I have chicken tenders & salsa in the crockpot - that's it, a package of chicken tenders and as much of your chosen salsa as looks good for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. Shred the meat (it almost is already), serve it on tortillas as is or with tomatoes, onions, cheese, whatever. A veggie is a good addition; I have a zucchini.

I, too, have been tired of the same old stuff. This is a recipe my daughter found somewhere and shared. Enjoy!

Ha...we are having pasta and sauce and a salad. I bought some dipping oil and sundried tomato pesto...all de lallo on sale at Winn Dixie and we have been enjoying these 2x this week....lest you think we are only opening jars...here is what the oil and the pesto are going on....Vermont Sourdough !

{{gwi:1504575}}

Time to start posting soups and stews I guess. We are having freezing temps for the next 3 nights . Yikes...this is the South ! c

Oh my gosh!! Your bread looks delicious as usual. We had Bobby Flay's chinese chicken salad without the chicken - read food network. It was pretty good.
My other favorite lately has been Ina Garten's chicken and bisquits - yummy but full of fat, true to Ina's cooking - total comfort food.

I fixed PaulaD mac n cheese, steamed broccoli, tube steaks and peaches. But I'd much rather have that sourdough bread especially on a beautiful soapstone counter! I don't mind cooking, I just can't think of interesting meals that would suit someone's limited tastebuds.

It's Friday...So pizza at our house, of course. :-)

3 dinners from earlier in the week, include 2 that are in the same vein as mentioned by Trailrunner: One was spinach ravioli (fresh, but from Costco) with homemade sauce, a big salad, and sourdough bread (though not homemade and beautiful like C's). The 2nd was a soup/chowder: Cheese, broccoli, green beans, with a little bit of shrimp, and (purists, don't look) imitation crab. To make the 'cream base' less rich and fatty, it was mostly of chicken and clam broths, with only 1 can of evaporated milk and a handful of shredded cheddar. The 3rd was chicken pot pie that some of you probably already saw on my oven thread.

Lucypwd,
I don't know if this will be of any help, but when I felt I was having trouble coming up with ideas for dinner, I set up a weekly schedule that gave me parameters within to work. I have been planning to go back to it, so I can plan better and be more creative, but within a limited area, which seems to help. On Monday was soups/stews, Tuesday was some sort of main dish salad (chicken Caesar, taco salad, etc.), Wednesday was the wild card night...maybe something like meatloaf or spaghetti, maybe waffles... whatever suited my mood and energy level, or whatever one of the kids had a yearning for. Thursday was chicken cooked in enchilada sauce served over Mexican rice and refried beans (not-so-attractively called 'chicken slop' by my kids, but one of their absolute favorites). Friday, pizza. Saturday chili, nachos, or sandwiches. Sunday was another wild card...Roast chicken, stir fry, or something barbecued were frequent Sunday dinners.

I didn't adhere to it in a way that made me feel bound. Sometimes I swapped nights or did things like had enchiladas instead of the rice and beans...Similar theme or ingredients, but changing it up a bit.

I tried mapping out meals for the month ahead, but this more flexible schedule worked better for me, and the kids liked to have an idea of what was coming that night. It also helped me when deciding which kid(s) got which night of dishes on the chore chart.

Sorry I'm no help, just started my veggie egg white omelet diet because I put on so much weight during remodel. Today was onion, beets and carrot egg white omelet with veggie stock fresh ginger and nutmeg. I cheated and had a diet chocolet ice cream bar. Tomorrow is Mediterranean egg white omelet with golden rasins and toasted almonds and I forget...have to look it up. Costco was great during remodel for prepared foods and I love that crab dip with naked pita chips & costco prepared couscous (add an extra squeeze of lemon).

Last night was chicken stir-fry with pea pods, carrots, zucchini, green pepper, and asparagus over rice, tonight was shepherds pie (a recipe off the internet - mmmm) and tomorrow night is chicken with mushroom sauce with asparagus risotto.

I've been making a lot of meatballs, both beef and chicken. As I mentioned in another thread, I found out that I can taste the stale if I use staled bread to make breadcrumbs, but I have still been using the heels. Whole grain bread or matzah makes the best crumbs. Each time they're different. Sometimes meatballs marinara with Italian seasoning. Sometimes plain. Once sweet and sour with a traditional recipe which I'll never make again.

I've also been doing a lot of braises, also both beef and chicken. One great one was a spatchcocked chicken (Caroline's word for butterflied, i.e., with the backbone removed and flattened). I seasoned the bird with garlic pepper, sliced shallots and peeled peaches, and put some in the bottom of the pan with some basil leaves, chicken on top of that with a good dollop of D'Oni What's Goin' On, soy, pear, ginger Korean teriyaki sauce, more peach slices and basil on top. I was worried that I'd overdone the mix of flavors, but it came out really, really well. I've also used peaches and onions with braised brisket and that was great too.

Leftover beef becomes burritos for the freezer. Leftover chicken gets cut into pasta or rice with vegetables. Tonight was dairy-veggie, however. DeBole's whole wheat spaghetti with a quick sauce. Sauted chopped onion and garlic in olive oil, added some roma tomatoes, basil leaves, seasoning, extra pepper, dried herbs, a can of tomato paste, a can of Madeira wine, and a pinch of sugar. Finished with grated asiago cheese.

With leftover brown rice: Saute minced garlic in olive oil, add diced leftover chicken. Put the rice in another pot with with Marsala wine, and grated 3 cheese blend (parm, romano, asiago)--just a little for the flavor, not enough to be sticky and cheesy. Serve piping hot with the chicken on top, with tomatoes and whatever vegetables are hanging around.

Whenever I get really bored I make a frittata or a custard (quiche). Whenever I have time I make a bunch of salads and vegetable dishes. Lebanese eggplant is an actual recipe can be a main dish if you dress it with feta. Steamed vegetable salad is always a hit. Japanese cucumber salad is great with rice wine vinegar dressing, or Greek style with yoghurt, onions and dill. Carrot souffle. Turnip chip nachos.

And it's getting to be soup and stew weather. Butternut squash soup is simple to make and very satisfying. Pea soup gets better and better as it sits. Minestrone is a great excuse to clean out the refrigerator. A big pot of pinto beans gives you a base for many meals, or something to freeze for when you're stuck.

Tonight, it was dinner at the local Mexican joint. Heck, it's Friday! But tomorrow: stew! It will go in the crock pot in the morning. Just a McCormick's stew mix, some cut up stew meat, slice some potatoes, and a can each of corn, green beans and diced tomatoes. Tasty and expeditious!

In the morning DH will make us a breakfast quiche. Well, it's barely a quiche because I like the "stuff" more than I like the eggs. He just uses puff pastry from the store and then adds ham, cheese and black olives to about three eggs. Yummy!

I want some of trailruner's bread!!

I have some slow-roast pork belly planned for Sunday. Tomorrow I'm going to try my hand at a chili coconut-curry seafood stew. I'm thinking mussels, shrimp, and scallops.

The pork belly isn't especially pretty, but the seafood stew/chili thing might make for a good photo op.

Stuff we've had at my house in the last couple weeks, that might be fun to make
- Albondigas soup
- Clam chowder soup
- Avogolemono soup
(yes, been on a soup thing)
- Coq au vin (quick version)
- Shao mai (Chinese pork dumplings)
- Chicken, ginger, snap peas, candied walnut stirfry
- Deep fried shrimp dumplings
- Braised short ribs
- Broiled pork w/ hoisin-soy-honey glaze
- Sticky rice and chicken wraps
- Carrot-tomato sauce over spaghetti squash ''noodles''

puppeez: you CAN have some :) If you are interested in making sourdough let me know. The Fresh Loaf is a great place to hang out and learn all you need to know.

Oh rhome ! Those potpies look GREAT . It has been ages since I made some. You have inspired me. It is so hard to get used to cooking for 2 ...sigh.

byron: that sounds so yum..we love stir-fry.

plllog: that chicken sounds great ! What is the D'oni sauce ? I have never heard of it. You need to have some sour dough to go with the soups and stews ! I am doing the butternut tomorrow.

jakabedy: I want the quiche !!

chief: hope you will post pics and recipe ...love your posts. c

C, bottled spice blends and sauces are my little addiction. I can cook perfectly well from scratch scratch, but love interesting concoctions (though there's only one bottled salad dressing I can eat repeatedly). D'Oni make wonderful stuff. My very favorite is Bold As Love honey habanero mustard. I bought a sampler recently and just tried the What's Goin' On.

{{gwi:1980235}}

We don't eat bread with dinner, but yours sure does look good! I'm backed up with projects, but making sourdough per your instructions is on the list!

We made Alton Brown's Shrimp Gumbo, with a baked-in-the-oven roux. Curbed the smoke and oil curtain issues. Truly delicious. I highly recommend it.

jterrilynn, I got fluffier too with the stress of a reno! I think I am on a similar diet plan. However, I had split pea soup last night. Trailrunner is right....soups and stews! The bread and rhome's pot pies look scrumptious!

I made a chicken curry with carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes last night with coconut rice. The last recipe I posted on my blog was for Stuffed Acorn Squash. I love squash in autumn. I also love having lots of crock pot type stews when there's a chill in the air.

doonie, the term "fluffier" gave me the giggles. I think that's how I'm going to refer to my current physique.

What a treat to wake up and see all your posts!! I love it.
plllog - I forgot about spatchcocked chicken - I'll add it back in the rotation

Johnliu - can you point me to your recipes? They sound great, especially albondigas soup and Shai mai dumplings - What is Avogolemondo soup?

Speaking of gumbo, I recently made Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya - from food network - barefoot contessa episode- read the comments because I think there was an error in the rice to liquid ratio that the commenters pick up - perfectly easy to make - requires a fair amount of chopping - but very good - says it serves 6-8 but actually could feed a small army. We fed 8 with tons of left overs.

laxsupermom - do you have little laxers at home? I'll check out your blog!!

Doonie, ha "fluffier" yep that's a good way to put it...sounds almost lighter (like a cloud) hehehe. I made Paula Deans recipe for macaroni & cheese for the boys and some meatballs. I told husband I was going on a diet and he came home with the biggest party pack of sliced cheese varities from Costco you have every seen he your life. Sometimes I think he wants me very fluffy. I did sneak a bite or two of the macaroni, yum! Guess I'd better go and make my daliy egg white omelet before I dig into the cheese again. You can lose five lbs a week on the egg white omelett diet.

lucypwd, I have 2 laxers at home. The little one only plays lacrosse in the spring. DS1 plays year round. We had a 2 1/2week break between the end of travel and the start of box(indoor.) He's playing Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday for box lacrosse and wrestling for school this winter. DS2 is taking the winter off. Lots of evenings on the go also translate to lots of crock pot meals or I'll do a roast low and slow and have it ready for when we get back in.

''Johnliu - can you point me to your recipes? They sound great, especially albondigas soup and Shai mai dumplings - What is Avogolemondo soup?''

Avgolemono soup (note I misspelled it the first time) is a Greek soup, a lemon-egg-chicken stock with rice-shaped pasta. Very simple and yummy unless you hate lemons. How to make:
- Heat 6-7 cups of chicken stock to boiling. Add 8-16 oz package of orzo, which is a pasta shaped like large rice grains, 8 oz gives you a thinner soup, 16 oz gives you a thick stew-like consistency. Cook orzo to al dente. Whisk a few TBSP flour into a cup of water or some cool stock that you reserved, mix into the soup, simmer a bit longer. Heat off.
- Beat 2-3 eggs in a bowl, ladle 3 cups of the hot stock (preferably without too much orzo, but a little won't matter) into a manageable container, pour that stock slowly into the eggs while whisking, don't curdle the eggs. Return the egg-stock mixture back to the pot. Add juice from 2-3 lemons and pepper to taste. Garnish with something green - mint, parsley, etc. Optionally, include some shredded chicken.
- In a pinch, you can substitute white rice for the orzo, but in that case use 1/4 the volume since rice expands so much and absorbs so much liquid.

Albondigas (Mexican meatball) soup:
- Make broth from beef or chicken stock, a couple of diced carrots, a few peeled and diced tomatoes, and whatever other veg you like - onions, celery, bell peppers, cabbage, etc. However, don't put the delicate, fast-cooking stuff (e.g. tomatoes) in the broth just yet. Some basil and oregano are nice. Salt and pepper. Add as much heat and spice as you like - chili powder, red pepper flakes, a minced hot chili or two. Bring the broth to boil, reduce to simmer.
- Now make meatballs. Start with 1-2 lbs ground pork and/or beef. I'm not a fan of store-bought ground meat - better to buy cuts, trim off the biggest fat caps and gristly ends, and grind yourself. If using a food processor, cut meat into cubes and pulse several times, stop when the meat is still chunky - don't make pate. Take the biggest pieces you trimmed off the meat and add to the simmering broth - just for flavour, you won't eat them. To the ground meat, add some garlic, a medium onion, a shredded slice of bread, an egg, a splish of milk, salt and pepper, and make smallish meatballs. Brown the meatballs in plenty of oil.
- Turn up the heat on the broth, add the meatballs, and simmer until they are cooked, or longer. The meatballs will probably be cooked in 10 min, but simmering them in the broth for 30 min will richen the broth's flavour. A few minutes before serving, fish out the meat trimmings. Add the reserved veg and turn up the heat a bit - by waiting until now, you avoid cooking these veggies to mush. Garnish with pretty greenry - cilantro, parsley, etc.

Above are cut-pastes from a ''soup'' thread on Cooking Forum. I've been over there a lot recently, it is a good place to get ideas, answers, inspiration, etc.

As for shao mai, various ways to make it but what I do:
- Make filling from 1 lb ground pork (comments above about home-grinding apply), 1/2 lb peeled/deveined shrimp, a few mushrooms, 1 TBSP soy sauce, 1 TBSP rice wine (or sherry), 1 TBSP rice vinegar (or 1/3 TBSP white vinegar), 2 tsp sugar, 1 TBSP grated or chopped ginger, 2 TBSP chopped green onions, 1 TBSP cornstarch. Combine all in food processor, only a few short pulses, you want texture not mush. Then mix in salt and pepper to taste. I don't have a problem tasting the filling, raw pork and all, but you can default to 1/2 tsp each.
- The pork should have a lot of fat, like an untrimmed shoulder cut. Or you can add lard. Or (healthy alternative) 1 packet of unflavored gelatin, mixed with the soy sauce or with a little stock. The idea is to get a juicy dumpling. If you just make the filling above with lean pork, the shao mai will be dry.
- You need dumpling wrappers, sometimes called gyoza wrappers. Most grocery stores have them, round is preferable but square will do. Put a wrapper on the worksurface, place a small amount (like, 1'' in diameter) of filling on the wrapper, brush water around the edge of the wrapper, make 6-10 pinches on the edge (so it sort of looks like a starburst), bring the edges up to make the sides of the shao mai, fold the pinches flat against the sides. It is a squatty cylinder with an open top. Pinch the middle to make the middle a bit narrower than the top or bottom, while pushing down on the exposed filling on top. This helps to shape and firm the shao mai, don't want a saggy, pear-shaped shao mai (or anything else). Put something pretty on top, like minced red bell pepper, more chopped green onions, grated carrot, etc.
- Put in a steamer, which you can improvise from a colander sitting in a deep pot. Wipe the bottom of the steamer with oil (or Pam, or lettuce leaves) to prevent sticking. Steam for 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with some sort of dipping sauce. Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, whatever.
- Here is a picture I lifted off the web, this is not a particularly well-made shao mai but resembles one's first efforts. Google and you'll find plenty of pretty shao mai pics. {{gwi:1980234}}

Here is a link that might be useful: CF Soup Thread

See, that's the thing - the little laxers need to be fed - girl play lax too! We have fall and winter leagues as well as indoor.

Fortunately for me they will try just about any food and really aren't picky.

DH just made a spanish tortilla--eggs, potatoes and onions. So simple, and yet so so yummy!

For those of us without kitchens, stoves, cooktops...this thread is so mean! Hahaha (JK)...I'm so hungry and I want a homecooked meal. Time for a trip to Grandma's house!

PS. I appreciate the ideas for future use (3 weeks...cross my fingers!)

Last night was lime & chipoltle talapia with red skins and braised green beans. Tonight is grilled sirloin steak (with some kind of rub--haven't decided which one to use yet), baked potatoes, and spinach salad. Tomorrow is a pork sirloin roast in crockpot with apples & sauerkraut, onions, potatoes, & carrots.

The last couple of weeks have included beef stew (in pressure cooker), pork green chile, ginger chicken stir fry, salmon, and beef & barley soup.

DH just returned from a conference in New Orleans and brought me a signed copy of "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen," so I'll be trying out some of those recipes soon. Chef Prudhomme catered the opening night reception and DH said the gumbo was the best he ever had.

Oh, almost forgot, I don't make desserts very often, but I'm going to make a Wacky Cake tonight (only 3/4 c. sugar in it). Recipe is from my "America's Best Lost Recipes" cookbook. I've never tried the Wacky Cake before but it sounds good (essentially a chocolate snack cake).

flwrs, I chuckled when I saw your reference to a "Wacky Cake." I was fairly sure it was the same Depression cake or cake pan cake recipe that I've made from the King Arthur flour site, and it is (more or less). Our teenager loves it, and I feel virtuous making him a relatively healthy cake like that. I use white whole wheat flour and also espresso powder for flavoring. If it's made for adults, I use the alternative where cold coffee is substituted for water in the recipe. It's a big hit at our house and very easy to make.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cake pan cake recipe

I'm becoming fluffier AFTER the remodel. During, I was scurring all the time. Now I'm playing in the kitchen all the time.

Reporting back to say that my seafood stew thing came out fantastic. No mussels in sight at Whole Foods, but I was able to get sea scallops, shrimp, and king crab legs. Somehow I managed to forget a key ingredient for chili coconut curry... I forgot the chili peppers!

I turned it into a Thai coconut red-curry broth with lemongrass and fresh corn instead.

With my usual callous disregard for ethnically consistent combinations, I made some toast with a baguette to go with it. The bread is pan-fried in truffle oil and finished with balsamic cream.

Chefneil, that looks great, but even moreso I admire your "usual callous disregard for ethnically consistent combinations"!! Where I come from that is the norm, but I've gotten smacked on GW (not Kitchens) for thinking it's a good thing. I'm glad I'm not alone!! (And my Amaretto Udon were fantastic--so there!)

Oh! And your photos look scrumptious too!

Chief I always love to hear what you are cookin' ! We are in a similar part of the country as far as cooking choices. Yours looks FANTASTIC !

Made a curried butternut squash soup with apples and garnished with yogurt and SWAD coriander chutney. Also made my potato curry and had my homemade peach chutney with that. Tonight I added tomato rice seasoned with mustard seeds and garam masala. DH is making his uttapams tonight and they will ferment and we will have those added to the above tomorrow.

This the problem with only 2 mouths to feed LOL. So we have a progressive Indian dinner...add a new dish each night and have leftovers with it. Luckily as I am sure you know the curries get better with time.

If you haven't tried the SWAD coriander chutney you MUST do so. It is simply wonderful. Do not like any other flavor but the bright green and spice of it are really lovely additions and the taste...ooohh.

Mushroom barley soup tonight. Some homemade chicken stock, black and cremini mushrooms, onion, celery, carrots, a tomato, pearl barley, some chicken, herbs, bay leaves, garlic. I think it helps to roast or brown as much of the ingredients as possible, before adding them to the soup, and use stock to deglaze the pan before pouring it back into the soup.

Also have some sliced flank steak marinating overnight, to become beef jerky. Hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, BBQ sauce, and sugar. It's going into the dehydrator tomorrow.

Also some roasted, peeled, and sliced beets, marinating in mirin. For breakfast. Beets and sardines, the perfect breakfast.

Cook's nibbles were the raw trimmings from the flank steak, dipped in soy sauce. Raw beef is yummy. Hope I'm not putting anyone off their feed.

Stei7141, the cookbook gives a background explanation for each recipe. It says Wacky Cake was developed during WWI & WWII when eggs, sugar, & milk were rationed. Therefore it doesn't use any eggs or milk and only 3/4c sugar which is great for us because all of our kids are diabetic (Type I). This way they can have a treat and (hopefully) their blood sugars don't go completely crazy. Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to make the cake yet (life got in the way). Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Good to know your family likes it--definitely on my schedule for tomorrow!

chiefneil, that looks so good! I love the crossing of ethnic styles. I do that all the time in my kitchen. johnliu, we don't eat barley in this house(gluten-free,) but that sounds wonderful. I'll try a variation with quinoa.