What are you making for dinner?

weenancyinAmerica

@Brie - J. Paul Getty used to say the ideal meal was a baked potato with butter. During War War II they even did a study about it and discovered it was the ideal meal. I like mine with a little cheese or a little chives (or green onion tops) on top. Best meal to have.

Brie

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81956778#Comment_81956778

sour cream and chives are lovely. Or I've occasionally add a bit Ranch dressing - if I have a decent one. I can get the Paul Newman brand which is good but they don't sell Hidden Valley which I would love! There were some great local versions in the grocery stores in Niagara but being fresh were too difficult for me to smuggle back to the UK.

when my mom came to visit once a couple of decades back I took her to a lunch spot and she was surprised at the different toppings available for a potato. Tuna with mayo and corn ended up being her favourite. Personally one of the best I found was when I could go to the staff restaurant and they had creamed spinach available. They never sold it specifically as a potato topping but they always had (massive!) potatoes and were happy to top them with anything they had as vegetable side dish.

BlueJ94

Im currently doing "project pan" so I use items in my freezer and cupboard before doing another food shop!

Tonight we've got chicken wings but I need a suggestion what else I could make with them? I may have to pop to the supermarket to get something to make them with..

JingsMyBucket

@BlueJ94 how are you flavoring the wings? That’ll help me/us think of ideas.

BlueJ94

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81966437#Comment_81966437

Either Minted or bbq!

BlueJ94

Oh and my OH doesnt eat veggies or spuds 😂

JingsMyBucket

Well he’s definitely a tough customer, @BlueJ94 ! I know you mentioned he doesn’t like vegetables but here are some ideas that might spark other ideas for you:

Sautéed green beans and rice 

Pasta salad 

Coleslaw 

Corn on the cob

Jambalaya or dirty rice 

Mac and cheese

Cauliflower cheese

Garlic bread

Carrot salad

Cucumber (and tomato?) salad (might go well with the mint) 

Stuffed peppers

Brie

@BlueJ94

The norm with chicken wings where I'm from is to just have them with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing (you did both into the dressing, nom!) but that's Buffalo wings, the spicier the more dressing you need.

But if celery isn't an option for the OH then you might go for bread sticks or even garlic bread. Unless lettuce isn't a vegetable in which case you might serve him a simple large wedge of iceberg lettuce with the dressing on that.

Of course the other norm where I'm from is to have them with pierogi (which of course are cooked with bacon and fried onion and served with sour cream). All standard bar food as far as I'm concerned around Niagara.

fyi - my OH always says he doesn't want a salad so when I make a small bowl for myself he wanders in and asks where his is and what dressings are available and why don't we have bluecheese/ranch/caesar. Silly boy.

Meanwhile - OH did fish and chips from Sainsbrys last evening. I don't really have the stomach for it while recovering from covid/cold/something. Tonight he's got trout which he'll grill or fry and serve with potato slices and (depending on what's in the shops) green beans or asparagus. Lamb chops are scheduled for tomorrow and I'm hoping they're done on the bbq.

goldfinches

I've been too busy to post here recently but here's a quick roundup of recent recipes.

I made Riverford's Wild Garlic Tarte Soleil which was lovely but rather let down by the M&S all butter puff pastry I used which wasn't as good as I'd expected. Next time I'll make my own.

Then, yesterday evening, I made Riverford's Marry Me Cauliflower with Garlic Bread which is delicious and very filling although not very photogenic so no pics. I got five big portions from mine which I made with a medium cauliflower and a large sweet potato. I had another portion for dinner this evening and thought the flavours had got better overnight too.

Other things I made during last week were Ottolenghi's hummus and marinated mushrooms although I just used all chestnut mushrooms rather than the more expensive ones and I don't bother with the chilli either. I charred my mushrooms in my panini press thingy which dries them out beautifully and then when they go into the marinade they suck it all in and get really juicy.

Brie

tonight's proposed feast is pasta with pesto. not very enthusiastic about this but will go along with it if I'm not cooking. And not washing up. And not having to try to put away a greasy pasta pot that has been merely rinsed rather than scrubbed.

on the plus side I had a nice piece of pan fried salmon with fried potatoes for breakfast.