Dinner--or Dessert--Tonight

[ab_grp]

Ramps were the "it" ingredient a couple years ago.  That pasta sounds delicious!

Thanks to Langue_doc for the additional info and encouragement and sinenomine for more good feedback about spiralizing zucchini.  We're going to try the spiralizer next weekend when we have more time to haul everything out, clean it, and figure it out.  We just used the steam-in-bag Green Giant version for lunch with some jarred pesto and leftover herbed chicken and grilled salmon.  We had a little fresh parmesan on top.  I think cherry or grape tomatoes would have been a good addition, but we enjoyed it as is.  I took some pics so that we can remember that the GG bag does not make a whole lot of zoodles.  I am glad we had the meat with it.  I also had a toasted piece of thin-sliced whole grain bread, he had crudites, and we shared some roasted red pepper hummus.  He's doing a great job with diet and exercise and may be able to go off the medication they gave him sooner rather than later if he can keep it up.   We just have to work up some more go-tos for busy (or lazy!) times.  This meal seems like a good option.

[OneMoreYear]

(Puzzled look).....sounds good, but...

What are 'ramps' ?

M.

Ramps are leeks. I had to google. My misreading was shrimp for ramps.

Recipe with leeks and protein sounds great!

Mmmmm ramps. Combo of onion and pungent garlic flavor, so flavor can be sharp.  Hubby makes ramp pesto when they're in season. We need to go foraging!

[dismalist]

Aahh, ramps are wild onion! [Sources differ.]

[mamselle]

Thanks!

(Can you wear them behind your ear. too?)

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Main: Leftover non-kosher lentil soup.

Sides: Big salad with Bleu Cheese dressing and a piece of buttered toast.

Beverage: Ice water.

[dismalist]

I could eat and enjoy that, Evil.

Main: Just add some grilled pork sausages to the lentil soup, seeing it's non-kosher to begin with.

Sides: Salad is fine.

Beverage: White wine instead of water.

[ab_grp]

We're having grilled salmon, air fried potatoes (me only), and wilted chard.  The salmon has become a good go-to recently.  My husband has made a couple different versions of a sauce similar to the serrano aioli we had on salmon from a local restaurant.  Very yummy.  I am also having red wine (my usual).  We have been having big salads for lunches and just got a chance today to use our new big bowls for them! Today, he had blue cheese crumbles and dressing, and I had a few crumbles but had greener goddess dressing (and a piece of whole grain toast with some hummus).  We've switched from croutons to nuts on our salads for a little extra crunch.

On the topic of lentils, I have been looking at recipes that use them because of their high fiber and protein content.  I guess I never really paid much attention to how many types there are and that they should be used for different purposes.

[Puget]

On the topic of lentils, I have been looking at recipes that use them because of their high fiber and protein content.  I guess I never really paid much attention to how many types there are and that they should be used for different purposes.

Yes, so many delicious things to do with different types of lentils!

The familiar brown ones are fine for classic lentil soup but there are better ones for other purposes.

The red ones fall apart as they cook and make a thick soup with a lovely color - my favorite use for them is this: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup-with-lemon?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

The green (sometimes called French) lentils hold their shape best and are great for salads. There is a whole collection of recipes here:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/2556495-lentil-salads-and-sides?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

And this is really delicious and only has a small amount of pasta: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019860-lentil-and-orzo-stew-with-roasted-eggplant?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website


(If you don't subscribe to NYT cooking it is well worth doing, especially as you are trying to change the way you eat.)

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I could eat and enjoy that, Evil.

Main: Just add some grilled pork sausages to the lentil soup, seeing it's non-kosher to begin with.

Sides: Salad is fine.

Beverage: White wine instead of water.

We used the leftover 'Easter' ham- so...

Edit: Dessert: 1 small bowl of caramel popcorn.

[dismalist]

I could eat and enjoy that, Evil.

Main: Just add some grilled pork sausages to the lentil soup, seeing it's non-kosher to begin with.

Sides: Salad is fine.

Beverage: White wine instead of water.

We used the leftover 'Easter' ham- so...

Edit: Dessert: 1 small bowl of caramel popcorn.

Way to go! :-)

[ab_grp]

Thank you very much, Puget! That is a very helpful overview of the lentil types and what they're good for.  I do subscribe to NYT cooking, and the lentil soup and the dish with eggplant look especially good.  The vegetarian does like eggplant! The soup is similar to one that I was looking at making: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/red-lentil-soup-recipe/  I just bought a couple types last grocery trip, so we ended up with a bag of red lentils and a bag of sprouted green lentils.  I think I have usually used brown lentils in cooking, mostly in a delicious Dorie Greenspan recipe for salmon and lentils.  I think it may have called for green, but I can't always find them at the store.  Maybe they are easier to order online.

[secundem_artem]

Whatever happened to Economizer and his "Bachelor Dinners"? 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Main: 'Stir fry' with ramen, chicken and various vegetables.

Sides: 1 egg roll.

Beverage: Ice water.

Dessert: Strawberry pocky.

[ab_grp]

E_P_W, do you make the egg rolls? If so, please share what works for you! I love them and can't really get any good ones here, and now we won't be ordering food for a while.   Also, we are exploring if ramen would work for us all to eat, because youngster has a bunch of things to celebrate this month and loves ramen.  Hopefully in a couple weeks we can give it a try from the local restaurant, but if you have a recipe you use, please share if you can.  A couple years ago, youngest found a ramen recipe on tiktok or some such that also required homemade noodles (which was the worst part and led to us eating really late).  It didn't taste bad, but I wouldn't necessarily go back to that again.  Finding a recipe we can make, which we know the ingredients for, would be great.

We are doing a crustless cheddar quiche from one of the American Heart Assn cookbooks.  Everyone can eat it and likes to eat it, so that is all I ask of a meal these days.  This is a dish we have previously had youngest make and had planned on that, but strep throat recovery is in progress.  I think we are having previously air-fried brussels with it. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

E_P_W, do you make the egg rolls? If so, please share what works for you! I love them and can't really get any good ones here, and now we won't be ordering food for a while.   Also, we are exploring if ramen would work for us all to eat, because youngster has a bunch of things to celebrate this month and loves ramen.  Hopefully in a couple weeks we can give it a try from the local restaurant, but if you have a recipe you use, please share if you can.  A couple years ago, youngest found a ramen recipe on tiktok or some such that also required homemade noodles (which was the worst part and led to us eating really late).  It didn't taste bad, but I wouldn't necessarily go back to that again.  Finding a recipe we can make, which we know the ingredients for, would be great.

We are doing a crustless cheddar quiche from one of the American Heart Assn cookbooks.  Everyone can eat it and likes to eat it, so that is all I ask of a meal these days.  This is a dish we have previously had youngest make and had planned on that, but strep throat recovery is in progress.  I think we are having previously air-fried brussels with it.

We cheated and used frozen egg rolls. I've read a few blogs about making egg roll 'bowls' without the fried outer coating- just the innards. Though, I suppose if you use an air fryer that will drop the calorie count. I've thought about getting one. Maybe I should?