March 2018,... What's for dinner ???

Maybe your burnt toast?

Bugster2 wrote:Maybe your burnt toast?

Haaaa.... It works for me! She won't eat it charcoaled, but darker than normal, she will eat that. I made a slice for her yesterday.

Charlie has been away for a week so I didn't cook much until he got back. I tried this recipe called Croque Monsieur Hasselback Potatoes.  They are sliced like Hasselback then cheese and ham (I used Canadian bacon) is put between the slices and covered with bechamel. We had asparagus and sourdough bread too.

Thank you Jimmy.

Beautiful bread Norm! There is no way my oven would ever produce a loaf like that.

How were the potatoes?

Bugster2 wrote:Beautiful bread Norm! There is no way my oven would ever produce a loaf like that.

How were the potatoes?

Thanks. The potatoes were good but next time I'll slice the ham thicker.

After two days of not cooking.....we eat out WAY too often, but I guess it would be rude of me to complain! Friday was our neighborhood Ladies' Lunch and, even though we go at 11:30 a.m. to beat the crowds, I was still stuffed at supper time. I just had a BLT, but it was a HUGE BLT! Dane found food on his own. Yesterday Lyn & Bill asked if we could come over to give them a hand sprucing up their little Meyer Lemon Tree and fix a couple things in their house. I think I've mentioned that Lyn always says Bill suffers from 'the 3 T's'.....No time, no tools and no talent. So, it's just a lot easier to ask Dane to take care of the little stuff.

So, to thank us, they took us out for burgers at Square One ~ good burgers and FABULOUS onion rings. I was stuffed again.

Tonight I pulled some pork out of the freezer. Pork steak for me and a nice bone-in pork chop for Dane. He doesn't like the fat in the pork shoulder steak and I think the pork chops (especially the boneless pork loin 'chops') are flavorless. So, to each their own!

Pork on the charcoal grill, baked sweet potato, lima beans and some golden beets. ((Phew! Stuffed AGAIN!!))

I made tacos and a strawberry pie. The pie was just two cups of water, two cups of sugar and 6 Tablespoons of cornstarch all cooked until dissolved, then taken off the stove a package of strawberry jello added. (cut this in half if not using deep dish pie pan. Then add strawberries and pour in baked pie crust and chill. There was a recipe for a pie crust but I used a store bought one. I didn't take pictures of anything today.

Your strawberry pie recipe sounds like one I made from the 1970's.....

It works great with fresh blueberries, too, should you want to give it a try. I think that one used grape Jello (can't think of anything else I'd EVER use grape Jello for....LOL). I remember how surprised everyone was at how 'crispy' the blueberries were when they weren't cooked at all. It was a winner, as I recall.

That sounds interesting Beth. I will keep it in mind if I make another pie.

I made potato salad yesterday, mostly for taking to my sis.  She says "Want to make me happy? Make me some potato salad."  I really like calamari, so for the first time ever, I bought some (frozen) at Costco.  I baked at the temperature and time according to the directions, but they were way overdone.  But, overdone calamari are better than no calamari!  Will watch them more closely next time.

I have only had calamari once and it was like chewing on a rubber band. Is that how it is or does it get tender? We call those chewy things Yang-Yangs. We got that term years ago from a friend who used the term when trying to chew one of those tiny pieces of gristle that are found in sausage and you just can't break them apart. He just started saying "yang yang yang yang" very fast in a funny tone of voice. We started laughing it was so funny and have used the term ever since. It is perfect.

Calamari is best when it's fried or cooked quickly. OR it has to braise for a very long time. If it's cooked correctly it is very delicious. If you see it being cooked on a program like Diners, Drive-ins & Dives you'll notice if they are making a fish stew or something like that, they add all the other fish, then the calamari and shrimp. It just takes minutes, if even that, to cook through.

Anything 'in-between' QUICK and LONG turns it into rubber-band-like, chewy bits.

We love the 'flash fried' lightly coated calamari with the sliced peppers ~ especially if it's served with a sweet & spicy sauce, although the traditional marinara ain't bad at all.

Thank you. If I ever try it again and I can't chew it, I will know it was overcooked.

P-tue is a yang-yang!

Mine were definitely overcooked.  I often use a package of frozen seafood "creatures" in a stir fry.  The vegetables in the pan have to be pretty well done before I throw in the seafood.  I have had calamar steaks twice in my life.  As a "steak" the squid tube is cut so that it can be a plain piece of the calamar/squid.  Both delicious, but you don't see it on restaurant menus here.

Grilled London Broil tonight! It was just as good as the last time I charcoal grilled one ~ added some sauteed mushrooms with my steak, a baked potato, 'Magically' turned last night's leftover lima beans into succotash and made a chopped salad with a light red wine vinegar/evoo dressing. I've heard no complaints so far.....

Tonight I ended up putting 3 slices of my steak back on the platter for Dane to wrap and use for a steak sandwich. I don't eat as much as I usually plate up, but it would look really skimpy in a pic if I only showed the couple slices I do eat. Same for my potato most of the time ~ I eat half and then wrap the other half to chop up and have with eggs for my breakfast or brunch.

When Dane saw the succotash tonight he commented he had planned to have the leftover limas for his breakfast tomorrow......I suggested he have leftover succotash instead. LOL

A bag of PF Chang's honey chicken and fried rice tonight.

We had a marinated flat iron steak, baked potato topped with leftover taco fillings and here is a picture of the strawberry pie.

That all looks delicious, Norm. Neat idea to 'repurpose' the taco fix in's as a potato topper.

You gave me the idea to have taco salad for our supper......Thanks for the inspiration!