My wife, the lovely doper Araminty and I, are planning to cook something for dinner tonight, but we can’t decide what to cook. So we’ll let you all decide for us!
Please recommend a recipe for us.
Note: I’m a very picky eater, so…
-no seafood other than shrimp
-no squash, eggplant, zucchini, olives
-no cooked fruit
-no prominent mushrooms
(I know, I know, I should broaden my horizons, yada yada yada.)
Thanks! And if we cook your dish, you will be rewarded by our appreciation and some honest feedback.
I just made something last night that I haven’t in a while and the kids and I loved it (alert the Vatican, it’s a miracle! :eek:)
I made some millet with grilled veggies. Very easy and surpisingly satisfying. Of course, it’s a side dish, even in this vegetarian home, but it could be a good start to a great meal.
Millet is very simple to cook…2 to 1 ratio of water to grain, toast the millet in a skillet first, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn, then put it in a pan with a tight-fitting lid with twice as much water (i.e. 1 cup millet, 2 cups water) bring to a boil, stir, cover, and cook on low for 20 min. then turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 min.
Meanwhile, add some oil to the skillet and saute up some finely chopped veggies of your choice (we DID include zuchinni, but knock yourself out…brocoli, carrots, onions, peppers, whatever you have on hand or like). Toss in a little salt or other spices/seasonings.
Then mix it all together in a big bowl or pan and enjoy. Millet is very light and fluffy and has a nice nutty flavor…a bit like cous cous…and the veggies, seasoning and oil go really well with it.
Would go well alongside just about any hunk o’meat or, as we had it, inside stuffed bell peppers. (and with some mac and cheese and a few steamed veggies in case my daughter didn’t like it, so she would have another option)
Peel and devein the shrimp. Dry it thoroughly. Heat a large pan (with a lid) to rocket hot and add a little olive oil and butter. When the butter is brown and bubbly, throw in the shrimp. Make sure that they are in a single layer and uncrowded. (You might have to work in batches.) Let them sit for one minute, then turn them over. Turn off the heat, lid them, and let them go for another 30 seconds. (Optional, toss in a clove of crushed garlic before lidding.) Unlid, season, and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe from this month’s Sunset mag, Shrimp and garden quesadillas: Just leave out the shredded zucchini, if you wish.
Quesadillas
¾ pound peeled deveined shrimp
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp each sea salt, ground cumin and paprika
¼ tsp each pepper and cayenne
1 TBSP each orange juice and olive oil
1-1/2 cups each shredded cheddar and jack cheeses
4 large four tortillas
¾ lb. zucchini, shredded
¾ cup fresh corn kernels
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salad
2 ripe avocados, sliced
2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
¼ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
1 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP lime juice
½ tsp each salt and pepper
Toss shrimp in a bowl with garlic, salt, spices, orange juice and oil. Heat grill to 400.
Place half of shredded cheeses, zucchini, corn and green onions on one half of each tortilla, top with the other half of the cheeses.
Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes in an oiled grill pan. Coarsely chop shrimp and scatter on the other ingredients. Fold tortillas in half and grill about 1-2 minutes on each side until cheese is melted. Remove from grill, cut into wedges, and serve with salad on the side.
Got a grill? Make individual pizzas on the grill. Use various flavored tortillas. Get some shredded cheese and sliced fresh tomatoes. Maybe some veggies of your choice, a little olive oil. Add some slices of chicken or pepperoni as necessary. Turn the grill on low and keep rotating each one, so a hot spot will not burn your dinner. Easy. Good. Less clean up.
Here’s a good side dish if you can stand having the oven on for a while:
Strip the needles(?) from some fresh rosemary and toss in a bowl. Cut some red potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks and add to the bowl. Break an entire head of garlic into cloves, skin on, and add to the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
Spread everything out on a big cookie sheet and roast at 425 until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
I missed the deadline. But next time, try this:
First, go buy a Big Green Egg. Fire it up, and season some pork chops. Put them on cedar planks, slice some garlic and spread on top (black garlic is quite good too). Usually I put figs on them but since you said no cooked fruit, use some sweet onions instead. While those cook at about 400 degrees, boil some fingerling potatoes. When they are cooked, drain them, then put in a bowl with olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and herbs (rosemary or chives are my favorites), cover and shake. Finally, chop some onions and garlic, sauté, then throw some de-stemmed and washed kale into the pan with a little white wine or chicken broth. When everything is done, serve with a Russian River Pliny the Elder or Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA.