Wedding Woes

I need meal suggestions

H and I have decided we need to expand our horizons a little more with what we eat around here. Our weekly menus consist of pretty much the same foods week after week: chicken or pork chops (baked, grilled, etc.) with some type of pasta or rice and corn, spaghetti, tacos, red beans & rice, jambalaya, dirty rice.

I like minimal work and clean-up, especially b/c some nights I'm trying to cook while watching both kids. H is very much a meat & potatoes kind of guy; corn is the only vegetable he really eats. (I've tried to get him to eat many different veggies, but he has texture issues according to him.)

Do you have any favorite sites that you go to for dinner ideas or a cookbook suggestion? Where do you get dinner inspiration from? 


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Re: I need meal suggestions

  • edited December 2011
    From what I can tell, H finds inspiration from what he watches on TV. Also, when the famer's market is open, when I ask him what he is going to make, he says. "It depends on what looks good."

    He does this orzo dish with shrimp, olives, feta cheese. It was inspired by Ina Garten.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-shrimp-and-orzo-recipe/index.html

    Also good for this time of year, he does a leek & asparagus soup that is awesome - good hot or cold.

    H also makes brats, usually with brussel sprouts (I call this c0ck and balls for dinner).

    H also grills corn on the cobb and it is fabulous. He makes Paula Deen butter - butter with salt, pepper and garlic powder - and coats the cobs (hee), covers them in foil and throws them on the grill. It is SO good.
     
    Grilled romain is good this time of year - really, throw any veg on the grill and it is good. Will your H eat fried green tomatoes?
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  • nicoleg1982nicoleg1982 member
    5000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Roast.  Lasagna.  Quiche.
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  • edited December 2011
    He'll also occasionally roast a chicken on the weekend and get a few meals out of it.

    Also, he'll make lasagna with zucchini strips instead of tradional noodles and it is fabulous.

    Will your H eat collard or mustard greens?
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  • kjsbride2008kjsbride2008 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Min- H eats almost nothing green. He at FIVE green beans last night and called it quits.

    Maybe we can hit the farmer's market at one of the plantations around here and see if there's anything that looks interesting to him. I'm kind of plain Jane myself, but I'm more open to trying things than he is.
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  • baconsmombaconsmom member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    If he has texture issues, hot lettuce will not appeal. 

    He likes corn - what about raw bell peppers, sauteed greenbeans, a romaine salad with carrots, corn, black olives? These are the veggies I like, and I, too, have "issues": most cooked vegetables feel slimy to me. Hot lettuce - any cooked green - is the worst. I don't care how much bacon and vinegar is involved, I won't touch greens. I like my veggies crispy or al dente. 

    In the summer we do a lot of grilling: steaks, burgers and dogs, brats and sausages (I love love love Italian sausage and peppers). We do barbecue chicken and ribs, too. For chicken I like to brine it for a couple of hours/overnight, then we smoke/grill it, then we baste with homemade BBQ sauce. Ribs get a spice rub instead of brining. Make a little German potato salad or tortellini salad and you've got a full meal. 

    We also like grilled pizza. And I do a ravioli bake, but that's more a winter food (as are potato soup, pot pie, corn chowder). 




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  • kjsbride2008kjsbride2008 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I think he's the same way, Bmom. The green beans were fresh greenbeans that I steamed and they were more crispy, so he didn't mind them as much.
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  • InksWellInksWell member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011

    My fave minimal dishes to clean dinner: "Fajitas"-1 pan, one bowl, great leftovers.

    1-Sauté strips of chicken, red and green peppers, red onion in EVOO with lime and chili powder.
    2- Mix Steamfresh rice, corn and a rinsed can of black beans together with more lime juice, cilantro, and chopped green onion.
    3- Put one on top of the other, add some cheese, sour cream, salsa, guac, whatever.
    4- You should have time/energy left to fire up the blender for mangoritas.

    Dear Rain, Not Today. Sincerely, My Parade
  • kjsbride2008kjsbride2008 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I don't mind eating the things we eat; I'd just like a little more variety. He wants to try the things I make, but he's stubborn. It's not that I make ONLY what he eats, it's just easier that way sometimes. 

    Many of the foods we eat are convenient for us b/c they provide leftovers for each of us to have lunch the next day. We try not to eat out for lunch, so if I can make something for dinner that we'll both eat and it yields leftovers, that's and ideal meal. 

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  • *Barbie**Barbie* member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011

    angel hair pasta, with chicken, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and chili oil.
    (inspired by a Michael Chiarello recipe)

    use small  saute pan - pour a small amount of oil into the pot (say 1/4 cup) over low heat, add slivers (or dice) and seeds from your favorite chili pepper (i usually use serranos from my garden) - simmer for at least 15 minutes to infuse the oil  with the chili flavor.

    remove from heat and strain the pepper/seeds out (if you want)

    reserve oil, don't wash pan

    season a boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 2) and cook in oil residue of saute pan with a little garlic.

    while chicken is cooking, cook pasta as well.

    for the last minute that the pasta is cooking, add a cup or more of thinly grated zucchini to the pot.

    drain water from pasta/zucchini and toss with cubed chicken, diced/seeded tomatoes, and chili oil. add fresh diced basil to taste.



    have you ever made pesto? it's another good summer sauce - serve with pasta, chicken, (i'm sure it would work with some seafood too, but i don't eat seafood so couldn't tell you firsthand.) Pesto is easy cause all you need is a blender and a few minutes to make the sauce.

    gazpacho would be another way to get some fresh veggies in a cool/refreshing soup.

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