New Dinner Ideas???

[arnold]

Now that summer is finally here, I need some new dinner ideas. I'm tired of tacos, pulled pork and spaghetti. We have 6 in our family, kids are 10 and under, no food allergies or restrictions. I'd love to hear your ideas or favorite dishes.

[Gil]

We eat a lot of rice based dishes--fried rice, lentils and rice, wild rice, rice with gravy, rice-rice, you get the idea...

[LibraryLover]

I like to grill.  Pretty much anything. ;) Veggies, fish, beef, chicken, shellfish,  big portobello mushrooms etc   Sometimes I make a homemade rub, but most often I let olive oil, salt, pepper, and citrus juice work their magic. :)

[KungFuPanda]

Kabobs, rice, salad

 

In the summer I grill as much as I can. It changes up the menu and cuts down on dishes.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Soylent?  Google it, its real.

[Desert Strawberry]

Rice, potatoes, soup, and salad make up the majority of our meals. 

[Seasider]

Well, around here we are at the mercy of the scouts working on cooking badges!

 

I just cleaned and inventoried the pantry, fridge and freezer, and planned a menu to use up stuff, so the next week or so will be pretty eclectic dining.

 

After that, we need to get back on the GF/dairy free train. I imagine we will be keeping things simple, with grilled items and straightforward veggie, fruit and rice sides.

[Audrey]

In summer I like grilled something on a salad.  Really any protein will do.  Grilled chicken, grilled steak, grilled fish (for the guys because I don't eat seafood), grilled tofu, grilled cheese (yes, really -- haloomi and paneer both grill fabulously!) -- any will do.  Just season it to suit the theme of your salad.  Greek seasoning goes with a simple olive oil/red wine vinegar dressing beautifully.  Add some kalamata olives, cucumber, tomato, fresh mint if you've got it. Heavenly.  You can do a Mexican seasoning and pair it will a zippy dressing.  Spanish smoked paprika and oregano as a protein seasoning goes well with a salad that uses a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. The combinations are endless and you can add in other veggies -- you can even grilled some veggies.  It's all good, good, good. :)

 

 

ETA:  We tried out a curry salad last Monday.  Cut some paneer into fat sticks.  Toss in some curry powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper.  Grill those along with some bell pepper.  Toss together a salad of romaine, leaf lettuce and arugula.  Slice up some cucumber and tomatoes.  Whip up a dressing of yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill, fresh mint, salt and pepper.  It was very good.  I wrote that one down to go in the "list of keepers." 

[LibraryLover]

In summer I like grilled something on a salad.  Really any protein will do.  Grilled chicken, grilled steak, grilled fish (for the guys because I don't eat seafood), grilled tofu, grilled cheese (yes, really -- haloomi and paneer both grill fabulously!) -- any will do.  Just season it to suit the theme of your salad.  Greek seasoning goes with a simple olive oil/red wine vinegar dressing beautifully.  Add some kalamata olives, cucumber, tomato, fresh mint if you've got it. Heavenly.  You can do a Mexican seasoning and pair it will a zippy dressing.  Spanish smoked paprika and oregano as a protein seasoning goes well with a salad that uses a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. The combinations are endless and you can add in other veggies -- you can even grilled some veggies.  It's all good, good, good. :)

 

 

ETA:  We tried out a curry salad last Monday.  Cut some paneer into fat sticks.  Toss in some curry powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper.  Grill those along with some bell pepper.  Toss together a salad of romaine, leaf lettuce and arugula.  Slice up some cucumber and tomatoes.  Whip up a dressing of yogurt, lemon juice, fresh dill, fresh mint, salt and pepper.  It was very good.  I wrote that one down to go in the "list of keepers." 

 

Nice!

 

[medawyn]

Pesto pasta salad tossed with halved cherry tomatoes, peas, and chicken (if you'd like additional protein)

 

Brie, tomato, and basil pasta (utterly decadent!): http://unconfidentialcook.com/2010/01/11/pasta-tossed-with-brie-tomatoes-and-basil/

 

Potatoes/sweet potatoes with toppings bar

 

Fish cooked in foil packets with thin-sliced veggies; our favorite combos are potatoes/fennel/onion with a little butter or carrots/zucchini with lemon and any white fish of your choice

 

salmon broiled or grilled with maple syrup and soy sauce

 

kabobs

 

soda pop chicken (I skip the rice, but we make this chicken ALL the time!): http://www.cuisinerecipes.com/2009/03/05/fizzy-chicken/2/

[Miss Peregrine]

I have been trying recipes from melskitchencafe.com. Tonight is the fourth night in a row. The first three were really good.

[MooCow]

We grill. Ok. I grill. A lot. Marinated pork chops, veggie cabobs,kicken chicken, burgers, salmon, corn, pineapple. I try to have pasta salads or Asian coleslaw around as well. I greatly dislike turning on my oven from middle of June until September.

[Baseball mom]

BBQ nachos or potatoes -  use the pulled pork -- 

tortilla chips, nacho cheese, bbq, bbq sauce, jalapenos

for potatoes just use a baked potato in place of the chips

 

Throw some bell pepper strips and onion strips in crockpot.  Then toss in chicken breasts.  Nothing else.  Cook on low about 6 hours.  Cut chicken into strips or shred.  Serve on tortillas.  (got that here and quickly became a favorite)

 

Anything grilled -- hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops, steak, bologna (add bbq sauce), veggies etc.  

 

Dip sandwiches -- I usually double this as my family loves leftovers of this

put a roast in the crockpot (can be frozen).  

mix together 1 packet au jus, 1 packet dry italian dressing & 1 can beef broth

pour mixture over roast

cook on low 8-10 hours 

slice & serve on rolls with provolone cheese (or not) 

use sauce to dip sandwiches

 

Cereal -- keeping it real

 

Pancakes -- again just being real

 

Salad or taco salad

 

Jambalaya  

 

Ice cream -- hey it's hot outside

 

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

roast, sliced into thin strips

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired) -- I use frozen, nuke a couple mins and add to pot

Hot cooked rice

 

Directions

1. Place beef in a crock pot.

2. In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine.

4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.

5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

6. Serve over hot cooked rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[momto10blessings]

I have been trying recipes from melskitchencafe.com. Tonight is the fourth night in a row. The first three were really good.

Her recipes are great!

[Mandylubug]

we ate Baked Chicken Thighs (I MAY have consumed part of the skin that was crunchy shhhhh) mashed potatoes and coleslaw tonight. Feeds my family of 6, with left overs for about 7 dollars total.

[J-rap]

This is a quick summer salad that surprisingly all of my kids love!  (It's a main dish, though we usually serve bread and fruit on the side.)  It's a cold, tuna/veggie/crunchy chowmein noodle salad.

 

I usually just make it up as I go, so I'm not sure of the exact proportions.  Something like this:

 

Mix 1 can tuna, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 cup chopped celery together.  Add 1 cup mayo, more or less.  (Actually, I think I start with just 1/2 cup, and then add more later if I think it needs it.)  Season with lemon juice and pepper.  You can add a little salt if you like it salty.

 

Chill in the fridge.

 

Before serving, add 1 cup frozen peas and 1 cup chowmein noodles.

 

Add more mayo and lemon juice/pepper, if you want.

[helena]

I've been making a potato, cabbage, and chicken dish that everyone here seems to enjoy. I sauté garlic and onion in with it and season with chicken broth, salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. I serve it with a salad and crusty baguette.