Dinner 2022

[lemniscate]

Someone wanted Italian wedding soup.  I threw together 3 precooked sweet Italian sausages, sliced (essentially meatballs, right?), 1 can of Cento escarole soup + 1 cup of pork bone broth + 1 can water (mixed with the existing leftover 1/2 cup sausage broth), 1/4 cup dehydrated carrot shreds, 1/2 cup DeCecco Acini de pepe (mistake, should have just added 1/4 cup).   Simmered on low in a covered saucier for about an hour.  It was thick with the acini de pepe, but oh so tasty.    A pantry friendly soup.

[Steve Irby]

A quick bite tonight.  Steak, mushroom and  Affinois on toasted bread to accompany a leek and potato soup.  

 

[MaryIsobel]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

 

 

chicken Kyiv (purchased) cooked in the air fryer with a side of cheesy broccoli. (No idea about the blue reflections in the top right hand corner.)

We can get a decent frozen chicken cordon bleu from our local Co-op. Like your dinner, one of those and some veg is a quick and welcome dinner some days.

 

[Ann_T]

@Steve Irby, I would be happy with just that toast. 

 

Tonight's dinner.

Braised prime rib bones, fall apart tender, served over polenta with rutabaga and Brussels sprouts.

 

I specifically made this rich beef dish to go with a wonderful Bush Vine Syrah from the Maverick Estate Winery, one of the premier wineries in our Okanagan Valley.

I had been led to believe that this wine was outstanding and it more than lived up to my high expectations. 

[heidih]

1 hour ago, lemniscate said:

Someone wanted Italian wedding soup.  I threw together 3 precooked sweet Italian sausages, sliced (essentially meatballs, right?), 1 can of Cento escarole soup + 1 cup of pork bone broth + 1 can water (mixed with the existing leftover 1/2 cup sausage broth), 1/4 cup dehydrated carrot shreds, 1/2 cup DeCecco Acini de pepe (mistake, should have just added 1/4 cup).   Simmered on low in a covered saucier for about an hour.  It was thick with the acini de pepe, but oh so tasty.    A pantry friendly soup.

Had to look up the Cento escarole soup - never imagined such a product. Can you elaborate on your dehydrated carrot shreds? Made by you, purchased, how & why? Thanks.

[Anna N]

16 minutes ago, Ann_T said:

Braised prime rib bones, fall apart tender, served over polenta with rutabaga and Brussels sprouts.

Wow, great food and I just love those plate/bowls! So perfect for just such a dish.  

[liuzhou]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

They look amazingly good. Are they similar to our Tater Tots? “Tater tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish.” We buy them frozen and either shallow fry or bake them for serving. 

 

I've never had German potato croquettes, but in the UK (and Italy), they are mashed potato formed into similar cylinders, breaded and fried or baked. Cheese is sometimes added.to the mash. Recipe and more info here.

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, liuzhou said:

 

I've never had German potato croquettes, but in the UK (and Italy), they are mashed potato formed into similar cylinders, breaded and fried or baked. Cheese is sometimes added.to the mash. Recipe and more info here.

Thanks. I do know potato croquettes but these looks very similar to our tater tots, which is what inspired my question. And he did, I believe, say that they were purchased rather than homemade. So curiosity got the better of me.

[liuzhou]

40 minutes ago, Anna N said:

Thanks. I do know potato croquettes but these looks very similar to our tater tots, which is what inspired my question. And he did, I believe, say that they were purchased rather than homemade. So curiosity got the better of me.

 

I don't know. German croquesttes may be different. I hope he let's us know.

[billyhill]

First dinner was a Culver's double bacon cheese burger. Expensive but good. 

 

Have to fast after midnight so second dinner was left over ribeye from the SV. Sliced thin, left cold with a light drizzle of soy.  No veg or starch. Just a meat bomb.

[mgaretz]

My normal chicken soup because the weather was dreary and cold and my wife had her first shingles shot today.  Chicken with broth, onion, carrots, celery, spinach, corn, peas and egg noodles.

 

 

[Honkman]

Fusili with Swiss chard (leaves and stems), pinto and cannellini beans, garlic, rosemary, pancetta, parmesan, red wine vinegar

 

[Duvel]

9 hours ago, Anna N said:

They look amazingly good. Are they similar to our Tater Tots? “Tater tots are grated potatoes formed into small cylinders and deep-fried, often served as a side dish.” We buy them frozen and either shallow fry or bake them for serving. 

Not quite. Tater tots have recently arrived here, but have not been met with much enthusiasm, as similar products (e.g. bite size Rösti) are already available. I like them, though …

 

Kartoffelkroketten (potato croquettes) are in their simplest form just mashed potatoes, that are formed into logs or balls and fried. They are available pre-fried & frozen and can be easily prepared in a convection oven with pretty good results: crunchy outside and fluffy inside. 

More elaborate versions incorporate eggs and/or cream and drift in the direction of Pommes Duchesse. Occasionally, the croquettes get an extra breading, as in bechamel-based croquettes, but for me this doesn’t really add much (especially for oven-based preparations). 

[lemniscate]

16 hours ago, heidih said:

Had to look up the Cento escarole soup - never imagined such a product. Can you elaborate on your dehydrated carrot shreds? Made by you, purchased, how & why? Thanks.

I love the canned escarole soup, it's a "feeling under the weather" comfort food for me.  Unfortunately it's not in stock online at the moment.  I hope Cento will keep making it.

 

I messed around with dehydrating many common ingredients when I was learning my Excalibur.  I shredded lbs of carrots with the food processor and then dehydrated them.  Turns out, I find them super useful, grab a handful for soup, add to rice during cooking, toss in coleslaw/salads, add to dips...etc.  They rehydrate quickly and give the carrot sweetness.  I haven't baked carrot cake with them yet, but now that I think about it............. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by lemniscate
dupe (log)

[Ann_T]

Decided to make a pasta sauce using the leftover braised beef from last night's dinner.

A bastardized version of a Bolognese sauce. On simmering now.

And homemade pasta -

-rolled

 

& hand-cut Pappardelle.

[FauxPas]

On 12/19/2022 at 2:42 PM, Smithy said:

 

Not that I've found so far. Good suggestion, though - and with this population size maybe I haven't looked properly. 

 

Check the Sprouts Market in Yuma. The Tucson stores would carry duck, especially at Christmas, and it looks like the one there should also. 

https://shop.sprouts.com/search?search_term=duck&search_is_autocomplete=true

 

Edited to add: They may also sell jars of duck fat.  🙂

 

Edited December 21, 2022 by FauxPas (log)

[Anna N]

On 12/17/2022 at 8:31 PM, Smithy said:

Oh, how I want some of that! Right now! I think I'll have to go on a search for duck...smoked or otherwise...but I also think it will be pointless in my current location.

Around here, for the most part, duck will be found in one of the freezers. Not the smoked duck, of course, but the unsmoked. It is very rare to find fresh duck in a supermarket unless you go to one of the Asian ones.

[Dejah]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Around here, for the most part, duck will be found in one of the freezers. Not the smoked duck, of course, but the unsmoked. It is very rare to find fresh duck in a supermarket unless you go to one of the Asian ones.

I was able to pick up 3 duck breasts in cryovac a couple of months ago. I have never seen them at Superstore until I checked their Flashfood Ap (all kinds of items reduced by 50%) They are still in the freezer, and I was just thinking about them a couple of days ago.

[Dejah]

Temperatures plummeted: -33C and feels like -46C the last couple of days!
Put the oven to good use with baking and suppers:

Leftover Citrus Roast Chicken from a couple of days back, turned into Chicken Pot Pie

 

                                                                                             

 

Using up some of the assorted lamb chops from Chinese grocery store. Wasn't great for use as chops, so tossed them into a Thai Red Curry stew in the Instant Pot

 

                                                                         

 

Picked up the Xmas Prime Rib and saw a couple of nice T-Bone steaks: Pan-seared, eaten with roasted beets and air-fryer fingerlings

 

                  

                                                                        

 

 

 

 

[Honkman]

Risi e bisi - arborio rice, pancetta, peas, onion, garlic, parmesan, parsley, chicken broth and lemon juice

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, FauxPas said:

 

Check the Sprouts Market in Yuma. The Tucson stores would carry duck, especially at Christmas, and it looks like the one there should also. 

https://shop.sprouts.com/search?search_term=duck&search_is_autocomplete=true

 

Edited to add: They may also sell jars of duck fat.  🙂

 

 

That's a great idea, thanks! I drive past that Sprouts fairly often and can check there. I did get my most recent jar of duck fat at a Sprouts, although it might not have been that one.

[liuzhou]

2 hours ago, Anna N said:

It is very rare to find fresh duck in a supermarket

 

What is the problem with duck? Is it unavailable because people generally don't want it or don't know how to  cook it. Or something else?

Here, it is the most easily available (and the cheapest) major protein and, dare I say, the most delicious. Lends itelf to all sorts of dishes.

Edited December 21, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[Duvel]

Our houseguest requested “a simple German meal” for dinner … so here we go:

 

Leberkäse …

 

 

… on a bun with Hela curry ketchup and a cabbage salad.

 

 

No complaints 🤗

[liamsaunt]

Sunday, cavatappi with spinach and pine nuts

 

 

Monday, fish and chips (haddock)

 

 

Tuesday, miso salmon ramen bowl with summer squash zoodles, spinach, and lots of cilantro

 

[TicTac]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:45 PM, Ann_T said:

@Steve Irby, I would be happy with just that toast. 

 

Tonight's dinner.

Braised prime rib bones, fall apart tender, served over polenta with rutabaga and Brussels sprouts.

 

I specifically made this rich beef dish to go with a wonderful Bush Vine Syrah from the Maverick Estate Winery, one of the premier wineries in our Okanagan Valley.

I had been led to believe that this wine was outstanding and it more than lived up to my high expectations. 

This looks awesome.  Curious as to what liquid you braise your beef ribs in?