What's for Dinner, Fri., Nov. 3, 2023

[NJCher]

Veggie & flaxseed corn tortilla chips. Salsa, which I made from roasted cherry tomatoes. I used a jalapeno I just picked before it got cold 2 days ago.

The unfortunate thing is that I don't have very many chips left. Only about a quarter of a bag, because these chips are so good I'll have them even without salsa. So while I bought them for this salsa I was planning on making, I munched away on late night snacks and there's not much left.

I have some oatflax wraps, so I guess I'll melt some cheese on it and then put salsa and chopped cilantro over it.

I started wondering what was going on with the tortilla chips at the store, where I should have taken the hint. While I was self-bagging, as one must do at Aldi, I saw someone had left a bag of tortilla chips on the counter. I pushed it away, figuring the person would come back for them, but they didn't while I was there.

Then I went on to my second store. I had my back turned from my cart, choosing something from the shelf. When I turned around, I saw this hand going into my cart with a bag of tortilla chips in it. I said to the person, "Excuse me, this is my cart" and the person laughed and apologized. I said no problem and continued on. Confused, I guess.

I finally got to the checkout corner and the person in front of me was almost finished when she picked up an item from her groceries and told the checkout clerk she'd decided she didn't want it. It was set aside.

What was it? A bag of tortilla chips.

[txwhitedove]

1. Dinner Fairy tried to give you a hint! Tonight

is leftover Chicken Pozole Roja, made on Halloween evening while handing out candy. It's become tradition to have a simmering cauldron of that fragrant soup. Kids at the door have said "What smells so good?" That and a couple of shots of Deep Eddy Lime.

[DFW]

2. We went out to the tapas bar across the Cathedral Square

I had some work to do here in Spain this weekend, and my wife decided spontaneously to come with me.

We went to a nearby place here in the Barri Gòtic, where everyone is either Catalan or Filipino. So I greet them in either Catalan or Tagalog, and there‘s always a table for us. I spent a year here in Barcelona as a teenager, so I can speak Catalan well. My Tagalog is minimal, but I speak enough to get a big smile from Filipinos, especially when they find out I‘ve never even been there.

She had minestrone and nachos with guacamole. I had calamars sevillanes and roasted potatoes in spicy garlic oil (papes braves). We had a big lunch, so it was plenty for an evening snack.

[Callalily]

3. Funny story. Guess you were meant to have tortilla chips after all.

Tonight I'm making Swedish meatballs with noodles and a nice iceberg salad (with lots of fresh veggies).

[Marthe48]

4. Pasta and meat sauce

I used bow ties. I cooked some ground beef with onions, garlic, mushrooms and peppers. I had a jar of salsa opened, so I added Italian seasoning, basil, parsley and paprika to make it taste more like spaghetti sauce. Worked fine

[Emile]

5. Barbecue stromboli sandwich.

Zucchini brownie cake for dessert.

[Yonnie3]

6. Pot roast

with some little yellow potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.

It is in the crock pot and it is not done yet, but smells so good.

[MissMillie]

7. chicken drumsticks

baked w/ lemon/pepper breading
rice pilaf
green beans
sliced tomatoes

dessert: homemade chocolate cake w/ homemade mocha frosting

[Polly Hennessey]

8. Why, Miss Millie, that cake looks good enough to eat.

[MissMillie]

10. too much coffee in the frosting

otherwise, quite good

The chocolate cake recipe is the best ever--incredibly moist and chocolate-y

I got it from the back of the can of Hershey's cocoa powder years ago. (My mom always used the recipe.) I don't buy Hershey's cocoa anymore because they have been terrible to their employees.

Got the frosting recipe the same way--same can--but I altered it by flavoring the milk w/ instant coffee. First time I ever tried that. Will cut back on the coffee next time.

[progree]

9. Successful reheat of the rice and fried pork via Instant Pot

The recipe, sort of, is in yesterday's What's for Dinner post at
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1157134617#post5

I was worried about how the rice would come out with whatever reheat method I chose.

I found a number of ways to reheat with the InstantPot, most involved the STEAM button, which I don't have, so chose a method like this (essentially it uses the preheat phase of the pressure cooker to heat the food):

Put in the trivet and pour in 1 1/4 cups of water (way more than enough but no matter. The amount of food is one large serving)

Put the food in a pyrex bowl and put it on the trivet

Put the lid on and ensure the Vent/Seal switch is in the Seal position

I pressed Pressure Cook and set 1 minute cook time and pressed Start at t+0. I also pressed the Warm button to turn Keep Warm off

Steam started coming out at t+6 and preheat was over at t+7. It was done with cook phase at t+8

I let it sit for 5 minutes to naturally release steam and then did quick release the remaining steam

Anyway it was thoroughly heated and the rice was good and fine. 

Total time from pressing Start to taking the lid off was 13 minutes.

I don't have a microwave. I suppose stove top reheating would be quicker but I'd have to stir now and then. Or steam it on the stove top in a steamer basket but there are 2 phases: get the water to boiling, turn down the heat some and put the steamer and food in..