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

[PrincessInOz]

PrincessInOz- I'm not sure I introduced myself yet. I live in New Orleans with my husband and dog and I'm a teacher. I've been following along with the WFD thread for a few years now, but I still can't cook my way out of a paper bag. A shame for someone living in Louisiana. I do have to say I LOVE how you post your recipes, where you have PICTURES for every step! If only I could find a cookbook that is like that, then I might understand what I am supposed to do! Happy (late) Birthday! And sorry to hear about your uncle.

Hello! That's okay. I don't think I formally introduced myself either. I kinda just referred everyone to my PTR/TR links below and assumed that was enough. Maybe I should do something....

I got my camera last year and have picked up the photography bug real bad. It's good that I found this thread...I've been driving everyone crazy with my food porn (did I mention that my TRs are mostly food porn heavy?? )


And I have a sneaking suspicion that if you did cook with the paper bag, it would be super tasty!

I just got a breaking news alert on my phone from CNN. The first bays of Morganza will open at 3pm Central Time.

I'm thinking of you all that live in the flood zone and down stream.

Hey all! I am feeling a bit better. Thank you for all your good thoughts lately.


The bourbon chicken was great the other day! I have no idea why it is called bourbon chicken...the recipe does not call for bourbon!

Glad you're feeling better. And thanks for the bourbon chicken recipe. I was actually looking for a partner to my bourbon fruit cake.....and might experiment with the chicken recipe by adding some bourbon...somehow...to the cooking process. Wish me luck!

I'm SO TIRED.

I am convinced that there is something in the air at the moment. 90% of the 3D people that I talk to are SO TIRED too.

I have recently gotten back into going to chapel.I wont get into why but suffice to say it was more a stance than a calling.I have tho been surprised at how much i have enjoyed it and found it very fulfilling.

I wonder if I should go myself??

DH rototilled the garden today and wanted to spread mulch. Noooooooooooooooooooo!

It's getting cold here.....and wet....no more gardening except weeding for me.

I have five pounds of 93% lean hamburger, so I need a great meatloaf recipe for Sunday dinner...anybody have a great one?

BCB - Sorry, don't have one myself. Hope you're well!




WFDT - Pumpkin Filo


My Starting ingredients:

• Pumpkin, 1.2 kg cubed
• Onion, finely diced
• Chickpea, 1 can, drained
• Feta cheese, 200g
• Egg, 1
• Oregano, 1 teaspoon
• Cumin, 1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon
• Salt and pepper
• Oil
• 1/4 cup water
• Filo pastry
• Melted butter, 150g

Fry the onion, oregano, cumin and nutmet in a little oil until the onion has wilted slightly.

Add the pumpkin and water.

Turn heat down to a low/medium heat and cover pot (this will help steam cook the pumpkin). Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the drained chickpea and mix.

Continue to stir until the mix is dry-ish. Turn heat off and allow to cool uncovered for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add the feta and egg.

Stir until the feta and egg have been incorporated into the pumpkin mix. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Brush some melted butter over one filo pastry sheet.

And place another sheet over the top.

Spoon some of the pumpkin mix on the filo sheets…

…and roll up.

I normally make long rolls and then twist them like a snail’s shell. I continue to build it up like a pizza.
Today, things were a little bit different. DH went to visit MiL today and I asked him to get some Filo pastry on the way home. MiL had an opened packet in her fridge so DH came home with the opened packet. The Filo had dried out and you can see that the filo was cracking and the rolls were breaking.

Here’s what I did instead.


Instead of using 2 sheets of filo, I only used one sheet and brushed butter over one half. Then I folded it over.

Place the pumpkin mix into the filo….

…..use additional butter to help fold into parcels. Brush the tops with butter.

Cook the parcels in a pre-heated oven at 180 C (350 F) for 30 – 40 minutes or until filo is golden brown.

Serve with the sides that you like.


My dinner!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

I have five pounds of 93% lean hamburger, so I need a great meatloaf recipe for Sunday dinner...anybody have a great one?

This is the one I always go back to. I have tried so many meatloaf recipes and my family likes this one the best. I use quick cooking oats instead of the bread and use tomato soup with worchestershire added for the top.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/savory-meat-loaf/45f115c8-283b-4e79-8108-d252643ca66a

 

[HERSEY]

Dinner tonight is the beef roast I didn't cook yesterday.

I have a lot of chores to do today since I did mostly nothing yesterday but whine about the weather. The weather is still crappy but I need to get something constructive done today. I broke down and turned the furnace back on .

I'll try to come back later after my house gets clean or at least cleaner.

Big Cuddly Bear my fav meatloaf recipe is to go to a local restaurant and order their recipe. They put big green olives and cheese in there. I have not found as good of a recipe yet. I keep comparing everything to that meatloaf.

 

[Nancyg56]

BCB- I make meatloaf without a recipe but here goes

combine ground meat with spaghetti sauce and oatmeal until it looks a little loose but will hold its shape in a pan. Cover with some more sauce and bake for about an hour or so. There will be some drippings but with the 93% beef I would nto worry too much about fat.....I would baste with those drippings. I use ground turkey but the result will be the same, a tasty meatloaf with not too many steps. I am a lazy cook during the week..............and on weekends too lately!

 

[Disney Ron]

Hi friends,

I just wanted to thank you all for the years of friendship, laughter, support and tears that have come with this wonderful group. There have been many struggles in my life that I would have not overcome without your support and prayers. Thank you for sharing the happy times too. I take some good recipes and memories with me. I wish you nothing but the best for you and your families, and will miss this part of my life.

Sincerest regards & love,
Ann

 

[TigerKat]

Vickie – Good luck to Neil and the team!

BCC – This is my go to meatloaf:

http://www.marthastewart.com/318232/meatloaf-101-with-mrs-kostyra

WFD – Pot roast, smashed potatoes and green beans.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Thanks for the recipes ( meatloaf ).... The only one I can't do is the one with olives as nobody in my family likes olives except for my wife, and she is in San Francisco today. And he funny part is she likes olives but doesn't like meatloaf, so that is why I am making it today.

My dad - now dead about 25 years - used to make a good one. And it always had a surprise in it - 3 whole hard boiled eggs. I never knew why he put those in there, but I liked it.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Hi friends,

I just wanted to thank you all for the years of friendship, laughter, support and tears that have come with this wonderful group. There have been many struggles in my life that I would have not overcome without your support and prayers. Thank you for sharing the happy times too. I take some good recipes and memories with me. I wish you nothing but the best for you and your families, and will miss this part of my life.

Sincerest regards & love,
Ann

Dinner is Maybe a frittata?

 

[Nancyg56]

My dad - now dead about 25 years - used to make a good one. And it always had a surprise in it - 3 whole hard boiled eggs. I never knew why he put those in there, but I liked it.

I love those kind of food memories. My Mom used to put a ring in birthday cake, I think it was for good luck.

She used to bake almost every day and we loved coming home to whatever she had made for us. On birthdays she would pull out her cook book.....my DDIL now has it....and make the same cake recipe from the big blue book. It was a yellow cake and honestly, I don't remember liking it very much. But it was THE cake for a special day

Dinner is a comfort thing tonight. I have tortellini salad in the fridge so I made a chili topping for hot dogs and we are going to have that. I also made a lemon pound cake. Marisa invited us for Chinese food but it is so clammy out there I am staying under my blanket/

 

[liamsaunt]

BCB's Hot Pineapple Scotch

1 cup of your favorite scotch
5 habanero peppers ( 4 of them are for garnish )
1 cup pineapple juice
4 pineapple slices (to garnish)

You do NOT mess around! That is one heck of a drink!

The bourbon chicken was great the other day! I have no idea why it is called bourbon chicken...the recipe does not call for bourbon!

Glad you are feeling better. My guess is that the recipe orginally called for bourbon and the apple juice is a non-alchoholic substitute. Sounds tasty either way!

keep the windaes open.....

Y'all, please pray for the levees to hold and for the flooding caused by opening Morganza to be less than expected.

How are things today? I have not been online much at all this weekend. Thinking of you and the other NOLA ladies.

Hi friends,

I just wanted to thank you all for the years of friendship, laughter, support and tears that have come with this wonderful group. There have been many struggles in my life that I would have not overcome without your support and prayers. Thank you for sharing the happy times too. I take some good recipes and memories with me. I wish you nothing but the best for you and your families, and will miss this part of my life.

Sincerest regards & love,
Ann

I'll admit to being a little (maybe a lot) out of the loop, but I believe in the powers of friendship and forgiveness.

Vickie, did the team win? There's not too much soccer coverage over here, except for what David Beckham and the Mrs. are wearing of course!

Princess in Oz, Happy Belated Birthday!! Thanks for the fish cake information.

OK this is getting long. Photos next post.

 

[liamsaunt]

Friday dinner, grilled chicken and grilled potatoes with tomato-cucumber salad and the pita recipe I have posted here before.

Saturday dinner. Cedar planked salmon:

Grilled scallops (well, cooked in a cast iron skillet on the grill) with cilantro-chile butter:

No photos from today's linner--it was my Mom's birthday and she cooked everything herself. Fried chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, tomato salad, and biscuits. She taught me how to cook, and likes her cooking better than mine, what can I say?

Here is a funny Caili story for you. We are celebrating my birthday next weekend, and I was telling everyone how I wanted to have 300 presents and everyone had to do whatever I wanted (I was kidding, obviously). Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Caili is usually pretty reserved, so this had us all laughing hysterically!

 

[scotlass]

Vickie, did the team win? There's not too much soccer coverage over here, except for what David Beckham and the Mrs. are wearing of course!


.

Unfortunately not...
but I am comforting myself with the fact that when I wake up every morning I will look in the mirror and thank the lord Im not a Rangers fan.

Im sad to say the Neil Lennon story has hit your papers.....makes me so proud of my Country !!!

Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

How are things today? I have not been online much at all this weekend. Thinking of you and the other NOLA ladies.

Thank you. Things are pretty much the same here. Because they opened the spillways, the water level through New Orleans is supposed to stay at about 17 feet (right at flood stage).

However, they are evacuating the area that is expected to flood from Morganza since they started opening it yesterday.



Lunch was McDonald's. I was again reminded why I don't eat there. It does not agree with me at all. Aimee, I have no idea how you eat there so often!

Dinner will be......

 

[Nancyg56]

Here is a funny Caili story for you. We are celebrating my birthday next weekend, and I was telling everyone how I wanted to have 300 presents and everyone had to do whatever I wanted (I was kidding, obviously). Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Caili is usually pretty reserved, so this had us all laughing hysterically!

 

[LBKB]

Here is a funny Caili story for you. We are celebrating my birthday next weekend, and I was telling everyone how I wanted to have 300 presents and everyone had to do whatever I wanted (I was kidding, obviously). Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Caili is usually pretty reserved, so this had us all laughing hysterically!

 

[liamandcaili]

Bethany -- I second the Pioneer Woman suggestion. Her cookbook has step-by-step pictures, as do her online recipes. You would need to adjust them though because she is cooking for a crowd. Caili loves PW's sesame noodles.

I am thinking and praying for all of you NOLA residents and the people in the surrounding areas.

I am feeling a bit better.

I'm glad to hear it. How is Andrew doing in baseball this year? I am glad he is doing better in school. for you for keeping strong and pushing him.

How was her ballet recital?

It wasn't really a recital. It was a ballet performance of Alice in Wonderland. Caili did not have a big part. She was grass, so she was mostly scenery with weird hair, but I thought the production was very creative. Two of Caili's friends came to see it, and they really enjoyed it.

I hope you got some rest today. I would need a week to recover from an all-night movie-fest.

I have recently gotten back into going to chapel.I wont get into why but suffice to say it was more a stance than a calling.I have tho been surprised at how much i have enjoyed it and found it very fulfilling.

I stepped away from going to church for a while, but we go regularly now. I do appreciate it much more than I did when I was younger. I used to think of it as an obligation, but now it is more a weekly spiritual renewal.

Buddy is going to be in Heaven this evening! I hope he enjoys it, I made a huge pot of cabbage soup and we all know what that means.I am going on a diet and he is coming with me

I hope he enjoyed his sandwich night. Does he know what is in store?

keep the windaes open.....

I wish you nothing but the best for you and your families, and will miss this part of my life.

Ann, I have no idea what is going on, but Give a big squeeze to those adorable children of yours. I wish you and your family the best!

Yesterday, we ate out, and I had a fairly disappointing fried haddock sandwich. Becky was nice and grilled me a pizza when I got back from Caili's second show. I only had one piece, but it was good. Today, as Beck mentioned, we had fried chicken.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

You do NOT mess around! That is one heck of a drink!

Well, that is 4 drinks... and trust me, I don't drink often, but I enjoy scotch, hot and spicy foods, and pineapple!

 

[PrincessInOz]

Here is a funny Caili story for you. We are celebrating my birthday next weekend, and I was telling everyone how I wanted to have 300 presents and everyone had to do whatever I wanted (I was kidding, obviously). Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Caili is usually pretty reserved, so this had us all laughing hysterically!

Happy early Birthday to you!

Thank you. Things are pretty much the same here. Because they opened the spillways, the water level through New Orleans is supposed to stay at about 17 feet (right at flood stage).

However, they are evacuating the area that is expected to flood from Morganza since they started opening it yesterday.

Bethany -- I second the Pioneer Woman suggestion. Her cookbook has step-by-step pictures

I think I need to get me a copy of this cookbook!


Hope the rest of you are doing fine and in good health.

WFTD - Pumpkin soup and crusty bread rolls.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Grilled scallops (well, cooked in a cast iron skillet on the grill) with cilantro-chile butter:

Here is a funny Caili story for you. We are celebrating my birthday next weekend, and I was telling everyone how I wanted to have 300 presents and everyone had to do whatever I wanted (I was kidding, obviously). Caili went over and found a singing card, opened it up, and regaled me with the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Caili is usually pretty reserved, so this had us all laughing hysterically!

First, I would LOVE the recipe for that scallop dish.

Second, I'm at Caili. Great timing!!

Lunch was McDonald's. I was again reminded why I don't eat there. It does not agree with me at all. Aimee, I have no idea how you eat there so often!

Most of their food makes me sick; I can eat the chicken strips, chicken sandwich (that is like ChickFilA's - I think it's the southern one?), or fish sandwich without too much issue. Occasionally, I'll have their angus burger with mushrooms and swiss and it's really tasty but usually doesn't like me.

But their fries and iced coffee? Crack.

It wasn't really a recital. It was a ballet performance of Alice in Wonderland. Caili did not have a big part. She was grass, so she was mostly scenery with weird hair, but I thought the production was very creative. Two of Caili's friends came to see it, and they really enjoyed it.

Oooh, that sounds cool! And at 'scenery with weird hair'



I got a 45 min nap in between church and a meeting I have tonight so I'm a much happier person. I ended up making frittata, because it didn't require grocery shopping prior to make I made it with ham (Easter, frozen), chopped broccoli (box, frozen), and Asiago (chunk leftover in my cheese drawer). It was tasty!

Thankfully tonight's meeting is at Starbucks!

 

[MrsHerbie53]

Hi All!
Sorry it has been a while...just so very busy. Yesterday was graduation at the college and it was quite nice, although the iffy weather forced it indoors. Now I can do Aimee's word "chill-ax" a little...although our first garden is begging to be planted...there goes my chill-axing summer... (Aimee that is fun to say)

My thoughts and prayers are with you all in the flooding areas. Nothing seems right as far as that is concerned...

Dinner tonight was at Champ's Sports Bar...

Julie