this weekend. I want to put kale pesto on one of them .....okay, enough of my musing about food!



'Gnite

carberry

Thanks for all the fish information.  I need to do my research for living in NC and find the fresh local stuff.  So many questions to ask about living coastal and southern, but of course, like I said, our chef was from NY.

Got home late last night from work and just had a plan of a simple chicken sandwhich, but for some reason when cooking the chicken, that I had pounded flat and seasoned,  I changed course and added ham and cheese on top and added wine to the pan with butter and garlic.  So much for a low cal chicken...but it was delicious with corn on the side.

Lacey  I like the sounds of an avacado sandwich...sounds sooo light and good for you. And kale pesto? mmmmm

Laurie08

Lacey- I am drooling over your dinner menu from last night.

I stopped to buy an eye of the round roast and they did not have any.  I bought a tip roast instead.  Will the tip roast come out the same?

SpecialK

laurie - is it a tri-tip?  If so, marinate it in something that will tenderize it if you can.  They are great marinated and grilled.

lacey - chicken fried steak is cube steak that you dredge in seasoned flour and fry.  I don't deep fry it, more like sauteeing.  Some people make a pan gravy after the meat is cooked out of the drippings, but I made the country gravy separately with extra black pepper, took the cooked meat out of the saute pan, poured off the excess fat and then put the prepared gravy in the pan to pick up the brown bits and flavor.  I would guess that this dish originated as a way to make inexpensive cube steak more interesting, and it is a dish from chilhood.  My husband recognized it immediately, but not because he ate it as a child - it is one of our BIL's fave, so my SIL (his older sis) had to learn how to make it and she cooked it when he was there for a running event.

carberry - N. Carolina has a lot of freshwater trout, if that is something you like you should be able to get it easily.

Moonflwr912

Our local fish is salmon, lake trout, brown trout. Lake Michigan. We have pan fish and walleye in the inland lakes. Always seem to have a lot of pan fish in the freezer. Salmon almost never makes it to the freezer. We usually eat it right off the grill on the same day my DH catches it. He usually fillets it we leave the skin on. When its ready pull the salmon off the skin to serve. Leave the skin to continue on the grill. After we are done eating. The skin is dry enough to peel off the grill so no messy cleanup. A little seasoning and lemon and yumm. Guess ill have to pull out the pan fish for tomorrow....

bedo

Laurie, my daughter used to love this when she was little.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/282/Busy_Day_Roast_Chicken55582.shtml

Special K, what is chicken fried steak?  It makes no sense! Even when I lived in the South I couldn't figure it out.

chabba

DH and I particularly enjoy a skinless fillet of firm white fish such as sea bass lightly floured and fried in clarified butter. The clarified butter gives it a bit of a nutty taste that, at least for us, needs no other seasoning.

SpecialK

bedo - I explained the recipe in the post above, but I think they call it chicken fried steak because it is prepared like fried chicken - breaded (with either with a wet, then dry prep - or just a dry prep like I did) then fried in oil just like fried chicken.  This is an unusual way to cook beef, or cube "steak" so the most descriptive title became chicken fried steak.  I was curious about the origin so I just googled it - seems to come from weiner schnitzel-like recipes, using beef, by German immigrants in Texas.  Who knew, right?  That is our trivia lesson for today ...  but here is another quick one - colonial women wore no underwear!

Laurie08

Special K- LMAO!!!!

Lacey12

Thanks for the CFS tutorial, Special. Really interesting!



Made DH more avocado open faced sandwiches today for his lunch. Added his favorite fresh hot pepper (I forget what kind it is....bright red and largish) to the toppings.



Tonight DH will grill some Plainfield Farms turket breast cutlets. I came across these in our local supermarket and they are such a good quality, we are hooked. Deciding what kind of marinade or seasoning is my only challenge. They don't need much. Will also have Volante's (I go into that place for corn and come out with so many wonderful produce items!) Montauk variety corn and either fresh broccoli or brussels sprouts. Haven't been eating much grain lately, (not terribly on purpose....just so many other good fresh items to indulge in)and the report from my scale has been a very happy one.



I'm excited for you about the house find, Carrie. Congratulations!

Laurie08

Carrie- How did I miss your post on the home?  Congrats!!!  Can you share a link to the house you want to buy so we can all be jealous?

Lacey12

Good idea, Laurie. please please, please, Carrie. Love the whole house thing....wish we could get ours in listing order.....eventually.....



I am laughing at my comment about not having many grains lately.....just corn....the worst of all grains (!).....but it seems so right when it is just out of the field! And the scale is still a happy sight....so I quess I'll keep it up til the season is over.

carolehalston

Laurie, your failed chicken and dumplings dish makes me hungry for chicken and dumplings!  One of my very favorite "comfort foods."  I like chicken fried steak, too.  It's a common diner fare, served with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans straight out of the can or the bag. 

Recently I made the mistake of trying McDonald's chocolate shake.  It is SO good.  I'm having to fight the steering wheel when my car gets anywhere near a McD's.  Today for lunch I had a grilled chicken sandwich and a LARGE chocolate shake.  With whipped cream and a cherry.  I didn't eat the cherry.

Dinner tonight will be a garden salad and tuna salad made with hard-boiled eggs.

I was on the straight and narrow trying to lose the lbs I gained this summer but the trip to the ER last week threw me off track.  Today I played golf and had no problems and tomorrow morning I plan to get out and walk for exercise.  We're being blessed with some days of slightly lower humidity.   

Moonflwr912

Carile I am in AWE of your self control... you didnt eat the cherry! LOL JK

Lacey yes corn when fresh is so good. Carrie, im with those who want yo see your new house. Chabba sounds good. Bedo I do that but I mix apple sauce in with the stuffing first.

And SpecialK. No, I didnt know that. And if you asked that in your history class did they answer? LOL

Much love to all.

susan_02143

Tonight's dinner goals were to finish off those Greek lemon potatoes and to give my hands a day of rest. Mission Accomplished! First I sauteed, and then drained 2oz of merguez sausage. After cleaning the cast iron pan, I melted a bit of butter, laid the potatoes in one layer, topped with carmelized onions and garlic, before sprinkling the sausage on top. I pressed this down to make a crust. When I could shake the pan and have the crust move, I poured over some whipped eggs and then added a bit of feta and some chopped chives. Cooked on the stovetop until the sides of the egg were set and then threw it into the oven to finish. Served with some toasted pugliase bread. Perfect dinner. There are enough leftovers for Mr. 02143 to have lunch tomorrow.

In the morning I am headed North to spend a couple of days with Mom_02143, with one evening with Sister_No1_02143. Should be fun to see my sister again. Been over a year, plus I get to see how much she can drink between the end of work and her 8pm bedtime! I am bringing the olives. Friday we are going to the top of Mt. Washington on the Cog Railroad since my mother has some free tickets and then a swishy dinner at the Bretton Arms.

*susan*

Moonflwr912

Have a safe trip and have lots of fun, Susan!

SeasideMemories

Susan,



I came across your thread about Cookie97 on the active topics thread and wanted to let you know how very sorry I am that you have lost another sister that you have come to know from these boards. So, so hard, especially coming so soon after your friend Frapp. Nothing I can say to make it better, though I wish I could. This whole freakin disease just sucks!! Please know, that I am thinking of you!