The 'Here's what I had for dinner last night' thread - Part I

Minder

Steaks last night. Fillet for Mrs Minder and sirloin for me. Maris piper home made chips; roast garlic and creamed spinach in a pot with golden bubbling gruyere on top.

Kimia

Where are you getting your gruyere from Minder? I cannot find it in any of the tescos/dunnes/superquinns. Do you have to go to a speciality cheese shop? Can you elaborate on your creamed spinach pot? Thanks

Minder

Creamed spinach pots is very simple. Cook plenty of spinach in a dry non stick pan. The spinach gives up plenty of water so no need for water or butter. Once wilted, leave it to drain in a sieve. When cool squeeze out as much water as possible. Put the spinach in a ceramic pot or a large ramekin, add a dash of double cream and a handful of grated gruyere. Maybe a little nutmeg. Grill or bake until the cheese is bubbling.

My local Tesco stocks gruyere.

boodlesdoodles

Last night was Rick Stein's Beef Stroganoff will dig up the link when I get a chance later. Tonight was a mish-mash of chorizo, halloumi, pasta, peppers, chillies, garlic and sweetcorn, it served its purpose and my tumtum was full - it didn't deserve a picture though!

Dj Stiggie

I've gotten into cooking recently and last night decided to make my own sauce.

I used tomatoes, red eye chillies, red chillies and a green chilli from a bag of Tesco mixed chillies, hence why I can't be more specific, a red bell pepper, threw in some garlic and paprika and mixed it with olive oil. Then marinated chicken with it and had it with rice.

It turned out nice, but it it was a lot more heat than flavour, if anyone could recommend something else that could be thrown in please do

Miaireland

Dj Stiggie wrote: »

I've gotten into cooking recently and last night decided to make my own sauce.

I used tomatoes, red eye chillies, red chillies and a green chilli from a bag of Tesco mixed chillies, hence why I can't be more specific, a red bell pepper, threw in some garlic and paprika and mixed it with olive oil. Then marinated chicken with it and had it with rice.

It turned out nice, but it it was a lot more heat than flavour, if anyone could recommend something else that could be thrown in please do

To be honest I would cut down on the chill is. Too much heat can kill any flavour. You could try adding a splash of wine, smoked paprika, maybe some fresh herbs like parsley, Rosemary or corriander. Red onion might also give it a bit more taste.

Dj Stiggie

Miaireland wrote: »

To be honest I would cut down on the chill is. Too much heat can kill any flavour. You could try adding a splash of wine, smoked paprika, maybe some fresh herbs like parsley, Rosemary or corriander. Red onion might also give it a bit more taste.

Thanks for that. I had smoked paprika in it, but you're right about the chillis. I'll try mixing it up with the herbs next time

Miaireland

You could also try adding some chorizo or olives.

neuro-praxis

Miaireland wrote: »

To be honest I would cut down on the chill is. Too much heat can kill any flavour. You could try adding a splash of wine, smoked paprika, maybe some fresh herbs like parsley, Rosemary or corriander. Red onion might also give it a bit more taste.

Also some salt and sugar. I never make a tomato sauce without them. They've very important for bringing out the flavour of the other ingredients.

neuro-praxis

Also, last night we had Ikea meatballs for dinner, but at home, with cream sauce and lingonberry jam, alongside mash, broccoli and mange tout. Simple and lovely.

Tonight we are having guests and to use up some stewing beef I've made beef in red wine with shallots, again with mash, and carrots, broccoli and mange tout. Given the weather I couldn't have chosen a more inappropriate meal. It's a night for a barbecue, but it's too late now! The beef has been cooking for hours.

the beer revolu

Last night I got to use up a whole leg of free range pork that was taking up a lot of room in the freezer.

It was a real roast:

Roast leg of pork (The crackling was sublime!:D should have tooked pictures)
Roast parsnip, carrot, beetroot, red onion, garlic.
Twice cooked roast potatoes with rosemary.
Honey and thyme gravy.

A rhubarb eves pudding for dessert with Greek yoghurt.

Twas all Spanish red we had - mostly Rioja.
And some almost 2 years out of date Hommelbier (which is drinking extremely well - much better than 6 months ago!)

Minder

the beer revolu wrote: »

Twas all Spanish red we had - mostly Rioja. And some almost 2 years out of date Hommelbier (which is drinking extremely well - much better than 6 months ago!)

What's out of date wine?

bonkey

Hommelbier is, I would guess, a beer and not a wine.

Last night I had some venison wrapped in bacon and done on the grill. Accompanied this with a potato and leek gratin, and some lightly-braised white cabbage.

yum.

Miaireland

I had some pan fried mackerel with a fennel salad and French bread

Minder

bonkey wrote: »

Hommelbier is, I would guess, a beer and not a wine.

Doh!

kenco

Miaireland wrote: »

I had some pan fried mackerel with a fennel salad and French bread

Sounds delish!

Myself and herself had pan fried lightly seasoned lamb steaks with a thai stir fry

Quite pleasant and a Thursday night bottle of Portugese Red washed it down (Vina Albani Grand Reserve €6 in Superquinn)

Magic Monkey

Hungarian chicken paprika stew with fresh pasta dumplings, as I had some home-made sour cream to use up. The only way to eat it is to mix both sides together and dive in

the beer revolu

Minder wrote: »

What's out of date wine?

Yes, it is beer.
But while wine doesn't carry a BBE date, any wine has a useful life span and will spoil sooner or later - I for one think wine should have a BBE date as a guide.

psycho-hope

chicken with a spicy honey marinade and home made wedges

The Hill Billy

Roast organic chicken with roasted veg.
Leftovers already gone into a chicken & veg pie for tomorrow.

The Sweeper

Chili wraps last night, with guacamole and rocket and extra chili sauce.

neuro-praxis

Last night we had fish pie, made with organic prawns, monkfish and salmon. In retrospect it was bloody expensive!

Delicious though.

Minder

Last night was prawn & chicken salad with ruby grapefruit. Mibuna, mizuna and rocket leaves from the garden. I butterflied the prawns and fried them in some curry oil. Salad dressing was lime juice, fish sauce and chilli.

We also had a quick noodle dish - udon noodles stir fried with some choi sum, french beans and dressed with a very fiery Guilin Chilli Sauce. Then I threw in some extra prawns.

Kimia

Last night had slow roasted shoulder of lamb with fine green beans and the most amazing gravy - onions, garlic, stock, red wine, and all the sticky bits of the lamb that stuck to the pan. First time tasting shoulder of lamb and it was beyond words.

JONJO THE MISER

Last night i had 2 Aldi striploin 21 day matured steakes with onions mushrooms and rice on the side.

Minder

Last night we had minestrone soup with a large dollop of homemade pesto stirred through each bowl. Tonight we had the left overs from the soup and an Asian style salad of pan fried sugar cured salmon, papaya and nashi pear, chilli, mint and coriander herbs, topped with half a soft boiled duck egg, and a teaspoon of salmon caviar.

The Sweeper

Made a sweet and sour chicken last night. I can never resist stirring through a teaspoon of chili oil at the end, so it was really a sweet and sour and spicy chicken.

Acoshla

My boyfriend made Thai Green Curry today, oh my God it was divine. I'd never had it before, he made it with mange tout, sweet red peppers and babycorn, delish.

the beer revolu

Last night was roast free range chicken with a mix of butter, garlic, thyme leaves, lemon zest, black pepper and chopped Parma(ish) ham pushed under the skin (must give Jamie Oliver some credit there!) and the lemon and thyme stalks in the cavity.
Lots of roast garlic.
Slow roast tomatoes from the garden.
Dressed rocket from the garden.
Lemony, white winey, marjoramy gravy.
Fried polenta.

German Pinot blanc de noir.
German dry reisling.

Apple and rhubarb Eve's Pudding (Mrs Beer)

Tonight is going to be a tomatoey, garlicy, lemony chicken pie with rough puff pastry and maybe some carrots.
It might warrant a pic later;)

kenco

Monday night was a couple of Fillet Steaks off a full fillet I picked up in SuperValue Mount Merrion. Not 100% sure of the value but got a fair few decent sized steaks off it and kept the rest for a Strog.

Followed some tips here and seared the beef first and then finished in the oven. Top notch so thanks for those tips! Served up with fresh dug spuds boiled, seasoned and drizzled with olive oil (thanks to the father in laws allotment!) and baby corn.

Tonight is marinated Pork Chop (lime and coriander) served with mash spuds and steam brocolli