In a dinner rut. Need ideas

[HIU8]

I am so in a rut when it comes to dinner. I'm actually sick of cooking b/c of it.

We don't mix milk and meat. DH can't do raw veggies, salad and some cooked veggies. My kids are picky (and I am a short order cook). I am in a rut with sides as well.

HELP!

[zoestargrove]

I hate when I'm in a cooking rut. You have some tough parameters to work around. No wonder you don't feel inspired.

give me an idea of some of the dinners that you cook often and are sick of. What is your dh's favorite? I'm sure we can give you alternatives.

[Pepper]

Yes, more info please to help me think of things...What kinds of things *will* your kids eat? Will they eat "international" food, or do you have to stick with your basic American fare?

I'm impressed that you even make sides - it's pretty much one-pot meals around here, or one thing made fresh with various leftovers to accompany :-)

[fivi2]

I like to look at a new cookbook when I am in a rut. I usually check out of the library. Or I dig through my old recipes that I have forgotten or have fallen by the wayside. Meal planning helps me because I think of "theme nights" and then I remember things that fall into those categories. (soup night, "fast food" night - homemade burgers, tacos, pizzas, etc, chicken night, mexican food night, breakfast for dinner night, new recipe night, casserole night, etc.) Thinking of fun themes might get you excited - try a new ingredient, a new style of cooking, recipes from a different part of the country or a new country.

I would still offer veggies as one of the sides for you and the kids, even if dh can't eat them.

What sort of things do you guys enjoy?

[HIU8]

Here is what I normally make: it's not normally with a salad b/c DH can't eat salad (so I have gotten away from them as well).

Salmon with some side like pasta and whatever veggie we have (usually broccoli since it's the kids favorites)

Chicken of some sort (breaded, cubed into nuggets, a whole baked chicken from costco or something (again with random sides and veggies)

chicken legs with a random side and veggies

spagetti and meat sauce

manwhich
meatballs
meatloaf
burgers
Tuna burgers
tuna cassarole
pasta salad
crocpot meals (although I hate doing them in the summertime)
breakfast for dinner
pizza
corned beef and cabbage
some sort of chicken sausage (on a rare occasion)


DS is really picky. He normally eats:
spagettios
wedding soup
scrambled eggs
quesadillas
pizza
hot dogs
burgers
noodles

DD pretty much eats whatever is put in front of her unless DS makes a big deal that he is eating something else.

We don't do any pork or cheese and meat mixed etc... I work from home and am in and out all day long. Sometimes I find it harder to meal plan and prepare b/c of this.

[Pepper]

OK, here are some random thoughts:

I recently discovered red snapper, which has a similar texture/taste as salmon. I've been broiling it in a skillet, and serving it with thickly sliced sweet potatoes that were roasted in the same skillet. I can't find the original recipe, but basically you peel the SP and slice them into 1/2" thick rounds. Toss them with olive oil, S&P and roast in the oven @ 375 for about 20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Take the taters out of the pan, add the redsnapper or salmon fillets and return to the oven. Broil until the fish is cooked through, 5-10 minutes.

In general, I love cooking fish in a cast-iron skillet under the broiler b/c it's so easy. If it's too hot to turn on the oven, you can put the pan on the grill to preheat it and cook the fish in there. I wrote a blog post about it:
http://neighborhood-dish.blogspot.com/2009/08/more-things-you-can-make-in-skillet.html

Along the breakfast-for-dinner idea, leftover salmon makes a really good hash. Either cut up some red-skinned potatoes into cubes, or chop up leftover baked potatoes, or use frozen has browns, whatever: just cook some potatoes in small pieces in a skillet until lightly browned. Then add some chopped onion or scallions, a little horseradish, the salmon (flaked into bite-sized pieces), some capers if you wish. (The original recipe calles for sour cream too but I don't know if you can mix dairy with fish? Please excuse my ignorance). Serve with eggs and toast. Here's the original recipe, which uses smoked salmon (the dry type, not gravlax-type):
http://www.subrosa.arbre.us/SubRosaSalmonHash.html

More on breakfast - Jaques Pepin has a recipe for scrambled eggs with smoked trout that is awesome. It's really just that - scambled eggs with smoked trout flaked on top. If DS won't eat the trout, he can just have the eggs.

Finally, here's a pasta-salad-type thing that I'd posted here recently, which uses Israeli couscous and tuna. Hopefully your DS will go for it :-)

Israeli Couscous salad with chickpeas and tuna

from the Boston Globe

2 cups Israeli couscous
1 pound green beans
1 15 oz. can chickpeas
2 6-8 oz. cans tuna in oil
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
juice of 1 lemon to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Boil 2 quarts of water and add some salt. Add the couscous. When the water returns to a boil, cook for 8 minutes or until tender but still has a little bite.

Drain the couscous. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and toss to coat. Transfer to a large bowl.

Steam the green beans for 3 minutes until tender but still crip. Rinse under very cold water and dry on paper towels.

Drain the chickpeas. Drain (reserve the oil) and flake the tuna. Mix everything with the couscous. Add enough of the reserved tuna oil to coat the salad.

Add the lemon juice a little at a time until it balances the oil. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and the remaining olive oil, if you like.

Variations: use smoked trout, asparagus, and yellow bell pepper (omit olives). Use lemon olive oil in place of the lemon juice. Add some chopped fresh spinach to the hot couscous and stir until it wilts.