So...whats for dinner?

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited May 2018

    Gordy took me to Furama for dim sum lunch today. Even after the carts stop rolling at 2pm, the restaurant switches to menus with photos of the dim sum, including portion sizes, and check-boxes. We had shrimp & scallop dumplings, beef fun (rice noodle dough) rolls, spare ribs, BBQ pork bao (buns), steamed baby bok choy, shrimp toasts and red bean-filled sesame balls for dessert. There are leftovers that won't freeze well, and I made spaghetti cacio e pepe for dinner, so maybe I'll start low-carb on Tuesday...or tomorrow night. I was going to use zucchini spirals that Peapod delivered on Friday, but by yesterday they were weeping liquid in their sealed container and by today the unopened container had puffed up, so out they went. Will just have to buy zucchini and haul out my spiralizer.

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    Special - sounds like your DD is moving again?

    Eric - will your DD be home for the summer? Or is she going to stay up by school?

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited May 2018

    minus - kind of, lol! Her lease is up at her cute apartment, but since they have now renovated the other three units they are raising the already steep rent out of her budget range. Simultaneously two things are happening - she is embarking on a training period for the new devices her company is launching and will be training all around her region (Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky) for 3 weeks out of every 4 for the next six months. Her best friend is a Delta flight attendant and has added her to benefits status for the next year so they are traveling together during that 4th week to various spots around the world. Their first trip was to Arizona to hike Horseshoe Bend and to Utah to hike Angels Landing, and they leave for Japan, Singapore and Bali next week. She and I are moving her stuff into a climate controlled storage unit near our house, and she will stay here in one of the guest rooms now and then when she isn't somewhere else. Didn't make sense to rent another apartment during the next six months when she really won't be here.

    Tonight dinner will be meat sauce over spaghetti squash!

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    Special - sounds like an exciting life. So glad she can do these things while she's young.

    Dinner was Shrimp Scampi with a Campbell's Simmer Sauce. Very fast & not too bad. Add your own protein. It was only 50 calories and 420 sodium, while Campbell's mushroom soup is 870 sodium. I think I'll try some of the other skillet simmer sauces or crock pot sauces. And Seeds of Change now has simmer sauces that sound delicious. More expensive than the Campbell's, but organic. Works well for meals for one.

    Edited to say - meals for two or two meals for one.

  • CeliaC
    CeliaC Member Posts: 1,320
    edited May 2018

    Nance - Deepest sympathies to you on the loss of your Father. May you find comfort in your memories of the good times.

    Just returned from vacation in Isle of Palms, SC yesterday afternoon. Many wonderful fresh fish and seafood meals - grouper, red snapper, lobster flown in from Maine, crab cakes, shrimp, scallops. Treated myself to crab cakes benedict for 2 breakfasts as a reward for 1 hr early morning walks on the beach. Heavenly!

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited May 2018

    Celia, I’m with you on the seafood, I’ve been enjoying Grouper and crab cakes myself. Tonight was blackened Grouper tacos, they were awesome!

    image

  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited May 2018

    Avocado-tomato-arugula bruschetta with an olive-oil-fried egg for brunch. Leftover dim sum for dinner, with scrambled eggs a bit later.

  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 2,845
    edited May 2018

    DD will be taking an on-line summer class so she doesn't have to be on campus to take it. . Her apartment lease is a full calendar year, so she'll be likely bouncing back and forth between here and her apartment


    I got my cholesterol test results back. Total 173, LDL 112, HDL 37, VLDL 24, Triglycerides 119. The LDL and HDL are a bit "off" but not horribly so.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 6,887
    edited May 2018

    Dinner was a return to Crabby Shack last night. DH and I each had a dozen raw oysters and a draft beer. Why is draft beer so much tastier than out of a bottle or can? Then we shared a thin catfish basket. Their thin fried catfish is the best we've had. It melts in your mouth. Better than New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood, which we previously considered the best. The fries were mediocre at best. I ate less than my half of the basket.

    Tonight is Spring Fling at the nursing home from 6 to 8. I am sparing dh from attendance this year. He went the past two years. There will be food and several bands. The band in my mother's section of the nursing home is always a group of nice old guys playing country western. My mother is normally in bed before 6 pm but she seems to enjoy this event so I will go and endure at least an hour of "entertainment." I'm thinking we will check out one of the other bands.

    I was up .2 lb yesterday at WW. Not bad with two dinners out, one lunch out, and Mother's Day with all the carbs.

  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited May 2018

    Hi ladies (and Eric!) Long time no see. I don't hang out on the boards much these days as my new position is really busy and I don't have much time for the internet but it is lunch time so thought I would come and ask you all for some help if you are able to.

    My son's business reached a big milestone so we are cooking dinner for him and his wife (and my grandbabies) to celebrate and he said he wanted steak on the grill, buttered parsley potatoes and of all things- creamed spinach! He hated spinach when he was little...LOL . But, he wants the rich, decadent type you get in your upscale steak house. Anyone have a great recipe? I have one but usually I just wilt my spinach in a bit of olive oil and garlic and call it a day (that is how I like it anyway)

    This dinner is tonight so if you care to share, that would be awesome as I may need to stop at the grocery on the way home from work. He also wants my famous cream puffs which I have not made much in recent years either. I made them only once (Easter) and now he is craving them. Here is a picture. Hope you are all well...did not have a chance to read back as it was too many pages!

    image

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited May 2018

    april - yay! We’ve missed you! Your cream puffs look amazing - I want one right now!

    Here is a Martha Stewart recipe for creamed spinach that uses cream cheese and milk. When I make creamed spinach I use sour cream instead of those ingredients - which when combined would be about the same consistency. The recipe is otherwise the same as my method. Here is another steak house recipe that uses a bunch more cheese, and I imagine would be pretty decadent. Good luck and have a great dinner celebration

    https://www.marthastewart.com/317508/easy-creamed-spinach

    https://dinnerthendessert.com/classic-steakhouse-creamed-spinach/

  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 4,216
    edited May 2018

    Hey April!

    This one is really good. I often skip the cheese, still good.

    https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/spinach-gratin-recipe-1940406

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    April - so good to see you. Come back when you have more time & tell us about your new job.

    Here's the spinach my DIL always makes for me.

    ~30 oz. frozen spinach (two bags or three boxes -- I prefer the bagged spinach because it doesn't have to be defrosted and is less wet)

    4 TB butter

    2 TB flour

    2 TB chopped onion

    1 can evaporated milk (12ish oz?) -- or a smaller can if you can find it, but I haven't been able to in California. The original recipe called for a 5 oz can.

    3/4 tsp celery seed

    2-3 cloves diced garlic

    1 tsp worcestershire sauce

    Jalapeno cheese, cubed -- the recipe calls for 4 oz; we have been known to use an entire small brick (8 oz?)

    Sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (optional)

    Other heat sources to taste (diced habanero, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, etc.)

    The original recipe also called for artichoke hearts. I don't like them so I leave them out, but if you're a fan you might want to include them.

    1) Make rue with butter and flour. Add onion, garlic, and celery seed.

    2) Add about half a can of evaporated milk and set the rest of the can aside. (This is assuming you're using the "large" 12 oz can. With a 5 oz can, dump in the whole thing.) Blend mixture smooth on low heat.

    3) Add spinach. Since it's frozen it's best to add a bit at a time to let it heat up. If you use the boxes of spinach (which are like frozen bricks!) you might want to defrost them first in the microwave. If so, squeezing them after defrosting helps keep the dish from getting too wet.

    4) Once the spinach is thawed, add worcestershire sauce. If needed, add more evaporated milk to give it a creamier consistency. Keep in mind that it gets soupier as the spinach heats up, so resist the urge to dump in a lot of milk. You can always add more at the end if you want it wetter. (Even so, you won't need the whole can -- I always have some left over.)

    5) Start tossing in cubes of cheese. I usually put in a couple of handfuls and wait for it to melt before adding more. If you want you can do a mix of jalapeno and cheddar, it gives it a nice flavor. Continue adding cheese until you're happy with the consistency.

    6) Taste it (yum!!). Add red pepper flakes, habanero, or hot sauce if you want it spicier.

  • april485
    april485 Member Posts: 3,257
    edited May 2018

    Thanks ladies! Nance, I was able to read back a bit and saw that your Dad passed. My condolences to you. I know it was a long hard road with him.

    Minus, California??? I thought you lived in TX? Did you move?

    Anyway, I am doing general case management now and enjoying it because no two days are ever the same. I help with everything from housing to food stamp applications to WIC and cash assistance. I help with medicare and medicaid, energy assistance and getting furniture for people transitioning from homelessness. I work with veterans, the elderly and every age in between except youth.

    I work for my same agency, just in a different location and doing a different job. I used to work with people who were unemployed in the federal WIOA program. Now I do a little of everything.

    I will try to stop by more often. I missed you guys!

    I have decided not to make the cream puffs tonight. It is in the mid 80's and so no way am heating up my big oven. I can do the spinach stove top and also gratinee it in the toaster oven. We are expecting bad thunderstorms so may not be able to grill the steak but hey, I have a wonderful cast iron skillet :)

    See you all soon!

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    April - sorry I posted on the smoking thread before seeing this. Your new job sounds like you will never be bored. Hope the people you're working with are good. Yes CA was fun - but only 3 days...sigh. Way to expensive for me to trade everything in & move at this point in my life.

    Speaking of ovens... It's been over 90 degrees here for over a week. But still, I have a neighbor who's DH is deceased, no longer has a car, has Meuniere's disease & thyroid problems and is down to 94 lbs. She won't eat fish or pork, can't eat greens or sweets or dairy. Basically it's chicken, since beef often makes her nauseous. I try to take her a meal once a week. In spite of pasts beef problems, she wanted to try meatloaf. I know, I know - she will probably have to throw it away or feed it to the dog, still she wanted to try. So I made meatloaf with very lean beef, eggs & bread crumbs & onions. She can add her own ketchup or S&P if it seems OK. She only eats 2 or 3 veggies, but I hit a home run with a combo of yellow crook neck squash & zucchini - steamed in the microwave and then popped in a pan on top of some simmering, sauteed onions. And I took her 1/2 a baked potato. I'll eat the other half tomorrow.

    It was 2 lbs of meat. Between the two of us, we used 1/2 a pan. Hooray - meatloaf sandwiches this week. Actually better then hot meatloaf. So sangys will be on pumpernickel bread, Hawaiian rolls or mini-bagels - which is what I have in the house. Oh wait - I still do have some sourdough frozen from Christmas that I might pull out.

    Dermatologist tomorrow. Kidney doc on Thursday.


  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited May 2018

    America's Test Kitchen (or was it Cook's Country?) has a good recipe for an all-turkey meatloaf, using dark meat ground turkey for texture & flavor.

    Was supposed to see my hand surgeon tomorrow for a followup (and hopefully, PT referral) on my wrist tendinopathy/TFCC strain, but his office called to say his wife just gave birth to their third son and he won't be available till after Memorial Day. No PT till he sees me--and the orders are to avoid playing guitar but if I must, then moist heat before and ice & elevate for an hour after. And keep using the brace, taking Celebrex & Tylenol, using topical pain gels, and finish my Medrol dosepak (which I started Friday because I had an important gig in Madison that night). I have one more day on it--it's been making me ravenous and playing havoc with my low-carb plans. Had an egg on guacamole low-carb/high-fiber toast for breakfast, and just had a small panino on the same bread, with a slice each of porchetta, jamòn Serrano, provolone, plus thinly sliced sweet onion and poblano peppers. Tonight, for dinner in a couple of hrs. if I don't go out (we have a case and a half of wine to pick up at Cellars), I will heat up some Cooking Light precooked sliced roast sirloin, plus sauté some Brussels sprouts and start with a salad (likely gem lettuce with sliced tomato--or maybe a Caprese with burrata and homegrown basil). If we do eat at Cellars, I think I will have their kale, garbanzo bean & lobster tail salad, but in an entree portion.

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 6,887
    edited May 2018

    We will be eating out tonight but haven't quite settled on the restaurant. A long-time friend who moved to Texas is in town. We'll take her out to dinner, possibly to a restaurant called Times Grill. It has great burgers but other selections, too.

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    Lunch at 2pm after my Derm appointment was 1/2 a sandwich - meatloaf on pumpernickel. Dinner was macaroni & butter. I have back to back appointments in town & the med center tomorrow so who knows when I'll eat.

  • Magari
    Magari Member Posts: 354
    edited May 2018

    I made penne arrabiata last night, which turned out great - extra spicy! This evening we will have some of the carne adovaba that I made over the weekend.

  • Lacey12
    Lacey12 Member Posts: 2,951
    edited May 2018

    Hi everyone, I just finished catching up with several pages of posts...

    Nance, I am so sorry to learn about the death of your father. I remember the process you both went through as he was hospitalized, then moved to his assisted care. You were such a devoted daughter. He was lucky to have such loving care. None of that was easy, and this loss certainly isn't. Please know that my caring thoughts are with you. I hope that writing his obit will provide some comfort for you.

    Minus, your SF trip sounded amazing. And I love that you walked so much that you could enjoy all that delicious food and drink without worrying about extra calories. A real seafood and creative vegetarian bonanza for you, and I bet you still have dreams of sourdough loaves since returning!

    Nice food porn, Illimae and Patsy! And I remain impressed with your meal descriptions, Magari. Yum!

    Moon, good to hear from you, ad hope your hybrid car has its facelift complete by now. That adventure reminded me of last year when we rented a car at the Jacksonville airport to drive to Amelia Island where DS2 was getting married. As we left the rental lot, and entered the highway, we kept seeing people waving at us and ultimately pointing to the underside of our car. Someone pulled up beside us to let us know that we were dragging a big piece of metal. I now forget what it was, but Hertz gave us another car and off we went...with our fingers crossed this time.

    Carole it was interesting to learn what you do with okra. That is one veggie that has never entered my kitchen....probably due to regional scarcity and my ignorance about preparing it. You have started eating out more than usual, I notice. Such nice seafood meals! I hope that your mom totally enjoyed her Mo Day visit with the family!

    I have been busy with activities related to two of DH's nieces who are graduating from colleges here. Dinner parties and small dinners at restaurants with various relatives who have come in from the West Coast to celebrate and move one of the graduates to NYC. Tomorrow night we will take a crew out to a local Middle Eastern restaurant which has good vegetarian options for the graduates. DH wondered if we should just have a dinner here, but after learning of all the food restrictions these young gals impose on themselves, I declined. DH must think he cooks!!! NOT!!

    On Sunday, DS2 and his bride took us and some relatives out for a Mother's Day lunch at La Voile in Back Bay. Some of you might recall that this was where Susan had her daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. We've enjoyed some nice birthday dinners there. I was not very hungry on Mo Day since we were out late eating and drinking at a graduation party the night before. So I ordered one entree with no sides, nor salads.....and it was totally delicious. Scallop and lobster risotto....yum! Will post a pic.

    After lunch, DH and I beat a path down to TD Garden for the Celtics' first game of the Cavs' series. We were delighted that our young Cs came through in great form.....and played well last night too. I suspect that the two games in Cleveland will be a more significant challenge, but this team just never gives up, despite being written off by so many sportswriters and other basketball mensas!

    Oh, I finally got my new glasses, and am getting used to wearing glasses again...this cataract process has been a long process to resolution! I also got a terrible hair cut last week, and feel like my basic “do" is no longer “doable" since the woman cut all sorts of long and short layers, when I asked for a blunt trim with it a bit shorter in the back, and tapered in front. I have decided that I just have to not care for the NEXT YEAR while it grows in. First world problem, I know.....

    Special, your DD has an exciting year planned. What fun! The world is so much “smaller" for our kids' generation. And Eric, I can hardly believe your DD has completed her freshman year already. Wow!

    April, so nice to see you pop in, and hope your celebration dinner went well! Good for your DS and DDIL! And I am glad that you enjoy your busy job. Helping folks navigate those services is so important

    image

    The tasty scallop and lobster risotto.


  • eric95us
    eric95us Member Posts: 2,845
    edited May 2018

    Tonight was a stir-fry....bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, some garlic, some ginger mixed with sesame oil and low salt soy sauce....all on a small bed of rice.

    DD just finished her sophomore year.... :-)

  • Lacey12
    Lacey12 Member Posts: 2,951
    edited May 2018

    Oh my, Eric! Not sure how I missed an entire year of your DD being college. Yikes! Must be a function of my aging brain along with missing being on the thread so much this past year. Hope I can remember how old I am turning next month! ;

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited May 2018

    Lacey - I want that scallop & lobster risotto!!!

  • carolehalston
    carolehalston Member Posts: 6,887
    edited May 2018

    Lacey, interesting that young educated people are going vegetarian. Yes, we have been eating out more lately.

    We did go to Times Grill last night. It wasn't crowded on a weekday night and was perfect for conversation. DH and our friend ordered burgers. I had a grilled chicken breast, seasoned spicy, and a house salad that was ho hum. The vinaigrette dressing was good. I chose sautéed mushrooms for a side. I'm not sure what day they were sautéed!

    After dinner we drove a short distance to a Café du Monde and had café au lait and one order of beignets to share. Love their coffee. I had regular and the other two had decaf.

    Today is day two of a member-member golf tournament at our club. There will be a luncheon after play. Tonight will probably be veal cutlets. Something easy because I expect to be exhausted. I will be drinking lots of water out on the golf course because it is HOT with highs in the 90's.

  • auntienance
    auntienance Member Posts: 4,216
    edited May 2018

    Thanks again for the kind thoughts everyone. It's kind of weird adjusting to not having dad around to worry about.

    Taco salad tonight with seasoned beef and black beans, avocado (only on mine) and pico de gallo. I'll throw in some other odds and ends likes cheese and green onions.

  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited May 2018

    Carole, nobody here knows how to do a proper NOLA chicory cafe au lait, so I either settle for a latte or drink it black. There's one place in town that makes great (albeit too-large) beignets...and it's a NY-style pizzeria!

  • illimae
    illimae Member Posts: 5,710
    edited May 2018

    Because I’ve been home for only two days and I’m already desperately missing the beach, tonight is blackened gulf red snapper, wild rice and a sautéed squash/zucchini mix.

    image

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited May 2018

    For some reason I was not hungry tonight and DH wanted a cold dinner, so I thawed some shrimp and made a salad for him. Field greens, sliced red pepper, broccoli slaw all dressed with vinaigrette, topped with the shrimp that had been tossed with Thai sweet chili sauce, and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

    Here’s the photo evidence. These are my coupe plate/bowls from Crate & Barrel - love them for this type of dish.

    image

  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited May 2018

    Freezer-foraged: thawed one Pacific coho and one Alaskan halibut filet and marinated them both in WF's Very Teriyaki. Pan-seared both. Sauteed sugar snap peas in grapeseed oil with sesame seeds, garlic & ginger. Nuked some Uncle Ben's Jasmine "Ready Rice" (don't judge) and stirred in a pat of salt butter.

  • Lacey12
    Lacey12 Member Posts: 2,951
    edited May 2018

    Special, that salad looks delish! And healthful and low calorie! Yum!

    Tonight for dinner I finished up a wonderful entree that I ordered last evening at Al Wadi, a local Lebanese restaurant where we took DH's family visiting from San Diego. It had lots of vegetarian options for their daughters and a boyfriend, and did not disappoint anyone! We enjoyed several appetizer samplers, both vegetarian and “meatful", then ordered entrees or soups. The entrees came with generous garden salads which we all chose to have topped with feta. DH's entree was a lamb shank that looked like the alpha male of the barnyard! He loved it and also raved about the roasted brussells sprouts and pilaf. My choice was a baked haddock over a spiced rice pilaf, topped with a ton of caramelized onions and pine nuts. It also came with a small dish of tahini sauce. The haddock was wonderfully fresh and the cinnamon in the rice pilaf added such a lovely flavor. So tonight I was very happy to enjoy the rest of that meal. Pic below:

    image

    Haha....the sepia tones of this photo of Sayadieh Bi Samak remind me of my recently lost vision tone. Not such a great photo, but a really delish meal!


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