What Did We Eat Today?

[backformore]

an easy recipe for pot roast that my husband and sons ask for all the time -

2 -3 pounds of chuck roast, flank steak, or any other pot roast

1 can tomato soup

1 can cream of tomato soup

I envelope onion soup mix

 

Cut the meat into pieces, brown it a bit in a hot pan (you can dredge it in flour first, but not necessary - if short on time, you can skip the browning, but it does add some flavor) 

Mix the two cans of soup in the crockpot

add the meat

sprinkle the onion soup mix on top.

cook it a few hours on high, or longer on low, it doesn't really matter.

 

The gravy is great with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

If you want, you can put carrots or onions in with the meat.  I usually cook veggies separately.

[DeLurker]

Hee! If we all lived in the same town, we could open a restaurant together!

 

Tonight I fixed breakfast for supper -- decaf coffee, scrambled eggs (with a splash of half-and-half and a smidge of shredded cheddar), bacon and cute little biscuits that I baked in my new cupcake maker (which I discussed in the Gadgets topic). Tomorrow, I'll fill the crock pot with the fixin's for my aunt's Tex-Mex casserole. She passed away a year ago last week, so we're feeling nostalgic. We call it "Aunt Hidy's Dish" and it's really close to this recipe.

Hmmmm....reminds me that I haven't made Don Casserole in a while.  Don was my ex's stepfather and this was one of the dishes he made that was popular with the stepkids, hence the name.  I'm sure there are a million other names for this very basic dish,

 

1 lb ground beef, browned & drained

1 box elbow macaroni, cooked & drained

1 can tomato sauce

16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

 

Layer 1/2 of pasta, then ground beef, tomato sauce, cheese in casserole dish and repeat.  Heat in oven.

 

I tried gussying it up once, but it met with great resistance.  Don Casserole should not be elevated according to the ex.  I kinda agree.

[jenh526]

Hmmmm....reminds me that I haven't made Don Casserole in a while.  Don was my ex's stepfather and this was one of the dishes he made that was popular with the stepkids, hence the name.  I'm sure there are a million other names for this very basic dish,

 

We call it American Chop Suey. We leave out the cheese though except for some grated Parmesan cheese on top. And add a can of tomatoes. And just mix the whole thing together on the stovetop.

[Mountainair]

Hmmmm....reminds me that I haven't made Don Casserole in a while.  Don was my ex's stepfather and this was one of the dishes he made that was popular with the stepkids, hence the name.  I'm sure there are a million other names for this very basic dish,

 

1 lb ground beef, browned & drained

1 box elbow macaroni, cooked & drained

1 can tomato sauce

16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

 

Layer 1/2 of pasta, then ground beef, tomato sauce, cheese in casserole dish and repeat.  Heat in oven.

 

I tried gussying it up once, but it met with great resistance.  Don Casserole should not be elevated according to the ex.  I kinda agree.

I make something similar except we call it, "Lisa's Casserole" we add dried french onion soup mix and some diced tomatoes.

[QuelleC]

Sounds like homemade Hamburger Helper to me.  I do it for my kid once in a while.  Where are the herbs, people?

[MargeGunderson]

Quof  - I'll send cake, no basil necessary. I've got too much already!

 

Alenore - here's the recipe I use: How Sweet It Is' Crockpot Brown Sugar + Roasted Garlic Pulled Pot Roast Sandwiches. It's not very sweet at all. Next time I make it I'm going to cut down a little on the beer (I think it's a tad too juicy as is) and put a bunch of sliced onions in the bottom of the crock. It's delicious on a crusty roll with sharp cheddar and a bit of horseradish.

 

Annzeepark914 - here are the links to the Porchetta Pork Chops and the Spanish Roasted Potato Salad. Both are very good and easy to make.

 

I can't believe I made so much yesterday. Much of it is in the freezer now. Except for the banana cream pie, which will be gone by tomorrow. If it has bananas it's good for breakfast, right?

Edited August 31, 2015 by MargeGunderson

[Mountainair]

We call it American Chop Suey. We leave out the cheese though except for some grated Parmesan cheese on top. And add a can of tomatoes. And just mix the whole thing together on the stovetop.

That's what my MIL calls it as well. She only cooks two meals. Spaghetti and American Chop Suey. Pretty much spaghetti with long noodles or spaghetti with elbow noodles. Thus the reason we don't eat much pasta in my family despite being Italian. My husband can't stomach it after growing up on those two meals every week.

[ALenore]

We call it American Chop Suey. We leave out the cheese though except for some grated Parmesan cheese on top. And add a can of tomatoes. And just mix the whole thing together on the stovetop.

 

My mother made the same thing, but she used regular noodles instead of macaroni, and added a can of corn.  She called it "glop."  I hated it, but we had it at least once a week.   

[ethalfrida]

The spaghetti dish was one of two of my mom's one-pot wonders. She used macaroni, ground turkey, cheese and Ragu spaghetti sauce. It was so good but she only made it once or twice per month.

 

Then there was her tuna and rice. That's all... tuna mixed in with hot rice. Kids loved it.

 

Today I guess it will be El Pollo Loco style chicken salad. 

[annzeepark914]

Annzeepark914 - here are the links to the Porchetta Pork Chops and the Spanish Roasted Potato Salad. Both are very good and easy to make.

 

@Marge:  Wow--I just looked up these recipes and I love both of them already :>)  Lemon just perks up foods (savory as well as sweet) and I really like the idea of an aioli w/ the roasted potatoes. Thanks for sharing!

[DeLurker]

Yum - El Pollo Loco!

 

I miss the crazy chicken since moving from CA.

[mansonlamps]

We had one lonely El Pollo Loco location in Illinois and, alas, it closed. Damn.

[ethalfrida]

Yum - El Pollo Loco!

 

I miss the crazy chicken since moving from CA.

 

 

We had one lonely El Pollo Loco location in Illinois and, alas, it closed. Damn.

Isn't it addicting???!!! One time I made so me by mistake by using oil, garlic and citrus of some kind. Some othet stuff I can't remember because I wasn't trying to duplicate it. But I think they have copycat recipes online that come close.

 

I am surprised they aren't nationwide, though. But, there are some places that do not have restaurants like Chipotle either.

 

So what do you all have available to you in the way of fast but healthy foods?

[mansonlamps]

I think the closest thread for fast but healthy would be http://forums.previously.tv/topic/27888-fast-casual-its-all-the-rage/#entry1385858.

Edited September 1, 2015 by mansonlamps

[Quof]

I just had my first pumpkin pie Blizzard of the season!

[DeLurker]

Was that dinner?

[ALenore]

Last night I made chicken, mushroom, and kale chimichangas.  I wasn't sure how much to fill each one, so there was enough left over to use for something else.  The recipe suggest using it for tacos or enchiladas, which I may do.

 

Tonight I'm making tilapia po'boys.  I'll have grapes and baby carrots on the side.   

[Quof]

Was that dinner?

You got a problem with that???  

 

: )

 

[annzeepark914]

Oh yeahhhhhh...tonight's dinner featured grilled marinated portobello mushrooms AND that fabulous Spanish Roasted Potato Salad (which I served "de-constructed"...had the aioli on the side), and sliced tomatoes with fresh basil (the tomatoes are from Michigan--pretty good but does anyone get tomatoes that taste as great as they did back in the day, maybe the 80's?).  I had to tone down the aioli...way too tart...so I added more mayo and then added Trader Joe's Aioli Mustard Sauce and that was so delicious.  Thanks again, Marge. And that's a good recipe website too.  Halfway through the meal I realized that we were eating a vegetarian dinner (I always think of mushrooms as meat for some crazy reason).

[DeLurker]

Made the Don Casserole (the name used in our house) yesterday.  And it may be a very basic dish and certainly nothing special, but it was enjoyed.  My daughter asked to take some for lunch today (she asked at dinner while she was eating) and I had seconds which almost never happens.

[Mountainair]

Tonight was Day 2 of the Tex-Mex casserole and there's enough for one more night, but we'll wait until Thursday. Tomorrow, I'll try baked potatoes in the crock pot. Mom saw it on The Kitchen this weekend. We usually steam broccoli and grill chicken to put on our taters.

I do potatoes in the crock pot all the time. When I was on a big baked potato kick a while back I'd take one, wrap it in foil, place it in the crock pot on high and head to the office for a few hours. By the time I got home at noon with the kiddos the potato was perfectly baked. My lunch was ready and I just had to make something for the kids.

[ALenore]

I just now decided to change what I'm making for dinner.  I was going to make One Pan Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach.  But then I was talking with my husband and said I'd like to try out the bread I just made, it's sandwich bread, made from the same dough I normally use to make baguettes.  I also made some mayonnaise this morning, which I've never done before.   He suggested BLTs, which would work out great since we have some really nice tomatoes still left from the Farmers's Market. I'll make the pasta tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to trying out the BLTs.  

[ethalfrida]

I just now decided to change what I'm making for dinner.  I was going to make One Pan Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach.  But then I was talking with my husband and said I'd like to try out the bread I just made, it's sandwich bread, made from the same dough I normally use to make baguettes.  I also made some mayonnaise this morning, which I've never done before.   He suggested BLTs, which would work out great since we have some really nice tomatoes still left from the Farmers's Market. I'll make the pasta tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to trying out the BLTs.  

That sounds delicious! Fresh, healthy, indulgent ingredients.

[annzeepark914]

I made the Barefoot Contessa's Eggplant Gratin for dinner tonight.  We demolished it!  I used Trader Joe's Arrabbiatta sauce for the marinara & IMO it was the best tasting eggplant gratin I've ever made. I like to add some seasonings to it--a little garlic powder and a little Tuscan Sunset, and of course, extra parmesan ;>)

 

@ALenore: Let us know how your home made bread and mayo turns out.  I made mayonnaise only once.  It was good and I should try it again (altho' having Hellmann's around is pretty good too).  I'm also intrigued with your One Pan Pasta.

Edited September 2, 2015 by annzeepark914

[MargeGunderson]

I just now decided to change what I'm making for dinner.  I was going to make One Pan Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach.  But then I was talking with my husband and said I'd like to try out the bread I just made, it's sandwich bread, made from the same dough I normally use to make baguettes.  I also made some mayonnaise this morning, which I've never done before.   He suggested BLTs, which would work out great since we have some really nice tomatoes still left from the Farmers's Market. I'll make the pasta tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to trying out the BLTs.

ALenore, are you willing to share your baguette recipe? That's on my list of things to make the fall, along with kouing aman.

I made pasta with red & green peppers, tomatoes, mini meatballs and a cream/Parmesan sauce.

[ALenore]

The  BLT with homemade mayo came out great.   I've never made mayonnaise before, and when I first tried it yesterday it didn't set.  I found a solution on the internet, in which you beat another egg yolk with some lemon juice and mustard, then gradually add the non-set mayo a little at a time while whisking.  I tried it and it worked fine.  I started off using a hand whisk, then changed to a stick blender about halfway through.

 

The recipe I use for baguettes is from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-artisan-bread-325571.  I form the dough into a baguette instead of a round loaf.  You can use the same dough to make regular sandwich bread, but I never tried it until today.  I don't use sandwich bread that often, so I usually just buy a loaf at the grocery store and freeze it.  But this recipe was really easy to do, so I might start making it more often.  

[Mountainair]

I know this is awful of me but tonight I had homemade pickles and ice cream for dinner. The rest of the family had home made chicken pot pie leftovers but I was not feeling that tonight.

[EllieH]

Tortellini with meatballs, peas and vodka sauce

[Qoass]

I made Chicken Shawarma last night.  I've never had the real thing so I don't know how authentic it was but my, was it tasty!

[ethalfrida]

I made Chicken Shawarma last night.  I've never had the real thing so I don't know how authentic it was but my, was it tasty!

Where do you live thatbhave not had it? 

[Qoass]

Oh, there's a shawarma place right down the street.  I just don't eat out much.  It's more fun (and cheaper) to noodle around in my own kitchen.

[ALenore]

I made the one pan pasta with spinach and tomatoes tonight.  I came out better this time than the last time, since I used a frying pan to cook it.  The last time I used a Dutch oven, and it never cooked down enough.  I saw an article in Slate about the recipe, and the article mentioned using a skillet.   A previous recipe I saw just showed a picture from straight above, and it looked like they were using a Dutch oven, so that's what I used.   

[mansonlamps]

I made Chicken Shawarma last night.  I've never had the real thing so I don't know how authentic it was but my, was it tasty!

Someone else posted a recipe a while ago that sounded really good but it seemed like it had a ton of ingredients and would be a lot of work. Where did you get your recipe?

[Tabbyclaw]

Not dinner, but a recipe that's been lunch for the past few days: coconut curry chicken soup. The recipe on that page is not entirely accurate -- if you look at the pictures in the linked blog post those are clearly snap peas rather than snow peas, and she is either pre-soaking the rice noodles or not using nearly as many as pictured if her soup is actually turning out to be soup and not just noodles in a lot of sauce -- but after a little trial and error it's a dead easy recipe that tastes great and reheats well.

[Qoass]

 

Where did you get your recipe?

 

 

New York Times:

 

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017161-oven-roasted-chicken-shawarma

 

 

[DeLurker]

ETA: this is response to Tabbyclaw's post on the coconut curried chicken soup.

 

In my experience, the vermicelli rice noodles are not normally cooked in the soup but rather soaked in some hot water separately to soften them up (for a few minutes) and then drained and added right at the end.  If they sit in the liquid to long it changes their texture. 

 

Also, there is a big brand difference between the vermicelli noodles.  I strongly prefer the Kimbo Hsinchu Rice Sticks (thin) (look for a green wreath and a red rooster on the package).  Also, I find the products from Taiwan more suited for my tastes - they hold together better, the texture is better, etc...I have to go to the Asian markets to find mine, but there's a zillion different brands and not all the stores carry the one I want. 

 

And now I need to make a rice noodle dish this weekend because I am easily influenced.

Edited September 4, 2015 by DeLurker

[PRgal]

Ordered in AGAIN.  This time, pub food.  Wings, onion rings, veggies and dip. :)

[ALenore]

A few weeks ago I opened a jar of Chipotle Pepper Jelly, which I order from a place in Vermont called Catamount Farms.   I really like the stuff, I order 4 jars at a time and use it over the course of a few months.   The jar I opened had actually been bought back in May, but I hadn't opened it until the other week because I was still using the remaining jar of the last batch.  To my surprise, it was so thin and watery I couldn't spread it on crackers, or anything else.   All the other 3 jars were the same.   I called the company to complain.  They were very nice, they apologized,  said they'd had a problem with a prior batch, and sent me 4 new jars. 

 

Since then I've been trying to figure out what to do with the runny stuff. It tastes fine, but is just too thin to spread on anything.  Last night I decided to use it as a glaze on chicken breasts.  It worked out great. I even boiled some down to use as a dipping sauce.  The boiled down version is too hot to use as a spread, but is fine mixed with other things. 

 

Tonight I'm grilling burgers for the holiday weekend.    I had planned to buy steaks from the vendor at the Farmers' Market, but he was out of everything but roasts.  I had already bought ground beef from another vendor, so I just switched to hamburgers which I'll grill along with corn and zucchini.  

 

Since the dinner is so simple, I decided to make a nice dessert, I baked a Blueberry Peach Buckle, which I'm looking forward to trying,  

[annzeepark914]

Not dinner, but a recipe that's been lunch for the past few days: coconut curry chicken soup. The recipe on that page is not entirely accurate -- if you look at the pictures in the linked blog post those are clearly snap peas rather than snow peas, and she is either pre-soaking the rice noodles or not using nearly as many as pictured if her soup is actually turning out to be soup and not just noodles in a lot of sauce -- but after a little trial and error it's a dead easy recipe that tastes great and reheats well.

@Tabbyclaw:  Yum!  I love chicken curry and I love that well known Thai soup (tom gai??) so I plan to make this coconut curry chicken soup.  You're so right--trial and error, and then you figure out how to make this soup the way you want it to be.  Thanks for sharing :>)

[QuelleC]

This week I found out you can get 3 meals out of a 28oz can of Aldi baked beans and 2 hot dogs.  A .39 peach yogurt goes great, it keeps longer than milk.  Pretzels for breakfast.  I might splurge on the 1.49 chicken pot pie tonight or save it for tomorrow.  But I never eat 3 meals. Got 2 ok tomatoes out of the garden today.  Bad tomato diseases this year.  I'll take those and make some rice and curry powder for tomorrow. I've been out of bread for a week so I baked some. I'm out of practice but it stretched a few $3 a dozen eggs into french toast. 

 

ETA I find myself with questionable onions but I plan to batter and fry them soon!

Edited September 7, 2015 by QuelleC

[annzeepark914]

I made grilled portobello mushrooms again - had them with roasted red bell peppers and aioli on ciabatta.  Also made a watermelon "salad" with small cubes of melon, cubes of feta cheese and Greek mixed olives in a marinade from Wegman's Mediterranean bar.  I sprinkled some chopped fresh mint in the watermelon mix and it was reallllly delicious!   I think tomorrow I may try the Porchetta Pork using a pork tenderloin instead of chops (since I have a tenderloin already).

[ALenore]

I made a big panzanella salad today, using my home made bread and a bunch of different colored tomatoes I bought at the Farmers' Market.  There's still plenty of the Peach Blueberry Buckle left from yesterday, so that will be our dessert.   

 

The coconut curry chicken soup looks really good,  I think I'll try it next week to use up the rest of the box of rice noodles I have in my pantry.   

[harrie]

Tonight was country pork ribs and corn on the cob on the grill, with sweet potatoes and apples (mashed up together).  Tomorrow is a chicken thing* with green beans on the side. 

 

 

*Skinless, boneless breasts.  Way back, someone asked why people eat skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  In my case, because the nutritionist and physician act like it's the only thing I should eat (except for broiled fish with steamed vegetables, of course).  

[Quof]

*Skinless, boneless breasts.  Way back, someone asked why people eat skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

That was me.  I was trying to figure out if we had a nuclear event that caused mutated chickens, because I've been able to find chickens with bones.  I've never found a way to prepare boneless, skinless chicken that is anywhere near as tasty and juicy as chicken cooked on the bone. 

[DeLurker]

Made the rice noodle dish yesterday and it turned out pretty good.  When I have this around I tend to eat it every chance I get so it is most likely going to be what I have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

Growing up we just called referred to it as "rice noodles", but the closest recipe I could find for it was for fried bee hoon.  I add a lot more vegetables - thin sliced celery, matchstick carrots, green onions, bok choy, bean sprouts...but don't add the garlic or chilis.

[ALenore]

*Skinless, boneless breasts.  Way back, someone asked why people eat skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  In my case, because the nutritionist and physician act like it's the only thing I should eat (except for broiled fish with steamed vegetables, of course).

 

I read an article last year about chicken thighs, saying they were better than breasts since they had more flavor.  In the comments, someone went on and on about the fact that chicken thighs had twice!! as much fat as chicken breasts, so that obviously they were less healthy and you should never eat them.  Someone else responded with a very good point: the fact that thighs have almost twice as much fat as breasts only matters if all you ate for the entire day was chicken thighs or chicken breast.  Chicken breasts have 140 calories and 7 grams of total fat per 3 ounces , chicken thighs have 180 calories and 13 grams of fat. The difference between the two for the amount you'd normally eat in one day, say 3 to 6 ounces, is 40 to 80 calories and 4 to 8 grams of fat, certainly not enough  to make much of a difference in your total caloric intake.  If you're watching calories that closely, and you want to eat chicken thighs, just cut 80 calories and 8 grams of fat from some other part of your diet.   

[harrie]

That was me.  I was trying to figure out if we had a nuclear event that caused mutated chickens, because I've been able to find chickens with bones.  I've never found a way to prepare boneless, skinless chicken that is anywhere near as tasty and juicy as chicken cooked on the bone. 

 

Oh, I completely agree. But I've been fighting the weight battle for some time, and despite all my levels (including blood sugar and triglycerides) falling in the normal range, the doc continues to press the diet thing. One of her pet things is boneless, skinless chicken breasts to get protein with less fat.  At least she's an improvement over the one who proposed grilled or steamed fish with steamed vegetables every day.

 

 

 

I read an article last year about chicken thighs, saying they were better than breasts since they had more flavor.  In the comments, someone went on and on about the fact that chicken thighs had twice!! as much fat as chicken breasts, so that obviously they were less healthy and you should never eat them.  Someone else responded with a very good point: the fact that thighs have almost twice as much fat as breasts only matters if all you ate for the entire day was chicken thighs or chicken breast.  Chicken breasts have 140 calories and 7 grams of total fat per 3 ounces , chicken thighs have 180 calories and 13 grams of fat. The difference between the two for the amount you'd normally eat in one day, say 3 to 6 ounces, is 40 to 80 calories and 4 to 8 grams of fat, certainly not enough  to make much of a difference in your total caloric intake.  If you're watching calories that closely, and you want to eat chicken thighs, just cut 80 calories and 8 grams of fat from some other part of your diet.   

 

1)  Which is probably a large part of why they taste better.

2)  That's just easier to do for some people than others.  It's not that easy for me.

 

Since I've ventured out of what's for dinner and into weight loss/diet, I'll drop it there - except to say that I made Chicken in Chile, Garlic and Vinegar Sauce, so hopefully the flavors will soak in and cover up for the blah that is a boneless breast.

 

 

ETA: The chicken was very good, by the way.

Edited September 9, 2015 by harrie

[annzeepark914]

*Skinless, boneless breasts.  Way back, someone asked why people eat skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  In my case, because the nutritionist and physician act like it's the only thing I should eat (except for broiled fish with steamed vegetables, of course).  

Well...no one's told me to eat only skinless, boneless chicken breasts but--they don't have to.  I like 'em!  I also like chicken breasts on the bone w/ skin (but only when I roast them & then remove the skin).  Any recipe I see that mentions chicken thighs I either skip over, or, substitute chicken breasts because to me, chicken thighs are the dark meat of the chicken and that flavor makes me gag.  To each his/her own, I guess.  There are plenty of recipes, IMO, in which boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used and are pretty tasty.

[BooksRule]

I had a dinner tonight that was different than I had planned.  I had wanted to fix some chicken stir fry, but the power went off at work around lunchtime today and when it came back on about an hour and a half later, the air conditioning didn't kick on.  Something had blown out in the system somewhere, and it will be sometime tomorrow before it's fixed.  Well, with the temperature in the low 90s outside, it didn't take long for it to start to get warm inside.  I was so happy to leave and get home to my nice cool house, but I felt sorry for the staff who have to work tonight until 11pm and for the students who will be trying to study up on the third floor.  Anyway, I didn't feel like cooking and wanted something nice and cool, so I had a bowl of sliced strawberries right from the fridge and a big 'Kind-of-Chef Salad' (meaning a green salad with cheese and a little deli ham, but no boiled egg or turkey).  It was good, but I hadn't had enough calories for the day, so I fixed a big bowl of popcorn to munch on.  The stir fry will wait until tomorrow.

[harrie]

Well...no one's told me to eat only skinless, boneless chicken breasts but--they don't have to.  I like 'em!  I also like chicken breasts on the bone w/ skin (but only when I roast them & then remove the skin).  Any recipe I see that mentions chicken thighs I either skip over, or, substitute chicken breasts because to me, chicken thighs are the dark meat of the chicken and that flavor makes me gag.  To each his/her own, I guess.  There are plenty of recipes, IMO, in which boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used and are pretty tasty.

 

annzeeparker914, I don't eat the skin either - have never ever liked it.  And I don't mind skinless, boneless breasts much; they remind me a little of when the in-laws had a party or function or whatever, milk-fed veal was always served and raved about.  I never understood the big deal because it tasted like nothing (never mind my feelings on how it's raised).  I think skinless boneless breasts can be a lot like the veal in that it's more how you prepare them - as you point out, there are plenty of recipes in which they come out tasty - than that they have a lot of taste by themselves. Just my opinion.

Edited September 9, 2015 by harrie