So what's for dinner tonight?

[Firmus]

Starting to run a bit thin on dinner ideas. I'm the rare guy apparently that digs cooking, but when all you have is a crappy local grocer and a Walmart to shop at you run out of neat ideas pretty quick.

I've been on a southern kick for a while, and one of my favorite quick things is Chicken Creole from SparkPeople:

20 Minute Chicken Creole RECIPE

I also like to hand make things like Penne All'Arrabbiata with hand crushed tomatoes, etc. I think hand made just "seems" better, like there's love in it.

So what are some things you guys like to make? Especially those of you from countries other than US. What are some kick ass local things I can peek at a recipe for?

Take care all...

[g-dubz]

BEEF. It's whats for dinner. TONIGHT.

Sorry. I had to go there lol.

[Ducy]

3 cups of rice, 8 oz of chicken and a weight gain shake mixed with whole milk?

[RedRoses]

I'm not good with giving amounts of ingredients, since I really buy them just looking at them and estimating. And I usually make up things on the way; some experiments work out amazing and some fail miserably So I'm not much good with recipes or describing them... But I can give you a few ideas just posting what I like to cook:

Not much of a local dish, but I love stuffed chicken fillet. First marinate the fillet with ketjap (soy sauce) for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Slice them open and stuff with soft goat's cheese, slices of pineapple, cranberries and spring onions. Put them in a baking dish and throw the pineapple cranberries and spring onions that didn't fit in, around it. Accompany them with some bacon. All into the oven for a good 30 minutes at 200 degrees. You could add a vegetable of your choice. I like green beans or broccoli (first cook those off course). I usually throw them in for the last 15 minutes (so that it all together soaks up the flavor). Last step; throw a bit of honey all over to top it. Best to put honey over it AFTER the oven, as the honey loses it's beneficial attributes when so vigorously heated. It heats up easily enough on hot food. (Honey is believed to boost the immune-system. Esp local honey works great to lessen allergic reactions to pollen )

Perhaps more local would be Brussels chicory with cheese and ham, but I make them with a "kick". Cut the ends and the hearts of the B-chicory. Boil them for about 10 minutes. The "kick" is boiling them in water with herbs, instead of nothing or a little salt. I use a mixture of Toscan herbs (I'm not exactly sure what's in it, I buy it at a local market), but the point is: spicy-pepper-like-herb. It will smell like you're making soup. You throw the B-chicory into a colander to get rid of most of the wetness. Most likely; they fell apart into slices, but that's no issue at all. You'll simply divide it into equal portions, about 2 fingers thick. And you get your slices of ham. Role the ham around the chicory. Put it in a baking dish throw grated cheese richly all over it. Into the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 200 degrees. You could serve them with a bit of miracle whip. Despite Brussels chicory being bitter in itself, by preparing it like this, even kids love it (I hope yours do to!). For kids it's usually best to go with a young cheese or the flavor will be too salty all together. It's quite a healthy dish as it provides them and you with a lot of good soft fibers.

Both dishes go great with potatoes; I like to bake those with madras-powder (which is not only delicious but a beneficial herb for digestion too )

O, and as for side-dishes; have you ever tried a salad with iceberg lettuce, melon, young Gouda cheese and a yoghurt-garlic dressing? I mean the kind of melon that is off-whitish in color (I can't find it in my dictionary; we call it Galia). Everyone who I serve it first looks at it like; what is this? And then takes a bite and goes: hmmmmmm! The flavors just match. Or try a salad with lamb's lettuce and your favorite fruits and make your own dressing by crushing strawberries and mixing them with black pepper; hot & sweet. Add a bit of honey depending on your taste (honey in itself makes a great dressing too!)

Another one that's quite easy but does add a little extra; baking regular tunasteak and just the last 2 minutes of baking; you add a mixture of fresh cream cheese with garlic, fine minced spring onions and cranberries on top of it. Put the lit on the pan to allow it to get all warm, but make sure to get it out before it melts all over

I will explain things in more detail if you'd like to! Just ask. And please share more of your ideas too!

[Firmus]

We'd get along great! I'm a wing it person as well. I've made some kick ass things, and some "dump it and pretend that never happened" things.

Tonight I stewed 5 diced Roma tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 1/2 a white onion, 3 second pour of olive oil, fresh basil, few shakes of oregano, few shakes of red pepper flakes, and 3 pressed cloves of garlic. While that was going I browned 2 steaks quickly in olive oil and salt. Drain the goodness into the sauce, then cut steaks into cubes. Add those and let it cook covered until most of the wetness is cooked off.

Served it over pasta tubes, along with peoperoncinis.

[dancingdoc2]

--Chicken Meatloaf--

1 lb. ground chicken breast
1 C Pace Picante salsa
1/2 C Quick Oats

Mix ingredients together and place in a loaf pan.
Bake one hour at 375 degrees F.

-0-

--Turkey Stroganoff--

Fresh left over Thanksgiving Turkey or a box of Jeni-0 mixed light and dark turkey or a frozen turkey breast. Cook as directed, let cool and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cook brown rice--instant, 5 min., other for number of servings desired

Get one pkg. of Lawry's Beef Stroganoff mix plus one pkg of Mc Cormicks mix. Mix together 1/2 pkg. each with 1C water and saute' meat.

When thickened, add sour cream or fat free Greek Yogurt to suit.

Serve meat over individual helpings of rice. Garnish with chives, parsley, and paprika, or other topping.

-0-

--Cornbread--

Use your favorite mix or recipe and add 1C Mexican style corn. Substitute juice for water required.

(I always thought it kind of lame to have corn bread without any actual kernels of corn throughout.)

--Chef Salad--

Use a combination of mixed greens, red leaf lettuce as a bed, add cut cherry tomatoes, meat to suit, veggies to suit, cheese to suit, slices ofhard boiled egg(s). For variety to the basic recipe, add any of the following: French Fried onion pieces, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, walnut bits, mix of golden raisins and black raisins, marinated artichoke hearts and leaves. Salad makes a meal.

Hopefully, these and other suggestions will jump start your recipe portfolio. I have more recipes, so if you want more, just let me know.

-doc

[spaced]

To expand on Doc's cornbread, I offer up my family's recipe for cornbread. I can trace it back by 4 generations, and I learned it from my grandfather. Still though, even with a recipe, a great batch of cornbread is something that only experience can teach.

This has a bit of a southern feel to it. Nothing crazy but it is quite filling. It goes great with a bowl of soup beans (I might post that 'recipe' too). You can change it's flavor and texture quite a bit by changing the ratios of the ingredients. This is a guide, and not set in stone, just like all good cooking. Following this exactly will get you to something edible. I suggest changing the ratio of buttermilk to water at first. For large skillets use more water than listed otherwise it won't cook thoroughly.

3 parts cornmeal
1 part flour
enough buttermilk to make a very, very thick batter
enough water to turn that batter in to something you can pour
an iron skillet
a preheated oven somewhere around 375 degrees

Put your cornmeal in a large bowl, sift out your flour on top, then add your buttermilk while stirring. Stir just enough to mix it up and to get everything off the sides and bottom of the bowl, but do not mix too much (just like with cake batter). Once you have a super thick batter add in just enough water to be able to pour it.

Now here's the trick. Heat your iron skillet on the stove with a bit of oil in it. Once it's good and hot roll the oil around to coat it, THEN pour the batter in to the skillet. It will sizzle and cook just a bit but that's OK, because it will simply fall out of the pan with a beautiful golden brown crust when it's all finished. No sticking. With experience you can have it heating while mixing the batter, and it won't be too hot when you're ready. Watch out for splashing!

Once you've poured the batter in to the heated oiled skillet, cook it in the oven until the top has cracks all over it, or use your favorite way of checking if a cake is done. I can time it by smell...

I sometimes throw a pinch of salt in for absolutely no reason. Enjoy!

[EvilEvilKitten]

Now for something really impressive:

Beef tenderloin - allow 10 oz. per person,

mix: ground black pepper, a pinch of sea salt, 1 tablespoon horseradish, extra virgin olive oil to cover the spices

with your cleaned hands, rub mixed spices and oil into the beef vigorously - work it, baby!

throw into covered roasting pan which you previously snuck a little extra olive oil into and smeared around, cover and bake at 325 degrees F for approx 30 min.s per pound or until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees F internal temp

serve with:

Scootin' the Long Shore

peeled cubed potatoes
chunked bacon
slivered onions
a clove of smashed and diced garlic
salt & pepper to taste

which you have saute'd (in butter and olive oil) in a frying pan

and a

Green Salad

if it's green, it's in there! chop chop chop!

Red wine on the side if desired

With my budget, I can do a whole beef tenderloin and can add in a really good red wine but you can get away with using half a tenderloin and some less expensive plonk if money's tight.

Yes, if I say butter it has to be butter - nothing else will work the same.

This is a meal to die for! Powerful yet balanced flavors and while a meal of substance - it will not weigh you down.

But - it sure beats chicken!!

Look, I can't bake worth a damn but give me a piece of meat and I'll take you straight to Nirvana!

[dancingdoc2]

--Tamale Pie Casserole--

1 Cn Corn Beef
1 Cn Stewed Tomatoes or Mexican style
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Cn Mexican style corn *
1 C Sour Cream
1 1/4 C Corn Meal
2 T Oil
1/2 t Chili powder
1 T L & D Spanish seasoning **
2 Eggs, beaten
1 1/4 C Milk or * corn juice plus water
1 Pkg Mexican Cheese mix
1 Cn Olives, sliced or whole and pitted
2 Qt Casserole glass dish

Mix ingredients and pour into greased dish
Cook at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden brown

** GOOGLE for sources

ALTERNATIVE

Stuffed Bell Peppers
Cook in dish with water

-0-

--Zucchini Squash--

Large diameter squash
Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds in the middle using a grapefruit spoon

Bake at 350 with a little butter first - until tender but not mushy

Remove from oven and add liberal amount of hot or mild Pace Picante sauce your choice to the "boat".

Cover the sauce with a Mexican or Taco blend of grated cheeses. Return to the oven to melt the cheese

-0-

--Under Sea Salad--

2 Pg. Lime Jell-O (Sugar free as an alt.)
1 C Pear halves
1 1/2 C Hot Water
2 C Cold Water and pear juice
2 t Lemon juice or Vinegar
1 heaping or rounded T of Mayonnaise
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Ginger
1 Pkg. Philly Cream Cheese, cubed (about size of small finger nail) or alternative

Mix Jell-O in hot water, add cold water with juice

Keep out 1 1/2 C to whip as top layer
Place in refrigerator and monitor. Remove at the point it just begins to set

Place remainder in an 8"x8"x2" glass dish and refrigerate
When firm, score top with kitchen fork in order for top layer to adhere better

Add 1 rounded T of Mayonnaise and pinch of Ginger to top layer and whip with egg beater or electric mixer

Cut pears into cubes

* Place cheese into freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes in order to make firm. On a large sheet of waxed paper, cut cheese bar in half then each into bite-size pieces about the size of your small finger nail. Place cheese pieces on paper and temporarily place back in refrigerator in order to maintain firmness

Fold pears and cheese into top layer of Jell-o and then pour onto bottom layer once it has completely set. Cover dish and refrigerate until completely firm.

Alternatives to pears are fruit cocktail or other fruit of your choice

[dancingdoc2]

This is a fun dish/bowl whose ingredients can be varied to suit.

Mrs. Roberts was my landlady when I first went away to college. She rented the second floor of her house consisting of three bedrooms and a bath to male students.

She served this dish about once a month and the guys and I really liked it.

Her original recipe consisted of layering hot dogs and apple slices covered with a thin sprinkling of Brown Sugar. Repeat until the bowl is filled.

Cover the top with aluminum foil and bake in the oven.
(I no longer have the cooking times, however, try 375 deg. F for 40 minutes or until done.)

My variation to the recipe is to add sausage links along with the hot dogs.
If you use uncooked links, you will have to brown them separately, first, in a frying pan before adding them to the bowl.

If you use precooked links, just place them in with the dogs and apples.

You can choose the type of dogs, although, I would recommend fat-free or reduced fat types.

The apples should be baking apples such as Fugi, Empire, Granny Smith, Rome Beauty, or other local variety that is suitable for baking pies.

Another variation is to add some figs to the list of ingredients. (food for thought)

As you can see, you can make as much or as little as you want and vary the list of ingredients to suit.

Enjoy,
-doc