The Lazy Gourmet

[Unorthodox]

Well, it turned out being lazy, I got a shepherd's pie. Someday when my wife is making pie crusts, maybe I can talk her into making one from scratch, so that I can make a shepherd's pie from scratch.

Does not compute...

I've always known shepherds pie to be sans-crust.  Mashed pot over meat/gravy/veggies in a casserole dish.  You seem to be referring to some kind of meat pie/pot pie. 

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[Rusty Edge]

Well, it turned out being lazy, I got a shepherd's pie. Someday when my wife is making pie crusts, maybe I can talk her into making one from scratch, so that I can make a shepherd's pie from scratch.

Does not compute...

I've always known shepherds pie to be sans-crust.  Mashed pot over meat/gravy/veggies in a casserole dish.  You seem to be referring to some kind of meat pie/pot pie. 

! No longer available

Hmm. Apparently you are correct, and that is the standard definition. Must be some local variant or misunderstanding.

Well, that's a hell of a lot quicker and easier than making pastry, but I'd probably call it a "casserole". Or a "hot dish" if it had cheese and bacon on the top...

Again, apparently you're right. Thanks, Uno.

[Buster's Uncle]

I grilled ribs for supper yesterday - they're fatty, and not burning them in the grease fire is a challenge.  -A challenge I wasn't entirely up to yesterday.

[Unorthodox]

Have added "Kung Pao" to the when hEt's working repertoire.  Quick, 20 minute dish I can just whip up.  (time based on everything defrosted) 

Both the boys like it, but it really doesn't taste like Kung Pao. (ingredient list originated from online recipe)  Talia can't get past the peanuts...maybe should try without.

Saute onions and a copious amount of minced garlic in some chili oil, add your chicken and sear.

In a separate bowl add Maggi Seasoning (soy sauce can work), Red Wine (roughly equal to the soy/maggi), brown sugar, and a little corn starch dissolved in water.  Spice with red pepper paste (I just use sriracha instead). 

Add your peanuts and veggies to the chicken, cook until the veggies are tender, then add the sauce and cook until thickened (not long). 

[Buster's Uncle]

I just got drafted to make supper.  Probably oven-roast chicken - may make it BBQ, but that's a difference only towards the end of the cook time.

[Unorthodox]

Thinking it's a pizza night for us.  Got to shop for Talia's Bday and color eggs, little time for cooking. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Grilled burgers for supper - these were the kind of hamburger that comes in a big tube, which my brother -who has a degree in food science- says contain the most fat they can and still legally claim the be hamburger - so I just threw six patties on w/o any wood or charcoal for extra smoke flavor, figuring the grease fires would take care of that.

I had to take them off before they were cooked through -the patties were thick hand-formed & frozen when I started- before the outsides burned too much, and finish them off in the microwave.  Hit JUST the right balance this time...

[Rusty Edge]

Awesome! I love it when you can pull a rabbit out of your hat!

I was grilling tonight, too. Didn't quite come together for me. 1) I started the chicken when the fire was a little hot. 2) I forgot to start the rice on time.
Also grilled pineapple. Anyway, some of the pineapple got blackened, some of the rice burnt to the bottom of the pan because I forgot to take it off of the heat, and the chicken was a little dry. But, I had some marinade in the bottle in reserve,  and applied that to the chicken, I was able to give myself the blackened pineapple, and I was careful serving the rice. I think the real salvation for the chicken was that this meal was postponed twice due to extra guests and weather. So it had days to marinade.  Still good, but not perfect.

Lessons learned- 1) don't get careless  2) marinade longer  3) cook the pineapple longer at lower heat.

[Buster's Uncle]

The last time I threw on some burgers, they came out a little dry -after going to all the trouble with the extra smoke flavoring- and the ribs the time after that just burned on the outside -thank goodness for my BBQ sauce- so yeah; really happy to have something turn out good this time.

I ate all six - nobody else home...

[Rusty Edge]

Tonight's culinary experiment- Shrimp Alfredo

Used Fusilli Pasta, ( couldn't find Rotini the day I shopped. I find rotini to be less mess when eating sauce covered pasta) and 4 cheese Alfredo sauce from a jar. For the shrimp ( peeled, no tails ), I cooked 2 strips of bacon on the crispy side first, removed from the pan, fried the shrimp in the grease, chopped up the bacon to bits, and returned to the shrimp. Drained the pasta, stirred in the sauce. Plated and added the shrimp with bacon bits.

One of the resident women said they could eat this every day. The other would have preferred the addition of garlic and the substitution of Fettuccine. Me, I would have gone with the addition of mushrooms and diced tomatoes, as it was a fairly bland colored dish.

So- pretty tasty, not too complicated or difficult, and there's room for changing protein/seasoning/sauce/pasta for variety.

[Buster's Uncle]

Bacon is the ultimate food.  -I'm pretty sure the basic inferiority of Mom's Disciple Peter Pizza is not putting a whole pound of bacon on like I taught her.

[Rusty Edge]

Aha! Yes, it's a great combination of tasty and versatile! It's almost a salt substitute ( I have reservations about using it to bake certain foods ).

That reminds me of a bacon and baby shrimp pizza I used to enjoy. I called it the cholesterol special.

[Dio]

Bacon is the ultimate food.  -I'm pretty sure the basic inferiority of Mom's Disciple Peter Pizza is not putting a whole pound of bacon on like I taught her.

The ultimate food remains tofu because people can make it into a variety of meat substitutes that have a lower fat and calorie content and a comparable quantity of protein.

[Buster's Uncle]

JEsus, are you ever from California.

[Dio]

Here. I want you to see the delight that exudes from a tofu steak.