OK so I just convinced DBF to drive me to the wilton tent sale - in exchange for making him dinner... suggestions? it will have to be quick, I need to go to the store, I am cooking at his place, and don't have my dinner doctor with me! help!

I'm leaving in an hour!

Sorry - With the time differences I think a lot of us must have been preparing dinner when you needed help!

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ugh... drama... I've been sitting here at work waiting and waiting for him... he just called.. he's been stuck in traffic for over an hour trying to pick me up... except he was driving to my apartment not work!!!! oh no... he's not happy and now I won't get to wilton before they close.

he's not mad but i think the traffic has gotten to him. He said, "Dinner had better be good!"

I am thinking about maybe a frittata and a side salad...

Well the poor man ended up spending two hours in traffic yesterday for no reason... ugh. But he was upbeat about it and tried to laugh it off.

I made a frittata b/c he was starving at that point and I didn't know what he had at his house for pantry items. Bulk italian sausage, onion, roma tomatoes, zucchini, pre cooked diced potatoes, and a red bell pepper. Sauteed it all with some italian seasoning and S & P. 8 eggs, a little milk, then threw it under the broiler with parm. and mozz cheese on top. It was good! And only took 30 minutes to throw together. Tons of leftovers though.

GREAT salad though! Sugar snap peas, a can of beets, quartered and a little bit of red onion thinly sliced. Light dressing with rice wine vinegar, a little olive oil, sugar, salt and coriander.

What a great quick pull together in spite of our not being there to help you. Sounds so good maybe I'll bop down to Chicago to help you with those leftovers
For the next emergency, my favorite quick/goods are The tomato basil parm tart or anything with a rotisserie chicken, some white beans, tomatoes, garlic, parmesan and whatever of onions, zuccini, bell pepper, etc. Can be either a stew or a salad.
Good going, and give DBF a hug from all of us.
KathyB

To add to Kathy's quick list, quesadillas with a salad is another easy quick meal.

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Every baker has a disaster in the kitchen sometimes. It's called a learning experience and an excuse to make something else instead.

Thanks Kathy - your suggestion reminds me of a dish I used to make a long time ago - chix, pasta, white beans, canned tomatoes, and arugula... spices, white wine... yum! It's funny how your cooking cycles change over the years. I used to make that once a week and I had completely forgotten about it!

Meg - you know I almost made quesadillas! But then was worried they wouldn't fill him up - he eats a lot. But I was thinking about incorporating them into a meal when I have more time. I like to make mango and brie quesadillas for an appetizer

It sounds like you did great with your dinner. I love making a frittata. I usually use sausage, cream cheese and green chilis in my version - because that's what my crew seems to like the best.

For a future quick dinner idea, one of the things I make in a hurry is a version of a traditional German dish called Spargel-Toast. Basically, it means asparagus toast.

Here's my version:

Toast and butter bread (I prefer texas toast)
Steam or lightly boil asparagus spears.
Use deli sliced ham (or smoked turkey)
Fix a packet of bearnaise or hollandaise sauce (or there's a very good microwavable from scratch hollandaise that I am going to post separately)

Put toast on plate, follow with the meat, then lay the asparagus spears on top and then top the whole thing with the sauce. I usually serve it with sliced tomatoes and onions. It's also very good if you add poached eggs on top of the asparagus for an unusual Eggs Benedict.

That's a VERY quick and yummy meal.

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`How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice.
`You must be,' said the Cat, `or you wouldn't have come here.'

ha ha ok now he just thinks I am crazy that a bunch of people on line that I don't really know sent out a big hug! actually, he thinks it's cute.

he made dinner last night. steak on the grill, yay! no clean up for me! but he also got... store. bought. pound cake. i nearly had heart failure. oh well, at least I didn't have to do anything!

Julie - we used to eat asparagus on toast growing up all of the time! I never realized it was derived from a German dish... makes sense now as my grandmother is part German!

Thanks from me, too. My mother loved asparagus on toast. Her mother was born in Berlin. Amazing!

Oops, guys. I grw up with it too (both sides of the family) and not a drop of German blood (English and Irish)!
KathyB

Well thanks to Kathy - I had to once again make a very impromptu dinner on Friday night and I used a rotisserie chicken and made a nice pasta dish - chix, white beans, onions, garlic, a can of diced tomato, arugula and pasta. A little italian seasoning and fresh basil and some toasted pine nuts. DBF LOVED it! Even the next day he was saying how awesome it was. Thanks!!!!!!!!

Goodness my mother deprived me!! LOL ,I grew up in Berlin and NEVER had Asparagus on toast.
First of all we always ate dark bread and crusty Broetchen/hard rolls on week-ends. Germany in those days only had White Asparagus(which I still prefer).White asparagus or Green on toast? How do you prepare it?? Ingrid/Koechin

This is especially great in the spring when the fresh asparagus supply is plentiful, but I just make a white sauce (equal portions of melted butter and flour stirred together and cooked briefly to get rid of the raw flour taste, then add milk, whisking vigorously to get rid of lumps and cook down to nice thick sauce. Season as you wish: dry mustard, salt and pepper and then whatever herbs you like - check any old basic cookbook for proportions on white sauce ingredients) then I add raw or blanched asparagus cut into bite size lenghths. Heat through and put on toast. Sometimes I add chopped up ham or even sauteed mushrooms. It was a classic in our family.
KathyB