# What's for dinner tonight? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652 "2011-01-06T20:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/121 "2011-01-19T04:47:36Z")
I thought there’d be enough leftovers of braised beef short ribs from last night, but no, so clam chowder. I make it with tons of thick-cut chopped bacon. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/122 "2011-01-19T09:37:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I stopped at a new seafood restaurant. I had the crab cake dinner. Oh, man, crab cakes! ::drool:: One of the things I miss so much about living in the Baltimore area is the availability of _good_ crab cakes. But hubby still _works_ in the Baltimore area, and this weekend, before he comes home, he’s going to pick me up some uncooked crab cakes from G&M. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall place in Baltimore County, but their crab cakes are _huge_, and are 95% crab meat, with most of _that_ being lump! Oh, I can’t wait! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/123 "2011-01-19T17:06:41Z")
Curry in a hurry… chickpea-cauliflower curry, carrot raita, spiced rice. Friends gave us some really nice curry powders, which makes it fast and easy to make. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/124 "2011-01-19T21:16:14Z")
Leftover hamburger-broccoli-cheese casserole. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/125 "2011-01-21T03:18:04Z")
Pan seared steak filets with blue cheese butter and a green salad with homemade dressing. Pretty tasty. Ooo, and the store had coconut milk ice cream in, so I had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of coconut. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/126 "2011-01-21T21:21:43Z")
I’m going to turn on the oven as soon as I walk in the door - before I turn up the heat (hey, I hope The Other Shoe remembered to turn it down!!), before I take off my shoes, even before I feed the cat - and throw in a sweet potato. Deal with all that other stuff - yes, Al, that includes feeding you, now _shut up_ a second - and then flip off the oven and take a nap until Mr. Horseshoe gets home from work. Warm it back up with cheese’n’toppings at that point. Gawd I’m tired - this sounds like a plan. But we’re planning on the Cook’s Illustrated supremely divine penne alla vodka this weekend, if we don’t drink all the vodka first, so that should count for something. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/127 "2011-01-21T22:18:43Z")
The hubby’s home tonight, so I try to make more ‘complete’ meals than when it’s just me and the kid. So tonight is a baked, glazed ham with pineapple rings; au gratin potatoes; baby peas with butter. Tomorrow, though, I’m making one of my ‘specialties’: chicken with Asian plum sauce. But we kind of got snowed in today, and we don’t have any skinless chicken thighs or any scallions, both of which I need for the sauce. I do, however, have plum preserves, soy sauce and Chinese five-spice. This is one of my favorite “Hubby’s Home” dishes because it looks and tastes impressive, but it’s super-easy to make! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/128 "2011-01-22T01:14:30Z")
Leftover shepherd’s pie I made yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/129 "2011-01-22T04:39:06Z")
I had it all planned out… I got to work (today was a commuting day) a half-hour early. Sweet! I’ll drive into Belltown instead of taking the bus. That way I can get home early and sear that ahi that’s in the fridge. Only someone jumped or fell from an overpass onto two cars. It should have taken me two hours to get home. It took three hours and forty-five minutes. Leftover chili/stew and sweet cornbread for dinner. (Which was good, but I really wanted to cook the fish.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/130 "2011-01-22T04:58:03Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Tomorrow, though, I’m making one of my ‘specialties’: chicken with Asian plum sauce. But we kind of got snowed in today, and we don’t have any skinless chicken thighs or any scallions, both of which I need for the sauce. I do, however, have plum preserves, soy sauce and Chinese five-spice. This is one of my favorite “Hubby’s Home” dishes because it looks and tastes impressive, but it’s super-easy to make! That sounds pretty good. What’s the proportions you use in the sauce? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/131 "2011-01-22T10:54:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > That sounds pretty good. What’s the proportions you use in the sauce? Here’s how I do it: 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs 2TBSP butter salt and pepper 1/3C plum preserves 1/3C dry white wine or chicken stock 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice 6 scallions, white and light green part sliced thin, remainder of greens saved Melt butter in a large pan; lightly salt and pepper chicken; cook chicken in butter over med-high heat for about five minutes on each side; remove chicken from pan and tent with foil to keep warm. Turn heat down to medium; add sliced scallions to pan, sautee until they are beginning to soften; deglaze pan with wine or stock, scraping well with whisk to get all the nice bits off the floor of the pan; add preserves, soy sauce and five-spice; whisk until everything is very hot and well-blended; if the sauce is too tight, add a little more wine or stock, if it’s too loose, allow it to cook down for a few minutes. Add chicken back into pan, turning each piece to coat; remove chicken to serving plate, pouring remainder of sauce over the top; for “ta-da” presentation, cut greens of scallions into long, thin ribbons and sprinkle over top. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/132 "2011-01-22T17:33:41Z")
I might try that tonight. That or this recipe I found for pork loin with apples, sweet potatos, and plantains. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/133 "2011-01-22T17:50:02Z")
I dunno. We’ve still got a ton of curry-in-a-hurry, since the baby had a growth spurt and I was so hungry I had to have takeout, the last two nights. But we really don’t want the curry. I have some chicken breasts thawed… maybe I’ll turn 'em into panko-crusted cutlets with a nice sauce. I seriously need protein and fat right now. Also, steamed broccoli. And orange juice. I can’t get enough orange juice. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/134 "2011-01-23T23:53:26Z")
A mighty vat of elk chili is bubbling on the stove top right now. I hope it’s good, because there is a lot of it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/135 "2011-01-24T00:35:27Z")
Made a ham, cheddar, and pepper jack quiche that was pretty freakin’ great. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/136 "2011-01-24T01:08:35Z")
Tacos. Ground beef seasoned with a packet and about half a chopped onion, shredded medium Cheddar, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and Tapatio on the side. The cooked meat was put into steamed corn tortillas, which were then fried in oil. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/137 "2011-01-24T01:23:44Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Made a ham, cheddar, and pepper jack quiche that was pretty freakin’ great. Recipe, please? I lurves me some quiche! Tonight, I had beef fillet medallions with portabello mushroom sauce, one potato skin with cheese and bacon, a half of a fresh-baked roll with honey butter, a bit of a baked sweet potato, a couple of bites of green beans. Yeah, we went out to dinner. 😉 The nice thing is that the restaurant we went to has _huge_ portions of _everything_ (I wouldn’t have ordered the potato skins at all, but I had a coupon for a free appetizer) and between the steak, potato, green beans and potato skins I have left over, I’ve got two more meals waiting for me! And the portabello mushroom sauce is to _die_ for! Mmmmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/138 "2011-01-24T02:20:25Z")
Swedish Potato Sausage, applesauce, parsnips. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/139 "2011-01-24T03:15:11Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Recipe, please? I lurves me some quiche! I don’t exactly use a recipe for quiche. Deep dish pie shell (premade, frozen). Shredded about 3 oz of sharp cheddar and 3 oz of pepper jack into the shell. Chopped up one thickish slice of ham – about two handfuls, maybe? Handful and a half? Put that on the bottom layer of cheese. Shredded on another 3 oz or so of each kind of cheese. (These were 8-oz blocks that had each had one sandwich made from them, so I’m guessing there was about 6 or 7 oz left on each block; I finished 'em off. If I’d had the full blocks I would have used them.) Beat two eggs with maybe a cup or so of milk, poured that in. Bake at 375 (preheated oven) for 45-50 min. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652/140 "2011-01-24T11:07:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I don’t exactly use a recipe for quiche. > > Deep dish pie shell (premade, frozen). > > Shredded about 3 oz of sharp cheddar and 3 oz of pepper jack into the shell. > > Chopped up one thickish slice of ham – about two handfuls, maybe? Handful and a half? Put that on the bottom layer of cheese. > > Shredded on another 3 oz or so of each kind of cheese. (These were 8-oz blocks that had each had one sandwich made from them, so I’m guessing there was about 6 or 7 oz left on each block; I finished 'em off. If I’d had the full blocks I would have used them.) > > Beat two eggs with maybe a cup or so of milk, poured that in. > > Bake at 375 (preheated oven) for 45-50 min. Oooh, that sounds _good_. I don’t really measure and stuff when I’m cooking, either, and I _definitely_ don’t make my own pie crusts! 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-for-dinner-tonight/566652.md?page=8)