What's for dinner?

[Lone Shark]

This is a touch on the random side, but sure what the hell.

Much like pretty much every other couple in the country, myself and good lady go through the motions of debating dinner options and ending up hugely un-enthused about our options. We have about eight to ten different things that would be on the "rota" so to speak and that list could do with freshening up. Historically we'd go out for dinner once every so often and we might try something off the menu and if it worked well, I'd see about recreating it at home. However with buying a house and whatnot, eating out has been heavily curtailed lately so I'm looking elsewhere for inspiration. i.e. to ye.

Basically, my question is this - what would ye all cook if ye were rustling up a nice dinner, maybe had a couple of friends coming over, and you'd want to go for something a little bit different?

In the build up to moving into our house there recently, we spent a few months back in with my father-in-law - an absolute gentleman and he was easy to live with, but I've completely lost any interest in plain meat and spuds, since that's his staple. Anything involving something as radical as a tomato was a no go, and God forbid that you might use rice/pasta/beans instead of spuds. I also can't stand garlic, and my wife doesn't like lamb, while I'm a coeliac, though for dinner that's not really a problem.

I work from home, so something that takes three hours to cook is not a problem. Obviously an expensive roast is nice, but we don't want to break the bank either. I'm not talking about dinner for under a euro a head or anything, but middle of the road - something that you'd be happy to cook of a regular Tuesday.

And to get the ball rolling, here's mine - Chicken and Bean Cassoulet.

Ingredients:

1kg Chicken thighs or full legs
2 large white onions
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 cup of white wine
800g mixed beans, or just butterbeans if you want
3 carrots
Chicken stock, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley.

Start by soaking the beans - some do it overnight, but I usually do it that morning by putting them in a pot of cold water, bring it to the boil and turn off the heat. Leave it sit in that water for the day.

At around three hours before dinner, pop the chicken on a tray in the oven just to make sure it's properly cooked.

Place the tomatoes, herbs, spices, wine and stock in a pot and blend. You don't have to blend but I like to.

Chop the onions and carrots, fire them in. Turn the mix on and bring to the boil.

Wash the beans, horse them in too. Then after the chicken has had about twenty minutes in the oven to do most off the cooking, fire that in too, plus whatever oil is on your tray.

Bring to the boil and simmer for around three hours, serve with rice. Others like to serve with crusty bread, but for the aforementioned coeliac reason, that's not the way we go.



As you can see, it's not exactly haute cuisine and it's very easy to do, but we find it nice. So now, what's ye're equivalents till I plagiarise like a good thing?

[AZOffaly]

You've changed LS.

[Lone Shark]

You've changed LS.

I'll start a FF/Kevin Kilmurray/hurling in Birr thread tomorrow for old times' sake.

[Milltown Row2]

Some of the best ideas are the easiest to make, bacon pasta, smoked bacon cut into strips and fried in garlic (I know you don't like it but garlic in food gives necessary flavour) and black pepper, dice up some onions and a chili and a pepper. A carton of passata (which costs a pound) stirred in once they are cooked. Been using the tube type Bucatini works better than the ordinary spaghetti.

Love cooking so I'll post some more but I've a general rule, garlic, black pepper in most dishes

[southdown]

Chorizo stew with garlic bread.

Fry garlic, red onion, sliced up chorizo add some chopped tomatoes, bit of red wine, delicious and simple.

[Lone Shark]

I feel like I'm talking to my mother. Two responses from people who are no doubt well able to cook, but both determined to "sneak" garlic into me because it's healthy, or because ye like it.

Healthy or not, it's feckin horrible and to all those people who try and argue that you don't notice one clove in a dinner, you're wrong - you do notice it. Ye might like it and that's fine, but I think it tastes like feet and it's hard enough put up with it when herself eats it, never mind poison myself with it. .

[AZOffaly]

OK, I'll give in. I like to dabble with the auld grill and pans the odd time too. Only fair I think, why should the woman be 'the cook', especially when she's doing a days work as well. (Mind you she's on maternity at the moment, so all bets are off!!) Kidding!.

Anyway, you can knock this up in 15 minutes and it tastes great. (serves 2).

4 x small chicken fillets
1 clove fresh garlic
1 tub Creme fraiche
3 full rashers

Chop the rashers up into little squares/rectangles.
Chop the garlic up (amount as per your taste) into little bits.
Cut the breasts up into small 'stir fry' type pieces.


Add the garlic and the chicken to the pan.
Fry in a small amount of olive oil until chicken is golden brown.
Just before the end of the chicken, add the rasher.

When fried reduce the heat (and get the Pasta on).

Slowly add the creme fraiche, stirrying with a wooden spoon.
The pan will make the creme fraiche turn a little 'beige' in colour, don't worry about it.

When the pasta is done, I like to add it into the pan with the chicken, bacon, garlic and creme fraiche to finish it off, but you don't have to.

Serve with some fresh basil, grown from your own garden, or even some Garlic Chives. Easy to grow and great to feel like you are adding your own produce Actually I grow the garlic too, but that's just boasting now

Add

[AZOffaly]

Just saw you don't like garlic. Weirdo. Anyhow, you can make the above without garlic, but I've never tried. Probably still be nice though, the chicken and bacon are a nice mix of flavours.

[Billys Boots]

Melt some blue cheese to that just before serving once in a while AZ and it'll have a nice kick to it. 

[Bingo]

My Favourite.

Toast

Two slices of white/brown/off brown bread
A bit of butter
Optional: Marmalade or jam

Place bread in toast.

Put on toast at desired setting.

When toast pops, remove from toaster and place on plate.

Spread butter evenly over toast. If marmalade or jam been used, spread evenly over same.

Best served with tea.

[AZOffaly]

Melt some blue cheese to that just before serving once in a while AZ and it'll have a nice kick to it.

Must try that Billy.

[Milltown Row2]

I feel like I'm talking to my mother. Two responses from people who are no doubt well able to cook, but both determined to "sneak" garlic into me because it's healthy, or because ye like it.

Healthy or not, it's feckin horrible and to all those people who try and argue that you don't notice one clove in a dinner, you're wrong - you do notice it. Ye might like it and that's fine, but I think it tastes like feet and it's hard enough put up with it when herself eats it, never mind poison myself with it. .

I'd say the vast majority of the posts you'll see will have garlic in it. Once you get over thinking it smells like feet you'll be grand. In the mean time make the dishes without it.

My Favourite.

Toast

Two slices of white/brown/off brown bread
A bit of butter
Optional: Marmalade or jam

Place bread in toast.

Put on toast at desired setting.

When toast pops, remove from toaster and place on plate.

Spread butter evenly over toast. If marmalade or jam been used, spread evenly over same.

Best served with tea.

Had this argument about butter and jam on toast, I personally don't like them mixed, prefer either jam on it's own or butter (real butter) on it's own

[muppet]

Quarter a baguette (I sometimes use those garlic naans from the supermarket which I know is heresy but they work great)

Chop 10 cherry tomatoes
Mix a clove or two of garlic (sorry LS)
Generously sprinkle with oregano
load with olive oil
add mozzarella if you like

Takes only a few minutes, no cooking and is a great starter. Women will even eat a good portion as a main meal.

[Lone Shark]

It is really irritating how mainstream garlic has become in this country. It's got to the point where if I do go out for dinner, finding gluten free options isn't nearly as hard as finding garlic-free. Even now ye feckers are still trying to convince me that it's grand. It shouldn't be that hard to avoid one namajaysus ingredient.

I like the blue cheese idea though. That could work.

[Onion Bag]

My Favourite