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

the beer revolu

reallyrose wrote: »

I don't put it in there for food, I just find that it keeps the chicken nice and moist.
If it happens to actually cook, it's just a nice potatoey-chickeny-extra.
Like you say, usually it doesn't cook much at all.

I don't like to stuff the chicken with stuffing cuz it means I have to dig around in the chicken to get it out again. Tin-foil stuffing with some of the chicken-fat spooned in is far nicer!

Try sticking a cut up lemon, some garlic and some fresh thyme into the cavity - it will give lovely flavours and fantastic lemony gravy:D

Jellybaby1

reallyrose wrote: »

I don't put it in there for food, I just find that it keeps the chicken nice and moist.
I don't like to stuff the chicken with stuffing cuz it means I have to dig around in the chicken to get it out again. Tin-foil stuffing with some of the chicken-fat spooned in is far nicer!

I make a breadcrumb stuffing with butter, salt, herbs and chopped onion and put it into a homemade bag of greaseproof paper, and then pop it inside the chicken. Not forgetting to butter the paper on both sides before filling with the stuffing. Everyone has their own way.

the beer revolu

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

I make a breadcrumb stuffing with butter, salt, herbs and chopped onion and put it into a homemade bag of greaseproof paper, and then pop it inside the chicken. Not forgetting to butter the paper on both sides before filling with the stuffing. Everyone has their own way.

A variation to try:

Butter some tinfoil and lay out some slices of Serrano/Prosciutto/Parma ham (I use Lidl stuff which is good and pretty cheap) on it. Place your stuffing of choice on top and roll it into a 'sausage' and cook it in the oven. The ham gives it that something extra and it can be sliced into nice rounds.

trackguy

Spinach & chickpea curry

the beer revolu

Miso soup with wakame, spring onion and cucumber followed by:

Stirfried slow roast belly pork and Chinese leaves with shallot, ginger, garlic, chilli, preserved black beans, soy sauce, dry sherry, chicken stock, sesame oil, spring onion and fresh coriander.

trackguy

Pan-fried chicken with mango salsa and potato & chorizo hash

tmc86

^ that looks unbelievable and I've only just had lunch!

Jellybaby1

the beer revolu wrote: »

A variation to try:

Butter some tinfoil and lay out some slices of Serrano/Prosciutto/Parma ham (I use Lidl stuff which is good and pretty cheap) on it. Place your stuffing of choice on top and roll it into a 'sausage' and cook it in the oven. The ham gives it that something extra and it can be sliced into nice rounds.

Expect I pop this in on the lower level while the turkey is cooking - how long for, though?

the beer revolu

Jellybaby1 wrote: »

Expect I pop this in on the lower level while the turkey is cooking - how long for, though?

Assuming that you've softened your onions in butter prior to making up the stuffing, then all you're doing is heating it through and crisping the ham a bit - about an hour depending on size but it's not very critical.

xxxkarenxxx

It wasnt planned this way but I seem to be on an italian buzz this week :rolleyes: Lastnight was pork meatballs, I've just taken the lasagne out of the oven for tonight and tomorrow im having carbonara Im going to be sick of pasta by the weekend!!

Just going to make a victoria sponge cake now for my Dads birthday and I have a couple of bars of chocolate lying around so I think I might whip up a batch of cookies too while Im at it

trackguy

xxxkarenxxx wrote: »

It wasnt planned this way but I seem to be on an italian buzz this week :rolleyes: Lastnight was pork meatballs, I've just taken the lasagne out of the oven for tonight and tomorrow im having carbonara Im going to be sick of pasta by the weekend!!

Just going to make a victoria sponge cake now for my Dads birthday and I have a couple of bars of chocolate lying around so I think I might whip up a batch of cookies too while Im at it

I was treated to pork meatballs with sage in a tomato sauce with spaghetti and garlic bread.



I made it sound nicer :cool:

Pigwidgeon

Tonight I made pork steak stuffed with apricot and sage stuffing, mashed potatoes and jardinere of carrots and courgettes.

Wasn't too bad if I do say so myself.

Acoshla

Tonight we had lovely herby sausages from the local butchers, with mash, green beans and really rich gravy, yum.

For dessert we had the dud gingerbread cookies from the batch I just made...

the beer revolu

Monkfish roast in Serrano ham.
Fried polenta cake.
Roast tomatoes.
Jerusalem artichoke salad with roast pepper, olives,olive oil, lemon juice, flat leaf parsley and a little mint. The salad was the sauce.

Truley

the beer revolu wrote: »

Monkfish roast in Serrano ham.
Fried polenta cake.
Roast tomatoes.
Jerusalem artichoke salad with roast pepper, olives,olive oil, lemon juice, flat leaf parsley and a little mint. The salad was the sauce.

Oooh could you tell me how to make the fried polenta cake?

trackguy

Beef Chilli

the beer revolu

Truley wrote: »

Oooh could you tell me how to make the fried polenta cake?

Very easy!
Get your self a bag of polenta or coarse maize meal (same thing but cheaper) from your local whole food shop.
You need about 4 : 1 volume of stock to polenta.
For two people I use about 150ml polenta and 600ml boiling water with one chicken stock pot thingy (use what ever stock you like but I find those knor pots work well - I never use homemade stock in this).

So, boil up your pot of stock and while stirring, pour the polenta in a steady stream into the stock. If you do this right, it will not go lumpy. First time get someone to pour for you while you stir.
Bring back to the boil, reduce heat right down and barely simmer it for 20 minutes stirring often to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Then you can pour it out to let it cool and set.

I usually pour it straight into an oiled frying pan so when I want to fry it up. I just put the pan on the heat and turn it by placing a plate over the pan, inverting the pan and then sliding the cake back into the pan.

You can let it set in any container and cut it into squares to fry it too - as you like.

We are absolutely addicted to the stuff in our house.
It's incredibly cheap - way cheaper than spuds, pasta or rice and is gorgeous. I can't understand why it isn't more commonly eaten round these parts. I also do not understand how so many people claim to not like polenta.

Honey-ec

the beer revolu wrote: »

I also do not understand how so many people claim to not like polenta.

Me neither, cause I'd say most Irish people have never even tasted it.

the beer revolu

Had a starter on a Monday:eek::eek:!!

Black pudding (Rosscarbery recipe)with a smear of Frank's HotSauce, topped with fried monkfish and a squeeze of lemon. A very good combination of flavours.

Then shepherd's pie (from the freezer) with frozen peas and sweetcorn.

Minced pies for dessert (my mum's).:D

the beer revolu

Honey-ec wrote: »

Me neither, cause I'd say most Irish people have never even tasted it.

I've seen Irish people make that face at it, try it and instantly declare they don't like it.
I love that face people make at food that's anyway unfamiliar to them:mad::mad:

trackguy

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

Loire

trackguy wrote: »

Vietnamese Chicken Curry

<Mod edit: Don't quote pics>

Hi Trackguy. That looks superb..you wouldn't have the recipie that you used to hand by any chance?
Thanks!
Loire.

niamhocxox

the beer revolu wrote: »

Very easy!
Get your self a bag of polenta or coarse maize meal (same thing but cheaper) from your local whole food shop.
You need about 4 : 1 volume of stock to polenta.
For two people I use about 150ml polenta and 600ml boiling water with one chicken stock pot thingy (use what ever stock you like but I find those knor pots work well - I never use homemade stock in this).

So, boil up your pot of stock and while stirring, pour the polenta in a steady stream into the stock. If you do this right, it will not go lumpy. First time get someone to pour for you while you stir.
Bring back to the boil, reduce heat right down and barely simmer it for 20 minutes stirring often to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Then you can pour it out to let it cool and set.

I usually pour it straight into an oiled frying pan so when I want to fry it up. I just put the pan on the heat and turn it by placing a plate over the pan, inverting the pan and then sliding the cake back into the pan.

You can let it set in any container and cut it into squares to fry it too - as you like.

We are absolutely addicted to the stuff in our house.
It's incredibly cheap - way cheaper than spuds, pasta or rice and is gorgeous. I can't understand why it isn't more commonly eaten round these parts. I also do not understand how so many people claim to not like polenta.

Thanks a million for this recipe! I ate this in Slovenia in May (its bascially their spud) and loved it but never got its name but then I recognised it in your picture! Its so tasty, cannot wait to make some!

One question though, once its cooked/boiled does it have to cool to be fried and does it need to be fried? Think that was two questions really :P

the beer revolu

niamhocxox wrote: »

Thanks a million for this recipe! I ate this in Slovenia in May (its bascially their spud) and loved it but never got its name but then I recognised it in your picture! Its so tasty, cannot wait to make some!

One question though, once its cooked/boiled does it have to cool to be fried and does it need to be fried? Think that was two questions really :P

Well, to fry it, it does really need to set but that doesn't take very long - maybe half an hour.
No, it doesn't need to be fried - you can serve it like mash but it does get very stodgy pretty quickly. It doesn't seem to absorb much oil when you fry it, if that's your worry.

trackguy

Loire wrote: »

Hi Trackguy. That looks superb..you wouldn't have the recipie that you used to hand by any chance?
Thanks!
Loire.

It's a bit ingredient heavy this one.

2 lemongrass stalks
50ml veg oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 shallot, sliced
2 tbsp indian curry powder
700ml coconut milk
500ml chicken stock
2 tbsp fish sauce
4 dried chillies
8 kaffir lime leaves
6 chicken breasts, cubed
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1in chunks
1 large aubergine, cut into chunks
250g green beans
2 carrots, cut into chunks
Fresh basil, to garnish
Cooked rice, to serve

Cut the lemongrass into very thin slices. Heat the wok over a high heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic and shallot for 5 minutes until golden. Add the lemongrass and curry powder and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, chillies and lime leaves and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and add the chicken and all the vegetables. Simmer, covered for 1 hour until all the flavours have blended.

Serve, topped with some basil leaves, with the rice.

RECIPE: The Curry Bible, Marks & Spencer

neuro-praxis

Tonight we had pork fillet, stuffed with a home-made stuffing of bread, herbs, butter, smoked bacon, apple and black pepper, and roasted with white whine and bay leaves. We ate this in thick slices with mash and green veg. There was an amazingly rich dark gravy from the juices, too. Nyom.

Faith

Amazingly rich cottage pie. Perfect for this weather!

neuro-praxis

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Tonight we had pork fillet, stuffed with a home-made stuffing of bread, herbs, butter, smoked bacon, apple and black pepper, and roasted with white whine and bay leaves. We ate this in thick slices with mash and green veg. There was an amazingly rich dark gravy from the juices, too. Nyom.

I actually wrote white whine. Oops.

trackguy

Beef Burritos filled with beef chilli, rice, salsa, cheese, refried beans. Guacamole on the side.

Pepe LeFrits

trackguy wrote: »

Beef Burritos filled with beef chilli, rice, salsa, cheese, refried beans. Guacamole on the side.

Where'd you get the beans?