The What's for Dinner Thread - August 2014 (recipe index in OP)

[aristocatz]

Wow, definitely not too hot to cook here-it's 10 degrees outside! Made the most wonderful meatloaf recipe for dinner tonight. So easy & it's been a huge hit with my family:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-meatloaf/

 

[melissakrichards]

Enjoying this thread & would like to join...

Tonight we had chili in the slow cooker w/ jalapeno corn bread

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow, definitely not too hot to cook here-it's 10 degrees outside! Made the most wonderful meatloaf recipe for dinner tonight. So easy & it's been a huge hit with my family:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-meatloaf/

Welcome to the thread!

Looks like a great meatloaf recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Enjoying this thread & would like to join...

Tonight we had chili in the slow cooker w/ jalapeno corn bread

Welcome! Thanks for joining in.

Do you have the jalapeno corn bread recipe?

 

[PrincessInOz]

It's Monday here again. The weekend just seems to fly! This week is Chinese New Year week so I've spent the morning running around making sure I have most of what I need for dinner at mum's on the Wednesday night (new year's eve). It'll be the big celebration then. Mum normally does both the eve and the day itself but she's decided to only do one celebration this year.

I'll have to think about getting the food ingredients on Tuesday or on Wednesday.

WFDT? Homemade burgers.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Moroccan Vegies and Chicken Dinner



This was dinner last week when I decided to raid my garden for inspiration.

This was what I harvested and decided to turn it into dinner.






The only two vegetables I didn't get from the garden were onion and chilis. The chili is optional.






Fry the onions in a pan with a little oil. I think I fried these for about 2 - 3 minutes.






I cut the Principe Borghese tomatoes in half and cut the Green Zebra into similar sized chunks. Add the tomatoes to the pan and fry until the tomatoes start to wilt. I wanted them to still hold their shape.







Transfer to a pot.






Cook the bell peppers and chilies in the pan. I fried these for about 4 - 5 minutes or until the peppers were starting to cook through (but still crunchy). Transfer to the pot.






Time to cook the zucchini. For these, I fried for a minute or two and then added a splash of water with some saffron. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes after adding the water and transfer to the pot.






Add a can of drained chickpea to the pot and mix everything together with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of paprika.






Allow the vegetables to simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Whilst they were cooking, I popped some cous cous (which I had prepared according to the instructions on the packet) on top and put the lid over the vegies and the cous cous. This allowed some of the flavour from the vegetable medley to infuse into the cous cous.






Panfry some chicken tenderloins for about 3 - 4 minutes on each side.







I served up each element in separate dishes, family style.






The vegetable medley.






The chicken.






The cous cous.






My dinner!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Sun-Dried Tomatoes



My Principe Borghese tomatoes have been pretty generous to me this year. We had quite a few slightly over-ripe ones in the fridge and rather than throw them out, I figured I would try making sundried tomatoes in my oven. Afterall, the Principe Borghese variety is what sundried tomatoes are best made from.

My starting ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Handful of basil
• Salt

Cut the tomatoes in half, tear some basil over the top and sprinkle some salt.
Place the tray of tomatoes in a low oven, set at 90 C. Cook for at least 4 hours and then check to see how the tomatoes are progressing.

At this stage, remove the smaller tomatoes that have dried.






It took me about 5 - 6 hours to dry the tray.







Transfer to a glass container, add a splash of olive oil and store in the fridge.

I've completed a taste test this morning. The flavour is intense!

 

[franandaj]

Welcome to the new folks!

Tonight we are having "roll ups" (aka bacon wrapped flank steak), Texas Caviar and green salad.

 

[franandaj]

Wow PIO! Your garden has been generous thus year!

Your stewed vegetables looks very tasty. We're getting about ready to start planting our garden for this year.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Good morning girlies,

Welcome to the new posters. Please stick around!! We would love to get to know you.

PIO ~ WOW just wow on your lushes veggies. That pot looked amazing. I love eating out of the garden. You talk of tomorrow being the start of Chinese New Year and we are preparing here for Ash Wednesday. Enjoy!!

Alison ~ Your rack of lamb sounds so good. I love lamb but not one other person in my family does so I don't get it very often.
Sweetie, I am so glad that you have made yourself happier with adding the dairy back in. Sometimes when we make drastic changes they are so drastic that we can't do them. Try for changing one thing a month. Just one and then when that becomes habit try another change. Bless your heart!!

Doug took me out to dinner for Valentines Day. We drove to G. I. and ate at Olive Garden. We really had a nice evening. He even got me a gift certificate to a spa. I can't wait - it's for the works.

The Church was closed yesterday and I worked on our taxes, got the wash done, baked a banana cake, and cooked a nice dinner. I was totally in my element. I love being at home.

WFDT ~ Meatloaf and baked potatoes in the crockpot with green beans.

Make it a great day all.

 

[aristocatz]

Welcome to the thread!

Looks like a great meatloaf recipe. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you I am trying to add more variety to our family dinners and always looking for new ideas!
Tonight I am trying this pork chops recipe-I think it looks great!

http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-pork-chops-and-apples-90771

ETA: Not sure I would make this during the week anymore though. It's in the oven right now & will be reheated for dinner tonight, but it takes 20ish minutes to prep & 1.5 hours to bake. I am going back to work next week (from maternity leave) & will be picking up my kids at 4:30. No way I could get it prepped & baked for dinner. If it turns out delicious, I will save it for weekends.

 

[franandaj]

I need a new good pork chop recipe. Yours sounds good aristocatz, but I need one without added sugar. I used to bake them with a sliced onion and cream of chicken soup on top but Fran doesn't seem to like them that way. Then is used to cook them on top of a bed of stuffing and serve them with pork gravy. But with the gluten free that one is out of the question. Oh well. I have until Sunday.

Last night was balsamic chicken and artichokes. I ate every last bite and I was still hungry. So I had some Multigrain crackers with cheese and salami. Tonight is drive through. I'll need to come up with something I can eat.

 

[aristocatz]

I need a new good pork chop recipe. Yours sounds good aristocatz, but I need one without added sugar. I used to bake them with a sliced onion and cream of chicken soup on top but Fran doesn't seem to like them that way. Then is used to cook them on top of a bed of stuffing and serve them with pork gravy. But with the gluten free that one is out of the question. Oh well. I have until Sunday.

Last night was balsamic chicken and artichokes. I ate every last bite and I was still hungry. So I had some Multigrain crackers with cheese and salami. Tonight is drive through. I'll need to come up with something I can eat.

Have you considered gluten free breadcrumbs, ranch dressing seasoning, & mayo? We do chicken that way & I'm guessing it would be great with pork as well

Your cream of chicken soup one sounds delicious, but my picky toddler refuses anything in a sauce that's not ketchup or marinara

 

[franandaj]

Have you considered gluten free breadcrumbs, ranch dressing seasoning, & mayo? We do chicken that way & I'm guessing it would be great with pork as well

Your cream of chicken soup one sounds delicious, but my picky toddler refuses anything in a sauce that's not ketchup or marinara

Fran would probably love that, me, I'm not a big fan of the taste of Ranch Dressing. I really shouldn't have things with any kind of breading, it's not really the gluten I can't have but the carbs that turn into sugar in the bloodstream I'm supposed to be avoiding. But thanks for the suggestion!

If it we me, I'd cook for the adults and make something separate for the toddler! I get sick of things really quickly.

 

[kimmar067]

....WFDT? Baked breaded pork chops with baby brussel sprouts....

 

[melissakrichards]

I made those Aldi chicken sandwiches everyone was raving about. They really did taste like Chik Fil A! We had salad and fruit too.

 

[aristocatz]

Fran would probably love that, me, I'm not a big fan of the taste of Ranch Dressing. I really shouldn't have things with any kind of breading, it's not really the gluten I can't have but the carbs that turn into sugar in the bloodstream I'm supposed to be avoiding. But thanks for the suggestion!

If it we me, I'd cook for the adults and make something separate for the toddler! I get sick of things really quickly.

We were making separate meals for our toddler up until just a few weeks ago, but it turned my toddler into a very picky eater. As soon as we all started eating the same meals, she started increasing her variety. We miss the spicy foods & foods with sauce that we used to eat, but I am loving that my toddler is now eating more than just chicken nuggets or scrambled eggs every night!

 

[EJ4Disney]

Happy Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and starts my favorite time in the Church. We will gather tonight for dinner and then services are at 6.

It is bitter cold out today but the sun is shining and not a cloud in the sky. It is beautiful if you don't have to get out in it.

WFDT ~ Worship committee is serving and it is some kind of casserole. I will let you know tomorrow. But I know it will be good, because I don't have to cook it.

Make it a great day!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Another week, another work curve ball. This one is still in flight and I have no idea how it's going to land. We might know by the end of next week.
Another week, and it's Chinese New Year. I'm in a bit of a food coma as we had dinner at mum's last night. I need to unpack those pictures from the camera and post them; but it was the standard curry, rice and stirfry dinner.

Happy Ash Wednesday!

 

[franandaj]

Tonight we are having sausage and peppers. I thawed a couple bratwurst sausages that we bought on our trip to Seattle last year, but I realized that one sausage, some peppers and onions won't fill me up. So while at TJ's I picked up a pack of Brats. We'll have one of each and see if we can taste the difference!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Kong Hee Fatt Choy!



Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Food coma happened last night at my mother's! It was Chinese New Year's Eve yesterday and we had family reunion dinner last night. We had the normal fare for dinner.


Yee Sang, which I supplied.






It's a custom to get everyone in the house to mix this dish for luck.






The higher you toss the ingredients, the more luck you are supposed to bring on yourself.







My plate of Yee Sang. It's really a heap of pickles, fresh veg and raw salmon....Chinese salad.








To eat with the rice, we had a few dishes.

Pickled Vegetables or Achar.







My dad made this Chicken curry.






He also made the Beef Rendang.







And the Gado Gado sauce.







Mum's cooking included a Sweet and Sour Chicken.....






.....Shrimp Sambal.....






....and stir fry Vegetables.






I thought I was rather restrained.







I only had one serve!








I definitely left room for dessert.....cannoli and fruit.







We would traditionally head to my mother's again for dinner tonight. Afterall, today is really the 1st day of Chinese New Year. But my parents decided that they didn't really want to have two big dinners in a row and I don't really blame them. Besides, I'm still in a food coma!