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What's For Dinner #334

12 years ago

Annie, Your fried chicken and mashed sweet potatoes are calling my name.

Jasdip, I would be happy with a piece of your apple pie. And your whole wheat bread.

Melissa, great looking steak. Perfectly cooked.

Kitchendetective, your duck dinner sounds delicious. If you are finding your duck tough, you might want to try Ian Garten's recipe. It is my favourite way to cook a whole duck. I think Annie uses the same recipe.

Baked bread yesterday.

Enough dough for a pizza for dinner.

I'm really happy with the crust. Thin crust but with a puffy rim.

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Comments (103)

sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
The pizza idea is from TarryLodge. In Italy, on of my favorite meals was Spaghetti al Vongole Bianco. Always served in the shell.
We did eat a few from the shell right away, then sliced the pizza, and scooped them onto slices. Using similar ingredients that would be used in a chowder like leeks and using the pizza base as a 'plate', did give similar flavors. Next time i want to use at least 2 doz clams.
Just a nice way to steam and serve them. Like a reverse chowder.
Not a pizza i would ever order out because of other choices i usually prefer, and i want the clams to be as fresh as possible and not shucked or steamed and sitting around.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Annie, next time I'll slice the onions and then caramelize them. This particular recipe was on Allrecipes, and it said to cook them whole. Too much butter and olive oil, as well, I believe.

But I turned them into French onion soup last nite and it was wonderful. I'll do the caramelization ahead of time again the next time we have French onion soup.

A few weeks ago an online friend at the Kitchen Table forum sent me 6 cans of RoTel tomatoes. I had expressed disappointment that we can't buy them in Canada. The poor girl, it cost her a fortune to sent them here.

Tonite's dinner was leftover chipotle ribs from last nite, and cooked brown rice, with sauteed onions carrots, celery, garlic, black beans that I cooked then froze, frozen corn, and a can of RoTel. I automatically threw in some crushed red pepper flakes while sauteeing the veggies out of habit. So the dish packed some heat. I had a sliced avocado on top to temper it. The whole meal was delicious!
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Machese, Here's the entire article. A buddy paid to get the entire thing instead of the abstract. here is an excerpt from the article....that talks about Optimal Photoperiods and Negative Effects of Continuous Lighting...pretty detailed explanation... OPTIMAL PHOTOPERIODS For tomato, best growth and yield were obtained under a photoperiod of 14 hours (Vézina et al., 1991; Demers et al., 1998b). Photoperiods longer than 14 h did not further increase yield. Photoperiods of 20 and 24 h can even decrease yield and caused leaf chlorosis (after 6 to 8 weeks) (Vézina et al., 1991; Demers et al., 1998b). Although long term use of a 17-h photoperiod does not increase growth and yield compared to 14 h, it might be interesting to extend the photoperiod to 17 h in order to increase total light provided to plants especially during the months with the lowest natural light levels (December-January). 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Although long term use of continuous light is detrimental to tomato and pepper plants, tomato and sweet pepper plants can take advantage of the extra light energy provided by continuous lighting for a short period of time. Early vegetative growth and fruit production of tomato and pepper plants were generally improved under continuous light compared the 14-h photoperiod (Demers et al., 1998a, 1998b). However, after that initial period, plants under continuous light grew more slowly than plants exposed to 14-h photoperiod; so that tomato and pepper plant growth and yield under 14-h photoperiod were then equal to or higher than under continuous light at the end of the experiment. Costes et al. (1970) also observed that continuous light improved the early performance (hastening of flowering and fruit set, increased early yield) of sweet pepper plants compared to a 15-h photoperiod. Therefore, it might be possible to use continuous light for a short period of time (5 to 7 weeks) to improve growth of tomato and sweet pepper, especially during the months with the lowest natural light levels (December and January). However, such a practice should be investigated in order to determine if short term use of continuous light might have residual negative effects on tomato and sweet pepper plants. NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LONG PHOTOPERIODS AND THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT Tomato and sweet pepper plants do not take advantage (no increase in yield) when grown under photoperiods longer than 14 h (tomato) or 20 h (pepper). Tomato plants, but not sweet pepper, develop leaf chlorosis under continuous light. In the next sections, we will examine the role of the carbon metabolism, pigments, light spectral quality and day/night temperature differential in the development of these negative effects of long photoperiods. Carbon Metabolism High starch and soluble sugar accumulations were observed in leaves of tomato plants grown under long photoperiods, and it was suggested that these accumulations could be related to the development of the leaf chlorosis (Bradley et al., 1985; Logendra et al., 1990; Dorais, 1992). Studies on other species support the hypothesis of a relationship between leaf chlorosis development and starch and sugar accumulations. For example, continuous light caused increased leaf starch and hexose accumulations and leaf chlorosis of eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) (Murage et al., 1996). However, eggplants growing under continuous light but in a CO2-free atmosphere for 12 h per day accumulated less starch and hexoses, and did not develop leaf chlorosis. 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If there is a relationship between the excessive starch and soluble sugar accumulations and the development of the negative effects (leaf chlorosis, decreased growth and productivity) of the long photoperiods on tomato and sweet pepper, it is most likely a limitation of the carbon metabolism at the leaf level which is responsible for these accumulations. In tomato, the use of continuous light caused, in addition to the foliar chlorosis and increased foliar contents in starch and hexoses, a reduction of the photosynthesis rate and of the activity of the sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) enzyme (Demers, 1998). These reductions in photosynthesis and of SPS activity occurred between 6th and 8th week under continuous light, i.e. about at the same time as the foliar chlorosis appeared, while starch and hexoses contents in leaves increased during the first 4 weeks of the experiment. 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Are the starch accumulations responsible for the leaf chlorosis in tomato? It is possible that the overload imposed on the Calvin cycle (decreased photosynthesis) could limit the use of the reducing potential (ATP, NADPH) produced by the luminous phase of photosynthesis, thus causing an overload on the electron transport chain and the photo-oxidation of the chlorophylls (decrease in the leaf chlorophyll contents), and thus explaining the observed leaf foliar chlorosis. Transgenic tomato plants (in which a gene coding for the SPS enzyme was incorporated and overexpress this enzyme) could be used in future studies to test if accumulations of starch in leaves are responsible for the development of chlorosis observed in tomato plants exposed to continuous light. 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Pigments In growth chambers, continuous light caused leaf chlorosis, decreased photosynthesis rates, and reductions in leaf contents in pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotene, xanthophylls) in both tomato and sweet pepper plants (Demers, 1998). Leaf chlorosis, decreased photosynthesis rates and loss of pigments were more important and occurred earlier in tomato plants than in sweet pepper. Compared to sweet pepper plants, EPS ratio (epoxidation state of the pigments of the xanthophyll cycle) was lower in tomato, indicating a greater need for energy dissipation and a more important state of stress (caused by excessive light). Pigments such as carotene and xanthophylls (violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin) play a significant role in the protection of the photosynthetic apparatus against damage that could be caused by an excess of light. Carotene and xanthophyll levels were higher in sweet pepper plants than in tomato. 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annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
OK, time to catch up.

Sleevendog, your oven makes me envious. Elery wants to build one at the farm, and I'm definitely in favor of that. Have you made bread in yours?

jasdip, I love frenh onion soup, but I also love ribs. A pig only has so many, or I'd eat them more often, but they are an expensive cut, as pork goes.

Ann T, everything looks delicious, as usual, but your wontons made Elery hungry. I'd rather have had the turkey sandwich, of course, but I made do with cheese tortellini and asparagus. Elery was happy, he loves pasta in all forms:

I made him a salad, but I passed on the bowl of lettuce, I just can't learn to like the stuff.

John's talk of fish made me hungry for some, so I pan sautéed some flounder and served it with a baked sweet potato, homemade whole wheat/molasses bread and a side of braised cabbage:

I've been trying to use some older stuff from my freezer, like a package of sweet cherries from 2010, so I made a sauce with some cherries and horseradish and served it with pork cutlets and parsley potatoes. It wasn't pretty, but it was good.

I tried a new recipe for lentils, called Honey Lentils. I wish I hadn't bothered, I was very skeptical when I read the ingredients which included honey, soy sauce, ginger, dried mustard. Sure enough, it was sweet, but not savory and not spicy, just too sweet.

I had some toast spread with avocado instead:

Tonight I made chicken burritos and topped them with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado and some of my homemade salsa and fresh yogurt.

They were good, I'm glad we have enough for leftovers.

Annie
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
What's for dinner at our house hasn't been anything special because I'm in the midst of the final push to finish a hard cover revised edition of our family cookbook for our girls. This time, I added plastic sheet protectors, which made them so fat that they'll that each get two notebooks full of recipes with the story of each dish (plus a Zip drive containing them all). It's been a very nostalgic project.

Best meal of the week was veal stew. It wasn't until I was uploading the photo that I realized I forgot to add the peas. Guess we were so busy savoring the broth that we didn't notice.

It was my turn to cook for shut-ins for church: meat loaf with mushroom gravy, potato casserole, baby limas and pepper cabbage. I made enough for DH and I to have some too.

Thanks to Jasdip for the idea of rice and peas, which we had last night with baked striped bass and a bean salad.

Ann, your wontons are beautiful and look even more appetizing in the broth.

Annie, wish I had some of your molasses bread for my breakfast this morning.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
All the wonderful dishes!

Ruthanna, I say your dishes are better than many restaurants I have been to. The family cookbook is a nice idea. Maybe you can get it published.

Annie ��" As usual, I am amazed by the healthy, delicious and variety of food you feed your family with.

Sleevendog ��" I am very envious of your brick oven with a rotisserie.

Jasdip ��" Wow! A superb combination of chipotle ribs.

Ann_t ��" “Restaurant ready” is what I would call all your dishes.

emorems0 ��" With the kind of weather we have been having, I can really use a bowl of your ham and potato soup. And welcome to the Cooking Forum.

Partymusic - kale & bean soup is one of my favorite, but I have not tried it with turkey sausage. Thanks for the idea.

Agmss ��" Very interesting tortas de aceite and orgeat with orange flower water. I am having a ton of orange flower on my citrus tree now. Going to find out how to make orange flower water.

Shirl36 - Yummy pizza, it needs beer, not Pepsi. LOL!

FOAS ��" Wonderful meatballs. I have been making meatballs also. My instant meatball recipe: ground turkey mixed with stove stuffing.

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So, I have been cleaning up the freezer.

A few odds and ends from the freezer and leftovers.

dcarch

A chunk of leftover sous vide beef tenderloin, quinoa and asparagus.

Tofu with leftover ground turkey in pesto sauce.

leftover roasted chicken
User
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ruthanna, your dinners always look so good. I like how you serve your meatloaf. Wish I was having that for dinner.

And how special for your girls to have your collection.

Sleevendog, love that you don't let winter weather stop you from using your wood oven.

I know that I wouldn't like clams on my pizza, but boy what a great photo. And that crust looks perfect.

Annie, now I have a craving for Mexican.

DC, your leftover chicken doesn't look like leftovers. Everything on your plate is perfectly aligned.

Another catch-up post.

Roast Chicken breasts with a side of pasta.

Grilled Pork Chops

Another Pizza.

Greek Ribs

And Vittorio's Salad.

Sterling Silver Top Sirloin roast.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ruthanna, I love your meatloaf with mushroom gravy.
I too use page protectors for all my recipes in my "keeper" binder. It's a big D-ring binder that's splitting at the seams. They do make it bulky, but I love the protectors.

Ann, your meals are just wow. I'm always at a loss for words when I see your photos.

Dcarch, I really like your "leftover" roast chicken meal. For being leftover, it looks like you just carved it from the bird. What's the green veggie.....endive, cabbage, I'm trying to figure it out. Whatever it is it looks delicious.

For the first time I turned one of my loaves of bread into hamburger buns. We feel like hamburgers, but have no buns. A duh moment, why not make my own? We love my bread so the buns should be worthy of holding a patty.
annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ruthanna, that's such a nice idea. Makayla and I are working n a cookbook for her, now I'm thinking we ought to make copies for each of the grandkids instead of just her.

Madi likes to cook too, I'm sure she'll want a cookbook at some point.

jasdip, those buns look perfect. Even Elery, who professes to not like burgers, happily eats one on a homemade bun. Your family is going to be so spoiled.

Ann T, that sirloin looks so good. I just had dinner and I still wish I had some of that!

Dcarch, it looks like your freezer may be something like mine. (grin)
I love asparagus, so I think it goes with everything, but those tiny beet leaves would have never made it into the picture, I'd have eaten those first!

Tonight it was leftovers, so you have a picture of every single thing we ate tonight. I do have a roaster full of chicken stock simmering, it'll be finished late tonight, it's been going since 9 am. I'll strain it and put it in my garage overnight, then skim off the fat and can it tomorrow. Since it's supposed to be -1 tonight, it'll be plenty cool out there!

I'm optimistic, though, today I planted ghost pepper seeds. I'm waiting a couple of weeks for the tomatoes and eggplant, though, I never can plant before the end of May outdoors.

Annie
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you Ann! The leftover roasted chicken was sous vided again, so it was not overcooked. BTW, magnificent Sterling Silver Top Sirloin roast.

Jasdip, thanks. Those are bok choy bottoms. I typically cook the top and the bottom separate because they need different cooking time. BTW, I don't like hamburgers because I don't like buns, but those buns will make me crave hamburgers.

Thanks, Annie. Those beet leaves are home grown in my sunroom in a pot. I just pick them when I need them. BTW, they do make chef's hats and uniforms for small kids. It would be fun the next time you have a big event to have all the kids in chef's uniforms. :-)

dcarch
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Grrr, should have gone with my gut, Dcarch. My very first thought was bok choy!!
Thanks for your comment on the buns......they are good!
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I roasted some carrots and the parsnips that we got from the Mennonite farmer the other day. I also added asparagus.

Enough boiled potatoes to fry up some for another time.

One of our favourite ways for boneless breasts is to dip them in a mixture of melted butter, worcestershire, garlic and dijon, then rolled in breadcrumbs and parmesan and baked.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I also baked an apple pie today.
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jasdip, that is one tasty-looking apple pie. I think I'll have to make baked chicken breasts this week.

I'd love to have some of your sirloin roast, Ann.

Dcarch, I hope you rescued that piece of beef floating on a raft in a beeetshark-infested ocean before to much sunburn occurred. I love old made in the USA "diner dishes" and all the ones pictured came from $1 or $2 estate auction box lots that DH dragged home. I imagine they are happy to be back in service again.

I don't like corned beef enough to be tempted by its value prices this week but did partake of the $.19/lb. cabbage.

Beef, cabbage and sauerkraut soup/stew:

Baked ham with fried cabbage, potato filling, and honey-kissed carrots.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
We had a 'taste of modern Ireland' all day sunday. Brisket was amazing. Sweet and sour cabbage, Pease Pudding, (lentils) cooked in ham hocks, Figgy Duff, (bread pudding)...
And roasted some beef cubes and made a Guiness stew while i was 'cookin'... prepped for tonight as a type of shepards pie with a topping of mash.
The rest of the week will be veggie soups and chowders and salads and fresh pickles.
(gotta balance the overload of meat and starch!)

End of last week we had some easy meals of Charcuterie. Fruits and cheeses and other delights...smoked salmon and two salami...ghost pepper and the other smoked cacao. Irish blue, duck liver mouse pate. Arugula and micro green salad.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I've had the urge for bangers and mash, so we had sausages and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and boiled cabbage. It was so good!
User
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Great looking buns and pie Jasdip. And thanks to you I bought some English Bangers and we will have bangers and mash for dinner this week.

Sleevendog, the perfect meal. Especially with your homemade bread.

Ruthanna, I love your ham dinners.

First halibut of the season.

Served on a bed of zucchini.

Grilled Veggies

Grilled a porterhouse steak. Moe got the strip and the tenderloin was mine.

Stracciatella soup with homemade cappelletti.

More sourdough bread.

I made Potato Leek Soup to take for lunch. But Moe had his with toasted sourdough for breakfast.
annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
sleevendog, ghost pepper salami? Now you're talking Elery's language, I'd be afraid to even sample it!

Jasdip, I'd love that dinner, there's not a single thing on that plate that I'd pass up.

Ruthanna, I like the idea of grating the carrots, and is that cranberry relish with the ham? I'd like that....

Ann T, you know that halibut is my favorite fish, that looks delicious. I might pass it up for the potato soup, though. You reminded me that I haven't made potato soup in a long time. I also had to smile, your potatoes look just like my potatoes did tonight! For the first time ever, my food looks like yours. Kind of. (grin)

Here, well, I found a deal on apples. A real deal. One thousand pounds for $20.00. Yeah, LOL, that's not a typo. Actually, they have been in cold storage all winter and are meant for deer bait and livestock feed, all sizes and varieties, and some were soft from being frozen. $20 and a truck, and they loaded a 1,000 pound crate of apples in the pick-up, with the instructions that I could just keep the crate. (grin) I picked out a couple of bushels of the nicest ones and the rest will be fed to the cows and horses. Cheap animal feed for 2 cents a pound, and it makes for some happy cows, LOL.

So, I canned applesauce and made a crockpot full of apples and cranberries to go with pork loin.

We had fried apples for breakfast, with farm eggs and sausage patties. Elery made the biscuits.

Last night we had bean tostadas with homemade yogurt and avocado:

Elery made some cabbage rolls. This picture is a "leftover" dinner of home canned kale, fish bites made from hake and the cabbage rolls. Yeah, a strange combination, but it cleaned out the fridge....

I baked a loaf of James Beards' Buttermilk Bread, which was supposed to make a 9 inch loaf. Yeah, it did, with some left over to rise far over the edges of the pan, but it was good:

Now I have an apple slab cooling on the stove and I made some oatmeal apple cookies. I'm leaning toward making a double batch of apple/walnut/maple scones and freezing them unbaked so I can have them when I'm rushed, which seems to be a lot of the time any more. We'll see if that really happens.

Annie
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
St. Patrick's day was certainly celebrated in style. The Guiness stew sounds great.

Ann, you could make a cookbook with only halibut recipes. I like to see all the different ways you prepare it.

Annie, that's cranberry-apple relish. We always have some type of fruit and/or vegetable relishes like pepper cabbage in the fridge as an extra side dish. I imagine we'll be seeing lots of apples for dinner in the near future.

We had an excellent Lenten fish dinner at a local church on a Friday night. Nowadays, most of the fish dinners have a choice of baked or fried fish.

I made short ribs baked in my bean pot in a sauce featuring star anise and served with baby bok chop and brown rice with grilled shiitake mushrooms and red peppers.

I made a prune cake for teatime treats so instead of the chicken Marbella I'd planned on making, we ended up with a simpler baked sherried chicken dinner.

We are still having our 8 P.M. tea and treat time, although I forget to mention it. One night last week, it was lemon pound cake and one of my favorite teas - Kusmi's Russian Morning #24.
Petunia
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Yum all this food talk is making me hungry. We are having BBQ bacon meatloaf. Just threw it together as we have never had it. Hope it is good.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I'd love your grilled veggies. I can picture a bunch of that on a cabiatta or other sandwich.

Annie you find the best deals!! I'd love the price and be hard-pressed to pass up those apples, then I'd be in a panic wondering what to do with them all! My little worm-workers wouldn't be able to eat them fast enough. Lucky for you to have the pigs and cattle. Cheap feed for them to be sure!

Even though James Beard was obviously wrong, your bread looks great! And does Elery ever know how to make biscuits. Wow.

Ruthanna, your short ribs look perfect.

Tried a new recipe this evening, we should start a New Recipe thread again.
Pioneer Woman makes roasted brussels sprouts with a balsamic reduction, and some dried cranberries tossed in just before serving.

Brussels sprouts were on sale for the first time this year, and we love them, and boy is this recipe a keeper! Pork chops (hubby wanted his plain with spices and I breaded mine) with boiled Yukon Golds. We found out from our Mennonite farmer that because of high temperatures last summer, when we finally got the rain the potatoes grew so fast that there's a hole in the middle. Yup some of the potatoes are brown in the middle with a hole.
Yukons are our favourite.
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I just pigged out and all these great-looking food photos are still making me hungry!

I've been doing a lot of baking and cooking lately but tonight made my absolute favorite meal: sauerbraten w/ noodles, german potato salad, red cabbage, and homemade pumpernickel. No beautiful photo... just a quick pic:
John Liu
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I haven't been doing much cooking, but finally had some time this Sunday afternoon to play around and make something to share.

This is roast sweet potato, roast pears w/ agave syrup, candied walnuts, feta cheese, on baked chard. The drizzle is balsamic vinegar and sugar, reduced to thicken.

This is red and gold beets, carrots, onions, tossed together in a salad. Some of the veg was marinated in simple syrup, some was lightly vinegared.

This is a mushroom pasta. I didn't have any cream, so I pureed the mushroom stems, cooked them in wine and butter, pureed it again, mixed with greek yoghurt and some of the starchy pasta water. Made a reasonable sauce.
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
johnliu, your roasted sweet potato concoction is unlike anything I've seen before. It looks wonderful and sounds like the flavor combinations would work great for me. Did you use a specific recipe/base or totally wing it?
John Liu
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
The sweet potato dish was vaguely inspired by a recipe in the "Jerusalem" cookbook. But I substituted a lot of stuff - pears for figs, etc - and made it simpler.

The process was:
Split sweet potato into long slivers (careful w/ the fingers!), toss in olive oil and kosher salt, roast at 425F.
Slice pears (I used Anjou), toss in agave syrup (but a simple syrup would work, or simply toss in sugar), roast (I did those in the toaster oven, easier to keep an eye on them)
Melt sugar in a pot, mix in walnut halves to coat, spread on a sheet pan then when hard, separate the walnuts (if you let it cool in the pot, you get a solid mass that is hard to work with). I put the candied walnut pieces under the broiler for a minute to get a little charring.
Cut chard into ribbons, toss with oil and salt, put in the oven and roast (not too long, just want them a little bit crisp, not burnt/dried)
Mix 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar to 1 TBSP sugar in a small pot, reduce over medium heat, stop when it is modestly thickened because it will thicken more as it cools.
Arrange with chard on the bottom, then sweet potato and pears, sprinkle with walnuts and some crumbly cheese - feta, goat, etc. Heat the balsamic reduction in microwave and use a spoon or squeeze bottle to drizzle it. A squeeze bottle will be a lot neater.
Coarse pepper if you like that. Should not need additional salt.
If you have dried fruit like dates, cranberries, etc, you can sliver those and sprinkle on - just adds to the salty vs sweet contrast.
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks, johnliu! It's going on my 'to try' list. :)
alex9179
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Basic burgers and fries, which tasted WONDERFUL. I made the buns Haikado Milk Bread style in Kaiser shape and DH grilled the burgers. Frozen fries, but there's only so much time in the day:)
John Liu
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
This is a bad picture of a dish that needs more practice, but I was trying to get something that looked interesting. I can work on the seasoning later.

Purple potato, cubed, simmered in milk, mixed with scrambled eggs. The idea was to get a colorful dish.

Next time, I'll just simmer the potato in salty water or stock. The milk created a scum that had to be laboriously rinsed off the potato, causing some of the cubes to get broken up. And I won't overcook the eggs. Some turmeric in the eggs would give them a deeper yellow color.
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
John, those are some very colorful creations. I think I would like the beets very much. It will be months until we get fresh beets around here.

Alex, good-looking burgers.

PartyMusic, I like the way you prepared your sprouts.

Petunia, how did your meatloaf turn out?

Finally had Chicken Marbella last week, although chicken tenders were on sale so I made it with boneless chicken chunks and adjusted the cooking time. Pasta was a new shape called trofie that we'd never had before.

The weather has warmed up enough that we were going to grill steak one night but a last-minute dinner guest appeared so it morphed into beef stroganoff.

We will be making 600 dozen from-scratch pierogies again this year for our church's summer festival and yesterday we made the first 100 dozen.
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I had an appointment on Wednesday near the shopping center with a Fresh Market. Their store-made stuffed chicken breasts looked tempting so I got two different ones for DH and I to share. Although I followed the baking directions, the zucchini filling on one wasn't cooked enoughand the mozzarella cheese in the one with portobellos leaked out all over the baking pan. The chicken itself was OK though.

Johnliu's beet photo made me purchase costly California yellow beets but we really enjoyed them, along with rainbow chard with chopped Kalamata olives added to it and a roasted potato.

More striped bass coming up for dinner tonight. I am also making an extra-large batch of sloppy joes because my tearoom friends and I are off tomorrow for a day at the Smithsonian and will leave it for spouses' dinners.
annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Wow, Ruthanna, that's a lot of pirogues. I remember that you do it every year, but it always amazes me, the sheer number of those things your group makes. I envy you the trip to the Smithsonian, it's somewhere I'd love to go back to. I got to spend 2 hours there, once, when we took a group of 5th graders to Washington DC for a day. It wasn't enough, but I've never made it back.

johnliu, the potatoes and eggs sound good to me, I grew those purple potatoes one year. I might do it again, the kids thought they were ever so interesting. The sweet potato dish sounds good too but it's the beets that call to me. I love beets.

Alex, sometimes a "simple" burger is just what we need. Since you made the buns, you can be excused for frozen fries, LOL.

Party music, you hit another of my favorites with your cabbage. I like it red, green, cooked, raw, in slaw. I should use it more, I don't know why I don't think of cabbage more often. Maybe because I make most of mine into sauerkraut?

Jasdip, I took a look at your dinner and promptly decided to have Brussels sprouts. (grin) We also had some vegetable paella left over from a few nights ago, a mix of mashed potatoes and celeriac, and BBQ'd chicken, with a homemade sauce using some Habanero Gold.

I made boneless pork chops with some pineapple salsa and baked sweet potatoes:

A batch of beef barley soup with mushrooms:

And the vegetable paella, a mix of snow peas, red peppers, onion, garlic, yellow squash, brown rice, turmeric and I forget what else. It was supposed to have asparagus but Elery's having to deal with a case of gout in his right foot, so no asparagus.

I had a small visitor too. Ashley had her gall bladder removed this week, finally. There have been a couple of years of health issues, hospital visits, specialists fighting with each other, while her primary doc kept saying she needed to have her gall bladder removed. The insurance company refused, of course, but finally relented and so now she feels pretty good, but I spent a day there being nurse and kept Madi with me. She happily ate whole wheat banana pancakes and yogurt for breakfast.

We had other suppers, I'm sure, but I don't remember them and don't have any pictures to remind me, LOL.

Annie
compumom
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Oh Annie, Madi is a little doll! I don't know which of our daughters are keeping the hospital in business-- yours or mine. Whichever, I hope this ends it for Ashley! Most people feel remarkably better after having the gallbladder removed. I hiope all goes well!
Does Madi look like Ashley as a little girl? Her hair color is beautiful!

I cooked a couple of nights this week. DH requested the dijon/parm chicken breasts that Jasdip noted awhile back. I've been making them since the 90's and he missed them. Instead of using fresh ground bread crumbs, I subbed Ian's Panko. He approved and they smelled great!
Tonight we had guests-- luckily I had shopped and prepped last night. The fwy was horrendous on the drive home tonight and really cut into my extra time. I made a spinach salad (thanks Trader Joe's for the washed organic greens) with mushrooms, dried cranberries, spiced chopped pecans and Ice Wine vinaigrette== I picked up Ice Wine vinegar in Niagara on the Lake last summer. I also served roasted veggies-- cauliflower sprinkled with lemon and smoked paprika, yam, and Brussels sprouts. They accompanied Giada's Balsamic Salmon with sugar snap peas and a mixed rice dish. Dessert was homemade chocolate cherry sorbet and store bought vanilla gelato. It was nice to entertain again!
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I made some whole wheat buns and we had some for lunch with a slice of fried ham, egg, tomato and cheese.

I also made oatmeal-carrot muffins.

Annie's baked sweet potato prompted me to pop a couple in while the oven was on, and I did the same thing as I did last time I baked them. They dribbled out and onto the oven liner, and now I have burned caramel blobs.

I must remember that they don't take nearly as long to bake as regular potatoes......at least that's all I can think, when I keep over-baking them to the point that the insides leak out of the holes. Or maybe I don't need to prick them?
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Madi : ) so cute!

WFB
Johnliu's pizza party had me craving a breakfast version.
I'm stuffed and still have half for lunch. The scent woke up the late sleepers...now well fed for yard chores.

Potato, smoked mozz, and onion topped with whole cracked eggs, (broken yolk intentional, : )
Arugula and spicy micro greens...

Potato and onion needs a mandolin to make sure they cook. Needs to be thin enough to read the paper through a slice. I usually caramelize the onions but they cooked fine sliced so thin. Tossed them in some rooster chili sauce and a bit of mustard while the oven heated...gave a nice meaty flavor even though it was a vegetarian pie. (DH thought it had prosciutto)
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Annie, Madi sure looks like she's enjoying her breakfast.

Jasdip, from experience, I can tell you that they do need to be pricked, although they didn't make as much of a mess as the exploding eggplant. LOL. I only bake them about 2/3 of the time as similarly sized white potatoes.

Sleevendog, that is one beautiful breakfast pizza.

One of the butchers had bone-in pork sirloin roasts @ .89/pound so I baked this 4-pounder on a bed of sliced onions and oranges at 275 degrees for about 4 hours. The crust was a rub of minced garlic, powdered ginger and mustard, light brown sugar, and fennel seeds.

It was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Sides were yellow rice and black beans with mango sauce.

I'm making fresh strawberry-streusel muffins tonight to take to day three of pierogi- making tomorrow. I did get to see Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian on Saturday as part of the American History Museum's food exhibit. Many, many copper pots hanging on the wall...
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
These may actually be lunch. :) Did a quick starter batch and color-test of easter eggs this morning... they're hard-boiled and decorated the Polish way. I'll do fancier ones as I have more time!
diinohio
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Those eggs are beautiful party music! Will you share your process for decorating?

While I'm asking, can any one explain or show me how to pipe icing on to cupcakes so they resemble flower petals? I think Annie or Alexa May have posted pictures , they were gorgeous!
Thanks,

Di
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks, Di. I do them the way my Polish grandmother taught me... I use the head of a straight-pin dipped into melted paraffin wax to "draw" each stroke of wax onto the egg. They have a great texture. I push the pin into the eraser on a pencil so that I can hold it like a writing tool. For coloring, I use regular liquid food dye. The dye won't 'take' wherever there is wax. :) Here are some I made this morning with multiple colors. Do you want more detail? I could post on the conversations side...

I just learned that they've come out with a new "drop-pull kistka"... a tool that's fancier to use than a straight-pin. LOL! I just ordered some this morning to try! :)
diinohio
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Yes please, more details. I want to try this for our great nieces and nephews!
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
diinohio, I found a website that explains the process with pictures!

Here is a link that might be useful: How to decorate easter eggs
annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Di, I made the cupcakes that look like roses (kind of). I found a You Tube demonstration but I'm still not great at it.

These were the cupcakes that I made for my stepdaughter's wedding:

I don't know if they were the ones you were thinking of, but if they were I just used a Wilton tip #1M, start at the middle of the cupcake and "circle" out from the center to the edges, if that makes sense.

Annie
Solsthumper
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Haven't checked in for quite a while, and I'm enjoying and craving your creations.
I love it all, including hammy Madison.

Sol
diinohio
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you party music and Annie, exactly what I was asking for. I will post pictures if my attempts are worthy!

To keep on topic this was last Fridays dinner.

https://www.facebook.com/diane.rubydillow/posts/10201741131153875

Di
party_music50
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Annie, I think your cupcakes look fantastic! what are they sprinkled with??? And thank you for posting which decorating tip you use -- I would never have guessed a star-tip! I keep hoping I'll get the perfect occasion to try making one of those rose bouquets.

I made some quick 'greens & beans' last night but tried using kale rather than my usual escarole. I like kale better! :p
diinohio
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks Annie, those cup cakes are so pretty. You guys rock!

Di
annie1992
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thanks, Di! They are actually pretty quick to do after you do a few, I call them the "5 second frosting job". (grin) Even if they aren't perfect, they're fast!

Party-music, I like kale with beans too. Well, I actually like beans and I like kale, so it's kind of a natural combo for me and kale is super easy to grow, so I always have some.

Those little "sprinkles" on top of the cupcakes are something called "pearls", she had a black and white wedding, and regular sprinkle were just too small, so I bought the bigger pearls at one of the hobby stores that have a cake decorating section, probably Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I think they were a Wilton product.

There's another tip you can use too, but I don't know what it is, because I don't remember anything any more. (sigh)

Sol, my friend, I'm so glad to see you check in here again. Yes, Madison is just as "hammy" as Makayla was, a drama queen in the making. Or is that Drama Princess?

Annie
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
PartyMusic, your eggs are beautiful and it's great that you are preserving a family tradition.

Thank you, Jasdip, for a good dinner this week of the baked chicken you described on this thread. That would be a good dish to make for a crowd.

I took the pic another time when I made them but these were the strawberry almond streusel muffin I made four dozen of this week.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ruthanna, your strawberry muffins remind me of the rhubarb ones that I make. I can't wait for rhubarb season!

Your rice with the chicken gave me the urge for rice.
I have the New Best Recipes cookbook by Cooks Illustrated from the library and they say that the best rice isn't the 2:1 ratio that is most often used. They recommend 1 1/2 cups rice to 2 1/2 cups water for nice fluffy, separate rice. I did it for dinner tonite and it was perfect.

Meatballs simmered in a soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, vinegar sauce, with sauteed cabbage, onions and carrots and basmati rice.
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Popovers are a treat, and today was the day!
Baked in a muffin tin......
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
.....and one in all it's glory
Jasdip
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
For dinner we had pan-fried chicken breast, mashed white and sweet potatoes and sauteed green beans and onions with some balsamic drizzled at the end.

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