Watcha making for dinner tonight!?

[sui generis]

We love these quinoa black bean burgers. Super easy and good texture. I round up on the hot sauce and have always replaced the bread crumbs with oats, as some commenter here suggests. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220661/quinoa-black-bean-burgers/

[OtherJen]

We have a decent amount of frozen salmon fillets and some potatoes and salad greens that need to be used, so I'll probably make some sort of big dinner salad with flaked roasted salmon, roasted potatoes, the blue cheese crumbles I found in the fridge, assorted other crunchy vegetables, and vinaigrette dressing. Maybe lemon vinaigrette.

[NotJen]

Hamburger buns were a hit, lentil burger recipe from Bon Apetit not so much. BBQ sauce helped. I like the idea of a veggie burger, so if anyone has recommendations, I'm interested. I only made a half batch of buns, but I still have a bunch left to work with.

I like these veggie burgers: https://peasandcrayons.com/2014/11/butternut-black-bean-burgers.html

I also really liked these lentil 'meat'balls, I use them on salads mostly, but they might be good in a sandwich, too: http://www.vegansandra.com/2016/10/the-best-and-easiest-lentil-balls.html

ETA: Dinner will be another round of personal pizzas.  One might have roasted broccoli, the others probably mushrooms/tomatoes and bell pepper/onions.

[jeninco]

Last night we had the NYTimes recipe for Indian red beans which I'm not linking to because it was just OK. The saag (which I cobbled together from a few other recipes) turned out great!

Tonight: we're having an old recipe for linguine with tomato sauce that contains an entire jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and then a composed salad of fresh greens (from our neighbor's yard!), leftover grilled eggplants, leftover grilled steak, and some egyptian walking onions I thinned out the gardens that I'm going to treat like rams and cook in a cast iron skillet. I'm still working that one out: we also have quite a few carrots to use up, so I'll likely shred some.  Probably coconut cake for dessert, if I can get the currently-baking bread out of the oven in time.

[Dicey]

We love these quinoa black bean burgers. Super easy and good texture. I round up on the hot sauce and have always replaced the bread crumbs with oats, as some commenter here suggests. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220661/quinoa-black-bean-burgers/

Well, based on this recipe, tonight's version was much better. I didn't have any peppers, so I did a batch of caramelized onions and used about a half cup of those instead. I did double up on the hot sauce and added parsley and black pepper. Because I have zillions of them leftover from an event, I used crushed crackers, which worked fine. The mixture was very thick (possibly because I used scratch cooked black beans), I did not add any egg. I have to say this version was much sticker than yesterday's, so they were easier to cook. I used a glove for my patty-forming hand, which was inspired. It would have been a huge mess otherwise. My meat-eaters were happy, possibly because tonight's side was crinkle-cut sweet potato fries. Seriously, they said it was a definite improvement.

The black bean recipe I used resulted in a lot of extra bean broth, so I dumped some brown rice in it and let the IP do its magic. Now I have a bunch of yummy-looking dirty rice that will become the basis of another meal. Hey, maybe I can use them in another veggie burger recipe. Hmmm, let me think about that...

Thanks for all the tips, suggestions and link love. You guys rock!

[horsepoor]

Made a weird but tasty casserole tonight.  At first I was going to do a basic spaghetti sauce and meatballs baked into spaghetti squash.  But then I realized I needed to use up a cauliflower, so used that instead of the squash.  Only have a few jars of the spaghetti sauce I canned last summer, but tons of enchilada sauce canned in '18, so I did a quick pivot and did a kind of cauliflower Suizas casserole with sauteed mushrooms, onions and spinach, and olives, halved meatballs and cheese over the top.  Quite yum and we got our share of veggies for the day.

[sui generis]

Tonight we had the remains of the buttery pistachio chard pasta I linked above... unredeemed by some of the suggestions here unfortunately (but thank you!). Though to be fair, perhaps too late to redeem as leftovers rather than a new batch.

BUT! I went in search of something super flavorful to do with our brussels sprouts and we hit the jackpot with this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/39047-sambal-roasted-brussel-sprouts-with-fish-sauce-vinaigrette

[Dicey]

Hey, I have two heads of fancy colored cauliflower, one purple and one orange. Any suggestions?

[jeninco]

Also, @Dicey , if you have a lot of uncooked lentils to use up, this is one of our favorite ways to prep and eat them: https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/02/stuck-pot-rice-with-lentils-and-yogurt/

I recommend adding 5 minutes of cook time to the lentils and rice (or cooking all of it ahead of time on the white rice setting on the pressure cooker, if you have one).

I'm adding this to the menu for the next two weeks, but ... what do you suggest having with it? It looks like a fairly bland (but, hopefully, crunchy on the edges) dish of rice and lentils -- can we add spicy sausages on the side? Or ... ?? what ??

[jeninco]

Hey, I have two heads of fancy colored cauliflower, one purple and one orange. Any suggestions?

Do they change color when you cook them? (Frequently purple vegetables will... you can try microwaving a tiny piece of each until "cooked" and see what happens.)

If in doubt, I generally make roast cauliflower salad (think caponata, but with roasted pieces of cauliflower: capers, raisins soaked in red or white wine vinegar, maybe roasted red peppers, of which I keep jars around, parsley, ...).  I also like several of the smitten kitchen recipes: https://smittenkitchen.com/recipes/vegetable/cauliflower/  (you may have noticed that this site is a go-to for several of us...)

[Dicey]

Hey, I have two heads of fancy colored cauliflower, one purple and one orange. Any suggestions?

Do they change color when you cook them? (Frequently purple vegetables will... you can try microwaving a tiny piece of each until "cooked" and see what happens.)

If in doubt, I generally make roast cauliflower salad (think caponata, but with roasted pieces of cauliflower: capers, raisins soaked in red or white wine vinegar, maybe roasted red peppers, of which I keep jars around, parsley, ...).  I also like several of the smitten kitchen recipes: https://smittenkitchen.com/recipes/vegetable/cauliflower/  (you may have noticed that this site is a go-to for several of us...)

Thanks, I found something there. It calls for currants, which I don't have, but I have dried blueberries/cranberries/golden raisins. One of these should work. Funny, I do have a jar of roasted red peppers on hand, mainly because we don't really like them, but I keep thinking we should.

[OtherJen]

Also, @Dicey , if you have a lot of uncooked lentils to use up, this is one of our favorite ways to prep and eat them: https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/02/stuck-pot-rice-with-lentils-and-yogurt/

I recommend adding 5 minutes of cook time to the lentils and rice (or cooking all of it ahead of time on the white rice setting on the pressure cooker, if you have one).

I'm adding this to the menu for the next two weeks, but ... what do you suggest having with it? It looks like a fairly bland (but, hopefully, crunchy on the edges) dish of rice and lentils -- can we add spicy sausages on the side? Or ... ?? what ??

It's surprisingly not bland, although you could certainly add more spice. Smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper would be great. The onions add a lot of flavor.

We usually eat it with roasted salmon, usually seasoned with Old Bay and a bit of cayenne. Spicy sausages would be tasty.

[OtherJen]

I found some ham in the freezer and have bell peppers and mushrooms to use. I think I'll do a crustless quiche and side salad.

[Serendip]

We made this pasta last night: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021000-pasta-with-garlicky-spinach-and-buttered-pistachios

I felt like it had a lot of potential, but didn't end up remarkable.  It's just missing something.  But it was soooo easy that I want to try to figure it out so we can put it in the regular rotation.  I'm not a great cook or chef, though, so I don't know what flavor profile I need to add or whatever.  Maybe a bold herb, like mint? I'm just not sure that would go with the slight tang of the capers.  Or just some spice, like crushed red pepper?  It feels like it needs more *flavor* to me, though, not just spice.

Anyway, posting here in case anyone wants to workshop it with me.

I can see how this sounds good but might need little oomph, my first instinct would be a touch of lemon zest or juice to brighten it up and heavier with the black pepper but depends on your preferences :)

[Serendip]

Just made a lentil stuffed eggplant parmesan for the first time--waiting for it to cool down but it looks great :)
https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/09/stuffed-eggplant-parmesan/

[Free Spirit]

Chicken and pancakes, because it's that kind of day.

[jeninco]

https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/01/stromboli/

Also, salad.

[BNgarden]

Made this with substitutions, mainly extra roasted veggies, no honey or mint.  Yumm!
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/may/11/thomasina-miers-recipe-for-roasted-carrots-with-tahini-yoghurt

[sui generis]

Pizza night! We added one new flavor tonight, feta and olive with arugula added halfway through baking. It was a white pizza base. Very good!

[Dicey]

Tacos! The black beans, rice and meat were previously batch cooked. One avocado was perfectly ripe, so Taco Monday it was.

[NotJen]

I’ve got a Boston Butt in the crockpot, so it will be pulled pork for dinner.  With some microwave mac and cheese (so not my usual, but it was on the clearance rack at the store and I got it as an ‘emergency’ side), spinach salad, and maybe some sautéed squash and zucchini.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I’ve got a Boston Butt in the crockpot, so it will be pulled pork for dinner.  With some microwave mac and cheese (so not my usual, but it was on the clearance rack at the store and I got it as an ‘emergency’ side), spinach salad, and maybe some sautéed squash and zucchini.

What the frickety frack is a Boston Butt!?

[OtherJen]

I’ve got a Boston Butt in the crockpot, so it will be pulled pork for dinner.  With some microwave mac and cheese (so not my usual, but it was on the clearance rack at the store and I got it as an ‘emergency’ side), spinach salad, and maybe some sautéed squash and zucchini.

What the frickety frack is a Boston Butt!?

Regional name for a whole pork shoulder roast.

[NotJen]

I’ve got a Boston Butt in the crockpot, so it will be pulled pork for dinner.  With some microwave mac and cheese (so not my usual, but it was on the clearance rack at the store and I got it as an ‘emergency’ side), spinach salad, and maybe some sautéed squash and zucchini.

What the frickety frack is a Boston Butt!?

Pork shoulder.

"Boston butt, or pork butt, is the American name for a cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg and may contain the blade bone. Boston butt is the most common cut used for pulled pork, a staple of barbecue in the southern United States." - according to Wikipedia

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I’ve got a Boston Butt in the crockpot, so it will be pulled pork for dinner.  With some microwave mac and cheese (so not my usual, but it was on the clearance rack at the store and I got it as an ‘emergency’ side), spinach salad, and maybe some sautéed squash and zucchini.

What the frickety frack is a Boston Butt!?

Pork shoulder.

"Boston butt, or pork butt, is the American name for a cut of pork that comes from the upper part of the shoulder from the front leg and may contain the blade bone. Boston butt is the most common cut used for pulled pork, a staple of barbecue in the southern United States." - according to Wikipedia

Never heard the term before. Pretty sure that's called pork shoulder here. Mainly cos.. it's a shoulder.

[NotJen]

Never heard the term before. Pretty sure that's called pork shoulder here. Mainly cos.. it's a shoulder.

I continue to use the term because it is more descriptive to American butchers than pork shoulder, to make sure I get the cut I want.

[Genevieve]

I can't believe I haven't seen this thread before now! My MIL are taking turns cooking during quarantine and it's amazing. In true frugal fashion, they have all the leftover odds and ends after their retirement community of snowbirds went back to Canada, so we are making up all sorts of yummy concoctions.

Last night we had salmon cakes ala Ina Garten, from leftover salmon cooked on the grill. Subbed extra celery for the red peppers. SO Good!
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/salmon-cakes-recipe-1916217

We also had roasted cabbage with salt, lemon juice, and Parmesan. So yummy and filling. 

[OtherJen]

Oven chicken shawarma with rice, garlic-yogurt sauce, and roasted veggies.

[jeninco]

Kid #2 had a Spanish assignment to cook a "Traditional" (or maybe it was "typical") Spanish food and narrate a video of the cooking process ... in Spanish, of course. So we had "Potato Bombas" for lunch, i.e. cooked seasoned ground beef inside a shell of mashed potatoes, then fried. Urp!  Now he has to edit the video, and add the voice over. And I need to figure out what to do with about a cup of used cooking oil (I'll use it for cooking bit by bit over the next week or so, probably.)

Although the kitchen is now cleaned up, my energy for involved meals has now been pretty much used up, so I'll be defrosting some chili (and using the rest of the ground beef he opened to make a little bit more), making cabbage-n-carrot slaw and probably making fresh tortillas -- we're completely out, but we do have half of a 5-lb bag of masa marina and a tortilla press. If I get a small burst of energy, I'm making this: https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/03/coconut-bread/

Tomorrow, I go shopping and start it all over again!

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

Never heard the term before. Pretty sure that's called pork shoulder here. Mainly cos.. it's a shoulder.

I continue to use the term because it is more descriptive to American butchers than pork shoulder, to make sure I get the cut I want.

Absolutely. That's what it's called there so that's what it's called there. I would be lot in a sea of 'butts' and 'ground' meat in the USA.

[BZB]

I took a break from cooking, first time in a long while, and bought fajitas for curbside pickup. The leftovers should cover at least another meal.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I need to cut back the cilantro plant, so I'm thinking carnitas. If we have extra avocado, with guacamole

[OtherJen]

Yeah, this might be a takeout night. Or I'll thaw some frozen soup. I'm really not in the mood to cook.

[Genevieve]

Tonight is steak, roasted carrots/parsnips/leeks, kale salad with dressing of lemon, vinegar, avocado, and potatoes

[horsepoor]

Last night, a sheetpan dinner of broccoli, new potatoes and kielbasa slices.

Tonight, beef-butternut squash chili and keto "cornbread" muffins, with enough leftovers for tomorrow.  Perfect for two cooler, rainy days before it heats up again.

[jeninco]

NYTimes rice noodle salad with ground pork and loads of veg and herbs. Dressing is lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce, a little honey, and some oil. I cut up spinach, scallions, mint, romaine lettuce, cakes, cherry tomatoes, and lightly pickled some daikon before I got bored of cutting stuff up (so the cilantro didn't make it in). Popular and tasty!

[sui generis]

The couscous cakes are in our regular rotation. Easy and tasty. The first meal DH cooked for me when he invited me over for our 4th or 5th date.

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/feta-green-onion-couscous-cakes-over-tomato-olive-salad

[OtherJen]

I have a big batch of from-scratch tomato sauce with mushrooms, vegetables, and hot Italian sausage simmering on the stove. I'll serve some over pasta tonight and freeze most of it for later.

[Roadrunner53]

Walnut crusted sea bass with lemon butter sauce.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

It's leftover night:
-Kebabs & rice (some)
-Cauliflower crust pizza (others)

[Serendip]

Was reading a memoir by poet Elizabeth Alexander.
Subject: losing her husband and the beauty of life (title: The Light of the World).

 She sprinkles recipes throughout the book as he was a chef as well as an artist. The first meal she and her boys ate with friends after he died was an onion-heavy/pancetta pasta. That's what we ate tonight (I subbed thick bacon for pancetta) and the onions are slowly cooked for over 40 minutes. It was really, really, really good (I am the 'mostly vegetarian' in the household so this was ones of the only times I've cooked meat in a few years. My guy was very happy with this meal) :)

[jeninco]

Last night: https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/04/sheet-pan-chicken-tikka/ And some roasted beets I got going ahead of the recipe, sliced and dressed with a little red wine vinegar.

Tonight: Tony's black bean salad. Tony was a graduate school classmate of mine who brought this delicious black bean, corn, and tomato salad in a really zingy lime chipotle vinaigrette  to a party. He looked a bit like Einstein (and already had two kids by grad school), and I believe he got the recipe from the Lady's Home Journal. We sub diced red pepper for the tomatoes, and add fresh avocado cubes. With it, we'll make the remaining corn tortillas from the bag of masa I'm trying to finish up. And margaritas -- I got the supplies for those last week, and we've all been waiting for the right night.

[NotJen]

Stuffed Peppers (https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_stuffed_bell_peppers/).  BF keeps mentioning them since I haven't made them in a while.  Brussels sprouts and either green beans or sweet potato on the side.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

We had steak and an Asian themed salad (crispy noodles, nuts, peanut sauce). I need to brainstorm ideas for our menus this weekend. I'm in a rut, yet cooking for one picky eater, my husband who eats almost entirely keto due to food allergies, and then my other teen & I, who will eat almost anything.

I'm thinking egg roll in a bowl (with samosas, for those who can/will). I need a few other easy, reasonably kid friendly ideas.

[OtherJen]

I made a batch of corn tortillas and am pressure cooking pinquito beans with cilantro and a bone and fat from a smoked pork shoulder. I'll refry the beans with onions, garlic, peppers, and spices. I have avocado, cabbage, radishes, crumbled feta, and salsa as taco toppings.

[jeninco]

I made a batch of corn tortillas and am pressure cooking pinquito beans with cilantro and a bone and fat from a smoked pork shoulder. I'll refry the beans with onions, garlic, peppers, and spices. I have avocado, cabbage, radishes, crumbled feta, and salsa as taco toppings.

Yum! I feel like I've finally practiced enough to be reasonably happy with my corn tortillas -- they're not as great as the fantastic tortillarilla in the next town over, but they're better then grocery store tortillas. I recently realized that wrapping them in a towel, in a bowl, is an important component of cooking them: the steam finishes them.

We had the NYTimes Allison Roman recipe for white beans, broccoli rabe and harissa. I looked at the (10 meal!) dinner menu I had sketched out, and realized this was going to be the last cool evening for a while, so the "stew-y" thing should happen tonight. Good thing it was fairly fast, since I had already-cooked white beans in the freezer. We had it with the last of a loaf of homemade bread, and I just took the next loaf out of the oven. Shout-out to my fancy thermometer, that lets me know when the inside has reached 200 degrees F! (There's an altitude adjustment in there, if you're wondering why my number is a bit low.)

[Genevieve]

We had chicken, cabbage, mushroom, red pepper stir fry with a peanut, hoison, lime sauce. Yum yum yum. Healthy and pretty cheap with the cabbage.

[Dogastrophe]

Tonight I am venturing outside my comfort zone. I was at grocery store this morning - not a deal to be had on meat.  4 chicken breast - CDN$21!  1lb of lean ground beef - CDN$9! Instead I grabbed a small bag of green lentils. Came home and did a search on what to do with them and found recipe for Mujadara (lentils and rice with caramelized onions) that I am going to try. Wish me luck!

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Last night was eggroll in a bowl, with ground beef instead of pork (couldn't find ground pork). I bumped up the hoisin sauce, and it came out very well.

Tonight is a one dish Mexican chicken rice, which is easy & the kids like. https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/one-pan-mexican-chicken-rice/

[OtherJen]

Tonight I am venturing outside my comfort zone. I was at grocery store this morning - not a deal to be had on meat.  4 chicken breast - CDN$21!  1lb of lean ground beef - CDN$9! Instead I grabbed a small bag of green lentils. Came home and did a search on what to do with them and found recipe for Mujadara (lentils and rice with caramelized onions) that I am going to try. Wish me luck!

Yum. Mujadara is fantastic comfort food. The caramelized onions give a ton of flavor.