The squash thing, well I peel and cut up a butternut squash, then steam it until almost done, then saute in lots of butter and add brown sugar and pecans, then as it starts to dry out a bit, I add a few sloshes (then a few more) of Jack Daniels. We love it.

I love the inspiration that I get from this thread. It's so nice to know of other people who don't think making dinner is always a chore. Afraid I'm not surrounded by too many willing cooks....lol

No pictures to share -DD took the digital camera off to college in TN and I haven't replaced it as of yet.

Monday's dinner was a new recipe for potato tomato gratin with a side of asparagus and a salad.

Tuesday was a pot roast, mashed potatoes and green beans. It turned out successful thanks to a little help from some CF members!

Last night was a Pasta Puttanesca Bianca with salad and fresh bread. This was another new recipe for me. Got rave reviews from my youngest DD & DH.

Tonight I'm taking it easy at the Back to School picnic. Subs & pizza supplied by someone else...lol

Wow, I have been without a computer for 6 days and in that time you all have really done some fabulous dinners!

I am finally back in the mood for cooking. Found myself in a rut there for a bit....

Last night was Pork Saltimbocca over Creamy Polenta. I really love this dish and it is so quick and easy! Served with peas and delicata squash, it was delish!

{{gwi:1996129}}

Had a craving for chow mein so Chicken Chow Mein is what we had tonight. Don't know why I don't make it more often, we both love it.

{{gwi:1996130}}

I also made a batch of Butter Pecan Ice Cream from my Ben & Jerry's book.....whoa! It's awesome!

Linda

Saraemmasmom, I'm definitely interested in that potato tomato gratin! That sounds awesome. Recipe, please!

Linda, I love saltimbocca - yours looks wonderful, as does your chow mein!

I've been living on sandwiches pretty much this week - working long hours and getting ready for DD to come into town with her family. I did have a chance to cook up some pasta and bake some of AnnT's French bread earlier in the week:

Lori

Saraemmasmom your meals sound so healthy and delish!

I am eating too well. I turned the corner on another decade and I have gained 5 lbs. and can't get rid of it. I eat healthy and low fat, but apparently still too much, with not enough exercise. Well, I have no excuses except that I love food!

Tonight's dinner was huevos rancheros. Typical of my meals, not really photogenic, hash of one sort or another. But that's the kind of things a cheapie vegetarian like me eats, lol! Hence my few posts here.
It was delish though!

There are SO many good looking - and good sounding - meals on this thread! I've been pretty lazy of late, hence my lack of contributing, but last night's dinner was fabulous:

While fighting off the urge to finish all of Chase's chili sauce straight out of the jar, I remembered that Ann said Moe loves it with his Tourtiere. Tourtiere is a recipe I've been eyeing since Ann posted it, so last night Christmas Eve came early. OMG what a wonderful dish. And the sauce was the perfect accompaniment.

Question to Ann: While delicious, mine had absolutely no structure. I pretty much just spooned it onto the plates. Any ideas? One thing I was wondering about were the potatoes. You didn't really say what you did with them; I just diced them. Should I have mashed them and mixed the meat in? Anyway, that's why no picture. ;-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Tourtiere

Last night was a little chilly and since I had not made a while roast chicken in ages, I decided it was time. In looking for a side dish that was a littl eout of the ordinary, I chose the Vidalia Onion Casserole from Sarah Leah Chase's Cold-Weather Cooking and was not disappointed. Along with the roast chicken and onion casserole, there were steamed green beans and spinach salad.

Here is the commentary for the casserole:

"This recipe is inspired by a French preparation known as soubise a slowly cooked blend of onions and rice that is usually served with roasted meats."

I was curious about soubise so I did a little further research. Most of the recipes I found did not include rice and were more of a sweated onion in cheesy bechamel with gruyere being the most common cheese. I combined several of the ideas and did use some rice, but them made the gruyere bechamel with a bit of wine instead of the cup of half and half with cheese. It reminded me a bit of a cheese fondue mixed with parboiled rice and tender onions and was quite tasty. I will post the recipe in the New Recipe Thread for October.

AAH!! Cheesy rice pudding!! Looks yummy!

I winged a cauliflower soup last night. Was very yummy...onions, cauliflower, celery and a carrot in butter and OO....chicken broth big splash of sherry, a fair amount of cheese and about 1/4 cup of half and half....
I think I will puree the leftovers and call it something else....maybe add curry powder.
Linda c

Yum! FOAS- thanks for the reminder! I have had Ann's Tourtiere on my list to try for some time. My English grandmother was NOT a cook but the one dish she made well was one she called a "meat pie". It was very similar to Ann's dish.

Alexa- What LindaC said! I'm definitely looking for that casserole recipe on the other thread.

Lori, I've put a link to the potato & tomato gratin in the New Recipes post.

Lpink - My DD has been a vegetarian for 6 years and even though she's off at college now, the rest of us still try to limit our meat intake. She calls to check up on us...lol!

Tonight my youngest was under the weather with a cold & sore throat. Soooo....chicken soup with noodles for dinner!

FOAS, My guess would be that you didn't reduce the liquid enough. Once the juices are reduced to just a couple of tablespoons I add the cooked potatoes. I just coarsely chop the potato and add it to the meat mixture. The potatoes do help to bind.

But even if the meat spilled out of the pastry when cut, I'm sure that it still tasted good.

Moe would definitely agree with you. His favourite accompaniment to Tortiere is Sharon's chili sauce.

Alexa, that looks sooooooooo goooooood!

We had Beef Stroganoff for dinner tonight.

Ann, the cod was seasoned with a bit of garlic, salt and pepper - paprika and parsley added for the presentation! lol

Oh, and my stroganoff has never looked like yours, just beautiful! My recipe calls for sour cream, does yours? Mine tastes good but looks gloppy compared to yours.

Lorijean, when the cool weather settles in I'm going to try my hand at making bread. Your looks so good. I'll be asking for advice.

I agree, there's been lots of participation lately on WFD.
It's great to see what everyone's been making! And the pictures make it even better.

For some reason, the fish being sold here has been looking really good, and it's wild caught.

Last night was salmon two ways. Lemon pepper, and a mayo,sour cream and dill sauce.

It's a beautiful 85 degree day here, so I grilled black and blue burgers for lunch before heading out to my nephews football game. Yeah Matt, he scored one of three touchdowns for a 3-0 win!

Di

I tried something different tonight.

Crab and Shrimp ball game cakes

" Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack "

Lou’s - Crab and Shrimp cakes

Ingredients
1/3 cup each of chopped Onions, Peppers and Celery, micro waved 2 minutes.
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
2 teasp. Parsley Flakes
1 teasp. Garlic Powder
2 teasp. Parmesan Cheese
1 /2 teasp. Old Bay Seasoning

Mix the first 6 items , add
3 teasp. Mayo
3/4 teasp. Mustard
3/4 cup cooked Shrimp, chopped medium
2 - 6 oz. cans of White Crab Meat
1 large egg , beaten

Mix well and fold in 1 - 2 7/8 oz. bag of Cracker Jack

Made 5 cakes
Placed on Oiled aluminum foil in a cookie tin.
Baked at 350 deg. For 30 minutes,
Basted with butter and baked 10 minutes more.

Left the foil under and cut the around the Crab Cake, with a scissors and froze them for later.

Creamy Italian Dressing made it a sweet and sour taste.

Some may not like this taste ?

Ann - To say we enjoyed the sloppy tourtiere is an understatement. It WILL be what I serve the family on Christmas Eve. Sloppy or otherwise.

Lou, LOL, for "some" reason your recipe is actually making sense. Lyra, you out there? Waddayathink?

Tonight was another CF-inspired recipe that stood out at me the from the moment I first read it. I'm posting to this thread rather than the chowder thread because I feel it clearly warrants the extra exposure. Thanks, Alexa, I made it with shrimp and scallops and I couldn't have been more pleased.

{{gwi:1996139}}

Here is a link that might be useful: See the Jasper White recipe

FOAS that chowder looks wonderful.
Lou, the recipe sounded great until I came across the cracker jack??? Were you serious? That was a unique recipe. They do, however, look very tasty.
Diinohio, I would love black and blue burgers. It must be a recipe that I have missed, but sounds like something I would love.
Ann, your stroganoff looks to die for. We love stroganoff here.
Lorijean, that pasta and bread looks super.
Caliloo, that casserole does look good. I will look for it in the new recipes thread.
Tonight will be macaroni and cheese. Simple, tasty, but definitely not picture quality food. LOL. Course, most of what I cook (although not all of it) might look good, but my camera skills are seriously lacking.
Sherry

Alexa, the onion casserole looks amazing. I have that cookbook - I need to get it out more often!

Thanks, Saraemmasmom, for providing the recipe. I have it bookmarked to make soon!

Ann, the stroganoff looks delicious.

Di, I now have a craving for salmon!

I made a big pot of White Chili last night since my daughter and her friends were over for dinner. Blondie Sundaes for dessert:

Also tried my hand at homemade cheese crackers. They were delicious - really great with a glass of wine:

Lori

My first ever post on the What's For Dinner thread. Bobby Flay's Chicken Tikka Masala. It was good. The family loved it. I haven't decided if it was worth all the work though.

So much good stuff is being posted on WFD!!!

Di, salmon two ways? I'm happy if I get it one way.;-) Do I see some avocado in the background, or what? Avocados are on sale again for a dollar. I grabbed a couple and now I'm thinking of using one with salmon. And what about the black and blue burger? I take it as a burger quickly grilled over white hot heat. Is that what it is? the whole plate looks super tasty.

Lou, that crab cake with shrimp looks exceptionally good. I hadn't thought of putting shrimp in a crab cake. It's a good idea. It would give it some crunch which is lacking in crab meat. Cracker Jacks though, is really novel. I won't knock 'til I've tried it.

Lori, I aspire to someday make a food photo as good as yours. Of course it has to start with great looking food. I want one of those sundaes now, but can't have one. :-( I've never seen a commercially made cheese cracker that looked so appealing as the ones you made.

magic, your first post to WFD? Why have you been holding out on us? It's a good photo. Tell me about the bread. It looks great. Please post more real soon.

Jim

Welcome Magic! Very impressive and yum!

I am finally in the mood to cook again after the oppressively hot summer. I hardly cooked at all for two months! (end of June thru end of Aug).

Caliloo that rice casserole looks so velvety. It's super large on my computer, I wish I could scoop out a real bite!

Lorijean those crackers are like a work of art!

I've been eating good the last couple of days but no photos. Visiting friends in Ithaca NY. Homeade corn chowder with fresh from the farm frozen corn, my friends yummy pasta with cilantro white bean and peanut sauce (hard-core veggie food, delish!), focaccia, great salads, bueberry calafouti, Joy of Cooking waffles, homeade blueberry muffins with fresh from the farm frozen berries (my friends are SO LUCKY, a U-Pick is just minutes from their house and has every yummy fruit and vegetable imaginable). And fresh from the farm cider that was unpasteurized, super yum! And omlettes with homefries and homeade apricot oatmeal bread. Also went out to dinner at a Mediterranean place and I had a salad full of fresh veggies and apple slices with feta, and falafel on the side. Also got some of my BF's spanikopita. My tummy was very happy this weekend! And I had black bean soup waiting for me at home that I made before I left.

I got a peck more of roma tomatoes (just beat a frost up there) at the U-Pick so tomorrow it is tomato basil sauce for canning! Already made a big batch of salsa last week.

AND

I ordered some dried ancho chiles from Penzeys (since I was making an order for some other stuff anyway) so I am one step closer to having all the ingredients for an authentic mole sauce attempt!

No dim sum though, we got around too late Sunday to make it to the restaurant on time. Spent the lunch hour/early afternoon hiking, boy was it beautiful!

Jim

jimster - the photo is making me dizzy! Are those long beans?

Teresa

FOAS, great looking soup. So creamy.

Lori, I've made crackers before but they didn't look nearly as good as yours. Definitely going to give that recipe a try.

I have your recipe for the chili, but not for the dessert. Would you please share your Blondie recipe.

Magic, What a great first post to the WFD. Your Chicken Tikka Masala looks like it came from a high end Indian restaurant.

Lpink, I thought that you had been cooking for your BF all summer. You certainly did eat well the last few days.

We had Hoopysmom's Parmesan Crusted Halibut for dinner tonight.

Fish and Chips

Well Ann T it's like this . . . during the summer I cooked an occasional weekend special meal for BF, but we just spent weekends together. Now we miss each other too much during the week so he comes over and I've started having to do the nightly dinner on the table kind of cooking--lots different!! At least for me, not you of course, lol! :) BTW, that halibut looks like a little piece of heavan to me!

I know, we are so lovey dovey it is nauseating! :) And BF helps and I go to his house for dinner sometimes too!

LPink, nothing wrong with lovey dovey. I'm really happy for you.

Ann

Wow, Lori, those crackers look amazing! I've never tried making crackers, maybe I'll have to now.

I'll never lose any weight if I keep reading this thread! So many great looking meals/dishes here!

We have been breaking records for great October weather here, it's just lovely. Last night we grilled, a porterhouse for Tim and a filet of Alaskan wild caught salmon for me. I made a potato souffle from a little French cookbook that I have, but it was only OK. Nothing I would make again, although it looked pretty!

Not sure what will be on the table tonight. Maybe I'll take my inspiration from something I see here.

Linda

My daughter and her family came over last night to see the new puppy and we grilled brats and I had some "cheater baked beans" and sweet and sour red cabbage and an apple summer torte. No pictures except for Dan with the puppy, Pat with the puppy, Becky with the puppy and lots with the puppy alone.

I am hooked on that summer torte....it's different every time....I began the summer with frozen raspberries and went on to strawberries, peaches blue berries a mixture of peaches and raspberries and now apple....it all works!
Thanks to whoever posted it!
Linda C

"Are those long beans?"

Very good, Teresa! I didn't think anyone would identify them so quickly, if at all. They are Chinese Red Noodle beans, a variety of long beans. I've photographed them twice and both times they appeared dead black in the photos. Actually, they are a very dark red, similar to the color of a dark cherry. The ones in this photo are the last of the season and are very small. Earlier ones were 3/8" in diameter and 18" long.

In case it isn't obvious, the dish was intended as a faux version of the work of you-know-who, just to see if I could do it. I don't consider it very successful, but it was fun trying. It has cold, marinated asparagus, hard boiled eggs, oil cured olives, sopressata and, hidden underneath, rice salad. It tasted better than it looks.

Ann, stil getting halibut, eh? It looks delicious. We seldom see halibut on the east coast. Once upon a time there were giant halibut here, weighing hundreds of pounds. They disappeared many years ago.

Jim

Jim,

It's so good at resembling his plating, I assumed that's who it was until I looked closer. I did think it was beautifully done. I'm not a modern art lover, so you two don't hit the same nerve as say LoriJean or Alexa or Sol, who cause a homey-yet-classical feel. Nonethelss, both of you have great depth in your manner. I love both yours and you-know-who's very much.

Jim, that dinner looks vaguely Kandinsky-esque!
Those beans sound wonderful and look delish. Wish I had enough space and energy to grow them!

lpink,

They are pole beans, so maybe you have room for some. Maybe BF would put up a trellis for you. They are eye-catching hanging from the vines and they are productive.

Kandinsky! You're putting me in some pretty good company! I was thinking maybe Jackson Pollock. :-)

Jim

LOL Jim, I was thinking you-know-who the second I saw those pictures!

Lori - Those cheese crackers look perfect! Thanks, Ann, for the link.

Ann - I really try not to look at the fried food pictures, but that Halibut...!!!

Lpink - I gotta say, I'm really enjoying watching what having a new boyfriend has done for your cooking!

Prime Sirloin is on sale this week, so I got a nice 1.5" thick 3+ pounder which I'll stretch over a few days. Last night I grilled up about 2/3s of it, ate a bunch and saved a bit for a steak salad tonight. The remainder will become a roasted beef, mushroom and barley soup that's in the current issue of Everyday Food.

FOAS, I just brown the fish on both sides and then finish it in a hot oven.

Ann

Linda, Pork Saltimbocca and Chicken chow main, how international. The pictures may be small, I bet the tastes were big.

Lori, pasta with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts is the way I have been treating myself when I want pasta. But yours look a lot better than mine. I cannot believe those cheese crackers are your first try.

lpinkmountain, huevos rancheros! You are the maestro of the vegetarian domain.

Caliloo, as anyone can see, the Vidalia Onion Casserole is done to beyond perfection.

Ann, your Beef Stroganoff is so beef-utiful, it really should be on the cover of a magazine. I have been reading on the perfect way to make fries, your chips personifies the ultimate ideal.

diinohio, your salmon and burger both are “touchdowns”.

Lou, you are the “crackerJack” of crab cakes. Who would think of adding shrimps, Cracker Jack?

FOAS, that shrimp and scallops chowder! I bet you didn’t have to wash the soup bowl afterwards. It probably was completely licked clean.

magic_az, Chicken Tikka Masala is your first post on WFD? We have been deprived of your wonderful cooking all these time?

Jim, nothing was said by you about your dish in your first post. Interestingly, nothing needed to be said. The wonderful plating, imaginative, and natural in composition tells me that the food was lovingly and expertly crafted by a master, and the anticipation of a delicious meal offered to the palate will not be disappointed.
You said, “It has cold, marinated asparagus, hard boiled eggs, oil cured olives, sopressata and, hidden underneath, rice salad.”
By your judicious juxtaposition of these typically unrelated and, I might add, somewhat lackluster ingredients, the dish all of a sudden, undergoes a Cinderella transformation, and the dish says, “Hey, I look good, eat me!” and you said, ”It tasted better than it looks.”

dcarch

dcarch,

You are too kind, with such nice words about my attempt at imitating your unique creations. I'm afraid I succeeded mostly on the superficial level. That was easiest and gave me some insight into what you do, which was a learning experience for me. As an exercise, I recommend anyone to copy something they admire.

The part which is missing from my dish is an elegant ingredient or two. As you correctly pointed out, my ingredients were lackluster. Everything except the long beans was stuff I already had in the fridge, i.e. Pulled Out Of Refrigerator. Check out that acronym. :-) The skinny little beans were a last minute addition from the garden. Without them, it would have been a visual flop.

If there is anything important my dish shares with yours it would be FUN. I hope it provided some.

Jim

LindaC, I think that recipe came originally from jojoco, I've made it several times with various fruits and like it a lot.

Annie

Thanks, Annie....and Jojoco!! It's so simple and so good!!

Another "get it on the table fast" dinner last night, even though BF was not here. I made orrichiette con i broccoli from my new little gem of a cookbook "Italian Kitchen" by Anna del Conte. I have to say it was good but nothing exceptional about the imported expensive pasta I made it with. I have a hard time finding orrichiette on a regular basis and they were featuring some imported stuff at Wegmans for 3.50/lb so I got it. Then I later saw another brand at Giant for 1.50/lb. Not as fancy though. This stuff was yellower and had ribs pressed into it so it looked hand made, lol! The broccoli was frozen so probably not as zippy as fresh broccoli would have been. I also did not have any fancy peccorino romano cheese, just a jar of mixed italian sprinkling cheese, which I think does include cows milk romano. If I make it again I'll probably add a splash of white wine and some spinach for a little more zing. Would be good with italian marinated tofu, or white beans or chicken too, if I had needed the extra protein, which I didn't since I had bean and fake meat chili for lunch.

Dcarch:
Thanks for your Cracker Jack comment. I wanted to add to the Thread but hit the wrong button again.

If some one didn't like the Cracker Jacks, sub a cup of Rice Krispies instead.
Lou

PS:
What's with the " You Know Who " we all know who you is???

Lou, it's dcarch that Jim is "imitating" very well. No worries. I can't see that cracker jacks in crab cakes are so completely different than corn flakes on chicekn, except, that there is more sugar. Were they really sweet? I would think so. I can't imagine that part of it. Of course, how does one tell if a crab dish is "sweet"? Buttery sweet to begin with. Mmm.

I had steamed and buttered broccoli, rice pilaf, and grilled shrimp skewers for dinner. It was my boy's birthday day. It's really hard to eat out as it is just so substandard to what could be had at home.

;)

Lou, I can't explain why I referred to him as "you know who" except that it seemed right at the time. I guess I wanted the pic to speak for itself.

Lpink, if those pics are any indication of how your new "get it on the table fast" dinners, you need to make no apologies. It looks like good eating to me.

Jim

My mouth is watering! Everything looks so good! Two nights ago I did Chicken Marsala, which was wonderful, with a pasta and some glazed carrots. Yummy. Last night was prok fried rice with mushrooms and peas...another favorite. Tonight is a simple shepherd's pie. Not my favorite, but DH loves it.

LPink, your pasta with broccoli works for me. Looks delicious.

Sherry, I'd be happy with with all three of your meals. Minus the carrots of course.

Rob, Sounds like a wonderful birthday dinner.

I grilled a small prime rib for dinner last night. Just big enough for two.

Served with roasted potatoes, steamed carrots and fresh green beans.

Ann, is that a CARROT I see? Gasp.

I made roasted chicken breast with a sauce from butter, lemon pepper and oregano and lemon juice. Recipe from "Prevention" magazine. Served that and the last of the orrichiette to BF along with chopped salad. "What is this pasta called again?" he asked. "Orrichiette, it means 'little ears' in Italian." His reply, "They look like little rolled up condoms to me." I will never feel quite the same about orrichiette.

Lpink, what did you expect? The recipe came from "Prevention" magazine.

jojoco, that was funny!
Ann, at first I thought your roasted potato was a lovely brown dinner roll. How the heck do you get it to come out so lovely and brown. When I roast potatoes they do NOT look that good.

lol jojoco!

Good one Jo.

Eileen, everyone knows that was Moe's plate. LOL!!

Sherry, I always par boil russet potatoes just enough to soften the outer surface. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pan , on the burner and give them a shake. This roughs up the surface. Preheat a roasting pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and after roughing up the potatoes place in the hot pan, turn to coat with the oil and roast until golden. Turn a few times for even browning.

Ann

Sorry to bring this back up, but this is where the comment is that got me into trouble...

Did you ever have a "cooking forum" moment? Mine came last Saturday. I was in our ethnic aisle innocently looking for coconut oil, when I reached the Italian section. Scanning the shelves, I notice the orrichiette and had the conversation Lpink had with her BF. I totally agree with the BF. I just stood there laughing thinking they do, they do look like it! There I was, trying my darndest to regain my composure, as I realized I must've looked like a loon in the middle of the store giggling to myself. You know how when you try to stifle a laugh at an inappropriate time and it just gets worse? Yep. I knew I had to get out of there fast or risk looking ridiculous, but walking towards the register, I glanced up and saw this:
{{gwi:1996152}}
That was it, it was over, composure was not going to return. I burst into roarious laughter, tears streaming down my face. I had to hang my head in shame as I trotted out the door. Thanks L! It was fun.

Oh, and I had pork stew for dinner last night. There, it's about food now.

Not fair...probaly won't take my comment....but for sure I would have bought that Heinz can!

Sorry I ruined orrichiette for everyone! I really debated on whether that was an appropriate post or not. Interesting legends and lore on how "spotted dick" got its name. Not a bad dish but I would have a hard time eating or serving it. Well, eating it with a straight face. Oh dear, I just seem to be getting myself into more and more trouble here . . . I may have to take a time out!!