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

[dgbg100106]

Alison - recipe?


I made Okonomiyaki for dinner last night. We have cabbage from the garden that I need to use up; so it was easy to do this meal.

Today, we had a big lunch out and no one feels like eating. So, we're just having salad.

PIO - Recipe?

 

[PrincessInOz]

PIO - Recipe?

I didn't take pictures but the Okonomiyaki recipe is as follows:

• 1/2 head cabbage, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 3 stalks spring onions, sliced into 0.5 cm thickness
• 2 boiled potatoes (Place in cold water and cook for 20 minutes), diced
• 1 cob corn (cooked for about 4 minutes with the potatoes when the water was boiling), corn removed from the stalk

Mix all the vegetables together.


For the batter, mix the following together

• 3 large eggs (or 4 medium ones)
• 1.5 cups of plain flour
• 1 - 1.5 cups of fish stock

I added enough stock so that the batter was probably a bit thicker than whipping cream.

Add the batter to the vegetables. It should coat the vegetables completely and not pool at the bottom, which is why I make it a bit thicker.


Heat a pan on medium heat with some oil in it.

Place about 2 spoonfuls of the vegetable mix in the pan and press down with a spatula. I use a large pan; so I can pretty much get 3 patties in my pan.

Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes and then turn over. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes on the other side.


Sauce:

• You need okonomiyaki sauce or tonkatsu sauce which I got from the Asian grocer.
• You'll also need some Kewpie mayonnaise for this. It's a brand of mayonnaise but I think it is runnier than the mayo we would get from the supermarkets. Check your Asian grocer if they have an alternative.

On each of the cooked patty, pour a little okonomiyaki sauce over it and the squeeze a little mayo on top.


Next time I cook this, I'll take pictures!

 

[dgbg100106]

I didn't take pictures but the Okonomiyaki recipe is as follows:

• 1/2 head cabbage, finely sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 3 stalks spring onions, sliced into 0.5 cm thickness
• 2 boiled potatoes (Place in cold water and cook for 20 minutes), diced
• 1 cob corn (cooked for about 4 minutes with the potatoes when the water was boiling), corn removed from the stalk

Mix all the vegetables together.


For the batter, mix the following together

• 3 large eggs (or 4 medium ones)
• 1.5 cups of plain flour
• 1 - 1.5 cups of fish stock

I added enough stock so that the batter was probably a bit thicker than whipping cream.

Add the batter to the vegetables. It should coat the vegetables completely and not pool at the bottom, which is why I make it a bit thicker.


Heat a pan on medium heat with some oil in it.

Place about 2 spoonfuls of the vegetable mix in the pan and press down with a spatula. I use a large pan; so I can pretty much get 3 patties in my pan.

Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes and then turn over. Cook for another 3 - 4 minutes on the other side.


Sauce:

• You need okonomiyaki sauce or tonkatsu sauce which I got from the Asian grocer.
• You'll also need some Kewpie mayonnaise for this. It's a brand of mayonnaise but I think it is runnier than the mayo we would get from the supermarkets. Check your Asian grocer if they have an alternative.

On each of the cooked patty, pour a little okonomiyaki sauce over it and the squeeze a little mayo on top.


Next time I cook this, I'll take pictures!

So looking at this I would say that the potatoes are acting like a binder for the cabbage, carrots, corn and onions right?

Then the egg batter is turning it into a kind of pancake?

Do you think the eggs are required, or is the flour and stock enough to create the pancake to coat the veggies. You see I am trying to find a way to make this so that I can eat it. I would also have to change the fish stock out to a veggie stock, which should be fine.


What kind of flavor profile does the okonomiyaki sauce have? is it sweet, savory, fishy, or salty?

Is the mayo, acidic with a citrus profile, or more of that sweet profile?

is this too many questions?

 

[EJ4Disney]

Good morning Girls,

Not quite the weekend I had planned. I guess I should have talked to Doug more about MY plans. Because we were not on the same page at all. He had made a hair appointment to get his hair cut on Saturday morning so I went with and got my hair cut also. At least I got that checked off of our pre-vacation list. Then the man wanted to go shopping (yes, the man loves to shop). Then of course we had to go eat - we didn't get home till 4 pm. Well there went my day of getting things done. We did some grocery shopping and got ready to watch the football game. What a hot mess that was. We sure didn't come to play until the 4th quarter. Needless to say we are NOT undefeated anymore. Oh well the sun did come up yesterday morning.

Church yesterday then to breakfast with friends. Ethan had a football game at 3 pm then we all went over to Doug's sisters and BIL. We had a good time but didn't get home until 6. So there ya have it, my nice weekend at home. I got 5 pints of apple butter canned and that was it - NADDA not another thing on my list checked off. It will be a long week because now I have to work in the evenings. Oh well, so goes the best laid plans.

WFDT ~ Tomato Basil Chicken brats, sweet potato fries and fried green tomatoes.

Make it a great day all!!

 

[dgbg100106]

Dh's team (Texas A&M) and my team (Alabama) both lost this Saturday.

10 out of the top 20 lost on Saturday, lots of upsets. Needless to say we were not happy, but like you said the sun did rise on Sunday.

 

[PrincessInOz]

So looking at this I would say that the potatoes are acting like a binder for the cabbage, carrots, corn and onions right?

Then the egg batter is turning it into a kind of pancake?

Do you think the eggs are required, or is the flour and stock enough to create the pancake to coat the veggies. You see I am trying to find a way to make this so that I can eat it. I would also have to change the fish stock out to a veggie stock, which should be fine.


What kind of flavor profile does the okonomiyaki sauce have? is it sweet, savory, fishy, or salty?

Is the mayo, acidic with a citrus profile, or more of that sweet profile?

is this too many questions?

The original recipe calls for egg. The egg is the binder in the recipe I listed and the potatoes are part of the vegetable profile; rather than a binder.

But I would imagine if you up'ped the amount of potatoes and turned it into a loose mash, that would work as a binder. The alternative might be to add mashed chickpea to it and see how it works.

You can totally make it with veggie stock. I've certainly made it with veggie stock in the past. The Japanese would use dashi as the stock and that's fish based, which is why I used the fish stock.

The okonomiyaki sauce would give a sweet tang. It is effectively the Japanese version of BBQ sauce.

The mayo is sweet and tangy gives that acidic/citrus profile.

If you were to substitute this out, I would say squeeze some lemon juice over it without any sauce and see how you go.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Good morning Girls,

Not quite the weekend I had planned. I guess I should have talked to Doug more about MY plans. Because we were not on the same page at all. He had made a hair appointment to get his hair cut on Saturday morning so I went with and got my hair cut also. At least I got that checked off of our pre-vacation list. Then the man wanted to go shopping (yes, the man loves to shop). Then of course we had to go eat - we didn't get home till 4 pm. Well there went my day of getting things done. We did some grocery shopping and got ready to watch the football game. What a hot mess that was. We sure didn't come to play until the 4th quarter. Needless to say we are NOT undefeated anymore. Oh well the sun did come up yesterday morning.

Church yesterday then to breakfast with friends. Ethan had a football game at 3 pm then we all went over to Doug's sisters and BIL. We had a good time but didn't get home until 6. So there ya have it, my nice weekend at home. I got 5 pints of apple butter canned and that was it - NADDA not another thing on my list checked off. It will be a long week because now I have to work in the evenings. Oh well, so goes the best laid plans.

WFDT ~ Tomato Basil Chicken brats, sweet potato fries and fried green tomatoes.

Make it a great day all!!

DH and I are rarely on the same page.
We have to communicate, communicate, communicate all the time.

Sorry you didn't get the weekend you had hoped for and I hope that you don't end up with too many late evenings.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Tired out Tuesday......

Brandi ~ I thought of you on Saturday when I heard that A & M lost along with Alabama. It was a tough week for football, for sure.

PIO ~ You are so right! I guess I just assume Doug will go along with what I want, and most of the time he does. But this weekend he had his own plans. We did have fun, but now I am playing catch up. We leave for vacation in 7 days and I have a lot to do!!

I canned 10 pints of applesauce and 8 jars of apple butter last night. I need to do more applesauce tonight. The kids have their orders in. I love canning, so it is something I really enjoy. Plus the fact that I just can't stand to see all of my apples going to waste. The Pastor and Tammy came out last night and picked. There are still many left.

It is cloudy and humid out today. We are to get into the 70's but with a chance of rain. We need NO more rain. We need to get in the fields to harvest. A lot was harvested over the weekend, but the way it is going we will be picking in December.

WFDT ~ Chicken Fajitas, with all the fixins, and spicy rice.

Make it a great day!

 

[dgbg100106]

The original recipe calls for egg. The egg is the binder in the recipe I listed and the potatoes are part of the vegetable profile; rather than a binder.

But I would imagine if you up'ped the amount of potatoes and turned it into a loose mash, that would work as a binder. The alternative might be to add mashed chickpea to it and see how it works.

You can totally make it with veggie stock. I've certainly made it with veggie stock in the past. The Japanese would use dashi as the stock and that's fish based, which is why I used the fish stock.

The okonomiyaki sauce would give a sweet tang. It is effectively the Japanese version of BBQ sauce.

The mayo is sweet and tangy gives that acidic/citrus profile.

If you were to substitute this out, I would say squeeze some lemon juice over it without any sauce and see how you go.

Thanks! That helps a lot!

 

[dgbg100106]

Tired out Tuesday......

Brandi ~ I thought of you on Saturday when I heard that A & M lost along with Alabama. It was a tough week for football, for sure.

PIO ~ You are so right! I guess I just assume Doug will go along with what I want, and most of the time he does. But this weekend he had his own plans. We did have fun, but now I am playing catch up. We leave for vacation in 7 days and I have a lot to do!!

I canned 10 pints of applesauce and 8 jars of apple butter last night. I need to do more applesauce tonight. The kids have their orders in. I love canning, so it is something I really enjoy. Plus the fact that I just can't stand to see all of my apples going to waste. The Pastor and Tammy came out last night and picked. There are still many left.

It is cloudy and humid out today. We are to get into the 70's but with a chance of rain. We need NO more rain. We need to get in the fields to harvest. A lot was harvested over the weekend, but the way it is going we will be picking in December.

WFDT ~ Chicken Fajitas, with all the fixins, and spicy rice.

Make it a great day!

Picking in Nebraska in December, CANNOT be fun!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Evening all. I'm chillin' right now. Busy day at work but I finally got to the end of the day. Officially on holiday for 2 weeks and I completely turned the work phone off so that I won't be tempted to look at emails and field any calls.

After dinner at mum's, I've come home to sort out the rest of the clothes and I'm finally got a pile that I can pack! DH has sorted his clothes as well and I'll do DS' tomorrow whilst he is at school.

I think tomorrow may well be another busy day just with the last minute pre-vacay rush. I'm hoping to check in tomorrow....at some stage.

Hope y'all are well.

 

[dgbg100106]

Evening all. I'm chillin' right now. Busy day at work but I finally got to the end of the day. Officially on holiday for 2 weeks and I completely turned the work phone off so that I won't be tempted to look at emails and field any calls.

After dinner at mum's, I've come home to sort out the rest of the clothes and I'm finally got a pile that I can pack! DH has sorted his clothes as well and I'll do DS' tomorrow whilst he is at school.

I think tomorrow may well be another busy day just with the last minute pre-vacay rush. I'm hoping to check in tomorrow....at some stage.

Hope y'all are well.

PIO hope you have an amazing day and getting ready for Vacay is a great job...

 

[dgbg100106]

Alison - I know this off topic, but I wanted to share something with you...

I know that you and I both suffer from Shin Splints, and I just found these compression calf sleeves, and they are amazing. They work! I have been free of shin splints for the last two weeks, and I have been running. These things have become my new friends...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E969K5W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Of course I had to get the hot pink ones....

 

[EJ4Disney]

Did you all see the Lunar eclipse? Doug and I watched it, and it was amazing. Out here on the Plains there isn't anything to block our view.

PIO ~ If I don't see you before you leave, safe travels my dear friend. I know you will have a great time with family.

Brandi ~ I am ordering those. I also get shin splints. I am so excited, I really hope they work. What a godsend these will be if they really do help. I know they were meant for Alison but dang I am excited too.

Well again the best laid plans got messed up last night. Last Tuesday Doug had an eye appointment and ordered new glasses. They called him yesterday afternoon and they were in. He is on call and can't leave town, they close at 5 pm, and he really wanted them before we left for vacation. So of course me being the BEST wife in the world, went to Kearney when I got off of work to get the glasses. I barely made it and walked in as they were closing up. But they did give them to me. YEA!!! I did a bit of shopping, I needed my canning jars and flats, even bought a new pair of jeans (man how I hate shopping for jeans) and then stopped and got Jimmy Johns for dinner. Man they tasted good. Doug was thrilled.

WFDT ~ Last nights dinner of Chicken fajitas. I don't have to cook for Faith Friends tonight so I will be home. That is a good thing as I am really behind in getting things done.

Make it a great day.

 

[dgbg100106]

Did you all see the Lunar eclipse? Doug and I watched it, and it was amazing. Out here on the Plains there isn't anything to block our view.

PIO ~ If I don't see you before you leave, safe travels my dear friend. I know you will have a great time with family.

Brandi ~ I am ordering those. I also get shin splints. I am so excited, I really hope they work. What a godsend these will be if they really do help. I know they were meant for Alison but dang I am excited too.

Well again the best laid plans got messed up last night. Last Tuesday Doug had an eye appointment and ordered new glasses. They called him yesterday afternoon and they were in. He is on call and can't leave town, they close at 5 pm, and he really wanted them before we left for vacation. So of course me being the BEST wife in the world, went to Kearney when I got off of work to get the glasses. I barely made it and walked in as they were closing up. But they did give them to me. YEA!!! I did a bit of shopping, I needed my canning jars and flats, even bought a new pair of jeans (man how I hate shopping for jeans) and then stopped and got Jimmy Johns for dinner. Man they tasted good. Doug was thrilled.

WFDT ~ Last nights dinner of Chicken fajitas. I don't have to cook for Faith Friends tonight so I will be home. That is a good thing as I am really behind in getting things done.

Make it a great day.

We did get to see it this morning all orange and then turning to red. I wish I had my camera but I was on my way to work...

I am glad I could provide you with info also! Hope they work for you. They are tight and keep your calf compressed, did you look at the sizing and measure your calf to get the right one? I got med but my DH needed a small


I bought only one pair, but we exercise 6 days a week, so I am thinking of ordering a second pair.

You are the best wife every.. pick up his glasses and bringing him Jimmy Johns (which I have never had...)

 

[franandaj]

Brandi - Thanks for thinking of me with the shin splints. I really don't care to start running, but I notice that they hurt just from everyday tasks, I might consider a pair.

PIO - it's so close now!

Ellen - I hope you get to catch up on all your tasks. I know how frustrating it is not to be able to do what you want.

I'm going to the spa today, so tonight will be sausages from the freezer on rolls and I'll buy cole slaw and potato salad at the grocer.

 

[franandaj]

So I realize that I am a little late on sharing my September meal, but I barely made it, turns out I made it Monday night of the weekend we were sharing. It’s not vegan, but it does have no meat in it. I ate this for my dinner the night I made it, but Fran will only consider it a side dish, so she had a couple smokey links in addition to this. Let me present to you John Wayne’s Cheese Casserole.

Starting indredients.



JOHN WAYNE'S CHEESE CASSEROLE

• 4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cans chopped green chilies
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Combine the Cheeses and chilies in a large bowl. I only made a quarter recipe, which is perfect for the two of us.



Separate the egg yolk from the whites.



Add milk, flour, salt and pepper to yolk and stir. Fluff egg whites to stiff peaks.



Combine the two egg mixtures.



Add to the cheese and chili mixture



Stir until combined, but don’t over mix.



Place in baking dish and bake on 325 for 30 minutes.



Slice tomatoes and top casserole. Return to oven for another 25 minutes.



My dinner!





I'll try to have the Egg Fu Young soon!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Looks great, Alison!

Flying out tomorrow and I'm shutting down soon. I won't be checking in for the next 2 weeks. Catch y'all at the other end.

 

[EJ4Disney]

Morning girlies,

Brandi ~ Yes I measured and they are already ordered. I really hope they help. Thanks so much!!

Alison ~ Wow, that looks amazing. Doug would love this. It would be great to bring to a pot luck also. Thanks!

PIO ~ Safe travels my friend. I can't wait to hear all about it.

As soon as my training session is over tonight, I have a chiropractic appointment then I am running home and showering and heading to Kearney. Stephanie and I have 7 o'clock appointments for pedicures and manicures. A little bit of pampering before vacation. Her and Matthew are running in the "Market to Market" relay this weekend. This is really neat - it starts at the Hay Market in Omaha and they run to the Hay Market in Lincoln. This is 57 miles with 7 relay participants each running 4 -5 miles twice. I am a bit worried about Stephanie as she is 5 months pregnant, but the Dr. has given her the go ahead. She is a runner and has run the whole pregnancy but wow!! She has a heart monitor and a baby sling (it hugs her tummy close to her so there is no bouncing). As worried as I am about her I think Matthew is going to be a nervous wreck. We are not going as I really wanted to stay home and get my packing and canning done. Doug is putting in a new window. But I will be following very close on line.

WFDT ~ Doug is on his own and Stephanie and I are going to our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Make it a great day all!

 

[franandaj]

Ellen, good luck to Stephanie and I hope the baby is fine.

The dish I posted is very tasty but I'm not sure how good it would be as a potluck dish. Its sort of like a souffle. Its not nearly as good if you don't eat it right out of the oven.

Yesterday I had a spa afternoon. I've discovered this treatment that is just heavenly. It involves hot stones, vigorous massage, traditional massage and also a body wrap. My body feels so relaxed today. Last night I was too wiped out to cook.

Luckily we had some minestrone soup from Costco and frozen GF bacon & cheese biscuits. It was a perfect apres spa meal for me. Fran wanted a sandwich too but otherwise was good with it. We ate a pack of cookies that I bought for the FE on my cruise for dessert. There's 36 packs and I only need 18. They're shortbread cookies with strawberry jam from Knott's Berry Farm. Yes, that Ghiradelli chocolates and little booze filled chocolates are my FE gifts. I have little trinkets for the kids. I probably better come up with something else for the adults.

Tonight im going to make sausage and rice casserole for dinner.