What's For Dinner? - 2018

[neely]

That sounds really healthy. So no soy in them?

Nope, no soy.

First chili of the season for us tonight. I add some chocolate to take the acid edge off the tomatoes.

Great minds think alike. I made chili the end of last week. That's an interesting idea about the chocolate, how much and what type do you use?

 

[Tobermory]

Great minds think alike. I made chili the end of last week. That's an interesting idea about the chocolate, how much and what type do you use?

I use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Baking Chips but any good quality semi-sweet chocolate would work. I use chips because they’re easy to measure. The Ghirardelli chips were on sale last time I was buying. I use 1/4 cup in a large pot of chili. You’d want to experiment depending on how much chili you’re making.

I experimented with adding dark beer for awhile but I didn’t think it complemented the chili as much as the dark chocolate. Not only does the chocolate cut the acid, but it also seems to make the soup texture a little smoother. Chili. Yum!

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i'll heat up a serving of turkey enchilada...lasagna, and maybe 'nuke' a potato and have that with a little salt/pepper/butter/plain yogurt. some apple crisp with plain yogurt, later in the evening.

 

[muffy]

No, I bought them at the farmer's market from a mushroom vendor - he sells everything "mushrooms." I looked at the package ingredients: roasted mushrooms, sweet & red potatoes, brown rice, red pepper, celery, black beans, onions, carrots, roasted garlic, olive oil, black pepper, sherry vinegar and kosher salt. I sauté green onions and




green peppers in a pan then just cook the burgers with them. It takes 10 min. top and tastes great. I will definitely be going back to stock up before winter.

That sounds delicious. I wish we had a place that sells them.

 

[rubysmama]

rubysmama You know, I don't even use a jarred sauce sometimes. I'll saute some onion, steam broccoli with a few stick-sliced carrots, and then throw that in with the cooked pasta. Chunk up a couple plum tomatoes and throw them in. Then top it off with a bit of grated Parm (when I have Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle, I'll use that instead of Parm). A couple sprinkles of oregano and basil and dinner is served. Sometimes I'll drizzle in a bit of balsamic vinegar, too. It really isn't bad!

That sounds really good. And not too difficult. I'd have to skip the carrots, though, because for some reason, I don't like the idea of carrots and pasta. Yes, I'm weird.

 

[Kal_shadowsmom]

That sounds really good. And not too difficult. I'd have to skip the carrots, though, because for some reason, I don't like the idea of carrots and pasta. Yes, I'm weird.

I'm not a fan of carrots and pasta either. The combo is just strange.

 

[Tobermory]

Everyone’s tastes are so different, aren’t they! I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that our cats have such definite preferences.

The Spouse wanted a side of steamed broccoli to go with last night’s chili. Huh. We had salad but okay. He took the broccoli and dumped it into my lovely chili. Really? That’s just wrong.

 

[maggiedemi]

He took the broccoli and dumped it into my lovely chili. Really? That’s just wrong.

LOL! Men are so funny. I never heard of broccoli in chili before. Did he say it tasted good?

 

[Tobermory]

LOL! Men are so funny. I never heard of broccoli in chili before. Did he say it tasted good?

He thinks everything tastes good! He’s one of those who puts together a bit of everything on the plate onto his fork. I try not to watch.

 

[rubysmama]

I had lentil loaf, with some homemade pickles a friend gave me, and ... microwave steamed broccoli. Microwave broccoli is going to be my new thing!

Any other veggies that steam well in the microwave?

 

[Tobermory]

Any other veggies that steam well in the microwave?

I can't think of a veggie I wouldn't steam in the microwave. I typically do carrots, green beans, zucchini and, of course, broccoli. I wouldn't recommend my steamer, though. It's a little on the small side and it doesn't have a handle to remove the lid. I have to use something to protect my hands to get the lid off. I know there are better ones that are probably just as inexpensive.

Edit: And peas! How could I forget peas?

 

[1 bruce 1]

We made a cool pot pie casserole thing a few nights ago. We liked it a lot, but our friend we shared with LOVED it, so that suckers going on the Test list! With some recipe adjustments, this could be one of those really good dishes that suits almost everyone. (We used chicken of course, but that could be omitted for a vegetarian option!)
Despite those efforts, it's frozen pizza night. But it's a GOOD frozen pizza, big and hearty, but I'm still a hog and it will keep me full until 4:00AM when I amble into the kitchen and am found at 6:00AM with an empty pack of hot dogs on my chest, snoring away on the couch.
Cats had their "complete" grinds with a bit of tripe, Queen Bee had a boneless grind mixed with canned food (After 3 other small meals spread throughout the day, as to not cause a 22 turd pile up in her intestines), and the dogs had more poultry hearts, some tripe, and various bony chicken parts.
(Oh, and one cat got rabbit instead of tripe because she's suddenly decided tripe is unfeline and would be like handing Queen Elizabeth a half-cold tub of McDonald's fries.
I love a girl with some attitude. Unless that attitude is directed at me. Which is most certainly was.
There's no "cat giving the middle finger" in the cute little smiley line up, so just use your imagination at the reaction I got when I suggested she dine on cow guts.

 

[rubysmama]

I can't think of a veggie I wouldn't steam in the microwave. I typically do carrots, green beans, zucchini and, of course, broccoli. I wouldn't recommend my steamer, though. It's a little on the small side and it doesn't have a handle to remove the lid. I have to use something to protect my hands to get the lid off. I know there are better ones that are probably just as inexpensive.

Edit: And peas! How could I forget peas?

I just used a microwaveable dish with a paper towel over the top, as suggested by @artiemom, and my broccoli turned out perfectly. And so fast! I still can't believe I never tried microwaving vegetables before! With the ease and speed, there's no excuse at all not to have cooked veggies.

The dish did get hot, though. So I might look into getting one of those microwave steamers.

 

[Winchester]

That sounds really good. And not too difficult. I'd have to skip the carrots, though, because for some reason, I don't like the idea of carrots and pasta. Yes, I'm weird.

I do things like that because when our son was younger, it was a way to get him to eat his vegetables. He didn't like carrots, but he would eat them if they were added to something (pasta, for example, or macaroni salad. I added peas to macaroni salad for the same reason). I always did whatever it took to get him to eat something. Even though he's older now (and eats anything.....but liver, that is), I still do things like that. It helps Dear Richard get some veggies, too.

Our son never liked sweet potatoes, but he would eat them if I hollowed out Granny Smith apples, cooked the apple into a puree, added that to the mashed sweet potatoes and then filled the hollowed-out apples with the sweet potato and apple mixture with a few raisins, some cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. That, he loved. Go figure. And since it got him to eat sweet potatoes, I did it. The stuff I used to do to get that child to eat something.

Anyway, that's why, to this day, I add carrots (and other vegetables) to our pasta sometimes. Be careful if you ever come to our house for dinner......you never know what you're going to get!

Oh, ETA: Dinner tonight. Probably baked ziti. Yum. (No carrots. Honest.)

 

[raysmyheart]

Grilled cheese sandwich with American and Swiss cheese on a newly-found bread. The bread is a sliced multi-grain loaf I found at Target and this is my new favorite bread for grilled cheese!

 

[Tobermory]

Grilled cheese sandwich

Grilled cheese sandwiches. My favorite comfort food.

 

[orange&white]

I stretched and repurposed the enchilada sauce from last week into a week of "chile" meals: smothered burritos, beef chili, then beef chili queso and chips, and finally beef chili mac n cheese. I finally ran out of chili (except two cups in the freezer).

Tonight I made a stir fried pork loin with petite Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and red peppers in an oyster-garlic sauce.

Hey! Anyone eating broccoli in chili better not laugh at my Brussels sprouts in Asian stir fry.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We've been hoarding easy quick homestyle recipes to help feed our neighbors for their generosity and hard work they've given us. Won't accept payment in money.
We're making a big batch of spaghetti and meatballs to feed everyone. And us tonight because we're hungry!
We're thinking, since fall weather has arrived, that a big old pot of beef stew with home made broth would be a good thing, too, to share.
We have 1/2 steer coming our way to fill the freezer so beef dishes that are simple, comforting and well liked by 99% of people are welcome from anyone in this thread.
Most of our neighbors don't care about fancy food. They like plain, old fashioned home style stuff. We're running out of ideas and want to feed them good food as thanks.
Ideas welcome. Just tag me.

Also, dogs had beef, beef liver and chicken hearts (boneless meal) and cats had bone in rabbit and boneless white meat chicken with a little beef liver.
And I just heard someone in the next room do the nutso claw scrape on the floor, a loud thump.
Wonder what piece of furniture or knick knack will get buried tomorrow.

 

[Tobermory]

Hey! Anyone eating broccoli in chili better not laugh at my Brussels sprouts in Asian stir fry.

Now, see, I could go for Brussels sprouts in stir fry. Veggies and stir fry go together. Veggies and chili? No. No.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Homemade lasagna my mom made with French bread. It was absolutely delicious