new meal ideas?

Cafe Society
1

So, we’ve been eating the same few meals, for like a year now (stir fry, turkey burgers, tacos, chicken breast sandwiches, or tenders with some sort of sauce, green salads, salmon croquettes, calamari, to give a general idea of a good portion of them, and it’s time to switch over to something new.

The problem is that there can’t be any pork or scallops or shrimp, and pasta, beef, white potatoes in any form can’t show up very often, once a month at the most. Corn, and things made from corn have to be limited as well.

While we’re here does anyone have a good way to make string beans for people who don’t like them? Someone just gave me some straight out of their garden (dropped them off at the door, so there was no way I could only take a few out of politeness, and let the others go where they’d be appreciated). I thought I could try to roast some, but there’s enough to try a few different things.

Any help would be appreciated. Nothing too complicated, please.

2

People who don’t like string beans like them when you roast them and dress them with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes and a vinaigrette.

3

What about some sort of ground turkey or chicken based chili? Just about any chili recipe can be made with one of those instead of ground beef.

Salads can be made into chef’s salads with the addition of deli meat, cheese, and (if you like them) hard boiled eggs.

Omelets aren’t just for breakfast. A cheese/veggy/herb omelet with a green salad on the side is a nice light meal.

4

Chicken piccata or marsala. Just a pounded chicken breast with a sauce.
Chicken parmiagiana.
You didn’t mention limiting rice, although it looks like you’re limiting carbs.
Pinto beans are good! As are lentils, and many other kinds of dried beans.
Blackened fish filets, like catfish. are yummy. All broiled fish is good!

5

I tend towards fairly simple meals, meat and veggies.

Cornish games hens, rubbed with rosemary, stuffed with pine nuts, mushrooms and rosemary, and a dark green veggie side.

I do turkey similarly, but with about half a bottle of a table quality pinot noir added.

If I make a more traditional turkey, I make stock with the carcass, and then stew with the leftovers we haven’t eaten after couple of days. Freeze it, and reheat it a couple of weeks later.

Chicken or turkey drummies on the grill with a simple rub can go with almost an side you want, and are decent cold, for picnics, snacks, or lunches.

I use portabella mushrooms in place of hamburger in a fair number of things, though it’s not a staple for us, it does work nicely (roasted portabella caps with blue cheese on top, and some veggies is good).

Is lamb, goat, or turkey bacon okay?

6

Thanks, Zsofia. I’ll try that on the ones I’m planning to roast.

Oh, yea, Chili is on the list of stuff we have, just not now, because it’s August, and we tend to have that in the Fall and Winter. We do throw things on the salad every so often, too.

I hadn’t thought about omelets for dinner. That could work. What kinds of herbs go well with them?

Yes, sorry, rice should have been on the list of things that are out. I used to make rice to go with the stir fry, and it usually got thrown out, mostly uneaten. It’s a combination of people’s preferences, and saving the simple carbs for desserts.

How are you cooking/seasoning your pinto beans and lentils?

7

Meatloaf – its a bit of work but you can eat part and freeze the rest in slices. I use this recipe:

You can cut the breadcrumbs back to 1/4 cup if you need to, and you don’t have to follow the meat proprtions they give. I’ve used mixtures of ground chicken, turkey, pork, veal, or beef - whatevers cheapest, and it always turns out fine.
My dad makes salmon choucroute – basically salmon cooked with saurkraut – it’s delicious! Example recipe: Shop Top Trending Furniture | Homemakers (just leave out the potatoes, or substitute quartered turnips)

8

Turkey bacon is fine; I don’t have access to goat, lamb is probably out.

The way you cook your hens sounds good. I’ve always bought parts, and never a whole bird, but I’d be willing to try that. The mushrooms sound good, too, thanks.

Drumsticks, and wings are another thing we do have, done under the broiler.

9

String Beans For People Who Don’t Like Them:
1 Mess o’ Sting Beans, Frenched
1 Mess o’ Garlic, minced
Some olive oil.

Put into a skillet in reverse order over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Forget them just long enough that the garlic caramelizes a bit and the beans are soft but not soggy, with slightly browned edges. Just shy of burnt, they’re awesome, much like roasted. Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Lemoney String Beans:
1 Mess o’ Sting Beans, ends snipped (this also works with frozen green beans)
Some water
1 or 2 Tablespoons of butter
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
Fresh ground black pepper, Lots. No, more.
Kosher salt to taste

Throw the Mess o’ String Beans in a skillet with just a skosh of water (enough to cover the bottom of the pot, but no more.) Cover and heat over medium until the beans are as tender as you like 'em. Drain and add butter, lemon juice, pepper and salt. It’s also good with just a dab of Better than Bullion Chicken Stock paste instead of the butter.

10

Green beans are best when gently, lightly cooked. Saute for a few minutes in butter to give them some dark roasty spots, then pour in a little bit of water or broth, cover, and steam for a few minutes more. You can add sliced almonds while they’re cooking for crunch.

Speaking of almonds … I’ve shared this recipe at some point on this board before, but one of our quick’n’easy weeknight meals is almond tilapia. Pat a fillet or two dry, seaon with salt and whatever else you like - onion powder, paprika, thyme, whatever - and coat it lightly but thoroughly with mayonnaise. (Trust me! You won’t taste it in the final dish and it helps keep the meat moist.) Cover with crushed almonds on both sides and bake at 350 for about 10 or 12 minutes, until the almonds brown at the edges of the fish.

Baked sweet potatoes are easy - just plan ahead and think of it an hour before you want to eat - and pretty high in nutrients. They can be dressed however you like. Barbecue sauce is surprisingly good on sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes can also be cut into big chunks and roasted with a little olive oil and salt - add quartered onions about halfway through the roasting time if you like.

11

Any kind of fresh herb is nice. I do chive & swiss cheese omelets a lot. Basil & tomato is good, too. Really, you can’t go wrong with a few snips of something fresh and some cheese. Serve with a green salad and a glass of white wine and you can pretend you’re in Paris.

Here’s a recipe for Korean Pancakes I’ve been meaning to try that might work for you. Basically it’s flour & eggs & whatever leftover veggies/meat you have on hand, with a dipping sauce. Very easy & a great way to use up leftovers.

You also might want to follow Mark Bittman’s Minimalist column in the NY Times. I find a lot of easy & good recipes there, and they’re rarely difficult or time consuming.

12

I don’t like a lot from this site (usually too greasy) but this Blue cheese and bacon soup is good. Turkey bacon works fine, and I just puree the bacon into the rest of the soup. Also, because they tend to sell leeks in bunches of three around here, I tend to use three leeks instead of two, but then again, I don’t know anything that I don’t use more onion, leek or garlic in than the recipe calls for.

13

Although my wife and daughter would agree with you, my sons and I know better.

Start by chopping about 5-6 slices of bacon and fry it up in a big old soup pot. When almost crispy toss in a medium chopped onion. When translucent toss in the mess o’beans mentioned above along with some chicken broth, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir it around until well mixed, cover and simmer until you can’t resist the smell any longer.

Unfortunately you and my wife apparently are correct most of the time, but about once a year I get to do it my way, and my boys are never more eager to eat their veggies then when I do so (feel free to add a pat of butter when serving).

14

Oooh, a challenge…

I know you can’t do rice, but can you have wraps, like those made with a whole wheat tortilla? You could do a nice stirfry wrap with chicken and fresh veggies. You can put most anything else in a wrap, too - we often have roasted veggies with pesto. Speaking of wraps, what about lettuce wraps? If you can’t have tortillas, you can put stir fry in lettuce and roll it up that way. You can also roll up ham and cheese, any brunchy-type salad (chicken salad, tuna, etc.).

You can also make a nice fish or chicken curry using onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, a teeny bit of clove, lots of coriander powder, some cumin and a bit of cayenne. You can do the same with virtually any lentil, too.

Grilled, glazed salmon is also wonderful. That would be a good foil for your green beans. Marinate some salmon overnight or just during the day (maybe while you’re at work) in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame seed oil (optional - can use canola, too), ginger, garlic and brown sugar (just 1 tbsp; you can omit or use honey instead). When you’re ready for dinner, fire up the grill to medium or turn the oven on to 350 and grill it for a few minutes or bake for 20.

My favorite way to prepare green beans is to wash them, melt a tablespoon of butter in a large, flat pan on medium-high, toss in 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, throw in the beans and cook 'til bright green and still crunchy, add a little salt & pepper to taste.

You can also pair the salmon (or most other proteins) with sauteed garlic spinach. If you use fresh spinach, you’ll need about 1/2 pound for two. Put it in a large pot and steam 'til wilted. Heat some olive oil in a skillet, toss in some garlic, then mix the spinach in until it’s well combined. Salt or pepper as desired. Good also with some sesame seeds.

If you need something “carby,” you can puree some cauliflower instead of potatoes or bake a spaghetti squash, seeds removed and squash halved, until tender (350 for probably an hour), then rake out the insides with a fork. It’ll look like spaghetti and is really, really good with basil or cilantro pesto or even spaghetti sauce.

15

I’m from the south, so I usually throw in a ham hock or two! :slight_smile:

But I also make them with just fresh chopped onion, some garlic powder, salt and pepper. I like pinto beans and 15 bean soup. I don’t soak them, I just bring them to a boil after washing, and simmer until done - about 3-4 hours. Truthfully, I’ve never made just lentils, though they’re in the soup mix. I imagine they would take a little less time since they’re so small.

16

Chinese String Beans:

That seems to meet the OPs criteria.

Now I’ve also had it with tiny bits of fatty chopped up pork fried along with the beans. Good + >>>>1.

17

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I plan to pick some of the ingredients up today, and start trying things out.