What's cookin', good lookin'?

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[seela]

Ok, can you buy water melon by the slice? The watermelon salad from the Middle East, Nigella Lawson recipe is damnably better than the one I used to make. Soaking red onion in lime juice was a revelation. I make it at weekends some times and much for a few days ( we cannot get portions of watermelon in the country side).

Am I allowed to link to a recipe or is it like the rules to other websites for pictures? If you google nigella Lawson watermelon feta mint sAlad I think you'll find . I am thinking salad because of the warmth here! Apart from pre prep for the onions it takes minutes to throw together and tastes so good and complete. ,light, sweet, salty, fresh.....

Sure you're allowed to link to a recipe. You're allowed to link to other websites for pics too. You just can't post pics as images with the site name showing on Lit. At least that's how I understand the pic posting rules, but there are no pic posting rules stated anywhere on this board, so I'm not sure.

What you describe sounds similar to what the mother of a friend of mine has taught me, from Iran. I like it a lot and make it pretty often in summer. I usually add cucumber as well, that's how she does it.

I feel like we have skipped over EnglishChap's pork chop question. I have never cooked pork chops and only eaten them a handful of times, so I can't help with his question, but I'm sure somebody else can.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[EnglishChap6687]

Pork chops.....

I just cannot think of them in summer! But if I were having them to night I would grill them, marinated in something island ish.sh...what is in your cupboards? forgo my beloved apples and break the habit and also grill pineapple with them. Grilling the pineapple hard, with a little brown sugar for caramelisation ( hm...would pomegranate molasses work? ) and have on a salad of nothing sweet ( becUse of the pineapple) but rather chicory ( or maybe even grill chicory too,..,,,but I prefer something fresh) or rocket, but most likely a huge mound of watercress and drink with something fresh and fruity.

Thanks very much for your ideas! I'm thinking salad will be the main accompaniment in this heat, maybe some cous cous or quinoa as well. Alternatively, I might just let my better half cook and save me the bother

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[EnglishChap6687]

In the heat the carbs can be too heavy I think? Otherwise I'd go sweet potato fries, with lime and chilli flakes.

That would probably work - depends how much it cools down by this evening - also, don't have any sweet potatoes right now

 

[Collar_N_Cuffs]

J's gone until Saturday evening. The big question is, what do I eat, because I'm the world's laziest cook if I only have to feed myself. Without a plan I'll end up eating cereal, yoghurt and pasta every day.

So, dinner suggestions for one, please. Preferably vegetarian/seafood.

How about a shrimp or fish curry with lime/cilantro/coconut milk over rice, or perhaps savoury shrimp over rice? With a bit of bacon and onion and lemon and whatever else you have? I like that over grits, but I don't know if you have those. Polenta maybe?

Or how about a baked potato topped with.. whatever you have? Or a veggie stir fry. Or a rice casserole that you could eat off of a few times? Or just bake 5 kinds of bread to live on Yes, live on bread and water while J is gone, and tell him to be flattered

 

[MeekMe]

J's gone until Saturday evening. The big question is, what do I eat, because I'm the world's laziest cook if I only have to feed myself. Without a plan I'll end up eating cereal, yoghurt and pasta every day.

So, dinner suggestions for one, please. Preferably vegetarian/seafood.

I suggest you and I get drunk and you teach me how to make a quiche.

 

[1sickbastard]

I have succesfully brainwashed J into liking pretty much everything that I like. He even likes cilantro these days and doesn't think it tastes like "licking an empty pool" anymore.

Maybe I could try something new or something that requires more planning.

Simple dinner ideas for one that aren't pasta or salad (or cereal) are still welcome. Or maybe I'll just eat out.

Eating in is better than dining out alone, imo.

Cooking for one is a bit of hassle, but the solution is to keep it simple; one or two pan meals. Steamed veggies are very quick and easy, so is rice and quinoa. Sauteed veggies are good. Beans are simple, but take some pre-planning (the overnight soak) as well as some time to cook right. Cold-cut platters make for really easy/simple/quick meals (cheeses, fruits, veggies, maybe some slices of deli meats and, of course, vino!)

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Primalex]

So, dinner suggestions for one, please. Preferably vegetarian/seafood.

Zucchini and tomato bake
5 minutes work

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[seela]

Thanks for all the suggestions for easy dinners! I'll definitely dog ear this page for future reference.

I don't mind eating out alone at all. I got used to it in Warsaw when my kitchen consisted of a single hot plate that didn't get very hot and a sink. I ate out a lot, often alone. It was weird at first, but after a while I started to enjoy it.

I made "pasta" out of zucchini today, ie. ribboned it with a vegetable peeler, and ate it with lemon, mint and feta sauce. I'm probably gonna make the watermelon salad tomorrow.

And Meeks, getting drunk and making quiche sounds excellent. I'll come knocking on your PM box or facebook once I get my wine on one of these days.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[MeekMe]

And Meeks, getting drunk and making quiche sounds excellent. I'll come knocking on your PM box or facebook once I get my wine on one of these days.

I'll get booze and ingredients ready.

Other times I make batches of things G hate and freeze in one portion dishes to pull out when I want more indulgence, baked pasta ( he's right, its horrid, but it tastes like old family members to me).

oh my.

 

[Primalex]

How is your garden Primalex?

Enough for me and the snails.

The sugar snaps are harvested, leaf lettuce will still last for a few meals, tomatoes still green, strawberries less developed than the tomatoes, but you can see where they will grow and that looks quite satisfying. Carrot green is looking fine, but no idea at all how long it still takes till they are ready.
Kale is also doing fine so far, but the strawberries are stealing the sunlight, they grow higher than I expected. Will have to look for a solution.

A total failure was the basil and the oregano this year. Well, basil grew great, but no taste - too many nutrients in the soil. So I've decided to let it grow and harvest the blossoms for decoration. Oregano died from too much heat and sun, I moved the seedlings too early.

The cherries - well, the war between ants and ladybugs doesn't seem to end well for the ladybugs, so I decided right now to end my neutrality.

Oh yes and this year, for the first time, jam from my blackcurrant shrubs. I think it took 4 or 5 years.

That's about it for the edible part of my garden (not sure how to categorize the sunflowers).

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[Primalex]

Do you have a shadier less favourable spot you can move move your strawberries too?

Really? I would have thought they are totally into sunlight. Too late to move them without risk, but I can move the kale. Just not sure if the kale will actually care about a better spot.

I took a. Year of tomato growing. We had blight last year, and dampness. And its hard enough growing out door tomatoes in uk.

I'm surprised that stuff grows there above the ground at all.

I'll be harvesting lavender soon

Oh, yes, we have 7 lavender bushes, but we don't use it for culinary, only for olfactory, purposes.

 

[Primalex]

Okay, time for a culinary outing.

I've never made or ate a pie - and I've decided to end this drama. And as I don't have a proper baking mould anyway:

Is a pie bird a useful accessory? I didn't even know such a thing exists moments ago and am fascinated.

 

[La damnee elle la licorne]

 

[BiBunny]

Okay, time for a culinary outing.

I've never made or ate a pie - and I've decided to end this drama. And as I don't have a proper baking mould anyway:

Is a pie bird a useful accessory? I didn't even know such a thing exists moments ago and am fascinated.

What kind of pie are we making?

Not that I'd be helpful here at all, mind you. I'm just curious.

 

[Primalex]

What kind of pie are we making?

Whatever Sweeney Todd made, just with less human.