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

[bigmerle1966]

I have already sent out payment for my bills darn. I wonder if I can get a refund.

Dangit! I paid my car payment today!

 

[Nancyg56]

Oh and since the workd is going to end tomorrow, it was nice knowing you all!

It was a pleasuer knowing you too! I decided that since I cannot take it with me I am finishing all of the Pama. I have 1/2 gallon of Malibu but since we have until dinnertime tomorroiw I figure I can make a huge dent in that too.

 

[MrsHerbie53]

We had to have someone arrested at my work last year, let's just say they were going a little overboard with preparing for 2012.

Julie- Hope you were able to stay awake for the movie, that is so cool you won he tickets! I'd love to hear how you liked the movie, so far it looks like we can wait until it comes out on dvd.

Robin - That sounds like an interesting work day!!!!

Congrats on the win!! How did you like it?

**Pirates 4 = I really liked it. Now keep in mind I would watch Johnny Depp clip his toenails... And I LOVE Jack Sparrow! I have a giant Jack Sparrow poster above my desk at work and a talking one on my desk. I would love to get the real thing under my desk, but that is something altogether different....
There was a lot of action (and it was loud, but it was really late for this broad, so maybe that was it) and the storyline could be construed as iffy. But again, it is Pirates of the Caribbean and I hope they make 100 more. I was taken aback by the mermaids ( I don't want to spoil it so I won't say why unless you want a pm) but it wasn't nudity. There was great screen chemistry with Depp and Cruz.....and I thought they wrote Jack some funnier lines and situations than the last couple...
I only almost fell asleep at about 2am, but again I am 41 and am out of all-nighter practice. My 12-year-old LOVED it and went to school at regular time without complaint, considering we got home at 3am!

And yes, there so can be another one!!!!

If you could have seen his face when he thought I needed the spice mix for my diet

Marilyn and Janice - if it is all over tomorrow, I am so glad I saw one more Pirates installment!!!!!!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Sorry I was missing for most of the week. My brain turned to mush by Monday and I was trying to read but comprehending and retaining nothing, so I decided to just let it be and now I'm back!

Well my dear friends I have BIG news and you are the first I have told -

I am going to be a Grandma again

Elizabeth and Jay and of course Ethan came walking into the house last night looking like they swallowed a canary. Ethan walks up to me and says "Read my shirt Nanny" It said - I am going to be a big brother - Finally!!

We are thrilled beyond words. She is 8 weeks and due on January 2nd. I do ask for prayers please as she had so much trouble with Ethan and even getting preg. So we are holding our breath, but she has been to the doctor and all is good. WooHoo!! I am going to be a Grandma again!!!

I will be back later to post dinner and catch up. I just couldn't wait any longer to tell y'all. WooHoo I am going to be a Nanny again!!!!!

Congratulations!!! It sounds like the news is very good so far; praying it continues!

Robin- I don't get the the devotion to that old iron. Marisa was so mad one day. She was in a long line of cars one afternoon, crawling along.....crawling along.....and finally as one by one of the cars in front of her managed to pass the slowmoving vehicle in gront of her she saw the "hold up" was Buddy...........getting towed home by his friends old heapNow he hauled that 1979 rusting bucket of bolts to teh garage and had it fixed............after teh mechanic told him once again that it was not worth it. When it finally died the last time he had inched it into a mall parking lot. I cannot tell you how many calls we got within one hour of the folks who saw the poor old gal II told his friend who was picking it up to take it straight to the junk yard........do not pass home, the garage, the farm.........

I am laughing envisioning this whole scene!

One time - no kidding - my then 6 year old daughter had ordered buffalo wings at a restaurant. The waiter had the sauce put on the side because he thought the sauce was too hot for her. She asked him not to put it on the side, but he did.... Wait til you hear this.......

She looked at the waiter and said "Watch this!"....... and then she picked up the cup of hot sauce and drank it straight down!

The waiter damn near fainted!

So, he took the wings back to the kitchen and put the sauce on the wings, and was shaking his head as he put them on the table in front of her.

Now, that wasn't habanero heat back then.... more along the lines of tabasco heat. Now she can eat habanero wings.... Both of my kids can, actually.

Ellen - Thanks for worrying about me, but no, we are not in any danger of the floods. We are high up and away from the flood plain. We will be filling sandbags, though, as a service project with our church. It's hard work, but good for the kids. My SIL is really concerned, though. There was a fire on the mountain in her backyard about 6 or 7 years ago. If the flooding gets as bad as they are projecting, she could be in for some mudslides. Yikes!!!

I am glad to hear that you are out of the flood danger. I hope your SIL does not get any mudslides.

I saw that the mountains outside of Denver had some snow yesterday. I know it's not totally abnormal to get snow this late up that way, but it blows my mind anyways. It was 90 here today, with a case of the muggies.

This week is killing me - I've been running all over creation and clocking very few hours actually at my desk at work. I think my assistant may lose her mind before me, though

My week sounds like it was a little similar. The other day the person in the office next to me didn't even see me until about 2:00. She thought I was absent. Nope, just running all over creation all day!

How are you feeling? I hope you didn't get sick.

Have a great time! Don't worry we will hold down or up the ship however that saying goes.

I think with the water level what it is, you should be holding it up. Just whatever you do, please don't let it get lose and run into the levee or a bridge!

**Pirates 4 = I really liked it. Now keep in mind I would watch Johnny Depp clip his toenails... And I LOVE Jack Sparrow! I have a giant Jack Sparrow poster above my desk at work and a talking one on my desk. I would love to get the real thing under my desk, but that is something altogether different....
There was a lot of action (and it was loud, but it was really late for this broad, so maybe that was it) and the storyline could be construed as iffy. But again, it is Pirates of the Caribbean and I hope they make 100 more. I was taken aback by the mermaids ( I don't want to spoil it so I won't say why unless you want a pm) but it wasn't nudity. There was great screen chemistry with Depp and Cruz.....and I thought they wrote Jack some funnier lines and situations than the last couple...
I only almost fell asleep at about 2am, but again I am 41 and am out of all-nighter practice. My 12-year-old LOVED it and went to school at regular time without complaint, considering we got home at 3am!

And yes, there so can be another one!!!!

Don't feel too bad, I wouldn't have made it to 2. I can't do all-nighters.

I didn't realize you taught. Maybe you said before and I forgot. I teach pull-out ESL at the elementary and middle school levels.

Lauren - I saw your comment about Zumba. I almost went on Thursday but got caught up in something and I would have been late and I positively HATE being late to something, especially if I'm new. So I didn't go, but I watched some videos on YouTube. I have two left feet, so I'm not sure how this will go, but I might try it at home before I try in public! I have access to a gym where I can go to Zumba class for free.

Someone commented about Flylady. Apparently she has a section of her control journal about emergency preparedness. A friend sent me the evacuation checklist from Flylady earlier this week after she saw the news about the floods. One time, I signed up for FlyLady's emails. NEVER AGAIN. She sends about 20 a day!

PrincessInOz - You are hilarious! Thanks for making me laugh! I do remember hearing about all the flooding in Australia recently. The amount of water was crazy. How is the recovery going?

Vickie - I am sorry you are feeling with family drama along with the medical issues. How is the boy doing? And how are you doing?

 

[PrincessInOz]

Are we all still here....or did the Doomsday miss Australia?

Thanks for asking about the floods. The impacted areas are still recovering from the floods, clean-up is about done but the rebuilding effort takes a long time. The flood impacted areas are still trying to work out how to access the $$ relief provided by the Federal Government. Cost of fruit and vegetables are a little high....particularly bananas. They were $12 a kilo (that's 2.2 lbs) at the market this morning. We normally pay about $2 - $3 per kilo this time of year.

Hope you folks don't get flooded out....it really is the worst. At least with a bushfire, there is nothing to clean up....just ashes. With a flood, there is so much building debris and if you still have furniture, you need to throw it all out.



Today, after I decided it was safe to get out of bed, I headed to the Queen Victoria Market. The QVM is located in Melbourne city center and is an institution for fresh produce as well as a mecca of the cheap touristy souvenirs. I go to the QVM every fortnight.

This is what the food section is like...

Meat/fish market section. There are 2 long aisles of butchers and fishmongers...

From the Cheese/deli market...again 2 aisles worth of shops.

And I don't even know how many aisles there are of fruit and vegetable..

I'll post WFDT in the next post.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Mixed Vegetable Red Curry

We’ve been doing a bit of takeaway and fast food lately so I felt the need to do a home cooked meal today. I know BCB has been asking what you would eat if today was indeed the end of the world…well, here’s what I’d have.

My starting ingredients:

• Carrots, 2 – cut into chunks
• Potatoes, 2 – cut into chunks
• Snake beans, 1 bunch – cut into 1- 2 inch lengths
• Broccolini, 1 bunch – cut into 1 – 2 inch lengths
• Red Curry Paste, 2 – 3 tablespoons
• Coconut Milk, 1 can – 375 ml
• Water, 1 cup
• Ginger
• Kaffir Lime leaves, 6
• Fish tofu, 1 packet
• Lime juice, 2 tablespoon
• Fish sauce, 2 tablespoon
• Soft brown sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Oil, about 2 tablespoon

I didn’t realize that I had run out of onion; otherwise I would have added onion to the list of ingredients.

Fry the red curry paste and the ginger in the oil for about 4 minutes (If you have onion, you would fry it here).

Add the coconut milk and water to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots and kaffir lime leaves to the curry sauce and simmer for 5 – 7 minutes.

I cooked the curry earlier in the day and continued the cooking process closer to when I wanted to serve it. At this stage, I placed the snake beans and broccolini in the curry….

…mix it in and turn off the heat, with the cover on.

About 5 – 10 minutes beforehand, turn the heat on the curry again. Add the fish tofu and simmer for about 5 minutes or until hot.

Turn off the heat and add the lime juice, fish sauce and soft brown sugar to the curry. Mix thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Beef with Black Bean sauce

My second dish for dinner tonight was Beef with Black Bean sauce.

My starting ingredients:

• Beef, 200 g finely sliced against the grain
• Green beans, a nice handful, cut into 1 inch lengths
• Black bean paste, 2 – 3 tablespoon
• Garlic. I would ordinarily mince the garlic; but I didn’t feel like garlic breath tonight so I left it whole.
• Ginger, finely sliced
• Soya Sauce, 2 tablespoon
• Asian wine, 2 tablespoon
• Sugar, 1 teaspoon
• Corn flour, 2 teaspoon
• Water, ½ - 1 cup
• Oil, about 2 tablespoon

Again, I didn’t realize that I had run out of onion; otherwise I would have added onion to the list of ingredients.

Marinate the beef with the soya sauce, asian wine, sugar, corn flour and ginger for at least 30 minutes.

In a hot wok, fry the marinated beef in oil until about 80% cooked. Remove and put aside.

Put more oil into the wok and fry the black bean paste for a couple of minutes with the garlic. (If you have onion, you would fry it at this stage).

Add the green beans and mix with the paste. Quickly stir fry for another minute.

Add the water and allow to boil/simmer for about 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the beef back to the sauce and cook for another 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

My third dish

I also pan fried some snapper, which had been coated with some corn flour in some oil …..

…and just poured about 1 tablespoon of soya sauce over the cooked fish.

I served the dishes with Basmati rice.






My dinner!

 

[HERSEY]

Princess That market is awesome. I have looked in my stores for what seems like forever for black bean paste. If I ever found it I would make what I call sesame balls. They sell them down in Chinatown in a bakery. They are sweet and fried.

Either the end is not until tonight or we missed it or we are soo bad we were left behind.

This morning we are going with friends to make felt pet toys and then out to lunch. I am not sure about dinner yet. I need more coffee in order to think.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Morning Janice....looks like the Doomsday left you and me alone today... and here's a short black to share!

To make what I hope we mean as 'sesame balls', you need Red Bean paste. You should be able to get red bean or Adzuki bean from your chinese grocer. You can make the paste yourself....

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dessertsfruit/r/redbeanpaste.htm

If you can't get the adzuki bean, I believe you can substitute with Red Kidney beans.

The black bean paste is usually fermented and salty.


...although now that I come to think of it....its the cooking process that determines whether the bean is sweet or salty.....and I think that some of the mainland Chinese people DO make their sesame balls with sweetened black bean....

Enjoy your day! I'm heading to bed soon.

 

[HERSEY]

Princess I think you are right about the bean paste. Thanks for the recipe I am not sure my Beyonce rear thanks you but I do. Have a good sleep. I heard that the "END" is 6 pm chicago time but out your way it is past that so I guess we are stuck with each other

 

[liamsaunt]

Janice, the "doomsday" is not until around 6 PM tonight, so we have time for one more dinner!

Princess, those dishes look awesome! What is fish tofu? Tofu flavored with fish sauce? Or something else? Your market is enviable!

John went to the fish market in the city and stocked us up for the weekend. Last night I made linguini with cockles:

And he bought halibut and tuna to grill for dinner tonight. I picked up some greens at the farmer's market yesterday so I'll serve the grilled fish on those and I am debating making some grilled pita to go with.

Have a good day, everyone!

 

[MrsHerbie53]

Hey all! That's just great -- 6pm Chicago time gives me all day to have to get my work done. And it is the only sunny day in the foreseeable future, so out to work in yard we go!!!!

Princess -- The market looks fun! Question: What are the wrapped items on top of the case in this picture??

 

[MrsHerbie53]

I didn't realize you taught. Maybe you said before and I forgot. I teach pull-out ESL at the elementary and middle school levels.

Hi Where'sPiglet? ! I teach at the college level (library research and freshman writing) and am assistant director of the college library. I probably get more leeway than elementary and high schools, but probably not enough leeway to have Captain Jack Sparrow under my desk...

 

[Aimeedyan]

**Pirates 4 = I really liked it. Now keep in mind I would watch Johnny Depp clip his toenails... And I LOVE Jack Sparrow! I have a giant Jack Sparrow poster above my desk at work and a talking one on my desk. I would love to get the real thing under my desk, but that is something altogether different....
There was a lot of action (and it was loud, but it was really late for this broad, so maybe that was it) and the storyline could be construed as iffy. But again, it is Pirates of the Caribbean and I hope they make 100 more. I was taken aback by the mermaids ( I don't want to spoil it so I won't say why unless you want a pm) but it wasn't nudity. There was great screen chemistry with Depp and Cruz.....and I thought they wrote Jack some funnier lines and situations than the last couple...
I only almost fell asleep at about 2am, but again I am 41 and am out of all-nighter practice. My 12-year-old LOVED it and went to school at regular time without complaint, considering we got home at 3am!

And yes, there so can be another one!!!!

DH saw it last night; said it was good for a 4th movie I'll wait for a rental but am so glad that most people have liked it.

Today, after I decided it was safe to get out of bed, I headed to the Queen Victoria Market. The QVM is located in Melbourne city center and is an institution for fresh produce as well as a mecca of the cheap touristy souvenirs. I go to the QVM every fortnight.

I'm totally drooling over that market. Jeal.ous.



We have a wedding tonight and since the wedding is at 5, I'm assuming dinner is part of the reception so we'll eat there!

 

[Aimeedyan]

This recipe was really tasty, and could be tweaked a lot to your tastes. I thought adding some tequila lime shrimp into the filling would be a nice addition to the avocado. You could also adjust the spice level, use your own favorite enchilada sauce, or add other vegetables to it.

This sauce was pretty sweet, as far as enchilada sauces go, but melded well with the avocados. I made the sauce the night before so the flavors could really meld together. (and I left out the chipotle but did add some hot sauce since it needed something extra)

This is vegetarian (if you use veggie broth) but my DH liked it so much he didn't complain about the lack of meat! He was drooling while I was cooking - it had his favorite ingredients: beer, cilantro, avocados, and a full pound of cheese. It is a time consuming recipe, though, mostly because of the avocado prep and frying each tortilla (so you don't have mushy tortillas).

Avocado Enchiladas
For the sauce:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 TBSP cumin
3 TBSP dried oregano
1 chipotle in adobo, minced (I replaced with hot sauce to taste)
1 can beer (we used the entire bottle)
1 twenty-eight ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 c. vegetable broth (I used chicken)

For the enchiladas:
8 ripe avocados, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely diced (I skipped)
1 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Juice of two limes
1 tsp. salt
20 corn tortillas
1/3 c. canola oil
1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Prepare the sauce by heating one tsp. oil in sauce pan. Add onion and saute for five minutes or until soft. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, and chipotle and saute two more minutes. Add beer, tomatoes, and broth. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Can be made two days in advance.

Prepare the filling by tossing together the avocado, cilantro, red onion, lime juice and salt.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In saucepan, heat oil over medium flame for about five minutes. Once oil is hot, fry tortillas one at a time for one minute each side, or until lightly brown and blistered. Remove and blot on brown grocery bag or paper towel.

Spread 1/2 c. red sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.

To assemble enchiladas, dip fried tortillas in pot of remaining red sauce, spoon three heaping tablespoons of avocado filling in each tortilla and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up and arrange rolled tortillas side by side in casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Take foil off and bake for another five minutes.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I made these last night and they were tasty - easy peasy! My kind of baking! They are for an 8x8 or similar pan, not a 9x13, but you could easily double it and just adjust the baking time.

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
M&Ms

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Once it's slightly cooled (about 3 minutes) beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet mixture.

Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish (or similar size). Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Pull out of the oven and top with M&Ms, gently pressing them into the dough.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the top is set and the cookies don't wiggle when you shake the pan. They should still be white with barely golden edges.

Cool completely in the pan before slicing. Yields 9 cookie bars.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Hey all! That's just great -- 6pm Chicago time gives me all day to have to get my work done. And it is the only sunny day in the foreseeable future, so out to work in yard we go!!!!

Princess -- The market looks fun! Question: What are the wrapped items on top of the case in this picture??

Its a Polish poppy seed cake (Makowiec). I've had it once or twice at other places but never bought it at the market. Not exactly what I would rush out to eat....but DH loves it.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Princess I think you are right about the bean paste. Thanks for the recipe I am not sure my Beyonce rear thanks you but I do. Have a good sleep. I heard that the "END" is 6 pm chicago time but out your way it is past that so I guess we are stuck with each other

Better your Beyonce rear than mine!

I love those sesame balls too...usually have them when I go to Dim Sum; but lately I've been struggling to keep the weight off. I only need to look at butter and it seems to stick where I don't want it!

Princess, those dishes look awesome! What is fish tofu? Tofu flavored with fish sauce? Or something else? Your market is enviable!

John went to the fish market in the city and stocked us up for the weekend. Last night I made linguini with cockles:

The market has been around for over 100 years and a lot of Melbournians go shop there. The food market used to open for 4 days and the souvenir/clothes section used to open for 5 days. Now half of the food market opens for 5.



Your linguini looks lovely.

We have a wedding tonight and since the wedding is at 5, I'm assuming dinner is part of the reception so we'll eat there!

Hope it was a lovely wedding and that dinner was even lovelier.

Hi Where'sPiglet? ! I teach at the college level (library research and freshman writing) and am assistant director of the college library. I probably get more leeway than elementary and high schools, but probably not enough leeway to have Captain Jack Sparrow under my desk...

I've just woken up and not had my coffee yet. My mind is BOGGLING at the thought of Captain Jack under MY desk.......wonder what I can get him to get up to....

I made these last night and they were tasty - easy peasy! My kind of baking! They are for an 8x8 or similar pan, not a 9x13, but you could easily double it and just adjust the baking time.

M&M Sugar Cookie Bars
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
M&Ms

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Once it's slightly cooled (about 3 minutes) beat in the egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir this into the wet mixture.

Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish (or similar size). Bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Pull out of the oven and top with M&Ms, gently pressing them into the dough.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the top is set and the cookies don't wiggle when you shake the pan. They should still be white with barely golden edges.

Cool completely in the pan before slicing. Yields 9 cookie bars.

Aaaah Aimee.....I was just talking about butter sticking in places I don't want to (hmmmm....note to self....have a chat with Captain Jack under the table)....and here you go posting those extra 10 lbs that my thighs just slapped on!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Hi Where'sPiglet? ! I teach at the college level (library research and freshman writing) and am assistant director of the college library. I probably get more leeway than elementary and high schools, but probably not enough leeway to have Captain Jack Sparrow under my desk...

about Captain Jack Sparrow!

I actually have a lot more leeway than a typical classroom teacher at my level gets. Provided I am following the law and my students are showing growth, they pretty much leave me alone. I do not have a curriculum to follow; I get to plan my own lessons and can do pretty much whatever I want within reason. I make sure all of my lessons/activities are standards based and on the level of the student they are planned for. I just got my test scores back this week and I am pleased with them overall.

Princess - I know what you mean about how recovering from flooding can take a L O N G time. I live in New Orleans and I wasn't here for Hurricane Katrina, but we are coming up on 6 years later and there are still scars from it. The city is functioning overall, and parts of town are thriving. However, the parts that were hardest hit are still trying to recover.

There are still many blighted properties around town, so we get TV commercials for demolition companies that will tear down your house.
My favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coXH2--k6bI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TT81-rVHoQ
And yes, I think we might be one of the few places where you can turn a demolition commercial into a cheer.

 

[Aimeedyan]

It's really hot and humid here today and the wedding reception was inside a tent, outside. With all the sides down so no air circulation. I thought I was melting into the floor. It was an open bar, so we enjoyed that some, had dinner (Columbian food - delicious!!) and I ran away. I can't handle that heat for long. I'm sure the cake, dancing, etc was lovely but I just couldn't do it. They had a pool and I just wanted to dive in.

The poor bride was dripping

AWESOME food, though - ceviche was delicious!!

 

[bigmerle1966]

And yes, there so can be another one!!!!





Marilyn and Janice - if it is all over tomorrow, I am so glad I saw one more Pirates installment!!!!!!

Well, I am still here so I guess the world is still revolving okay.

And as for Pirates, I read they are in talks for number 5.

Today, after I decided it was safe to get out of bed, I headed to the Queen Victoria Market. The QVM is located in Melbourne city center and is an institution for fresh produce as well as a mecca of the cheap touristy souvenirs. I go to the QVM every fortnight.

We have something similar here in Baltimore called Lexington Market, not as nice mind you, it's been around since the late 1700's.

My favorite is the Amish Market in Annapolis, MD. Good thing it's 45 minutes away from me because they have some of the best baked goods.