What's for dinner?

[Menolly]

The one I make for Pesach is really different. This sounds a lot better, truthfully.

But, my family would have my head if I changed that traditional recipe at the seders. I can see making this version at other times of the year though.

[Menolly]

Currently prepping my overnight pasta sauce, which I guess we'll eat tomorrow...
I have no idea what to take out for tonight.
hmm...
Pork chops I guess.

[Vader]

Carrot Tzimmes (Sweetened Braised Carrots)
adapted from Starting With Ingredients
3 to 4 servings

1 pound carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons butter (or a mix of butter and olive oil)
2/3 cup orange juice
2/3 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3/4 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced carrots. Cook about 4 minutes, just enough to slightly soften but retain crispness.
2. Add other ingredients. Reduce heat to medium low, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Remove carrots with a slotted spoon. Reduce sauce for a minute over medium-high heat. Pour sauce back over the carrots.

Pureed with some stock, a dash of lime juice and a bit cream that would also make a great soup. I do something similar with Hokkaido pumpkins. I am sure sweet potatoes would work as well.

I'm going to try your recipe though. Sounds exactly what the Missus would love.

[aliantha]

Scallops stir-fry over Minute Rice brown rice. Yummy. Took about 15 minutes to make. And I have leftovers for later in the week.

[Menolly]

Tonight is inch-and-a-half thick New York strips, rubbed with extra virgin olive oil and Canadian Steak seasoning, pan seared in the cast iron skillet to a crisp crust and rare to medium-rare interior, baked potatoes, and Savor Dam's tsimmes.

...can't wait.

[Menolly]

Bratwurst in the Showtime.
Baked potatoes with butter and various seasonings.
Tossed salad.

[aliantha]

Had a fleeting taste for pork earlier today. So tonight, I'll probably cook the last pork chop I've got in the freezer with caraway and garlic, and hmm, I dunno, either cauliflower or the rest of the butternut squash I made earlier this week, and some of the leftover whole-wheat couscous.

That's pretty close to my mom's standard pork dinner, except she would have had egg noodles and cabbage, both boiled to within an inch of their lives, ugh.

[Vader]

Pork chops over here HAVE to be seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed in flour then in beaten egg, coated with breadcrumbs and finally fried in butter oil until golden brown.

Serve with mashed potatoes (I love to fold in some butter fried fennel and leek) and steamed carrots and peas
(with a knob of butter, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper).

[Cameraman Jenn]

I made my infamous beef stroganoff for Terry and David last night. It's the first time the baby has had some.... granted it's gonna be filtered through Terry first though. But hey in utero is never too young for Auntie Jenn's beef stroganoff.

[Menolly]

*doing a little tap dance*

Hooray, she's back.
Jenn is back.
Oh, happy day.

[aliantha]

Pork chops over here HAVE to be seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed in flour then in beaten egg, coated with breadcrumbs and finally fried in butter oil until golden brown.

Serve with mashed potatoes (I love to fold in some butter fried fennel and leek) and steamed carrots and peas
(with a knob of butter, grated nutmeg, salt and pepper).

Can't do fried. No gallbladder. Sorry.

Usually I braise pork chops -- it's a Czech thing.

Mashed potatoes would be a good alternative to the couscous, tho, hmm...

[Menolly]

Last night, in honor of Beorn's birthday, we honored his request and did the never-ending past bowl with never-ending sausage links at Olive Garden. The kid could eat every meal their when they run that special.

However, father-of-love came up a day late to celebrate, and took us out to Beorn's second favorite restaurant here, Mark's Prime Steakhouse. We all outdid ourselves.

Beorn:
smoked salmon appetizer with crostini, chopped egg, capers, chopped onion and creme fresh
20 oz grilled veal chop, cooked medium rare
a chocolate hazelnut mousse tart with two lit candles

father-of-love:
16 grilled Delmoinico, medium rare

Hyperception:
Coconut shrimp (he gave me one; it was gigantic!)
16 oz. grilled Delmonico, medium rare
creme brulee

me:
steak tartar with crostini, chopped egg, capers, chopped onion and dill sauce (I did up one crostini for Hyperception)
"Original Bleu" tossed salad
22.5 oz bone-in ribeye steak, cooked black and blue, extra rare
creme brulee

The four of us shared:
steamed broccoli
garlic mashed potatoes
and grilled assorted wild mushrooms

We decided to pass on wine.
father-of-love had several Tanqueray martinis and I had a single house margarita.
Although Beorn is usually limited to soda only on weekends we decided to allown him a Coke tonight.
Then ice water with lime all around.

A splendid time was had by all.

[Menolly]

After all of the celebrating here the past three days, tonight is going to be something light. Sliced grilled chicken breast on salad greens with grape tomatoes, chevre and craisins. I'll dress my salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar; the guys can choose their dressing for themselves.

Knowing Beorn, he won't be a happy camper. He is not a salad eater. but it is too hot to heat up even frozen veggies today.

[Vader]

Today I cut a nice chicken into 6-8 pieces (and yes, it was dead already), fried it on the skinside and flambeed it with calvados. Then stewed it with mushrooms, pancetta, garlic, shalotts, thyme, dry cidre and homemade chicken stock. A bit of creme fraîche to the sause and served with baguette.

[StevieG]

Had a delicious Lasagne tonight - used a magazine recipe which used a combination of veal and pork mince. It gave it a more delicate flavour than just plain beef.

And there's heaps of left-overs, so lunch for a couple of days, and freeze the rest for quick meals.

[Menolly]

Yumm...

I do love a pan of lasagne, for all the reasons you listed.

When I get fancy, I like to make mini-meatballs of beef and pork and I do a layer of sauce and cheese (ricotta, mozzarella and romano) on the bottom noodles, noodles, sauce and a layer of the mini-meatballs, noodles, sauce and cheese, noodles, sauce and lightly cooked Italian sausage links sliced on the oblique, noodles, sauce and cheese, noodles, sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella, slices of provalone and a sprinkle of romano to top off the lasagne.

Yeah, we like lots of layers here.

Making the mini-meatballs out of ground veal and pork instead of beef and pork sounds awesome. I'll give it a try sometime.

[JazFusion]

Tonight was pot roast!
I bought 3 pounds of bottom round and made a dry rub out of: garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, oregano, sage, celery salt and cracked black pepper. Then I seared all the sides with a little vegetable oil and took it out of the pan. Next, I chopped up some onions and added them to the hot oil, sauteeing them with some red wine (a cheap shiraz). I put the roast back, along with some garlic cloves and added an extra cup or so of wine; covered it and let it simmer for about 5 1/2 hours. Then I chopped up some potatoes and carrots (mushrooms would have gone in nicely, too!), and added them to the pot. I let them soften up for an hour or so longer.

After the potatoes were tender, I took everything out and strained it but left the juice in the pot. I added a little less than a cup of sour cream to the drippings to thicken everything up. I heated up some nice bread to round out the meal.

For dessert, we ate Mom's apple crisp I made (sacred family recipe) with some vanilla bean ice cream on top.

I really, truthfully, and honestly outdid myself this time.

Now why would I ever want to eat out?

[Menolly]

oh man am I glad I came upon this after I broke my fast.
Sounds incredible, Jaz!!

[aliantha]

Mmmm, Jaz -- any leftovers?

[aliantha]

Homemade chicken-and-black-bean chili with homemade corn muffins.