What's for Dinner- Part the third

[cindyluvs24]

Swedish meatballs and carrot sticks.

[Geechee Girl]

Thank you for sharing your recipe, catlady. :)

[RachelB]

Ravioli filled with onion and chard, topped with walnut oil. An apple.

[Geechee Girl]

No appetite tonight. I had a glass of Apothic Red while doing the dishes.

[DrPusey]

I'm making vegan hot and sour soup in the crockpot for tonight's dinner.

[cindyluvs24]

I'm getting Thai takeout from a new place that opened near me, then I'll fire up the wood stove. Tonight is going to be 15 with a windchill of 3.

[DrPusey]

My friend was in town and she wanted to go to the Cheesecake Factory. I had a veggie burger with some kind of bad-for-you sauce, salad, and lemon raspberry cheesecake.

[RachelB]

Last night, we went out for ramen with a visiting friend. (She had the shoyu, The Partner had the creamy chicken, and I had the vegetarian miso ramen.)

Tonight, I am hosting a dinner party for nine people (one with a dairy allergy, another with a nut allergy). I am making

ultimate winter couscous

two spreads with crudites and bread:

muhammara (but replacing the walnuts with pumpkin seeds)

a dish of smoky eggplant with tahini, garlic, lemon, and pomegranate molasses

green salad

and an olive oil cake with citrus compote and calamondinsauce.

One of the guests is bringing a cake as well-- filled with banana and custard, because she knows I never met a custard I didn't like.

I am excited.

[SamE]

Cut up pears, strawberries, and oranges. Cinnamon rolls. Milk for the kids. Hot apple cider with a shot of bourbon for me.

It is so cold here.

[catlady]

I got lazy today--pizza from the carry-out section of the grocery store (after mandatory overtime, 5 loads of laundry without Grandma's help, carpet cleaning.....).

but tomorrow will be pork loin in the crock pot, and Monday will be beef stew in the crock pot. I forgot to load it up before going to work this morning.

[Arete]

I'm in intense physical rehab following an accident shortly before Xmas. My family has been making sure my main meal comes from one of their homes each day. So I eat the same dinner they do at home, except they bring my portion in to ensure in the words of my illustrious great aunt that I am eating "properly and cleanly".

Last night it was lemon rosemary chicken from the oven, butter beans stewed in tomato/oregano/and parsley and feta, shredded carrot and cabbage salad dressed with lemon and vinegar, some Italian bread, and a brown lunch bag of clementines.

[Arete]

RachelB, what goes into ultimate winter couscous?

[RachelB]

RachelB, what goes into ultimate winter couscous?

Everything! Dried fruit, roasted root vegetables, a heap of shallots, spices, preserved lemon: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... ink.recipe

I leave out the turmeric and star anise, because IMO they are at odds with the general Moroccan vibe of the dish, and I substitute sweet potato for squash (because I find squash boring).

Tonight I'm making a baked rigatoni dish with fontina and romanesco. (Romanesco looks like it was designed by M.C. Escher to me. SO pretty.)

[Arete]

Now that couscous looks like a keeper. On my make when better list, oh yeah.

Orzo layered with parmesan and covered in spicy meat sauce. Broccoli dressed with EVOO, banana and apple in the fruit bag.

[DrPusey]

I'm sorry about your accident, AreteJo. Hopefully all the yummy-sounding food from your family is helping you to keep on an even keel.

What I'm making tonight will be for tomorrow's lunch and/or dinner. My MIL gave me a copy of _Twelve Months of Monastery Soup_ for Christmas, and I'm trying it out.

The recipe I'm trying is "Country Mushroom and Sour Cream Soup." I think the monastic author's credo is kind of "less is more" and so the soup tastes a little spare to me. The only seasoning in it is paprika and salt to taste. I'm wondering if maybe tarragon would boost the flavor in a not-weird way?

[RachelB]

AreteJo, I think you'll like the couscous a lot.

Tonight I made gigondes. Usually I cook them stovetop. Tonight I did them in the oven. It took longer, and it wasn't really much less effort than cooking them on the stove.

On the other hand, now that they're done (at 9:30 pm!), they are quite tasty.

[cindyluvs24]

I am going to try the couscous recipe this week but first I have to brush up on my metric conversions.

[catlady]

freezer ravioli and homemade spaghetti sauce.

the crock pot is out of commission for awhile, the crock is cracked and needs to be replaced. bummer.

[Arete]

Chick pea soup. Boil up soaked chick peas with bay leaves and some garlic cloves. While the chickpeas are boiling, sautée onion, chopped tomato, sliced fennel and carrot in olive oil that you dissolved 3-4 anchovies in. Let edges of veggies get slightly brown. Add oregano. Add sautéed veggies to chick pea pot with a strip of orange zest. Simmer together for an hour.

Great with lots of crusty bread and cheese on the side. Works quite nicely over basmati rice. I had it with bread.

[RachelB]

Omelets filled with mustard greens, bell pepper, and cheddar. Sauteed mushrooms with garlic and sage.

[Arete]

Anatolian beef stew over plain couscous. Shredded carrot w olive oil and lemon.

[RachelB]

Stir fry: celery, bell pepper, bok choy, baked tofu, chile lemon almonds. Rice.

[Quiverfullofit]

This board is great for ideas!

Pasta with a lemon sauce

-I usually use any kind of pasta but like this most with linguine

Then for the lemon sauce I use:

-Some Parmesan cheese to lightly cover the bottom of the bowl

-1 cup of half and half

-A few packets or TruLemon or one whole lemon (I LOVE lemon)

-Some pepper

Then, if I'd like some shrimp, I just put boiling water over them and voila. Pretty easy and tasty!

[Grimalkin]

I made aioli from scratch, it was pretty awesome. I ate a burger and baked fries. I put a bit too much lemon though. I wish I could send it to you quiverfull! Some pretty awesome ideas. I bought big Lima beans to try and make gigantes (thanks Rachel).

[RachelB]

^ Enjoy!

We made a stew with artichokes, potatoes, onion, and tomatoes (and masses of dill). It was delightful, and there's enough for another couple of meals.