The What's For Dinner Thread - March '11 (recipe index in OP)

[Aimeedyan]

The surgery had some serious complications, it is cancer, she has a chest tube for a few days and by then we should know what kind of treatment is needed.
Sorry for coming back to dump this but Greg asked that I don't update on FB. Your prayers are giving all some peace.

I'm so sorry

Aimee- I love my double ovens and use them whenever I have company. During the rest of the year the lower oven stores all my chips

Maybe that's my secret to my spice addiction? Start storing them in the larger oven!

Going to try and get out of work for a little while and try out the new camera at my GS's lacrosse game. We'll see how well I do.

Congrats on the new camera!! I have been dying for an SLR...




How do y'all store your spices I keep buying new spices, some are in bags, some are in containers, etc and I have run out of room. My "spice drawer" is full so I've start throwing them in a cabinet below and they are everywhere!

Tonight we're having breakfast - bacon with biscuits and gravy.

 

[HERSEY]

Aimee My friend keep her spices in a plastic tote with a lid in her pantry. Mine are all in my spice cabinet right next to my stove.

I want NO "s" stuff here. They took it out of our forcast for the weekend so I am happy it will just be rain.

lately I just feel like a vistor in my own house. We have been out more than in lately.

Maria I am so sorry the news is not better. Prayers for all on the way.

I better get dinner going it is library night oh yeah

 

[vicb]

Wow, great veggie ideas. Thanks everyone. The ones with the squash sound really good and different. I didn't even think about using that as a main ingredient!

Nope, my fridge is not stainless. We had replaced our old stove about 4 years ago in an emergency situation and replaced that with "bisque" to match our other appliances. So we decided to go with bisque on the dishwasher and fridge. I wasn't sure about fingerprints on the stainless. My kitchen is fairly small and the bisque is lighter too.

I love that ginger dressing from the japanese restaurants too!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Vegetarian option - Okonomiyaki (Japanese omelette) - a variation of my pictures below

My starting ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 potato - boiled for about 20 minutes and when cool, peeled and diced
• (about) 2 cups vegetables - I buy Coleslaw mix from the Supermarket which includes carrots, cabbage, corn kernels and spring onions. You could add additional vegetables to your meal.

For my meal, I had some seafood extender or crab meat; but for a vegetarian meal, you can substitute with mushroom.


You'll also need some mayonnaise and okonomiyaki/teriyaki sauce.

I got the above from my local chinese grocer. The mayonnaise is Japanese kewpie mayonnaise, which I believe is less sweet than the normal mayonnaise. The tip of the bottle is also a special star shaped tip (see later). The okonomiyaki sauce can be substituted with teriyaki sauce; but it is effectively tomato sauce, worchestershire sauce and soya sauce.



Mix the flour and stock together to make a cold roue. You should end up with a batter the consistency of thickened cream (before whipping).

Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper and mix in the batter.

Add the vegetables and diced potato. (If you are adding mushrooms, do not add them to the batter.)

Mix well.

In a low-medium pan, place some oil and when hot, put some of the mix in the oil and form into a circular pancake shape.

(For added protein, you can make a hole in the middle and crack an egg into the centre at this point.)
The trick to cooking this is to have the heat on a low-medium heat. It needs to cook on this side for about 10 minutes.


(If cooking with mushroom, place the sliced mushroom on the top of the pancake/omelette about 5 minutes into the cooking and press the sliced mushroom down so that it is part of the mix.)


Turn the pancake over and cook for another 7 - 10 minutes on the other side.

When the pancake is cooked through, remove from the pan and plate up. Drizzle some of the okonomiyaki sauce over the pancake and then do the same with the mayonnaise.

I hope you can see what I meant earlier about the kewpie mayonnaise having a nozzle tip. It piped out as a star shape!

You should be able to get about 4 pancakes from the ingredients above. You just have to either cook with 2 pans; or just cook, keep them warm in a warm oven as you go and serve them all together.


Enjoy!





ps. All my spices are in Tupperware containers in my pantry. If I remember to at the weekend, I'll take a picture and share. No smells!

 

[Nancyg56]

OH OH OH I am so dern mad - Guess WHAT!! It is snowing out. We are to get - GET THIS - 4 -6" of the D@$^ stuff. Sorry can ya tell I am not liking this!!!!! Oh and I just heard Thunder - what is up with that???

Don't send it this way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gretchen- Sending Happy Birthday wishes to Kenny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[liamsaunt]

I'm assuming you are familiar with the cedar shingles most houses around here have. Anyway, one of the builders wasn't going to replace the ones on the exsisting house, just new ones on the second floor. Our house would look like a black and white cookie! His price was amazing, but I think this was a case of you get what you pay for QUOTE]

I have seen a lot of houses re-sided this way. I guess the thinking is that in a couple of years the new shingles will fade to gray and then everything will match. It does look a little funny until they fade though! Here's wishing you a stress-free expansion!

How do y'all store your spices .

I have...um...a lot of spices. A WHOLE lot. What I ended up doing is hanging some wire shelving on the wall of my cellarway. I use that whole landing as a semi-pantry because my kitchen is so small and lacking in storage space. I keep my spices shelved alphabetically on those shelves, with the larger bulk bags and my travel spice kit on the highest shelves. It's a good storage spot because it is dark, cool, and dry. It's a little less convenient than having them right on hand in the kitchen, but I just go and get everything I'll need for what I am making before I start to cook. I keep a little basket with the spices for toting them back and forth to the kitchen. I'll try and take a picture for you when I get home.

Princess in Oz, another nice looking meal!

Dinner last night ended up being a rustic sausage, pepper, feta, and tomato stew. I took a picture but have not uploaded it yet.

WFD: Not sure. John woke up feeling really off. I think he might have my stomach bug.

 

[HERSEY]

Becky Sorry to hear that John may have the bug. Can you post the sausage stew recipe?

 

[vicb]

Vegetarian option - Okonomiyaki (Japanese omelette) - a variation of my pictures below

Wow, that looks really good. Thanks for sharing the photos and recipe!

I finally got around to making the Chocolate Peanut Butter Passion Bars this morning. I am driving up to see my DD at college today and wanted to take a plate up to her. I just cut a small piece out of the corner to try and they really are good. I added a handful of chocolate chips to the top before baking, more goodness!

WFDT = PF Changs with DD, boys are not going and decided on burgers at Five Guys.

 

[liamsaunt]

Becky Sorry to hear that John may have the bug. Can you post the sausage stew recipe?

Sure. I just made it up, it was very easy.

Sausage, Tomato, Pepper and Feta Stew

4 links sausage, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 green frying peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. olive oil

Brown sausage slices on both sides in a large skillet and drain off fat. Remove to a bowl.

Heat the oil in same skillet and saute the onions, garlic, and peppers until just softened--about five minutes.

Add the sausage and the tomatoes and juices to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a low simmer and cover.

Simmer until the sausages are completely cooked through and the vegetables are tender--about 20 minutes.

Uncover and stir in the feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Some additions that would be good (but I didn't have the ingredients) would be to deglaze the pan with some white wine after browning the sausage. Also, some oregano would taste good with this.

 

[shovan]

Hey y'all,

So sorry I haven't been able to keep up! I'm only home this morning because Baby Jude is going in for his first pediatrician visit. The new parents are awfully tired, especially Angelina. They want her nursing every 2-3 hours and with the diaper change it takes about an hour. I've been feeding them, cleaning up & doing lots of baby laundry! Josh took time off from work, but he's been running errands & going into the gym (their business) for a couple of hours.

However Jude is just AWESOME!!!

Maria, I pm'd you on FB.

PrincessInOz, Love your pics!

Becky, Sorry John is getting sick.

Gretchen, Sending Kenny Birthday Hugs! (late b-day hugs but sending them anyway! )

Kathy, Sorry your working so hard!

that's all I've got for now. I HAVE to do some laundry & cleaning in this pig sty!

 

[Aimeedyan]

WFD: Not sure. John woke up feeling really off. I think he might have my stomach bug.

I'm sorry

Thanks for all the spice storage ideas! I think I may invest in hanging some shelves on the inside of my pantry doors; I like the tupperware idea but I don't have an easy space to store the bucket.

I have a retreat this weekend - the last of the school year - and have a record number of kiddos coming This will be the true test of my car. I am carting 4 children (none can sit in the front seat), all their bedding/stuff, my bedding/stuff, groceries for the weekend, and all retreat supplies including a bunch of palm branches It's going to be interesting If I can make it, I'm taking a picture!

Me and the kids will pick up fast food on the way to the lodge.

 

[liamandcaili]

hi Ladies,

I have been reading along, but I always seem to get called off somewhere before I can post.

Sheryl -- Angelina is so lucky to have you to help her! I know my mom's help was the only way I stayed sane through the first week.

Gretchen -- Happy Birthday to Kenny!

Aimee -- Have a great retreat!

PrincessinOz -- Awesome photos!

Maria -- I'm so sorry. Prayers said.

Robin -- Like Becky said, you would not be alone if you choose not to reshingle the whole house. Most people in my old town who expanded only put new shingles on the expansion. Good luck with everything!

Ellen -- Snow! Please don't send it here.

I'm sorry I don't have more. Dinner tonight is clam chowder for me and Liam and egg and cheese sandwiches for Caili. Last night we had sandwiches: ham and cheese for the kids, pesto, fresh mozzarella and tomato for me. The night before baseball was rained out so we had chicken parmesan and arugula salad. Tuesday we only had 15 minutes for both dinner prep and consumption, so we had hotdogs (Liam got an Honorable Mention for his science fair project), and Monday was quesadillas.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[MrsHerbie53]

Hi all!
I'm loving the food pics!
Thanks for all your good ideas about the pain specialists. I am going to go that route. I've had a good couple days so maybe it will subside for awhile again.

Aimee -- right now some of my spices are on a rotating rack on one of my counters and the rest are inside a cupboard. Once my pantry shelves are built, they will likely go in there. I like your thought of on the doors...


I have to do a bunch of grading, 'tis that time of the semester... and I have to work Sunday. But then I get a nice long weekend next week.

WFD: Baked skinless chicken tenders in italian bread crumbs, mashed, corn, and Grands biscuits.

 

[HERSEY]

WFD is a new stir fry recipe that I am making with beef and chicken. If it is a keeper I'll post the recipe. We will have that with rice and veggies of course. Oh and I am making a cheesecake pie for dessert.

Today is going to be cloudy and rainy. I hope all in the way of this storm are okay. Is the weather crazier than normal or is it because I am paying more attention to it?

I better get this pig stye cleaned so friends can come here tonight.I am feeling so lazy so this is going to be interesting to see how much really gets done and how much gets stuffed in a closet.

 

[liamsaunt]

Good morning ladies. What a nasty cold and windy day it is out there today! I was hoping to grill dinner today but I think it is going to be too cold. Here are some photos. This is the sausage pepper and tomato stew from the other night:

Last night I made a bunch of snacky stuff to munch on. There are roasted peppers, marinated olives and feta cheese, cherry tomatoes stuffed with whipped herbed goat cheese, mortadella wrapped around riobiola cheese and sauteed, and devilled quail eggs:

Finally, for Aimee, here are my spice storage racks:

WFD: I am waiting for John to wake up and see how he feels. I was planning on making lemon-marinated bacon wrapped chicken with a lemon-butter sauce and a drunken goat cheese tomato salad, but I have to determine how sick he is before making any concrete plans.

Enjoy the Saturday, everyone!

 

[MrsHerbie53]

Becky - I am not a sausage fan, but I would SO try that stew! It looks WONDERFUL! And I definitely want to snack at your house!


Janice -- It is rainy and stormy here too...should make for a really crummy Blue/White game this afternoon. Not to mention my white carpet when Atlas comes in from piddling....

I plan on lots and lots of laundry and grading... I would so rather do the laundry instead....

I hope to fly by later...have a great Saturday!

WFD: I got a London Broil and I haven't decided what I'm doing with it.

 

[HERSEY]

Becky thanks for the sausage recipe, I have to run out for dog food later I am picking up the sausage and feta too.

Julie We are allergic to white here. 2 dogs and me don't mixed with white. I am fine until I am around white then I spill,dibble you name it I can do it. My down stairs is laminate and tile. That is much easier to handle in this crummy weather.

I am taking a break from cleaning. I can't believe how many rawhides I found under the couch today. I pull that thing out ever other week to vaccum all the dog toys that they stuff under there.

 

[Nancyg56]

Julie We are allergic to white here. 2 dogs and me don't mixed with white. I am fine until I am around white then I spill,dibble you name it I can do it. My down stairs is laminate and tile. That is much easier to handle in this crummy weather.

.

Thanks for all your good ideas about the pain specialists. I am going to go that route. I've had a good couple days so maybe it will subside for awhile again.

.

I hope that the pain subsides for a good long while!

Becky- hoping that John feels better! I just want to say that I too would snack happily at your house!

I have a lot of spices too. i am not so organized as you all are though. I have a spice drawer that is chock full................it also has my tylenol, etc there . Then the cabinet by my cooktop has two shelves filled up.

Last night Buddy and I went out for beer battered fish and chips. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight we are hosting Donny and Anna and her Mom. My Sis Il and her Dh are joining us, they have never met Lucy

Dinner is roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed pototoes and gravy, steamed green beans in butter, corn, and cranberry sauce.

i made a blueberry dump cake and some pumpkin pie bars with homemade whipped cream for dessert. if the pie bars are good I will post the recipe. i screwed it up.............even after reading it three times. I guess I nanatize even when I am not trrying to

 

[PrincessInOz]

How I store my spices...

...and completely outing myself as an OCD!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Another vegetarian dish for dinner last night.....Lasagna


My starting ingredients for the pasta component...

• Lasagna sheets
• Bottled tomato sauce
• Diced onion
• 300 g Ricotta
• 200 g Spinach leaves
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Cinnamon
• Salt and Pepper

For the sauce, fry the onion in some oil and add the bottle tomato sauce.

Cook for about 10 minutes.


For the fillling, wilt the spinach in some hot water.

Strain, and gently squeeze out all the excess water.

Add the spinach, ricotta and parmesan together and season with cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Mix until all ingredients have been combined.

To make up the lasagna, lightly grease a lasagna dish and add some sauce to the bottom.

Place a lasagna sheet on top and add more sauce to the top of the sheet. For my dish, I make two layers of lasagna for the bottom half.

Spread the filling over the second lasagna sheet.

And place more lasagna sheets and sauce layers over the top of the filling. For my dish, I make two more layers for the top half.


To make up the Bechamel sauce, I start with these ingredients.

Melt the butter and flour together..for last night's dinner, I think I started with about 2 tablespoon of plain flour and added about the same amount of butter.

When the roue is bubbling, add milk. I think I added about 1 - 1.5 cups of milk.

Keep stirring and you should end up with a mixture the consistency of thick cream.

Take off the heat and add a couple of handfuls of cheese.

When the cheese is mixed in, the sauce should fall and make ribbons.

To complete lasagna, spread the bechamel sauce over the layers.

I added some more grated cheese to the top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

I served the lasagna with a green salad last night.

Enjoy!