What's for Dinner, Sun., Sept. 12, 2021

[NJCher]

I'm making one of my favorite salads that uses yellow zucchini: Zucchini goat cheese salad with pine nuts.

It's cut with the spiralizer, then topped with toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese. Basil and chopped chives over the top. Vinaigrette made with Meyer lemon juice, Dijon, etc.

Then a miniature hamburger on one of those little Brioche buns. It has provolone cheese and hatch chilies in it. The air fryer makes burgers like a dream.

Tart cherry kombucha.

For dessert, toasted chocolate chip waffle with a scoop of coffee ice cream and shaved burnt caramel chocolate and walnuts over the top. Believe it or not, that is 150 calories if you're careful with the portions.

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On another topic, I responded to Cairycat's post last night about how one tries to improve cooking skills with each recipe. The experience I had with the fresh tomatoes in my soup taught me a lot about how much salt is added to canned tomatoes. I did a survey of recipes using fresh tomatoes and nowhere did I find the recipe writers adding in salt to the tune of what these canners do. If you missed the post, it has the results of my research in it:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1157&pid=107136

Cairycat's post is just above it.

[msongs]

1. putting salt on food is learned behavior. food does not actually need salt nt

[irisblue]

3. I'm going to mildly disagree with you msongs

I am not a big salt user-watching my father salt his pizza in the late 60s cured me of that-but I find that some salt does make flavors pop

Tomatoes(acid)+salt+heat(a bit of) jalapeno+ half an avocado(fat) gives me a sensory breakfast pleasure.

I browsed the cookbook-Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
by Samin Nosrat, 2017. I didn't watch the netflix show.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/30/529699099/-salt-fat-acid-heat-a-guide-to-the-elements-of-cooking

So, I agree with Cher, a bit of salt does improve some foods

[NJCher]

5. I think you can get used to no salt

but as long as I'm 120/70, I'm going to enjoy salt.

[irisblue]

2. Cold decafe tea, chicken& rice casserole, garlic sauteed spinach

Pretty sure I'll have leftovers from the casserole

[viva la]

4. My doctor told me to avoid canned food because of BP

I thought I could do without everything but tomatoes (in can).

But I'll try doing the fresh ones, at least while I can get them at the grocery! Thanks!

[Cairycat]

10. I freeze fresh tomatoes, chopped

they're good for everything you'd use diced canned tomatoes for

[viva la]

12. I'll try that-- thought they'd fall apart.

Do you take the seeds out first?

[Cairycat]

13. No, I don't seed them

wash, cut out the core, and any bad spots, and chop

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Pork, collards, brocolli, green beans, apple

Going to be lean until I get to the super midweek.

[Nanuke]

7. Used the smoked salmon I bought on the north shore of MN...

…at a terrific rustic smoked fish shop. Made pasta salad and smashed cucumber Asian style salad. Lots of cukes from my brother’s garden across the street.

[happybird]

8. Lemon pepper and garlic shrimp

on mashed potatoes with lots of clarified butter dumped on top. Green beans cooked with a ham hock.

Chocolate ice cream and Sprite float

[MissMillie]

9. shrimp and pasta

in a homemade pesto cream sauce. I even made the pesto myself. (I told Al that I had shrimp w/ my Dad last night and he was a little jealous. I reminded him that we had a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer--problem solved.)

marinated cherry tomatoes


there's ice cream for dessert.

[peacefreak2.0]

11. I didn't make it, so I can't take credit.

Lobster, drawn butter, coleslaw, sweet corn and warm blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream. Perfect meal for a late summer supper on the coast o’Maine.