Meal help!

[wesleysgirl]

I am in a total rut as far as cooking dinners goes. I'm bored with our meals -- so bored that I can barely bring myself to cook at all. I need help!

Please leave a comment with one suggestion of a meal we can have for dinner next week. It doesn't have to include a recipe (although if you want to link me to one you've used, that would rock)!

Comments

[twilightofmagic.livejournal.com]

Moussaka. Comfort food. Delicious. Greek salad on the side.

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

No fair to make me drool with the first comment!

mmmmmmm moussaka

Now I need to go buy some ground lamb... ooooh, or maybe make it with ground buffalo

[twilightofmagic.livejournal.com]

I had some recently for the first time in ages and it was just delicious. Love the spices in it and the creamy topping. I think I'll be making it tomorrow ;-)

[marguerite-26.livejournal.com]

Here's one of my favs. It's not as complicated as it looks.

The broth, lemon zest and butter all make it taste amazing but can easily be left out to save time.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_5628,00.html

[orchid-slayer.livejournal.com]

Chicken Parisienne!
don't know how many you are cooking for so here is what I make...
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, thawed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup UNdiluted
1 cup sour cream.

put chicken in pan, mix together the UNdiluted soup and sour cream, spread over chicken, sprinkle some paprika on top for color if you want. bake at 350 for 30-45 min

good with mashed potatoes or noodles or rice

This is one my family asks for OFTEN...so often I'm sick of making it...lol

[squashed.livejournal.com]

That looks amazingly yummy and easy!

Thanks for sharing :)

[orchid-slayer.livejournal.com]

Its so easy it should be a crime :)

[squashed.livejournal.com]

heee!

Well I'm all about the easy and if it winds up in the family favorite column, that's always a win.

[treebee.livejournal.com]

This sounds so good and easy! I'm gonna have to try it as well. Thanks for sharing. :)

(edited because I can't type today!)

[orchid-slayer.livejournal.com]

just adjust quantities to how many you are feeding. the soup makes a lovely gravy for on top of the mashed potatoes/noodles/rice. To 'stretch' it a bit, I sometimes thin the soup just a bit

[squashed.livejournal.com]

"Grandma's Stuff"

1 lb ground beef
2 cans tomato soup (use undiluted)
2 squeezes of ketchup
2 cups elbow macaroni

brown your meet, add the cans of tomato soup and 2 squeezes of ketchup (you can use more or less -- it's to add flavor)
Let simmer while you cook your elbow macaroni -- for this you want it well-cooked and *not* aldente
Drain macaroni, add to meat mixture, let sit on lowest heating for 15 mins to an hour.

Leftovers reheat really easily and taste even better so you can even to this earlier in the day, refrigerate it and then just reheat, either on stove top or in microwave.

The great thing about this recipe is you can mix and match I usually use the extra lean ground beef, but there's no reason you couldn't also make it with ground chicken or turkey or some ground tofu. You can use any kind of macaroni -- we have done it with the rotini when we were out of elbows. You can also add in some Italian herbs if you want, though we usually just salt and pepper it to taste in our bowls. Campbells are also putting out various flavored tomato soups and you could use those if you wanted, too.

[treebee.livejournal.com]

I gonna try this one too! Thanks for sharing. :)

[zortified.livejournal.com]

Jambalaya! Sausage, shrimp, veggies, and rice and cajun seasonings all in the stew pot or crockpot. Serve with cornbread. You can usually find 'cajun seasoning' or jambalaya seasoning mix in the grocery store that will have a recipe on it. Or just chop stuff up until the pot is almost full, add broth, and cook. ;-)

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Gingered greens and tofu! Well, I don't know if you're tofu fans, but that's something I make all the time that's really delicious. If you're interested, I can get the recipe up.

[entrenous88.livejournal.com]

Oh, and heee, I was going to mention a random pasta dish I threw together the other night that was very yummy, but then I realized there are walnuts involved, and you hate walnuts! =P

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd definitely love that recipe, thank you!! We're sort of moderate tofu fans -- I wouldn't say we LOVE it, but we do eat it sometimes, and we're big ginger fans.

[tinylegacies.livejournal.com]

One of the few recipes I actually make is my Beef Vegetable Soup in the crockpot.

Whatever kind of beef you prefer (we usually buy the soup meat because we're lazy) a pound to a pound & a half.

Two bags of frozen veggies - I usually use some kind of carrot, corn, pea mix, but you can use whatever your family likes best.

Two cups of frozen "hash brown" potatoes - the diced kind, not the stringy kind.

32 oz of some kind of beef broth.

Whatever spices you prefer.

I generally layer the crock pot - beef, potatoes, veggies and then pour the broth over it. I'll add a cup or two of water to cover everything (and possibly toss in a beef bouillion cube). Then I add my spices (basil, thyme, fresh ground pepper, minced garlic, minced onion -- whatever strikes my fancy) and set the crock pot for 8 or 10 hours.

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Parmesean

Cutting up the squash is a pain, but after that it's really quick and easy. (See if your supermarket sells precut squash) Feel free to experiment with using spices other than sage - it's really good with ginger, garlic, curry and garam masala. Serve with salad and crusty bread.

[kivrin.livejournal.com]

p.s. if you don't have a stick blender or a food processor to puree the soup with, the squash gets soft enough that even an electric mixer will break it up quite well.

[juno.livejournal.com]

Turkey Breast with fruit salsa.

Pour 2 jars of peach or pineapple salsa ( or one of both) over a fresh turkey breast and bake.

Trader Joe's has a excellent fresh turkey breast that will feed 4 ( as well as the peach and pineapple salsa)

From here, you can either serve with tortillas and other mexican toppings or serve the salsa as a sauce with mashed potatoes and some kind of green veg.

Leftovers are great on wheat toast.

[ahestele.livejournal.com]

When we are bored, or when we just want something differnt, we have an appetizer dinner. We have served stuff mushrooms, a variety of dips, nachos, chicken wings, vegetables with more dip, garlic bread. Pretty much anything that would qualify as an appetizer and wasn't too involved. We find that we get surprisingly full and it is fun to find recipes that are simple and have flavor.

:-)

[soundingsea.livejournal.com]

When all else fails, tacos.

shopping list:
small soft corn tortillas
cheddar
sour cream
taco sauce
chili powder
vegetable oil
can of mixed chili beans or black beans, etc
small onion
(optional) canned peppers in ancho sauce
(optional) fresh tomato, avocado, salsa

Dice the onion and saute it in some oil. When it's nicely browned, toss in the drained/rinsed beans and the tomato sauce. Heat through and let the sauce reduce. Add chili powder to taste. Add peppers if using.

Slightly heat a tortilla in a dry skillet. Plate a couple of them and assemble with beans, cheese, and sour cream. Optional additional toppings of fresh tomato or avocado at this point, but we skip it in the winter. Could toss on a little salsa. Top with taco sauce. Fold and eat!

You could fancy it up with either ground beef or homemade chili power if you're into grinding your own spices, but in general it's super-easy to do a simple and cheap version.

[that_mireille]

Quantities? What quantities? (It all depends on (a) what's on hand, (b) how hungry we are.)

Some frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, thawed according to package directions
Some House of Tsang spicy peanut sauce
Some oil
A head of bok choy, chopped
Some red pepper flakes
Rice

Heat oil, add bok choy and cook for a bit. When the cabbage is still a bit more crisp than you like it, add shrimp and peanut sauce (and red pepper flakes, if you want more heat) and heat through. Serve with rice.

If the rice is already cooked (or you use minute rice) it takes less than 15 minutes to get dinner on the table.

[deaver.livejournal.com]

My super easy go-to meal is fajitas! The best part about them is that you can use darn near ANYTHING in them. Got squash? Use it! Got mushrooms? Use 'em! Got chicken? Go for it! Got tofu? Sure!

Another fun suggestion is Thai Drunken Noodles because, once again, you can use just about anything in it pork, beef, chicken, tofu, etc...

Hope you find something to pull you out of the food-rut. Let me know if you need recipes!

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

It's January, you want something that will warm you up IMO :

Chicken Biryani

This recipe requires a 3 1/2- to 4-quart saucepan about 8 inches in diameter. Do not use a large, wide Dutch oven, as it will adversely affect both the layering of the dish and the final cooking times. Begin simmering the spices in the water prior to preparing the remaining ingredients; the more time the spices have to infuse the water (up to half an hour), the more flavor they will give to the rice. Biryani is traditionally served with a cooling yogurt sauce; ideally, you should make it before starting the biryani to allow the flavors in the sauce to meld.

Serves 4

10 cardamom pods , preferably green, smashed with chef's knife
1 cinnamon stick
2 inch piece fresh ginger , cut into 1/2-inch-thick coins and smashed with chef's knife
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
3 quarts water
table salt
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat and patted dry with paper towels
ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions , sliced thin (about 4 cups)
2 medium jalapeño chiles , one seeded and chopped fine, the other chopped fine with seeds
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 1/4 cups basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads , lightly crumbled
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Yogurt Sauce (see related recipe)


1. Wrap cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, ginger, and cumin seed in small piece of cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. In 3 ½- to 4-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan about 8 inches in diameter, bring water, spice bundle, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt to boil over medium-high heat; reduce to medium and simmer, partially covered, until spices have infused water, at least 15 minutes (but no longer than 30 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides; add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and dark brown about edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add jalapeños and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to bowl, season lightly with salt, and set aside. Wipe out skillet with paper towels, return heat to medium-high, and place chicken thighs skin-side down in skillet; cook, without moving chicken, until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken and brown second side, 4 to 5 minutes longer; transfer chicken to plate and remove and discard skin. Tent with foil to keep warm.

3. If necessary, return spice-infused water to boil over high heat; stir in rice and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain rice through fine-mesh strainer, reserving ¾ cup cooking liquid; discard spice bundle. Transfer rice to medium bowl; stir in saffron and currants (rice will turn splotchy yellow). Spread half of rice evenly in bottom of now-empty saucepan using rubber spatula. Scatter half of onion mixture over rice, then place chicken thighs, skinned-side up, on top of onions; add any accumulated chicken juices. Evenly sprinkle with cilantro and mint, scatter remaining onions over herbs, then cover with remaining rice; pour reserved cooking liquid evenly over rice.

4. Cover saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes (if large amount of steam is escaping from pot, reduce heat to low). Run heatproof rubber spatula around inside rim of saucepan to loosen any affixed rice; using large serving spoon, spoon biryani into individual bowls, scooping from bottom of pot and serving 1 chicken thigh per person.

Yogurt Sauce

Makes about 1 1/4 cups
1 cup whole milk or low-fat plain yogurt
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper

Combine first four ingredients in small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

OR you could make something more traditional :

Chicken Paprikash

The stew can be made in advance through step 2. To keep the sour cream from separating from the sauce, it’s best added to the reheated stew just before serving. Rice or mashed potatoes are good accompaniments, but buttered egg noodles were tasters’ favorite. If you want to try them, cook 8 ounces of egg noodles, then drain and toss them with 2 tablespoons butter.


Serves 4

8 bone in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 large onion , halved and sliced thin
1 large red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 large green bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, halved widthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves


1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Season both sides of chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook without moving them until skin is crisp and well-browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs and transfer to plate; set aside. When chicken has cooled, remove and discard skin. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

2. Add onion to fat in Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add red and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and peppers are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons paprika, marjoram, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; stir in tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Add chicken pieces and accumulated juices, submerging them in vegetables; bring to a simmer, then cover and place pot in oven. Cook until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven. (At this point, stew can be cooled to room temperature, transferred to an airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat before proceeding.)

3. Combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 tablespoon paprika in small bowl. Place chicken on individual plates. Stir a few tablespoons of hot sauce into sour cream, then stir mixture back into sauce in pot. Spoon enriched sauce and peppers over chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

[helenraven.livejournal.com]

I put my favourite recipes online recently. The roast salmon with pesto topping is quick and delicious. The chorizo hash takes longer, but OMG!

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

versaphile passed along this great recipe for Cranberry Meatballs -- and they are yummy. I actually used frozen meatballs to save time, but I was originally planning on making them with ground chicken or buffalo.

Stuffed Cabbage. If you google it up, the recipes are all very similar. Cut around the core of a cabbage and drop into a pot of hot water. The outer leaves will start cooking and loosening from the head. You can either pull them off one at time or wait until the head is cooked through. The idea is to cook the leaves enough to be pliable enough to roll. Filling is a mixture of ground meat, rice and onions -- and no reason not to dress that up with spices you'll think will go with the cabbage and meat. It's topped with anything from your favorite pasta sauce to tomato soup to tomato juice - so just use whatever jazzed up tomato product at hand. Most recipes add a bit of sweetness to the tomato product; I think it helps the tomato work with the cabbage. I sweetened mine with some balsamic vinegar.

Enchilada - yum. Tortillas, canned sauce of your choice - I love green ... and red too! Mix a bit of sauce with the filling of your choice - anything from cheese to beans to chicken to pork or beef. Fill, roll and pop in a baking dish. Top with sauce and cheese.

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

Oh! When I wasn't feeling well, I cooked some tiny pasta in chicken broth -- turns out I used way too much past and there wasn't much broth left. I tossed in a couple of tablespoons of Earth Balance and squeezed half a lemon over the top -- YUM. It's like a pasta Francaise

[brynnydd.livejournal.com]

A favourite of mine:

Either pound out, or cut open a chicken breast, and stuff with any combination of spinach, dried apricots, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes. Roll up ( if you took the pound out route) and secure with toothpicks open side with a tooth pick or two.

Place in a pan. Rub with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and season to taste, I use onion powder, a little garlic powder, and pepper.

Pour a bit of water, or chicken stock in the pan, just about 1/4 to 1/4 and inch.

Place in a 400 degree oven until done.

[phoenix4.livejournal.com]

Last night's dinner: Goulash

Brown a pound of ground beef, drain fat. Throw in a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato paste and a can of tomato sauce. Dice a small zucchini (I only used 3/4 of the zucchini) and two carrots. Add a cup of water to the skillet, then season with lots of paprika, some basil and black pepper. Stir in a cup of uncooked macaroni, and simmer for 30 minutes until the macaroni is done. Add a little water if it starts looking too dry before the pasta is soft.

I used to make this with orange and yellow bell pepper instead of the zucchini and carrot, until my body decided that bell peppers were the fruit of Satan and that I should be punished for eating them. It wasn't bad with the new substitutes, and it reheats really well for lunch the next day.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Everyone is going for comfort food, so I'll suggest a whisper of summer.

Salmon filets or steaks (whichever you prefer), broiled, sauteed or baked (same choice) after being brushed with olive oil and some herbs.

Accompanying it a riotously colourful array of sauteed veggies (julienned green, yellow, orange, red peppers; diced red onions; thinly sliced potatoes; mushrooms; etc., etc.).

Suddenly, winter doesn't feel as cruel.

Yummyliscious hugs,
H.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, this sounds awesome, thank you! :-)

[spikesgurl.livejournal.com]

This sounds crazy, but it's really good, and *so* easy:

Cola Chicken
4 skinless chicken breast
1 cup ketchup
1 12oz.diet cola
Place chicken in non-stick skillet.
Pour ketchup and cola over it. Bring to a
boil-cover and reduce heat-cook 30-45 mins.
uncover turn heat up and cook until sauce
thickens and adheres to chicken.

I add some instant rice about 5 minutes before the end, and then you have a whole meal. Good stuff.