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Lazy - no idea for tonight... suggestions?

post #1 of 30
6/12/12 at 3:53pm
Thread Starter 

I know this is completely vague... but I feel lazy today... lots of work...non-creative brain... no ideas for tonight. Might end up ordering take out, but I'd rather whip up something quick... I could go to the store...

 

When you're short on time and don't have the energy to spend too much time cooking, what do you cook? 

 

I don't know, just thought I'd throw that out there in case someone has an idea for me. ;)

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post #2 of 30
6/12/12 at 4:21pm

Frittatas and omelets are often the answer for me, depends on what else is in the fridge.  I've been thinking fish lately, I may just go the few blocks to the store and see what looks fresh, quick salad on the side.

 

mjb.

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post #3 of 30
6/12/12 at 4:23pm
Pizza open omelette.
Tepid pan, olive oil, 2 softly whisked eggs. Thin slices of tomato, oregano, any soft cheese, top of parmigiano, salt and pepper. Cover with lid until cheese is melted. 
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post #4 of 30
6/12/12 at 4:34pm
Thread Starter 

Haha thanks guys, great ideas. Only problem (and I should have mentioned that) is that we had eggs for lunch (croques-madame, to be precise). 

 

Ok finally decided on a southern thai chicken curry (the fastest I know to make) with a quick pancit (pancit noodles with sweated veggies). Should be good! 

 

Off to the store. Still curious to hear about any other ideas for future days like this! :) Omelet with quick salad is a great idea. I like the pizza omelet idea. I'm sure it'd be a hit with my kid. 

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post #5 of 30
6/12/12 at 4:41pm

It is amazing sometimes that with so many recipes and ideas floating around in my head or just a few keystrokes away it can be so daunting to answer the "What's for dinner?" question.  Sometimes browsing older threads here can inspire.  And I'm thinking the reason I had fish on my mind is because of a certain person posting so many wonderful pics from her recent trip to a certain island state.

 

Or maybe I'll just get a can of Spam.

 

mjb.

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post #6 of 30
6/12/12 at 4:46pm

blushing.gif

ALOHA

Translation:  alo, sharing or in the present
                   oha, joyous affection or joy
                   ha, life energy, life or breath

The joyful sharing of life energy in the present

 

 

http://mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com/

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post #7 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:03pm

seared carne asada steaks with sauteed mushrooms on a bed of couscous. the fastest meal I know, including prep, short of a fried egg sandwich...which isn't really a meal...

"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. "
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post #8 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:17pm

Tonight will be leftovers from last night, Fried Saimin,

Teriyaki Chicken Thighs that I had grilled

and my quick Cucumber Kim Chee,

pretty much a standard at our house, but my husband likes it. 

I spent the day taking my Mother to her doctor appointments and such so kinda beat this evening.

But I stray from the topic at hand …

When I’m lazy and have no inspiration for supper:

A quick warm water thaw of some chicken –

spark the gas grill –

turn the chicken around in a bowl with some Hoisin (I prefer Lee Kum Kee Brand) or Chinese BBQ sauce – put on a pot of white rice (calrose) in the faithful Panasonic electric cooker –

look for some type of veg either fresh or frozen on hand and readily available (the store is not close by) – grill the chickie

and BOB’S YOUR UNCLE…

I really dislike clean up, so the gas grill is my friend as well as the dish washer.

I would LOVE to have take-out anywhere close to us, but, here in the desert it’s every man for them self!!  Even the restaurants are not the best, but I think I’ve already hashed that one to death. 

ALOHA

Translation:  alo, sharing or in the present
                   oha, joyous affection or joy
                   ha, life energy, life or breath

The joyful sharing of life energy in the present

 

 

http://mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com/

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post #9 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:27pm

One nice facet of where we live is that there are a couple of markets within walking distance, and several more just minutes away by car, as well as a Papa Murphy's Pizza.  That one is often a source of nourishment, such as it is on those last minute, no inspiration evenings.  I was just rummaging through the fridge, enough leftovers for a passable meal tonight.  I'll grill some fish tomorrow, maybe.

 

And K-Girl, that one pic of the spicy ahi poke brought back memories of the best sushi I ever had, in a run down, decrepit strip mall years ago.  I'm sure I've mentioned it here a time or two.

 

mjb.

 

ps:  Do you get annoyed with lazy twits like me who use K-Girl instead of typing out ( or cut and paste ) the whole thing?

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post #10 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:34pm

Pizza or a frozen food brick........down & dirty....I'm not cooking.

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post #11 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:37pm

FF: Not sure if your son and family  like fish but I love eating it grilled with a squeeze of lemon and a salad.

 

Its hard for me to cook when I get in from work. I either get more inspired from my day and start cooking on a second high or I go the opposite way and eat simple tasty foods. I love vegetables, when you have a garden and walk through it and pick a tomato and a cucumber....its empowering for some reason. Sounds crazy eh ? But I  love agriculture, how things are grown, the freshness of everything.

Even the market....the colors , lavender in the air, smiles on everyone, the aroma of fresh baked bread.....

In this life we don't need fancy foods , we just need good food made with a whole lot of love....love you can taste.

 

I know I am tired, but its a good tired.

 

Petals.

Petals
Réalisé avec un soupçon d'amour.

Baby Cake
(4 photos)
Fruitcake - decorated
(5 photos)
Victorian cupcakes
(10 photos)
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post #12 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gunnar View Post

seared carne asada steaks with sauteed mushrooms on a bed of couscous. the fastest meal I know, including prep, short of a fried egg sandwich...which isn't really a meal...

Sounds very tasty. Couscous is a great quick idea, and I always have some in the cupboard. Almost too hot to grill today though!!

 

If anyone is interested - this is super easy as long as you have the ingredients - although I'm sure this could also be simplified/adapted a bit.  

 

Southern Thai chicken curry:

 

- Curry paste

In a mortar and pestle, poundchillil flakes, salt, fresh turmeric (you can use dried if you don't have fresh but fresh is much better), coriander seeds, cumin seeds and shrimp paste. 

 

- Chicken

Cook garlic in oil until golden brown, add chicken and cook until golden, remove and set aside. Add curry paste, cook, add some coconut milk and chicken stock (about 1/2 and 1/2), sugar and thai fish sauce to taste, couple Tbspn lime juice, add the reserved chicken and simmer until cooked, about 15-20mn. Garnish with scallions and red chilis. 

 

Serving this with Pancit+sweated zucchini, carrot & flat beans+toasted sesame oil. 

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post #13 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by petalsandcoco View Post

FF: Not sure if your son and family  like fish but I love eating it grilled with a squeeze of lemon and a salad.

 

Its hard for me to cook when I get in from work. I either get more inspired from my day and start cooking on a second high or I go the opposite way and eat simple tasty foods. I love vegetables, when you have a garden and walk through it and pick a tomato and a cucumber....its empowering for some reason. Sounds crazy eh ? But I  love agriculture, how things are grown, the freshness of everything.

Even the market....the colors , lavender in the air, smiles on everyone, the aroma of fresh baked bread.....

In this life we don't need fancy foods , we just need good food made with a whole lot of love....love you can taste.

 

So true. When I'm in France in the summer about 80% of our veggies come from the garden: green beans (absolutely incomparable), tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, squash, cucumber, fruits etc... you just don't have a choice: you HAVE to cook with the seasons. I also love the markets in France which are closer to what you describe than the ones around here (with jumpers, petting zoos, slushy vendors, balloon animals and whatnot). 

 

We just had fish the other day. I like fish but it's something I usually do about once a week, rarely more. Grilled fish I don't do much - probably more because I'm scared of the fish sticking to the grill. I love the taste of grilled fish, but I don't have much experience and don't really trust myself in that area. I should give it a go!

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post #14 of 30
6/12/12 at 5:59pm

Sounds good..............

 

You can't go wrong with a stir fry either. They can take on any theme you want, along with a number of sides.

 

Petals.

Petals
Réalisé avec un soupçon d'amour.

Baby Cake
(4 photos)
Fruitcake - decorated
(5 photos)
Victorian cupcakes
(10 photos)
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post #15 of 30
6/12/12 at 6:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by French Fries View Post

 

 green beans (absolutely incomparable),

 

 

Oddly enough just a few hours ago I was talking gardens with someone and realized how long it has been since I grew green beans.  Too late for this year, but I'll start planning for 2013.  Oh wait, the world is going to end in 2012.  Never mind.

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post #16 of 30
6/12/12 at 6:12pm
Quote:

We just had fish the other day. I like fish but it's something I usually do about once a week, rarely more. Grilled fish I don't do much - probably more because I'm scared of the fish sticking to the grill. I love the taste of grilled fish, but I don't have much experience and don't really trust myself in that area. I should give it a go!

Do what I do and you will never miss.

 

Because fish is so tender and flaky I get nervous about it sticking to the grill as well ( no matter how much you coat the grill, fillets will stick) I roll out a piece foil, place my fish on it , lemons, terragon which ever  season  , lift the corners up a little and within a couple of minutes, its done. I can eat fish like this all the time.

I don't do this at work, all in a pan.

 

Petals.

Petals
Réalisé avec un soupçon d'amour.

Baby Cake
(4 photos)
Fruitcake - decorated
(5 photos)
Victorian cupcakes
(10 photos)
Reply
post #17 of 30
6/12/12 at 9:26pm

You guys that are afraid to grill fish.... This sea bass grilled no problem, VERY CLEAN GRILL, screaming hot, plenty of oil on the filets. Drag them across the spot you intend to put them a couple of times, to oil up the grates before you drop them to cook. Dont move them before they are ready to be turned.

 

seabass2.jpg

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post #18 of 30
6/12/12 at 9:56pm

Oh My chefbuba, I do love my fish and those, friend, are lookers!

I was going to post that in that other thread...

and I have a question, are they small, because that's a bunch of fillets,

not that I'm complaining, my husband and I could probably easily finish those beauties off...

ALOHA

Translation:  alo, sharing or in the present
                   oha, joyous affection or joy
                   ha, life energy, life or breath

The joyful sharing of life energy in the present

 

 

http://mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com/

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post #19 of 30
6/12/12 at 10:06pm

thumbnail.aspx?q=4855924961181742&id=de4f6c3b40cd0fbb58166d275dd1537e thumbnail.aspx?q=4698097827055174&id=3a036b8f05d61e0fda07defae894cb1d thumbnail.aspx?q=4814542980580308&id=84b6a8ec02d10f2db2fd3c876c314c68

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

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post #20 of 30
6/12/12 at 10:16pm

Iceman, that's White Castle, right?  

Heh, I wanted to ask you,

do you have a killer Mai Tai recipe for our "luau cocktail party"?

ALOHA

Translation:  alo, sharing or in the present
                   oha, joyous affection or joy
                   ha, life energy, life or breath

The joyful sharing of life energy in the present

 

 

http://mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com/

Reply
post #21 of 30
6/12/12 at 11:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneohegirlinaz View Post

Oh My chefbuba, I do love my fish and those, friend, are lookers!

I was going to post that in that other thread...

and I have a question, are they small, because that's a bunch of fillets,

not that I'm complaining, my husband and I could probably easily finish those beauties off...

They were small fish......that was three large portions.

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post #22 of 30
6/13/12 at 3:15am

I wont cook on foil . in particular with an acid  Lemon. Bubba's got the  key extremely hot grill don;t try and move or turn for a minute or so.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #23 of 30
6/13/12 at 3:17am

Do you have anything in your fridge? lets build around that.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #24 of 30
6/13/12 at 6:45am

Yes in deed, we call them "White-ies". 

Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneohegirlinaz View Post

Iceman, that's White Castle, right?  

Heh, I wanted to ask you,

do you have a killer Mai Tai recipe for our "luau cocktail party"?

I'm sure I do. I'll post it sometime later today; after 4:30 cdt. 

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

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post #25 of 30
6/13/12 at 2:47pm

OK kaneohegirlinaz ... I just started a "Mai Tai" thread for you.   I gotta go now, but I'll come back in a coupla hours. 

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

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post #26 of 30
6/13/12 at 3:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chefbuba View Post

You guys that are afraid to grill fish.... This sea bass grilled no problem, VERY CLEAN GRILL, screaming hot, plenty of oil on the filets. Drag them across the spot you intend to put them a couple of times, to oil up the grates before you drop them to cook. Dont move them before they are ready to be turned.

 

seabass2.jpg

Yeah I had seen that pic in the other thread, and I had it in mine the whole time I was typing my previous post!

 

Now that I think about it I've already grilled salmon steaks, and they came out great, so I guess it depends on the type of fish. Salmon isn't too delicate so it didn't stick to the grill at all. I've also made swordfish skewers, that was a long time ago, before I knew about mercury in fish... and same thing, very easy to grill. 

 

I should just.. try again!

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post #27 of 30
6/13/12 at 3:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chefedb View Post

Do you have anything in your fridge? lets build around that.

Me? Ha.. that day my fridge was pretty much empty. 

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post #28 of 30
6/14/12 at 1:15pm

In NY we used to call them Belly Bombs

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #29 of 30
6/14/12 at 2:21pm

We called them "gut grenades" !

Quote:
Originally Posted by chefedb View Post

In NY we used to call them Belly Bombs

Chef,
Specialties: MasterCook/RecipeFox; Culinary logistics; Personal Chef; Small restaurant owner; Caterer
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post #30 of 30
6/14/12 at 2:46pm

Stir fry with whatever protein I have, frozen stir fry veg thawed under running hot water, chow mein noodles or rice. Frittatas and omelets are always on my menu. I always have spaghetti sauce on hand (homemade, I just pressure  canned 12 1/2 pints). Quick burger on the grill with tomato and lettuce and bacon and cheese and.... smile.gif

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ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Cooking Discussions › Food & Cooking › Lazy - no idea for tonight... suggestions?