So what's for dinner?

[Maryn]

Ugh. They're not all gems, are they? We bought salmon at the fish counter, and when I unwrapped it to prepare it, I felt bones in every piece. Lots of bones, fine as hair and a couple inches long. I spent maybe fifteen minutes pulling them free, which kind of tore up the fish, prepared and cooked as usual, and warned Mr. Maryn to the possibility of bones I'd missed.

And after that effort, there were indeed bones I'd missed and the damned fish was kind of flavorless and chewy. Worst part of the meal. Thank goodness Mr. Maryn made mashed potatoes (a treat, using up the cream from Christmas before its best-by date) and we had wine.

Maryn, who loves salmon

 

[Unimportant]

Mmmmm, salmon. We eat it rarely because it's so expensive (generally around $38/kg).

 

[Maryn]

You're a long, long way from anyplace salmon live in the wild. While Wisconsin isn't a big salmon producing state, there are plenty of places here people catch 'em. I used to know a guy in Michigan who liked to walk for fifteen minutes, catch a salmon within another ten or fifteen minutes, and walk back to cook it. That's how plentiful they were.

Maryn, who does not fish

 

[Unimportant]

Oh, wild salmon isn't a possibility here. But farmed salmon is a big, big industry. Like everything else, an export industry -- so we pay export prices.

 

[Introversion]

A variant of this: https://www.thechunkychef.com/garlic-ginger-pork-stir-fry/

Differences: We couldn’t find fresh ginger in the store today. And I wanted to add fresh broccoli but they only had frozen (so it’ll have frozen; I’m not that gourmet).

(This isn’t uncommon these days. Local grocery shops say they often get half or less the quantities they order to restock.)

 

[Maryn]

Yeah, my local grocery store is hit-or-miss on a lot of basic fresh items. One week, no iceberg lettuce. None. A few weeks earlier, no bananas, which I've never seen happen before. I rarely see fresh ginger there, but once in a while, a mountain of the stuff.

I haven't seen much change in availability of meat and poultry, since we're a Heartland state near the big suppliers, but the prices on meat and everything else seem to be creeping up. We can afford it, but I feel bad for the low-income households having to make very difficult decisions.

Maryn, who donates to Feeding America

 

[Introversion]

Having a severe carb craving today.

Dinner: cheddar chicken pot pie
Dessert: sticky toffee pudding (in a 9x13” pan)

 

[Unimportant]

It's been too hot here to eat, so we've been having mostly salads and watermelon and ice cream and bagels and sandwiches. Yesterday was soooo hot we turned on the A/C, and because then it was cool enough that we could eat, I made savoury mince (ground beef simmered in a bit of stock with onion, beans, carrots, corn, capsicum, etc) served over mashed potatoes.

Today: dunno. It's not supposed to hit 80 today, so I think it'll be beef meatballs in tomato sauce over homemade spag pasta. And, inevitably, salad. (I've got a lot of beef mince in the freezer to use up, and quite a few ripe tomatoes in the bowl on the kitchen table, and a heap of basil in the garden, and lettuce and baby silverbeet and baby carrots galore.) Now I need to find some stale bread to make croutons.

 

[mrsmig]

Probably doing carryout tonight, but I did try my hand at making wienerschnitzel the other night. I pounded veal cutlets thin, dredged them lightly in salted flour, dipped them in beaten egg and then rolled them in breadcrumbs. Apparently the trick is to just coat them, without pressing or patting the crumbs in. Then into about an inch of hot oil (enough so the schnitzel floats), about two minutes per side.

They were delightful - light, crisp and not greasy at all. I served them with lemon wedges, warm German potato salad and some applesauce. Other than having to work quickly, it was an easy recipe. I'd like to try it next time with pork or chicken.

 

[Woollybear]

We rediscovered quiche yesterday and we both loved it as a dinner meal and ate too much and still enjoying it today. One spinach/gruyere/shallot and one salmon/asparagus/gruyere/leek.

Tonight will be tacos. Something of a cheat, in the sense that it's basically a lot of prepared foods, piled into a shell, but one that we rotate in every few months.

My god but am I tired of meal prep.

 

[Unimportant]

We rediscovered quiche yesterday and we both loved it as a dinner meal and ate too much and still enjoying it today. One spinach/gruyere/shallot and one salmon/asparagus/gruyere/leek.

Tonight will be tacos. Something of a cheat, in the sense that it's basically a lot of prepared foods, piled into a shell, but one that we rotate in every few months.

My god but am I tired of meal prep.

My partner won't eat quiche or Mexican, sadly.

Yeah, after twenty odd years of planning, prepping, and making the meals every day, even I'm finding it a bit old, and I like to cook. Plus right now it's late summer, which means every third day I am blanching and freezing a kilo or so of beans or peas or corn or tomatoes or courgette, or pickling cucumbers, or whatever. I got today's kilo blanched before noon, which is necessary given how hot it gets in the afternoon.

And, while I am dreading going back to work on Tuesday (after SIX WEEKS OFF!!!!!) at least I will be able to give my excess beans away to my students and colleagues.

 

[Maryn]

Who needs their grade improved? Take a bag of beans and share a picture of them prepared and served.

We're tired of eating the same old things, too. Mr. Maryn even made Alfredo sauce for the first time the other day, just to change things up.

Tonight we've having a favorite, one of the very few meals we make that rivals restaurant quality. Jambalaya, although we make it somewhat healthier with a lower-fat sausage than Andouille. We routinely cheat and buy the holy trinity of vegetables already chopped if we can get them.

Maryn, salivating but politely

 

[RedRajah]

A bowl of strawberry-chocolate Cheerios.

 

[MaryMumsy]

Having a severe carb craving today.

Dinner: cheddar chicken pot pie
Dessert: sticky toffee pudding (in a 9x13” pan)

I'd skip the chicken pot pie and go straight to the sticky toffee pudding.

MM

 

[Janine R]

Made katherine Hepburn brownies tonight.

 

[ULTRAGOTHA]

I think I've perfected lazy bones tuna salad. Our grocery store has shredded carrots, frozen onions and dill pickle relish. Open a can of tuna, add some of each of the above plus mayonnaise and voila! We had it over toast last night.

Tonight is pork and bacon fried rice with tofu mashed in with some eggs and soy sauce.

 

[Introversion]

Leftover Chinese takeout. (We buy like 3x what any sane three-person family could eat in one sitting, because leftovers!)

 

[Chris P]

Pizza. Is it take out? No, it's DiGiorno.

 

[Janine R]

I think I've perfected lazy bones tuna salad. Our grocery store has shredded carrots, frozen onions and dill pickle relish. Open a can of tuna, add some of each of the above plus mayonnaise and voila! We had it over toast last night.

Tonight is pork and bacon fried rice with tofu mashed in with some eggs and soy sauce.

Pork and bacon fried rice with tofu sounds like a sabotaged healthy meal

 

[bunny hugger]

I am adjusting to a cholesterol-addressing diet. No red meat, processed meat, cheese, and limited dairy. Today is shrimp and rice noodles but boy am I open to suggestions.

 

[Chris P]

I am adjusting to a cholesterol-addressing diet. No red meat, processed meat, cheese, and limited dairy. Today is shrimp and rice noodles but boy am I open to suggestions.

I thought shrimp was a "seldom" food for cholesterol?

I'm waiting for takeout from our local Peruvian chicken place. Oh, yeah.

 

[Unimportant]

Leftover veg curry for tonight, and I'll make fresh chappatis.

 

[Chris P]

I am adjusting to a cholesterol-addressing diet. No red meat, processed meat, cheese, and limited dairy. Today is shrimp and rice noodles but boy am I open to suggestions.

I've lately come to appreciate the virtues of different types of rice, and the vast variety of beans out there, and the combinations.

Some of my go-tos. You might want to look into substituting some of the oils, and in most cases I have been able to cut the oil in half with no loss of flavor, texture or mouth feel.

Chickpeas and rice
Black-eyed pea hummus, which goes really well with oven naan
Spicy Ethiopian Lentil Stew
Yellow jasmine rice
Cilantro lime rice
Moroccan Soup with Kale and Chickpeas
Lentils and canned salmon. Very good on mixed greens!

 

[Unimportant]

I do the lazy-arsed no oil method of just dumping everything into one pot and giving it a stir once in a while: cut up veggies (include onions! Onions make everything better), rice, red lentils, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, chilli powder (optional), about half a cup of yoghurt, and sufficient water for the rice and lentils. Simmer till done. Spritz with lemon juice before serving.

(I should make the rice separately and serve the curry over rice, but, yanno, lazy. Ditto for the lentils but my partner hates lentils and won't eat them so I hide them this way.)

Chappatis: 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 - 2 T chopped coriander, 1 cup water. Mix to a dough. Break into pieces about the size of a walnut. Roll into balls, let rest ten minutes, roll out thinly into circles. Heat pan on high. Spray pan with a bit of spray oil (Pam or similar), put as many breads as will fit into the pan, cook for about one minute, flip over, cook again for about one minute (till light brown spots appear on the lower surface). Repeat till all are cooked.

 

[benbenberi]

Black bean soup will happen today. The beans are soaking so I'm committed. It's very cold outside, with a nor'easter expected on Saturday, so a big pot of bean soup is needed!