OT: What's for dinner?

[NetsForce]

What are all of you guys having for dinner tonight? I'm sitting here in my dorm and am really not in the mood for anything from the cafeteria tonight and can't decide whether or not I should order out... I mean on one hand I surprisingly hit the ATM 3 times in the last week when I normally hit it about 3 times in 3 months so I don't know if I want to blow the money, but on the other hand I don't know if I should settle for the standard pizza and fries mega combo...

[BigWil17]

well i'm ordering pizza tonight.... so i don't think i'm helping you.

[NjNeTs1029]

midnight breakfast later tonight

[Rich Rane]

Okay not really. It's more like...



Well, more like...



Every Sunday everyone gets mixed up on who's supposed to bring one over so there's usually four of those feeding six or seven. I usually don't get to them in time.

Oh and I'll be forced to lock this soon enough...

[St.Nick]

Want a tasty meal that is easy to cook and really cheap? This BBQ chicken and bell pepper sandwich I made last night was awesome, it took like 15 minutes to prepare, and it cost maybe $3 in ingredients (not counting the basic olive oil, spices, vinegar that you should have in your kitchen already).

You need:

1 Boneless Chicken Breast
1 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper/Garlic Flavoring (or better-- crushed garlic paste)
One 6 inch French Baguette (or whatever kind of sandwich roll you want)

For the BBQ Sauce:
Ketchup
Red Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
(Spicy red pepper paste, if you have it is good, too)

Slice the chicken breast in half so its extra thin (maybe 1/4 inch)
Use about 1/3 of the bell pepper; cutting it into two pieces with each piece about the length of the chicken breast (3 inches or so). Save the rest for future sandwiches or as a garnish. Make sure there are no seeds sticking to the bell pepper, as they are not fun to eat.

First heat up some olive oil in a pan on medium/high heat....after it is hot, throw in the bell pepper pieces...cook until the skin is a little bit carmelized (charred) from the heat. Should take 2-3 minutes or so.

Throw the chicken in a pan (drop it down to medium heat)...flavor it with a bit of salt/pepper/garlic flavoring...cook for 4-5 minutes, turning it over until both sides are cooked evenly... make sure it doesn't overcook or it will be too tough to eat.

While the chicken cooks you can prepare the BBQ sauce...BBQ sauce is super easy to make, it takes like 30 seconds to prepare and is usually way better than the store bought crap you pay too much for...you just put some ketchup in a bowl (maybe 5-6 tbsp's) then add 1-2 tbsp of the balsamic red vinegar, and 1 tbsp of honey. Mix it up until it blends into one purplish color. If you want to add ginger powder, teriyaki sauce, spicy pepper sauce, or whatever you just do what you want to make your own personalized BBQ sauce.

When everything is ready you just put the chicken and bell pepper in a roll, lay on the BBQ sauce, and you are ready to eat an awesome sandwich.

Cooking your own food is usually cheaper, more delicious, and more healthy than eating out. You just gotta put in a little bit of time and energy, but it totally pays off in the end.

[NetsForce]

So I ended up eating some Mac & Cheese... A lot of Mac & Cheese... Man I can't wait till I get back home... And you can try to lock this Rich but I know you don't have the balls to do it =D!

[Preludepunk27]

To add to St. Nicks recipe, try a green pepper, mushrooms and onions and melt some provolone on top of the of it...smothered chicken sandwich! Quick to make, good protein, nice amount of veggies and it's bangin! Throw some texas pete on there and you got a stew going baby!

[vincecarter4pres]

Hey, don't lock this, sticky it.

Anyway, it's meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight, not that instant crap neither.

Yesterday I made chicken cacciatore. Noice.

[St.Nick]

Chicken Cacciatore...that sounds good...white wine, capers, fried chicken...what am I missing? Is it easy to do?

[Preludepunk27]

Anything with capers = badass.

[vincecarter4pres]

Chicken Cacciatore...that sounds good...white wine, capers, fried chicken...what am I missing? Is it easy to do?

Easy enough if you can cook.

I didn't make it by recipe, per say, I didn't have some of the ingredients in house.

Took 3 chicken breasts, butterflied them, cut them into chunks around 1 inch each, coated them with flour.
About a tablespoon and a half EVOO into a heated saute pan, high heat, hit em till they're brown, remove from pan.
Take skinned and cubed potatoes, carrot, celery, onion, minced garlic and put it back in the pan(with about a tablespoon and a half EVOO again and a touch of butter) salt a little heavy, plus pepper, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Cover and let cook on medium heat, till it is about 2/3's cooked.
Uncover, add about half a cup chicken stock, let cook for a few minutes.
Add a can of whole tomatoes you have cut into chunks or hand crushed. Do not disregard the juice, add as well.
Add maybe a tablespoon or 2 or fresh chopped parsley.
Let this cook for a few minutes covered on high heat, then uncover and add the chicken back in.
Lower the heat and let it simmer till it reduces down to a nice thick sauce, like a stew consistency, probably around 20 minutes, but remember the sauce will reduce for another few minutes, maybe ten after you turn the heat off.
During this process(right after you add the tomatoes, before you add the chicken) season to taste.
If you like make some pasta on the side, something hearty like Rigatoni or penne and serve on a small bed of this.

Truthfully you shoul be putting white wine in this, no potatoes, you should have green pepper and mushrooms in there, but I didn't have any of that stuff in my house last night.

[St.Nick]

Mmm...that sounds awesome. I'm definitely trying that soon.

[BigWil17]

Now I want capers. I don't really know what they are, but I think I've eaten them before. What aisle would that be in? Cans? Vegetbales? Potpourri?

[NetsForce]

1.5 more days of this cafeteria food then I get to eat real stuff again...

[St.Nick]

Now I want capers. I don't really know what they are, but I think I've eaten them before. What aisle would that be in? Cans? Vegetbales? Potpourri?

Canned foods...right next to the olives.

The best caper involved dish that I know is Chicken Picatta:

Butterfly some chicken breast.coat it in flour (let it sit in the flour for a few minutes)..fry it up in some EVOO (thanks for letting me steal your cool terms, VC4Pres) and a pat of butter...throw on a bit of salt and black pepper...cook it to a golden crispy color (not more than a few minutes though).

Remove the chicken, make the sauce:

Sauce: throw in about 1/4 cup of white wine...pan should be hot enough that the pan steams when the wine hits it...scrape the drippings off the bottom of the pan while the alcohol in the wine cooks off...throw in juice from maybe 1/5 of a lemon...toss in as many capers as you see fit....let the sauce boil....add in the chicken and return the heat to a simmer....throw in a bit more butter and stir it around until you have a lovely, even looking picatta sauce.

Must eat this with mashed potatoes. The sauce with the potatoes is AWESOME. And remember, always use tons of butter and real cream when making mashed potatoes. Its a necessity.

[vincecarter4pres]

Nonpareil capers are choice.

[vincecarter4pres]

I'm thinking something extra garlicky tonight, any suggestions?

[Preludepunk27]

I'm thinking something extra garlicky tonight, any suggestions?

Go get some garlic stuffed olives, put them tin foil you can grill. put the heat on low and just get them to a nice temperature. Take them off the grill, dice them up real good. Put them on top of some chicken breasts, bake them up, and you got a stew going baby!

[vincecarter4pres]

Sounds decent.

I wound up just defrosting some sauce, about to boil some pasta.
Meh.

I guess I will get my garlic fix on Sunday.

Thinking some angel hair garlic and oil with cherry tomatoes, hot cherry peppers and anchovies.

Good times.


Eh, do you have a lot of good BBQ shacks where you are in North Carolina?
How bout seafood?

[vincecarter4pres]

Stuffed Pork Chops and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe G&O

Ingredients:
6 pork chops, about 1 inch thick
whole green apple,cored, diced
half a tomato, seeded, diced
half can artichoke hearts, diced
4 strips of cooked bacon, chopped, pretty fine
large handful of boiled, shocked and drained broccoli rabe*
piece of whole wheat toast, crumbled
thinly sliced fresh garlic, about 4 to 6 cloves
1 small white onion, diced
cup of chicken stock(maybe a little less)
cup or 2 breadcrumbs
table spoon orange juice
splash of lemon juice
1/4 white wine
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary
freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese
butter
evoo
salt & pepper

*For the broccoli rabe I like to boil it a little to take out a little of the bitterness. You don't want to kill it, because it will get too mushy and at the same time bitterness is a defining characteristic of the rabe. Take the broccoli rabe and cut about an inch off the bottom of the stems. Remove any blackened leaves. Boil water in a large pot with a little sea salt, if available. Throw the rabe in for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain, throw into an ice bath to shock it so it doesn't continue cooking itself. Drain again and set aside.

1. Start by making your stuffing. Heat a large sautee pan then add a couple tablespoons of your olive oil and about a tablespoon butter. Throw in your apples, onions, garlic, artichoke hearts, tomatoes and chopped broccoli rabe. You can use high or medium heat. Let it cook, but make sure to consistantly stir so it doesn't burn. While it is cooking add the orange juice, lemon juice and white wine and a pinch of salt a pepper, When everything is almost cooked, add the bread crumbs, whole wheat bread crumbs and chicken stock, turn to high heat. Stir constatnly, let the stock boil away till the mixture is pretty dry, but has come together. About a minute or two before it's done add the grated cheese, the thyme, rosemary and bacon. Mix in. Remove the mixture from pan and set aside to cool.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Take your chops and make a deep incision on the non-fat or non-bone side, but do not cut all the way through the side, make a deep pocket. Fill the chops with the stuffing. Overfill them to where maybe a quarter inch or so of stuffing is protruding across the entire chop. Salt and pepper the outside of the meat.
Return pan to high heat, add evoo, put chops in and get a good sear, about 2 minutes each side.
Remove excess oil from pan and put in oven. Usually it will take about 8 to 12 minutes to properly cook through, remember that meat will continue to rise in temperature and cook for around 10 minutes after you remove it from the heating source as well, so don't worry if it is still a little pink.

3. While the main course is in the oven you can make your side dish.
In a seperate heated saute pan add evoo. Throw in fresh thinly sliced garlic for a couple minutes. Now throw in about a pound to a pound and a half broccoli rabe. Cook it on medium to high heat, occasionally stirring it to evenly cook. You can throw a touch of lemon juice, salt and pepper while cooking. Usually takes about 8 minutes to sautee properly.
When it is finished, put it in a bowl and toss with freshly grated cheese, a little lemon juice, a touch of crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.

4. If you like, for a little contrast make a tomato, cucumber and red onion salad with red wine vinegar and evoo, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper, grated cheese and maybe a little fresh cilantro.

Enjoy.

Peace.