Another dinner thread!

Cafe Society
1

Cold and gray here in NH, so I decided to start dinner early and enjoy the smells of cooking while I read on the couch.

Here’s what I’m doing, all added to a slow cooker on low:

[ul]
[li]Bone in, split chicken breast browned in a skillet on high heat[/li][li]Carrots[/li][li]Yellow onion[/li][li]Turnips[/li][li]Celery[/li][li]3 gloves coarse garlic[/li][li]About 8 sprigs of thyme[/li][li]A few shakes of cayenne pepper[/li][li]Some coarse black pepper[/li][li]Maybe a cup or so of chicken broth[/li][/ul]

I’m trying to limit my potatoes, hence the turnips. I love carrots, so I’m hoping I’ll like the turnips, though childhood memories have me doubting that.

So far, my place smells good. Anything anyone would add/change to the above?

Let’s hear what others are making. Bonus points for photos!

2

Daniel Boulud’s Chicken Tagine is what’s on the table Chez Athena today. There’s no place around here to buy preserved lemons, so I’m trying this recipe out. So far, so good!

3

Last night the SO made dollar store ‘chili’ and cornbread.

No idea what’s for dinner tonight. There’s nothing I’m craving enough to inspire me. I’m sure the SO wouldn’t turn her nose up at rib-eye steaks – especially if I make escargots for starters. But it would be so much easier to just pop a couple of Trader Joe’s Steak & Ale pies (which I’ve never tried) into the oven. I could suggest we have a Taco Night.

4

I think the turnouts will turnip fine.
If you have it, a handful of chopped parsley at the end wouldn’t be out of line.

When it starts to get cold (ie NOW), I tend to make all my week’s meals during the prior weekend. I has been lightly snowing but not too windy this weekend and I’m in a cooking mood. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and here’s what is on the menu.

SMOKER
Pulled pork: I got a small (3lb) bone-in butt roast and liberally applied a general purpose BBQ rub and put it on my Weber Smokey Mountain smoker about 8 last night. Two chunks of pecan and one chunk of peach wood were in the coals. I removed the pork at 8 this morning. I was worried that it wouldn’t be finished since the fire was barely warm at this point but I just finished shredding it and it pulled really easily, even though it wasn’t hot any more. I may freeze half of this.

Baby back ribs: Since I was using the smoker, I figured I’d take advantage of the heat and put some ribs on, too. These were rubbed with Gary Wiviott’s BBQ rub from the Spice House (my BBQ lifecoach) and put them on around the same time as the butt. I took them off a little before midnight and tried a few last night before bed. These came out great, lovin’ that rub. Careful, it’s kinda spicy!

GRILL
Cornish game hen: SOMEone put CGHs into my head and one fell into my grocery cart on an impulse. I thawed it last night and plan to brine it a couple hours and grill it with lemon, thyme, oregano and maybe a little garlic.

Sausages: A couple each brats and chorizo links will do nicely for lunches at work this week. Grilling is given but finishing the brats in beer is TBD.

Wildcard: Brussels sprouts I’ve been playing with roasting veggies over charcoal grill in a pan that is something like a perforated wok. Since I bought some sprouts, we’ll see if these get put on later but laziness may interfere. These can always get broiled during the week.

STOVE
Chicken paprikash: Using this very easy framework, a batch of drums and thighs will be transformed into bowls of warm red heartiness. Thanks tothe delicious sweet Hungarian paprika from Spice House, the house is going to smell great for days. A friend brought me some bacony fatty lard* with onions back from Poland a few months back and I’m finally able to put it to good use sweating the onions. I made this two weeks ago and it is a great dish this time of year.
Although Athena’s tagine link has given me pot envy. And I’ve been on a cauliflower kick lately. If I had the ingredients (olives, cauli, ginger, lemons), I’d be tempted to switch gears and make that instead but I’m not going anywhere today. There’s just not enough meals in the week!

*I just looked it up and it seems this is called smalec. It appears to be intended as a spread but works well here, too. It is …erm… rich.

5

Mushrooms. You can’t have enough mushrooms.

Hah, I saw that in the NYT magazine today, and it’s on my list. I’d make it tonight, but I don’t have all the requisite spices, and I won’t be shopping again for a few days.

6

Chicken-and-black bean chili for us on this below-freezing day, with locally made fresh corn tortillas. These torts are the best I’ve ever had anywhere.

7

Chicken Cordon Blanc (“Don’t you mean Cordon Bleu?” The way I make it, it’s only good enough for third place) - slice a large chicken breast in half, stuff each with a slice of Swiss cheese and a thin slice of ham, then apply seasonings, top with another slice of Swiss and another slice of ham, and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

If the breast is thick enough, I’ll try a more traditional way; slice it into four “strips”, season, put Swiss and ham on top of each strip, then fold it over, season again, and bake.

8

I should get my ass in gear and make my Shepherd’s pie. The lamb mince is in the fridge and it certainly won’t improve over time…

Off I go. :slight_smile:

9

Looks like the tacos dorados tonight.

10

If you do make it, be warned: he has you make about a cup of the “spice mix” but you only actually use 2 T. of it. I’d assumed you’d use the rest in one of the later steps, but I guess I didn’t read the recipe closely enough. That sort of pissed me off, because I used up a few of my spices to make it, and would rather have made only what I was going to use.

That said, we haven’t eaten yet, but it smells wonderful.

11

My husband is making us a beef stew with rice, wine, potatoes, something that I think is tarragon and carrots. It smells delicious!

12

I’m happy to say that I do like turnips!

Edit: they did make the meal somewhat bitter. In the future, what do I add to correct for that?

13

Bread is done rising and will go in the oven shortly.
Meanwhile marinara with the addition of chicken breast, red pepper strips, kalamata olives, and capers and a glug of white wine is very slowly stewing on the stove.
In about 90 minutes I’ll drop the gnocchi after I’ve thrown together a quick salad and the bread has had a short rest.

14

I think that’s the point. As you said, you liked them. A bit of bitter is a good thing, no need to correct. If it’s too bitter, use fewer turnips.

15

Dinner report: the tagine was incredible. Definitely a keeper. The French influence comes through; the spice/veggy/chicken mix was subtle and balanced in a way I don’t typically expect in a Tagine. The lemons were a nice touch, though I should have diced them finer. Highly recommended.

16

This is the recipe I use. Just made a batch.

17

Just making sure you know that the recipe you linked is from our very own pulykamell. (I suspect you do.)

18

I applaud your using turnips rather than piling on the potatoes. I do the same thing.

But use the big yellow turnips - rutabagas, or “swedes”. They taste far milder and their texture is almost potato-like. I use them in stews and soups and in fact stewed some today in a short ribs dish that I put away for dinner this week. I think they’re a much better choice for a braise.

19

I’m not sure what kind I used. They were off-white (gray/yellow) and kinda shaped like a carrot, though wide at top, and very narrow at the end.

I think in the future, I’ll cook them separate. They imparted a very bitter taste to the chicken and carrots.

20

Rutabaga are what I use and I’ve never noticed any bitterness.