What Did We Eat Today?

[ALenore]

I made sausage-pepper calzones tonight.   I tried making them earlier this summer, but rolled out the dough too thin and they didn't hold together too well.  This time I was careful to roll it out just the right amount and they came out fine.  Cooked frozen spinach to have on the side.  

[annzeepark914]

Okaaaay...Mr. P914 is off to the midwest to visit his mom so here I am, all alone...Hah!  It's time for a baguette with gorgonzola and a glass of chardonnay while reading the paper and watching the 6:00 news.  Rotisserie chicken to follow with some reheated leftover veggies.  It's chill-out time 'round here.

[ALenore]

I made pork chops with a "green sauce" of capers, cilantro and scallions, served with additional sautéed and raw scallions.   Had noodles and broccoli on the side.

 

annzepark, your dinner sounds great.   

[harrie]

Tonight was a pappardelle with cherry tomatoes and greens (which were supposed to be arugula) with a sprinkle of shaved Parm.   Whole Foods is advertising rotisserie chickens for $5 tomorrow, so if I read that right and there's no fine print, that's probably tomorrow night's dinner, with a side of chard from the garden.  (Anyone want some cherry tomatoes?  We're handing them out to passersby.)

[annzeepark914]

Whole Foods is advertising rotisserie chickens for $5 tomorrow, so if I read that right and there's no fine print, that's probably tomorrow night's dinner, with a side of chard from the garden.  (Anyone want some cherry tomatoes?  We're handing them out to passersby.)

Did I hear rotisserie chicken for $5 at WF?  The Peruvian rotisserie chicken that usually sells for $8?  I might have to make a special trip...I love rotisserie chicken (love to slice it and put on toast for a sandwich).  Wish I could stop by and pick up some cherry tomatoes! Why are cherry tomatoes so difficult (make that impossible) to find these days?  I liked grape tomatoes when they first arrived in the supermarkets but no longer like them and long for real deal, nice round, sweet cherry tomatoes.

[harrie]

Did I hear rotisserie chicken for $5 at WF?  The Peruvian rotisserie chicken that usually sells for $8?  I might have to make a special trip...I love rotisserie chicken (love to slice it and put on toast for a sandwich).  Wish I could stop by and pick up some cherry tomatoes! Why are cherry tomatoes so difficult (make that impossible) to find these days?  I liked grape tomatoes when they first arrived in the supermarkets but no longer like them and long for real deal, nice round, sweet cherry tomatoes.

 

I got a disclaimer-y email this morning with the following information:

 

ONE DAY SALE: ROASTED WHOLE CHICKENS

$5 EACH | AUGUST 21

U.S. only. Selection may vary by store. While supplies last. No rain checks. Contact your store for details and questions.

 

So, maybe call the store to make sure they're participating or get there early.  (If this is one of those deals where they only prepare 4 chickens, I may have some choice words for the store manager.)

 

 

Why are cherry tomatoes so difficult (make that impossible) to find these days?

Because I appear to have all of them.  

Edited August 21, 2015 by harrie

[QuelleC]

My ex who passed away last year used to grow cherry tomatoes and those things put out.  Get out your blender and make lots of marinara, or flash freeze them on pans to drop into sauces!  In other words, I'll take some!  My neighbors are moving, they used to let tomatoes drop from the vine and I'd, um, borrow them :)

[ethalfrida]

So sorry for your loss, QuelleC.

 

Thanks for the heads up on the roasted chickens Harrie.

 

Yesterday was pan seared salmon with steamed potatoes and the most delicious gluten-free southern cornbread ever. The thing about real southern cornbread is that it does not contain sugar. Coming from the land where sugar is artfully used to produce the most delicious food on earth putting sugar in cornbread is for weinies, lol. And it has very little flour in it. But the small amount of flour was replaced with a GF flour I use for everything. Or you can definitely use Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 baking mix (blue package) instead. I think it only calls for 1 or two tablespoons. Making the ingredients organics gives you a guilt-free yummy indulgence! 

 

No seasoningon the salmon, only salt and nutritional yeast on the potatoes. Nutritional yeast is an excellent replacement for Parmesan cheese. Dessert was watermelon with a sprinkly of Slap Ya Mama chili salt. Today is leftover day.

Edited August 21, 2015 by ethalfrida

[annzeepark914]

@Harrie:  I just got back from Whole Foods where I grabbed a fresh out of the oven chicken they were loading onto the display rack.  Also sent out several emails to friends and neighbors.  Wow--WF was really busy and getting busier by the time I left.  Thanks for the heads up from me too :>)  And since I was so close to that refrigerated display case of gluten free cakes, I grabbed the last "confetti" chocolate cake, the one with the fabulous mousse/buttercream fillings.

 

@ethalfrida:  So you're sayin' that southern cornbread isn't like the stuff we northerners have always made from the Jiffy box?  jk.  I remember the first time I had real southern cornbread, in Raleigh NC.  When I saw it, I wondered why it was white.  Then, when I tried a piece I wondered why it wasn't sweet.  So how did the Jiffy version become sweet (and yellow)?  This has been a mystery to me for many years!

[Bastet]

The thing about real southern cornbread is it is supposed to be is that it does not contain sugar. coming from theland where sugar is artfully used to produce the most delicious food on earth putting sugar in cornbread is for weinies, lol.

 

Yes; if you put sugar in it, it's cake.  My dad is from Oklahoma, and the first time he ordered cornbread here in Los Angeles, he was appalled.  My mom prefers it sweet, but she can take or leave cornbread anyway, so when they got married she switched to making it from my paternal grandmother's recipe.  So that's what I grew up on, and I don't like sweetened versions.  I make my grandma's recipe, but I add jalapeño (my dad loves that, too).

 

Last night I took my mom to dinner and a play as her birthday present, and we both had shrimp scampi at a local Italian restaurant.  It is so good -- whole wheat penne pasta, jumbo shrimp, green olives, sundried tomatoes, cilantro and just the right amount of sauce (I hate scampi that's closer to soup than a pasta dish) -- and I have both our leftovers, so I'll probably just make a caprese salad and kill off the pasta tonight.

[ethalfrida]

@ethalfrida:  So you're sayin' that southern cornbread isn't like the stuff we northerners have always made from the Jiffy box?  jk.  I remember the first time I had real southern cornbread, in Raleigh NC.  When I saw it, I wondered why it was white.  Then, when I tried a piece I wondered why it wasn't sweet.  So how did the Jiffy version become sweet (and yellow)?  This has been a mystery to me for many years!

Lol, Anzeepark, I don't know how it became sweet. But I think it started with restaurants. No one I knew ever served sweet cornbread. First time I had it was at Marie Callendar's (which started down the street off Highway 1). It was good for a while until my taste evolved in adulthood and I grew sick of all of the sweet savory foods. I think Mexican restaurants/cooks were the only culture that stayed true to real flavor. You notice snacks from the Latin culture are fruits and vegetables?

 

Anyway, back to cornbread... I learned to appreciate my mom's/family style of cooking after the short affair with the sweetened version. Now I can't stand it. But I can load up some butter, though. I use organic yellow cornmeal also. Most of the corn produced in the US is a GMO product. But I like the white cornmeal also.

 

Yes; if you put sugar in it, it's cake.  My dad is from Oklahoma, and the first time he ordered cornbread here in Los Angeles, he was appalled.  My mom prefers it sweet, but she can take or leave cornbread anyway, so when they got married she switched to making it from my paternal grandmother's recipe.  So that's what I grew up on, and I don't like sweetened versions.  I make my grandma's recipe, but I add jalapeño (my dad loves that, too).

 

Last night I took my mom to dinner and a play as her birthday present, and we both had shrimp scampi at a local Italian restaurant.  It is so good -- whole wheat penne pasta, jumbo shrimp, green olives, sundried tomatoes, cilantro and just the right amount of sauce (I hate scampi that's closer to soup than a pasta dish) -- and I have both our leftovers, so I'll probably just make a caprese salad and kill off the pasta tonight.

Jalapeño cornbread is smacking!

 

Your dinner with your mom sounds wonderful. She must have enjoyed it a lot even though you abscounded with the doggie bags!

[ethalfrida]

Forumfish, I have had the chile cornbread and it certainly is yummo! And I hear you on the peas and stuffing not using sweet cornbread. 

[Mountainair]

Born and raised in the south and I despise corn bread. Yuck :)!

I made up some homemade chicken noodle soup for the crock pot this morning and I'm making grilled cheese (sourdough bread, bacon, lightly fried tomatoes, red onion, freshly grated cheese) to go with for dinner tonight.

[ethalfrida]

Born and raised in the south and I despise corn bread. Yuck :)!

Sacrilege!!!!

 

However your dinner plans sound delish. Gonna have to find a recipe for gluten-free sourdough. I would love the tomato/onion sandwich!

[harrie]

Tonight was a thing with clams, chorizo, peppers, little potatoes and a little white wine. And toasted hot dog rolls for dipping,  (It should have been crusty bread, but we had hot dog rolls sitting around, so....)  It came out pretty well.  No corn bread, sweet or savory, involved though I like it well enough.

[annzeepark914]

Born and raised in the south and I despise corn bread. Yuck :)!

I made up some homemade chicken noodle soup for the crock pot this morning and I'm making grilled cheese (sourdough bread, bacon, lightly fried tomatoes, red onion, freshly grated cheese) to go with for dinner tonight.

Hmmm--maybe you should try "northern cornbread" ;>)  It's yummy hot out of the oven with butter and black raspberry jam on top! Jiffy's is ok as a mix but I'm on the search for a better mix.  I like to put a little vanilla extract in the batter--gives it a bit of depth (or somethin' like that).

Edited August 23, 2015 by annzeepark914

[Vixenstud]

Ginger garlic pork chops, buttered potatoes and broccoli.

 

Regarding cornbread....LOVE cornbread stuffing but hate cornbread alone, yuck!

 

Did somebody say they were making guacamole?  (whimpers, licks lips)

[ethalfrida]

Red beans with Andouille sausage that my cousin cooked and brought me, leftover baked chicken from Wholefoods, brown rice and a yogurt cheese pound cake. I made the cheese and decided to use it now instead of freezing for later.

[harrie]

Tonight was a pork shoulder done in the slow cooker which came out pretty well.  (Well, there's none of it left, so...)   Sides of fresh corn and RiceARoni pilaf with some zucchini and slivered almonds thrown in. 
 

I think tomorrow is tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad, tabouleh on the side. 

[KnoxForPres]

I took a day off work and went to Costco for some non-food related items.

While there, in a mad moment of lazy, it occurred to me I could get stuff for tacos. I bought tortillas, ground beef, sour cream, block of cheese, and salsa. I had lettuce and a red onion at home. Now, here's the kicker, I live alone and have a boyfriend who eats with me when I cook. But I have to say, for how much I use those ingredients I feel I spent close to regular (minus ground beef bc huge pack, but less per pound) for a "normal taco night" so my laziness felt justified.

This may be everywhere, but in the Southeast at Mexican restaurants as an appetizer lots order a "white cheese dip". Costco had 2 large things of it that I bought . Let me be the guinea pig and report back if it's worth it. I do the geography disclaimer bc my dad from New Mexico, while he likes it, said that (at least in the 60s/70s) was not on any menus.

[DeLurker]

I'm not a seasoning-packet kind of cook (except for chili mix) -- I prefer to work with single herbs and spices, and mix according to taste (and reducing the sodium and sugar). However, at the grocery store yesterday, I picked up a packet of the Crock Pot brand Savory Herb Chicken mix. It didn't look to be too salty, so I figured it was worth a shot. The recipe on the back called for baby carrots, an onion, small red potatoes, and 2.5 lbs bone-in chicken pieces.

 

I bought full-sized carrots and red potatoes and cut them into small pieces (less expensive that way) and I bought a 3.5-lb pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I hate dealing with a chicken carcass). This morning, before going to church, I put everything in the crock pot on HIGH. It was delicious, and I had enough leftovers for tomorrow night's dinner. I also had a full bowl of seasoned broth that I froze to use in a soup later (I used way more water than the seasoning packet called for, since I had more chicken).

 

Tonight's dinner was breakfast platters from Jack in the Box. Yum.

You did a nice description of the slow cooker deal, so I had to go to the store to get some to try for myself!  It's making good smells already.

[ALenore]

Last night I made spaghetti with fresh tomato and mozzarella sauce.   Very nice, lots of different colored tomatoes I bought at the Farmer's Market.   Tonight I'm making Asian Shrimp rolls, something I've never tried before.  The rolls are filled with shrimp, rice vermicelli, cabbage, and peanuts.  I'm making a mango/tomato salad on the side.   

[annzeepark914]

@Alenore:  what are you rolling these ingredients up in?  This sounds interesting!

[ALenore]

annzeepark I'm using spring roll wrappers, made of rice paper. I got them in the Asian section of the supermarket.   I've never used them before, they're really cool.  They are stiff and imprinted with a lattice pattern.  You soak them one at a time in warm water for 30 seconds and they soften and become transparent.  Then you lay them down on a kitchen towel and put the filling ingredients on the wrapper and roll it up.  For this recipe I didn't cook them, but they can be deep fried.  

[DeLurker]

 I picked up a packet of the Crock Pot brand Savory Herb Chicken mix. It didn't look to be too salty, so I figured it was worth a shot. The recipe on the back called for baby carrots, an onion, small red potatoes, and 2.5 lbs bone-in chicken pieces.

 

I liked this very much.  I did not find it salty at all and I avoid a lot of seasoning packets for this very reason.  I ended up using a whole chicken (not cut up) plus a few thigh pieces in there since we were having a couple of extra family members for dinner that night and we love leftovers.

 

The leftover chicken will be very versatile - nicely seasoned and it will go well in a salad, sandwich, in ramen noodles (my son's usual DIY lunch)...

[ALenore]

Last night I didn't doing anything fancy, just grilled chicken thighs, zucchini, and corn on the cob.  Also I roasted some potatoes to use them up before they went bad.  

 

Tonight I made some fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. They had cheddar cheese, grilled red onions, spinach, tomatoes, and bacon.  I grilled them in my panini press.  I made just two sandwiches, but cooked up enough onion and bacon for four, and I'll grill two more for lunch tomorrow.   They were very tasty.  When I cook them up tomorrow I'll probably add a little more cheese than I used tonight.   

[ethalfrida]

Last night I didn't doing anything fancy, just grilled chicken thighs, zucchini, and corn on the cob.  Also I roasted some potatoes to use them up before they went bad.  

 

Tonight I made some fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. They had cheddar cheese, grilled red onions, spinach, tomatoes, and bacon.  I grilled them in my panini press.  I made just two sandwiches, but cooked up enough onion and bacon for four, and I'll grill two more for lunch tomorrow.   They were very tasty.  When I cook them up tomorrow I'll probably add a little more cheese than I used tonight.   

Yummo!!!

[harrie]

Tonight we had seared scallops atop a bacon-corn hash with some hot pepper in there too.  Green beans on the side.  I think tomorrow is sushi. Or pizza.  I just know I'm not cooking.

[Bastet]

Tonight I made some fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. They had cheddar cheese, grilled red onions, spinach, tomatoes, and bacon.

 

Thank you -- I've finally figured out what I'm having for dinner.  That's why I love this thread.

[ALenore]

Tonight I made a salad of cannellini beans, grilled Vidalia onions, and chopped cucumber topped with two tuna steaks I had left over from last week and froze.  It came out really good.  Both meals had a lot of other things in them, so the two 5 oz. tuna steaks were  plenty enough to eat.   

[Quof]

Margarita pizza, made with homemade pizza dough (Mark Bittman recipe), with tomatoes and basil from my garden.

[Mountainair]

Tonight I made Turkey and Black Bean Chili. I served it with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Quite yummy!

For desert, Ben and Jerry's. No matter how crappy I feel I can always stomach sweets, only when I'm pregnant though. Any other time of my life I do no eat sweets.

[ALenore]

Margarita pizza, made with homemade pizza dough (Mark Bittman recipe), with tomatoes and basil from my garden.

 

 

Quof, I love the Mark Bittman recipe for pizza dough, and I use it to make Margarita pizza all the time (although the tomato and basil are from someone else's garden, not mine).

[Quof]

My basil crop is rivalling my strawberry crop from earlier this season. Any suggestions on what to do with a shit ton of basil?  Only so much pesto one can make, and I don't particularly like it.

[Mountainair]

I've seen where you can freeze it in ice cube trays with a little bit of broth for later use.

[Bastet]

Epicurious published a list of 25 dishes to use up basil.  They look pretty tasty.

 

I like making basil mayonnaise, especially for summer sandwiches (including my many BLTs).

 

I think I'm going to grill burgers tonight. 

[ALenore]

I'm going to make some banana bread today, since I have a bunch of bananas that have gone soft.   When I went to the local health food store to buy flax seed (called for in the banana bread recipe) I saw that they had yeast sold by the ounce, only $5 a pound.   This is a really good price, when I buy a jar at the supermarket, it's $7 for 4 ounces.  Prices at this health food store are generally fairly high (it's a small store, not a chain, so that's kind of expected), but I do like to buy spices there since I can buy them by the ounce in small quantities.  Now I'll start buying yeast there.   I won't need the yeast for the banana bread, but I do make bread at least once a week, and tonight I'm making sausage pizza, so I'l be using yeast for the pizza dough.   

[ethalfrida]

Is it nutritional yeast or baking yeast?

[ALenore]

ethalfrida, it's just baking yeast.  I actually did buy nutritional yeast to use in a recipe once, but I haven't used it since then.   

[Quof]

After a market run this morning, I have made strawberry salsa (getting addicted to this stuff), panzanella and tomato soup. The soup was a bisque recipe, so a little thin, but I'll make up for it with the bacon and cream in the corn chowder I'm making next. 

[QuelleC]

I'm late about the basil but I make a thick pesto with garlic cloves, olive oil and s+p.  Maybe a bit of onion. The point is to save the basil.  Yes, freeze them in ice cube trays, pop them out and put them in containers or bags and add them to Italian dishes, or add the cheese and pine nuts and add more olive oil to turn it into a proper pesto.  Dried basil is the worst.

 

Also you can turn it into a compound butter for the freezer with those same ingredients.  Same with parsley.  It's amazing to plop one of those onto a baked potato in winter.

[isalicat]

Wow - what a great topic - just discovered it having wandered over from the TFGH forum.

 

So tonight was a chicken-onion-margareita-eggplant lasagna thing. We don't eat wheat based pasta and I have not found a good gluten free lasagna noodle (although there are great gluten free pastas of all other sorts) so I substituted very thinly sliced uncooked eggplant for the noodle layer. Because I am a lazy sod, I just sauted some white onion in olive oil and then added cut up organic chicken "tenders" until all that was browned and then poured in about half a large jar of Trader Joe's no-salt-added sauce. Layered the eggplant with the chicken/sauce and ricotta and mozarella in the usual combo and baked for half hour at 350. Lovely and super easy. A little extra garlic would have been a good thing too.

[ethalfrida]

Baked chicken, plain brown rice, sliced avocado half, fermented cherry tomatos and black radish. Watermelon for dessert.  Stovetop popcorn for snack.

[Quof]

In my basil search, I hit upon this fresh tomato tart with garlic basil crust

 

http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/3547

 

I had to double check it's not a quiche, or quiche-like, since I loathe eggs.

 

I think I will just make the crust and freeze it for another day.

[Mountainair]

Going in the crockpot shortly: Brats, Sauerkraut and red potatoes.

[MargeGunderson]

A lot of cooking today - coffee muffins, banana cream pie, lemon coconut bundt cake, and brown sugar roasted garlic pot roast. Still on the docket: porchetta pork chops, Spanish roasted potatoes and roasted green beans.

[Quof]

MargeGunderson, send me some lemon coconut cake and I'll send you some basil !

[ALenore]

The banana bread I made yesterday came out really good.  I'll probably wind up freezing some of it so I don't eat it too fast.   

 

I'm making chicken stock today since I finally ran out of the stuff I made a few months ago.  I don't use chicken stock that much in the summer, just small amounts in sauces.  In fall and winter I use it often for soups and stews.   

 

For dinner I'm making something easy, grilled kielbasa, tomato salad, and creamed corn made with fresh corn on the cob.   

 

MargeGunderson I've never heard of brown sugar roasted garlic pot roast, it sounds interesting.   I assume there's just enough brown sugar to caramelize the garlic, not so much that the pot roast tastes sweet.   

[annzeepark914]

Please, may I have some pot roast? (spoken just like Oliver Twist).  Oh...and please describe porchetta pork chops and Spanish roasted potatoes.  Wish you lived next door to me, Marge! :>)

[DeLurker]

Please, may I have some pot roast? (spoken just like Oliver Twist). Oh...and please describe porchetta pork chops and Spanish roasted potatoes. Wish you lived next door to me, Marge! :>)

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