What's for dinner?

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

What's for dinner?

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I don't see the man staples of chili or beef jerky there so I'd probably die.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

All you need really is Spaghetti-Os and Hot Dogs...

--Ray

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

I'm thinking meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Jason, turkey chili is not manly? I learn something new everyday.

I'm just looking for ideas. That list is by no means complete. Add jerky to your list, Jason.

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Oh you said HEALTHY.

Let's see. . .I love chicken Ceasar salad. White chicken chili. Broiled tilapia. In the summer, lots of veggies. We grill a lot, usually chicken, burgers, or turkey kielbasa.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Ok, more for the list:
Beef and cabbage soup
Lentil soup
BBQ turkey wraps
Beef and veggie fajitas (zucchini and yellow squash and wheat tortillas)
Lettuce wraps

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

Jen's post reminded me of a meal I really really like: Greek salad and pan-fried flat fish (flounder or sole.) Pretty healthy and easy to make.

Greek Salad: Feta, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, red onion. NO LETTUCE! Top with oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Flat fish: Flounder or sole sauted in olive oil and topped with pepper, rosemary, and red wine vinegar.

My salivary glands are in overdrive just thinking about it

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Ew.

The only fish I like is the kinda that says moo and makes dairy products... and is called a cow...

--Ray

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Hmm, I have some fish in the freezer (I know, bad me, fresh is best) I should use it for lunch tomorrow.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

One of my home teachees is an older Japanese sister. She comes over once a month and she and I make a Japanese meal for the family. August was tonkatsu--breaded deep-fried pork cutlets with really yummy sauce. September is sushi.

Sorry you missed August, Ray. May I send you some sushi to make up for it? wink

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

I'm going to ask Ray's advice on Italian stuff when I get around to organizing my question.

My book club is reading "Under the Tuscan Sun" next month as a thinly disguised excuse to have an all-Italian dinner (using recipes from the book).

mirkwood · Senior Bucketkeeper

Tonight dinner will consist of a bowl of popcorn and a couple diet cokes...

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Hey!! This thread's AWESOME!

So this week it's ...
Mon.- Curry Chicken Broccoli casserole and Church's potato pearls (I know, we must conserve)
Tue.- Hawaiian Haystacks
Wed.- Chili Stew (heehee), rolls, cheese and crackers
Thurs.- Pasta casserole, french bread, salad
Fri.- (my mind just went blank... must go consult notebook...)

Love food!

And dinner together is even better!

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Hey poncho... take a gander at this thread... it could help you get back in the habit of creating a weekly dinner menu and thus us both shopping accordingly...

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Yeah, weekly dinner menus help me out a BUNCH, both with time saved not staring into the fridge going...

"Can't think of anything..." to money spent more wisely at the store...

All summer it's been just this free-for-all-scavenger hunt it feels like. Feels better to get organized again.

Oh, and Friday slipped my mind probably because cocokid#2 is having two girlfriends over for a late party (not overnight). It'll be a smorgasbord situation.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I'm trying to find a good light quiche recipe to add to the list. Yum!

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Are whole eggs and half-and-half considered light?

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Nope, but the plan is to modify the recipe.

Something like this: http://www.basic-recipes.com/r/quiche/quiche11.htm

-- Edited by hiccups at 12:12, 2007-08-23

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Play Quidditch, not Quiche!

Roper: I'll pass on the Sushi... especially after reading Cat's article on the fact that salmon and puffer fish are apparently difficult to tell the difference...

I live close to a river that every year gets full of the rotting corpses of spawning salmon... It's so lovely...

--Ray

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

That's what you get for running off the bears, you Seattle pseudo-liberal, suburbian-sprawl living, let's invite the whole world to live with us killer of the ecosystem!

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Bear, it's what's for dinner.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

How does spinach quiche topped with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes sound?

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

Minus the goat cheese, it sounds great! I have a recipe for a yummy zuchinni quiche kind of thing, but I'm not sure it would be very easy to lighten up.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I can deal with goat cheese, but I'm thinking I might do something like this instead:

filling:
2 whole eggs, 6 egg whites (maybe more if I make a big one)
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (blended because I have a strange aversion to lumps)
italian seasonings
roasted garlic, sliced
parmesean cheese

line the oiled pie dish with overlapping spinach leaves (instead of crust) and pour in filling. bake and then flip the thing over and top with sundried tomatos and parmesean cheese shavings.

Of course, I just made that up so it's untested. I think I'll gather ingredients and try it for tomorrow.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Forget blending. Go with ricotta.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I thought of ricotta, but the numbers (calories and all) are better in cottage cheese. I'll report back tomorrow about the quiche and post the recipe if it goes well. You may use ricotta instead, Coco.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I have a baaaad feeling about this blending idea, but who knows... maybe it'll be fine... I think it'll water things down too much.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I can pour off the extra water first. I like to experiment, though. I'll look out for that as I'm making it.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I had Roper's easy Lo Mein last night. It's become a family favorite and with the vegetables it is pretty healthy.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Yesterday's chili turned out so well, that I had to freeze the leftovers to keep myself from overindulging.

I'm about to start the prep work for tonight's quiche. I've decided to just not blend the cottage cheese, because I'm a grown up now & I should be able to deal with some lumpage.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Ok, I'm thinking my next healthy meal will be a fruit salad. (Chopped up fruit?? That's not a meal, that's a side dish!) Actually, here's the idea: A base of shredded greans (Iceburg & Romaine,) melon wedges, kiwi and berries. Raspberry vinagrette dressing and sweet yogurt dip and slivered almonds sprinkled on top of the salad.

I want to do this one before the summer fruit season is over.

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

You can also use pureed cottage cheese in place of sour cream for dip. It's really delicious and much healthier.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Using cottage cheese for sour cream? I'm sorry... I like cottage cheese and I like sour cream... but they are not interchangeable!

They don't even taste the same, let alone have the same texture (even if you puree those curds and whey!)...

Ricotta for sour cream, that could work... but not cottage cheese...

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

ew... never replace ricotta for sour cream... that'd be nasty. Ricotta is flavorless almost sweet. Sour cream is sweet. Cottage Cheese and Ricotta have been interchanged in Lasagnas, however... maybe that's what you meant...

Nothing replaces Sour Cream. It is sacred.

--Ray

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Actually, I added italian seasonings, garlic and onion powders, parmesean & pepper to the cottage cheese and put it in the fridge to let the cottage cheese pick up the flavors. I tasted it and had the exact thought that it would make a great dip, Jen

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

rayb wrote:

Nothing replaces Sour Cream. It is sacred.

--Ray

Amen, brother!!

(From Coco who's been known to scan the "healthy" cookbooks and then "fix" the recipe back to where it should be.

)

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

rayb wrote:

ew... never replace ricotta for sour cream... that'd be nasty. Ricotta is flavorless almost sweet. Sour cream is sweet. Cottage Cheese and Ricotta have been interchanged in Lasagnas, however... maybe that's what you meant...

Nothing replaces Sour Cream. It is sacred.

--Ray

Nah... I was thinking along the lines of replacing on a baked potato, or in a sour cream sandwich late at night... ricotta will work just fine (tried it, and it works), just add a touch of salt to give some flavor... but, cottage cheese on a baked potato or in a slice of bread for a late night snack... well, that's just nasty (yes, tried both of those scenarios as well)...

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

So, I made the quiche for lunch and it was a hit :) The flavors were just amazing. The quiche was a bit softer set than a regular quiche and I think I'll add one extra whole egg next time (for a total of 4 whole eggs and 6 egg whites.) It will still be soft, but I can deal with that because the darned thing is so good for me.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Oh, and I made a yummy bread pudding with caramel sauce with the leftover egg yolks. I won't be eating the bread pudding beyond just a very small taste, because well, that would defeat the purpose of having taken the yolks out in the first place.

But my family will have something uber yummy.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

And a small miracle happened at my house. I found out that my oldest, who is our super-picky eater and doesn't get nearly enough omega-fatty acids, LOVED the bread pudding custard. He will not eat egg in any form if he can recognize it as such. I think I might have to make this often. I'm thrilled for any way I can sneak more nutrients into his high carb lifestyle.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

Ok, since I've had a request for it here's the quiche I made:

Lite Italian Quiche

1 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 tsp shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp dried basil
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
dash of pepper
4 whole eggs
6 egg whites
dash of salt
spinach leaves
parmesan shavings for garnish
minced sun-dried tomatoes for garnish

Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, seasonings and spices. Cover and refrigerate for atleast an hour (mine sat in the fridge over night.) Rub quiche dish with olive oil. Line dish with overlapping spinach leaves. (I had a few extra leaves already washed so I chopped them up & added them to the cottage cheese mixture.) Put eggs, egg whites and salt in a bowl and beat slightly. Add cottage cheese mixture to egg mixture. Blend and pour into quiche dish. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes or until quiche sets. Cool for a few mintues. Flip over onto serving dish and garnish with parmesan shavings and minced sun-dried tomatoes.

The cottage cheese mixture was really yummy all by itself. I think I might try it as a veggie dip or salad dressing sometime. (I had no idea I liked cottage cheese.

) All seasoning amounts are approximated and should be to your taste. I used only 3 whole eggs in my quiche, but it needs one more for balance, I think. It is lighter and fluffier than a normal quiche.

By my estimation, there's about 750 calories and 88 grams of protein in the whole quiche. An adult serving would be 1/4th of the quiche and 188 calories and 22 grams of protein. I served it with a side of broiled zucchini. I served my boys rice also with theirs, because I had it on hand and they could use the calories. I'm guessing if you tripled the recipe it would fit well into a 9X13 pan.

-- Edited by hiccups at 21:46, 2007-08-25

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Sounds yummy, hiccups. Thanks for sharing!

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

That does sound good. So...when you flip it over, the spinach leaves are on top? And you just garnish over them?

If you tripled, do you think the eggs would set up in the 9x13? Or would the edge get too done before the center cooked?

I'll store this away for later. Tonight I'm making ...fajitas! Mmmmm....

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

You're right, Euph, it might not set up right in a 9X13. Perhaps just make 3 quiches. I used a 9in pie dish to make mine.

And yeah, the leaves are on top. Though some of the egg stuff does seep under the leaves, so it's not pure green when you flip it.

-- Edited by hiccups at 12:51, 2007-08-26

Valhalla · Profuse Pontificator

Euphrasie wrote:

I'm going to ask Ray's advice on Italian stuff when I get around to organizing my question.

My book club is reading "Under the Tuscan Sun" next month as a thinly disguised excuse to have an all-Italian dinner (using recipes from the book).

Under the Tuscan Sun, I rented that for my wife one time, ewww, chock full o' lesbian goodness and sappiness.

As for Italian, something I made the other day that was quite tasty was eggplant rollatini. I used regular ham instead of prosciutto.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Eggplant-Rollatini/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
10 slices prosciutto
1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (8 ounce) package angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS

Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant on each side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese onto each slice of eggplant. Place a slice of prosciutto onto each one. Roll up tightly, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over the rolls, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
While the eggplant rolls are baking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Drain. Serve eggplant rolls and sauce over pasta.

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

As I understand it, the book is nothing like the movie. Except the part about being in Italy. (It's in Italy, right?)

i.e. There isn't any romance in the book. Or so I'm told. There was romance in the movie, right? Okay, I'm just repeating hearsay...cause I haven't read it yet, and I never saw the movie...

I have made something like that recipe though. It was pretty good, but I just couldn't get over the fact that it was eggplant. I'm a veggie hater...

-- Edited by Euphrasie at 12:00, 2007-08-27

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Tonight we're having Country Chicken Stew.

Think fast. Think Campbell's.

Poncho29 · Senior Bucketkeeper

Probably t.v. dinners via microwave. I'm afraid to turn on my oven again after all the smell in here yesterday from cleaning it. Plus, I gotta go to work.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

We're having lentil soup. I hope it turns out right. I haven't made lentils in years.