What's for dinner?

[Ravella and X]

Aloha rolling food people. I got busy and was away from the forum for a while. Still need to catch up on reading this and other favorite threads— but wanted to say hi before I get distracted again.

Here’s a high protein, filling, flavorful, easy to make, frugal and crunchy travel day snack.

It’s split peas (yellow, not green). This batch is flavored with salt, garam masala, onion powder, and cinnamon. All cooked sorta slow in a frying pan with a little olive oil. The peas don’t need to be cooked first, just soaked for 4 hours, drained and patted dry.

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Went shopping today to our nearest large city - 68 miles away. Nice to see some hustle and bustle. Ate lunch at CRACKERBARREL NL! Had the CFS as usual. Got home and was still pretty full till dinner time Finally decided to rustle a little dinner. Since it's Sat. it's time to clean out leftovers and odds and ends for the week.

I found: A serving of rice and a last container of frozen chicken and chive Asian dumplings - actually, they're Momo's which are Himalayan rim - Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan etc and a couple of other odds and ends. Decided to fry em instead of steaming potsticker style. Mixed up a batch of Colman's Mustard (if you want it extra hot use beer or vinegar with a pinch of salt) to mix with shoyu for a dip.

Fried em up (kinda made a spattery mess but oh well.... Turned out pretty tasty! Hit the spot and not too big a supper. It's a beautiful balmy evening here. Hope the weather is nice wherever you are... Take the time to "smell the roses" and have a good dinner. You never know these days!

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Hey Ravella!

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Missed ya!

 

[Ravella and X]

Cmon Ravella, let's head to Kauai and start a Van Living Commune there...

Like a Taylor Camp 2, but on wheels instead of in treehouses? And prolly with a MUCH higher median age. Still plenty pakalolo though. Heh.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

Both of those look really good you two! I live only 3 hours from NOLA so I run down there once in a while to eat and shop. Cal do you use pickled pork in your RBR? I do. It's a NOLA thing and it's really tasty in the dish.

Kristina, wow! LOTTA work there girl but it looks fantastic! I add mint and coriander along w flat parsley to my falafel - turns it bright green!

Cheers!

I grew up on New Orleans red beans and rice. With tasso ham in it.
But I've been vegetarian for about 33 years now. So I use wrights smoke seasoning and a bit of salt to make up the difference.
It isn't 100% authentic if you are a purist. But then my red beans are going more on the flavor of red beans, onions, celery and garlic together.
With the parsley and herbs adding to complexity. It's not spicy like some places make it. Not all Cajun food is spicy! This isn't chili over rice.

 

[JDub]

Like a Taylor Camp 2, but on wheels instead of in treehouses? And prolly with a MUCH higher median age. Still plenty pakalolo though. Heh.

Lord... I think they've pretty much given up enforcing personal use 412 over there. Last time I was home last fall, I went around the East end to Waimanalo to eat at Ono Steak and Shrimp. Took my lunch and parked at Sherwood Forest (local hangout - DON'T park there if you're a tourist - you know - "Rob from the rich (tourists) and give to the poor (local boys" )and there was so much smoke coming out of there it looked like a Cheech and Chong movie...

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Sunday is the day I try to do a bunch of bulk cooking to save time and last me through the week. Good way to use what you've got and economize food costs by volume. Among other things, this morning I chopped up a fruit salad, baked some chicken, made and froze a big batch of banana pancakes since I had some nanners that really needed using. Also oven fried a pound of bacon to go with it.

That bacon smelled so good I got to thinking about one of my favorite things - something I really avoid eating because - well - I value my health! The Mighty Double Double Bacon Cheeseburger with all the fixins... Haven't had one in a while (a LONG while) and I just happened to have made and frozen a batch of burger patties a while ago... So, after wrestling with my better sense for about.... 3 seconds... I pulled them out to defrost. (I have NO willpower when it comes to CHEEBURGER!).

Anyway, tonight was a great night to grill out. Just fantastic weather but we're expecting a lot of rain and t storms for the next several days. Perfect timing. Fired up Mr. Grill ( Sam volunteered to guard it while I cooked - might be some pesky 4 legged furry moocher trying to get at those burgers ya know). They got sprinkled with Tony Chachere's, pepper, garlic powder, and kosher salt and grilled to medium.

I had already cut up the veggies and pepper jack cheese was going on it. Crisped up 4 slices of bacon (did I mention I try not to eat this often) 2 burgers and Blue Plate Mayo, mustard, and catsup finished it off. Bagel toasted a jumbo burger bun and that was it. Notice I didn't have anything else along with it. I figured I had already negatively impacted my cardio vascular health enough with just this one thing! The only thing I can think of worse was the Double Loco Moco at the now (sadly - another COVID victim) closed Meg's Drive Inn in Honolulu...

The verdict? Fantastic. Sometimes you just need a big drippy cheesy messy burger and DANG the calories! Spring's coming and grilling season is too. Make sure you take some time, get out your grill, pull over in a park or there at your camp and grill something you love but rarely eat. It's so worth it - ONCE in a while



By the way, the KEY to eating a huge burger like this is to NEVER PUT IT DOWN once you start eating! NEVER....

Cheers!

 

[Ravella and X]

Lord... I think they've pretty much given up enforcing personal use 412 over there. Last time I was home last fall, I went around the East end to Waimanalo to eat at Ono Steak and Shrimp. Took my lunch and parked at Sherwood Forest (local hangout - DON'T park there if you're a tourist - you know - "Rob from the rich (tourists) and give to the poor (local boys" )and there was so much smoke coming out of there it looked like a Cheech and Chong movie...

Ya! I used to eat my lunch parked sideways to the waves at Kalapaki. Never got tired of watching those cousins out there smoking on their paddle boards. Those guys were more careful than the uncles in the park behind me. And the kids just cruising by. Maybe I got high at lunchtime just by being surrounded like that!

 

[abnorm]

I think they've pretty much given up enforcing personal use 412 over there

You're 8 minutes early....................

 

[JDub]

You're 8 minutes early....................

DOH!!! What do ya expect from a guy who still uses windup clocks in his house??? It was subliminal, I had just ordered online from my favorite old school butcher - In Pittsburgh - area code 412... They make the freakin BEST Kolbasa (Kielbasa)... Great service, been around almost 75 years. Ordered 10 pds of sausage and 4 orders of their lamb loin chops... Guess my mind was still drooling about that garlicky sausage goodness...

https://stripdistrictmeats.com/
Cheers!

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Well, the predicted dangerous storms, high winds, and flash flooding forecasted for today - did not appear - except for some gusting about noon, it was actually a rather pleasant day.. After I had spent all that time battening down the hatches... Anyway... Went shopping at the "Not The Walmart" and it had some pretty good sale items. Among them, nicely cut assorted porkchops -$1.59 lb, good looking Rump Roast - $3.99 lb, strawberry's - $4.00 for 2 lbs. Got several pounds of chops, 3 of RR, and 2 lbs berries - Mine won't be ready for another couple months.

Since it was SUPPOSED to be nasty today, I went with simple - my fool (Me) proof roast beef. preheat oven to 450F, cover beef fat side up w K salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Preferably put it on a rack over a pan with an inch of water in it. Stick it in the oven for 20 min. After 20, turn temp down to 400 and roast for 15 min per pound - in this case, 45 min. Pull it out, tent it w foil, and let stand at least 10 min before carving. Perfect medium rare...

Sandwich time! Toasted bun, Swiss, plenty of roast, leftover burger veggies, mayo, horseradish, and Colman's. Arby's eat your heart out! (Trivia - Arby's (which I like) actually stands for R and B - the initials of the chain's founders RB - get it? I actually met a guy years ago who worked at one of the original stores. He said they used to mix all the sauces by hand and that the original RB's sauce was a mixture of Russian dressing, Catsup, and garlic powder. I've made it before and it tastes pretty darn close!

Anyway, a few chips (I'm a sucker for salty snacks), a leftover corn niblet, and some of those nice fresh strawberries = dinner for tonight. If you make this on the road, try and get some deli sliced RB instead of the drippy stuff in those little containers. Do your best to eat fresh foods when you can, it's way better for you than that crappy processed stuff although it more expensive... All it basically takes is a cutting board and a knife! Stay safe and sound out there!

 

[JDub]

Evening all. The promised rain (but without the "sound and fury") has finally shown up. Basically a rainy, drizzly, kinda chilly day starting afternoon. Just did a few inside things to catch up, sliced up that roast on my 1970's vintage Krups folding slicer I inherited from my folks (it's a really nice little machine - typical precision Teutonic engineering). It made short work if it and I'm all up on sandwich meat for the week. Baked a loaf of whole wheat, broke down that big pack of pork chops and froze em, etc etc (insert dull household chores here).

Tonight, really wasn't in the mood for anything heavy or even "dinnerish" (is that a word?). Sooooo... Breakfast fit the bill. Last leftover porkchop, 2 over easy eggs, and a pile of cheese grits. Hit the spot! Decided against toast. Figured the grits had more than enough carbs. Instant grits are a great addition to any Nomad's pantry. Easy to cook (4 min), and substantial enough with added cheese for a meal on their own. If you sauté some tomato, onions, mushrooms, and peppers (seasoned to taste) and add them on top, you have a nice vegetarian meal (omit the cheese if you're vegan or use plant based cheese subs)

Carnivore like me? Add smoked sausage or ham and bacon for a real feast. Down at the Coffee Cup restaurant in PCola on Bayou Texar (Tay Har) these are known as Nassau Grits and have been served since the 40's. Add shrimp and you've got a fancy dish you'd pay 40 bucks for at some pinky waving fine dining place with snooty waiters!



Well, that's it for this evening's food piece. Hopefully all of you are staying warm and dry and well fed out there. If you can, tank up, looks like the prices are only going to keep climbing...

Cheers.

 

[Ravella and X]

What a coincidence. I had eggs for dinner, too. On homemade whole wheat sourdough toast, drizzled with the olive oil that the eggs were fried with, and sprinkled with nutritional yeast.

 

[JDub]

What a coincidence. I had eggs for dinner, too. On homemade whole wheat sourdough toast, drizzled with the olive oil that the eggs were fried with, and sprinkled with nutritional yeast.

Sounds like that painting by Velazquez!

 

[JDub]

Evening all. Another gloomy day but without much rain this time. Actually got an hour walk in. We're supposed to get the previously predicted bad weather Fri followed by a 25 degree drop in temps below freezing Sun night. Pretty much the last hurrah for Old Man Winter around here though... Spring has pretty much sprung.

Made a big salad tonight for the rest of the week. So it was a no brainer when it came to the question of: "What's for dinner"? Made my version of a Chef's Salad w sliced up roast beef, cheese, pepperoncini, olives, pimentos, and home made dressing. Lightly toasted some of the bread I baked yesterday, and finished off with ripe strawberries. No complaints here!

This is one of the easiest ways to eat healthy on the road. Keep a container of pre made salad in your cooler / refer, along w various toppings like tuna, cold cuts, shredded cheese, olives, jarred roasted red peppers, giardiniera, etc and mix and match to your heart's content.

Everyone stay safe and healthy out there wherever you are in the Nomad World!

 

[JDub]

Hey Wahine...

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[JDub]

Evening all. No post last PM. Decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather last evening and hungout on a friend's back porch (don't you love old back porches?) Till late yucking it up. We even * GASP * ordered Domino's Pizza! I can't even REMEMBER the last time I did that. It was pretty good though, Sausage, Onions, and Mushrooms.

The weather outside tonight is still warm as hell but we're supposed to get SNOW flurries and icy drizzle mixed with rain after midnight and the air temp is supposed to drop ~ 40 F overnight. North Bama is forecast to get 2-3 inches of snow tonight. Temps tomorrow will drop to ~ 25 F overnight. Of course we're getting back to the 70's by Mon... Also Of Course, I have a bunch of freshly planted stuff and everything perennial from my Peonies to Glads, to Rhubard, Blueberries, Clemantis, Day and Easter Lillies, Blackberries, etc etc are already poking up out of the dirt....

Spent the afternoon covering everything, bringing in all my pots, mulching, I had to re wrap my big Guava Tree that grows in a big pot with plastic and drug it under the eves, just a bunch of fun stuff... Hope most of it survives . Anyway, I've been hankering for a dish that all of you who are from or live in the Midwest are probably very familiar with. Hot Beef! Piles of sliced beef simmered in a (mushroom in this case) gravy till tender and then piled on whole wheat toast. Usually you also get a side of mashed but didn't think I could take the carb count of that!

Just happened to have all the ingredient from my roast earlier this week and I had saved my dripping. Sooooo... Hot Beef 101. Served with my premade salad, and the last of "The STRAAAWberries" ("Caine Mutiny" anyone?). Bogie was da BOMB. Watched "Treasure of the Sierra Madres" again the other night. What a great movie.

Anyway, back OT. Turned out great and only took about 30 min - even making the gravy (drippings, flour, stock, small can of mushrooms w liquid, salt, pepper, a touch of thyme). A nice old fashioned meal... If you're in the way of this Clipper, stay warm and safe with an extra blanket on your bunk.... Don't be on the road. Sounds like an icing event about to happen in the worst hit areas. Have a hot drink too. I'm about have a nice cuppa green tea myself!

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

NOTE! Remember to "Spring Ahead" an hour tonight! DST begins.

Evening all. "It was a Dark and Stormy Night". Honestly, last night's storm was the worst one I've seen here in a long while. It was ALMOST on par with a weaker High Plains or Desert blow. Pounding rain and 40 mph wind gusts (N. Bama got 60's +) interspersed with rattles of hail and sleet. Wen't on from ~ 8.00 pm till about 4 in the am. Spent a lot of today picking up and uncovering stuff.

Tonight we're dropping down to about 20 F according to the WX folks. Made sure my spigots were covered and everything was ready for a freeze event - This area isn't really used to very low temps even though 20 isn't too low. The (very) old houses here don't have much insulation and bare pipes under them unless the homeowner does it themselves. Don't know why folks ignore it (" Oh, I'll just drip the water, It'll be awwrite". We get plenty of busted pipes every year...

I even constructed an ad hoc greenhouse for my Guava tree that I'll put a heater in tonight to move air and keep it above freezing in there (See below - Hey! "Perfect is the enemy of Good Enough"!). It's gotten too big to move indoors. I also did some packing for my trip beginning Mon. Not too much to pack since my buddy Randy is bringing his RV - I'm going to be the untowed Toad . Looking forward to getting on the road!.

Tonight's menu was another round of "what do I got in da fridge"? Last of the roast beef, half an onion, one burger bun left, and provolone cheese = A bastardized Philly Cheese Steak. Yes, I've been to both Pat's and Geno's in between flying in and out of PHL. I liked Pat's because the texture was better for my taste. Taste wise, both were good but I've had far better steaks in little Mom and Pop joints. The best was a family run dive grill and bar outside of Ft Indian Town Gap Pa.

The place had been open since the 20's and the matriarch of the family was still manning the grill in her 80's. She'd been serving the troops since the 30's. I came in one day after a long set of air missions - starving - she went back there and whipped up a masterpiece I swear must have weighed over 3 pounds - a fantastic steak on a whole long Italian bread (the bread is at least as important as the filling). Ate every bite - cost something like $3.50 at the time (30 years ago).

I didn't have a good loaf of bread tonight but ya gotta run wit wat U got. I chopped everything, sauteed the onions in OO, added the meat, then some hot stuff (garlic chile sambal), finally folded in the cheese and piled it on the toasted bun wit a salad and chips on the side. To really be authentic ya gotta have one "Whiz and Wit" (Cheese Whiz and Onions) I prefer the provolone... It was delish... Fit for a King (or a Philly Street rat) I was blessed to have it.

Hopefully everyone is safe and settled down for the evening and staying warm. Get a good night's sleep and have at it again manana...

Cheers!

 

[Ravella and X]

I ate leftover black bean chili con tvp carne for dinner. That tvp stuff is amazing. Can’t wait to try to make tvp sausage gravy. Comfort food, but with a halo

 

[JDub]

I ate leftover black bean chili con tvp carne for dinner. That tvp stuff is amazing. Can’t wait to try to make tvp sausage gravy. Comfort food, but with a halo

Just remember Wahine - "No good deed is ever left unpunished"!