What do you put in your minestrone?
Escarole in minestrone: Yes? No? Thoughts?
How about mushrooms?
The local Hannaford's has frozen durian in the freezer case. Has anyone tried this? Is there a big difference between fresh and frozen in flavor/texture? Will it stink up my house just as much? I've always been curious about what durian tastes like. I'm in New England and not likely to get to Vietnam anytime soon to try it fresh.
It's just mom and me on Mother's Day so whatever she wants is what goes. If she wants to stay in and have me cook, if she wants to go out, heck if she wants to cook - it's her day. This year we went out for dim sum. No reservations. We were seated immediately, even in the middle of the lunch crush, received attentive service and ate delicious food. Then we spent the rest of the day walking it off!
I generally eat in my room by myself at lunch. I don't have easy access to a microwave or fridge, so I pack my lunches in a container that has an ice pack built in. I tend to make things that are ok to eat cold or at room temperature (although, I can eat most leftovers without needing to nuke them). My lunch box has two smallish containers. I fill one with yogurt and raw oats for breakfast (I bring along a seperate container of fruit) and one with a snack (fruit and cheese or edamame, sometimes dumplings). The larger bottom container gets brown rice, a protein and steamed veggies most days (although I did bring a sandwich today).
1. perfect seared rib-eye with mashed potatoes
2. Caesar salad
3. roasted carrot and beet salads
4. braised short ribs with chipotle chile
5. clay pot chicken over rice noodles
Starkist. I've actually discovered that I prefer the taste of the light tuna to the white albacore. Not sure why. And, in either case, I get mine water packed. Oil packed may be tastier, but my waistline can't take the extra calories.
You could use it as the base of a roasted veggie tart topped with melted fontina cheese!
Also, if you have any sort of leftover beef or chicken stews (or even seafood) you could use some of it to be the crusty topping of a pot pie.
Cut into squares and fill with your favorite jam or preserves (or Nutella!) and make turnovers.
Cut into squares and fill with a mixture of cream cheese, crab, scallions and a little curry powder and you'd have a really decadent take on a crab rangoon!
My favorite thing to eat with mayo is seafood. To about 1 cup of low fat mayo I add 2 t. soy sauce, 1 T. sambal oelek, 2 t. sesame oil, 4 chopped scallions and one 6 oz. package of cooked lump crab meat. This mixture I then combine with about a pound and a half of sauteed shrimp, squid and scallops (in any combination). Run the whole thing under the broiler until bubbly and brown in places and serve over hot white rice with Asian style pickles. It's absolutely awesome!!!!
They used to be on the menu of a seafood place my family used to eat at when I was very young. My (even younger) sister used to order them. I seem to recall liking them, but not enough to not order the fried clams (with bellies!) instead.
a bowl of chocolate chips and a glass (or two) of tawny port
buttered popcorn and a budget value dry white wine
brie, almonds, sliced baguette and any wine
I think there's a pattern here...
Preheat your oven to 350. Heat an oven safe, preferably nonstick type pan that you've spray with Pam (or put about 2 t. of oil) to medium high heat. Season your trimmed, skinless, boneless chicken breast with salt and pepper. Brown the breast in the pan for 3-4 minutes in the pan and then flip it over. Place the pan in the oven for about 5-7 minutes for a 6 oz. breast (finished chicken should be springy to the touch. Not mushy. Not hard.). Take it out and let the breast rest on a plate or cutting board, covered loosely in foil for about 5 minutes. Eat. Serves 1.
Soda. I've lived on Massachusetts my whole life. Only very rarely did I hear anyone call a soda "tonic" - and even then it was my grandmother.
Here's the other one: Tuna and White Bean Spread. This recipe came from Prevention magazine. The combination is unusual (at least in this country--the reason I tried it was because I had read that tuna and beans is a common combination in Italy), but it really works. I don't usually care for tuna, but I like this.
Roughly mash I can solid white tuna (drained) and 1 c. cooked white beans together with a fork. Stir in 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 heaping t. dried basil, 1/4 heaping t. dried oregano, 1 t. olive oil, 4 t. cider vinegar, 1/8 t. salt, and 1 small can sliced black olives, drained. Serve on crackers or in a pita. (The original recipe called for Kalamata olives, but they're a little strong-tasting for me.) Important: this recipe needs to be chilled for at least a couple of hours before you eat it.
My pleasure, fozziebayer!
For the hummus, soak 3/4 c. dried garbanzos overnight, then drain and rinse. Saute 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a little olive oil until onion is soft. Transfer onion and garlic to the pot with the beans, cover with water, and simmer until the beans are tender and most of the liquid is gone. Mash beans in food processor with 1 1/2 T. tahini, 2 1/2 T. lemon juice (bottled is okay), and 1 t. garlic powder (yeah, yeah, I know, but it works!) You might need a little salt if the tahini is unsalted. To pack this for lunch, put some in a shallow plastic container and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Put chopped cuke, tomato, and green onion in a little separate container. Add some quartered pitas in a baggie and you're set.
This is the best, most flavorful hummus I've ever had, but some folks might find it a little too garlicky. I've never had any complaints, though--even people who hate beans like this recipe, especially with the vegetables on top.
I've just gone back to work after almost 2 years of consulting (mostly from my home office), and I'm immediately back in "pack my lunch" mode after spending $8/day for less than mediocre sandwiches the first couple of days. I toast a bunch of slivered almonds and have a bag of 'em set for salads for the week. Each night I cut up romaine, add almonds, Craisins, and then cut up whatever protein is in the house (today it was pork chop, tomorrow it'll be tuna), esp b/c sometimes I want to heat up the chicken/turkey/whatever. I usually pack the protein separately from the salad, and put a small piece of paper towel on top of the salad before putting the lid on the container to keep it from getting overly soggy. Definitely don't dress it until you're ready to eat!
I've been able to come home for lunch most of the time, where I'll usually cook a quick tilapia fillet in the skillet and steam up some veggies or just destroy any leftovers. Favorite desk munchies include the good old standby granola bar or some munchies: cashews and dried cranberries, yogurt, apple or banana with peanut butter, string cheese, triscuits & laughing cow cheese, or a new favorite, toasted pepitas and raisins.
I'll be biking to work soon since the weather is so nice, but that will mean not coming home for lunch. I'm psyched to keep up the healthy munchies and try out more salads (like the stetson chop salad I'm trying my butt off to recreate: pearl couscous (the fat kind), chopped baby greens, corn, diced tomato, pepitas, raisins, and probably a red wine vinegarette). I'm also a hug leftover fan, so I've already started planning out stuff I like that I can make in mass quantities like casseroles (so very few that I like) and other filling dishes that are great cold.
Leftovers! Making a big pot of soup on the weekend is always a good idea. I also keep dried fruit/nuts in my desk at work for snacks.
@whoizzit: I marinate my tri tip in one package of onion soup mix (the dehydrated kind...and don't rehydrate) and a bottle of red wine, with quite a few crushed cloves of garlic thrown in...I also throw in fresh citrus juice, when I have some...lime is my fave. I leave it in the fridge for 3-4 hours and then grill it. It's scrumptious. Extra good with salsa and avocado on fresh tortillas--tri tip burritos, yum!
After all the creations I've made and slaved over, everyone just falls over my truffles. People seem to like most things but these are always the ones that are most commented on.
I just take a bit of heavy cream up to boiling, chop up some chocolate (trader joes bittersweet) and stir in, followed by a little butter. I then chill or freeze and make into little balls, rolling in cocoa powder/confectioners sugar and drizzle in white chocolate.
1. Jambalaya
2. Smoked Brisket
3. Chicken Cordon Bleu
4. Jagerschnitzle
5. Lasagna
mmm... good stuff!
My brother and I always take mom out for MD b/c we do not own our own homes yet and Mom / Dad would feel obliged to cook/cleanup in their homes. THey are very particular( read OCD) and would have more stress if we prepared the meal because they like things done their way. We went out for a 4pm early dinner reservation to a high end restaurant and treated mom. There was no cleanup to worry about so we were in no rush. The food and servicer were superb. Mom said it was exactly what she wanted. THis is my only goal on MD!
I thought about this thread as I was eating a pretty average buffet lunch with my mom and wishing there was some place a little nicer we could have gone. When you're 100 miles from anywhere, Applebees sounds pretty fancy. The cafe was where Mom wanted to go and that's what counts. I drove up (about 80 miles) to go to church with her and spend the day. As I said, lunch was so-so, but the day was beautiful and it was nice to have time for just the 2 of us. Mom's 87 and pretty amazing. She just bought her first pair of blue jeans as well as a 42" flat screen HDTV. One of the best things for me was channel surfing and coming across a replay of the KU-Memphis game. Watching the end of that game on the big screen was great!
Website: http://amandarama.blogspot.com
Location: New England
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