What's for dinner? - Saturday edition.

[Lucinda]

No clue.
Nada.
Nil.

Maybe burgers and sweet potato fries with a salad.
Maybe breakfast.
Maybe Bill will stir fry or make his killer egg rolls. He makes amazing egg rolls.


What's for dinner in your world tonight?

[bicentennial_baby]

1. I'm going to say...leftover homemade Mac and Cheese!

:P We have a lot of leftovers.

But I need to use the bacon that's in the fridge, so maybe I'll make some Carbonara and we'll just have a ton of pasta leftovers for the next 3-4 days. Works for me!

:hi:

PS- thank you so much for re-kindling the daily dinner thread in C&B. We haven't done this for a while, consistently.

:)

[Lucinda]

3. Mmmmmm. Carbonara sounds good!

All the Mac n Cheese posts are making me very pasta hungry! Carbonara would be a nice change. And Bill loves all things bacon. :)

I LOVE daily dinner threads. It gives me great ideas and inspiration. I would have never thought about making Carbonara if you hadn't mentioned it!

[hippywife]

2. I've no idea, either.

I went to bed Monday night with the kitchen in a shambles. I've been so depressed all week, I just left it that way. I'm in the process of digging out and cleaning it up today.

I might make fried chicken tonight so I don't have to try to do it tomorrow night when I'm trying to get my weekly baking and lunch prep done. Sundays always wear me out.

[Lucinda]

4. I'm sorry you're having such a rough week.

Two things that always help me are getting outside in nature, or cranking up the music. Both are great energy and spirit rechargers. Music is especially good for me when I have a lot of "chores" to do. Puts the joy back into the task, for me anyway.

I'm jealous about the fried chicken.
I DO NOT make good fried chicken.
It's always OK, but nothing special.

[hippywife]

5. The music is definitely cranking here

whenever I'm working.

I couldn't make decent fried chicken, either. For years I tried. Then I moved down south here and got some good instruction. Make sure to fry it on high for a little while until the crust develops, turn it and turn down the heat. Cover and let fry that way for a while, then take the lid back off and turn the heat back up until it's done. Using a cast iron skillet is best.

I like to bread mine with a mix of flour, pepper, granulated garlic, Lawry's season salt, and a little cayenne. Pretty darn tasty. :9

[Lucinda]

6. Thanks for the tip! I'll try the temperature changes.

It makes a lot of sense to do it that way.

[hippywife]

39. I was just setting up to fry my chicken

and realized I forgot to mention that you should double dredge it. It's terribly messy dragging it back through the egg and the flour mixture the second time but it's really worth it.

Now I gotta get dinner going.

[eleny]

7. Baked salmon with something and something else on the side

Maybe some baked potato fries and cole slaw. I hope I have some cabbage in the fridge! :D

I love sweet potato fries. We had breakfast for supper the other night for a change. Yum!

[Lucinda]

9. Salmon sounds good too! I havent made any in a loooong time.

I'm still waffling between breakfast and the burger and sweet potato fries.
Bill should be home soon. Hopefully Bill will have an opinion one way or the other.
I'm getting really hungry!

[AwakeAtLast]

8. First it was going to be Humphrey soup

but I forgot to leave the beef out to thaw. Then it was going to be meatloaf (I have a recipe that is a little out of the norm, will share sometime) but we decided that we will save that for tomorrow. I have some ham I could bake, but that is so easy I'm going to save that for a weekday.

Now we're going out! :D

[Lucinda]

10. Ok....I'm curious now! I want to hear about Humphrey soup and your meatloaf!

Hope you have a great dinner out!

[AwakeAtLast]

18. Just got back...

Texas Roadhouse - Mr. AAL needed his Prime Rib fix. ;)

Here is the recipe for Humphrey soup (named after Hubert Humphrey, notes included in recipe I found on Cooks.com)

Mrs. Humphrey wrote: "The recipe that sustains the Vice-President's vim, vigor and vitality. My father used to love to make this. It is now famous because my husband loves it and has proclaimed it all over the U.S. Low in calories but high in food value, it is especially good for a light supper with fruit salad, a glass of milk, lots of crackers, and dessert."

1 1/2 lbs. stewing beef or chuck steak
1 lb. soup bone
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 bay leaves
1 c. celery, chopped
1/2 c. onions, chopped
4 to 5 med. carrots, sliced
1 c. cabbage, chopped
1 lb. 4 oz. can Italian-style tomatoes
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
Pinch of oregano or any other herb you prefer

Cover meat and bone with water in 3-quart heavy kettle. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Heat water to bubbling while preparing vegetables. Turn heat to low. Add celery, onions, carrots, and cabbage. Simmer for at least 2 1/2 hours, or until meat is very tender. Skim; remove bone and bay leaves; cut meat into bite-size pieces. Return meat to soup. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bouillon cube and herbs. Simmer for 30 minutes longer before serving. Serves 6.


---I don't use the soup bone or cook it as long and use crushed tomatoes, but it is still delicious. I also add more Worchestershire than is called for.

Now for the meatloaf:

1 lb. ground beef or chuck (I use chuck)
16-20 saltine crackers crumbled
1 T. minced onion
1 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
3 T A-1

Mix all in a bowl. Shape into loaf. Top how you like (Mr. AAL likes Italian style tomato paste) Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

[Lucinda]

24. Thank you for the recipes! Poutlry seasoning and A1 are an interesting combo.

And the Humphrey soup sounds very food!

[AwakeAtLast]

25. You're welcome!

If you try either of them, let me know how they turned out for you!

:hi:

[Lucinda]

30. I will. I'm thinking we may try the "Humphrey" first.

Nice weather for it!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

11. I'm a mess.......

Watching that Pavarotti retrospective on PBS always leaves me in tears. Then I make another donation. Then I cry some more.

Dinner is definitely out tonight. I'm worthless.

[hippywife]

12. Loved the man!

Talent like that only comes along once or twice a century. :cry:

[Lucinda]

15. Awwww.....I'm sorry.

Tears may be cathartic, but they stuff up my nose and make me look awful.
Glad you caught the retrospective.

[hippywife]

13. Well, it's turning out like this.

I have two loaves of bread dough resting on the counter waiting for the roasted root veggies in the oven to be done. Then it will be that with a nice spinach salad.

[Lucinda]

16. Yum times a billion.

Sounds very, very good to me.

[Mind_your_head]

14. Fettucine Alfredo w/broccoli and shrimp tossed in....garlic bread and a salad

we have this a lot actually b/c it's pretty easy.

Last year when I got my KA mixer for Christmas, I went out and bought the shredder/grater attachment. It's been a godsend for grating cheese (which we use a lot of in our house). Every coupla weeks I haul the KA out from under the cupboard (no room on the counter in my little kitchen) and grate the romano, parmesan, some cheddar, and whatever else might be hanging in the fridge (Fontina this week). I put the grated cheese in ziploc bags (it's better to get the extra air our than putting it into rigid containers).

Awhile back Tab gave a wonderful *hint* about using a metal pan in the oven to defrost things (something about how the metal pan "absorbs" the cold and then gives the oven a larger surface area to warm, making defrosting quicker). Sorry Tab, I don't remember EXACTLY what it was, but that post INSPIRED me to try defrosting frozen shrimp outta the bag this way. (Thank you very much Tab for that useful tip...it will be 'long-used', I am sure :-) ) Well, I have to tell you that THAT is my PREFERRED way to defrost shrimp! It's really fast....10 minutes....and the shrimp are less soggy feeling than when I defrost them according to package directions (overnight in the fridge or under cold running water).

I simply spread the desired amount of shrimp out on a jelly-roll pan (a cookie sheet with 'sides' for someone who might not know what that is - I didn't at one point in my cooking life :-) ) Set the oven to "warm" (now I've got an old oven ~ which I like very much ~ that heats up to temperature in about 10 minutes vs. my sister's VIKING at one house and JENN-AIRE at the other house, that takes 30-40 minutes to get up to 400 degrees F - but that's another rant for another day.) I turn the shrimp over after about 5-7 minutes. I leave them on warm for another 5 minutes, then place the shrimp in a colander and rinse under cold water. They're ready to go!

Whatever you're having for dinner tonight, Bon Appetite All!

M_Y_H :hi:

[Lucinda]

17. Thanks for mentioning the oven tip. I hadn't seen that thread.

Going to have to archive dive. :)

Hope you're having a lovely evening. Your dinner sounds great. I'm jealous, I cant eat shrimp anymore.

[Mind_your_head]

19. The thanks goes to Tab!

it was his idea/thought.

Just curious, why can't you eat shrimp anymore? Gout? That's all I can think of.....not so common these days....

[Lucinda]

21. No...I always had a little trouble with it.

I could tolerate some shellfish and peanuts when I was younger, but I have very bad reactions to both now. I'm not sure what created the increased sensitivity, but I've had serious health issues since 2001, and it may just be that my body isn't strong enough to handle the reaction anymore...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

26. As my dermatologist buddy says,

"No one is born allergic." You have to be exposed to something, and then you have a reaction or not.

Adult-onset allergies aren't uncommon. A good friend of mine was never allergic to any kind of shellfish, and, being a Boston girl, had downed her share of them.

But, one night, we all went to dinner at a DC seafood place, celebrating a big win, and she put away a lot of shrimp.

That night, she woke up unable to move her legs, losing control of her bladder and bowels, managed to get on the phone and called 911. By the time they got there, she was having trouble breathing. Ultimately, she recovered completely, but it was determined that she was allergic to shellfish, and the theory was that she'd probably ingested a tiny bit of shell which had penetrated her stomach lining, speeding up the reaction.

What saved her life was that she'd been feeling a cold coming on and she'd taken a Contac, the time-release cold capsule, before going to bed. It was just enough of an antihistamine to keep the reaction subdued enough to give her time to call for help.

She's fine today, but doesn't go near any kind of shellfish.

We change. We react. And, let's not forget, GETTING OLD BITES IT!

:toast:

[Lucinda]

28. Thats freaky! I'm so glad she was able to get treatment in time.

We used to eat at a place that had baskets of peanuts on the tables. I shelled and ate my fair share often. It would kill me now. weird that it can all change in an instant.

Bill had problems with one of the doctors when I was in the hospital a couple years ago. I was turning red and kept passing out and he kept telling the doc that I was reacting to Atrovent in my breathing treatment. The guy kept telling him that it was just sleep apnea. Seems they didn't know Atrovent was a peanut derivative. :eyes:

Scary stuff.

[soleiri]

20. I'm home alone tonight

So it's leftover homemade lentil loaf, rice and corn.

It's actually pretty good all mixed up together.

[Lucinda]

22. I've been looking for lentil recipes. How do you make lentil loaf?

:hi:

[soleiri]

27. No recipe

I’ve been doing huge experiments with lentil loafs and patties recently.
This time I mixed cooked lentils, diced onions, garlic, rice, tomato paste, diced green bell peppers, sage and marjoram. I stuffed the results results in a loaf pan and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes. I then made patties out of the leftovers.
It was okay, but didn’t hold its shape very well, so it’s back to the kitchen for more mad experimentations.


:hi:

[Lucinda]

29. Sounds like you may need a binder of some sort.

Breadcrumbs maybe?

Now I want to try and make one. LOL

[soleiri]

31. I thought the rice would do

Last time I used a combination of oatmeal and oat flour. That one stayed together better.
Next time, I'm trying the breadcrumbs. Thanks!

[Lucinda]

33. I hope that will do the trick. I like the idea of oat flour too. I'm trying to get more oats

into our diet. This would be a good way to do it!

I'd like to find one that holds together well and use it for sandwiches.

[pengillian101]

48. Sounds like you may need a binder of some sort.

Try an egg maybe?

:hi:

[Mind_your_head]

23. Welcome to the cooking & baking group!

Nice to have you here! :hi:

[soleiri]

32. Thank you!

:hi:

Being poor and unemployed I've decided to do a lot more cooking.
There's an upside to everything!

[Lucinda]

34. Thats how Paula Deen started.

:)

[Lugnut]

35. Boneless pork loin

My daughter is home for the weekend so I wanted to make a nice dinner for her. I roasted it in my clay baker and made mashed potatoes, gravy, steamed cauliflower and homemade applesauce.

[Lucinda]

36. Sounds wonderful!

I love pork and apples together.
Hope you have a great visit!

[Lugnut]

40. We did, thank you.

She lives an hour-and-a-half away so she gets home about every six weeks or so. She eats out a lot so I like to fix her a home cooked meal when she's here.

[Lucinda]

41. I'm glad she can make it home so often!

One of the best ways to catch up is over a meal.

[eridani]

37. Another go at the turkey breast and squash

Got three meals of that (2 of which are now gone), some stock for a barley veggie soup (5 quarts), and a couple of small bags of turkey meat. Going to make turkey tetrazzini with one of them next week.

[Lucinda]

42. I love doing that. Taking one protein and doing different things with it.

I like the challenge. How geeky am I. :D

[sazemisery]

38. Here's what we whipped up

Avocado, Asparagus and Blue Cheese on a bed of baby romaine drizzled with olive oil and champagne vinegar
Coconut Shrimp (not sweet, seasoned with Chinese 5 spice and cayenne pepper)
Coconut Jasmine Rice

[Lucinda]

43. That sounds really great. It's an interesting combo of flavors.

I've never mixed coconut with jasmine rice...I want some! LOL

[NashVegas]

44. I Had Mex

Take out, actually.

[Lucinda]

45. Mexican food is always a great choice in my book!

:)

[soleiri]

46. In an attempt to eat healthy

Brown rice, broccoli and leftover homemade lentil burgers.
But since I like brown rice, broccoli and lentil burgers...woohoo yum!

[Inchworm]

47. I cheated

I stopped at Smokey Mountain Barbeque

:9

[fortyfeetunder]

49. lobster tails and lamb chops

funny thing is, I was mildly interested in either.

the kid wanted lamb, the adults wanted lobster.

I made a pesto pasta salad
Reheated an okra (yes okra) casserole.

Soup.

Now for some Irish coffee for dessert - with Irish whiskey.