What's for Dinner-Ides of January Edition [OLD]

[roxlet]

With a house full of Egyptian squash players who will all be playing in The Tournament of Champions in Grand Central Station this week, our focus is turning to more plain, filling foods. One of the them had his 22nd birthday yesterday, so today we are making a birthday dinner that will essentially be Thanksgiving dinner. Roasted turkey, stuffing and all the fixings. It's a very Egyptian friendly meal. The request, oddly enough, was for caramel cake. Another of the boys has his birthday in two days, and his request was for pumpkin pie!

What's cooking in your neck of the woods?

[Frizzle]

I've got some cheat's ricotta (made from milk not whey) doing it's thing right now. Dinner will be cold lentils tossed with some very finely chopped red onion, baby spinach leaves and a vinegar (or lemon) & mustard dressing. It will be topped with the fresh cheat's ricotta and drizzled with olive oil.
I should be thinking ahead to tomorrow night and doing prep today as it's forecast to be another absolute scorcher but I'm feeling incredibly lazy plus I have a fridge full of things I'm not sure how to combine.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Last night was marinated roast chicken thighs with a citrus aleppo sauce, on top of bulgur tossed with mint and fresh orange juice (somehow the garden mint is still kicking). Side salad of avocado and pickled red onion and some more mint, just because I didn't want to throw out the avocado and it wasn't gonna last more than another day or so.

Tonight is an herbed skillet souffle with some sort of super simple side salad involving dandelion greens---maybe crumbled blue cheese, buttermilk dressing, and some more pickled onion.

Couple of the uncooked thighs leftover from yesterday's dinner are currently sitting in an orange, cinnamon, and rosemary brine for tomorrow's eats. Not sure what we'll end up doing with them.

[Frizzle]

I'm starving and you just made me hungrier. All of that sounds fabulous.

[mariacarmen]

new thread here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/886576

[eperdu]

Tonight is leftovers. I made the ragu from the french pot roast last night and it's absolutely fabulous. I'm eating it for lunch right now and may have more later tonight or I'll have ctfoodie's avgolemono which I made this morning, Yum! I have lots of good leftovers for tonight.

[steve h.]

Gorgonzola-stuffed olives for nibbles, pasta Bolognese for the main. House red to wash it all down.
Painters wrapped things up today so I need to get busy on next steps.

[suzigirl]

I am repurposing the Suzi sloppy Joe's with some peas and carrots and more gravy to make a cottage pie filling. I will make horseradish and cheddar mashed for the top. That and some campari tomatoes and parsley in a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and almond oil.

[wyogal]

That sounds fabulous!

[suzigirl]

Fingers crossed. Lets hope so

[juliejulez]

Tonight for me is just some leftovers and a big salad. I had lunch today with my BFF at Larkburger, and it was DELICIOUS, probably the best fast casual hamburger I've ever had...they're a local Colorado chain but are apparently expanding nationally. http://larkburger.com/

[wyogal]

That's great to know! We'll have to try them sometime when we are down there!

[juliejulez]

For sure, it was so good. They have one in Northglenn right off of I-25 and 120th, just east of I-25.

[rabaja]

After two nights of chicken and artichoke pasta with marinara (thanks to my husband, who took it upon himself to make a dinner monday, specifically to last two nights) I am back in the kitchen and debating between a hearty chicken and vegetable soup with farro, or good, old-fashioned meatloaf.
We haven't had much in the way of vegetables since Sunday, but I have a feeling meatloaf will get a happier reception.
Maybe I could just make the soup, and put meatballs in it....

[scubadoo97]

I made homemade gyro meat ala Alton Brown today.

[thymetobake]

That is impressive. I think I remember that episode. Did you do yours on a grill? How'd it turn out?

[scubadoo97]

Did them in a loaf pan in the oven and they went into the freezer for a small dinner party in a couple of weeks. Used the meat that hadn't been emulsified and made kabobs with lots of parsley that are going on the grill. Will be served in pita with tzatziki

[scubadoo97]

gyro kabobs.

[thymetobake]

sending bows and curtisies to you. what a great meal/ plan/ stratedgy. if you care to, would love to have the oven method....

[scubadoo97]

It's Alton Browns recipe but I did 50/50 leg of lamb and brisket flat. Still lamby enough but a little tamer for those that aren't too into lamb.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/al...

I did 4 lbs of meat total to make two loafs.

[prima]

pork al pastor, tomatillo/goat cheese/refried bean enchiladas, Mexican-style quinoa (like Mexican rice, but made with quinoa), guacamole

[JungMann]

I've inexplicably had quite a sweet tooth this week so dinner efforts will focus on satisfying that. We will have roast chicken thighs with a sweet and spicy soy gravy, mashed celeriac, salad with the last bit of ChristinaMason's recommended piquillo pepper dressing and to finish, a slice of the stollen and a tipple of eggnog. Hopefully I can get back to having to contend only with my salt tooth starting tomorrow.

[Frizzle]

Sounds great JM. How do you do your sweet, spicy soy gravy?

[JungMann]

The weekday version involves melting a bit of sugar in a pan and stopping its progress with soy sauce and a can of sodium-free chicken stock. Add to a medium roux with browned garlic and season with Urfa pepper, sambal or lemon juice and a generous helping of black pepper.

The weekend version involves a chicken that has been marinated in lemon juice, soy sauce and sugar (the prototypical Filipino marinade) so that the pan drippings already have a great deal of caramelization and complexity. All that's needed is to thicken them with the garlic roux and season with pepper and sambal or lemon juice.

[Frizzle]

Both versions sound good, thank you.

[Terrie H.]

I'm slightly happy with myself for tonight's dinner. I am on an extreme budget and cook for myself right now. So, when the stars align to make something special, I'm very happy.

Marked down thin slices of top round because it was near the sell-by date was only $2.11 for nearly half a pound. It is now simmering as bracciole. I made a stuffing with everything I had on hand ~~ 2 slices of bacon from the freezer, aging mushrooms, onions, spinach (from the freezer), a little minced dried tomatoes, pecorino, a few breadcrumbs and an egg. I had a big can of Red-Pak tomatoes and added onions, garlic and herbs, added the browned beef packets, and it will simmer for a few hours.

I'll toss some pasta in the sauce for tonight, and freeze the other portions.

[suzigirl]

I have a waterfall in my mouth. That sounds fantastic. Enjoy it

[wyogal]

yum yum yum yum!

[GretchenS]

wow, Terrie, sounds fantastic!

[Terrie H.]

Thanks, ladies, and I must say that the sauce alone was worth it. This truly was a special meal enough for 4 people for under $6. Patting myself on the back... ;o))

[suzigirl]

You know the saying don't break your arm patting yourself on the back? Ignore that. Pat away. That is fantastic. :-) :-)

[LindaWhit]

Sounds great!

[wyogal]

I think we might go to a neighborhood restaurant, a relatively new one. Our daughter works there and got us a gift certificate. The chef is from one of the seasons of Hell's Kitchen, and it has a really interesting menu. I want the watermelon/heirloom tomato/feta salad; I had it at the "soft opening" and it was delish!!

[wyogal]

Well, apparently that was a crappy idea. Husband would rather have Totinos. Ohfreakingwell.

[wyogal]

and he just called and changed his mind. I think he got the feeling that I would certainly give him the Totinos, and that would be all he'd get.......... hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[GretchenS]

you go, girl!

[wyogal]

LOL

[wyogal]

... we ended up playing tunes with friends longer than we thought. And i gave him a pass... told him we could just go home! hahahaha! We play in an Irish session on Wednesday nights, usually wrap it up by 7:30, but this time we went until 8. I think we'll be going this weekend instead.
But, bless his heart, he did offer!
so...........................................................

[suzigirl]

I love a man who knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. Hope the dinner is delicious

[mariacarmen]

ahaha!

[LindaWhit]

:::GIggling::::

[PHREDDY]

To all CHers.......before this WFD thread fills up....I want to thank you all for your wishes of glad tidings you have extented to me, in light of my 2012.

Still busy at work, but tonight will be sort of a breakthrough meal....

I have a Pernil in the oven that was marinated in beer, orange juice, garlic, cumin and some cayene for the last 2 days.
Sides will be wild rice with dried cranberries, roasted brussel sprouts, pico de gallo...(tomato, red onion, lime juice and cilantro) as a garnish on the side.

A glass or two of Malbec from Argentina....

[linguafood]

That pernil sounds great! I have an ongoing love affair with slow-roasted pork.

[PHREDDY]

LF.....so do I...my go to comfort protien...we re a little too cold here for out door cooking...but I love to make it on a spit on the "cue"....I usually set myself up next to he barbecue with a iced bucket of Coronas and a pot of a vinegar based marinade, on a nice warm afternoon and watch the flowers grow in the garden....When the beer is all consumed, the pork is usually done too!

[boyzoma]

Sounds great PHREDDY. Let me know the next time you "cue" and I'll bring some more Coronas!

[Frizzle]

I love the sound of that Phreddy. I think I need to look into BBQ accessories so I can replicate the experience here. I may swap the coronas for cider or wine though.

[steve h.]

Cheers PHREDDY,
2013 is a rebuilding year!

[mariacarmen]

lovely Phreddy! that's getting back on your culinary horse!

[foodieX2]

tonight is grilled chicken breasts marinated in a little lemon and olive and seasoned with S/P. I plan on serving them over a bed of sautéed onions, spinach and artichoke hearts with a side of either orzo or couscous.

[Bacardi1]

Yesterday the market had nice-looking Swordfish steaks, so I picked up a couple & made "Shark Bites" for dinner last night (another hubby request). (Actually, these were "Swordfish Bites" - they were "Shark Bites" when we used to enjoy them at an East End Long Island seaside restaurant favorite of ours, before shark became an endangered commodity.)

Anyway - just cubed-up Swordfish tossed with seasoned flour (salt, pepper, dried oregano, granulated garlic) & sauteed quickly in a hot cast-iron pan with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil. Lemon wedges on the side. Served with green salads with lots of "stuff" - marinated artichoke hearts, olives, & feta cubes; cherry & grape tomatoes; garlic croutons, etc., etc.

[Terrie H.]

That sounds like heaven to me. I haven't been able to afford swordfish for decades, and that whole meal will now be in my dreams.

[Bacardi1]

The steaks I bought were on sale for $9.99 a pound, & came to about a pound & a quarter, which was perfect for two people. Certainly not cheap eats, but definitely a good price.

[rabaja]

That's a great deal for swordfish. We never see it that cheap here!
Recently had some, sliced very thin and cooked quickly like a paillard with herbs. It was delicious, and free, thanks to being leftovers for the staff. ;)

[LindaWhit]

I love this idea for the swordfish. Will have to keep an eye out for sales this coming Friday.

[Bacardi1]

Oh, & you can definitely leave any skin on. It crisps up so nicely in the hot cast-iron pan that it's completely edible.

[mariacarmen]

oh yum, crispy fish skin!

[mariacarmen]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

that's all.

[Berheenia]

I just looked out the window and it's snowing here. How pretty! I had a late night and this morning is a sloth break so this is perfect. Last night I had a delicious farmhouse style vegan pot pie at a pot luck- will get the recipe- but I might go for chicken pot pie tonight. Or leftovers as usual. I made polenta rounds topped with a mushroom ragout for the pot luck. I used a Weight Watchers recipe that baked the polenta rounds instead of frying them and I think it was the way to go. The polenta was crispy and not at all oily. Another forgotten recipe that I want to keep in the rotation. Last made by me in the nineties.

[PHREDDY]

B.....Good morning.....Would love that polenta receipe....my grandmother made her "mush" baked with tons of chicken fat and a couple of sunnyside upon top....(she of course owned an egg farm in New Jersey.) Not what you would call heart healthy or waist watching.

I cooked a turkey recently that was leftover from Christmas....I was thinking to re-purpose the left over turkey with "sheppard's pie" using baked polenta as a base, turkey gravy, turkey and some frozen veggies, topped off with some Panko....What do you think?

[Berheenia]

The polenta was store bought in a tube. Weighed in at 17 oz so I sliced it into 16 pieces, sprayed a disposable aluminum pan with oil, lined up 12 of the slices in the pan, sprayed again and sprinkled on 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Baked at 400 for 15 - 18 minutes. I made the other 4 slices in an aluminum take out pan and used nutritional yeast instead of cheese and voila they were vegan! I spooned a hot mushroom ragout on the 12 with cheese and some grilled veg on the 4 vegan fare.

[Cherylptw]

Meat loaf, mashed potatoes and green peas....nothing interesting tonight....

[Berheenia]

Not interesting? Interesting to me.. I need a plate of that....

[boyzoma]

+1 - I love meat loaf! Especially with mashed potatoes and pan gravy.

[Cherylptw]

One thing I did different this time is to top the meatloaf with a combination of ketchup and jarred mole paste right before taking it out of the oven. It was really good

[ChristinaMason]

Oooh! Great idea. I just bought some mole sauce and was pondering other uses...

[LindaWhit]

I.
Love.
This.
Meal.

[afridgetoofar]

Tonight was a "heart smart" recipe, learnt for the benefit of my DH, but it's tasty and we both enjoy it. A wok takeoff on "coq au vin", with skinned chicken breast, some lean pork tenderloin cut into chunks. Onions, lots of mushrooms. Gravy/sauce of a lovely rich red wine vinegar with good brown mustard, some garlic, defatted chicken stock, thickened a bit with a wee slurry of flour and broth. Served with fingerling potatoes, mushed on the plate to help sop up that sauce.

[GretchenS]

sounds really yummy! Welcome to WFD and LOVE your screen name!

[mariacarmen]

agreed, great handle! welcome!

[weezieduzzit]

I'm not particularly hungry and nothing in particular sounds good but I know the man will be cold, tired and hungry when he walks through the door and he was sniffling when he left this morning so I'm afraid he might be coming down with something. : ( Something I don't want to catch!

A stuffy nose means something needs to be spicy and everything must have aggressive tastes and smells. I think I'll get a little Asian fusion going on with Tom Yum (my go-to when anyone is feeling under the weather and stock is simmering away anyhow,) chicken thighs glazed with orange peel simmer sauce and whatever green veggies stir fried with red pepper flakes and garlic.

[weezieduzzit]

Scratch that. I tasted the simmer sauce and threw it away. Crispy braised chicken thighs with olives, fennel and lemon from Ad Hoc instead. That never disappoints.

[weezieduzzit]

Yum!

[Frizzle]

It's fig night tonight, one of my favourite River Cafe Easy recipes. It's not diet friendly but I've done a couple five km walks this week already so I can eat this meal with zero guilt.

Tagliatelle is cooked and cream, lemon zest and juice are stirred through. Slices of figs that have been caramelised and seasoned with S&P and a good shake of chilli flakes go on top and finally a hearty sprinkle of parmesan. It's one of those dishes where you get the full array of flavours, sweet figs, spice from the chilli, sour from the lemon juice, salty from the parmesan and the lovely silkiness of the cream covered pasta. You can probably tell I'm fairly excited about tonight's dinner. I keep checking the clock and wanting the time to fast forward to dinner time.

I might do a green salad alongside and dessert will be peaches. We're having a stunner of a stone fruit season this year so they're perfect just on their own.

[LindaWhit]

Oh my - that sounds absolutely decadent, Frizzle!

[mariacarmen]

so that's the fig and chili pasta dish! sounds amazing. i'd do a few 5 km walks for that dish....

[Frizzle]

Thanks ladies, it was as good as I remembered it to be from last fig season. My only gripe was that one of my figs was off and had to be thrown out so the fig to pasta ratio was a tad low. That's a good excuse to make it again soon :)

[LindaWhit]

This is what I was planning on making yesterday but was too tired. Based on the hour it took me to put it together, I'm glad I waited.

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

Essentially I'm basing what I made on this recipe, as other than the eggs, heavy cream, milk and pepper, I've changed up the ingredients to similar-but-not-quite ingredients.

I used Panko crumbs, finely diced pancetta for the ham, and 2 small leeks for the onions. I caramelized the small pieces of leeks in the leavings of the pancetta. 4 eggs, and only 1 cup of milk/heavy cream. And about 1-1/2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese.

Based on the reviews, the quiche takes longer than the 20-25 minutes, and sure enough, I just added another 10 minutes to the cooking time to see if that'll get the middle to set properly.

A small salad with pomegranate-ginger vinaigrette alongside.

[steve h.]

Sounds seriously good.

[LindaWhit]

I'm pleased. It's a wee bit moister than I usually like, but it came out nicely. I won't be throwing it away as I did the other half of the pizza a few nights ago because the store-bought crust was so heavy and doughy.

A picture - a bit dark, so hopefully it comes out in the upload.

[scubadoo97]

Looks fabulous Linda

[mariacarmen]

very nice! sounds delicious.

[suzigirl]

The adjustments you made sound delicious. Perfect even. You have my attention

[steve h.]

Porkette is on the menu tonight. Leftover mashed potatoes will be seasoned, flattened and pan fried in butter in a cast iron skillet. Baby spinach will be sautéed. Beer for me, wine for Deb. NCIS will be on the plasma (Deb insists).

The house is redolent with the smell of paint. Contractors should finish up tomorrow, that means I need to sketch next steps ASAP.

[LindaWhit]

Deb's insistence on NCIS is a very good insistence. Mark Harmon. 'Nuf said. ;-)

And "redolent"? I usually use that word for pleasant smells. But congrats on the almost done part!

[steve h.]

"Reek" would be inappropriate. But I hear you.

[suzigirl]

I know this is juvenile but this sent me into a giggle fit.

[suzigirl]

Suzi's sloppy Joe's with french onion soup mix gravy. I know it isn't the usual sweet and sour tomato sauce but my bf just won't eat the traditional sauce so I made this one and he ate three on the Martin's sesame big rolls. So now they are tradition around here. And I am making tater salad.

[boyzoma]

Sounds wonderful. Recipe please? I'd love to have an alternative to the same old.

[suzigirl]

I honestly use about three spoons of liptons soup mix and a spoonful of Montreal cracked pepper and garlic mix and three spoonfuls of flour to a pound of 90% lean ground beef that I brown. Brown the two together to get rid of the raw flour taste and add enough water to make the mixture thick enough for sandwiches. Love them with sliced sharp cheddar. Easy peasy. :-)

[boyzoma]

TYVM. Bookmarked for future dinner!

[suzigirl]

The powers that be don't want me posting here tonight. I will try to say you're welcome for the third time. Hope the third post prints. Hope you like this lazy days meal. That's why I am making it tonight. :-)

[roxlet]

A funny thing happens in my house: I make a new dish, everyone loves it, but when I make it again, no one remembers having had it before. It's like food Groundhog Day. Today, I am making one of those dishes -- Halal Cart Chicken from Serious Eats. It was seriously good when I made it the first time, and my son adores the Halal carts in the city, however neither he nor my husband remember eating it before! It's this recipe:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[aching]

Mmm, that sounds really good, and I think my husband would love it. I'll be making that soon! Do you think it's important to blend the ingredients for the marinade? It seems like an extra step and another thing to wash that's not really necessary.

[juliejulez]

Ha, my BF is like that too. I'll ask him, do you remember that one chicken thing we had with the _____ (whatever unique ingredient that was with it that he looooooved), and he'll be clueless. Oh well, just makes them think we're awesome cooks all over again :)

That recipe looks great, I saved to my Pinterest.

[LindaWhit]

I remember when you posted about this recipe! And they ate it and can't remember it? Harrumph.

[roxlet]

Yup. It seems to have something to do with chicken thighs, I think. Another one that they love when they eat it but don't remember is Lidia's chicken with rice that's kind of like a chicken and risotto. There is also a Marcella recipe that is a tomato/cream sauce made with rounds of sausage and wagon wheel pasta. My son remembers it, but it's a new day for my husband every time I make it.

[ChristinaMason]

I've made Lydia's chicken and rice as well (probably on your recommendation!) It is good, in a bland, comforting kind of way. My Midwestern husband especially enjoyed it; quite casserole-like in a way.

[roxlet]

Up the cheese, and add some red pepper flakes, and it will be a lot less bland!

[ChristinaMason]

I almost always add an extra pinch of chili :)

[JungMann]

I think I remember you making this a couple times before! Have you tried the kawarma recipe from this month's COTM? The spicing and especially the addition of vinegar is closer to the taste and scent of NYC street meat, imo.

[roxlet]

Schawerma, do you mean? I'll check it out, but there wasn't a time that my son ate it in Egypt that he didn't get sick! Don't know why.

[JungMann]

The recipe from Jerusalem for "kawarma" is different from your typical shawarma, so hopefully it wouldn't conjure any traumatic memories for your son!

Wherever I am in New York, the scent of spicy vinegar wafting down the wind is like a homing beacon to the nearest street cart so the addition of vinegar to this recipe is what gets it closer to halal cart chicken, imo. The spicing needs some tweaking to truly replicate the street cart flavor -- no mint and probably replace some of the allspice with coriander and turmeric or curry powder -- but it is delicious as written.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[roxlet]

Well, it may be different from "typical shawarma," but having checked the book, it's very close to what we would eat in Cairo.

Despite your experience, I have found this recipe to be very close to what I have experienced in eating Halal Cart chicken. I am a native NYer, so I have been eating this for years. Thanks for your tips, but I am quite satisfied with this version, as is my family.

[JungMann]

Sorry, didn't mean to ruffle any feathers or question a native New Yorker's taste in halal cart chicken. Everyone's got an opinion on street meat out here -- some of us just can't help sharing ours!

[roxlet]

OK, but there is a difference between sharing and instructing. You're pretty definitive in an opinion that not everyone is going to agree with.

[JungMann]

I like to think well-held differences of opinion make conversation more interesting, but it is an art to do that well, particularly on an online forum where it is easy to be misconstrued. I didn't mean to be pedantic toward someone I've much enjoyed exchanging with over the years!

[GretchenS]

roxlet, that is hilarious, I totally remember you making it and them loving it! Maybe twice in fact....

[roxlet]

Yes, twice. But you know Groundhog Day goes on and on and on and on, so they may never remember it!

[steve h.]

Groundhog Day is brilliant!

[mariacarmen]

we totally remember you making that, and we didn't even get to taste it!

[aching]

Last night I made warm lentil salad with bacon and kale, and a side of roasted brussels sprouts. That to me is the perfect winter meal! I also made a pan of chicken enchiladas which will be dinner tonight.

[ChristinaMason]

That salad sounds very good!

[aching]

It really was awesome, if I do say so. =)

[Frizzle]

I agree on the salad - it sounds fantastic!

[aching]

Here's the recipe if you'd like to give it a try (I used kale instead of spinach as that's what I had):

WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH LEEKS AND BACON

1½ cups lentils
6 slices of bacon, chopped crosswise into ½” pieces
2-4 carrots, quartered and sliced
2-4 celery stalks, sliced
2-4 leeks, thinly sliced
4 T. sherry or red-wine vinegar
3 cups baby spinach
2-4 T. fresh thyme and/or marjoram, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Greek yogurt (optional)

• Cover lentils with cold water in a medium saucepan. Simmer until lentils are tender (20-30 minutes).
• While lentils are simmering, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, leaving fat in skillet.
• Add leeks, celery, and carrot to skillet and cook, stirring, until just tender.
• Add vinegar and boil until most of liquid is evaporated.
• Place the spinach in a large bowl. Cover with the lentils and vegetables and allow a few minutes for the spinach to wilt.
• Add the bacon, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste; toss gently to combine.
• Serve warm, topped with yogurt (if desired).

Makes 4 servings.

[GretchenS]

sounds fantastic, aching, I am making this soon before the marjoram I have in the fridge bites the dust

[aching]

Good! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

[Uncle Bob]

On a day like today is there anything better than hot left over soup, and left over toasted corn bread for lunch? ~ I think not much!

Crawfish Etouffee for supper tonight!!!

[Cherylptw]

As usual Uncle Bob, yum on all the above!

[juliejulez]

Tonight is a dinner I was supposed to make last week.. Chicken stuffed with pepperoni and cheese, and I'll probably top w/ some leftover marinara sauce. Serving with garlic bread and a simple salad.

[Terrie H.]

That sounds delicious and right up my big guy's alley. Thanks for the idea!

[juliejulez]

Ha, it's such man food! But it sounds good to me too. This is the "recipe" although it's not really needed. http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2009/... I'm going to just bake in the oven on a rack versus pan frying to make it a bit "healthier".

[Terrie H.]

Ha ha! I didn't even think of it being breaded and fried. Was envisioning cheese and pepperoni stuffed in baked chicken and served with tomato sauce.

Maybe baked with the pepperoni laying on top? Turkey pepperoni? Still sounds darned delicious.

[juliejulez]

I'm still going to stuff it and do the breading, but I'll just bake it instead of pan frying. I do something a bit similar pretty often, although it's pounded flat, then rolled instead of stuffed, with pesto, sour cream, and cheese. But it's breaded and baked.

[Bacardi1]

Last night was Turkey Taco night at hubby's request. :)

[ChristinaMason]

I've been sick, so dinner last night was Gatorade and white rice with butter. I am still having issues with making rice on our new stove, and I think it might be that by using the low-powered "simmer" flame on the back of our stove, too little fire is hitting the pot and it's heating very unevenly. That's the only explanation I can come up with for why my rice is coming out so unevenly cooked. It's the world's worst combination of soggy and crunchy. Next time I make it, I'm going to try cooking it on higher heat on a more powerful burner.

I have no idea what is for dinner tonight yet.

[linguafood]

Buy a rice cooker. Takes all the guessing out of it.

[roxlet]

Agree!

[ChristinaMason]

I think y'all are right. I'm loathe to get another one-purpose appliance, but it might be worth it. We don't eat that much rice, though.

[boyzoma]

I went for years without one. Now I don't know how I lived without it! I'll make a teriyaki pork tenderloin in the oven, then rice in the cooker. My cooker also has a steamer basket to fit inside over the rice, so I also steam my veggies while the rice is cooking. So easy. My cooker can also double as a slow cooker. So I get many uses out of it. I have a really small kitchen so I need dual duty appliances. It also has a keep warm feature in case everything else is not done on time. Love it. DH bought it for me at Costco. But we also do a lot of rice as our dog has rice as part of his dinner diet prescribed by his vet.

[eperdu]

I make several things in mine including pasta and risotto. It can be used for other one-pot meals. They aren't gourmet but are fast and hands off.

http://www.food.com/cookbook/rice-coo...

[boyzoma]

Wow, great link, eperdu! Thank you.

[Berheenia]

I got a great rice cooker on Craigs list in the spring when the graduates were flying off to their new careers and paychecks.

[LindaWhit]

Or back to their parents' house. :-)

[Berheenia]

Ha Ha. That's why we got a one bedroom when he graduated!

[LindaWhit]

:::snort::::

[ChristinaMason]

I've defrosted a chicken and think I'll roast and serve it with a Caesar salad. I might throw a few carrots in the roasting pan, but otherwise, this will be pretty simple.

[ChristinaMason]

That was a damn good chicken. I brined it with fresh rosemary and lemon halves, which I also stuffed in the cavity, then covered it in lemon pepper seasoning and salt, sprayed it with coconut oil, and roasted it at 400F on both sides and then breast-up until golden. In the last 30 minutes I added some baby carrots and cauliflower to the pan, which had been tossed with rosemary and garlic-infused butter and chicken fat and a bit of thyme and seasoned salt. The skin came out nice and crispy and the meat was moist and flavorful. The Caesar was a nice counterbalance but mostly just for color.

[melpy]

Broccoli soufflé and spinach salad. Will be my first soufflé, hope it is edible.

Unless I decide to do pork belly buns. Pork is in fridge cooked but ready to be fried.

[mike9]

My wife had a sore throat, but wanted pasta. Tomato base was out so I took a quart of chicken stock and fortified it with garlic, scallion, celery, parsley and dried Porcini. I simmered that for a while then strained it and cooked some fresh ravioli in that and served with fresh parsley and shaved Parmigiano. Simple, filling and very tasty.

[LindaWhit]

So no sauce at all? Just simmering the ravioli in the now-flavored chicken stock? I've never tried that, but it sounds good - and tasty for someone with a sore throat!

[mike9]

The stock was in bowls and the ravioli served with it like a soup.

[Frizzle]

That sounds really good.

[ChristinaMason]

Really nice. I'll bet the wife approved.

[Frizzle]

After a couple of nights of meat featuring in a row tonight was definitely time for something lighter for us. We seem to have reduced our meat consumption drastically in the last few years.
Anyway, tonight was Vietnamese rice paper rolls. A roll your own affair with five spice tofu, noodles, mint and coriander, carrots, peanuts and ground rice. A sime dipping sauce with fish sauce, vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic and chilli added the punch to the rolls. There's something quite satisfying about sitting down and assembling your own rolls as you eat.

[ChristinaMason]

Those sound wonderful!

[mariacarmen]

love making those. it's been awhile.

[weezieduzzit]

The last of the Zuni chicken leftovers have been restyled into green chile chicken enchiladas, bones in the crockpot for a well seasoned stock that will make a great soup.

Its cold and crazy windy here tonight, something from the oven does the trick.

[scubadoo97]

My kinda meal. Love repurposing leftovers

[scubadoo97]

Great food everyone. Interesting I've been searching for this thread and couldn't find it and had to go back to Dec and follow the posted link to the next one and the next one..... Really strange.

Anyway, I've been playing around with a little sous vide device over the last couple of weeks.

Over the weekend I did a pork belly via sous vide and tonight after letting it chill seared a few cubes for dinner. I'm loving the results

[linguafood]

Yowzah.

[GretchenS]

scuby, your dinners always sound so good!

[scubadoo97]

Thanks :) I get a lot of inspiration from here

[JungMann]

How often do you use your sous vide machine? I have a gift certificate to Williams Sonoma but couldn't find anything I really need there. Right now I'm looking at an immersion circulator and a Kitchenaid, debating which is the more sensible splurge.

[scubadoo97]

Just trying to learn the ropes of this method a lttle so have been using it a lot. Since getting it just under two week ago I've done salmon a couple of times, flap steak, eggs, short ribs (took 3 days) and now pork belly. I've got a rack of lamb I want to do next, a reverse sear thing ala sous vide and chicken, on the bone and off.

So far I've been happy with the results and see lots of potential. I'm thinking about the next unit after this one craps out. This unit is called the SideKIC and was under $200. I think like $165. Just low enough to make me jump in the game

[scubadoo97]

WS has the consumer Polyscience unit. Very nice and I've been having buyers remorse about not getting it after playing with this one.

[roxlet]

The KitchenAid will be useful long after the immersion circulator is abandoned in the cupboard, and finally put on ebay.

[JungMann]

I think you're probably right about that. I just get sticker shock at the idea of buying a $350 mixer, even though I know it has the potential to be so much more than that. And yet somehow I see nothing wrong with buying an even more expensive machine to slowly heat water...

[ChristinaMason]

But it's so hard to stay low-carb with a KA on the counter...too tempting.

[JungMann]

True, but one of the bigger reasons I wanted a KA was for the sausage making attachment. Not being able to make my own boudins, longanizas and brats is one of the major drawbacks of my current mixer. Unfortunately, if I had a KA, I'd probably cook those low carb sausages on homemade pizza dough.

[roxlet]

You don't knead a KA to make pizza dough :)

[steve h.]

Amen.

[steve h.]

KA stumbles a bit when it comes to grinding meat and making sausage (search the cookware forum for gray ooze). Maybe consider something like the Waring Pro grinder if you want to go down that path with some measure of frequency.

[ChristinaMason]

That was my thought, too. If sausage-making is your main goal, I think there are more specialized tools that do a better job for less or at least the same price. Plus, less temptation to roll out some pasta dough while you're at it ;)

[JungMann]

This is all very good information. When I was growing up, my grandmother's KA got frequent use for baking and sausage making so I figured it would be a good multitasker. Looks like I will need to do more research.

[Cherylptw]

My daughter gave me a kitchen aid about 5 years ago; I'd been wanting one for years. It's so pretty and shiny red sitting right in the ....box! I don't have enough counter space to leave it out and although I love it, it's easier for me to pull out my hand mixer for smaller jobs. My daugher would be upset (good thing she's not on this site) if she knew I might pull it out a couple times a year.

Last year, I was looking for the meat grinder attachment but didn't want to spend the money they were asking and the reviews convinced me to look for a regular grinder, so that's what I did. Before Christmas, the bf and I bought the Sunmile 1 HP 800W stainless steel electric meat grinder with the attachments from Amazon so we can make venison sausage. It's a pretty good grinder for what we will be using it for. We've made a ton of sausage so far with no problems. It was cheaper than the KA attachment.

[JungMann]

My roommate has a stand mixer that is not especially high powered so he rarely uses it. I know I use it not infrequently, but truth be told, I can't recall what I use it for that I couldn't do with a hand mixer or some elbow grease.

If I am going to start thinking economically, then maybe a KA is not the best purchase for me. Your sausage maker, however, is. I see it comes with the stuffing attachments. I imagine you can get a nice course grind for rustic sausages, but how fine can you get if I wanted to grind something like kibbeh (fine lamb and bulgur) or pate?

[scubadoo97]

KA stand mixers have gotten a pretty bad rap recently. Plastic gears seem to be the problem and the ability to do heavy work with dough is in question. I'm sure you will hear positive and negative on both sides.

I have used my KA grinder attachment when making raw kibbeh only because I usually make a small amount.

I have a Tasin TS 108 grinder I use for most grinding needs. I can break it down, clean it have it back in storage in around 15 min so it's not really a pain to use. I grinds well but it's loud.

One of the biggest issues with making sausage is the stuffing part. Grinders even with sausage tubes attached do not do a great job feeding the casing as well as a piston type stuffer.

[JungMann]

"One of the biggest issues with making sausage is the stuffing part. Grinders even with sausage tubes attached do not do a great job feeding the casing as well as a piston type stuffer."

This is good to know. One day on this thread has been much more helpful than the 3 days I have spent browsing the internet, trying to figure out my next purchase. I'm very grateful for everyone's tips!

[Cherylptw]

It comes with three different plates; we've only used the largest one for the sausages but the holes on the finest plate are small. We put our meat through the grinder twice before running it through the plate and after the first grind, the meat was pretty much done but we added diced fat and seasonings which is the only reason we ran it through twice. I think you won't have any issue after you grind and running it through the fine plate. If you dice your meat in small enough cubes, it will be finer than if you cut it in larger chunks. You'd probably have to run it through twice.

Also, we looked at Sportsman's Warehouse (I had the catalogue). They had one reasonably priced grinder; we went online to order and it was sold out. Went and ordered on Amazon, price was comparable and we had it in four days. Plus they have a much larger selection.
IMO, the stainless KA grinder ($149.00 on Amazon) attachment is not a better value than the entire grinder with stainless attachments I bought
($55.00 free shipping). Sure, you can buy a plastic grind attachment but you get what you pay for. Here are a few other links for grinders and all types of sausage making inspiration:

www.sausagemaker.com

http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/sausage-casings.html

http://www.butcher-packer.com/index.p...

[Berheenia]

We got the attachment to make pate and the pate was eh (our recipe was eh) so back it went to the storage area. Then I got the bright idea to use it to make a batch of pimento cheese and that was gross- orange worms with red flecks. Back to the storage area. BUT I love the KA- it makes me feel like June Cleaver when I make use it to bake something. The KA lives on a utility cart in the kitchen. I bought a cover for it and I'm glad I did. Better buy than the grinder.

[wyogal]

Look at a Sportsman's Warehouse type of store for sausage making equipment. We have one here, lots of people make their own sausage from game. There are all kinds of grinders, mixers, stuffers available, wide price and size range. They also carry the casings, seasonings, etc.

[JoanN]

I keep hearing about that gray ooze issue and can only conclude that people who had that problem didn't bother to read the instructions. Remember RTFM? Or does that date me terribly?

Anyway, I grind meat regularly using the KA attachment and used to make sausage quite often. Always been happy with the results.

[juliejulez]

I too have never had the gray ooze problem.

[steve h.]

It seems like some on the "ooze" thread had the problem and some didn't. My take is that folk with older machines were ok and those with newer machines/attachments were having difficulties. I appreciated it when the KA rep stepped up and acknowledged the issue, said the ooze was non-toxic and conceded the unit was designed for casual grinding.

[juliejulez]

My machine was purchased in 2007, and my attachment in 2012, no ooze.

[wyogal]

That's good to hear, I got the KA Pro model for Christmas, and I am looking forward to getting the grinder/sausage attachments.

[scubadoo97]

Since getting a dedicated meat grinder our KA sits idle on the counter and is too big and heavy for the cabinets. Unless my wife is baking which is only a few times a year it's a counter ornament. My little SV machine can slide in a drawer. Just depends on what you cook most often.

I purchased a KA hand blender a long while back thinking it would be easier for my wife to use which has never been opened. Sigh....

[LindaWhit]

I'm grateful that I found a place in my galley kitchen cabinets where I can slide the KA so it's not out all the time. The meat grinder I got last year is still in its box in the dry sink, waiting to be used. :-)

[scubadoo97]

My grinder gets used every couple of weeks. Use it to grind hamburger blends on demand most often. It sits in the cabinet where the KA was suppose to go. It's lighter so I don't mind pulling it out when needed.

We were suppose to have a special cabinet built to fit the KA with a pop up shelf. The cabinet was just a wee too tight so the platform would bump into the edge of the cabinet when popping up and out. The idiot cabinet people just didn't get it right and it was not so important to redo the Island and delay the project any further.

[LindaWhit]

I know you use yours a lot, scuba. You were instrumental on the KA grinder thread in getting me to use a $50 GC to Williams-Sonoma to buy it. Now I just need your continual virtual nudging to get me to use the damn thing. :-D

[scubadoo97]

How bout duck, chicken, porky or other sasage on a whim. Sound about right :)

[Cherylptw]

I'd like to make some duck sausage, saw a recipe online and am just waiting to find some duck meat at a reasonable price.

[scubadoo97]

I picked a Maple Leaf duck at the grocery store. Used the dark meat for sausage and seared the breast. It wasn't much more than an organic chicken just bigger.

I used every part and not only got my money's worth but got a lot of ducky good eats like duck stock and fat along with the meat.

[Cherylptw]

I have had a Maple Leaf duck before and it was a good tasting duck. Went to the market to find one today but no luck at the store I went to but I'll be on the look out

[Bacardi1]

I really like their product(s) as well. Excellent quality. And they also sell their ducks & duck products online at very reasonable prices. I'm particularly interested in their marinated duck breast "trimmings", which I think will make fabulous stirfries & curries. Also their duck leg quarters & confit.

http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/2

[Meltlady]

Oh my! I just asked my husband if he could please build this for me! He looked... uncertain.

[Meltlady]

ory was trying to reply about the special receding shelf

[ChristinaMason]

Scuba, I am contemplating buying a hand blender to make my own mayo and cream soups, so if you ever decide to put that one on ebay, let me know :)

[scubadoo97]

I'll let you know CM. I'm hoping to convincer to give a try for small things

[roxlet]

My husband used the KA grinding attachment for years, and never experienced "gray ooze." Ultimately, he bought the grinding attachment for the Electrolyx Assistent, and never looked back. But the KA provided years, and years of sausage-making use with nary a drop of gray ooze..

[steve h.]

Yeah, the ooze thread seems to say the older machines didn't have a problem. Rather, the re-designed newer guy did. The KA rep on the thread seems to cooberate this.

I don't have a horse in this race. Just passing on some chowish opinions.

[LindaWhit]

Oh MY. That is gorgeous!

[Terrie H.]

Trying to get the young Egyptian squash player happiness out of my head... :o)

Whole chickens are on sale for $.89/lb so I took my Christmas present poultry shears and cut it in half to roast (it's just me so the rest in the freezer and made chicken broth with the backbone). Put a potato and a couple of carrots underneath and slid a garlic and herb butter under the skin and roasted. Also roasted brussel sprouts with a bit of bacon and red onion, and roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic and thyme.

Very delicious and leftovers will be great.

[GretchenS]

that sounds really yummy...

[LindaWhit]

Majorly yum.

[LindaWhit]

LONG day today at work - about 5 hours spent checking out various office space in case our current landlord ends up being jerks and won't negotiate a decent price on our current space. We saw several good possibilities, including an old mill space in the next town over. I'm kind of hoping we *do* move if that's the choice. :-) Oh - maybe we only spent 3.75 hours - we *did* end up deciding to stay out for lunch at one of the places within the last building we visited.

I had something planned for tonight, but by the time I got out of work, went to the bank, I just wasn't in the mood. Luckily, my local butcher was having a 20% off ALL items in their store today since the Patriots won their playoff game yesterday. Plus I had a $10 off coupon from points earned from previous purchases. Checked out their already packaged items, and found some marinated lamb tips. That works. Two thirds of the package went into the freezer, and I seared two of the tips in a hot pan, and tucked them into the convection oven to finish cooking.

Alongside will be the other half of a baked potato from a few days ago, and leftover green beans. Easy dinner.

[eperdu]

See, when I don't feel like cooking or am not in the mood, I pull out a container of instant mashed potatoes and add cream cheese (or cream fraiche if I have it) and some extra cheese. I'm not doing marinated lamb tips! I think I need to hang around here more and start upgrading my "don't feel like cooking" list. :)

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Well, it was pretty easy. Pan-sear and stick it in an oven.

My usual "I don't feel like cooking" is cream cheese-scrambled eggs and an English muffin. But I didn't want that tonight, so since I was getting the 20% off along with the $10 coupon, I figured I might as well go with whatever struck my fancy at the butcher shop.

[steve h.]

Pappardelle with Deb's Bolognese sauce made over the weekend is on the menu. House red, a Sangiovese, will be on the table. Temperatures have been benign but will soon revert to the norm so heartier fare is on the horizon.

[wyogal]

I may get some green chilies out of the freezer and make that chile relleno casserole up thread... or something like it.
:)

[suzigirl]

It does look good. I know I want to try it soon

[wyogal]

I just threw it together, roasted hatch chilies (I got some this fall, fresh roasted, and put them in the freezer in bags) on the bottom, a bunch of different shredded cheese (I have some shredded "pizza" blend, used some co-jack, and jack), sliced green onions, a few more chilies on top, but didn't have enough to cover, so I added some grape tomatoes cut in half. Then put a bit of heavy cream (left over stuff), the can of evap milk, some flour and two eggs, mixed together over the top. I also used just a bit of garlic powder.
I have a can of enchilada sauce (red) that I will pour over the top halfway through.
I don't think my husband will eat it, but there are other leftovers in the fridge that he can have. Because of some music students we are working with, we ar eating separately, anyway.

[Cherylptw]

I'm salivating over your roasted green chiles...I love them but can't get them here on the east coast, at least here in the south but I ate them all the time while living in New Mexico. The upside is that I just ordered seeds to grow some New Mex Big Jim chiles this summer so I may have something to take the edge off my craving....may be just a band aid but I'll take it!

[wyogal]

There are some folks from Colorado that set up in the local bowling alley parking lot with a roaster. Yum. I got a box of chilies, and two boxes of tomatoes. He gave me a discount on the tomatoes, it was the end of the day.

[Cherylptw]

When I lived out west, you could smell the roasting chiles in the air when it was that time of the year...I really miss it

[boyzoma]

That sounds great! I think this dish yields itself to a great variety of add-ons. Let me know how it turned out!

[foodieX2]

hit almost 60 here today. Crazy!

We are firing up the grill and are having burgers, potato salad and some corn I froze from the summer

[Uncle Bob]

A big pot of Beef/Vegetable soup....
A big skillet of Corn Bread.....
A big slice of pecan pie........

[steve h.]

A big pour of Bourbon........

[roxlet]

The temperature has been hovering in the upper to mid 50s all day, so that means that tri-tip is going on the grill. It will be served sliced over a very lemony arugula salad. Dessert will be left-over birthday cake.

[JungMann]

If Linda is opening paprikash season, then I am joining in. I have a large package of Costco pork chops I was going to turn into schnitzel tonight, but looks like we'll be having pörkölt instead. The Monday rush at the greengrocer is like something out of a zombie movie, so I'll save myself the frustration and comb through the fridge to find our vegetable sides instead. I believe there's a cucumber in there that can make for salad along with dill pickled green beans.

[boyzoma]

What I want to know - since LW has opened the Chicken Paprikash "box" - is the best over noodles or rice? I'm torn. If it's noodles, what kind? Same goes for rice?

Edited to add: This is open to all posters!

[linguafood]

Well, nobody asked me, but I think it works well over both. I am more in the noodle than the rice camp, but that's more of a general statement.

[mariacarmen]

wide egg noodles are perfect with the chicken paprikash. i personally don't like rice with it. papparedelle is good too.

[JungMann]

Rice doesn't even figure as an option for me in this siutation. I'd say the real decision is whether to go with noodles or dumplings. For paprikash, I say you can't go wrong with egg noodles or spaetzle, but if you're doing something heavier like pörkölt, bread dumplings become an interesting option.

[boyzoma]

I'll have to admit - I had never heard of pörkölt until you posted it. Sounds like a good variation (though I did have to look it up).

[biondanonima]

Ditto. Egg noodles or spaetzle, those would be my only choices. And what choices!!!!

[LindaWhit]

Egg noodles would be my vote, bozoma.

[LindaWhit]

Youse guys and gals are cracking me up with me as the official opener of paprikas(h) season.

Wait! Do I get a scepter? Do I have to do the royal wave, as if it were Ascot? Do we women get to wear fascinators?

How about I just wave a wooden spoon and officially declare the season open? :-D

[JungMann]

I think in lieu of a scepter, you should wield a drumstick!

It turned out that I was able to nab a head of red cabbage before the afterwork crowds struck the market, but forgot to get an apple. The batch of kimchi I have on hand, however, was rather heavy on the pear, so I figured I could use that to sweeten the red cabbage and the ginger combined with the cloves in the cabbage might be reminiscent of Pfeffernuesse. Nope, just tastes like kimchi red cabbage. Not bad though.

[suzigirl]

I have tons of olives left from the pork chops puttanesca so i am using them up in a muffaletta. My sweets wants my greekish pasta salad with farfalle, tomatoes,bell peppers, olives, scallions, feta, pepperoncini and a vinegarette made from the olive juice. I want four bean salad. Would combining them be weird? Any thoughts?

[JungMann]

Can you please re-post your recipe for pork chops puttanesca? I love the pasta sauce, but can't imagine how delicious it would be served over pork chops.

[suzigirl]

I can only give you an estimated recipe because I don't measure but I eyeball. But I would be happy to give you my best guess... :-)

1/3 cup black olives
1/3 cup jumbo pimento suffed green olives
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 anchovy fillets
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbs nonpareil capers
1 can about 14 oz tomato sauce
4 thick cut pork loin chops, boneless
4 thick cut slices mozzarella

Brown the chops in olive oil unseasoned. Remove to a plate and saute garlic in the oil that is left. Make sure you use a pan with a lid for later. Add the chops back and cover in the olives and capers and add the tomato sauce and simmer covered for about 15 minutes and then cover each chop in the cheese and cover again for about 5 minutes until cheese melts. I serve with pasta and a green salad.

I sure hope you like it. You can add a pinch of sugar to cut the acid in the tomatoes if it needs it

[GretchenS]

I have only been lurking lately but have been mighty impressed with the cooking you all have been doing, even from your sickbeds!!!

I had a small cooking revelation over the weekend: I needed tapenade to go under the skin of a butterflied cornish hen and can no longer find the brand I like so I dug out my old Silver Palate Cookbook and made the tapenade in that (which had a 20+ year old notation "VG") and it absolutely blew the socks off what you can buy in the store, plus it was very easy: everything into the FP. So now I have another cup of the lovely stuff to use up. It's a gorgeous mild day here so maybe swordfish on the grill for dinner tonight -- tapenade and swordfish are a match made in heaven!

[gingershelley]

Gretchen,

Good call on the homemade tapenade! I find it always tastes better, since it fresh - stronger punch rather than having been sitting around. I like a smidge of rosemary and orange peel in my tapenade - it adds a certain something.

Swordfish on the grill sounds great - wish we had the weather for it!

[roxlet]

Sounds great!

[mariacarmen]

out with it: what's in that tapenade please...

[GretchenS]

Silver Palate recipe, amounts as published [with my tweaks], instructions paraphrased
1/2 cup pitted black olives [I used Kalamata]
1/4 cup pitted green olives [I used fairly pungent ones, forget the name]
4 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove [I mince it so there is no risk of big pieces]
2 tablespoons capers, throughly drained
2 tablespoons oil-packed tuna, drained [I just used 2 or 3 more anchovies]
1 tablespoon lemon juice [and some finely grated zest]
1 cup fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry [I skip]
1/4 best-quality olive oil
1/4 cup Homemade Mayonnaise (optional) [I skip]

Process everything but oil in FP, add oil in thin stream. I do sometimes add orange or tangerine zest as gingershel suggests, that is very good too.

gingershel: as Beerhenia notes, it is weirdly mild today, not the right weather at all. Our gas grills should by rights be buried in snow!

[mariacarmen]

thx GS! do you skip the mayo for a particular reason? i can see it's optional.... how does the mayo play into it, as just a spreading device?

[GretchenS]

Hi mc, I just don't figure the mayo to be necessary as it will only dilute the lovely pungency of the tapenade, it could be sheer folly on my part, who knows. :)

[eperdu]

It's moments like this, when I'm cooking that I have a "DUH!" moment. Cooking can be so simple and yet we overcomplicate it all the time (or at least I do). Why buy it when you can make it and it usually tastes better? But .. we have to make it hard and sometimes little things like this smack us upside the head and make us stop. :) Or maybe I'm the only one .. hahah! Good job on the tapenade. I love the taste but have never figured out how to eat it other than straight or on toast pieces. :)

[GretchenS]

eperdu you are too funny! Eating it on crackers is seriously undermining my efforts to make my jeans stay home...

[alliegator]

Some fine sounding dinners being cooked up by you all lately. I think tonight I'm going to try some crab stuffed shrimp. I'm still looking for a recipe that really grabs me, and thinking up a side that will offset the seafoody richness.

[linguafood]

Well, well. Since we've still got a goodly amount of pork shoulder leftover, that'll be for dinner tonight.

Haven't decided on the side yet, although this brussels sprouts salad sounds like it would be nice:

http://food52.com/recipes/7650_shaved...

[mariacarmen]

that salad looks great - report back if you make it, 'k?

[linguafood]

it was just ok. it needs something else. i left out the honey, why? because.

i have a solid portion leftover for tomorrow's lunch (yawn)... maybe a soft-boiled egg can save it.

i like my shproutz better sautéed or roasted i guess.

[juliejulez]

It's freaking cold here. 3 degrees when I left the house, and it's made it's way up to 7 now. I wish I had planned a better "cold weather" meal, but I started the marinade last night so we're stuck with my plan!

I had some of those giant boneless pork chops from Costco to use up, and we're pretty bored with baked (no way you can pan fry these guys, too big), and it's too cold to grill, so I cubed them up and am marinating in a mixture of mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, hot sauce, and chile garlic sauce/paste/whatever you want to call it. Then I'll skewer them and cook on the Foreman grill. My original plan is to serve with a cold chopped salad with snap peas, carrots and english cucumbers in a "Thai" vinaigrette (chow recipe), but I might end up doing a stir fry of sorts w/ the salad ingredients and some sriracha and soy sauce so we have a hot dish. Might even do some rice too, we'll see.

[Berheenia]

It's freaking warm here. Hit 60 F, BU students running around in t-shirts and shorts. I have a bunch of older root veg that I would normally be dying to roast up with some garlic but I'm not loving it. I never thought I'd yearn for cold weather in Boston in January.

[boyzoma]

Wow - It's snowing off and on here today. I'm jealous. Also not usual. Guess it's leftovers of Chile Rellenos tonight.

[juliejulez]

Yeah it was like that here last week, and is supposed to get like that later this week (I'm in Colorado)... so you'll probably get the cold pretty quick here!

[LindaWhit]

It was GORGEOUS today! Loved it, since I was out with several coworkers looking at possible new office space.

[Bacardi1]

Hubby was in the mood for chicken wings last night, so that's what we enjoyed. Seasoned & baked/roasted them as usual, then served them with a selection of bottled sauces from our local "Buffalo Wild Wings" restaurant - "Parmesan Garlic", "Mango Habanero", & "Hot BBQ". We love that we can purchase Buffalo Wild Wings' sauces for home use since we love their sauces, but don't care for their wings - lol!!

[tonifi]

Daughter's favourite last night, grilled chicken Caesar with a knock-off version of Red Lobster's creamy Caesar dressing, served with corn muffins. Tonight I'm thinking that I am either going to do a 'German spaghetti' recipe the boy spotted in the newspaper,
(http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/fo...)
since I have the 'tail' of our Christmas eve beef tenderloin in the freezer, or I may use the last few swai filets and some mussels (one of those 'boil the bag 'til the shells open' bags) to make fish chowder. I've been under the weather lately, and all I really want is tea, toast and yogurt...but the family continues to want dinner. The nerve of some people.

[mariacarmen]

honestly, what is with these selfish people?

feel better tonifi, and take care - going thru that flu myself, it appears.

[linguafood]

So...ummm. It's the "beer, cream and morsels of tenderloin" that make this dish "German" spaghetti?

Bizarre. But if your son likes it -- give it a shot :-)

[JungMann]

I think the Underberg that is required after a bacon beer-butter cream sauce is what makes it German. Sounds tasty though!

[linguafood]

It does, but it doesn't resemble any German (or "German spaghetti dish", for that matter) I've ever heard of....

[Cherylptw]

Just took a chicken out of the freezer; dinner will be chicken & pastry, leftover potato gratin that neither I or the bf touched yesterday and a sides of green peas with butter and fresh lemon zest. I may make biscuits....

[Berheenia]

During yesterday's afternoon football marathon we finished off the TJ odds and ends, tikka masala tidbits and some potstickers, and the last 2 White Castle mini burgers washed down with Arnold Palmers and wine for the big game. For the post Brady win we had a fancy version of baked ziti with sausage, eggplant, kalmata olives and basil added to the usual tomato cheese ziti mix. Next week's game is a rematch of the same teams playing for the AFC Championship as last year and we (The Pats) won. I didn't pick up on this until this morning. Last year (thanks to a WFD thread from Jan 2012) it appears I made a fancy beef stew. Can't decide if I'm superstitious enough to do that again. Still lost the Superbowl.

[LindaWhit]

Ooh - can you link that WFD thread? Maybe I'll find what I made for the AFC Championship and do the same thing. Maybe. :-)

[Berheenia]

It starts out with Roxlet having Egyptian houseguests too. Very deja vu

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/828878

[roxlet]

I have a lot of Egyptian houseguests! I am a regular way station, and we joke that we are on the FBI watch list since they always put our address down as the place they're staying on their landing cards!

[LindaWhit]

Looks like I made chili on January 22nd of last year. That's a good possibility for this Sunday. :-)

[mamachef]

Monday night: Since I have no vegetarian clients, everybody's having pan-roasted, extra-crispy chicken thighs, along with a vegetable risotto: aromatics to start, with rice, chicken stock mixed with white wine for the liquid, with peas, mushrooms and parmesan to finish. Vegetable is string beans, with browned butter and almonds, and dessert is easy-peasy; apple crumble. I don't generally serve a first course at home unless I serve the salad before the meal, but I do send one with the meals I deliver, so tonight's will be a roasted-tomato soup w/ ginger.

[mariacarmen]

ack- reposting from the old thread...

i guess Linda has re-started chicken paprikas season... i made the simplest version i could - cut up boneless salted chicken thighs sauteed in butter and oil, remove from pan, add sliced onions, saute til starting to brown, add Hungarian sweet paprika, white pepper, chicken broth, add back chicken, simmer for awhile, and add in a boatload of sour cream. i started out using only a quarter of the tub, but the more i added, the better it tasted. oh, and i can't remember if we talked about it before, but i think putting peas in paprikas is verboten and frowned upon. but i did it anyway, as the Oldster loves them. oh yes, this is for the oldster. he'd better like it. or at least, he'd better eat it.

also made a meatloaf that he'll have tonight with mashed buttery potatoes and steamed buttery lemony broccoli.

as for us, my sister and i did it again: spit roasted a bone-in pork butt, about 5 lbs., and sliced slivers off of it straight into our mouths, standing over the stove. dinner: done.

[LindaWhit]

I love peas on top of my paprikas. So do what you like and the rest, be damned. :-)

[boyzoma]

I'm with both of you. I love peas too. Just seems like they paprikas and peas were made to go together!

[gingershelley]

Ummmm, chicken paprikas and noodles! Sounds great! It has been very cold here, so that would be right up my alley for dinner tonight.

Pulling chicken from the freezer in stead of bolognese sauce - thanks for the inspiration MC!

[ChristinaMason]

We are still nursing illness, so I made another big pot of soup. Tonight was something I'm calling un-stuffed cabbage soup---thinly sliced cabbage, grated carrot, onion, (plenty of) garlic, and a chopped cubanelle pepper in a mixture of chicken and beef broth, tomato sauce, and stewed tomatoes with mini beef meatballs. I seasoned the soup with bay leaf, thyme, crushed caraway seed, fresh parsley, Penzey's Krakow Nights blend, allspice, ground coriander, toasted onion powder, sweet and half-sharp paprika, and a splash of tamari.

The meatballs were lean ground beef, ricotta cheese, half a whisked egg, a few spoonfuls of panko, sauteed onion, garlic, and tomato paste, more Krakow Nights, smoked and sweet paprika, and s&p.

It worked!

[ChristinaMason]

I forgot, there was also a goodly amount of red wine vinegar and a heaping tsp. of honey in the broth. For that suess-sauer balance.

[Frizzle]

I managed to get send the uninspiring leftovers to work with my husband for his lunch so they are happily off the menu this evening.

Tonight I'm craving something comfortingly wet and carb laden. We're having mee hoon kueh, a dish a Malaysian friend taught us. It's very rustic hand-pulled noodles (more like chunks of dough than long, thin noodles) with a pork mince and mushroom sauce. Chopped up bok choy and bean sprouts are added and it's served with a healthy scattering of spring onions and fried shallots and then topped with a half-boiled egg that you stir in before you eat it. I think authentic versions are mushroom free but have lots of ikan bills (the small dried fish) the version our friend taught us obviously caters to the fish-hater's tastes.

The noodle dough is sitting, the pork mince is defrosting and I'm getting excited just thinking about a bowl of this dish.

In other foodie, dinner related news a trip to the grocer this morning turned up the first reasonably priced figs of the season. I've been eagerly anticipating this for months. There's a river cafe recipe for figs and chilli with tagliatelle (I think) and a splash of cream that I love they'll feature in later this week.

[mariacarmen]

wow, figs and chilis? can't wait to hear about that!

[suzigirl]

I am making a blackened chicken alfredo with sun dried tomatoes. Also serving some campari tomatoes that I hollowed out with a spoon and salted and flipped to drain.I then filled them with a basil leaf and a bocconcini and a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil and cracked pepper and baked them until they were melty and browned. I will do these again but i think they would be great done in cherry tomatoes and served at a party as an app or fingerfood.

[wyogal]

Husband is going out, bringing back Big Macs with fries. Yes, and I am going to love it!

[suzigirl]

Why not after all the work you put into those egg rolls and rangoons

[wyogal]

:) :)

[eperdu]

All of last weeks foodie intentions never happened which means they all have to be done this week. The boyfriend is out of town starting Monday so it'll all be for my enjoyment and disappointment if they don't turn out!

Tonight is french pot roast (CI), tomorrow is rigatoni ragu with leftover pot roast, and then tuesday will be shepherds pie with leftover pot roast (technically it's cottage pie). This particular trio of meals is from the ATK/CI Cooking for Two "roast once and have three meals" collection. I love the idea of these meals so I am going to try making as many as I can. We're just two people who don't like a ton of leftovers so these should be good.

I also have intentions of making ctfoodies avgolemono soup. I shared it with some co-workers and one reported back that it is "AMAZING!!" so now I really HAVE TO make it.

[eperdu]

Replying to myself...this French pot roast (stage 1 of the weeks dinners) turned out beautifully. It had a wonderful flavor. I skimped on the wine because I could not find the recommended $7-$10 Cote de Rhone they recommended and most of our wine at the house is not in the "pour the whole bottle in" range. I used a half bottle left over from the other night and used beef broth for the remainder. It was still delicious.

I added 4 small red potatoes because I didn't just want carrots. The relish, sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions was amazing. I'm planning to make that next time I have steak. Yumyumyum.

It took me all day which is tiring because I had to fit work in around it. I know why it's typically done on the wknd and next time I will do that. It did work this was but it made for a long day. I will do the rigatoni with beef ragu for dinner tonight. I can't wait :)

[mariacarmen]

can you give more details, or provide a link, eperdu, please? sounds wonderful. is it like beef bourguignon? it's sounding like it....

[eperdu]

This is basically it .. though the recipe I followed was from their 2009 Cooking for Two book. The roast itself was 3-4 pounds but the remaining recipe is similar.

http://wingerz.com/blog/2007/11/05/fr...

It was good. Long cooking (largely hands off) with lots of little steps but it was worth it. The more tedious part was fishing out the carrots at the end. I would also not cook the carrots so long next time but the potatoes came out lovely (which I added and aren't in the recipe).

It does remind me though that I need a fat separator. :)

[mariacarmen]

just as i suspected - that's basically beef bourguignon, but in roast form! sounds great, thanks!!

[steve h.]

The kitchen is redolent with the aroma of sauce Bolognese.

Brunch was poached eggs on buttered English muffins. We washed it down with a California sparkler (Gloria Ferrer). Supper will be a classic Steak Diane. Deb will do the heavy lifting, I'll do the dishes. I'll parole something red from the wine jail.

Atlanta beat the Seahawks at the buzzer. Patriots/Texans, the marquee matchup of this glorious football weekend, is up next.

[suzigirl]

Steak Diane. I haven't thought about that in ages. Thank you.

[steve h.]

I've said this before. Patriots appear to be unstoppable.

[LindaWhit]

I'm so totally fine with that.

[gingershelley]

SO sad my Hawks lost, but at least at the game party I was at, there was great food. Small condolence, but I'll take it!

[Cherylptw]

Right now I have three smoked turkey neck sections in a pot on the stove simmering away; I'll add a bag of frozen (from my garden) yellow wax/green beans to it. I'm leaning toward a potato gratin as the second side to my bbq pulled pork which I'm making with the last of the pork roast in the fridge and my cousin's "so famous that everyone in the family wants him to make the sauce" bbq sauce that I had stashed in the freezer. Debating whether to make the bf a lemon poundcake.

[wyogal]

Oh yum. I made a lemon poundcake last night. But, I cheated and used the Duncan Hines mix + pudding. I did grate some fresh zest into the batter, though! It's sooo good with Breyer's natural vanilla. I know, natural ice cream with a cake mix, oh well. :)

[LindaWhit]

If it works, it works.

[wyogal]

:)

[eperdu]

I"ve made bundt cakes with the cake mix + pudding and I love them. I recently did a chocolate combo with ganache. It's brilliant. I've also made bundt from scratch and find I really like the texture of the cake mix versions. I tend to make those more often as a result.

[wyogal]

Yummy!

[Cherylptw]

My sister, who does not normally bake from scratch except cookies, made a lemon poundcake from mix with the pudding for Christmas....the bf, who is a scratch cake snob (cause that's how his mama still does it) couldn't get enough of it. I will use cake mix every once in a while but for the most part, I do make mine from scratch. You are right about the ice cream, it is a must.

[wyogal]

I usually make pound cakes from scratch, too. But this lemon cake stuff is soooo good, and my husband loves it. :)
If I am making the non-pudding added cake mixes, I usually add 1/4 cup of flour. I usually find it easier to make it from scratch, but he drove me to the store (cold, snowy), and then filled my car with gas while I was inside.
That's pretty funny about the BF, reminds me of a time my dad tricked my wine snob sister with his "inferior" box wine. hahaha!

[Cherylptw]

I love it! My bf will tell you he don't eat this or that (like squash, okra or beef tongue for example) but yes he does cause I have ways of getting him to taste things he wouldnt normally eat (lol). I made cous cous this week, I fixed his plate and he looked at it then asked me if it was some kind of chopped up rice (he knows I cook "outside the box"); I shook my head "yes", He said he didn't know rice came in such a small size. I let him think it was rice because he really don't like pasta, which I love. He liked the cous cous so it will be in the rotation. Another score!

[wyogal]

awesome :)

[mariacarmen]

love that story.

[ChristinaMason]

+1

[Berheenia]

I have a small collection of bundt cakes that I have been showing up with at various occasions for years and they are always a hit. Cake mix, pudding mix and some form of alcohol are the basics.

[mariacarmen]

cheryl, would you be willing to part with the cousin's famous bbq sauce?

[Cherylptw]

He normally makes it by the gallon, not sure if you need that much but essentially it's a NC vinegar based sauce. Sometimes I make my own (but it's nowhere like his) in a smaller amount that includes 4 cups cider vinegar, 2 cups water, 2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups ketchup, two teaspoons (more or less) crushed red pepper or I like to use a couple dried ancho chiles soaked in water. I soak them in the two cups of water I'm going to use in the recipe, just remove seeds and use hot water, then allow them to soak a couple of hours. Puree the peppers and add to recipe. I also use 1/2 cup onion, a couple cloves garlic (both chopped fine), a drop or two of liquid smoked hickory and if you want, salt and pepper. I put it the slow cooker on low for a few hours. You can add more sugar if you need to; you can also puree it at the end for a smoother consistancy.

I don't normally measure, I just kind of add a bit of this and that so this is a rough draft. My cousin adds a bit of sage to his and I sometimes add cumin to mine.

[mariacarmen]

thanks Cheryl - there are a ton of recipes out there, but i wanted one from someone whose taste i trust! been reading about your delish meals long enough to know that you're it.

[LindaWhit]

I was tossing around various ideas for dinner tonight. Chicken thighs prepared as if they were wings? Nah. Had chicken last night. I checked the Sunday paper coupons and saw a $1.00 off a store-bought pizza crust from Rustic Crust. SOLD. Pizza it is. What toppings?

I've got bags of mini turkey meatballs, so I'll heat up/brown several of them and roughly chop them up. I'll pull out several bags of homemade roasted tomatoes in the freezer and blend it with some tomato paste and some Aleppo pepper. Sauteed mushrooms, the meatballs, and mozzarella, and pop that bad boy into a hot oven. A small spinach and pear salad alongside (pretty much the same as last night) with the pomegranate-ginger vinaigrette, and it's dinner.

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh my Linda, doesn't that sound fabulous?!! Love that salad idea - sounds perfectly "pear-ed" w your pizza!! ; - )

[wyogal]

yum

[LJS]

OK,LInda! I am officially inspired for tomorrow-hubby is going to be away starting Tuesday for the week so I will surprise him tomorrow with meatball pizza on a Monday---unheardof in our house, but I am great believer in a memorable meal to send a man out into the dangerous world alone-- a policy that has worked for 33 years of marriage and I am going to stick with it.

After all I can eat nothing but steamed veggies all week to compensate (well, I won't but I could!)

[suzigirl]

I like your policy LJS

[LindaWhit]

Sounds good, LJS!

HOWEVER....please make your own pizza dough or use store-bought dough vs. a Rustic Crust brand crust like I bought. Too salty, too doughy. I'm a NY-style pizza kind of gal, and this just was NOT thin and crispy as I had wished. I knew it wasn't as thin as I liked, but I was hoping for a crispier crust. It just didn't get there.

[wyogal]

I just finished with brunch, french toast, sausages, bacon, juice. Invited our two kids in town... one came (I knew he would, he is teaching Nordic skiing this afternoon, and I knew he wouldn't pass up the chance to eat a filling b'fast), the other one, well, who knows.... she probably didn't get my text, she's always losing/leaving her phone somewhere, and is already at work by now.
For supper, we still have the red gray leftovers, but not feeling it again. My husband offered to get us Big Macs tonight! ha! I don't think I'll tell him I was thinking of homemade pizza, whew.

[Floridagirl]

Yesterday we got a bushel of middle neck clams, which is 100 clams and we had clams frite (no mussels worth buying around here) with homemade New Orleans French bread. Today it's plain steamed clams, which the BF prefers, steak on the grill with red wine and worchestershire carmelized onion sauce, and blanched broccoli sauteed in evoo and garlic with parmesan. And more bread, grilled and rubbed with garlic.

[ChristinaMason]

Wow. What a feast.

[foodieX2]

Leftover! I made a variation of Ina's Orechiette with sausage and broccoli rabe last night. There is just enough leftover to have for dinner!

I have chicken breasts thawing and 2lbs of ground beef in fridge that need to become lunch/dinners at some point. Still trying to figure that out.

[Breadcrumbs]

Yesterday I made Tortilla Soup for lunch and we had the leftovers today for lunch.

Now we're pretty full and contemplating ditching our chores and heading out for a walk since the rain's let up it seems. With any luck we'll work up an appetite because I've defrosted some beautiful shrimp w a plan to make Rick Moonen's Shrimp fra Diavolo for dinner and we were really looking forward to it. . . until we filled up on soup!!

[roxlet]

That looks really good! Where is that recipe from?

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks roxlet. Yesterday I thought I'd try a version from Mexican Everyday by one of my favourite chefs, Rick Bayless. The soup was good but truth be told, I prefer Lisa Fain's version from The Homesick Texan. From what I understand she made adaptations to Rick's recipe and in my humble opinion, she really did improve it. Here's a link to Lisa's version if you are interested and beneath that, I'll post a link to my COTM review of her recipe:

Smoky Tortilla Soup Recipe from The Homesick Texan

http://grannymountain.blogspot.ca/2011/09/cure-for-homesick-texans.html

Link to my COTM review of that dish/recipe & photos:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/851920#7381972

Comparison of LF's version to RB's and why I prefer Lisa's:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8856...

[roxlet]

Thanks, bc. I have Homesick Texan and I'll take a look at it!

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh definitely take a look roxlet. I made 13 recipes from that book and that dish was heads and tails above the rest. One of my favourite soups ever...truly!

[mariacarmen]

that does sound really, really good. in my new quest to lighten things up a bit, i'd probably Pam spray tortillas and then toss them into the toaster oven... but the spicing on that soup sounds right on. still sick here, so soup's sounding good these days...

[Breadcrumbs]

Thanks so much mc...I love this soup, it's just so different w all the flavours and textures.

[scubadoo97]

Tortilla soup. One of my favorites

[Breadcrumbs]

Do you have a favourite recipe scubadoo?

[linguafood]

While we have about 2 lbs. of scrumptious pork shoulder left over from last night's shenanigans, I think I'll be saving that for dinner tomorrow night. I have a tiny bowl of the fennel salad which I will have for lunch. It turned out lovely -- even my fennel-hating man liked it!

I had high plans of hosting a red carpet event for the Globes tonight, but RSVPs have not exactly been streaming in -- the beginning of the semester is a busy time for many of my friends....

Of course, that also means no major prep work for me this PM. I may just hop on over to TJ's to get those frozen kale & spinach bites, as I promised some munchies & libations.

Dinner..... might be take-out or such, since I can't possibly be bothered interrupting one of The Most Important Fashion Events Of The Year (har. har. har.) for such a pedestrian task as making dinner.

[roxlet]

I don't think I will get to the TV at all tonight :( Thanksgiving dinner for the guests will probably be too late to watch either the red carpet (which is all I really care about these days), or Downton.

[steve h.]

You've done yeoman work. Well done!

[boyzoma]

Tonight will be a Chile Rellenos casserole, Spanish Rice with diced tomatoes and green peppers, and Refried Beans.

[roxlet]

That casserole sounds really good! How do you make that?

[suzigirl]

Also interested in the casserole. I would love details please

[boyzoma]

roxlet and suzigirl: I used this recipe as a base and then changed it up: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/10/...

For the most part, I followed the instructions, except I made it in an 8x8" dish. But still used the same amount of ingredients. I covered for 15 minutes as directed, then pulled it out, poured 1 8oz can of tomato sauce over the top, sprinkled with more cheese and sprinkled sliced olives over the top. Put back in the oven for about 30 minutes uncovered. DH and I thought it was amazing. Really creamy and good. It was the first time I had tried this and will definitely put this on my to-make menu again. We had this at (believe it or not) my ex-husband and his wife's house on Christmas eve.

[suzigirl]

Wow. That looks simple and delicious. Thank you for posting this for us and i will try it.

[roxlet]

I'm glad it's on Kalyn's!

[boyzoma]

She looks like she has some other things I would like to try too!

[mariacarmen]

that looks like a keeper. yum. i love chile rellenos almost more than anything in a mexican restaurant.

[LJS]

Not living in football country, I have the weekend off sports-wise...next week, family will assemble for start of hockey season (YAY-I think, very mixed feelings...) and I will have to up my game.

But tonight is dead simple: Ann Hodgeman's Chil-Cornbread Pie (One Bite Won't Kill You-Food for Kids...Sunday supper on our own and we turn into big kids!), an avacado-tom-and cilantro salad on the side and the Epicurious Dulce des Leches Ice Cream that I made yesterday for dessert....lacking eggs, it really takes a long time to 'temper' and was squishy last night, but much better texture when I checked it with a (big!) spoon mere moments ago.

[juliejulez]

LJS, we're a hockey house too, but I at least like watching hockey...football is so boring! We also have season tickets to the Avalanche... so that I don't mind especially since the games are evenings mostly... football seems to consume the entire day!

[Breadcrumbs]

I'm not a fb fan either though I am married to one. The only football I can get excited about is Superbowl Sunday. We always have friends over and I prepare a menu themed around the cities of the 2 teams. So that's fun and of course the half time show is entertaining.

[juliejulez]

Yup, I love having Superbowl parties, mainly cause I get to cook for a lot of people. But this year some other friends of ours beat us to it and got their evites out faster than we did! It'll still be fun to go to theirs though.... that's also BF and I's 1 year anniversary... how romantic LOL

[Breadcrumbs]

Oh absolutely a romantic celebration julie! Well maybe that's a good excuse to celebrate on the Saturday night instead!!

[juliejulez]

We'll be going to a hockey game Saturday night LOL... although, that's what we did on our first date so I guess it's not so bad, I'll just make him take me out to dinner somewhere nice downtown :)

[LJS]

There is usually a Super Bowl Spread thread here and it is one I love. Though not a fan of the game, I sure am a fan of the food.

Why is it that male-dominated sports events get celebrated with such great food( chicken wings, bacon-mushroom dips, eye-watering chili, chocolate triple-layer cakes) whereas if my girlfriends and I get together for a shower or bridal thing, its cool green salads, mini-quiche and pink sugary nibbles in tiny, tiny bites???

[mariacarmen]

because some women have to pretend they're delicate fleurs, instead of the man-eating, she-women we really are!

[juliejulez]

Tonight is the Steakhouse Pizza from Pioneer Woman. I have a cranky boyfriend after the Broncos loss yesterday so hopefully the pizza will perk him up. I personally am glad football is over... we can actually get some stuff done on weekends now :)

[LindaWhit]

OK, then I won't say I was rooting for Baltimore. Patriots fans tend to have a particular dislike towards anyone named Manning. ;-)

[juliejulez]

Ha, well, secretly, I halfway was too... because I wanted the season (and the world's longest game) to be over!!

[LindaWhit]

I do have to say - it *was* a damn good game with the back-and-forth scoring.

[LindaWhit]

I love the birthday cake/pie requests. :-)

[Bacardi1]

Hubby gifted me this past week with an early birthday present - a new fondue pot that I particularly wanted:

http://www.amazon.com/Trudeau-Alto-El...

Thus last night I broke it in with a traditional, rich, luscious "Swiss Fondue" - cubed crusty baguette & all. It was delicious, & the fondue pot was everything I hoped it would be & more!! Performed perfectly, & I'm looking forward to lots of different fondue dining in the immediate future. :)

[roxlet]

I almost bought a fondue pot for my husband for Christmas, and then decided that I wouldn't. Subsequently, he said he'd like one, so maybe for Valentine's Day. This one looks quite nice!

[Breadcrumbs]

That would make for an excellent Valentines Day gift roxlet...quite romantic!!

[Bacardi1]

It IS very nice. And very functional. They call it a "3 in 1" because it's set up to do cheese, chocolate, & oil/broth fondues. Stainless steel pot is for oil/broth; ceramic insert is for cheese or chocolate. For the latter, you add 1"-2" of water to the stainless pot (sort of double-boiler style) & insert the ceramic crock in which you've placed your fondue (that you pre-made on your stovetop in a separate pot). The adjustable heating element in this dandy little setup kept my cheese fondue creamy & smooth - no breaking/separating - & at the perfect eating temperature with absolutely ZERO scorching of the crock bottom. Hand-washing is recommended, but was easy-peasy.

I highly recommend this baby, & can't wait to try other recipes in it. Am thinking of trying a mini Chinese Hot Pot sort of thing in it next time around.

[ChristinaMason]

Yum! I love cheese fondue and that setup sounds about perfect.

[mamachef]

Well, speaking of squash....besides an herb "drugged" pork loin, homemade noodles (w/ butter, sour cream and poppy seeds) alongside garlic-sauteed rainbow chard, I'm serviing acorn squash. I stuff the halves with an apple-walnut chutney with lots of "warm" spices, douse them in a little apple juice, cover w/ foil, and bake until squash is tender, uncovering for the last ten minutes to let them brown and get a little caramellly. Delicious - and almost more like dessert, but dessert is on tonight's menu...pannetone bread pudding, with a vanlla custard sauce.
Bon Apetit, y'all. Have a great day.

[mariacarmen]

those noodles sound so good, every time you mention them, and i always forget about making them...

[Lillipop]

Not that is some love right there:homemade noodles.My late mother used to make them for us with braised beef tips and gravy:)

[mamachef]

Ooh, I love that idea!! I haven't made beef tips in such a long time, and they are sooo good, in a rich brown gravy with lots of onion, and mushrooms and garlic.....I've had great versions at funky little coffee shops and diners, and funnily enough at a very la di da restaurant where the Chef "deconstructed" it, and guess what? It was steak w/ wine sauce and all the other fixins. Okay, the noodles at the fancy place were made in-house, but anyway it was no better or worse than the coffee shop versions except DAMN it was expensive. :)
Anyway, thanks for the trip to nostalgia, and a dinner idea to boot!
Oh, and noodles aren't hard to make. I don't do it much, but although I have a pasta machine around here somewhere, I knife-cut them, and you could do it too. :)

[Njchicaa]

I have half a head of cabbage left from my stuffed cabbage experiment, so I'm making CHOW's buffalo chicken tenders with blue cheese cole slaw tonight. Not sure if anyone is coming over to watch football, but it's a good dinner for just us (with leftovers) or for a crowd. Also think I'm going to do Cooks Illustrated Easy Lemon Pound Cake. I made it last week and it was a hit so I gave the leftovers away.

[roxlet]

I love anything Buffalo chicken style. I have to check that recipe out!

[Njchicaa]

So the cabbage didn't look so good and wound up in the compost. Not sure what I'm going to do with the chicken tenders now...

[LindaWhit]

Could you still make the tenders and have a salad with blue cheese dressing alongside?

[Njchicaa]

I was actually thinking about doing just that.