Help me with tonight's dinner please!

[pishajane]

I've got hardly anything fresh to use, as i'm stuck home w/out transport for now. I've got plenty of the usual suspects in my pantry, but i'm not too good at just throwing things together.
What i do have: A large sweet potato, onions, brussels sprouts, 1/4 savoy cabbage, celery, leftover roast lamb, oven dried tomatoes, chorizo.
Oh, and i'm growing arugula and basil too.
My pantry has the regular stuff like red lentils, tinned beans, tomato sauce, rice, pasta, etc.
Has anyone got any ideas for me? I need to make something hot as it's pretty cold and rainy here today, and my DH will not appreciate another salad after working all day!
Thanks mamas!
Trish

[VikingKvinna]

Make a stew with the chorizo, the sweet potato, and some beans (black if you have them, or red, or lentils). saute some onion, garlic, green pepper if you have it, then add the (cooked) chorizo and the diced sw. potato and the beans. Add some tomatoes -- diced or tomato sauce. A little cumin, chili powder, and something spicy (cayenne, jalepenos, chipotles, etc.) if you like. simmer until it's all cooked, and serve over rice.

[henny penny]

That stew sounds yummy! Or a simple lamb stew to use up the leftover using the sweet potato, onion, celery. A side dish of chorizo braised brussels and chopped cabbage. I'm hungry......

[Miasmamma]

I agree with the stew! It sounds yummy and exactly what I would make. I might add a salad to go with it though, but I LOVE salads! If you have butter and nuts you could make brussel sprouts sauted in browned butter with toasted nuts tossed in. SOOOOOO YUMMY!! All you have to do is steam your sprouts, quarter them, heat the butter till it's browned and fragrant, toss in the sprouts and nuts and heat through. Now I'm hungry!

[pishajane]

Wow you mamas are amazing! Those ideas are all sounding great. I wish i could just make that sort of stuff up!
I actually sent DH to go get Indian takeout last night so i'll be trying some of your ideas tonight instead.
Thanks!:

[425lisamarie]

I like a little chorizo fried up with eggs. that would be dinner to me!

Oh but I also make chorizo and white bean soup that is so very yummy

[Aiti]

Oh, I love pantry challenges.

I agree that the stew sounds wonderful. Here is another idea too.
How about shredding the pork roast, making a sauce out of your canned tomato sauce and whatever other spices you want to mix in, and serving pulled-pork sandwiches? Julienne the sweet potato, toss with olive oil, and bake at 400 until crisp for sweet potato fries to go with. Steam the brussels sprouts for a veggie on the side. Kid-friendly meal maybe?

[pishajane]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

I like a little chorizo fried up with eggs. that would be dinner to me!

Oh but I also make chorizo and white bean soup that is so very yummy

Oooh, i'd love to have that recipe! Please share!

[Wabi Sabi]

Do you have any white potatoes? My Irish Nana used to make a shepherd's pie out of leftover lamb- cube the lamb, put in in the bottom of a casserole dish along with extra gravy, a layer of veggies (usually frozen peas) and then a layer of mashed potatoes. Bake until the whole thing is hot, bubbly and the top is golden brown.

Mmm! It's something we only make a couple times per year, but it is dh's absolute favorite dinner that I make!

[425lisamarie]

Originally Posted by pishajane

Oooh, i'd love to have that recipe! Please share!

Glad to, it's really easy. I don't really have a recipe/ingredient list exactly so I'll just try here:

1 pound dry cannellini beans or Great Northern. This is about a very full 2 cups
Water for beans
rosemary sprig
bay leaf
smashed garlic cloves - 2 or 3
(above is for cooking beans)

1 onion - large
1 or 2 carrots
1 celery stalk
2 or 3 tspoons of fresh thyme (you could use dried if needed, cut amount down though)
4 cups (or more if not using bean liquid)
1 pound chorizo, casing removed
1/4 or so of whipping cream. You could use a little half and half and puree more of the beans to make it thick or if you don't have whipping cream leave it out, but i LOVE it.


I fry up a pound of chorizo, bulk or out of the casings. I can get some really good stuff that's pretty lean, otherwise I'd drain a bit of the fat.

In a big pot, saute an onion, some garlic, stalk of celery couple carrots finely chopped and a teaspoon or so of fresh thyme. Add 4 cups broth, 2 cups reserved bean liquid, or just more broth, and beans. Bring to boil, simmer about 20-30 minues or untill veggies are soft.

At this point you can take out a couple spoon fulls, or I have an imersion blender I stck in a whirl a couple of times. Or you can leave it as is. I like it creamier though. Add a little more fresh thyme, chorizo, and stir in cream. Heat through, eat!

This can be VERY cheap to make. If you have any leftover sausages you can thinly slice and use that insetad.

Oh, woops. I'll explain about the beans . I use 1 pound dry beans, soak overnight in lots of water in the same pot I'll cook. You can do this ahead BTW. Then drain, add water to cover, a couple smashed garlic cloves, some rosemary if you have it, and a bay leaf. You can through a little onion quarter in it too. Simmer beans untill tender, about an hour or so, and reserve a couple cups of the cooking liquid for soup....or as I said just add extra broth. I freeze broth in 4 cups at a time though, so I need the cooking liquid. You could use canned beans too, maybe 3 or 4 cans I don't know exactly what equals 1 pound dried

This is so very yummy. I even make it in the summer in my crockpot when I don't want the stove on all day. Crusty bread and there's a meal!

[pishajane]

Mmm, shepherd's pie! Unfortunately i didn't have any potatoes or that would've been my 1st thought.
Thanks for the recipe Lisamarie- It sounds fantastic. Perfect for these cold nights.:

[pishajane]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

1/4 or so of whipping cream.

Is that 1/4 cup?