What are you cooking?

[jaylach]

Usually we make some pretty cool appetizer stuff for the super bowl but sadly we've been really busy and didn't get the chance to this year. Wingstop it was! Lol

Nothing special here either. I'll have sirloin tips either late in the game or soon after but no major production as I pretty often have sirloin tips. Just not yet sure as to how I'll do the tips. They will either be BBQ or grilled, possibly both with the smaller tips going for a BBQ sandwich, on an onion roll I need to use anyway, and the larger ones grilled.

Was also going to have sticky BBQ wings but forgot to thaw any and not enough time to thaw and do right. I could thaw the wings in my microwave but don't like doing. Might just be my imagination but I swear that thawing meat in a microwave changes the texture and I'm a bit picky about meat.

To be honest I may not even watch the entire super bowl unless it is a good game. If a blowout happens I'll see what is going on with the Olympics. Super bowl happens every year but the Olympics only every 4 years.

Unlike a certain USA political leader, that I'll not name, a 41 year old woman downhill skier trying for one more medal that falls and breaks her leg is NOT a "total loser" as was said. She, as with all of the athletes from every country, is already a winner just by being there.

Sorry for the bit of rant but I'm sickened by the disgraceful and offending comments being thrown out by political leaders that should be backing the athletes instead of degrading.

I don't think that I've crossed the 'political line' here but, if some mod can see it as such, feel free to delete this post.

 

[Rocky998]

Nothing special here either. I'll have sirloin tips either late in the game or soon after but no major production as I pretty often have sirloin tips. Just not yet sure as to how I'll do the tips. They will either be BBQ or grilled, possibly both with the smaller tips going for a BBQ sandwich, on an onion roll I need to use anyway, and the larger ones grilled.

Was also going to have sticky BBQ wings but forgot to thaw any and not enough time to thaw and do right. I could thaw the wings in my microwave but don't like doing. Might just be my imagination but I swear that thawing meat in a microwave changes the texture and I'm a bit picky about meat.

To be honest I may not even watch the entire super bowl unless it is a good game. If a blowout happens I'll see what is going on with the Olympics. Super bowl happens every year but the Olympics only every 4 years.

Unlike a certain USA political leader, that I'll not name, a 41 year old woman downhill skier trying for one more medal that falls and breaks her leg is NOT a "total loser" as was said. She, as with all of the athletes from every country, is already a winner just by being there.

Sorry for the bit of rant but I'm sickened by the disgraceful and offending comments being thrown out by political leaders that should be backing the athletes instead of degrading.

I don't think that I've crossed the 'political line' here but, if some mod can see it as such, feel free to delete this post.

I agree on that with the meat in the microwave! It does change something slightly for sure.

And that's totally understandable with the Olympics vs the super bowl. We like both, but our family is Seattle Seahawk fans 100% so we definitely wanna see this superbowl lol.
Thankfully we have the option to record.

And WHAT?? Did that certain political figure actually say that about Lindsey Vonn? Insane...
I watched it happen! She's an amazing skier. Just hit a rough week or two with some bad luck it seems. She was recovering from another incident when she did.
(Could you send a link to me in PMs about that certain leader so i can see what he said? Only if you want to of course)

 

[fishorama]

I had to check I was still on the cooking thread I don't mind the sports or veiled political stuff

The Super Bowl was an afternoon game here, so it came between lunch & dinner. We had some lame snacks, Cheetos & cherry vanilla ice cream. Followed by canned soup & crackers.

 

[jaylach]

Insane...
I watched it happen! She's an amazing skier. Just hit a rough week or two with some bad luck it seems. She was recovering from another incident when she did.

Vonn never should have even skied to be honest. She tore an ACL in her knee a week earlier and, with the impacts involved in a down hill competition, there was not much chance the knee would be able to hold up to the stress. Kudos as to her guts and determination but she was really trying to do the run on one leg. To put it in perspective an NFL player with a torn ACL is looking at 9 to 12 months of recovery. She never had a chance.

 

[Fishmanic]

Today we warmed up leftover meatloaf with mashed potato and brown gravy. Made a side of salted stewed tomatoes.

 

[jaylach]

Today we warmed up leftover meatloaf with mashed potato and brown gravy. Made a side of salted stewed tomatoes.
View attachment 377187View attachment 377188

Sigh, I haven't done meatloaf in way too long. I need to fix that soon. I go a bit away from the norm on meatloaf. LOL! Like I'm not normally off the norm.

For one I don't first saute the veggies but add to the mix raw and I like the little bit ff added texture that way. I also don't use bread crumbs or crushed crackers as the filler. I use rolled oats and milk. I also use a LOT of Italian spices to where it ends up like a three pound meatball. I say three pounds as, when I do, it is two pounds of lean ground beef and a pound of ground pork. Ya, not a traditional meatloaf but I like. What I do is so meatball based that I'll even take a slab of leftovers and do like you would do a chicken parmigiana with pasta on the side.

Tonight is going to be a cut up chicken breast saute with onion, shrooms and bell peppers. It will either be over egg noodles or mashed taters depending on the sauce I use. If the sauce is diced tomato based it will be over noodles. If done with chicken gravy it will be over mashed taters.

I like it when I find a base dinner that I like and play with different sauces. Take my tonight's chicken thing. Use egg noodles and diced tomatoes and it is one dish. Do the same exact thing with sweet pepper sauce and it is a totally different dinner but the same base. Do the same, adding broccoli and Alfredo, and it is yet a totally different dinner. Now and then I'll do rice for such things but normally, if not Italian base, I'll use egg noodles. For me it is just too expensive to buy organic rice. Farm rice tends to have arsenic which none of us need.

On the other hand I don't want ocean caught shell fish as they contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and copper. In this case I'll take farm bread as it is a controlled situation that excludes the heavy metals.

 

[jaylach]

Tomato based won out tonight with chicken, bell peppers, red onion. It is now cooking down as you have to 'long cook' canned tomatoes to get rid of the metal taste from the can. Tomatoes are acidic and will leech taste from the can. A long, slow, cook tends to alleviate this.

I'm making more than I'll eat tonight but I like the cold leftovers. What I don't eat will go in a fridge container. When I go to bed I tend to read for quite a while and get a touch of munchies. The left over stuff is just as good cold as hot. A fork full or three works well to kill the munchies and still tastes REALLY good.

 

[fishorama]

I did errands until too late to chop meat + veggies for stir fry. I bought a bunch of ground beef for many things. But tonight it'll be tacos with beef & black beans (of course ). I need to have cheese today!

Tomorrow I'll make meatballs, meatloaves, burgers etc. for the freezer. I use raw veggies in meatloaf too. Often celery, bell pepper sometimes jalpeno, always onion. Never ketchup on the outside. Husband likes that but I'm not wasting my tomato allergy on something I don't really want polluting my meatloaf. He can have it on the side, lol.

Jay, what is your ballpark amount of oatmeal to meat & milk ratio? I've heard of that but never done it. A cousin does Rice Krispies; I usually use wheat bread. I make smaller loaves, bake & freeze the extras.

 

[Fishmanic]

For my meatloaf, I use one and a half lb of 85% ground beef. I add 1 cup of panko bread crumbs and one cup of milk and one egg. Then add spices such as a bit of salt and pepper, oregano and basil. I add a 1/4 cup of ketchup too. I also add chopped up large onion.
Panko is hailed by nutritionists as the “better breadcrumb” because it has lower calories, sodium, and fat. It's also a good source of fiber.

 

[fishorama]

Panko crumbs always seem a little sweet to me. Maybe with your ketchup you don't notice or care about that? Just me, I don't like many dinner foods that taste sweet to me. No raisins, etc. in what should be savory in my mind.

A cup of milk seems like a lot too. I don't mind a "looser" meatloaf but that's probably 2x what I use. Does the panko absorb it well?

 

[Fishmanic]

Yes panko is coarser denser crumbs. It has very low sodium added which is another reason I like it compared to regular canned bread crumbs. My meatloaf does not come out soggy but has just the right density.

 

[Fishmanic]

 

[jaylach]

Jay, what is your ballpark amount of oatmeal to meat & milk ratio? I've heard of that but never done it. A cousin does Rice Krispies; I usually use wheat bread. I make smaller loaves, bake & freeze the extras.

For 3 pounds of meat (2 pounds beef and 1 pound pork) look at about 1/2 cup milk and 2 cups oats. Blend the milk with 2 eggs. It may look like soup when first mixed but the oats will absorb the liquid.

 

[fishorama]

Thanks, Jay & Fishmanic. I would have guessed a bit more milk with oatmeal (quick oats? that's my usual kind). I use fresh (or frozen), soft wheat crumbs or small diced slices. So they probably absorb the milk/eggs differently than either panko or oatmeal. To be honest, I've only had panko mostly on restaurant seafoods so maybe not all are sweet (-ish).

I got a bit carried away with veggies today, so I added more ground beef since I had a lot to play with. I made parmesan meatballs (baked! I wish I'd learned that years ago) then meatloaves baking now. Baked potatoes & a green salad, another late dinner. 30 minutes to go, I'm having hunger pangs.

 

[jaylach]

Thanks, Jay & Fishmanic. I would have guessed a bit more milk with oatmeal (quick oats? that's my usual kind).

I suppose that you could use quick oats but I don't. As to the liquid (milk) keep in mind that the eggs add some liquid. I also use raw veggies so they sweat adding more liquid.