What's for Dinner?

Share recipes, menus, and kitchen hints.
blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Fri Jun 09, 2017 8:18 pm

I can't believe I am still full from the lunch with d mom. I have been going through a not hungry phase. dd younger still has her dinner from yesterday that she didn't eat. Spoke to dd older and she is working late.

I bought some dark purple seedless grapes (organic) and they were fantastic.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby Harriet » Sat Jun 10, 2017 6:43 pm

blessed, knowing when you're not really so hungry sounds great!

Friends sent a very nice gift of a head of their homegrown cabbage, but already finely shredded, in a disposable bowl with lid. So we could make slaw in our own way. How thoughtful, really - I'm going to have to remember that. For half, I used just enough vegan mayo from the store to moisten, with 2 parts sugar to 1.5 parts lemon juice, celery salt and black pepper. Honestly, I could have had a slaw sandwich with slaw on top - so fresh. HRH will make his own his way, since he likes a vinegar slaw. :D

Have enjoyed, in a pinch, the new (around here) product, Minute Rice Multi-Grain microwavable, which also has quinoa, red rice and wild rice. It takes a bowl much larger than you'd think, and that's to keep from overflowing - it's not a boil-n-bag product like several of their others in bags. It does leave residue up the sides, so I'm thinking perhaps a spritz of cooking spray would help that, so that I could serve in the same bowl and still feel it was attractive. It's not so bad to have to change bowls, though. A helpful addition to the cabinet.

Baby Bok Choy was so beautiful at healthy foods store. I find it to be such a neat, clean green to use. Very tight, so not much washing is needed. And you pop off the stalks so easily, it's like a convenience green. :lol:

blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Tue Jun 13, 2017 12:42 pm

sorry I didn't respond earlier d harriet. I always (ALWAYS) love to see when your cooking. So much fun for me to learn from you. The slaw sounds wonderful. Our home likes the vinegar base for most of our salads and on cole slaw it sounds wonderful.

I didn't know that they had a quinoa microwavable and red rice either. I will have to look for that. the bok choy sounds great!

It's hot here again so I have to come up with some nice salads for dinner.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby Harriet » Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:42 pm

Sooooo hot :( You are right, blessed. Tonight was a more summer-y meal here - veggie burgers on whole grain (this time Amy's brand) with our good homemade slaw! I want to learn to make our own style/taste of burgers and freeze. Something on the radar for the future.

There really are a lot of choices in prepared freezer veggie burgers these days - there are several in the stores I've never tried! Getting popular, I guess. But our own recipe would be wise - the library recipe book from Lindsey Nixon Happy Herbivore had these ingredients for simplest bean burger, and I have hope for something like this, since HRH really likes cilantro. (I pay more attention to the slaw or lettuces/tomatoes anyway, but the flavor of cilantro in burgers will make him happy I think)

15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
cayenne, salt and pepper to taste
whole-wheat breadcrumbs or instant oats

She suggests trying 1/4 c of the oats or crumbs after the rest is mashed/blended, and if the mixture's not easy to handle, to just refrigerate a while rather than adding too much more. She bakes 7 minutes each side at 350, using a little cooking spray.

I'm thinking it won't be long until perfect summer tomatoes are easy to find. So far, still "eh". On the verge.

blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:51 am

really sounds delicious d harriet!!!
it is always a joy to be here with you!

blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:00 am

when I see how long I haven't posted here I know I have been slacking on cooking for my family. I have to stop making the excuse that I am so "busy" lol
it's only bc I don't prep in the morning before the day really gets going and I get lazy at 4 pm. Keeping it simple and healthy should be my goal - not fancy schmancy - I love love love to cook but I choose recipes that take time. I have to think summer as an easy time not complicated.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby Harriet » Sun Jul 09, 2017 11:04 pm

blessed, everything can't be a priority all the time. So many things we want to give full attention. I'm sure you do the best you can with your thousand things! I'm doing my best with my thousand!

Have been appreciating bags of already cut-up veggies to make quicker slaw or stir-fry, etc. The problem with some for stir-fry is that they are heavy on the cruciferous vegetables and so very aromatic, almost harshly so. I don't want to be the only one who will eat them, so I have to shop carefully! Today one with kale, 2 kinds of cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts in addition to just a little carrots and peas. I think it was the brussel sprouts that took it over the top for HRH and dd - they were just shooed away by the aroma and taste that went a little too far. :) We need to find the ones that are a more balanced!

My restaurant-employee daughter taught me better rice leftovers use yesterday. She wrapped a few servings of (quite) leftover rice from the fridge in dampened paper toweling and put the bundle into a deep bowl and microwaved. I thought I already knew this trick, having simply covered leftover rice with damp paper towel before, but this was much better. The deep bowl really "hugged" the rice inside its fully enclosed toweling bundle to steam very well down in there! It was perfect when she spilled it out, as if just made. She was delighted to know something I didn't. Another great use for my nearly globe shaped cereal bowl - I need to buy more. I like them better than the wide kind for most things anyhow.


blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Jul 10, 2017 9:02 am

neat trick that your dd taught you. I will try that. thanks d harriet.

you are always so sweet. thank you.

I am finding if I don't do prep in am that I won't make dinner when I am busy through out the day.
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Harriet
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby Harriet » Sat Jul 29, 2017 8:15 pm

Summertime and the livin' is casual. Recently I have been enjoying simple (but full!) plates that might be called "poor" suppers (poor boy or poor man's supper). As if we ordered from the "sides" page of a family-style restaurant menu. I will just arrange beans, rice, slaw in a kind of classic summer meal my parents might have had. Those 3 are my "go-to"s, but a potato or sweet potato is a great sub for rice. Tomatoes or cucumbers sliced on the side make it a pretty summer plate. Half cobs of corn. All kinds of greens might take the place of the slaw, it's just that slaw is tailor-made for hot days. It can be "buffet" and we can carry our plates elsewhere easily if we are enjoying the pretty weather or view.

It has been fun to mix and match rices when I can't find a ready-blended mix. I've found about one-quarter wild rice of whatever color is pleasant in a mix. Brown and wild can be cooked together, but I may add in some white rice I've cooked separately - even Arborio. The white may take about half the time to cook. The interest it brings to the plate to have unexpected color contrast is enjoyable, and when you make a lot and have leftovers, it's effortless.

Continuing our tofu thoughts, I want to try kala namak, which is an Indian spice/salt. blessed, have you ever heard of it? Sometimes called "black salt" because of the dark colored spices in it. It has a base of Himalayan Pink Salt, but Indian spices are added to it to give it a distinctly Indian or Pakistani flavor. Because of the reddish, dark spices, when it's put into a recipe with tofu substituted for eggs, it gives the yellow look and the aroma/taste of eggs. Just a little will do it. I have pretty much neglected any dishes that are traditionally based on egg, but maybe a breakfast casserole type thing would be worth a try using RunKitty's freezer tip and kala namak.

blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Aug 06, 2017 1:38 pm

I am so sorry I haven't been here to work with you! No I haven't heard of that. it sounds wonderful!

:D
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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