Dinner! 2007

[wattacetti]

That looks great!!!!! Especially at $10 a head.  Looks enjoyable.  Were you worried at any point with that budget?  I woudn't know where to start with so little money.

Allan

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You'd be surprised at what you can do with that amount and it's a whole lot easier with a well-stocked pantry. There's going to be nothing huge portion wise: all seasonal (and local) fruits and vegetables, and your proteins are generally interesting selections that you're going to have to transform into something really tasty.

Most of my budget went to acquiring fish.

[fryguy]

Very tasty. Looks like you're searing the loin and finishing in the oven. Yes?

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Yes.

[Marlene]

A rare post lately for me, to the dinner! thread.

Ham steaks with bourbon butter, glazed carrots and potatoes dauphonaise

[GTO]

fryguy - Great looking meat. Perfectly cooked!

It kinda looks like a little Pork Turtle, lol.

In a good way.

Edited September 12, 2007 by GTO (log)

[Shelby]

fryguy - Great looking meat. Perfectly cooked!

It kinda looks like a little Pork Turtle, lol.

In a good way.

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LOL you're right it does! How cute!

[WiscoNole]

allan -

maybe a hit of 30 minutes at a high hear for a crisper skin?  what kind of cheese did you have on the beet salad - goat or feta?

lunfortunately john can't stand beets so if i see them out  - especially salad i go for it.

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Suzilightning,

Yeah, I can't figure out if I did something differently than usual or if it's the bird. Next time I get a bird from this farm I'll try a higher heat somewhere in the process. On the beet salad is goat cheese and a walnut dressing (forgot to get walnuts to toast for the salad). Too bad for John (your SI?) not liking beets. Most people I make roasted beets for don't think they'll like them even before they've tried them, but thats because the last time they had them was from a can.

Allan

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Start it off at 500 and make sure it's coated in oil. Turn it down to 375 after the skin gets some nice color. Baste every 15 minutes.

[C. sapidus]

Thai tonight: “barbecued” chicken thighs (actually baked and then grilled); cucumber salad with tamarind and garden tomatoes; and coconut rice. The boys and a visiting friend scarfed it all down enthusiastically. More on Thai cooking at home.

[DesertCulinary]

Last night we had a Chipotle Chicken and Tomato Soup...

And tonight I made a Whole Wheat Pasta Arrabbiata with Arugula...

[Lisa1349]

Last night I made chopped meat using the Mark Bittman method - cutting into chunks and pulsing in food processor - excellent results. Season and chilled and threw on the grill for bacon cheeseburgers. I used a boneless chuck roast for the meat.

Night before I pan roasted a turkey london broil (boneless skinless breast) I start on top of the stove and finish in the oven to keep it moist. I make a pan gravy/buerre blanc with pan drippings and apple cider vinegar. My husband calls it "buerre not so blanc". On the side I had a Near east whole grain thingy with bulgur and brown rice (bought this a long time ago- don't know why and wanted to use it up) to which I folded in arugula and blue cheese after cooking. I love greens folded into warm grains.

In hindsight serving buerre blanc with blue cheese in the side dish was a bit rich - but yummy! I'll have to start photographing dinners as well as breakfasts!

[Vicious Wadd]

A rare post lately for me, to the dinner! thread.

Ham steaks with bourbon butter, glazed carrots and potatoes dauphonaise

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The carrots look perfect! How did you glaze them? Looks like you got great caramelization. Did you add any sugar or honey to the braising liquid?

[Jensen]

Last night we had a Chipotle Chicken and Tomato Soup...

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That looks incredible. Is it really as simple as outlined in your blog? no onions? no garlic? just those couple of ingredients?

[DesertCulinary]

That looks incredible. Is it really as simple as outlined in your blog? no onions? no garlic? just those couple of ingredients?

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Hi Jensen - you will find the full recipe when you click on the link at the bottom of the post under "recipes" . No onions, but I did use a couple cloves of garlic!

[little ms foodie]

Haven't had time to post lately and then my computer was in the shop!

Last night was a farmers market dinner!

cornbread with ricotta and zebra tomatoes

then pork shoulder chops with blackberry sauce and warm chanterelle salad with frisee

[DanielM.]

Salmon, tarragon walnut vinaigrette.

[Prawncrackers]

I've not cooked anything for a whole week now , due to this that and other. But i've been to my mum's tonight so i thought i'd share what we've just had here on the Dinner! thread for the first time. Steamed sea bass, poached chicken, spare ribs in plum sauce, choi sum and mixed stir fried green beans with fish cake. Simple authentic Cantonese home cooking:

[Jensen]

DanielM. -- your salmon looks incredible but even more (heart)warming for me is your avatar.

Go, Canucks!

[Jensen]

DesertCulinary, I made your soup tonight for dinner. Well, I made my adaptation of it; that means I glanced at the ingredients and then tried to remember them when I was in the kitchen. I did pretty well; I may have used more tomatoes, I used black beans, and it was topped with yogurt instead of sour cream. I also just followed my own method, mostly because I have a problem with authority

It turned out to make a lovely, light dinner. (My picture didn't turn out because I used my little camera and it's a bit of an over-achiever when it comes to flash photography.)

Thanks for the idea!

[rooftop1000]

an over exposed salad of garden yellow and orange tomatoes, a supermarket red tomato, cucumber, and fresh mozz with home grown basil puree

and a big bowl of New Zealand Green Mussels and Shrimp with tons of slivered garlic, 1 dried chile, 4 sichuan peppercorns, white wine, butter and shrimp stock

Served with toast ummm spears ....for some I didnt think it was going to be spicy I guess I bought some fresh peppercorns

tracey

Edited September 15, 2007 by rooftop1000 (log)

[Marlene]

The carrots look perfect!  How did you glaze them?  Looks like you got great caramelization.  Did you add any sugar or honey to the braising liquid?

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Sorry, I missed this! The liquid is equal parts, honey, bourbon, water and butter. The recipe is courtesy of one of my members, and I use 1/4 cup of each and toss in a saute pan until the liquid is basically reduced and the carrots are glazed.

Tonight's dinner was a new short rib recipe for me, plus green beans tossed in lemon garlic butter with toasted almonds and crispy potatoes

Edited September 15, 2007 by Marlene (log)

[lucylou95816]

god damn wendy! Your meals always look fab!

[monavano]

Rigatoni and meatballs.

I used 80% lean ground beef, fresh bread crumbs, grated parmesan, fresh parsley, milk, water and spices. They were gently combined and first baked in a 350 degree oven, then braised in marinara on the stove top.

Turned out very tender and best of all, there are lots of meatballs leftover!

[Prawncrackers]

I used 80% lean ground beef, fresh bread crumbs, grated parmesan, fresh parsley, milk, water and spices....

Lovely looking meatballs monavano, what spices did you use? I definitely fancy making these for myself.

The brown crabs at the moment are so fat with roe i just can't resist them! You know i love my fresh crab and I know you all like my Crab linguine, so enjoy :

[eskay]

I roasted a chicken My first time doing it without 'adult supervision' anyway. It is now in pieces in my fridge/freezer, and the carcass and extra bones are in the freezer waiting to be made into stock later this week. Another milestone passed!

[C. sapidus]

I love monavano’s meatballs and prawncrackers’ crab linguine.

Eskay - congratulations on the roast chicken!

Tonight we enjoyed fried egg soup with pork, Napa cabbage, scallions, lots of fish sauce, and fried onions and garlic (from True Thai).

Stir-fried flounder with chile-tamarind paste, thinly-sliced rhizome (krachai), Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, and plenty more fish sauce. Pretty spicy, so the jasmine rice came in handy.

[monavano]

Mmm...that fried egg soup looks incredibe. It's quite chilly tonight, and that would hit the spot! I love soup with eggs.