What's for Dinner #45 - 05/2019 - The Sunshiny, Flowery & Blooming May Edition

The crab and grits sounds luscious… anything special in the grits, to compliment the crab?

I find the crab to be fairly rich so I keep the grits simple - just salted water and they will have a little hot pepper blend sprinkled over top. I’ll use Bobs Red Mill and use the directions for creamy style.

Grits can be such a nice palette. You can keep the mix thin or thick, takes on just about any flavor and accepts a big variety of mix-ins.

6 Likes

I have started using grits as a add on only recently and do enjoy the texture with stew like dishes, even with red beans instead of rice.
Now of course if all else fails add in the PSTOB…makes everything taste better!

4 Likes

Followed an Allrecipes suggestion to bake a Maple Syrup/Ketchup/Garlic drenched pork loin roast.

The rind was terrific. The roast lacked a bit of flavor.

8 Likes

In this case you need a sauce!

1 Like

The recipe did say to reserve a portion of the glaze for a pour over sauce. I used it to amp up the finish under the broiler. My mistake…

We had excellent takeout tonight from Zeugma Grill in Montclair, NJ, using Uber Eats. The only negative was that they only gave us one lousy piece of pita bread for TWO appetizers!?! We shared two appetizers of very flavorful pumpkin muhammara (sweet pumpkin puree, walnuts, garlic, feta cheese, topped with black sesame seeds), and avogannush (smoked eggplant, avocado puree, and parsley oil). For entrees Mrs. P had the excellent chargrilled sea bass with a kale salad with pickled onions, potatoes, sesame seeds, in a ginger soy sauce. I had chargrilled lamb chops with a black roasted eggplant puree, and a light harissa sauce, with a side salad of fresh mint, arugula, and parsley (not pictured).




12 Likes

Hella Week.

I’ll be working from home this weekend to finish invoicing before Monday.

You can be damn sure there was wine poured as soon as I got home.

Dinner was seared turkey tenderloin, finished in the oven with a white wine-thyme pan sauce, orzo, and green beans.

Oh yeah. I finished that bottle.

14 Likes

Uugh, working on the weekend sucks very badly. How was the wine? It’s from where my parents live!

1 Like

Postponed dinner plans after yesterday’s food coma.

Finally made the shrimp toast I’d been planning for weeks - plenty to freeze. Of course I ate some first (with chili crisp and green chili sauce - it’s the only time I actually want that green sauce, out of nostalgia / food memory). Plus snow pea leaves.

.

.
Dinner was an old favorite I haven’t had in way too long - steamed fish with ginger, soy, and sizzling scallions. Fish was black sea bass from my chinatown trip the other day, bone-in - so much tastier, plus it takes longer to eat. Quinoa on the side, and more sautéed snow pea leaves. The delicious sizzling scallions need to make a more regular appearance!

.

15 Likes

Last night was a salad kit that the market had on great sale, although i always giggle they think one bag serves four people?? Four people who hate salad as a side dish? I didn’t use the weird sweet dressing that came with it, and added in a bunch of edamame and cilantro. Obviously i only bought it because it came with sunflower seeds!

Tonight was another salad thing, added the leftovers from a butter bean salad i made for lunch yesterday. Butter beans, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, capers, and vinegrette. I remembered the photo before i added nooch all over it!

13 Likes

The entire meal sounds delicious. I’m intrigued with the pumpkin appetizer. Do you and Mrs. P (of course :wink: ) think the pumpkin had been sweetened? It seems like a good mix of flavors to use with leftover winter squash as well as pumpkin!

2 Likes

Thanks @meatn3 ! Yes, the entire meal was very flavorful. The pureed pumpkin didn’t taste too sweet, and went perfectly with the salty feta and crunchy walnuts. I think that winter (or butternut) squash might be a good substitute for the pumpkin and the same ingredients. It would have to be pureed though.

4 Likes

Trying to learn how to roast chicken. We bought a Heritage Breed Chicken from Chinatown. S&P rub with some Herbs de Provence, stuffed with sliced lemons. Turned out quite “meaty”, in a good way. Well worth the coupla extra bucks (more than the de facto Foster Farms bird).

Also trying to up my Frog game. Cutting larger sections, and marinated with soy, Shaoxing, S&P and Thai Birds Eye Chili. Quick stir fry. Nice happy hour finger food with adult beverages.

Roasted some Fava Beans picked the day before from my uncle’s garden. Not bad. May be better grilled on the grill pan. Next time.

13 Likes

My hands-down favorite way with high quality chicken is Thomas Keller’s high heat method (dry well in & out, s&p, 450 for 40-50 mins). The chicken really shines.

2 Likes

I had no idea the pods were edible!

I don’t think the actual pods are edible. We had the Fava Beans cooked in the pod when we were in Japan, and they impressed. Made for good beer nibbling food, you have to extract the bean.

Will try the Thomas Keller high heat method on our next bird. Also want to try the Zuni method, with their bread stuffing.

2 Likes

Ah, like edamame!

1 Like

Last night it was crab cakes and salad with my wife’s favorite wine, Belle Glos Las Alturas


16 Likes

Those crab cakes look beautiful and your wife has great taste in wine :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like