What's for Dinner?

[sour_grapes]

For lunch, I made something halfway between a salade Niçoise and a salade Lyonnaise (perhaps I could call it a salade Avignonnaise?? ): a bed of arugula, with fried potatoes, olives, crumbled bacon, capers, parsley, cheese, dressed in an herby vinaigrette, and all topped off with a couple of poached eggs. It was really nice.

For dinner, SWMBO made a shaved asparagus dish with lime juice and cayenne pepper, and I provided risotto, sauteed/braised curly endive with garlic, and a couple of lamb rib chops that I marinated for hours in olive oil, thyme, and garlic. Seared in a cast-iron pan, then a nice pan sauce made with the leftover marinade, some broth, wine, and lemon juice. Yum!

No wonder I am at an all-time high in weight!

 

[JohnT]

Saturday, I woke up early in the morning already in the mood for "some great Italian food".

I started by making my own sauce. I used 3 quarts of tomatoes that I processed in the fall, and I added one of my sauce "flavor packs"...

I make my flavor packs in mid summer. This is a softball size ball of basil and some other herbs that I squeeze into a ziplock sandwich bag-size freezer bag, cover in water, and freeze. The water really helps to preserve the flavor of the basil. I just take out a flavor pack, peel off the plastic, and toss into the sauce. Inexpensive herbs year round!!!!

I also added garlic, onion, and just a bit of red bell pepper.

Now, while the sauce was on low simmer, I ran to the grocery store. Surprisingly, nothing was on sale. I ended up getting the makings for eggplant parm.

Once back, I peeled (I hate the skin) and thinly sliced 3 eggplants. I then set each slice between paper towels to draw out the moisture. I then dipped each slice in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, then fried each slice to a golden brown.

Once all of the frying was done, and the sauce sufficiently thick, I assembled the dish "lasagna style". I start with a layer of sauce, followed by a layer of fried eggplant, followed by a layer of mutz cheese. Every 3 layers or so, I also add a dusting of parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and some dried basil.

This batch was huge! Ended up filling an entire lasagna tin,

I also cooked fresh garlic bread by first making a garlic paste and mixing that into a stick of butter. This went into the middle of a nice loaf of Italian bread, brushed the crust with water, wrapped in tin foil, and baked.

6 hours of cooking! I then realized that I was alone in the house this week. Lucky for me, my Godson came over and we chowed down. I put on the "Bottle Shock" movie (he said that he has never seen it). To further the experience, I opened this (see pic)...

Then I boiled up some spaghetti, and we chowed down. What a great evening!

(sorry, no food pictures)..

 

[JohnT]

Sunday, I had a quick meal..

Porter house steak (rather thin a pathetic), twice baked potato topped with cheddar cheese, and a fresh salad (with thousand island dressing).

I seasoned the steak with salt and a TON of black pepper. I then cooked the steak in a pan with a little butter for 2 minutes a side, then finished off on the over for about 6 minutes. The cook on the steak came out exactly how I like it, the perfect medium rare!!!

Took 45 minutes to prepare, and only 10 minutes to eat.

 

[GreginND]

Who doesn't like sushi?

 

[dcbrown73]

My passion for wine started with an amazing food pairing. So I started looking for recipes to create and pair with wines. Well, many of the recipes I found online didn't really taste as good as you would expect. Given that I have no culinary training, I wasn't sure what to do. Then I found this book.

I have to say, this book is incredible. I don't look for reciepes anymore. I just ask myself. What do I want to make. (chicken, beef, fish, etc) Then I use this book to find ingredient that the flavor bible says works well together, decide which ones fit the taste profile I'm interested in and then I just make it! So far, they have all been incredible!

Last weekend, I made a Chicken, Chorizo with Cilantro Lime Pizza. WOW, I was blown away. This has to be the most tasty pizza I've ever eaten!

 

[geek]

Carbs everywhere

 

[Johnd]

A little Southern French cuisine, Crawfish Etouffee and Corn Maque Choux, now that's some good comfort food!

 

[ceeaton]

Simple meal. Sun came out today and it is getting quite nice around these parts, for the moment. Was thinking of building an arc last night, we had training T-storms and it rained quite a bit. Standing water on the way to pick asparagas, kinda worried if I ever put some grape vines back there.

Wife going to class, older two at a track meet, 10 yr old son has a concert tonight and Thursday night (plays the Tuba, it is almost as big as he is, it is somewhat comical), youngest coming with me to watch the concert (she isn't very happy about that one). Chicken thighs with Sweet Baby Rays (it's gluten free) BBQ Sauce and Wing Sauce. Yum... Chicken sandwiches, left over mashed taters or chips, and salad. Enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

 

[Boatboy24]

Cast iron skillet fajitas tonight.

 

[GreginND]

We had fajitas today too. With mushrooms, peppers and onions.

 

[vernsgal]

Well tonight to h*ll with counting calories.Perogies fried in bacon and onions,Italian sausage and veggies.

 

[ceeaton]

Found out that my family except for my 10 yr old Son were abandoning me for dinner (yahoo!), so I saw that Kim had some Italian sausage yesterday, so that got me to thinking. My Son loves spicy Italian sausage, so I picked up some at the local Giant (2.99 for 5 links, gluten free and only 3 g of carbs). Made him one straight up on the grill with some asparagus, took mine and added a few ingredients. Diced onion, celery, green pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, fresh garlic, dried fennel seed, oregano, kosher salt, pepper and some grilled chopped asparagus. Some of my pedestrian Cab Sauv might have escaped my glass too along with some diced jalapenos when I wasn't looking. Topped with some grated Parmesan cheese and served with some Ziti mixed in, yum! Have enough for lunch tomorrow and Friday.

 

[GreginND]

Udon noodles with soy, ginger, garlic braised bok choi, mushrooms, daikon and broccoli. I like mine with sriracha.

 

[ibglowin]

I will have mine with chicken....... And Sriracha!

Udon noodles with soy, ginger, garlic braised bok choi, mushrooms, daikon and broccoli. I like mine with sriracha.

 

[vernsgal]

I have to ask...do your spouses/partners look at you strange when you take pics of your food? Lol.I had to explain to my hubby the other night that this site is more than just wine.

 

[ibglowin]

LOL yep.Like I completely lost my marbles.......

I have to ask...do your spouses/partners look at you strange when you take pics of your food? Lol.I had to explain to my hubby the other night that this site is more than just wine.

 

[ceeaton]

I have to ask...do your spouses/partners look at you strange when you take pics of your food? Lol.I had to explain to my hubby the other night that this site is more than just wine.

I do it all the time so I think they are getting accustomed to it. I sometimes get a picture of them eating, that's when the complaints and weird looks start coming.

My next door neighbor once asked what I was doing, I said that I was taking pictures for my new cookbook. She bought it hook line and sinker. She's getting a signed copy when I eventually write it...after I retire.

 

[Boatboy24]

I have to ask...do your spouses/partners look at you strange when you take pics of your food? Lol.I had to explain to my hubby the other night that this site is more than just wine.

She used to. Doesn't phase her at all now. Funny: we had some friends over a couple months ago - can't remember what I cooked, but it really looked pretty. We all sort of served ourselves and I got up from the table to grab something from the kitchen. I came back and everyone was just sitting there, staring at their plates. I said "you don't have to wait for me, dig in". They said they were waiting because they thought I'd gone to get my camera.

 

[GreginND]

I have to ask...do your spouses/partners look at you strange when you take pics of your food? Lol.I had to explain to my hubby the other night that this site is more than just wine.

No. We are usually in a race to see who can get it onto facebook first!

 

[vernsgal]

Well I think hubby is just going to have to get used to me taking an occasional pic of my food.lol

tonight he bbq'd me an awesome steak to go with my veggies