What's for Dinner? ~ Monday the 9th ~ Friday the 13th!

[Lucinda]

Last edited Sat Jan 14, 2012, 12:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Going to try this as a weekly thread so I'm not hogging all the thread space.

Hope everyone is healthy and happy and has a wonderful week!

[Lucinda]

1. Monday ~ Jan 9th

[Lucinda]

2. Not sure for me tonight. Bill has the night off and

we were given gift cards for Olive Garden so we may drive over to the next city for dinner. They have a stuffed ravioli that I want to try.

It's cold and rainy here, so if we aren't traveling I may make soup, or something spicy!


What's for dinner where you are?

[Warpy]

3. Ugh, quarterly taxes due this week.

As for dinner, I have things thawing: 2 cod fillets that I'll probably do as cod divan, I just need to make the white sauce and assemble the whole business. I have some chicken thawing for later in the week and I'm craving chicken soup that will most likely turn into chicken stew.

[Lucinda]

4. Ack....Sorry! Fish sounds good to me!

Haven't had any in a while. What do you put in your chicken stew? It's not a dish I ever make. Sounds interesting!

[Warpy]

11. Chicken, water, splash of wine

onions, crushed tomato, corn, lima beans, bay leaf, Sriracha garlic chile sauce. It's sort of a poor man's Brunswick Stew.

Or I do the French variety with mirepois, thicken the stock with buerre manie, add whatever veggies are in the fridge (early peas are great), and serve with either rice or mashed taters because I can't eat wheat noodles. sigh.

[Lucinda]

24. It sounds good both ways Warpy. I'll give it a go soon.

We are sort of craving warm stew-y things and chicken would be a nice change!

[EFerrari]

5. I stayed up last night making country ribs and rice for today.

The water is going to be off for plumbing repairs to the kitchen. This poor kitchen needs to be smudged because seems like every week, there's a new crisis. lol

[Lucinda]

6. It couldn't hurt! LOL

Hope they get it fixed quickly and it stays fixed!

[WhollyHeretic]

7. I don't know what to call it. I was making a couple of quiches to freeze last night and had an extra

pie crust so I decided to make something new. It's kind of a combination of a meatloaf and a shepard's pie, with diced potatoes instead of mashed potatoes. It turned out well. It's a pretty healthy meal and fairly easy to make. It's a pie crust filled with a mixture of Morningstar Crumbles, diced potatoes, onions, peppers, egg beaters, panko breadcrumbs, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning, and corn.

I'll be having a piece of that and a chopped salad tonight.

[Lucinda]

8. Sounds like a good combination of flavors!

I used to eat Morningstar products a lot when I was a vegetarian. They make tasty stuff!

[WhollyHeretic]

9. I like there stuff. The crumbles are great. It's what I use for my chili

Most of my friends eat meat but everyone always wants my chili for cookouts.

[HappyMe]

10. Meatloaf, mashed taters, string beans & gravy

edited to add --- making oatmeal cookies too!

[Lucinda]

23. Do you have a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe?

I still haven't found one that is "the one" for me!

[one_voice]

12. Pork chops marinated in a...

chipotle lime sauce and cooked on the grill pan, mashed rutabagas with a little garlic and parm cheese, steamed broccoli with a little lemon and pepper.

I hope you're feeling better soon!

[Lucinda]

22. Oh wow. That sounds really good!

And reminds me that I have broccoli I need to cook. Now I know what to have for lunch!

I still feel really draggy, and am having bad itchy episodes. I'm not sure if the cats have brought in oak mold, or if something else it triggering it. But i suspect the stand of trees outside my living room door may be the culprit. It's been getting really cold lately so maybe that will kill whatever it is thats setting me off!

[Lucinda]

21. It all sounds good! But I am drooling extra for the

mushrooms and onions. I love mushrooms and don't make them enough. I used to do a cubed chicken and mushroom stiryfry with garlic and onions and a touch of good soy. It isn't really Asian in flavor profile, it's more hearty and earthy like steak, even though it uses chicken.

I have a friend that uses a touch of clove in his steak rub. I am going to try that the next time I make a steak.
What's in the montreal seasoning?

[Melissa G]

62. Montreal seasoning is one of my favs

It makes things steak like quite tasty. I first had it on Bison. When I went vegetarian, I added it to meat analogs and mushrooms to good effect. Mc Cormick's makes it and they just say it's coarse salt , peppers, spices, garlic, sunflower oil and paprika. There is some scary natural flavor in there as well.

[Melissa G]

14. Fried Egg Sandwich

Fried Egg, mozzarella cheese grilled on oatnut bread on the comal in butter.

Warm, satisfying, easy, after a long day when I never really got internally warm the whole day.

[Lucinda]

20. I'm doing some form of that tonight. Definitely brekkie foods for me

And I'm cold to the bone here too. It's been overcast, cold and rainy for several days now. Brr! The chait tea I've been drinking helps a little though.

[Melissa G]

63. Love Chai.

Do you make yours from scratch?

[grasswire]

15. Monday pork loin with garlic, lemon, rosemary twigs

Alongside that, cous cous with pine nuts and chicken broth, and a rough smash of cauliflower and carrots with capers and grated grana padana. I was cooking in a family member's kitchen and happily found everything there except the pork loins and the rosemary which I had brought along. My lordy, the drippings of pork, garlic, lemon, rosemary and olive oil were sooooooooooo good and savory.

[Lucinda]

19. There is something really magic about rosemary with pork.

I love it with turkey too. We make an herbed butter and put it under the skin. Yummy stuff. I like the idea of the capers in your veggie mash, I'll have to give that a try soon!

[yellerpup]

16. Last night

was salmon, baked potato and a salad with avocado. Chocolate cake, raspberry sorbet for dessert. Tonight, we will have pecan crusted deviled pork chops, crimini mushrooms in filo pastry with carrots and snow peas. Dessert: blood orange sorbet.

[Lucinda]

18. Both meals sound wonderful!

I've been thinking about making a sorbet with some clementines that we were given. It's been so cold and rainy for the past few days that I keep putting it off!

What is a "deviled pork chop?"

[yellerpup]

25. With my dairy allergy, sorbet is as close to 'creamy' as I can get these days.

The deviled pork chop is really good. I paint a pork chop with Dijon mustard, then roll them in finely chopped pecans (press them in firmly on all surfaces, including the edges. Put them in a lightly oiled baking pan (I use Pam) leaving space between them and bake at 350 for 30-60 min. (depending on the thickness of the chops). Don't try to bake them at a higher temperature because the pecans might scorch. I'm thinking I might make some pumpkin-coconut soup to go with it.

I can almost smell those Clementines, Lucinda! I bet that makes a yummy sorbet.

[Lucinda]

29. Thanks for the pork chop instructions!

I should really cut back on my dairy. I can handle hard cheeses and sour cream & cream cheese if I don't overdo it, but the other stuff bothers me. We actually prefer sorbets to ice cream.

The pumpkin coconut soup sounds really good combo!

[yellerpup]

30. Prep is under 5 minutes.

Mr. Pup requested it for dinner. I am feeling better and better since I avoid dairy now. I must say that I do make a macaroni & cheese that everyone raves about and everyone begs to know if it will be served at our parties. I do include it in our party menu for our vegetarian friends, if children will be present (I tend to like spicy food) or if someone just wants mac & cheese...and they do! I use four-cheese tortellini for the mac part. I can't touch it.

I prefer the simpler recipes, so the soup is simple, too. It is savorish with a slight coconut sweetness to it. The only really exotic spice called for in it is whole mustard seed, but it has onion, celery, and a broth. Last time I accidentally opened a can of Coco Lopez--yuck! I only put half the coconut milk called for (2 Tbsp.) but since that product is essentially sweetened coconut oil, I had to work to get the taste balanced again. The remedy: fish sauce and white wine.

[Lucinda]

47. I've actually been working a lot with coconut oil lately.

But I use the organic unprocessed stuff. I am not too crazy about any of the canned coconut stuff they have available around here. The fish sauce and white wine solution sounds perfect.

I really need to work harder on cutting back dairy, but having sid that again, I am getting in the mood for my homemade pizza... I only use a little cheese on them, mostly white cheddar and feta, so it shouldn't be too bad. Right? lol

[yellerpup]

52. I used to love pizza.

Pizza no longer loves me. Homemade pizza is the best. Nothing, not even apple pie, makes a house feel friendlier than pizza.

I buy organic coconut oil in big jars that I use for cooking and as a body moisturizer in the shower. ( separate dispensers, of course ) Coconut shrimp turns out especially well when I use unsweetened coconut shavings for coating and fry them in the coconut oil.

I normally buy organic canned coconut milk to use in curries, soups, or to jazz up rice. I have no explanation as to how I wound up with Coco Lopez.

Now, you've got me craving pizza!

[Lucinda]

17. Tuesday ~ Jan 10th

How did it get to be 1/3 of the way through January already?

Time is moving too fast!
I think it will be breakfast for me tonight. Ham & Swiss omelet with dill & fresh fruit.

[livetohike]

26. Tonight we're having pita pizzas topped with sauteed spinach, red onions and sharp provolone

and a tossed salad.

Time is moving fast and it feels like early Spring here instead of the 2nd week in January!

[Lucinda]

27. I know! I can't believe how fast it's going. I usually add fresh spinach

to my pizzas, but I like the idea of the saute! Seems like it would intensify the spinachy flavor and also be a nice texture change.

[livetohike]

28. I usually add the spinach fresh, too. Found this recipe in a new cookbook and thought I'd try it.

[Lucinda]

46. Did you like it with the cooked spinach?

[livetohike]

49. It was great! I only sauteed the spinach until it was just wilting

The onions were red onions and they really combined well with the spinach, garlic and I used sharp provolone (instead of Fontina). My limited choices of shopping out here in the woods....

[Lucinda]

51. Sounds soooooo good.

I guess making do is the price we have to pay for where we live... But it sounds like you've managed to make limited options delicious!

[maddezmom]

31. Penne and meat sauce for the kids

working on the sauce now. And I'm going to try my hand at a spinach and feta crepe for my dinner and strawberry/cream dessert for the kiddos.

[Lucinda]

45. I love spinach and feta together! How did the crepes turn out?

Bet it was yummy!

[Lucinda]

32. Wed ~ Jan 11th

[Hotler]

33. Homemade slit pea soup with ham hocks. n/t

[Lucinda]

44. Would be perfect for me tonight. Still cold and rainy in the 'burg.

[livetohike]

35. Eggplant parmesan,orzo and

roasted broccoli .

[Lucinda]

43. Sounds delicious!

Great flavor combination. I'm getting hungry and have no idea what we are having tonight, so I will drool over your meal for a while.

[yellerpup]

37. Tonight, lentil soup.

And a green salad with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, purple onion, and goat cheese. Crust French rolls to round it out. I'm going to a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so there will be leftover soup for Mr. Pup (and me, if I don't get treated to dinner).

[Lucinda]

41. I love lentils. I need to play around with my lentil loaf recipe again.

I have an "ok" base recipe, but it needs something to perk it up!

[yellerpup]

48. It was really hearty and I made a ton of it.

I sauteed celery, carrot, onion, and garlic in duck fat, added thyme with the lentils and beef broth. It simmered until the lentils were tender, added a can of organic diced tomatoes and garnished with chopped cilantro. We didn't even get to the salad! It was bland but earthy and hearty, and the best part is that it practically made itself.

[Lucinda]

50. It sounds delicious! I may have to make a pot soon myself. :)

And the mention of duck fat now has me craving Peking Duck, which I haven't had in forever. lol

[fizzgig]

53. bacon mayo sandwich on an english muffin

it was 11:30 before i got home (worked almost two hours later than i'd planned) and that was the easiest thing i could do. i would have just settled for cereal, but that doesn't go well with beer.

[Lucinda]

71. LOL Not it doesn't. And bacon really does!

Wise choice.

[HopeHoops]

34. Bread and water.

Of course it will be freshly baked excellent bread and the water is just to wash it (and my geezer pills) down.

We might have some cheese with that too, what do you say, Grommit?

[Lucinda]

42. I can easily make a meal out of fresh bread and a little cheese with maybe some fresh fruit

Always yummy.

[HopeHoops]

54. Yum. Well shit. Now I want it again but we just HAD that - well, with merlot.

We try to limit our cheese intake. It's the bane of vegetarians.

[Denninmi]

36. Let's see. I made empanadas monday night for Tuesday dinner, and beef soup last night.

Along with a tossed salad and a fruit salad.

Tonight, I have a pork loin I need to do something with for Thursday.

I'm off FRIDAY and hopefully MONDAY. Yeah, time to play!

[Lucinda]

40. It sounds good to me! I've just been eating lightly, all the rain ratchets up my joint pain.

I'm steak hungry again, but we will have to shop before I cook tonight, so I don't have a clue. :

Enjoy your time off! ?

[LaydeeBug]

38. I like it better on the daily Lucinda. Be a supah stah!!!

[Lucinda]

39. Cool. I was going to ask which people preferred.

Thankie for letting me know!

?

[Lucinda]

55. Thursday ~ January 12th

? It's supposed to be getting really cold and snowy tonight, so I am thinking of a big pot of soup or stew. But I haven't decided yet for sure.

[livetohike]

56. Same here - maybe 3-5 inches of snow by morning and more tomorrow so it's soup

tonight White Bean and Black Olive soup and cornbread. Maybe a waldorf salad on the side.

[Lucinda]

57. That sounds interesting! How do you spice the soup?

I love all things black olive!

[livetohike]

64. Here is the recipe adapted (from the original Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen)

White Bean and Black Olive Soup

2 T. olive oil
1 c. diced onion
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 t. salt
1 t. oregano
1 1/2 t. basil
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 c. water
3 oz. tomato paste
2 c. cooked white pea beans (canned is okay)
1 c. sliced Kalamata olives or plain black olives (have used both!)
1 T. lemon juice
minced parsley and a ripe tomato, diced for garnish

Saute all of the veggies and herbs in the olive oil until just tender. Grind in the black pepper

Combine the water and tomato paste and add to the vegetables. Add all remaining ingredients except the garnish. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Serve, topped with the parsley and tomato.

This is really quick if you use canned beans

[Lucinda]

72. Thank you! It looks really good!

I used to have her Enchanted Broccoli Forrest cookbook but it got damaged and I haven't replaced it yet. Always good recipes.

[Lucinda]

58. We bought things for chicken soup and chili and decided on the chili for tonight

had a tiny test bowl just now.... it rocks!

[NRaleighLiberal]

60. Big salad for us - back from a trip, getting back on track

(all restaurant/all the time can get nasty!).

Salad ingredients: Romaine lettuce, home grown young spinach, red bell pepper, cucumbers, Bosc pear chunks, diced baby carrots, radishes, toasted walnuts, craisins, a bit of turkey, some grated Gruyere, olive, oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Big salad, weighed a ton - and probably no more than 100 calories for the whole thing!

[Lucinda]

73. Sounds really good. Love the craisins addition! They work really well in salads.

I haven't had a nice big salad in quite a while. Definitely salad envy going on here!

[NJCher]

59. We went out

Big piece of blackened swordfish, tossed salad w/artichoke hearts, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and lettuce. Rice. Fresh fried potato chips, mashed potatoes, potato salad, broccoli with garlic. Couple great bottles of red to go with.

Tartuffo for dessert.


Cher

[Lucinda]

74. We haven't been out in quite a while.

We usually wait till things quiet down after all the holiday tourists. I'm jealous that you have a good place for fish! It all sounds delicious.

[Glassunion]

61. Artichoke and roasted pepper

Ravioli in a Vodka pancetta sauce.

[Lucinda]

75. Oh yum. I want.

I had planned to play with ravioli recipes this winter and haven't been feeling well enough. I think I'd love the pepper and artichoke together. Will definitely remember that one.

[Luciferous]

65. We made cajun chicken sandwiches last night, and we'll have stir-fry tonight.

[Lucinda]

66. Friday ~ Jan 13th

Hey guys - had a rough night, so I may not be cooking. But if i do, it will be Roast Chicken and veggies (or leftover chili) for us.

What's for dinner where you are?

[Denninmi]

67. YTBD

Yet to be determined.

[MerryBlooms]

68. Lentil soup and multi grain rolls. Hope you have a better night tonight. n/t

[Lucinda]

76. Thankie! Last night wasn't quite as bad

so I am going to call that progress!

The lentil soup and rolls sound so good. Warming and filling too!

[grasswire]

69. eggplant halves stuffed with garlic, cheese, crumbs, herbs, roasted

sauced with some home-grown cherry tomatoes from the freezer.

Apple butter on the back burner tonight. I had a lot of frozen apple slices that I put up after farmers market season. Two bags are in the pot making apple butter.

I found a cookie recipe that incorporates apple butter, and the college sophomore (three terms now on the dean's list!) would no doubt like them in a care package.

[Lucinda]

77. I love apple butter. It's one of those things that I never think to make

but I always have apples on hand.

I like eggplant but usually use it as an addition to a veggie stirfry, I should play with it more...I really like the sound of your stuffed eggplant dish.

[NRaleighLiberal]

79. Spaghetti Squash with pesto and roasted tomato sauce over baked breaded eggplant rounds.

Took no time to throw together and was wonderful!

[hobbit709]

70. Tonight : Chicken and dumplings

Sun: Gravy burgers.

I like one pot messes.

[Lucinda]

78. I may do chicken and dumplings in a couple of days. I'm making

a roast chicken tonight and was planning on making a batch of chicken stock tomorrow. Perfect timing for dumplings! Do you make dropped or rolled dumplings?