Lunch 2025

[KennethT]

A quick hop from Sumatra (yesterday's lunch) to Singapore - Peranakan style chicken curry made with homemade curry powder, and curry leaves and lime leaves from the garden.

 

[gulfporter]

Grilled blackened salmon on a croissant with beefsteak tomato and arugula.  

 

This prep picture, before grilling. 

 

 

[Shel_B]

Easy and Expeditious Lunch: 

 

The basis was ...

 

 

to which was added a heaping handful of TJ's organic frozen spinach, TJ's frozen broccoli florets, diced small, a handful of trimmed leaves from TJ's frozen Brussels sprouts, and the whole dish was seasoned with a mixture of Booneville's smoked Piment d'Ville and ground Kashmiri pepper (a very nice combination, not too hot and quite flavorful).

 

Lately, I've been working on a complicated art project a few of us are working on, and cooking has taken a seat at the back of the bus. Having some of TJ's frozen entrées and vegetables handy has been very helpful.

 

 

[gulfporter]

3 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

Easy and Expeditious Lunch: 

 

Lately, I've been working on a complicated art project a few of us are working on, and cooking has taken a seat at the back of the bus. Having some of TJ's frozen entrées and vegetables handy has been very helpful.

 

 

 

TJ's Indian frozen offerings are some of best things in entire store.  They are the only frozen meals we keep on hand for last minute rushed meals.  Or when mi esposo is Home Alone.  

[Shel_B]

Rotisserie Chicken Tikka Masala

 

When I saw this video ( https://youtu.be/blIoTNj-dN0?t=468 ), I was blown away.  I've been looking for ideas for tasty and innovative meals that could be made quickly and easily. I've also been reading recipes and watching videos to get ideas for a full-blown Chicken Tikka Masala, so this was like manna from heaven, a two birds with one stone kind of thing. Well, one bird: A Costco rotisserie chicken.

 

 

All the ingredients were on hand, and the meal came together this morning while doing other things ... that's how easy it is to put together.

 

The red pepper flakes in the recipe were replaced with a blend of Aleppo, Kashmiri, and Smokey Piment d'Ville. I added ground cardamom and cashew nuts, the nuts adding a degree of creaminess to the sauce.  I didn't add any cream, as shown in the video. Next time, I may add about 1/4 cup of cream along with the cashews.

 

The paprika was replaced with a smoked version. Instead of regular crushed tomatoes, Bianco DiNapoli fire roasted tomatoes were used, and the sugar was turbinado. Then the sauce was  given an E ride in the Vitamix.  The smooth and somewhat smokey sauce went back into the pot for final tasting and adjustments and some crushed fenugreek leaves were added.

 

Without marinating the chicken, some depth of flavor is lost compared to a regular tikka masala, but if you want a quick, inexpensive meal to put on your weeknight table, this is worth considering.

 

The rice over which the chicken was placed was an aged, extra long grain Basmati from Kohinoor. Lovely rice.

 

The way it was prepared, the sauce was a little thicker than desired, but a little chicken stock or dairy would fix that in a jiffy.

 

There's enough sauce and chicken left over for two or three more meals.

 

 

 

Edited August 3 by Shel_B
Spelling, typo, clarity (log)

[Duvel]

What happens when you travel on the day the whole of France gets school holidays ?

 

We left the highway (and the traffic jams), stopped at a supermarket and got some baguette, cheeses* (Rocamadour, Bleu de Auvergne, Crottin lookalike), ham and a duck terrine. Plus some crisps with goat cheese and piment ‘d’Espelette (that we demolished while I moved the car in the shadow) …

 

 

 

Some interesting rock formations were admired before heading back to the highway …

 

* all local, so you may guess where we were …

 

 

Edited August 2 by Duvel (log)

[KennethT]

18 minutes ago, Duvel said:

What happens when you travel on the day the whole of France gets school holidays ?

 

We left the highway (and the traffic jams), stopped at a supermarket and got some baguette, cheeses* (Rocamadour, Bleu de Auvergne, Crottin lookalike), ham and a duck terrine. Plus some crisps with goat cheese and piment ‘d’Espelette (that we demolished while I moved the car in the shadow) …

 

 

 

Some interesting rock formations were admired before heading back to the highway …

 

* all local, so you may guess where we were …

 

 

While in the Loire, I once had an aged crottin that I still dream about.

[rotuts]

@Duvel

 

Im with you , you bet.

 

I lived in FR for two years , quite some time ago .

 

my parents were teachers , and taught in FR.

 

As in Spain.

 

pleased you added 

 

 

that sort of deliciousness ,  well , its right there in front of you  !

 

 

 

 

[KennethT]

Sambal grouper.....

 

 

Cucumber salad 

 

[OlyveOyl]

BLT’s on the menu for lunch today and delicious they were! Tomatoes and romaine from the FM.  Will be making these again shortly.

 

Dessert was a sour cherry cake made with Balaton cherries which are firmer and a little less tart than the standard sour cherry. These are delicious cherries, excellent for baking.  Unfortunately, their fleeting season is over.

[Duvel]

Today paëllas pasta-based cousin, the fideuà …

 

With rabbit, squid, mussels & some sausage. Great lunch before an even better siesta 🤗

 

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

One recipe, two lunches. Triple citrus tomato salad (or soup) from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage.

I made the salad version of this recipe first with some pretty heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market. The tomatoes marinate in a mix of lemon, lime and tangerine juices while you prepare the garnish which consists of crispy ginger, garlic, and chilies and the oil they’re fried in plus a sprinkle of fresh chives. 

The juices left in the plate were so slurpable that decided to try the soup version. 
 

It’s not as stunning as a colorful array of heirloom tomatoes but it’s just the ticket if you’ve got tomatoes that are too ripe to slice nicely.

The soup gets a dollop of yogurt before adding the crispy, fried garnish and its oil which is just as delicious here as on the salad. I chilled the soup to just below room temp, not icy cold but the recipe says it can also be served warm. A nice alternative to gazpacho. 
 

Edited to add that both lunches were accompanied by an ear of corn on the cob. 
.

Edited 3 hours ago by blue_dolphin (log)

[Ddanno]

Good lord that tomato salad is the freshest looking dish I've ever seen. Beautiful.