Still in a lazy mood…tonight, I am making risotto into which I am going to incorporate TJs Spinach & Kale dip; can’t wait to see how it turn out, LOL I’ll serve it with green beans and grilled salmon
^That doesn’t sound lazy at all. Sounds great!
@doschicos There was a time, in the not too distant past, when I would never have used ‘ready-made’ anything! Now? i love it!!! And reading through many of these posts, there’s a whole lot of ‘gourmet’ going on! Talented and brainy CC’ers!
My cooking at home is pretty boring.
Most weeks it’s
salmon Saturday
grilled something else Sunday, often with enough for Monday (often chicken or steak, sometimes burgers or something else)
Spaghetti or chili or pulled pork another night
Sometimes omelettes or grilled ham and cheese another night
At least 1 night a week, often 2, i get carry out or go out.
Usually only have salad or veggies as side, unless we are having pasta.
Crab imperial I should my specialty, but I don’t make it very often.
It’s only my husband and me, and we both work long hours, so “fancy” food isn’t a priority at this point.
One of my goals for retirement is to get my husband to enjoy the process of making fancier/more complicated meals, possibly as a “together”activity. (But I’m talking about a guy who has eaten pretty much the exact same lunch at work every day for decades, because it’s quick and easy to make, so I may not even successful).
I am making stuffed peppers tonight. A 6-pack of peppers stuffed with a mix of riced cauliflower and ground turkey (add spices as desired). All from Costco. Then the peppers are placed into a stock pot, a 1:1 water - jarred pasta sauce is added so the tops are not submerged, and the peppers are cooked until done. Served with the tomato “soup” in which they are cooked!
Oh, my! You have to try the risotto!!!
Slightly toasted aborio rice in olive oil
added chicken broth in small increments until rice was al dente
added approx 1/4 tub of the spinach & kale dip
let it sit for about 5m - and it is YUM!!!
ps - if it gets too sticky, thin it out with a little chicken stock or cream
I love my Instapot. Made a lemon shrimp orzo dish very quickly. Any pasta is quick in the pot. Risotto is so easy, too. Love the lemon shrimp risotto too. Did ribs in the pot finishing them off in the oven with sauce. Tonight I did halibut the way they suggested on The Chew - laid parchment on foil then the filets. Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 1/2 TBL lemon juice salt and pepper. Roll into a packet with foil on the outside. Put in a dry skillet on medium low heat, cover, for 10 minutes or until opaque. Very little smell and tastes great. Can use any firm white fish.
Fresh fish does not have a fishy smell. 
if the fish smells, it is catfood!
We went for a walk tonight because the weathermen said it would rain tomorrow. Peeked into the grocery store and brought home a jar of mango salsa. Inspired by this purchase, I grilled the halibut that was reserved for tomorrow. So no peppers today. But the fish was quick and delicious!
@abasket, just catching up on this thread. You asked about cooking Costco’s tri tip. We buy the variety that’s pre-seasoned by their butchers. We bake it at 375 for 20 minutes or broil it 9-10 minutes per side. Either way, we raise it on a rack.
Additionally, we’re empty nesters so we cut them in half and freeze them. We often have just enough left over to make a steak caesar salad for another night. We recently realized that it doesn’t taste as good when it’s been in the freezer too long. Now we just have to figure out what “too long” is.
I like to use tri-tip in thai curry. Toss it in a pot with onions, garlic, carrots, yellow sweet potatoes. Hit it with some thai curry seasoning and fresh lemongrass if you can find it. Use either coconut milk or chicken broth (I use broth these days to reduce the fat and calorie count). Let it simmer and get happy and tender for an hour, add bell peppers and acorn squash in the last 15 minutes (when in season), thicken with roux at the end. Yummy and healthy if you use a high ratio of veggies to meat (and broth instead of coconut milk).
@collage1 - we also love Costco’s seasoned tri tip. We discovered that it is a seasonal item and we plan to buy a couple extra for the freezer this season. I will make sure we don’t freeze it too long. Thanks for that hint.
Roast chicken with lemon and rosemary.
Glace carrots.
Mashed potatoes.
Baked apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Tri tip has only recently made an appearance here, and it may be only TJ’s that usually has it.
We have a little local store that was originally only a pizzeria/seasonal soft serve/convenience place, but the “new” owner–he’s probably been there for 15 years, LOL–has been steadily branching out into other things (great little wine shop, fresh meats and house-made sausages, some fresh vegetables and seafood, and so on). His latest is a smoker, and they smoke tri tip that is then thin-sliced to make unbelievably delicious pannini.