Thread: A nice Dinner

I am making a nice dinner for my family, and would like to know what else might go along, or fit in to what I have so far. So far, this is the menu:

Main Course-
Steak

Sides-
Asparagus

A salad (ingredients specified to help choice on other sides)
1/2 fresh spinach
1/2 Romain Lettuce
Antipasto green olives
Heart of palm
Artichoke hearts
Cucumber
Different colors of Bell Peppers
optional- blue cheese
choice of ranch or honey mustard vinaigrette

what else might fit?

Sweet potato fries.

I tried that recipe Harold.....

Yum bloody yum!! :P

Puree spinach

well you already have your meat and vegetables. What you need now is either potatoes, rice or pasta to go with them. Might I suggest this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Sp...es/Detail.aspx

I wholeheartedly third Harold's sweet potato fries. I suspect he's a culinary genius.

You can churn them out in batches so folks waiting 'round the kitchen enjoy informal appetizer.

I do the same thing with tatties

Cut them into wedges with their skins on

Put them in a bowl drizzle with oil

Throw some chopped garlic, sea salt & cracked pepper.

Give em a stir so they all coated

Lay em on a baking tray & bake.

Gorgeous with tuna steak and homemade coleslaw.

OMG --- I got the munchies now................

Originally Posted by Pong

I wholeheartedly third Harold's sweet potato fries. I suspect he's a culinary genius.

You can churn them out in batches so folks waiting 'round the kitchen enjoy informal appetizer.

I found that recipe when I went on a diet. The sweet potatoes are healthier - more fiber, more vitamins and a lower glycemic index. They taste good too. They won't come out crispy like french fries. Doesn't matter, they're still good.

Harold, since you're American ..no offense... I'm wondering if we're talking about the same vegetable. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture insanely requires all instances of "sweet potato" accompanied by the term "yam" (i.e. boxes marked "yam sweet potatoes") so there is much confusion!

A yam is a rough-skinned sometimes enormous tuber of African origin. Above ground it's similar to clematis. The dry starchy flesh may be white, yellow, red or purple. Slaves from Africa probably referred to all unfamiliar food roots as yams. This is a yam:


A sweet potato is very thin-skinned and originates in the Americas. The plant is of the morning glory/bindweed family. The yellow or orange fleshed roots are moist and predictably sweeter than other potatoes. This is the "batata" introduced to Columbus:

Right, Pong. I doubt I've ever had a true yam. The so-called yams in the grocery stores here are really sweet potatoes.

You can tell how fresh a sweet potatoe by it's weight.

The same can be said for any root vegetable.

If they feel light its because they are old and starting to dry out and will taste 'orrible!

Sweet Potatoes are much better for you than normal tatties, they have got lots more vitamins & easier to digest like Harold says.

Two very simple and tasty salads:

Potato Salad:

Cut up boiled potatoes (deskinned), with mayonnaise and boiled eggs cut into discs. You can add chopped green pepper if you like. Season to taste.

Lettuce salad:

Same as above, but use lettuce instead!

I know, nothing interesting or remotely fancy about those salads, but they will forever be my favourites!

For the OP: Maybe switch the blue cheese for diced cottage cheese?

Originally Posted by KALSTER

Two very simple and tasty salads:

Potato Salad:

Cut up boiled potatoes (deskinned), with mayonnaise and boiled eggs cut into discs. You can add chopped green pepper if you like. Season to taste.

Lettuce salad:

Same as above, but use lettuce instead!

I know, nothing interesting or remotely fancy about those salads, but they will forever be my favourites!

For the OP: Maybe switch the blue cheese for diced cottage cheese?

Blue cheese!

Yeughh Kalster, I'm not snogging you if you've been eating blue cheese

Yeughh Kalster, I'm not snogging you if you've been eating blue cheese

My suggestion was to throw out the blue cheese and use cottage cheese instead. Snog away!:-D

I prefer liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Originally Posted by KALSTER

Yeughh Kalster, I'm not snogging you if you've been eating blue cheese

My suggestion was to throw out the blue cheese and use cottage cheese instead. Snog away!:-D

:-D (sigh) If only i could.......!

Hey everyone, thank you for all of the great ideas. I used Harold's sweet potato fries and the blue cheese was a typo (I meant parmesan cheese) I usualy use blue cheese on my salads. The fries were awesome, infact... they were my little sister's favorite part. The meal went wonderfuly. I am now in califonia, and guess what? MCT is alot better than boot camp. I can talk to people, and use the internet on weekends, and I am treated as a human! It takes getting used to.
:wink: [/tex]

Shaderwolf, what exactly is MCT ??

My suggestion is simple fried potatoes.

The sweet potato is a nice choice too. we can either oven, boil, steam or(sometimes, just throw it near a fire.)

Originally Posted by Yash

Shaderwolf, what exactly is MCT ??

MCT stands for Marine Combat Training. it is the place where non infantry go to train to become proficient in combat because every marine is a rifleman. It's hardcore. :wink: I tell you what, grenades... they're alot more powerfull than you expect. they shook the ground from over 200n yds away

If i were to serve steak, I'd always stick to my favourite classic;

medium rare steak, lightly sprinkled with pepper during cooking, served on a bed of mashed potatoes, with roast vegetables on the side. Pepper sauce drizzled to taste on top.

Mash Potatoes are the best.

Healthy amount of butter (Healthy - in my case means as much as i feel i need to make the best, worry about the fats later), fresh parsley finely chopped, with salt and pepper all mashed together with the potatoes, with a little cream if you like that.

Cant go wrong, max 40 min if its just for two, about ten mins extra in prep time per two extra to dine.

Tuna Steak coated in freshly ground yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorns Sichuan Pepper & Sea Salt........then baked in the oven.....YUM!