Thread: What's for dinner ?

Here's a few suggestions:

1. "German night" - grilled bratwurst with mustard, jarred sauerkraut, kase-spaetzle (see below), and salad (usually spinach salad with walnuts, craisins, a little avocado, perhaps a sliced apple, carrots)
Kase-spaetzle (German cheese noodles) - buy spaetzle noodles (if not available egg-noodles will work fine) and boil in lightly salted water as directed, meanwhile saute an onion in a pan that will go in the oven. Once the onion has started to caramelize add a TB of white sugar and drop the heat to very low. Drain the noodles and toss with the onion mixture in the oven-proof saute pan and add some grated light Jarlsberg cheese. Mix the cheese through, don't just top with it, though a little extra on the top is good too. Cook in the oven until the cheese starts to brown on the top.

2. "Middle Eastern" night - get some boxed Falafel mix and mix with water according to the directions. Make small patties (1.5-2" diameter and 1/2" thick) and lightly spray with olive oil. Cook in the oven pretty hot (425F), flipping as one side starts to brown.
Serve with tabouleh (either reconstituted or pre-made), hummous, sliced cucumber, and some plain yoghurt mixed with chopped fresh mint leaves. You can make sandwiches by using pita bread. I like to heat the pita bread in the oven, wrapped in foil, for about 5-10 minutes.

3. "Risotto" - slice an onion in half and then in 1/4-1/8" slices, slice mushrooms (at least 1/2 lb). Saute in a chef's pan or other 3+Quart pan using a little olive oil: first the onions, then once they start going translucent add the mushrooms. Then once the mushrooms have cooked down add 1 cup of Arborio (short-grain) rice and stir until coated in olive oil and very lightly toasted (just a couple of minutes). Add 1/2 cup of white wine if desired to deglaze the pan, then some low-fat, low-sodium stock a little at a time, stirring frequently. Medium heat, and let the rice absorb almost all the stock before you add more. I keep the stock warm on a second burner, and then ladel it into the rice. With a cup of rice you'll probably use 2 1/2-3 cups of stock. If you want you can dilute the stock to start. When the rice is cooked you can serve with grated parmesan cheese over the top. I like to have some crusty bread with olive oil, and also salad with this dish, but vegetables work well too. Note: this takes about 30-40 minutes and can't be hurried. Don't turn the heat up too high, and make sure you stir it every minute or two so it doesn't stick to the pan. It just takes time for the rice to absorb the liquid. Good excuse for a couple of glasses for the already-open wine bottle.

4. Fish - works well well for salmon, but other meaty fish works well too. Put a filet of salmon (in pieces or one long slab, either works) on sheet of heavy-duty foil. Add some fresh herbs (dill is good with salmon, but you can be adventurous with others), some fresh ground pepper, and a little lemon juice over the top of the fish, then wrap up tightly. Cook in the oven at 425F until done - but be careful not to over-cook. It takes just a few minutes. Serve with some of the delicious Alexia oven-baked fries (cook the fries about 15 minutes before adding the fish to the oven). Add salad, vegetables, etc. Also, if you like it you can make some fake aioli by adding a little lemon juice and crushed garlic to some mayonaise - that is a common accompaniment to fish in the south of France.

5. Lemon chicken - Get some chicken breasts and hammer them flat and thin (put plastic wrap over them and go at it with an empty wine bottle or a rolling pin!), dredge them in a mixture of flour, oregano, pepper, and a little salt. Heat a pan with a little olive oil in the bottom (not too much or it will spit all over the place!) and then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, remove from pan. Add to the pan 1 cup of low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth, zest from one or two lemons, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Cook until reduced by about a third and then add 2 Tablespoons of capers, return the chicken to the pan and heat through. Good with pasta or with mashed potato.

For lots of other good ideas also try:

Simply Prepared Quick & Easy Recipes, Menus & Meals on Epi

CDH.

Chicken breast with some shake and bake and thrown into the oven

Maybe it's because I live in the midwest but this pot roast recipe is really popular at our house:
link

A very easy, "set it and forget it" meal that you can set up before you go to work and it's ready when you get home. I usually cook half of the recipe at a time.

Originally Posted by rockymtnhigh

Good luck finding either the carne picada or the green chilles anywhere except the southwest.

You might be surprised. There is a surprisingly large hispanic community here in Rockford. Things were pretty bleak at our local Kroger equivalent, only about 6 ft of shelf space, mostly Pace and Rosarita. However, 2 hispanic supermarkets have opened in the last month and I have confirmed that they have the 'good stuff'.

Now, people look a bit strangely at the gringo buying fresh habenaros, but that's their problem.

Originally Posted by dfergie

You can even get them at Wal Mart and have them roasted here... but I bought last years bushel from a roadside vendor, I'll be looking for him again this year as the chiles were hot, but excellent and were roasted just right so they are easy to peel...

I'm jealous.....im considering having some shipped frozen to me. $130 for 10 lbs...

Tonight I am cooking some Zatarans red beans and rice, and mixing it with some ground beef.

Originally Posted by dfergie

You can even get them at Wal Mart and have them roasted here... but I bought last years bushel from a roadside vendor, I'll be looking for him again this year as the chiles were hot, but excellent and were roasted just right so they are easy to peel...

And I'll be buying HD DVDs for you, so you'll ship them to me

My dinner tonight was spicy deer sausage and some kind of fried potatoes. I had the sausages because I am allergic to the crawfish Mrs Pepper and her parents were eating (even if I weren't allergic I can't get into eating something that looks like an insect).

Courtesy of the in-laws, we don't cook much at all.

Originally Posted by rockymtnhigh

And I'll be buying HD DVDs for you, so you'll ship them to me

I have a omaha steak styrofoam box from x-mas