What's for Dinner?

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

Postby Harriet » Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:03 pm

I can't get around to all my bright ideas, either, blessed. We are trying to eat more salads, and one problem is getting that initial work done ahead of time so you do get some variety. HRH has started enjoying the kale salads that are ready-made in bags in the groceries these days - some have dried cranberry or pumpkin seed, shredded carrot and other shredded veggies. Even WMart carries them - the brand they have is Ready Pac.

When we had company recently I "stole" one of his bags and just barely tossed it with a head of lettuce for a very pretty (contrasted light greens against dark), large salad quick, that was interesting and healthy, but not so heavy on the peppery taste. (He likes that much kale, but most people would wonder where the lettuce was! ) Of course, you're paying for the packaging, like the little bags of dressing most have inside. Smarter to blend it yourself, but with the convenience, he will grab some when I least expect him to, instead of something less healthy.

I continue to be impressed with how much better people respond to healthy foods if there is color contrast. The response changes from "um... ... I don't think I like that", to "how pretty", and I find they give the dish a chance, whether grains or salads or stir-fry, etc.

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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Thu Oct 05, 2017 12:31 pm

I can't get around to all my bright ideas, either,
that made me smile :D

I think your right about colour contrast and people being interested in eating healthy.

We had lots of tomatoes so I made les tomates farcies
sautéed spinach
rice for dd and dh

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast

it was good and it was nice to cook again (as d mom is dinner-ed out lol)
Mom has been busy with others this week - glad to see her be a bit of a social butterfly.
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 Oct 11, 2017 11:35 pm

Lunch at the symposium was inspiring to me. They had a savory quinoa dish with warm brown color, with mushroom slices in it that had been browned. Need to figure that one out. I looked it up on the net and I guess they were using either red quinoa or a blend of red and black. They may have sauteed the mushrooms in a dark sauce to get that same overall color.

Also a squash dish that had both yellow summer squash slices (halved) and spaghetti squash in the same casserole. The two looks and textures together - but nearly the same taste and color - was fun. A spice blend (maybe just a Mrs. Dash type) sprinkled over that was pretty against the yellow.

Those two dishes beside each other - light yellow and deep brown - were great for an appetizing contrast on a plate already. But then they served very bright green greens (kale mostly) with garlic cloves, which I guess they had just barely steamed - not wilted. Also round bread loaves had been sliced so that everyone got a half-slice of a pretty seed bread.

There was fruit cobbler with crumble-topping. I think the topping had finely chopped date in it, but it was mostly light colored so I may have been tasting some coconut in there. I don't think it had oats (which many vegan crumble recipes do) unless it had been ground.

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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 9:01 am

sounds wonderful d harriet!!!

dd younger uses dates in dishes and I would never know that it was vegetarian
it is always a joy to be here with you!

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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:14 am

cards pulled - now I just have to figure out what to cook (and do it in the morning)

-soup and sandwiches or salad- paper plate night all the way
-fish or chicken with 2 veg
-crockpot or casserole with 2 veg
-breakfast for dinner or eat out
-feast type cooking /trying something I never made or a challenge dish
-vegetarian monday
-taco/spagetti night
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 Oct 25, 2017 11:07 pm

HRH needs some way to journal his meals. He is so proud of his eating and I hate to advise this in a way because I think it will point out to him that he's not really eating as many healthy choices as he thinks. But if it will get him to continue large salads, it will be worth it. He said he didn't want to spend money on it, but would use a simple notebook. I found him a small spiral book with nothing but lines. The ONLY thing wrong was a cutesy Mary Engle brite type cover (it used to be dd's). I noticed he hasn't touched it. Need something masculine!

He always asks me to make the salad, too. I think if he became more comfortable with making a large salad he would be happier. He has this mind-set that he has to wait on me because I'm more sure what's fresh, but doesn't want me to make it too far in advance in case it wilts. lol. Today I cut up Bok Choy into his and I noticed he seems to have eaten every bite. That's a win for a new taste for him. Got him to eat my wild/brown rice blend today, too - sometimes he frowns at that!

Considering this product. Chopper blessed, do you have anything similar? Recommended by a healthy-foods dr who really likes his.

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RunKitty
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby RunKitty » Thu Oct 26, 2017 11:22 am

Harriet!! Put duct tape on the cover of the notebook! Love hearing about the salads and the rice blends and the stir fry. Very inspirational.

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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Sun Oct 29, 2017 12:46 pm

I love hearing d harriets cooking as well d kitty
I think it's great that you are giving him a a journal

No d harriet I don't have one of those! I will look around. wonderful that he ate the bok choy - and wild brown rice - my dh won't even look at that rice ;) and I love it.

Happy cooking!

I made something that I really don't like making as it has a packaged dry soup mix but dh/dd's enjoy it. I did something for me - I put a lot of veggies in it.
I can use the left over beef for ravioli or a french patty with onions, thyme etc.
We are still trying to figure out d mom's old fleishnacka recipe - she has forgotten how to make it.
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 Nov 01, 2017 9:45 pm

RunKitty, I wasn't fast enough and he'd already bought something he liked better - solid gray! ;) But he did take my idea of spiral so it will lie flat when open.

I tried water-sauteing onion with chopped mushrooms and garlic tonight to put over veggie burgers. Worked out fine, with kitchen smelling wonderful. The onions don't glisten this way. But the trade-off in avoiding the oil is worth it. Toppings are inside the sandwich anyway, and as they peek out they still give a nice appetizing look.

Completely spoiled by fresh mangoes, dd19 and I are sadly admitting that those in the stores now are not so great. Grainy. One fruit that is completely different when frozen, IMO, is a mango, which tends to become rubbery. So we'll be looking forward to next year for what we've decided is a favorite fruit! Frozen strawberries can take their place in desserts (or breakfast bowls).

blessed, there's a dry mix oriental noodle type packaged veggie soup HRH craves sometimes, and we add broccoli florets as it (microwave) cooks, or celery slices about half-way through, then finely chopped peanuts and lots of mung bean sprouts over the top. We really should try other things as it cooks. Carrots would work.

blessedw2
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Re: What's for Dinner?

Postby blessedw2 » Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:33 am

sounds lovely d harriet!

I never tried the water with sautéing onions - I will try that too.

happy cooking!
it is always a joy to be here with you!


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