Dinner 2020

[Miriravan]

10 hours ago, lindag said:

I made Sheet Pan Gnocchi last night for dinner.

While the vegetables were simply amazing, the gnocchi left something to be desired.

I'm wondering what I could substitute for the gnocchi next time that would add more flavor.

Suggestions, please?

Pierogi?  I quite like the frozen ones I get at my local discount store.  I can't remember the brand, but they have them with a few different fillings--potatoes, cheese, onions, garlic in various combinations.

 

I like to bake them in some kind of tomato based sauce and then throw a handful of cheese and/or a dollop of sour cream over them at the end.

[Nicolai]

11 hours ago, BKEats said:

i came home last night around midnight and what does one do at midnight?  why, they embark on a mission to make  chana masala... I having just made a large pot of bean the day before and having recently received the mango powder in the mail, i just had to do it.  Some where along the way, i felt the need to tweek the dish.  So, i added peanut butter.  Peanut butter you say?  Why yes, peanut butter.  I figured it would be like India meets Thai meets, high guy in brooklyn.  

To tell you the truth, it's actually pretty good... Locally foraged cilantro.    

 

 

 

While chickpeas and Theeheh go very well together, the other marriage is chickpeas and pine nuts where you golden fry the pine nus in olive oil or ghee and serve on top of hummos.

I guess peanut butter would make a tasty alternative.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Nicolai (log)

[Nicolai]

11 hours ago, shain said:

A common easy snack / side which I recommend for zaatar lover is a halved pita bread (as in one pita split into two discs), the inner side scattered with plenty of zaatar and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Put on a grill (from the bottom side only) and heat until crisp and smells like heaven. Best served with labneh and tomatoes, as Nicolai suggested. I like to add extra sumac or a touch lemon.

 

 

I would suggest to use the traditional way of mixing the Zaatar with olive oil and then spreading on bread or dough. It does affect the taste.

 

As for Sumac, this would mean that the Zaatar used is mixed with different spices. Unfortunately, lot of cheating is done to bulk up the quantities.

It is a matter of taste and Lebanese /Syrians like the sourness of Sumac (except Aleppo).

We mix our own Zaatar which is wild Zaatar flower from the monasteries grounds , Sumac berries and toasted sesame + salt.

 

You are rightly adding Sumac.This places you in the connaisseur league.

 

[weinoo]

48 minutes ago, Nicolai said:

 

 

I would suggest to use the traditional way of mixing the Zaatar with olive oil and then spreading on bread or dough. It does affect the taste.

 

As for Sumac, this would mean that the Zaatar used is mixed with different spices. Unfortunately, lot of cheating is done to bulk up the quantities.

It is a matter of taste and Lebanese /Syrians like the sourness of Sumac (except Aleppo).

We mix our own Zaatar which is wild Zaatar flower from the monasteries grounds , Sumac berries and toasted sesame + salt.

 

You are rightly adding Sumac.This places you in the connaisseur league.

 

 

That's how I do it, first mixing with olive oil, then brushing on with a pastry brush. Sprinkled with sumac and salt before baking.

 

 

The za'atar I recently purchased is very nice...probably most importantly - it's fresh.

[shain]

49 minutes ago, Nicolai said:

 

 

I would suggest to use the traditional way of mixing the Zaatar with olive oil and then spreading on bread or dough. It does affect the taste.

 

As for Sumac, this would mean that the Zaatar used is mixed with different spices. Unfortunately, lot of cheating is done to bulk up the quantities.

It is a matter of taste and Lebanese /Syrians like the sourness of Sumac (except Aleppo).

We mix our own Zaatar which is wild Zaatar flower from the monasteries grounds , Sumac berries and toasted sesame + salt.

 

You are rightly adding Sumac.This places you in the connaisseur league.

 

 

Good tip on making sure the zaatar is all mixed with the oil. Zaatar that is heated dry doesn't develop the same flavor, it should essentially fry.

 

The zaatar I use is one a friend brings to me from Tulkarm. It has good quality zaatar leaves and really darkly toasted sesame,which I like, but it is lighter on the sumac. It's good as is for labneh, eggs etc, but I add more sumac for breads and salads.

 

Sumac is an amazing spice.

[shain]

1 hour ago, Nicolai said:

 

 

While chickpeas and Theeheh go very well together, the other marriage is chickpeas and pine nuts where you golden fry the pine nus in olive oil or ghee and serve on top of hummos.

I guess peanut butter would make a tasty alternative.

 

 

Honestly, chickpeas and hummus works well with most nuts. Many restaurants that want to save on expensive pine nuts serve toasted almonds flakes instead. And I particularly like cashews in fatteh, they pair well with the yogurt. That said, nothing beat pinenuts (the large Lebanese or European cultivars).

 

I once made massabacha with unsweetened peanut butter instead of tahini. It was tasty, but I prefer the original.

[Nicolai]

34 minutes ago, shain said:

 

Good tip on making sure the zaatar is all mixed with the oil. Zaatar that is heated dry doesn't develop the same flavor, it should essentially fry.

 

The zaatar I use is one a friend brings to me from Tulkarm. It has good quality zaatar leaves and really darkly toasted sesame,which I like, but it is lighter on the sumac. It's good as is for labneh, eggs etc, but I add more sumac for breads and salads.

 

Sumac is an amazing spice.

 

You are correct. The Jordanians and Palestinians like a mellower version of Zaatar. I think they have other spices added I prefer our home made Zaatar but I do like their Zaatar Manakeesh.

 

Also bear in mind the famous Palestinian dish: Musakham (I posted about it few month ago). This chicken dish has an overload of Sumak.

Unfortunately, they have used Almonds instead of Pine nuts for cost considerations. It is a shame as the Pine nuts have a unique taste impact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One other dish we have it served at home is Roasted or fried potatoes with chickpeas and tons of Zaatar.

To be gobbled with Arabic bread and cold Arak followed by a nap in the garden.....

 

Here is an old picture for you. No recipe just cook wisiwig to your taste.......

 

Try it

 

 

 

[acookinthecreuse]

For dessert last night I made a nectarine, cherry, red and black currant crumble. Crumble is my go to dish when I have fruit that needs to be used up. I also like to make clafoutis. The cherries had been in the fridge for a day or two, and I wasn't sure if they'd be nice for eating anymore.  Summer is such a great time for fruit, cooked or otherwise, and I find that we can't eat it quickly enough. I like to serve either the crumble or clafoutis with either vanilla ice cream or custard.

[liuzhou]

Chicken 'n Chips. With a tomato and basil salad.

 

 

 

[weinoo]

 

Tofu and mushrooms with oyster sauce. In lieu of the standard chicken stock, I used the dashi I made to make rice in the donabe.
Put them together in one of the more colorless plates I've made lately.

 

 

With 2 rather large pan-fried scallops.The donabe rice (finally!) came out great, with a nice, light caramelization on the bottom.

[Ann_T]

Last night's dinner.
Got home from work at 5:40 and we were eating at 6:25.

 

Veal Scallopini in a sauce with mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. And spaghetti in a light pesto sauce. Matt made the pesto from basil out of our garden.

Quick and easy dinner.

[Duvel]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 With a tomato and basil salad.

 

 

 

You mean „with a basil and tomato salad“ 😉

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

 

 

Do I see that you are accenting with lime?

[liuzhou]

10 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

 

Do I see that you are accenting with lime?

 

No. It is a green skinned lemon. Common here.

Edited July 23, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[Paul Bacino]

My Oscar Meyer Bologna sandwich  ( Upgrade )

 

Mortadella/ arugula/ Daves Killer Bread/Dukes/Spicy Nachos

 

[rotuts]

@Paul Bacino 

 

Im already dreaming of this sandwich.

[scamhi]

now I want zaatar!

Last night we did a Korean style BBQ with boneless pork chops and boneless short ribs.

ate in lettuce with ssamjang (soybean paste). fish fragrant eggplant on the side.

Namazake to drink

[Franci]

Yesterday night the kids had duck and I made some sauté escarole with some ‘nduja and giant beans. I will not buy the ‘nduja again, doesn’t even come close to the good stuff from Spilinga. I will just go with the spanish sobresada from Fermin even if it’s not spicy. I like it much better. 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Franci (log)

[liamsaunt]

On 7/22/2020 at 11:22 AM, weinoo said:

 

Right - nor am I! Have you ever seen this one? I got it out at the kids' store in Ptown one visit...

 

 

 

I had not seen that one before, but I found a used copy on Amazon for $6, so bought it.  

 

Sushi last night.

 

[Shelby]

3 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

 

I had not seen that one before, but I found a used copy on Amazon for $6, so bought it.  

 

Sushi last night.

 

You're killing me.

[Okanagancook]

On 7/21/2020 at 9:23 AM, shain said:

 

5 eggs

~120g (dry) mung beans, chickpeas, other beans

200-250g green beans and/or okra - stir fried or blanched until cooked to your liking

1 green chili, de-seeded

1 scallion, cut thinly

150g tart yogurt

 

The eggs, beans, green beans/okra are each cooked individually. The spices and garlic fried in butter in order (whole spice, then garlic and powders), scallion and chili added and cooked shortly. Add yogurt and flavor to taste. Heat up.

I'll share the exact amount if you'd like.

Thanks @shain for posting this full recipe.  I just made it and I love it.  Excellent flavours and very easy to prepare.  I used all green beans from the garden.

cheers

[shain]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

Thanks @shain for posting this full recipe.  I just made it and I love it.  Excellent flavours and very easy to prepare.  I used all green beans from the garden.

cheers

 

I'm so happy to know that you enjoyed it

[scamhi]

OK this was dinner tonight. Nothing else except a red wine

[RWood]

Made arancini tonight. I tried a recipe from Epicurious. Really good, I like the lemon in them. I stuffed with a cube off fontina.  Served with simple marinara, and a salad of lettuce and tomatoes from our garden. And a Chardonnay 😁.

[mgaretz]

Last meal before my 3 days of all-liquid, then 7 days to a month of mushy foods.  Chicken, baked, boneless skinless breast and a bone-in skin on thigh, both with BBQ rub and after I took the picture a small amount of BBQ sauce.  Served with white corn from frozen, in butter.