Need inspiration, what ya cooking tonight

[My Miniature Madness]

1 hour ago, Jeannine said:

Your chicken and dumplings sounds good, may I ask how you make the dumplings, I only know the English method which requires suet. I have to have the special suet shipped over which is a nuisance so I would like to  try a US version.

I'm so glad that you found your appetite last night! Your meals always sound so marvelous! Don't tell my hubs - he may want to trade me in on a younger and more cullinarily creative model! 

My version of dumplings consists of two ingredients: Bisquick and milk! I told ya! Not very creative, and not very interesting in the kitchen! 

[Thimble Hall]

Thank you, I do have some Bisquick and I will try it. The English  dunplings use an ingredient called  Atora which is about rice sized pieces of suet tossed in flour so it doesn't stick. After they are cooked they are very light and airy because the fat bits melt and leave little holes..funny description but fairly accurate I think. I can but ground suet here bit the dumplings are heavier  and these days finding it fresh in a piece is almost impossible.

If hubby wants to trade you in he wouldn't pick me.. I am ancient.

[My Miniature Madness]

47 minutes ago, rodentraiser said:

It's on the list to visit!

Jodi, I still think the best pizza is Round Table Pizza. It's a little spicy and pricy, but I love it. If you go north on I-5, get off at the first Federal Way exit and turn left (going west - I forget how the exit ends). Stay in the far right hand lane. At the first light, turn right and you'll see a shopping center on your right sort of up on the bank. There's a Round Table right by the road, so you should see the sign. If you like Long John Silver's, there's also a KFC across from them that's also a Long John Silver's. Ohh, now I want Long John Silver's!

I'm having BeerBQ flank steak tonight. I already have it marinating, but I don't have a grill, so I'm going to do something a little different tonight.

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2013/06/beerbecue-beef-flank-steak-youll-have.html

 

When I have a chicken breast, I know I can "poach" them in chicken stock with some herbs. Also, when I use a sauce for chicken, I usually put the chicken breast in a pie dish and add the sauce and then bake the chicken in it. I've done that using hoisin, teriyaki, and balsamic BBQ sauce. I always get a delicious caramelization on the meat. I know I've also cook roast beef in sauce before, so tonight I'm going to take this BeerBQ sauce and bake the flank steak in it when it's through marinating. The sauce has molasses in it, so it should caramelize too. I have no idea how the steak is going to come out and it won't be sous vide, but hey, if it's edible, I'll be happy.

Oh, speaking of crock pots, here's an easy pork roast recipe:

Mix 1 cup of BBQ sauce (any kind) and 1 cup of Kraft Zesty Italian dressing together. Place your pork roast on some onions and then after you put it in the crock pot, pour the sauce over it. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. You can also fork the roast before you put it in, or sear it first or add carrots and potatoes if you want.

Hmmm...maybe I'll do for that tomorrow night.

You know, we do have a Round Table on Hwy 7. I believe we ordered it for my daughter's fiance's birthday last year. They were pricey, but if I remember correctly, the chicken wings in sriracha were delicious! I don't think I've ever eaten at Long John Silver's. Is it seafood?

That's an interesting twist on the pork roast - I'll have to try that one! The pork roast has been about $1 cheaper per lb lately than the ground beef. I didn't order the stuff for Swedish meatballs this time because the 93/7 was $6 a lb! We are going to have your mac and cheese recipe, tho - with Hebrew Nationals. Sounds like a good Monday Night Football kind of dinner!

The boys have been getting home around 7pm. They leave for work in Ballard at about 6am. Such long days mean easy weekday meals for me, because they don't want a big meal in their tummies when they turn in about 9pm. Tomorrow we'll make the homemade pizzas again, and on Sunday, probably breakfast for dinner. Russ likes biscuits and gravy with football! 

[My Miniature Madness]

7 minutes ago, Jeannine said:

Thank you, I do have some Bisquick and I will try it. The English  dunplings use an ingredient called  Atora which is about rice sized pieces of suet tossed in flour so it doesn't stick. After they are cooked they are very light and airy because the fat bits melt and leave little holes..funny description but fairly accurate I think. I can but ground suet here bit the dumplings are heavier  and these days finding it fresh in a piece is almost impossible.

If hubby wants to trade you in he wouldn't pick me.. I am ancient.

It is easy, but I bet not as good as the Jamaican version with cornmeal. Yours sound like they have a wonderful texture! I like my breads doughy and girthy! Is suet the same thing or similar to bird suet? 

After 30 years if marriage, he still looks at me like I'm the bees knees, and still chases me around like he did when I was 16! Thank heaven! 

[Goldenrodfarm]

22 hours ago, havanaholly said:

We  are blessed, living on the Gulf Coast, with many excellent restaurants to choose from.

Tonight I made this recipe for Swedish meatballs that DH went nuts over!

That looks really good Holly, I may try that this weekend, but cut the recipe back so not too many leftovers!

it is chilly tonight, I am finishing up making some chicken noodle soup with veggies, love soup!

I love lamb also, and there is always plenty in the freezer, I make the butcher where I take my animals package for one person, he doesn't like it but I do a lot of business there and usually it is only for me that he has to package small, the rest of the lambs I take there are for larger families.

I made a eggplant and lamb dish the other night, it was very good!

[havanaholly]

I have found that a dollop (hefty tablespoonful) of Greek yogurt for some of the milk makes biscuits, muffins, dumplings, whatever light & fluffier.  Barbara, when I made the Swedish meatball recipe I only had a tad over 1/2 lb of ground turkey, so I cut back on the other quantities; I also omitted the eg because with the ground turkey I didn't need it.    We did not have any leftovers.  I like to stuff eggplants with shrimp, breadcrumbs and the "holy trinity" of celery, onion & sweet peppers.

[Thimble Hall]

The best way to describe the type of suet is probably to get you to look up Atora suet. It is basically the fatty encasement round the kidneys of cattle a bit different to regular fat. I think the bird thingies may have any kind of fat in but I am not sure.

take a look at http://www.atora.co.uk/

 

If you read the "about us " page it gives you a bit of a history. it's an interesting read, very British LOL There will be even a recipe for spotted d*** in there too.

[My Miniature Madness]

7 minutes ago, Jeannine said:

The best way to describe the type of suet is probably to get you to look up Atora suet. It is basically the fatty encasement round the kidneys of cattle a bit different to regular fat. I think the bird thingies may have any kind of fat in but I am not sure.

take a look at http://www.atora.co.uk/

 

If you read the "about us " page it gives you a bit of a history. it's an interesting read, very British LOL

Ha! That was interesting! If ever given the opportunity, I will be curious to give it a try!

It's interesting how fat used to be an essential part of cooking. My grandma cooked a lot of duck and goose growing up, as there were 7 kids, one job, and hunting was the way you filled your freezer. I always remember her using the duck and goose fat in everything, and boy did she make good fried chicken with it!

[Thimble Hall]

Actually I buy duck and the  occasional goose(always one in September) just to get the fat. Many pro chefs agree that it is the very best fat for roast potatoes so your grandma was a very wise cook.

You can find Atora in many of the little  British shops that are in Canada and the US but of course like everything they sell it is about 4 times the price ..I buy from  a commercial size from a British wholesaler along with a few other things I need and it works out much cheaper.

[My Miniature Madness]

37 minutes ago, Jeannine said:

Actually I buy duck and the  occasional goose(always one in September) just to get the fat. Many pro chefs agree that it is the very best fat for roast potatoes so your grandma was a very wise cook.

You can find Atora in many of the little  British shops that are in Canada and the US but of course like everything they sell it is about 4 times the price ..I buy from  a commercial size from a British wholesaler along with a few other things I need and it works out much cheaper.

Nothing ever went to waste in her kitchen, that is for sure. And even after the first set of 5 kids were grown and they had expendable income, she still baked breads, cookies, pies and whatever else she was in the mood for on Sundays each week. I can still remember the smells in her house - Downy, Pledge and fresh baked goods. Heaven! She kneaded so much dough that she had to wear corn husker's oil and cotton gloves when she slept at night. What a wonderful lady she was, in so many ways!

[Thimble Hall]

Your Grandma sound like someone I would have made a friend of, I never knew either of mine as I was born very late to my Mum.

I think your comment speaks volumes about household cooks, it certainly describes me. I never waste anything and I still have to bake and cook even though I live alone and rarely eat anything sweet or made from pastry,.There are a few sweet or baked things  things I like  but they are nearly all  warm from the oven and  I still make most of my own bread.

I find cooking very little to do with not worrying about income. Many folks who are very well off still cook. I do, Fortunatley I have always had a project I can donate to. I could donate $10 for someone to buy a meal or I can use that $10 and cook a meal for 5 and I enjoy doing it.

Great to have a Grandma.. It is funny how we remember smells. I had ringlets till I was in my teens and every night my Mum used to put my hair in rags,when up close to my face her hands always smelled of onion and she used hand lotion all the time but still I swear I could smell it.  However I did read somewhere that the smell of fresh baked bread and the smell of cinnamon rank as 1 and 2  favorite smells. She always smelled of violets too, that was her favorite perfume.

Oh and  by the way I wear white cotton gloves at night with my hands soaked in Neutrogena!!

[Goldenrodfarm]

9 hours ago, Jeannine said:

The best way to describe the type of suet is probably to get you to look up Atora suet. It is basically the fatty encasement round the kidneys of cattle a bit different to regular fat. I think the bird thingies may have any kind of fat in but I am not sure.

take a look at http://www.atora.co.uk/

I usually request they grind that part of the suet for me since I made my own sausage and it was easier if it was ground using the big Hobart grinders, I have bags of it in my freezer, looks about rice sized in the end.  I will have to look up a dumpling recipe made like that for experimentation 

[havanaholly]

With the storm on its way I think I want comfort food tonight!.  I got some more ground turkey at the store, I'm thinking more Swedish meatballs and oven roasted potatoes.  I like to roast my potatoes in olive oil, or olive oil with just a bit of butter; the flavor really appeals to us.  Fresh broccoli and carrots in with the potatoes ought to keep us fat & sassy.

[blueirishmoon]

I had a little pan-fried steak with potatoes, corn, and biscuits. Yummy!

[havanaholly]

I ended up making the Swedish meatball recipe into meatloaf (without the sauce) and putting my broccoli into mac & cheese.  It was excellent.

[grazhina]

Planning on making Holly's Swedish meatballs recipe tonight.  I made hamburgers and onion rings the other night. Anyone else make onion rings from scratch? No one I know does.

[havanaholly]

19 minutes ago, grazhina said:

Planning on making Holly's Swedish meatballs recipe tonight.  I made hamburgers and onion rings the other night. Anyone else make onion rings from scratch? No one I know does.

I used to when our sons were till home.  I fried & deep fried a lot of things for which I've paid with my pacemaker and all my cholesterol lowering drugs.

[grazhina]

ds: what's for dinner? --- me: Swedish meatballs ---- ds: what's that? ---- me: meatballs in a creamy sauce -----ds: we had meatballs this week ----me: these are different. ds; will I like them? -- me: no reason you shouldn't ----- ds: what's the side dish? ----- me: go away and leave me alone! --- dh: what's for supper?--- me: Swedish meatballs --- dh: you've made them a million times ----me: I've never made them before --- dh: yes you have, they're those things with rice in em. ----me: there's no rice in them, I never made them. ----dh: yeah, they're the ones with that gravy on them.  --- me: it's not gravy! there's a nice creamy sauce! I said I was going to make some meals to just please myself this week and I want to try this Swedish meatball recipe!  dh: you know I never appreciate anything you make.  me: yes! I know!  ---- dh: can I have a chipped ham sandwich now? ----- me: fine, but you know you wouldn't be able to even have a chipped ham sandwich if it were't for me!  --- dh: I know

Chipped ham is a Pittsburgh sandwich meat not available anywhere else and he's missed it, so I ordered some and they fed-exed it.

Everytime I try a new recipe I go through the same thing.

[havanaholly]

Grazhe, you are a far better woman than I.  If I had that sort of song-and-dance they could cook for themselves.

[rodentraiser]

On Friday, October 06, 2017 3:51:17, Its_a_sm_world_after_all said:

You know, we do have a Round Table on Hwy 7. I believe we ordered it for my daughter's fiance's birthday last year. They were pricey, but if I remember correctly, the chicken wings in sriracha were delicious! I don't think I've ever eaten at Long John Silver's. Is it seafood?

 

Yes, it's fast food sea food. They're the unhealthiest fast food in America because they deep fat fry their fish. That means it's good. They don't bake breaded fish. You can bite into their battered fish filets and hear them go crunch. Their shrimp isn't too bad either. They also serve hush puppies, I think. I tried one once, but didn't like it.

I didn't realize there was another Round Table in the state. I think it's a California pizza place. After gagging through Pizza Hut and Domino's and some of the other pizzas here, I finally found the Round Table in Silverdale. The first thing I said was, "I'm so GLAD you're here!" and the first thing the guy at the counter said was, "You must be from California." I guess it was that obvious.

[Thimble Hall]

Well I just cooked  a huge pot  of steak and kidney filling for puff pastry pies, . I will freeze them  unbaked in individual sizes and do something with them?? It was one of my husbands favorites and before he died I used to cook them and take them into the care home for him. I had kidney in the freezer still that needed using up  so had to do it, it  will be the last time I make them. Just had an idea  I might add some cooked potato chunks and some  curry spices and make some into Samosas. It is the same pastry and that way I can take them to the community dinner. Decision made.

 

I often wondered what chipped beef or chipped hams  was, I always thought it was maybe dried then rehydrated. I learn something new everyday

[My Miniature Madness]

17 hours ago, rodentraiser said:

Yes, it's fast food sea food. They're the unhealthiest fast food in America because they deep fat fry their fish. That means it's good. They don't bake breaded fish. You can bite into their battered fish filets and hear them go crunch. Their shrimp isn't too bad either. They also serve hush puppies, I think. I tried one once, but didn't like it.

I didn't realize there was another Round Table in the state. I think it's a California pizza place. After gagging through Pizza Hut and Domino's and some of the other pizzas here, I finally found the Round Table in Silverdale. The first thing I said was, "I'm so GLAD you're here!" and the first thing the guy at the counter said was, "You must be from California." I guess it was that obvious.

Ha ha! My hubs grew up in Gardena CA and ate at Perry's in Redondo beach. He says the same thing - no good pizzas in WA. It is ironic that he spent a year and a half remodeling Pizza Hut's in our area. They always tried to feed him near the end of the job when testing the ovens and such, and he's come home saying how awful it made him feel. Now he's remodeling Larsen's Bakery in Ballard and he has no complaints at all. He's a "bread of any kind" fiend!

Every so often you've just gotta have fried fish & chips. Nothing like the real thing! I'll have to remember them when we're out running around. Is the tartar as good as Ivar's?

[havanaholly]

It's a Monday without a jazz event, so we're heading out to Ollie's for their hamburger specials.

[KathieB]

I'm making a double batch of Holly's Swedish meatballs. Thinking to freeze half. Wondering whether to freeze them naked and make fresh sauce when I cook them later or  freeze with the creamy sauce. 

[havanaholly]

23 minutes ago, KathieB said:

I'm making a double batch of Holly's Swedish meatballs. Thinking to freeze half. Wondering whether to freeze them naked and make fresh sauce when I cook them later or  freeze with the creamy sauce. 

Try it both ways.  Also, holly makes those with ground turkey, not beef.