what's for dinner tonight?

[imhungry]

i need ideas.

[Will Owen]

We booked two girlfriends for Monday night and a couple we knew just fairly well but had not yet entertained for Tuesday. The guy on Tuesday is also a recently-diagnosed diabetic, which meant no potatoes or sweets.

So Monday I got a 3-lb boneless pork loin roast and larded it with bacon strips, tied it at intervals, and gave it a good rubdown with Kosher salt and herbes de Provence, then let it sit out under a towel all afternoon. I also got some little white creamer potatoes and parboiled them, then drained and dried them and tossed them in oil and seasonings with a chopped onion and a cut-up fresh pasilla pepper. I also steamed some broccoli and made a cheese sauce, put those together in a big gratin dish and sprinkled panko crumbs over. When the time came, I preheated the oven with an iron skillet on the top rack, then put the roast in on the middle rack, followed shortly by the potato mixture poured into the hot skillet. That all took about an hour at 375, after which I took out the meat and potatoes, bumped the heat to 425 and put it back on preheat, and ran the gratin of broccoli onto the middle shelf for about twenty minutes. That was Supper #1.

The following day I blanched some fresh green beans and tossed them in a vinaigrette of olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and a little vinegar, and packed them into a Ziplock. About the time the guests were due, I made a salad of leaf and butter lettuce, tomato, avocado and egg, sliced the leftover pork onto a platter and spread the jellied juices over it, and put my green beans into a bowl. That was Supper #2.

Tonight we watched a really awful French "classic" film from the '60s and I grilled burgers, which we ate with the leftover garlicky green beans. Yum!!

[Nuray]

Ok I am reading everyone's post while eating two slices of store bought regular pizza and envy all the great food everyone's planned for dinner.... Yummm...

[singleguychef]

I'm making paella tonight. I know, sounds like a lot of work, but it takes really just about 30 minutes. I thought about making it because I had a few pieces of frozen scallops, and then some extra chicken thighs, so I thought, throw in some chorizo and I can make paella! I have a small paella pan that I got last year that's fun to make for myself.

But if you want really quick dinners, you can never go wrong with steamed fish or anything glazed! I actually have several recipes on my food blog that talks about simple dishes for single people. Maybe you might find more ideas when you visit it (www.singleguychef.blogspot.com

)

Let me know if you try any and what you think! :)

[Petitpois]

Now that the weather's getting cooler, I made Julia Child's onion soup, including croutons (rubbed with garlic) and gratineed. A few glasses of Chilean cabernet washed it all down.

[WINDELLA]

We had homemade spaghetti with meatballs,coleslaw with apples,rasins and nuts,garlic bread ,homemade apple pie ala mode

[rosielucchesini]

Grilled Tri-Tip and Arugula Salad w/Blue Cheese, Mushrooms, Pecans and Sun Dried Tomatoes-all washed down with a glass of Noceto Sangiovese.

[niki rothman]

Chicken roasted in my Showtime rotisserie, mashed, baked, or oven fries - depending on what husband wants, carrots steamed and mixed with a little sugar, salt and butter, and spinach saute' with garlic and parmesan. Probably be a green salad with vinagrette. Dessert - home made stewed apples.

[kayandallie]

Sock-eye salmon roasted in butter, with fresh asparagus. Almost ready!

[Elizzie]

Chili made with an eye round that I cut into cubes, threw into the crockpot with some chipotles in adobo, tomatoes (some canned, some fresh), cumin, cilantro and other herbs. Plus a chopped salad of cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), cucumbers and onion with lime juice and olive oil.

[TheGloaming]

A friend gave me beautiful red and yellow cherry tomatoes from his garden, so I made the BLT farfalle recipe from last week's San Jose Mercury. Quick, simple, flavourful!

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercur...

[Rubee]

Thanks for the link - that looks great! Perfect for having friends over for lunch.

[Junie D]

Comfort food:

Roast turkey breast with gravy
Buttermilk mashed potatoes
Corn on the cob with butter and lime
Green salad with blue cheese and Gravenstein apples
Plum sorbet and vanilla ice cream

[lawrence]

not finalized yet, but i think i'm going to do a sliced pork loin and kabocha squash stirfry. had some leftover kabocha from my thai curry recipe last week. might spruce it up with some white onion and cilantro and a basic soy marinade. yum yum... =)

[kayandallie]

Leftovers: Chicken/garbanzo bean tagine with mashed potatoes on the bottom.

[Michelle]

Pot roast (been cooking in the crockpot all day, very simple recipe that is very tasty - put 1/2 C. water in the crockpot, add the roast and sprinkle on top 1 packet each of dry brown gravy mix, ranch dressing mix, and italian dressing mix. Cook on low all day. I also added some mushrooms), mashed potatoes and a green salad. The leftover roast/gravy will become beef barley soup.

[TexasToast]

Spicy moong bean soup followed by spiced grilled eggplant and potatoes, served with plain rice and a cucumber, fennel, and dill salad with a lemon-caper dressing.

TT

[Debbie W]

I'm rubbing a tri-tip w/Raichlen's BBQ University rub (to which I'm adding a little bit of powdered aji amarillo from Happy Quail Farms that I picked up in S.F. week before last, it'll be my first time trying it). Husband will grill the tri-tip. Also having some sliced heirloom tomatoes that I picked up at Studio City F.M. yesterday, with some fleur de sel and basil and maybe a little olive oil. Very simple. I was pawing through my freezer this morning trying to figure out what was in there and I found a couple pieces of cornbread that I'd made and frozen in March, so we're having those too. Kind of a bit of a potluck. Dessert will be whatever fruit is best from what I bought yesterday - nectarines, plums, pluots. Tomorrow we'll have the leftover tri-tip and a cucumber salad and whatever's left of the tomatoes.

[jfood]

Some homemade gazpacho, wild salmon on/off the grill with a salad. catching an early flight to Chi-towon in the AM so want to pack and eat lite.

[brooklynmasala]

Keema samosas in puff pastry shells.

[TexasToast]

Lamb or Beef? Or any other meat for that matter (as I was recently reminded that "keema" means simply "ground meat".

TT

[brooklynmasala]

I use lamb. I find it has a better flavor than beef.

[Candy]

I don't know yet. I was busy making jam today so I told my DH at lunch to pick up something interesting at the butcher shop on his way home tonight. Maybe he'll surprise me with some good fish. Our butcher shop carries the best fish available by retail in this town.

[Rubee]

Chicken with capers, olives, tomatoes, and basil (link below). The recipe is for Halibut, but I'm subbing boneless chicken thighs and chicken stock. It's a great recipe for the summer - easy simple, tasty, and I've done it with shrimp and other fish. Serving it over couscous tossed with parsley, basil, sliced almonds, and a little lemon.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[morebubbles]

Thanks for that link & your recommendation, Rubee. I made that tonight with chicken breasts. Cooked for longer time, then placed in oven while I cooked the sauce. Used white porto (didn't have reg. white wine) & roasted tomatoes (which I'd done in advance-not knowing what I was going to use it in). Very good! Thanks again. Served it with rice mixed with chopped vegs.

[BJK]

Looks rainy out tonight in Boston, so I guess I'll be making my indoor meal:

chicken sausages with homemade pesto, tomatoes, basil & mozzarella

BK

[kitchenhag]

pork tenderloin w' eggplant, onions and fennel and peppers all on the grill

[cheryl_h]

Hot-smoked wild Alaskan salmon, made yesterday. I stole a couple of forkfuls before putting it away last night and it tasted really good. Couscous salad, steamed spinach.

[pamd]

jerk chicken & plantains

[niki rothman]

I'd love to have your jerk chicken recipe. I have a Jamaican friend who insists jerk seasoning should only be salt, sugar and scotch bonnet peppers.

[Tom Steele]

Portobello mushrooms stuffed with home-made pesto, ricotta, and mozzarella, and Monkfish Au Poivre. Want the recipes?

[imhungry]

sure

[Tom Steele]

Okay, here you go:

Roasted Portobello Mushrooms Stuffed with Pesto, Ricotta, and Mozzarella

4 medium-large portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg, whisked
3/4 cup pesto (Marcella’s recipe)
Whole nutmeg for grating

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wipe the mushrooms with moist paper towels, stem them, and scrape out the black gills. Rub the mushrooms with the olive oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, egg, and pesto, reserving about half of the parmesan cheese. Spoon the pesto mixture into the mushroom caps. Arrange the caps on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the reserved parmesan and grate the nutmeg over the mushrooms. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.

Yield: 2 servings

and

Monkfish Medallions au Poivre

Not so long ago, monkfish was considered by Americans to be “trash fish”—to be thrown back in the ocean if caught, partly because it’s the ugliest fish on the planet. It was also called “the poor man’s lobster,” not so much for flavor reasons as for the substantial texture of the tail meat. Here, monkfish becomes “the poor man’s steak au poivre.” This is ready in under 1/2 hour.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. monkfish fillets, about 2 large, 1 inch at their thickest,
membranes removed and cut into 1-inch medallions
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white vermouth
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon freshly and coarsely cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons cream (optional)
2 tablespoons cognac

Mise en place.

Heat the oil in a 10” non-stick skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes, or until a pinch of flour sizzles. With a fork, combine the cornstarch and flour in a medium bowl. Dredge the monkfish medallions lightly in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and sear on both sides until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the medallions to a platter and keep warm.

Add the wine to the pan and reduce over medium-high heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock and shallots and cook down to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes. Lower the heat to a minimum and stir in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is smooth and thick, then stir in the mustard and add the pepper, nutmeg, and the optional cream and stir well. Pour in any juices that have accumulated around the monkfish. Add the cognac to one side of the skillet and carefully ignite it with a long match. Swirl the sauce until the flames subside, then spoon the sauce over the fish and serve at once. Buttered basmati rice would be nice, perhaps with a smattering of minced tarragon leaves.

Yield: 2 servings

[macca]

Tom- Both recipes look great- Thanks. I have only cooked monkfish once- and the family was not really impressed- but I am sure they will love this recipe.

[Tom Steele]

Hey Macca--

Thanks! Let me know what your family thinks. I made it without realizing I was out of black peppercorns, so I used (dried) green, and it wasn't nearly as good.

[stevuchan]

Monk fish is also good ala "Saltimbocca" with lemon caper butter.

Cheers

[niki rothman]

I dunno if it's ugliness, or fear - it's probably the ugliest fish AND the scariest looking fish - what a mug! A face only a mother monkfish could love. Maybe it's the fact that it is supposedly very difficult and annoying to clean and filet - never tried it myself. I mean, monkfish tastes OK, but it's certainly less tasty than a lot of other fish that are easier to encounter.

[TexasToast]

Yea, but when was the last time you saw a WHOLE monkfish? I think "ugly" fish like that are deliberately filleted and sold in a more presentable manner.

TT

[toodie jane]

I fondly remember the French Chef episode where Julia held up a whole Monkfish by the tail...lord, it was ugly!

maybe that's what Dan Aykroyds' spoof was about....remember bass-o-matic? Bona peteet!

[MMRuth]

Wild Salmon - not yet sure how, or with what ...

[Pei]

2nd day gumbo!

[paulgardner]

If you have time to marinate for a few hours and grill, try this teriyake marinade from Steve Raichlen's Barbeque Bible; it's great with any cut of steak or chicken (if you are doing breasts, grill them on the bone and then bone them after cooking, they stay much more moist:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chinese cooking wine
1/4 cup sherry
1 tb minced ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
2 scallions (green and white parts) finely sliced
1/4 cup light brown sugar

combine all ingredients; whisk until brown sugar dissolves; enough marinade for about 2 lbs. of meat

[macca]

Love this on london broil- I usually let it marinate overnight. Kind of a teriyaki flavor.

[thenurse]

Fettuccine with garden-fresh zucchini, walnuts and pecorino (from epicurious.com) and baked tilapia with cherry tomatoes, also from the garden.

[Dommy]

We're having Bangers (From the sausage maker at Bob's Market in SM) and veggie tempura cakes (From Jacques Pepin Celebrates cookbook)

[Dommy]

Brother is coming over... So we are having French Onion Soup (Made the stock over the weekend) with Paninis.

--Dommy!