Perpetual What Are You Cooking Thread

[Run Amok]

This week:
tomato barley soup
This is a winner: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/roasted-delicata-squash-salad-recipe.html
This is also a winner: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/giant-chipotle-white-beans-recipe.html
Stirfry

[caribougrrl]

Canadian thanksgiving was last weekend, so this will be a week of leftover turkey meals.

Thus far: turkey & dressing sandwiches, turkey tacos, and turkey-tomato-feta salad...

indian-spiced turkey-stuffed eggplant
turkey empanada pie (too lazy for actual empanadas...)
making turkey noodle soup tonight

[rocketgirl]

Had another quiche yesterday.  Lots of mozzarella so tastes a lot like pizza.
eggs, mozzarella, rotel, spinach, salami, bacon, black olives, not sure what really.  The boyfriend made it while I was mowing.



Edited to add what the boyfriend did:
Here's the recipe -
1)Bake crust according to directions, then brush w/ olive oil & set aside.
2) Cook & drain half-dozen slices of bacon, pan-sear 8-10 thin slices of salami. After done/cool/drained, tear into small pieces.
3) chop up 1/2 cup spinach
4) Combine spinach, salami, bacon, 3 eggs, and ~1 cup of mozzerella into a large bowl. Stir up, add rosemary, basil, oregano.
5) Dump into pan. Add top layer of mozzerella, sprinkle w/ olives and oregano
6) bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes

Next up will be pimento cheese with green chilis.  Just need to buy some pimentos and either buy or make mayo.

[caribougrrl]

I had to use up some pumpkin before it went off, but didn't have the patience for ravioli

but there wasn't enough for a whole pie, so I made hot chili praline walnuts to line the bottom of the pie... and it turns out patience wasn't my problem, my pre-menstrual sweet tooth was (but it paid off, ravioli would have been alright but holey shirt praline-walnut-pumpkin pie is delicious)

I also made eggplant/polenta/roasted tomato sauce napoleans, served with kale chips.  I will do that again.

[rocketgirl]

We made pimento cheese.  OMG, homemade pimento cheese is awesome.  Then we put it on crusty sliced bread with bacon, put a little oil on the bread and grilled it on the George Foreman.   

Green Chili Pimento Cheese

All measurements are approximate.

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (or approximately 1 8 oz package)
2 cups shredded mixed Mexican cheese (cheddar and others)
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
4 oz jar pimentos, drained & chopped more
4ish oz can green chilis, drained
1 small jalepeno, chopped small
~1/4 small onion, chopped small
~1 tsp garlic powder
~2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
salt
pepper
 
Chop the cheese smaller (or if you shred yourself, shred finely).
Mix it all together in a bowl
 
Make a sandwich.  Enjoy.

   

The boyfriend also brought over some sliced cantaloupe, so we had doctored that up as a side.

Cantaloupe and Thyme Salad

Sliced cantaloupe
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (although thin ham, prosciutto, or pancetta would be good)
Fresh thyme ~6 sprigs or so, stripped
Crumbled feta (or any goat cheese)
~1.5 TBSP olive oil
drizzle on a little bit of honey (<1TBSP)
 
Toss and eat.

[Ice Cream]

The cantaloupe recipe above reminds me of what I often had in Italy as a chid; it was delicious: 

cantaloupe with prosciutto, thinly sliced, and port wine. I don't think cantaloupe tastes any good without the port wine.

[witchypoo]

tagliatelle with lemon and chile cream

[seattlegirl]

This is in the crockpot today:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/slow_cooker_guinness_stew/



The store was out of turnips, so I omitted them.  I'm planning to serve it with an island of garlic mashed potatoes in the middle of the bowls.   

[radial]

This is in the crockpot today:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/slow_cooker_guinness_stew/



The store was out of turnips, so I omitted them.  I'm planning to serve it with an island of garlic mashed potatoes in the middle of the bowls.   

Yum!  Perfect victuals for the Fall season. 

[LilyLily]

Making this for dinner tonight - Baked Polenta w/ Sausage.  I plan on adding some mild Italian into it along w/ some mushrooms.  Might add some tomatoes in too.....

http://www.marthastewart.com/900641/baked-polenta-sausage-and-artichoke-hearts#Harness%20the%20Power%20of%20Polenta|/1034160/polenta-recipes/@center/854190/comfort-food-recipes|900641

[caribougrrl]

eggplant & almond enchiladas... loosely following the Moosewood cookbook recipe...

[LilyLily]

Making this for dinner tonight - Baked Polenta w/ Sausage.  I plan on adding some mild Italian into it along w/ some mushrooms.  Might add some tomatoes in too.....

http://www.marthastewart.com/900641/baked-polenta-sausage-and-artichoke-hearts#Harness%20the%20Power%20of%20Polenta|/1034160/polenta-recipes/@center/854190/comfort-food-recipes|900641

THIS was DELICIOUS!!!

[seattlegirl]

THIS was DELICIOUS!!!

Bookmarked.  Thanks!

[radial]

Okay my fellow foodies, here's a challenge for you.  Well, for me actually, but maybe you can help.  I will be cooking for a couple of lady friends on Saturday night.  One of them is my very best friend and her tastes are pretty well aligned with mine except I can handle a lot more spice than she can and I eat every sort of meat whereas she only eats chicken and seafood.  Her friend is pickier still.  Not by nature necessarily, but by virtue of limited experience and suspicion of the unknown.  So what do I make?

Ideally the menu would involve things that would be interesting enough to me to seem worth the effort.  And I will need to cook within the chicken/seafood constraints of my friend, and it must be sufficiently pedestrian to pass muster with her friend.  I make a great roasted chicken which they have both had before and liked.  I can make that again, but I would rather do something different if possible.  Everybody likes vegetables, so there's that.  I can't eat gluten, so pasta is out.  Otherwise, it's a blank slate, so anyone willing to pick up the chalk is welcome to have at it. 

If you propose something that seems reasonable, I promise I'll make it.  Exactly as prescribed.  And I'll take pictures and report on the reactions of my friends.  Who's in?

[witchypoo]

we had these for supper.  simply fantastic.

http://www.jean-georges.com/recipes/seasonal/lamb-chop-with-smoked-chile-glaze/

[caribougrrl]

Okay my fellow foodies, here's a challenge for you.  Well, for me actually, but maybe you can help.  I will be cooking for a couple of lady friends on Saturday night.  One of them is my very best friend and her tastes are pretty well aligned with mine except I can handle a lot more spice than she can and I eat every sort of meat whereas she only eats chicken and seafood.  Her friend is pickier still.  Not by nature necessarily, but by virtue of limited experience and suspicion of the unknown.  So what do I make?

Ideally the menu would involve things that would be interesting enough to me to seem worth the effort.  And I will need to cook within the chicken/seafood constraints of my friend, and it must be sufficiently pedestrian to pass muster with her friend.  I make a great roasted chicken which they have both had before and liked.  I can make that again, but I would rather do something different if possible.  Everybody likes vegetables, so there's that.  I can't eat gluten, so pasta is out.  Otherwise, it's a blank slate, so anyone willing to pick up the chalk is welcome to have at it. 

If you propose something that seems reasonable, I promise I'll make it.  Exactly as prescribed.  And I'll take pictures and report on the reactions of my friends.  Who's in?

are these friends who would hang out in the kitchen while you cooked, or do you need something that is big on the early prep but low on maintenance when the guest are there?

would many courses of small plates be too unusual?

[rocketgirl]

There are a lot of good shrimp and grits recipes out there.  The one I use has a lot of cheese, but there are good ones without cheese (or with much less).  I also like to add andouille sausage (I think you can get a chicken sausage) and diced tomatoes.  You can adjust the spicy-ness up and down.  (I double the cayenne and/or add more red pepper flakes; you might not for your friends, but could add more to the leftovers for yourself).

From here:  http://www.food.com/recipe/cheesy-shrimp-on-grits-crock-pot-recipe-468654
1 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely sliced
1 bunch green onion, chopped, divided
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 1/4 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned
5 1/3 cups water
1 1/3 cups quick-cooking grits
8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream or 1/4 cup half-and-half cream

Directions:
Coat 4 1/2 qt crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add bell peppers, celery, all but 1/2 cup of green onions, butter, seafood seasoning, and red pepper. Cover and cook on LOW 4 hrs or on High 2 hours.
Turn crock pot to HIGH. Add shrimp. Cover. cook 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Add grits and cook according to package.
Stir in cheese, cream and remaining 1/2 cup green onions. Cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese has melted. Serve over grits.
VARIATION: Also delicious served over polenta.

[rocketgirl]

My standard chicken marinade is:
sauvignon blanc
olive oil
garlic
salt
rosemary

If you do the homemade Caesar salad thing, this chicken, grilled, is VERY good in Caesar salad.  If you do that, serve a Vinho Verde as your wine.  More of a summer thing than fall though.

[radial]

are these friends who would hang out in the kitchen while you cooked, or do you need something that is big on the early prep but low on maintenance when the guest are there?

would many courses of small plates be too unusual?

Yes, they will hang out in the kitchen, probably drinking.  In fact, if work slowly enough it probably won't matter what I cook because they'll be too happy to care

I don't think lots of courses would be too unusual, just possibly more work than I want to do.  But I can suck it up.  Any recipes to suggest?

[radial]

There are a lot of good shrimp and grits recipes out there. 

You know, that's a nice idea.  I might try that.  Thanks!