Hey Grandpa, What's for Supper? Part 2

[happyhen]

Zookeeper - I think the sauce is sweet with a little spice, but you can adjust the seasonings to your taste. I'll post it for you tomorrow. I'm glad you're recovering well.

skand - That sounds like a great cookbook written for a great cause. No child here in this land of plenty should ever go to bed hungry.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Queen Scoot - Spaghetti and meatballs are a favorite here. Yum!

I hope you're feeling better today, Annesa's Muse. Those headaches sound awful. If you figure out anything for my mystery dish, let me know. With the right marinating sauce and dipping sauce combination to balance each other, I'm sure I could figure out the rest of the dish. So, I suppose it doesn't really matter if it's exactly the same - just a good combination.

Your new little critter is adorable!!! Are they friendly? Can they be potty trained?

Zookeeper9000 - Good for you for resting the knee. How are you managing dinner with all that resting?

Skand - That cookbook sounds wonderful. Let us know what you try and give us some reviews!

Like happyhen, we *might* be having salad tonight as well. Today is DD's 11th bday and we're up in the mountains at a friend's cabin enjoying the snow. Yes, I'm sure most of you are sick of it about now, but this is the first time in YEARS that we've actually timed it right and made it up here while the snow was on the ground. Anyway, this is a tiny mountain community with only a few stores. If the pizza place is open today, that's what DD wants for her bday dinner. If not, her second choice is Chinese Chicken Salad, which I am prepared for. No one else is up yet, but DD has requested Irish Oatmeal for breakfast. We have a family tradition where the bday girl/boy picks a breakfast bread to start their day. It comes complete with a candle and birthday singing. That way, no matter how busy the rest of the day, it started off with a recognition of the bday.

 

[skand]

Quote:
See! that means you are somehow related to me!!! We've always had some sort of tradition in my family. Breakfast in bed (if it falls on a weekend), or at least you pick what everyone else eats for breakfast. lol My brother hated it when I'd pick cold pizza and a glass of milk!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Quote:
See! that means you are somehow related to me!!! We've always had some sort of tradition in my family. Breakfast in bed (if it falls on a weekend), or at least you pick what everyone else eats for breakfast. lol My brother hated it when I'd pick cold pizza and a glass of milk!

That's funny, Skand! OK, if we're related, it must be on my dad's side since that's where this tradition originates. We should compare notes sometime on that one.

 

[chickenbuddy]

Soooo, do you post what you are going to have for dinner?

We're going to have seafood from a restuerant.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone!

Backyard Buddies.. try this version of Nuoc Cham:

2 or 3 Thai bird chilies ..or a small'ish Serrano chili.. sliced into thin rings, a clove of garlic.. sliced thin, 3 T. sugar, 2/3 cup warm water, 1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice, 5 T. fish sauce, 2 T. finely shredded carrots, daikon, kohlrabi, etc. ..for garnish (optional)

Use a mortar for this.. smoosh your pepper, garlic and sugar to a paste. Transfer to a cute little bowl and add the liquids. Mix well and let it stand for a few minutes. Garnish ..or not!

This is a pretty basic dipping sauce, but you can tweak it as your tastebuds desire.... use a little unseasoned rice vinegar in place of some of the lime juice, use various honey (from different plants) instead of sugar, add some sea salt or not, use soy instead of fish sauce.. if vegetarian, drip a teeny bit of oil (scallion, peanut, sesame, etc.), change the garnish... and so on......

As for the meat.. just keep it simple. It's all in the preparation and cooking time anyway. Thinly slice, soy or salt it slightly ..and some fresh ground pepper.. lightly. Sprinkle a little cornstarch on and stir, to bind the juices and the mild flavors ..let stand half hour ...then cook quickly, in a little oil. You can add julienned lemongrass or orange zest or fresh basil ..lots of options!

Make a trip to WholePaycheck ..for your Red Leaf lettuce... or wherever you find your "better" variety of fresh produce.

You're all set!

I might actually cook today.. umm.. yeah..... chicken something or calzones (if I can get up the notion to make the fresh dough).

 

[thechickenchick]

Quote:
Yep! You got it!

We are having a casserole called Chinese Hot dish. Way back when I was 19 my next door neibor gave me this recipe. Its easy and best of all, cheap!!

1 lb burger
1/2 c diced celery
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c rice ( I use Minute)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken
1 can water or milk
1 can or small bag of chow mein noodles

Brown burger and veggies. Mix all ingred except chow mein noodles. Put in 9x13 pan. Cover wih noodles. Bake at 350 for 45 min or until bubbly.

Its really good when its cold out! It can be done in slow cooker too. Then just put hndful of noodles on top of each serving so they don't get soggy.

 

[happyhen]

the chickenchick - Yummm! I make a similar dish (we call it Chopstick Casserole) using tuna instead of hamburger, no rice or chicken soup. I mix it up (reserving some noodles) toss it in the microwave until bubby, add the rest of the noodles, and voila! A hot meal in minutes.

We had chef's salad tonight with a simple, slightly sweet, muffin.

Happy birthday to your DD BB. I hope you have better luck with candles in oatmeal than I did with candles in pudding!

 

[Redfeathers]

I have a question for all my foodie friends.

What is a good thing to take to a New years party? A dip or finger food type item. I've thought of meatballs, or spinach dip...but I want it to be something that will travel easy and be something liked by everyone.

Any ideas?



Oh, tonights dinner was baked pasta with spaghetti sauce and topped with cheese. Garlic toast and salad.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

You could do meatballs with some zingy ding spices/herbs in them ..and they won't "spill" in the car or wherever, unless you have a sauce on them.

Then again, a spinach, or any kind of "veggie", dip is almost always a hit with the masses, but it can spill if you don't pack it properly for the car ride. Oh... and dips are yummier when they are presented in bread bowls or "nifty" little dip and chip/cracker platter type deals. (Only do the bread bowl ..if you're going to be partying with "well behaved folks"

)


I did some curries ..Palak ..err, I mean spinach w/ chicken breast... and Dal ..err, beans.. with tomato, potato, yogurt ...and basmati rice. I didn't even make fresh bread ..darn head!