What's for Dinner, Sat., Jan. 16, 2015

[NJCher]

Last edited Sat Jan 16, 2016, 11:52 PM - Edit history (1)

Yesterday, when we left class, a TA (teaching assistant) asked the class what they were going to do (since we have the MLK holiday Monday). After the students responded, she said, "I'm going to cook. What I don't know, but that's what I'm going to do." I thought that sounded like a good idea, so this a.m. I got started early, and now I have two meals for the day.

--lunch, a pizza with mozzarella, orange and green pepper, plus chopped onion, too. The RG also made some bolognese sauce, so I put dollops of it around the pizza. Sprinkled parmesan over.

Also made a tossed green salad with spinach and red leaf lettuce to go with.

For dinner, I chopped a rutabaga and mixed it with garlic, onion, and olive oil. Chopped some fresh thyme to mix in. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet, and they are roasting now.

I'll have that with pork loin (leftover), and applesauce for dinner.

Was watching Jacques Pepin while cooking, who was doing a tribute to Julia Child.

What a happy way to start the weekend.



Cher

[japple]

1. All of your dishes sound good, but esp. that rutabaga.

We are having some kind of enchiladas made from the leftover orca bean chili that I made yesterday. Will probably have a green salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and balsamic.

[Melissa G]

2. Doing my version of a detox diet

A bit off the Mark Hyman 10 day detox. Had a power greens salad with red and green cabbage chopped in a little olive oil and Lemon and nuts with tomatillo guacamole for dressing. Wild Alaskan salmon on top. It was on deep discount at the grocery!

Dinner is a similar version except hard boiled eggs instead of fish for protein.

[Galileo126]

3. Another chix leg

leftover from yesterday. In fact, a total repeat of yesterday (w/ mac and 3-bean salads).

I was going to make a split pea and ham hock soup tomorrow, but I forgot I'm supposed to head out to Pasadena for a dinner party. Looks like it'll be Monday or Tuesday for the pea soup (darn).

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. I also have ham hocks and split peas for soup.

It's supposed to be very cold here next week and I think I'll start making it tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder.

[rusty quoin]

7. I have no idea about ham hocks. I have an idea about pea soup.

My wife and I love ham, not as much as our cat, and she loves peas which I tolerate after 20 plus years of marriage, but is there a reason I should try ham hocks, and how do I do them?

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. Just thought I'd try it in pea soup instead of bacon.

I figure that if a ham bone works (and I don't have one) that ham hocks will. I'll just put them in water with the bag of peas, then after they're falling apart, fish them out and cut up the meat.

[Galileo126]

11. I never used bacon, always the smoked ham hocks

Which is weird, since I'm from the North-East. Bacon all the time, if I remember.

After I moved to SoCal in the 80's, it's always been smoked hocks. (Because we never had them in the grocery stores in Rhodey.)

When making the split-pea soup. I always used to plop the ham hocks into the broth (chix) along with the dried peas. But this time, I'm going to make a broth _from_ the ham hocks, and use that to cook the dried peas. (No more chicken stock.) While the peas are cooking, I'll pick off the meat from the hocks and when ready, add it to the peas.

I always make it "chunky", with onions, carrots, potatoes and celery. Onions are first to be thrown into the pot, with the rest added 30 mins or so before the peas are done.

The reason I use ham hocks is that I have a local grocery which sells smoked hocks. I do enjoy the smokey flavor. (They also have smoked turkey parts, but pork seems to work for me.)

Yum!

While the peas are cooking, I'm thinking about making some bread for " dunkin' ".

[rusty quoin]

12. First of all, you were smart to move to SoCal in the 80s if by your own decision.

I went there in the 90s and wished I went there in the 80s.

Is there sautéing the veggies? Do the ham hocks leave fat to be removed from the stock?

[Galileo126]

13. No saute'ing of the veggies

It's an extra step that's not necessary, I feel. I just dump them in 30 mins before the peas are ready. As for the fat, I never did the skim, but if you get an excessive amount, I certainly wouldn't hurt. By that time, the pork/smoke flavor is already in the broth, and the extra fat wouldn't really be necessary.

Oh, and I forgot. I put in 4 cloves of whole garlic into the start of the broth, too.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Strip steak. Baked potato. Green beans.

[dem in texas]

6. Hamburgers

We had to go pick up a little rescue dog today, so didn't get back till late. Just made some hamburgers. I have the makings for split pea soup, too. That is what I will be cooking tomorrow, supposed to be cold and dreary tomorrow, perfect day for some home soup. Probably boil up some eggs to make egg salad for sandwiches to go with the split pea soup.

I like to add grated carrot and a little sweet pickle relish to my egg salad.

[rusty quoin]

8. This was a dinner all bought from Costco

Pork chops were OMG thick, looked maybe better than 1". I started them on the cooktop, and even had to brown the sides (compare that to market cut slop).

Used as marinade: Tonton ginger Japanese dressing and marinade

After browning, put skillet in oven at 425 and set timer to 20 minutes. They hit the right temp.

In the mean time, I made a salad, and the Sunset Gourmet Melody grape tomatoes were the featured act.

I put the pork in the center of the dish, with the salad around it. I drizzled more of Tonton over it.

The only thing I would do differently is brine the pork. it would make it tastier, and juicier. Don't forget the cracked pepper.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

9. The old standby, chicken casserole

Boil up chicken breasts, slice into medallions, line a baking dish, cover half with frozen cauliflower, half with frozen broccoli, then cover all with condensed cream of chicken soup, then a layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Into the over at 350, first 20 minutes or so with foil over it, next 40 without.

The weather has been mild enough that the cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage I planted in Oct or Nov have actually mostly survived so far, without ever having been covered in any way. They really haven't grown much, either though. So that's still an ongoing experiment.

Gotten seed catalogues, but even though I've picked up some contract work of late, I've been spending a lot on other people the last couple of months, so I haven't bought anything new; I think I'll plant this year from seeds saved from years past.