Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What is/was for dinner?
- Thread starter Gutwrench
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Chicken Fricassee (Gordon Ramsay does a very good version) is a French rustic dish.
Chicken thighs (skin and bone attached, and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper) are sautéed (in a large sauté pan) in olive oil until golden, and diced pancetta, chopped - or diced - onion and roughly chopped cloves of garlic (I have a generous hand with garlic) added, and sautéed until all are soft. Mushrooms - halved - are next added.
Fresh rosemary (and thyme, if you have it; I didn't have it today) are added; that is, you strip the "needles" - leaves - of both herbs, for that is what is to be added to the pan - and discard the woody stems.
Then, some white wine (around a small wine glass) is added, and let cook down until reduced. Next, in with some chicken stock, and let this lot simmer away for around twenty minutes, (uncovered) and a further ten minutes or so, with a lid - slightly covered, so that the steam can escape.
That is when you can add (should your inclinations lie that way) a generous glug (or more, I used around half a mug) of double cream. Allow that to simmer for a further five to ten minutes. Check for seasoning. Then, serve.
Today, I served it with sautéed (small, salad) potatoes, parboiled first, then sautéed in a little olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and roughly chopped (fresh) parsley.
Chicken thighs (skin and bone attached, and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper) are sautéed (in a large sauté pan) in olive oil until golden, and diced pancetta, chopped - or diced - onion and roughly chopped cloves of garlic (I have a generous hand with garlic) added, and sautéed until all are soft. Mushrooms - halved - are next added.
Fresh rosemary (and thyme, if you have it; I didn't have it today) are added; that is, you strip the "needles" - leaves - of both herbs, for that is what is to be added to the pan - and discard the woody stems.
Then, some white wine (around a small wine glass) is added, and let cook down until reduced. Next, in with some chicken stock, and let this lot simmer away for around twenty minutes, (uncovered) and a further ten minutes or so, with a lid - slightly covered, so that the steam can escape.
That is when you can add (should your inclinations lie that way) a generous glug (or more, I used around half a mug) of double cream. Allow that to simmer for a further five to ten minutes. Check for seasoning. Then, serve.
Today, I served it with sautéed (small, salad) potatoes, parboiled first, then sautéed in a little olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and roughly chopped (fresh) parsley.
Last edited:
OK I cooked some chicek thighs this week but they didn't cook nearly as well. Cooked in a pan with vegetables as a kind of ratatouille style but the thighs didn't turn out so well as they were not completely thawed when cooked (they were thoroughly cooked).
Frittata with zucchini, spinach and obviously topped tiny halved tomatoes.
Personally, I recommend cooking the chicken thighs separately, first, in olive oil, (or, olive oil and butter, or, in poaching stock, if poaching them), and then removing them (when cooked), putting them aside, and reserving them, while you get on with preparing (cooking, sautéing, roasting, boiling, braising, steaming, etc) eveyrthing else and then, and only then, adding them (back) - whole, or with the meat stripped from the bones - to whatever dish you are busily preparing, be it a paella, rice dish, or pasta, or ratatouille, or potatoes, or sauce, etc..
Last edited:
An Asian inspired dish: Poached (chopped) monkfish (fillet) in a broth that comprised chicken stock, plus a few dessertspoons of mirin, soy sauce, fish sauce, a generous dash of sesame oil, chopped chilli peppers, chopped coriander leaves, chopped French onion, and chopped cherry tomatoes; served with udon noodles.
Last edited:
Chicken Tinga tacos, on homemade corn tortillas. Heavily-caramelized onions, garlic, chicken thighs, chipotle, vinegar, and oregano, cooked down, tacos made with this mixture, avocado, queso fresco, and (post-photo) cilantro.
I've never made taco mixtures with heavily-caramelized onions, usually just sautéed until transparent; this was a game-changer for me.
Thursday's dinner: Italian sausage and pasta:
This dish started with roughly chopped onions, finely diced carrot, and a full head of grated garlic (around 14 cloves), sautéed in olive oil (in an Italian - a large, Italian - copper sauté pan) until soft. Then, I added finely chopped pancetta.
Meanwhile, in the oven, I roasted two dishes of cherry tomatoes (seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and a little sugar), drizzled in olive oil; I had plenty of cherry tomatoes to hand and needed to use some up.
Once the onion, carrot, garlic, plus pancetta, had softened and cooked down (the onions will take the best part of half an hour of slow cooking to achieve this state), I removed the casing from a pack of artisan Italian sausages, that had been delivered that same day, and chopped the sausages roughly, whereupon they were added to the pan, and sautéed.
When they were well on the way to being cooked, the roasted tomatoes were removed from the oven, and added to the remaining ingredients in the pan.
Pasta (fettuccine) was cooked in salted boiling water (to which a dash of olive oil had been added); several large tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid were added to the sauté pan and stirred through, after which the pasta itself was drained and added to the pan, and mixed through.
This was served with a salad of mixed leaves (plus dressing - olive oil, cider vinegar, a little balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, French Dijon mustard, a little sugar) was prepared, (and served in a large, hand crafted wooden bowl), while a bottle of Italian red wine (Chianti), which had been opened hours earlier, and was breathing away to itself while I was prepping and cooking, was consumed with dinner.
Dinner was then served, with proper placings, a table cloth, mats, French cotton napkins, and solid, lead, cut glass crystal glassware for water and wine.
This dish started with roughly chopped onions, finely diced carrot, and a full head of grated garlic (around 14 cloves), sautéed in olive oil (in an Italian - a large, Italian - copper sauté pan) until soft. Then, I added finely chopped pancetta.
Meanwhile, in the oven, I roasted two dishes of cherry tomatoes (seasoned with sea salt, black pepper, and a little sugar), drizzled in olive oil; I had plenty of cherry tomatoes to hand and needed to use some up.
Once the onion, carrot, garlic, plus pancetta, had softened and cooked down (the onions will take the best part of half an hour of slow cooking to achieve this state), I removed the casing from a pack of artisan Italian sausages, that had been delivered that same day, and chopped the sausages roughly, whereupon they were added to the pan, and sautéed.
When they were well on the way to being cooked, the roasted tomatoes were removed from the oven, and added to the remaining ingredients in the pan.
Pasta (fettuccine) was cooked in salted boiling water (to which a dash of olive oil had been added); several large tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid were added to the sauté pan and stirred through, after which the pasta itself was drained and added to the pan, and mixed through.
This was served with a salad of mixed leaves (plus dressing - olive oil, cider vinegar, a little balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, French Dijon mustard, a little sugar) was prepared, (and served in a large, hand crafted wooden bowl), while a bottle of Italian red wine (Chianti), which had been opened hours earlier, and was breathing away to itself while I was prepping and cooking, was consumed with dinner.
Dinner was then served, with proper placings, a table cloth, mats, French cotton napkins, and solid, lead, cut glass crystal glassware for water and wine.
Last edited:
Tuesday's lunch in Tallinn, Estonia:
A simple cold meal in the Hell Hunt pub comprised of thinly sliced pig's tongue with horseradish cream on the side and green peas and a accompanied by a local draft beer.
Wednesday's dinner in Tallinn:
A starter of zucchini flowers stuffed with soft goat cheese followed by a main of pork belly, mash and seasonal vegetables, accompanied by a French Syrah.
A simple cold meal in the Hell Hunt pub comprised of thinly sliced pig's tongue with horseradish cream on the side and green peas and a accompanied by a local draft beer.
Wednesday's dinner in Tallinn:
A starter of zucchini flowers stuffed with soft goat cheese followed by a main of pork belly, mash and seasonal vegetables, accompanied by a French Syrah.
My (current) take on (interpretation of) ratatouille, pleasant, relaxed, soothing Sunday cooking.
Fillet steak (rare) and homemade aioli to accompany.
And a bottle of Italian red wine is breathing away to itself, as I write.
Fillet steak (rare) and homemade aioli to accompany.
And a bottle of Italian red wine is breathing away to itself, as I write.
Dinner comprised of a version of ratatouille: Roughly chopped (in large chunks) onions, courgettes (zucchini), red peppers, aubergine (eggplant), carrots (not canon, I know), and cherry tomatoes were each sautéed separately, in turn, (in olive oil), then placed - in turn, into a large, copper roasting tin, already drizzled with olive oil, where they were joined by two heads of garlic, several strands of saffron (which had been already immersed in a small quantity of water), sea salt, black pepper, and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
This then was placed in a preheated oven, where it spent the next hour (and was removed once, for a bit of stirring and basting).
Homemade aioli was also prepared: (Organic, free range, egg yolks, sea salt, minced garlic - from several cloves of new season's "wet garlic", - olive oil (slowly drizzled and whisked) and some freshly squeezed lemon juice).
Fillet steak (aged) was sautéed, and served rare.
An Italian red wine, and sliced French baguette were also served.
This then was placed in a preheated oven, where it spent the next hour (and was removed once, for a bit of stirring and basting).
Homemade aioli was also prepared: (Organic, free range, egg yolks, sea salt, minced garlic - from several cloves of new season's "wet garlic", - olive oil (slowly drizzled and whisked) and some freshly squeezed lemon juice).
Fillet steak (aged) was sautéed, and served rare.
An Italian red wine, and sliced French baguette were also served.
This evening's meal was an interpretation of the Portuguese dish, caldo verde.
In a large copper sauce pan, two free range, organic, chicken thighs (bone and skin attached - that is where the flavour lies) were added to a generous quantity of chicken stock.
Four large (peeled) potatoes, quartered - with the quarters sliced in two - were added to the stock (and chicken), and simmered for the best part of an hour.
Onions (white onions, and a large red onion), roughly chopped, were sautéed in olive oil, in a sauté pan, until soft, along with the chopped stem (still green) and six fat cloves (peeled, thinly sliced), of new season's "wet garlic".
Once soft, these were transferred to the copper saucepan along with the stock, chicken, and potatoes.
Several merguez (artisan, handmade) sausages were removed from their casing, broken into little pieces, and sautéed in the pan vacated by the onions and garlic. When browned, they, too, were added to the large saucepan to join the rest of the simmering ingredients.
After around 40-50 minutes (the potatoes were almost ready, the chicken cooked, the sausages succulent), a bowl of sliced (- that is, halved - and seasoned) cherry tomatoes were added to the simmering contents of the saucepan, as were several leaves of roughly chopped shredded spinach (stalk removed).
Once cooked (a matter of a few minutes), dinner was then served.
In a large copper sauce pan, two free range, organic, chicken thighs (bone and skin attached - that is where the flavour lies) were added to a generous quantity of chicken stock.
Four large (peeled) potatoes, quartered - with the quarters sliced in two - were added to the stock (and chicken), and simmered for the best part of an hour.
Onions (white onions, and a large red onion), roughly chopped, were sautéed in olive oil, in a sauté pan, until soft, along with the chopped stem (still green) and six fat cloves (peeled, thinly sliced), of new season's "wet garlic".
Once soft, these were transferred to the copper saucepan along with the stock, chicken, and potatoes.
Several merguez (artisan, handmade) sausages were removed from their casing, broken into little pieces, and sautéed in the pan vacated by the onions and garlic. When browned, they, too, were added to the large saucepan to join the rest of the simmering ingredients.
After around 40-50 minutes (the potatoes were almost ready, the chicken cooked, the sausages succulent), a bowl of sliced (- that is, halved - and seasoned) cherry tomatoes were added to the simmering contents of the saucepan, as were several leaves of roughly chopped shredded spinach (stalk removed).
Once cooked (a matter of a few minutes), dinner was then served.
Last edited:
gah, you so sad. Cooking is Fun.... Just my take. I'm am sure door-dash has its interesting aspects as well, I have no experience with it myself so there is that.
Burrito Del Sol
Chipotle Chicken Burrito with blackbean / no cabbage / light rice.
Fresh 4oz guacamole (x2)
Absolutely delicious as always.
My goto for a burrito once every month or so.
www.burritodelsol.com
Chipotle Chicken Burrito with blackbean / no cabbage / light rice.
Fresh 4oz guacamole (x2)
Absolutely delicious as always.
My goto for a burrito once every month or so.
Burrito del Sol - Fresh Florida-Mex - Mexican Food
Burrito del Sol serves fresh Mexican food including items such as Blackened Shrimp Tacos, Grilled Fish Nachos, and Chicken Burritos.
This evening, I reminded myself that these days, I live alone, and, as I love to dine late sometimes, why not indulge myself, as nobody here is demanding an early dinner.
Anyway, dinner took the form of the Italian classic, Pasta Carbonara; I realised that I had all of the ingredients to hand, and thought, why ever not?
So, Pasta Carbonara:
The ingredients for this dish are quite simple, and there aren't all that many of them, but, as with any supposedly "simple" dish, this means that it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients.
The ingredients are: Pasta (preferably one of the long strand types, such as spaghetti, or tagliatelle, but any good quality pasta will suffice); eggs (actually, egg yolks - and here, the quality of the eggs do matter; preferably free range, as they taste better); guanciale (pig cheek); at a push, pancetta - or, any other bacon - will do fine, but guanciale is better; and Pecorino Romano (rather than Parmigiano Reggiano); some recipes call for a 50/50 mix of both, if you only have Parmigiano Reggiano that is fine, but the original recipe calls for Pecorino Romano.
And black pepper. This is a dish that calls for a generous hand with freshly ground black pepper.
Slice and dice the guanciale (remove the rind, and the peppered coating - just slice them off and discard them), then add the diced guanciale to a large saute pan, on a low heat. A very generous, a seriously large chunk of guanciale is what I have in mind; be generous, for this lovely bacon will add a wonderful flavour to your finished pasta dish.
Tonight, I added a little olive oil to the pan - most Italians do not even do this, as the fat of the guanciale will be rendered - to start them off; they will become translucent, and eventually, a little crisp.
Heat the pasta water; for once, you will not need to salt it, as the Pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese will be quite sufficiently salty, and cook the pasta - paying attention to how long it will take to cook - according to the instructions on the packet.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites (roughly one egg yolk per 100g of pasta, although you can be more generous), and add them to a bowl; tonight, I used two egg yolks (organic, free range) and one whole egg; whisk them.
Do not buy cheese already grated, it will not be fresh and it will taste of nothing; instead, buy a hunk, and grate it yourself.
When I had the cheese grated, most of it (in two batches) was added to the already whisked eggs, and stirred and whisked. Add some freshly ground black pepper.
If this mix is too claggy, too solid, one can dilute it a little with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water (which I did this evening); also, - although the purists will howl - should you feel the need for cream, this is when and where you can add it; as with the pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons/dessertspoons should suffice. You want the egg/cheese mix to be neither runny nor solid.
Turn off the heat for both the pasta and the guanciale in its saute pan. This is because you do not want the egg mixture to become scrambled eggs once it has been added to the pan.
Remove (and reserve) around half a mug of pasta cooking water; drain the pasta, and add it to the pan. Stir, coat it with the guanciale (and, above all, that lovely bacon fat that has rendered into the cooking liquid); add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid to it and stir and mix and marry.
Now, you pour in - slowly - the egg and cheese mix, on top of the pasta; stir around, blend, mix and meld and marry the lot, with tongs, and/or a wooden spoon; and don't forget to add plenty of freshly ground black pepper while you are stirring.
The pasta should be creamy, and should taste delicious (what is there not to like? For here, we have a dish that combines bacon, egg, cheese and pasta).
Serve, and savour.
Anyway, dinner took the form of the Italian classic, Pasta Carbonara; I realised that I had all of the ingredients to hand, and thought, why ever not?
So, Pasta Carbonara:
The ingredients for this dish are quite simple, and there aren't all that many of them, but, as with any supposedly "simple" dish, this means that it stands or falls on the quality of the ingredients.
The ingredients are: Pasta (preferably one of the long strand types, such as spaghetti, or tagliatelle, but any good quality pasta will suffice); eggs (actually, egg yolks - and here, the quality of the eggs do matter; preferably free range, as they taste better); guanciale (pig cheek); at a push, pancetta - or, any other bacon - will do fine, but guanciale is better; and Pecorino Romano (rather than Parmigiano Reggiano); some recipes call for a 50/50 mix of both, if you only have Parmigiano Reggiano that is fine, but the original recipe calls for Pecorino Romano.
And black pepper. This is a dish that calls for a generous hand with freshly ground black pepper.
Slice and dice the guanciale (remove the rind, and the peppered coating - just slice them off and discard them), then add the diced guanciale to a large saute pan, on a low heat. A very generous, a seriously large chunk of guanciale is what I have in mind; be generous, for this lovely bacon will add a wonderful flavour to your finished pasta dish.
Tonight, I added a little olive oil to the pan - most Italians do not even do this, as the fat of the guanciale will be rendered - to start them off; they will become translucent, and eventually, a little crisp.
Heat the pasta water; for once, you will not need to salt it, as the Pecorino (or Parmesan) cheese will be quite sufficiently salty, and cook the pasta - paying attention to how long it will take to cook - according to the instructions on the packet.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites (roughly one egg yolk per 100g of pasta, although you can be more generous), and add them to a bowl; tonight, I used two egg yolks (organic, free range) and one whole egg; whisk them.
Do not buy cheese already grated, it will not be fresh and it will taste of nothing; instead, buy a hunk, and grate it yourself.
When I had the cheese grated, most of it (in two batches) was added to the already whisked eggs, and stirred and whisked. Add some freshly ground black pepper.
If this mix is too claggy, too solid, one can dilute it a little with a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water (which I did this evening); also, - although the purists will howl - should you feel the need for cream, this is when and where you can add it; as with the pasta cooking water, a few tablespoons/dessertspoons should suffice. You want the egg/cheese mix to be neither runny nor solid.
Turn off the heat for both the pasta and the guanciale in its saute pan. This is because you do not want the egg mixture to become scrambled eggs once it has been added to the pan.
Remove (and reserve) around half a mug of pasta cooking water; drain the pasta, and add it to the pan. Stir, coat it with the guanciale (and, above all, that lovely bacon fat that has rendered into the cooking liquid); add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid to it and stir and mix and marry.
Now, you pour in - slowly - the egg and cheese mix, on top of the pasta; stir around, blend, mix and meld and marry the lot, with tongs, and/or a wooden spoon; and don't forget to add plenty of freshly ground black pepper while you are stirring.
The pasta should be creamy, and should taste delicious (what is there not to like? For here, we have a dish that combines bacon, egg, cheese and pasta).
Serve, and savour.
Last edited:
I had Pork chops with vegetable rice and salad. Tonight I’m having spicy lamb pasta.
This past week I have treated myself (on several occasions) to a dish I have long loved:
Grilled squid, (succulent and simply delicious) served with olive oil and minced garlic, plus steamed and sautéed chard, and boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil.
Grilled squid, (succulent and simply delicious) served with olive oil and minced garlic, plus steamed and sautéed chard, and boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil.
Just spent the past month in France/Spain.
I ate my weight in squid, cuttlefish, and octopus.
I ate my weight in squid, cuttlefish, and octopus.
I just made mushroom creme chicken with white rice cooked in vegetable stock.