Breakfast/lunch/Dinner, what are you having?

[lizkat]

'Tis the season of people doorstepping the last of their too many summer squashes around here, but the rain plus lack of sun has left some of them more or less market-size instead of the usual baseball-bat monsters... so one of those proves perfect for a fast supper tonight: a smallish yellow squash sliced up and sautéed with half a diced onion, tossed in the pan with a little parsley and some dried Italian herbs until the squash is not quite fork tender, then pour a scrambled egg over and give the pan a couple shakes, turn the heat off (it's an electric range), then cover the skillet and let the egg cook for a couple minutes more while the squash approaches table-ready. A little salt and black pepper to finish.

Et voilà, tomorrow's breakfast egg dressed up for supper on this rainy night instead! I have a couple more of those freebie squash, but they're going to land in a ratatouille before the weekend, I've already acquired a nice eggplant for that gig.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

'Tis the season of people doorstepping the last of their too many summer squashes around here, but the rain plus lack of sun has left some of them more or less market-size instead of the usual baseball-bat monsters... so one of those proves perfect for a fast supper tonight: a smallish yellow squash sliced up and sautéed with half a diced onion, tossed in the pan with a little parsley and some dried Italian herbs until the squash is not quite fork tender, then pour a scrambled egg over and give the pan a couple shakes, turn the heat off (it's an electric range), then cover the skillet and let the egg cook for a couple minutes more while the squash approaches table-ready. A little salt and black pepper to finish.

Et voilà, tomorrow's breakfast egg dressed up for supper on this rainy night instead! I have a couple more of those freebie squash, but they're going to land in a ratatouille before the weekend, I've already acquired a nice eggplant for that gig.

Ratatouille sounds brilliant (a favourite of mine), but - if you are thinking egg, pan, onion and squash - what about some version of an infinitely flexible shakshuka?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner took the form of :

Sushi rice (anointed with rice vineger, sushi seasoning, a little mirin) prepared (lovingly, all that soaking and rinsing) in my rice cooker: Served with sashimi salmon, and sashimi tuna, sliced (appropriately) with one of my gorgeous (and horribly effective) Japanese knives. Wakame (oh, yum).

A small bowl of sushi pickled ginger (I love this stuff); a small bowl of soy sauce, wth sufficient wasabi (to provide serious heat) dissolved, and seasoned with a dash of mirin.

Reader, I devoured the lot.

 

[lizkat]

Somehow the season of oatmeal for breakfast has returned. Chilly mornings more the norm now than in August, of course. I like making a few days' worth at a time and stashing it in the fridge. Just enough so I'm not tired of whatever combo of fruit I put in, and so it doesn't become "oh no, not this again".

I usually put raisins and cut-up pieces of some fruit like apples near end of cooking. There are still fresh peaches in the markets right now and I'm not sure I'd ever tire of those anyway, it's all i can do to get all of a peach from cutting board to the oatmeal pot some days. Once in awhile I give up and just eat the peach out of hand and be done with it, let the oatmeal carry just raisins for a couple days.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Somehow the season of oatmeal for breakfast has returned. Chilly mornings more the norm now than in August, of course. I like making a few days' worth at a time and stashing it in the fridge. Just enough so I'm not tired of whatever combo of fruit I put in, and so it doesn't become "oh no, not this again".

I usually put raisins and cut-up pieces of some fruit like apples near end of cooking. There are still fresh peaches in the markets right now and I'm not sure I'd ever tire of those anyway, it's all i can do to get all of a peach from cutting board to the oatmeal pot some days. Once in awhile I give up and just eat the peach out of hand and be done with it, let the oatmeal carry just raisins for a couple days.

Ah, yes; how true.

Actually, I feel pretty much the same way about peaches.

And apricots, and nectarines.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Dinner comprised of organic, free range eggs, scrambled, served with toasted rye bread.

 

[Alli]

Girls afternoon out. This is what I had:



Cauliflower on the left, squid on the right.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sushi rice (cooked in my rice cooker), sashimi tuna, salmon, and smoked eel, (delivered by the fishmonger) served with pickled ginger for sushi, and wasabi dissolved in soy sauce. Very tasty.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Sushi rice (cooked in my rice cooker), sashimi tuna, salmon, and smoked eel, (delivered by the fishmonger) served with pickled ginger for sushi, and wasabi dissolved in soy sauce. Very tasty.

I wish I could eat that I wish sushi so much.

 

[fooferdoggie]

dinner so thrilling. my wife got the roast pork in slices with cheesy cauliflower but me I get plain meat and eggs just salt and pepper. so I chopped the pork and fried it to get it crisper for more flavor Mexican truck style. I was feeling really hungry and was not sure the meat would be enough calories. lately with my riding I am having trouble getting enough calories keeping no carb.

 

[shadow puppet]

Cast iron skillet seared scallops in olive oil, butter & lemon juice, seasoned with pepper & garlic. Served with a side of steamed broccoli. I inhaled everything.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Cast iron skillet seared scallops in olive oil, butter & lemon juice, seasoned with pepper & garlic. Served with a side of steamed broccoli. I inhaled everything.

That sounds absolutely delicious.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I wish I could eat that I wish sushi so much.

Technically, it's nigiri that I consume (sashimi grade salmon and tuna, and occasionally, smoked eel served with sushi rice - that is, sushi rice, rinsed and soaked, by way of preparation, and then, cooked in the rice cooker, and finally, stirred through with rice vinegar, sushi seasoning vinegar, and a little mirin).

Thus, I don't use nori to make the classic sushi rolls; that strikes me as possibly over-complicating the issue, - although I would like to learn how to do this.

Besides, I realised that my version was perfectly possible when I succumbed to the habit/temptation of ordering sashimi tuna or mixed sashimi (tuna and salmon) "don" dishes (sashimi fish plus rice, with pickled ginger, soy and wasabi included) from a local, award-winning Japanese place quite frequently during lockdown, when I realised - having also ordered the classic sushi rolls - that I actually prefer the 'don' dishes, and treatment of fish, although I love both.

Anyway, it occurred to me that I could try to prepare this at home, myself; ever since we had the wonderful Filipina carer - who looked after my mother so well - we've had a rice cooker; it was the one thing that was non-negotiable when she first came to stay with us - well, that, and reliable wifi, so that she could be in frequent contact with her family in the Philippines.

Hence, cooking rice no longer terrifies me, in fact, thanks to the rice cooker, I have mastered it; longer rice dishes (paela, risotto) are stil - obviously - stove top, but, for curries, or sushi, the rice cooker wins each and every time.

 

[shadow puppet]

That sounds absolutely delicious.

It's always a treat to have scallops. I'm tempted to do it again tonight. But your sushi dinners sound delicious and always have me drooling on this end!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's always a treat to have scallops. I'm tempted to do it again tonight. But your sushi dinners sound delicious and always have me drooling on this end!

Thank you.

Your dish sounds delicious, as well.

How do you cook the scallops?

Briefly, over a high heat?

And, do you mince (in a garlic crusher) or very thinly slice, the garlic, before adding it?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It's always a treat to have scallops. I'm tempted to do it again tonight. But your sushi dinners sound delicious and always have me drooling on this end!

Sushi (or nigiri, to be more precise) is one of those dishes I have (belatedly) come to realise that I could eat - happily devour - daily, every day, each and every day.

And - like all fish dishes - it doesn't ever leave you feeling bloated or bursting; just agreeably and pleasantly and contentedly replete.

 

[shadow puppet]

Thank you.

Your dish sounds delicious, as well.

How do you cook the scallops?

Briefly, over a high heat?

And, do you mince (in a garlic crusher) or very thinly slice, the garlic, before adding it?

First off, I am not nearly the experienced cook you are. I've only made scallops a handful of times so I'm still learning. Scallops aren't cheap so I would hate to mess them up. I have tried the minced garlic, but it ends up getting too black. Maybe I've added it too early?

Currently, due to my recent wrist/hand surgery, I avoid most mincing or chopping for safety reasons.

I heat a cast iron skillet until the oil is shimmering so I get a good sear. I use garlic infused olive oil and season each washed & dried scallop with fresh pepper and garlic powder. Garlic salt is even better but I try and keep my sodium down so don't always go that route. I sear each side 2-3 minutes depending on scallop size. Once I've flipped each scallop, I add butter and lemon juice to the skillet. It creates a lovely sauce I can then spoon over the scallops as I plate them.

My preferred pairing over the broccoli when I have them on hand, are fresh steamed haricots verts I then saute with shallots and mushrooms.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

First off, I am not nearly the experienced cook you are. I've only made scallops a handful of times so I'm still learning. Scallops aren't cheap so I would hate to mess them up. I have tried the minced garlic, but it ends up getting too black. Maybe I've added it too early?

Currently, due to my recent wrist/hand surgery, I avoid most mincing or chopping for safety reasons.

I heat a cast iron skillet until the oil is shimmering so I get a good sear. I use garlic infused olive oil and season each washed & dried scallop with fresh pepper and garlic powder. Garlic salt is even better but I try and keep my sodium down so don't always go that route. I sear each side 2-3 minutes depending on scallop size. Once I've flipped each scallop, I add butter and lemon juice to the skillet. It creates a lovely sauce I can then spoon over the scallops as I plate them.

My preferred pairing over the broccoli when I have them on hand, are fresh steamed haricots verts I then saute with shallots and mushrooms.

Brilliant, thanks a million for your helpful and detailed notes.

Butter, lemon juice (and garlic) are a trinity that one cannot go wrong with.

Personally, I love scallops, but it is an absolute age since I tried to cook them.

Of course: High heat will indeed burn (if not incinerate) minced garlic, unless you decide to add it almost at the very end, say, for around 20 seconds or so. Something to bear in mind for when I attempt this dish (or, attempt to prepare squid, which is cooked in a similar manner).

When I mince garlic, it is for very slow cooking, the sort where you sauté onions gently for around half an hour, to caramalise them; in that situation, the garlic simply melts into (and exquisitely flavours) what becomes the sauce.

 

[shadow puppet]

Of course: High heat will indeed burn (if not incinerate) minced garlic, unless you decide to add it almost at the very end, say, for arund 20 seconds or so. Something to bear in mind.

When I mince garlic, it is for very slow cooking, the sort where you sauté onions gently for around half an hour, to caramalise them; in that situation, the garlic simply melts into (and exquisitely flavours) what becomes the sauce.

OOooOo! Many thanks for the tips as I absolutely adore both garlic and carmelized onions. It never ceases to amaze me the simplest of things, coupled with patience when needed, one can do in cooking to take something like a simple butter sauce to an entirely different level.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

OOooOo! Many thanks for the tips as I absolutely adore both garlic and carmelized onions. It never ceases to amaze me the simplest of things, coupled with patience when needed, one can do in cooking to take something like a simple butter sauce to an entirely different level.

The other thing that is surprisingly good in this sort of cooking is to add a few chopped, salted anchovies into that onion/garlic buttery goodness, perhaps, with a dash of olive oil added to the mix, when cooked slowly; the anchovies will melt into (and disappear into) this sauce, and will add an absolutely amazing umami flavour (not at all "fishy") to the final (finished) dish.

Obviously, this doesn't apply to 'cream' sauces for pasta, such as gorgonzola sauce, or mushroom sauce.

Quite often, when preparing a pasta sauce (a tomato and/or onion plus garlic sauce), I will dissolve a few anchovies into the sauce; they really do add an extra dimension of umami flavour to such a sauce.