Can DH pick up a rotisserie chicken on the nights when he has to "cook"? You prep baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes and salad, or steam-in-the-bag veggies. Voila, dinner.

Or can he at least sit down with you and plan some ideas for those nights? Maybe MYO pizza or tacos with the kids? If he's going to balk at your homemade make-ahead meals, and isn't going to spring for takeout on those nights, then he needs to brainstorm stuff that will be easy and palatable for everyone.

My idea for grab-n-go dinners, other than sandwiches or wraps, is to do nibbly things. Cheese, crackers, gogurts or mini containers of cottage cheese, cut-up fruit and veggies with dip, hummus and crackers or pretzels, sliced veggies, tortilla roll-ups (ham, cheese, cream cheese, or whatever), chicken or tuna or egg salad with crackers or rolls, lettuce wraps, etc... you get the idea. Think Lunchables only homemade (cheaper, so much better, and many kids love to eat that way). Nuts, trail mix (again homemade if you like) or snack mix.

Make a batch of smoothies (my kids and I both love choc-p.b. smoothies: cocoa powder, p.b., tofu, milk, vanilla, kale or spinach, and sweetener) and pour into water bottles or pint canning jars. Great for the road.

Hope this helps!

Modified nicoise: greens of your choice, boiled sliced new potatoes, good-quality tuna, tomato, steamed haricot verts or green beans, good black olives, hardboiled eggs. Lemon vinaigrette.

Similarly, cobb salad: greens, chicken or turkey, avocado, blue cheese, hardboiled egg, bacon, tomato, black olives. I like ranch with this, or a buttermilk dressing.

I love good canned tuna and white beans in a salad, especially with a lemony vinaigrette. Artichoke hearts are awfully good too.

Southwestern salad with black beans, red onion, monterey jack or cheddar cheese, corn, red bell pepper, hot peppers if you like 'em, a little quinoa if you have it on hand, chicken, semi-crushed up tortilla chips, and a homemade ranch with cilantro and/or chipotle peppers added in.

Another favorite is the old candied-walnut, pear, blue cheese, field greens salad. It's a bit of a cliche these days, but still darn yummy. I'd put balsamic vinaigrette on this one.

I often make homemade (and unorthodox) caesar dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, fish sauce (to take the place of anchovies), garlic, and parmesan cheese mixed right in. If I have that, I can eat plain romaine with a protein (usually turkey and cheese, or ham and cheese, like a julienne salad). Croutons are a nice addition but not necessary.

HTH!

Well, technically if they eat fish or seafood, they're not a vegetarian. They are just someone who doesn't eat meat, but who eats fish and seafood. With all due respect, I don't think a lot of people enjoy pasta, salad and bread for breakfast...those seem like they would get tired, fast. Unless of course there is a LOT of wine.

OK, this is Belgian, but you could pass it off as French. Anyhoo, I took it to a potluck over Memorial Day and got raves. I just used an ordinary supermarket goat cheese, so I can't imagine how yummy it'd be with the aged stuff.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Happy medium is this:

If she is cooking it for tacos, burritos, casseroles, etc., then give her a crockpot. A nice fancy one with a timer and so on. In her favorite color. A crockpot will cook the chicken easily, without any fuss or muss (which should appeal to her) AND will result in chicken that is tender, tasty, and not rubbery (which should appeal to you). No water, no nothin' - just pop in the chix pieces and cook till they're done. Voila. When the chicken is done, take the meat off the bones, return the bones to the crock, add water, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, aromatic veggies, and let it cook on Low overnight. Voila, stock.

I wholly support the idea of either roasting or grilling when you want chicken for chicken's sake (not just for tacos or as an ingredient).

HTH!

I second the mashed potato idea - I always do that with my salmon patties. I also always chill them in the fridge before frying.

I use it in Caesar dressing, in place of the anchovies. Can't remember where I heard this tip, but I swear by it now. I'm not a measuring type of gal, but I put a couple of good squirts into a hand blender container with two cloves of garlic, EVOO and lemon juice. Whiz, then add some parmesan cheese. I *know* it's not authentic, but it's delish and my new default dressing.

I've been head-over-heels with braised escarole and white beans lately.

Saute a little garlic in EVOO. Add a whole head or two of cleaned, chopped escarole, a pinch red pepper flakes, and some chicken broth (amount depends on how soupy you want it). Cpver and let the escarole cook down. When it's tender, add 2 cups white beans (cannelinis or similar), a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, and some parmesan cheese (or if you have a parmesan rind, add that in the beginning). You can also add pasta if you like. Simple, wholesome, gets better if it sits a day.

I also really like black bean salad with quinoa - add corn, red or green onion, cilantro, lime, a drizzle of EVOO, chicken if desired, black olives, avocado, etc. That's a nice summer salad for potlucks.

And don't forget about hummus!

Not possible -- we have a charcoal grill, so putting the potatoes in before we "turn it on" isn't going to happen. And I've got oven-roasted potatoes down to a science!

How about going over to the veggies-and-cream-cheese-dip area, and asking if every little dip has any kind of spice in it? Or bringing your own store-bought ranch dip and chips? OR...I dunno, staying home where you can control the heat of everything?

You mean dressing afterwards?

Part of the problem is that it's my husband who usually mans the grill...and he is not, er, quick. He burned the hot dogs to a crisp last weekend and the poor kids had to peel the burned part off. So the cost-benefit analysis really means that I need something super-simple and hands off...which I know results in not-so-great eats.

But if I can ever elbow my way into the grill with new potatoes from the CSA, please do tell me about dressing them after, if that's what you mean!

This sounds almost like a scalloped potato...and sounds very good. I'll give that a whirl, soon. Thank you!

Couscous...honestly, haven't tried the kids on that one. It's not my fave but I might give it another go and see if they like it. Good suggestion, thank you!

Thank you! I have never tried the wok, might have to look into that. We're simple folk when it comes to the grill. ;-) I like the smashed/crashed potatoes idea too...I've done those roasted. Never thought of opening the foil, that's not a bad idea. sometimes the bottom layer does get crusty, but seems like it's so out of my control, yk?

I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of not following recipes. I don't consider myself a "crafted gourmet" at all, but I've gone from zero cooking skills whatsoever to having a reputation as a damn good home cook, and mostly by trying things, experimenting, and having fun. Don't get me wrong, I love to read cookbooks, and cooking magazines, and websites, and blogs, but I can rarely follow a recipe to a T (not even a recipe for a baked good, which means I'm a pretty crappy baker). Part of it is hubris -- I feel like I know better in many cases, and sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't -- and part of it is just the pure fun of flying by the seat of my pants. I have had some spectacular failures, some fantastic successes, and many, many meals that fall in between. But like you, most of the time either I or my husband or both of us is quite satisfied with the end result.

OK, so like many families, we like to grill hot dogs, chicken and burgers in the summer. The problem is side dishes; my kids aren't big fans of mac or potato salad, I don't like to feed them too many greasy chips, and although we do grill veggie skewers or slices, I want something more substantial. So my go-to starch side is grilled potatoes of some variety, but I have yet to find a recipe that we really like. Here's the problem(s):

1. If they're not parcooked, they take for-freakin'-ever, no matter how small I cube them.

2. If I slice or wedge potatoes (parcooked or not) and put them directly on the grill, it's awfully fussy to fiddle with and turn them all.

3. if I foil-packet them, they steam rather than *grill* or roast. Even if they taste good, they still seem kind of anemic and bland. Tonight I made some with EVOO, parmesan, fresh thyme and fresh oregano, and the flavor was awesome. But texture wise it was like eating boiled cafeteria potatoes.

I almost always end up using the copious leftovers for home fries or a frittata the next day.

Any tips/hints/recipes for kick-ass potatoes on the grill? I'm at the point where I almost want to fire up the oven and make roasted potato wedges, but that kind of defeats the purpose, you know?

Thanks in advance!

ETA: it's a charcoal grill if that makes any difference!

We're going to a crawfish boil on Sunday, and taking a leek-and-goat-cheese tart.

Monday we'll probably just grill in the backyard, and probably just the standard hot dogs and burgers and mac salad and ice cream. Yum!

Sure! I was at work earlier and didn't have it handy or would have posted right away. =)

Corn and Zucchini Cakes

1.5 c. masa harina
.5 cup a/p flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
.5 cup grated parmesan
1 t garlic powder
1 t. cumin
.5 t chili powder

2 c. fresh corn kernels
3 c. shredded zucchini or summer squash or a mixture (squeeze excess H20)
2 eggs, beaten
~1 cup milk
.25 cup green onion, sliced, or chopped white onion
~1 jalepeno, diced - more if you like heat, of course

Mix dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine the two mixtures and fry in patties in a smidgen of oil of your choice. Serve with:

Cilantro-Lime Cream

1 c. Mexican crema or sour cream
juice of one lime (less if using crema, and use some zest too)
chopped cilantro to taste (I like a lot - you can also put it in the cakes batter too)
salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy! Zuke and corn are plentiful here right around my birthday (mid-August) so this is always a birthday week treat for me.

.5 t oregano

My favorite way to cook zucchini (which I, too, love) is to saute in olive oil and then top with grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Or braised with lots of garlic. Both are simple, delicious!

I also love zucchini fritters/cakes. I have a Tex-Mex-inspired zucchini and corn cake recipe that I serve with cilantro-lime cream.

Yum! Thank you. We always get at least one bunch of these from our CSA and beyond tossing a few in salads and making flavored vinegar, I'm at a loss for what to do with them each year.

My favorite thing to tempura are green onions (green part and all - probably tastes a lot like your chive blossoms) and sweet potato chunks.

I really like the Pioneer Woman's olive-cheese bread: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/20... which is great hot or room temperature. I've made it several times for parties and it always flies off the table. I have also done a spinach-artichoke version - it's like spinach-artichoke dip on great crusty bread.

An easy, elegant app/side dish is cucumber slices, cut into shapes with a tiny cookie cutter, topped with a creme-fraiche/cream cheese/dill mixture and smoked salmon pieces.

Southwestern salad with quinoa (red is especially pretty), black or pinto beans, corn, chopped bell peppers, green onions and cilantro. Dress with a lime-cilantro vinaigrette. Add some jalepeno or chipotle if desired. This is good for both vegetarians and gluten-free folks, if that is a concern.

Another thing you might consider is to do Chinese lettuce wraps. Make the filling - ground chicken or turkey, Napa cabbage, carrots, green onions, dressed with soy, sesame oil, etc - and bring with a few separated and cleaned heads of Boston lettuce.

Peanut noodles are always a hit when I take them to parties. Or make chicken satay skewers and peanut sauce for dipping.

Pesto pasta salad, or pesto potato salad. A little different, a little familiar.

Oh! Endive boats. I love this one. It's so easy, so refreshing, so sophisticated. Take several heads of French endive (the spear-like leaves, not the curly kind) and separate. Place on a platter, Sprinkle with crumbled blue or goat cheese and pine nuts. Salt and pepper. Drizzle with EVOO. Done! You can also serve the endive leaves with any kind of dip.

Hope that helps - I have a potluck to go to too and this is helping me brainstorm!

ETA: You still have time to make gravlax, too. It takes a couple of days but it's mostly hands-off, and it's darn impressive. I use the Silver Palate's recipe. Make some mustard dill sauce to go with, and pick up a loaf of pumpernickel bread or some Wasa breads. yum!

Was thinking papaya salad. Thanks.

I'm not scrupling too much about the origins/ethnicity. As I said, this is very casual and I'm just going for an enjoyable meal.

Thanks.

I'm having a friend over for dinner tomorrow night, very casual, but I love to cook and would like to make something yummy. Thinking about chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce (and I have a good recipe for both). What can I serve with this? Suggestions for good Thai sides, or would it be over the top to make some yam nua with it?

Thanks for suggestions!

I love eggs for dinner. So many variations: poached on top of greens (with toast or crusty bread), omelettes, egg sandwiches, or my new favorite:

Top cooked black beans (canned or pre-cooked from dry) with two fried (or poached) eggs, shredded jack cheese, and salsa. Yum.

Bought a bottle of Feckin' Good Whiskey a week or two ago (I'm on a kick of trying new stuff) and found I don't much care for it. I generally like sweeter whiskey but this has a taste (an aftertaste?) that I can't quite -- well, I can stomach it but not *enjoy* it.

I made an Old Fashioned the other day and that was also pretty meh. Not terrible, but nothing I'd rush to make or drink again.

So ideas for what to do with besides pawn it off on visitors or keep it as a backup?

Thanks in advance!

That pineapple mixture sounds fantastic. Spicy, sweet and bacony -- what's not to love? I might have to pick up the ingredients for this and make them this weekend. Thank you!

Yes.

I'm prejudiced b/c I am a big fan of NYS wines (live in the area, used to work at wineries) but the Finger Lakes make some fantastic rieslings. Try Hermann J. Wiemer, Glenora, Dr. Frank for starters. I really like Glenora's Dry Riesling, but I believe they also make a semi-dry or semi-sweet that might appeal to your friend.

My approach is unorthodox, but easy and delicious. I don't use bonito, but simmer (a few hours if convenient, or overnight) kombu and dried shiitakes in water in the (gasp!) crockpot. When the dashi is dark and fragrant, I remove those and whisk in miso paste to taste.

I don't bother with the tofu and scallions -- I really just like the broth as a warming alternative to coffee or tea. Will have to try the lime and ginger though, that sounds fantastic.

Any recommendations for an affordable-yet-delicious spot for Valentine's Day dinner (although we're actually going on Sat the 13th)?

At the moment, Two Vine, Virtu, Tapas 177 and the like are out of our price range, unfortunately.

Although we are newlyweds, we've been together for 8 years, so a romantic atmosphere is less of a priority than really kick-ass food.

As for cuisine,we like all kinds--again, finding a "French" or "Italian" restaurant is less important than someplace that serves really awesome food and might be fun or unusual to boot.

Ideas? Thanks!

Salmon or crab (or both!) = brilliant. Dunno why I didn't think of that. I'm thinking some kind of smoked salmon appetizer, or crab dip. Mmmm. Thank you!!!