Dinner 2025

[rotuts]

@Norm Matthews

 

blade is the best of the chuck

 

remember the shape , and buy more .

[Norm Matthews]

@rotuts Thanks again. If I ever see it again I certainly will.  I don't see flat iron steaks very much any more and they are good too.

[rotuts]

@Norm Matthews

 

the flat iron is from the blade , w the middle tendon removed , giving two thin steaks

 

the grain on the F.I. runs parallel to the cut.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_iron_steak

 

if you ever see ' blade roasts '  go for that , and remove the center tendon = 2 flat irons.

 

blade roast should be on the less expensive side of cost

Edited Wednesday at 01:45 PM by rotuts (log)

[KennethT]

It constantly amazes me how much time and effort traditionally made Indonesian dishes can be. This past Labor Day weekend, I wanted to experiment in making a dish called sambal hitam - or black chilli sauce - from the small island of Madura which is just off the coast of the large city of Surabaya, in East Java. We had it several times while in Jakarta a couple months ago and really enjoyed it. After watching maybe 10 different recipe videos, it seems that, while none of them are the same, they fall into two groups - those that use kluwek (aka keluak, aka buah keluak, aka black nuts) and those that don't. I was hoping to get to make both versions to compare - spoiler alert, I only had time to make one and that was pushing it!

 

Anyway, you make a spice paste with chillies (I used two different types - the large red chillies I can buy at HMart, and the curly red chillies that I grow using seeds that came back with me), shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves (the first time I've ever seen them blended in the paste), candlenuts and coriander powder. The spice paste is mixed with enough water to submerge the protein of choice - typically either duck or chicken - and simmered until the poultry is tender. The poultry is then removed and the spice laden liquid is then reduced to a thick paste, and then, in another wok, fried in some oil until it is a dark dark dark brown - just about black (hence the name). The poultry is then deep fried for a short while to brown, then drained and the black paste is spread on top.

 

From start to finish, it probably took me about 4 hours!!!!! So, I definitely didn't have time to make both versions.....

 

 

With some stir fried bok choy 

 

[BeeZee]

@KennethT, that sounds really delicious, and truly a labor of love!

[KennethT]

23 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

@KennethT, that sounds really delicious, and truly a labor of love!

It definitely was delicious - more so than the versions we had in the food court of the mall in Jakarta - so much more complex.  I imagine that industrially produced sambal hitam exists (as well as lots of other time consuming favorites) and is slathered on by most people other than me, in my quest to become a SE Asian grandmother....

[rotuts]

I decided to try this version of ground turkey 

 

 

as it was , of course , on sale .  Promises from Nature ?  green packaging ?  

 

I was going to make more TML , but went in a different direction :  Turkey Burger , w my usual available add-ons 

 

 

a little Penzey's Chicago Steak seasoning on the TB

 

 

Tj's spinach , Tj's Campari's and some of the mushroom mixture and IDS CkStock

 

 

side one  w some Penzey's Chicago steak seasoning  one of my favorites .

 

s

 

Side two

 

reducing the M//Stock

 

 

 

On the Plate .

 

so delicious , it on the menu tomorrow.

 

some Penzeys Pico seasoning on the tomatoes , a little EVOO 

 

that's it

 

Edited Wednesday at 09:25 PM by rotuts (log)

[Smithy]

Ham and cheese sandwich, griddled on my panini press. Mayonnaise and mustard on the inside of the bread, butter on the outside. The layers were ham and cheese; I added lettuce afterward.

 

 

The dinner was accompanied by (unfortunately over-)roasted cauliflower and broccoli. I tried to revive the all-too-crisp vegetables with a combination of lemon vinaigrette, butter and tahini. The "sauce" didn't compensate for the texture of those poor over-roasted vegetables, but it was good. Strangely enough, it was so tart and delicious that it overshadowed the sandwich flavors.

 

 

I ended up dredging the sandwich bits in that sauce! It very much enlivened the sandwich flavors.

Edited Wednesday at 11:57 PM by Smithy
Photo adjustment (log)

[Ddanno]

Oh crikey Smithy, I hope picture #2 tasted better than it looks. Your broccoli on the upper right has bones! 😆

Edited Thursday at 01:31 AM by Ddanno (log)

[Shel_B]

Saw a couple of great Heirloom tomatoes at the local Farmers Market yesterday. Tonight they were dinner.  (Not my pic but nonetheless accurate)

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 04:06 AM by Shel_B
Formatting, Spelling error (log)

[Honkman]

17 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

does this sound at all like what you made? It is from the Google AI response when I looked for a recipe.

 

 

I looked on the Essen&Trinken webpage but I can’t find the recipe but your AI approach isn’t too far off. Instead of making the grapes in the oven, I just briefly (1-2 minuted) sauteed them in some butter and add a few tablespoons of verjus.

The carbonara part looks good (a few slight variations compared to my recipe but there are so many versions how to make “proper” carbonara and all of them end up well)

[Honkman]

Daktoritang or Spicy Korean Braised Chicken and Vegetables based on a recipe from Milk Street - chicken thighs get marinated a mixture of gochujang, rice vinegar, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, garlic, scallion whites and ginger. Afterwards cooked with potatoes, carrots and some water in the pressure cooker. Finished with some toasted sesame seeds and oil and scallion greens. Served over rice

 

Yesterday’s egg white excess from

spaghetti carbonara become coconut macaroons based a recipe from Alice Medrich - egg white, coconut flakes, sugar, vanilla extract and salt get heated in a water bath, cooled down, portioned and baked in the oven

[lindag]

13 hours ago, Smithy said:

Ham and cheese sandwich, griddled on my panini press. Mayonnaise and mustard on the inside of the bread, butter on the outside. The layers were ham and cheese; I added lettuce afterward.

 

 

The dinner was accompanied by (unfortunately over-)roasted cauliflower and broccoli. I tried to revive the all-too-crisp vegetables with a combination of lemon vinaigrette, butter and tahini. The "sauce" didn't compensate for the texture of those poor over-roasted vegetables, but it was good. Strangely enough, it was so tart and delicious that it overshadowed the sandwich flavors.

 

 

I ended up dredging the sandwich bits in that sauce! It very much enlivened the sandwich flavors.

I like adding mustard to my grilled ham and cheese.

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, lindag said:

I like adding mustard to my grilled ham and cheese.

 

Yes, I always do too. Interestingly enough, the whole thing was bland anyway. I don't know whether it was the cheese or the thickness of the ham, or simply the contrast with that vegetable sauce. The sauce I'd made was a combination of my lemon vinaigrette and tahini. It was quite good on the sandwich and added a delightful zing. (However, it didn't help those poor vegetables one bit, @Ddanno 😆!)

[Dejah]

I've been very lazy in posting, but not in cooking and taking pictures.
Tho I have no debilitating after effects, energy and stamina is just not up to old standards since I had my stroke end of April.
But nothing stops me from cooking and eating.
@Smithy: I too made a peach pie. Haven't made one for years but this was for a friend. Need to learn how to do lattice topper but the pie was good. We had just enough pastry to make a regular size pie and for a topless small one for ourselves. Peaches have been terrible this year - o BC Freestones. 
                                                             

                                                           

When it was +30 outside, I did Chicken Souvlaki in the Ninja Toast Oven Air Fryer.  Eaten with rice and black beans

                                                          

Have been watching a series on TV: Streets of Hong Kong, mainly about street food. Thought this looked good, so I tried it: Beef short ribs simmered with star anise, ginger, scallions, and white peppercorns for 5 hours. The meat very tender but rather flavourless as that went into the broth, which was amazing. Meat dipped in chili crisps and soy was fine. Eaten with bok choy and rice noodles.

                                                           

 

Pineapple Pork Meatballs was easy to put together and great with fresh pineapple.

                                                          

Sobey's had prime rib on sale, $2.00 off for Scene members ($13.99 - 11.99) plus 10% off for Scene day - firstr Tues of the month.
Grilled up one steak for two of us.

 

                                                          

                           

                                                           

 

 

Edited 23 hours ago by Dejah (log)

[Norm Matthews]

We had Arroz con Pollo for dinner.  Charlie loves anything with chicken and rice.

[Smithy]

Tonight's dinner was the culmination of Extreme Liberties Taken. I've been admiring the New York Times recipe for Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup. Part of that was to work through my stock  backlog of pantry staples, including lentils. Part of that was because it looked good. And it looked like something I could throw together and walk away from while it did its thing and I did mine.

 

In this household, "simplicity" = "complication". To wit: I could and did put it all together and let it go in the Instant Pot while I was doing other things, but I didn't actually have the ingredients I needed. Fresh tomatoes became canned tomatoes. Tomato paste and olive oil became a half-jar of Trader Joe's sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil. I did have basil, garlic, and red lentils. I put it all together, let it cook until I thought it was adequately done, then put it into 2 containers -- one with most of the solids, and one with some solids and a lot of liquids -- and forgot them in the refrigerator for most of the week.

 

Today, I ran the solid ingredients through a blender, combined those contents with the liquids, heated it all, adjusted the seasonings, and remembered that I'm not actually fond of soup as such. Too thin. I added pasta to thicken it. I added parmesan chunks (rinds, recently excavated from a freezer defrosting adventure) to add umami. I added fresh basil, and salt, at the table.

 

 

It's actually quite good.

 

 

I don't think I'll have trouble eating this over the next several days. The flavors are good. But really, I prefer stews to soups. And no, I won't put my rating or comments in the NYT. I've made too many substitutions for the dish to be recognizable!

[Tropicalsenior]

1 hour ago, Norm Matthews said:

We had Arroz con Pollo

In Costa Rica that dish would be called Pollo con Arroz (chicken with rice). In a Arroz con Pollo there is only about a tablespoon of chicken in that much rice. It is the national dish here that is served at every type of gathering. Weddings, funerals, baby showers, everything. The way they make it, I swear, one chicken will feed 40 people. And the traditional accompanyments are potato chips and Coca-Cola.

[Honkman]

Gruene Pfanne with Pork Tenderloin - pfanne is a broad term in German of dishes/dinner cooked in a pan (and “Gruene” is just “green”). Often the meat is cooked first, followed by vegetables, then everything is mixed together and some kind of sauce is added in the end. Here thinly sliced pork tenderloin is first quickly sautéed, then a mixture of zucchini, green bell peppers, red onion, garlic, scallions and ginger. And everything is finished with cilantro and a sauce made from soy sauce, honey and mustard

[dans]

I’m a little late with this. Last week I was craving a roast beef. I went to the butcher and bought a small (3 1/2#) rib roast which most people would consider a 3” thick delmonio steak. I S&Ped it and the next day I cooked it up. For sides I made ratatouille, lentils, and mashed potatoes. 
 

sorry that didn’t take a photo of the roast right from the oven. Here’s a photo of the plated dinner. 
 

ETA: I got 2 dinners and 2 sandwiches from it. 
 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by dans (log)

[Dejah]

Gai Lan is my favourite vegetable. Paired with tofu and oyster sauce makes for a simple and quick supper with Jasmine rice.