What Did We Eat Today?

[ALenore]

Tonight I'm making a cool-sounding recipe I found in Cooking Light, Lemon-Herb Chicken Skewers with Blueberry Balsamic Salsa.  Blueberries were on sale so I got two pints, one is for blueberry coffeecake later this week.  I think I'll have couscous and green beans on the side.   

[annzeepark914]

Tonight we grilled a pork tenderloin (again from Trader Joe's--very tender!) that I'd marinated with lemon juice, olive oil and Turkish seasoning (Penzey's).  Added some pilaf and my new favorite fruit salsa (it's called Strawberry-Blueberry Relish but I prefer to call it fruit salsa).  I used whatever fruits I had on hand: champagne mango, lots of watermelon! lots of blueberries! and a few strawberries. I enjoyed clipping some mint growing in pots on the deck & adding to my new salsa. This is definitely going on my list of things to make when company comes.

 

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-blueberry-relish

[DeLurker]

Bought a whole roasted chicken from the grocery store yesterday and ate half.  Tonight, the rest will be "repurposed" into a noodle dish with shredded kale and carrots.

If you make bone broth, save the bones from the store bought chickens.  I don't know if it is all the salt or seasoning they use, but it adds a little extra flavor to my bone broth (I just have a gallon ziplock that I keep in the freezer and throw my soup bones in).

[grisgris]

This is off-topic, but the mention of mangoes, reminded me of what I saw today. I was driving and saw a mini-van in that popular orangy-bronze color and the license plate was "MYMANGO." Custom plates for that state are in an yellow-orange-gold-bronze horizontal ombre, so it worked!

[PRgal]

If you make bone broth, save the bones from the store bought chickens.  I don't know if it is all the salt or seasoning they use, but it adds a little extra flavor to my bone broth (I just have a gallon ziplock that I keep in the freezer and throw my soup bones in).

 

Didn't think of that (we rarely make it, but should), so it went to compost.  Oh well, next time.

[DeLurker]

Should I make it to the Asian market for eggroll skins, eggrolls.

 

The last two times I bought effroll skins in the regular grocery store they sucked.  They (both) weren't square, but slightly rectangular.  The first batch was so thin they tore easily when making the eggrolls so I had to do a lot of patching.  The second batch was inconsistent in thickness and stuck together.  Plus, they had a slightly funny taste.

[ALenore]

Last night I made a dish with fettuccine, tomato, thin strips of zucchini and yellow squash, sprinkled with parmesan cheese.   It came out pretty good, but there was something missing, I think I'll add some more parmesan cheese when I reheat the leftovers for lunch.  

 

Tonight I'm making muffulettas for dinner.  It's a sandwich made famous in New Orleans, with a variety of cold cuts (ham, salami, etc), provolone cheese, placed in a round Italian bread loaf and topped with olive salad.   It's very caloric and very salty, so I only make it occasionally, but since it involves no cooking I thought it would be a nice thing to make since temperatures here are supposed to reach 90 degrees today,  

[Betweenyouandme]

Prime rib, heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella salad, duck confit and carrots and spinach ravioli, chocolate soufflé

[PRgal]

Lazy, lazy Friday, so we ordered in.  Shared a goat cheese and village salads with my husband as well as a very substantial one person portion of pasta with veal sauce and vegetables.  For dessert, we had ice cream and sorbet - hazelnut, chocolate-y chocolate (ice creams) and a lemon and blackberry sorbet (think Nutella with jam).  :) 

[miles2go]

I had a lazy Friday, too.  Unfortunately, my no-cook meal wasn't so nice: "Most American Thickburger".  Yes, I succumbed to temptation.  Damn those commercials. So I ate the Angus beef patty topped with potato chips, cheese, pickles, onions, and a split hot dog, accompanied by fries and a diet coke.  Hamburger was actually pretty good, the fries so-so, and the diet coke  -- well, that was a gesture towards watching the old waistline.  Or would have been if I hadn't followed up with a couple of ice cream bars.

 

I'll need to be super-healthy this weekend to make up for this.

Edited June 13, 2015 by miles2go

[ALenore]

The muffulettas I made the other day didn't work very well, they were way too salty.  I think it's because I used a different olive salad and a different provolone than I have in the past.   I had the leftovers today, which I improved somewhat by taking out the provolone and replacing it with mozzarella, and removing most of the olive salad. 

 

Tonight I'm making Sriracha  shrimp rolls, which are basically like lobster rolls but with shrimp, and with the addition of some Sriracha sauce.  I'm having spinach on the side, and maybe some baby carrots.

[DeLurker]

I think shrimp most be the most versatile food.  There's so many ways to make and enjoy it.

[ALenore]

I was finally able to buy local strawberries at the Farmers' Market yesterday.   They were great, they actually tasted like strawberries instead of the crappy stuff we get from California most of the year.   I'm going to put some in the salad I'm making with dinner. 

 

For dinner I'm grilling pork chops and peaches (alas not local yet).   On the side will be noodles and  a salad with arugula and strawberries.   

[DeLurker]

I like the CA strawberries just fine but I've never lived anywhere I could get decent local strawberries.  I will say that one of the most amazing things is when you drive on the 101 freeway near the areas where the strawberries are grown (Oxnard?) the air smells of strawberries.  It's incredible!

 

Damn it!  Now I miss Marie Callander's fresh strawberry pie that I would get when I lived in So Cal.  Nothing but strawberries in a glaze, but so so good!

[blueray]

No idea, though I promised I'll make dinner for boyfriend (and me) when he gets home from work. Any suggestions? I'm not the strongest cook, so something simple would be nice.

[DeLurker]

I'd go with something straight forward, but satisfying.  Both of these are not gourmet, but they are consistently tasty and always welcome at my table.

 

1 - spaghetti.  I use Barilla sauce amped up with some sauteed onions, a bit of garlic and fresh herbs which makes it taste a lot better (to me at least).  The grocery stores sell some nice containers with a cheese mix - I like this one, but all the stores have something similar.  Add some good bread* and a salad.

 

2 - steak sandwiches.  Get thin cut steaks (I like NY strip or ribeye, but they are pricier) and some nice rolls.  Saute some onions. cook the steaks (they should cook quick), pile everything on the roll with some lettuce and tomato (optional for me).  And throw the cut rolls on the pan for a few minutes to absorb pan juice and brown a bit.  Salad or fresh fruit plus a side (slaw?  potato salad?)

 

* good bread is critically important to me.  I'll completely overlook and forget any of the main dishes shortcomings if I have good bread.  With Italian food, I love a little dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in.  A little grind of fresh pepper is often added, but totally unnecessary for me.  You can get pretty good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar in any grocery store.

Edited June 15, 2015 by DeLurker

[harrie]

What we're having - basic green salad topped with lobster tails (we couldn't finish Saturday night), avocado, tomato and cuke, with a lemony dressing.  

 

I like DeLurker's suggestions - it's hard to go wrong with spaghetti/pasta, and you can adjust the effort/sophistication/whatever of the dish to your abilities, mood, or time constraints.   Same thing with steak sandwiches - it's steak! -- or steak atop a green salad, maybe with some blue cheese sprinkled around if you like it.  Healthy yet manly (I'm being silly and aging myself at the same time). 

Edited June 15, 2015 by harrie

[PRgal]

Paneer and vegetable curry - Paneer with onions, eggplant, zucchini and spinach with dried spices (garam masala, tumeric and cumin) and tomato puree - served over freekeh, topped off with a dab of plain Greek yogurt.  Husband said he liked it, but I think I liked it more. 

[BooksRule]

Nothing special for dinner tonight:  Oven BBQ'd pork chop, some type of steamed veggies (I'm not sure yet) and green salad (and ice tea). 

 

Shrimp season began last week in my part of the country, so I'm hoping to pick up some nice fresh shrimp (at a low price).  I've got some recipes I've been wanting to try out.  If I do, I'll post results.

[DeLurker]

No idea, though I promised I'll make dinner for boyfriend (and me) when he gets home from work. Any suggestions? I'm not the strongest cook, so something simple would be nice.

So...what did you go with?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

[blueray]

So...what did you go with?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

I ended up making perogies  (the frozen ones) but I added vegetables (onions & peppers) and spices to them. It was simple but it came out very good.

[ALenore]

Last night I made calzones  filled with turkey sausage and red bell pepper.  I never made calzones before,  I had trouble rolling out the dough, made it too thin so I had to patch some holes, but they still tasted good.

 

Tonight I'm making curried chicken salad wraps with baby carrots on the side.  

[annzeepark914]

I found this recipe at the old Cook's Country forum here (under the thread entitled something about using too many bowls and utensils).  What a surprise...a homemade pizza that was decent.  But I grew up in NYS where thin crust pizzas were served everywhere and I've been not too thrilled with the pizzas here in the metro DC area.  Who knew that a flour tortilla cooked in a cast iron skillet could turn into an ok substitute for a pizza crust one just cannot find outside of the northeast?  It doesn't have the big bubbly rim but it tastes similar (heck, I had some great little pizzas in southern France that didn't have the big bubbly rims so maybe that's what these are like).  Anyway, this is what I had for a fun, quick supper last night:

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/10/cast-iron-skillet-tortilla-pizza-bar-pie-food-lab.html

[miles2go]

Last night --  salmon steak with potato salad and green salad; tonight -- chicken piccata if I have time; otherwise a big salad using up some leftover beans, veggies, and cheese.

[DeLurker]

I never knew about perogies until about 5 years ago - they are wonderful!

 

Tonight is roast beast - I cooked it Sunday night, but we were having leftover eggrolls last night.

 

It might just be roast beast sandwiches - gotta see how Tropical Storm Bill is treating us (not that I expect a big impact). 

[Bastet]

My dad has requested crab cakes for his birthday dinner tonight.  I'm not sure what else my mom is making, but I don't care -- I am already counting down the hours until I go over there.  She makes the kind of crab cakes that have barely anything else in them, so they are delicious.

[JTMacc99]

Mmm... crab cakes. Not so much for us tonight.

 

Reduced fat Nathan's Hotdogs and roasted Brussels sprouts Ina Garten style headline the mid-week dinner tonight. Even though my children like them this way, I still feel like I need to offset them in the menu with hot dogs. 

[ALenore]

I love tuna steaks, I bought some frozen ones on sale a few weeks ago, and tonight I'm making Maple and Mustard Seared Tuna Steaks with warm potato and green bean salad on the side.   

 

For dessert I made blueberry crisp, which will be topped with ice cream.

Edited June 17, 2015 by ALenore

[mansonlamps]

I am unapologetically going to eat a Whopper for dinner. I have been craving one (maybe I need some red meat) and they taste really good to me once in a while.

[ALenore]

I made quiche tonight, with zucchini, yellow squash, bacon and mozzarella.   I've never made this recipe before, hope it comes out good.  I'll have sliced tomatoes and basil on the side. 

[mbaywife123]

Ground turkey taco bar. Just be clear Mr.mbay does 99.9% of the cooking in our house and he is very good at it!

[Bastet]

Birds Eye Voila!

 

I lived on that for a while when I wasn’t much of a cook.  I don’t intend that to come across as insulting; I’m simply tickled to hear it’s still around because it made for a nice “split the difference” type meal when I didn’t feel like assembling a from-scratch meal but didn’t want to order in.  I don’t remember which version I loved -- some veggie and pasta combination to which I added my own chicken -  but it was a staple for a while.

[ALenore]

forumfish, here's the recipe http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/squash-bacon-mozzarella-quiche.  I didn't make the piecrust from the recipe though, just used a Pillsbury piecrust.  

[annzeepark914]

forumfish, here's the recipe http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/squash-bacon-mozzarella-quiche.  I didn't make the piecrust from the recipe though, just used a Pillsbury piecrust.  

I wonder if one could turn this quiche into a frittata by omitting the crust?  This looks delicious!  squash, bacon & mozzarella - yum :>)

[ramble]

I had an avocado that had hit the perfect ripeness level & a tomato that needed to be used so I made the kids sandwiches last night with ham, cheese, stone ground mustard, tomato & avocado. It was more sandwich insides than bread because we use gluten free bread & the brand we like has small slices. In fact the bread could barely hold it all because I was determined to use all the tomato & avocado. They had carrots, grapes & strawberries on the side. For some reason the kids thought they were super fantastic delicious. I'm not sure what it was but what a satisfying mom win for such a simple nothing meal!

[PRgal]

Made baked eggs in muffin tins last night.  Tonight we're ordering from an Indian/Thai fusion place and tomorrow, the parentals are coming for an early Father's Day dinner.  I bought a pre-marinated chicken which I'll stick in the oven and will also make cauliflower "rice" and some vegetables.  We ordered a cake for dessert.

[anony mouse]

Had a great seafood sale at the store, so tonight is crab claws, Caesar salad, and bread with Brie.

[DeLurker]

Well, it is after 5 PM and I have no idea what is for dinner.

 

I've fixed our fruit and veggie plates to keep busy until inspiration struck but that did not happen.  Not even any good leftovers to fake it with.  Might have to resort to my "can't think of anything" meal of frozen potstickers (by O'tasty - seriously love these) for my daughter and I and a frozen burrito for my son.

[Bastet]

Dinner isn't for many hours here, but inspiration has yet to strike me, either.  I came here hoping someone's dinner plans would tempt me, but so far it's just one of those days when nothing sounds good.

[miles2go]

I'm planning on huevos rancheros tonight.  Not sure if that's inspiring or not.

[Bastet]

It turns out today is World Martini Day (decreed by whom, I don't know, but if Hallmark can do this sort of thing, why not?) and, unlike anything else, that sounded good for dinner.  Of course, this led to a) finally wanting food and b) not wanting to cook it, so some food from a local Japanese/Chinese restaurant whose combination is so wrong it's right is on the way.

[miles2go]

Can't get too enthusiastic about martinis, but National Pina Colada Day is on July 10.  Only 3 weeks away!

[DeLurker]

It sounds like you may need to practice your pina colada making skills so you can honor the day properly.

[PRgal]

It turns out today is World Martini Day (decreed by whom, I don't know, but if Hallmark can do this sort of thing, why not?) and, unlike anything else, that sounded good for dinner.  Of course, this led to a) finally wanting food and b) not wanting to cook it, so some food from a local Japanese/Chinese restaurant whose combination is so wrong it's right is on the way.

 

Hey, Indian/Thai can be an even WEIRDER combo.  I had butter chicken and a veggie stir fry with "Thai sauce" (that tasted (to me, anyway) more Chinese than Thai...and not exactly Indian style Chinese food either.  Just stuff that people in my family might make if they wanted to clear the fridge) over saffron rice pilaf.  At least Japan and China are geographically closer (well, certain parts of China, anyway).

Edited June 20, 2015 by PRgal

[ALenore]

Tonight I'm making Buffalo chicken drumsticks, which is basically the same as Buffalo wings, but done with drumsticks on the grill.   I'm serving corn on the cob and baby carrots on the side. 

 

I've never heard of Indian/Thai fusion, it sounds interesting. 

[anony mouse]

Tonight is spaghetti and homemade meatballs. It's been cold and rainy so I'm feeling something warm.

I don't know how I'd like Indian and Thai fusion, but it would be interesting to try!

[harrie]

Pasta here too tonight -- linguine with clams.   Tomorrow is grilled skirt steak  that was in the NYT a couple weeks ago* with snap peas and mushrooms.  

 

 

*My meat guy at the farmers' market got hit with requests for skirt steak last week - the three people ahead of us each asked for it (and he had it, because he's good). I told him it might be because of the NYT recipe; his reaction was "Oy, I'd better start reading the food section."   The same thing happened with garlic scapes a couple of years ago -- everyone and their brother was looking for them.

[DeLurker]

Roasted chicken legs and thighs, gussied up with Italian salad dressing and roasted red potatoes.  Plus a take & bake loaf of french bread - I already have the oven on so might as well!

[grisgris]

Roasted turkey thighs, green rice and zucchini. There was a restaurant in my town that served the best green rice casserole. They used to sell the seasoning packets, but when the restaurant went out of business (menu wasn't appealing to a younger crowd) the seasoning packets were unavailable. Both my brother and I found a similar recipe online and that's what I used. It is 10x better made with fresh ingredients than those sodium-laded seasoning packets.

 

I bought a strawberry pie to have for dessert. Yum!

[ALenore]

I'm making hamburgers tonight with ground beef bought from a local farm at the Farmer's Market yesterday.  It was pretty expensive, $8 a pound, but I wanted to try it to see if it's worth the price.   The burgers will have a mixture of marinated red, yellow and orange peppers, sliced onion and cucumber on top, as well as cheese.    On the side I'm roasting potato wedges.  For dessert is a cobbler with peaches, blueberries and raspberries (the raspberries are ones I picked myself in our backyard last year and froze.  The recipe called for blackberries, but they were pretty pricey, and I remembered I had the raspberries in the freezer.  I pulled out the bag of berries and tasted some, they tasted fine so I added them to the mixture instead of the blackberries.