What Did We Eat Today?

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

I feel very strongly about this point - more so than I should admit.

I have no problem with this. IF there are leftovers tonight, they will certainly take on the form of a giant blob of noodles by tomorrow. Still tasty, but not the same.

[NewDigs]

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I'm so glad you do it at that point.  I like noodles in general, but HATE how they slurp up all the broth in a soup if left in too long.  My Mom would make the best turkey bone soup post-holiday meals, but those damn noodles always sucked up the yummy liquid so I had to get some early to save it from the noodle sponges.

I feel very strongly about this point - more so than I should admit.

My mom similarly abused rice. The thought of her chicken rice soup still makes me gag.

I'm reheating the navy bean, hambone soup I slow cooked last week. With a couple of slices of warmed rye bread and some slaw? Yum.

[MargeGunderson]

I am eating saltines, as my acid reflux is very active tonight. I wish for a vanilla milkshake!

[biakbiak]

3 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I'm so glad you do it at that point.  I like noodles in general, but HATE how they slurp up all the broth in a soup if left in too long.  My Mom would make the best turkey bone soup post-holiday meals, but those damn noodles always sucked up the yummy liquid so I had to get some early to save it from the noodle sponges.

I feel very strongly about this point - more so than I should admit.

I cook the noodles separately and only enough for however many things we are going to eat that night. If their are leftovers I just make more noodles when I want to eat them.

[annzeepark914]

I do the same when I make chicken soup...cook the noodles separately.  It's tricky when making lasagna as those noodles absorb so much sauce.  Same thing with pasta salads...I have to remind myself to make extra dressing.

Tonight we had Turkish Chicken (actually I just called it that so it wouldn't sound like boring ol' baked chicken breasts--I just put Turkish seasoning on the chicken & marinated in a vinaigrette) plus baked tomatoes au gratin and reheated green beans.

[DeLurker]

We had a hectic day and some commitments to keep during our normal dinner time frame.  We ended up going to McDonald's drive thru and it was taking quite  a while even though there really weren't that many people there.  Turns out our wait was longer than normal because they were making a fresh batch of fries.  There are few things better than McDonald's fries that have just been made.

[biakbiak]

Fettuccine Alfredo with leftover roast chicken.

[biakbiak]

I tried Giada's Broiled herb mustard salmon, it was absolutely delicious, served it with a isreali couscous brussel sprout salad. I love when a meal that takes less than 20 minutes is fabulous. 

[DeLurker]

Had a world class migraine yesterday afternoon so dinner in the DeLurker household was forage for yourselves.  I ended up eating spinach & artichoke hummus with pita chips.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

Had a world class migraine yesterday afternoon so dinner in the DeLurker household was forage for yourselves.  I ended up eating spinach & artichoke hummus with pita chips.

Hope you feel better today, DeLurker.  

[JTMacc99]

Pizza by request. They didn't have to twist my arm. 

[annzeepark914]

Well, tonight was international night I guess.  My husband has a friend staying overnight so he decided to cook a pork roast in sauerkraut. Whoa...I'm not eatin' that!  So I made peanut noodles and then sauted a couple salmon fillets in a little sesame oil with seasonings.  We had one of those Duncan Hines little cakes (chocolate w/ fudgy frosting) for dessert.  The sauerkraut is the mild stuff from Wegman's which I've had on hot dogs and it's good (but don't cook me anything in sauerkraut, puhleez).  When I emailed a friend about the pork in sauerkraut and that I wouldn't eat it, she said to let her know the next time and she'll eat my portion :>)

[chessiegal]

Tuesday afternoon I had a long meeting. It was cool and rainy. I had fresh green beans at home, so I decided to pick up a rotisserie chicken and some pre-made mashed potatoes. I steamed the green beans and nuked the potatoes. My husband declared it the best dinner we had in a long time. Ouch! I cook almost every night. Granted I have a rotation of meals, but I try to make healthy meals, grilled salmon and chicken, chicken or shrimp stir-fry, chicken fajitas, fish tacos. I guess he was glad to have something different. Tonight I made a cheesy chicken noodle casserole with the leftover rotisserie chicken. Not calorie friendly, but another hit. Oh well.

[annzeepark914]

You just never know what'll be a hit.  Last night I made potato salad to go with ham steak and steamed broccoli.  Mr. P914 loved that potato salad (haven't made it in a long time...maybe since warmer weather).  I personally adore rotisserie chicken!

[DeLurker]

Quote

 I personally adore rotisserie chicken!

Me too.

My stomach has been very picky lately because of stress.  I ate artichoke & spinach hummus* with carrot & celery sticks.

*The hummus was by Boar's Head who I only know from the deli meats.  It was good stuff.

[annzeepark914]

I love hummus that is made by  Middle Easterners (not by me!) because it's so light.  Mr. P914 has worked in the Middle East quite a bit and one day he was sitting at the counter of a cafe and watched the owner making hummus.  He said the man put in chickpeas, lemon juice and not much else (and NO tahini) and their hummus was very light and airy and delicious.  One of these days I need to try this.

[Lisin]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

I love hummus that is made by  Middle Easterners (not by me!) because it's so light.  Mr. P914 has worked in the Middle East quite a bit and one day he was sitting at the counter of a cafe and watched the owner making hummus.  He said the man put in chickpeas, lemon juice and not much else (and NO tahini) and their hummus was very light and airy and delicious.  One of these days I need to try this.

I've also heard from several sources that you really do need to take the skins off the chickpeas for it to be perfect. They say it's a gigantic pain, but that if you skip that step you get "fine" hummus but not dreamy creamy delicious perfect hummus.

[Quof]

Pizza at my house.  Not sure what toppings I'm using yet.  Whatever vegetables are already cut up, then either feta or goat's cheese.

A colleague once asked "Where do you get your pizza?"  "In my kitchen."  "No, where do you buy pizza?"  "Why would I buy pizza?"  

It's like Starbucks, when they try to sell me those mass produced, factory frozen and shipped cookies, and they keep trying.  B*#ch, lemme show you what a real cookie looks like.

[BooksRule]

Quote

He said the man put in chickpeas, lemon juice and not much else (and NO tahini) and their hummus was very light and airy and delicious.  One of these days I need to try this.

That sounds really good.  I've been wanting to make my own hummus, but tahini is expensive and I don't know what I would do with the leftover in the jar before it went bad on me.  I have chickpeas in the pantry (I was going to try making some roasted chickpeas for snacking) and some lemons for juicing.  I might try making some hummus this weekend.

I was going to bake up a deli pizza for dinner, but just got home after picking up a prescription and making a Wal Mart run, so I'm too hungry to wait for the pizza to bake.  So I'm having a pimento cheese sandwich along with some 'Hint of Lime' Tostito chips and salsa.

[DeLurker]

I did a quick google and came up with this from Cook's Illustrated:

But when we saw a recipe for hummus in Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s cookbook Jerusalem that used baking soda to make the process easier, we decided to give it a try. Ottolenghi and Tamimi stir baking soda into dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight and drained. They heat the mixture in a pot for a few minutes before adding water and cooking the chickpeas as usual. The alkaline environment created by the baking soda helps break down the pectin in the beans, softening the beans’ skins so well that they disintegrate during cooking and are easily rinsed away.

We wondered if a similar approach might work for canned chickpeas as well. Sure enough, it did, with just a few modifications. For our method, toss the rinsed and drained chickpeas with baking soda (1½ teaspoons per 14-ounce can) and then heat them in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the beans are hot. Transfer the beans to a large bowl and wash with three or four changes of cold water, all the while agitating the beans vigorously between your hands to release the skins, which will float easily away. Easy, creamy hummus? Yes, please.

[MargeGunderson]

Lunch was cheesesteaks from a recipe in the latest Bon Appetite. I've never had an authentic cheesesteak but these were pretty darn good! 

[annzeepark914]

It was "free for all" night, trying to use up leftovers.  But I was in the mood for something different so I sauted cremini mushrooms and then made a quesadilla with them and the last slice of Swiss cheese & some interesting cheddar I got at TJ's a while back, plus mild banana pepper rings.  Now that was very good!!  And what was interesting is that the flour tortillas are the smaller size, like about 8".  I've never seen flour tortillas that small before.  Is this something new?

Edited January 23, 2017 by annzeepark914

[JTMacc99]

10 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

 Is this something new?

I don't think so. Those are fajita size.

[biakbiak]

Isreali couscous and tuna salad with hot peppers, olives and shaved brussel sprouts.

[NutMeg]

I wish there was a thread where the hopeless cooks could get advice. Not that I'm really hopeless, more that my repertoire of great dishes is rather repetitive. And sometimes I have no idea how to cook what if it's not in my ballpark.

[chessiegal]

3 minutes ago, NutMeg said:

I wish there was a thread where the hopeless cooks could get advice. Not that I'm really hopeless, more that my repertoire of great dishes is rather repetitive. And sometimes I have no idea how to cook what if it's not in my ballpark.

Can you find some local cooking classes? I learned to cook by reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows on PBS. And practice, practice, practice.

[JTMacc99]

1 hour ago, NutMeg said:

I wish there was a thread where the hopeless cooks could get advice. Not that I'm really hopeless, more that my repertoire of great dishes is rather repetitive. And sometimes I have no idea how to cook what if it's not in my ballpark.

I think we could ask those questions in the I Need a Recipe thread.  Seems like that would fit perfectly there.

And to add on to what @chessiegal said about practice, practice, practice, I would add that no fear of failure helps a lot.  Because failures happen. Hopefully not a lot, but cooking is creative work. Stuff goes wrong. Just make sure you have sandwich fixings or a box of mac and cheese handy when you're experimenting is always my plan.

And I also learned a boatload of my basic kitchen skills by watching TV.  

Edited January 26, 2017 by JTMacc99

[DeLurker]

@NutMeg - I think the I Need a Recipe thread is a good start.  And when someone talks about a dish they made that turned out well, they've been very open to sharing when someone else asks.  And I haven't done it here (yet), but I find prefacing a question with EILIF (Explain in like I'm Five) communicates my interest, but I'm a beginner. 

[annzeepark914]

Too bad the Barefoot Contessa isn't on much any more.  That was a friendly & interesting cooking show for all levels of cooks.  America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country are good shows to watch to learn more about preparing different foods.

What's for dinner?  I'm trying to lose a bit of weight so I'm having a tuna salad with a tossed salad on the side.  Love to add chopped apple & also put fresh lemon juice in it (the lemon juice tames the fishiness of the tuna which I don't like) + a little mayo.  

[chessiegal]

We're having vegetarian chili that I made for my Fun Lunch pot luck today. I made a double batch knowing there would be leftovers. It's a recipe I've adapted over the years. The original was a WW recipe, but I've adapted it based on a recipe the "Jazzy Vegetarian" did on her PBS show, and even some ingredients Panera Bread puts in their turkey chili (garbanzo beans and edamame).

[DeLurker]

Pork fried rice (with scrambled eggs) - made it without the eggs on Tuesday when my nephew was over and is allergic to eggs.  Scrambled eggs are a critical component in my kids' opinion, so tonight I made some more with lots of eggs.

[JTMacc99]

13 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Pork fried rice (with scrambled eggs) - made it without the eggs on Tuesday when my nephew was over and is allergic to eggs.  Scrambled eggs are a critical component in my kids' opinion, so tonight I made some more with lots of eggs.

I agree with your kids. 

[ethalfrida]

Okra/pepper/onion/tomato medley over brown rice, baked chicken wings and avocado.

[JTMacc99]

Chicken and broccoli stir fry tonight with jasmine rice. 

[ariel]

French Onion Soup.  I use  Jarlsberg Cheese & chicken stock instead of beef.

[MargeGunderson]

Chicken korma with peas, brown rice and naan. 

[annzeepark914]

Stouffer's Thai style Chicken and Ginger.  It's the dinner in the bag thing.  We'd never had it before but it's been sitting in the freezer for a while.  I sprinkled a little garlic powder and Mural of Flavor on it and it was quite good--especially on a night when nobody felt like cooking.  I like to keep one of these dinner bags in the freezer for such nights.

[MargeGunderson]

Brisket and onions, slow cooked for 8 hours. Haven't decided if it's going to be sandwiches with sharp cheddar or with roasted Brussels sprouts. 

[JTMacc99]

Kids are out with their mom, so big mixed greens salad and the last bit of the eye round roast in my fridge cut super thin and stacked on a roll with some mayo and a little lettuce. 

[annzeepark914]

Chicken curry.  I had half an apple sitting on the counter so I peeled and chopped it and threw that in as well.  Served the curry with basmati rice which I'm beginning to like more & more these days, and a tossed salad.

[Sandman87]

Dinner wasn't interesting, but I had a hankering for raisin bread to go with it. Unfortunately there was none, so I improvised: Plain white bread with honey, raisins, and cinnamon. Even better than the real thing.

[biakbiak]

We had people over for the SAGs so mushroom and carmalized onion quiche with a spinach salad and banana cream pie for dessert.

[Qoass]

Ham from the slow cooker with butternut squash and pineapple fried rice.

Which means next week will be ham and bean soup for days.  Can't wait!

[BooksRule]

Quote

pineapple fried rice.

That sounds delicious and I don't even know what's in it (except for pineapple and rice, that is).  I love pretty much all dishes that include rice (white or brown).

I'm back on my diet, so it's two baked chicken thighs with Cajun seasoning on them and some roasted whole okra.  That probably won't fill me up, so I might have some popcorn later for snack.  

[Spunkygal]

10 hours ago, Qoass said:

Ham from the slow cooker with butternut squash and pineapple fried rice.

Which means next week will be ham and bean soup for days.  Can't wait!

Ham and bean soup? What was your address again? Love!!!

[chessiegal]

Beef Burgundy in the slow cooker. It's an ATK recipe that calls for browning half the beef and sautéing up bacon - my inadequate hood in the bottom of the overhead microwave couldn't keep up with the smoke, so my husband was fanning the smoke alarm with a kitchen towel while my kitty hid as far away as she could get. It worked but not soon enough before my ears are still ringing. Nothing like excitement before 8 am.

[annzeepark914]

@chessiegal:  Like Ina says, it's not a great meal unless the fire department shows up (or somethin' like that!).  Of course she was referring to grilling.  We actually did have the fire dept show up one night, about a year or so ago but it turned out to be a bad smoke detector that had to be replaced.  But at the time I was saute-ing mushrooms and thought it was my fault.  Really embarrassing to face the firemen and tell them there was no fire.

[chessiegal]

It was worthy of a slapstick skit - poor cat was so conflicted, having her breakfast interrupted, looking both confused and scared, running in circles before she ran to another part of the house. My husband fanning the smoke alarm until it stopped, only to have it come on again. Who knew sautéing was a 2 person job?

[mansonlamps]

West African peanut chicken with jasmine rice and garlicky kale.  Courtesy of The Blue Apron.

[Qoass]

I nuked a couple pieces of brie on a wheat tortilla and it was disturbingly tasty.