What's For Dinner #89 - the Dawn of a New Year Edition - January 2023

we did beans and greens also yours looks better ! for one it has bacon ! ours is veg.

18 Likes

I love beans and greens this time of year - so comforting!

3 Likes

Asian inspired bowl from Melissa Clark’s Dinner cookbook. Oven roasted Brussels sprouts and shiitake mushrooms, pan-fried tofu, quickly pickled carrots, cilantro, toasted sesame seed and a really nice and “potent” vinaigrette made from oil, rice vinegar, white miso, garlic, lime zest and juice, honey and plenty of ginger (which gave it a nice kick). Served over quinoa.

20 Likes

i agree. good to string some extra healthy meals together. mandarins for dessert tonite. seedless citrus gives me a boost in january too.

1 Like

That looks really good

1 Like

In case anyone is interested in having a say (and participating) in February’s Cookbook of the Month, nominations are underway even as this month’s Mexican books are going strong!

1 Like

Perishables clean-out meal before a 4-night trip to DC. Vietnamese-adjacent noodle salad (except with Japanese somen noodles — I’m out of rice noodles — and they were a suitable substitute) with lots of lettuces; sliced-up cocktail tomatoes (or whatever that variety is called); Serrano and habanero peppers; a showering of mint, cilantro, scallions, and flat-leaf parsley; a fish sauce- and lime-based dressing; and topped with a variety of non-meat proteins (Beyond Burger and Quorn patties).

image

19 Likes

I have some beef liver in the freezer that I’ve been making my way through. I’ve been adding it to stirfries lately instead of beef since I’m getting tired of liver and onions :slight_smile: Liver is remarkably adaptable.

If you like indian flavors, liver and onion with basic masala (onions, ginger, garlic, garam masala) is really good for a twist.

2 Likes

That sounds really good! I have some garam masala in the pantry so I should add some the next time I make liver. And learning to make Indian food is on my bucket list for this year.

Here’s what we do: brown plenty of long-sliced onions, add minced fresh garlic and ginger, then add cubed liver and a splash of vinegar, cover and cook till almost done, then add a pinch of garam masala and fry to finish.

If you have whole spices you can use them instead of ground garam masala, in which case start by blooming them in oil before the onions.

4 Likes

Dinner downtown with a good friend. Broiled oysters with leek butter on crostini (fantastic),

NOLA bbq shrimp with baguette (great, very soppable sauce, shrimp quality wasn’t the greatest),

then moved on to the gay bar and split bone marrow with tartare & mushroom salad, and chicken soba soup.

A dram for “dessert” at home :blush:

16 Likes

Here’s a tongue-in-cheek question: I know that garam masala varies in composition depending upon who is making it. My digestive system cannot handle spicy-hot food, so if I make “garam masala” and leave out the chillies, is it not garam masala by definition, considering what “garam” means in Hindi? (hot)

As you have seen, there are many variations of garam masala recipes based on regional variations, method (toasted vs untoasted ingredients), etc. Most of the recipes do not contain chillies. In fact, I do not personally know of any garam masala recipes that contain chillies, but I cannot make a 100% blanket statement.

Garam does mean hot, but in garam masala the word refers to spices that are said to have a warming or heating effect on the body according to Ayurvedic theories. The word does not refer to spices that feel hot in the mouth. These include cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper and some others.

So yes, if you make garam masala and do not include chillies, it is indeed garam masala. If you are sensitive to black pepper too, you may be able to reduce the amount.

9 Likes

Thank you for the explanation. And yes, I am sensitive to black pepper too, so I use a mix of peppercorns (black, green, red). I used to include white until I read that white is hotter than black.

Garam masala has no red chillies.

It is a mix of a different group of non-chilli spices and creates a different kind of heat (back / throat). The “spicy” spices in it are cloves and black pepper.

Chillies are added to a dish separately, either whole or powdered red (dried) or green (fresh) or sometimes both.

ETA: Just saw @Rasam’s response. Indeed, we now leave out pepper and cloves for my dad, who can’t tolerate their heat.

6 Likes

Kimchi cukes? Quick pickle or longer? Just with leftover kimchi juice? Please tell! : )

It’s more kimchi flavorings than a true pickle or ferment, because you can eat them immediately. Here is the recipe I more or less follow. Quite tasty!
https://crazykoreancooking.com/recipe/seasoned-cucumber-oi-muchim

2 Likes

I always think your dinners look great!

My day went sideways in the afternoon when I was informed by my mother’s doctor’s office that she seemed to no longer have insurance! The issue has since been sorted out (mostly), but by the time I got home, all I wanted to do was self care in the form of tv munchies and wine.

13 Likes

Oh no, @Amandarama what a stressful situation! These healthcare bureaucratic tortures are the worst.

Our dinner last night was burritos with the leftover sweet potato-black bean stuffing described in the Tacos Winter DOTQ thread. The stuffing also included the Rick Bayless tomato-garlic rice described in the COTM thread - this was really good. I also had some sauteed onions. The burritos were covered with shredded ‘Mexican’ cheese from the supermarket and baked.

Plated with sides of chopped lettuce and tomato, pickled onion, pico de gallo, sour cream.

These came out very well and it’s good to have these leftovers in the fridge.

18 Likes