What's for Dinner?

[lisarea]

Can you guys tell I like food? I TOLE YOU I was jonesing for a whole food forum, didn't I?

Anyway, so, I think we need a "What's for Dinner?" thread.

Me first: Be bim bob! (Bibimbap, as it's more commonly and inferiorly styled.)

Except I'm going to do it with basmati rice, because I don't have sticky rice, and we just bought a huge bag of basmati.

This is the plan:

Marinate thinly sliced beef strips in a mix of black bean sauce, rooster chili sauce, sesame oil, and ginger.

Saute all the following:

Spinach
Onions
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
The marinated beef strips, with some of the marinate

keeping them pretty separate.

Serve over the rice, with a fried egg on top, with kimchee and more rooster sauce.

I've never made it before, but the nearest place I know that has it is way out in Denver, so I guess I may as well try it.

Pray for me.

[livius drusus]

I'm on my knees even as I type, lisa.

Meanwhile, it's whole wheat penne all'arrabiata for me. Just your basic tomatoes, paste, fresh garlic, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, s & p cooked down for a few and then blended so the heat is evenly distributed. Add some Parmeggiano Reggiano (as if there were any other kind) and you've got the perfect summer sweat dinner.

Warning: do not drink red wine with it. Your mouth will explode.

[pescifish]

I made a pork tenderloin for lunch and to bring to work for dinner. Marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, cumin and some roast rub. Baked a couple of potatoes with it, scooped out most of the insides for mashed potatoes.

Ate the skins with some pork and a salad for lunch,
brought the mashed potatoes with some pork and a ton of asparagus spears for dinner.

Dinner will be accompanied by the sweet sound of flight data, processing.

[Lauri D]

Originally Posted by pescifish

I made a pork tenderloin for lunch and to bring to work for dinner. Marinated it in soy sauce, garlic, cumin and some roast rub. Baked a couple of potatoes with it, scooped out most of the insides for mashed potatoes.

Ate the skins with some pork and a salad for lunch,
brought the mashed potatoes with some pork and a ton of asparagus spears for dinner.

Dinner will be accompanied by the sweet sound of flight data, processing.

*drool*

I will have to try that marinade, pesci - I LOVE pork tenderloin, esp. on the grill in the summertime. What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance

[pescifish]

Originally Posted by Lauri D

What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance

Yeah, it's prepackaged -- like a seasoning. I bought a spice rack a while back that had stuff in all the little bottles. Pork rub, chicken rub, etc..

They look like just some mix of spices intended to get applied generously and rubbed into the skin before cooking.

Arby's "Market Fresh" sandwiches are excellent. I also tried a Martha's Vineyard salad (it had apples in it, but not as many vegetables as I'd like) which was tasty. It was very pricey though: Salad and sandwich and drink was over $10. I suppose that's equivalent to sandwich/salad take-out from Marie Calendars or Cocos or Chilis or Applebees, so not too bad.

I'm not tellin' what dinner tonight is. Youse guys are all gore-mets and all.

[Beth]

I'm making roasted chicken breasts, marinated in lemon, lime, onions, olive oil, and vinegar. A cornbread with hot peppers, garlic, and cheddar. A Greek salad and a lemony rice dish.

[livius drusus]

Penne alla Vodka tonight. I was particularly careful to chop the tomatoes into teeny bits so it was very well emulsified. Mmm... emulsified...

It's one of the easiest super-delicious dishes you can make, although not what one might call health food. Here's my favorite version of it, should any of you care to give it a roll.

Penna Alla Vodka

2 cloves garlic - crushed and peeled
2 Tbls. butter
1 14oz can peeled tomatoes, broken up with your hands or chopped (tomato asses are the archnemeses of emulsification)
1/3 cup vodka
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated parmesan + more for sprinkling on top
1 Lb. penne

Place the red pepper flakes into the vodka and let sit for 2 hours to absorb flavor. Don't use really crappy jug vodka, but there's no need to go ultra-fancy either.

Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add penne. Cook as instructed on the box but taste test 2 minutes before minimum time is up to be sure it's still very al dente. If it's in any way soft, it'll break apart when you mix it with the sauce and that sucks. A lot.

Meanwhile, in a pan large enough to accomodate the cooked pasta, saute the garlic in butter until soft but not brown. Stir in the tomatoes and vodka and simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste (I did about 3 grinds tonight and it was a little short).

Add cream and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add the 1/4 cup parmesan and stir until emulsified. Add cooked pasta with to the sauce and stir until the pasta thoroughly imbued with the sauce. Serve immediately (in warm dishes if you want to be fancy) with a grated parmesan on the table for those who feel the need.

[Goliath]

Originally Posted by Lauri D

What is roast rub though? Is it like a prepackaged thing you can get at the store? /ignorance

Oh I love roast rub! It's nothing too fancy, though, you just reach back, and...ummm..err....wait a minute.

Nevermind.

[Dingfod]

* Dingfod rubs non-existant window pane as though cleaning it
What's for Dinner? Quesadillas made with Tyson Popcorn Chicken, cheddar cheese, Jack Daniel's hot sauce, and low carb tortilla's toasted brown on the stovetop in a big frying pan.
That's what's for dinner. Mmm-mmm!


Grandpa

[viscousmemories]

Okay, here's another delightful recipe livius gave me followed by how I mercilessly abused it last night, just for fun.

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti

2 T bread crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil
3/4 lb spaghetti
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced rosemary
1 tsp crushed red pepper
s&p

In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate. Boil salted water in large pot. Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min).

Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

**********

Okay, sounds easy enough. Here's what happens when you're a bachelor operating on however many brain cells remain after 20 years of alcohol abuse:

Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Tomato Spaghetti

2 T bread crumbs easy enough, always have some handy 'cause chicken cutlets are the BOMB!
1/2 cup plus 1 T olive oil always on hand.
3/4 lb spaghetti Oops. Well, I've got angel hair anyway.
1/2 lb shelled, deveined med shrimp, cut into 1/2 inch pieces Yeah I have some shrimp in the fridge. That's why we're making this. It looks funny but it doesn't smell too bad.
1/2 pint small yellow pear or red grape tomatoes I've got a can of whole tomatoes... should work.
2 garlic cloves, minced Grr. Out of garlic and my idiot housemate must've used the last of my garlic powder. It's not bad enough that you incessantly steal my food products, why not compound it with screwing me out of it.
1 tsp minced rosemary Hmm... I guess that means mashed in the pestle? Or is it in the mortar? Which is which? Oh well, mashed it is.
1 tsp crushed red pepper Got it.
s&p Hehe. Didn't see this until just now. No wonder it needed salt.

In a small skillet, cook the bread crumbs in 1 T olive oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 2-3 min. Scrape the crumbs onto a plate. Easy enough Boil salted water in large pot. Ok Cook spaghetti until just barely al dente. Angel hair Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. I never do that 'cause I don't know why. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, combine remaining 1/4 cup olive oil with shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper. I'll combine what I have. But 1/4 c of oil? The ingredients list says 1/2 c. Add the spaghetti and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and add s&p. Angel hair, no water, missed the s&p. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing the pasta and lightly crushing the tomatoes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and the shrimp are cooked through (about 4 min). No, not really. Actually I cooked the shrimp in the oil, diced up whole canned tomatoes and limited spices (raw shrimp scares me), then dumped in the angel hair and mixed well.

Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve. Hmm. Well I'm just serving myself. What do I do with the extra crumbs, toss 'em? Throw out perfectly good food? Nah, I'll just dump 'em all on top of my plate.

Okay now, my way wasn't nauseating, but I wouldn't call it magical either. It would've been better if I hadn't dumped all the breadcrumbs on top. Save them in a baggie for leftovers. Oh and always have fresh garlic on hand and I suspect fresh tomatoes would've been better. And spaghetti! Definitely use spaghetti. I'm not sure if fettucinni, fusilli or soba would've been better, but those were my only other alternatives.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by lisarea

Me first: Be bim bob! (Bibimbap, as it's more commonly and inferiorly styled.)

I love Be bim bob. In fact my friends Mom and I went to three different places in Ann Arbor for it on three separate Saturdays, and decided that the best of them was Bell's Diner. As it happens, on a later occasion I asked the waitress how they make it, and she wrote this for me:

Korean Bibimbap Recipe (from Bell’s Diner, Ann Arbor, Michigan)

1. Spinach
2. Bean Sprouts
3. Cabbage and Carrot
   1. Cut thin then julienne
   
   Mix 1-3 with:
   Salt
   Pepper
   Sesame Seeds
   Sesame Oil
   Garlic Powder
   
   (Keep covered and refrigerate)
   
4. Cucumber
   1. Slice thin (around the cucumber, avoid the seeds)
   2. Julienne
   3. Do not marinate cucumber
5. Meat: Rib eye beef cut thin and marinate with:
   1. Sugar
   2. Honey
   3. Soy Sauce
   4. Garlic Powder
   5. Salt
   6. Pepper
   
   (Keep covered and refrigerate)
   
6. Egg
7. Hot Sauce
8. Sesame Oil

This is the recipe as it was given to me. As you can see, there are no measurements or indications of how to assemble the dish. What I know about that is just from the experience of ordering it. That is, it is served in a big aluminum bowl full of rice, with the vegetables and meat in little piles around the top of the rice, and a sunny-side egg on top. The hot sauce and sesame oil are provided on the side.

Have fun experimenting, and tell me anything you learn about making it in the process and, of course, how you make it better!

[viscousmemories]

I had Korean BBQ for dinner tonight. One of those places where they cook meat on your table and give you a bunch of mysterious foods in little side dishes.

[RevDahlia]

Dinner tonight is leftovers.

So I guess "What WAS for dinner?" is more apropos and interesting.

Grilled pork tenderloin stuffed with chipotle chiles (my recipe for this is really good if anyone wants it,) Spanish rice, grilled marinated red peppers and homemade guacamole. It is tasty, but looking at it right now it occurs to me that the color scheme is kinda early-70s. Beige, orange and avocado green. Huh.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by RevDahlia

(my recipe for this is really good if anyone wants it,)

Whatdya want, a written invitation?

Okay, here it is:

Dear RevDahlia,

We, the people of the Freethought Forum, kindly request your presence at the keyboard for at least the length of time necessary to type, fully and without pause, the recipe for what we are quite sure is a fine, fine meal.

Please do us the honor of responding in the affirmative.

Sincerely yours,

The People of FF

:makingpiz

[RevDahlia]

Tom, you sarcastic bastard. Here's where all the damn smilies come in handy:

Chipotle-stuffed pork thing

You need

Pork tenderloin, about 15 oz
1 small can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
3/4 cup plain yogurt, whole or lowfat
Juice of 1 or 2 limes, depending on how pliant your limes are
Cumin
Salt

Mix yogurt, lime juice, a couple tablespoons of the adobo sauce that came with the chilies, and as much cumin as you like until all is runny.

Mince chipotles very fine -- how many depends on how hot you like your food. Here seems like a good place to mention that chipotles vary wildly in intensity, so taste before you mince.

Lay out pork tenderloin on work surface, and with a sharp sexy fillet knife slice it thicknesswise until you can open it like a book. (This is very gratifying.) Salt the inside parts, and then spread minced chipotles over them evenly. I use 2 or 3 tbsps per tenderloin. Then close pork back up, cover it with a sheet of waxed paper, and give it a couple of good whacks with a rolling pin to seal it so it won't shrink too much.

Put pork in a dish with the yogurt marinade, turning to coat, and leave it for at least half an hour, although a couple of hours is best.

Fire up the grill and let it get quite hot. Put on the pig and cook until it won't give you trichinosis and piss Gawd off. (or until internal temperature reaches 160) Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes, then slice and serve with the rice and the peppers you grilled alongside. And the guacamole. There.

This also works beautifully with thick-cut pork chops -- adjust chipotle quantity accordingly. You can fix it without a grill as well -- heat some vegetable oil VERY hot and sear pork on both sides, then park it in a 400 degree oven until done.

[Jennie]

Necromancy okay?

I invented something for the garlic lovers about a week or so ago.

6 lamb shoulder chops
6 cloves garlic
tablespoon red wine
tablespoon olive oil
salt (I think about a half teaspoon)
flour

Mince the garlic, mix it with the oil and wine, then add enough flour to make a paste. Spread it on the chops and let sit at room temp for an hour.

Sprinkle a 9x13 pan with flour, fairly thickly, put the chops in paste side up and bake at 375 for twenty minutes. Turn over, notice after about ten minutes that the garlic smells a bit burnt, so splash some red wine over each chop. Bake another ten minutes, and contemplate adding the wine five minutes earlier next time. You can make some gravy with the flour remnants, or not, as you choose.

Eat. It's yummy! I have no idea what this technique might be called, sort of a paste marinade.

I'm also experimenting with egg soups lately. If people don't object to necromancy, then maybe I'll post some about that later.

[viscousmemories]

Necromancy is fine, but this is one of those perennial threads anyway.

to the , Jennie.

[livius drusus]

Yum! That looks great. I'm going to try it with some pork chops I have lying around glaring at me.

Welcome to FF, Jennie.

[Jennie]

I think I'd try white wine with pork chops, and maybe add a bit of thyme as well. Let me know how it turned out for you either way, pork is a touchier meat than lamb, I think.

Last night we had onion/barley/egg soup

6 cups meat stock
2 big onions
two cloves garlic
bay leaf
salt
two handfuls hulled barley
olive oil
four eggs

I chopped the onions, then browned them in an 8qt pot with the olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pot). Then I stirred in the minced garlic until I could smell the garlic, then added the meat stock. I tossed in the hulled barley (you could use pearled barley too, but don't cook it as long) and simmered it for the afternoon. When it was done I added salt to taste, then I whisked the eggs in a small bowl and added about a cup of the soup while I stirred, then I added the egg and soup mix to the rest of the soup off the heat while I whisked vigorously. It came out with little custardy bits of egg in the soup, which means it cooked a little too quickly, I should have let the cup of soup I mixed with the eggs cool for a few minutes before I used it I think. I peppered my bowl after serving, as I like pepper a good bit more than the rest of my family.

Meat stock is easy to make, just save your bones from chops and the like in the freezer, when you have a bunch toss them in the crockpot and cover with water. Cook on high for at least three hours, longer is fine. Strain out the bones, put the liquid in the fridge, when it's cooled use a fork to lift off the nasty fat on top. I do the same thing to make chicken stock, except I save the skins from the chicken thighs as well, and often mix in the spare turkey necks too.

Tonight I'm making focaccia bread. Probably with mozz and onions and tomatoes sliced thin on top.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by Jennie

I think I'd try white wine with pork chops, and maybe add a bit of thyme as well.

Excellent idea. How about rosemary? I'm always partial to rosemary with pork.

Last night we had onion/barley/egg soup

That looks fantastic too. I always have stock and barley (pearled, in my case) in the pantry, so I could easily scare this up.

Tonight I'm making focaccia bread. Probably with mozz and onions and tomatoes sliced thin on top.

I'm not a fan of sliced tomatoes cooked on top of things, but overall, another yum. The only foccacia I've ever made was a simple rosemary, garlic, sale grosso thing. It was delicious, but the work:satisfaction ratio is a bit high so I don't do it very often.

[livius drusus]

P.S. - Jennie, have you ever made no-knead bread? I can't rave about it enough.

Originally Posted by livius drusus

P.S. - Jennie, have you ever made no-knead bread? I can't rave about it enough.

But if there's no kneading, my cat would just be in the way with nothing to do!

[Jennie]

No, I haven't and it looks really good. I've been trying to learn how to make bread using a fantastic cookbook my little sister got me last Christmas called The Bread Baker's Apprentice; but I can never get the rustic breads to get those nice big holes in them, they all turn out like mini-sandwich loaves for texture. Flavor's good, so that's a minor comfort.

One tip I have found is to substitute about one eighth the flour for barley flour, which adds a certain something to the flavor that I really like.

Bet that cat kneading adds vital fiber to your bread too. Do you still need to floss after a sandwich?

Oh, I forgot to answer your first post, I got so caught up in the bread thing. Yes, rosemary is good with pork too; but thyme just seemed the right thing at the moment. I like to roast a pork blade roast with rosemary shoved under all the tie strings.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by Jennie

I can never get the rustic breads to get those nice big holes in them, they all turn out like mini-sandwich loaves for texture. Flavor's good, so that's a minor comfort.

That's where the no-knead method of 24 hours of yeast activity combined with the dutch oven cooking steps in. I never thought I could achieve that baker's texture, but it can be done, and astonishingly easily. All you need is time.

Oh, I forgot to answer your first post, I got so caught up in the bread thing. Yes, rosemary is good with pork too; but thyme just seemed the right thing at the moment. I like to roast a pork blade roast with rosemary shoved under all the tie strings.

That's a classic. It's how my dad makes it, and he makes a fabulous pork roast. (Makes his own apple sauce too. Yum!)

[curses]

Tonight was cornbread, spanish rice a la Zatarain's, and chicken. I cooked the chicken in a pan, no seasoning, threw in onions and 3 cloves of garlic after the chicken was almost cooked through, tossed in some cumin, chili powder, salt and paprika, then when the onions were opaque I added in some marinara. Simmer it for about 10 minutes, and serve over rice. It was tasty.

I wanted jalapenos, but I seem to be out.