5 things you have for dinner
 

What are your five favorite meals? Things you prepare over and over again for dinner?

you don't have to limit it to dinner dishes.

Shephard's Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Enchiladas
Mediterranean Chicken Tenders with brocolini n beans
Berry Sorbet

oh, yum, and thank you, DucksNuts.

Chili
White Chicken Chili
Chicken Sopa (notice a trend here?)
Beef Burgandy
Pasta with garlic, egg & cheese

*Chicken Caesar Salad and Bruschetta
*Chili Salad (romaine, tomato, olives, chili, shredded cheddar on a bed of tortilla chips and topped with sour cream and salsa)
*Orange Chicken Salad (romaine, toasted walnuts, orange sections with ginger-sesame dressing)
*TBLT (turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato)
*Greek Salad

Black Bean Tostadas
Speidies
Steak Adobo
Breakfast Spaghetti
Greek Pizza

Beef Stew with Dumplings
Chili with Corn Bread
Wursts (usually Bauernwurst) with Sauerkraut
Corned Beef, Colcannon, & Soda Bread
Shrimp Scampi, Pasta, & Salad

Bowl of Meat (boneless chicken tenders breaded and baked, with buffalo sauce)
Pink pasta (macaroni and half-portion of canned sauce combined with enough whipped cream cheese to make it pink)
Risotto; or if time is short, Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco treat
Baked potato with tons of shit on top of it
Delivery pizza

Two egg omelette, folded over a filling of feta cheese, served with mushrooms (slowcooked in butter).

Pasta served with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped sunblush tomatoes and garlic and cubes of feta cheese, or a sprinkling of parmesan, Preferaby with a handful of chopped herbs and some freshly ground pepper.

Chicken flavour supernoodles with cheddar grated on the top:)

Tofu, or prawn stir fry, using bought stir fry sauce.

Tuna steak with crushed peppercorns, flash fried and served with boiled new potatoes and garden peas.

Jerk chicken
Anything Indian
Veggie stir-fry (best now from the garden)
Pasta with garlic, asiago & ricotta cheeses and aparagus tips
Soups/Stews (mostly in winter)

Ducks- I like that you listed desserts as meals. I have been known to do that myself. :)

Orzo with peas, Parmesan cheese, and diced tomatoes
A dish my wife created that is similar to lasagna, but better
Grilled chicken (different marinades, but almost always grilled)
Caesar salad and baked potato
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Penne pasta in a mustard-cream sauce with shrooms, almonds, and cranberries
Turkey Chili
Chicken Macaroni Bake
Mexican pizza (black beans instead of tomato sauce, topped with tomatoes, corn and green onions)
Cashew stir fry


NOW... Pick one item you listed that is not self-explanatory and give us the recipe here!

Gyros
Burgers
Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken Sandwiches
Chicken and Potatos
Chicken and Rice
Chicken and Chicken
Hummus, Pita Chips and Chicken
Ham and Cheese Omlet

. . . with chicken?

Naw. The chicken souffle is the desert with that meal...

egg and spam;
egg bacon and spam;
egg bacon sausage and spam;
spam bacon sausage and spam;
spam egg spam spam bacon and spam;
spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;

buffalo wings

cobb salad

steak(any)

pork chops

rotisserrie chicken

fire roasted red pepper sauce over whole grain pasta ( meatless )
Salads or vegtable
home made soups with fresh rolls or corn bread
beans of some sort
rice

This could very well be my other list!

alot depends on the weather - if it's hot lite as possible

steak salads
burgers (grill)
chicken (grill)
steak & shrimp (grill)
beef roast

Weeellll....if you want me to super honest....I should add

Rice Bubbles with Milo on top.
Toast n Cheese
BBQ Shapes and a 4 pack of Chocolate Mudshakes

salmon portion with a pesto and lime aoli dressing served with steamed veges.

lamb chops and steamed veges

linguini and chicken with creamy pesto sauce

chicken and leek pie

lasagne (sometimes vego, other times different types of meat. I like to experiment)

Me, not my wife.
Octopus and fish on rice noodles or rice with wasabi, soy, veggies, toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar, five spice, white pepper.

Spinach salad.

Funky cheese and fruit platter with good crackers.

Potato and portabello stew w/ Guinness and merlot (my recipe), I will, occasionally put shanks in, but usually veggie.

Mashed Yukon Gold taters. Also a favorite of my wife's.

@ Ducks I looked up Rice Bubbles. They are called Rice Krispies here :)

I also looked up Milo of which we do not have. I think I would have to go to an aisian store in PA or NY to find it.

@ Griff...what is breakfast spaghetti??

Short version since it is pretty flexible:
While cooking the noodles, saute prosciutto (ham) and garlic in olive oil. Beat eggs in a couple tblsp of olive oil. Dump the noodles into the saute pan (still hot but burner off) and toss the eggs with the noodles, ham, and garlic. yummy

That sounds like a nice lunch....can't imagine that as breakfast..

You want breakfast?
_
_____Lots of black coffee and:
_
_____Yogurt, Fruit, Fresh Muffin
_____Egg Sandwich & Home Fries
_____Oatmeal & Bacon
_____French Toast & Sausage
_____Sausage Gravy and Biscuits (my favorite, but made least often)

Oh if we're talking breakfast:

2 Lincolnshire sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, well cooked, a fried egg, with runny yolk (intact), sliced mushrooms fried in butter, hot chopped tomatoes, baked beans and (if being good) 2 slices of buttered toast; or (if being bad) 2 slices of fried bread.

(for variety, replace one of the sausages with black pudding).

Served with hot coffee and a glass of fresh orange.

Baked beans, eh, Dana? I believe that's common for breakfast in the southern parts of the U.S., but I've not done it. Not yet, that is. I shall have to give it a go.

Only works for breakfast if accompanied by toast, eggs and sausage.

We usually eat it later. Breakfast is coffee, eggs, and fruit for me.

just curious what is "Black Pudding"

ok - i'm in the south, but not gonna have baked beans for breakfast or any kind of beans for that matter.

however, bacon, eggs (over-easy), biscuits (really like the pillsbury frozen kind-mm), and gravy - don't have it that often, cause i'd probably die from it.:D

oh yum :drool:

Nobody does breakfast like the british.


As for me

Mostly just Coffee and something like a graham cracker

If hungry or cooking for another.
banana
yogurt
Toast or cereal ( mini wheats, raisin bran something like that)
pastrys ( sparingly) Im on a diet :rolleyes:
french toast or waffles with jam or syrup ...or with strawberrys on special occassions.
oatmeal
bacon

hot chopped tomatoes?

and a little side note - if i eat breakfast - it's only on Saturdays - i never eat breakfast during the week - i might have a pack of crackers & coffee around 10 am and then i eat lunch around 1:30 - 2:00 pm

(i don't have time for it)

Sometimes I make an open-faced sammich.
Real baguette (hard to find here), slice so that it is mostly crust on the bottom with just some "bread" left on top. I shave some of the crust off so that it sits flat
Sweet cream butter
Gorgonzola
Real prosciutto, paper thin
a little green virgin olive oil over the top
in a hot oven for a bit
top with fresh basil
Sometimes I will add good olives sliced very thin before heating when I can find decent olives.

I used to make it when I was a chef for a bistro, for my lunch... they added it to the menu because people kept asking for it while I ate it with a hot cup of "Red-eye" black.
That is three parts black French roast, or whatever your strongest is, and one part espresso.
And my sauceless shaved red cole slaw with pine nuts. Also, later added to the menu.
Another restaurant added my Muffallatta recipe to their menu, it is still served today.
Edit:
They use yellow raisins in that cole slaw (its just a salad really, but I think of it as a sauceless cole slaw), but I used chopped dried cranberries for the fruit... it was much better my way.

It's funny, I can't afford to cook for myself like I used to professionally any more. Not since losing my job... not really funny I guess.
This week, we are going through the kitchen and getting rid of all my stuff. It is very hard.
I just can't cook any more.

"stuff" can't you teach someone - "how to"? someone in your family - your kids? (not sure how old)

I just can't anymore. Too painful. I can't sit that long any more.
My son loves to cook, does with my mom. He has his own toy kitchen, it is huge.

that sandwich looks good....and I'm not that much of a sandwich person either.


oh and can you send me the turkey baster please?

I have a couple. I'll see which one my mom chooses and will send you the other.
If she does not choose it, I'll mail you a metal one that also injects into meat.

No way! You're kidding me. Really?

I don't need a diploma to use that metal one do I?

No. You'll do fine if mom does not take it.

As for the sammich sky, with it being open-faced, a lot of people ate it with a fork and knife like some do pizza. It's kinda' like one.

The stuff we cook ourselves for dinner usually are...

Lamb chops, sauteed swiss chard or asparagus
Penne with chicken sausage and tomato sauce
Grilled trout or salmon or mahi mahi, zucchini and yellow squash
Grilled burgers with Amish bacon, potato salad, salad greens
Beef, tomato, pepper and onion kabobs

If you like lamb chops, try reducing some red wine, your fave... I like a nice merlot, it gets dry and fruity when you reduce it, cool, marinate them in it for a few hours (more never does any good, the truth, sorry for you "marinated this for three days" folks).
It is best not to grill cold meat.
Then grill the chops, while adding the wine from time to time; add some blue cheese (your favorite) and fresh rosemary with garlic (smashed to bring out the oils) at the last few min on the top. Just enough to melt the cheese about half-way.
Thing I love about lamb, especially chops, is that it stands-up to REAL flavors.

This works really well with a nice spinach salad with some fruit, nuts and cucumbers, compliments the blue and the wine sauce that ends-up happening a bit on the meat, and some hard rolls. Personally, I would only put some virgin olive oil and a bit of balsamic on the side of the salad with some black pepper and garlic in it, no salt. If you wanted to add a bit of the balsamic to the wine after reduction if you know you are going to do this it would be a good idea. If you are going to add salt, only use kosher, the iodine of table salt would destroy this dish. Then again, once you use coarse kosher, you will throw away your table... I did years ago and have not had table salt in my home since.
For some reason I don't like potatoes with this dish.

Again, just me, but, if the spinach is nice, I would not put any dressing on it, suggest it for your guests, at least for the first bite.
Especially if you can get some good pecans, pine nuts or walnuts, grapefruit, or navels to go with it.... be sure to add just a touch of that fresh rosemary and a hint of mint to it, if you can find it. Why not try melon in there? A firm one, cut very small?
Black pepper, band the cukes, don't leave the skin on or skin them completely, and add them last, nice and cold.
Roll the spinach in a towel after you wash it and put the towel in the fridge in the towel, it will color it up and keep it from drying out. It also allows you to wash it early in the day. I would not add any cheese to the salad or salt to the meat dish in any way.

I want to cook...

BTW, if you make the salad without the meat and use the melon and the citrus, try to add some chili powder. To be sure, make it, put some in a bowl and try it... it is not for everyone.

Those are some wonderful ideas, rk. I'll have to try them. I agree, coarse salt is definitely the way to go.

I don't see potatoes going with lamb, either. Weird, huh.

One thing, though--I like to pan sear my lamb chops while they're still a little frozen, that way they stay rare on the inside. I usually get the really small ones, so they turn out great.

I have some NM chile powder that I use on everything I can...I'll try it per your suggestion, sounds delicious.

If you get it hot enough, you don't need to use cold meat. It just is not safe.
If you use olive oil, a hot pan with room temp oil just before the meat hits and a splatter screen, you can do it. Olive oil forms a crust fast, seals the juices in FAST and gets em' HOT, good n' FAST... still nice and red. You will be fine.
The olive oil will also compliment the wine reduction.
Outside is good, on a grill or gas ring.
I would add the toppings as soon as you flip from the first side.... those drippings will be to die for.
Be hard not to make a gravy reduction for no reason than just to do it.... perhaps wilt some spinach in it then make a cream reduction for some flair for the plates?

Remember hot-wok-cold-oil-food-won't-stick (works with pans too... it is a mantra and is also about cooking fast)
If you are using cast iron, don't get it too hot for too long, just needs to be at temp when you add the oil then the meat when the oil gets to temp.

Olive oil makes AMAZING fries and fried onions... try it, you will not be unhappy.
Deep frying in olive oil is expensive, but ... damn! The cheap stuff works as well as the expensive for deep fry and... damn!

Double post, sorry

I wanna' cook.

Right now I want a lox, white wine and capers omelet with shaved onions and .... I can't talk about it....

I miss my neighbors coming over and asking if they can eat dinner with us because of the smell. It was a real ego boost.
Yes, that actually happened a few times during our travels. Sometimes when we camped. I liked to cook nice when we camped.

From wiki

Sorry if I duplicated this one...what is this? Sounds intriguing!

I had black pudding in Manchester. I won't be going back for seconds.

In reference to Griff's 'Breakfast Spaghetti' Yznhymr posted
Griff gave a description here.

We make an egg, cheese and bacon lasagna for breakfast. Hollandaise sauce.

Stop. You're making my heart hurt.., well just one more.:)

What kind of food do you like?
I know my cooking discussions can be a bit pedantic. Read too many cookbooks I guess.

Breakfast here is similar to Dana's.

This morning I had...
Takatala Sausages (made with meat, spicy fruit and vegies)
Bacon - dont crispy
Baked Beans
Grilled Tomato
Eggs
Wholemeal Toast

we had bacon egg and cheese muffins this morning.

often we have porridge. I make mine on milk with a bit of vanilla essence and some nutmeg. very yummy. sometimes I put fruit in it.

most often we have wheat bix which are good quick nutritious breaky. specially when they're served with some fresh fruit on top.

Actually, it sounds fabulous, but might not be so easy on the cholesterol! I like your food discussions, man.

This morning, I made corn bread subbing extra fine corn meal for wheat flour.

Oh, it is a cholesterol festival!
Not something we eat very often. It is also huge.
It is usually eaten at large family brunches, things like that.

I'll see if it is written down somewhere.
Basically it is lasagna with boiled eggs (sliced long ways, bout 1/4" thick, when I do it), Hollandaise, swiss cheese slices, bacon and lasagna noodles layered like you would regular lasagna.
I have not done it yet, but have wanted to add good sausage and/or blanched spinach or basil.
It looks nice garnished with fresh basil or, if you prefer, cilantro.
Bake it like you would regular lasagna.
You will crave it!
Make it the day before, and reheat in the oven just before serving, covered with foil, then uncover until the top is browned to your preference.

Don't take a large serving your first time, it swells and you will be SORRY.

Prepare? Crap. That means that I can't use Italian Takeout and Chinese Takeout for numbers one and two? I will anyway, because it's true. My ability to actually cook is very much limited by my work schedule, so I make a phone call at least three times a week.

Grape-Nuts and Honey Crusted Roast Chicken
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (seriously, sometimes nothing beats a great grilled cheese)
Omelet (I make the best Omelets on the Eastern Seaboard)

Talking of lasagna type dishes (incidentally, rage that sounds fucking delicious and probably dangerously addictive) years ago, when I was a kid on many weird and wonderful diet regimes, my mum used to make pasta-free lasagna. She substituted cabbage leaves for the pasta sheets. Sounds dodgy but it was actually really tasty! Even though I am now able to eat pasta, I still sometimes have pasta-less lasagna.


@wolf, I totally agree: sometimes there is no food that quite hits the spot like a well made grilled cheese sarnie.