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

[PrincessInOz]

Bircher Muesli


DH is rather health conscious and really, a rather picky eater. This recipe is one that appeals to him....because it ticks all the boxes for low GI, high fibre, low fat and tasty. And it is very simple to make!


My starting ingredients:

• Muesli, any good brand with a variety of fruit and nut that appeals to you - 250g
• Yoghurt, any good brand preferably plain flavour (or with vanilla or honey) - 250g
• Apples, granny smith, peeled, cored and grated - 2 large
• Honey - 1 generous tablespoon
• Cinnamon - 1 generous teaspoon

Place the muesli and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Add the apples, yoghurt and honey to the bowl.

Mix all ingredients together and leave in fridge overnight.

The next morning, the mix will have absorbed all the excess moisture...

Serve in a bowl, with or without extra fruit. I've found that berries, particularly blueberries work well with the bircher muesli. The muesli will keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days without any problems.



My breakfast, with a dusting of extra cinnamon!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Hey all! I'm sorry about being MIA (again), but things have been really busy and was without internet for a few days. I wrote a huge post Saturday and in true DIS fashion, when I went to post it, it disappeared. UGH!

We went and spent the day in Pigeon Forge yesterday. We were needing a break from the routine so it was really nice. We had a huge breakfast at The Apple Barn then drove up to Gatlinburg. After that we drove over to Cades Cove and drove the loop. It was such a gorgeous day and we really enjoyed ourselves.

Today I am making tacos for dinner. Comfort food at it's finest, and easiest!

Cooking-wise, my latest accomplishment is homemade granola bars. Recipe is below:

Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

*You can use any combinations of dried fruits you like*

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Here's the link to the recipe. It has a video:
Barefoot Contessa Granola Bars

 

[Nancyg56]

Good Morning! It is hot and sunny today, finally no rainy mess!

Marilyn- I am ever impressed by your lovely quilts. I had a friend who quilted and every time i was at her house there were several quilts in various patterns and in all stages of completion. SHe did most of the quilting by hand so I know what work you are putting into your quilts.

Aimee- I missed that you were on a retreat. I hope that you are okay!

Lindsay- Glad to see you!

Kat- I saw your posts on FB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Janice- your meal made me drool! My niece is in Chicago pursuing her Masters. Everytime you post I think of her

PIO- I cannot get used to the different seasons we have so i love thinking of your Holiday season just while I am wondering when our fall show is going to begin.

We had a simple dinner last night. I made turkey soup for me with a ton of veggies and Buddy has buffalo wings. We each had salad.

Tonight we are having pork chops and salad and some sort of veggie. I might bake a sweet potato for Buddy.

We are leaving on Wednesday for a few days at the beach. Buddy surprised me with a long weekend in Myrtle beach and I cannot wait to do absolutely nothing for a bit. I am a bit of a control freak so I have to make sure all my things are in order before we go so I will be busy.

 

[TigerKat]

We had a great time at the game and what a great game it was! Can’t talk today, did too much screaming. Gotta love football in the Superdome!

Jen – I plan my menus for a week out and that seems to work great for me. Can’t wait to hear about all the new recipes you’ll be trying!

Janice – I’m so glad you enjoyed your dinner out. The place sounds great and their menu looks great!

PIO – Glad to hear y’all enjoyed the weekend and you’re still in holiday mode!

Lindsay – Glad to have you back. Sounds like y’all had a great day yesterday!

Nan – That was so sweet of Buddy to surprise you, enjoy your time at the beach!

 

[liamsaunt]

Sorry I went MIA again. Work was crazy busy last week. Things are back to normal now.

Nancy, have fun at the beach!

Glynis, I am glad that you and Alan worked things out.

Princess, I am going to try your muesli recipe. I had that for breakfast in Bermuda and really liked it. I was not sure if it was made with yogurt or milk.

Here are some food pictures from last week. Pasta carbonara:

Chicken milanese:

Caprese salad with pesto:

Red pepper fritatta:

Olive plate:

WFD: beer can chicken and salad

 

[Aimeedyan]

Thank you.

There is a group of us at work who like flamingoes too. I made that as a granny gift for my boss. I had made her a larger version of that for Christmas a couple years ago and decided to make her that so she and her GD could cuddle on the couch together.

I'm so impressed by your talent Quilting is such an intricate artform. Would you consider posting some of your "easy to ship" items on FB or something in case some of your friends in other places want to purchase them?

I wish I had taken pictures but I didn't so you will have to suffer through the verbal dictation. We went to a restaurant called Prasino. If you want to see the website here it is. http://www.prasino.com/home.php. If you ever come through Chicago you need to find them.

Sounds amazing!!

Hey all! I'm sorry about being MIA (again), but things have been really busy and was without internet for a few days. I wrote a huge post Saturday and in true DIS fashion, when I went to post it, it disappeared. UGH!

Good to see you, Lindsay!

We are leaving on Wednesday for a few days at the beach. Buddy surprised me with a long weekend in Myrtle beach and I cannot wait to do absolutely nothing for a bit. I am a bit of a control freak so I have to make sure all my things are in order before we go so I will be busy.

What a fabulous surprise!

We had a great time at the game and what a great game it was! Can’t talk today, did too much screaming. Gotta love football in the Superdome!

So glad you had a great time!!



My retreat went great but of course I'm totally and utterly exhausted. I'm also having issues breathing again; there is something in the air affecting all asthmatics right now, plus my underlying lingering pneumonia of course. I'm staying home today to rest.

I need to go to the store; dinner is

Did y'all see that Spartacus our Armadillo was caught on Saturday night? Wow, what a story that was...

 

[Glynis]

Oh, it is a glorious Fall day, here! The mountain just to the east of my house is just beginning to burst with beautiful reds and golds! I just love it! Hopefully I can get some pictures soon!!! I always plan to, but never have my camera with me when I think about it. Time to just tuck it in my purse and be ready!

I didn't post at all yesterday. I woke up with a WICKED migraine! It was horrible! I haven't had one like that in about 4 years. Hope it's not a sign of things to come. I used to get 3 or 4 a month during "that time". However, since I got pregnant with Timothy, and since his birth, I haven't had any. I think I've gotten spoiled. Anyway, Alan dressed the kids and took them to church and I stayed in bed with a damp cloth over my eyes. After a couple of hours, I felt a bit better, so I wandered into the kitchen and threw some pork chops in the oven. I also made a batch of curried sweet potatoes (that's the only way my kids want them anymore!), and then went back to bed.

Today is Minimal Day, which basically means, all the schools in the district get out at 1:00 p.m. so the teachers can have their district meetings. Alan and I talked it over, and since he is up on his homework, etc., and since he gets home from class today around 3:30, we are going to take the kids up the canyon for one last picnic/fishing trip before it gets too cold. I'm making egg salad sandwiches and a cornbread panzanella salad for dinner. We'll stop at the store for some s'more makings and soda, and off we'll go! We haven't told the kids yet, so I'm excited to see their faces! They love fishing with their daddy! He's not so fond of it, as he spends most of his time untangling fishing lines, baiting hooks, etc., and doesn't get much fishing time. However, it's worth it when one of the kids reels in a fish! For me, I take my book and the camera and try to capture some of the action while relaxing! I love it!!!

Have a great Monday, everyone!

 

[Aimeedyan]

I don't think I posted the paella I made!

Paella
1-1/4 cups uncooked white rice
3 cups chicken stock, divided
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
3 saffron threads
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into small pieces
1 pound peeled and deveined small shrimp
3 small lobster tails, or 1/2 pound lobster meat
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced
*you can always add clams and mussels

Rinse the rice with cold water; drain; set aside. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep warm. Work the garlic, parsley, curry powder, saffron threads, salt, black pepper, and 1/4 cup of the hot chicken stock together with a mortar and pestle until a smooth liquid forms; set the seasoning liquid aside.

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion until lightly browned. Stir in the chicken, shrimp, and lobster; cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Pour in the seasoning liquid.

Stir in the rice, pour in the hot chicken stock, and simmer until the rice is nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir two times, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until rice is soft and flaky, about 7 minutes.

My changes: my lobster meat was already cooked so I added it with the mushrooms. I also browned some Italian sausage I had in the fridge along with the onion. I don't have a paella pan so I used a regular pan. My stove cooks hotter than most so just keep an eye on your rice; it might finish sooner.

 

[bigmerle1966]

Marilyn- I am ever impressed by your lovely quilts. I had a friend who quilted and every time i was at her house there were several quilts in various patterns and in all stages of completion. SHe did most of the quilting by hand so I know what work you are putting into your quilts.

Mine are, for the most part, machine made. I started out making them by hand and only ever finished one that way. I have several I started, when I started, which was about 30 years ago, that are tucked into a box just waiting for me to fnish them.

I'm so impressed by your talent Quilting is such an intricate artform. Would you consider posting some of your "easy to ship" items on FB or something in case some of your friends in other places want to purchase them?

Once I have some of the ones I am starting ready I can post them on FB. They would be easy to ship as I do not use any batting inside. The ones I do are a kind of mulit-season, throw quilt that I back with flannel to make them warm enough for winter but still cool enough for summer.

 

[franandaj]

Marilyn - Your quilts are so beautiful and you are so creative!

the meat is raw when you put it in the marinade, sliced thinly.

And you can make jerky at home in the oven. Set the oven to 225-250 and let the meat go for about 4 hours or until the meat is dry to the touch like jerky. You can go longer if you want it dryer. We like ours a bit chewy.

Hope this clears it up!

Jen - Thanks for clarifying this. It is an interesting thought to try. We have a place in town that makes Beef Jerky and it is really good. We usually just go there and buy it, but it is very expensive! I hope you had a relaxing weekend! I don't plan quite two weeks in advance, but I also plan my dinners about a week out and shop accordinly, however it always seems that I end up going to the store 2-3 times a week!

Kat - I hope you had a great time at the game!

Janice - That dinner with your friend sounds amazing! So glad you had a good time!

Nancy - Have a great time at the beach!

Aimee – Glad you had a nice time at the retreat. Hope you feel better soon. Having fun is a lot of work!

PIO – I hope you had a good time at the Royal Melbourne show this weekend.

liamsaunt - those pictures look great! They're making me hungry!

Glynis - I hope you have a wonderful time with your family this evening. Sounds like a great little trip!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I've been pretty MIA from the DIS too. My parents were here for four nights, and as always we ate well, drank great wine and had an enjoyable time. We even did some productive things as well!

As you know we went out to dinner Friday night, Saturday we did some housecleaning. Part of the "parent prep" was to dig out our dining room table which was buried in boxes, books, souvenirs, etc. It just becomes a "holding area" for stuff. Since there's only two of us, we usually eat in the living room watching TV and don't sit at the table for a civilised dinner, so it's only when the parents or other guests come over we that. About 6-8 months ago I found a new rug that I really liked at Home Depot. We bought it then knowing the table was buried and so Saturday we were actually able to put the new rug in the Dining Room! I know exciting.....I need to get a life. The cat really enjoyed it and has been sleeping on it for quite some time.

Saturday night we cooked a Prime Rib for dinner, we also had green beans, and mushrooms in Burgundy. These are the wines we drank that night while cooking and dining.

And our dinner

And then we had baked a Claim Jumper's Apple Pie during the day, so we enjoyed that with some Vanilla Ice Cream and Ice Wine

Last night we went out for Shabu Shabu (my favorite) and WFD tonight? Stroganoff with the leftover Prime Rib!

 

[TigerKat]

Becky - Have you posted the red pepper fritatta recipe here?

Aimee - I'm sorry to hear you're feeling bad, please rest and take care of yourself.

Glynis - I'm sorry to hear about the migraine yesterday, hopefully it's not going to be a recurring problem. Enjoy the fishing trip, sounds fun!

 

[EJ4Disney]

Hi girls,

We had a nice weekend. Doug golfed all day yesterday, so I had the house all to myself and after Church I came home and got busy. I got all of my summer clothes put away and my fall ones out, the wash finished, Fall decorations out, floors scrubed and vacuumed, dusted and the bathroom cleaned. Dinner was a pot roast in the crock pot, so when Doug got home all we had to do was sit down and eat. So easy - I love my crockpot!! After dinner we settled in to watch the new season of Amazing Race. Woohoo, we love that show. And while I was watching I organized all of my recipes that were strewn here and there.

So all in all I had a very productive weekend. I feel better being at work this morning. Ethan has flag football at 6:00 so we have to hurry tonight.

WFDT ~ Hot beef sandwiches, fresh canned green beans, mashed potatoes with LOTS of gravy.

I need to read back and catch up with everyone. I promise I will tomorrow, until then..............make it a great day.

 

[Goofyluver]

Hey all! I'm sorry about being MIA (again), but things have been really busy and was without internet for a few days. I wrote a huge post Saturday and in true DIS fashion, when I went to post it, it disappeared. UGH!

I hate it when that happens!

I can't wait to try your granola bars! They sound so yummy!

We are leaving on Wednesday for a few days at the beach. Buddy surprised me with a long weekend in Myrtle beach and I cannot wait to do absolutely nothing for a bit. I am a bit of a control freak so I have to make sure all my things are in order before we go so I will be busy.

Oh my. You deserve a nice weekend away.

I'm hoping for beach pictures so I can live vicariously through you.

We had a great time at the game and what a great game it was! Can’t talk today, did too much screaming. Gotta love football in the Superdome!

I'm so glad you were feeling better and were able to get to the game!

As a speech therapist, I must tell you to rest your voice. You should drink hot toddies, too. (with extra toddy )

Sorry I went MIA again. Work was crazy busy last week. Things are back to normal now.

Caprese salad with pesto:

Oh, bestill my beating heart!!!!

My retreat went great but of course I'm totally and utterly exhausted. I'm also having issues breathing again; there is something in the air affecting all asthmatics right now, plus my underlying lingering pneumonia of course. I'm staying home today to rest.

I need to go to the store; dinner is

Did y'all see that Spartacus our Armadillo was caught on Saturday night? Wow, what a story that was...

I did see about dear, Spartacus.

And rest up!

Jen - Thanks for clarifying this. It is an interesting thought to try. We have a place in town that makes Beef Jerky and it is really good. We usually just go there and buy it, but it is very expensive! I hope you had a relaxing weekend! I don't plan quite two weeks in advance, but I also plan my dinners about a week out and shop accordinly, however it always seems that I end up going to the store 2-3 times a week!


So I've been pretty MIA from the DIS too. My parents were here for four nights, and as always we ate well, drank great wine and had an enjoyable time. We even did some productive things as well!

As you know we went out to dinner Friday night, Saturday we did some housecleaning. Part of the "parent prep" was to dig out our dining room table which was buried in boxes, books, souvenirs, etc. It just becomes a "holding area" for stuff. Since there's only two of us, we usually eat in the living room watching TV and don't sit at the table for a civilised dinner, so it's only when the parents or other guests come over we that. About 6-8 months ago I found a new rug that I really liked at Home Depot. We bought it then knowing the table was buried and so Saturday we were actually able to put the new rug in the Dining Room! I know exciting.....I need to get a life. The cat really enjoyed it and has been sleeping on it for quite some time.

Last night we went out for Shabu Shabu (my favorite) and WFD tonight? Stroganoff with the leftover Prime Rib!

We always shop in between too. We end up changing our mind, or need some incidentals. It's the shopping in between the shopping that gets ya' every time.

Your dinner looks amazing.

And might I ask, what is shabu shabu?

Hi girls,

We had a nice weekend. Doug golfed all day yesterday, so I had the house all to myself and after Church I came home and got busy. I got all of my summer clothes put away and my fall ones out, the wash finished, Fall decorations out, floors scrubed and vacuumed, dusted and the bathroom cleaned. Dinner was a pot roast in the crock pot, so when Doug got home all we had to do was sit down and eat. So easy - I love my crockpot!! After dinner we settled in to watch the new season of Amazing Race. Woohoo, we love that show. And while I was watching I organized all of my recipes that were strewn here and there.

So all in all I had a very productive weekend. I feel better being at work this morning. Ethan has flag football at 6:00 so we have to hurry tonight.

WFDT ~ Hot beef sandwiches, fresh canned green beans, mashed potatoes with LOTS of gravy.

I need to read back and catch up with everyone. I promise I will tomorrow, until then..............make it a great day.

I love my crockpot too. And yay for getting organized!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is Monday. I shopped today, and I shopped big. But we're set for the next couple of weeks I hope.

I came home with a headache too and I've been fevery all day. Hope it's just that I'm tired.

Tonight's dinner is tomato butter sauce over pasta.

I'll post the recipe and maybe a pic later.

Hope everyone has had a great start to their week.

 

[Goofyluver]

Simple Tomato-Butter Pasta Sauce

I found this recipe the other day and it brought back so many memories. My granny used to make this sauce when I was little, and as soon as I saw this blog with this recipe, I knew this was it. So tonight's dinner was a nostalgic dinner.

INGREDIENTS

1 32 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
5 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion (white or yellow), peeled and cut in half
sea salt
1 pound pasta (I like penne, but you may use whatever pasta you’d like)
freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a medium saucepan and turn the heat on medium-low. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the sauce reduces to a thick, chunky (rather than watery) texture. Serve with pasta and grated Parmesan.

*Taste for salt before you add any. I used salted butter and didn't need any salt at all. And I let my sauce go about 50-55 minutes.

This is so simple and yummy. It's also good with crusty bread as a "dip" or on top of sliced toasted bread, crustini style.

 

[franandaj]

And might I ask, what is shabu shabu?

I thought I might get that. Shabu Shabu is Japanese and it literally translates to swish swish. It is a traditional preparation, but not in the way it is served in So Cal. Most often the table would share the pot, but most of our restaurants each diner gets their own pot. You get a plate of raw vegetables, noodles and tofu.

Rice, a few dipping sauces and a pot of boiling water.

And you choose beef, chicken or some sort of seafood, or a mixture there of. I always get the large beef (18 slices). The regular is 13 slices, and they have various others, 22 is next and they have one called King Kong where you get 34 slices!

Using your chopsticks you place your food in the water for the desired length of time. I have a very specific formula that I use. I put the carrots in immediately for flavoring. I also add some of all the sauces and spices you see in the background of the vegetable picture. And in the picture below, in the left background there is a dispenser that has chopped green onions, minced garlic and minced daikon radish. All this goes into my "broth". Some people take their whole plate of meat and dump it into the bowl, same for their veggies. Some eat the noodles first, I like to save mine for the end. I prefer to take a piece of leafy greens (spinach or cabbage) and put half or a third of a slice of meat in the middle. I swish it in the pot for about 7-10 seconds, until it just starts to cook. Then I dip it in the "mustard" sauce let it cool on the rice and eat it that way. If I'm running out of greens, I just eat the meat.

Then when I have two slices of meat left, I tear it up in little pieces and toss it in the pot. I add what ever veggies are left, the noodles, some of my favorite dipping sauce, perhaps a little sake.

They bring you a bowl with a spoon of "soup base". I think it adds a little salt and hearty flavor and you spoon your soup into the bowl and finish your meal drinking the broth that you cooked all that lovely meat in.

Last night my Mom couldn't eat all her shrimp and scallops, so I even polished off a couple of those, but the beef was much tastier and much easier to cook. It was hard to know when the shrimp would be done, but not overcooked.

It's a lot of fun, one of my other favorite meals is Fondue. I'm not sure why, but it seems I like to pay a lot of money to cook my own food!

 

[Goofyluver]

It's a lot of fun, one of my other favorite meals is Fondue. I'm not sure why, but it seems I like to pay a lot of money to cook my own food!

I loooove fondue!!! The melting pot is one of my favorite places.

And this looks so yummy and fun.

I have to research now and see if we have a place like this in Dallas.

Thank you so much for sharing.

 

[HERSEY]

Alison That restaurant sounds like a hot pot. My friend's family and mine love to do that. Except we stick the kids together. My son often loses things in the broth mostly food but sometimes a chopstick goes in.

Ellen We love Amazing Race here too. Mr A will not watch it in realtime. The commercials drive him crazy. Needless to say we missed last night cause someone will not get rid of the 85 Mythbusters and Dirtyjobs on the DVR . We ran out of space

Tonight I am making Dirty rice and a salad for dinner.

It is time I start making more crock pot meals.

 

[TigerKat]

So proud of our LSU Tigers, #1 team in the country!!

 

[HERSEY]

So proud of our LSU Tigers, #1 team in the country!!

Good for them

 

[LindsayDunn228]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh, you all are killing me with these pictures! This one, especially, had me absolutely drooling.

Here are some food pictures from last week. Pasta carbonara:

I want to make carbonara SO bad, but to be honest, I'm scared to. Every time I see it made, or read a recipe, it always says to serve immediately, discard leftovers, etc. That worries me, not to mention I'm afraid I will ruin it trying to make it. Ugh, huh?

I feel like I am in a bit of a cooking rut right now. I've been looking for a way to challenge myself. While at Cades Cove over the weekend, we went and checked out their old mill. It was working and they were making cornmeal and wheat flour. I was intrigued. Being a "Little House on the Prairie" fanatic didn't hurt either, lol. Anyway, I decided on my challenge. I was so proud of my granola bars and I have been trying to come up with some other things to make homemade. Does that make sense? Granola bars are easily purchased, but these granola bars were so simple that it makes you not want to go buy them anymore. So now I am searching for the everyday things I can make homemade.

Sorry that was so dang long!

Today I am making Easy Beef Stroganoff with garlic bread. Scott has a doctor's appointment this morning and will be working from home after. I love days like today!

Everyone have a great day!