Simplifying dinner

So I've got pretty good at like stews/curries/etc but my simple dinners tend to be bland enough, eg a piece of meat/fish/chicken and some vegetables. I'm okay at seasoning or perking stuff up but am wondering about general tips for making a quick non-rich dinner that still tastes really good.

What are your thoughts ILC? Varying up of side vegetables etc would be cool too.

I'm trying to go your way, thinking of more protein + veg dishes, for the sake of minimizing carbs, lowering fat, and maximizing protein & micro nutrients

i'm getting in a rut of stir fry/curries + omelets/frittatas, but I refuse to go back to risotto/rice/pasta bases

i also like it spicy

a nice way to spice up a salad and still get yourself a *bit* of carbs is to roast those mini potatoes and then stick em in the fridge.. A very yummy addition to a salad! I was served it at a restaurant once and got hooked. Sometimes I make chicken skewers instead of chicken breast to spice things up a little (I know, how exciting! heh) - also stuffing breasts with mushrooms, spinach, whatever makes it feel a little less "more of the same" sometimes and gets extra veggies.. goat cheese & black olives was my latest "OMG chicken I love you" moment. I like it spicy too and stick lots of pickled hot peppers in my stuff..

sometimes presentation helps! A small scoop of rice with an ice cream scoop to preserve the shape, and arranging stuff in a pleasing manner on the plate..

I've been into this simplified Cooks' Illus recipe for chicken tikka masala, lately. I'm pretty sure it's not very Indian, and it does involve a drizzling of heavy cream to moderate the tomato sauce base, but it's delicious and you can add the veg of your choosing (I've been enjoying spinach in it).

best veggie side I have had in 2009 - shanghai bok choy (i.e. baby bok choy) cut lengthwise into quarters and quickly sauteed in mixture of rice vinegar, touch of sesame oil, ginger and garlic. NOM NOM NOM.

greens (such as bok choy or gailan or chinese broccoli) + tofu sauteed in garlic and soy sauce and carmelized w/ brown sugar

i mean cooked separately, kind of hard to do together. saute the greens in whatever.

i do love potatos in salad! my bf called me crazy for it once and i was like um, try smart.

also udon noodles

I've been into this simplified Cooks' Illus recipe for chicken tikka masala, lately.

share please?

cut up red potatoes, bell peppers and onions w/ ev olive oil, pepper, salt, and paprika on top. cover dish w/ foil and bake at 450 for a while. it's good!

mmmmmm

It's from the podcast, only they don't tell you any measurements, they say to go to the web site for all recipes and tips used in the podcast...but then the site is only avail to members. Bastards.

Um from memory: season some chix breasts with cumin, coriander, and salt. Cover and refridge for up to an hour.

Whisk together plain yogurt, a little oil, ginger, and garlic. Put aside.

In a pot on the stove, sautee your onions, garlic, ginger, and a diced chili. When all softened, add a bit of tomato paste and your garam masala. Sautee til all a nice brown, then pour in a can of crushed tomatoes with pinches of sugar and salt to taste. Let simmer about 15 mins, then lower heat and stir in heavy cream til you like the color.

Coat chix in yogurt mix and put on a foil-lined broiler pan on a wire rack. Put under broiler for 15-18 mins, turning once. Pull out and let cool 5 mins. Cube chix, mix into tomato sauce, sprinkle w/ cilantro. Serve over basmati.

I like to clean some spinach and wilt it into the sauce around the same time as the cream.

thanks, that sounds like my usual recipe except for the broiling part. i wonder if you can substitute coconut milk for the cream?

Probably, and I bet it's delicious. Or I sub more yogurt for the cream, for more sourness.

I'm a Cook's Illustrated member, here's the chicken tikka massala recipe:

Chicken Tikka
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Masala Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

amazing, thank you!

i've been listening to the splendid table podcast but it seems kind of 'omg fatty foods are so nom who cares live a little!' and makes me nervous. i will investigate cooks illustrated podcast!

my go to dinner lately has been greens + goat cheese + balsamic or pomegranate vinegarette + maybe some nuts and maybe some fruit of some sort. it feels balanced and satisfying.

like, sprinkle the nuts or fruit into the salad.

good ingredients to add to simple dinners that can make them more interesting:

sprouts; any kind
fresh herbs (i.e. sage, rosemary)
nuts and/or sweet things in salads (i.e. raisins)
make purees out of almost anything - celeriac, swede, etc

especially in winter i'm a huge fan of soups - 1) it's easy to clean up afterwards 2) if you make lots of it at once you'll have plenty for the freezer or for the next day. this soup from lauren is the nuts:

http://www.howdidyoumakethat.com/content/soup/orange-soup

and this one from g00blar is v similar:

http://www.howdidyoumakethat.com/content/roasted-butternut-squash-soup

if you just want to improve on the 'piece of meat/fish plus some veg' format you can cook meat & some veg together - make a quick tomato sauce and bake a piece of cod in it in the oven, say, or grill some mushrooms in a pan, splash in some red wine, reduce, and then add one of those thin steaks for a couple of minutes. Just to alleviate the boredom of a plate that's always as if divided into protein/veg/carb.

I've been seeing cabbages everywhere and love it creamed:

SOUR CREAM CABBAGE

1 sm. head cabbage (about 2 lbs.) shredded
1 egg
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream
1 tbsp. cider or tarragon flavored vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg or dill (optional)

Boil cabbage in salted water until crisp tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain. Beat egg slightly; add sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.
Combine cabbage and sour cream mixture in a saucepan; heat gently just until warmed. Do Not Boil.

I started a semi-mandatory 5+ daily servings of fruit and vegetables initiative in our house and the best recipe I've come up with so far is this thai-inspired cole slaw. It's good as a snack or side-dish and is also delicious on top of black bean quesadillas.

2 cups of thinly shredded cabbage (can buy the pre-shredded stuff)
1 large grated carrot
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of one lime
dash of oil
salt

optional ingredients:
-shredded green papaya or green mango or sliced up ripe mango
-crushed peanuts
-fish sauce
-grilled shrimp
-some kind of spicy pepper

Combine and enjoy, keeps for about 2 days in the fridge.

lately been chopping up a few tomatoes, some onion, a green pepper, a few chillis, and adding lemon juice/olive oil, then keeping this in the fridge to eat alongside whatever I have for dinner. was really nice tonight, I had a salmon fillet with sweet potatoes and spinach with the above alongside, felt like a really summery dinner.