What's For Dinner #72 - Wait, Summer Is Almost Over? Edition - August 2021

Looks great. I was on a mofongo kick after we traveled to Puerto Rico until my wife said Stop!!!

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They’re all variations on the same theme - mustard and green chillies.

My friend’s mom’s 60s-era (grad school days) simplification:
Make a paste of Coleman’s mustard, salt, and olive oil
Coat salmon with the paste
Place sliced chillies (indian or thai or serrano - no jalapeño) on top
Cover tightly with foil and bake till just done - at 400F it’s probably 10-12 mins, at 300F it took me 20-25.
Squeeze of lime, eat with rice

There are more complicated versions (ie the originals) that start with soaked mustard seeds and include poppy seeds or coconut in the paste.

You can also steam this stovetop or en papillote (again, originals), but we all just make this version because it’s so easy and so delicious.

MJ’s version is a more complicated simplification, if that makes sense :joy:

ETA: I’m going to try one of the original recipes. Will report back.

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Thanks for the idea to use fish. It sounds really good. We have the PSTOSB in the freezer - I’d be happy to share.

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Here you go:

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Ah yes, I remember you sharing this recipe before, now that you mention it. Thanks! Interested to hear your experience.

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Yes I thought so too - found it :smiley:

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Making a note of this to try when DH is away. He loves salmon but has a mortal dread of mustard. I would not have thought of this combo but I am sure I will love it!

Well it’s so simple you could make it (en papillote) with the mustard in yours but not in his.

I’m the queen of picky eating - my own and other people’s :rofl:

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Made it! I plated it over a spinach-arugula mix. I added eggplant and beans and omitted the bell pepper (didn’t have any).

I found it necessary to drain off the veggie liquid several times and to broil the veggies to get them really toasty. I also jacked up the heat to 475° to get the chicken crispier.

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No frills tonight: chicken sausage and some horseradish cheddar kettle chips. Not pictured was some grilled zucchini.

Was just mom and I tonight. We ate while watching a documentary on Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition (I’ve always had an interest in it), which called for a nip of this special Scotch I picked up last year. Not bad for a “novelty” Scotch.

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Viet lettuce-wrapped beef (garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce), cilantro and mint, Jasmine rice.

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Day 3 of roughly the same meal, slightly tweaked :joy:

Bengali mustard fish (salmon) - I went whole hog this time with the proper recipe rather than the shortcut. Soaked mustard seeds and poppy seeds for the paste, with some coconut added. Panch phoron (bengali 5 spice) for tempering. (Yes, yes - I always have all the ingredients - I’m just lazy.)

Rest of meal was leftover from yesterday - cauliflower with peas and dal cooked with assorted vegetables. Plus rice.

Really good - more creamy than the shortcut because of the poppy seeds and coconut.

BUT. I’m sticking with the shortcut next time :wink:

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That sounds great.

Turkey sandwich with cheddar cheese on a roll

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Thanks so much. I will definitely try it!

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Tarragona until Friday and a relaxing drive home to Barcelona. My parents and inlaws shall spend the weekend and then go home to Northern Empordà on the Capes. We had some extraordinary Basque ecological beef … Similar to how we prepare at home.


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I have always been tempted to say the same, and didn’t want to overstep. I understand the joy of cooking for family. However, this appears to be an adult son who is always bringing home a crowd. CCJ you are already opening your house to him. Why can’t he cook for his friends and for you, instead of the other way around?

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@ccj From here it seems like cooking and delicious food are your love language (very familiar to me) and my guess is, it’s all a labor of love. But do let him take care of you, too!

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Singapore noodles are trending. I made it tonight based loosely on Serious Eats’ recipe. Sides were spicy smacked cucumber salad and miso-roasted “Japanese style” butternut squash. Truth is, I made this with eggplant but incinerated it in the broiler, so started over with squash.

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Thanks for advise. We had always welcomed his friends but them coming every weekend is getting to be disturbing. They typically sail to Solomons Island and camp out on the beach or sleep in the boat for a night and return on a Sunday. I do not mind them sleeping over when they return and giving them breakfast the next morning because I do not want them to have an accident driving back to Va or DC but it is when they stay for 2 or 3 days, that I get very upset as I like to have my privacy. I do stay upstairs but they go to powder room, go in and out of various doors and I just have problem keeping track of which doors and which lights are on I also hate the fact that so many beer cans are around, and they never seem to finish drinking it to the last drop! . Yes, they enjoy the fact that there is an indoor heated pool but I do not like people brining drinks into my pool either. They also like paddling and having out on the pier but to often is sometimes disturbing

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