What Did We Eat Today?

[biakbiak]

I made fried rice with the leftover stuffing from the peppers I made last night and topped with a fried egg. 

[Piperazzi]

Mom made Cheese Tortellini, Peas, and Fresh Strawberries on the side.

[Bastet]

Lamb chops (my usual way - seasoned with fresh rosemary and garlic and broiled), but I have no idea on the vegetable.  I often pair them with asparagus, but asparagus season is over.  And it's not a great garden this year thanks to planting late and then having horrible heat, so my veggie selection isn't the greatest.  I'm not even sure I have any squash to pick.  I know I have some Brussels sprouts in the fridge, and maybe some broccoli.  The salad will be a sad collection of what greens remain in the crisper, cucumber, avocado, and some ranch dressing I made last night.  I really need to get to the market.

Oh, balls; thinking about how many things I'm out of reminded me I am out of garlic.  Garlic!  I don't think I have ever been out of garlic before.  Dammit, I knew I needed to grocery shop today rather than making do until Monday (I do not shop on the weekends).  Okay, so I guess the lamb chops will be seasoned with fresh rosemary and granulated garlic.

[Mindthinkr]

First course (we had company) was procuitto and melon. Second was spinach risotto. Third was chicken piccata (in brown butter...it came out better than usual). Asparagus. Lastly was tapioca made with maple and pecans. Lol..my brother was so full he almost fell asleep at the table. There was espresso and cognac for those awake enough to imbibe. I must have gained two pounds! 

[biakbiak]

Pulled pork sandwiches on homemade buns with spicy coleslaw and potato salad.

[annzeepark914]

Leftovers from last night's supper of grilled portobello mushroom sandwiches and leftover Michigan Blueberry Pie (I'm no baker so I used Pillsbury Piecrust which isn't all that great so next time I make this it will be Michigan Blueberry Crisp!!)

[Mondrianyone]

Pillsbury's not the only option.  Here's a graded list of ready-made piecrusts.  I used to keep some in the freezer as safeties if I really screwed up a piecrust on an important occasion.

The last few times I've had to make pie, I've used this recipe.  I foolishly/bravely tried it for the first time on Thanksgiving--three pies' worth!  I think it's something that would be very easy for someone who's a non-baker, because the dough it produces is really silky and doesn't fall to pieces when you're trying to roll it out, and yet the finished product is tender and flaky.  Unusual ingredients, but a really nice piecrust.

[biakbiak]

Pasta with tomato sauce, red pepper, and mushrooms and a simple salad with a lemon mustard vinaigrette. 

[biakbiak]

I had leftover ground turkey so was going to make tacos, unfortunately my boyfriend accidentally grabbed brown rice tortillas and even after steaming they still sucked so I made taco salads instead. I am so glad I don’t have a gluten issue!

Edited August 29, 2018 by biakbiak

[annzeepark914]

On 8/26/2018 at 6:56 PM, Mondrianyone said:

Pillsbury's not the only option.  Here's a graded list of ready-made piecrusts.  I used to keep some in the freezer as safeties if I really screwed up a piecrust on an important occasion.

The last few times I've had to make pie, I've used this recipe.  I foolishly/bravely tried it for the first time on Thanksgiving--three pies' worth!  I think it's something that would be very easy for someone who's a non-baker, because the dough it produces is really silky and doesn't fall to pieces when you're trying to roll it out, and yet the finished product is tender and flaky.  Unusual ingredients, but a really nice piecrust.

Thanks, MONDRIANYONE;  I had no idea Jiffy had a mix. I'll give it a try.  Maybe I'll get real brave and make your recipe from scratch!

[Giselle]

I have a tri tip marinating it will go on the grill along with some whole Anaheim chilies and ears of corn, tabouli salad, pinquito beans, salsa and French bread to round it out then grilled peaches and ice cream. It's been such a nice day we're eating outside tonight.

Edited August 28, 2018 by Giselle

[biakbiak]

Thanks to the InstantPot I had time to make Chana Masala and saag chicken on a week night with basmati rice and roti.

[DeLurker]

Because I have been suffering from severe crab cake envy thanks to @chessiegal, I took a chance and bought one at the seafood department at the better grocery store near me.  I did not dream it would meet Maryland crab cake levels of wonder, but it did not even meet very realistically ratcheted down expectations.  It wasn't bad or even unpleasant, it was just there.  So very sad.

[Giselle]

Leftovers from last night  and extras made into a Southwestern salad.

Then the rest of the ice cream with grilled pound cake & rhubarb sauce.

I bought a ton of rhubarb last week & it filled the sinks and counter. I cut and froze part of it and made sauce to freeze for the winter. The rest of it went into jam and pies.

Today I'm finishing making jars of gardinera.

Edited August 29, 2018 by Giselle
Not enough coffee.

[Mindthinkr]

4 minutes ago, Giselle said:

Today I'm finishing making jars of gardinera.

Please save one for me! 

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Because I have been suffering from severe crab cake envy thanks to @chessiegal, I took a chance and bought one at the seafood department at the better grocery store near me.  I did not dream it would meet Maryland crab cake levels of wonder, but it did not even meet very realistically ratcheted down expectations.  It wasn't bad or even unpleasant, it was just there.  So very sad.

Crab cakes, even at nice restaurants/places that specialize in seafood, are never as good as homemade, so I've largely stopped ordering them.  Even when they're very good, I wind up thinking my flavor profile is slightly better, so I should have ordered something that I don't normally make.  So I will still sometimes get crab cakes as one of a variety of appetizers (e.g. at a steak house, we'll usually start with shrimp cocktail, crab cakes, and then a wild card depending on the options), but that's about it.

And, oh boy, do I dread going to an event and seeing crab cakes among the passed appetizers.  Because I know they're going to be the kind that are more accurately described as bread cakes with a woefully inadequate amount of crab mixed in (if a crab cake is not right on the brink of falling apart, it has too much filler), yet I am too stupid to skip it -- I will always take one.

[chessiegal]

8 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Because I have been suffering from severe crab cake envy thanks to @chessiegal, I took a chance and bought one at the seafood department at the better grocery store near me.  I did not dream it would meet Maryland crab cake levels of wonder, but it did not even meet very realistically ratcheted down expectations.  It wasn't bad or even unpleasant, it was just there.  So very sad.

I'm so sorry - I'll have to be more appreciative of our Maryland crabs. I went to Whole Foods Monday to get some salmon to grill, and they had jumbo lump crab cakes we had for dinner last night. They make a decent crab cake. This Friday is the last monthly Friday special on crab cakes at our local grocery store, so planning on getting some. They are better than Whole Foods. I've been doing a crab cake sandwich sampling at lunch this month before I volunteer at the Visitors Center in the afternoon (I do that about 4 times a month). All I had were good, but the best was at Boatyard Boat Bar & Grill in Eastport Annapolis. The other week the brand new Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Annapolis invited the volunteers for a breakfast and tour of the hotel. One of the items was Chesapeake Eggs Benedict, with a crab cake substituting for the ham. That's a fairly common breakfast offering around here. I ordered it, and the crab cakes were terrible. No lump crab meat, just backfin and way too salty! If you put Old Bay in your crab cakes you don't need salt. So disappointing. At least it was free. 

Edited August 29, 2018 by chessiegal

[biakbiak]

I found some ham from Easter in the freezer that I had forgotten about so made split pea soup and salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette I made with some pomegranate molasses.

[annzeepark914]

I've made crabcakes using canned lump crabmeat with a little panko, etc., in them.  They're not too bad (but can be difficult keeping them together while I saute them).  Sure, not as great as fresh crabmeat but that's so expensive around here.

[chessiegal]

Fresh crab meat is expensive here too, especially with the limitations on immigrant workers. The packing houses on the Eastern Shore are hurting. Fresh Maryland jumbo lump crab meat was $31.99 a pound at Whole Foods on Monday. I refuse to use pasteurized crab meat - inferior. That's why, even though I make a good crab cake, I appreciate a good crab cake from the store.

The key to keep them from falling apart is to refrigerate them for at least 1 hour prior to frying/sautéing.

[Bastet]

17 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

The key to keep them from falling apart is to refrigerate them for at least 1 hour prior to frying/sautéing.

Yep; I refrigerate for several hours and it really does help.  Even then, I'll occasionally still have one fall apart on me when I flip it, but I just set the ugly one aside for the cook and call it Quality Assurance; I'd rather have that happen once in a while than use more binder and have a lesser crab cake.

I think I mentioned this last time we had the crab cake technique discussion, but I still haven't tried it -- someone told me she first cooks hers in the broiler, to brown the top, then puts them in a pan to fry the bottom (thus never having to flip).

[DeLurker]

14 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I'll have to be more appreciative of our Maryland crabs.

Please give it the proper respect and appreciation due.

After reading the Favorite Sandwich thread, I had to look up what an Italian Beef sandwich was since I had never heard of one.  Sounded interesting so I looked up recipes and concluded there was no possible way to make one at home, but might be able to make something inspired by it.  I used the recipe basically, adjusted for size.  The comments seem quite adamant that a Chicago Italian Beef sandwich is never made with shredded beef, but it made a tasty sandwich so whatever you want to call it I am ok with it.

[biakbiak]

I was going to make a Quiche Lorraine but in the make sure you mark things when you put them in the freezer what I thought was pie dough turned out to be pizza dough so it turned into a frittata Lorraine and a salad with a red wine and oregano vinaigrette. 

[JTMacc99]

So tonight was pizza because I was beat, but yesterday was a new one for me. I made fried rice, but with riced cauliflower instead of rice. Same recipe, same technique, just a million fewer calories from carbs. 

Both kids returned empty bowls (which is when I told them the cauliflower secret), so a massive win all the way around. 

This one goes into the rotation for sure. 

[Giselle]

Take out pancit and lechon.

[biakbiak]

Didn’t feel like cooking so went to get kimchi ramen at the place a block from my house. It was 7:30 and I heard them tell a bunch of people in front of me that they had already run out of kimchi crushing my dream! But the joy of being a regular at a place before they got written up in a bunch of places the owner saw me and went and got some from her apartment (they live upstairs) to make it for me!

[chessiegal]

Grilled pork chops and local sweet corn on the cob.

[MargeGunderson]

Last night was ribs, potato salad, cucumber and onion salad, and baked beans. The meat was literally falling off the bone, and the potatoes in the salad were cooked perfectly (usually I over cook them just a bit so they are a little mushy). My best rib and potato salad outing of the summer! 

Tonight it’s chilled pea soup garnished with curried shrimp. Peach crisp for dessert. I’m also making tarragon chicken salad for lunches this week and and roasting some past their peak strawberries. I’m trying to get this all done in the next couple of hours before it gets too hot. 

[fairffaxx]

10 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

... roasting some past their peak strawberries. ... 

How do you roast the strawberries?  I recently learned about roasting blueberries (350 degrees for 20 minutes), which makes a wonderful sauce/compote.  I've been thinking that it should work with other berries but haven't yet tried it.

[MargeGunderson]

16 hours ago, fairffaxx said:

How do you roast the strawberries?  I recently learned about roasting blueberries (350 degrees for 20 minutes), which makes a wonderful sauce/compote.  I've been thinking that it should work with other berries but haven't yet tried it.

I cut them in half, tossed them with about 1/3 cup of sugar, and roasted them at 400 for about 30 minutes or until they are soft. The juice and sugar turn into a nice sauce. I should be eating it in yogurt, but instead I put it on vanilla ice cream!

[fairffaxx]

Thanks, MargeGunderson -- that's pretty much what I do with blueberries (2 cups berries, 3 Tbsps vanilla sugar, 30 minutes @ 350 degrees, add 1/2 cup whole berries & stir/mash).  The recipe I found says to serve them with yogurt, but I use them as a chunky sauce for cheesecake or poundcake.  With strawberries, I usually just macerate for a few hours with several tablespoons of vanilla sugar, then freeze until needed for sauce or shortcakes -- but roasting sounds even better, so I'll try that next time.   Fruit is healthy!  Right?

[biakbiak]

Broccoli cheddar soup with ham paninis.

[annzeepark914]

Ina's eggplant gratin (with the volume turned up thanks to extra seasoning) and a tossed salad.

[chessiegal]

Friday night favorite of crab cakes, grilled local sweet corn on the cob, cucumber salad, served with Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. Taking advantage of the last of the local sweet corn.

[biakbiak]

Lemon butter artichoke heart pasta with capers and an arugula salad. 

[biakbiak]

Made a Thai red curry with pork, I somehow forgot to put water in the Instapot when I made rice and only realized five minutes before dinner when I went to fluff it! The joys of living in SF is I called my boyfriend who was 5 minutes from home and also in front of a Thai restaurant so rice was quickly purchased and dinner wasn’t delayed.

[MargeGunderson]

NYT's chicken shawarma. It's easy and delicious, and I need to put it in the rotation more often. Reading the comments is often really helpful - someone mentioned that they make the marinade, throw the chicken in, and then freeze the whole thing. They just pull it out in the morning and it's defrosted and marinated by the time they get home - brilliant! Also good ideas for throwing other things on the sheet pan with the chicken and onion called for in the recipe. I usually include bell peppers, but next time I'm going to roast carrots. Also, the white sauce recipe in the comments really makes the meal.

[chessiegal]

Parmesan crusted chicken breasts (sautéed), steamed broccoli, and baked potatoes,

[biakbiak]

Fried rice with a ton of veg and a sunny side up egg.

[Mindthinkr]

Even though there’s a hurricane going on so far the winds are only tropical. The neighbor is grilling filets, making peas and  some potatoes and bringing me over a care package. I love my neighborhood. 

We are laughing about how when the responders come to check on us we will be the ones outside grilling what defrosted and having a block party. 

[annzeepark914]

Take care, Mindthinkr and everyone else in the path of Florence.

[MargeGunderson]

Grilled steak tips, everything mashed potato casserole (potatoes mashed with cream cheese, sour cream, and chives, topped with shredded cheddar and cooked crumbled bacon, then baked) and steamed green beans. All three burners on my gas grill lit for the first time this summer! (previously only two of the three would light at the same time, but curiously never the same two)

[BooksRule]

Baked chicken thighs (with Cajun seasoning) and a green salad.  I was going to make roasted Brussels sprouts, but didn't want to take the time to trim them and get them ready for roasting.  Probably tomorrow night.  

[biakbiak]

Buttermilk marinated pork chops, corn, and garlic mashed potatoes.

Edited September 16, 2018 by biakbiak

[Bastet]

I'm going to make pork chops tonight, too - thin cut, bone-in, just brined and then seasoned with pepper.  Kale, sauteed with onions, will be the side dish, but I haven't decided on the salad yet.  Probably a basic mixed greens with some avocado and cucumber.

[KnoxForPres]

Put a blender in a marinade for chicken and shrimp fajitas.   Going now.

Will be done on a big green egg. Anyone else smoke/cook this way?  Would love to chat.  

Grill the vegetables and meats, shred cheddar, sour cream and my boyfriend owns a lawn business and one of his customers gave him some homemade salsa and it’s amazing!

[annzeepark914]

The chicken and shrimp fajitas sound so good.  I like fajitas w/o the flour tortillas.  I've got beef stew cooking away in the Dutch oven.  Will have green beans on the side and today I bought, for the first time, a Biltmore House vanilla bean cheesecake at Harris Teeter.  I had a slice for "lunch" and it was incredibly delicious. Very vanilla-y and not heavy (some cheesecakes can feel like a lead balloon after you eat a slice).  It comes already sliced which is great.  This cheesecake would be good enough to serve company (with some macerated strawberries drizzled on top). 

[MargeGunderson]

Strata with caramelized onions, spinach, ham and gruyere. Sautéed cherry tomatoes with chives on the side.

[biakbiak]

I am so used to the Emmys being on Sunday that a bunch of friends were supposed to come over to watch/eat birthday cake because my birthday is this week. Luckily earlier this week I discovered that this year they are on Monday so people are coming over for a Pissaladière, salad niçoise and a very rich Chocolate Fudge cake from Cooks Country and then out for drinks.

[BooksRule]

Oven BBQd pork chop, roasted Brussels sprouts and green salad.