What Did We Eat Today?

[Ancaster]

On 11/18/2024 at 10:34 PM, isalicat said:

I did not know a Nicoise salad required anchovies...I thought there was just tuna (no other fish) and since I don't like anchovies at all, I'm glad I have never included them! (I love Nicoise salad and since I have salad pretty much every day for lunch, I have it at least once a month). Today was mixed greens with a lot of baby arugala. tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and some chopped black forest ham with homemade ranch dressing.

Chances are you've had them at some point or the other, in order to get the authentic flavour.  Because so many are squeamish about them, they are often mashed into a paste and added to the dressing, whereby they just add to the saltiness and general deliciousness.

I love anchovies!

[Ancaster]

Tonight my dinner was based on one a friend had made for me recently - she served it as a soup but I omitted the water she had in the recipe and basically made curried vegetables.  I had some sad looking cabbage based bagged salad and a bag of old looking baby broccoli that needed using, both from TJ's, and I thought of this recipe.

Onions, carrots, potatoes, curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger -  sauteed these down then added one can of coconut milk, one can of garbanzos (inc. liquid), a small can of tomato juice, and a generous amount of TJ's middle eastern red pepper appetizer, simmered it until the veggies were pretty much cooked and added the greens for about five minutes until they were wilted down.

I ate it with a little yuzu kosho stirred in to liven and spice it up.

Really good, and made the sad green veggies actually very tasty and no longer old tasting.  I love salads and greens, but not if they're past their best, and this was a good way to use them.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  Enjoy your feast if you're having one.  I'll be alone but happily eating leftovers!  And ice cream.  And snacks.

Edited November 28, 2024 by Ancaster

[EtheltoTillie]

We ate turkey, stuffing, Jiffy mix corn pudding, and cranberry sauce. 

I did not learn about Jiffy mix corn pudding until I was about 55 years old. Then I was served it by my cousin’s wife, who is from Iowa. 
 

I make stuffing with Ritz crackers instead of bread. My mother made it that way. It was a fifties fave. Otherwise standard stuffing. Fresh mushrooms celery and onions sautéed. Fresh rosemary thyme and sage. 

We had run out of sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. 

Edited November 30, 2024 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

On 11/27/2024 at 8:57 PM, Ancaster said:

Chances are you've had them at some point or the other, in order to get the authentic flavour.  Because so many are squeamish about them, they are often mashed into a paste and added to the dressing, whereby they just add to the saltiness and general deliciousness.

I love anchovies!

I like anchovies but in a similar vein I really love Greek olives. 

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I like anchovies but in a similar vein I really love Greek olives. 

I'm not overly fond of anchovies whole (e.g. on a caesar salad), but they are good as an ingredient in something.  Kalamata olives, on the other hand, I love whole.

[EtheltoTillie]

38 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I'm not overly fond of anchovies whole (e.g. on a caesar salad), but they are good as an ingredient in something.  Kalamata olives, on the other hand, I love whole.

I'm really addicted to the olives lately.  I buy a container at the neighborhood specialty store and have to restrain myself to a few a day.

A few olives, that is.  Not a few containers ha ha.

[annzeepark914]

We had leftovers from Thanksgiving which was Chicken & Peppers With Creamy Paprika Sauce over noodles (we're not turkey fans + no company this year). This was a new recipe for me & it's a keeper (I love the sauce).

[Bastet]

10 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm really addicted to the olives lately.

It's been a life-long thing for me -- when I was a kid, my grandpa's neighbor had a Sevillano olive tree, and he gave my grandpa a 5-gallon bucket's worth each harvest, which my grandpa cured.  So I grew up with homemade olives, which led to me as a young adult chowing down on other "artisanal" offerings at farmers markets and specialty stores in addition to the basic stuff on grocery shelves. 

I have yet to meet an olive I do not like; I like them plain, I like them stuffed, I like them chopped as an ingredient -- I like them, Sam I Am.  Greece has some of my favorites -- especially kalamata and halkidi -- but Spain is almost as well represented.  CA growers feature Spanish olives, so the rest are fun finds.

[annzeepark914]

I love castelvetrano olives...the bright green olives that I get at Wegmans "Mediterranean bar". They have a nutty-like taste and aren't salty. I use them when I make Ina's Herb Roasted Fish.

[DearEvette]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love castelvetrano olives...the bright green olives that I get at Wegmans "Mediterranean bar". They have a nutty-like taste and aren't salty. I use them when I make Ina's Herb Roasted Fish.

Those olives are a staple in our house. Their taste is so mild, yet 'olive-y', and the flesh has a nice firmness,  that you can snack on them alone.

[annzeepark914]

4 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Those olives are a staple in our house. Their taste is so mild, yet 'olive-y', and the flesh has a nice firmness,  that you can snack on them alone.

I have to watch that snacking so there are some left to put on the fish. Just love that unique flavor 💚

[Ancaster]

On 12/1/2024 at 7:50 AM, DearEvette said:

Those olives are a staple in our house. Their taste is so mild, yet 'olive-y', and the flesh has a nice firmness,  that you can snack on them alone.

I am under medical orders to up my salt intake.  This isn't as easy for me as it may seem, since while I do like salt, I don't like overly salted food.  My doctor suggested olives as a good source - that I can handle happily, though my wallet may complain since I like the fancy olive bar ones, not the weird canned ones.

[Anela]

I'm not keen on olives, unless they're in a subway sandwich (veggie sandwich), or this olive tapenade that I used to get from a health food store. I recently checked, and they no longer had it available. Everything had doubled in price, too. 

I found something similar, last year, at Fresh Thyme, and then olives mixed with feta cheese, around their deli area, but they no longer carry the olive mix. I used to love that with pita bread. 

[PRgal]

I messed dinner up (it was supposed to be a baked sweet potato casserole but the potatoes never really cooked) so pizza it was.  

[Mountainair]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

I messed dinner up (it was supposed to be a baked sweet potato casserole but the potatoes never really cooked) so pizza it was.  

That’s funny. There is a chain pizza joint here in the states that offers a free “emergency” pizza when you order from them so that when kitchen disasters like that happen you can take advantage of your free pizza. 
I had a girls night out for dinner and went to a cider place that was serving Christmas cookies paired with ciders. I’m not a cider fan but the pairings were actually really good. For dinner I had the grilled cheese with bacon, apples, and a special aioli with field green salad on the side. Very good. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Olive tasting follow up:  I tried the Castelvetrano olives, and they were good, but I decided I like the Kalamata olives best. 

[chessiegal]

We had crab cakes last night that I bought at Whole Foods. I normally only buy lump crab cakes from our local fish monger, but I could see the lump crab meat in them. They were delicious. I hope Whole Foods keeps it up and it wasn't a holiday offering, because I'll buy them every time.

[DearEvette]

Aldi had a special on Chilean Sea Bass and Alaskan Sable fish (black Cod). I got abt 2 lbs of each.  I made the famous Nobu Miso mairnated black cod and it really is as delicious as every says. Sablefish has the most silky, buttery texture! I can only imagine what the real thing in the restaurant must taste like.

[Ancaster]

15 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Aldi had a special on Chilean Sea Bass and Alaskan Sable fish (black Cod). I got abt 2 lbs of each.  I made the famous Nobu Miso mairnated black cod and it really is as delicious as every says. Sablefish has the most silky, buttery texture! I can only imagine what the real thing in the restaurant must taste like.

Is Chilean Sea Bass back on the "okay to eat list" again?

[Bastet]

14 hours ago, Ancaster said:

Is Chilean Sea Bass back on the "okay to eat list" again?

Do you mean in terms of mercury content or sustainability (or both)?  The former is easy: Yes, in moderation.  The latter used to be the big no, and it's still wildly overfished, but there's now some sort of certification for that which was legally caught.

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Do you mean in terms of mercury content or sustainability (or both)?  The former is easy: Yes, in moderation.  The latter used to be the big no, and it's still wildly overfished, but there's now some sort of certification for that which was legally caught.

Thanks, yes, it was the sustainability I was wondering about.  

[chessiegal]

Whole Foods turkey and wild rice soup for lunch while watching the snow coming down. About 6" so far with more to come. Parmesan crusted chicken cutlets, steamed asparagus and scalloped potatoes for dinner.

[Anela]

I just had a frozen dinner (broccoli chicken Alfredo), and finished making the kimchi I started earlier.  The next time I make that, it won’t be when I’m still recovering from something, and still need sleep. 

[annzeepark914]

I was in Wegmans, picking up a few items, when I decided to get a thin crust pizza. Thin crust only comes in the large size but that was ok. We had it for an early supper. I'm a persnickety New Yorker re: pizza and have to say that this pie was decent, considering that it didn't come from a pizza parlor. Now I'm hungry 🍕

[chessiegal]

Warmer weather and a day of rain yesterday finally got rid of the snow on our deck (from January 6th). Grilled salmon for dinner tonight! Baked potatoes and asparagus as sides.

[isalicat]

I'm having left over stew for dinner tonight (its always better the second or third day anyway). I make beef stew with an orange quartered and thrown in when you add the wine and stock and herbs, and then you take the orange out after an hour and throw it away. I also use turnips rather than potatoes and lots of onion, garlic and carrots plus thyme, bay leaves and some black pepper and salt. Simple, pretty easy and why don't I do this more than once a year? 😸

[Ancaster]

I had leftover couscous to eat up so came up with a cumin and chili pepper spiced onion, red bell pepper, tomato and garbanzo bean sauce to put on it - tasty.

@annzeepark914 - I married a New Yorker and became persnickety about pizza, made difficult because I live on the West coast.  We don't have Wegman's here and I have been unable to find decent frozen pizza - any suggestions anybody?

[DearEvette]

I have become an Orzo groupie.  I had never really made it before.  But I had a recipe for a creamy sundried tomato orzo with salmon.  It was fabulous.  I then made a parmesan garlic orzo to pair with fried catfish and baked cauliflower. 

[annzeepark914]

Sounds kinda funny for a cold night's supper, but I made Summer Spaghetti, along with some baked parmesan naan. 

[isalicat]

On 2/2/2025 at 3:32 AM, Ancaster said:

I had leftover couscous to eat up so came up with a cumin and chili pepper spiced onion, red bell pepper, tomato and garbanzo bean sauce to put on it - tasty.

@annzeepark914 - I married a New Yorker and became persnickety about pizza, made difficult because I live on the West coast.  We don't have Wegman's here and I have been unable to find decent frozen pizza - any suggestions anybody?

California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza is not bad if you must have frozen pizza...and Wolfgang Puck had a line of frozen pizza that was also fairly edible if you can find those.

[Ancaster]

On 2/2/2025 at 9:34 AM, DearEvette said:

I have become an Orzo groupie.  I had never really made it before.  But I had a recipe for a creamy sundried tomato orzo with salmon.  It was fabulous.  I then made a parmesan garlic orzo to pair with fried catfish and baked cauliflower. 

I love orzo; I just wish it cooked more quickly. For some reason it seems to me that it should be instant.  Plus I'm greedy and impatient!

[Bastet]

On 2/4/2025 at 6:10 PM, isalicat said:

California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza is not bad if you must have frozen pizza...and Wolfgang Puck had a line of frozen pizza that was also fairly edible if you can find those.

CPK is the one I'll occasionally pick up when on sale.  Back in the day, before he sold to ConAgra, Wolfgang Puck was the other one.  I know he, pissed at how ConAgra lowered the quality, bought his license back, but I don't think he started selling the line himself again (I never see them near me and we're both in L.A.). 

So CPK is the only one I eat (and it's rare, since I have so many fantastic delivery options from local pizza joints and Italian restaurants) -- their roasted garlic chicken, or the white pizza (I miss the Thai chicken).  The request was for a "decent" frozen pizza and that's how I'd describe it.

[isalicat]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

CPK is the one I'll occasionally pick up when on sale.  Back in the day, before he sold to ConAgra, Wolfgang Puck was the other one.  I know he, pissed at how ConAgra lowered the quality, bought his license back, but I don't think he started selling the line himself again (I never see them near me and we're both in L.A.). 

So CPK is the only one I eat (and it's rare, since I have so many fantastic delivery options from local pizza joints and Italian restaurants) -- their roasted garlic chicken, or the white pizza (I miss the Thai chicken).  The request was for a "decent" frozen pizza and that's how I'd describe it.

Yeah, even here on the beach in central coastal California, we have so many pizza joints (including one run by an international pizza award winning pizza guy) that buying a frozen one seems unnecessary. I love pizza but stopped eating it 20 years ago due to the carb count - if I find one with a hand thrown sourdough crust (like the award winning pizza guy makes) then its a occasional but super valued treat.

[chessiegal]

The only pizza that delivers to our house is Dominoes. I keep an "emergency" pizza in the freezer - I started using the term emergency pizza before Dominoes did. I'm offering what I keep with the caveat that tastes vary, We've found that Amy's spinach and also Margarita are decent. We also like Newman's Own thin crust variety. We tried Rao's. We both thought it was the worst frozen pizza we'd ever had.

[annzeepark914]

I made turkey meatloaf for the first time and must admit...it's tastier to me than the ground beef version. Had it with roasted sweet potato slices and leftover Spanish Roast Potato Salad.

[PRgal]

I'm STUFFED from everything I've eaten this weekend.  Yesterday (Saturday) was our annual Spin of Prosperity dinner at the CN Tower's revolving restaurant.  And tonight?  Super Bowl goodies.  Well, nachos and pizza, anyway.  Not sure what I'll do for breakfast tomorrow...maybe berries and then some coffee.

[annzeepark914]

We had tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and leftover salad--a relaxed, easy meal after we got the house back to ourselves (family from MN here for the long weekend 🤗).

[Ancaster]

On 2/18/2025 at 6:24 AM, annzeepark914 said:

We had tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and leftover salad--a relaxed, easy meal after we got the house back to ourselves (family from MN here for the long weekend 🤗).

Sounds like the perfect, comforting, relaxed meal for the "occasion".