What Did We Eat Today?

[harrie]

Nice!  Cold pizza right out of the fridge would also be a good choice.

 

It would, I agree - but pizza usually doesn't make it through the night at my house.  Maybe I'll hide a piece sometime.

[ALenore]

I'm making a nice dinner tonight, Chicken with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions, it's go a sauce made with brandy, served over noodles with green beans on the side.  

I'm working late tomorrow, so I'll be thawing out the shredded Italian beef I made a few weeks ago and serving it over baked potatoes.   

[PRgal]

One of the items I made tonight was an apple and cheddar loaf using a recipe found at the back of a package of dried apples (also available online).  I slashed the sugar by 75% and replaced it with a mixture of cinnamon, oregano and basil.  I also used brown rice, spelt and quinoa flours rather than all-purpose and whole wheat. 

[Sandman87]

Sausage soup tonight: Sliced Italian sausages, zucchini, celery, white onion, and rigatoni in equal parts chicken broth and beef broth. Just grill a couple of sausages, then boil stuff. Easy. Even easier if you cook the rigatoni in the broth instead of doing it separately.

[blueray]

Tonight is probably going to be left over Chinese food from yesterday. The life of a grad student.

[Bastet]

I have some leeks I need to use, so tonight I'm going to do a dish that is that rare breed of equal parts tasty and healthy: Deborah Madison's Chicken Breasts and Leeks Poached in an Herb Broth.  You make a little cheesecloth packet of parsley, cilantro, lemon basil, bay leaf, garlic, lemon zest and peppercorns and let that infuse simmering water.  Once that's good and flavored, you simmer sliced leeks and then add in chicken breasts to poach.  Take everything out, toss the leeks in an herb sauce of your choosing (I make Madison's salsa verde with basil, cilantro and mint) and spoon those over the chicken breasts sliced on the diagonal.

 

It's cold this week - by which, living in Los Angeles, I mean daytime highs in the mid 50s - and I'm off work, so I'll be making soup.  Definitely Ina Garten's cream of wild mushroom (to use the rest of the leeks) and then probably a sausage and greens soup as well.

[Lovecat]

Must be Leek Week--I'm making a butternut squash and leek soup tonight! I think the rest of dinner might be a clean-out-the-fridge extravaganza, and I'll save the chicken with mushrooms and green beans for tomorrow. Depends on how the leftovers are holding up ;)

[harrie]

Broccoli and mushroom omelettes tonight. 

[EllieH]

 

time to quit the holiday eating habits and get back to normal eating!

 

I'm quoting myself as I was wrong... last night was a burger and beer, tonight was a salad, a bunch of rolls and then part of a cookie sundae for dessert.  Yay friends or darn friends suggesting dinner, depending on how you look at it!

[WendyCR72]

I'm quoting myself as I was wrong... last night was a burger and beer, tonight was a salad, a bunch of rolls and then part of a cookie sundae for dessert.  Yay friends or darn friends suggesting dinner, depending on how you look at it!

 

Calories do not start counting again until January 2nd! (The 1st is reserved for games that day, etc.!)

[JTMacc99]

Made this Brunswick Stew with Smoked Paprika from Cooking Light yesterday.  We had leftover chicken looking for a home. 

 

I'm not sure what Brunswick Stew is supposed to taste like, but I thought this was a nice recipe.  It has a couple things going for it:

1. Healthy. Something like 7 grams of fat per serving and relatively low calorie.
2. WAY easy to make. Slice a couple medium onions, dice up some potatoes, chop up 2 strips of bacon, throw that in a pot with stock, a little tomato sauce and some frozen vegetables. Simmer for 30 minutes. Shred some leftover chicken, Toss that in the pot with the spices and cook for 15 more.
3. Seems like it is open to interpretation for what I want to use to spice it up. It called for red pepper, but I used ground chipotle and doubled down on the smokey flavors. (Or maybe tripled it considering there was bacon in there as well.)
4. Kids liked it.

 

And going against it: I needed to tinker with the salt and spice to hit the right note. It was a little bland on first taste. I assume that is due to the lack of fat (aka: flavor) that I would expect from a bowl of food that looks like this did.  And upon further review, yep. I guess the traditional one has a teeny bit more fat in it, what with the stick of butter and the pork, and such.

[Mountainair]

I love Brunswick Stew. Around here we only get it when one of the local Methodist Chruches makes it.

Yesterday we went to lunch at one of our nationaly known BBQ joints; I take my parents there whenever they come to visit. I picked up a bottle of their BBQ a sauce so I've been cooking a Boston Butt all day to make BBQ and cole slaw sandwiches with for dinner tonight.

[harrie]

Spinach calzones tonight.  Tomorrow, Porterhouse steaks and lobster tails, with baked taters and mushrooms.   For the weekend we're going to Maine, so it will be like a food orgy for a few days.  

[JTMacc99]

Giving this slow cooker enchilada soup a try today. I had to go to work this afternoon, so dumping a bunch of stuff in the slow cooker before I left seemed like a better idea than coming home a making something.  I think it suggests serving it with corn chips, but I'm going to toast up some tortilla strips during the time it takes for the soup to finish off after toss in the last few ingredients and let it finish for 20 minutes.

[Shannon L.]

I'm still on a comfort food kick, so I was going through some old recipes and came upon one that I'd copied from my mom a long time ago. Judging from the handwriting, I had to be at least 12 or 13.  I called it "Yummy beef stew" because it was one of my favorites.  So, tonight, for the first time in years, we're having my mom's "Yummy beef stew".

[sunshinelover]

Tonight I'm barbecuing some lamb ribs, to be served with artichokes.   Tomorrow is chipotle black bean burgers, topped with avocado.  Sweet potato fries on the side!

[annzeepark914]

Two leftovers:  leftover beef stew for Mr. P914 (which he's doctoring w/ some extra spices) and leftover Butternut Squash Bisque for me.  Can't get worn out making dinner 'cause tonight is Downton Abbey night at long last!

[EllieH]

Spicy Pumpkin Soup -- perfect cold weather comfort food!  And some salad and cornbread to go with it.

[smiley13]

With a busy week ahead, I went and stocked up.  One night is spaghetti, then chicken, then some alfredo pasta.  Tonight was chicken tortilla soup.

[Mountainair]

Americas Test Kitchen has a wonderful recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup that I use often.

I'm still trying to clean out leftovers here. Tomorrow is back to preschool for the kiddos (half day) and back to going into the office for me which means back to making legit dinners :)

Last night we had dinner with some new friends at their house, the kids are friends so they played, we ate. The dad is a sous chef for a fancy local restaurant here. I was in food heaven! A little bit of this, a little bit of that :)

[backformore]

Both grown sons were around, and they requested pot roast. The stuff they like is made like this- 3 pounds of beef ( I used Chuck roast) trim some of the fat, cut in large chunks, sear in a pan. In crock pot mix one can tomato soup, one can cream of mushroom ( low sodium if you can) add the meat. Sprinkle on top one envelope of dried onion soup mix. Cook on high, turn down to low after a few hours. Make the boys shovel the driveway in order to get any. The gravy is great over mashed potatoes.

I'm trying to eat healthier, I only had a taste. I'm sure this should serve 6 "normal"people, but in my house it feeds 2 athletic guys in their 20's.

I swear, if I ate half as much as one of these guys I'd be morbidly obese. Life is unfair.

[Quof]

I chuckle at the suggestion to use low sodium mushroom soup.  Then top with onion soup mix.

 

We humans can rationalize anything, can't we?

[ALenore]

Last night I made soup with ground turkey, orzo, spinach, tomatoes  and mushrooms.  It was great to have in this cold weather.   Made a double batch so I'l have a no-cook dinner  forlater on this month.      Tonight I'm just ordering Chinese food since I'm working late.  

[Mountainair]

Well my diet officially started today which means I'm back to making two dinners. One for me, one for everyone else. I made Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie for the family and I had Salmon baked atop asparagus with a little bit of salt, pepper and fresh lemon and a small amount of butter. I served that with a serving of some really great rice my mom found back home. It's a wild/brown/quinoa mixture and it's soooooo good!

My problem when I diet is getting enough food. I either eat too much or not enough. I'm going shopping tomorrow so I can get some fresh/healthy snacks. Anyone have any recommendations? Today I clocked in at 900 calories, 800 less than what I'm allotted. If I keep it up, I'll be thin, but a bitch :)

[Quof]

Unsalted pistachios in the shell.  Takes you forever to open them, and you can't eat them by the handful, which is the problem with almonds.

[backformore]

I chuckle at the suggestion to use low sodium mushroom soup.  Then top with onion soup mix.

 

We humans can rationalize anything, can't we?

Right . Not really rationalizing, though. Because I put the soup mix on top, I use low-sodium canned soups for the sauce. Otherwise it's too salty for my taste. When I make stuff for my husband and myself, I use other recipes, not canned soup. The one I posted is one my son asked for after being away for 6 months , and he doesn't need to be concerned about sodium. He actually has a workout regimen that you would not believe, and adds salt to his pre - workout drink to keep some electrolyte balance in his muscles. I don't pretend to understand it, but it is his area of expertise. And it's worked wonders for him.

[stillshimpy]

Black beans (I love my slow-cooker, yes I do!) , quinoa and roasted butternut squash.  Yet another night when discussions around these parts helped me decide what to make for dinner :-) 

 

Last night was eggplant parmesan -- in reality asiago because it was the only kind I could find certified vegetarian.  I'm not that militant about it, but I try whenever I can to get the vegetarian stuff.  I was using a lighter recipe, so the eggplant was broiled and white beans were included.  I'm telling you, the inclusion of those beans was key to adding some texture.  It worked out well :-)  

 

We also had one of those Organic Girl greens mixes.  Love those things.  

Edited January 6, 2015 by stillshimpy

[ALenore]

It's still  very cold here tonight (and for the next few days) so I'm making a nice hearty, cold weather meal I found on the internist called Kielbasa Pierogis Sheet Pan Meal.  It looks really easy to make too.  I'll be adding more onions and bell peppers than the recipe calls for, and I'll have an avocado and orange salad on the side.   

[Lovecat]

It's still  very cold here tonight (and for the next few days) so I'm making a nice hearty, cold weather meal I found on the internist called Kielbasa Pierogis Sheet Pan Meal.  It looks really easy to make too.  I'll be adding more onions and bell peppers than the recipe calls for, and I'll have an avocado and orange salad on the side.   

I just googled that recipe and had to make a conscious effort not to lick the screen.  Yummmmmmm.

[PRgal]

We did meatless Monday yesterday and I made a chickpea stew with carrots, apples and spinach.  It's based on this recipe.  Tonight was back to meat.  Made my husband's favourite, a baked potato topped with turkey bolognese and veggies (frozen, because I'm lazy). 

[Mountainair]

Tonight for me it will be salmon, rice and Brussel sprouts. For everyone else, I made homemade ravioli and OMG! This diet thing is haaaaaaard! All that yummy cheese..............

[Bastet]

Making two different dinners every night is not something I would ever do, so I hope your family appreciates the extra work, Mountainair.

 

I'm having salmon and Brussels sprouts tonight, too.  I haven't yet decided how I'm going to prepare the salmon, but salmon, Brussels sprouts and enough greens for one more side salad are about all that's left until I go to the market, so I know that's what I'll be fixing.

[ALenore]

Tonight I'm making a dish of chicken cutlets, red potatoes, green beans and mushrooms in a lemon sauce.  I think it will be good.  It's supposed to take only 30 minutes, but it always seems to take me longer to cook recipes than the time allotted.  

[Lovecat]

Cold weather calls for flannel sheets on the bed and turkey chili (white beans and corn, b/c I hate kidney beans) with cornbread for dinner!  Mmmmmmm...

[ALenore]

Tonight I made gnocchi with brown butter, broccoli and pine nuts, plus a salad of grape tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.  It was really easy, since I used frozen gnocchi, and surprisingly good for such a simple dish.   

[mansonlamps]

Tonight is poached eggs served on whole grain toast spread with avocado mashed with salt and hot sauce. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with fresh tomatoes. Something I saw on Pinterest and fell in love with in all its awesome creaminess.

[sunshinelover]

Tonight I'm making a turkey meatloaf with sweet potato blended in for some extra nutrients.  Serving with asparagus and quinoa.

[Quof]

Heating up some lasagna, made with homemade tomato sauce, ricotta, fresh spinach and turkey sausage.  It's pretty awesome.

[ALenore]

I'm making Reubens tonight with baked sweet potato fries on the side.   I really love Reubens, haven't had one in a long time.  

[Mountainair]

I'm making Reubens tonight with baked sweet potato fries on the side.   I really love Reubens, haven't had one in a long time.

Be still my beating heart! Whenever I go out to a deli type place I order a Reuben. Mr. Mountain loves them as well and it has become a tradition for me to do homemade Reuben's for his birthday dinner. I use The ATK recipe which is great!

I made steamed veggies and chicken puffs (chicken, cheese, wrapped in a croissant) for everyone else's dinner tonight.

[ALenore]

I'm poaching a large (8 pound) chicken in my slow cooker.   It's sort of Asian style, with mushrooms, cilantro, ginger and scallions. Tonight I'll use it for soup, adding some noodles, and make stir fried zucchini on the side.   Later on this week, I'll use the leftover meat for quesadillas.   I'll probably still have chicken left after that, might use it for a casserole or sandwiches, depending on how much there is   

[harrie]

BBQ beef sandwiches (brisket done in the slow cooker) with cole slaw on the side or on the sandwich or both, diner's choice.

 

Tomorrow is either stuffed clams (purchased in Maine, not homemade, and very delicious) and a salad or tomato tortellini soup. 

[Matryoshka]

Slow-cooker turkey veggie chili and a cucumber salad. And I remembered to write myself notes for changes I want to try with the chili next time. Go me!

[grisgris]

Roasted turkey thigh and roasted brussels sprouts and yellow squash with balsamic vinegar. There was leftover (frozen and thawed) dressing from Christmas with wild rice, carrots, celery, red pepper, mushrooms, toasted pecans and smoked gouda.

 

For dessert, I made an icebox cake that I found the recipe for on The Cooking Channel. It has graham crackers, raspberries and peaches (frozen) and instead of whipped cream, mix together Greek yogurt and cream. I didn't have any heavy cream, so I used half 'n half. I also had vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt on hand. It was nice and light and a good contrast from all of the heavy and chocolatey desserts from the holidays.

[ALenore]

Making shrimp and grits tonight, with sauteed mustard greens on the side. 

[PRgal]

Making shrimp and grits tonight, with sauteed mustard greens on the side. 

 

Yum on the grits (okay, I've never really made grits, only polenta, which, from what I understand, is from a different species of corn) and mustard greens...not a big fan of shrimp though. 

[stillshimpy]

Yum on the grits (okay, I've never really made grits, only polenta, which, from what I understand, is from a different species of corn)

 

In the World According to Bob, apparently they are similar enough.  

 

 

Yup, Polenta and tomato compote with black beans and a salad tonight. 

 

I can't swear to it, but I think the main difference is in preparation. Polenta is usually stirred longer until it is smoother.  

 

Aha! Apparently the difference used to be in a type of ash.  No kidding? Interesting stuff.  

Edited January 13, 2015 by stillshimpy

[harrie]

Jumping on the polenta train - ours is with braised chard and mushrooms. 

[ALenore]

I actually didn't have the shrimp and grits last night since I felt kind of crappy due to lack of sleep, so I ordered pizza.  Tonight though, I'm feeling better and made the shrimp and grits, it came out really good.  There's mozzarella cheese in the grits, and the shrimp has a nice little sauce made with chicken broth, paprika and a touch of honey.  The mustard greens are sautéed with green onions and more chicken broth.  The recipe called for a lot (2 teaspoons) of black pepper, I left most of it out.  I like pepper, but 2 teaspoons would have been way too much.

 

I also make polenta frequently, usually just topped with some sort of greens sautéed in garlic, but I saw a recipe I liked where the polenta is topped with pork shoulder braised in a slow cooker with tomatoes, peppers and onions.

[ALenore]

Last night I made quesadillas with the leftover chicken that I poached in the slow cooker on Sunday.  It also had mushrooms, onions and poblano peppers, plus grated cheese.  My husband commented that he really liked that the chicken was moist, not dry.  I noticed this too, it's because of the way I cooked the chicken.  I'm definitely going to try poaching a whole chicken the slow cooker again.  I still have some of this one left in the freezer, I'll have to do something with it soon. 

 

Tonight I'm working late, so we're having sloppy joes from filling that I made and froze a few weeks ago .