Dinner 2018

[Kim Shook]

Sardines in mustard and wheat Saltines.  The wheat Saltines were an accident.  The sardines were a choice.  No one needs to see this.

[robirdstx]

 

Pork Tacos with Zucchini and Red Bell Peppers

[liamsaunt]

Caesar salad with chicken

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

10 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I got them from a hydroponic grower who sells at the local farmers market.  They aren't summer tomatoes but at least they are picked and brought to market ripe so they're pretty good.

 

 

Last night for me was leftovers, otherwise not worth writing about, but I did enjoy the last of my summer tomatoes:  Mountain Magic.  And it's almost time to order more plants for this year!

 

For tomatoes in winter (or any other season for that matter) it's hard to beat Mastronardi Sunset brand tomatoes.  These are greenhouse grown.  Other brands of greenhouse tomatoes have not done it for me.  Even in tomato season, to my taste Sunset beats locally grown tomatoes (except my own).  And this is New Jersey, the Garden State!  I don't understand why but it is so.

 

[Ann_T]

 

Platter for two.  Lobster with Ginger, Garlic and Black Bean sauce. 

I still had four lobster tails in the freezer from New Years.   

[HungryChris]

Garlic, chili, lime shrimp skewers on Greek salads tonight.

HC

[chromedome]

10 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Sardines in mustard and wheat Saltines.  The wheat Saltines were an accident.  The sardines were a choice.  No one needs to see this.

Sardines in mustard used to be a regular workday lunch for me. At that time they were (IIRC) about $0.89 a can, and fresh-baked rolls at the supermarket bakery were $0.20, so I'd buy one of each and call it good. 

[Shelby]

Needed some beer battered shrimp last night

 

 

[HungryChris]

13 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Needed some beer battered shrimp last night

 

 

Now, I need some oysters!

HC

[mgaretz]

A couple of meals.  Tamales (pork, from Costco).  They were a bit too spicy for my taste so to tone them down I made a tomato sauce and melted some mozzarella on top.  Used some of the sauce to make Spanish rice.  Served with snap peas.  (This was from a week ago, but had to head out of town with no time to post the pic.)

 

 

Last night I made lentil soup, this time using brown lentils, ham and carrots.  Made in the electric pressure cooker.  Served with salad.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2018 by mgaretz (log)

[Tropicalsenior]

20 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Sardines in mustard and wheat Saltines. 

 you can have your sardines I'll take the peppers. I had a craving for them when I was pregnant and haven't been able to look at them without getting nauseous since.

[Tropicalsenior]

On 1/15/2018 at 9:38 PM, Ann_T said:

Warm cinnamon rolls.  

Nice to see that someone else thinks that cinnamon rolls aren't only for breakfast.

[MetsFan5]

18 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Last night for me was leftovers, otherwise not worth writing about, but I did enjoy the last of my summer tomatoes:  Mountain Magic.  And it's almost time to order more plants for this year!

 

For tomatoes in winter (or any other season for that matter) it's hard to beat Mastronardi Sunset brand tomatoes.  These are greenhouse grown.  Other brands of greenhouse tomatoes have not done it for me.  Even in tomato season, to my taste Sunset beats locally grown tomatoes (except my own).  And this is New Jersey, the Garden State!  I don't understand why but it is so.

 

 

 

  I’m going to contest that as a born and raised and a forth generation Jersey girl. 

[robirdstx]

Warm Chili for a Very Chilly Night!

 

 

Beef Chili with Beans over Rotini ~ Topped with Shredded Cheese and Green Onions

[JoNorvelleWalker]

4 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

 

 

  I’m going to contest that as a born and raised and a forth generation Jersey girl. 

 

Well, I'm not born and raised though I have lived here ever so short of fifty years.  (And before that in Philadelphia, spending three months a year at the shore.)

 

I may have memories of good local tomatoes but I sure haven't tasted one in decades.

 

[Smokeydoke]

I made Croque Monsieur for the first time tonight. Very tasty!

 

I put cheap cherry brandy in the mornay sauce and it was delicious!

[HungryChris]

Pork piccata made with pounded tenderloin medallions, garden beans from the freezer and wedge salads.

HC

[CantCookStillTry]

10 hours ago, robirdstx said:

Warm Chili for a Very Chilly Night!

 

Do you think you could send me your recipe? That looks like every Chili I have wanted, tried, and failed, to make!  

[liuzhou]

It seems like just weeks ago, but must have been months, that I was complaining to a good friend that I couldn't find 苦瓜 kǔ guā - bitter melons - which were bitter like they were in the good, old days. She gave me withering look and said that weren't in season, so "what do you expect?"

 

I still don't know exactly when the things are in season, but I bought one today and it looked like all the others I've bought over the years, but when I cooked it it lived up to its name. Well, the first part of its name.

 

That bitterness revolted me at first, but I've grown to like it. (Stubbornness played a large part in me trying it the third or eighth time). Now I actively seek it out.

 

So tonight, I had bitter melon with beef (苦瓜牛肉 kǔ guā niú ròu)  or perhaps beef with bitter melon (牛肉苦瓜 niú ròu kǔ guā) . I haven't decided yet. Restaurant menus often list both - If beef comes first it is predominantly beef; if bitter melon comes first it is predominantly - you've guessed it.

 

Anyway beef was sliced into slivers and marinated with garlic, ginger, chilli and Shaoxing wine.  Stir fried for a bit, then the de-pithed melon added along with some soy sauce. Finished with green onions and served with rice.

Spicy and bitter. ( I had a wife like that once!)

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[robirdstx]

39 minutes ago, CantCookStillTry said:

 

Do you think you could send me your recipe? That looks like every Chili I have wanted, tried, and failed, to make!  

 

Sure! Here is my basic recipe, although each batch is different. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes or change up the heat level.

 

 

One Alarm Chili

 

Great the first day but even better the next day. Adapted from Wick Fowler''s 2-Alarm Chili seasoning mix. You can double the cayenne pepper to make it Two Alarm Chili!

 

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs. Course ground beef chuck

- 1 Hunt's tomato sauce, 8 oz.

- 2 cups Water

- 4 teaspoons Cumin Seed

- 4 tablespoons Chili powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Salt

- 1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika

- 1 tablespoon Minced dry onions

- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

- 4 teaspoons Masa flour

- 1/4 cup Warm water

- 2 cans Bush's Chili Hot Beans (optional)

- Grated cheddar cheese

- Chopped green onions

 

Directions:

 

1. Sear ground meat in sauce pan. Drain off fat.

 

2. Add tomato sauce and water. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, paprika, minced onions, garlic powder, and cayenne powder and stir.

 

3. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender, stir occasionally.

 

4. Stir masa flour into warm water to make a thick, but flowable mixture. Add masa mixture to chili. Simmer another 15-20 minutes to thicken.

 

5. Add chili beans (optional). Simmer another 15-20 minutes to blend flavors.

 

6. Serve warm with grated cheese and chopped green onions.

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Quesadillas to use up a tiny bit of leftover prime rib from the other night.

 

[Ann_T]

Last night's dinner.

 

Grilled Sirloin Cap with roasted potato wedges, Crimini mushrooms and salad.

The potato wedges were roasted on the Bake Steam setting in the little steam oven. Worth having this little oven for that reason alone.

[Anna N]

 Two recent dinners. 

 

 

 This did not photograph well. Or perhaps I should be more forthright and say I did not take very good photograph of it. Reheated Nando chicken and Belgian endive gratin.  The gratin was made using crumbs from the  “gothic” bread over on the Modernist Bread topic.  Tasted much better than it looks. 

 

 Last night I reheated the leftover-leftover chicken and endive gratin and added in a sous vide lamb loin chop and a watercress salad. 

 

 

 And for those who like to know such things the lamb chop was cooked at 55°C for one hour before being given a quick sear in a cast iron pan. 

 

 

 

[Anna N]

 

 Salad with watercress, grapes, blue cheese and hazelnuts. Dressed with hazelnut oil and merlot vinegar. 

 

[robirdstx]

 

Farfalle with Hot Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Peppers & Basil Pesto Sauce in one of my favorite bowls

Edited January 19, 2018 by robirdstx (log)