The What's For Dinner Tonight Chat

[freeatlast]

Well, I didn't think I liked rosemary, but have discovered I do. Go figure. My mother in NC said it grows as a bush. Hum.

Well, even though the rosemary does not come from my herb garden, I am having Lemon Rosemary Chicken. Cooks in 30 mins. at 400 degrees. Coated with olive oil first, then poured juice of one lemon over the chicken, then garlic powder (supposed to be minced garlic, but didn't have any) and finally rosemary.

I'm so tired from the drama today at school. Testing time. Kids are crazy, lol. Do not know what I will have with it yet. Maybe salad. Yes. It's decided.

[lucia]

Ricotta Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Crispy Sage

Yum! I seem to recall seeing a recipe for gluten-free gnocchi somewhere on the board.

Comfort food tonight. And vegetarian too, even though my husband is still away.

-classic tomato soup

-Tinkyada brown rice pasta with broccoli rabe & classic pesto

-marinated black olives

[CarolinaKip]

I'm in the same boat as you, but I got more things to watch: all nuts, but I found sunflower butter that taste like nuts to me and I can manage 2-3 Tbsp. without major problem; kiwi, everything with honey, except clover honey in small amounts (I don't know why- probably pollen is the issue); new thing for me: casein allergy and I forgot something strange: orange aroma, or oil from orange peels, orange zest. All allergens that I have are causing my throat to shut, or uncontrolled cough.

Yesterday I also try to bake cake from potato dough. It was disaster. Dough tasted like burned potato and filling? OMG, yucky! I threw the all cake in garbage.

Even good cook can burn dinner sometimes. :lol:

I'm totally nut free. I am allergic to almonds and Brazil nuts too, so I just stay nut free totally to be safe. I've been wanting to try sunbutter, but was afraid to.

[CarolinaKip]

Ohhhhhhhhh, so you have to watch for those labels that say "may contain traces of tree nuts". I am truly sorry. Reading for gluten & nuts ~~~ must make your eyes cross!

I'm nut free, soy free, tomato free and cannot eat cantaloupe. Of course gluten-free. reading lables have gotten to be second hand now..a norm, however, having to move the lable down a bit to read tiny print isn't! I've been putting off getting glasses.

[squirmingitch]

Get yourself some cheap reading glasses. Available almost anywhere with varying prices. but still cheaper than prescription ones.

[Simona19]

I'm totally nut free. I am allergic to almonds and Brazil nuts too, so I just stay nut free totally to be safe. I've been wanting to try sunbutter, but was afraid to.

I had anaphylactic shock to brazil nuts. Doctors saved me in hospital. At first I tried just very little sample- amount big like sesame seed. I tested it on my tongue. I didn

[sa1937]

Get yourself some cheap reading glasses. Available almost anywhere with varying prices. but still cheaper than prescription ones.

I buy them at Dollar Tree..can't get much cheaper than that and I have extra pairs all over the house.

[ciamarie]

Still away from home, housesitting so do not have all my stuff accessible. I am very limited but am making:

Twice-Stuffed Potatoes with Pancetta and Smoked Gouda

Seared Pork Chop with Pomegranate Reduction

Cucumber Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Your idea of limited makes me look like a total slacker! Of course I also have a tiny kitchen, and an almost as tiny budget. But I like reading, it gives me great ideas! I'm going to be having leftover chicken thigh with rice noodles & green beans. For dessert I'll have a couple of Pamela's ginger snap mini bites. I love those cookies!

[love2travel]

Your idea of limited makes me look like a total slacker! Of course I also have a tiny kitchen, and an almost as tiny budget. But I like reading, it gives me great ideas! I'm going to be having leftover chicken thigh with rice noodles & green beans. For dessert I'll have a couple of Pamela's ginger snap mini bites. I love those cookies!

Tiny kitchens do make a difference - I know. Our kitchen in Croatia is the size of a closet and it stresses me to cook in it. So we do almost all our cooking/grilling/baking outside.

I think you are doing very well in spite of your tiny kitchen!

Oh, and my wording of dinner was unclear. Before I came out here to housesit I made up the potatoes and froze them. So I did not make it here. I am driving back into town tomorrow to do more cooking both for my husband who is in town and for myself to bring back here. It is easier than loading up all my own pots and pans and ingredients though I kind of wish I did because I miss cooking like crazy! I'm doing some but nothing like I would be at home. But it is great to be out here in the country where it is very peaceful and quiet.

[lucia]

There's an article in the NYTimes about the kitchen of Mark Bittman, formerly one of their food writers. I love it because it includes a photo of him standing in his kitchen, which looks like a typical NYC kitchen. Check it out. It might make you feel better, or even inspired!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/mark-bittmans-bad-kitchen/

love2travel, I envy your getaway, even if it is a lot of driving back and forth.

Tonight:

-artichoke, grape tomato, goat cheese fritatta

-roasted potatoes with rosemary

Vegetarian (& easily made dairy-free by leaving out the goat cheese)

[love2travel]

There's an article in the NYTimes about the kitchen of Mark Bittman, formerly one of their food writers. I love it because it includes a photo of him standing in his kitchen, which looks like a typical NYC kitchen. Check it out. It might make you feel better, or even inspired!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/mark-bittmans-bad-kitchen/

love2travel, I envy your getaway, even if it is a lot of driving back and forth.

Tonight:

-artichoke, grape tomato, goat cheese fritatta

-roasted potatoes with rosemary

Vegetarian (& easily made dairy-free by leaving out the goat cheese)

It is a lovely getaway - large log house, stone fireplace - as easy as it gets. And the snow is melting a bit today so it is warm outside!

Mark Bittman is a credible cook and food writer. Thanks for posting the photo - it surely about the same size as our Croatia kitchen! Makes me feel better. Our Canada house's kitchen is gigantic so I am quite spoiled.

Your fritatta sounds delicious! I bet it was.

[love2travel]

OK - am driving home this evening to cook. I will be making comfort food:

James Beard's Homestyle Meatloaf

Roasted Garlic Potato Puree with Caramelized Shallots

White Wine Braised Brussels Sprouts

Caramel Pudding

[lucia]

Caramel Pudding

I got curious, and just now figured out what caramel is, basically almost-burnt sugar (just like the caramelized onions). I never made it before, so until now it was something that showed up in desserts at restaurants or in ice-cream. Sadly, as much as I like the taste of caramel, I don't want to try to make it myself now, since I'm avoiding sugar these days.

I went to the Farmers' Market today:

-gingery carrot pureed soup

-smashed wasabi sweet potatoes (I got clued into 'smashed' v.s. 'mashed' potatoes from reading love2travel's posts)

-stir fried kale with sesame

-vegan kim chee

Vegetarian AND vegan (I use a wasabi-infused oil, instead of butter). Actually, no gluten, egg, dairy, or soy.

Last night's frittata was delicious.

[love2travel]

I got curious, and just now figured out what caramel is, basically almost-burnt sugar (just like the caramelized onions). I never made it before, so until now it was something that showed up in desserts at restaurants or in ice-cream. Sadly, as much as I like the taste of caramel, I don't want to try to make it myself now, since I'm avoiding sugar these days.

I went to the Farmers' Market today:

-gingery carrot pureed soup

-smashed wasabi sweet potatoes (I got clued into 'smashed' v.s. 'mashed' potatoes from reading love2travel's posts)

-stir fried kale with sesame

-vegan kim chee

Vegetarian AND vegan (I use a wasabi-infused oil, instead of butter). Actually, no gluten, egg, dairy, or soy.

Last night's frittata was delicious.

I SHOULD be avoiding sugar and am trying, actually, but once in awhile I make myself some yummy treats. Making caramel is actually fun but if you are not extremely careful, one second it will be golden brown and the next nearly black so you must remove it from the heat at the perfect time. So far I've never had to deal with it burned, thankfully.

Your vegetarian and vegan meal looks gorgeous. I love your wasabi smashed sweet potatoes and gingery carrot soup especially. Heck - the whole thing looks divine! Very impressive. I am really enjoying reading your posts.

[lucia]

-spicy Moroccan tomato soup, with coconut milk & toasted slivered almonds

-maple mustard roasted brussels sprouts

-sauteed polenta rounds

Vegan tonight!

love2travel, I know, it's so hard to avoid sugar I just love to eat too much.

[Lisa]

Ribs with Emeril's Rib Rub

Bush's Baked Beans - doctored up

Fennel and Cucumber Salad

[Marilyn R]

Tonight dinner was modified chicken Brunswick stew. (Modified by adding the last bits of things in the cupboard, like 1/3 a bag of black eyed peas, left out the okra (didn't have any), added extra veggies I had on hand, like kale (also went to the farmers market today, the seller said he picked it last night). Used up a bunch of veggies!

Served it with Papaya Buckwheat muffins and frozen papaya daquiris.

The muffins stole the show. The stew was really good, but the muffins were excellent. My DP and I ate three each, and that's not like us.

I didn't think the stew would freeze well, so BIL and neighbor each ended up with a pint for lunch tomorrow and I still have a quart and a pint leftover. I made it with one chicken breast quarter, bone in, that was on sale and a link of chorizo sausage, casing removed, so it was a pretty thrifty meal.

I have a papaya tree that's producing like crazy. I found out by accident that if you leave a green papaya in your car for two days in the deep south that it will ripen perfectly.

I used to let my yeast rolls raise in the bowl and then on a cookie sheet in the car parked in the sun when it was cold and drafty in the house. My DP used to laugh, but it made the rolls come out perfectly and I din't have to turn the heat on in the house to have good yeast rolls.

[notme]

the youngest was in from spring break at school so she drags all her buddies over here to eat... they don't have a problem with gluten free the operative word here is "free" lolz

chicken fried steak w/gravy

mashed taters

green beans w/mushrooms & cheese

for church youth luncheon:

white bean & sausage soup with kale

egg salad sandwiches (i bring my own on rudi's)

last night:

chicken breast roll-ups w/ham & swiss

mushroom 'gravy'

tinkyada shells w/velveeta (mac & chz)

yellow squash

(the gravy is the progresso cream of mushroom soup the chicken is baked in )

[lucia]

I have a papaya tree that's producing like crazy. I found out by accident that if you leave a green papaya in your car for two days in the deep south that it will ripen perfectly.

Marilyn, where do you live that you have fresh papaya? That's so awesome.

[lucia]

Vegan meal: NOTE - I realized later that this isn't actually vegan. Vegans don't eat eggs. But it is dairy-free.

-garlicky mushroom masala omelet served over brown rice

-stir-fried green cabbage with fennel seeds

Both recipes are from Madhur Jaffrey's "Quick & Easy Indian Cookbook".

[love2travel]

Still out of town but am having homemade pizza made earlier. It has pepperoni and lots and lots of aged cheeses. And some raw cucumber to satisfy my healthy side.

Tomorrow am going home to cook and can't wait. We're having Thai.

[Marilyn R]

Marilyn, where do you live that you have fresh papaya? That's so awesome.

Hi Lucia, I live in south Florida. This is the first year I've tried growing papayas, so I'm pretty excited. The hanging fruit is so big that the tree knocked over. (DP saved it, but says we need to pick some fruit. The tree is propped up with a garage broom and a couple of wood slats. I emptied the compost bin in the spot I planted it in, so maybe that's why we have a papaya fest going on here. The fruit looks like big green footballs.

I read on the web that you should cover the fruit with brown paper lunch bags to allow the fruit to ripen. I decided to give that a whirl but the bags were too small, so I stuck some other (mainly gift and shopping store) bags I've saved up over the fruit. DP took one look at the tree and said "Babe, you've embarrassed that poor tree" I think he was right. That was the night before the tree landed on the a/c unit.

[alex11602]

Tonight is simple pan fried beef, baked potatoes and roasted broccoli. Hope that the husband and kids like the roasted broccoli since none of them have ever had it.

[love2travel]

Thai Sweet and Spicy Shrimp with Rice Cakes (the chewy rice noodle kind) and Spicy Thai Lime Sauce

Stir Fried Vegetables with Toasted Almonds

Strawberries

[Adalaide]

I've been getting more and more adventurous lately and I think I almost enjoy cooking. I certainly enjoy eating! I love how many great ideas everyone shares here, it's really helped me overcome my fear of being a failure at cooking.

Last night I made some cream soup so I could throw together a cheesy chicken rice casserole. It only took about 15 minutes to make the soup and throw everything together. The only thing holding me up was the rice cooker taking it's sweet time. Of course, this was followed by the hour long torture of anticipation while I smelled it baking.

I made extra rice so tonight I think I'll make more fried rice. (If the baby wears me out it'll be leftovers and we'll reschedule fried rice for tomorrow.)