HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Not that anybody’s actually counting, but the other day I did the math and calculated that Jonathan and I have been married for 27 years, it might be 28, but that’s not the point, and let’s just say I’ve made dinner 250 nights a year every year.
It’s probably more than that, because of Covid, but let’s just say it all works out.
So multiply with me: 250×27 years is 6750 dinners.
Six thousand seven hundred and fifty dinners. Can that be true? It can be true.
First of all, it’s kind of shocking that I really have only had three other disasters in all those dinners: twice, when I tried to make something with spaghetti squash and pretended it was pasta and not squash. Please do not do this.
Never forget, it is squash.
Once I used it as squash, it was fine. More than fine.
My other disaster was making Pasta Primavera, which I've done a billion times, and usually I can do in my sleep, but this one time I must’ve actually been asleep, because I… I can’t even begin to tell you how much I ruined it.
I did everything in the wrong order, and to make a roux, you can’t screw up. Excuse the language, but it is funnier when it rhymes.
Nevertheless, given that I have made 6,747 successful dinners during this part of my life it is also shocking that there are so many different combinations of chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken, and chicken. (As you may have noticed.) And salmon.
But even that aside, when I say to Jonathan: what would you like for dinner?
He says you decide.
I say no no no no no. You decide.
So today, darling reds and readers, will you decide? Tell me a go-to dinner. You don’t even have to give the recipe if you don’t want to. Just… SOME idea.
Something. And it’s okay if it’s chicken. It’s okay even if it’s spaghetti squash. Even that. Just… Anything!
We don't really have a go-to meal to fall back on . . . we have little traditions [like steak on Sundays], but I always fall back on made-from-scratch macaroni and cheese whenever I just can't decide what to make for dinner . . . .
ReplyDeleteAlways delicious! What’s your secret?
ReplyDeleteMy secret for macaroni and cheese? Use lots of cheese, both sharp and mild cheddar; thicken with egg instead of flour . . . .
DeleteKing Arthur powdered cheddar cheese, with some sharp cheddar, some cream cheese, a bit of butter, and milk…..how could you mess that up?
DeleteFor dinner, I had a piece of vegan cheese. I did not want anything else. I had a big lunch with edamame, beans, red onion, kale, mini pepper 🌶️ and tofu. Maybe it’s menopause since I do not seem to have a big appetite these days.
ReplyDeleteSilver lining is that now I am finally close to my fighting weight. I was shocked to see a photo of myself a year ago 10 pounds heavier and I was reminded of an actor’s face a few months before he died suddenly! My face looked swollen. I’ve been using lumen daily to measure my metabolism.
So glad you are feeling empowered!
DeleteMake reservations. You deserve a night out of the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI always "joke" (not really) that my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations!
DeleteTOTALLY.
DeleteAs the primary (but not sole, thank goodness) dinner chef around here, I know the feeling, Hank!
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year, a pan of roasted vegetables makes a great easy dinner. We have our local farm's cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, onions, and carrots, so I'll toss them all with olive oil, salt, and rosemary and roast them at 400 for half an hour, turning a couple of times. Add a couple of boneless chicken thighs or a piece of salmon to the pan, and bingo, it's dinner.
(Or even a couple of chicken sausages cut up - even easier.)
DeleteCan you tell me who makes chicken sausages? My guts have real problems with pork, so pork products in a meal include gas-X and pepcid, so I would love to find some chicken sausages.
DeleteMargo, we find them at our local grocery store. They are already cooked, so just need warming or browning. Very tasty!
DeleteSo lucky! I have looked the local and even Costco, and still can't find any. Turkey bacon, yes...
DeleteSheet pan dinners are such genius!
DeleteGoogle shows several national brands of chicken sausage, some of which are sold by Target and Amazon. Is there a Whole Foods near you? I’m sure they sell chicken, and probably other non-pork sausages. Is there a Kosher market in the area? That would be a great source for all kinds of non-pork products. Not to mention that Kosher chicken is much better tasting than the usual grocery store birds.
DeleteLately my favorite thing to make is shrimp curry. I've come up with an easy peasy goof-proof recipe for curry sauce, and you can use it over anything including chicken or just mixed veggies. All served over jasmine rice.
ReplyDeleteYes we love shrimp too!
DeleteTacos 🌮
ReplyDeleteChili or soup
Meatloaf
Chicken and noodles
Ronda’s chicken and rice (sorry my recipes are in storage)
All terrific ideas!
DeleteI hear you on this topic, Hank! That's a lot of dinners...
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest my go-to chicken recipe: Val's Famous Chicken Oregano.
Slice several chicken breasts into strips (thinner end) and chunks (fatter end.) Season with salt and pepper. Generously sprinkle over oregano that Val has grown in summer and dried (in the food dehhydrator). Pan fry in the amount of oil and butter your diet allows (less butter allowed in this house these days; sigh). Flip once, season again if/as needed. DON'T overcook the chicken! We eat this with steamed potatoes and, often, a simple stir fry of red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and pea pods. We can eat this on repeat. It's good.
Oh yum! Chicken in butter is so delicious!
DeleteSheetpan Chicken & potatoes
ReplyDeleteBean, tomato & spinach stew- this is a favorite
Cauliflower gratin
Sweet potato chili
Eggplant masala
And an "I'm not cooking" favorite Milton's Cauliflower Veggie pizza
40 years worth of dinners that got healthier and simpler when the wild ones left home!
Great ideas!
DeleteI made a really really good kung pao chicken over rice last night. Recipe in OnceUponachef.com. Good luck Hank!
ReplyDeleteLove Kung pao—I’d adore to see your pantry!
DeleteQuiche with Trader Joe's rosemary ham and swiss cheese. Ten minute prep, 40 minutes in the oven.
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhhh!
DeleteYikes, Hank! Buitoni mushroom ravioli. A sauce with some sautéed onions, cremini mushrooms, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes(one of the little cans), dry sherry, fresh cracked pepper, salt, and any other seasonings you might want. Need more vegetables? Throw in some frozen peas. Also a glass of wine with dinner.
ReplyDeleteFrozen peas are such a valuable asset— they can jazz up so many things!
DeletePeas are one of the only vegetables that are as good frozen as fresh. Not to mention much easier! I think peas are the only vegetable I never buy fresh. They just aren’t worth the work.
DeleteUber Eats from Amanate’s ….just down the beach. Caesar salad with grilled salmon. And, if you need a reward: tiramisu. Have your favorite wine…and that is dinner. Congratulations, Hank. That is a great track/dinner record! Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteCaesar salad with grilled salmon is a real staple—one of my very favorites!
DeleteI cook 30 out of 31 days. I'm allergic to garlic (it's ridiculous really. Try eating out with this allergy!) and hubs needs lo fat/lo salt. So, what do I cook? I make soup a lot! 16 quarts at a time. And tomato sauce, I make a sort of bolognese with mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, hamburg, sausage, pepperoni and San Marzano tomatoes. Also I always have chili in my freezer. So the days when hubs has no ideas left, I pull from the freezer. Otherwise, I am constantly looking at recipes and deciding if it really will be worth the effort and taste good without the garlic!
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting! A dear friend of mine just found out she is allergic to garlic, too, and she agrees it is very difficult … xxxx
DeleteFrom Celia: I so feel your pain Hank. After 55 years of marriage I don’t dare calculate the numbers. A wide range of styles and and ingredients swims through my memory from the curdled holandaise sauce I served at my first married dinner party to the supermarket cooked chicken we ate last Friday night, I’ve sautéed, roasted, burnt and even bought so much protein in those 55 years.
ReplyDeleteNow that we’re on a low, very very low salt diet (about a half teaspoon per day), choosing dinner has become both a challenge and a nightmare. But when I’m tired and completely out of ideas my go to is an omelette. Sometimes folded over sautéed spinach and onion with grated cheese added before I fold or more of a frittata with a sauté of whatever veggies are in the crisper plus a little chopped bacon to raise the taste. My other go to would be a roast chicken. Ina Gartens recipe for a spatchcock chicken is so easy that I’m sure I shared it here on JRW a while back. It’s delicious and with the right tools - very sharp knife and good poultry shears not scissors - spatchcocking is quickly done. Plus leftovers so the basis of another meal awaits one.
We are big spatchcocking fans around here, Celia! Including the turkey next month.
DeleteCelia -- I'm with you on the omelette as reliable fall-back. We always have eggs in the fridge, and cheese. Put them together and it's a decent hot meal.
DeleteOmelettes with Boursin! And French fries. Xx
DeleteWe are having crab tonight – alright I know I should be pleased BUT, it is not my favourite meal, and I always leave hungry and frustrated from the noise and the fact that although the others will ‘host’ (in my house), they won’t go home. Snow crab legs – lots of meat per leg, but still not a lobster…
ReplyDeleteSo, I am making a glop meal for lunch in the hope that it will last over into the supper meal.
Not chicken.
Hash! Potatoes, sausage (honey garlic, Italian, hot Italian – whatever is on hand). Onions, maybe some peppers. Plop in a frying pan in oil, pan-fry until pleasantly crispy. Open a can of HEINZ beans in tomato sauce. Warm them up. Open a bottle of this year’s chow-chow pickle. Plate hash, beans, choc-chow. If really decadent or hungry add a poached egg. If you consider it normal, douse with hot sauce, if not ketchup. Enjoy. Now to prepare to prepare for the crab… hope there is lots of butter.
Good luck with the crab. And yes, it’s not lobster :-)
DeleteThat is a lot of dinners! You rock! I have very few meals that I do over and over, but here's one-- Greek chicken thighs in the crock pot. Cut up and brown a package of skinless, boneless thighs and put in the crockpot with 5 cut up carrots, a diced red onion, a small can of tomato paste, juice of a lemon, 3/4 c of dry sherry plus water to make a generous cup of liquid, a couple of cloves of minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of oregano. Your house will smell delicious while it's cooking.
ReplyDeleteOh I can imagine!
DeleteActually, my go to, and if no ideas are put forward - eggs. Miraculous little things from easy scrambled with toast and marmalade to omelet to souffle to full english. Poached on toast, poached on english muffin with hollandaise, baked on tomatoes in the oven - shall I go on?
ReplyDeleteI know, I agree, I am always astounded by eggs. So versatile! Magical.
DeleteI have been married for forty years and I am the sole cook. We lived in a boarding school for many of those years and in the first of them we ate in the dining room. Thus I figure I have not cooked nearly 15,000 dinners but only about 13,000. When our children were small, and my husband often worked through dinner, my invariable fall-back was "cheesy noodles." Any kind of pasta, boiled, with butter and parmesan cheese on top. Carrot sticks and maybe frozen peas on the side. After the kids were grown, I have never served this once.
ReplyDeleteI am not a cook or someone terribly interested in food. For years I had a list of meals everyone would eat and simply rotated through them doggedly. We ate the same things every couple of weeks. Now that it's just my husband and me, I make batches of whatever meal (lasagne, chili, soup, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, grilled chicken breasts, anything) and freeze them in two-portion servings. There is nothing I like better than coming in from a long day of working outside on the farm and only needing to make a salad, bake some frozen French rolls in the toaster oven, and heat dinner in the microwave. The chicken breasts I thaw and serve in Caesar salad. I also buy salmon at Aldi's and freeze it for a quick special treat later. (Selden)
I do that, too!
DeleteOur fall back dinner is black beans (as a vegetarian chili with seasonings, not just the beans) and guacamole. Tortillas for the beans and chips for the guacamole. A really quick and easy dinner.
ReplyDeleteLove veggie chili!
DeleteAn easy, one skillet recipe is what we call Campfire Stew (probably from an old Girl Scout recipe):
ReplyDelete1 lb ground hamburger or ground turkey
1 chopped onion
1 can Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup
In a skillet with the chopped onions brown the meat, add the soup. Mix together.
That's it. Have with a salad or whatever side dishes you like.
Really? This works? Hmmmm
DeleteHi Hank, surprisingly it is very tasty. Who would have thought. My kids (who could be very picky - not to mention their picky eater father) all loved it. It is very easy and has only three ingredients.
DeleteOMG, Hank, you calculated that for fun? We have been living together for 45 years and he doesn't cook. If I add in the lunches...whoa! Fugetaboutit!
ReplyDeleteMy go-to dinners during busy times are pasta in meat and mushroom sauce (red), chili, stew, or roast chicken, or tacos. I have lots of chicken recipes that I rotate through. We used to eat more red meat than we do now. It is a much quicker dinner than most chicken recipes, but we've cut way back.
Most of my creations are good for more than one night, so I just add a salad, rice, potatoes, whatever goes with it. It's daunting to consider.
I also make pasta with chicken, mushrooms and chick peas. I know that you don't usually like beans but chick peas are different, a little crunchier. I put black beans in our chili. Black beans are silkier. Are you willing to try something completely different?
You are adorable to remember! Yes I can deal with beans in chili—:-) xxxx
DeleteStill on Vancouver BC time so chiming in later than normal.
ReplyDeleteA stir-fry with either shrimp or chicken. Add veggies that you have like carrots, onions, peppers broccoli. Stir-fry sauce is a mix of soy sauce, hoisin sauce and garlic. Serve with rice or noodles.
Yes, so agree, I love that taste!
DeleteI tend to cook chicken a lot! I guess because there are so many ways to prepare it - if I can use that as an excuse! We also eat out probably way more than we should, so that’s when I get different types of dishes.
ReplyDeleteDon’t ever apologize for eating out! It is my favorite! Carry out, too…
DeleteWe eat out a lot too, but take out for sushi is a must. Difficult to make your own sushi. I love California rolls.
DeleteLast night's 'what am I going to cook for dinner' turned into chicken tenders in a garlic butter sauce (stovetop) with roasted sprouts and a brown/wild rice/quinoa side. These days I'll often look at what's on hand, then google those ingredients and see if something easily manageable pops up.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love figuring out what to make with the ingredients on hand… That’s part of the fun!
DeleteI make a Trader Joe’s meal. Trader Joe’s marinara sauce-very low in sodium, but a lot of flavor. Saute their multi-colored peppers, they are in strips, but can be cut into smaller pieces, chopped celery and onions. I buy pre-chopped onions for convenience. I also add a small can of tomato paste.
ReplyDeleteI add shrimp and langoustine tails but whatever other else you prefer would work well. I serve it over rice.
The most preparation involved is preparing the vegetables. The amounts are to taste.
It’s one stop shopping except for the chopped onions which my Trader Joe’s doesn’t seem to have.
I usually make enough to freeze a number of containers.
So brilliant to make more and freeze!
DeleteMy go to? Hum, Cheese enchiladas in chili sauce - Can't remember where I got the recipe, but it tastes just like Amy's cheese enchiladas. Yum and it's made with items I always have in the pantry. Double yum.
ReplyDeleteAlways delish!
DeleteI love https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/23709/mediterranean-pasta/ -yes, it has chicken Hank, and find it freezes well especially if I sprinkle extra feta in the bottom of the container.
ReplyDeleteOooh I will look that up!
DeleteI like artichoke hearts but find recipes using them frustrating. They rarely specify whether they want you to use plain or marinated ones. Seems like a big flavor difference to me!
DeletePlain pork tenderloin with cooked apples. Kale salad mix. I mentioned plain pork because so often the.tenderloin is sold seasoned and I want just plain pork. Or just plain pork chops.
ReplyDeleteI always think that when meat is sold “seasoned,” it means it’s old and they are trying to hide it…
DeleteI thought pre-seasoned means the store adds pennies worth of ingredients then charges dollars more!
DeleteLike Celia, when I don't feel like thinking about dinner, I make an omelet with two or more of the following ingredients: cheese, mushrooms, onions, chopped bacon, spinach, and red peppers. Or I make a roast chicken with roast broccoli and rice. Another fallback is penne with pesto genovese (fresh basil, olive oil, pine nuts, grated parmesan, and garlic.) Or stuffed eggplant (although I have to plan that one to have the ingredients in the house.) Have a good meal!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHaving skimmed through, I see a number of egg suggestions…demon cholesterol took that off my regular menu…along with all kinds of cheese…two years ago. Sigh…
ReplyDeleteI always use egg whites for my omelette—works perfectly.
DeleteHave you checked with your doctor recently? Most articles I've read have backed off condemning eggs for their cholesterol.
DeleteThinking that with your traveling schedule, a minestrone soup requires too much time, I'm echoing another comment. A true French omelet takes about 80 seconds, isn't stuffed with anything (unless you take an additional 5 minutes to cook finely diced mushrooms in butter and herbs) . A green salad or green beans and a fresh baguette are all you need to create a perfect meal!
ReplyDeleteThe baguette pulls it all together!
DeleteA good baguette makes any meal perfect. Now I'm inspired to head over to Bread & Cie, my favorite bakery in San Diego, for a Parisian style baguette. Yum.
DeleteOne thing I have noticed about my daughter's generation (50's) is it seems that the men help out a lot more in the kitchen. My son-in-law is in the kitchen to help with every meal. He does everything - shopping, cleaning, cooking, and he makes super espresso!
ReplyDeleteCan he come over to our house?
DeleteHank, I feel your pain!! Thirty years here, and I do all the cooking. His answer to "I don't want to cook" is "order out" which is not particularly healthy or economical. It helps to have some little routines: take out on Friday (my latest is Velvet Taco! So good!), something from the farmer's market on Saturday/or grilling, homemade-ish pizza with big homemade Caesar salad, usually pasta on Thursday when the week's shopping is getting low. A staple is salmon cakes made with fresh salmon, steamed broccoli, steamed brown rice. Tacos with ground turkey can usually be scrounged from pantry and freezer. Soups, mostly veggie and beans, but great to make a pot on the weekends and freeze for quick meals. Lots of salads, with cantalope for dessert in the summer, apples now that they're in season.
ReplyDeleteI live by my NYT recipe box, too!
APples! I forget we just got some great ones..yum. Thank you! And I adore tacos. Turkey, chicken or beef, always delicious. WITH sour cream and cheese and olives.And guac. But guac on the side, so you can really taste it.
DeleteI have lost my love of cooking, mostly because of my inability to stand in the kitchen for more than a few minutes. It’s a tiny kitchen with not a lot of counter space. I mostly do one pot meals, like soup or chili. (I do make really good soups!) Meatloaf is easy. I like it with mashed potatoes and a salad. If I’m really out of ideas, I have some sort of pasta noodles with either a jarred sauce( mentally telling my late paternal grandmother to close her eyes:-) or broccoli with oil and vinegar and lots of garlic.
ReplyDeleteMeat is usually ground turkey or chicken breasts. I’ve almost completely stopped eating beef and pork.
Sometimes I miss the elaborate meals I used to make, but my back appreciates the fact that I’m taking care of it now.
DebRo
Yes, our grandmothers' jarred sauces --if there even were such a thing--are very different from what's available now!
DeleteThat is a horrifying number of dinners. I'd suggest something but I gave up cooking during Covid and as I said to the Hub after 21 years of being the chef, "No give backsies!" LOL. Thankfully, he likes to cook!
ReplyDeleteHe is SO welcome at our house! xxx
DeleteI hate cooking. Period. Thankfully, I live in Texas and HEB is consistently listed as one of the top 5 grocery stores in the nation (and that says a lot - they are only in Texas!!). They have a great line of prepped meals called Meal Simple that are microwave or oven ready. Cheaper than eating out or preparing multi-ingredient meals when it's just the two of us. They have great options like Pesto Chicken with Spaghetti Squash, Greek Chicken with veggies, Feta and Spinach stuffed steak, Salmon meatballs with dill veggies.
ReplyDeleteI do have a go-to meal when I do cook (does crock-potting count as cooking??). I call it Tuscan Gumbo - chicken, sausage, chickpeas, cannellini beans, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, carrots, spinach or zucchini, Italian seasoning and basil pesto. It's hearty and fairly healthy, tastes great reheated and is easily modified.
Of COURSE crock-potting counts!
DeleteWhen we run out of ideas, one of us will pick up a rotisserie chicken. We'll have it hot with microwaved potatoes, a fresh or frozen vegetable like peas, green beans, or limas, anf a salad. The leftover chicken gets used for sandwiches for a couple days, too.
ReplyDeleteYes, even the New York Times endorses the magic of rotisserie chicken!
DeleteAs of last Wednesday, we have been married 48 years, and I know for at least 35 years I was responsible for fixing supper. With Philip gone for almost sixteen years to the Army and contractor work, there were only four of those years I had a child at home, so after that I could do as I pleased, which usually wasn't cooking a full meal. When Philip got back home, there were several years we shared the supper meal cooking, as he had learned to cook for himself when he was away. Then, when Kevin was killed in May of 2023, I stopped cooking or really caring what was for supper. Philip took over, and he actually doesn't mind cooking at all. The only problem we have is he kept asking what I wanted for supper. I kept telling him I didn't care, but it took him a long time to realize I meant it. I will admit that I still cook a meatloaf from time to time. Philip and I both enjoy my meatloaf and it's easy. Of course, I used to fixed mashed potatoes and creamed lima beans with it, but now I get mashed potatoes and green beans from a restaurant near us. We enjoy eggs for supper for a light meal.
ReplyDeleteMy meatloaf is two pounds of ground beef, an egg or two, celery, onion, ketchup, and bread crumbs (the finely crushed kind you buy packaged in a canister, plain) and topped by a mixture of ketchup and brown sugar. What I really like is a meatloaf sandwich the next day with melted cheese. Sometimes I fix a big meatloaf with three pounds of ground beef. I always add two eggs for the three pound one.
That sounds SO good! I adore meatloaf, and yours sounds amazing.
DeleteI make a really simple meatloaf: add a jar of salsa to ground beef. If too dry, add more salsa; if too wet, add more meat.
DeleteAnd if you want it to cook faster, use a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan.
My favorite meal to make is lasagna. It is easier to make than it seems and a pan can serve as several meals. Look up Joy Behar’s recipe. It’s similar to the way I make it and has specific amounts listed. I cook the way many Italian-Americans who learned by watching our mothers cook: amounts are what looks or tastes right. If you’re really short on time, Stouffers frozen lasagna is very good.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh, Hank, when you mentioned chicken. I’ve been in rehab for several weeks (going home Tuesday) and if I never see another boneless skinless chicken breast after I leave it will be too soon!
When I was growing up, when all chicken had bones and skin, my mother’s default way of cooking it was to put chicken quarters in a roasting pan, with potato chunks and enough margarine so it didn’t stick. About 15 minutes before serving, add a can of peas. Now I use a bag of frozen peas.
Having written that, I realize how much had changed since then: you can’t buy a package of chicken quarters; finding chicken with bones and skin can take some effort; margarine is no longer thought to be healthier than butter or oil; I thought canned peas were acceptable!
Aww...this is a terrific memory...it's all about the time, and what's best for the time! Hope you are recuperating...xoxoo
DeleteSunday night is Glopus. Look in the frig, pull out whatever veggies look about to go, usually various peppers, add onion. Brown in pan. Meanwhile, find the leftover hamburger/turkey burger or chopped meat or the frozen block of same. Zap in microwave until you can brown it in the pan. Find that last bit of tomato sauce at the back of the frig or break out a new jar. Add to the pan. Maybe the last two inches of wine in there, too, but you have to taste it to see if it's still good. Find box of pasta, boil it up while rest is in pan. Divvy up in pasta bowls and if it looks too chunky, just thrown on lots of cheese, whatever variety you have handy. Hand out while he's watching football and all will love it. Leftovers made a good taco or lunch. 50 years and counting. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOVE. That sounds perfectly delicious!
DeleteYou are making me hungry, Hank! Is that a Mediterranean chicken dish with broccolini and a gorgeous side salad?
ReplyDeleteYou asked about go-to meals: pasta with marinara sauce is easy because I always have basil. Chicken cutlets in the air fryer with roasted potatoes and green veg. Better yet: something from the freezer like a stew or a chicken curry for weeknights. That helps a lot. I do rely on my slow cooker more these days.:)
Air fryer. I need lessons. xooxoo
Delete