What Did We Eat Today?

[ariel]

You were working in your yard.  You probably burned enough calories for some popcorn.  That would be my excuse. ;)

[MargeGunderson]

The last of the Swedish meatballs, egg noodles and cranberry sauce. 

[JTMacc99]

Pork tenderloin on the grill with some rice and grilled asparagus I got at the farmers market today. 

[Giselle]

Crispy chicken thighs, linguini with my house butter, cream and parmesan, early spring baby peas. Then vanilla "Its' It" for our dessert.

Try these thighs! The meat is moist and the rendered super crispy skin is to die for.

https://stupideasypaleo.com/2016/04/03/cast-iron-skillet-chicken-thighs-recipe/

Edited May 27, 2017 by Giselle

[Mellowyellow]

Catering for the bestie's baby shower today. Very proud of myself as I whipped all this up! She didn't want fiddly food so this is what she requested.

Savoury:

• Jap Chae
• Stir fried vermicelli with mixed vegetables 
• Grilled coriander chicken drums
• Bulgogi chicken
• Crispy fried lemongrass pork ribs
• Salmon Fried rice
• Crab corn and asparagus soup

Sweets

• Chocolate cake with ganache topping
• Taro cake
• Banana Caramel cale

[ariel]

12 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Catering for the bestie's baby shower today. Very proud of myself as I whipped all this up! She didn't want fiddly food so this is what she request

That sounds so good.  You are the bestie of the besties.

[Mindthinkr]

14 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Catering for the bestie's baby shower today. Very proud of myself as I whipped all this up! She didn't want fiddly food so this is what she requested.

Savoury:

• Jap Chae
• Stir fried vermicelli with mixed vegetables 
• Grilled coriander chicken drums
• Bulgogi chicken
• Crispy fried lemongrass pork ribs
• Salmon Fried rice
• Crab corn and asparagus soup

Sweets

• Chocolate cake with ganache topping
• Taro cake
• Banana Caramel cale

You should be proud of yourself. That's quite the menu. Since you did it from your heart I bet it even tasted better (not that you aren't good). She's lucky to have a friend like you. 

[Giselle]

55 minutes ago, Mellowyellow said:

Catering for the bestie's baby shower today. Very proud of myself as I whipped all this up! She didn't want fiddly food so this is what she requested.

Savoury:

• Jap Chae
• Stir fried vermicelli with mixed vegetables 
• Grilled coriander chicken drums
• Bulgogi chicken
• Crispy fried lemongrass pork ribs
• Salmon Fried rice
• Crab corn and asparagus soup

Sweets

• Chocolate cake with ganache topping
• Taro cake
• Banana Caramel cale

..... and I wasn't invited! Turning away, with arms akimbo, and an indignant chin raised high!

 

The thing that stung the most was the jap chae. I love that stuff. Sniffle.

 

Super nice of you to do that for her. ;-)

[JTMacc99]

Maybe I'll head over to the butcher after I'm done at the gym and get a big hunk of pork to smoke all day. I'm visiting my parents and brother tomorrow. They'll appreciate a big batch of pulled pork. 

[Giselle]

1 hour ago, JTMacc99 said:

Maybe I'll head over to the butcher after I'm done at the gym and get a big hunk of pork to smoke all day. I'm visiting my parents and brother tomorrow. They'll appreciate a big batch of pulled pork. 

Mmmmmmmm!

It's dinner out for us tonight, going to visit family.

[JTMacc99]

I put on like a four pound half picnic. $6.  All it requires is time to become awesome. 

I'm keeping an eye on the temp while I pull weeds. Unrelated, but I'm not a very good gardener unless you count weed growing. 

[Giselle]

4 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

I put on like a four pound half picnic. $6.  All it requires is time to become awesome. 

I'm keeping an eye on the temp while I pull weeds. Unrelated, but I'm not a very good gardener unless you count weed growing. 

Sounds delicious!

For a time my cottage garden grew cultivated dandelions.

You can really smell the bullshit there can't you. I was so busy taking care of my dad who had cancer I didn't give a rat's ass about yardwork at the house. The yards were covered in them. I told friends I was cultivating them. ;-)

Edited May 27, 2017 by Giselle

[Quof]

A neighbour commented that my lawn, carpeted in dandelions, was good for the bees. 

So that's my excuse.

[Quof]

Quote

Just make sure your lovely weeds are chemical free.

My city prohibits all lawn chemicals, hence the dandelions. 

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, forumfish said:

Dandelions are used for culinary reasons, too … another good reason to leave 'em be, and no one needs to know if you never got around to harvesting them. The leaves, packed with nutrients, are good for salads and smoothies. The flowers can be made into jelly or wine. Just make sure your lovely weeds are chemical free.

Absolutely delicious. My mother (who passed 10 years ago) made dandelion wine, as well as a wine in a closet that took weeks (she'd rubber band a balloon on top of it and it would expand as it fermented, and then deflate. Then the wine was done. It was good too. Other members of my family were delegated to pack up her stuff and probably tossed the book of her recipes. Such a shame. I'd have cherished that book. 

I was treated to dinner. I had Arroz con Pollo with grilled jalapeños. It was good and I brought enough home for lunch tomorrow. 

 

@JTMacc99...what time is dinner tomorrow lol!! Do you serve slaw on top? I'm full but y'all made me hungry again. Bought a lemon blueberry pie home to eat later for desert from the Piggly Wiggly. 

[biakbiak]

Poached salmon and grilled asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

[Mindthinkr]

2 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

hollandaise sauce.

Do you use the double boiler method or the blender? 

[biakbiak]

33 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Do you use the double boiler method or the blender? 

Julia Child's blender method with cayenne.

[Mindthinkr]

Yum. That's how I do it. So much easier than the old fashioned standing over a double boiler whipping like crazy. 

[chessiegal]

Jumbo lump crab cakes with steak fries and pickled cucumber slices. I think tomorrow we'll get Chinese take out which will last 2 nights, and that will get rid of all fresh food in the fridge as we are leaving Tuesday morning for a month. After that, dinner will be whatever I pick from a menu. :)

[ariel]

For the next few days, we will feast on takeout from Dinosaurs Bar-B-Que.  We got the "Deluxe Family Style" takeout.

Edited May 28, 2017 by ariel

[Giselle]

Rao's lemon chicken, rice, broccoli rabe, fennel salad, hard rolls. 

Eaton mess for dessert.

[biakbiak]

My Louisiana born and raised grandfather is probably rolling over in his grave but I used ATK technique of a "dry roux" which wasn't a roux because you you simply toast flour in a hot oven for around an hour and add broth than later add it to the rest of the cooked ingredients and simmer for a bit to cook his chicken and andouille gumbo. It turned out quite well and could probably fool a few people and certainly easier than standing over a stove for an hour and a half making the roux the traditional way.

[MargeGunderson]

@biakbiak, that's good to know, thanks! I saw them demonstrate it on one of the shows and was intrigued.

[biakbiak]

Cheeseburgers and oven baked fries. I made a sauce with mayo, mustard, ketchup, and some diced pickled cherry peppers as well as some of the brine plus homemade bread and butter pickles! Super tasty.

[Mellowyellow]

Bun Rieu (Vietnamese tomato soup noodle) with deep fried soft shell crab

[JTMacc99]

Sun is out, weather warmed up, and I had a craving for a real hamburger on the grill. It was delicious. 

The boy had macaroni salad I made on Memorial Day with his, I had a green salad. We both had some watermelon too. 

[biakbiak]

Pork chops, sweet and sour red cabbage, green beans and some Russian rye that I made.

[annzeepark914]

Ina's Herb Roasted fish.  But I cheated and did them on a sheet pan instead of individually wrapped in parchment.  Tastes the same IMO. Plus, tiny red potatoes boiled and then buttered and tossed w/ parsley AND those wonderful green beans you buy in the produce dept that come in a clear type bag.  You punch some holes in the bag and microwave for 4 minutes and waaaa-laaaa, a little flavored butter, a squirt of lemon and you've got great green beans :>)

[Mindthinkr]

Beef stew so tender that some of the beef fell apart into shreds. Plenty of carrots and potatoes in it. Used Bisto to thicken it slightly. 

[DeLurker]

@forumfish - it may have been handy & speed driven, but it sounds delightful.

[Mindthinkr]

Tonight I'm teaching my grandson how to make burritos. Beef, peppers, and bean.  I'll just do the sautéed onions on the side as they don't agree with everyone. Made a large side salad as well. The grandkids like taking leftover salad for their lunches. 

[Mellowyellow]

Hainanese Chicken rice

[Qoass]

I was feeling pretty uninspired today after leaving the grocery store with some pork and sugar snaps to make a stir fry (yawn) but when I checked my mail there was a flyer from another store with a recipe for maple grilled salmon in it.  I've got salmon in the freezer so I'm going to give it a try this weekend.

[biakbiak]

I had leftover andouille sausage from making gumbo so I made a calypso bean soup with sort of Cajun bent and cheddar cornbread with fresh corn kernels.

[3pwood]

So gratifying to use up leftovers & produce something good (not always, but often).  I had oil drained from a can of anchovies, egg whites left from baking with yolks, a little cooked fettuccine, shoulders trimmed from red bell peppers before roasting, tail ends of onions, & tired garlic cloves -- they turned into a frittata of sorts, with grated Parmesan on top.  Whatever it's called, it was very tasty (& pretty much free). 

[Anela]

I had salt and vinegar crisps, and then ice cream. I should cook something. I keep getting ingredients for soups, and then wasting them, because I'm depressed, and therefore unmotivated. 

I might quickly make potato salad, using the instant pot. I can throw the eggs and potatoes in there, and then mix it up quickly. 

[Mellowyellow]

I'm so sad. I tried to be a smartass and alter my creme caramel recipe (I think you guys call it flan) and it was all soft and barely set. 

Still good enough to eat because I'm addicted to creme caramels but I feel like such a failure *wails*

I don't usually have cooking fails so this really stings!

[PRgal]

Ordered from an Indian restaurant via UberEats last night.  I think my NEW favourite appetizer is bhel puri - puffed rice, mangos, potatoes (and I don't even LIKE potatoes), onions and papdi.  It's less greasy than the apps we normally order (think samosas or pakoras).  For mains, we had butter chicken (well, my husband did!!!) and salmon tikka (for me) as well as rice and cucumber salad.  I'm not sure what we're going to have tonight, though.

[ariel]

9 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

 

Still good enough to eat because I'm addicted to creme caramels but I feel like such a failure *wails*

I don't usually have cooking fails so this really stings!

Don't feel bad.  I've had more food failures than I care to admit to.  At least your failure was tasty & edible.  Many of mine were not. :(

[BooksRule]

Tonight is home-cooked hamburgers, oven-baked steak fries and the piece of cake I saved from a work party on Monday.

[Giselle]

Pan Fried Trout, Lemon Herb Pilaf, Grilled Squash Medley, Creamy Cucumber Salad.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

[Mellowyellow]

37 minutes ago, Giselle said:

Pan Fried Trout, Lemon Herb Pilaf, Grilled Squash Medley, Creamy Cucumber Salad.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ooh could you give me a quick run down off what's in this. We love cucumbers but I'd like to do something more creative with them.

[Giselle]

15 hours ago, Mellowyellow said:

Ooh could you give me a quick run down off what's in this. We love cucumbers but I'd like to do something more creative with them.

I dont really have a recipe. It's probably close to what others do. I grew up  always having fresh cucumbers in the icebox, there was/is always a fresh bowl of them sitting in a quick brine or cream dressed freshly made for a meal then to be snacked on later. It's the Swedish/German side of the family I guess. It's interesting that one finds  that fresh cucumber "salads" are prepared world wide with their local variations. 

First off, I never measure and I adjust to what's in the icebox and the flavors I want to taste.
I generally use hothouse cucumbers and I don't peel nor seed them. I make them with or without the "cream" element (I can adjust for that later). Sometimes sweet most of the time not. 

I use sour cream, sometimes heavy cream, or strained yogurt if I don't have the other two, but never Mayo. Then I'll add cider or wine vinegar for tartness, sometimes lemon juice, rice wine or a bit of balsamic. 

I always add julliened onion, or sliced green onion when making it. Sometimes adding other veggies, tomatoes, bell pepper, fennel bulb, radish. Every once in a while I will use minced Serrano or Thai chiles. Hot and cool at the  same time!

For seasoning it's salt, pepper, sometimes sugar. Then fresh or dried herbs such as dill or Italian herbs, tarragon, maybe sumak, cilantro, corriander, cumin, pressed garlic or powdered. It all depeneds on what's for dinner and what flavors are wanted.

I will sometimes drain and pat dry the already vinegar marinated cucumbers sitting in the fridge and them put in a creamed mixture.  A hidden pop of tart under a blanket of cream.

One thing I like to do is use them on a sandwich especially on a beef, lamb or salmon burgers.

Hope this helps.

Ok, talking about this... it's salmon patties for supper with creamed peas, vinegared dill cucumbers and left over rice pilaf. Dessert is gonna be sliced fresh fruit. 

Edited to add...Mmmm flan.

Who hasn't had kitchen disasters. Usually though with dessert you can morph it into something else.

I like making old fashioned boiled fudges but I don't make them often enough. I can end up with great fudge, "spoon fudge" that didn't set, or "fudge crunch" which is over beaten hard fudge that that I crumble in and over ice cream and other sweet wonderfulness.

I make a cooked pecan pie filling "caramel base" (before eggs and nuts are added and baked) for my pecan pies. One time I over cooked the "base" so it became pecan caramel candies dipped in chocolate. 

Edited June 4, 2017 by Giselle

[Mellowyellow]

@Giselle your post has given me a new revelation on cucumbers! We eat kilos of them but only plain or added to a viet salad with a fish sauce dressing. Sometimes I want to add cucumber as a side to a western dish but can't think of anything besides slicing it up raw like how the kidlet eats it. 

I baked and failed at chiffon cakes for 6 months I reckon. Bastard of a cake! It would rise beautifully in the oven and then sink like a bloody titanic when it came out of the oven. It was character building though! I can chiffon almost anything now and it stays high and fluffy. Also it's a good lesson to preach to the kidlet when he refuses to try to do stuff for fear of failure. He loves chiffon cake and cannot imagine a time when I couldn't make them.

Dinner tonight was Banh Cuon Cha Lua - Vietnamese Steamed rice rolls with stuff!

[PRgal]

We went shopping at St. Lawrence Market (a public market with both permanent vendors and a weekly farmer's market) on Saturday and bought my husband's favourite tricolour sauce (marinara, pesto and alfredo) - when you mix it up, it becomes a delicious pesto rosé - YUM!. We used the sauce a day later with some mushroom agnolotti, which was accompanied with a boring ol' salad.

[DeLurker]

Trying to use up food on hand in anticipation of being gone for a few weeks.  Took a steak out of the freezer to defrost yesterday morning, but found out around 5 PM that it wasn't a steak.  It was the second sheet of puff pastry I had defrosted (both were wrapped in similar paper since I often buy the value packs of meat and break them down into smaller portions.).

As such, dinner was pot stickers and Asian cole slaw.

Tonight's dinner will be the elusive steak.

Edited June 5, 2017 by DeLurker

[Bastet]

I make a lot of cucumber-based salads each summer, but my favorite, quick-and-easy, one is just cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion with Italian dressing.

I also save the orange sauce a local restaurant sends with its egg rolls, and use that to marinate cucumber, red onion, shredded carrot, and ground peanuts.  It's sweet, so I can't eat too much of it, but I love keeping it in the fridge for when I want a little treat.

[3pwood]

My favorite cucumber sandwich is from Laurie Colwin.  Whatever bread you like (my preference is wholewheat with seeds & grains), one slice spread with butter & the other with anchovy paste -- in between, thinly sliced unpeeled & unseeded English cucumbers (however many layers you want) & coarsely ground black pepper.

[ariel]

I needed to do a Costco run for household provisions today & I can't seem to go to Costco without picking up one of their rotisserie chickens.  Tonight will be the chicken, I found some nice looking haricot verts  in my local market that looked good & at a reasonable price. I steamed & then sauté them with shallots.  Mr A made his tasty mashed potatoes.  I defrosted some chicken gravy that I previously made from the freezer. It was a good meal.