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wizardnm

What's For Dinner - #330

wizardnm
11 years ago

I am so bad, I have been very lax about taking pictures for this thread, let alone posting them. But don't worry, we have been eating very well. Probably too well!

I had a birthday and my birthday dinner was supposed to be on Sat, March 7, it didn't happen. Instead we took off that day for Ohio. Kim's uncle died and her cousin needed some help. He didn't have a clue about ordering flowers and a few other things that needed taking care of. The funeral was last week on Wednesday and we got back home on Thursday after a quick visit with my mom and a stop at our favorite Asia market in Ann Arbor. We are now restocked for Asian cooking. So my B-Day dinner was on Sat....just a week late.

I took a couple of pics, of my favorite dinner, Coconut Shrimp, baked potato and tossed salad. For some reason when Kim asks me what I want, I say the same thing year after year. I didn't want a cake, we ate out a few times in Ohio and I didn't want the extra calories. Been trying to lose.

So here is my dinner...

I should add, Kim had to make more batter and get out more coconut, she didn't look at the bag and made 2 lbs of shrimp. Some went in the freezer, no way could the two of us eat that many!

I just read the last thread when looking for it, my-oh-my, some good looking food. It was also nice to see some of the old gang posting again....Hi!

I promise to quit being so lazy, I really have made some great food, partially inspired by Pinterest.

Nancy

Comments (100)

  • Teresa_MN
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes I am mistaken Ann! Either way I won't be leaving my house to get any fish anytime soon.

    Teresa

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just got back from Chicago today and posted the food pictures on that new thread, but there are a few "What's For Dinner" items.

    One night I pan fried pork chops and served them with sweet potatoes and green beans

    I made chicken with mushroom sauce, it was, frankly, underwhelming but the sautéed cabbage and mashed potatoes made up for it.

    I had some company over and she wanted to use Elery's new toy and roast some coffee beans:

    We made some molasses cookies to go with the coffee, there were 14 cookies left in the freezer that I hadn't baked for Christmas so we had to use them up.

    Her chickens have been laying regularly, so we had to freeze some eggs. She's never done it before, so I showed her how to crack two eggs into a muffin tin, add 1/8 tsp. of salt, stir just enough to break the yolks but not beat in any air. We did 4 dozen.

    Those will be scrambled eggs or used for baking this winter, when the "girls" are taking a break!

    Annie

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  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I cooked a lot this week but no pix until I remember to get camera batteries. One dinner was a pork and ham meatloaf, another was spaghetti squash with shrimp sauce, and we shared a porterhouse steak on Thursday. The grill is now uncovered and in action, although we seem to be losing our desire for steaks since we modified our diet a few years ago.

    Last night we had a tearoom lunch menu for dinner. Gingered carrot soup, cranberry orange scones, four kinds of tea sandwiches and a a couple of cookies from the bakery later in the evening. I also cooked barley in beef broth to make a pilaf for tonight.

  • John Liu
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've gotten into the habit, on my ride home, of stopping at a fruit and veg market that is owned by a local farm. I'll pick up whatever looks interesting, bring it home, and guess how to cook it. Turnips, radishes, rutabaga, stuff that is unfamiliar to me.

    As you know, I'm not a vegetable person, so my repertoire of ideas is limited. My default method to cook a root vegetable was to roast it, so for awhile I was eating lots of veg roasted with duck fat or olive oil. That became monotonous so I started cubing or slicing then boiling, or sometimes the other way around, then marinating in vinegar - rice wine vinegar, balsamic, or red wine vinegar - or sake, or mirin. With cucumber and similar, I skip the boiling. Another approach has been to treat veggies like meat. Slice, oil and salt, then pan sear or broil.

    Lately I've been combining different veg and cooking methods to make what I call veggie "medleys", which I suppose are just salads of cooked veg without lettuce. The goal is to get multiple different colors, textures and tastes in a single bowl if not a single bite.

    A typical medley might be
    - Mushrooms sliced and browned in butter and olive oil until crusty and dark.
    - Beets, boiled then cubed and marinated in red wine vinegar.
    - Cucumber, sliced, soaked in rice wine vinegar.
    - Apples, wedges marinated in mirin
    - Walnuts, pan toasted, coated in melted sugar
    - Pine nuts, pan toasted then tossed in olive oil and lots of salt and pepper
    - Radishes, halved, roasted with duck fat and salted
    - Turnips, ditto
    - Quinoa or couscous or wild rice, slightly undercooked
    - Bacon, crumbled (I'm not turning vegetarian)

    These turn out to be quite time-consuming, but as I get better at it, presumably I'll learn to simplify - just one representative of "sweet", one "crunchy", one "salty", etc, rather than multiple. Anyway I bring leftovers to work so the effort yields more than one meal.

    I'm planning to introduce more stuff to my medleys. Fish and shellfish. Meat. More fruit, berries, melons. Other grains and nuts, in small amounts as their purpose is texture but they are calorie-dense.

    The family sort of likes these, surprisingly. I haven't gotten too many complaints, except for the mushrooms. Daughter-san hates mushrooms. But she will pick out all the candied walnuts if not sternly admonished.

    Turns out I don't have a photo of a recent one, but here is an early effort - predates the Candied Walnut era.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yum, John, that sounds good to me. I don't care for lettuce but I like all the vegetables.

    I was very surprised that I liked the golden beet carpaccio with arugula and candied walnuts that I had in Chicago, I do not normally enjoy green salads, unfortunately. I do love Mustangs/Cathy's salad with prosciutto and parmesan and figs, I need to make that soon too, I keep trying to actually like salad.

    Ruthanna, it must be the week for carrot-ginger soup, that's what I had in Chicago Thursday night and I'm working on a batch today, I enjoyed it very much. Scones would be a very nice addition for lunch.

    Annie

  • John Liu
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Annie, I didn't like beets until a couple years ago. After becoming a convert, I gradually found an interest in vegetables.

    Tonight I had nothing to do, so I cooked vegetables. (Boy my Saturday nights do sound pathetic.)

    Top left is golden beets, cubed, baked in oil and mirin, finally heated in the pan, trying to glaze the mirin - eh, need to work on that. Bottom left is red beets, boiled then soaked in rice wine vinegar - the old standard. Middle is radishes, boiled in a concentrated pork bouillon (or pork-flavored anyway, I used boullion cubes) - interesting, looks and feels like radish, but tastes like pork, this has promise. Bottom center is sliced pears tossed in sugar - would be better to pour melted sugar over them, I think. Right is rutabagas, tossed in duck fat and fancy salt, roasted - pretty good, I think I like this vegetable. Top center is eggplant, pan fried in butter and oil - okay, kind of boring, need a spice or something.

    Anyway, I try various things - planning next week to try liqueurs and deep frying - and see what works and which combine with which. At the moment, vegetables are more interesting than meat, which is something I've never actually said before.

    I wasn't hungry, so none of this got eaten, but most of it keeps okay in the refrigerator.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    John, it's funny you post that picture, I just bought fresh beets at the store this evening, I've always loved beets but seldom eat them raw. I do have several jars of pickled beets canned in the basement, I need to find more ways to use those.

    Rutabaga is one of my favorite vegetables. I like it roasted, but I've never roasted in duck fat, that sounds amazing. I roast with olive oil or I boil and mash them, mostly. I also add them to my Cornish Pasties.

    The radishes, though, that's really intriguing me, I'm going to have to try something similar. Hmmmm....

    So, What's for Dinner? I forgot to take pictures but we had beef and bean burritos with the green tomatillo sauce recipe from Ann T's stacked enchiladas and some brown rice baked in the oven with a quart of white tomatoes, some red pepper, an onion and copious amounts of Penzey's "Arizona Dreaming". It was pretty good.

    Annie

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    John Love the colours in that photo. I'm big on beets.

    Ruthanna, I like the idea of your Tearoom lunch for dinner.

    Annie, Makayla looks like she is taking coffee roasting seriously.

    What we have been eating this week.


    Used leftover corn tortillas to make Moe breakfast tacos. Filled with fried potatoes with onions, garlic and serrano peppers and topped with scrambled eggs and salsa.

    Bistecca alla Fiorentina with roasted potatoes and rapini.


    Stuffed Baby Back Ribs


    Baguettes

    Pizza crust made from dough given a three day fermentation.

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Eggcellent tip on freezing eggs - I had no idea...and perfect Margarita. The beet salad or medley is luscious looking. I have been experimenting with fermented salads for the probiotics and beets work well in them.

    Just finished the Dr. Oz 3 day cleanse/detox which is 4 shakes a day..here is breakfast and lunch.

    Made the fam Shepherds Pie (inspired by Pkguy on another thread) and I had 10 pounds of potatoes my husband had bought that need to start being used. Sorry bad pics.


    I starting "retoxing" lol with this lovely wine from a small vineyard in Cali with my fave musician as a partner and my imaginary husband, Dave Matthews. Dreaming tree wine...

    Speaking of eggs...the kids got these souvenir wooden eggs, made in Maine at the White House Easter Egg Roll. The presidents dog Bo signed them. Considering my kids never had Halloween and were displaced for Christmas due to Sandy, this was a special day, indeed :)

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, nice looking Shepherds Pie.

    I wonder if that wine is available here. I'll have to look for it.

    How cute are those eggs.

    ~Ann

  • John Liu
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tell me more about the Dr Oz thing?

  • artsyshell
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yum! Drooling over everyone's amazing pictures and food!

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Double post

    This post was edited by maggie2094 on Sun, Apr 14, 13 at 17:25

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thx, Ann. Here it is, John...for the snack shake you repeat your favorite which was the breakfast one for me. I think the detox bath is important, don't skip. I really looked forward to it. I felt good, not hungry...did have a brutal caffeine withdrawal headache so just added another cup of green detox tea. I plan to do this twice a year. I did loose 6 pounds and the puffiness around eyes disappeared. My main goal though is to optimize health.

  • shirl36
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Annie 1992

    Tell more about you freezing eggs for a later day.
    You freeze them in muffin cups and then you take care of them how? They will keep for how long?

    I have not heard of this. If this has been discussed here before I must have been napping. I will pay attention this time. Thanks Shirl36

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Shirl, I'll start a new thread. Growing up on a farm we froze a lot of eggs in the summer and used them for Christmas baking.

    Maggie, I'm so happy to see you here again. Your kids got to go to the White House Easter Egg Roll? That IS special, good for them.

    Annie

  • dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Some truly remarkable kitchen creations, everyone!

    Maggie, Shepherds Pie has been on my to-make list last year. Yours will encourage me to do it soon.

    Ann_t, as always, every dish you put together are magazine quality.

    John, it beat me why you didn’t like beets before. That is a very attractive typical vegetable medley.

    Annie, there you go again. I really enjoy looking at all your cooking, very impressionistic.

    Ruthanna, a picture is worth a thousand words. Perfect haddock.

    Tricia, Glad to see that you are cooking in a real kitchen. That is a very dramatic magazine quality photo you posted there.

    Jasdip, What is happening here? You all can make such good fish dishes. Your basa looks magnificent.
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Smoked and grilled chicken

    Anything goes pizza (Naan bread dough, corned beef and Forsyth blossom toppings)

    dcarch

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Now that is a very colourful pizza. Looks like a painting. Beautiful roast (grilled smoked) chicken.

    We had chicken last night too. Boneless chicken breasts in a mushroom sauce with noodles and rapini on the side.
    edited to fix typo

    This post was edited by ann_t on Mon, Apr 15, 13 at 11:22

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    John, looks like you're speeding along on the vegetable train with good results.

    It's interesting to see two pizzas of different styles and I'd like a slice of each, please. They both look so appetizing.

    Maggie, what changes in your diet come after the detox?

    Brad's picnic post nudged me to make a rack of back ribs for dinner, along with a mushroom-barley pilaf and pepper cabbage.

    I posted a photo of a recipe I described on John's bike shop thread. We had the sausages baked in potatoes and poached eggs with vegetable sauce for Sunday brunch. Repeating here if you didn't see it on his thread.

  • John Liu
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just read that beets reduce blood pressure. They are high in nitrate, which is metabolized to nitrites and then nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure as well as improving exercise performance e.g. cycling. Other vegetables that contain nitrate would likely do the same, and there are many - e.g. leafy greens.

    The experiments on this topic have people drinking 12 oz and up of beet juice per day, which is quite a lot. I think - not confirmed - that one or two whole beets would be equivalent.

    This is interesting, as I (1) cycle, (2) have a history of high blood pressure, and (3) like beets and beet juice.

    Links:
    http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/020612p48.shtml
    http://www.energygelcentral.com/blog/item/drink-beets

    Here is a link that might be useful: Today's Dietitian

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That pizza looks gorgeous! Ann, chicken and mushrooms is my fave.

    Ruthanna, I am head over heals with ur piggy potatoes! I am just wanting to eat as clean as possible. Doing a glowing green smoothie every morning and I just feel so much more energetic.

    John, don't know if I could do that one...but great info.

    Made Kale, tomato, and white bean soup this morning for tonight. It was a NY Times recipe and excellent. One kid actually ate it (the other had Mac and cheese from the box and not even blue lol). I bought Swai (Basa). I think someone here mentioned it. Noticed when I got no e it is from Vietnam...not sure that means farmed so didn't make :(

    My sister went to Isreal and brought me home these spices that came just as you see them, they are beautiful and smell divine but for some reason haven't used yet.

    I made an iced lemon yogurt loaf with olive oil. Never made an olive oil cake and I am finding it too overpowering and rich. Would prefer canola.

  • mustangs81
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You all are amazing!

    I POOFed dinner tonight so nothing fancy.
    Leftover baked ham to make 15 bean soup; using pressure cooker
    Thai pork wraps

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ruthanna, I've never seen a sausage cooked in a potato. What a neat idea.

    Maggie, that soup looks wonderful. So does your lemon loaf. I have not been happy with baked goods using olive oil. I find the olive oil flavour over powering. But your loaf looks so good I might have to give olive oil another try.

    Cathy, nice to see you posting to the WFD. I love lettuce cups.

    Grilled Hot Dogs in Baguette Buns

    Lamb Ragout with Winter Vegetables Served over Couscous.
    This is a favourite lamb recipe. One I have been making for over 30 years. Not sure why the recipe is titled "winter vegetables" though.

    Lamb Ragout with Winter Vegetables
    I sometimes Substitute Lamb Shanks in this recipe for the Boneless Lamb.

    Wine Magazine 1980's

    3 medium garlic cloves
    1 large onion
    3 pounds Boneless Lamb, cut into 1 1 1/2 inch cubes
    3 tablespoons Olive Oil
    3 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2-1/2 cups Beef Broth
    1-1/2 cups Red Wine
    1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
    2 Japanese Eggplants, cut Crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
    12 large Mushrooms, thinly sliced
    1/2 Red, Green and Yellow Peppers Julienned
    3 tablespoons Olive Oil
    3 tablespoons Butter
    12 Dried Apricots, Cut into Slivers
    1/2 cup White Raisins (I omit these)
    2 tablespoons Fresh Basil, Coarsely Chopped
    Salt and Pepper to Taste
    . Peel garlic and onion, coarsely chop and saute in 1 T each of oil and butter until softened and golden. Transfer to a large pot. Saute lamb in batches in 1 T. oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, turning~ as it browns adding oil and butter as necessary.
    Transfer to pot already containing garlic and onion. Use stock and wine to deglaze the skillet, bring to a boil, then add this to the meat mixture. Simmer lamb for one hour until almost tender. Add tomato sauce, simmer an additional 20 minutes.

    Meanwhile saute separately eggplant, mushrooms and peppers and apricots, using oil and butter as necessary. Combined and serve on top of of the lamb. Very colourful. Serve with Couscous or rice, topped with basil.

    I still had enough dough left to use as a starter in another batch of baguette dough and to make another pizza.

    Pizza was baked on a stone in a 550°F.

    Pizza Margherita topped with Buffalo Mozzarella.

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The pork cups look awesome and best looking hot dog ever. Ann, I agree about olive oil in cakes.

    Well tonight, this...

    Cost more than this...

    The first is 2 red wines in sippy cups (I know!) they let you bring to your seat at the theater. The second is awesome cheddar sliders, fries, and a ladies Guiness at Playrights Irish pub on 49th street.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, I was trying to figure out what the heck that first picture was!

    Why am I not surprised that two sippy cups of wine cost more than your meal?

    Annie

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    $36 and I already had the cups so supposed to be discounted! The person with me bought...I would have never and told her not to..,thankfully they were free work tix but seriously they are robbing preps!

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Mmm, Ann, that is my type of stew. I like figs in lamb stew too.

    Cathy, your soup looks delicious.

    I hope you post the results from using those intriguing spice mixtures, Maggie. I tried a Martha Stewart orange cake made with olive oil with the same results as you and Ann. I like the flavor of olive oil in savory dishes but it was just too prominent in the cake.

    I recycled our leftover Sunday's squash into a pasta sauce to top spaghetti squash, served with baked salmon.

    Lunch was the most exciting meal yesterday because I joined CF member dedtired for some good food and hours of non-stop chatting. Without any prior discussion, we both ordered exactly the same items - pea soup with barley and a grilled peach salad. Great afternoon with a lovely lady!

    Dinner was beef vegetable soup from the freezer and some purchased shrimp spring rolls.

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ruthanna, how nice that you and Pam were able to get together.

    Salmon looks good. I like how the lime adds a splash of colour.

    Thursday's dinner. New York Strips. Individual Corn Custards.

    I work Friday, Sat and Sunday and get home about 5:30 so dinners on those nights are usually something that doesn't take longer to prepare than an hour start to finish.

    Saturday night - Top Sirloin roast. Presalted and roasted at 500°F.


    Sunday night - Grilled boneless chicken breasts with grilled sides - potatoes, peppers and green beans.

    Last night's dinner was all cooked on the grill.

    I think tonight we will have beef dip sandwiches using the leftover Sirloin roast.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've got to pull myself together and get some pictures posted.

    Ruthanna, it's fun to get together with forum friends, isn't it? It's funny that you both ordered the same lunch, LOL.

    Ann T., that beef looks perfect. tonight Elery is not here, he's at his house overseeing the destruction of the old barn. The assessor says the loan can't go through until it's gone, so if we want to sell the place, it's got to come down. I went the other way, to the farm, and pruned grape vines and started on apple trees. As a result I had avocado on toast when I got home.

    I do have some pictures of past suppers, I just have to get them on the computer.

    Annie

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ann, looks like you're into the swing of grilling season. The grilled vegetables look great.

    Here's a couple of weekend meals.
    Grilled veal chops, roasted potatoes, yellow beets and Brussels sprout leaves. The stars were Roquefort butter, which we also use on baked potatoes.

    Curried lamb burgers ended up as grilled little meat loaves with cucumber-onion salad and we split a purchased swirl of phyllo stuffed with spinach and feta.

    My friend and I are leaving this week on one of our bus trip adventures so I won't be cooking for a while. It's not a food-themed one like our Chesapeake crab trip so no idea what we'll be having for dinner.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ruthanna, it must be the season for lamb, Elery and I had lamb last night, marinated in lemon and oregano and served with sautéed cabbage and baked sweet potato:

    tonight we had an odd assortment of poblano peppers stuffed with seasoned quinoa and baked in a sauce made with those white tomatoes I grew last year. Sides were mashed potato with celeriac and mayacoba beans. Yes, that's mine with the liberal grinding of black pepper, I started eating before I remembered to take a picture...

    I baked some muffins with steel cut oats. Elery bought oats, I bought oats and neither of us realized that we already had a new bag, LOL. I found lots of recipes that used them cooked but used one that just called for pouring boiling water over the oats and letting them sit. I should have cooked them, the muffins had an odd texture from the pieces of oats but the flavor was nice, cinnamon and shredded apple. I added raisins. Maddie is coming tomorrow, so she'll have a muffin and a glass of milk. I'll have a muffin and coffee, we'll both be happy!

    I got some fresh beans from Burman's so I just roasted Costa Rican coffee, that'll be good with my muffin in the morning. A coffee warehouse in Wisconsin, who'd a thunk?

    It was cold last weekend, so I made split pea soup:

    Fresh hot buttermilk biscuits with homemade strawberry jam went with the soup:

    I made baked cod with a parmesan bread crumb crust, kind of a knock off of Ruthanna's Parmesan Crusted fish but without the tomato basil butter. We had beets and a cauliflower/potato mixture called aloo ghobi. From "Grit" magazine, remember them? They used to be a newspaper type format, now they're a magazine, but mostly small farm kind of stuff. I was surprised to find recipes.

    I made some sweet potato chips in the microwave for a snack a couple of nights ago, they were actually pretty good. I like sweet potatoes, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

    Finally, because Elery's been eating egg white omelettes for breakfast, leaving me with a lot of egg yolks, I made pasta using the Cook's Illustrated recipe. 2 whole eggs and 6 egg yolks. The dough was sticky and hard to work with, nothing like the dough shown in the test kitchen, of course. I needed a lot more flour to roll out the noodles but eventually got it rolled and cut. I used half to make this, kind of primavera, the other half is in the freezer for another time.

    There, I think I'm caught up, I should know better than to get so far behind!

    Annie

  • womansheart
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm new and I forgot to take pictures, but, I think some of you may enjoy hearing about our dinner yesterday.

    I live in the Big Bend area of Florida not too far from the northeast coast of the Gulf of Mexico. On Friday, a friend/neighbor and I stopped at a local fish market on our way home from taking her dog to a public "dog beach" nearby.

    Forty-five minutes before we stopped by; the market received a delivery of fresh black grouper. I bought a beautiful filet.

    Last night I baked it at 375 degrees for about 15 -20 minutes. I check the internal temperature often toward the fifteen minute mark so that it does not over cook. I look for a temp in the thickest part of the filet to be about 135 to 140 degrees. When it gets there, I remove it from the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for a few minutes.

    The topping is very simple and delicious. I use fresh lemon juice, then a little salt and pepper, add a sprinkling of Cavendar's Greek seasoning, a sprinkled pinch of paprika and a drizzle of fresh olive oil (about one teaspon) over the entire top of the filet.

    Yummmn.

    With the grouper I served organic, locally grown grits that were made from white corn grown on a farm in southwest Georgia, the corn was treated, then dried and sort of "medium" ground by the family who owns the farm. They also raise olive trees and along with a group of other farmers in the area, they harvest their olives and press them to produce extra virgin olive oil that is organic. Yes, this is in Georgia. I know, I was surprised too.

    The grits are boiled with water and a little salt to bring out the flavor. After they were done I added sour cream and mozzarella cheese to notch up the creaminess of the dish.

    This was served with organic baby greens, carrots slivered, heirloom "chocolate" tomatoes, a little shredded cabbage, and a few Greek olives. A simple oil and vinegar dressing let the flavors of the fresh baby greens shine through.

    I had a sparkling rose (champagne method) with dinner.

    Everything was so good it made me hum with pleasure through out the entire meal.

    Words never do a meal the justice that one or two good photographs can do, but, this will give you an idea of how I love to eat and prepare food with both love and care!

    Within a day or two I hope to begin making some easy recipe bread from a new cookbook "My Bread" The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey, with Rick Flaste.

    Wish me luck.

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Womansheart, Your dinner sounds wonderful. Grouper is one of the few fish, besides Halibut that I actually like. I've only had it though in Florida. Not common in my neck of the woods.

    I love your simple presentation. A beautiful fish like that doesn't need much to make it perfect.

    Look forward to seeing your bread.

    Ruthanna, love the idea of the veal chop with the Roquefort Butter

    Annie, Moe has been having egg white omelets recently. Now I know what I will do with the leftover egg yolks. (I hate to admit it but I have just been tossing them).

    This was one of my favourite meals this week. Easy and so full of flavour.
    I plan to make the sauce again soon and serve it with halibut.


    Chinese White Cut Chicken with Ginger and Scallion Sauce.


    Burgers with grilled fries.

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Homemade Italian Sausage grilled and served with Penne.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I need to get some pictures loaded, but I've been having some computer problems and I think they are finally resolved. I think. Elery and I spent the day pruning apple trees and then went to Bud's school musical: "The Three Little Pigs; An Operetta". LOL Supper was toast with mashed avocado for me, leftovers for Elery and Cooper.

    Ann T, I'm still struggling with egg yolks, I can't stand to toss them out and they do make a darned good noodle.

    Your halibut looks delicious, as does the burger. I've been hungry for a burger, I need to make some the next couple of days.

    Womansheart, that fish sounds delicious. I've never had black grouper that I'm ware of, but I love nearly any kind of fish or seafood I've ever tried, I'm sure I'd like it.

    Annie

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Last night's dinner was a spicier version of Ginger Chicken.

  • angelaid
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ann, my mouth is watering over that Ginger Chicken. Please share recipe?

  • John Liu
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot to take pictures too :-( but last night's dinner was fun.

    It happened because my neighbors have a friend who received a mess of oysters from her coast-dwelling relative. Friend doesn't eat oysters, so she pawned them off on my neighbors, who called me. "We don't know what to do with these". Ah ha. "I can help you with that". When it comes to free food, I am always helpful.

    So C___ and B___ came over with a cooler full over fresh local oysters, about fifty mediums. I showed them how to use an oyster knife, and they got to work. Free labor with the free food!

    We had most of the oysters on the half shell with cocktail sauce (SWMBO whips it up from ketchup and horseradish and whatever) and a couple types of mignonette (the traditional shallot-based, but also a garlic and a chive). The rest were grilled with shallots, garlic, butter, panko crumbs, and grated cheese, sort of a quick and dirty Oysters Rockfeller.

    I literally ate oysters until I couldn't eat any more. Now that's not something you do every day.

    The rest of the dinner was
    - a whole chicken, deboned and grilled with a spice rub and rosemary branches (because the kids would rather eat their own faces than touch an oyster)
    - asparagus that we grilled and heaped with asparagus pesto (make it from the ends of the spears, with olive oil, toasted nuts, garlic, salt, and a little cayenne pepper, takes 5 minutes and a food processor)
    - spaghetti with conventional pesto (for the kids)
    - mashed sweet potato, and roasted regular potatoes
    - part of a steelhead trout that I bought yesterday, cut into bite-sized pieces, coated in a spicy panko mixture, and deep fried for just 30 seconds (raw and cool inside, warm and salty and crunchy outside) because I needed treats to keep the oyster shuckers working
    - a simple salad
    - some local IPA and a local stout
    - strawberries and cream

    This all got thrown together in about two hours. It was pretty much impromptu. We made C___ and B____ take home all the leftovers. I don't need to eat like that every day . . .

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Womansheart, your dinner sounds wonderful. We have a house in FL and always look forward to the fish and citrus fruits when we get down there.

    John, it must have been great to have such a bountiful oyster feast!

    We're back from our bus trip vacation and had some interesting food and drinks but I only took one food pic - a berry shortcake we had on a boat trip in Wash. D.C. Another day, our lunch dessert was a delicious pound cake topped with blackberries marinated in limoncello. I'll have to remember that idea.

    I forgot that our neighbor's daughter had been at our house working on a jigsaw puzzle when I went to take a photo of that night's dinner. I know spring is really here when I switch from pea soup made with dried split peas to ones with frozen or fresh green peas. This one also contained leeks, celery and fresh mint and parsley. We usually have pea soup chilled in summer but served it hot last week.

    Had a cookout one night with grilled pork chops, baked Lima beans with bacon and French potato salad.

    Derby party last night so no cooking for dinner. Tonight was a baked ham end, scalloped potatoes and lettuce and tomato salad.

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ruthanna, You are the only one here that seems to cook a ham occasionally and when you do I get a craving for ham and scalloped potatoes. If it stays cool here this week, ham will be on the menu.

    Roasted Italian sausage with potatoes, onions, peppers, olives, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary drizzled with olive oil.

    Grilled Top Sirloin Cap with grilled vegetables.

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ann, except for holiday time, the butchers sell a large quantity of ham steaks - about 3/4" thick with a small round piece of bone and cut from the center of the ham. After all the steaks are cut, the two ham ends left over average about 2 1/2 to 4 lbs. each and those make it easy and economical to cook ham for everyday meals.

    You grilled vegetables look so good. I haven't made any yet this season but will have to do so soon. I did take some WFD pix but haven't had a chance to resize them yet. We finally finished our jigsaw puzzle on the table so will be back to photos shot with a bit more light.

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Happy Mothers Day!

    My husband worked so my sisrer wife (in law) came over (hers worked too).

    We had such a nice day. The kids had sparkling pink lemonade and SIL and I had Rubinos. I saw Rachel Rays husband John make them. It is Prosecco, Lillet, and raspberry purée. The Lillet is very interesting.

    I made a flatbread appetizer using Naan bread and it was awesome. SIL brought Lobster Bake in a bucket which had 2 lobsters 1 1/4, mussels, clams, potatoes, and corn. You just add water and steam and you keep the bucket. It was $20 pp which I think is very good and worth it!

    We let them play first with our friend Shirley first...

    SIL and DN made cupcakes.

    My daughter had a secret...this ice cream cake in the freezer from Carvel.

    I also made a tray of baked ziti for the kids. It was a great day!

  • ann_t
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, sounds like a wonderful day. And what a deal for that lobster dinner. You really celebrated Mother's Day in style.

    ~Ann

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, I'd have snapped that lobster meal up in an instant for that price, and it sounds delicious. Plus cake, how could it be better?

    WFD here? Elery and I have been moving furniture out of his house and into a storage unit, supposedly the sale is "secure" but the loan people are 23 days behind. Not 21 days or a month, exactly 23 days, LOL. We'll see.

    Anyway, dinner was a baked potato in the microwave and chili from Wendy's.

    Our 5th anniversary was Friday, I was staying with Bud and The Princess and Elery was packing stuff up at his house, so we were three hours apart. Not much celebrating going on right now, he says when we get this house moving done, we'll celebrate our anniversary, Mother's Day, my birthday and hopefully the house sale, all at once!

    Annie

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That looks like a super Mother's Day dinner, Maggie. That's an easy way to make a lobster dinner!

    Happy anniversary to you and Elery, Annie. I hope all works out OK with the house sale.

    We started off Mother's Day with a great breakfast at a local fire company and then to an outdoor farmers' market we like for our first visit this year.

    Dinner was pork roasted on a bed of onion and orange slices, flavored with garlic and fennel seeds.

    I posted a recipe I hadn't thought of for years on GWlolo's ice cream thread so made chocolate marshmallow "ice cream" for our tea time treat tonight.

    Couple of other dinners this week were:
    Chicken thighs baked in white wine, chive & saffron couscous, beets

    Asian-style Salisbury steaks, brown arborio rice, sauteed spinach and watercress

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Ann. There is a lobster 'farm" in my area All maine lobsters...need to do it more often!

    Happy Annie, Annie and Elery! Wow 5 years! You need to celebrate soon! We are married 18 year today. What a long, strange trip it's been ;)

    Ruthanna, I love your tea time! I had planned on making strawberry and cream scones yesterday but never got to it. How do you do the Asian Salaibury steak? Love it!

  • ruthanna_gw
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, here's a link to when I first posted the recipe. As noted, I cut the amount of red pepper, scallions and chopped ginger in half on the subsequent times I made it. I also added a dash of soy sauce to the greens, which was the spinach and watercress mix.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Asian Salisbury Steaks

  • maggie2094
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you! Totally making that.

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Maggie, I think Elery would tell you that being married to be has been a strange trip so far too, LOL.

    He puts up with my bad farming habit and my odd family members and my dog, so I think I'll keep him!

    Annie

  • annie1992
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Edited to remove duplicate post.

    This post was edited by annie1992 on Tue, May 14, 13 at 0:20

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