Author Topic: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?  (Read 950056 times)

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1050 on: July 01, 2019, 06:20:59 PM »
Tonight: Budget Bytes' curry beef with peas. I did all the saute steps in the instant pot and am finishing with a 6-minute pressure cook on the manual setting. Hopefully it cooks the potato cubes without mushing them too much.

We'll eat this with the brown rice I cooked this morning.

ETA: I think a 5-minute pressure cook would have been perfect. This is still pretty tasty, though.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2019, 07:13:33 PM by OtherJen »

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1051 on: July 02, 2019, 05:54:06 AM »
I can't say I am a huge fan of the instant pot. My big gripe is that it takes too long to start cooking. I have the biggest one so that might be part of the problem. I think I am going to pull it out today to cook some boiled eggs, then after cook some spaghetti squash. I also have some zukes and a yellow squash I might cook up with whole canned tomatoes and onions. I might just cook them in the crock pot so they don't get overcooked. We have some leftover hunks of meatloaf in the freezer we can defrost and heat up for dinner.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1052 on: July 04, 2019, 09:01:53 AM »
Tonight: grilled chicken in homemade adobo sauce (dried guajillo peppers, lime juice, various herbs/spices), homemade guacamole, homemade coleslaw with chipotle dressing, tortillas (not homemade, sadly)

soccerluvof4

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7157
  • Location: Artic Midwest
  • Retired at 50
    • My Journal
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1053 on: July 05, 2019, 07:48:43 AM »
Just went to the store and bought some Salmon for tonight

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1054 on: July 05, 2019, 08:23:46 AM »
I can't say I am a huge fan of the instant pot. My big gripe is that it takes too long to start cooking. I have the biggest one so that might be part of the problem. I think I am going to pull it out today to cook some boiled eggs, then after cook some spaghetti squash. I also have some zukes and a yellow squash I might cook up with whole canned tomatoes and onions. I might just cook them in the crock pot so they don't get overcooked. We have some leftover hunks of meatloaf in the freezer we can defrost and heat up for dinner.

I love ours but mainly use it for things like dried beans or meat roasts, and it does cut the cooking time on those way down. It’s also good as a rice cooker, where it doesn’t reduce time but means I don’t have to watch the rice pot to keep it from boiling over on the stove.

For other things, it doesn’t necessarily save time but it does heat up the kitchen a lot less than the stove. We’re more than a week into this stretch of temps in the upper 80s/90s with high humidity and little rain/wind, so everything helps. We’re definitely eating much better than we have in previous steamy summers.

cloudsail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 556
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1055 on: July 05, 2019, 08:57:07 AM »
I can't say I am a huge fan of the instant pot. My big gripe is that it takes too long to start cooking. I have the biggest one so that might be part of the problem. I think I am going to pull it out today to cook some boiled eggs, then after cook some spaghetti squash. I also have some zukes and a yellow squash I might cook up with whole canned tomatoes and onions. I might just cook them in the crock pot so they don't get overcooked. We have some leftover hunks of meatloaf in the freezer we can defrost and heat up for dinner.

I have the 6 qt and I agree that it takes a while to get up to pressure. I think it's most convenient for SAHM's like me where I don't necessarily lack the time to get it started early, but I lack the ability to stay and tend to something cooking. It basically allows me to throw stuff in then leave the kitchen. The oven mostly does this too, but it's usually slower and less versatile, like I can't cook rice or pasta in it. I've also found less room for error in oven cooking, where it's kind of like stove top in that cooking stuff too long or too short makes it inedible, whereas instant pot is very forgiving.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1056 on: July 06, 2019, 07:45:33 AM »
I can't say I am a huge fan of the instant pot. My big gripe is that it takes too long to start cooking. I have the biggest one so that might be part of the problem. I think I am going to pull it out today to cook some boiled eggs, then after cook some spaghetti squash. I also have some zukes and a yellow squash I might cook up with whole canned tomatoes and onions. I might just cook them in the crock pot so they don't get overcooked. We have some leftover hunks of meatloaf in the freezer we can defrost and heat up for dinner.

I have the 6 qt and I agree that it takes a while to get up to pressure. I think it's most convenient for SAHM's like me where I don't necessarily lack the time to get it started early, but I lack the ability to stay and tend to something cooking. It basically allows me to throw stuff in then leave the kitchen. The oven mostly does this too, but it's usually slower and less versatile, like I can't cook rice or pasta in it. I've also found less room for error in oven cooking, where it's kind of like stove top in that cooking stuff too long or too short makes it inedible, whereas instant pot is very forgiving.

My boiled eggs always come out good and they peel terrifically too. The squash I cooked came out good too. Cloudsail, what do you cook in your Instant Pot? I have used older style pressure cookers and always loved them. I want to love my IP too but just can't seem to come up with ideas on what to cook in it. I did make yogurt several times and that was very good too. I used canning jars inside the IP without lids. The only down side is waiting for the temp to come down to add the yogurt starter in. Other than that, the yogurt came out like greek yogurt. Another thing that bothers me in the IP is that some recipes say to put in one cup of water, like when steaming, but I find my water is totally gone when I open it up. That isn't good!

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1057 on: July 06, 2019, 09:33:33 AM »
Ugh. It was already 76ºF with 80% humidity at sunrise and its only gotten worse with the sun. I think dinner is going to be Cobb salad. I can microwave the bacon and might try hard-boiling eggs in the instant pot.

I'm so ready for this humid stretch to break (it's been almost 2 weeks). I miss using my stove. All my kitchen towels get mildewy after a day.

cloudsail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 556
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1058 on: July 06, 2019, 12:47:49 PM »
I can't say I am a huge fan of the instant pot. My big gripe is that it takes too long to start cooking. I have the biggest one so that might be part of the problem. I think I am going to pull it out today to cook some boiled eggs, then after cook some spaghetti squash. I also have some zukes and a yellow squash I might cook up with whole canned tomatoes and onions. I might just cook them in the crock pot so they don't get overcooked. We have some leftover hunks of meatloaf in the freezer we can defrost and heat up for dinner.

I have the 6 qt and I agree that it takes a while to get up to pressure. I think it's most convenient for SAHM's like me where I don't necessarily lack the time to get it started early, but I lack the ability to stay and tend to something cooking. It basically allows me to throw stuff in then leave the kitchen. The oven mostly does this too, but it's usually slower and less versatile, like I can't cook rice or pasta in it. I've also found less room for error in oven cooking, where it's kind of like stove top in that cooking stuff too long or too short makes it inedible, whereas instant pot is very forgiving.

My boiled eggs always come out good and they peel terrifically too. The squash I cooked came out good too. Cloudsail, what do you cook in your Instant Pot? I have used older style pressure cookers and always loved them. I want to love my IP too but just can't seem to come up with ideas on what to cook in it. I did make yogurt several times and that was very good too. I used canning jars inside the IP without lids. The only down side is waiting for the temp to come down to add the yogurt starter in. Other than that, the yogurt came out like greek yogurt. Another thing that bothers me in the IP is that some recipes say to put in one cup of water, like when steaming, but I find my water is totally gone when I open it up. That isn't good!

I make a bunch of different dishes, some favorites are:

One pot pasta. No draining required, and I can cook it with bone broth that gets completely absorbed (my kids are picky so I'm always trying to get more nutrition into them).

Meat that needs long cooking times like ribs or roast. Or even chicken. I cook them on the trivet and if I want crispy exterior just transfer to oven and broil for a bit. The bonus is you get great drippings at the bottom that you can save or use for gravy.

One pot rice meals. You can either put the meat on top of the rice (I like to do this with leftovers) or cook it at the bottom and steam the rice in a bowl set on top of a rack. I either mix veggies with the rice or place them on top.

Homemade chicken stock or bone broth.

Asian multigrain porridge or congee.

Steaming stuff, like corn on the cob or egg custard (an Asian steamed egg dish popular with kids). It feels faster than doing it on the stovetop where you have to wait for more water to boil and the steaming process takes longer, though I've never timed it. It might just feel easier because I don't have to watch it.

I'm always looking for new ideas on using my IP! My kids don't like hard boiled eggs so never made that, but I've always wanted to give yogurt a try.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1059 on: July 07, 2019, 05:26:36 AM »
Cloudsail, thanks for some ideas for IP.

I watched a YouTube video on making yogurt. The video is from Instant Pot Mama. Very good step by step instructions. I watched it and wrote each step as she did it. She only shows processing one jar. When I did it, I used 4 or 5 wide mouth canning jars. It came out perfect. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtXnaP17D4Q  Take some time and write down the process that way you won't have to try to remember.

What kind of rice do you use? Does it get mushy? Same with the pasta, does it come out al dente?

cloudsail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 556
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1060 on: July 07, 2019, 10:17:29 AM »
Cloudsail, thanks for some ideas for IP.

I watched a YouTube video on making yogurt. The video is from Instant Pot Mama. Very good step by step instructions. I watched it and wrote each step as she did it. She only shows processing one jar. When I did it, I used 4 or 5 wide mouth canning jars. It came out perfect. Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtXnaP17D4Q  Take some time and write down the process that way you won't have to try to remember.

What kind of rice do you use? Does it get mushy? Same with the pasta, does it come out al dente?

Oooh, thanks for the video. I'm going to give it a shot! My little one recently developed a taste for yogurt.

I use the calrose rice. If you cook it directly in the pot you have to be careful about the amount of water you put in if you don't want mushy rice. It might take a little experimentation. With the instant pot you usually need less liquid than stove top because there is less escape of steam. I also often add other grains like millet, etc., and other stuff you put in with it like meat will also release liquid. If you steam the rice in a bowl it will definitely not turn out mushy (just don't put way too much water in the bowl with the rice).

For pasta, you just use enough liquid to cover it, and tenderness depends more on cooking time. Again, you might have to experiment with different shapes. I've found that five to six minutes works well for most, but a lot will depend on your individual pot. If you really don't like too soft pasta I would start low, like two to three minutes, and if it's too hard just letting it sit in the liquid will soften it. Also I would experiment with pressure releasing it immediately vs. waiting a bit for it to naturally release, as that adds to the cooking time as well.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1061 on: July 07, 2019, 11:00:31 AM »
I use the calrose rice. If you cook it directly in the pot you have to be careful about the amount of water you put in if you don't want mushy rice. It might take a little experimentation. With the instant pot you usually need less liquid than stove top because there is less escape of steam. I also often add other grains like millet, etc., and other stuff you put in with it like meat will also release liquid. If you steam the rice in a bowl it will definitely not turn out mushy (just don't put way too much water in the bowl with the rice).

My experience with the instant pot is that equal volumes of water and rice works for both the brown and white rice settings. If I cook lentils with the rice, I add a bit more water or soak the lentils first.

soccerluvof4

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7157
  • Location: Artic Midwest
  • Retired at 50
    • My Journal
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1062 on: July 08, 2019, 02:37:29 AM »
They had frozen chickens on sale for about 3$ a piece so made two of those and they were delicious. Now have a bit of meat leftover for sandwiches.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1063 on: July 08, 2019, 02:56:34 AM »
Veggie burgers (home made), sweet potato and cauliflower.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1064 on: July 08, 2019, 04:26:43 PM »
Summer soccer starts this evening, so the boys will be gone 6-8 pm. And then hungry about 8:30, once they cool down.

I'm making pasta salad: MrInCO and I will eat it as-is, younger kid will dump tomato sauce on top, and older kid will probably boycott, as it's one of a few things he really doesn't like. His loss! More for MrInCO to take for lunch.

Pasta (maybe shells?), cooked cauliflower, asparagus I grilled last night, small cubes of salami and provolone, probably olives and/or capers, and a vinagrette that includes the last bit of pesto and the last bit of tapenade in the fridge. Probably some basil leaves. Maybe marinated red peppers, for taste and color.

Raenia

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2619
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1065 on: July 08, 2019, 04:38:04 PM »
Saag and rice - I meant to make it last week, but it was so hot we didn't want to use the stove at all.  The heat finally broke today, hopefully it'll stay that way for at least a few days so I can get back to cooking regularly.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1066 on: July 08, 2019, 07:28:45 PM »
I turned a few extra chicken thighs into taco meat along with sliced peppers and onions, spices, and fresh cilantro. We ate this mix on corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, crumbled feta, and Herdez guacamole salsa. Yay for being able to use my stove again!

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1067 on: July 12, 2019, 05:55:30 PM »
Rancho Gordo Eye of the Goat beans cooked with veggies and spices, white rice, and leftover smoked brisket.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1068 on: July 15, 2019, 09:31:38 PM »
We had an air quality alert day today (high heat + high humidity). This has been one of the grosser summers, weather-wise, in recent memory. The condensation on the bathroom floor never totally dried after today’s showers. This isn’t going to let up any time soon.

Tonight’s dinner was cold chicken salad on a bed of greens. Tomorrow will be something that I can put in the instant pot.

soccerluvof4

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7157
  • Location: Artic Midwest
  • Retired at 50
    • My Journal
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1069 on: July 16, 2019, 03:50:42 AM »
They had frozen Chicken quarters for 69 cents a lbs so bought to packs of those and did them up on the grill with some potatoes and veggies. Though hot out better than heating the house up with the oven.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1070 on: July 16, 2019, 09:12:44 AM »
Yesterday: I finally made it to the farmer's market Saturday and got awesome looking (and smelling!) tomatoes, so gazpacho, homemade baguettes (tried the recipe from "Artisan bread in 5 minutes/day" that I picked up from the used bookstore the last time I brought in a box of books), white beans agio y olio from smitten kitchen (with artichoke hearts and added the last spoonful of pesto from the fridge) and a green salad.

Tonight: beef and broccoli stir-fry, with a bunch of snap peas I found at the farmer's market. Or maybe beef and snap peas, and I'll save the broccoli for a different meal... with rice.

soccerluvof4

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7157
  • Location: Artic Midwest
  • Retired at 50
    • My Journal
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1071 on: July 17, 2019, 03:54:42 AM »
Last night made Carribean Jerk Pork sticks on the grill , was fabulous!

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1072 on: July 19, 2019, 08:33:12 AM »
We’re under an excessive heat warning through tomorrow night. We’ve already cancelled our plans for tomorrow’s family reunion picnic because several hours outdoors in a heat index of 105-110°F is too much. I think dinner one night will be cold sandwiches. We’re going out the other night.

I’m about to wave the white flag and accept that we will be living on mostly cold sandwiches and salads for the next 6 weeks.

sparkytheop

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 991
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1073 on: July 19, 2019, 08:29:12 PM »
Tonight's dinner is just biscuits and sausage gravy with some fried potatoes.  Working on using what we have in the fridge/freezer/pantry for the rest of the month (along with some fresh milk and fruit from the store, and vegetables from the garden).  Paying off the property this month (earlier than planned), so tightening the belt again until I get a couple more paychecks to refill all the slush/sinking funds back to where I'm comfortable.  Fortunately, we have a good stock of food on hand!

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1074 on: July 20, 2019, 07:51:35 PM »
We’re under an excessive heat warning through tomorrow night. We’ve already cancelled our plans for tomorrow’s family reunion picnic because several hours outdoors in a heat index of 105-110°F is too much. I think dinner one night will be cold sandwiches. We’re going out the other night.

I’m about to wave the white flag and accept that we will be living on mostly cold sandwiches and salads for the next 6 weeks.

I sat down and made a list of "salads" that we eat in the summer (and put several on the menu for this next week...)

1. Shredded chicken, green veg (usually asparagus or green beans), small cantaloupe cubes and wild rice blend (because I'm too cheap to use straight wild rice) with lime/cumin dressing
2. https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/01/warm-lentil-and-potato-salad/ with or without slices of grilled sausages on top, with a green salad (or some other veg)
3. Nicoise salad, and many variations
4. Steak salad (with grilled steak, seasoned potatoes, green beans - or whatever, cooked beets, tomatoes, something pickled -- cornichons?, probably blue cheese crumbles, green goddess dressing with loads of basil)
5. Shrimp baja salad (https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baja-shrimp-taco-salad-256166)
6. https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/06/cold-rice-noodles-with-peanut-lime-chicken/ (or a less complicated cold rice noodle and peanut sauce thing)

It just rained here and cooled things down substantially, so I dropped a whole chicken into a crockpot of water and will shred the meat and put away the stock in the morning.  That's for salad #1: I also bought a yummy-smelling cantaloupe at the market today. I'm also on the lookout for a grill pan so I can grill the shrimp for #5.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1075 on: July 20, 2019, 08:21:13 PM »
We’re under an excessive heat warning through tomorrow night. We’ve already cancelled our plans for tomorrow’s family reunion picnic because several hours outdoors in a heat index of 105-110°F is too much. I think dinner one night will be cold sandwiches. We’re going out the other night.

I’m about to wave the white flag and accept that we will be living on mostly cold sandwiches and salads for the next 6 weeks.

I sat down and made a list of "salads" that we eat in the summer (and put several on the menu for this next week...)

1. Shredded chicken, green veg (usually asparagus or green beans), small cantaloupe cubes and wild rice blend (because I'm too cheap to use straight wild rice) with lime/cumin dressing
2. https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/01/warm-lentil-and-potato-salad/ with or without slices of grilled sausages on top, with a green salad (or some other veg)
3. Nicoise salad, and many variations
4. Steak salad (with grilled steak, seasoned potatoes, green beans - or whatever, cooked beets, tomatoes, something pickled -- cornichons?, probably blue cheese crumbles, green goddess dressing with loads of basil)
5. Shrimp baja salad (https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baja-shrimp-taco-salad-256166)
6. https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/06/cold-rice-noodles-with-peanut-lime-chicken/ (or a less complicated cold rice noodle and peanut sauce thing)

It just rained here and cooled things down substantially, so I dropped a whole chicken into a crockpot of water and will shred the meat and put away the stock in the morning.  That's for salad #1: I also bought a yummy-smelling cantaloupe at the market today. I'm also on the lookout for a grill pan so I can grill the shrimp for #5.

Yum! Thanks for the list.

Dinner last night ended up being a platter of cut raw veggies with fresh ranch dip (ranch mix in sour cream) and hard boiled eggs from the pressure cooker. We went out for burgers tonight. It's supposed to be less aggressively hot tomorrow so I think maybe we'll have grilled salmon salad.

Sugaree

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1657
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1076 on: July 22, 2019, 06:27:57 AM »
I've got some beef barbacoa in the crockpot.  Plus a few in the freezer for later.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1077 on: July 24, 2019, 05:16:49 PM »
Hamburger salad:
Salad with greens, cucumbers, red peppers (sherry vinaigrette), and:
Cooked seasoned ground beef (I often season with mustard and ketchup, just to be cute)
diced pickles
shredded chedder
sliced/halved tomatoes (depending on size)

Usually also homemade croutons, but I'm playing around with "Artisan bread in 5 minutes/day" and baked a loaf of fresh whole-grain bread, which should've cooled enough to cut into by suppertime.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1078 on: July 26, 2019, 07:21:58 PM »
Broccoli rice casserole in the instant pot with brown rice, meat and stock from a Costco rotisserie chicken, fresh broccoli, and sharp cheddar.

meerkat

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4214
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1079 on: July 27, 2019, 07:51:52 AM »
Trying to eat down the pantry a bit, somehow we have a lot of cheeses after having friends over recently so our menu is cheese-heavy:

Beef stew
Italian Wonderpot (Budget Bytes)
Egg and sausage biscuits
Grilled cheese + fries
Pizza
Quesadillas

middo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1772
  • Location: Stuck in Melbourne still. Dreaming of WA
  • Learning.
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1080 on: July 28, 2019, 05:49:44 PM »
Beef stew - for the third day in a row.  It is soooo good.

Basically beef, onions, garlic, potato, carrot, sweet potato, mushroom, peas and red wine and herbs.

Some dumplings on top - self raising flour, butter, milk and parmesan cheese.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1081 on: July 29, 2019, 04:25:59 PM »
Stromboli (Smitten Kitchen, again...) with additional tomato sauce, and either salad or green beans.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1082 on: July 29, 2019, 06:04:05 PM »
Costco frozen gluten-free cheese pizza topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, red onion, feta cheese, and oregano. We hadn’t had pizza in ages, and this was very tasty.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1083 on: July 30, 2019, 04:45:30 PM »
Grilled salmon, air-fried potatoes, and sautéed zucchini and tomatoes.

Evgenia

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 202
  • Location: California
    • Evgenia Got FI
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1084 on: July 30, 2019, 05:03:42 PM »
Goa-style spiced pork burgers (making use of two pork steaks in the deep freeze from our last whole-hog buy, woo hoo), with mint, cukes, and yogurt on top, and roasted sweet potatoes.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1085 on: July 30, 2019, 07:01:03 PM »
Started as nachos (I pulled two quarts of chili from the freezer) but then I found a dozen freezer-burned corn tortillas, so I toasted them and we wound up with sort of chili-bowls: chili, the tortillas, chopped roasted poblanos I rescued from the freezer, a bit of leftover chipotles in adobo, shredded cheddar, slaw (red cabbage and carrots, both shredded with a little vinegar), tomato salad, and (randomly) beets in a mustard vinaigrette.

Tasty, and full of vegetables, so I'll call it a win.

Tyson

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3023
  • Age: 51
  • Location: Denver, Colorado
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1086 on: July 30, 2019, 07:07:09 PM »
Scrambled eggs, creamed kale & spinach, roasted carrots. 

WhiteTrashCash

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1983
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1087 on: July 31, 2019, 07:51:52 AM »
Tonight's dinner will be lemon basil chicken (made with garden-grown basil) with homemade sourdough bread, garden-grown sugar snap peas and Romano bush beans, and homemade apple cinnamon bread for dessert. This is one of my more expensive meals to prepare: $2.25 for all ingredients.

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1088 on: August 01, 2019, 04:13:58 AM »
Last night was one of my favorite dinners! Roasted tomato sauce.

3 lbs. Roma tomatoes, garlic, dried Italian herbs, crushed red pepper and olive oil (cup), roasted for about 1 hour in the oven. Then poured over precooked spaghetti, fresh basil and sliced fresh mozzarella chunks.

OMG! So good!

Raenia

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2619
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1089 on: August 01, 2019, 08:11:14 AM »
Chicken tinga tacos - chicken cooking in the crockpot, corn tortillas, and rice.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1090 on: August 01, 2019, 08:19:33 AM »
I don't feel particularly inspired today, so probably homemade tomato-meat sauce from the freezer over pasta. Maybe I'll make some balsamic vinaigrette for side salads.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1091 on: August 01, 2019, 11:33:36 AM »
Yesterday -- low on ideas, so we had burgers, baked potatoes, salad, then I added greek-isn salad (sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, black olives, and a white-bean-salad thing, with sautéed onions, garlic, diced up roasted red peppers and marinated artichoke hearts (from half-full bottles in the fridge) and diced spicy salami (from an opened container in the fridge) and the artichoke marinating liquid. It turned out pretty well, and there are even leftovers!

(Er, there were. Up until I had lunch (urp))

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1092 on: August 01, 2019, 07:06:04 PM »
Steamed a spaghetti squash and meanwhile sauteed some Italian sausage, garlic and random veggies.  Made little nests with the squash, put in a layer of ricotta, fresh basil then the sausage/veg and a little more cheese on top and baked.  Not bad.

Last night I made a spin on Filipino chicken adobo, served over julienned zucchini and eggplant.  Yum.  And best, there is leftover sauce.

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1093 on: August 01, 2019, 09:38:30 PM »
"Salad" of tortellini and green beans with a tomato paste-based pesto.

WhiteTrashCash

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1983
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1094 on: August 01, 2019, 10:14:01 PM »
Tonight's dinner wasn't all that fancy, because I didn't want to have a lot of dishes to clean up since we are leaving town for the weekend. I boiled some vegetable pasta and used some marinara sauce we had in our pantry. However, I did spice it up a bit by using my own homemade Italian seasoning for the sauce which is made from basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary. The basil was saved from last year's garden. I'm getting low on dried basil, so luckily our early season basil plants in the garden have regenerated enough to start harvesting them again and our late season basil plants are getting closer to being ready.

cloudsail

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 556
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1095 on: August 01, 2019, 10:24:48 PM »
My kids have swimming lesson today at 6pm. They can't eat beforehand, and by the time we get home it's almost seven. On these days I always resort to my trusty instant pot. Before we leave I put some chicken and tofu in the pot with some sauce and rice and water on a trivet. When we get home it's cooked, and I just need to boil some corn and broccoli while the kids are showering and changing. I'm rather proud of the fact that since the kids started swim lessons this summer, we haven't once resorted to take out on swim days.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1096 on: August 02, 2019, 12:18:04 PM »
DH cought several types of fish and shells today. We ate some as sashimi and the other half in a powder package of soup, because we are camping.

sparkytheop

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 991
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1097 on: August 03, 2019, 03:21:22 PM »
Yesterday I made beans and rice with a box I got from Fred Meyer, and some sausage I had in the fridge.  So much better than the recipes I've tried so far!  I need to look at a box and see if I can figure out how they seasoned it.  Any recipes I've followed have just been bland so far, so I end up spicing it up with random stuff from the cupboard.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1098 on: August 03, 2019, 03:41:08 PM »
Husband is planning to grill chicken wings. I think those will be served with a big salad to use up some of the veggies stuffed in our fridge (thanks to August prices at the produce market).

jeninco

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3982
  • Location: .... duh?
Re: Watcha making for dinner tonight!?
« Reply #1099 on: August 04, 2019, 03:37:51 PM »
Gazpacho salad (all the stuff, just in a bowl) with grilled shrimp, black beans in a chipotle vinaigrette, and probably corn chips.