What's For Dinner - Part 2

[RachelB]

I was out for dinner tonight-- lemongrass tofu with rice and broccoli.

[DrPusey]

We grilled tonight. Hamburgers from my Dad's beef for MrDrPusey, and I made a new recipe for me: Chinese Barbecued Noodles with Grilled Vegetables and Tofu.

[cindyluvs24]

Last night Mr. 24 and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Tonight I am attempting Smoked Beef Brisket.

[Arete]

I got home this evening and my place was a sauna. I wasn't turning on the stovetop or oven for love or money. Mediterranean tuna salad it was, on ciabatta rolls I had in the freezer. By the time I was done chopping things and dressing the salad, the rolls were defrosted.

[DrPusey]

Strawberries two ways tonight - first, Mark Bittmann's Balsamic Strawberries with Arugula and Goat Cheese salad coupled with toasted baguette slices. Then, sliced strawberries over Alden's Vanilla Bean ice cream for dessert.

[RachelB]

Minimalist soup: chickpea broth, soy, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, carrot, green onion, cress, soba noodles. Peanuts for garnish and protein.

[RachelB]

The Partner is picking up south Indian takeout-- uttapam for him, rasam and a dosa for me. I have a cold and want to burn it with fire.

[Arete]

Chicken Shawarma. I made it using this recipe, and used only thigh meat, no breast: http://toriavey.com/?s=Chicken&submit=. It was delicious, can't recommend the recipe enough. I marinated last night and baked it tonight. Rice and tzatziki on the side.

[RachelB]

^ Thanks for posting the recipe-- it looks vegi-fiable (using firm tofu or mushrooms). I will try it at some point; The Partner does love shawarma.

Leftover shakshouka for him tonight, leftover rasam for me (with rice tossed with sesame oil, cashews, salt, and sambar powder for a little extra heft).

[Bethella]

Cream of Asparagus Soup. Chop onion (1/2 large in this case) and saute in butter, add chicken stock and asparagus (approx 4 cups of the leftover woody ends we've been building up in the freezer for about two weeks) cook until tender. Put through a food mill and sieve out the woody fibers. Add half and half, salt and pepper to taste. This time since we had some I also added about half a container of sour cream- very yummy.

[Arete]

^ Thanks for posting the recipe-- it looks vegi-fiable (using firm tofu or mushrooms). I will try it at some point; The Partner does love shawarma.

Leftover shakshouka for him tonight, leftover rasam for me (with rice tossed with sesame oil, cashews, salt, and sambar powder for a little extra heft).

Please post how it works out with tofu if you try it. That would be awesome, and with tahini-lemon sauce it would be vegan as well, and I am always looking for new vegan recipes.

[RachelB]

Omelet filled with sikil pak and diced tomato.

[Geechee Girl]

Omelet filled with sikil pak and diced tomato.

What's sikil opak? I was thisclose to making omelettes tonight, but went for crab cakes and Brussels sprouts.

[RachelB]

What's sikil opak? I was thisclose to making omelettes tonight, but went for crab cakes and Brussels sprouts.

Sikil pak is a paste of pumpkin seeds, tomato, garlic, chiles, and cilantro. There is a Mexican vendor at the farmers' market who sells it ready made, but there's a recipe here if you'd like to try making it: http://ranchogordo.typepad.com/rancho_g ... d-dip.html

I love it on omelets, or chips, or tortillas.

[RachelB]

Sweet corn buttermilk pancakes with cumin-y black beans. Salad of peaches, cress, and little gem lettuce, with a lemony dressing and dukkah sprinkled on top.

I made a batch of dukkah for a cookout (my contribution was grilled peaches and halloumi, sprinkled with the spice and nut mix), and I want to put it on everything now.

[Arete]

My uncle's Father's Day present was a smoker. In the line up were homemade Italian style sausages, ribs, and a whole chicken. The sausages and ribs were wonderful, the chicken a bit of a let down, but he thinks he knows how to improve it and will be diligently smoking another one next weekend. The rest of use rounded things out by prepping a cabbage and carrot salad, mixed lettuce salad we culled from my aunt's garden, corn on the BBQ, spinach pies and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

My great aunt was PISSED that frozen, store bought spinach pies came into the house under her watch. My oldest cousin was summoned on the carpet to answer for that disgrace. He really was trying to spare his grandmother the work, but she was having none of it. She told him that those sorts of things needed to come from someone's hands, or don't have. Then she went off grumbling that a woman couldn't die for fear her family would not eat "clean" the minute after the funeral toast was drunk. Why, yes, she is a drama queen, how did you guess?

We all ate too much, and in the end my great aunt took pity on us and picked lemonbalm and made us a digestive tea. It helped.

[RachelB]

^ That sounds like a festive, convivial dinner, AreteJo.

Tonight I'm making a salad with collards, quinoa, herbs, and ricotta salata.

[Dinaberries]

I'm making a Hawaiian dish called Kalua Pig in my slow cooker, with sauteed cabbage and rice on the side. Simple, comfort food. :)

[Bethella]

My father was experimenting and made hazelnut encrusted grilled tuna steaks with grilled veggies and baked potatoes. It wasn't bad, but I would have preferred it without the hazelnuts- some had gotten burned and were bitter.

[cindyluvs24]

Chicken Korma

[RachelB]

Huevos rancheros.

[Arete]

Zucchini fritters. Shredded zucchini, scallions, garlic, lemon zest, mint, egg, a little flour. Yogurt on top.

[RachelB]

Last night, we had disappointing crepes at a cafe. (But we were so enjoying sitting down after eight hours of walking that it was hard to get too upset.)

Tonight we made, more or less, this: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/06/ ... ini-salad/

We subbed yellow squash for zucchini, increased the proportion of parsley to basil (because we no longer had 2 c. of basil that didn't smell like the bag it was stored in), subbed Parmesan for mozzarella and used less of it, and used peas in place of edamame. We were a little short on good olive oil, so I filled in the cracks with walnut oil.

I am pleased with the substitutions, though The Partner would like to try it with half mozz (for texture) and half Parm (for flavor). And I think a little more acidity wouldn't be amiss-- halved cherry tomatoes, for instance.

[Arete]

^i have been eyeing that recipe since she published it. Briefly considered it tonight, but I had no mozzarella or basil. In 3 weeks when zucchini starts its annual take over this is going to have priority in the lineup. Thanks for the review.

[RachelB]

You're welcome!

Tonight we're having asynchronous dinner. (The Partner won't get home until after I'm at meditation class.)

So it seems like a good night for ravioli filled with kale and feta, to be drizzled with a little walnut oil and lemon. On the side I am going to have cresta di gallo, which I discovered at the market this week. It tastes very fresh, a little spicy, and a little floral-- like a cross between tatsoi and carrots. It's apparently an edible crysanthemum green also known as shungiku: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum_coronarium