It’s Sunday night and that means it’s time for “What’s For Dinner”! Here are the most recent meals we’ve had. Or at least the ones I’ve remembered to photograph.
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We’re kicking things off with our Mardi Gras dinner. In the past I’ve often made jambalaya on Mardi Gras but we went with the traditional pancakes this year.
Homemade pancakes, scrambled eggs (mine were dotted with Marie Sharp’s hot sauce),
fruit smoothie and coffee
Stuffed bell pepper (with black beans instead of ground beef),
homemade mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
There’s a story to go with this next meal. I was planning to make my delicious smothered pork chops, although the stove-top version, not the Instant Pot recipe. I was using my wonderful Le Creuset dutch oven that David bought me for Christmas. In the past I had always used my stainless steel waterless cookware with lids that seal. That’s an important detail in this story.
I browned the pork chops, added the wine and broth and left them to simmer. About that time, my mom called and I forgot what I was doing until Chris called from the kitchen that “something is burning!”. I rushed in there, removed the lid and moved the pot off the burner. That’s when the smoke alarm went off.
Did I mention that David had been called out on a fire just after I started cooking?
I turned on the attic fan and then Chris and I tried to remember the password to turn off the alarm. Shiloh was freaking out so I put him on his leash on the front porch. We managed to turn off the alarm just before David called. His phone number is the one the security company calls when our security system alarm goes off. He had told them that his wife was cooking just before he left and that he happened to actually be in a fire truck at that moment so all was fine.
What should have been gravy had completely evaporated. Out of four pork chops, one was okay and I saved that for David. One was overcooked but edible and I ate that one. The other two were pretty charred on one side but Shiloh enjoyed them just fine over the next few days as we used them to disguise his antibiotics.
Not one of my finer cooking moments but the mashed potatoes and asparagus were good.
I’ll be sharing this next recipe soon:
Garlic lime chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and salad
This next meal was SO good and the recipe for the tacos will be on the blog soon.
Cheesy Potato Tacos, Mexican rice
I didn’t make this next one. David’s boss was in town and we went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant. This was delicious and I didn’t have any kitchen cleanup afterwards!
Salmon topped with baby shrimp, red peppers and capers in a sherry wine sauce, with veggies. I had a salad to start and a glass of Pinot Noir.
Alaskan cod filet, baked potato, green beans and salad
Vegetarian lasagna, steamed fresh broccoli, salad, garlic bread stick
And you’ve probably seen the Pepsi Cake recipe I shared a few days ago but here’s another picture because…cake!
Glad nothing other than the food got burned, and at least you were able to salvage it (even if mostly as dog food).
I had pancakes too. I always do, but this was my first year as a vegan. I don’t usually use egg substitutes when baking, but had been told that was fine with pancakes anyhow. I do have a couple of the things you can use for substitutes instead of actual egg replacers on hand as a rule for when it’s essential to use something (apple cider vinegar, bananas, cornflour, and tofu… Depending on the reason for the substitution) but since it apparently wasn’t, I tried the two-ingredient pancake method, using plant milk to mix with the flour. They actually turned out really great. In fact, I enjoyed that version more than I had the banana oat pancakes I’d had a couple of months ago, which were good, but not as pancake-ish as these ones, if that makes sense. Anyway, I had them with maple syrup.
Most of last week was spent on Weetabix or oatmeal mixed with various plant milks, strawberry soya yogurt, fruit smoothies, and soup. I made the leek and potato soup I hadn’t gotten around to making the week before. I was glad of it, since after my appointment Tuesday it was difficult enough to eat Weetabix, oatmeal, yogurt, and soup. I can manage solid food without pain again now, so YAY! I mean, I love those things… Weetabix and oatmeal are the cereals I have as a rule, for example… But only being able to manage those things, and even then only just, wasn’t fun.