# The Recipe Thread! Part II: Electric Mixaroo



## Amazon Bee

im wondering what to cook tonight! im thinking steaks on the grill(okay the man is actually the grillmaster) with sauteed mushrooms, a little salad and baked biscuits or rolls.. but a few more sides would probably help round out the meal.

im just learning my way around the kitchen recently and have discovered that i love to cook! especially when i get to eat with a hungry man who really appreciates whatever i make, despite my meals usually being quite simple basic dishes.

i thus far regularly cook:
~my dad's saffron rice with sweet-potato, pidgeon peas("gandules vertes"), garlic, onion, and other spices
~ravioli/tortellini with vodka tomato-cream sauce
~rice-a-roni (his childhood fave)
~awesome omelets with any combo of {bacon, ham, mushrooms, green onions, onions, cheddar, avocado, leftover steak} my specialty!
~spaghetti(angelhair)  & meat sauce
~mish-mash a.k.a. breakfast for dinner : hash browns, bacon, green onions, cheese, mushrooms and grilled onions all mixed together with biscuits & gravy on the side
~hamburger helper (another fave from childhood)
probably a few others too im overlooking atm.

like i said, im really just starting out here! 

:D 

i remember i loved how my mom put meals together, like a tasty porkchop with white rice, peas or broccoli, apple sauce, maybe a baked sweet potato and sourcream.. just a bunch of options thrown together on a plate, but mostly simple and quick to make. i know she was actually a great cook, into lots of "world cuisine" but i was so picky she stuck to simple things i liked. now i want to do the same! she seemed to know how to cook most any common side dish and always threw down new combos.

*so, im looking for new options to try! what do you know how to cook? or what did your mom/granny/family/roomates make that you always loved?

have any homemade recipes you invented i could duplicate? *
(actually i used to make a mean ramen soup on the range... use half the flavor packet when boiling and add some sesame oil and a dash of oyster sauce to make up the flavor. then throw in cut brocolli, snow peas, mushrooms and tomatoes(last) and cook all together. afterwards, drain all the liquid and serve with plenty of cheese. mmmm)

also, for other budding cooks out there, *have any cookbooks you rely on?* im getting the hang of sauteeing(sp) things like mushies and onions using olive oil, but im sure i could make the results tastier with a few additions to my technique.


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## chrissie

i dont have the recipies for these, but my fav meals that my parents make are ham&scallopped potatoes, meatless ziti (moms specialities), paprikash and saurkraut soup (dads specialities).  mmm mmmmmmmmm!


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## BA

Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and corn.


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## spork

My mom's eggplant parmasean. I need to get the recipe for that sometime.


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## ravinpunk

Country fried steak, mashed potatoes, lots of cream gravy.


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## Banquo

i miss the stuffed cabbage and the beef stew.


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## faithfully dangerous

chrissie already mentioned it but oh man... my mom's paprikash was perfect.  in fact, when i recently started eating meat again, that was the first meal i ate with meat in it. 

i'd love coming home to big salad bars my mom would concoct... usually themed.  greek, antipasto, caeser w/ salmon, chicken, steak, shrimp, of my favorite: the fruity, sweet ones.

chicken and rice was always nice, too.  just throw some rice in the oven with cut up chicken, cream of mushroom and/or cream of chicken soup, salt, pepper... and at the last few minutes add crumbled corn flakes and bake so they get crunchy.  i used to love when mom would break up the french fried onions mixed with the corn flakes on top.

my mom also makes killer pieroges, cajun shrimp (with lots of extra sauce to dip yummy crusty bread in---if you want this recipe, lila, let me know because it's real... snagged from a down country bahbahque outside of n'orleans), turkeyball subs, kebabs (skewars... especially good grilled in the summer), lettuce wraps to DIE FOR, bacon wrapped scallops, deviled eggs, tuna plates, pork/kraut/mashed taters, homemade mac n cheese, and oh man did i love sloppy joes (with a picle, some chips, and a slice of cheese on my sandwhich)...

i had it good when i was a kid.  i had it reaaallllyyy good.  now im a little chubalub because of it, but hell, it was good then!


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## Belisarius

For real home-cooked stuff, my favorite would have to be "dirty rice."  Of course, I love rice in any form.

Other favorites are:
--Rice-a-Roni
--Pasta-Roni
--Hamburger Helper
--Tuna Helper

--Baked fish
--Crock pot stews
--Fried okra
--Refried beans


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## Naughtiest_Maximus

My favorite meal i like to cook at home is roast lamb. My local super market stocks mini portions that are perfect just for one person. Roast potatoes, pumpkin, zuccinni microwaved with quartered cherry tomatoes cracked pepper and worcestershire sauce and baby green beans or snow peas.

As for my mums cooking i would walk over hot coals to get to one of her homemade apple pies.


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## bong420tripper

My mom/family has two particular dishes I've always LOVED.

a shepherd's pie (there is a french name for it i cannot type) containing:

bottom layer of cream corn, layer of peas on top, hamburger on top of that, and mashed potatoes on top of that.  mmmmmm.


frank 'n' potato pie

caserole dish lined with quarter hot dogs surrounding the entire outside of dish.  the rest is essentially chopped hot dogs, mashed potatoes, and a mustard sauce mixed all together and topped with several cheeses.


those or steak and potatoes :D  (ok, anything with potatoes)


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## QLineHookups

well my dad does the cooking and his specialty dishes include:

seafood gumbo (christmas eve tradition)
fettuchini with pesto sauce
Belgian Beef Stew
skirt steak fajitas


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## Strawberry_lovemuffin

Wtf is "hamburger helper"?  :D

My mum was a crappy cook, good bless her.  Quite often we'd have burnt sausages or "vegetable surprise" (the surprise was how little taste it had).  We laugh about it now.  The only things she really did do well (and still does) is her pumpkin soup, and stir-fries.

So living up to my childhood standard isn't hard 

My favourite meals I cook now:

* Fried Rice:  my specialty.  I add prawns, beanshoots, spring onion, capsicum, fresh corn kernels, ham, egg... it's a feast.
* Beef Wellington:  eye-fillet steak topped with sundried tomato or french onion dip and sliced mushrooms, wrapped in fillo pastry and baked in the oven.  Served with mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrot.
* Tacos!  Mmmmm
* Spaghetti Bolegnaise... my secret is adding a bit of red wine
* Fruity Beef casserole... big chunky irish stew like concoction with potato, carrot and onion and fruit chutney in the sauce. Served with crusty bread.
* Sweet chilli chicken stirfry with hokkein noodles
* Tuna pasta bake: lrg tin of tuna, pasta shells and a jar of cheesy pasta bake sauce whips this up in no time.  Top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese and bake in oven.
* Roast chicken and vegies.... mmm... actually my man does all the roasts, he's a roast expert.
*Homemade pizza: pita bread topped with tomato paste, veggies, salami and cheese plus herbs.  Easy peasy.

These are just some off the top of my head.  Hey I've been cooking for myself for 12 years now


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## fizzacyst

^ "Hamburger Helper" is basically a pre-fabricated dish lacking meat. Its pasta of some sort, with a dried seasoning/sauce packet. You add some milk, water, butter, and a pound of cooked ground beef.. cook for like 10-15min, and then you have cheeseburger macaroni or a variety of other made-up styles. 

Its like US$1.50 a box, really common stuff.


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## Strawberry_lovemuffin

^ Hmm, I see !  So it's like a meat and pasta dish.   Well we have "Pasta and sauce" packets and instant rice in various flavours, which you make up with milk and butter... but I don't think any of them recommend you add meat (or market it as such).  But people do.  I personally like Continental Afredo Pasta & Sauce with chopped up spring onion and a tin of tuna stirred through it.

But hey!  I thought this was meant to be about _homecooked_  meals, not convenience meals


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## Spellbound

The only thing I tend to cook is fish because its hard to go wrong with really. 

My favourite thing to make is haddock fillet seasoned with flat leaf parsley and lemon rind, baked in foil in the oven then served with a few caper berries and black olives. You can do that with any white fish and it'll taste great.

My stomach actually rumbled just after typing that


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## joannie_mhm

my mum used to make this cob loaf thing... she'd get the loaf and cut the top open, rip out the bread inside leaving basically just the crust all around. then fill the loaf with some sort of concoction from creamed corn, cream, bacon, herbs and the like, and put it all in the oven for however long. once it was done you use the crust top and insides of the loaf and dip into the creamy corn mixture... soooooooo good.


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## MissTwitch

Damn food entries make this pregnant girl hungry  

My all time favorite meal that I would always ask my mom to make on my birthday was:
NY Strip on the grill...no seasonings
Sauteed mushrooms in lots of butter
buttered egg noodles &
cooked baby carrots with brown sugar and butter on them


Some recipes that I grew up on that I tend to cook often are:

Chicken cacatori: (which I make in the crockpot, and let simmer all day)
I also don't measure at all....
Boneless skinless chicken breast
stewed tomatoes
diced tomatoes
a little bit of wine
mushrooms
garlic
onions
nature's seasoning
celery


Raost and veggie's (also in the crockpot):
A roast of your choice
carrots
onions
potatoes
garlic
I add a little bit of wine
whatever seasons i feel like that day
and just cover with water

I grew up eating alot of:

Tuna noodle caserole:
Cook noodles
add a can of cream of mushroom soup
some milk
add a can of tuna
add some cheese
bake in the oven, or for quicker meal heat up the milk, com soup, cheese, and tuna, and then add the noodles and viola!


My family's version of shepard's pie:
Brown ground beef
spread in bottom of pyrex ware with a can of tomato soup
layer on top of that green beans
layer on top of that of mashed potatoes
layer of cheese on top of that. 
(looks disgusting but tastes great)

I also tend to make alot of:
chicken in balsamic vinagerette
asparagus in soy sauce
stir fry
homemade mac n cheese
tacos
lemon pepper porkchops, and spanish rice

and that is all that I can think of ATM.

Happy cooking


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## DigitalDuality

I hate my mother's cooking.  She cooks everything the way my father likes it.. and apparently he hates anything with flavor.  not to mention it's the same damned 10-12 meals over and over and over again.  I've never seen someone ruin steaks like my family can.  I hate eating at home.. if i had economic choice between 2 day old taco bell to be washed down with 1 month old egg dreo soup versus my familiy's cooking.. i'd chose the former.


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## djiang87

My mum is a GREAT chef at home. My fav meals from her include:
This beef and potato dish with a home made gravy.
Fried noodles
Sweet chilli roasted wings
Fried Chicken
Mums fried rice (eggs, peas, corn, ham, chinese sausage, chalots, onion)
Dumplings with sauce - rice vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic and chilli 

The next dish is wot my sister makes often for me
Pasta: Tomatoe flavoured sauce, heaps of cheese - both mozarella and tasty, beef mince

From my grandma i liked everymeal she cooked. Unfortunately shes lives in china and as a result i havent seen her for about 10 yrs. The only thing i can comment on her cooking is that theres no meat since shes a vegetarian.


Of course all the meals have to be eaten with a cup of coke.


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## fizzygirl

I grew up eating everything pretty much from scratch....I didn't have hamburger helper or instant mashed potatoes until I moved off to college.  I didn't realize until then how awesome that was, but yeah, pretty nice 

Mom would make her own version of stuff though, so we had something with egg noodles, a lb of hamburger, corn, and sour cream.  I always ate so much of that I felt like I'd explode.  Other favorites:

Turkey & cornbread dressing (southern style; no oysters!)
Tuna noodle salad w/ macaroni noodles & various chopped veggies
Collard greens & cornbread
Potato salad (also southern style...w/ mustard & egg)
Dad's fried catfish, cheese grits, cole slaw, and hushpuppies

There would also be the super special occasions when you'd get steamed oysters over an outdoor fire, or a low country boil (shrimp or crawfish, potatoes, sausage, corn on the cob, all with some old bay seasoning and cooked slowly forever til just amazingly good.  They'd dump it all out into lined cardboard boxes and everyone would just dig in )

If you're looking for a cookbook to try, you definitely have to own the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens one.  It's like the basic that everyone should have for most recipes.  Martha Stewart's cookbook that's the aqua & green one is also great for super-fancy stuff.  The homemade bbq sauce for chicken is amazing and really not that difficult.


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## DG

fizzygirl said:
			
		

> *I grew up eating everything pretty much from scratch....I didn't have hamburger helper or instant mashed potatoes until I moved off to college.  I didn't realize until then how awesome that was, but yeah, pretty nice
> *



Same here, in factI have never even tried the Hamburger Helper kind of things...maybe ill buy some this week just to try lol.

My mom makes an awesome roast, no clue what she puts in it but damn its delicious. 

I make homemade Jewish Chicken soup often, and its really easy. in my family we rarely use measurements so i couldnt tell ya how to make it sorry. 

Peppered Steak on rice pilaf. Basically its stir fry meat simmered/sauteed with garlic, oil, pepper, soy sauce. After 40 mins you add green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and after 15 mins you add tomatoes with some ketchup. Serve on rice. Mmmmmm so good.


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## Rosclot

My moms Fried Pork Tenerloin, Mashed Potatoes and lotso Gravy

Or

My own

Steak and Potatoes
Ribs

I can work a mean grill


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## Amazon Bee

oh WOW guys these are awesome!! i want to try so many of the things ive read so far.. ill respond with more detail soon, thanks for all the instructions too people 

quick update; the final menu last night:
-Grilled steaks by Gabe
-Sauteed mushies on top
-Baked potato or sweet potato w/ butter or sour cream
-Salad w/ cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and miso-ginger dressing
-Warm buttermilk biscuits

mmmmmmm, it turned out good. he said he would think of that meal if he was out camping with no real food, reduced to eating a can of fruit cocktail one day in the future. hehe. 

ps~ re: hamburger helper; it's not really 'homecooked' except that its not really takeout, therefor a step in the right direction for this household. we just picked it up grocery shopping at safeway for the first time a month ago, and neither of us had had it in like a decade. it's very "middle school sleepover food", and brings back good memories.  i definately am asking for the made from skratch kind of foods you all like primarily, but hey anything simple and satisfying is perfect too. like variations on classics like mac & cheese! mmmm 

i'll *definately* be trying out a lot of these suggestions, im really hungry now after reading them jeesus! i'll post updates on how it goes as i try them. 

thanks all, keep em coming!


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## Looper

I just made myself sausages and dijon mustard mash with gravy. That's gotta rank pretty high on the comfort food scale.


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## faithfully dangerous

^i suppose where you're from... it does.  but ive never heard of it and i was born and raised in the heart of the US so that may be why.  i saw someone (i forget who) post a recipe that was sausages, mustard and pasta.... and it sounded SO GOOD... was that you?  regardless, sausages and mustard are amazing so putting the two together must be heaven.

hey bee, i just did the same thing the other day.  well i was realllyyy high so i went and bought the most white trash, yummy food a girl could find at her local kroger.  naturally, tuna helper (generic though, hey i'm poor) and creamed corn.

it was really good.

i forgot about this thread and now im hungry.  all i've eaten today was two bites from a slice of peanut butter toast...  grrr


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## Looper

faithfully dangerous said:
			
		

> *^i suppose where you're from... it does.  but ive never heard of it and i was born and raised in the heart of the US so that may be why.  i saw someone (i forget who) post a recipe that was sausages, mustard and pasta.... and it sounded SO GOOD... was that you?  regardless, sausages and mustard are amazing so putting the two together must be heaven.
> *



LOL, yeah that was me. I still make that sausage/mustard pasta every two weeks or so (I'll probably finish off this pack of sausages with it). [Recipe] 

As far as the thing I made tonight it's just normal mashed potato with butter, warmed milk and a decent blob of dijon mustard. I've bit of a cold at the moment and it really hit the spot


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## darko_e

most of my girlfriends mums meals are awesome, had it sweet before they went on the south beach diet........hippies


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## MynameisnotDeja

Garlic chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a side of steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower (with the chicken gravy and black pepper on top).


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## nephron

Lamb chops with chipped potatoes and carrots, fried in the fat left from the lamb.  With random herbs as I want at the time.


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## Donny Don't

Mussaman curry. Actually any Thai food, but thai curries in particular....mmm


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## Finder

Lemon Chicken, Scalloped Potatos, Broccoli.

This is pretty easy to make. Sautee whole chicken breasts, or breasts that a cut in half in an ample amount of butter and lemon pepper (yes, healthy, I know). The key is to cook it very slowly over medium heat (expect it to take 15-20 minutes turning it often and adding more lemon pepper as needed). This will make a really tender piece of chicken. Then just prepare the broccoli how you like. The potatos are pretty easy. Just slice a the potato into circular slices, make a few tinfoil pockets and heat the oven to like 400ish. Then add a pad of butter and whatever spices you like (garlic, oregano, et cetera), and bake the potatos until tender. Server as is or topped with some sour cream and a bit of cheese (the later two toppings being excellent if you make the potatos spicy).


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## masaz

I've never been any good at cooking =\ I really enjoy it, it just goes horribly wrong each time.

Having said that, I make omelettes for my gf (honoured that i am only person she'll let cook them for her) and I'm pretty good at stir fry, curry, and anything involving eggs (except boiled ones).

Usually, cos I have no one to cook for except me, and occasionally my gf, I just have fun messing round and making random stuff. Current favourite is cold tagliatelle on toast with a bit of salt. 

Thinking of learning to cook more stuff though, my friend's a brilliant cook so may get her to teach me.


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## ebola?

aloo sag chana masala, bitches.


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## QLineHookups

Gotta love the traditional Turkey, Stuffing and Mashed Potatoes meal as comfort food.


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## swe_E_tie

I don't know if I can go past the roast pork with crackle, roast pumpkin, cauliflower cheese and crunchy roast taties covered in gravy!!!!!!!  YUMMY!!!!!!


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## EtherealBandit

I dont care for american southern cooking (country cooking). Ive always liked spicier fare.

Anything indian or thai is an instant favorite, i like mediteranian pasta dishes with seafood.

We make some basic sushi rolls around here from time to time as well, such as california rolls and futo maki.

My mom used to make a really good seafood lasanga with shrimp, salmon, scallops, and lobster. It had brie as one of the cheeses and it gave it a deep flavor. It had a white sauce instead of red, and was made only around the holidays.


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## Bi KaNd*E* RaVeR

Pepper steak with white rice... man i miss my dad cooking that.
my mom does it damn good too tho !


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## Amazon Bee

Finder said:
			
		

> *Lemon Chicken, Scalloped Potatos, Broccoli.
> 
> This is pretty easy to make. Sautee whole chicken breasts, or breasts that a cut in half in an ample amount of butter and lemon pepper (yes, healthy, I know). The key is to cook it very slowly over medium heat (expect it to take 15-20 minutes turning it often and adding more lemon pepper as needed). This will make a really tender piece of chicken. Then just prepare the broccoli how you like. The potatos are pretty easy. Just slice a the potato into circular slices, make a few tinfoil pockets and heat the oven to like 400ish. Then add a pad of butter and whatever spices you like (garlic, oregano, et cetera), and bake the potatos until tender. Server as is or topped with some sour cream and a bit of cheese (the later two toppings being excellent if you make the potatos spicy). *



oooh man im trying this!


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## chrissie

send me some!  that sounds good


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## blahblahblah

Big fat juicy hamburgers, pasta, potatoe, or 3 bean salad, homemade fries, a cold beer and a nice sunset.


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## tathra

i am *extremely* fond of tomato soup


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## Finder

^Make sure you add a grilled cheese to that, Tath. Winter lunch goodness! :D

_Originally posted by Amazon Bee _
*oooh man im trying this! *

Let me know how it turns out! Sorry my directions sucked...I was drunk and/or high when I typed them.


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## Amazon Bee

^no, they sound pretty clear to me, ill improvise if i need to. ill probably get to the store for the ingredients tonight or 2moro :D


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## Amazon Bee

i have a question on food prep... how does one steam veggies? do i need any particular hardware, other than simple pots and pans? im imagining one of those fold out metal colander doohickeys.. let's look for a pic, im being vague.8)

a-ha! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




 <<<<<<is this thing integral to the steaming process?

how about stir-fry? do i need a wok, or can i stirfry smaller portions in a big frying pan? what sauces (besides soysauce, i think my mom used oyster sauce too) are yummy in stirfries? other spices?

lastly, on the veggie tip, ive been mostly sauteing mushies and onions, shallots, garlic, green onions etc with a bit of olive oil. maybe a splash of (oh lord spelling) worchestershire if it's going on top of steak. how do others saute? i assume there are more interesting + flavorful options here.

a lot of people mentioned they roast veggies along with stuff in the oven, ill have to try that! the only other thing ive tried is to put something like a portobello mushroom in a tinfoil pocket on the grill next to the meat. yummer

:D


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## faithfully dangerous

^ditto.  or a microwave steamer from pampered chef:











(on the pampered chef site, its actually called a micro-cooker.  its f'in awesome.  the vent lid doubles as a strainer so you can boil pasta in it, steam veggies, whatever.  then just flip -- the lid latches -- and drain... then season and serve!)


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## Amazon Bee

^oh my god i have one of those! gabe's mom gave it to us when we moved, i never had any clue what it was for! lol, well that works out kinda nice.


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## faithfully dangerous

yeah mine is a reddish color-- i love it.  its a lot faster than steaming stovetop, too.  experiment with it to see what times, amounts of water, etc... you personally like.


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## chrissie

i had one of those on my list of what people could buy me for wedding presents.  never got one though   ive also found that cooking the veggies in a covered pan works better than a collander type deal.


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## AmorRoark

I feel really lucky that at an early age I took an intrest in learning my grandmother's old recipies. Her family originated from the South and claims that's where she got all her cooking recipies from. 

Some of my favorites are her: 
- Pig-outs (biscuits)
- Chicken and Noodles (with, of course, home made noodles mmmm)
- mashed potatoes
- parfaits! (home made ice cream is the shizzit)


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## Amazon Bee

chrissie said:
			
		

> *ive also found that cooking the veggies in a covered pan works better than a collander type deal. *



all right, good news. i called my mom for cooking advice about what herbs i should get and i asked how she used to steam things and she said the same thing..  ask and bee shall recieve~ thx


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## Amazon Bee

AmorRoark said:
			
		

> *
> - Pig-outs (biscuits)
> - Chicken and Noodles (with, of course, home made noodles mmmm)
> - parfaits! (home made ice cream is the shizzit) *



mmm i love southern cooking! my dad is in new orleans, i just spent a month there after xmas and ate like a queen. 

what's in Pig-outs? i make biscuits n gravy often for brekkie, one of my favorites.

i get pasta from this italian family deli nearby, but i wish i could make my own. 

... do you remember if you needed an "ice-cream maker" device? gosh that sounds like heaven,  i adore ice cream. i wish i knew your grandmother!


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## AmorRoark

Amazon 
I'm not sure all the ingrediants in the pigouts.. but I'll type it out when I get home. 

Yeah, we made the ice cream with a maker.. it was kind of hard. I image it was what churing butter was like. But oh was it yummy!

My grandmother is my favorite relative.


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## Pure_XTC

^my grandmother's cooking is the BEST.  I get upset now that I've moved away when she makes big dinners for the whole family.  I won't even let my mother tell me what she made...I'm so jealous.  Southern food > all. 

This thread has inspired me to start playing housewife for LL


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## DG

anyone have any recipes on how to make a good roast?


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## faithfully dangerous

yes.  buy a CROCK POT!!!

then slice veggies and start roastin.  lots of onions, carrots, and potatoes.  FRESH garlic, COURSE salt, and CRACKED pepper.  simmer alllll daaaaay lonnnnng.

this is also awesome with pork loin/chops.  throw some saurkraut, potatoes, carrots and onions in a crock pot.  slice a granny smith apple and add salt and pepper.  start roastin.  the meat falls off the bone at the end and its fuckin amazing. 

if you dont have a crock pot, you can do the same with a pan/foil in the oven.  just keep spooning juices over it as it cooks.  mmm.


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## DG

that sounds like pot roast...which i know how to make. I wanna make a rib roast so to speak, which i wouldnt want in a crock pot. my mom makes a wonderful one but its very spicey and my bf cant handle any spice


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## chrissie

is there anything you dont put salt and pepper on FD? :D


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## faithfully dangerous

oohhh sorry jamie.

chissie: honestly, probably not.  haha.  im really picky about it, though, which is probably thanks to my favorite cookbooks being jamie oliver's and he always has to add in that he used course ground or sea salt (same things really) and cracked black pepper.  it makes a dish so much tastier rather than typical iodized/ground.


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## Shimmer.Fade

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK!!!! w/ mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn.  All I can say is moderate your intake.  Mmmm.






PS: They make specific sauces for stir frying, but soy, oyster, sesame oil, etc are often used.  The key to stir fry is getting the pan really HOT (think 400-500F) and cooking it really fast with lots of stirring.  Be careful not to catch your oil on fire..or at least be prepared if it does.


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## fairnymph

For stir frying, just an FYI, it is not good to fry in olive oil as it denatures at normal cooking temperatures.

For cooking, the best oils are coconut and palm. If those aren't available peanut and canola are decent.


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## vibr8tor

*The Recipe Thread! Part II*

~original thread credit given to FoxyKel  ~   archive link




These first posts will be updated, providing some form of an "index" so the recipes can be easily found.

Don't be scared to ask questions, or let us know how you went on your first attempt at preparing one of these meal ideas!

Post away kids - and if you are sharing more than one recipe, please place them in separate posts so as I may hyper-link them easily 

*Second Opinion's Cook Book!​*
*BEEF* 
StrawberryLoveMuffin's BEEF WELLINGTON for One! 
AcidFiend's KOREAN BBQ!
RandyCaver's CINCINNATI CHILI
animal_cookie's MEATH LOAF AND POTATOES
astrosmurf's SOUTH AMERICAN CHILI BEEF
fairnymph's HEARTY BEEF STEW
miss starry's STIR-FRIED RAMEN NOODLES WITH BEEF AND VEGETABLES
wizekrak's STAPLE STEAK MEAL
mariposa's CHICKEN FRIED MOTHEREFFING STEAK!
animal_cookie's BEEF BRISKET
LuGoJ's STEAKHOUSE STEAK
 Perpetual Indulgence’s Roast Beef with Horseradish Dill Mayo




*VEAL* 
mariposa420's OSSO BUCO (braised veal shanks)
BuckAtl's ITALIAN VEAL


*CHICKEN* 
FoxyKel's CREAMY MUSHROOM & CHICKEN PIE!
Tweekeria's CHICKEN SALAD!
Chrissie's CHICKEN SOUP!
fengtau's CHICKEN FEET & MANGO SALAD
Mariposa's SAY MY NAME SMOTHERED CHICKEN IN GRAVY
phactor's CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
ian_stong's CHICKEN WITH TARAGON AND PEAS
animal_cookie's GOOPY BEER CHICKEN
austior's TANDOORI CHICKEN
Ghettotastic_bong's SESAME CHICKEN NOODLES
fairnymph's LEMON GARLIC ROSEMARY CHICKEN
ravinpunk's ROSEMARY CHICKEN BREAST
chrissie's SEASONED FRIED CHICKEN NUGGETS
dreamgirlie19's JEWISH CHICKEN STUFFING
ravinpunk's HOT WINGS
DarthMom's BOURBON CHICKEN
fairnymph's CHICKEN WITH PORT & MUSHROOMS
fairnymph's CHINESE-STYLE DRUNKEN CHICKEN
mariposa420's FRIED CHICKEN
MildKandy's SLOW COOKED CHICKEN
mariposa420's LEMON CHARDONNAY CHICKEN
dreamgirlie19's CHICKEN WITH BLUEBERRY-GINGER CHUTNEY
DG's CUBAN STYLE CHICKEN
FoxxyLady's STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST
DarthMom's CHICKEN A LA ME
fengtau's HAINAN CHICKEN RICE
Perpetual Indulgence's Fiery Moroccan Chicken Stew
Byron Star's Mediterranian Chicken Bake
 Perpetual Indulgence’s Chicken, Sundried tomato, and Mozzarella

*DUCK* 
ravinpunk's DUCK CONFIT


*LAMB* 
astrosmurf's MONGOLIAN LAMB
Looper's LAMB STEW
fairnymph's GRILLED LAMB KEBABS WITH CUMIN AND CINNAMON 
nowonmai's LAMB
n3ophy7e's Chanfana (a Portuguese lamb casserole)


*PORK/BACON/HAM* 
Nowonmai's CHORIZO & SWEET POTATO STEW
Looper's LEMON & PORK HERB PATTIES
Young Liver's EGG & BACON QUICHE!
dreamgirlie19's PORK CHOPS WITH TOMATO & WINE
Looper's CHORIZO & CHICKPEA STEW (for 2)
animal cookie's MAC AND CHEESE WITH HAM
dreamgirlie19's FIVE-SPICE PORK TENDERLOIN
DG's DIJON MAPLE PORK TENDERLOIN
Infernal's ORANGE PEKOE TEA CHOPS


*TURKEY*
RollNRave's CRANBERRY BOG TURKEY BURGERS
mariposa's HOMEMADE TURKEY BREAST
mariposa's BASTING MIX
Perpetual Indulgence's TURKEY BREAST IN MOLE (Williams-Sonoma recipe)


*SEAFOOD* 
LinusSL's CREAMY SEAFOOD RISOTTO 
TranceaddiKt's SPICED STONINGTON SHRIMP 
J22's SPICY SHRIMP
faithfully dangerous's GARLIC CHILLI COD & STRING BEANS
TABOOMA'S ROSEMARY TUNA STEAKS
nowonmai's FISH CAKES
Schmacky's SHRIMP PASTA
nowonmai's TUNA STEAKS WITH MANGO SAUCE
nowonmai's STEAMED CLAMS WITH CRUSTY BREAD
DG's MILD TASTING FISH
Schnitzalted's GRILLED SALMON
panic in paradise's dijonaise with trout
psychetool's Dynasty Thai Shrimp
ocean's stuffed sea scallops


----------



## vibr8tor

*PASTA* 
Tweekeria's PASTA SAUCE
Looper's PASTA CON OLIO E PEPERONCINO
Sunflower's PUMPKIN, SPINACH & RICOTTA LASAGNE 
Tweekeria's SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
Austior's ASPARAGUS PASTA 
GemSlave's ELF PASTA 
distropia's CHORIZO PASTA 
chrissie's SIMPLE SEASONED PASTA
Shannabanana's CHEATER LASAGNA
Strawberry_lovemuffin's CHEESY PASTA BAKE
Looper's PASTA WITH SAUSAGES, MUSTARD AND CARMELISED ONIONS
Ghettotastic_bong's SESAME CHICKEN NOODLES
DarthMom's BROCCOLI PASTA
Schmacky's SHRIMP PASTA
faithfully dangerous's GREEK PASTA SALAD
dreamgirlie19's NOODLE PUDDING
JerseyGirl's LINGUINE & CLAM SAUCE
mariposa's SKILLET BAKED ZITI
nowonmai's SMOKED SALMON PASTA
ebola?'s VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE
Spikester's CHILLI GARLIC SPAGHETTI
ninjadanslarbretabar's PASTA WITH VEGETABLES
DarthMom's BASIC ALFREDO SAUCE
DarthMom's EASY VEGGIE PASTA
ravinpunk's FRESH PASTA
LuGoJ's pasta fagioli or something similar
animal_cookie’s túrós csusza
Mariposa's Alfredo Sauce


*SOUP* 
Nowonmai's PUMPKIN SOUP!
Chrissie's CHICKEN SOUP!
Tweekeria's POTATO SOUP! 
MynameisnotDeja's BROCCOLI POTATO SOUP
Looper's POTATO CHEESE SOUP
phactor's CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
gothfaery3's SPINACH TOMATO SOUP
daisybabe's super-easy CORN CHOWDER 
astrosmurf's MINSTRONE SOUP
nuds' CHICKEN AND SWEET CORN SOUP
fairnymph's CREAMY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
dreamgirlie19's POTATO CHOWDER
animal_cookie's CREAMY POTATO SOUP
ravinpunk's FRENCH ONION SOUP
dreamgirlie's CHICKEN SOUP
nuds CHICKEN & SWEET CORN SOUP
FoxxyLady's VEGAN SMOOTH BEAN SOUP
FoxxyLady's VEGAN FLOWER SOUP
duck_racer's TOM YUM SOUP
nuke's thai mandarin-orange hot and sour seafood soup
StarTripper's Hungarian Fish Soup
Tweekeria's POTATO SOUP!
fengtau's Easy Potato Soup


*POTATO* 
beanergrl's TATOR TOT CASSEROLE
GemSlave's MASHED POTATOES


*SALAD* 
ShannaBanana's GREEK SALAD!
Tweekeria's CHICKEN SALAD!
fengtau's CHICKEN FEET & MANGO SALAD
TABOOMA'S CARROT & RAISIN SALAD
TABOOMA'S GAZPACHO
dreamgirlie's EGG SALAD
Perpetual Indulgence's POTATO SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND DILL
Infernal's CORN PEA SALAD
ravinpunk's CEASAR DRESSING
bupropion’s Large Salad
eras3r's egg salad

*VEGETARIAN* 
beanergrl's VEGETARIAN CHILI 
beanergrl's VEGIE POT PIE 
astrosmurf's MEXI-BEANS 
Faithfully Dangerous' VEGETARIAN CHILI
young livers heal quick's VEGETARIAN CHILI
human paraquat's TOMATO PIE
KaNdEbUtTaHfLy's VEGGIE SIDE DISH
animal_cookie's APPLE, POTATO, AND ONION GRATIN
faithfully dangerous's QUICK SIMPLE VEGETARIAN DISH
fairnymph's LENTIL LOAF WITH MUSHROOM & SHALLOT GRAVY
wanderlust's SEITAN CHEESESTEAKS
animal_cookie's YUMMY GREEN BEANS
atlas's NO FISH-FISH SAUCE
firefighter's DANK TOAST
mariposa420's BLACK BEANS AND RICE
mariposa420's MASHED CAULIFLOWER
DarthMom's FRIED PLANTAIN
ocean's CUCUMBER CUPS
ebola?'s VEGAN PIZZA
ebola?'s "CHEESE" SAUCE
Dtergent's GARLICKY CARROTS, BEANS, LEMONS AND HERBS
ByronStar's COUS COUS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
tribal girl's GARLIC TOAST WITH CREAMY AVOCADO
Dtergent's EGGPLANT AND RANDOM GREENS DUMPLINGS
ebola?'s pad thai
LuGoJ's pad thai
StarTripper's Garlic Portobello en croute
better's naan pit-zas
Dave's Avocado Whip
Jamshyd's Baqdunsieah 
psychetool's parmesean baked tomatoes
Dave's Vegan Chicken Gravy

*DESSERTS* 
Sunflower's CHOC CRUNCH ICECREAM with strawberries!
SFLraver's BANANA & CHOCOLATE WONTONS 
pschetool's BROWN SUGAR STRAWBERRIES AND SOUR CREAM
moto_stevo's BLUEBERRY DESSERT
dreamgirlie19's BANANA FOSTER
Cazoom's CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
DG's SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING
ravinpunk's FRUIT LEATHER


----------



## vibr8tor

*BAKED GOODS* 
animal_cookie's BANANA CHAI BREAD
Michael's AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD
mariposa420's THANSKGIVING PIE
faithfully dangerous's ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
fairnymph's RASPBERRY-CREME FRAICHE TART
roshy's BEER BREAD
fairnymph's PUMPKIN MUFFINS
fairnymph's DARK MOIST RICH VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE 
sleepdprived's DUTCH APPLE PIE
fairnymph's PUMPKIN CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING
fairnymph's CRANBERRY ORANGE QUICK BREAD
fairnymph's VERY FUDGY SNOWDROP BROWNIES
DG's BLUEBERRY LEMON COFFEE CAKE
sleepdprived's SUPER MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON TOPPING
FiatFlux's SWEET POTATO PIE WITH HOMEMADE SPICY CRUST
Dtergent's PUTO (Steamed Rice Muffins) and ESPASOL (Sticky Rice Cakes)
syymphonatic's GRANOLA BARS
TALLY's WHITE CHOCOLATE BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
ravinpunk's FOCCACIA
Mazey's Christmas Cookies
d-phex's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies 

*BEVERAGES* 
J22's Home-made GINGER ALE WITH BOURBON
animal_cookie's MULLED WINE
Perpetual Indulgence's WATERMELON COOLER
DG's Pineapple Mojito
Dave's Mojito

*OTHER* 
Nowonmai's ONION CARAMEL
MazDan's CHEAPnEASY! 
SFLraver's QUESADILLAS
Young Liver's YUMMO STIR FRY!
fengtau's COCONUT MILK RICE
MilesTeg's THREE MEAT LOAF
Tweekeria's HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
Nowonmai's EGGS BENEDICT for two! 
Nowonmai's EGGS FLORENTINE for two! 
Nowonmai's TOFU or PANEER
kiwikr720'S FUNNEL CAKES
ShannaBanana's SIMPLE PIZZA
Austior's GREEK SPINACH PIE (Spanakopita)
phactor's 3 CHEESE GRILLED CHEESE 
TABOOMA'S MARINADE
beanergrl's EASY APPETIZER
astrosmurf's CURRY DISH
astrosmurf's PIZZA
faithfully dangerous's ONION BHAJI
TABOOMA's BBQ Pears
animal_cookie's PUMPKIN SEEDS
DarthMom's PESTO SAUCE
LockNLoad's TURKEY-DORITOS-MAYO-MUSTARD-BOWL
animal_cookie's BAKED FRENCH TOAST
Dtergent's WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES
sickpuppy's LIMA BEANS & NECK BONE
fairnymph's TRADITIONAL BASIL PESTO
ebola?'s BASIL PESTO
sleepdprived's GARLIC RANCH PRETZELS
randycaver's PAD THAI
MildKandy's PICO SALSA MIX
just_said_coke's SIMPLE GOURMET PIZZAS
phactor's QUESADILLAS ON THE GRILL
animal_cookie's MUDDY BUDDIES
FoxxyLady's TBRITTON'S CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE GUMBO
Finder's CORNBREAD DRESSING
panic_in_paradise's ESCAROLE CASEROLE
mariposa's ALL-AMERICAN EGG N' TWICE-BAKED CHIPS
ravinpunk's GRITS
syymphonatic's PEANUT/PEA RICE PILAF
SilverFeniks' GHETTO GOURMET collection
augustaB's CHILE CON CARNE
ravinpunk's CONSOMME HOWTO (CONTINUED)
psychetool's POUTINE
phactor's GRILLED PITA PIZZAS
ravinpunk's SWEET CORNBREAD
ravinpunk's HUMMUS
Phactor's Leftover Breakfast Burrito
o0psy Daisy's scrambled eggs, zucchini and tomato with noodles
Perpetual Indulgence's WALNUT-APPLE STUFFING
ChemicalSmile's hashbrown casserole
animal cookie's Brussels Sprouts
bupropion’s Almond Cream of Wheat
better's smoked salmon dip
sunshinfix'es candied pecans
Jamshyd's Magical Magic Base


Cooking Measures Conversion Guide, many thanks to fizzy for this link 

(moderator's notes: last post added to the index)


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## vibr8tor

P0STING SPACE RESERVED for future moderator editing, as index may need more space


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## vibr8tor

P0STING SPACE RESERVED for future moderator editing, as index may need more space


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## vibr8tor

P0STING SPACE RESERVED for future moderator editing, as index may need more space


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## animal_cookie

yay, vibby rocks


----------



## Rogue Robot

bump 

i'll add some stuff tomorrow morning.


----------



## vibr8tor

yAy!   remember to do each one in a different post, so that it gets linked alone


----------



## DG

I picked up some Spiced Apple Chicken Sausage at the grocery store yesterday because it sounded yummy. I dont want to make a stuffing, sausage sandwich or just grill it. Does anyone have any ideas on how to incorporate it into a full meal


----------



## animal_cookie

^make potato soup with it.  i will find my recipe after class this evening.


----------



## Rogue Robot

Egg Salad

6 hard boiled eggs (peeled & chopped)
1/2 - 3/4 c sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1/4 diced onion
2 teaspoon dijon mustard (or mustard of your choice)
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika (not entirely necessary)
salt and pepper to taste

Tastes awesome on fresh focaccia.


----------



## n3ophy7e

*Chanfana (a Portuguese lamb casserole)*
(Very easy!!! Fantastic winter warmer food)

Ingredients:
1 whole forequarter of lamb, cut up into chunks by your butcher (still on the bone)
dried bay leaves
a few cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
2 brown onions, diced roughly
white pepper
paprika
salt
1 large sprig of continental parsley
a dash of olive oil
a whole bottle of dark-coloured red wine e.g. shiraz

Method:
In a large casserole dish, put the chopped onions and some of the bay leaves and chopped garlic in the bottom, and sprinkle some white pepper, paprika and salt.
Place a layer of lamb chunks.
Repeat the sprinkling of white pepper, paprika and salt, and add some more of the bay leaves and chopped garlic.
Add another layer of lamb chunks.
Repeat again the sprinkling of white pepper, paprika and salt, and add some more of the bay leaves and chopped garlic.
Continue until the dish is full.
Pour in the bottle of wine.
Cover with some aluminium foil and let the meat marinade for _at least _4 hours.
About 1/2 hour before putting the dish in the oven, preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celcius (for a fan-forced oven).
Before you cook the casserole, put in the sprig of parsley and a dash of olive oil, and top up with more wine if necessary. Cover again with aluminium foil.
Place the casserole dish in the oven and cook at 220 degrees C for 45 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 180 degrees C and cook for another 2 hours.
Serve with some roast potatoes or rice or mashed potato, and red wine of course 

(This recipe is so easy we don't even have it written down! The meat comes out SOOO tender and juicy, it's awesome. And also, don't worry about the alcohol in the recipe making you drunk because it is all cooked off in the oven. Only the alcohol you DRINK will make you drunk )


----------



## fengtau

*Easy Potato Soup*
Last week i had a last min notice to inform that a friend is coming by for dinner. Got a bit panic as i did not have much ingredients and definitely not enough time to boil the conventional type of Chinese soup.

Suddenly i remembered my friend once shared with me on this recipe which i have yet to try out....... The result?? Good!

Surprisingly, the soup came out to be some sort of cream soup and it taste really nice..... Try it out and let me know how you find it or how you mollify it better!

Happy Cooking!

Ingredients:
1) Large potato (1 potato for 1 serving) - Skin the potatoes & cut into medium-size cube

2) Celery (1/4 cup of chopped celery per serving) - Cut Celery into medium-size cube (not too fine)

3) Onion (1 large onion per serving) - Cut onion into 4 pieces (like wages)
4)Fresh Milk/Full Cream Milk or cream
5) Chicken cube
6) Coriander/cilantro or your own fav type of herbs.
7) Salt & papper to taste

Method:
1) Boil potatoes, celery and onions in water with the water level slightly covering all the vegetables.
2) Bring to boil and lower heat, cover and simmer for 25mins, or until all of the vegetables are very tender.
3) Using a potato masher, coarsely crush the potatoes, but dont mash them, you want chunks left (I used fork instead). Just add it in after the vege are soften. I put in only 1 cube for the serving of 4.
4) Add enough milk or cream to thin to desired thickness and add salt & pepper to taste.
5) Finally, add some coriander (fresh or dried also can).

Done!


----------



## Rogue Robot

^ that sounds _awesome_!


----------



## d-phex

*Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies*

You will need:
1/2 c Crisco
1/4 c Unsalted Butter
1 c White Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
2 c Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt

Also buy or make your choice of frosting. They are great with home-made lemon frosting.

Preheat the oven to 375.
In a saucepan, or skillet, melt the *crisco* and the *unsalted butter* together over the stove. Pour it into a bowl and place the bowl in the fridge. Retrieve the bowl once the butter/crisco mixture has solidified.
In a small bowl, sift and mix together the *flour*, *baking soda*, and *salt*.
In a larger bowl, blend together the *egg*, *vanilla*, and *sugar* with the crisco/butter mix. Slowly, add in the dry mix, until you have a dough.
Pin-roll the dough and use a small cookie cutter (no larger than the bottom of a beer bottle. A narrow drinking glass works best). Get out a cookie sheet.
Take each cookie cut-out and press both sides of it into a plate of sugar so as to lightly "coat" it in granulated sugar. Place it onto the cookie sheet. Only put six cookies on each sheet, or they will run into each other.
Bake for about 8 minutes each (watch until you can see cracked lines form on top of the cookies. DO NOT overcook. They will smell "off" if you do. You will grow familiar with that smell, if you sniff the bottom of the cookie. Good ones will smell sweet, overcooked ones will have an off smell that I can't describe.
Add some frosting and enjoy!

*Make sure you store them in an air-tight container. Best if kept in the fridge.*


----------



## SA

Request:

Can anyone offer their favourite Chicken Gumbo recipe, please. I mean your f_avourite home brew_.  Thanks in advance.


----------



## DG

I made a delicious drink last night...I didnt measure though. 

Pineapple Mojito

- pineapple rum ( I had made one with regular white rum and it was really good. I ran out and switched to the pineapple and it was a little sweeter)
- a drop of sugar
- crushed fresh mint
- crushed pineapple
- ice
- a splash of club soda

I could easily down a pitcher of these. Super yummy.


----------



## better

naan pit-zas (vegetarian, can be altered to tastes, quick/easy)

what you'll need:
some naan  (i like trader joes garlic)
an avocado, sliced
crumbly cheese of your choice (goat, boursin, feta...)
arugula and cilantro OR thai basil tossed in some lime juice, salt, pepper
crushed nuts (peanuts)
chili oil

warm naan.  top with cheeses and toast.  top with other ingredients, adding chili oil to taste and piling the salad of greens on top of each pit-za.


----------



## better

smoked salmon dip

what you'll need:
1 container cream cheese
1 container sour cream
1/2 bottle capers (small)
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
pkg smoked salmon, chopped
fresh parsley and chives, minced, to taste
salt, white pepper, to taste

mix it all up
spoon some on a bagel chip
top with a cherry tomato half 
nomz nomz


----------



## Mariposa

SA said:
			
		

> Request:
> 
> Can anyone offer their favourite Chicken Gumbo recipe, please. I mean your f_avourite home brew_.  Thanks in advance.



Yes!  I just put a call to my dad with the request he write his recipe down.  Dad works on Jamaican time, so let me know if I need to nudge him.  My own attempts at gumbo have been mixed.  I've found the key to be PICKING REALLY EXCELLENT OKRA and timing the cooking of said okra so it doesn't get too chewy or stringy.

Don't forget the file'

It's essential!  But only at the table.  It's ground sassafras, kind of like what the uber 1337 chemists use... not really.  Don't add it while cooking.  I did that and regretted it.
This is a sensible chicken-seafood gumbo recipe

My dad will be a big help for a chicken-only as he is allergic to most shellfish.  Just remember to add the file' at the table!


----------



## DarthMom

DG said:
			
		

> I made a delicious drink last night...I didnt measure though.
> 
> Pineapple Mojito
> 
> - pineapple rum ( I had made one with regular white rum and it was really good. I ran out and switched to the pineapple and it was a little sweeter)
> - a drop of sugar
> - crushed fresh mint
> - crushed pineapple
> - ice
> - a splash of club soda
> 
> I could easily down a pitcher of these. Super yummy.


my girls and i have had quite a few girls nights and we try to make mojitos a lot, they never are as good as the ones we are spoiled by at our local bistro. omg are they delicious, perfect mojito goodness. it is my quest in life to make a good one on my own.


----------



## Dave

Ooh, lots of good recipes. Here's a simple one that I quite like:

Avocado whip

4 Ripe avocados, seeded
2 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
salt to taste
cayenne if desired

Blend the ingredients together until a smooth texture is obtained. Use instead of butter/margarine on toast, sandwiches, and so on. I really like it on toast, with an over-easy egg on top, with a bit of homemade salsa on top of that. Yum.

Edit:

I'm just getting into Mojitos myself, so I'll share the recipe that I tweaked.

3-5 spearmint leaves (has to be spearmint, other varieties don't work as well)
0.75 oz simple syrup (I make mine with 1 part raw demerara sugar to 1 part water, simmered until dissolved and allowed to cool)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 spent lime hull
2 oz white rum
3 oz sparkling mineral water

Muddle spearmint leaves with simple syrup. Add lime juice, lime hull and rum. Gently press the last bit of juice out of the hull, but not fully muddling. Fill the glass 2/3 full of crushed ice, add mineral water while stirring until glass is full (usually around 3 oz.) and glass is frosty. Garnish with a lime slice and/or sprig of mint, or nothing if you're not being fancy.


----------



## DarthMom

Dave said:
			
		

> I'm just getting into Mojitos myself, so I'll share the recipe that I tweaked.
> 
> 3-5 spearmint leaves (has to be spearmint, other varieties don't work as well)
> 0.75 oz simple syrup (I make mine with 1 part raw demerara sugar to 1 part water, simmered until dissolved and allowed to cool)
> juice of 1 lime
> 1/2 spent lime hull
> 2 oz white rum
> 3 oz sparkling mineral water
> 
> Muddle spearmint leaves with simple syrup. Add lime juice, lime hull and rum. Gently press the last bit of juice out of the hull, but not fully muddling. Fill the glass 2/3 full of crushed ice, add mineral water while stirring until glass is full (usually around 3 oz.) and glass is frosty. Garnish with a lime slice and/or sprig of mint, or nothing if you're not being fancy.


ok, you lost me with that demerara part, what the hell is that? someone idiot proof this drink please :D


----------



## DG

yummy ill have to try that one too Dave. I  mojitos!


----------



## Dave

Demerara is just a kind of raw sugar. I find that it's a bit more flavourful than white sugar, but not as overpowering in drinks as brown. And since the recipe calls for white rum (ick), I find that it balances things out nicely-- it doesn't cover up the subtle flavours like a nice, dark rum, but covers the nastiness of white rum nicely.


----------



## sunshinefix

Candied Pecans:
1 egg white
1 16 oz. bag pecans (you can use any other nut, really but I just prefer pecans)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Beat the egg white until stiff
Add brown sugar and mix thoroughly 
Add pecans and stir until evenly coated
Spread them out on a baking sheet covered with wax paper or aluminum foil, coated with cooking spray
Bake for 15 minutes in 250F oven, or until brown and delicious-smelling

In total it takes 30 minutes to prepare, and 24 hours for my boyfriend to consume an entire batch.


----------



## Mariposa

Simple syrup is the key to a good mojito.  Demerara is pricey and I don't know whether it's refined, but my local coffee place has it and it's great.  Mojitos need fresh mint as well.  I prefer a good bourbon in a mint julep instead of rum in a mojito.  I do like both.  

Today I made fresh paneer from a recipe I had at home that is similar to this recipe:  Delightful Paneer. 

The recipe I had at home didn't have pictures.  The paneer is in its last stage.  So far, so good.  A small piece broke off, but it held its texture and isn't at all burned or rancid.  I can't decide whether to fry it (like firm tofu) or just cut it and put it into the masala sauce I already have on hand.


----------



## Dave

Ooh! I _love_ paneer! My only problem is that whenever I make it, no matter what I do I end up getting tons of crud burnt on the bottom of the pot that I'm using. Tips?

Demerara in theory shouldn't be refined, but I wouldn't be surprised if some brands are. I get mine from a local organic market (only when it's on sale), and have been very satisfied. When I worked for Starbucks, there was a period of about 2 months where we had demerara in one of those sugar dispensers rather than by the packet. It was great, until the district manager found out that every single employee in the store was stealing the bulk sugar and just putting out the leftover packets


----------



## Jamshyd

I've always loved this thread. Unfortunately, when I cook, my measurement is in taste, not numbers. But I'll try nonetheless 

*Baqdunsieah* (or Baqdunsiee in Lebanese Arabic). This is a vegan-friendly cousin of Tabuleh (Tabuli). It is also very good for you. Since its main ingredient is parsley, a diuretic, I do not recommend drinking Alcohol or caffeine with it, haha. This is a dish from the Levant usually served with fish, but can be eaten alone as a salad snack. It is one of my favourites and I'm going to give it as I've learnt it from my mother 

Ingredients:
- A bunch of Parsley 
- A handful of walnuts
- Garlic
- A pinch of salt
- Tahina (Tahini)
- Yoghurt

Preparation: Chop the parsley _real_ fine. You should pick the most aromatic parsley you can find, although you can mix in the less aromatic but lattice-shaped kind for aesthetics. Crush the walnuts into fine pieces. I would say put as much walnut as you'd like to taste. 

Dressing: Put a pinch of salt in a mortar-and-pistil, and put as much garlic into it as you'd like to taste (I personally put lots). Crush into a fine paste. Add a little bit (couple of tablespoons?) of tahina and yogurt on top of it and mix. very well. 

Now put the parsley and the walnuts in a bowl, and add the above dressing to it. Mix *very* well, until the whole thing looks like a homogenous paste. If it is too "dry", add some more Tahina and a tiny bit more yogurt. However, _make absolutely sure that it does not become soggy!_ You want it to have the consistency of, say, dough. 

Enjoy!


----------



## psychetool

My god, this thread makes me HUNNNGRAY. Some great new submissions! Here is my newest appetizer recipe. It's a very simple vegetarian dish but it's delicious and quite healthy too!

*Parmesan Baked Tomatoes*

Ingredients :
Parmesan Cheese (fresh or crumbled, fresh is better)
Tomatoes (Small meaty tomatoes are preferable, but most any will work)
Chopped Chives and/or Green Onion (I recommend using both!)
Salt and Pepper (To taste!)
Chopped or Sliced Garlic
Oregano

Preheat oven to 350º. Halve your tomatoes, I like to use a spoon to make a small resting area for ingredients to go in on the tomato. Put a nice mix of chives/green onion/garlic/oregano onto the resting area, grate your Parmesan on top and then season with salt and pepper and pop them in the oven for 15 minutes or longer depending on the size of the tomato. Make sure they are a bit dried out and not juicy anymore. Then just let them cool and DEVOUR! There you have it, elegance and simplicity. Really good for a small dinner party.


----------



## Mariposa

Dave said:
			
		

> Ooh! I _love_ paneer! My only problem is that whenever I make it, no matter what I do I end up getting tons of crud burnt on the bottom of the pot that I'm using. Tips?
> 
> Demerara in theory shouldn't be refined, but I wouldn't be surprised if some brands are. I get mine from a local organic market (only when it's on sale), and have been very satisfied. When I worked for Starbucks, there was a period of about 2 months where we had demerara in one of those sugar dispensers rather than by the packet. It was great, until the district manager found out that every single employee in the store was stealing the bulk sugar and just putting out the leftover packets



Hehe.  All the SBUX employees I know allow the nitrous cartridges to fall off the back of trucks.  

Paneer turned out OK, A for effort and B for execution.  It mostly stayed together.  I was a little rough with stirring it.  I added it to korma sauce I got from Trader Joe's.  

The key to not burning your milk would be adjusting your flame to the point where you obtain a rolling boil.  If you have a gas stove (as I do) this is probably quite a bit easier.  Once you've reached the point of a rolling boil - turn the flame down A LOT, right away, and add your coagulating agent.  Lemon juice worked very well for me; you can substitute lime juice as well.

Just mind the flame on the stove (especially if it's electric) and you'll get excellent results provided you follow the recipe to the letter.  

You MUST use whole milk.  I can't stress this enough.  You won't get enough curd otherwise.  I may tweak the recipe with the addition of half-and-half.

Paneer, in addition to being absolutely delicious, is cruelty-free in that the coagulating agent is not animal derived.  Rennet free.  Of course, vegans would disagree (I live with a recent ex-vegan - he broke over pizza :D) but using milk that comes from cows not treated with rBST, preferably also organic, is both delicious and good on the conscience.   

For vegans and soy lovers:  you can follow the same set of instructions substituting soy milk and you'll get tofu!  I haven't tried this out yet. 

If anyone has any good gluten-free recipes: I'd appreciate them.  I'm probably going to be eliminating gluten from my diet soon as it appears I'm intolerant.  I'm allergic to raw tomatoes (can have them cooked in moderation) and pineapple as well.  Gluten-free living is going to be weird, but my life probably depends on it due to my allergies.    I eat all meats except lamb/mutton and most fish.


----------



## Dave

Tee hee. I must have 'misplaced' at least three or four cases of nitrous over the years that I worked there. Among many other things  Good times.

Thanks for the tips! I was using nonfat milk, so that may have been causing problems. I don't do much dairy anymore, but I'll have to give it another go sometime.


----------



## Retrospect

*Slow Cooking Spaghettic Sauce (Read!)*

So far..
This is what I have together:

_SAUCE_

- Prego "Flavored w/ Meat" 3 pound jar

         OR

- Ragu "Flavored w/ Meat" 4 pound 2 ounce jar


_HERBS & SPICES_

- Minced Garlic (McCormick)
- Onion Powder (McCormick)
- Basil Leaves (McCormick)
- Crushed Red Pepper (McCormick)


_MEAT_

- Extra Hot Italian Sausage
-  Ground Beef





Alright.. Now the point to this..lol. 

I plan on making a killer spaghetti sauce. I'm going to slow cook it, in a slow cooker (obviously) for ATLEAST 24 hours - 72 hours. I have never slow cooked spaghetti sauce.

Basically I want to make an amazing spaghetti sauce.. & I am looking for suggestions and help. 

As you can see by my herbs & spices, I would like it to be somewhat spicy.. but not entirely. Just abit of a "kick". 

I love minced garlic & onion powder.. I think it will give it some amazing flavor.

A little crushed red pepper.

As far as the basil leaves.. I was told to use them, but not even sure how big of a difference it makes.



Anyways.. Any comments & suggestions would be greatly appreciated it.
Do my herbs & spices seem good? 
What other herbs & spices would you recommend?
What about meat? What would you add?

Is a couple pounds of sauce enough for a good amount of left overs?

How about adding in the ingredients? Like I said I want it to slow cook for a couple days.. so what time should I be adding in certain ingredients?



Thanks for all your feedback guys. I hope this thread isn't to fucked up..lol.. I'm not trying to sound like an idiot or anything.. I can cook fairly decent.. but have never really put any real efford into sauce or anything.. So lets hear what you have to say!


----------



## xeracismx

I don't usually used the can sauces, I think you should add some oregano and tomatoe paste (so its not watery) I'd use more than one jar if you want left overs and I'd use two different flavored sauces if you're gonna use store brought sauces.  Good Luck and Bon Appétit!


----------



## Sticky Green

Suggestion: Never start with Prego or Ragu........or any canned or jarred sauce for that matter.......especially nothing "with meat."  Add your own fresh meat.  

If you have to, canned diced tomatos and/or tomato paste are acceptable.  

Prego and Ragu already have herbs and spices added......along with preservatives.  Adding your own on top of that would just be overkill.  

In golf we have a saying for when you have one good shot on a hole where you have already made several bad shots.........."Whipped cream on shit."


----------



## Sticky Green

xeracismx said:
			
		

> I don't usually used the can sauces, I think you should add some oregano and tomatoe paste (so its not watery) I'd use more than one jar if you want left overs and I'd use two different flavored sauces if you're gonna use store brought sauces.  Good Luck and Bon Appétit!



I actually got away from making my sauces thick like that.  I found that I like my "sauce" rathar thin with chunky bits added in (meats and veggies).  

My favorites chunks are tomato wedges, mushrooms, zucchini, and both hot and sweet sausage.   I usually dice an onion in there too.  

Since I don't use jarred sauce I have to carefully season it with the right amount of salt.  

Unfortunately, I only have dried herbs, and I don't care for too much oregano or italian seasoning.  Some day I'll probably start an herb garden.


----------



## alasdairm

make your sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes! geez.

why go to all this trouble but start with some crappy canned sauce?

alasdair


----------



## kytnism

indeed.

be sure to grate a shitton of veges such as zucchini, carrot, celery, onion and eggplant into your sauce for an awesome consistancy as well as added nutrients. 

...kytnism...


----------



## fortknox

want an italian family recipe or suggestions on yours?

I'm not too happy to give out my fam recipe, so I'll give you suggestions:

1.) When you simmer a sauce, its to mingle the spices and reduce the sauce.  A slow-cooker is bad for this, as it doesn't get hot enough to simmer, so you'll have a hot but watery sauce

2.) Prego or any other canned sauce already has ingredients and spices in it... get heinz tomato sauce (or some form of crushed or canned tomatoes).  No spices, so you add your own

3.) Don't get tomato paste, regardless of what anyone else here says.  Tomato paste is a thickener, and it shouldn't go into a sauce unless you have a really thin sauce, and only a tablespoon at most.

4.) Simmering for over 8 hours will be too long... you'll end up chewing the sauce once it cools.  I simmer mine from 4-6 hours.

5.) Simmer means there's a chance to burn, so stir the sauce every 15-30 minutes.

If all else fails, I'll give you the family recipe... takes about 1 hour to prep, then 4-6 hour simmer.


----------



## Retrospect

Hey.. thanks for some of the suggestions and constructive critism..lol.


Still want to hear what others have to say to all of this.. including.. not use a slow cooker?


----------



## ninjadanslarbretabar

aww
Spaghetti Sauce

my recipe

-use cheese
-let it melt
-bravo
-its done


----------



## Retrospect

There we go.. Now it's over in Second Opinion.. lol.

Soo lets hear what people have to say.


----------



## alasdairm

you need to use fresh everything.

do a search on the internets for "tomato sauce". there must be 10^6 recipes online. pick one which calls for fresh everything.

do yourself a favour. buy a nigel slater cookbook. 'real fast food' is a good place to start.



alasdair


----------



## Retrospect

lol.. yea, thanks for the advice. I am actually a pretty decent cook.. but I always feel like there is something I can do differently.. and I have never slow cooked any type of sauce before.. so I was just wondering what other people would personally do to their sauce.


----------



## psychetool

Awww, you took out all the lounge responses. No more 'FUCK YOUR SPAGHETTI, BEETCH!" 

In any case, if you want to make a good spaghetti sauce the key is to use fresh ingredients. Real tomatoes that you cook down. Freshly chopped onion and garlic that you brown first and not just ground spices. Shitloads of fresh grated parm. It takes longer, but it sounds like that is what you want anyways.

Mix some wine in there. Add sugar to cut acidity. That's about all I got without my recipe book...


----------



## Mariposa

^Excellent advice!  

I made spaghetti sauce today.  I used a bunch of crap I had in the house.  I can't have tomatoes that aren't heavily processed (food allergy) so I have to use canned/jarred stuff.

I used:  
1 jar Bionaturae Crushed Tomatoes
1 can Trader Joe's Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 small sweet onion (both of these chopped finely and sauteed)
A bunch of garlic powder
A pinch of red pepper flakes (do this to taste)
A pinch of oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (this is optional)

and I threw some frozen soy meatballs in there too.

Provided you don't have my weird allergy then alasdair's advice of making it all from scratch is very good.  Easy, cheap, and pleases almost everyone... nutritious too!


----------



## Retrospect

My spaghetti sauce didn't turn out as good as I woud have liked it too..lol.. so I am going to try again this weekend.


----------



## VerbalTruist

Use fresh onions, fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano,salt, pepper, ... good spaghetti sauce comes from scratch.

Ragu?  Prego? 

Its a sad sad day when people see canned sauce as quality.

Ground Beef is great, but lamb meatballs... mmmmmm... *drool*  Just swap out the types of beef.  The recipes require some tweaking, but you should start with a base recipe and see how it is once its all done then modify it from there.

Also, you might want to do a little research on different spices and how they modify the taste of a recipe.  How different starches and sugars within certain things will change the consistency of your recipe.  Consistency is important.  The best example I can think of is peaches within peach cobbler.  If you use frozen peaches the peaches will be all deflated and blah, but fresh peaches mmmm then they peaches are firm.  Tomatoes are the same way sorta.  Preservatives are nasty and shouldn't be used.  Canned tomatoes are OK, but homemade canned tomatoes or tomato paste is good.  Its easy to make but requires a great amount of patience.

MmMmMmMm thinking about this makes me want to cook some.  I'm going to go make some.



Also, as a last thought 24 hours of cooking isn't really needed.  I think that a Crock Pot all day or night makes it pretty good.  For your starting you should try just toying with shorter recipes so you get used to what will work.



You should give us some feedback.  Let us know how it goes.  What recipe you used, what you thought, etc.


----------



## alasdairm

^ nice post.

retrospect, what's your goal? why the obsession with slow cooking specifically?

i assume your goal is a great-tasting tomato sauce? if so, quality fresh ingredients are the only way forward.

alasdair


----------



## johanneschimpo

I'm not a great cook by any means, but I am Italian so naturally I have marinara running through my veins, and I can make killer sauce.
I find I make the best sauce when I avoid all measurements. I know what needs to go in (most of it has been listed ... the key is FRESH INGREDIENTS!), and I just throw in this or that and taste accordingly until its perfect. 
I only let it simmer for 1-2 hours, because I get really hungry and can't wait much longer to eat it.

Need any specific tips, just ask...


----------



## eDDe9

Just stick cloves of garlic in, not minced


----------



## Coolio

This sounds nasty. Ragu and Prego are pre-made sauces - you don't need and shouldn't add anything to them. You shouldn't even bother to buy them.

Next... minced garlic and onion powder? Are you joking me? Are you trying to make American Chop Suey for uncultured redneck schoolchildren or something? Dehydrated garlic and onion are garbage.

What you need to start out with is fresh picked tomatoes, or unseasoned, unsugared, unsalted tomato 'sauce'. Like, the cheapest type of tomato sauce they sell at the store. Just liquified tomatoes.

I don't know why you want to cook your sauce for 48 hours, but it can't hurt. I'd wait until the last 2-4 hours to add your spices and sugar. For spices, I'd recommend FRESH basil leaves, fresh rosemary leaves, some dried thyme, black peppercorns, salt, brown sugar, and some dried peperoncini (hot peppers).

Around the same time you add the spices, saute a lot of fresh garlic and yellow onions in a lot of olive oil and add that to the sauce. This is the most important part of delicious spaghetti sauce if you ask me.

I'm a vegetarian so I don't know anything about slow cooking your meat, but I imagine 'ground beef' will leave little chewy gristle chunks in your sauce even after 72 hours of cooking. You can feel the gristle in the Prego and Ragu even. I'd get the deli/butcher at the supermarket to grind you some good lean steak instead. I recommend avoiding having any meat fat get in the sauce, and make sure most of the fat in the sauce comes from olives.

And a little red wine never hurt anybody either... especially not any Italians.


----------



## alasdairm

^ why dried thyme specifically? you specify fresh everything else so why dried thyme?

anywhere that sells fresh rosemary and basil should have fresh thyme. if you (plural) are into cooking and have trouble getting fresh herbs, consider growing them yourself - then you'll always have plentiful supply of the freshest herbs.

alasdair


----------



## Coolio

I've never seen fresh thyme sold in any market around here, is why. I've seen thyme plants at nurseries, but never sold in the grocery store. Didn't wanna send him on a wild goose chase.


----------



## alasdairm

Coolio said:
			
		

> I've never seen fresh thyme sold in any market around here, is why.


maybe he doesn't live where you live? 

i think the best thing to do with herbs is always try to use fresh and, if you can't get them, plump for dried.

alasdair


----------



## Pander Bear

alasdairm said:
			
		

> make your sauce from scratch using fresh tomatoes! geez.
> 
> why go to all this trouble but start with some crappy canned sauce?
> 
> alasdair



Canned tomatoes are picked at their ripest, and are produced from varietals that haven't been bred for enduring a transcontinental shipping. If you have access to enough fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes to make a good amount of sauce, great... for most people though canned tomatoes (not ragu, or jarred sauces) is the best base available.

The canning process even brings out some subtle flavors that using fresh tomatoes wont do (unless you spike your sauce with a little alcohol while you're stewing them.


For the OP: your sauce sucks


----------



## alasdairm

Pander Bear said:
			
		

> ...(not ragu, or jarred sauces)...


that's what i was referring to (when i said "_crappy canned *sauce*_").

alasdair


----------



## VerbalTruist

I find that the best tomatoes to use are the canned ones that we can in the summer at my parents house.  Homemade, home grown and home canned tomatoes are the best thing.

Also with the garlic you want to use halved cloves maybe quarters.  Or very thin slices.  If you cook it for the right amount of time they garlic sorta gets squishy and the taste permeates through the whole sauce.

Johannes, don't you start with a base recipe and work upwards?  I find thats the best, but yes you're right sometimes the amount, type and volume of spices you use can change.  However, as I make sauces more and more I'm finding that I have a set of spices, tomatoes and what not that is pre-measured and very little changes.

Retrospect, what did you end up doing?  How did it turn out?


----------



## NeoMeeko

My friend and I used to get tomato paste and just go nuts adding spices to it and a little bit of cheese. I dont add meat cause I hate meat  But doing it from scratch is totally the best. But Im not opposed to canned sauce either.

Man I'm just a bunch of help today arent I


----------



## johanneschimpo

euphoricnod said:
			
		

> Johannes, don't you start with a base recipe and work upwards?  I find thats the best, but yes you're right sometimes the amount, type and volume of spices you use can change.  However, as I make sauces more and more I'm finding that I have a set of spices, tomatoes and what not that is pre-measured and very little changes.


Yeah, I have a base that remains fairly constant. First, starting with how many people is it going to serve, that is the amount of tomato sauce used. From there, I meant that I don't use measuring cups or whatever, like you said, as I've done it more and more I pretty much know how much of everything to toss in. That list includes garlic, onion, and shallots sauteed in olive oil, fresh basil, fresh oregano, fresh parsley, (small amounts of other spices too, like thyme and marjoram), a little sugar (sometimes) and a generous portion of red wine. And of course, salt and pepper. I think I might be forgetting a thing or two.

Actually, more or less, that is the base. Those things are included 99% of the time. Occasionally its more of this or less of that, and its different when I am including meat, in the form of meatballs and/or sausage. Its cool because even though we mostly use identical ingredients, our sauces probably taste very different. My mom uses her mom's (my grandma) recipe, and I use my mom's recipe, yet all three of us make the same recipe taste different. In a blind taste test, my brothers or other family members could tell who what if given a sample of sauce made from the three of us (me, my mom, and my grandma).

Ah, how I love pasta. I'm a straight wop, so I eat it several times a week. Oh, don't even get me started on my lasagna recipe.


----------



## fizzle

Ok so this is how we're going to solve this, you will all come over to my house and make your sauces and I'll tell you whos recipe is best


----------



## Coolio

johannes, I love that your recipe for true wop tomato sauce is close to identical to the same one I've developed myself over the years. I tend to skip oregano though as I don't trust the concept of 'oregano' as a product name. I hardly trust cinnamon. Did you know that oregano can actually be one of a half dozen different plants, that merely taste somewhat similar and have somewhat similar phenolic content? Until I grow my own or find a source that knows what species the oregano is and where it really came from, I don't even bother.


----------



## TheSpade

Like has been said already...

Definitely don't used pre made tins / jars of sauce.
Use all fresh ingredients including real onions and garlic not powders.


----------



## eDDe9

The expert has spoken


----------



## Mariposa

*bump* for deliciousness!

I have a weakness for sauce - of any kind.  One of the first things I learned when I learned how to cook was to make sauce.  Unexpected guests who are hungry?  Steam up some broccoli and serve it with some Alfredo sauce and pasta (ebola has a vegan variant of this which I will ask him to repost).  Instant balanced, yet decadent, meal.  I prepared this without the parsley this past week.  Turned out perfect.

This recipe serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main dish.  Good additions are grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu.  Adapted from somewhere along the way.  Prepare to have your arteries clogged.  

*Alfredo Sauce*

1/4 cup butter (NOT margarine!)
1 cup liquid dairy of your choice (can be anything from heavy cream to skim milk; I get my best results with 2% milk)
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago (or any combination of the three; I get my best results from a 50/50 Parmesan/Romano mixture, asiago is too sticky)
1 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced/pressed (to taste)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (the recipe is just as good without it though)
Salt and pepper to taste (go easy on the salt, the cheese adds a good amount of salt)

1.  Melt your butter over very low heat.
2.  Once butter is melted, add dairy and whisk in slowly.  Raise heat to simmer for ~5 minutes, being careful not to scald the mixture.  Med-lo on most electric stoves and 1/4 in flame on gas stoves works for me, YMMV.
3.  Add garlic and pepper, continuing to whisk.
4.  Slowly add cheese, continuing to whisk.  If you are doing it right, your sauce won't clump, the trick is to add it little by little and keep whisking.
5.  Add parsley, taste, and add salt if necessary.
6.  Serve over pasta, protein, or veggies of your choice, garnishing with a sprig of parsley if you like.


----------



## Dave

Hm, sauces. I do a damn good vegan 'bolognese' with TVP, but that's one of my signature dinners. Can't be giving out all my secrets now 

But I do know of a darn good vegan 'chicken' gravy. Goes great with breaded and baked firm tofu fingers, mashed potatoes, or fries. If I could only figure out how to make it 'beefy', then I could have some vegetarian poutine-- one of the very few meat foods that I miss.

*Vegan 'chicken' gravy*, adapted from Crescent Dragonwagon's _The Passionate Vegetarian_

1 L (~4 cups) Veg broth (homemade is best, Knorr makes a pretty good tetra-broth)
1 head of garlic
1 onion
2 ribs of celery
1 good sized carrot
bay leaf
3 tbsp olive oil (or butter for non-vegans)
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
sage
savoury
thyme
rosemary
(can substitute 'poultry mix' herb mix for herbs)
salt and pepper


1. In a large enough pot, bring the stock to a simmer with the onion (cut into quarters with the skin on), celery (broken in quarters) carrot (broken into thirds with the skin on) bay leaf and head of garlic (cut roughly 1/3 from the top-- as if making roasted garlic). Simmer covered for 45 minutes. If you've made a strong homemade broth, just simmer with the garlic.

2. After the 45 minutes, strain the mixture (discard the veg, keep the garlic). Set the garlic aside to cool. Once cool, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the head into the broth, and whisk to mix.

3. While the broth is boiling, prepare a basic roux. Heat the oil (or melt the butter) over low-medium low heat. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, and whisk vigorously. Let the mixture slowly cook until it turns a light golden brown. Set aside.

4. Once the garlicky broth is ready, re-heat the roux while stirring (until bubbly). While whisking, slowly pour in the broth. Keep whisking the broth for a little bit once all the stock is added to ensure a smooth gravy.

5. Now add the nutritional yeast, herbs (to taste, personally I go for 2 tsp each of the first 3 and 1 tsp of the rosemary, but YMMV), and salt and pepper to taste. If you want a velvety smooth sauce, pass it through a fine mesh strainer. If you're a non-vegan and want a 'giblet' textured gravy, add a finely chopped hard boiled egg at the last minute and stir vigorously.

Personally, I've never had real giblet gravy, but the egg adds a nice je ne sais quoi.


----------



## Mariposa

Dave said:
			
		

> If I could only figure out how to make it 'beefy', then I could have some vegetarian poutine-- one of the very few meat foods that I miss.



Tony Chachere's Brown Gravy mix is vegan, quite beefy in flavor, and my preferred gravy for poutine (my second favorite food)...

If you can't find it where you are, see here.

Damnit, now I am STARVING for poutine.  I have everything in the house... hmmm.


----------



## spork

I had to look poutine up. Here is a link for those of you that are like me and had no clue what it is.

I'm willing to try just about every thing once, but I don't know about that... The thought of it doesn't really sit in my stomach too well.


----------



## Dave

It's not light food, but it's the Quebecois national dish (more or less), and is DAMN tasty after a long day of skiing/snowboarding. I'd suggest waiting for winter to try it, unless you're really into heavy food.

Thanks for the link Mariposa! I'm not usually crazy about mixes, but I've ordered some of that and I'll try to reverse engineer it  I've actually been working on a soy/mushroom gravy that's pretty snazzy, but just isn't quite poutine-worthy. Yet.


----------



## Rogue Robot

spork said:
			
		

> I had to look poutine up. Here is a link for those of you that are like me and had no clue what it is.
> 
> I'm willing to try just about every thing once, but I don't know about that... The thought of it doesn't really sit in my stomach too well.



i tried it years ago while on my first visit to canada.  it looks totally disgusting, but it takes a lot like mashed potatoes w/cheese & gravy.  it's pretty good, actually.


----------



## Jamshyd

*Jamshyd's Magical Magic Base*

Ok, this is a base on which I build much of my cooking... a fusion of Indian and Mediterranean flavours with a slight Japanese influence. It basically involves all of my favourite ingredients combined to make a a sour, aromatic, and slightly spicy sauce. As with the other recipe, the amounts are approximate since I work with my sense of taste rather than number. It is vegetarian friendly substituting butter for a different fat, you can also make this vegan-friendly. It is also low-fat and salt-free!

*Ingredients*
- A tablespoon of butter (less or more depending on how greasy you like it)
- Several cloves of garlic (I like to use lots)
- A brown or white Onion (or more, so long as it does not overtake the garlic)
- A tiny, tiny hint of your favourite Curry 
- Copious amounts of Turmeric (Enough for an unmistakable taste/smell, but not enough to go bitter - this is the main ingredient, actually... watch everthing - including the pan and your fingers - turn a delicious golden-yellow colour! See? Magic!)
- A bunch of cilantro (I use lots)
- White Wine (I usually use either Chilean or NZ Chardonnay or southern-European Suvignon-Blanc)
- Half a Lemon (fresh)
- A generous pinch of Saffron
- The finest *Japanese* Soy Sauce (note that Chinese is too heavy - I use Fine Kikkoman Koikuchi)
- Shiitake Mushrooms (as many as you'd like!)
- A hint of Matcha (Green Tea powder, you can use leaves if you can't find the powder)

Note that the last two ingredients serve to impart an umame flavour.

*Magic!*
- In a bowl, mix up approximately:
 1 part soy sauce
 2 parts freshly-squeezed lemon juice
 3 parts white wine
 4 parts water

- Chop up up the Garlic REAL GODDAM FINE (or better still, use mortar and pistil) , the Onion in stripes or half-rings, Mushrooms to your liking, and Cilantro finely. 
- Heat butter in pan on medium heat, then add _half_ of your garlic and all of your onion.
- Stir frequently until garlic and onion start taking on a slight caramel colour (note: DO NOT over-cook them!)
- Add the saffron and the curry while stirring. A sign that you've done the saffron right is that it starts to "bleed" (leaving orange stains here and there). If this doesn't happen, then you either have bad saffron or simply didn't do it right... what a waste of money 
- Stir more.
- Add the Cilantro, Turmeric, shrooms, and matcha.
- Stir to death until shrooms are soft. 
- Add the second half of your garlic, then immediately the sauce you made above.
- Stir at low heat, then let sit.

How much you wait now is up to you. The more you wait, the thicker and more pungent it will be. If you feel it is too dry or too strong, it is ok to dilute with a bit of water.

Hint: If you actually want the alcohol flavour to remain, you might want to keep the wine till the very end.

This can be served on top of anything you like. It can be used to cook chicken, Tofu, beef, pork, and maybe even fish (but I haven't tried that yet).

----

One of my favourite applications of the above is to have it with fried noodles. Very simple, here is how:

*Ingredients*
- Jamshyd's Magical Magic Base
- Egg Ramen (the yellowish type)
- Butter or oil

Prepare the ramen as you generally would (boil till soft), then drain. In a big pan, heat up some fat and then add the ramen and the Magical Magic Base and fry till they become homogenous.

(giggle, he said "homo")

----

Another option is to serve on sticky rice. The stickier the better .

----

Optional Ingredients:
- Potato
- Cherry Tomato
- More Citrus: Orange Juice, Zest, Lemon Peal, lime 
- A hint of ground cloves
- Turn into a soup by adding more water, Tofu and Enoki (long, whispy-white, with tiny caps) shrooms.
- Substitute the Lemon for Malt Vinegar, but this is for truly hardcore sour-fans!

Promising but unexplored frontiers:
- Seafood (Calamari?)
- Tamarind 
- Hashish 

Note: I realize from the look of it that this tastes horrendously spicy. I assure you it does not if you mix the ingredients in rational amounts. The most important thing is to keep it SOUR. It is DESIGNED to be sour .


----------



## Dave

Wow. That base looks amazing. I'd probably omit the matcha myself, since I already drink two strong bowls of the stuff a day. 

And I'd bet good money that it would be super delicious with a little knob of hashish stirred in near the end. Mmmm, I can just imagine the piquant pungency infusing the smooth, spicy (but not necessarily hot) sauce. I bet it'd be great with tempeh, and served over quinoa.

/me runs to the kitchen


----------



## ebola?

>>
Baqdunsieah (or Baqdunsiee in Lebanese Arabic).>>

Looks great!  I will also make babaganouj, once I can be fucked to roast an eggplant.

Mock egg-salad:

ingredients:

~1 lb tofu (as firm as you can find.  "high protein" is best.  "Extra firm" is okay
~2 tbsp vegan mayonaise (I prefer Veganaise)
~1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
1 dash vinegary hot sauce (everything from Vietnamese chili sauce to Tobasco would suffice).
1 tbsp dill pickle relish OR diced dill pickles (you may sub sweet pickles or relish if you have problems. )
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
1 sprinkling parsley, fresh or dried

methods:

1.  dice tofu into 1/2 in. chunks
2.  mix ingredients
3.  taste and adjust

modifications:

sub mashed chickpeas for tofu for mock tuna salad (it will be appropriate in texture but not taste.  I would not try to approximate the taste of the worst human "food" on earth. ).

sub chopped seitan for tofu for mock chicken salad.

serving suggestion:

I like this in a tortilla with spinach, olives, and sriracha sauce.

ebola


----------



## Jamshyd

Hehe thanks dave, I hope you enjoy 

ebola: Sounds good! Baba Ghanouj (lit. "Mr. Promiscuous"), Tabouli, Bakdunsiee, Hummus, and at least ten other items are traditionally served in Lebanon as "Mezzi" (the mid-eastern equivalent of bar snacks - and in fact it is typical to eat these things while sipping Arak).

My favourite of all these is Kibbi Nayyi (Raw Kibbi), but I don't know how to make it. Apparently it involves grinding meat so fine with wheat so as to make a meaty dough... sounds grotesque (especially to a vegan, I imagine), but tastes heavenly... an acquired taste for sure...


----------



## ebola?

> ebola: Sounds good! Baba Ghanouj (lit. "Mr. Promiscuous"), Tabouli, Bakdunsiee, Hummus, and at least ten other items are traditionally served in Lebanon as "Mezzi" (the mid-eastern equivalent of bar snacks - and in fact it is typical to eat these things while sipping Arak).



Again, America has the worst bar snacks, compared to either Lebanon or Japan. 



> My favourite of all these is Kibbi Nayyi (Raw Kibbi), but I don't know how to make it. Apparently it involves grinding meat so fine with wheat so as to make a meaty dough... sounds grotesque (especially to a vegan, I imagine), but tastes heavenly... an acquired taste for sure...



Well, I am honest enough to admit that many meat dishes would still taste good.  At the same time, I'd imagine that there are few meat dishes as disgusting as natto. 

ebola


----------



## Mariposa

ebola? said:
			
		

> I'd imagine that there are few meat dishes as disgusting as natto.



Natto is completely fucking disgusting.


----------



## Jamshyd

^ Yeeeeaaaah. Natto is the stuff of nightmares. Something that glues your mouth shut ought to give you a hint not to eat it .


----------



## spork

I want to try to make gazpacho. Does any one have any recipes that they've tried and like?


----------



## Dave

I once was trying to make a fresh salsa, but didn't seed the tomatoes and it wound up being super watery. So, I made gazpacho out of it.

Rough method:

Take 3 L of botched (but still pretty tasty) watery salsa-- heavy on the cilantro and chili peppers, add a few slices of stale bread and puree with a hand blender until roughly homogeneous. Season to taste; I added more salt, pepper, cilantro, celery seed and lemon zest. Oh, and a bit of silken tofu to add a little bit of protein-- purely optional, but necessary if you want to make a meal out of it.

To serve it, you can be fancy and pass it through a strainer, or serve it rustically. Make sure that it is ice cold by keeping it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Some suggest having it sit in a bowl in another bowl filled with ice and salt to get it super chilled, but IMO that's not really necessary unless it will be sitting out of the fridge for a while.

I like to add a drizzle of nice extra virgin olive oil and a sprig of whatever herb I used as a garnish in the bowl/glass in which the gazpacho is served.

But really, it's a pretty versatile method. All you really need is a watery fruit/vegetable puree, a bit of stale bread, and seasoning/herbs. I've heard of watermelon gazpacho, zucchini gazpacho, red pepper gazpacho, and so on.


----------



## Mariposa

spork said:
			
		

> I want to try to make gazpacho. Does any one have any recipes that they've tried and like?



No gazpacho for me because I am allergic to raw unprocessed tomatoes.  But this recipe looks tasty and easy.  Awesome suggestion for a summer recipe, Spork -- please enjoy a double portion for me 

Gazpacho de Sevilla

Dave:  watermelon gazpacho?  Without tomatoes?  I loooooove watermelon, I had not thought to follow a gazpacho recipe with watermelon.  That may be my project for tomorrow.  Summertime, ya know?  :D

Jamshyd:  I plan to test your recipe within the next few days, less the mushrooms (allergic to most mushrooms too) and a little less onion.  

If anyone would like a grilled prime rib recipe for a summertime family BBQ dinner, I'll post it once another BLer and I perfect it on Tuesday.   

Does anyone have a perfected or even preferred method for BBQ shrimp?  I use Old Bay seasoning or creole Seafood Magic, but I would like to develop a summery BBQ lemon shrimp recipe.  I use onions, zucchini, and whatever else is around in my kebabs but they are lacking in something.  I think a lemon-white wine scampi sauce over al dente angel hair pasta would be delish... hmm


----------



## getreal

Jamshyd said:
			
		

> Hehe thanks dave, I hope you enjoy
> ebola: Sounds good! Baba Ghanouj (lit. "Mr. Promiscuous"), Tabouli, Bakdunsiee, Hummus, and at least ten other items are traditionally served in Lebanon as "Mezzi" (the mid-eastern equivalent of bar snacks - and in fact it is typical to eat these things while sipping Arak).
> My favourite of all these is Kibbi Nayyi (Raw Kibbi), but I don't know how to make it. Apparently it involves grinding meat so fine with wheat so as to make a meaty dough... sounds grotesque (especially to a vegan, I imagine), but tastes heavenly... an acquired taste for sure...


YUM, YUM to them all!  I also love kibbee Nyee!  When I was growing up my uncle used to make it all the time but I never knew it was RAW meat until I was grown-LOL!


----------



## Dave

Mariposa-- Sure, why not? Traditional gazpacho required tomatoes, but a modern gazpacho (AFAIK) is basically a cold, usually raw vegetable soup thickened a bit with stale bread. Go nuts!


----------



## spork

Thanks for the suggestions!


----------



## Mariposa

Request time again!

I just snagged the deep fryer from my dad this week; it's an electric one, medium  capacity.  I've had good results in the past with Louisiana Fish Fry (cornmeal based frying mix, good on chicken, fish, veggies, whatever) but now I'm looking for some tried and true beer batter or tempura type batter recipes.

Any suggestions?

I made a good Mexican bean, cheese, and rice based lasagna the other day.  I will post it when I figure out the amounts of stuff I used.


----------



## ebola?

righto.
well, i could probably dig up an appropriate tempura recipe.
the usual is cornstarch (lighter than wheat flour) and an egg yolk (mainly for color).  some people put in something to aerate the batter, like club soda or baking soda (not both!).


----------



## Mariposa

^I would have asked you, but I wanted one from someone who has done this with more frequency so that I could make it a treat for you -- as always, your participation is welcome, but might I spoil you a bit?


----------



## spork

way to ruin the surprise ebola


----------



## spork

For xeres vinegar or sherry vinegar do you think it would be OK just to substitute and use red wine vinegar?


----------



## spork

I don't think I posted this recipe yet. If I did, sorry for the repeat. Though it's not the healthiest, it's super easy and yummy. 

*Artichoke Spinach Dip*
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mayo or miracle whip
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all together and pour into a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven.

I like serving it with slices of french bread or crackers.


----------



## getreal

^  My sister always makes that to bring to family functions!


----------



## psychetool

For all you people out there looking for a 'simple' simple syrup, you can just use agave syrup! Makes killer mohitos, margaritas, you name it. Highly recommended.


----------



## junctionalfunkie

*Cheap Dishes to Cook at Home?*

I'm in a bit of financial straits at the moment and need to cut corners wherever possible, money-wise.... I've done this plenty of times in the past, but am getting tired of cooking the same 4-5 dishes I rotate around whenever I'm poor. 

Anyone have any favorite meals they make at home for dirt-cheap? I've done pasta with meat sauce to death, baked potatoes out the wazoo, and I'm even getting burned out on the lentil chili and rice that has been a lifesaver for so long. About $8 will feed me for a week with that one, but if I see another lentil I'm gonna jump out the window. 

Share your favorite slum-cuisine recipe!


----------



## spork

I'm going to merge this with SO's recipe thread. 

Your lentil chili and rice recipe intrigues me. Do you mind sharing?


----------



## junctionalfunkie

Oh, thanks! I did some searching, but didn't think to use the term "recipe." What a treasure-trove! 

Lentil chili: http://www.recipezaar.com/Lentil-Chili-66064

You can make it vegan by substituting veg stock for the chicken stock.


----------



## spork

Thanks! That not only sounds yummy and cheap but looks super easy to make too. Must go grocery shopping soon!


----------



## Jamshyd

*Jamshyd's Mediterranean Ointment "dip"*

This is *insanely* yummy and *ridiculously* healthy for you! It is as good prophylaxis as can be. Vegan friendly, you now have no excuse not to try it! I don't know if there is an English word for this kind of food item, but it belongs to a pretty common side-dish in Mediterranean cultures where one dips a piece of bread into olive oil infused with herbs. 

So here I go again with my vague, "To Taste" recipes:
- The best olive oil you can find! Generally, a good way to figure out a good olive oil is to swirl it in the bottle - good olive oil is more "thick" and viscous than most other oils. 
- The best balsamic vinegar you can find
- The white wine of your choice (optional)
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Marjoram
- Whole cloves
- A suitable vessel in which to place all this - a nice, sealable glass vial, for example. 

You want a fair mix of olive oil and vinegar - I am actually still trying to figure out just what the best proportion is, but it seems to be around 2 parts vinegar to 1 part oil - but then again I love sour (I sometimes drink shots of balsamic for health) and don't mind the sting. Wine is added very conservatively, if at all.

The herbs should be around: 3 parts rosemary (or more) to 3 parts thyme (or more) to 1 part marjoram (or less). Cloves should be used VERY spuriously, like 1 or 2 individual cloves.

Put all this in your vessel, shake once, and let sit for weeks, months, or years. 

Enjoy daily as a piece of bread dipped in a tablespoon of this - the health benefits are countless. It can also be used by adding to a salad dressing or pasta sauce.


----------



## Dave

Sounds tasty Jam; I've just mixed up a batch. Not bad right away, but I bet that it will be so much better by next weekend. Personally I don't find balsamic to be acidic at all, so I added a splash of white wine vinegar instead of wine for a bit more bite.

Keeping with the dip theme, here's a recipe for Muhammara. It is a Syrian variant on hummus (much heavier fat load though-- all good fat mind you), and a welcome addition to a dip-and-bread platter. 

Muhammara

1 12-oz jar of roasted red peppers (or 2 medium roasted peppers)
2 cloves of garlic (recommended, I prefer more garlic myself)
1 cup walnuts (roasted or not, I prefer roasted)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (the recipe calls for Panko, but I couldn't imagine that it's an ideal use for it)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (roughly)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (& some zest while you're at it)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne

Blend everything together in a food processor until a fairly smooth puree forms. Tweak the seasoning. I find that it does need some salt and a fair bit more cayenne, but it shouldn't be super hot. Also, play with the consistency until it is how you like it-- add more oil or breadcrumbs to loosen/firm up the puree. It will be a bit grainy at first, but after it sits in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) it will soften the breadcrumbs and walnuts, leaving a delicious paste.


----------



## spork

Ugh, I need to not look at this thread on an empty stomach. I'm practically drooling over here!


----------



## Jamshyd

^ lol :D

Dave: Awesome! Let me know how it goes down next weekend . Good call on the extra vinegar!

Funny, I have never tried M'hammara even though I've known of its existence all my life. What I do like (more than any other of levantine mezze dishes) is M'sabbaha, which is Hummus mixed with Fuul (fava-bean paste). They complement each other amazingly. 

It definitely does _not_ call for Panko!! The bread crumbs I've seen used for this and other similar dishes in Syria were made out of fried-then-roasted bits of Pita. 

One thing worth adding to this (and hummus, and other similar dishes) is Pine Nuts. They give a whole new dimension to Mediterranean food in general.

P.S. "M'hammara" literally means "She who has been reddened," hehe.


----------



## Dave

"She who has been reddened"? Apt.  To be honest, I prefer my hummus to muhammara, but I've been perfecting my hummus recipe for about 10 years. Both are pretty tasty though, and offer a nice contrast if they're paired on the same table.

I thought that Fuul was a breakfast dish of eggs, beans, and other tasty stuff? Regardless, I've yet to find a bean that I didn't love.

If I can be bothered, I'll post a recipe of my dinner later: Jazzman's Pie. Think vegan shepherd's pie but with a gumbo base and sweet potato topping. Mmmm.

Did the BL cookbook ever end up getting made? Thinking of this thread, there must be enough foodies around SO to get enough content together, and it would sure be a good BL fundraiser.


----------



## *sunflower*

^^ I would love to see the recipe of that pie with the sweet potato topping.  Am not vegan but love vegie/vegan food.  I've made a vegie shepherds pie previously with red lentils, vegies and chilli with sweet potato which is pretty good.


----------



## Jamshyd

Dave said:


> I thought that Fuul was a breakfast dish of eggs, beans, and other tasty stuff? Regardless, I've yet to find a bean that I didn't love.



Yes, Fuul (or Ful, or Fool, take your pic ) is sometimes served with eggs, especially in Egypt and Israel. However, the word "Fuul" is simply Arabic for "Fava Beans", particularly dried brown ones, but also includes fresh green fava beans used in other dishes. The Fuul base is made from fava bean paste, called _midammis_ in Egypt and traditionally prepared in a large bulb-shaped vat that allows to fuul to cook (technically reflux!) for hours. 

I like the BL cookbook idea!


----------



## Jamshyd

Allow me to revive this lovely thread again...

*Revitalizing Cold Pasta*

As stated in another SO thread, I have no problem eating most foods cold. This is especially true for Mediterranean food, as olive oil seems to sort of "show up" when the food gets cold and gives a new dimension to it. 

Here is something I just ate:

*In a mortar-and-pistil*
- As much garlic as you can take 
- As much Coriander as you like - fresh is best, but dry is ok
- A tiny pinch of salt
- Some pine-nuts (I like to use liberally because I'm obsessed with the flavour)
- A pinch of Thyme or Oregano
- A tiny pinch of cumin [optional - I didn't do it this time, for example, because I wasn't in a cumin mood]

Smash the hell out of the above.

Add olive oil and a bit of Balsamic Vinegar, mix, and pour over cold pasta. Add some more pine-nuts without crushing them.

Enjoy!

(I find that the above will not disagree with cold pasta sauce, either ).


----------



## ocean

Yay! I tried to find this thread a while back......

Jam- Your cold pasta salad dressing sounds DELICIOUS!!!
 I love balsamic vinegar but my hubby hates it- So I would probably add just a little of the vinegar but how much olive oil would you say you use?

I just made this yesterday and I don't really do measurements but I will try-


Cold Lentil Salad
One half of an onion- diced
2 carrots (or about 10 baby carrots-which is what i used) diced
I used 7 of the tiny sweet bell peppers (I'd say a half of a red and yellow large?)
About 2 cups cooked and cold lentils
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Big pinch of Thyme
pinch of garlic salt
dash of black pepper
and goats cheese

mix it all together for a cold lentil salad.
I think it would be good with some sort of green in it- maybe kale in small pieces?


----------



## Jamshyd

^ OMG, your cooking sounds as delicious as your photos are beautiful  

Olive oil... I have no way to measure... I guess add enough to have it coat the pasta, but not enough to pool at the bottom of the bowl. Does this make sense? hehe

Your salad sounds EPIC*. I _love_ lentils! 

* Minus the goat cheese, hehe. Anything goat will immediately make me nauseous. Think cow/sheep Feta would substitute?

---

Btw, next time I make my pasta dressing, I'll be adding white wine and maybe some olives to see how that works out. I'll report back!


----------



## yo_bot

good guacamole

person size

1 ripe avocodo
1/8 of a red onion dices finely
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper diced finely seeds and all minus the stem
a "wad" of fresh cilantro about the size of a teaspoon cut finely
2-3 teaspoons of lime juice
several dashes of salt to your liking

slice avocoda in half, remove the pit and scrape out to good stuff with a spoona. discard pit and skin.
throw that in a bowl and put your lime juice over the avocodo
dice/chop/cut your onion, cilantro, and pepper throw that in and add some salt.

now mash it all up. taste it with corn chip and add more salt if you want maybe even lime juice if you like it wetter or limey-er.

eat with restaurant style corn chips.

yummy


----------



## ocean

Thanks Jamshyd! 

I am sure substituting a soft cheese you like would  be very tasty.....

I would eat goat cheese in anything.......

Here's another-
A summertime favorite is Nasturtiums stuffed with balls of goat cheese-
You could probably make it with cows milk feta too (or even cream cheese if you don't like feta).....
I roll the cheese in crushed peppercorns,thyme,lavender and a little bit of basil.....
You can eat them on crackers or in salads....or just by themselves.VERY YUMMY.


----------



## spork

Thank you for reviving this thread, Jammy!! I love trying out BLer recipes.


----------



## Dave

Ocean-- nasturniums, as in flowers? You just BLEW MY MIND!

Something that I need to try this summer: zucchini blossoms. Stuffed with a bit of buffalo mozzarella and sun dried tomato. I hear they're delicious.


----------



## ocean

yes-as in the flowers...... they are sweet and spicy. you have got to try them- they're delicious!  my favorite flower to eat. 
The leaves are also edible....... 

i had a recipe for a stuffed and breaded zucchini flower but my zucchini didn't really grow-
if i plant them this year i may try the above........ sounds yummy......


----------



## Jamshyd

ocean said:


> A summertime favorite is Nasturtiums stuffed with balls of goat cheese-


Ouch, talk about adding insult to injury  

I have an aversion to Nasturtium, it triggers the same gag reflex that goat does!! 

Actually Nasturtium reminds me of horseradish and wasabi (two things I don't like putting in my mouth). 

Very interesting idea nonetheless!


----------



## ocean

NO!!  I can't imagine not liking nasturtiums!!  
Thats too bad......

Oh-I added pine nuts to my list for tomorrow so I can try the pasta salad
What would you suggest to go with it? Or do you eat it as a main dish??


----------



## n3ophy7e

Dave said:


> zucchini blossoms. Stuffed with a bit of buffalo mozzarella and sun dried tomato.



Wow that sounds SO delicious!! I'll have to remember that! *drooooools*


----------



## spork

I thought some of you might be interested in recipe puppy. Just enter some ingredients you have and the search engine will look for recipes with those ingredients.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Brilliant!! :D


----------



## ocean

Jamshyd-
 I forgot to come in and say I made your cold pasta salad- I added a couple things- onions and bell peppers diced........and i did a bit more than a pinch.....but it was *FABULOUS* !  Thanks!


----------



## tribal girl

I've got really good recipe I'd love to share. In fact, this has definitely become one of my favourites and I make it often. Though these days I tend to make it with chickpeas instead. T'is absolutely yum. I  most food with a bit of a Moroccan influence. Cinnamon is just divine. 

*SPICED BLACK EYED PEA CASSEROLE* (serve 3-4):






*INGREDIENTS:*

* 2 tablespoons of oil
* 400g can of black eyed peas
* 1 tsp crushed dried chilli flakes
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
* 1½  tbsp ground cumin
* 1 tbsp hot curry powder
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp ground turmeric
* ½ tsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
* 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
* 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 pint vegetable stock

*1)* Rinse the beans, and set aside to drain.

*2)* Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the chilli and onion and sauté for 5 mins. Add the pepper and cook for 10 mins. Sprinkle over the herbs and ground spices and stir in the tomatoes. Cook for 8-10 mins and add the garlic, cinnamon stick, stock and black beans, and simmer for about an hour.

*3)* Discard the cinnamon stick before serving and season with black pepper.

It's so yummy and flavoursome and clears your sinuses somewhat.


----------



## spork

That sounds yummy and super easy, I'm going to have to try it. Thanks for sharing tg


----------



## n3ophy7e

*bump*


----------



## AfterGlow

I like meat, potatoes and veggies cooked in a pressure cooker.

Short ribs of beef, potatoes, turnips, onions
Quartered chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions
Corned beef, potatoes, cabbage
Ham, potatoes, string beans


----------



## Psychlone Jack

If I wanna be lazy, BAKED PASTA!!!

Simply take a casserole dish and dump your uncooked pasta and your sauce in there, mix it up, and stick it in the oven for 25 minutes on 375.  Take it out, add copious amounts of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses, and garlic powder and crushed black pepper.  Stick it back in until the cheese is melted and has a golden color.

Also ribeyes marinated in a mixture of pureed onion, liquid smoke and white wine, then a spicy rub just before they go on the CHARCOAL grill.  Cooked rare.  Top with grilled mushrooms, onions and peppers and teriyaki sesame steak sauce.  Grilled garlic bread and a Sam Adams cherry wheat.  ChemicalSmile will back me up on this lol.

But the best home cooking evar is an eastern NC pig pickin'.  Slow roast a whole hog, vinegar based spicy sauce on right before you eat it.  Tomato sauce + pork = FAIL.  Also prep a bunch of potato salad (be sure to add plenty of onion and mustard) hush puppies, macaroni salad, baked beans, buttered grilled corn on the cob, and a keg on ice.


----------



## Black

at the moment: panang curry. easy, fast (if you buy pre made curry paste) and tastes wonderful. just like in thailand. don't forget to add fish sauce and peanuts (missing in the instructions at the recipe i posted) and add extra chilis if you really _really_ like it hot (like me  ).


----------



## MynameisnotDeja

All my meals are home cooked now. I never eat out anymore, literally, never. I prefer this lifestyle much. 

Tonight I made something good. It was a stir fry with a spicy asparagus sauce. Broccoli, bamboo shoots, zuchinni, baby corn, and tons of spinach. With brown rice. So good. I really like anything with asparagus, I'm obsessed with it for some reason.


----------



## n3ophy7e

I am so lucky to have a partner who is becoming more and more fanatical about home-cooking. He makes the most amazing bolognese sauces *droooool* and he's exploring the world of casseroles and stews. Just in time for winter  
He makes this wicked one with slow-cooked lamb shanks, parsely, feta cheese, currants and other yummy morsels. And my favourite one is another lamb shanks casserole with spring onions and red wine *droooool*!! It is amazing!


----------



## **hAyzzZZ**

I absolutely adore home-made greek dishes. I find that a lot of restaurants just can't make them right.

My favourite to make is Moussaka. LOVE it. And also my baba's (grandmother) pumpkin or feta Zelnik & stuffed peppers.


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

Amazon Bee said:


> i make biscuits n gravy often for brekkie, one of my favorites.


As an Aussie, I've always wondered what these 'biscuit' things were.. well I just looked them up so anyone who's in the same boat as me can read on and be enlightened.



> American biscuits are small breads made with baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent rather than yeast.



AND



> White gravy is essentially a Béchamel sauce, with the roux being made of meat drippings and flour. Milk or cream is added and thickened by the roux; once prepared, black pepper and bits of mild sausage or chicken liver are normally added.



You literally learn something every day!  :D


----------



## AmorRoark

Don't they look so yummy!?


----------



## Mariposa

See my contributions to the recipe thread.  

My favorite homemade food at the present time is, bar none, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Biscuits can make me too sick and too full, but mashed Yukon Golds or russets with the skins left on, with just enough half and half and real butter, salt and pepper, a little paprika for style...

NOM NOM NOM.  

Serve with anything on the BBQ, any roast (vegetarian or otherwise - you know what to do if you are vegan), and most importantly with a smile.


----------



## Mariposa

Black said:


> at the moment: panang curry. easy, fast (if you buy pre made curry paste) and tastes wonderful. just like in thailand. don't forget to add fish sauce and peanuts (missing in the instructions at the recipe i posted) and add extra chilis if you really _really_ like it hot (like me  ).



You can substitute Worcestershire sauce for fish sauce.  The smell of fish sauce is somehow nastier than the same thing soaked in soy sauce and salt (the other components of Worcestershire sauce).  It comes off as rancid and improperly preserved; I can never make anything in fish sauce that I could possibly choke down my throat.  I ask for my food without fish sauce at restaurants that serve curries.


----------



## spork

Oh God, I LOVE casseroles!


----------



## Endymion00

This thread has just made me wanting to amble into the kitchen for a midnight snack...or rather 2:00 A.M. one.

I wish I was experienced enough in the field of cooking to pull of such fantastic sounding meals...and even the simpler sounding ones. :D


----------



## izzy66

bacon wrapped sea scallops. steamed clams. jerk chicken, hotter the better, w/ rice, green peas, and icy beer. nice rare roast beef sandwich w/ onions and horseradish. almost every veggie, some with vinegar and salt but nothing cooked mushy. (too many ppl in the south cook veggies to nasty mush) my cole slaw and potato salad. lots of sweetwater coffee...
ok, now i'm hungry so i'm done.


----------



## ILOVETORELAX

pan fried steak mixed in hot spicy sauce, then chopped up into peices and wrapped in a Fajita with graded cheese and sour cream.


----------



## ocean

izzy66 said:


> bacon wrapped sea scallops
> ok, now i'm hungry so i'm done.



This is awesome- I stuff the scallops with gorgonzola cheese and figs- yummy. Then serve it with a raspberry sauce.

My favorite home cooked meals-
  -My rouladen
  -My husbands Spicy seafood (salmon or tillapia or other fish) with his wild rice black bean creole yumminess
 -My husbands dijon and capers rainbow trout
 -My Jager Schnitzel
 -Our spaghetti and meatballs 
 -My Guiness Stew
 -My grandma's ziti


----------



## ||Monolithium025||

Fish N' Chips with a hint a salsa.  It initiates the pallette with spice amidst it's inability to cool it's self after.  A glass of warm milk usually puts the finish to the start.  Making for an ironically indelectible meal.
Sometimes though, any food just lying in weight on the counter grabs my appetite first, allotting for my rotating weight problem.


----------



## izzy66

DG said:


> that sounds like pot roast...which i know how to make. I wanna make a rib roast so to speak, which i wouldnt want in a crock pot. my mom makes a wonderful one but its very spicey and my bf cant handle any spice



i've been doing rib roasts in a rotisserie for a couple years and they come out yummy and tender. rub in some white pepper and kosher salt, sear both sides in rotisserie and it'll be excellent in an hour or so depending on size and desired doneness.
good luck!


----------



## mariacallas

I love my moms Hainanese chicken with grated ginger, scallions, soy sauce, plum sauce and broth.  It's the perfect meal. I also love callos ala madrilena...tripe, pork, olives, pimiento, garbanzos, onions, tomatoes  and chorizo in rich, thick super tasty sauce. Tastes even better the day after.


----------



## mariacallas

n3ophy7e said:


> I am so lucky to have a partner who is becoming more and more fanatical about home-cooking. He makes the most amazing bolognese sauces *droooool* and he's exploring the world of casseroles and stews. Just in time for winter
> He makes this wicked one with slow-cooked lamb shanks, parsely, feta cheese, currants and other yummy morsels. And my favourite one is another lamb shanks casserole with spring onions and red wine *droooool*!! It is amazing!



I love love love casseroles and stews. So hearty and comforting, and they always taste even BETTER days after.


----------



## ||Monolithium025||

These pretzels are making me Thirsty!


----------



## n3ophy7e

mariacallas said:


> I love love love casseroles and stews. So hearty and comforting, and they always taste even BETTER days after.



YES!! So true! 

Man I am hungry!


----------



## Black

Mariposa said:


> You can substitute Worcestershire sauce for fish sauce.  The smell of fish sauce is somehow nastier than the same thing soaked in soy sauce and salt (the other components of Worcestershire sauce).  It comes off as rancid and improperly preserved; I can never make anything in fish sauce that I could possibly choke down my throat.  I ask for my food without fish sauce at restaurants that serve curries.



fish sauce alone i'd never put into my mouth, but in meals i love it. i've found that proper heating (letting it cook for a while for curries or stir frying) gets rid of the 'fishy' taste. ime thai food doesn't taste _just right_ if i omit the fish sauce. but everyone's tastes are different.


----------



## animal_cookie

mariacallas said:


> I love love love casseroles and stews. So hearty and comforting, and they always taste even BETTER days after.



my friend and i were joking that we need to open a restaurant that serves soups, casseroles, spaghetti, pizza and such a day or two after cooking cause it tastes so much better.

my favorite home cooked meals are mostly hungarian dishes such as goulash and chicken paprikash.  and i love a good meatloaf with roast potatoes.


----------



## kytnism

my mothers stew and herb dumplings.

her chicken and vegetable pie. 

mad comfort food. yum!


----------



## slushy muddy water

meat loaf and fried potatoes 
ketchup all over everything
oh god delicious


----------



## Pillthrill

My mom's potato soup


----------



## belarki

This thread is making me hungry :D 

Most of my all-time favourite home cooked meals were meaty but I'm vegetarian now. I'll have to have a think and come back to this thread with some more details/recipes! MY folks are *great* cooks (even though they won't touch anything too spicy, wimps)!


----------



## ink!

bangers n mash! wins everytime. with gravy of course


----------



## lostNfound

Its kind of like a sherpherd pie.

required

Beef Mince
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
A Carrot
An Onion
Grated Cheese 
Sunflower Seeds
Broccolini

And a seasoning sauce i cant quite remember the name of just now

Anyway

Boil water and cooke skinned potato & sweet potato

Cook the mince in the frypan

Slice the carrot and the onion, toss into frypan with mince 

Broccolini in the steamer

Once the potatoes are soft enough, drain water and butter and mash


Take a glass oven bake dish and oil it up, half fill it with all the mince mixed with carrot & onion

On top evenly spread the mash potato

Cover the top with grated cheese and sprinkle the top with sunflower seeds

Place in pre heated oven until cheese & top is golden brown

Serve with steamed broccolini

Always been a favourite dish of mine


----------



## MynameisnotDeja

My vegetable bean soup.


----------



## LoveAlways

ANYTHING my husband makes! He basically cooks everything from scratch, and with the freshest produce usually straight from the garden.


----------



## JV

meat loaf (w/o onions)
beef and noodles


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

LoveAlways said:


> ANYTHING my husband makes! He basically cooks everything from scratch, and *with the freshest produce usually straight from the garden*.


Ooh everything tastes better when it's straight from the garden.  

I often miss my Mum's cooking.  I was bought up vegetarian, as she had been for many, many years before I was born and while I love discovering a whole world of meat thanks to Busty, I miss her amazing potato curries, fantastic zucchini fritters and _amazingly_ good eggplant pasta sauces.  

She just has the cooking knack.  I hope I've picked up some of her genius over the years.


----------



## Blondie

tathra said:


> i am *extremely* fond of tomato soup



+ grilled cheese w/ truffle oil 

*ohnomnomnom*


gahh! I want some nao!


----------



## Black

Blondie said:


> + grilled cheese w/ truffle oil



no! it's even better with coriander leaves and a bit hot like you get at indian restaurants. (wouldn't turn down a tomato soup with grilled cheese though. tomato soup is always nice :D)


----------



## LoveAlways

CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT said:


> Ooh everything tastes better when it's straight from the garden.
> 
> I often miss my Mum's cooking.  I was bought up vegetarian, as she had been for many, many years before I was born and while I love discovering a whole world of meat thanks to Busty, I miss her amazing potato curries, fantastic zucchini fritters and _amazingly_ good eggplant pasta sauces.
> 
> She just has the cooking knack.  I hope I've picked up some of her genius over the years.



I was brought up vegetarian also, except the only my mom knew how to cook was mac n cheese from a box...


----------



## LoveAlways

ocean said:


> This is awesome- I stuff the scallops with gorgonzola cheese and figs- yummy. Then serve it with a raspberry sauce.


DAYUM that sounds goooood



> -
> -My Jager Schnitzel
> -My Guiness Stew



recipes please!


----------



## spork

My mom makes the best pancakes ever (I usually hate pancakes but I can eat a TON of hers). Her hashbrowns are awesome too. Basically anything my mommy cooks makes me happy. 

I should really get some of her recipes, but I just know it wouldn't be the same.


----------



## ~*geNeRaTiOn E*~

the majority of my grandma's cooking (she usually makes things from scratch), especially her chicken n dumplings, lasagna, country fried pork chops and her homemade corn bread *drooool*

my ex-BF's parents always cooked homemade pho and it was the best i've ever had.  maybe it also had to do with appreciation for all the time and effort put into making the broth.  i remember waking up in the morning and smelling the onions and beef bones simmering in the pot.  delicious.

i can make an excellent mexican dinner (enchiladas, spanish rice, tacos, fajitas)  and really good herb potatoes (rosemary, thyme, basil, olive oil, baked not fried) but that's the extent of my cooking skills


----------



## Psychonautical

My Homemade taco salad is to die for.
But i wont give you the rescepy


----------



## tank90

my grandma cooksa the best lasagna 4 my birthday every year


----------



## JV

i love the fried okra my grandma makes.  i havent seen her in a long time though so i havent eaten any.  and her pinch-me cake (i dont know what its really called...anyone?).


----------



## LoveAlways

man too bad the OP amazon bee isn't still on here-she'd be my favorite home-cooked meal fer sher!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

For ressur:

























For the carrots and red cabbage, I but the preshredded bags.  I see the green bean salad is cut off.  The red onion and red pepper are thinly sliced for that one.  If you need the whole thing, let me know.  

For the slaw, I use non fat plain grrek yogurt.  No mayo.

For the dressings, I suggest combining in a bowl then whisk.  Using a jar and shaking loses quantity.

On the grill is a rotation of chicken breasts, pork loin chops, tuna steaks, turkey burgers, bison burgers and chicken sausage.

Happy summer eating!

I  summer cooking.  However, I am doing a pork loin w/sage and apples in the slow cooker tomorrow.  I have a hankering.


----------



## n3ophy7e

They are some great recipes PI!! Thanks for sharing


----------



## justsomeguy

here's what I had for dinner.  

defrost one rib-eye steak in the fridge overnight.  get a thick one, with as much marbling as you can.  place steak in large zip-lock bag or some sort of container.  two tablespoons (about) balsamic vinegarette (sp.), a splash or two of red wine vinegar, dash of salt and several dashes of pepper & lemon pepper.  let marinade about all day.  

turn your oven on to broil and let it heat up; get your broiling pan in there too, nice and hot.  heat up a frying pan, and then drop the steak and the rest of the marinade into the pan.  brown on each side, then toss the steak into your oven on the broiler.  4 minutes for rare (thats how i like mine), about 6-7 minutes medium rare.

i know its pretty basic lol but i love a nice rib-eye.


----------



## justsomeguy

anyway, i have a bag of black beans.  i haven't had much experience or luck in cooking my own beans, but you get a huge bag for like 1/2 the price of your can of beans, just a lot more effort to put into them to make them edible.

can anyone share a recipe or their methods for preparing black beans?


----------



## Dave

Dry beans need a bit of prep first. Put them in a sealed container (mason jars work well for this, but any tupperware would work well too) with 3x the volume of cold water. Let them sit overnight to absorb the water; they will expand to fill most of the container.

The next morning, drain them off into a colander and give them a quick rinse. Cook them in a pot of boiling, salted water until nicely tender, probably around 30 minutes for black beans (drain off the water and rinse again if necessary). Then you can use them in the same way as canned beans. You save a lot of money on the beans themselves when you buy them dry, but it takes a lot of work, water and energy to make them edible. Still a good idea though.

As far as what to do with the beans once they're ready, I find that back beans are a lot 'meatier' than others, especially chickpeas. They go nicely lightly mashed and seasoned (with fried onions and garlic, cumin, cayenne, coriander seed, lemon and a bit of dressing oil and maybe some cilantro or parsley to finish) as a side dish, or in a tortilla with some cheese and good lettuce/sprouts, cucumbers, and lots of black pepper.

I have a recipe for black bean and orange hummus kicking around somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it up.

Oh, and if you fry your ribeye dry (i.e. don't add the marinade and blot dry first) you'll get better results. Add the marinade before putting it in the oven, or even better-- use it to deglaze the pan while the meat is resting for a great sauce. As an aside, _always_ rest your meat before cutting into it. Just let it sit on a cutting board or plate for 5-10 minutes under tin foil; it lets the juices go back into the tissue rather than fall out onto the plate as soon as you cut into it.

To finish your sauce, if you're doing the deglazing route (or even if you're not), a few cubes of ice-cold butter, whisked into a rapidly bubbling sauce one at a time will give a lovely sheen and a bit more body to the sauce. Or a splash of cream would be good too.


----------



## ocean

^You guys are making me want steak...... You can't do that....I'm trying to lose weight! Anytime I eat beef I gain 5 lbs......

PI- That green bean salad looks yummy- minus the sun dried tomatoes (for some reason I can't stand them) But I honestly haven't thought of making a cold green bean salad before- I think I'm going to try it........but with an oil and vinegar dressing.......

The Moroccan Couscous salad also looks very yummy!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

My hubby does not like them either.  However, it is a paste.  Once mixed you cannot even tell!


----------



## Ressur

Thanks PI! Summer always tough for me to eat healthy for some reason.  Nice to have a little more of a selection.


----------



## n3ophy7e

justsomeguy said:


> defrost one rib-eye steak in the fridge overnight.  get a thick one, with as much marbling as you can.  place steak in large zip-lock bag or some sort of container.  two tablespoons (about) balsamic vinegarette (sp.), a splash or two of red wine vinegar, dash of salt and several dashes of pepper & lemon pepper.  let marinade about all day.



Dude that is uncanny, we do pretty much _exactly the same_ marinade but with some wholegrain mustard in it as well. It is one of our staple meals


----------



## cletus

*Spicy Parsnip Soup*

Sadly, I can't take credit for this, because I got it from allrecipes.co.uk. I've made this a few times & always goes down well with everyone.

*
Spicy Parsnip Soup*

Serves: 4

Ready in: 35 mins (10 mins Prep - 25 mins Cook)

A delicious simple soup without too much heat, excellent as a wintery starter to a dinner party. The spice works wonderfully with the sweetness of the parsnips. Serve with crusty white bread.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1 cm cubes
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 750ml boiling water
* 1 stock cube
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 100ml double cream
* Salt and pepper
* Dried chilli pepper flakes, paprika or my choice cayenne pepper to garnish

Preparation method

1.   Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion in butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the parsnips, garlic and curry powder, and fry for a couple of minutes to release the flavours.

2.   Boil the water in the kettle and mix with stock cube in a separate jug. Add to pan and stir well.

3.   Simmer for 15 mins until parsnips are soft and easy to break with a wooden spoon.

4.   Take off the heat and blend with hand mixer or food processor.

5.   Stir in the cream and warm through.

6.   Season to taste and garnish with the chilli flakes or paprika.


----------



## Jamshyd

ocean said:


> Jamshyd-
> I forgot to come in and say I made your cold pasta salad- I added a couple things- onions and bell peppers diced........and i did a bit more than a pinch.....but it was *FABULOUS* !  Thanks!



This makes me happy :D

Ok, here's an easy one that was a staple for me in Japan:

*Shiitake in a hurry*:

- Shiitake shrooms, the fresher the better. The ones I used in Japan were almost black, but the brown ones we have in N. America are fine as well. 

- Butter, lots of it.

- Spanish Onion (the large golden ones)

- As much garlic as you can take

- A pinch of Saffron

- Soy Sauce

Cut shrooms in shreds. Cut onion in half-rings. Cut garlic anyway you like. Melt butter, saute all together at the same time untill shrooms are tender. 

Enjoy! :D.


----------



## mariacallas

^^I used to cook shiitake that way too...minus the saffron (never have it at home!) but I will try it next time....Its soooo yummy!!! I put tons of garlic in mine ....


----------



## Dave

Butter + _any_ mushrooms = win. Even if they're super fresh, they just love to soak up fat, and butter is probably the tastiest fat that I can still eat.

Although I probably shouldn't. 

Edit-- On second thought, lots of butter + anything = win. Got a great steak? Finish it with a dollop of cold butter. A pan sauce needs that little je ne sais quoi? Get it really hot, then add in cubes of ice cold butter and whisk to combine (keep adding until sauce is slightly thickened, glistening, and awesome). Hollandaise? It's the shit. Bearnaise? Ditto. Beurre blanc? Ditto. Dark roux in stews and thick gravies? Oh man.

Really, it rules. Too bad I can't eat it often.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

This thread makes me insanely happy as next year I'm going to be cooking for myself. A good deal of these are being saved to try out 

This recipe for delicious scones isn't mine yet I make it quite often, here's the link: 
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandma-Johnsons-Scones/Detail.aspx


Scones:

Ingredients
    * 1 cup sour cream
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 4 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1 cup white sugar
    * 2 teaspoons baking powder
    * 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 cup butter
    * 1 egg
    * 1 cup raisins (optional)

 Directions
   1. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
   2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
   3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in the raisins.
   4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
   5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.


Instead of raisins I like to use craisins or other fruit. There's a good deal of suggestions on the site as well. Be warned that this recipe as it is makes a lot more than just twelve scones


----------



## n3ophy7e

Oh awesome amanda! Thank you! I've been craving scones for ages, and yes I could go to a bakery and buy some but I want to make them myself. I've just been too busy/preoccupied to look up a good recipe  
Thanks!


----------



## vibr8tor

i have a recipe request-  the bread they serve at Outback Steakhouse.  anyone here ever work at that place?


----------



## GreenEyedGirrrL

i tend to eyeball measurements but, i'll do my best here. 

twice baked potatoes

you will need:

4 medium baking potatoes
8 oz sharp cheddar (finely shredded)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (large curd)
1 small bunch fresh dill (chopped) 
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp spicy mustard
butter
milk
salt/pepper (to taste)



wash and wrap potatoes individually in foil.
bake potatoes at 375F for an hour, or until cooked through.

in bowl, mix mayo, mustard, cottage cheese, few pinches salt/pepper/dill (to taste), and a handful of cheddar. set aside.

after potatoes have cooled, slice them in half and scoop most of the pulp into a separate mixing bowl. there should be a thin, even layer of pulp left inside the skin to keep it from falling apart.

to the pulp, add a few splashes of milk, few pinches of salt/pepper, and 2 tbsp butter.
you can use a mixer to blend but you'll want to leave the mixture slightly lumpy (if it's too dry, just add a bit more milk/butter).

combine the pulp with the cottage cheese mix and scoop back into the potato skins. (use all or as much of the mixture that you can)
top with more cheese and a few sprinkles of dill. place them back into the oven uncovered at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes.

i usually serve this on red meat nights. yum.


----------



## Mariposa

vibr8tor said:


> i have a recipe request-  the bread they serve at Outback Steakhouse.  anyone here ever work at that place?



Copycat recipe for Honey Wheat Bushman Bread

Breadmaker version


----------



## vibr8tor

oh holy shit, i love you x1million, girl!!!   

i've looked before, and only came up with some obviously incorrect recipe that involves coffee (which i can't stand the taste of, so i knew it was wrong)!


----------



## Mariposa

^No problem!   I can't take the credit for reverse-engineering either of those but I asked my cousin, who just got her first job there, and she says it looks legit.  The secret ingredient for color, taste, and texture is not coffee, but rather molasses.    It makes complete sense to me!

Outback is probably my favorite chain restaurant.  I wish we had it here - nearest is an hour away!  Protip: if you have a small party and you don't want to wait, the bar (including tables and booths) is self-seating.


----------



## uncle bert

CRACKED PEPPER & ROSEMARY MAYO

Crush & mix the following dry ingredients with a mortar & pestle:
1 tsp. Table Salt
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
2 tsp. Cracked Black Peppercorns
2 tsp. Colemans Mustard Powder

In a shaker, put:
1 395g tin Sweetened Condensed Milk (Nestle Highlander)
150ml White Vinegar
Juice of 1 small Lime
Pour crushed dry ingredients on top, close shaker & shake for 30 seconds.
Place in fridge for 30minutes before using.

Fine tuned this mayo over many years, based on an old skool kiwi homemade recipe. An allergy to Malt Vinegar got me experimenting.


----------



## Dave

I've... I've never heard of such a thing. It sounds super delicious, but I wouldn't call it mayonnaise. Won't stop me from trying it though.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

Or you could go semi-homemade for convenience and add the first 4 ingredients to mayo.  I would substract the salt.  I add horseradish, dill, and cracked pepper to regular mayo for sandwiches.  I am fan of added rosemary, tarragon, chives, cumin (not all together) too.  Also try non fat plain greek yogurt with the addition of herbs.  Or hummus for a spread or tuna salad filler.


----------



## Dave

Hummus and baba ganouj (sp?) make for amazing sandwich spreads. Mmmmm, now I'm craving bread.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

mmmeggplant


----------



## Mariposa

I'm into aioli (google for homemade).  I use "Wildwood" brand aioli in place of mayo on savory sandwiches, in potato salad (probably its most successful application IMO), and to make a dip for fries.  It could also be substituted for some of the dairy in a twice-baked potato recipe.

A couple BLers have asked me about ramen alternatives for around the same price.  A great product that's just a little more expensive (well under a dollar US) is Thai Kitchen Rice Noodles.  Better tasting, gluten-free, vegan, and can be dressed up with some veggies, tofu, meat, whatever really.  I like mine with cilantro, carrots, and full-salt soy or teriyaki mixed in.


----------



## Dave

Oh man. Aioli + homemade fries = heaven. Pretty well the only memorable food that I had in Amsterdam was a cone of fries dripping with aioli. There also used to be a little tapas place that did a fried potato with aioli dish that was heaven, but they've gone under. I could really go for some of that goodness right about now.


----------



## Mariposa

^^No shit?!  The only food I liked in the Dam was fries (frites), aside from a wonderful fondue place I found.  I couldn't find the notes to myself I wrote of either the fry place or the fondue place to send to the people who attended the meetup in the Dam 

I now want homemade fries too, and the only decent ones would be those I make myself... hmm, supermarket IS just a block away and I *do* have a deep fryer...  hmmm...


----------



## Dave

Fax me some of those fries if you do make 'em.


----------



## Mariposa

^I'm a couple days late, but America's Test Kitchen summed up how to do fries with your thickness of choice... secret is in...



			
				America's Test Kitchen said:
			
		

> Bathe the raw potatoes in ice water, spike the oil with bacon grease if you like, always fry twice, and use a brown grocery bag for draining.



If I can get my hands on some Yukon Golds, it's steak and fry night.  Dave, you're invited - we have a bunch of fake meat in the house since I live with a vegetarian.    If you can't make it, I'll make sure to get that fax right out.


----------



## Dave

I'll take you up on that someday Mari. And what's more, I'll make vegetarian poutine!


----------



## Mariposa

^I will so take you up on that someday.  We simply must!  

*bump*

Tonight is Aloo Gobhi night at my house, with multicolored cauliflower (on sale) and baby Yukon Golds.  I'm developing the recipe myself and will edit this post to add it if it turns out OK


----------



## ocean

Super easy and very yummy Chicken Wraps-
 I bought Chicken cut into strips- drizzled with olive oil.... salt and peppered the cooking sheet-
  On the Chicken I put- Orange Thyme (and regular), a little bit of mint, one bay leaf each, and on two Tony Cachere's (spelled wrong I am sure) Cajun Spices- 
Baked 'em up- at like 375 turning once.....
Also, in the oven I put a pot of water with orange peel and bay leaves to keep the chicken moist and infuse a little more flavor.

 Mixed up a Lemon and Herb Mayo-
  About 1/2 cup of mayo (maybe a little less)
  Juice of one SMALL lemon
  generous amount of black pepper
  two big dashes of Dill
  Orange Thyme
  a little Basil 

Shredded carrot, diced tomatoes,lettuce and onion went into the mayo painted tortilla, then went in the chicken- 
With this I also made Fried Green Tomatoes, which if you have not tried, you must, they are DEEELICIOUS!

The wrap above  is similar to a minted chicken with Tzatziki sauce. yummy. 
 Chicken is cooked the same way but with mint and  olive oil- 
I eat them with just Tzatziki and feta-
 i make the dressing with - 
Greek Yogurt (or plain yogurt if you can't find Greek yogurt) , diced cucumbers and diced tomatoes, dill and mint. (traditionally there are no tomatoes and some recipes do not have mint.)
It is so good, I could eat it all day everyday.....but I love mint


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Sounds scrumptious!!! Nice one ocean!

I love mint as well, it's the perfect herb  
Closely followed by basil


----------



## Transcendence

*Toasted Almond Gelato - Great ice cream, or Greatest ice cream?*

I'm thinking the latter. 


I'll just leave this here: 



> 1 small banana
> 1 scoop Toasted Almond Gelato
> 2 scoops chocolate frozen yogurt
> 4 tbs chocolate carnation instant breakfast or Ovaltine
> 2 cups vanilla soy milk
> Blend



epic win.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

sounds fucking good kid


----------



## n3ophy7e

Merged with the recipe thread


----------



## China Rider

China Rider's Sweet 'n Spicy Garlic Hot Wing Sauce

Hot Sauce of choice (I like Crystal)
little bit of tabasco sauce
REAL butter
lots of black pepper (I prefer the cheap stuff vs. grinding your own, usually use 75% / 25%)
some salt
some teryaki sauce
some Jamaican jerk sauce
a bunch of honey
little bit of soy sauce
little bit of red wine vinaigrette
a bunch of garlic powder
little bit of cajun seasoning
little bit of chili powder
little bit of old bay seasoning
add cheyenne pepper till desired heat is reached


Cook over LOW heat.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

fucking dankness, gonna try out tomorrow.... ^ ^


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

*Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies*
Again not my own but definitely adding it to the list of foods I can make.

Cookie Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry to the wet mixtures.
Chill in the fridge for at least one hour. 
Remove from fridge and form into 1" balls. 
Grease a mini-muffin pan and add 1 ball to each muffin cup. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball, big enough to fill the middles with the fudge filling. 
Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack. 

Filling:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips _Milk chocolate would work just as well I think_
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional)

In a microwave safe bowl or saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts/sprinkles. Microwave for 1 minute, stir well. If there are still un-melted chips, continue to melt in microwave for 15 second increments until all smooth.
Immediately start filling the cookie cups with the filling. It will start to harden just a bit as you do it, so make sure to give it a good stir once in awhile. Sprinkle with the nuts or just leave plain. 
Let set for an hour or so.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Very very yummy, just be sure to pay attention to the chocolate as you melt it if you use a stove. I got distracted and not only do I have chocolate burnt onto one on my pots but you could also taste the fact that it was a bit burnt but still overall good.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I am not a baker but I think this would be great with a cannabutter subsitution.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> I am not a baker but I think this would be great with a cannabutter subsitution.



I know what I'm making my friend for her birthday now. 
Thank you immensely PI.


----------



## animal_cookie

*pork roast with apples and onions*

i made this for dinner tonight.  i just used what i had on hand and it was really yummy.

1 granny smith apple (sliced)
1 onion (chopped)
small pork tenderloin
1/2 cup cider
olive oil, salt and pepper

1.  preheat the oven to 400F.  
2.  heat oil in an oven proof skillet and brown the pork on all the sides.
3.  take the pork out and saute the onions and apples in the skillet till they are brown.
4.  roast the pork, apple and onions in the oven until the pork is fully cooked.
5.  remove the pork from the skillet and let it cool while covered.
6.  put the skillet back on the stove and add the cider.  heat the mixture up until the sauce reduces.
7.  slice the pork, pour the sauce on and serve.

i served it with brussel sprouts sauted with bacon and pecans.

here is the recipe.  i simplified it tho... i just blanched the sprouts and sauted them with bacon in the skillet i used for the pork and then added pecans.


----------



## tigger420

Lasagna rollups ~ poorman lasagna

TONS EASIER THAN LAYERING LASAGNA AND MAKES SERVINGS SIZES EASIER.

STUFFING:

Mix together in bowl....

1 containter rigotta cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzerella cheese
1 cup of parmesian cheese
1 egg
minced garlic (or chopped cloves...about 3)
season with pepper, oregano, some cayanne (if you like a little kick)
add frozen spinach(use a dash of nutmeg when using spinach) or cooked hamburg/sausage/venison (depending on what you like)

Once noodles are boiled take one noodle and lay flat on paper towel.  Take a spoonful of "stuffing" and spread on noodle.  Roll up and place in 13x9 inch pan with sause on bottom.  Once all rollups are in pan, top with sauce and shredded mozzeralla cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  NOM NOM


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

This is great!  I never use the whole box of noodles when making lasagna.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

amanda_eats_pandas said:


> I know what I'm making my friend for her birthday now.
> Thank you immensely PI.


You are a good friend


----------



## tigger420

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> This is great!  I never use the whole box of noodles when making lasagna.



so so sooooooooooooo much easier.  I will NEVER make regular lasagna again!


----------



## n3ophy7e

tigger they look great!! Would they work well as finger food for a party as well??


----------



## tigger420

Too big honey....they are literally a portion of lasagna....the width of a lasagna noodle, plus all fat and plumpy when rolled up.  Def...not finger food, but a good easy main dish.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Ohhh I seeeee.
Still, they sound delicious!


----------



## belarki

Oooooooh lasagne enchiladas! Sounds tasty! I think I'd still make a proper bechamel sauce though. However it would add an extra 5 minutes of effort and make it slightly less healthy.


----------



## yucatanboy2

*The bleu(cheese)light "gourmet" cooking thread*

Ok, so I'd like to restart a cooking thread (there's a big one in the archive)

It doesn't have to be gourmet .

Please include a recipe.  

I'll start:
Homemade tex-mex enchiladas (i don't normally measure anything, so quantities are estimated)
-olive oil
-chicken, pork, or beef (i prefer using one of the first two), ca. 2-3 oz a person
-onion, 1 medium
-bell pepper, 1 medium
-garlic cloves, 2-3
-about 1-2 Tbs flour
-spices: pepper, salt, cumin, basil, chili powder, a little lime or lemon is good too
-beer, lighter is better, something mild (for the stock, and to drink while cooking)-- mexican beers are good for this (i.e. corona, pacifico)
-chicken/veggie stock if desired
-small corn tortillas, 2 per person
-grated cheese - mozzarella/cheddar/jack are all good
-lettuce
-corn, can go in the stew
-black beans, if desired can go in the stew or on the side, looks nice on the side
-avocado if desired
-salsa if desired
-sour cream if desired (i use non-fat plain yogurt)
-fresh cilantro
-oven or microwave-safe plates

Ok, in a saucepan that is deep enough, i.e. like 3 inches or so, sautee onions, meat and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  Add some spices, and wait till meat is mostly cooked and onions are looking clear.... add flour to brown it for a minute or so, stir quickly... dont let it burn, but it can stick to the bottom and brown

add liquid, like beer (no more than half a beer though), water, or chicken stock.  Beer adds a good depth of flavor for this dish.  If you don't have stock use beer and more spices (do it to taste)

Add the liquid and more spices to taste (lemon/lime, basil and cumin are very important here)
Make sure its liquidy... you'll see why in a sec... let it cook and get the browned stuff off the bottom and get all the flavors mixed together... taste and see if it needs anything.  If you want to put your black beans or corn in, do it now and let it heat up and get mixed in... i usually put corn in and keep beans on side.

Ok, so take your plate, and get your tortillas... here's the trick. Those corn tortillas come kind of stiff or rubbery.  Take a large spatula and place them on top of the stew, barely submerging.  Do this quickly (like 20 sec), flip and 20 sec later put onto a plate in the middle.  Scoop out fillings from pan (meat, onions, peppers, etc) and place on first tortilla... then put some grated cheese.  Prep another tortilla in the sauce and then put on top, and put on some more sauce, but not filling and put on grated cheese.  The amount of cheese is up to you, but i like enough so that it'll melt on the top and make a cover.  The cheese on the inside helps hold everything toghether too... its up to you

Do this for each serving and put plate in microwave for like 45 sec to melt chees or put in 200 degree oven to melt cheese... you can put beans on plate first to warm them along with it too.

Once all plates are prepped (they're hot, watch out, use hot pads on the table), put lettuce in a ring around the center enchilada and put on your garnishes- salsa, avocado, yogurt/creamcheese, cilantro, etc.

This dish takes some time so don't start when everyone is already hungry, you can always keep the plates warm in the oven while you get them all prepped.

Make your own version, everyone loves this dish... and remember to drink while you cook (not too much though, you don't want to be drunk and cut yourself)

As for vegetarian options, you can up the onions, peppers, and do corn and beans in the filling, it'll work just as well .  The trick is to get the mix of spices right.  Add each in small amounts so you don't overshoot one... you can always add a little more later.


----------



## tathra

--> second opinion


----------



## drscience

Linguine aglio e olio.

This is good when you want something that tastes fresh and delicious, but you are too lazy to cook. lol I dont know amounts either, my grandma showed me.

Linguine
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
3-  Garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes
Fresh cracked pepper
Fresh grated Parmesan 

Cook pasta al dente. Toss in a little bit of olive oil so the pasta dosent get sticky.
(if you can time it, start pasta then start sauce about 5 minutes after you put the pasta on.)
Heat about 1/2 -3/4 cup light olive oil on low-medium in one of those huge saucepan things. Chop up garlic and saute in oil until the garlic is golden brown and almost nutty smelling. Now add pepper flakes, saute for 1 more minute, then add pasta and parsley and stir it all up.

Put pepper on it and a heap of Parmesan.  mmmm


----------



## papa

------>  secound opinion


----------



## animal_cookie

you can find tons of recipes in the recipe thread


----------



## animal_cookie

*thanksgiving*

what sort of things is everyone cooking for the holidays?


----------



## n3ophy7e

Thanks a_c!  
Merging with said recipe thread.


----------



## Dave

Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago thanks! 

I was in the process of moving at the time, so I was lazy and made a tofurkey. But I did do my own scratch mushroom/miso gravy. roasted broccoli and amazing mashed potatoes.


----------



## StarOceanHouse

anybody here got a recipe for some really good marinara sauce?


----------



## animal_cookie

Dave said:


> Thanksgiving was a few weeks ago thanks!
> 
> I was in the process of moving at the time, so I was lazy and made a tofurkey. But I did do my own scratch mushroom/miso gravy. roasted broccoli and amazing mashed potatoes.



there, i changed my post just for you 

i am still figuring out what to cook next week.


----------



## Dave

Aww, I was just messin'.



Judging from your food blog posts, I'm guessing that whatever it is that you make, it will be awesome.


----------



## animal_cookie

*stuffing*

when you make stuffing, do you stuff it into the turkey?

the past several years, i have deep fried my turkey which makes stuffing it impossible.  this year i am roasting a turkey and pondering what to do with the stuffing.  its something i am not crazy about one way or another, so i want others opinions!


----------



## Dave

Stuffing works well in a slow cooker actually. With the added benefits of being able to make tons of it, and you can easily make it vegetarian/vegan.


----------



## ocean

I recently made a pot roast that rocked my sox off! 
I rubbed the meat down with coffee grinds, allspice,paprika, black pepper, salt, flour with a pinch of cinnamon,and half a pouch of onion soup mix.
In the big pot i made it in i added a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic- added the meat browned it up on all sides- slowly adding 2 cans of beef broth and later a bit of water-
then of course, a couple hours later- potatoes,onions and carrots......thyme,more black paper and a little bit of rosemary.
ooooooh so yummy.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Whoa!!!   



ocean said:


> I rubbed the meat down with coffee grinds, allspice, paprika, black pepper, salt, flour with a pinch of cinnamon, and half a pouch of onion soup mix.



...you had me at hello. 

I mean, coffee grinds...and cinnamon.


----------



## Pillthrill

Ok don't knock this til you try it. My bf likes it and its great for something totally new.

Sweet and Savory Syrup Chicken for Two

1/4 and 1/8 c. maple syrup
2 Tablespoons peach or apricot preserves 
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 (1 lb.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 inch glass pie plate or 8 inch square metal pan with cooking spray. (You can also get some cooking oil, apply to a paper towel and coat the pan that way. 
In a small bowl, mix the syrup, preserves and Worcestershire sauce together. Place chicken in greased pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon the syrup mixture over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes. Continue basting the chicken until the juice of the chicken is clean when the thickest part is cut. Spoon the remaining syrup mixture over the chicken, or leave on the side to be dipped, and serve.


----------



## animal_cookie

Dave said:


> Stuffing works well in a slow cooker actually. With the added benefits of being able to make tons of it, and you can easily make it vegetarian/vegan.



thats an awesome idea, thanks.  i rarely use my slow cooker, but i could definitely use the extra oven space.


----------



## syymphonatic

I don't know if anyone reeallly needs this information, but if you'd like a twist on the regular mashed potatoes for the holiday, add in sour cream, buttermilk, and dry ranch seasoning to taste instead of the regular milk/butter business.


----------



## Dave

Or for lighter, fluffier mashed potatoes use freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, and either dill or basil (fresh of course) blended together with just a bit of olive oil instead of the usual butter/cream. Might upstage the gravy if you're not careful!


----------



## syymphonatic

Yours sounds great as well! I love me some mashed spuds. It also sounds like it could lead the way to some great baked fish coating... I'll have to mess around with that :D

My recipe was learned via a big fat chef named Oscar at a microbrew/southern BBQ joint I worked at, so you can see why it is the way it is, lol.


----------



## Dave

Ha! Indeed. I don't care for ranch myself, but for someone who did that would taste pretty awesome.


----------



## DG

syymphonatic said:


> I don't know if anyone reeallly needs this information, but if you'd like a twist on the regular mashed potatoes for the holiday, add in sour cream, buttermilk, and dry ranch seasoning to taste instead of the regular milk/butter business.



Another mashed potato idea... add a parsnip or two to your mashed potatoes it is super yummy!


----------



## DG

animal_cookie said:


> when you make stuffing, do you stuff it into the turkey?
> 
> the past several years, i have deep fried my turkey which makes stuffing it impossible.  this year i am roasting a turkey and pondering what to do with the stuffing.  its something i am not crazy about one way or another, so i want others opinions!



I have read up on this and it seems stuffing your turkey with actual stuffing to eat is not the best thing to do. It rarely gets up to around 165f when the turkey meat does and you run the risk of food illness. I guess a lot of food illness around the holiday is from stuffing in turkeys!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

^^yup Salmonella


----------



## n3ophy7e

DG said:


> Another mashed potato idea... add a parsnip or two to your mashed potatoes it is super yummy!



Ooooh yum!! My mum recently made a _delicious_ parsnip soup with truffle oil. Oh lordy it was magical


----------



## animal_cookie

DG said:


> I have read up on this and it seems stuffing your turkey with actual stuffing to eat is not the best thing to do. It rarely gets up to around 165f when the turkey meat does and you run the risk of food illness. I guess a lot of food illness around the holiday is from stuffing in turkeys!



i have heard this from many different sources too.  but i can find just as many sources that swear its safe.  i am too lazy to try out different methods and see which is the proper temperature and which tastes good and what not for myself.  i am going to try the recipe dave linked to and see if people notice it wasn't made in the turkey.


----------



## DG

n3ophy7e said:


> Ooooh yum!! My mum recently made a _delicious_ parsnip soup with truffle oil. Oh lordy it was magical



I LOVE parsnips...roasted, mashed, in chicken soup, in beef stew...I have never heard of parsnip soup though :O



animal_cookie said:


> i have heard this from many different sources too.  but i can find just as many sources that swear its safe.  i am too lazy to try out different methods and see which is the proper temperature and which tastes good and what not for myself.  i am going to try the recipe dave linked to and see if people notice it wasn't made in the turkey.



I agree there is definitely studies that show it can be safe...I just don't risk it personally. I have watched a lot of documentaries this year that relate to the food in the U.S and I saw what salmonella, ecoli etc can do to a person and it scares me. 

One suggestion I have heard on a few cooking shows is to precook your stuffing, cook your turkey and about 30 mins before the turkey is done you can add your stuffing inside...


----------



## spork

I like mixing blue cheese crumbles with my mashed potatoes. YUM!


----------



## animal_cookie

DG said:


> I agree there is definitely studies that show it can be safe...I just don't risk it personally. I have watched a lot of documentaries this year that relate to the food in the U.S and I saw what salmonella, ecoli etc can do to a person and it scares me.
> 
> One suggestion I have heard on a few cooking shows is to precook your stuffing, cook your turkey and about 30 mins before the turkey is done you can add your stuffing inside...



alton brown suggests precooking the stuffing, then adding it to the turkey.  your way would work too.


----------



## DG

I made a turkey stock with my turkey carcass...now what should I do with it?


----------



## Dave

Either make an awesome soup out of it, or split it up into smaller portions, freeze, and use whenever you'd use chicken stock. Homemade stock >>> store bought, especially with stuff like soups, reduced sauces, stews etc...


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ +1 on the homemade stock!

Our chicken/pork marinade:
200mL olive oil 
100mL soy sauce
1 tbs honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lemon, squeezed
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk it up and marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes. 

We dice chicken breast and marinate in this mix, then apply the chicken cubes to skewers and BBQ them. SO DELICIOUS!! And healthy too  
We also use this marinade with pork chops and BBQ or pan-fry them. It's awesome because the honey and soy mixture makes this nice glaze on the pork mmmmm yum!


----------



## Dave

Cut out most of the olive oil and add some sambal, and that's pretty well my basic baked tofu marinade. Sometimes I'll switch it up and do apple cider vinegar rather than lemon juice (usually when I'm out of lemons).


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Beautiful!


----------



## Pillthrill

Made tonight. Glazed pork loin roast with apricot and horseradish glaze and sauce (cause you can never have enough) it was nice to see the bf love this family favorite.


----------



## Samadhi

n3ophy7e said:


> ^^ +1 on the homemade stock!
> 
> Our chicken/pork marinade:
> 200mL olive oil
> 100mL soy sauce
> 1 tbs honey
> 1 clove garlic, crushed
> 1/2 lemon, squeezed
> salt & pepper to taste
> 
> Whisk it up and marinate the meat for at least 30 minutes.
> 
> We dice chicken breast and marinate in this mix, then apply the chicken cubes to skewers and BBQ them. SO DELICIOUS!! And healthy too
> We also use this marinade with pork chops and BBQ or pan-fry them. It's awesome because the honey and soy mixture makes this nice glaze on the pork mmmmm yum!



I've currently got some chicken marinating in the fridge (since last night) in this - I can't wait to test it out tonight! It smells amazing already :D


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

Pillthrill said:


> Glazed pork loin roast with apricot and horseradish glaze and sauce


Recipe please.
I have a pork loin ready to be tasty in the fridge.


----------



## Samadhi

Second that on the pork recipe.

So I tried N3o's marinade last night - OMG. SO good.  I diced the chicken, chucked it in the wok with veges and a litte left over marinade and we ate it on a bed of vermicelli rice noodles.

WIN!  Next time i might add a couple of spices and maybe some oyster sauce to give it a little more asian flavour, but dear got it was drool-worthy. Thanks so much for posting it n30


----------



## scubagirl200

My Dad's cheese spaghetti recipe:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2- 1 3/4 cups milk
1 small package herb cheese spread (like rondele or allouette)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 package ham (like for sandwiches), cut into slices
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked
Chunky applesauce

Melt butter over medium low in a saucepan. When melted, add the flour and cook for a couple minutes (these measurements should be exact, and be sure not to burn it). Next, add milk very slowly (stir in until smooth each time you pour some milk in). When all milk is added, cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the herb cheese package, stir until smooth. Then add shredded cheese to taste (you don't have to add the full 2 cups), and add the ham slices. (If you like the sauce thinner, add a bit more milk). 

Serve over the cooked spaghetti, with some chunky applesauce on the side. I know it sounds weird, but it's so damn good. My Dad taught me how to make this when I was little, I thought I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy it =)


----------



## Arnold

Artificial Emotion said:
			
		

> I'm a lazy fuck and although I'd like to save money by home cooking and would like to eat healthily, I do not want to have to spend loads of time cooking. So, I was wondering if you guys could help me by sharing your favorite easy recipes?



Get a slow cooker, chuck a load of stuff in it in the morning when you get back home it's all cooked


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

spork said:


> I like mixing blue cheese crumbles with my mashed potatoes. YUM!



We did this the other night and it worked _a treat_!  Luckily Busty was in charge of that part of the meal, so he only put in a modest amount of the cheese - which in the end was _more than enough_ to flavour it.  So tasty, thanks for the recc'!  :D


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

so many dank ideas, im gonna post my waterchestnuts w/ bacon recipe... I just made that shit again


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Ooh please do!!  



Samadhi said:


> So I tried N3o's marinade last night - OMG. SO good.  I diced the chicken, chucked it in the wok with veges and a litte left over marinade and we ate it on a bed of vermicelli rice noodles.
> 
> WIN!  Next time i might add a couple of spices and maybe some oyster sauce to give it a little more asian flavour, but dear got it was drool-worthy. Thanks so much for posting it n30



*SO* glad you enjoyed it hun!! Please let us know any variations you make to the recipe!


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

n3ophy7e said:


> Our chicken/pork marinade:
> 200mL olive oil
> 100mL soy sauce
> 1 tbs honey
> 1 clove garlic, crushed
> 1/2 lemon, squeezed
> salt & pepper to taste



We make a similar marinade but add in 100mL kekap manis and only a splash of soy, use sesame oil instead of olive [helps keep the Asian flavour] and some crushed ginger.  It's so easy [and cheap] and can make a great base to a stiry-fry as well as a marinade.


----------



## Samadhi

n3ophy7e said:


> ^^ Ooh please do!!
> 
> 
> 
> *SO* glad you enjoyed it hun!! Please let us know any variations you make to the recipe!



I have a couple of ideas in mind for this, but the marinade is so delicious, i wouldn't want to do too much to it! I may add some ginger, indo soy and maybe a little sambal? 

Thanks again for posting it, it really was delicious, and so easy!


----------



## n3ophy7e

No worries at all hun! Sharin' the love! :D 
My best mate Alec is actually to credit for this recipe, he is the marinade KING!  

We're actually having the marinated chicken tonight again hehe. It's a solid favourite in our household.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Tell Alec to share more NAO


----------



## n3ophy7e

Hahaha will do!! He's overseas at the moment but when he gets back I'll pick his wonderful chef brain


----------



## DG

I got this from either epicurious or allrecipes awhile ago and love it! I dont use the pimentos though.

Spanish style chicken and rice

    *   2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon salt, divided
    * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    * 2 bone-in chicken breast halves
    * 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
    * 1/2 cup chopped onion
    * 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
    * 1 garlic clove, minced
    * 1 (2.5 ounce) jar sliced pimentos, drained
    * 1/2 cup uncooked rice
    * 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    * 1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

   1. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken and shake until well coated. In a skillet, brown chicken in butter over medium heat. Remove chicken; set aside and keep warm. In the pan drippings, saute onion, green pepper and garlic until tender. Add pimientos and rice. Reduce heat; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth, turmeric, chili powder and remaining salt; bring to a boil. Pour into an ungreased 2-qt. baking dish; top with chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and rice is tender.


----------



## Pillthrill

Anyone have some other good marinades? I found that to be convenient as hell for our schedules!


----------



## Belisarius

I'm a man of "snacks" rather than recipes...

A personal versatile, quick favorite:

*A can of refried beans.
*A tablespoon of fresh bacon grease.
*Tortillas.
*Cheese (sliced or shredded).

Mix the bacon grease into the beans while it's still fluid, blending thoroughly.  Evenly spread about a tablespoon of the mixture on a tortilla (I prefer flour, but if corn's your thing...), and cover with cheese of your choice.  At this point, you can either roll it up as is, or do what I do and add some cayenne pepper and salt.  If it isn't already hot, nuke for 30 seconds and enjoy.  

Lest some of you worry about the "musical fruit", you only use a little at a time, as it's quite filling; one can with a package of tortillas will easily last me a week.


----------



## Pillthrill

Yup, I've been taking shredded cheese and tortillas microwaving them for a min, and then crisping them on the bottom of the rack of the oven for years. Cheap and quick. Good for kids, just avoid the oven if you need to, and pizza cutters are safe. 
Salsa and Sour Cream dip. Yum. Lol  

Why do you use bacon grease instead of a meat or something Belisarius?


----------



## animal_cookie

^i assume the bacon grease is just to give the beans a little bit of flavor.


----------



## animal_cookie

Pillthrill said:


> Anyone have some other good marinades? I found that to be convenient as hell for our schedules!



this is alton brown's skirt steak marinade:

# 1/2 cup olive oil
# 1/3 cup soy sauce
# 4 scallions, washed and cut in 1/2
# 2 large cloves garlic
# 1/4 cup lime juice
# 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
# 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
# 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar or Mexican brown sugar

blend it all together in a blender.


----------



## Pillthrill

I was looking for something more along the line of chicken. That's about all we eat around here. 
Sorry I should have been more specific. But I'll put that one in my resipe box, speaking of...

*Orange Julius*

1/2 cup each of milk and water
1 cup of a 6oz cap of frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
16 ice cubes

Blend in blender until smooth

(for all you Aussies that need something cool)

(Now something for those of us freezeing our asses off in this snow)
*
Russian Tea*

1/2 cup instant tea
2 cups Tang
1 12 ounce package of powdered lemonade mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar

Mix and store in a festive jar (makes a fun holiday gift for family) Put 2 rounded teaspoons in a cup. Pour hot water over it and stir. 

And 2 chicken  

Better and fresher than any Chinese food you can get. Not sitting under a heat lamp helps.
*
Crispy Chicken Stir Fry*

1 cup Bisquick
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups diced uncooked chicken breast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup oil
3 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into thin slices and separated
1 can pineapple chunks, drained (optional)
Serve with white rice, sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce 

Mix Bisquick and pepper in a large plastic bag. Stir chicken into eggs and remove with a slotted spoon. Place in the bag and shake until coated. Remove from bag and set aside. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Stir-fry carrots for 2 minutes; add onion and green pepper and stir- fry for 2 more minutes. Remove from the skillet and keep warm (I turn the oven on really low and put them in there until the chicken is done, it also softens them a bit) Add remaining oil to skillet until hot. Stir-fry chicken until golden brown. Add carrots, green pepper and onion. Stir-fry until warm, about 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple. Serve over hot rice and choice of sauce. 
*
No Fuss Baked Chicken*

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons prepared (yellow) mustard 
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup cornflake crumbs

Mix mayo, cheese and mustard together. Measure out 1/3 cup of the mixture add refrigerate. Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with the remaining mixture. Arrange in a lightly greased shallow baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Serve with the remaining mixture. 


If anyone tries any of these let me know. I kinda wonder what the rest of the world thinks of Midwest Iowa cooking...


----------



## animal_cookie

^i make something similar to your no fuss baked chicken.  i use cornflake crumbs and whatever gooey stuff i have in the fridge.


----------



## Pillthrill

First thing I ever made for the bf. Guess I started things out right. And it's just easy as hell. Beginners cooking.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Pillthrill said:


> *Orange Julius*
> 
> 1/2 cup each of milk and water
> 1 cup of a 6oz cap of frozen orange juice concentrate
> 1/2 cup sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
> 16 ice cubes
> 
> Blend in blender until smooth
> 
> (for all you Aussies that need something cool)



Wow that sounds delicious!! Thanks hun! We definitely need something like that here in Sydney today, it's sunny and 25C (about 75F). Not _too_ hot but I could definitely use an icey cold beverage %)


----------



## spork

CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT said:


> We did this the other night and it worked _a treat_!  Luckily Busty was in charge of that part of the meal, so he only put in a modest amount of the cheese - which in the end was _more than enough_ to flavour it.  So tasty, thanks for the recc'!  :D



Excellent, glad you liked it!


----------



## Belisarius

Re Pillthrill:
I love bacon; the grease adds a marvelous undertone, especially if the beans are already spicy.  For the record, I generally use fat-free vegetarian beans, both to limit the heaviness and so that the bacon is the dominant flavor.

I'm the most Dixie when it comes to bacon.


----------



## DG

Any suggestions on how to make yummy mashed potatoes without butter/milk/cream/sour cream? I was thinking chicken broth but a little skeptical.


----------



## Dave

A bit of fresh lemon juice, blended with lots of fresh dill, a clove or three of garlic, a little bit of oil and plenty of salt and pepper makes for good mashed potatoes. Mix the dressing with hot, freshly mashed potatoes just before serving.


----------



## Pillthrill

Mom's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - Makes 5 - 6 dozen 

1c shortening (1/2 margarine 1/2 shortening if desired)
1 c sugar
1 c sour cream
3 egg yoks, beaten
1tsp vanilla 
3 c flour 
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 

Cream shortening and sugar; add egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients (I never do that...) mix. Chill. Roll and cut into festive shapes. Bake on a ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees F until edges are LIGHTLY browned. 
May be sprinkled with sugar or frosted with powdered sugar frosting-
Milk, food coloring and powdered sugar.


----------



## DG

Dave said:


> A bit of fresh lemon juice, blended with lots of fresh dill, a clove or three of garlic, a little bit of oil and plenty of salt and pepper makes for good mashed potatoes. Mix the dressing with hot, freshly mashed potatoes just before serving.



That sounds interesting, I will have to try it. Thank you


----------



## animal_cookie

one of my favorite things to do with old spaghetti is to make a spaghetti sandwich.  i just put garlic butter on some bread and cook it like a grilled cheese sandwich.


----------



## scubagirl200

^o holy lord i'm so high and I HAVE TO EAT THAT


----------



## Samadhi

Animal Cookie - that is one of my FAVOURITE leftover snacks.  To be even more lazy, just get some frozen garlic bread (the bread that looks like the photo, not sliced vertically), lightly bake it in the oven, put the leftover bolognese in it and toast it.

YUM!


----------



## animal_cookie

^i got really weird looks from my husband's family the first time i went there for dinner because i was piling his mom's spaghetti onto my garlic bread.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

YES YES YES!
You are welcome to eat my pasta garlic bread sandwiches any way you desire.
I put them in the panini press.


----------



## Pillthrill

I've made n3ophy7e's chicken marinade like 3 times now. 
I love that I have the ability to make changes to it so easy. Adding less oil for less chicken and adjusting it to my tastes...meaning sweeter.


----------



## Dave

My sister used to make fun of me for making spaghetti sandwiches when I was young. But now, I am vindicated! Thanks a_c!


----------



## n3ophy7e

Pillthrill said:


> I've made n3ophy7e's chicken marinade like 3 times now.
> I love that I have the ability to make changes to it so easy. Adding less oil for less chicken and adjusting it to my tastes...meaning sweeter.



Awesome hun!! Glad you like it!  


Spaghetti sandwiches are pure win by the way. It's so nice to know that everyone else does it too hahaha :D


----------



## euphoria

I have not heard of this spaghetti sandwich thing. I must try that now. That looks delicious.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Yeah im stoned and thinking of one now


----------



## DG

I dont usually love asparagus but I dont hate it either. A friend told me this recipe and I LOVE it. 

- Preheat over to 400
- Toss trimmed asparagus in a ziploc bag and drizzle in olive oil (enough to coat), zip the bag and shake until you think all of the asparagus is coated.
- Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy clean up
- Sprinkle kosher salt and fresh black pepper
- Cook between 8-11 mins and enjoy

Seriously delicious...the higher heat adds a slight crispness


----------



## ocean

Okay so yesterday I wanted something homey and warm......
I made this recipe up and actually measured things out this time !!!
It is sort of like Goulash but mixed with Penne and almost like an italitan/hungarian/cajun ziti type thing 

You will need:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
One lb. Ground Bison (or you could do beef/turkey/veal/pork/whatever)
1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
1 tsp Garlic
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp thyme
1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 cube beef stock

veggies: 
One red- one green bell pepper
Carrots and onions
can of tomato paste



First I put about a tablespoon on olive oil in my skillet-
Added one tbsn of minced garlic and one pound of ground Bison-
While that was browning I chopped one red and one green bell pepper, one and a half small onions, and a half a cup (should have done more) of carrots.......
I boiled 2 cups of water and added it to my measuring cup with one beef stock cube.
I mixed up
 1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
 1/4 tsp salt
 a little over 1/2 tsp black pepper
 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
 1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/2 tsp thyme and 2 bay leaves-
I drained the bison- put it back into the skillet
I added the veggies to the Bison once the bison was browned and drained
I added the spices to the mix after a couple mins.
Then I added the beef broth I made with the beef stock cube........
I stirred it up and covered it.
Waited about five minutes and  then brought water to a boil and cooked about 8 oz. of whole wheat penne pasta. 
While cooking the pastsa I added 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste to the bison and veggie mix.
Once  the pasta was done- I drained and put it back into the large pot I cooked it in- added the bison mix to the pasta mixed it up really good-
served it with a spoonful of sour cream that we mixed in well........ 
The sour cream could be added to the entire thing if you wanted.
It was pretty tasty.

If someone tries it- please let me know what you think.......


----------



## n3ophy7e

Yum ocean! Looks like the perfect Winter meal


----------



## SkyeHye

animal_cookie said:


> one of my favorite things to do with old spaghetti is to make a spaghetti sandwich.  i just put garlic butter on some bread and cook it like a grilled cheese sandwich.




YUMMO..try adding baked beans to this scene!


----------



## Backdoorgirl

Baba’s Apple Cake

Ingredients:
5 medium sized apples                 
3 eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar                             
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour               
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla                        
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup raisins                                
½ cup ground walnuts

Directions:
1.	Peel apples and cut into small squares.  Set aside.
2.	Add eggs and sugar to mixer bowl and beat well.
3.	Add the baking soda and mix again.
4.	Add the flour, raisins, vanilla, cinnamon, walnuts and apples.
Mix all together by hand with a wooden spoon.
5.	Add the oil and mix it in by hand.
6.	Spray oil on the bottom (not sides) of a rectangular cake pan.
Sprinkle the bottom with flour, then turn upside down and tap pan to remove excess flour.
7.	Place the batter in the cake pan and push in any apple pieces which may be sticking out on top.
8.	Bake at 300° F for 1 hour.
9.	Remove from oven and place on a rack. 
Let sit about 5 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

This one is what I do with my leftover Christmas Turkey. My 3 and 5 year old's love it. 

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

       3 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth
•	2 cups water
•	3 medium onions, chopped
•	2 large carrots, diced
•	1/2 cup uncooked wild or brown rice
•	1/2 cup margarine
•	3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•	1/2 teaspoon salt
•	1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
•	1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
•	2 cups half-and-half cream
•	1 1/2 cups cooked, diced turkey meat
Directions:
1.	In a large pot over medium heat, combine chicken broth, turkey, carrots water, onions and wild rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. 
2.	When rice is tender, melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper all at once. Cook, stirring, until smooth and bubbly. Stir in half-and-half and cook until thickened, 2 minutes. Stir half-and-half mixture into rice mixture. Heat through and serve.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

BUTTERY CORN BREAD


INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup butter or margarine,
softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk	2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


DIRECTIONS:
1.	In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
2.	Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

Chicken & sweet corn soup

Ingredients (serves 4)
•	1L (4 cups) chicken consomme 
•	2 (about 200g each) single chicken breast fillets 
•	1 tbs light soy sauce 
•	2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 
•	1 tbs cornflour 
•	60ml (1/4 cup) water 
•	1 x 420g can creamed corn 
•	1 x 300g can corn kernels, rinsed, drained 
•	100g shaved ham, thinly sliced 
•	2 egg whites 
•	1 tsp sesame oil 
•	6 green shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally 
•	Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method
1.	Place the consomme and chicken in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a heatproof bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Finely shred. 
2.	Add the soy sauce and ginger to the consomme mixture. Place the cornflour in a small bowl and gradually stir in the water until smooth and combined. Gradually stir the cornflour mixture into the consomme mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until consomme thickens slightly. Add the chicken, creamed corn, corn and ham and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until hot. 
3.	Use a fork to whisk the egg whites in a small bowl. Gradually pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. 
4.	Cook for 2 minutes or until white ribbons swirl though the soup. Remove from heat. 
5.	Add the sesame oil and half the green shallot and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup among serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining green shallot. Serve immediately.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

J.P.'s Big Daddy Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt	
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS:
1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3.	Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4.	Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar	
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1.	In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2.	Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.


----------



## Samadhi

I'm going to assume that all-purpose flour is also known as plain flour?


----------



## Dave

Yeah, it's flour with a protein content right in-between cake flour (low protein) and bread flour (high protein). It works well enough for most application, including breads and cakes, but for amazing results on either end it's really worth it to use the appropriate flour. All-purpose is super for 90% of day to day applications though, unless you're a baker.

@Backdoor: Way to bump the thread! Those are some great-looking recipes. I might just give your Baba's cake recipe a whirl tomorrow, as I need to bring a sweet to a potluck. I love to cook, but I've little experience with baking (except for odd but easy stuff like Pavlovas), and that recipe looks pretty easy.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

Dave said:


> @Backdoor: Way to bump the thread! Those are some great-looking recipes. I might just give your Baba's cake recipe a whirl tomorrow, as I need to bring a sweet to a potluck. I love to cook, but I've little experience with baking (except for odd but easy stuff like Pavlovas), and that recipe looks pretty easy.



Thank you. My Baba was half blind and never made the cake the same way twice(as I'm sure most Baba's do) so it is impossible to goof up.


----------



## ocean

Yeah- Baba's apple cake looks good- I may try it too.....
Wish I had that recipe a couple months ago- I have both apples and walnut trees growing in the yard!! I was trying to come up with apple recipes- 
There is a stand up the road where someone is selling their walnuts- I may have to go grab a bag now


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ For Christmas my Mum put together a brie cheese recipe with walnuts, she actually made the ingredients but I assembled it together when we were serving it. It went a little something like this: 

Ingredients:
1 round of brie cheese
1 part gorgonzola
1 part goats cheese
1/2 cup crushed walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup cranberries
port wine
sugar

Simmer the cranberries and port wine and sugar together to make a syrup, chill in the fridge. (Note: my Mum did this part before I arrived so I don't know exactly how she did it or what the measurements were). Mix together some goats cheese and gorgonzola until soft, set aside.

Cut 1 round of brie cheese in half horizontally. Spread half the gorgonzola/goats cheese mixture over the bottom half of the brie, sprinkle over half the walnuts and spoon over that some of the cranberry syrup mixture. Place the other half of the brie on top, and repeat with the remaining mixtures on top. Cut in to wedges while it's still cold (otherwise it'll be too soft to cut and will just moosh everywhere :D). Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

It was SO yummy and looked really festive


----------



## ocean

^This sounds like heaven!!!!!!!!!!
OMG.
I will be trying it at some point for sure!!


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

I don't get down with brie but i'll pass this on to my pops, thanks!


----------



## Dave

I'd bet that a port reduction would have tasted amazing with those cheeses even without adding the sugar, but with just a little pinch of sugar it probably put it over the top w/r/t dessert awesomeness!


----------



## Evad

here's my winter warmer

*Evad's almost entirely original (small credits to Levi Roots and Good Food for initial inspirations) warming as fuck Jamaican winter soup.*

Serves - Loads 

*Ingredients*:

2 large-ish Sweet potatoes
2 leeks
3 cloves of garlic 
1 inch of fresh ginger
1-2 scotch bonnet peppers
thyme
400g can of coconut milk
400g can of chickpeas
tin of chopped tomatoes
1l veg stock 
turmeric
bag of spinach (you can use callaloo for authenticity if you like but i have never seen the fresh stuff and don’t trust the canned stuff)
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
knob of butter
sour cream and crusty white bread and butter to serve

*Recipe*:

1. Chop the sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes, chop the leeks, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnets (discard the seeds if you’re not massively into heat because they’re some serious badbois). Get a big pan with a lid and chuck in a decent bit of olive oil, chuck in all the chopped ingredients and give them a stir and fry them gently, get them coated. Turn the heat down low and put the lid on the pan until they all sweat down to fairly soft and smell delicious.

2. Add in the coconut milk, drain and add the chickpeas, add the can of tomatoes and then add the veg stock. Chuck in a handful of thyme and plenty of turmeric and give it a good stir. Get it on a gentle simmer and put the lid back on until everything is soft and cooked through.

3. Chop up and add in the spinach and season well with the salt and pepper, give it another stir.

4. When the spinach is cooked but not slimy add in a knob of butter for a final bit of extra richness, stir until melted, taste and season accordingly.

5. Mash everything right up with a potato masher until gorgeous and thick.

6. Serve right away in big bowls with a good dollop of sour cream and some buttered crusty bread.

7. Take some time to think about how awesome Evad is and remember to thank him.

woot evad posting after dave, palindrome consecutive posts ftw


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Sounds delicious!!



Dave said:


> I'd bet that a port reduction would have tasted amazing with those cheeses even without adding the sugar, but with just a little pinch of sugar it probably put it over the top w/r/t dessert awesomeness!



Hey you know what Dave?? The sugar probably _wasn't_ in there! I was just guessing cos it sounded right. But now that I think of it, the port would've reduced enough to make it as sweet as it was. 

So, scratch the sugar


----------



## ocean

ChemicalSmile said:


> I don't get down with brie but i'll pass this on to my pops, thanks!



When I was pregnant, before I knew, (and this should have been a MAJOR sign since I liked brie alot before) but it tasted like penis!  hahahaha 
I'm serious- I couldn't eat it I thought it was nasty that a cheese tasted like a penis and then I ruined it for my husband who then refused to eat it :D hahaha
I have had brie since and it tasted great, not at all like penis 

Evad- That soup sounds great!!!
It sounds pretttty healthy- that is what I'm looking for for my new food plan (not diet) to start in the New Year- I think I willl be giving it a try! Thanks!!

I will be checking this thread alot more in hopes of finding super healthy recipes.


----------



## n3ophy7e

ocean said:


> When I was pregnant, before I knew, (and this should have been a MAJOR sign since I liked brie alot before) but it tasted like penis!  hahahaha
> I'm serious- I couldn't eat it I thought it was nasty that a cheese tasted like a penis and then I ruined it for my husband who then refused to eat it :D hahaha
> I have had brie since and it tasted great, not at all like penis



Hahahaha that is classic!! :D


----------



## ocean

ocean said:


> Okay so yesterday I wanted something homey and warm......
> I made this recipe up and actually measured things out this time !!!
> It is sort of like Goulash but mixed with Penne and almost like an italitan/hungarian/cajun ziti type thing
> 
> You will need:
> 1 tbsp Olive Oil
> 1/4 tsp Salt
> 1/2 tsp Pepper
> One lb. Ground Bison (or you could do beef/turkey/veal/pork/whatever)
> 1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
> 1 tsp Garlic
> 2 Bay leaves
> 1/2 tsp celery seed
> 1/2 tsp thyme
> 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
> 1 cube beef stock
> 
> veggies:
> One red- one green bell pepper
> Carrots and onions
> can of tomato paste
> 
> 
> 
> First I put about a tablespoon on olive oil in my skillet-
> Added one tbsn of minced garlic and one pound of ground Bison-
> While that was browning I chopped one red and one green bell pepper, one and a half small onions, and a half a cup (should have done more) of carrots.......
> I boiled 2 cups of water and added it to my measuring cup with one beef stock cube.
> I mixed up
> 1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian Paprika
> 1/4 tsp salt
> a little over 1/2 tsp black pepper
> 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
> 1/2 tsp celery seeds
> 1/2 tsp thyme and 2 bay leaves-
> I drained the bison- put it back into the skillet
> I added the veggies to the Bison once the bison was browned and drained
> I added the spices to the mix after a couple mins.
> Then I added the beef broth I made with the beef stock cube........
> I stirred it up and covered it.
> Waited about five minutes and  then brought water to a boil and cooked about 8 oz. of whole wheat penne pasta.
> While cooking the pastsa I added 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste to the bison and veggie mix.
> Once  the pasta was done- I drained and put it back into the large pot I cooked it in- added the bison mix to the pasta mixed it up really good-
> served it with a spoonful of sour cream that we mixed in well........
> The sour cream could be added to the entire thing if you wanted.
> It was pretty tasty.
> 
> If someone tries it- please let me know what you think.......



I am so glad I put this here!!
I couldn't find the recipe and planned to make it tonight!!


----------



## animal_cookie

^lol, i use this thread and the archived one all the time to find recipes i posted.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

ive done the same ^ ^


----------



## joannie_mhm

ocean said:


> When I was pregnant, before I knew, (and this should have been a MAJOR sign since I liked brie alot before) but it tasted like penis!  hahahaha



This is hilarious. My best friend's older sister told us when we were 13 that brie tasted like semen, so naturally we went out and bought some to check and were pleasantly surprised.

Come another few years and that viewpoint changed somewhat


----------



## Care

Best Pancakes Ever!.... No seriously, they're amazing.

1 cup *whole wheat* flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1.5 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 stick melted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg

+butter on top and maple syrup obviously. I usually quadruple the recipe.

This has seriously gained a reputation amongst my friends. They have adopted and shared it with others

I haven't eaten pancakes at a restaurant in years because their buttermilk recipe tastes like crap compared to this.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Awesome!! That's pretty much the same as my recipe although mine doesn't have baking powder in it....perhaps I will add it in there


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

subtract salt and baking powder
add cinnamon and chopped walnuts (usually add blueberries or mashed banana)
sub flax oil for butter 
and you have mine


----------



## Dave

I StumbledUpon this recipe a while ago, and am hoping to try it out this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

Impossible Pie

1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut (desicated)
1/2 cup butter (soft)
1/2 cup flour
 2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. if you have a blender large enough for this batch, go ahead and blend all the ingredients. if not, use an electric mixer as i do.

2.  pour into a greased 25cm backing dish.

3. bake in a preheated oven at 350*F for 45 min(check on it after 30 min).

4. the flour should form a crust at the bottom and the coconut will be on top.

5. enjoy.


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Oh my god noooooooo!!!! I have a phobia of Impossible Pie!!   

I have a recipe that I have tried at least 10 times and it _does not work!_ It always just turned in to this weird rubbery-textured mess that tasted like balloons.


----------



## Pillthrill

Let us know... I might try it if it works out ok for you. Can we get pics?


----------



## Dave

Well, all I have is a hand blender, so I might have to do it in batches. We'll see.


----------



## ocean

Wait- You blend it all together and it separates itself?


----------



## Dave

Hence 'impossible'.


----------



## animal_cookie

*cooking funk*

normally i enjoy cooking and have no issues with complicated dishes.  but lately i am feeling rather lazy and uninspired.  so i am looking for suggestions on casseroles and other 'quick' meals please


----------



## yucatanboy2

Well, depends on whats in your kitchen.  We do similar things sometimes, like just using stir-fry veggies (frozen, oh well, we're lazy), some meat, and add sauces: ie curry sauce/soy sauce + garlic/teriyaki, etc.  Its quick, and tasty.  You can make it more complicated by making your own sauces, or using fresh veggies, but it works in a pinch. 

Soups are great that way too, just sautee a bunch of stuff together, add stock of some kind, and spices, and whatever, boil for a while, bingo.  You can even throw in pasta early on and get minestrone soup, etc.


----------



## Care

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> subtract salt and baking powder
> add cinnamon and chopped walnuts (usually add blueberries or mashed banana)
> sub flax oil for butter
> and you have mine



Try a batch with salt and baking powder. 

ANd yea I make them with blueberries/cinnamon aswell sometimes, sooooo good.


----------



## Pillthrill

I've been cooking lately. 
Anyone got anything that is cheap and super easy?
My mom got me a Ramen Noodle cookbook if anyone is interested in any from that.


----------



## animal_cookie

^lots of cooking/recipe sites have cheap meals.  casseroles are good because they can be frozen and reheat well.  here are a few links:

http://www.campbellkitchen.com/TenRecipeUnder10.aspx
http://www.foodnetwork.com/ten-dollar-dinners-with-melissa-darabian/index.html
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/budget-tips/main.aspx



yucatanboy2 said:


> Well, depends on whats in your kitchen.  We do similar things sometimes, like just using stir-fry veggies (frozen, oh well, we're lazy), some meat, and add sauces: ie curry sauce/soy sauce + garlic/teriyaki, etc.  Its quick, and tasty.  You can make it more complicated by making your own sauces, or using fresh veggies, but it works in a pinch.
> 
> Soups are great that way too, just sautee a bunch of stuff together, add stock of some kind, and spices, and whatever, boil for a while, bingo.  You can even throw in pasta early on and get minestrone soup, etc.



merci 

i throw stuff together a lot.  i guess what i was looking for is interesting flavor combinations.  any good recipes for sauces?


----------



## Dave

Holy crap, how did this get way the hell on the third page? Bump for great glory!

I'm too lazy to type it up again, but here is a method for making delicious smashed potatoes.


----------



## animal_cookie

here and here are links to my blog with several hungarian recipes including chicken paprikash.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Dave said:


> I'm too lazy to type it up again, but here is a method for making delicious smashed potatoes.



Dave you are AWESOME!! My partner makes smashed potatoes too!! I usually _hate_ potatoes, but the way he makes smashed potatoes, I absolutely love them! So crispy and delicious


----------



## joannie_mhm

animal_cookie said:


> i throw stuff together a lot.  i guess what i was looking for is interesting flavor combinations.  any good recipes for sauces?



Definitely try to make your own sauces - store bought ones are often *really* high in sugar, salt + preservatives.

My boy and I love asian flavours, so most of our stir fries are done with some combination of any/ all of garlic, ginger, soy, sesame oil, chilli, mirin, honey, vinegar.

Teriyaki is just a sweet soy flavour - say 1/2 cup soy, 1/2 cup mirin, 2 tsp sugar. This goes really well drizzled over a salmon steak with steamed asian greens (you can also chop up some nori and sprinkle with sesame seeds).

We also do a honey soy chicken that's heaps easy - 1/2 cup soy, 1/2 cup mirin, splash of sesame oil, a teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, chilli if you like it, 1/2 cup water - pour over 4 chicken drumsticks and bake in the oven.

The Vietnamese go for a balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet - chilli, vinegar, soy/fish sauce, brown sugar. I never measure this, just go for a splash of the liquids and taste until you can taste each of the flavours balancing out equally.

Zucchini quiche is quick and easy if you have a food processor - use the grating attachment to chop up 3 small zucchinis, 1 carrot, ginger, garlic, mix with a small tin of corn, a cup of flour, lots of salt and pepper, beat two eggs and mix through, then bake.


----------



## hellkitten

Best easy recipe ever:

BACON AND CHEESE POTATO SOUP	 
1 lg. onion
1 jar (2 oz.) home-style bacon bitss _(I use real bacon)_
2 tbsp. butter
4 med. potatoes, peeled & diced
2 c. chicken broth or bouillon
1 c. milk
1 container (10 1/2 oz.) cheese snack _(I use shredded cheddar, mozzerella, monterey jack and parmesan)_
Black pepper to taste
Parsley

Saute first 3 ingredients in butter in saucepan. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk, Cheese Snack and pepper. Cook over low heat until Cheese Snack is melted and soup is hot, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley.

nom nom nom


----------



## Pillthrill

Ok guys... post your guilty pleasure recipes....
I would share but I eat whatever I want all the time. lol


----------



## n3ophy7e

joannie_mhm said:


> We also do a honey soy chicken that's heaps easy - 1/2 cup soy, 1/2 cup mirin, splash of sesame oil, a teaspoon of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, chilli if you like it, 1/2 cup water - pour over 4 chicken drumsticks and bake in the oven.



That sounds deliciioouusss!!!!!  



joannie_mhm said:


> Zucchini quiche is quick and easy if you have a food processor



The funniest thing happened the other night, my best friend and I had a girly night at her place, and her mum stayed up drinking with us. She went to bed at about 2am but got back out of bed to make a midnight quiche!! Hahahaha whaaaat?! We sat in the kitchen chatting while it was cooking and then devoured the entire thing, just the 3 of us, at abou 3am hahaha. Classic. She kept saying "Quiche is so easy because you just throw it all together and whack it in the oven!"


----------



## kytnism

fast and nommy golden syrup dumplings.

ingredients (serves 4)

150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
60g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
1-2 tbs milk, to beat

syrup recipe

30g butter
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
4 tbs golden syrup
1 small lemon, juiced

method

sift flour into a bowl, then rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. beat egg with a little milk and pour into flour mixture. combine to form a dough, then divide into small balls.
to make the syrup, combine the ingredients together with 1 cup of water in a pan and bring to the boil over medium heat. carefully add dough balls to syrup and boil for 20 minutes. plate and top with additional icecream or whipped cream to serve. 

a fast and easy dessert/winter comfort food.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

tried  this last night, was delicious

PENNE PASTA WITH BROCCOLI AND SPINACH	 
1/2 packet Penne pasta
1/2 bag baby spinach
1 cup broccoli spears
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
salt
black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese (garnish)
freshly chopped parsley (garnish)
Cook Penne pasta al dente, as per the instructions on the packet. Mince garlic cloves. Heat oil and add the garlic cloves, washed spinach leaves and broccoli.
Sauté for several minutes, until spinach reduces and becomes tender. Do not cook so long that the vegetables lose their color and become mushy.

Add salt and pepper to taste and toss in cooked Penne pasta. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.


----------



## Dave

Tried a couple of new recipes last night, which went over quite well.

Cucumber and Chili Salad

6 small cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers
2 chilis (can be sweet, spicy, or mix-n-match)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil (or other dressing oil)
1 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sugar (or Stevia to taste)
Cilantro

Slice the cucumbers however you like; if using English cucumbers then remove the seeds first as they make the salad too watery. Slice the chilis likewise. Whisk the remaining ingredients except cilantro in a bowl, and toss with the cucumbers and chilis (hands work best). Roughly chop however much cilantro you'd like, and toss in the salad. Can be eaten immediately, but is best if allowed to sit for at least an hour.


Roast Potato and Jerusalem Artichokes

500 gm jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes), sliced into bite sized chunks and ~ 5mm thick
500 gm potatoes, sliced 5 mm thick (and bite sized pieces as well, or else use new/fingerlings)
1 lemon, sliced thinly
sage
olive oil
garlic (I used 4 cloves, ymmv)
kalamata olives, pitted
cherry tomatoes
parsley

Boil the potatoes until nearly cooked in salted water. Drain and cool. Toss with sunchokes, olive oil to lightly coat, sage to flavour, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 F for 20 minutes. Add lemons, toss again, and roast for 15 more minutes. Add olives and tomatoes, toss again, and roast for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, toss with half the chopped parsley (as much as you like, really), then put on a serving dish and garnish with remaining parsley.

Both are delicious. We also made Old Bay Tofu Cakes (i.e. vegan crab cakes) and a zucchini quick-risotto which both also worked wonderfully. Cooking parties rule!


----------



## ocean

^Oh, yum!!
Those both sound delicious!


----------



## hellkitten

Quiche Lorraine:

3 eggs, cooked bacon bits, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, green onion and sauteed yellow onion. Mix and pour into a ready made pie shell. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, or until outside of shell starts to brown.

Make the night before for a yummy breakfast OR dinner with potatoe pancakes... NOM NOM NOM


----------



## MyDoorsAreOpen

Does anyone have a good recipe involving eggplant? I've taken a real shine to this vegetable's unique taste recently, and love it a little burnt, either fried or baked. I've just made more eggplant parmesan and ratatouille than my wife can tolerate. I really want to try making yuxiang qiezi -- a Chinese dish with diced eggplant flash-fried in very hot oil with garlic and oyster sauce. But she can't have garlic either.


----------



## ocean

Eggplant is good broiled or grilled with other veggies and served on a nice bread.......


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

definitely, my favorite is fried okra and eggplant together... fired mushrooms for good measure


----------



## ocean

^mmmmm............ fried okra, fried mushrooms, fried eggplant 
Fried Pickles! Yum!


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

I've been giving our slow cooker a real work-out now the weather is starting to turn in our neck of the woods.  

My latest creation was a pork curry - shamelessly stolen from another source - but altered to serve my purpose better.

PORK CURRY IN A HURRY

Take 500gm of diced pork, fat removed.  Brown in a pan with a small amount of oil and a whole brown onion until everything is sealed.
Place in slow-cooker with 1.5 cups of stock (we used chicken, only because it's always in the cupboard at our place), two teaspoons of garlic and one teaspoon of good quality curry powder.  We get ours from the local markets.
Simmer on high setting for 1.5 hours, then add freshly diced pineapple and simmer for a further 3 minutes.

I had to thicken the sauce as it was really way too runny, so I added two teaspoons of cornflower mixed into 1/4 cup of water towards the end - maybe thirty minutes before adding the pineapple?

Serve with rice (brown is best, imho) and add some spinich right at the end with the pineapple if the mood strikes you.  

It's soo soo quick to prepare, and it's great if you know you're going to be out of the house for a few hours.


----------



## Dave

Working on a new roasted carrot with ginger and curry dip. If successful, I'll post the recipe. If not, seppuku.


----------



## cilosyb

*Breakfast Hash*

Chronic Breakfast Hash!

Not _that_ kind of hash...

Ok, this is an awesome breakfast that's really straightforward, yet will impress most people you serve it to. It's really nutritious and very hearty. 

What you'll need/want (serves two+):

1/4~1/3- Onion
2  Potatoes (I like Yukon Golds)
1-2 Sweet Potato/Yam depending on size
2-3 eggs
1- Bell pepper
1- Zucchini
1- handful of spinach
some- olive oil, ground pepper, and cheese

First get a large skillet and heat it up with a bit of olive oil spread around. Next dice up your onion and get it sizzling up on low/mid heat. Dice up your potato(s) and sweet potato(s) into small pieces, add some more oil to the pan, and into the pan they go. Cover it up for now, and stir occasionally. Now dice up your zucchini and bell pepper. At this point the potato and swt potato bits should start to be getting softer. Maybe let them cook for a few minutes, mid heat. Now clear a hole in the middle of the pan, add a dash of oil, and crack 2-3 eggs in there. At this point I usually just heap the rest of the ingredients in there, but you can wait until they eggs cook more too. Sprinkle in some ground pepper, then add the zucchini and bell pepper, and throw on the spinach. Cover and let it cook for a bit so they eggs get cooked. Then just start stirring everything up, and continue cooking until the potato/swt potato bits are somewhat soft. Turn the heat off and shred a bunch of cheese evenly over the top. Cover for a minute or two until the cheese melts.

Now dose up. I like to add a prodigious amount of ketchup and hot sauce/pepper sauce. This breakfast packs a lot of energy and it's great if you're going to be active. And it's incredibly tasty, and simple.

Enjoy!


----------



## animal_cookie

Dave said:


> Working on a new roasted carrot with ginger and curry dip. If successful, I'll post the recipe. If not, seppuku.



how did it turn out?  

i just made crouton salad for dinner. i have a tendency to combine whatever i have into what loosely resembles a salad.  its was mostly croutons tossed in a little balsamic vinagerette to make them a little soggy with some grape tomatoes, arugula, roast garlic and pepperoni.


----------



## n3ophy7e

animal_cookie said:


> i have a tendency to combine whatever i have into what loosely resembles a salad.



That is a pretty awesome tendency to have, I must say! :D 

Your crouton salad sounds positively delicious!


----------



## Dave

a_c: I do that too, although I don't eat much bread these days. That salad sounds pretty great though!

The dip was good. A bit more like a paté than a dip proper, but still tasty. Different, but in a good way.

6 good sized carrots (roughly 500 g or a pound), scrubbed but not peeled
1 mid to large red onion, skin on
1 head of garlic
olive oil
two thumbs of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 tbsp of the best curry powder blend you can find
2 tbsp tamari (regular soy sauce will so, but tamari is way better)
maple syrup/honey
salt/pepper
veg broth/water

Cut the carrots into thirds lengthwise and in half/quarter so they're all roughly the same volume. Don't be too picky about it, but get it sort of close. Blanch them in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes, and then drain well (do not bother shocking as they'll be going in the oven). Slice the onion in half around the equator, leaving the skin on. Ditto for the head of garlic.

Toss vegetables in just enough olive oil to coat, and then the tamari and a few cracks of black pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 180C (375F) until the carrots are fork tender-- approximately 40 minutes. They will be quite brown on the bottom; this is a good thing.

While the veg are roasting, saute the ginger in a bit of hot olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the curry powder and saute for another minute or so, blooming the spices. Let cool.

Once the vegetables are done roasting, peel the skin off the onion (will be easy) and squirt the roasted garlic into a food processor. Add the rest of the veg, as well as the ginger/curry mix and a few tablespoons of stock. Process until a uniform texture, thinning with stock as desired. Add a bit of honey or maple syrup (I used the latter) just to bring out the carrots' natural sweetness-- it shouldn't taste like honey or syrup-- and salt and pepper to taste. If the tamari has gotten lost, add a dash more; it should still be a background flavour, but noticeable. 

Once the seasoning is about right, let it sit in the fridge (covered, of course) overnight to mellow and marry. When serving, allow it to come to room temp first, and check the seasoning again just to be sure. I served it piled high in a tiny bowl almost like a cheese ball, but ymmv.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

This basil, bacon, and tomato pizza is delicious. Must try.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Pillthrill said:


> I've been cooking lately.
> Anyone got anything that is cheap and super easy?
> My mom got me a Ramen Noodle cookbook if anyone is interested in any from that.



Now that I'm a poor uni student again I've been eating Ramen noodles like once every 2 days :D 

The other day I got creative and mixed in a tin of tuna, some chopped up fresh chillis and some olive oil, a bit of salt and pepper, and it was AWESOME!! SO damn easy and tasty, and reasonably healthy.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

If I liked tuna I would be down... maybe replace tuna with grilled chicken.....


----------



## Dave

Ramen = the devil. Soba noodles on the other hand...



Ah, who am I kidding? I love ramen. I just ate way too much of it 7 or so years ago. What I would do is boil the noodles for maybe 30 seconds in broth, then pull them out into a deep bowl with some sort of frozen veggies in the bottom. Often peas, but broccoli florets, green beans or edamame would often make an appearance. The noodles would be seasoned with a bit of hoisin and soy sauces, a dab of sambal (or two), a thin slice or two of ginger, a bit of chopped parsley or cilantro and a squirt of lemon or lime juice. Then the broth was brought back up to a boil, and I'd either drop an egg in whole, or lightly scramble it and then pour it in as a ribbon. I'd let it cook until the outside was just set but the inside was still runny if whole, or until 90% cooked if in ribbons, and then poured it over the veg/noodle mix. Stir to combine, and by the time the veggies thawed and eventually warmed up, the broth will have been cooled to the point where it can be eaten right away.

It sounds involved, but it took about twice as long to write that paragraph than it did to make the dish. Aaaaand now I'm craving some. Thanks a lot n3o; now I have to go buy some ramen!


----------



## Samadhi

Pillthrill: This is a dish that my nonna passed to my mum who taught me to cook it - it's really quick too.

Put any kind of pasta on the boil.  When it's almost done, heat a frypan (medium heat) and add a couple of small cubes butter, some olive oil (2tbs), parsley (dried is fine and cheaper, but if you grow your own, fresh italian parsley is best - for dried, i'd say a couple of good pinches, for fresh, 1/4 cup), the juice of 2 lemons & garlic (4 cloves?).  Once heated and sizzling, taste it - it should be an amazing blend of garlic/tangy/creamy (oil & butter).  You may want to add a bit more lemon juice or oil to balance out the flavours, depending on your tastes.  Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the frypan.  Toss the pasta through the sauce, and serve with some parmesan cheese.  I guarantee you'll love it.  It's such a good snack... It's not the most 'lite' dish though, but when have Italians ever worried about such things? 

PS: I've never used measurements for this recipe, so i've really just estimated what i might use.  I wish there were formal measurement for drizzle, splash, dash.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

sounds good ^ ^


----------



## hellkitten

Meatloaf
1 Ib. ground beed
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic
tbsp. Worchestershire sauce 
tsp. parsley
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of the meatloaf pan with raw bacon strips. Place mixture in pan. Bake for 1 hour, draining the pan halfway through. The bacon grease keeps the meatloaf really moist AND it tastes like bacon.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Cut boneless chicken breasts so they are thin slices. Brush lightly with oil. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium/high. In a bowl mix half a cup or breadcrumbs, half a cup of finely grated parmesan cheese and a tsp of parsley. Coat both sides of the chicken with the mixture. Fry 'em up for about 5-7 minutes each side until the coating gets crispy brown. Usually eat it with rice or alfredo pasta.

Pasta Shells
Get those huge stuffing shells and cook halfway (not al dente), place in baking dish.
Cook Ib. ground beef with half an onion and a garlic clove. Let cool a bit then add a cup of shredded mozzarella and cheddar, half a cup of breadcrumbs and one egg. Stuff in shells and pour pasta sauce over the shells. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

I will post three tasty recipes if we get some more responses in here... usually this thread has loads of good stuff, seems people have been slacking recently!


----------



## Samadhi

I'm making this on the weekend:

Roast Pork Fillets with Pear & Spinach

PS: I *love* this website - I subscribe to it, so every few days i get a selection of fantastic recipes.


----------



## animal_cookie

in case you are feeling indecisive about what to make for dinner: http://whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com/


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Thats fucking awesome ^ ^


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

Spicy apricot chicken, ala C0TB.

Take 500gm chicken - we use thigh fillets as they're cheap and tasty with no bones.  Coat it in one or two tbs of plain flour.  Fry in a small amount of oil on high heat until all browned, then remove.
Chop 1 large brown onion and fry with garlic (your choice as to how much), tsp cumin, tsp turmeric, 2 tsp moroccan seasoning, tsp chilli flakes.  Add 1 can of apricot nectar and bring to boil while stirring well so the herbs and spices don't stick to the pan.
Place everything in slow-cooker and turn on low making sure the liquid covers the chicken.  Leave for 5+ hours so the chicken is falling apart when you stir it.
Before serving add one can of halved apricots in syrup and cook for a further 10 minutes.  Also, make 1 cup rice (I love brown, but you can use white or even make some cous cous) and serve the chicken on top of the rice with a spoon of the liquid.

Bon apetit!  :D


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ Sound absolutely _delicious!!!!_ *drooool*


----------



## badboybrian

i just attempted this last week and it was total win

Jalapeno-Crusted Tilapia Filets

Ingredients
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-chopped jalapenos (how much depends on how hot you want it)
-1 tbsp butter
-1/4 cup water
-dash of onion salt and pepper to taste
-2 tilapia filets

Pre-heat oven 400 degrees

-Mix all the ingredients (minus the tilapia) in a bowl until it becomes a paste
-Grease a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray
-Place the tilapias on the cookie sheet
-Lightly spread the paste over the tops of the tilapia filets
-Bake for 15 minutes


after about 5 minutes your kitchen is gonna start to smell amazing!!!!  serve with veggies like beans or asparagus.  and/or steamed rice.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Gnocchi with Spinach & White Beans

•	1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
•	1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
•	1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
•	4 cloves garlic, minced
•	1/2 cup water
•	6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
•	1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
•	1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
•	1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•	1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
•	1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1.	Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2.	Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. 
3.	Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. 
4.	Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. 
5.	Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.


I made this the other night and it was actually quite delicious even with my lack of cooking abilities. The original recipe uses chard but I used spinach instead and it turned out fine.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

ChemicalSmiles said:


> I will post three tasty recipes if we get some more responses in here... usually this thread has loads of good stuff, seems people have been slacking recently!



Post yours! Here's another, these are seriously orgasmic. No joke.

Cheesecake Nutella Brownies.



1 box of brownie mix (plus whatever it calls for)


8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1 large egg yolk

5 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract


Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line and grease a 9x9 baking pan. You can use a different size but, just adjust the cooking times.
2. Prepare the brownie mix as directed and pour into pan.
3. In a separate bowl combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Swirl the mixture on top of the brownie mix.
4. Dollop eight or so spoonfuls of Nutella on top of the mixture as well and swirl.
5. Bake for 35 min.

The original recipe came from here, if you want to get really into you can make the brownies from scratch which is included in the link. We didn't have a 9x9 pan so we used a 9x13 with the same times, I would just recommend increasing the cheesecake mixture.


----------



## animal_cookie

mmm, nutella anything is good


----------



## Pillthrill

Samadhi said:


> Pillthrill: This is a dish that my nonna passed to my mum who taught me to cook it - it's really quick too.
> 
> Put any kind of pasta on the boil.  When it's almost done, heat a frypan (medium heat) and add a couple of small cubes butter, some olive oil (2tbs), parsley (dried is fine and cheaper, but if you grow your own, fresh italian parsley is best - for dried, i'd say a couple of good pinches, for fresh, 1/4 cup), the juice of 2 lemons & garlic (4 cloves?).  Once heated and sizzling, taste it - it should be an amazing blend of garlic/tangy/creamy (oil & butter).  You may want to add a bit more lemon juice or oil to balance out the flavours, depending on your tastes.  Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add to the frypan.  Toss the pasta through the sauce, and serve with some parmesan cheese.  I guarantee you'll love it.  It's such a good snack... It's not the most 'lite' dish though, but when have Italians ever worried about such things?
> 
> PS: I've never used measurements for this recipe, so i've really just estimated what i might use.  I wish there were formal measurement for drizzle, splash, dash.



I've been eating this lately. Its much like the easy pasta I used to make as a kid but mine just had butter and salt and pepper and maybe some cheese. 
The bf asked me to make it for him for supper last night. Thanks.


----------



## n3ophy7e

animal_cookie said:


> mmm, nutella anything is good



Correct!!


----------



## Dave

AEP-- That sounds a lot like one of my staple weeknight dishes! I'll usually do it with spinach or brussels sprouts and vegan sausage with sun dried tomatoes, but I think that your version would be better.


----------



## n3ophy7e

I decided I needed more leafy green vegies in my life, so I bought some silverbeet and cooked it on the stove top with some garlic and soy. It was awesome! But I can't think of anything else to do with it....
Any ideas?


----------



## Samadhi

Oh silverbeet!!!

It's not THE healthiest thing ever - but dice up a little bacon, capsicum, onion and garlic and fry it up. Then add the silverbeet and let it wilt - stir it through, et voila! 5 minute awesome


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Tomorrow as promised I will provide 3 tasty recipes..

maybe i'll try to include 1 appetizer, 1 main course, 1 dessert... cuz I'm nice like that


----------



## n3ophy7e

Samadhi said:


> Oh silverbeet!!!
> 
> It's not THE healthiest thing ever - but dice up a little bacon, capsicum, onion and garlic and fry it up. Then add the silverbeet and let it wilt - stir it through, et voila! 5 minute awesome



Brilliant!! Thanks lovely! 
The other day I did something similar, I had some leftover pancetta, chopped it up and fried that, then sauteed some mushrooms with garlic and added the silverbeet and let it wilt, then put it all together. I just made the mistake of adding soy to THAT, and the pancetta was salty enough so it just overpowered everything. 

So tonight I just did it without the pancetta  

Man I really need to eat more mushrooms. Every time I cook them, I remember how much I LOVE them!!


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Dave said:


> AEP-- That sounds a lot like one of my staple weeknight dishes! I'll usually do it with spinach or brussels sprouts and vegan sausage with sun dried tomatoes, but I think that your version would be better.



What do you normally use for yours? The idea of vegan sausage just sounds odd, but then again I'm not a sausage fan anyways. The sprouts and the sun dried tomatoes on the other hand I'll give a try later.


----------



## Dave

Pretty well what I said, with a few other bits and pieces as a base/top.

Start by sweating a chopped onion in some oil. I find a pinch of salt, and letting it cook covered for a minute helps speed things along. Make sure that you have some water getting ready to boil for maximum efficiency. Once the onions are translucent and just starting to brown a bit, add in a clove or three of garlic, toss a couple of times and then add a package of vegan sausage, cut into irregular but roughly equal sized bits.

A word on vegan sausage. I'm trying to get away from eating fake meat, as it is generally heavily processed and often contains some nastiness-- most notably residual hexanes from defatting soybeans when making textured soy/vegetarian protein. However, I find that Tofurkey makes a pretty good sausage, with no TVP. If you're sensitive to gluten or other wheat components, steer clear as the main protein component will be seitan, which is pretty well just isolated gluten. It's what gives it the toothsome meaty texure, and heavier stomach-feel reminiscent of eating meat.

Back to the recipe. Let the sausage cook for a few minutes while you either trim the brussels sprouts or nuke them from frozen. If they're much bigger than the gnocchi, cut them in half before adding them to the pan. Also, if you're using fresh, give them a quick steam first-- a steamer attachment over the nearly-boiling water would work well here. Season with salt and pepper, chili flakes if you like a bit of heat (who doesnt?) and maybe a bit of a tougher herb. Oregano stands up well to a bit of heat, and tastes awesome, but a small amount of thyme or sage would change the character of the dish a lot, but in a good way. Go light on the salt, you'll see why in a sec.

Once the water is boiling, add a few hefty pinches of salt followed by the packaged gnocchi. Protip-- don't add the salt to the water until it is boiling, and you won't etch your pots. While the gnocchi boils (only a minute or two), slice a few sun-dried tomatoes and chop as much fresh parsley as you like. Add the tomatoes to the pan and toss. Once the gnocchi are floating in the water, drain them but reserve a quarter cup or so of water. Add the gnocchi and reserved water to the pan, crank the heat and toss until most of the water evaporates and everything comes together. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and if you like a bit of hard cheese (i.e. parmigiano, asiago or the like) this is the time to add it. Toss until everything is nicely coated, check for final seasoning (the water and cheese if using should have added a fair bit of salt) and serve.

All together it takes maybe 15 minutes to make, and for a singleton like me it's enough for supper and lunches for the next day-- as I usually eat three lunches


----------



## Heroin Girl

Can't believe I haven't seen this thread before....

I made *aep*'s brownies, and they were awesome - easy and fast enough to satisfy the munchies, and tasted great. 

I'll look through my notebooks/files and post some recipes soon. 

Edit: A lot of people in my fam have Celiac's, and we sell baked goods locally, so I've got tons of gluten-free recipes (that actually taste good), if anyone's interested in those? %)


----------



## Dave

Yesyesyesyes.

A good friend of mine is sensitive to wheat (although not full-on celiac, long story), and while I've learned to get around it most of the time I'm always on the lookout for more good gluten-free recipes.


----------



## Pillthrill

Mark what you have in your fridge, receive recipes! 

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2p71ER/www.cookingbynumbers.com/frames.html


----------



## n3ophy7e

Heroin Girl said:


> Edit: A lot of people in my fam have Celiac's, and we sell baked goods locally, so I've got tons of gluten-free recipes (that actually taste good), if anyone's interested in those? %)



That would be great hun! My sister-in-law's sister has _just_ been diagnosed with Celiac's disease, I'm sure she'd appreciate some new recipes!


----------



## Heroin Girl

^Anything in particular you guys want? We're gonna start testing new recipes next week. 

I've gotta get to sleep, but I'll try to add a recipe or two tonight....


----------



## Heroin Girl

*Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies*

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C peanut butter (or any nut butter)
¼ C softened butter (optional)
½ C white sugar
½ C brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 egg
1 t baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Cream peanut butter, butter, and sugars together, and add baking powder. Mix in the vanilla extract and egg.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour to make it easier to work with. Shape the cookies into ½ in – 1in balls. Roll them in sugar, and press a fork onto each one. Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchemnt paper and bake fo 7-10 minutes – they should hold together but still be soft. Let the cookies cool for for 5-10 minutes before moving them to the cooling rack.

These cookies are extremely easy and don't taste any differently than regular peanut butter cookies. They also hold up really well to variations - chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc. And since this is BL, I gotta mention that this is my go-to recipe for edibles. %) Since there's no flour, they can handle a good amount of weed and mask the taste and smell fairly well. 

Edit: I'll add some less basic gluten-free recipes when I have a chance to type them up - bread recipes are too wordy.


----------



## Heroin Girl

*Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce*

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

4-5 chicken breasts, cubed
wooden skewers, soaked in water

Marinade
1 T fresh oregano
1 t black pepper
1 t salt
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 T rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 t dried Thyme
5 T olive oil

Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade, and pour into a large baking dish or plastic bag. Add the chicken, and marinate for at least two hours. 

When ready to cook, put chicken on soaked skewers and grill for about 4 minutes on each side. If broiling, cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 ½ C greek yogurt 
1 minced garlic clove
1 C cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1 ½ T chopped fresh dill
2 T lemon juice
¼ t sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together sauce ingredients and allow to sit at least two hours before serving, although overnight is best. 

Chicken Souvlaki is usually served with pita, but any flat bread will work – I like to use naan. I always have some of this basic bread recipe on hand, and it makes great naan. I'll post the gluten-free version when I get a chance to type it up.


----------



## Dave

I usually do mint in my tzaziki, but I'll have to give dill a try. Oh, and to make really awesome tzaziki without shelling out for greek yogurt, just take regular yogurt and strain it through a clean kitchen cloth overnight. It removes the excess water and leaves something like cream cheese. Use it instead of greek yogurt, and the tzaziki will be thick and creamy and _unctuous_. Oh, and if you're using fresh lemons, add the zest too.

I'll have to try out that cookie recipe, it looks dead simple and delicious.

Oh, I made falafel for the first time today. They turned out really quite well, and were a lot easier to make than I would have thought. I just need to find a way to make them that doesn't involve deep/shallow frying. So greasy. Delicious, but greasy.

Edit-- Here is the recipe. I'd tweak it a bit for the next time, but it turned out quite well for a first go.


----------



## kytnism

*the most amazing vegetarian chili, evah!*

ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped finely)
1 jalapeno (chopped finely; seeds and membrane removed)
4 garlic cloves (freshly pressed)
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tin of diced tomatoes (preferably with capsicum and onion inclusive)
1 tin of red kidney beans
1 tin of “sanitarium” vege casserole mince (available at any woolworths in the wholefoods dept)
½ glass of red wine (i  used a cab merlot)
8-12 squares of “green and blacks” 70% cocoa organic dark chocolate (available at any woolworths)
¼ cup of vegetable stock
the juice of ½ a lime

method: 
in a saucepan; add your olive oil, onion, jalepeno and garlic cloves; sauté until onion becomes transparent in appearance. to that, then add your chilli flakes, cumin, oregano and paprika stirring for a minute or two (enjoying the amazing aroma). 

add tin of vege casserole mince and red wine; let simmer for five to ten minutes until a gravy like consistency is achieved. add your tin of tomatoes, and tin of red kidney beans; stir to combine and reach simmer. break your chocolate into pieces and add to the chili, gently stirring to melt/bind with your sauce. once chocolate has melted, cut lime in half and squeeze the juice of one half lime into your chilli, and let simmer for 1 & ½ - 2 hours; stirring occasionally and adding vege stock where necessary to hold consistency of sauce and not dry out. 

enjoy! :D

p.s even meat lovers who swear against vegetarian dishes LOVE this chili.


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## Dave

I'd replace the fake mince with either black beans, red lentils, or ideally both. Otherwise, that looks SOOOOOO good! Chocolate in chili is heaven.


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## spork

I definitely agree about the beans instead of the fake meat. I've never heard of adding chocolate to chili before, I'm gonna have to try it sometime!


----------



## ocean

I'm looking for yummy healthy foods-
Any favorite recipes for super healthy recipes??

I've been trying to eat less carbs and more fruits and veggies......


----------



## Pillthrill

^ We have been making a lot of fruit smoothies lately.
You can mix it up so you don't get bored.
Strawberry is my favorite though.

I'm thinking about trying to make a fish dish.
I was thinking Tilapia or Salmon.
Any favorites guys?


----------



## Fawkes

i love smoothies! i always freeze the fruit first and then blend it with my secret ingredient, apple juice.

a guy at work recommended this blog to me, The Girl Who Ate Everything. he said everything his wife has made using the recipes on it have been amazing. so far i've only made the banana bread but i gotta say, it was pretty good.


----------



## ocean

Oh yeah, PT - I have been a smoothie-a-holic for the last month or two.....I make a damn good smoothie 

Fish= I love almost all fish..... 
Tilapia goes with anything so its always an easy choice....So it depends on your side dish...... Every month I buy a big bag of individually wrapped Tilapia's - like a bag of 10-20. I love Tilapia. BUT I love shellfish too..... Salmon is yummy but I prefer my Salmon to not be too strong flavored or smoked- I LOVE Smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers on crackers. TO DIE FOR 
We lived on the beach for a number of years and my hubby would fish there- We lived on one of the best salmon runs in the state. We ate Salmon almost every other night for months at a time. No joke. 

I've been craving a seafood boil- You know, crab, crawdads, shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes....yum yum yum.


----------



## Samadhi

I am loving smoothies too, even though it's winter.  If i feel like something sweet, instead of going for chocolate or cake or something else that tastes great but makes me feel like shit, i have:

1 banana
300ml rice milk
2 scoops of low fat frozen yoghurt - or vanilla soy icecream
a handful of ice
a sprinkling of LSA.

I'll usually use the bananas that are slightly overripe 

I also use them in banana muffins, but have replaced the white flour with Self Raising flour, the sugar with honey and the milk with rice milk.  Definitely not as sweet, but taste fantastic.  I also add dates or sultanas for something different. 

I also love boiled eggs as a snack.  I take one to work every day and eat it after gym.


----------



## Samadhi

ocean - for a nice accompaniment to meat with dinner, just roast some veges - potato, sweet potato, pumpkin & carrot.  If you eat them in moderation, potatoes are fine - and don't let anyone tell you different.  I had them at most dinner times last year when i massively changed my diet to try to eliminate problematic foods.  I ate only veges, fruit, lamb, chicken, eggs, rice milk, quinoa, legumes, chick peas and a few other things. Potato featured highly (steamed or roasted) and it didn't lead to any weight gain.

I chop up the veg into medium cubes, then put them in a bowl, drizzle some olive oil over, add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper & rosemary, then roast for about 15 minutes.  I also partially steam green veges - broccoli, zucchini, beans and brussel spouts (for my fiance, i hate them , then simply drizzle a touch of olive oil on them, add lemon juice, a bit of salt & pepper (or leave off the salt if you prefer).  Doing little things like that to mix up the taste of veges does so much for a meal!

As for chicken - an old favourite taught to me by my mama is to add some olive oli, garlic & fresh parsely to a pan and let the flavours out.  Then add your chicken (large diced pieces), and when it's almost done, add the juice of 1 lemon to the pan (season to taste with salt & pepper). The lemon juice will coat the chicken, and will pick up all of the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan - the taste is amazing - it's like a jus or a sauce.   Just have that with the veg - such a healthy meal and it's filling and delis! It makes a great leftover lunch too!


----------



## ocean

^Oh man......that sounds yummy.....all of it! 
The lemon juice on the chicken and picking up whats on the bottom of the pan with the chicken sounds like an awesome trick! Thanks for the ideas!!


----------



## woamotive

Delicious tofu I made...mmmm. best one EVER (one=batch)! 


*NSFW*:


----------



## onmyway

plantain fried in butter, glazed with lavender honey and allspice, drizzled with cashew butter. 

choose very ripe plantains, a little black on the skin is good. boil them whole for about 5 minutes (this will make it much easier to peel and reduce frying time). then peel and cut into half inch slices on a bias. 

heat a *non-stick* skillet over med heat with a few pats of unsalted butter until the butter stops bubbling. then add plantains and fry until golden brown. i prefer more brown.  

when they are done you should reduce the heat to low and add a few tablespoons of lavender honey and sprinkle in a generous amount of allspice. this will bubble up and get all sticky like a glaze. mix it all around making sure to cover all the plantains. don't let the honey burn. 

move the plantains to a serving dish and add kosher salt to taste. 

then add some cashew butter to the skillet and let it melt to a liquid. it should pick up the remaining honey and butter. you may have to add a bit of salt depending on whether the cashew butter is salted on not. then drizzle this over the plantains. the idea is to have just enough to drizzle on top, but not completely cover them. 

enjoy!

sorry about the lack of measurements, i usually eyeball stuff like this unless im baking.


----------



## Depressicaa

Orange Chicken is actually made from a mixture of sugar and vinegar for the 'orange taste.'


----------



## Fawkes

*Creamsicle Cookies*

i made these last night and OMG! devine! i normally don't like white chocolate but since it adds to the overall flavor of the cookies, it's pretty tasty.

YIELD: 36 cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons packed orange zest
1 bag (2 cups) of Ghirardelli White Chips

1) Preheat oven to 375*.

2) In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3) In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla and orange juice until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.

4) Drop rounded tablespoon-size dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. (if the dough is too sticky to round, place in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.) Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry.

5) Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.


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## n3ophy7e

^^ They sound delicious hun!!!


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

*Blueberry Crumb Bars*

Ingredients
•	1 cup white sugar
•	1 tsp baking powder
•	3 cups all purpose flour
•	1 cup cold unsalted butter
•	1 egg
•	¼ tsp salt
•	Zest and juice of 1 lemon
•	4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen don’t thaw)
•	1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
•	1/2 cup white sugar
•	4 tsp cornstarch


Preparation
1.	Heat oven to 375 and line a 13x9 pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

2.	In a large bowl mix together 1 cup of sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.

3.	Dice the cold butter and add it to the flour mixture. Add the egg and then incorporate the butter the butter and egg by mashing it into the flour until you have only small chunks of butter left. 

4.	Put half of the flour/butter/egg mixture into the bottom of the lined pan. Pat the mixture down to get a firm and even layer on the bottom of the pan.

5.	In a separate bowl combine the blueberries, lemon juice, ½ cup of sugar and cornstarch and mix well.

6.	Pour the blueberries into the pan on top of the crust in an even layer.

7.	Add the rest of the flour mixture until the blueberries are evenly covered

8.	Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown.

The original recipe is here, the only change I would make is to increase the flour mixture by half. I felt that there wasn't enough crust or crumb topping but that's just my personal preference.




I've got a question for people good at this baking thing: How do I make the perfect crumb topping? Is it in the incorporation of the butter into the flour mixture?


----------



## animal_cookie

ocean said:


> I'm looking for yummy healthy foods-
> Any favorite recipes for super healthy recipes??
> 
> I've been trying to eat less carbs and more fruits and veggies......



lately i have been making super chunky salsas that can be eaten as a side dish.  its been doing a good job of getting my husband to eat more veggies.


----------



## Samadhi

Can anyone recommend recipes for really healthy snack bars? Like trail bars, etc... TIA!


----------



## Mariposa

animal_cookie said:


> lately i have been making super chunky salsas that can be eaten as a side dish.  its been doing a good job of getting my husband to eat more veggies.



I am so jealous of people that can eat raw red tomatoes.  Alas, I have a weird allergy that makes my right hand swell to the size of a grapefruit.    Cooked are no problem, and neither are tomatillos.  Raw red and heirloom tomatoes look so damn good.  My dad has several plants in his garden.

I do a variant of this recipe by doubling it, adding a full finely chopped avocado, and about 1/4 cup fresh lime juice.

Fabulous with fresh tortilla chips or really any Mexican or Tex-Mex dish.  I'm making a batch tomorrow.


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## animal_cookie

^its weird, i had a roommate who said she had a tomato allergy and i never really believed her. she used to claim me keeping ketchup in the fridge would make her have a reaction.  i guess its good to know she is not the only one with a tomato allergy


----------



## Pillthrill

I dunno some people have some very serious allergies.
There was a girl that I went to college with that she had to ask you if you had ANY peanuts in your food before you ate it because if you opened it in the same room as her she could end up in the hospital or die!
I just didn't eat with her in the room anymore cause I would be afraid that it would somehow hurt her!


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Mariposa said:


> I am so jealous of people that can eat raw red tomatoes.  Alas, I have a weird allergy that makes my right hand swell to the size of a grapefruit.    Cooked are no problem, and neither are tomatillos.  Raw red and heirloom tomatoes look so damn good.  My dad has several plants in his garden.



My mom has the same allergy though not as severe. She uses canned tomatoes to make up for it, or delegates the task to someone else.

*Stuffed Mushroom Caps*

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
16 large brown crimini mushrooms (or regular white mushrooms), stems removed and chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
fresh ground salt and pepper
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1 1/2 cups of immitation crab, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated 
extra mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top
2 1/4 tbsp Parmesan, grated
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced fine

What you do:

 After separating the caps from the stems, set the caps aside on a greased baking tray stem side up.
 Sauté stems, garlic and onion in butter until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 Mix the cream cheese with the crab, grated cheeses, chipotle pepper, egg 
and more salt and pepper.
 Add in the sautéed vegetables and mix well.
 Spoon the mixture into the caps, sprinkle with extra mozzarella if desired set into a 400°F oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

The original recipe (here) calls for shrimp but we substituted imitation crab because it was cheaper. The recipe also uses grams but we roughly estimated cups. We also made some white rice and steamed veggies to go along with it. Its definitely something I'm going to make again or for a special occasion.


----------



## Dafer

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecipe_finnan.htm

Traditional Scottish Recipes
- Finnan Haddie

There are references to smoked fish in Scotland going back to the 16th century. James Boswell wrote about them in the 18th century, mentioning that Scottish smoked fish could be obtained in London. But these were heavily smoked (as a preservative) and a bit tough. In the late 19th century, as fast transportation by train became available, the Aberdeen fishing village of Findon (pronounced locally as "Finnan") began producing lightly smoked and delicately flavoured haddock (haddies) which were of a much finer texture. They were an immediate success and variations on these tasty fish have become very popular. They can be simply grilled with butter but here is a recipe with milk and onions which turns them into a delicately flavoured fish stew. The quantities are sufficient for four people.

    Ingredients:
    One pound (500g) smoked haddock
    One large onion, thinly sliced
    14oz (400ml or one and two thirds of a cup) milk
    ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
    1½ teaspoons mustard powder
    1oz (30g or ¼ stick) butter, softened
    2 teaspoons plain flour
    1 finely chopped spring onion
    Some finely chopped parsley

    Method:
    Place the thinly sliced onion in the base of a large pan. Cut the smoked haddock into pieces about ½" to an inch (2cm) wide and spread over the onion.
    Mix the milk, pepper and mustard and pour over the fish. Bring to the boil slowly, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for five minutes. Then uncover and simmer for another five minutes.
    Remove the fish from the pan with a slotted spoon to allow the juices to run off and place in a warm serving dish. Continue to simmer the mixture in the pan for another five minutes, stirring frequently.
    Mix the warm butter and flour and add to the pan along with the finely chopped spring onion. Stir over a low heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil and thickens slightly. Pour over the fish and serve with some finely chopped parsley.


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## n3ophy7e

Samadhi said:


> Can anyone recommend recipes for really healthy snack bars? Like trail bars, etc... TIA!



My mum makes a "5-cup loaf" which is super easy and really healthy. 

1 cup rolled oats or All Bran (you can use any museli-type cereal though)
1 cup sultanas or mixed fruit (my mum usually does 1/3 cup diced dried apricots and 2/3 cup sultanas)
1 cup raw or brown sugar 
1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour 
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 160-170°C. 
Mix together dry ingredients. Make well in centre and add milk. 
Mix well, and pour into a lined and greased loaf tin. 
Bake 45 - 60 minutes. 

It is a really good course of energy and low GI, and _really_ yummy


----------



## Samadhi

That looks so easy and delicious, N3o! I'm definitely trying it this week.

As an aside, our very own Sandimoo made THE most delicious lemon cheesecake for dessert last night. *drool*


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## n3ophy7e

I actually just made it today!! Having a piece right now, fresh out of the oven, with a little bit of melted butter  

Wow lemon cheesecake!!! She is becoming quite the master chef isn't she?!


----------



## Bomboclat

I have absolutely no idea why you posted this in Drug Culture....im going to move it to Second Opinion in hopes that they'll merge it with their recipe thread.

I highly suggest you read the rules of the forum, as well as check out what we're all about before posting again.

DC ---> SO


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## ChemicalSmiles

sounds decent, but if you look a bit there is a recipe thread buddy. Like http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=510582

Nice try though  Aww your new its cool


----------



## Dave

That sounds not too bad, but it'll kill you with the amount of salt in it. Onion soup mix is notorious for having a fuckton-and-a-half of salt per serving.


----------



## addictivepersona

Dave said:


> That sounds not too bad, but it'll kill you with the amount of salt in it. Onion soup mix is notorious for having a fuckton-and-a-half of salt per serving.



You beat me to it.

Not only that, but saying a recipe is the "best or "easiest" is a matter of opinion.  

My favorite burger recipe I have made to date would have to be:





			
				http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/r/BlackBeanBurger.htm said:
			
		

> Ingredients:
> 
> 1/2 onion, diced
> 1 can black beans, well drained
> 1/2 cup flour
> 2 slices bread, crumbled
> 1 tsp garlic powder
> 1 tsp onion powder
> 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
> salt and pepper to taste
> oil for frying
> 
> Preparation:
> 
> Sautee the onions till soft, about 3-5 minutes.
> In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth. Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a few tablespoons at a time to combine well. Mixture will be thick.
> 
> Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm. Make veggie burgers and enjoy!


----------



## animal_cookie

i have had some odd things on top of pizza, but the other night i tried a pepperoni pizza drizzled in honey.  has anyone ever had something similar?

it was actually pretty tasty.  the pepperonis were very crisp and the honey added a sweetness, it reminded of maple bacon or honey baked ham.  altho i still prefer dipping pizza in ranch.


----------



## etherdesign

*Jerk Chicken*

Here's a great recipe for jerk chicken, I've also used it on pork and as a dressing for cole slaw and it's absolutely delish.

1 bunch scallions (5-7) cut into 2 inch lengths
6 garlic cloves
1 2" piece peeled fresh ginger, sliced into 1/4" discs
1 heaping tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (I used a little less dried)
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 whole cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, seeds and stems removed
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (I like Eden Shoyu, or San-J Organic Tamari)
Juice of 3 limes (I love these juicers.
1/2 cup canola oil

If you can, grind you own allspice, nutmeg and black pepper, all the better.
Place all ingredients except oil in a food processor, add the oil while the processor is running until it looks well blended and there's no big chunks of anything left.  Yes, it's a mess.

Throw your chicken pieces or pork chops/tenderloin (2-3 lbs) into a ziploc or whatever you prefer, top with mixture saving some for dipping or basting.  Marinate at least 2 hours, though I would suggest more overnight would be great.  Grill.

Last time I used this (on pork chops), I served it with roasted sweet potato and cole slaw.


----------



## Dave

I'm so going to try that with baked tofu sometime. Ferreal.That looks delicious.


----------



## ocean

The Jerk Chicken sounds fab!
I use this Jerk Marinade in the bottle  
Making it like that sounds yummy.


----------



## animal_cookie

i made fessenjoon (walnut pomegranate chicken) a few days ago.  i was really surprised with how easy it was to make.  i copied the recipe from whats4eats.  they have a ton of different recipes from various countries!

    * Butter or oil -- 1/4 cup
    * Chicken, cut into serving pieces -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
    * Onions, thinly sliced -- 2
    * Walnuts, finely ground in a food processor -- 2 cups
    * Stock or water -- 1 1/2 to 2 cups
    * Pomegranate syrup or molasses -- 2/3 cup
    * Sugar -- 1-3 tablespoons
    * Salt and pepper -- to taste

Method

1. Heat the butter or oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium flame. Add the chicken pieces a few at a time and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until translucent.

3. Stir in the ground walnuts and stock or water and return the browned chicken pieces to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4. Stir in the pomegranate juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is tender, the sauce is somewhat thickened and the walnuts begin to give off their oil. Adjust seasoning and serve with plain white rice.


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## Dave

In no way does this belong on the second page. Bumpitty.


----------



## ocean

Tonight is the second night in a row I'm making Stuffed Mushrooms.
Last night I came up with this mixture- I just made it up as I was going and I didn't measure so- here is the rough idea


_*Ocean's Stuffed Mushrooms-*_ 
I took the stem out of a batch of button mushrooms- I diced up one mushroom and like a stem or two. 
I mixed that with about 2 tblsp of minced onion and 2 tbsp minced garlic. 
A generous dash each of basil, oregano, and rosemary. 
A few generous dashes of black pepper- about a tblsp olive oil. 
About a cup or so of Ricotta cheese and maybe 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. 
A dash of salt and blended it all really well.
 I then stuffed each of the mushroom caps with my cheese mixture and baked in the oven about 20 mins or so at 375 degrees.

Super yummy.


----------



## Backdoorgirl

I just made this tonight:


Best-Ever Lemon Pie - Turns out perfectly every time.

Ingredients:

1 baked pie shell
3/4 cup sugar (or up to 1 1/4 cup if you like it very sweet)
6 tablespoons cornstarch 
2 cups water
3 eggs separated
3 tablespoons butter (or 2, or 1, or none if you prefer no fat but it does add to the flavour)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract or 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 1 1/2 - 2 large lemons needed)
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar 

Directions:

1.Mix sugar & cornstarch together in the top of a double boiler. (Do not place on heat yet.)
2.Add the water.
3.In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and the lemon juice and beat them well.
Add them to the mixture in step 1.
4.Add water to the bottom of the double boiler.
Place the top of the double boiler over the bottom and cook over the boiling water until the mixture thickens. (This can take up to 25 minutes. Stir only once in a while to check its progress.) 
5.Once thickened, add the butter, the lemon extract, and the vinegar (if using it).
Stir thoroughly.
6.Pour into the pie shell. 
7.Cover with meringue and brown it in the oven.

Never-Fail Meringue  -

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/3 cup boiling water or hottest tap water
3 egg whites 
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1.Blend the cornstarch & cold water in a pot.
2.Add the boiling water & cook, stirring until thickened & it becomes clear in colour.
3.Set it aside to cool completely.
4.Beat egg whites at high speed until thick.
5.Gradually add sugar & beat until stiff, but not dry.
6.Turn to low speed and add vanilla.
7.Gradually beat in the cold, cornstarch mixture, then turn to high speed and beat well.
8.Spread meringue over warm pie.
9.Bake at 350 °F for about 10 minutes. (Watch it closely.)
Remove when meringue is lightly browned.


----------



## animal_cookie

*apple pizza*

this was on the second page.  and that is bad, so i will describe a pizza i had the other night...

it was a thin crust pizza with drizzled with red wine and just enough provolone to make the toppings stay put.  it was topped fresh sliced apples and prosciutto.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

im gonna cough up the 3 really good recipes I promised earlier.... they might not be super complicated, but they are delicous all in their own right.... warning, they are all appetizers but they are so good you might start eating them as full meals as I do sometimes.


----------



## ocean

oh yummmmm


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

yeah im gonna give you guys lets see... bacon wrapped waterchestnuts w/ the best hoemmade sauce ever + its easy

my mini pizza appetizer.... (so simple and good you will ALWAYS keep grands biscuits in your refrigerator... in fact i'll write the recipe for this one now.

andddddddd my honey teriyaki shiskabobs.... so i guess 2 appetizers and 1 main course....


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Mini Pizzas; what you need;

Grands biscuits
olive oil (I use my basil/garlic homemade oil)
parmesean cheese
mozzarella cheese
monterrey jack cheese
italian seasons blend or oregano if you dont have that
little bit of freshly ground black pepper
RAGU pasta sauce; (any kind)
1 bell pepper (u can get by on 1 half of one)
1 onion (again u can get by on 1 half or even 1 third)

ok so for each grands biscuit you get two pizzas, you split each biscuit in half and patty it out like a burger

I take a paper towel and wrap it up tight, and pour a little olive oil on it and spread it all over the pan so the pizzas dont stick... I also pour a tiny bit of olive oil on each pizzza and spread it around the top (I use basil/garlic infused olive oil I make, its delicous)

I then sautee half a bell pepper and half an onion in butter OR my olive oil mix to add as toppings. 

Once all the biscuits are split in half and pattied down thin, and placed on the greased up pan. The olive oil gets spread on top of each on first, then a layer of parm cheese, then I use about 1 oz of RAGU on each mini pizza and spread evenly, half an ounce of mozzerrella and half an ounce of monterrey jack cheese. Then I put the sauteed onions and pell peppers on top. Then a little bit of freshly ground pepper, and italian seasons. Sometimes I will add pepperoni on top of this pour a little more olive oil (only if its my infused garlic/basil shit) and sprinkle a tad bit more parmesean cheese. its fucking delicous and I think there is 6 biscuits in a pack or 12 mini pizzas total... maybe more even I forget! The water chestnuts wrapped in bacon w/ my special sauce is even better, will add tomorrow.

edit; oh yeah I put the oven on 450 and once pre heated I have found anywhere from 8-11 minutes is good. Depends on how crispy you want, but keep an eye on it!


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

ChemicalSmiles said:


> Mini Pizzas; what you need;
> 
> Grands biscuits
> olive oil (I use my basil/garlic homemade oil)
> parmesean cheese
> mozzarella cheese
> monterrey jack cheese
> italian seasons blend or oregano if you dont have that
> little bit of freshly ground black pepper
> RAGU pasta sauce; (any kind)
> 1 bell pepper (u can get by on 1 half of one)
> 1 onion (again u can get by on 1 half or even 1 third)
> 
> ok so for each grands biscuit you get two pizzas, you split each biscuit in half and patty it out like a burger
> 
> I take a paper towel and wrap it up tight, and pour a little olive oil on it and spread it all over the pan so the pixzas dont stick... I also pour a tiny bit of olive oil on each pizzza and spread it around the top *(I use basil/garlic infused olive oil I make, its delicous)*
> 
> I then sautee half a bell pepper and half an onion in butter OR my olive oil mix to add as toppings.
> 
> Once all the biscuits are split in half and pattied down thin, and placed on the greased up pan. The olive oil gets spread on top of each on first, then a layer of parm cheese, then I use about 1 oz of RAGU on each mini pizza and spread evenly, half an ounce of mozzerrella and half an ounce of monterrey jack cheese. Then I put the sauteed onions and pell peppers on top. Then a little bit of freshly ground pepper, and italian seasons. Sometimes I will add pepperoni on top of this pour a little more olive oil (only if its my infused garlic/basil shit) and sprinkle a tad bit more parmesean cheese. its fucking delicous and I think there is 6 biscuits in a pack or 12 mini pizzas total... maybe more even I forget! The water chestnuts wrapped in bacon w/ my special sauce is even better, will add tomorrow.



And why didn't you post a recipe for that? I definitely making these sometime soon.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Ok heres what I use for the basil/garlic combo

Use an old 8 oz bottle and throw in one full glove of fresh garlic, I then cut up my basil real fine (I use sweet basil + one other variety, I will have to check) But its approximately 3-4 ounces of fresh basil. I use more sweet basil because I like the sweet basil to dominate the flavor. Then I just fill it up with olive oil and let it soak. After 72 hours its good to go. :D

edit; oh yeah I put the oven on 450 and once pre heated I have found anywhere from 8-11 minutes is good. Depends on how crispy you want, but keep an eye on it!


----------



## His Name Is Frank

This is a recipe for fajita marinade. 

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of Zatarain's Blackened Seasoning   

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper.
Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cook as desired.


I made it the other night for some friends and it was so damn good. I left the chicken and the shrimp in the bag of marinade overnight. Then, I baked the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, I poured spoon-fulls of marinade I had set aside over the chicken.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Sounds good, im gonna post how I make my fajitas soon!

BUT

in the meantime

.
...
.....

Here is my spinach and garlic cream cheese wonton RECIPE!

What you need

1 Package of your favorite brand of creme cheese (the smaller ones)
1 Package of frozen spinach
Garlic Powder (1 teaspoon, OR half a fresh glove minced fine)
1 Package of wonton Wrappers
Salt+ Freshly Ground Pepper (sometimes I use white pepper, and you can REALLY distinguish the flavor of that)
For the bacon lovers, cook up 6 pieces of the center cut bacon and then crumble into small pieces.
For the pepper lovers use a combination of 1 jalepeno (de seeded if you can handle the heat, and then you dice it up fine)
Cooking OIL
I have a little fry daddy I cook mine in, but this recipe can be done in a frying pan, but make sure to use enough oil that all wontons are completed submersed in oil (or it wont cook right)

Ok in a bowl mix cream cheese (let it sit out the fridge for 30-35 minutes to be a little easier to work with), then in a pan sautee the spinach, drain it & then add to the cream cheese. Next add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (NOT GARLIC SALT)..  or you can use half of 1 fresh glove of garlic, its the perfect amount. make sure to mine finely before adding. Stir the mixture up well & sprinkle a light amount of salt and freshly ground pepper into the mix, stir once more and taste test... you will be able to sell if you need more salt, garlic, or black pepper based on your taste buds..

While one person is dicing up the jalepno to be added to the mixture. Another person can cook 6 pieces of  center cut bacon, make SURE to get a quality brand or the bacon won't be worth adding. When bacon is done, break it down to smaller pieces ( I advise cooking the bacon 90 seconds longer than you normally would to crisp it up.) and add jalepeno and bacon again. Stir mixture thoroughly... then get the wontons out.

It will take a lil' practice to get a good shaped wonton and different people have different techniquies but scoop in a dallop ( NOT TOO BIG ) of cream cheese mixter and seal the wanto nby dipping your finger in water and wetting all the edges so when yo go to fold it up, then they will stay held together while cooking. (OVERCOOK & you will see an explosion of cream cheese in your fryer.

Get the pan to 6-8 on the heat level and fill thoroughly with oil, if using fry daddy fill to 3/4 up and crank that baby to 425.. if using fry day it use same temp and flip every 4 minutes and the are done. Cook one side, 4 mins alter flip.... then cook 4 more minutes DONE... make sure to keep eyes on them though! dont want burnt wantons.... ive seen habanero cream cheese poppers and they were amazing. I also add cayenne pepper to the recipe I just posted.....

edit; drain poppers on paper towels, wait 406 minutes to cool.


----------



## ocean

HisNameIsFrank said:


> This is a recipe for fajita marinade.
> 
> Ingredients
> 
> 1/4 cup lime juice
> 1/3 cup water
> 2 tablespoons olive oil
> 4 cloves garlic, crushed
> 2 teaspoons soy sauce
> 1 teaspoon salt
> 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
> 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
> 1 teaspoon of Zatarain's Blackened Seasoning
> 
> Directions
> 
> In a large resealable plastic bag, mix together the lime juice, water, olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, and liquid smoke flavoring. Stir in cayenne and black pepper.
> Place desired meat in the marinade, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Cook as desired.
> 
> 
> I made it the other night for some friends and it was so damn good. I left the chicken and the shrimp in the bag of marinade overnight. Then, I baked the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Every 15 minutes, I poured spoon-fulls of marinade I had set aside over the chicken.



Yum. 
I will have to look for liquid smoke flavoring but this sounds so tasty.......


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

liquid smoke is the SHIT@ it is in a few of my recipes...


----------



## Dave

I've been meaning to post in here lately, but as I'm lazy right now, here's a recipe taken from the cookbook written by the chef of what is currently (and officially) the best restaurant in the world:


*NSFW*:


----------



## ocean

So, the other night I took about  1/4 c of minced onion and shallots, 1 tblsp minced garlic and one small/medium sized onion sliced......1/4-1/2 c. Pom Juice (Pomegranate and Cranberry) and cooked it on med/med-high until the juice evaporated and was soaked into the onions- 

While the onions were cooking I sliced up bread. (I had seen this in a recipe a while back but didn't write it down so this was my version- the recipe called for a baguette but I used a small whole grain loaf) and topped each slice of bread with maybe a tblsp of Goat Cheese- I then topped the breas and cheese with the onions and baked in the oven at like 350 for about ten mins.

It was totally amazing.
This would make a good holiday appetizer.


----------



## cletus

Good bump Oash! :D I was going to go looking for this thread tonight & you just reminded me.

What on earth made you mix all that together? Sounds really interesting.


----------



## ocean

^I saw the pomegranate juice and onion in a recipe on a baguette a while back........
So I just decided to try and add in shallots and garlic and put it on a different bread......and usse POM juice with Cranberry in it......
(And of course, didn't use measurements or look up that recipe but it turned out yummy anyway) 

Here is a pic of it, I posted yesterday-


----------



## Jamshyd

Here is a VERY simple 2-minute dish. It is in fact my favourite quick breakfast item. As simple as it looks, it is in fact a staple in the middle-east and can be offered by most mid-eastern restaurants either as a side/snack, or as breakfast.

*Fried Cheese*

You'll need:

- 'White' Cheese (Haloumi or Nabulsi)
- Butter

That's all!

I personally would argue that the butter is even more important than the cheese, because IT gives it that special taste.

If you have access to yellow ghee, and don't mind increasing your chance for heart-attack, then ghee is the way to go .

Instructions:

- The cheese is usually preserved in brine, so you want to either boil it for a couple of mins, or soak it for a bit, until the cheese itself is no longer salty - or at least bearably salty.

- Saute cheese in butter until cheese crisps and reddens. Careful not to burn it. The trick is to make it red and crunchy on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside.

- Enjoy :D

Now as for the cheese itself, if you can't find it at your local grocers, you'll definitely find it at any ethnic store catering to mid-easterners. The dish - and the cheese it involves - was invented by palestinians. There are different ways to making white cheese and there are subtle differences between them. One thing to look out for is that you don't want the cheese that melts. I *believe* this carries that "Akkawi" appellation but I need to check with my mother about this. The reason is that melted cheese doesn't crunch well on the outside, and tends to be too sweet (it is in fact used mostly for sweets).


----------



## ocean

^I've made little fried cheese 'chips' in the past but never with the cheese you listed. I've never even seen that cheese before.......But I will look for it...... and I plan to try making a Parmesan and Asiago  cheese bowl for pasta......(saw it on Anthony Bourdain) 
Basically  fried cheese shaped into a bowl......Yum!


----------



## animal_cookie

^haloumi is one of the few cheeses i will eat.  it does not get all gooey and creamy like lots of other cheeses when heated up.

i like it grilled (or broiled) and served on a baguette with a bit of infused olive oil.  its like a fancy, grown up grilled cheese sandwich.


----------



## Jamshyd

^ That does sound yummy!

And yes, Haloumi is only nominally cheese... it is a bit different from most cheeses in its properties. In my limited knowledge, I'd place it somewhere between (authentic, southern-European) Mozzarella and Feta.


----------



## Samadhi

Very easy fruit salad i ate lots of in Thailand:

Pomello (if you can't source in your country, try grapefruit, but don't add as much)
Fresh Pineapple
Lychees
Mango

Drizzle with a mixture of natural yoghurt, lime juice and a TINY amount of cayenne pepper.

OMNOMNOM


----------



## ebola?

2 recipes of mine, vegan alfredo and vegan stroganoff, both under the vegan alfredo entry

Hi.  As entered, Two of my recipes appear in this single entry.

ebola


----------



## Mariposa

Bumping this as I need to go to the store and am feeling indecisive.  Having a slight seafood craving - we will see if shrimp are on sale.


----------



## animal_cookie

i made this broccoli pesto for a holiday party and served it with some gnocchi, it was a big hit.  its pretty much broccoli and walnuts ground up with some olive oil...


----------



## ocean

^Ohhhh looks and sounds yummy!!

'Posa- I love shellfish- Shrimp is delish. 
Something  super super simple- If you don't feel like messing with anything is getting some Pico de Gallo and mixing it with Shrimp and the juice of one lime- Cut an avocado in half and to pit (And on the side) w/ the Shrimp and Pico and eat with Flax Black Corn Chips. 
AMAZING.
I could eat that all day.....................................with a mojito 

Shrimp Creole is tasty and Shrimp with pasta and a cheese sauce is good.............
Shrimp Cocktail or Shrimp Stirfry  Now I want Shrimp! :D


----------



## Kenickie

*Mushroom Stroganoff*

*can be made vegan!*


4 Large Portobello Mushrooms ( sliced)
1 package white button mushrooms (sliced)
1 package shittaki mushrooms(sliced)
1 Onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 Sweet Pepper ( yellow,orange or red - i use orange)
1 package sour cream
1/2 cup wine red,white or sherry depends on your tastes.
4 Tablespoons butter
salt/pepper to taste

---------------------------

you need a *big *pan for this. the mushrooms have to cook evenly and it's a large amount of food.

Over low heat cook onions,peppers and garlic until tender.
Add all sliced mushrooms except the portabello's also add basil.

Cover and simmer however long is up to you this dish can take being simmered from 15 min or 1 hour as long as you do not add the portabellos. I simmered for about 40 minutes.

If mix gets a little dry add a touch of veggie broth.
Add portabellos and cook until they are just tender and done, add sour cream and mix well.

Simmer for about 15 min, add wine and simmer for about 10 more min.
Serve over rice, or noodles. I use egg noodles. Serves 4 hungry people with about 2 servings left over for later. 


It is important to note that the smaller mushrooms need to be cooked long enough to break down a little as they form the bulk of the sauce, portabellos which are added later are a very "meaty" mushroom and give that great body. To make this vegan use tofutti better than sour cream, and earth balance spread instead of butter.


----------



## Kenickie

*Hummus Pizza*

*vegan!*

1 store bought pizza crust (pita bread can also be used)
1 container (about 1.5cups) hummus
1 jar of roasted red peppers
2 medium sized onions (any colour)
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons rosemary (crushed)


1. sweat onions with balsamic vinegar + rosemary until caramelized (about 15 minutes)
2. preheat oven to 425F
3. spread hummus evenly over pizza crust, add caramelized onions and roasted red peppers in any fancy design you prefer
4. stick in oven for 10-12 minutes or until crust is crispy

well reviewed add ins are:

sundried tomatoes and artichokes, as well as mushrooms and feta cheese.


this is super easy, super cheap (8$ or so), quick, it's awesome.


----------



## Samadhi

ocean said:


> ^Ohhhh looks and sounds yummy!!
> 
> 'Posa- I love shellfish- Shrimp is delish.
> Something  super super simple- If you don't feel like messing with anything is getting some Pico de Gallo and mixing it with Shrimp and the juice of one lime- Cut an avocado in half and to pit (And on the side) w/ the Shrimp and Pico and eat with Flax Black Corn Chips.
> AMAZING.
> I could eat that all day.....................................with a mojito
> 
> Shrimp Creole is tasty and Shrimp with pasta and a cheese sauce is good.............
> Shrimp Cocktail or Shrimp Stirfry  Now I want Shrimp! :D



Teehee! This whole post had me picturing you with your bottom lip out, talking all day about Shrimp, Bubba (from Forrest Gump) styles. We call them prawns in Australia!

 :D


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

chocolate covered bacon nom nom nom...

heres the link to the recipe I followed. Next time I make, I will take some pics.

Check it out.


----------



## ocean

Oh man, I scrolled up and saw those little goat cheese appetizers I made and they look so tasty. :D

The bacon covered chocolate would prob be pretty good!

Not sure if I have posted this and atm I'm being lazy but I made a few times, and it was delish-Stuffed Sea Scallops..........

I took figs, sliced then in half
I took Sea Scallops (not the bay scallops or you'd be there all day suffering through the nonsense) and cut them into little pac man shapes.
I then took little chunks of Gorgonzola cheese and stuffed that into the figs, then stuffed the scallops with the stuffed figs.
I wrapped the scallops with bacon (open slice being covered with the bacon)
Stuck a toothpick in to hold the bacon and broiled until done. 

I then took a good scoop of raspberry jam I had made, with maybe a bit of water and heated it in a skillet until it was kinda liquidy but warm.
I then poured it over the scallops and it was to die for.


Edit: It appears I did post this before but here it is reposted.....and it also appears I used red wine and gave the option of water in my last posting of it


----------



## Slain

Bread + Toaster = Toast.

I'm glad I could help you all. 
Thank you.


----------



## ocean

^What an excellent contribution! Thanks! :D


----------



## cletus

Yeah thanks Slain, I'll be sure to add it to the main menu 

However, if you add some melted cheese to the mix -> Cheese + toast = Win


----------



## ocean

^Hey! Hey!! Cheese to anything= win.

Once I had a Peanut Butter, Pickle and cheese sandwich and it was amazing..........I even dipped it in ranch :D hahahahahaa


----------



## animal_cookie

^that sounds vile.


----------



## ocean

Hahahahaha- It was pretty good at the time :D


----------



## animal_cookie

were you high? then again i eat some weird combos of food, like potato chips on meat ball subs.


----------



## ocean

^No drug talk in SO  hahahahaha
You do!! You eat egg pizza!! :D (Which may actually be good!)


----------



## animal_cookie

^egg pizza is yummy.  and it seems lots of people agree with me 

i have been really lazy about cooking lately. i should read this thread for some inspiration.

does anyone have any favorite recipe/food sites?


----------



## Samadhi

I was at the doctors recently and while reading a New Idea magazine, realised that this particular edition had HEAPS of yummy recipes, so i proceeded to very quietly pop out the middle quarter of the magazine. My husband, without me saying anything, just grabbed his satchel and opened it in front of me. I then slipped the stolen recipes into it. I love how we're so on the same page. 

I also got the Jamie Oliver 30 Minute Meals cookbook as part of my work xmas present. I'll be cooking up a storm soon!


----------



## tiggerific

some quick and cheap recipes including the egg pizza can be found at www.eggrecipes.co.uk 
but one of my favourites is take an aubergine and slice it into rounds put one slice down add mozzerella, add parma ham, top it with another slice and repeat till aubergine is all used up pop in oven for about 30 mins at 180 whilst it is cooking chop up a pepper, chop up a small onion, chop up 2 cloves of garlic a tablepoon of mixed herbs and cook for a couple of minutes then pour over a tin of chopped tomatoes and let it reduce down depending on which meal time put 2-3 on a plate and generously douse with tomato and pepper sauce. quick easy and delish


----------



## Bearlove

I made a very tasty Pumpkin soup yesterday

Pumpkin or some squash, red pepper, red onions, chopped into chunks and tossed with garlic, chilli flakes, cumin seeds in olive oil. 

Roasted them until they were tender (20 mins or so) and then added them to some chicken stock (from a couple of cubes) and some fresh coriander - whizzed it with a hand blender and then added curry powder, cumin powder salt and pepper to taste. 

Added a dollop of fresh cream and a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves just before serving. 

Main meal was Salmon with courgettes and onions and a side of stir fried vegs done in a hoi sin sauce


----------



## tiggerific

bearlove that sounds wonderful think I might try that this weekend after I get shopping in, I love pumpkin and butternut squash


----------



## Bearlove

tiggerific said:


> bearlove that sounds wonderful think I might try that this weekend after I get shopping in, I love pumpkin and butternut squash



I've made it a few times and its really nice and warming just what you need when its freezing cold outside .

Its really simple to make and tastes great. 

Good luck


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

Samadhi said:


> I was at the doctors recently and while reading a New Idea magazine, realised that this particular edition had HEAPS of yummy recipes, so i proceeded to very quietly pop out the middle quarter of the magazine. My husband, without me saying anything, just grabbed his satchel and opened it in front of me. I then slipped the stolen recipes into it. I love how we're so on the same page. !



I have asked the receptionist to make me a copy (if they are not obviously busy with patients).  If there are more than 3 or 4, they say just take the magazine which is exactly what I tell patients to do.  You did the right thing


----------



## MasterSplinter

Anyone got a good recipe for eatin pumpkin bread or zuccini bread?

Theses are my favorite foods after Ive been eatin beans the next day. Pumpkin bread and bud light...


----------



## animal_cookie

^i prefer to put the bread in my mouth, chew and swallow. then i repeat until bread is gone


----------



## panic in paradise

*skinny schef*

guessing measurements here.

butter
1lb bay* scallops
1 cup euro/thin* yogurt
1/5 cup euro/greek honey* yogurt
wheat flower to thicken
orange* thyme
faint* dill

vino~~~~~
chenin blanc - look for green apple notes
semi sweet riesling
smokey chardonnay


----------



## animal_cookie

what are your favorite cold weather dishes? or hot weather dishes for you aussies and your backwards seasons?

i had a snow day and decided to make short ribs (with hopefully enough leftover for even yummier sandwiches tomorrow). judging by the amount of other people getting short ribs, i would say they are pretty popular for snowy days.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I have doing a slower cooker meal and prepping a casserole for mid week every Sunday for the past 8-10 weeks.  I don't like to cook every night in the winter.  I can share some recipes if anyone is interested.

I long for the grill.  It's too cold to be outside.


----------



## ocean

*Rogue's S and A Dip *
from *That_Guy * 

(served w/ warm pita)

20oz spinach
6 lb artichoke hearts
5 lb cream cheese
12 oz blue cheese crumbles
2 oz shredded parmesan
1 Tbs kosher salt
2 tsp white pepper
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 oz onion powder
12 oz crushed hazelnuts


----------



## panic in paradise

ohh cold dish perfect

small taste of ingredients:
lamb
pinot noir
mushies, portabellas
crushed minced almonds, smoked
thyme
sparing fresh basil leafs at finish
wheat flower to thicken
wrap in crussaunts
-----------------------
game hen
ruby port
unsalted pistachio, smashed and minced
rosemary & thyme

asparagus, and mashers for both.


----------



## tiggerific

1 large mackerel or smoked haddock
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 small red onion
1 clove of garlic crushed
6 tablespoons of plain yoghurt (depending on texture you might add in a bit extra)
1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
a little lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne pepper
whizz it all together and there you have a cheap and easy fish pate.
serve with oatcakes or on toast


----------



## Bearlove

Curried Dal and Pumpkin Soup 

Ingredients
A bag of Masoor Dal / Red Lentils
Pumpkin / Squash / Indian pumpkin (whatever you prefer) – chopped up into small cubes
Garlic
Chilly to taste (I used Thai red chilly +Kashmiri chilly powder for heat and Dutch Chilly for taste)
Chilly flakes
Cumin seeds and Mustard seeds (start off with a half teaspoon of each)
Cumin powder, coriander powder
Onion
Stock (I used a mix of Veg and Chicken stock)
Water 
Salt and pepper
Madras Curry Powder

I found cooking this in three stages is the easiest way!

Stage one

Rinse the Dal / Lentils until the water runs clear and then set to one side to drain. 

Stage Two
Chop the chilly and garlic, now peel and chop up the Pumpkin. Once the pumkin is in small pieces heat up a large frying pan add oil and when that is hot add about half a teaspoon of cumin/mustard seeds.  Once these start to ‘pop’ add about quarter the chilly/garlic mixture and stir until just starting to get soft.  Now add the pumkin/squash and stir until it’s cooked / tender (don’t worry if the garlic looks smells burnt as this adds to the final dish).

Tip this out and keep to one side



Stage Two 

When you have been waiting for the pumkin to get soft you can chop up the onions (nothing fancy as your going to blend it anyway).
So add the onions with a little bit of oil, another quarter of the  garlic/chilly, salt/pepper, curry powder, cumin and then fry these until they are soft and add to the reserved pumkin.

Stage Three
Now add the (washed and  drained) Dal to a pan, add a little bit of oil and stir until almost all of them have changed colour (they get lighter when cooked). Now add the rest of the garlic, chilly and reserved veggies and still until all are cooked (now is the time to  adjust the flavours depending on what you like)

Stage Four
Add stock, reduce, then add more stock and blend (simply adjust the amount of stock to suit your preference) 

Blend / Serve!

Great toppings,  fresh coriander sprigs or sour cream or chives (or tops of green onions) or olive oil or cheddar cheese or crushed up crackers etc


----------



## Bearlove

^the simple fact that I cant remember making the above post should excuse me for the spelling.


----------



## n3ophy7e

Lol I think you did pretty well man! :D


----------



## animal_cookie

i was sad to this on the second page, so i am sharing a link to what i made for dinner tonight.

 its pork cheek and black eyed pea chili from michael symon.






i am super lucky to live near a market where i can find all sorts of random cuts of meat.


----------



## Dave

That. Looks. Scrumptious.

A big, hot bowl of love, for a cold blustery day. Perfect.

I've been slacking on this thread lately. And by lately I mean the last six months. Got to get back into the game.


----------



## TINK

I wish I could cook. I am terrible in the kitchen.

cereal + milk + bowl = dinner


----------



## n3ophy7e

^^ That's about the extent of my culinary expertise as well TINK :D 
Although my dinner is usually toast + tuna +/- a boiled egg


----------



## TINK

i have said it once and i will say it again. you are my twin. crazy world.


----------



## animal_cookie

TINK said:


> I wish I could cook. I am terrible in the kitchen.
> 
> cereal + milk + bowl = dinner



if you follow a recipe, its pretty easy to cook. and if you don't know how to do something in the recipe, search youtube for a video how to.

the chili recipe i posted mostly involves chopping stuff and cooking it briefly on stove. then you forget about it while it finishes cooking. you don't have to cut everything perfectly/evenly since it all cooks down in the same pot.

blogs often have pictures, comments and tipsby the person doing the cooking. which is good if you want to see how your food is supposed to look after each step. a blog about the chili recipe i posted


----------



## TINK

ok let me re-phrase. It is not so much that I am terrible in the kitchen as much as I hate being there unless I am making coffee.

I also have an odd grocery store phobia.  so :/


----------



## animal_cookie

crock pot cooking and grocery delivery then


----------



## spork

grocery delivery has been a godsend for me. i actually enjoy grocery shopping, but not the stress and restrictions of doing it by bus.


----------



## Dave

Grocery... delivery? I'm intrigued, but also a little frightened.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

animal_cookie said:


> crock pot cooking and grocery delivery then



I want to get a crock pot just so I can have dinner when I get back from school but my roommate flips out about the coffee pot being left plugged in so I doubt a crock pot will be okay.

This has been my favorite meal as of late, its called Hopping John and is supposedly served for good luck on New Years in the south. Its perfect to take to work for lunch. 

3/4 cups uncooked brown rice
3 carrots thinly sliced (I just use baby carrots sliced)
1/4 cup onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup each of chopped red, yellow and red bell pepper (I use one whole pepper total though)
1 can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes drained
2 tbs minced fresh parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I omit all these spices and herbs and just sprinkle it liberally with pepper and chili powder because I don't have them in my apartment)


Cook rice according to package.
Cook corn, carrots, peppers and onion in oil until they reach the desired texture (I like my carrots to still have a nice crunch), about 6 minutes. 
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute (or however long it takes me to use the manual can opener)
Stir in peas, rice, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add seasonings and cook for 2-3 minutes.

The traditional recipe calls for bacon to be cut into one inch pieces but I skip it to make this a little healthier.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Consider that recipe stolen.  It sounded way too good from the beginning to be Vegetarian and low and behold IT IS!  :D


----------



## ocean

Dave said:


> Grocery... delivery? I'm intrigued, but also a little frightened.



It is actually pretty common as far as I know.
Do you have Safeway there? They deliver.
I had a friend who did her shopping through Safeway and really liked it- her only complaint is she didn't get the prettiest produce. Good produce, just not pretty.
 But your better option for that would be CSA's, which also usually deliver.

You should look into your local grocery store and see if its a possibility.



I googled your area and yes, there are a couple options.


----------



## Dave

Oh, and aep: that recipe looks tasty and dead simple. An ideal midweek meal. Methinks I may make a batch tomorrow. Far too lazy tonight, although I did make this:

Fried Cabbage

1 head cabbage, quartered, core removed and sliced into as thin of ribbons as can be managed
2 medium onions, sliced in half and then into very thin strips
3-7 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
optional flavourings: red chili flakes, liquid smoke, or do both with some ancho chili powder or smoked hot paprika

Start by sweating the onions in a generous glug of oil, in the largest pan you have. Use more oil than you'd think that you would need; it needs to last for the cabbage, and there's a lot of it. Add the cabbage in phases so that the pan doesn't get too crowded-- once the first addition starts to soften to the point where it can be moved around easily without making a mess, add more. Do this until the whole head is added-- it speeds things up to add a good hit of salt with every addition to help draw out the moisture. Once most of the cabbage is added, add the garlic (it should be thinly sliced, but not diced/crushed) and stir it in. Keep cooking the cabbage until it starts to brown and the natural sugars get drawn out. You'll know when it happens 

Give it one last seasoning, and add the optional flavourings right at the end. My Dad would always make this, and would insist on the only aromatic being onions and the only spice being salt. It was amazing. I can't go that simple though, I just can't.

This is a staple side dish for a good 'ol Ukie farmboy, and is a great, comforting winter dish. It will make your home smell like fried cabbage for a day or two, but I don't mind that one bit as long as it is cooked to the point of sweetness rather than overdone or burnt.


----------



## animal_cookie

^i love fried cabbage with noodles. i usually just use cabbage, noodles and lard. or i like to add salt pork to the dish sometimes instead of lard. its something i grew up eating.

i am amazed at how unhealthy the stuff my grandma used to make is. for what ever reason, my mom and uncle didn't like butter growing up so my grandma would use lard or salt pork for cooking (instead of pierogies with butter and onions, my grandma would fry up some salt pork and brown the pierogies in the grease). and hungarian cooking is pretty heavy in starches, sour cream and fat to begin with.


----------



## Dave

Yeah, Eastern European food rules.  Starches, cream, cheese and pork fat. Doesn't get any better than that, especially if you're out working in a field all day.

Pyrohy with bacon  = superwin. I have to make do with fancy compound butters.


----------



## animal_cookie

now that its lent, most churches have homemade pierogies as a side dish for their fish fries 

i have a question about crab meat... i recently found a crab cake recipe that i really want to try. the recipe calls for lump crab, picked over. all i could find at the store was stuff that came in a jar like this:






is that how lump crab comes? plus the stuff was like $20.00/pound. i have never really cooked crab before and figured i need some guidance before continuing...


----------



## Dave

Yeah, lump crab is just big pieces of crab meat. They charge more because it takes more work to get the meat out in big pieces, rather than shredded to all hell. I've never seen it in a can; usually in a deli container at a fishmonger or what have you. It's probably good though.

I've found a new love: sweet potato hash. Great for a Sunday breakfast under some fried/poached eggs with a side of avocado, or as a hearty supper with beans, sausage (veggie or carni) and red peppers.

Sweet Potato Hash

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1.5 cm cubes
1 onion, medium-largeish, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
frying oil
salt and pepper
ground chili pepper of some sort, I used a mix of hot and smoked paprika, but cayenne, chipotle or sweet paprika would do nicely too

1. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet, or failing that a big 'ol frying pan. Cast iron is nice as you can serve it straight in the pan, allowing it to stay warm for a long time, and you can get some killer caramelization with them. Sweat off the onions in the oil for a few minutes, until they're well translucent but before they start to colour.

2. Add the garlic, stir for a couple of seconds, then add the sweet potato. Stir to coat in the hot oil, add a bit of salt to draw out a bit of the moisture, and then let them cook for a bit. Stir periodically, but remember that you'll get better caramelization if you let them stay put for a bit. Since they're in such small cubes, no liquid needs to be added to get them tender, and would just turn them mushy. It'll probably take around 10 minutes for them to get tender (but still distinct) and nicely caramelized.

3. Add a bit more salt, plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, and the chili to taste. If you like, you can substitute some tamari for the last bit of salt, but go easy on it as you don't want the hash to get too mushy. Serve piping hot, preferably straight from the pan.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_salad_with_tarragon/
I made this tonight but used fat free greek yogurt and 1 tbsp of mayo


----------



## animal_cookie

Dave said:


> Yeah, lump crab is just big pieces of crab meat. They charge more because it takes more work to get the meat out in big pieces, rather than shredded to all hell. I've never seen it in a can; usually in a deli container at a fishmonger or what have you. It's probably good though.



thanks. i saw the can at the fish monger. but the line was long and i was impatient. i guess i will go back there and give it a try on wednesday.


----------



## Dave

Cool-- let us know how it goes!

I think that I'm going to try to use this thread like the OOTD thread, or at least for as long as my motivation lasts 

Sweet Potato and Tofu Thai-Inspired Un-Curry

2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm dice
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed dry and cut into 2 cm cubes
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
frying oil
tamari
thai chilis
lemon juice
sriracha
1 can coconut milk, full fat
fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large sautée pan or wok over medium high to high heat. Add the tofu, and brown on all four sides.

2. Add the onion and sweat until translucent. Toss in the sweet potato and garlic, and stir for a couple of minutes, until the sweet potato is starting to get a tiny bit soft, just on the surface.

3. Start with a tbsp of tamari, stir it around and let it reduce until it forms a light glaze on the sweet potato. Add in the chopped thai chili and can of coconut milk.

4. Crank the heat up to high, and boil the everloving shit out of the coconut milk, until it reduces into a thick sauce. Add a bit of lemon juice (start with a tbsp), and adjust the seasoning with more tamari, lemon juice and sriracha if necessary. If the sauce gets too dilute, reduce it a bit longer, otherwise turn the heat off and let it cool until at just above edible temperature.

5. Finish with a handful of roughly chopped cilantro and maybe a tiny squirt of lemon juice.

Ginger would be good in here too, but I didn't have any kicking around. This was inspired by a simple sweet potato thai curry that a good friend made at a kitchen party about a month and a half ago. I was craving it, and had extra sweet potato, but no thai curry paste. So I improvised. Turned out pretty well, although the ginger would really have given it a nice piquant top note.

'Twas served alongside 'failed kale chips' (long story ), over pressure cooker brown rice. Warm, satisfying, and not too bad for you either.


----------



## His Name Is Frank

I improvised this last night and holy mother of fuck is it good. I'm not bragging. I just love it little successes!

*Bread Pudding Deluxe*

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of French bread
1 cup of melted honey butter 
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 banana
2 cups milk
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Break bread into small pieces and add half of your bread crumbs into an 8 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the bread crumbs.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Slice a banana into tiny bite sized pieces and add to your mix.

4. Pour half of your mixture over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture. Sprinkle the rest of your bread crumbs on top and pour the other half of your mixture over it. Again, push the bread down lightly with a fork.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

6. Eat.


----------



## Dave

That looks bitchin' HNIF! When I was in Germany recently, I learned how to make a traditional accompaniment called Knoedel which is basically halfway between a savoury bread pudding and stuffing. Can't say that I've actually tried a proper, sweet bread pudding though-- I'll have to give it a go sometime.

No interesting recipes from me today; just had a tasty kitchen sink salad, that I think that I may have even written about before. I'll aim to have something cooler tomorrow.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Dave said:


> Cool-- let us know how it goes!
> 
> I think that I'm going to try to use this thread like the OOTD thread, or at least for as long as my motivation lasts



I highly support this as my meals have been the same boring stuff lately.



His Name Is Frank said:


> I improvised this last night and holy mother of fuck is it good. I'm not bragging. I just love it little successes!
> 
> *Bread Pudding Deluxe*
> 
> Ingredients:
> 
> 1/2 loaf of French bread
> 1 cup of melted honey butter
> 1/2 cup chocolate chips
> 4 eggs
> 1 banana
> 2 cups milk
> 1 cup white sugar
> 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
> 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
> 
> Directions:
> 
> 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
> 
> 2. Break bread into small pieces and add half of your bread crumbs into an 8 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the bread crumbs.
> 
> 3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, chocolate chips, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Slice a banana into tiny bite sized pieces and add to your mix.
> 
> 4. Pour half of your mixture over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture. Sprinkle the rest of your bread crumbs on top and pour the other half of your mixture over it. Again, push the bread down lightly with a fork.
> 
> 5. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
> 
> 6. Eat.



This is definitely on my list of stuff to make this week. 
Awesome.


----------



## ocean

HNIF- Reading that recipe made my mouth water.
I wanna eat it now. :D

I will for sure make it.
I think the honey butter did it 

I loooovvveeeee honey butter.


----------



## Samadhi

Our housemate made the most delicious and healthy quiche last night - it had no cream in it, but it had egg, herbs, tomato, zucchini, chicken, onion and mushroom.

So good! I have a piece for lunch today with a big pile of salad leaves and baby spinach and the same for dinner.


----------



## Bearlove

I coulnt find this thread last night but I know I posted somewhere about what I made ??

I mixed feta cheese with red peppers+ onions (diced really small), chilli, cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper (easy with the salt as the feta is pretty salty anyway) and then I stuffed that into long thin red peppers and baked in the oven for about 20 minutes.   They were lovely hot but even better once they had cooled down and served mashed up on brown bread .

Im going to make the same mix again but then blend it and serve it as a dip/spread on crostini etc.


----------



## addictivepersona

Bearlove said:


> I coulnt find this thread last night but I know I posted somewhere about what I made ??


Lol, you posted in the Salmon Thread.


----------



## Bearlove

addictivepersona said:


> Lol, you posted in the Salmon Thread.



Haha thank you :D  

(It probably didnt help last night because I was apparently looking for the 'hey good looking' thread?)


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Lol, no, that probably didn't help!  Not to mention that the "hey good looking" thread is ova in da lounge.  

I'm thinking about making this sometime soon, but the last time I did, it was a hell of a lot of work (I think mostly due to inexperience in the kitchen) and I ended up eating almost all of it myself (planned on havin' two people helping me)...  I think I'll make it again within the next couple weeks, but halve the quantity.


Chickpea Ragout

Ingredients

    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    1 red onion, diced
    2 tablespoons minced garlic
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
    2 cans (15 ounce each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes
    2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
    2 teaspoons each honey and fresh lemon juice
    1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    Couscous, for serving
    1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley


Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic; wilt, stirring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cumin and stir to mellow.

2. Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, thyme, honey, lemon juice, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 minutes.

3. While the chickpeas cook, prepare the couscous according to package directions.

4. Taste the chickpeas and adjust the seasonings as needed. Remove the thyme sprigs and stir in the parsley. Serve over couscous in shallow bowls.


----------



## Mariposa

Made this a few nights ago and it was epic.  It was inspired by the Guinness beef stew recipe that Nowonmai (where are you dude?) posted awhile back, with significant enough variation that I can call this one my own concoction.

This is a crockpot recipe for the crockpot enthusiasts.  It contains key ingredients that are good for diabetics and sick people, which is what I have been around these days.  This stew fed 5 and stopped me from getting sick myself from kids' germs!  It was also a way to use up the leftover Guinness from St. Patrick's Day.  

*MARIPOSA'S IMMUNOTHERAPY STEW*​
*Ingredients:*

1 lb beef stew meat
32 oz beef broth
12 oz Guinness or other stout (red wine would be a good variant)
1 lb baby carrots
1/2 lb potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
1/2 lb fresh green beans, cleaned and cut in half
1/2 Walla Walla or other sweet onion
1/2 lb dried egg noodles (extra wide if possible)
1-2 bay leaves
Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs of your choice (I used Italian parsley and rosemary)

*Key immunological ingredients:*

3 tbsp turmeric
3 tbsp paprika

*Procedure:*


Mix all your liquids and turn your crockpot to high
Coat your stew meat lightly in flour and cook it on the stove until it's browned - not fully cooked, just browned
Throw the other ingredients together with the beef in the crockpot
Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10
In the last hour of cooking, add egg noodles (2 hours if you're cooking on low)
Eat and enjoy!

You should not have to add any flour to the end result as the noodles are a natural thickener.  But if you do, do it right at the end and stir well.

For vegetarians, you can substitute 1 lb mushrooms for the beef and veggie broth for the beef broth.

As this is a recipe in the making, comments and suggestions are welcome.  As given, though, I promise this recipe will feed a small army and won't disappoint!

I also used these crockpot liners so cleanup was essentially nothing.


----------



## Samadhi

Posa, that looks sensational! I cooked us a slow-cooked beef stew last week and it was so good - but i'm going to try yours next time :D


----------



## Dave

Okay, I've been living off of my basic salad for a couple of days, but since it's Friday and I forgot to bring my yoga stuff with me to work, I thought that I'd do something a bit more involved for supper. In that vein I present:

*Asparagus Pan-Tart
*
Crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold shortening or vegan butter, cubed
1/4 tsp salt
~ 3 tbsp ice water

Measure out the flour and salt into a food processor, and pulse a couple of times to mix. Add in the cubed, cold butter, and pulse until a pea-meal-like texture is achieved. Add the water, one tbsp at a time, while pulsing, until the dough _almost_ comes together; it should still be a bit crumbly. Turn it out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, cover tightly and press gently into a cohseive lump, and chill for ~ 30 minutes or so.

While that's chilling, the rest of the tart can be prepared:

2 lbs fresh asparagus (it's in season in Cali, so it's relatively cheap in grocery stores here ATM; it'll be a few months before anything local is in season, but that means I get two 'seasons' for stuff like aspargus! U jelly?  )
1 1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 cup minus 1 tbsp (or 15 tbsp) soymilk (or other milk substitute, could use milk or half and half if you're feeling saucy)
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (or 9 tbsp) vinegar, I used 2/3 rice wine vinegar 1/3 white vinegar, but any combo of non-balsamic vinegars would work
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup (or so) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
salt and pepper to taste
heat of choice (I used hot paprika; cayenne or ancho chili powder would work well)
hint of nutmeg - freshly grated is a must, can be omitted, but brings a subtle something-something to the dish

Blend all the ingredients-- minus the asparagus-- in a blender until a batter is formed. Add a bit more soymilk if necessary to thin it out. Let sit until needed.

Trim the woody bit off of the asparagus. If you like your asparagus well done (I don't), you can blanch them now. Otherwise, use them raw.

Once the crust is done resting, roll it out to fit your pan. I used a jelly roll pan, because it's a bit smaller than my quarter-sheet pan, and the amount of pastry dough just barely fit, with a bit of fanangling. This should be enough for one deep-dish pie (like, in a high-walled springform) or two shallow pies. Poke little holes in the pastry with a fork, not quite all the way through, and blind bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, or until it is just barely starting to brown.

Lay out the asparagus in a single layer (for a sheet pan), and spread the batter over top of them, covering the entire tart. Again, these proportions worked for my jelly roll pan, but would be insufficient for a full quarter-sheet pan. The batter will pretty well just set in place, so if it doesn't look like there's enough, make more. Bake at 350F until the batter is firmly set; around 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.


----------



## ocean

ocean said:


> Super easy and very yummy Chicken Wraps-
> I bought Chicken cut into strips- drizzled with olive oil.... salt and peppered the cooking sheet-
> On the Chicken I put- Orange Thyme (and regular), a little bit of mint, one bay leaf each, and on two Tony Cachere's (spelled wrong I am sure) Cajun Spices-
> Baked 'em up- at like 375 turning once.....
> Also, in the oven I put a pot of water with orange peel and bay leaves to keep the chicken moist and infuse a little more flavor.
> 
> Mixed up a Lemon and Herb Mayo-
> About 1/2 cup of mayo (maybe a little less)
> Juice of one SMALL lemon
> generous amount of black pepper
> two big dashes of Dill
> Orange Thyme
> a little Basil
> 
> Shredded carrot, diced tomatoes,lettuce and onion went into the mayo painted tortilla, then went in the chicken-
> With this I also made Fried Green Tomatoes, which if you have not tried, you must, they are DEEELICIOUS!
> 
> The wrap above  is similar to a minted chicken with Tzatziki sauce. yummy.
> Chicken is cooked the same way but with mint and  olive oil-
> I eat them with just Tzatziki and feta-
> i make the dressing with -
> Greek Yogurt (or plain yogurt if you can't find Greek yogurt) , diced cucumbers and diced tomatoes, dill and mint. (traditionally there are no tomatoes and some recipes do not have mint.)
> It is so good, I could eat it all day everyday.....but I love mint



I think I'm gonna make this for my parents next week.
I'm trying to bring in healthier, lighter choices.......


----------



## animal_cookie

Dave said:


> Cool-- let us know how it goes!
> 
> I think that I'm going to try to use this thread like the OOTD thread, or at least for as long as my motivation lasts



i like the idea of posting recipes daily. maybe it will motivate me to cook more frequently.

thanks for the crab advice. my crab cakes turned out very yummy and my husband couldn't tell that the crab came from a can. it was essentially crab, diced fuji appples, mayo and old bay. he also said it was the second best crab cake he ever had.

the recipe said to coat the crab cakes in panko crumbs but i mixed it in cause i could not get the things to stay together. i also did not use creme fresh, parsley or tarragon. and i tossed the apples with some watercress to make a salad. if i make it again, i will make the cakes smaller and possibly fry them instead of broiling.

and i like pictures, so here is what it looked like


----------



## Dave

Ooh, those look great! When making *cakes, I like to have the breadcrumbs mixed throughout as well, as the binder usually needs something carby to stick to. Having a bit more on the outside makes a fancier crust, but isn't necessary by any means.

I'd like to try adding photos to mine as well, but we'll see how motivated I am


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

or try panko


----------



## His Name Is Frank

ocean said:


> HNIF- Reading that recipe made my mouth water.
> I wanna eat it now. :D
> 
> I will for sure make it.
> I think the honey butter did it
> 
> I loooovvveeeee honey butter.



The honey butter really makes the bread pop, beautiful. You can add raisins too, if you like. If you do, let those raisins soak in the honey butter for about 10-15 minutes while you do the prep work. Your chicken wrap recipe sounds fap-worthy, by the way.


----------



## Dave

Now, when you say honey butter, do you mean butter that's been infused with honey, or 'creamed' honey, where it's been allowed to partially crystallize? 


In a flash of motivation, I managed to get myself over to a great little gem of an Asian market earlier today. Not as huge as the chain T&T, nor Lucky 97: the mainstay of local foodites; but nowhere near as crowded as either, and nearly as well-stocked. A good sign: in the half-hour or so that I was there I saw a grand total of two non-Asian people, and did not hear a word of English until I spoke with a cashier.

Anyway, where I was going with that is that I now have a bunch of great ingredients to play with. Various tofu preparations, Chinese greens, super-delicious mushroom and bamboo paste, quail eggs for when I get my homebrew sous-vide cooker going, a bunch of condiments that I just can't get at the local grocery and some sweets for later. What to make with all of this? For starters, I thought that I'd keep it simple with some

*Fried Tofu with Saan Choy*

1 package 'puffy' style fried tofu
1 package saan choy-- worked out to be around 400 g; could use bok choi, kale, spinach, or some other dark green leafy/leafy cruciferous vegetable
peanut oil (canola or another high-heat frying oil would be fine)
vegetarian 'oyster' sauce
hoi sin sauce
mirin (rice wine vinegar)
dark soy sauce
chili oil

Start by chopping the saan choi into roughly bite sized bits. Saan choi caught my eye, as it looked like a rather tender green, sold with the stems attached. It's reminiscent of pea greens, which are also delicious as a dark green leafy veg, and can be substituted as well. Wash the leaves under cold water and spin dry.

Heat a wok or large sautée pan on nearly high heat, and add in a tbsp or so of peanut oil. Let it heat for a few seconds (it won't take long, and you don't want it smoking), then toss in the saan choi. Stir fry for a few seconds, until it starts to wilt (maybe 30 seconds at most), then add the fried tofu and stir fry for a bit longer.

Add in the condiments; I started with about 1 tbsp each of the hoi sin and 'oyster' sauce, a couple tsp of mirin and the same of soy sauce. Adjust the flavours until there's a good balance between sweet, salt, sour and umami-- sweet and salt will probably dominate a bit, but the other two should still be noticeable. Be careful not to go too crazy with the condiments, as this shouldn't really be all that saucy.

Turn off the heat, and give the whole thing another couple of tosses with a few generous drops of chili oil. Be careful, as it's pretty potent, but well worth it. Serve immediately, alongside a nice bowl of rice.







Overall: it turned out pretty well, although I was a bit surprised at how much the saan choi cooked down. If I were to do it again, I'd either use twice as much of the greens, or use a less tender green like collard or bok choi.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I made this today...
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/A-Pad-Thai-Worth-Making/Detail.aspx
added a red and orange pepper so I would not have to throw them out

no pic


----------



## animal_cookie

PI and dave, both things sound tasty 

tonight unglued 'made' me frozen pizza.

for dinner tomorrow, i am making turkey kielbasa and potatoes. i just chop up the kielbasa and some onion and saute it with some paprika. then i add that to a pot with potatoes and water. i'll prolly add some carrots too since i need to use them before they go bad. i season it all with more with paprika and cook on the stove until the potatoes (and carrots) are done.


----------



## Dave

PI-- that looks pretty killer. I've tried to make pad thai twice now, and while I've learned a thing or two about it I'm still a ways off from getting something that I'd serve to someone else.

Tonight:

*Quick Black Bean and Rice Burritos with Avocado*

1 medium-large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
frying oil (I used light olive oil, canola would work great)
chili powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
cumin powder
cayenne
3 tbsp veg stock
leftover cooked rice
3 avocados, diced
lime juice
mixed greens
tortillas
salt and pepper, of course

Sweat the onions in the oil until translucent, then add the garlic and toss once or twice. Add a generous amount of chili and cumin powder (as in start with a heaping tbsp), then cayenne to taste. Stir it around a bit so that the onions are well coated, and the spices are warmed up a bit, then add the stock and stir until it forms a smooth but loose sauce. Let this simmer for a couple of minutes.

Once the stock is starting to reduce, add in the rice and stir to coat. Adjust the seasoning, and add in a tbsp or so of lemon juice. Turn off the heat, and stir in the diced avocado. Adjust the seasoning one last time, paying especial attention to the heat.

Serve in a wrap/burrito format with plenty of mixed greens.

It's quick it's easy, and it's pretty tasty. Cheese can easily be added, and I often stir in a bit of chili flavoured ketchup to the sauce for a bit of sweet note. Didn't today though. A dash or two of liquid smoke might work well too.

Oh, and I'm normally a big fan of using dried beans over canned, but I was feeling pretty lazy today, and I didn't have any soaking. I've heard that if one uses a pressure cooker to cook them, the soaking isn't necessary-- anyone have firsthand experience of this?


----------



## GreenEyedGirrrL

*stuffed bell peppers*

this is my own recipe, so i hope you like it. (quick and easy :D)

4 green bell peppers
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb sage sausage
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup bella mushrooms (chopped)
1/2 sweet onion (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
salt and pepper (to taste)

- in a deep pot, combine sauce and heavy cream. mix well and simmer on low.
- meanwhile, cook rice according to instructions on the bag.
- brown ground beef and sausage. drain/set aside. 
- prepare peppers: slice off tops and clean out seeds. dice two of the tops  
  for stuffing mixture. 
- in large bowl combine cooked rice, beef, sausage, onions, mushrooms, garlic,       
  peppers, 1/2 cup parmesan, and a few tbsps of sauce from the pot and mix 
  well.
- stuff peppers and place in pot (with the sauce). drizzle some of that sauce over the 
  peppers and then top with the other 1/2 cup of cheese. salt and pepper over top. cover and simmer on medium 
  heat for about a half hour.


----------



## ocean

^That sounds divine


----------



## animal_cookie

*turkey meatloaf with cider gravy*

for thanksgiving, i usually serve a bacon wrapped turkey with cider gravy. this is my less complicated version of getting those same flavors. and far more useful when there are only two people eating.

*turkey meatloaf*

1 pound ground turkey
2 green apples (peeled)
2 small onions
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
a few squirts of bbq sauce
3-4 thin slices of bacon

1. preheat oven to 350F
2. finely dice one apple and onion. halve the other apple and onion and set aside.
3. mix everything but the bacon (and apple and onion halves) together and form into a loaf
4. lay bacon strips lenghtwise over the loaf. push the ends of the bacon under the loaf so it looks at neat. put the two apple halves and one onion half on the same baking sheet.
5. bake for 45-50 minutes. 
6. remove the apples and onion. brown the bacon under the broiler until its done to your liking.

*cider gravy*

2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup of cider
the roasted apple and onion

1. blend the apple and onion together until its all blended.
2. melt the butter in a pan. when its all melted, whisk in the flour until its all mixed together.
3. slowly add in the chicken stock, then the blended apple mixture and the cider. make sure to keep whisking while you add everything.
4. simmer on medium until thickens into a gravy like texture.
5. add the cider


----------



## kytnism

my daughter came to me specifically requesting "chicken stew". i had never cooked this dish before, nor heard of it, but following a simple google/blog search her wishes were fulfilled.

i personally didnt eat it, but it got smiles all round, smelled marvellous and warmed hers and the hubbys bellies on a cold day. 

"lollies chicken stew"

ingredients:
3 chicken breasts (skin removed) - cut roughly into bite sized chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into the cut of your choice - i went rough chopping
2 sticks celery, trimmed and cut into the cut of your choice 
3 medium-size parsnips, peeled and cut into the cut of your choice
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into the cut of your choice
4 eschallots/green/spring onions (scallions), trimmed and chopped 
750ml - 1l chicken stock 
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
2 bay leaves, remove before serving 
2 teaspoons of "maggi seasoning" liquid
250gms shelf-stable fully cooked gnocchi (dumplings) 
2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup cool water 

method: 
pour chicken stock into a large pot and bring to a steady boil, adding your chopped chicken breast once bubbly. once the chicken is gently white, add your vegetables and seasonings/condiments to the pot, and let simmer for an hour. add your gnocchi and let simmer for another 15 minutes. add cornflour mixture, stirring to thicken the mixture to a stew like consistency; and serve with crusty bread (we used tiger loaf)






...kytnism...


----------



## Samadhi

That looks delicious and perfect for the current Melbourne climate.


----------



## animal_cookie

*meal of the day thread*

i like to share what i cook in the recipe thread but there are many times that i either make something simple that has no recipe, make something i already posted or use a non-original recipe. so hopefully this thread will be different enough from the recipe thread 

tonight i am making flank steak, roasted asparagus and accordion potatoes. accordion potatoes are just backed potatoes with lots of little slices in them so they look like an accordion.

i suck at photographing food tho


----------



## JoshE

Dinner consisted of Fish, Chips, Peas and Carrot


----------



## addictivepersona

I eat a lot of plain meals, as this shows.  What you see in the preparation phase it pretty much how it is on the plate, except all in one dish.






The potatoes were on the small side--I know they don't look that way.    The carrots were steamed yesterday, and the stir-fry (consisting of Brussels sprouts, green beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, orange pepper and scallions [green onions]) was made the other day.  :D


----------



## The Chemist

Animal Cookies food, although stated simply, possess a robust flavor.


----------



## animal_cookie

last night i had tempura green beans, horrible pork steam buns and spicy tuna rolls.

today i had spinach salad with lots of croutons.


----------



## The Chemist

This food literally sounds like the most awesome thing on earth.


----------



## addictivepersona

...Not to take attention away from this thread, but if this is going to become more of a "I last had..." thread, there is one of those over in Healthy Living: The last thing you ate or drank v.2.

Thought this one was going to be more for pictures of your last meal.  Sometimes pictures give better ideas than words.  For instance, those accordion potatoes up there are going to get made the next time I bake potatoes.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

sundried tomato and basil pasta salad w/grilled chicken


----------



## Samadhi

AC - I LOVE accordion potatoes! My SIL made a beautiful roast lunch yesterday for Easter, and made accordion potatoes.. so good :D


----------



## ocean

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> sundried tomato and basil pasta salad w/grilled chicken



This looks amazing!

I'll have to come in and post a pic of the buffet I went to yesterday! 
It was some tasty stuff!!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

Thank you.
I made a few things yesterday.
I can't do buffet...I overeat. 

Here is not so tasty in this form...cannabutter




I must admit my straining was sloppy.


----------



## spork

^please post a recipe of that pasta salad! now that it's starting to warm up i've been looking for yummy salads to make.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I used the Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad mix.  Tomato Parmesan.
I added chopped sun dried tomato, fresh basil, crumbled feta, minced garlic, black olives, red pepper, cucumber, and chicken.

I also like their Greek mix too.  I am all about the semi homemade 

I would rather eat whole wheat pasta.  If I make a pasta salad from "scratch" I will use balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Herbs de Provence or a salad dressing made by Annie's or Organicville.

*Herbs de Provence Blend:*
    * 3 Tablespoons dried marjoram
    * 3 Tablespoons dried thyme
    * 3 Tablespoons dried savory
    * 1 teaspoon dried basil
    * 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
    * 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
    * 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds


----------



## animal_cookie

Samadhi said:


> AC - I LOVE accordion potatoes! My SIL made a beautiful roast lunch yesterday for Easter, and made accordion potatoes.. so good :D



and rather simple too 

i have been traveling and not cooking. i doubt i will cook again until next week.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

^how do you make them?  Besides cutting them. When do you cut them?


A palatable way to eat green butter




Betty Crocker's Oatmeal chocolate chip
I am not a baker.


----------



## Asclepius

^OMG they look glorius! 

I love moulding the mix into one, giant cookie, then baking it in the oven, the temptation is too much!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

OMG!  That would be too much.
I have to remember sharing is caring.


----------



## animal_cookie

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> ^how do you make them?  Besides cutting them. When do you cut them?



I cut them before cooking, leaving enough uncut on the bottom of the potato so it does not fall apart. Then I kinda seperate the pieces and drizzle with butter and seasonings. Then I bake them at whatever temperture the rest of my food is cooking at. If I have extra butter, I will drizzle it over the potatoes part way thru cooking.


----------



## Dave

My supper today was ugly but delicious, so no photo. Leftover knoedel slices, quickly fried to golden brown and topped with either leftover vegan  mushroom gravy or marinara sauce, and served with a heaping helping of kitchen sink salad.

Life is good. 

Oh, and knoedel is a bavarian/schwabish dish that is somewhere between stuffing and bread pudding loaf. So good.


----------



## JoshE

Something pretty simple tonight. Shepherd's Pie


----------



## Asclepius

^Mmmmm! This thread is indeed the devils work.



Perpetual Indulgence said:


> OMG!  That would be too much.
> I have to remember sharing is caring.



Sharing is optional! 

Anyone can break off a bit...
 ...the outside edges are crispy but the middle bit retains that wonderfully gooey consistency(much more than the smaller individual cookies do)
..nice and messy too!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

Not when your butter yield is 5 cups   Sharing has always been what I do...up to a point.  Then I hoard them like a crack head.
I like your idea but it is easier to control the cookie size/body weight/stomach content ratio if there is a portion size.


----------



## Asclepius

lol...yup, sharing is a functional obligation.... but a nice one at that! 
Yes, of course your right...am just a bit of a toddler when it comes to the idea of Giant cookies.


----------



## Mariposa

This all looks delectable.  I wish we all were in the same place so we could have a Recipe Thread potluck supper!

I did repeat the beef stew recipe and it was just as good second time around.

I have a request.  I make an excellent marinara already, but it's with really mainstream ingredients out of cans.  I want to experiment with fresh foods - however, I have an allergy to raw tomatoes and a chunky sauce gives me a mild reaction.  I'm making a parma on Thursday; marinara is being prepared tomorrow.

Does anyone have a *non-chunky* marinara sauce recipe?  I can always throw the tomatoes in the blender after peeling them (or use really good canned ones that aren't cheap) but I'd like to do a variant.  

For a non-traditional Easter recipe, I did the following.  I'm approximating amounts; totally eyeballed this one.  I couldn't use anything that was not diabetic-friendly.  For veggies, sub extra-firm tofu for ham.  Alfredo sauce recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence; the rest is my own.

*BUCKWHEAT ALFREDO WITH HAM*

-8 oz uncooked buckwheat (soba) noodles
-1/3 lb diced ham

*ALFREDO SAUCE* (from here)



> * 1 pint heavy cream
> * 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
> * 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
> * Freshly cracked black pepper
> * Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish




Cook buckwheat noodles until al dente; drain and place aside
Follow the alfredo sauce instructions in the link
Add all together
Garnish with Italian parsley
Enjoy!

Add garlic to taste if that's your thing too 

NOM.


----------



## Mariposa

Dave said:


> Oh, and I'm normally a big fan of using dried beans over canned, but I was feeling pretty lazy today, and I didn't have any soaking. I've heard that if one uses a pressure cooker to cook them, the soaking isn't necessary-- anyone have firsthand experience of this?



No firsthand experience, but I did find you this.  Should clear up any of your questions.

I will do my best to replicate your black bean and avocado recipe, because those are two of my favorite things EVER.  It is Taco Tuesday!  :D  How large are the avocados you use?  3 seems like a little much, but we get both small and large avocados here.  What would you estimate the amount to be, quantitatively?

Key to pad thai is not overcooking the noodles, IME.  Set a timer and drain in cold water - you can always add them to the stir-fry later.


----------



## kytnism

samadhi - ive never thought of substituting homemade dumplings for gnocchi before; but would _definitely_ do it again and highly recommend it for a tasty starch filled addition to any soup/stew/casserole.

mariposa - i agree and _always_ precook pasta and bring it to room temp/chill it before use. drizzle olive or peanut oil throughout it (so it doesnt stick) and reheat it as necessary. it seems to be a flawless way of keeping pasta fresh and al dente (regardless of ingredient/origin). same goes with day old rice (minus the oil). 

...kytnism...


----------



## kytnism

GurnEr JoshE said:


> Something pretty simple tonight. Shepherd's Pie



comfort food. 

looks gorgeous, JoshE.

...kytnism...


----------



## Mariposa

Dumplings sound great!  I don't have much experience with gnocchi.  I think I will need to change that.  I've had it before and it was delicious!

I've been super into asparagus lately.  I have a grill at my other house but not this one (not allowed )  Luckily, however, it is easy to roast.

Here is a recipe on how - all you need are some basics and an oven!


----------



## addictivepersona

Dave said:


> Oh, and I'm normally a big fan of using dried beans over canned, but I was feeling pretty lazy today, and I didn't have any soaking. I've heard that if one uses a pressure cooker to cook them, the soaking isn't necessary-- anyone have firsthand experience of this?


The soaking isn't necessary anyways--I never soak beans any more and they turn out just fine.  I've heard soaking them does two things: 1) shortens cooking time slightly and 2) lessens gas.  Neither of which bother me as I'm already spending an hour to cook them so what's another ten minutes, and I don't get gas from beans.


----------



## Dave

Intriguing. I must test this theory...

Thanks for the tip!


----------



## kytnism

entree:






main:
















condiments:











dessert:






nom! 

...kytnism...


----------



## AmorRoark

xenocat said:


> entree:



OMG What soup is that? It looks AMAZING.


----------



## kytnism

crab and corn soup. 



...kytnism...


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I like the table setting and soup terrine. 
Do you set the table like that daily?


----------



## kytnism

i should have read the OP. 

i cant take credit for the beautiful presentation of that meal nor the crockery. i took the pictures while we were out to dinner on friday evening.

...kytnism...


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I think it is appropo.

What was the restaurant called?


----------



## kytnism

enlightened cuisine.

the meat is infact mock meat made from various types of soy and fungi (so scarily similar to meat products, its confusing). 

a fantastic restaurant with beautiful staff that id highly recommend for great food, decor, service and homeliness.

 

...kytnism...


----------



## Samadhi

So we're having a slow cooked chicken dish tonight - never tried before, but the house smells *amazing*:

Ingredients:


4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 tablespoon cornflour
Spray cooking oil
1 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup white wine

Method

1. Wash chicken and dry on paper towels
2. Combine oregano, salt and pepper & cornflour in a small bowl. Sprinkle on the chicken and rub it into the chicken breasts
3. Fry the chicken breasts until browned with the spray cooking oil
4. Transfer the browned chicken to the crockpot
5. Combine the stock, lemon juice, wine, garlic and add to the crock pot
6. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours
7. Remove chicken onto plates to serve

I'm going to serve it with some steamed veges on a bed of quinoa.

I'll also take a photo and upload to the MoTD thread :D


----------



## JoshE

Garlic and butter coated potatoes = Delicious!


----------



## JoshE

Similar to last's night meal. Just added rissoles and cabbage.


----------



## euphoria

Damn PI I want a cookie :D

These are my 'gourmet' meals I have made lately ha. It is considered gourmet to me as I don't really care to cook, every once in awhile I get the urge, but its rare.

Pizza with broccoli, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, yellow squash, zucchini, cilantro, and garlic. 





Grilled salmon with quinoa salad (quinoa, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, kalamata olives, lemon juice, garlic, oil, vinegar, spices, cilantro, feta cheese)


----------



## Bomboclat

Vegan Pad Thai...of D00000000000M


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

^ that looks and sounds good

Country Breakfast Casserole 





this is not pretty on presentation but it tasted so good
excellent the morning after food

http://www.facebook.com/notes/ron-locke/rons-country-breakfast-casserole/218473451511926

I used turkey sausage, added a green and red pepper, used the entire 6 cup bag of shredded hash browns, and added 1 egg.


----------



## Dave

That looks like perfect hangover food. Greasy, heavy, protein and potatoes. Mmmm.

Yesterday I made vegan eggplant parmesan (sans pasta) which was pretty tasty. Mine looked almost exactly like the recipe photo.

Tonight I'm thinking a big 'ol salad and either a quick mezze platter or maybe some sort of pasta/gnocchi to use up my marinara sauce.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I love eggplant!  Esp parm.
My husband doesn't so I never cook with it.


----------



## animal_cookie

dopiaze AKA drunken a_c food. its ground beef, lots of onions and diced potatoes.  i think most people prolly serve it with rice instead of adding potatoes tho. i like to eat it with squishy bread but i haven't a clue where to find that around me.


----------



## vgoraz

It is not served with rice but with barbari bread. Also I added potatoes that one day I made it for you because they were around and it made it more filling. It is also good with tomatoes or even at times some spicy sauce added to it.


----------



## Dave

a_c: that reminds me of a dish that my Dad would make for supper when my Mom was working nights at the hospital. We called it 'roadkill', and it was basically a base of ground beef, potatoes/rice (whatever was around, instant mashed potatoes if nothing else), whatever frozen veggies were around, all kinds of crazy spices, and either a packaged beef gravy mix or a can of consomme thickened with a bit of flour. It tasted a _lot_ better than it sounds, and was never the same twice.

My Mom taught me how to cook, but my Dad taught me how to play in the kitchen 

OT: I'm tweaking my diet/exercise balance, so supper's just a kitchen sink salad. I should really take a photo of that one of these days; it looks pretty tasty.


----------



## animal_cookie

vgoraz said:


> It is not served with rice but with barbari bread. Also I added potatoes that one day I made it for you because they were around and it made it more filling. It is also good with tomatoes or even at times some spicy sauce added to it.



you made your yearly post to correct me on the name of the bread? i assumed you eat it with rice normally cause you eat everything with rice.

i had a burger for dinner (not my picture). i like the super thin fries that come with it.


----------



## koneko

Very simple pasta dinner tonight in Rome - the flavour punch from the pecorino cheese, tang of salty bacon and masses of ground pepper.


----------



## spork

^omg, that looks so delicious!


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Cowboy Beans

Simple (somewhat) dinner that makes a ton of leftovers. Personally I would add more smabal but other than that its super yummy. And the idea of serving ring it over fresh baby spinach seemed odd at first but was actually a good idea, changed things up a little bit.




> This recipe is done in 2 parts. You’ll cook the beans first and once done you’ll add the good stuff: bacon, onions, tomatoes and sambal and then all the garnish.  You could easily omit the bacon for a big happy pot of vegetarian beans.
> 
> *Beans*
> 
> 1 lb dry pinto beans
> 12 cups of water
> 1/2 onion, chopped
> 1/2 teaspoon cumin
> 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
> salt & freshly cracked pepper
> Sort the beans and then wash. Put all the ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
> Once it begins to boil reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours at a low gentile boil.
> Check for the doneness of the beans at about 2 hours.
> 
> *The Good Stuff*
> 4 slices of bacon
> 1/2 onion, minced
> 1 tablespoon canola oil
> 1 tablespoon sambal
> 2 cloves garlic, chopped
> 1/2 teaspoon cumin
> 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
> 2 15-oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes, chopped with juice.
> *
> Garnish:*
> 
> A handful of baby spinach (bagged or bunched)
> queso fresco
> chopped cilantro
> sour cream
> 
> Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a 4 to 6 quart pot until crisp and brown.
> Once brown remove the bacon from the pot and fry the minced onion in the bacon renderings. Add a little canola oil if needed.
> Once the onions start to brown around the edges, 3 minutes or so, add sambal, garlic, spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
> Return the bacon to the pan along with both cans of tomatoes and cook over medium high heat for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly.
> Add the pinto beans and broth, taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. This dish is meant to be more of a soupy bean dish so add water if necessary.
> 
> To serve: place a few spinach leaves in the bottom of a bowl and ladle beans and broth on top. Garnish with chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of queso fresco.


----------



## ricardo08

Some great recipes in this thread 

Here's a good blog for those that enjoy baking:

http://ryansbakingblog.com/


----------



## Max Power

Bump for anything new & tasty people want to share.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Max Power said:


> Bump for anything new & tasty people want to share.



I was just about to bump this thread as well. 
Something along the lines of great minds


----------



## Dave

Once I get my kitchen going again, I am so making the shit out of some Jackfruit Carnitas. I'll be having it tortillas, salads, _with a freaking spoon I swear_.

Will report!

<once I have a kitchen again...>


----------



## panic in paradise

1 lb decent sized shrimp
typical asian stir-fry veggies - _orange bell peppers_ are the only extra called for here
garlic minced
~ 1/4 C. unfiltered apple juice 
a few '_dollops_' of Hoison(sp)
4-6oz of a Heineken light - _this is the Key_, i never cared for heineken, and especially the light stuff, but, this is what the recipe begs for...

sounds simple, but none of these ingredients should stand out amongst each other, as they all do harmonizes into something else unique.

sear and toss the shrimp around in the sauce with out the beer -
then add the veggies while you stir the beer in with them.


----------



## addictivepersona

*Decadent Chocolate Fix*

Ingredients:
- 6 medjool dates
- 1/2 avocado
- 4 tbsp cocoa (or carob )
- 1-2 tsp water (optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth--Might help to chop the ingredients up a bit prior to blending.

:D  SO simple, SO delicious, and SO many calories, ahaha.

Originally from here.


----------



## Samadhi

addictivepersona: YUMMY! I would hazard a guess that it would be healthier than having a block of chocolate or 1/2 a choccy cake (which, if left unattended, i could do).

I"m definitely saving this recipe, thanks 

Today i'm making these:

*Apple and Honey Muffins:*

*Ingredients*


2 egg whites
250g wholemeal plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup low fat milk
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons honey
125g chopped apples

*Preparation method*


Preheat oven to 190 C. Lightly grease one 12-cup muffin tin, or line with paper muffin cups.
Lightly beat egg whites.
In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, mix together milk, oil, honey and apples. Gently fold in egg whites to the wet mixture. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold together until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy.
Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Muffins freeze well, so i'm going to wrap separately and freeze. It will stop me from being too quick to grab one as a snack, but they will be good for afternoon tea at work


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Haha, yes, it is healthier for you than either of those options.  

The main reason it has so many calories is that you're only using half the avocado--What are you going to do with the other half?  Certainly you're not going to put it away for another use.  ;)

That muffin recipe sounds awesome--And it's easily "veganized."  :D


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Dave said:


> Yeah, lump crab is just big pieces of crab meat. They charge more because it takes more work to get the meat out in big pieces, rather than shredded to all hell. I've never seen it in a can; usually in a deli container at a fishmonger or what have you. It's probably good though.
> 
> I've found a new love: sweet potato hash. Great for a Sunday breakfast under some fried/poached eggs with a side of avocado, or as a hearty supper with beans, sausage (veggie or carni) and red peppers.
> 
> Sweet Potato Hash
> 
> 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1.5 cm cubes
> 1 onion, medium-largeish, diced
> 3 cloves garlic, minced
> frying oil
> salt and pepper
> ground chili pepper of some sort, I used a mix of hot and smoked paprika, but cayenne, chipotle or sweet paprika would do nicely too
> 
> 1. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large cast-iron skillet, or failing that a big 'ol frying pan. Cast iron is nice as you can serve it straight in the pan, allowing it to stay warm for a long time, and you can get some killer caramelization with them. Sweat off the onions in the oil for a few minutes, until they're well translucent but before they start to colour.
> 
> 2. Add the garlic, stir for a couple of seconds, then add the sweet potato. Stir to coat in the hot oil, add a bit of salt to draw out a bit of the moisture, and then let them cook for a bit. Stir periodically, but remember that you'll get better caramelization if you let them stay put for a bit. Since they're in such small cubes, no liquid needs to be added to get them tender, and would just turn them mushy. It'll probably take around 10 minutes for them to get tender (but still distinct) and nicely caramelized.
> 
> 3. Add a bit more salt, plenty of freshly cracked black pepper, and the chili to taste. If you like, you can substitute some tamari for the last bit of salt, but go easy on it as you don't want the hash to get too mushy. Serve piping hot, preferably straight from the pan.




These past few days I've been craving sweet potatoes for some odd reason so I decided to pick some up and try this recipe out with surprisingly good results.

I'll definitely be making it again.


----------



## Dave

Yay! I'm glad that you liked it-- it's really simple and so tasty.

So I made that vegan pulled pork that I linked... it was really _really _good. The texture was pretty well bang on, and the dry rub/sauce was excellent. I'd probably only tweak it a hair, but I am so making a huge batch of that for my friend's Canada Day BBQ.

Om. Nom. Fucking. Nom.


----------



## addictivepersona

*0*

*Carob Circles*

Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped dates _(~10 medjool dates)_
- 2 eggs _(1 banana)_
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 tbs. carob powder
- 1 cup flour _(whole wheat flour)_
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt (if desired) _(did not use)_
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts _(did not use)_
_- ~1/4 cup water_

Directions:
Combine dates, eggs _(banana)_, vanilla and carob in blender container.  Blend well on high speed.  Pour into mixing bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Stir until well mixed.  Add walnuts.

Shape into balls and place on greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Flatten with tines of fork or back of spoon.

Bake at 350°F. for 8 to 10 minutes.

_The ingredients I used, if different from original, are in italics._  Had to add the water since the batter was very dry--Presumably from the lack of eggs.  

The result was a delicious treat similar to very soft and chewy cookie.  :D

Oh yeah, it made about twelve 1½ inch balls prior to flattening.

Recipe found here.  :)


----------



## Dave

From the depths of the intertubes.... bump.

Foolishly, I did not take a photo, but I had one of the best meals in weeks for supper tonight. A simple Thai yam and tofu red curry with pan wilted pea shoots served over curried riced cauliflower. Everything worked so well together, and despite being somewhat calorie dense (mmmm coconut milk) it was pretty healthy.

And I made tons of it, so I get to have delicious lunches all week!


----------



## animal_cookie

^take a picture of leftovers!

my kitchen is finally unpacked, so i hope to get back to cooking shortly. i am also excited to have a patio and grill.


----------



## animal_cookie

i've been munching on pureed frozen bananas for snacks lately. i got the idea from here. its really yummy with some chocolate chips mixed in. this morning i crumbled a cookie into it because i was out of chocolate chips.  i usually use frozen fruit in smoothies with yogurt or almond milk, but this is thicker and more like soft serve.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ You know, I found that exact website not too long ago and was going to make some but then thought better of it as I really didn't know how it would turn out.  Do you just take the bananas from the freezer and pop 'em right in the blender, or do you let them thaw out a little?  Kinda worried about the life of my blender if I just plop a whole frozen banana in there.

(I currently have some frozen bananas awaiting banana bread, so unless I want to be eating banana bread for awhile and make two loaves, I think I should try this "recipe" with a little carob powder.  )


----------



## animal_cookie

^it comes out creamy like soft serve from dairy queen. i might get creative and add peanut butter, honey, spices or other stuff if i ever make it to the grocery store. there is an ice cream place that had banana bread ice cream, i want to recreate that using just frozen bananas.

i chopped the bananas into fourths and then blended them until smooth. my bananas were not frozen solid tho, i could easily cut thru them with a knife. i don't think its any worse on a blender than making a smoothie with frozen fruit.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Never gotten ice cream at Dairy Queen--I get what you're saying though.  I'm debating if I want to add sunflower seed butter to it, or just carob powder.  

Ah okay.  Yeah, mine are frozen solid.  Shouldn't be _too_ hard to cut though, even if I have to let 'em thaw slightly.  And yeah, I don't see chunks of frozen bananas being tough on a blender either, but I do see an entire frozen banana giving it hell.  

I'd try this recipe now, but there's someone napping in the house.  But, I will probably be making it this weekend.  :D


----------



## Dave

Let them thaw only just a little bit-- the pulverization of the food processor will add a bit of heat, and you still want the end product to be mostly frozen. If you blend in some fat, I'd bet that you could freeze it and make a tasty vegan hard ice cream.


----------



## addictivepersona

Oh man, Dave, that idea sounds *phenomenal*!  I've cut highly processed foods from my diet and unfortunately that meant that dairy-free ice creams had to go as the ingredient lists are typically _very_ long.


Wow, this "ice cream" is SO good.  Added about a teaspoon of carob powder to approximately two bananas (they weren't whole and weren't exactly halved ).


----------



## Dave

Hell, just the bananas are darn tasty. I figure that with a bit of coconut oil to keep the ice crystals from agglomerating, it won't re-freeze into a solid clump. In fact, I should give that a try.

I just don't know about the carob though. Might do cacao nibs, maybe with a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne, and cinnamon.


----------



## addictivepersona

Haha, just the bananas _are_ tasty!  I tried it like that before adding the carob.  

Let us know how the coconut oil worked!

Shot in the dark here, but I may be in luck: *Does anyone have a recipe for figs that is not horribly complicated and does not involve meat?*  Don't ask how, but I mistakenly bought figs instead of dates 8( and I do not like the taste of figs when eaten alone.  I did find one recipe that sounds delicious, but it only calls for six figs--three if I halve it:

[SIZE=-5]*Banana Oatmeal Fig Breakfast Cookies*
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 16 minutes
Yield 16 cookies

Ingredients:
    4 medium Bananas
    4 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
    1/2 tsp All Natural Baking Soda
    1/2 tsp Sea Salt
    2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
    1/2 cup Honey
    3/4 cup Pecans
    1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds, Raw
    6 Figs (dried)
    1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In food processor or blender, grind 2 cups of old-fashioned oats into a fine powder.

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients (ground oats, unground oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Using a blender or hand mixer, puree four ripe bananas. Add vanilla and honey. Mix well.

Combine wet and dry mixtures and blend together. Stir in pecans, sunflower seeds and chopped figs. The consistency should resemble batter/dough. If you used large bananas and pureed them and the consistency is runny, you may add an additional 1/2 of oats.

Scoop the cookie dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment, using a large spoon.

Bake for 14-18 minutes or until done in the middle. Store in airtight container when cool.


Note: I individually wrap half of my batch of cookies and store them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer.

Found here.[/SIZE]


----------



## animal_cookie

addictivepersona said:


> ^ Never gotten ice cream at Dairy Queen--I get what you're saying though.  I'm debating if I want to add sunflower seed butter to it, or just carob powder.



i work with a child who is on a very restricted diet and sunflower seed butter sounds interesting. did you make it or purchase it? have you ever tried hemp seed butter?

actually, does anyone have suggestions for foods/recipes free of: tree nuts, soy, dairy and gluten. but that are "kid" friendly. like the child can eat pureed frozen bananas when his classmates have ice cream and it won't seem strange. his mom is very nervous about introducing new foods because of possible allergic reactions. or even new textures like frozen bananas as opposed to normal bananas. right now his meals consist of a starch made from rice or rice flour (english muffin, sandwich bread), a meat based protein and a few of the 6-7 veggies and fruits he has had in the past.  i want to help her to feel comfortable expanding his diet and come up with foods he can prepare himself.


----------



## ocean

Does seafood count as meat addictvep??
I have an awesome seafood recipe which is listed in the recipe index as "Ocean's Stuffed Sea Scallops" - 
I'll look for it now and post a link.


edit: Here it is


----------



## addictivepersona

animal_cookie said:


> i work with a child who is on a very restricted diet and sunflower seed butter sounds interesting. did you make it or purchase it? have you ever tried hemp seed butter?


I bought it, but I'm sure it's not hard to make.    I have never even heard of hemp seed butter, but will have to be on the lookout for it the next time I go to the local health food store, as I highly doubt any of the grocery stores around here carry it.

Also, as far as that boy goes, I will get back to you on this when I am not so sleepy.  



ocean said:


> Does seafood count as meat addictvep??


In short, yes.    (Was going to just say "no animal products" (yes, fish are animals ), but eggs, butter, and milk are relatively easy to substitute in recipes.)


----------



## animal_cookie

^i recall a hippie friend who was obsessed with all things hemp talking about it. i googled it and found places you can buy it online but i know very little about it. were you able to find sunflower seed butter at the grocery store?

i realize the child can just eat fresh fruit and steamed veggies but he is bored of that. the kid hates eating and i don't blame him. his mother blends green bell pepper, apple and papaya into a frothy "juice" at every meal. then he has either a stir fry with green beans, mushrooms, rice, chicken, beef or pork (no seasonings) or a burger made of beef and pork with veggies in it on a rice bun. on the side he gets apples, banana or grape slices. mom makes everything from scratch at each meal and it takes forever.

i like being creative and i like the challenge of cooking for people with food restrictions but this is ridiculous. she considers things like rice cakes too processed and wants to control exactly what this kid eats. so like i said above, i am open to any easy to prepare, kid friendly recipes/foods that are free of soy, tree nuts, beans (i think i forgot to mention that), processing and dairy.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Yup, I've found sunflower seed butter in multiple grocery stores--The smaller grocery store in my town actually has _two_ different brands offered!  I was very surprised.  

Has mom (or you) looked in the gluten-free section of the grocery store?  Some of those products are not only gluten-free, but are made on dedicated equipment.

He's allergic to _all_ beans?  That SUCKS!  I was totally going to suggest black bean burgers and hummus.  Once again though, let me think on this, and I'll get back to you if I think of _anything_.  :)


----------



## animal_cookie

^its not really that he is allergic as much as his mom is worried that he will have an allergic reaction to new foods.  i've looked through many gluten free items at trader joe's but they unfortunately contain other things which are a no-no in his diet. like in the past, i have used bean or nut flour as a substitute when baking.  i am really struggling with how to expand his diet and appease mom tho 

currently, meal time takes 1 to 1.5 hours which i think is absurd. my job is to tutor the child, not torture him with foods he dislikes for several hours a day...


----------



## addictivepersona

animal_cookie said:


> actually, does anyone have suggestions for foods/recipes free of: tree nuts, soy, dairy and gluten. but that are "kid" friendly. like the child can eat pureed frozen bananas when his classmates have ice cream and it won't seem strange. his mom is very nervous about introducing new foods because of possible allergic reactions. or even new textures like frozen bananas as opposed to normal bananas. right now his meals consist of a starch made from rice or rice flour (english muffin, sandwich bread), a meat based protein and a few of the 6-7 veggies and fruits he has had in the past.  i want to help her to feel comfortable expanding his diet and come up with foods he can prepare himself.


How old is this boy?  I mean, is he old enough to safely handle a knife to cut things up?  Also, does he eat eggplant?  I used to make eggplant sandwiches:  Just cut the eggplant from one end to the other (so you get circles ).  I don't know how "kid friendly" that is to be honest, but it's gooood if you get an eggplant that isn't too big (otherwise the seeds get bitter).  And contrary to popular believe, raw eggplant is not toxic. 8)  Along the same lines as an eggplant sandwich, what about portobello mushroom burgers?

Have you/mom heard of quinoa?  It's a seed used as a grain that's delicious.  What about buckwheat?  Tried that yesterday and it is gooood.  (And despite the name, I don't think it's in the same family as wheat.)  Israle couscous or couscous in general--Though these probably have gluten.  Brown Basmati rice is delicious and you can cook up a whole bunch and have it last for almost two weeks (you'll probably eat it first though ).  Baby corn--While nothing substantial, it's certainly kid-friendly (or at least I loved it when I was little) as they're baby corns!    What about rice noodles?  I prefer the white rice noodles surprisingly (I found 'em in the Asian section of the grocery store) but the brown rice noodles (found in the gluten-free section) are okay too.

Also, as far as each meal time taking that long, that IS crazy!  Couldn't a bunch of the prep work (say, chopping the vegetables) be done at once for a couple days?  That's what I do sometimes: I get a bunch of broccoli and pre-chop it one night to use it for the next few days.  Also, couldn't some of what she makes be frozen to eat later?  I spend a few hours _a week_, total, cooking my food, and I eat mostly from scratch.  Though I do eat a lot of beans and things with gluten. 





Bringing this over from the last page:



addictivepersona said:


> Shot in the dark here, but I may be in luck: *Does anyone have a recipe for figs that is not horribly complicated and does not involve meat?*  Don't ask how, but I mistakenly bought figs instead of dates 8( and I do not like the taste of figs when eaten alone.  I did find one recipe that sounds delicious, but it only calls for six figs--three if I halve it:
> 
> 
> *NSFW*:
> 
> 
> 
> [SIZE=-5]*Banana Oatmeal Fig Breakfast Cookies*
> Prep Time: 20 minutes
> Cooking Time: 16 minutes
> Yield 16 cookies
> 
> Ingredients:
> 4 medium Bananas
> 4 cups Old Fashioned Oatmeal
> 1/2 tsp All Natural Baking Soda
> 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
> 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
> 1/2 cup Honey
> 3/4 cup Pecans
> 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds, Raw
> 6 Figs (dried)
> 1 tsp Cinnamon, Ground
> 
> Directions:
> Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
> 
> In food processor or blender, grind 2 cups of old-fashioned oats into a fine powder.
> 
> In a large bowl mix dry ingredients (ground oats, unground oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
> 
> Using a blender or hand mixer, puree four ripe bananas. Add vanilla and honey. Mix well.
> 
> Combine wet and dry mixtures and blend together. Stir in pecans, sunflower seeds and chopped figs. The consistency should resemble batter/dough. If you used large bananas and pureed them and the consistency is runny, you may add an additional 1/2 of oats.
> 
> Scoop the cookie dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment, using a large spoon.
> 
> Bake for 14-18 minutes or until done in the middle. Store in airtight container when cool.
> 
> 
> Note: I individually wrap half of my batch of cookies and store them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer.
> 
> Found here.[/SIZE]


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## animal_cookie

quinoa is a good idea, thanks  

she likes to cook and prep everything right before cooking. it would be awesome if i could convince to her prep ahead of time or freeze meals. but right now i want to focus on getting her comfortable with the child trying new foods and expanding what he eats.

here are some fig recipes. i want to try the fig salsa sometime.


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## Mariposa

^I'll gladly give what advice I can about picky kids (and their parents).  There are two boys I watch over as a favor to their father here and there.  The younger is slightly picky but open-minded (if he sees me eating something he hasn't had, he'll ask for a bite); the older will eat nothing but white rice, cheese, some beans, wheat tacos, occasionally ground beef, Kraft Dinner, and instant mashed potatoes.  That, or McDonald's.  My attitude is "you get what you get and you don't get upset" and I'm working to educate them on how their diet needs to be modified... the parents are getting fed up with the pickiness.  I plan to replicate some of their favorites with better ingredients; we're all going to the yuppie grocery store later this week, where they will learn to select the best ingredients and hopefully sample some things they like.  In your case, a_c, perhaps the mom can put together all of the ingredients for her chosen recipe and give you instructions.  If the kidlet is old enough, then perhaps he can participate in preparing a little bit?  That is a rather restrictive diet.

Addictivepersona has made some EXCELLENT posts - nice job   I'll only add that not everyone loves quinoa.  I will eat it, but I feel it tastes like birdseed.  I had some over the winter with lentils and a whole bunch of Middle Eastern spices - it was delicious that time.  That's a recipe I need to procure!

My newest recipe is a hybrid of a few different vegetarian lasagna recipes.  I avoided tomatoes (to which I am allergic if they are raw - no paranoia, I really am) and wanted to make some summer-y comfort food with what's in season.  I took a couple cheats in that I had some prepared pesto on hand and I used a little bit of prepared alfredo sauce that I had left over from another meal.  Also, I am now officially a believer in the noodles here, which are preboiled: 

http://www.barillaus.com/Products/13/lasagne-oven-ready.aspx

This is all approximate and easily modified.  I was feeling creative and since this was a winner, I wanted to share it w/the fellow foodies.  

*VEGETARIAN HYBRID LASAGNA*

Ingredients:

- Alfredo Sauce (if anyone has an awesome recipe for it, that would be a GREAT share - I'm finding it tricky but I managed)
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg (it binds the whole thing together)
- Shredded mozzarella (you can really get creative with this as you layer the lasagna - I believe it was around 8 oz)
- Barilla pre-cooked lasagna noodles
- Fresh or frozen spinach (I used 10 oz. frozen organic spinach)
- Pesto (to your taste)
- Walla Walla or other sweet onion, diced
- 3 zucchini of reasonable size, sliced thinly but with texture
- 2 carrots (see above)
- Fresh garlic (to your taste)
- Garlic powder (to your taste)
- Salt and pepper (to your taste)

Procedure:

1.  Prepare your alfredo sauce if you are not using canned or frozen (which you can, and yeah, I need a good technique or a hand blender).
2.  Spray your lasagna pan with olive oil cooking spray (it will stick otherwise, big time).
3.  Cook all of the above veggies aside from spinach on the stove or oven-roast them.  I pan-fried mine in light olive oil, and they had the same texture as if roasted.
4.  While that's cooking, combine your spinach with the ricotta, the egg, and pesto in a separate mixing bowl.  Add your garlic powder to this mixture if you'd like.
5.  Spread the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of sauce.
6.  Layer lasagna noodles to fit the pan (they do expand).
7.  Spread the lasagna noodles with the ricotta-spinach mixture.
8.  Add 1/2 of your other veggies.
9.  Add mozzarella to cover it all.
10.  Repeat steps 5-9 until your pan is full.
11.  Add a final layer of Italian cheese of your choice, but this should include mozzarella as it melts so nicely.
12.  Place in a 375 degree oven covered in foil for 40-50 minutes.
13.  Remove the foil from the lasagna when it looks cooked-through and let the top brown at a higher heat.  I went with 425.
14.  Once the top is browned, remove and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
15.  Cut with a serrated knife and enjoy!

Here's a (work-safe) photo of the end result:


*NSFW*: 










It was delicious.  What little was left of the leftovers was frozen in little packets and enjoyed later.

Modifications and suggestions are welcomed.    I believe this could be made vegan with the use of faux-alfredo sauce, noodles without egg, and vegan shredded cheese, but I haven't tried that yet.


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## Fawkes

animal_cookie said:


> actually, does anyone have suggestions for foods/recipes free of: tree nuts, soy, dairy and gluten. but that are "kid" friendly.



i'm not sure how helpful this might be but have you read the blog Fed Up with Lunch? as a teacher, the blog's author decided to commit a year to eating the cafeteria food with her students. it was sort of scary especially when she reported the negative health impacts she had from eating the kids' food. 

now that the project's over, she's continuing the blog with "good food" options and suggestions. the reason i think you might find it beneficial is that her son, a toddler, has several food restrictions (i can't remember how many restrictions align with the child you're tutoring) but she details what she includes in his daily lunch box (as well as her own) with photos. could help.


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## animal_cookie

thanks for link fawkes  and thanks for your advice mariposa 

i'm cooling it on introducing new foods for awhile. i really don't want the mom to hate me right off the bat.


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## Dave

So, the coconut oil thing didn't really work. Since I was adding an oil with a relatively high solidification temperature to an icy cold paste, it pretty well just froze into little shards. Not great, texturally. I still re-froze some though, and I'll check on it in a bit-- I think that if I started with warm bananas and worked in the oil, then froze it like normal ice cream it would probably work a lot better.

Mari-- That lasagne looks killer! I used to make a similar one, but with a tomato sauce base. Very good, but very dairy heavy so it didn't get along with me too well.


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## amanda_eats_pandas

Bump. 
Why is this thread so many pages back?


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## MyDoorsAreOpen

Addictivepersona, the problem with raw eggplant is that it's got an astringent mouthfeel -- it tightens up the mucosa of your mouth, which is an effect of the nightshade alkaloids in it. Most people don't grow up eating many astringent things and don't learn to define the sensation as pleasant.

Speaking of eggplants, I'm curious to try making two things with them that I reckon could be hits:

1. A condiment made of a paste of boiled-down and finely pureed eggplants, with vinegar, garlic, salt, and maybe a bit of cumin, plus maybe a little added pectin for consistency's sake. If tomatoes (ketchup) and chili peppers can be used to make similar sauces that people enjoy, why not eggplant? It's a fellow nightshade berry, that goes well with salt and garlic, and adds a nice background note to a lot of foods. I'd try it on my burger or kebab!

2. An eggplant based spiced sweet loaf, kind of like zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, banana bread, or carrot cake. I'd have to experiment on the spice mix -- I don't think a clove and allspice heavy, chai-ish sort of blend would taste quite right. Nutmeg though ...
I dunno, people are a lot more skeptical on this one. My wife doubts that eggplant has any dessert potential.


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## gsx2ts4u

I have a very unnatural obsession with my slow cooker.. I use it almost everyday.. srs. 

Here is a recipe for Pasta fagioli for your slow cooker/crock pot.  (this to me is better then Olive Garden's soup). 

--1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
--1/2 large red onion, chopped
--1 cup carrots, chopped
--2 celery stalks, sliced
--2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (and juice)
--1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
--1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
--4 cups beef broth (check label for gluten!)
--1 jar (16.5 oz) pasta sauce
--2 tsp oregano
--1 T Tabasco sauce
--1/2 tsp salt
--1/4 tsp black pepper
--1/2 cup dry pasta, to add at end of cooking time (I used TJ's brown rice fusilli)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart or larger crockpot, or cut the recipe in half. This makes a lot.

Brown the meat on the stovetop, and drain well. Let it cool a bit.

Chop up the carrots, onion, and celery. Add it to the empty crockpot.
Drain and rinse the beans, and add them. Add the whole cans of tomatoes, and the pasta sauce. Add the beef broth. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, and Tobasco sauce. Stir in your meat.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the 1/2 cup of dry pasta.

Cover and cook for another hour on low, or until the pasta is tender. It will swell quite a bit.

Serve with a bit of parmesan cheese if you have it.


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## Samadhi

So this is a REALLY simple recipe, using caramel made by boiling tins of condensed milk for about 4 hours. I know that you can buy tins of caramel nowadays, but for me, there is something really unique about the taste of this caramel. It takes me back to when i was little and lived with my grandparents. I made this caramel about 6 months ago and refrigerated the unopened tins. It lasts for ages and yesterday my husband and I decided to open one and make caramel tarts.

We cheated though, and in a patty tray, placed ginger nut biscuits and heated slowly until they 'wilted' into the shape of the patty tins. Once cooled, we spooned caramel into them. Here is the result. NOM.


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## belarki

^ haha a workmate of mine used the same ginger-nut biscuit trick to make little sweets with creamed cheese, condensed milk, and lime filling. They were delicious. Those caramel tarts look pretty tasty too


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## Samadhi

So i cooked chicken & leek pie for dinner tonight. it's in the oven cooking right now.

Here is the recipe we used:

Ingredients
Serves: 6
6 Boneless chicken breasts (cubed)
2 medium leeks
1 chicken stock cube or 1/2 cup (125ml) chicken stock
3 cups (750ml) milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
2 large sheets puff pastry
Printer friendly
Email to a friend


Preparation method

Prep: 30 mins	
Cook: 20 mins

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. In a large frypan, add half the olive oil and lightly brown the cubed chicken, then set aside.
2. Using the same frypan, and the remaining oil, sautee the leeks till tender.
3. In a large pot, make the sauce by melting butter then mixing in flour, making a roux. Once the flour is mixed in and smooth, add milk and stir until thickened.
4. Add chicken and leeks and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Pour into a 23x30cm casserole dish and cover with the puff pastry. If you wish you can brush the top with an egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for approx 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

So I changed it up a bit - you need more thickening agent as after using the 1tbs flour and butter it still didn't thicken, so i ended up using actual cornflour to get the right consistency. I added 1/4 cup dry white wine after adding the leek/chicken mix to the sauce. 

I also added extra garlic, mushroom and some fresh parsley to the mix.

I"ll let you know how it tastes - it's the first time i've cooked this, and it smells so good!


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## ocean

You're making me hungry.


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## addictivepersona

MyDoorsAreOpen said:


> Addictivepersona, the problem with raw eggplant is that it's got an astringent mouthfeel -- it tightens up the mucosa of your mouth, which is an effect of the nightshade alkaloids in it. Most people don't grow up eating many astringent things and don't learn to define the sensation as pleasant.


Huh!  Interesting!  Did not know that eggplant did that.  I did notice it made my mouth feel a bit funny, but it didn't give me an _un_pleasant sensation--Unless I got an eggplant that had a lot of large seeds.  

I think both of your ideas sound really good.  :)  I'd try them.


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## MyDoorsAreOpen

^ Awesome. I'll send you a bottle/loaf if I try and it works.

Yeah that 'strange' taste / feeling is the astringency. Banana peels have that quality too, when I've accidentally bitten them. There's a taste that goes along with the feeling for me, which is kind of chemicaly or soapy.

I'm generally a bigger fan of Chinese than Italian eggplant. It's got a little more structural integrity for things like skewers and stirfries, not seedy, easy to cut, never bitter. Pity they don't match the Italian strains for aroma. 

Last time I ordered Szechwan egglpant from my local Chinese take out, I noticed they used Italian eggplant, which I thought was strange, but probably done as a cost-saving measure. The taste was great, but the texture was all wrong -- oddly shaped slab-like cuts that turned to mush pretty readily.


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## Dave

OMG, Szechwan eggplant is to die for! I must find a recipe for it some time.

Speaking of which, I recently went to a proper Chinese restaurant (pan-Chinese, although with a heavy Szechwan bias) and tried a dish that used whole Szechwan peppercorns. It was a rather spicy dish, as they often are from that area, but I found that if I bit into a peppercorn I would get a hit of lemony something along with an almost electric numbing sensation. Turns out that it's from Hydroxy-alpha-sanshool found in the pepeprcorns (at a whopping 3% w/w concentration!), and while it was unusual it did give a really interesting extra dimension to the otherwise mostly just hot (and somewhat sweet) dish.

Since then, I've been trying to think of a way to incorporate the peppercorns into a more western-style dish. I'm actually leaning more toward a dessert; maybe extracting the sanshool into a cream substitute, whipping it up and putting it on top of a lemon meringue pie type thing. Or even just a lemon/peppercorn sorbet as a palate cleanser?


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## MyDoorsAreOpen

Dave, those are called huajiao (literally "flower pepper") in Chinese, and they have a numbing effect on the inside of mouth also along with a distinctive gustatory sensation which I'd describe as something betwen spicy and metallic. I first had them in Beijing in the best rendition I've ever had of kungpao chicken. A well-made Beijing-style kungpao chicken, with celery, peanuts, huajiao, and generous chili peppers (and nothing else!), is probably in my top ten beer foods of all time.

When I order kungpao chicken, I try telling them in Mandarin to add huajiao. Even then they're sparing with it. It's one of the more shocking sensations I've ever put in my mouth, and definitely not something you'd just want to surprise dinner guests with.

You can also go to a Japanese store and ask for a shaker of a ramen condiment called 'sansho'. This is ground szechwan peppercorn. It comes in formulations with ground chili pepper and nori, too.

I think I'm going to have to up the ante and sprinkle some fried fire ants on my pad thai next time I'm in bangkok.


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## Dave

Doo eet! Ants are very intensely flavoured; the ones that I had were strongly lemon-like, oddly enough.

Thanks for the tip about sansho; that'll save me from having to grind the peppercorns.

Ooh: today I tried lobster mushrooms for the first time. They really did taste like lobster, the texture was even right!


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## ChemicalSmiles

1 lb chicken wings soaked in the following marinade;

¾ cup Coca-Cola
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbs Chinese rice wine
2 tbs vegetable oil 
A pinch of freshly ground blackpepper

1 stalk spring onion (scallion), chopped thrown on it after cooking.


Let them marinate for at least an hour, but I go for 3-4 hrs min!
I just like them on the grill.. but could be fried or done in the oven I assume!


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## Dave

The acid in the coke must make those super tender! Mmm.

I made a killer vegan corn chowder tonight. The ideal late summer/early fall meal; so warming. As always, measurements are approximate, as I'll be damned if I'm going to measure anything in the kitchen.

oil for frying (I used coconut; canola, light olive, corn or peanut would all work fine)
2 onions
2 star anise
6 cloves garlic
6 ears fresh corn, kernels removed and the cobs cut into ca. 2" lengths
2 L veg stock, plus more to dilute if necessary
2 medium-large potatoes, well-scrubbed and diced; I used starchy reds because that's what I had on hand, but nice, waxy Yukon Golds would be killer here
2 cups cashew cream
oregano oil (or a lot of oregano; I like the oil as it doesn't mess up the colour or consistency)
dressing oil, nice bread, one more garlic clove (to finish)

Begin by sweating off the onions in the bottom of a large pot. I used a pressure cooker, both to save time and improve flavour; a conventional pot can be used, but add a couple of hours for simmering the cobs. Seriously. Anyway, once the onions are starting to get a bit of colour, throw in the garlic (minced first, forgot to mention that) and anise and toss for about 30 seconds. The licorice flavour doesn't overpower, and interacts really well with the onions and garlic to add some incredible depth of flavour. It can be omitted easily enough though, but try it out sometime.

Add in the cobs, half of the stock and a small handful of the kernels. Seal the pressure cooker and cook at 2nd ring (15 psi) for 15-20 minutes. Open the pot using the fast cooling method (or natural cooling if you're patient and want a less cloudy broth, but that's moot here as you'll see in a bit). If you're using a conventional pot, here's where the two hours come in: simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. For either method, once the cooking time here is done, remove the cobs, add the diced potato and half of the remaining kernels and bring the broth back up to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender, then blend until smooth using a hand blender or in a conventional blender in batches. There will still be some texture; if you're anal you can strain it, but eff that-- a good soup should have texture.

With the blended soup in the pot, adjust seasoning as required with salt and copious freshly ground black pepper. Add in a solid dropper-full of oregano oil and stir well. Add in the cashew cream and adjust the thickness if required with more stock (it'll likely be required). Let it sit in the warm pot until at the right temperature to eat, stir once more and adjust seasoning again. To serve, ladle generously into bowls (don't be a miser; it's cold out), drizzle with a bit of nice dressing oil (I used Udo's oil blend, but a nice, complex extra virgin olive oil would be grand), add a few cracks of black pepper, a sprinking of the remaining kernels and serve with the nice bread lightly toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic for great justice!

So, what the flying frack is cashew cream you ask? It's a dead easy whole food substitute for dairy cream that is wonderfully rich and healthy as it has a good amount of both protein and plant fats. All you do to make it is soak some raw cashews in some water for at least 4 hours (at room temp) or ideally overnight (probably best to refrigerate). Drain and rinse well, then blend in a high speed blender with more fresh water (start with a 1:1 volume ratio of nuts:water) until silky smooth. If you've got a cheper blender, it might stay a bit gritty, in which case you can just strain it for a delicious light oil. If you've got a killer blender, then it can be used as is; if there's less water in it then it can be used as a heavy cream, and substituted even for creme fraiche in sauces. If a 'normal' cream is required, just dilute with fresh water to get the right consistency. Keeps well in the fridge.


----------



## nekointheclouds

My mom found this online. It is the weekly news letter for the cooper-young area of memphis. the news letter featured a picture and article about me and some things I was picking up at the farmers market. Here's the picture and the Article.






What's in Your Bag?

"We spoke with Jessie D. last week as she was enjoying the beautiful day at the market and asked her, "what's in your bag?"  Sipping a lemonade from CYCFM's Market Cafe, Jessie told us that she had picked up carrots, basil, pineapple thyme, and rosemary with the idea of heading into the kitchen to create an herb-scented melange of roasted carrots, new potatoes, and yucca. Wow — that sounds pretty good!"

Those greens you see spilling from my bag are the tops of some beautiful carrots!

I did take my last name out of the article.


----------



## double ewe

*bacon-wrapped scallops with chili-mayo*

1 1/2 pound large scallops
1/2 pound thin-sliced bacon
olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sriracha chili paste
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
3 avocados, sliced

season the scallops with salt/pepper, wrap in bacon and secure with tooth-picks. they can be grilled or sauteed in olive-oil/butter. either way, you'll want to use medium heat and try to keep the bacon (rather than scallops) in contact with the heating element for the majority of the cook-time. the bacon typically cooks much slower than the scallops (another option is to cook the bacon some before wrapping the scallops).

then mix the mayo, chili paste, cilantro and lime together.

place cooked scallops over sliced avocado, drizzle with chili-mayo and garnish with cilantro. probably the highest wow:effort ratio of any dish i know.


----------



## gsx2ts4u

My favorite thing at TGIFriday's is the vanilla bean cheesecake.  I found a recipe that tastes almost exactly like it.  It takes a lot of work and it has like over 7000 calories but om nom nom it's so good! 


    1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
    1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
    1/2 cup butter, melted
    1 cup butter, softened
    1 egg yolk, beaten
    3/4 teaspoon vanilla, divided
    16 ounces cream cheese, softened
    1 cup sour cream
    2 tablespoons cornstarch (or 3 T flour)
    2 vanilla pod, beans removed, divided
    2 cups whipping cream
    3 tablespoons powdered sugar
    4 ounces one-third less fat reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
    4 ounces white chocolate baking squares, melted

Directions:

    1
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9 in springform pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
    2
    Mix the graham crackers with 1/4 C sugar.
    3
    Add the egg yolk, 1/4 t. vanilla, and melted butter, in that order.
    4
    Press mixture into the pan, and bake for 8 minutes (or until edges are slightly brown).
    5
    Remove and let cool.
    6
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    7
    Combine cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch, and 1 C sugar, mixing until sugar dissolves. Add butter, 1/2 t vanilla, and beans from one vanilla pod, blend until smooth. Spread on crust.
    8
    Bake 30-35 minutes, cool 1 hour.
    9
    In a cold mixing bowl, beat 1 C cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 T powdered sugar, and continue beating. Place in another bowl in fridge. Without washing first bowl, beat the 1/3 less fat cream cheese in it, until fluffy. Add the white chocolate, and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream from fridge; place back in fridge.
    10
    In another cold bowl, beat 1 C whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 1 T powdered sugar, and beans from one vanilla pod beating until stiff peaks form.
    11
    Spread mousse evenly on top (cream cheese/white chocolate mixture). Refrigerate for an hour, then spread whipped cream on top. Refrigerate several hours before serving.


----------



## AmorRoark

My grandma's famous:

BRAN BREAD

3 cups warm water (test water on wrist)
2 pkgs. dry yeast.  Put the yeast in the water and stir a bit and let rise. (this takes a bit of time) It will get quite foamy.

Add--
5 T liquid shortening
5 T brown sugar
4 1/2 t salt
1 C powdered milk
1 C All bran cereal

Mix all of this a bit and then add--
4 C sifted flour   
Beat at a slow speed until mixed and then at a medium to fast speed for 2 minutes.

Add --
3 to 3 1/2 more cups of flour.  A bit at a time--you may have to mix the last bit by hand as the dough gets quite heavy.

Heat oven the 375 degrees.  Put dough into  2 bread pans that have been greased (Pam).  Put a towel over the bread and put in a warm place to raise--not the oven  (Should about double in size and will take about an hour.Bake for 35 minutes.  Turn out on a cooling rack and let cool before slicing.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

so glad I bumped this.. i'll give post something new soon


----------



## panic in paradise

Beyond words, like eating a sweet cloud...

Roughly ~
6oz water
3oz half half
3.5 oz Croatian Pork Liver Pate stir in (390% Vit A part of the point is the Vit A consumption)

Add any any veggies when ever, how ever...
this is enough for 4 people maybe, or a few days of variations.
Add Black-Pepper when served.

1/4 C.~ Turmeric
1.5~ tbsp Sweet Paprika
3 whole Black Cumin Seeds
2 Bay Leaf
Couple pinches Thyme-orange thyme
Half pinch Celery Seed
Half pinch Saffron

I used a whole roasted Chicken shredded and simmered all the while

I will use excess sauce to make with Rock Fish or Cod, Halibut...White Wish...

Rice or Angel Hair...Couscous on side maybe

Riesling semi sweet, cooked in or served with, Blanc de Blanc, not Chardonnay, not Savignon Blanc,  south American white wines...Cabernet Sav I could actually imagine working, interestingly enough.

Insanely good for the eyes and GI, urinary tract, skin cells, repletes lipids, cleanse lungs, purifies the blood, anti inflammation - _very good._

_____________________________________
i am soon to be experimenting with Egg Whites, Pistachio Halawa/Halva, and Coconut Shavings, with Coco not cooked in, but sprinkled on...
*;-P*


----------



## Bearlove

I’m not sure if you enjoy ‘Indian / Far East’ food but if you do then I may I suggest the following? 
One main dish + two side (takes less than one hour)

Main

½ teaspoon of the following seeds - cumin,mustard, onion, coriander.  Couple of crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and 1 teaspoon (or more depending on how hot you enjoy your food) of chili powder.

Two standard size red onions chopped up finely 

Half a mug of chicken stock  - a tablespoon of tomato paste / puree.

Oil / salt pepper to taste

Enough chicken/meat  for two / three people (cut into mouthsize pieces)


Simply heat the oil and throw in the seeds and stir fry them for about 1 or 2 mins (until they smell nice) – then add the garlic, ginger, chilli powder, stock, onion,  tomato paste (I honestly think its easier to mix the chilli, stock and tomato paste in a cup and then add it all at once).  Once the onion is soft throw in your chicken.     Bring to the boil and then reduce and let simmer for 5 / 10 minutes.

Sides 
Bring a pan of water to the boil and then add a small chopped up cabbage  (1 lb per 4 people) when your waiting for that to boil peel about 4 medium sized potatoes and chop into smallish cubes (dice size).

Once the cabbage is boiled drain (retaining the water) and keep to one side now add your potatoes to the cabbage water and add back to the heat.  Once your potatoes are boiled and soft (but not falling apart) drain and keep to one side.

By this time your main dish should be ready so have a look – if its still a bit watery then leave for a few mins longer.  If its done then switch off the heat and get to work on the sides.

Before serving
Cabbage – get a few tablespoons of dahl / lentils, a teaspoon of black mustard seeds and a few curry leaves (chilli to taste).  Heat up a few tablespoons of oil and then stir fry the seeds / lentils –  and once they have become brown then add curry leaves/chili powder and then simply pour over the cabbage and mix them (adding salt n pepper).

Potatoes – heat a few tablespoons of oil to a pan (the one used above works fine and saves washing up). Once that is smoking hot add a tablespoon of cumin seeds, a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger, fresh chili to taste and then squeeze over some lime juice (just before serving).

If you can be bothered then chop up a spring / green onion and a large red chili and sprinkle that over the sides (not really needed but looks nice).


----------



## Dave

Bearlove-- that sounds dead easy, and super tasty! 

So, for Canuckian thanksgiving, I'm giving this Seitan Bourguignon a try. Since I'll be at my parents', kitchen real estate will be tight (although I'll likely be running the show there, for the most part ), so I'm doing it up until the braise step tonight. Basically, once it comes out of the screaming hot oven, I'll deglaze the whole thing with a bunch of wine and stock (which I'm making right now as well) and then let it cool outside before storing in the fridge overnight. Then all I have to do tomorrow is pop it in the oven for an hour, reduce the liquid if required, and boom! I'm done.

My home already smell aweseome, and I haven't even started roasting garlic for the mashed potatoes yet. I'm so psyched...


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Brb guys, moving to Canada.


----------



## Dave

You just made my day.



(the seitan bourguignon was killer, btw. Dead easy too)

Edit-- I can't believe that I forgot to link the recipe. What the hell!? Oh, and I'll be making the roasted fingerling poatoes and braised leek to use up the leftover bourguignon. Oh yeah..


----------



## animal_cookie

i have a bit of an issue, i can't make pasta carbonara. i understand the concept of how to make. i've followed recipes and watched videos but i am doing something wrong. does anyone have any tips?

i find it fairly embarrassing that i can't cook a simple pasta dish yet i can make make more complicated meals with ease.


----------



## Dave

The egg bit is easy to curdle-- I never managed to get it quite right either. A cop out is to add a splash of demi-glace and chopped cooked bacon to an already-prepared alfredo sauce. Not quite proper, but it's what a lot of chain restaurants use for their 'carbonara'.


----------



## animal_cookie

i have yet to find a prepared alfredo sauce that i like. most have asiago cheese in them which i can't stand.


----------



## Dave

Sorry, that should have read "already prepared". Alfredo sauce is much easier than carbonara as there are no egg yolks to curdle, and while the workaround isn't as authentic it is still super tasty. Plus, by making your own you can put whatever hard cheese in there that you like. Personally, I prefer parmigiano to asiago as well.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

*another chicken wing recipe
*

2 tbsp   butter
1 tbsp   onion powder
5 tbsp   brown sugar
2 tbsp   worcestershire sauce
1          cupketchup
1          cup water
2          tbsp prepared mustard

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine. Add onion powder, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; mix well. Dilute ketchup with water and add to saucepan mixture. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Place chicken wings in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour saucepan mixture over chicken. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.


----------



## spork

i'm not too big on alfredo sauces either (they're usually way too rich for me and upset my tummy), but my mom made a mango alfredo sauce before that was super yummy. i'll have to see if i can get that recipe from her.


----------



## Dave

Please do! I'm very intrigued by this.


----------



## animal_cookie

spork, that sounds like a very interesting combo. i am also curious about the recipe.

my dinner tonight is apple and cranberry stuffed chicken breast with pumpkin soup and buttermilk biscuits. it is mostly reassembling various prepared foods from trader joe's as opposed to home cooking tho.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

semi homemade FTW during the work week


----------



## animal_cookie

i made this carrot-apple-ginger soup with fresh mint for dinner. it was super tasty compared to the amount of effort it took to make.

but my husband wouldn't eat it because he said it was baby food texture. i am trying to think of what i can add so its not just a puree. other than the obvious of carrot chunks.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Does anyone have a good recipe for bread made with the leftover grains from brewing beer?
All the ones I've seen are yeast, flour and sugar. Are there any custom favorite versions?


----------



## Dave

Ask and ye shall receive.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Merci beaucoup 
I'll give that a try tomorrow and report back.



My current go-to recipe has been a quinoa, black bean hodge podge.
I add however much I feel like or have on hand of the following.

Quinoa (duh)
Bell pepper, diced (its weird that certain colors are cheaper than others)
Black beans, rinsed and drained
Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
Sambal or chili pepper flakes
Some sort of smoked sausage, cut into slices

While the quinoa cooks, cook the onion in a pan with oil for about 10 min and then add the garlic and bell pepper. Let that cook some more until the bell pepper is tender, then add the sausage and beans to heat them up. Finally add the cooked quinoa and sambal.

To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the sausage. Its not that healthy and with the quinoa and black beans there's already enough protein in this.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

use chicken or turkey sausage


----------



## ColtDan

i call this my motherfucking magical MXE masterpiece 

1 Jaffa cake

1 custard creme biscuit.

5 seconds in the microwave. stick both parts of the custard creme biscuit to each side of the jaffa cake and enjoy.


----------



## addictivepersona

amanda_eats_pandas said:


> Bell pepper, diced (its weird that certain colors are cheaper than others)


It's not weird at all:  All bell peppers are green at first--If left to ripen on the vine, they will turn different colors depending upon the degree of ripeness.  Green -> Yellow -> Orange -> Red.  It's more expensive to let them ripen on the vine, hence the higher price of red bell peppers compared to yellow, compared to green.

For more info, click here.  :)


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/walnut-apple-stuffing

plus roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes

Sunday dinner is back


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Perpetual Indulgence said:


> use chicken or turkey sausage



Hmmm maybe. 



addictivepersona said:


> It's not weird at all:  All bell peppers are green at first--If left to ripen on the vine, they will turn different colors depending upon the degree of ripeness.  Green -> Yellow -> Orange -> Red.  It's more expensive to let them ripen on the vine, hence the higher price of red bell peppers compared to yellow, compared to green.
> 
> For more info, click here.  :)



I didn't know that, that's pretty cool and makes total sense now.
Right on


----------



## Dave

I've been making a big pot of stew once a week for the local Occupy camp, and keeping a couple bowls for myself for lunches during the week. I was just messing around and made what turned out to be a pretty tasty and nutritious one-pot meal. Completely vegan, but loaded with gluten-- goes great with a nice bun though!

Occupy Stew!

vegan sausage
onions/carrot/celery (ratio of 2:1:1 by chopped volume, aka "mirepoix")
garlic
mini/fingerling potatoes
cauliflower
kale (cleaned and chopped into small bits)
chickpeas
canned tomatoes
lemon juice
oil for frying
veg stock (I used this one-- it's amazing)
oregano, marjoram, bay leaves
flour to thicken
Tamari/shoyu/soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the clean potatoes into bite-size pieces and toss in a bit of oil on a baking sheet. Add salt and pepper, then roast until golden brown, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. Do the same with the cauliflower-- the cauliflower will take less time to cook.

Start the stew proper by heating a splash of oil in a big 'ol pot, and fry the sausage (cut into reasonable pieces) until there's a nice crust on them. Remove and reserve. Heat another splash of oil and then sweat the mirepoix until the onions start to brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, usually just 30 seconds or so. Add the chickpeas and herbs, and toss in the flour, stirring to coat everything evenly, and cook until the flour starts to brown just a bit. Add the stock and stir until there are no lumps left. Take half of the tinned tomatoes and quickly puree them, and coarsly chop the other half. Add the tomatoes into the mixture and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often. Do not let it come to a boil, as you will have lots of burnt crap stuck on the bottom of your pan! Add in a bit of tamari/other soy sauce, lots of black pepper, and tweak the seasoning as you'd like.

Once the potatoes and cauliflower are done roasting, eat a couple as is because they're delicious! Then add them into the stew, along with the kale and sausage. Stir so that everything is well mixed and warmed through, add some lemon juice to finish and check for seasoning one last time. 

Serve piping hot, either to loving friends and familiy or to a group of dedicated activists working to get some sort of accountability back into the financial sector


----------



## ebola?

> i call this my motherfucking magical MXE masterpiece



cooking and eating on dissociatives: no way that can be a good scene. 

ebola


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Dave said:


> Ask and ye shall receive.



So yummy. One of the loaves has already been demolished, the second will surely be gone by tomorrow.
I added some maple syrup this last time, I plan to bake more soon and add some honey to one and cranberries to another.


----------



## Dave

Glad to hear it! Once I get rid of these kits and get into proper brewing, I look forward to having some spent grain of my own to play with.


----------



## ricardo08

I don't cook properly that often but I can cook and do enjoy it occasionally. The other night I tried doing a thai prawn curry for the first time...

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp fresh root ginger
1-2 tsp Thai red curry paste
400g can chopped tomatoes
50g sachet coconut cream
400g raw frozen prawns

It was nice, but it lacked something. It was slightly flavourless/bland. What could I add to this to improve it for next time? More curry paste?


----------



## ebola?

Fish sauce to complement the curry paste.  Remember that a little goes a long way (you don't want it to taste identifiably like fish sauce).

ebola


----------



## addictivepersona

I made the best fried rice earlier.  I've never made fried rice successfully as lame as that sounds--It's always turned out really soggy.

Ingredients: Two cups day-old brown Basmati rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, two red scallion-like onions, three cloves of garlic, two eggs, and extra virgin olive oil.

Sauteed the onions and garlic, emptied pan, cooked beaten eggs 'til almost done, emptied pan, fried rice/bean/tom. mixture (lol, shouldn't've added the tomatoes at this stage but meh, they were still delicious albeit a little burnt) for a few minutes, then added all the other ingredients back in for another minute.

The sun-dried tomatoes really gave the rice dish an interesting taste--The main reason I'm posting this very typical recipe you all have probably made in some form at one point or another.


----------



## Max Power

^ rice in general is hard to get 'just right', IME.




After putting it off for ages, I finally got a slow cooker. My first meal was a beef stew and not only was it easy to make, the end product was pretty much one of the best meals I've ever had. I halved the ingredients since my slow cooker is rather small. The simple recipe can be found here.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

*BACON WRAPPED EGGS
*
Ingredients:
1 package bacon
1 box of eggs
Shredded cheddar, crumbled goat cheese, or any cheese you like
Chopped herbs such as chives, dill, thyme

1. On medium heat, fry bacon on a skillet until slightly browned on each side, but still pliable - don't let them get crispy
2. Drain on paper towels and let cool
3. Preheat oven to 400
4. Line muffin cups (or ramekins) with bacon slices, making sure to cover the bottom too (tear off chunks of bacon to fill the bottom)
5. Crack an egg into each cup
6. Add cheese on top
7. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and freshly cracked pepper
8. Bake until set, approx 15 min
9. Carefully run a knife around each to loosen from the cup and remove


----------



## Dave

Max - that looks KILLER! Great photo too, I'm impressed.

So as part of my dinner today, I thought that I'd use up some of the older stuff in my fridge. I had half of a huge cabbage just sitting there, and a bunch of cashew cream from about a week ago that needs using. Now, creamy cabbage is a great comfort food from my youth; usually just sliced cabbage, onions, garlic, lots of salt and pepper, baked in the oven with a silly amount of cream. Well, I wanted something similar, but veganized, and figured that I'd try the cashew cream. Worked wonderfully.

I didn't bake it, however; I pan steamed the sliced cabbage until soft and then cooked it until it just started to brown in the same pan, along with sliced onions garlic, a bit of salt and LOTS of pepper. Mmmm. Then, to finish I added about a cup of heavy (i.e. unfiltered) cashew cream, stirred to combine and let heat through. It was indistinguishable, from my memory at least, to the 'real' deal, and was a heap healthier too.

Vegan stovetop creamy cabbage

1/2 large head of normal, cheap as dirt cabbage, core removed, sliced in half (so,  quarters of the whole head) and then sliced into ribbons, as thinly as possible
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (not minced or crushed, it'll overcook if to finely cut)
1 medium-large onion, halved and sliced into half moons
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper
cashew cream (directions below)

Start by heating the frying oil, maybe 2 tbsp worth, in the biggest sautee pan/wok you've got, on medium-high heat. Ideally it should have a lid, otherwise it'll take forever to cook the cabbage down. Toss in the cabbage, stir to lightly coat in oil, and let sit until the pan gets warm again. Once the sizzling sound returns, add a heavy pinch (maybe 1 tsp) of salt and 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. Let steam for a few minutes, until the cabbage has softened and reduced in volume by about 1/3 to 1/2. This would be a great time to slice your onions and garlic.

Once the cabbage is steamed, remove the lid and let the steam evaporate. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the cabbage just starts to brown, stirring often. Add the cashew cream, stir to mix, and let heat through. Check for seasoning before serving, piping hot. Goes great as a side dish to a hearty stew, along with a rustic bread or roasted vegetables and potatoes.

Cashew Cream

I can't recall if I've told how to make this, but this is the best substitute for cream in virtually every application that I've tried so far. It's not quite as sweet as dairy cream, but in some applications coconut cream is too sweet. This stuff works wonderfully, and can be easily sweetened for desserts with a little agave/maple syrup.

1 cup raw cashews
lots of fresh water
time

Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours in lots of nice cold water. At least double the volume of nuts should be used. I usually soak them overnight for convenience's sake. After the soaking period has completed, drain the nuts into a colander and rinse very well. Transfer to a high-speed blender (Blend-Tec is best, but I have a little Krups that works well enough, so I'd wager that most decent blenders would do the trick). Blend on the highest setting with a 1:1 volume of fresh water, until smooth and creamy. This is 'heavy' cashew cream, and is good in place of creme fraiche, sour cream (with a splash of lemon for tartness) or heavy cream in all but whipped applications. If you don't have a high-speed blender, there may be a slight gritty texture to the cream. If that bugs you, then you can pass it through a fine sieve to get light cream, which works well as a half-and-half substitute. Or, conversely, you could just dilute with more fresh water to get the consistency needed, and nuts to the grittiness! (if there's even any at all)


----------



## Dave

Bump for great justice.

So, I'm starting work on a trio of nut cheeses for my office xmas party. Figured that it's as good a time as any to give it a whirl. Doing a simple uncultured almond cheese, a commercial probiotic cultured macadamia cheese, and if it works (pending a self-test first for toxicity) a cashew cheese using rejuvelac.

If any of them work out, I'll post photos and recipes upon completion.

Oh, and while I'm here-- it hasn't gotten the official go-ahead just yet, but I'm going to be putting out a call for recipes for a Bluelight Recipe Book soon! So give some thought as to some of your favourite recipes that you might consider giving to the cause.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

Oh boy... Imma have to think hard for some good recipes.


----------



## Dave

No rush-- I'm just going through the recipe threads now, but I'll eventually be putting out a call for more once we get official approval.


----------



## animal_cookie

i'd like to include my meatloaf recipe. it is rather unique since i use brown sugar and corn flake crumbs.


----------



## Dave

Sounds delish! If you don't want to post it publicly, feel free to PM.

:D

On topic: The macadamia cheese is coming along nicely. Just started the uncultured almond cheese and the cultured cashew cheese. The rejuvelac was a resounding failure - there's no way in hell that I'm putting something that smells that rancid in my body - so I'll be doing the cashew cheese with the same commercial probiotic as the macadamia cheese.


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

I was wondering the mods could edit the first couple posts. I wanna make sure I didnt already post some recipes of mine. I have a horrible memory.. LOL... im srs.

and heres a recipe to hold over till I really give it thought.

*Spaghetti With Bacon and Onion* (this serves 6)

1 lb bacon
2 onions (medium)
1 cup white wine
30 ozs diced tomatoes (petite cut work)
1 tsp dried thyme (ground)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb spaghetti

1	Cut bacon into matchstick size and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
2	Dice onion, cook till tender (about 5-7 minutes). Meanwhile, fill pot with water for spaghetti and set on high.
3	Drain 3/4 - 7/8 of the fat. How much you drain is up to you. The more you drain, the _healthier_ it is. The more you leave in, the *better* it tastes.
4	Add the white wine and raise the temperature. Cook off most of the liquid (approx 5 minutes).
5	Lower temperature to moderate heat, add tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes.
6	By now, water should be boiling. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
7	Drain spaghetti, toss with sauce.
8	Enjoy!


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

*Mahogany Chicken Wings (appetizer for 4-5 people)*

1/6th cup ketchup
1 cup honey
1/6th cup soy sauce
1 clove of garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs chicken wings

1.)	Mix ingredients.
2.)	Pour over wings.
3.)	Make a single layer of wings on baking sheet.
4.)	Cook for 1 hour at 400 degrees.



*Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Wings*(_appetizer for 5-6 people_

3 lbs chicken wings
1 & 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/4th cup honey
2 tsps mustard
2 tsps worcestershire sauce

1	arrange chicken wings on broiler pan.
2	broil 4-5" from heat. turning once.
3	cook until chicken is golden. about 8-10 minutes.
4	place chicken in slow cooker.
5	combine barbecue sauce, honey, mustard and worchestshire sauce in a bowl. mix well.
6	pour over chicken.
7	cover and heat on low setting for 2-2 1/2 hours.

_bacon wrapped waterchestnuts are next.. as well as my homemade BBQ chicken PIZZA._ *next *week ill post them.


----------



## ColtDan

Home made raspberry jam on dutch crispbakes... more healthy, tastes better than jam on toast, and tastes very nice  http://www.continentalbakeries.com/files/producten/popup_beschuit.jpg


----------



## Samadhi

Oh coltdan, i LOVE those Dutch crispbreads!


----------



## ColtDan

yum


----------



## Tosh.Suku

Hi, I'm new and I can't wait to read the thread and try some of the yummy recipes you guys and gals have served up!! Thanks Dave and Cap for getting me to this thread!


----------



## Bomboclat

*Eggs Pomodoro*

Ingrediants/supplies:
2-3 eggs (really depends on how hungry you are and/or how large of a frying pan you have)
Preggo or ragu (your choice but your choice should be preggo)
Garlic (cut or powder, again your choice)
Pepper
medium to large frying pan
wooden spoon

Directions:
1.) Take your pan and warm it up over the stove, though not for long, 30 seconds tops. 

2.) Empty out some preggo sauce into the pan so to cover the bottom. If youre only doing 2 eggs its not bad to see a little bit of the bottom of the pan, but if youre doing any more than 2 eggs coat that son'bitch

3.) Once the sauce starts to bubble a bit, turn the heat down and add your eggs. Make sure to space them out pretty evenly

4.) Add your fresh garlic or garlic powder

5.) Cover the pan and let set for a bit, though do check up on them (depending on how hard you want your yolks. For this dish I believe the yolks to be best served firm, but thats just me).

You're pretty much done at this point, unless you want to skip down to the "additional fun" section of the post.

**This dish is best served straight out of the frying pan (less clean up too).

*Additional fun:
The best way to eat this dish, imo, is with some buttered toast. Toast is the best fork when it comes to Eggs Pomodoro.


----------



## ColtDan

sod it all. box of Cadbury Heroes


----------



## Dave

^win, so much of it!

Bombo: lol @ 'Preggo'. Not bad, but proper pomodoro with a hint of garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes will do better, with less sugar/preservatives/etc... Failing the 'real deal', just blend a tin of tomatoes and spice 'er up.

I do loves me some eggs pomodoro though. Used to do one with salsa; kind of a pseudo- hueveros rancheros.


----------



## Bomboclat

I realied my mistake as I was doing it and thought it was too funny not to leave in :3


----------



## nekointheclouds

Bomboclat said:


> *Eggs Pomodoro*
> 
> Ingrediants/supplies:
> 2-3 eggs (really depends on how hungry you are and/or how large of a frying pan you have)
> Preggo or ragu (your choice but your choice should be preggo)
> Garlic (cut or powder, again your choice)
> Pepper
> medium to large frying pan
> wooden spoon
> 
> Directions:
> 1.) Take your pan and warm it up over the stove, though not for long, 30 seconds tops.
> 
> 2.) Empty out some preggo sauce into the pan so to cover the bottom. If youre only doing 2 eggs its not bad to see a little bit of the bottom of the pan, but if youre doing any more than 2 eggs coat that son'bitch
> 
> 3.) Once the sauce starts to bubble a bit, turn the heat down and add your eggs. Make sure to space them out pretty evenly
> 
> 4.) Add your fresh garlic or garlic powder
> 
> 5.) Cover the pan and let set for a bit, though do check up on them (depending on how hard you want your yolks. For this dish I believe the yolks to be best served firm, but thats just me).
> 
> You're pretty much done at this point, unless you want to skip down to the "additional fun" section of the post.
> 
> **This dish is best served straight out of the frying pan (less clean up too).
> 
> *Additional fun:
> The best way to eat this dish, imo, is with some buttered toast. Toast is the best fork when it comes to Eggs Pomodoro.



I saw the pics, it looked win!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

*Avocado smoothie*

An easy raw food smoothie I make quite often which tastes lovely:

1 cold, ripe, medium sized avocado, peeled and diced
20 organic raw almonds or 2 tblspns LSA (ground linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds)
1 decent sized banana, diced
400ml cold organic almond milk
20mls agave nectar (or to taste)

Puree ingredients in blender until blended and almonds are ground.

Serves: 2


----------



## Samadhi

My God that sounds delicious, Miss_vanilla!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Give it a go Samadhi!  It's full of all those good fats.


----------



## Tosh.Suku

It looks and sounds good. Do you happen to know what are the nutritional facts on it? You know like foods in the market will have "serving size 1 oz, 20% calcium, 2000 calorie diet".. what will this smoothie give you a lot of, in terms of vitamins and minerals?


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Tosh, I've worked it out around 375 calories, 8g fibre, 22g fat (3g saturated), around 50g of calcium - I'm not sure about percentages.  It would be fairly high in sugar I'm guessing, as smoothies generally are but it's very nutritious (vit C, E, antioxidants) and high in mono-unsaturated fat so that makes up for it (if you're concerned about that sort of thing).  I have it for breakfast and find it a reasonable calorie/fat intake for a meal.  

I call it a heart starter


----------



## Tosh.Suku

Thanks for providing the nutritional info, I hope more people include it in their recipe posts. Your smoothie sounds like a taste bud starter, I'll give it a whirl and let you know thanks!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

This isn't my recipe but a recipe I spied from a raw foodie on flickr.  I've made it a couple of times and it's gorgeous ... very rich though, despite it's health benefits and you wouldn't have it often.  You do have to muck around with the cocoa and agave syrup to find a balance you like (depending on whether you like a deep dark chocolate taste or a sweeter one for example).

Raw vegan chocolate mousse

One medium just ripe banana (if too ripe it might take over the taste a bit)
A scant half cup of good cocoa (if you can get fair trade use that)
Agave nectar to taste (I added 2 x 15ml tablespoons)
1/2 tspn espresso powder (I didn’t have/couldn’t find this so used organic instant coffee in tiny amount boiling water)

Blitz ingredients in a food processor.   Refrigerate for a couple of hours if required (I didn’t need to do this, it was thick straight after processing).

I serve mine with blueberries when they're in season (which they are now, yay!)

Serves: 1


----------



## RhythmSpring

A recipe I made up: 

Sweet potato hummus

a couple well-baked sweet potatoes (leave skins on for nutrition, take skins off for smoothest texture.)
many gobs of sesame tahini
several tablespoons of olive oil
sea salt
lots of cumin
onion powder
garlic powder
black pepper
optional: fresh squeezed lemon

moosh it all around with a fork.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Nice!  I love hummus and sweet potatoes equally so would love this I'm sure.


----------



## Samadhi

Oh that mousse looks amazing too  I've seen the banana replaced with avocado - which would be better for me as i'm giving sugar a miss right now. As for sweet potato hummus - jesus, mary and jerome that sounds wonderful!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I've seen recipes using avocado as well and am keen to try it.


----------



## alasdairm

inspired by a local restaurant, i made homemade 'fig and prosciutto' pizza last night. i used:

trader joe's wholewheat pizza dough
trader joe's fig butter
prosciutto
fontina cheese
caramelized onion

the amounts don't have to be exact - let inspiration guide you.

 - flour your work surface and roll out the pizza dough

 - spread a thin layer of fig butter over the whole dough (you don't have to go crazy with the amount)

 - grate and sprinkle the cheese over the dough

 - cut the prosciutto into bite size pieces and distribute over the pizza

 - distribute the caramelized onion over the pizza (again, err on the side of light with the onion) 

bake in a 425 oven for about 10 minutes.

if you can't get fontina cheese, gruyere or gouda would be a good substitute.

easy and delicious!

alasdair


----------



## animal_cookie

^yummy!


----------



## alasdairm

that trader joe's fig butter is like crack.

alasdair


----------



## Miss_vanilla

That pizza looks wonderful!  If only we had fig butter here.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

That looks super simple and delicious. I know what I'm grabbing at the grocery store this weekend.


----------



## addictivepersona

Miss_vanilla said:


> I made this for lunch today and it's delicious and so easy.
> 
> 
> *NSFW*:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mash roughly with potato masher, one 400g tin of rinsed and drained chick peas, 30ml extra virgin olive oil, squeeze of lemon, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, freshly ground sea salt and black pepper to taste; serve on toasted sourdough bread with a pinch of chilli flakes and some chopped continental parsley.  Drizzle with extra olive oil if you like.
> 
> Tip:  Find a decent brand of tinned chickpeas and stock up - I've had some truly awful ones.  The right ones should be nutty and subtly flavoured.  The brand I use is Amato organic if that helps anyone.


That looks absolutely delicious, thanks for sharing!  Why don't you get dried beans and cook them yourself?  Saves a lot of money in the long run, and there isn't as much sodium (or preservatives) as canned.

Also, question for those of you who have mashed beans before:  How hard should it be?  'Cause maybe I'm just really weak or not cooking the beans long enough, but it always takes me forever and is rather difficult to mash beans... :-/


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I do cook dried beans sometimes ... with the tinned beans, I always buy organic and rinse them out well so I don't think it's a problem.  For quick meals, tinned beans are pretty much perfect.

Re: mashing the beans - is it chickpeas which you find hard to mash?  White beans should be easy, but yeah probably not cooking them for long enough which I've done in the past.  Also soaking them overnight is supposed to help, before boiling them - I tend to do this which is probably why I also use tinned ones because it's a lot more work.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ I never soak beans.  Boil, drain, and put some in the fridge and some in the freezer.  

But yeah, maybe I'm just not cooking them long enough.  Hrm.  Something to look in to.  As far as which types of beans I've had a hard time mashing, I've had issues with black, small red (_not_ kidney), and chickpeas.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

haha well that would make it easier.  Soaking them is the worst bit!  I find it hard to commit to cooking anything that long in advance 

I often have a hard time boiling legumes to a perfect consistency also.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Aside from having to remember to soak them, I don't understand what's so difficult about it.  When I first started cooking beans (I mean, the _very_ first time I cooked 'em ) I soaked them:  I put them in a pot filled with cold water and left them for about 12 hours.  Drained the water, filled the pot with new water, and cooked like normal.  Do you do something different?

Getting the right consistency can be tough, but what I do is boil the beans for 45 minutes, then taste-test a few.  If they're not done, I continue boiling them, and sample them in five- or ten-minute increments until they're done.  :)


----------



## Miss_vanilla

^ It's not difficult, more time consuming and yeah, I pretty much do what you do with them.  I'm more of a spontaneous cook though, I tend to throw things together at the time so tinned chickpeas etc work well with that style.  I do freeze legumes when I've cooked them though so that helps.

Another recipe (I've never made these for anybody who didn't love them, they're gorgeous):

Nigella Lawson's chocohotopots

113g plus 1x15ml tablespoon unsalted butter
113g semisweet 60% dark chocolate
2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar
3x15ml tablespoons plain flour

Special equipment: 4 (2/3 to 1-cup capacity) ramekins

Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200 degrees C.  Grease the ramekins with 1 tablespoon butter.

Either in a microwave or in a bowl suspended over a pan over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, then set aside to cool a little.

In another bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and flour with a hand whisk and beat in the cooled butter and chocolate mixture. Divide the mixture between the 4 buttered ramekins.

Bake for about 20 minutes, by which time the tops will be cooked and cracked and the chocolate gooey underneath.

Place each ramekin on a small plate and serve. Make sure to warn people that these desserts will be very hot to touch.

Makes: 4


----------



## Dave

Cook beans in a pressure cooker = never soaking beans again! I'm really big on spur of the moment cooking, so unless I have a few different kinds of beans soaking all the time it just wouldn't work. 1.5 times the recommended pressure cooker time is the starting point that I go with for cooking most beans.


----------



## animal_cookie

does anyone have any good crockpot appetizer recipes?

i am going to an afc championship (american football) party tomorrow and not feeling very inspired to come up with something to make. i want something that people can graze on for the whole game, which is why i was thinking of using the crockpot. if all else fails, i will prolly just make meatballs in a chili-grape sauce.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/

I make it in a pot and transfer into a small crock pot.

I use Neufchatel instead of cream cheese and serve with Tostito's scoops.
I use Tyson or whatever cooked grilled chicken in a bag and cut it up.


----------



## animal_cookie

^mmm, that would be good but i think someone else is already bringing a dip. altho maybe i will make two things.


----------



## Transcendence

Good winter drink I just invented:

2tbs Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder (or whatever brand you please)
1tbs granulated sugar
1 cup hot water
1 shot Creme de Cocoa
2 shots Faretti Biscotti Liqueur


----------



## Miss_vanilla

There's nothing like classic bruschetta using summer tomatoes:

Vine ripened tomatoes, juice squeezed out, finely diced
Sliced fresh basil
Finely chopped spicy red onion
A splash of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pile on top of ciabatta bread which has been sliced, brushed with extra virgin olive oil and toasted in the oven for 12 minutes.  Oh and if you have an avocado handy, dice that up too.


----------



## cletus

I am drooling at that Miss_vanilla. Damn it looks tasty :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Thanks cletus! 

I found this delicious soup recipe here but changed a few things.  It tastes amazing with home made chicken stock, which I used tonight for dinner, but you can also whip up a quick dinner using decent, vegetarian based stock cubes as most of us don't have home made around all the time.

Cannellini bean, spinach and leek soup

30ml extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, bulb only, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tspns cumin seeds (crush or leave whole)
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup quinoa
150g baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Saute leeks, garlic and cumin seeds in olive oil over low heat until softened and fragrant but not browned, about 5-10 minutes.  Add the vegie stock, cannellini beans, seasoning and bay leaves and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and stir in the quinoa.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Take pot off hotplate, remove bay leaves and stir in spinach.  Serve immediately.

This soup keeps in the fridge for a day or so (I usually keep some for lunch the next day).

Serves 4


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Miss_Vanilla is probably one of my new favorite posters in this thread.

These two recipes have been staples for dinner recently.

*Lemon Chicken*
What you need:

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Flour
.25 Cup Olive Oil
.25 Cup White Wine (Yay I can finally make recipes that call for wine)
3 Large Lemons
.5 Stick Unsalted Butter
Capers
What You Do:

Squeeze the juice out of the lemons.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
While the oil is heating, dust the chicken breasts with flour (and salt if you wish).
Place the chicken in the pan with the skin-side down.
Once the chicken is golden brown, turn it over and brown the other side.
When both sides are golden brown, add white wine and lemon juice and continue to cook for approximately two to three minutes. Let the liquid reduce to half its original volume.
Turn the heat off and remove the chicken from the pan.
Melt the butter in the lemon juice and white wine sauce, when the butter is completely melted and mixed with the sauce pour it over the chicken. 
Top with as many capers you want. This works really well with rice and a green vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli.

*Deer Camp Potatoes*
Apparently there are a bunch of different recipes for this out there but this is by far the simplest and the only one I've tried at the moment.

What You Need:

Two large potatoes
.5 large white onion
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper (A ton of both)
What You Do:

Skin the potatoes.
Slice the potatoes and onions super thin.
Heat some oil in a pan
Layer the potatoes in the pan and cover with salt and pepper
When the bottom layer of potatoes becomes translucent flip them, add the onions and more salt and pepper
Let cook until the onions are soft and the potatoes are almost falling apart


Both recipes serve two.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ I was rather skeptical if I should keep reading a recipe that was named "Deer Camp," but I'm glad I did, because that sounds fantastic, and oh so simple!  :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Love Amanda's recipe - they look to be a delicious combination.  I am keen to try the potatoes and onion dish .. on the weekend I think.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Miss_vanilla said:


> Love Amanda's recipe - they look to be a delicious combination.  I am keen to try the potatoes and onion dish .. on the weekend I think.



Its a great lazy weekend breakfast, I can see it being good with avocado. Bug avocado's good with everything.



addictivepersona said:


> ^ I was rather skeptical if I should keep reading a recipe that was named "Deer Camp," but I'm glad I did, because that sounds fantastic, and oh so simple!  :D



To be honest I have no idea why its called that haha.


----------



## D n A

I bet AEP has some killer recipes.. Definitely going to check through this thread when I get home for new ideas. 
Amanda, don't you have some kind of food-related tumblr? Or am I thinking of another BLer..


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

Not strickly food porn but my tumblr does have some on there pretty regularly.

There's a bomb sweet potato hash recipe in this thread somewhere, you should try it with poached eggs and avocado (duh) .


----------



## Mariposa

Amanda, I think you may just have saved my dinner for tonight.  I have a variant of this with a creamy white wine and basil sauce.  Thank you for the inspiration!  Awesome!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Sweet potato cakes with avocado and poached eggs sounds so good!  I love dishes like that.

You guys are going to love this recipe for quinoa peanut chocolate candy bars.  I made it today and it was super easy.  I had quinoa crispy puffs so used those and only had normal dates (not sure what medjool dates are) and I also halved the recipe.  I've had two already!  Ok I'm a pig clearly.


----------



## addictivepersona

Miss_vanilla said:


> I had quinoa crispy puffs so used those and *only had normal dates (not sure what medjool dates are)* and I also halved the recipe.


That recipe does look good!  As far as the dates go, I am in the opposite boat as I don't know what normal dates are exactly!  I was told they're just smaller.  Medjool dates are about an inch and a half long by a half inch wide, and have a big pit in the center.

I found this, but I don't know if a Khadrawi (or Hadrawi) date is the same as a normal date!  Oy vey.

Hopefully someone will come along and know.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

^ aah they're bigger!  That explains a lot as I had to use a lot more of my dates for the base to work.  The dates I used were pretty small - I didn't really know what to call them, I guess I just meant the dates available to me in my local supermarket. 

Thanks for that link, the ones I used were like the one on the right.


----------



## MyFinalRest

Do you pay a lot for Quinoa?  It's damn good, but very expensive where I live.  I can even score Medjool dates cheaper than Quinoa!


----------



## Miss_vanilla

It's pretty expensive here too - I buy the organic one and it costs around $7.50 for 500g (a pound or so I guess?).


----------



## addictivepersona

^ Have you guys tried the bulk bins?  Much cheaper.  Or, if you really like it, talk with your grocer--Maybe they'll let you buy it in bulk from them.  Sure, you'll have to buy a _lot_, but if you like it and will use it, it's worth it.  :)


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

MyFinalRest said:


> Do you pay a lot for Quinoa?


$7.99 for Bob's Red Mill Organic whole grain quinoa at Ocean State Job Lot (New England)

for 26oz


----------



## MyFinalRest

I pay about $5.00 for a 12 oz. box (organic). That's my only option.  For $5.00 you can buy a 5lb bag of rice.  There is no health food or ethnic grocer here selling the stuff in bins unfortunately.  Health Food places can sometimes be a ripoff IME, but most ethnic grocers generally keep costs low.  I'm sure there's an internet source out there for it that's a much better bargain.  I like it much better than rice.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

Yeah when something gets labeled a 'super food', is considered upmarket or the new must-have food by people (especially TV chefs, grr), the price goes up.  It costs a lot of money to be healthy it seems.  I love brown rice and wild rice, couscous and quinoa, depending on what I'm cooking.


----------



## MyFinalRest

Well, at least that "super-food" designation brought it to the stores, and it is trendy now.  I thing guyere cheese has gone out of style again.  

Not big on brown rice, wild rice is a nice treat from time to time, and couscous is awesome.  It's really easy to come up with tons of couscous pilaf type recipes.   

Here, all food has gone up in price a lot in the past few years. Even frozen pizzas will bankrupt you.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I love gruyere cheese, I'm so uncool now! 

And so true, at least healthier foods are more readily available these days.


----------



## MyFinalRest

A really good couscous side dish I like is to make the couscous, and while it is steaming off the stove with the lid on, fry up some chopped scallions in olive oil and then toss with couscous.  Usually adding salt to the frying scallions is enough for flavor.  

Another one is to simply add chopped walnuts, dried cherries, and about a tablespoon of butter and a little salt to the couscous before you bring it to a boil.  Using chicken broth instead of water in this one might be good. 

With quinoa, try this: add frozen chopped green peppers and a rinsed can of black beans (I just dump the liquid out of the can and add some clean water to the can and shake with my hand over it a few times till they are rinsed, also keep the lid to make draining them easier) salt, and a little onion powder to about 1 cup of quinoa.  Cook and then top with mozzerella cheese. another one pan dish for easier cleanup.  

Since I live alone, I mostly make stuff that is easy, yet good, and my cooking these days revolves around using the least number of pots and pans possible.  I hate washing dishes.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://www.bobsredmill.com/

buy here


----------



## MyFinalRest

You can also make buckwheat "kasha" which is kind of like a couscous and quinoa type thing.  You really have to do this first to make it good though:

Put kasha in a skillet over like medium heat, crack an egg and mix it up with the kasha real well and let the egg coating dry onto the grains.  Then boil like rice or quinoa.  

But beware, since you aren't frying something with egg, just cooking it onto something, it gets on the pan too and is really tough to wash off.  Not often worth it IMO, but sometimes really worth it!


----------



## addictivepersona

MyFinalRest said:


> You can also make buckwheat "kasha" which is kind of like a couscous and quinoa type thing.  You really have to do this first to make it good though:
> 
> Put kasha in a skillet over like medium heat, crack an egg and mix it up with the kasha real well and let the egg coating dry onto the grains.  Then boil like rice or quinoa.
> 
> But beware, since you aren't frying something with egg, just cooking it onto something, it gets on the pan too and is really tough to wash off.  Not often worth it IMO, but sometimes really worth it!



Where I am, they sell both buckwheat and kasha as two separate things--Kasha, as far as I know, is already fried in oil or whatever, prior to being packaged.  The cook time on it is halved.  I've always just went with plain buckwheat, and while it's good, I find it's even more delicious if I overcook it, and the insides expand their casings--Looks like boxed stuffing, and is so good made with broth instead of water.

Also, if you get something in the pan that's really tough to wash off, put a drop or two of dish soap in the pan and let it sit with water in it for at least a half hour.  When you come back, it won't be all that hard to get off.  :)


----------



## MyFinalRest

Kasha is just slightly ground up I think, and that's why it doesn't take as long. haha, trust me, If you get dried egg on a pan like this, it's not something a half hour soak will take care of.  It's more like a day and then you can dump the soak water and then boil some more water in the pan for a while to loosen it up and then...get ready to scour the fuck out of it.  Have you ever had your car egged?  My car got egged one night a few months ago and even though I got to it before it was completely dry, it was still really hard to get off the windshield!  

P.S. making it with the egg gives a nice fluffy, yet somewhat firm texture and also improves the flavor.  Without it, kasha cooks up mushy.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ "*Buckwheat is sold either unroasted or roasted, the latter oftentimes called 'kasha,'* from which a traditional European dish is made. Unroasted buckwheat has a soft, subtle flavor, while roasted buckwheat has more of an earthy, nutty taste. Its color ranges from tannish-pink to brown. Buckwheat is often served as a rice alternative or porridge." (Source.)

And nope, I've thankfully never had my car egged.  I guess we prepare eggs differently as when ever I've cooked eggs, even if it burns on, if I let it soak in water with a little bit of soap, it comes off.  *Shrug*  Maybe because I enjoy doing the dishes, the extra scrubbing it really requires doesn't phase me?    It's been awhile since I've cooked with egg, too.


----------



## Oats

What a GREAT thread! I'll add some as I go.


----------



## addictivepersona

Does anyone have a good oatmeal raisin cookie recipe?  Please and thank you!  :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

*oatmeal raisin cookie recipe*

I've baked these quite a few times.  They're made with oil and are healthier than normal cookies (made with butter) and taste really nice.

3 cups rolled oats (whole oats, not instant)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecan nuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups brown sugar or raw sugar
1/2 cup apple sauce (the original recipe called for apple butter but I couldn't find that)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 cups plain or all purpose flour
1 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1/4 tspn mixed spice

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (175 fan forced).  Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Spread oats and nuts on an ungreased baking pan and toast until lightly browned, around 5-7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Combine raisins with water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until the raisins are plumped, about 10 minutes.  Drain, discarding liquid and set aside.

Beat sugar, apple sauce, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves into another bowl.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined.  Stir in the oats, nuts and raisins and mix well.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets, until lightly browned, around 11-12 minutes.

Makes around 16-20 depending on size (I think, I keep changing this because I can't remember!).

I found the original recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ but couldn't find the link just now for some reason.


----------



## Dave

Awesome. Awesome to the max.

Best part: so easily veganized.


----------



## RhythmSpring

Sweet potato hummus! I sort of made it up:

bake some sweet potatoes in the oven wrapped in tin foil at 420 degrees farenheit  for about an hour or until cooked softly all the way through. 

put in a big bowl and take the peels off (or leave them on for extra fiber/nutrition)
pour an almost equal amount of tahini, well mixed, on the sweet potatoes
several tablespoons of olive oil
sea salt
cumin
onion powder
garlic powder
black pepper
mash with a fork well until all one texture.

I've discovered that if you freeze it and thaw it, the taste improves amazingly... it tastes like... cheesecake or something. It's crazy, there's like some chemical reaction that takes place or something. I dunno. Try it out.


----------



## animal_cookie

i made an awesome fig butter, apple and prosciutto sandwich for dinner. i mostly want to brag about how yummy it was and thank alisadarm for mentioning awhile back


----------



## addictivepersona

Miss_vanilla said:


> I've baked these quite a few times.  They're made with oil and are healthier than normal cookies (made with butter) and taste really nice.
> 
> 3 cups rolled oats (whole oats, not instant)
> 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecan nuts
> 1 cup raisins
> 1 cup water
> 1 1/2 cups brown sugar or raw sugar
> 1/2 cup apple sauce (the original recipe called for apple butter but I couldn't find that)
> 2 large eggs
> 1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
> 1 tspn vanilla extract
> 2 cups plain or all purpose flour
> 1 tspn baking soda
> 1/2 tspn baking powder
> 1/2 tspn salt
> 1 tspn ground cinnamon
> 1/4 tspn mixed spice
> 
> Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (175 fan forced).  Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
> 
> Spread oats and nuts on an ungreased baking pan and toast until lightly browned, around 5-7 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
> 
> Combine raisins with water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until the raisins are plumped, about 10 minutes.  Drain, discarding liquid and set aside.
> 
> Beat sugar, apple sauce, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves into another bowl.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined.  Stir in the oats, nuts and raisins and mix well.
> 
> Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets, until lightly browned, around 11-12 minutes.
> 
> Makes around 16-20 depending on size (I think, I keep changing this because I can't remember!).
> 
> I found the original recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com/ but couldn't find the link just now for some reason.


How do you think they'd taste with olive oil instead of canola?  (I refuse to use the soy ["vegetable"] oil we have in the house and I only have EVOO.)  And how do you think they'd be without the pecans?  I'm not a fan of crunchy in with chewy, lol.  



Dave said:


> Awesome. Awesome to the max.
> 
> *Best part: so easily veganized.*


+1 :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

^^Any flavourless oil is fine - I use grapeseed oil for cooking and baking and it's super versatile but I don't see why olive oil wouldn't work.  Although evoo would have too much flavour I imagine as it's a strong oil.

And aaww I love crunchy!  But not everyone is a nut fanatic like me, I understand that.  I'm sure they'd be fine, the nuts aren't a huge part of the recipe anyway as there's only a handful of chopped ones in there.  It's mainly the spices and oats and fruit which stand out.

They're not like cookies baked with butter in that they're a bit softer I guess, but still chewy and taste great.  If you wanted to use butter instead you might like to experiment a bit - I haven't done this though.


----------



## addictivepersona

^ I don't use cow's milk butter, but I get what you're saying with the difference.  :)  (I use a spread called Earth Balance, the soy-free variety.)

I think I'm going to have to buy a flavourless oil--I'm finding more and more recipes where EVOO doesn't work, and I'd really rather not use the soy "vegetable" oil.  8)


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I made this for lunch the other day.  A 3 cheese, pesto and tomato toasted sandwich - it was great.

2 slices wholemeal bread buttered
20g good cheddar
20g mozzarella cheese
10g parmesan cheese
1 tomato, sliced
Bottled pesto
Black pepper

Heat up small pan.  Grate all the cheese.  Spoon a couple of teaspoons of pesto on the unbuttered side of one piece of bread.  Add tomato slices, pepper and grated cheese then the other slice of bread, buttered side up.

Heat both sides of sandwich in pan on medium heat until cheese is all melty and delicious and bread has browned.

For those indulgent days when you just need a fattening sandwich.


----------



## ebola?

> Bottled pesto



Try making a batch of real pesto for this.  It will amaze.


----------



## Miss_vanilla

^ I make my own pesto quite often, basil in summer and Kale in winter.  If I don't have any around though I'll use bottled, especially for sandwiches and such.


----------



## ebola?

Ah.  I find that the process of canning destroys compounds essential to pesto's flavor.
What is kale pesto like?


----------



## Miss_vanilla

I love kale pesto as kale is one of my favourite vegetables and it means I can make pesto all year round if I choose .. it has a similar flavour to basil pesto, herby and fresh but without the obvious basil flavour.  I use walnuts instead of pine nuts and pecorino instead of parmesan.


----------



## Aishas Star

Anyone got a recipe for eggnog? We generally dont see it here in Oz and I dont know what makes a good mix.

xx

Oh and I'll put up a great lemon tart recipe and a awesome easy date slice when I get home from Canadia


----------



## undead

Oh my GOD!!! For one... I just came on here to say hi, because I haven't seen your name in AGES. Secondly... whaaaat?! Egg Nog!?!? Seriously! I have an incredible one, my dads home made egg nog. I grew up loving the shit outta that stuff. But it's non-alcoholic. If that's your bag. I might have to find it though.


----------



## Aishas Star

undead said:


> Oh my GOD!!! For one... I just came on here to say hi, because I haven't seen your name in AGES. Secondly... whaaaat?! Egg Nog!?!? Seriously! I have an incredible one, my dads home made egg nog. I grew up loving the shit outta that stuff. But it's non-alcoholic. If that's your bag. I might have to find it though.



Heyy! Yeah just been spending a lot of time at home recently, if the weathers bad or its the weekend Im at home usually by myself so getting back into posting again 

Id like to add booze since.. well... since I like booze.. Will your dads eggnog still work if I tip in some brandy or what ever usually goes in eggnog or will it ruin the consistency?


----------



## undead

I'd assume it'd still work just fine. It's really sweet though, but you could always either put less sugar in it or something of the sort. I will warn ya though... there's raw eggs in it. It's all blended together in a blender though so it's not like you really notice you're drinking raw eggs.


----------



## Dave

^ if the milk etc. that goes into it is hot, it'll sort of cook them. And really, most eggs are safe to eat raw anyway.

Careful with adding booze to dairy-- if the fat content isn't high enough, it can wind up curdling. Most nogs are fine, but it's a good idea to pour slowly while stirring just to make sure that there aren't any areas with higher alcohol/nog ratios.


----------



## Aishas Star

Hm okay thanks for the advice. Ill have to give it a few test goes before I start handing it out to the family.

undead, im good with raw eggs


----------



## undead

Good advice, Dave!

AS, I'll have to get back to you when I find that damn recipe! I literally saw it a couple days ago! But as it always goes, when you need it... you can't find it! If you don't mind being patient I'll try to find it tonight... hopefully at the WORST I can find it tomorrow (I'm off all day so I can really search for it!).


----------



## OTGee

Oh. My. God.

This thread is one word, AWESOME!!

I am going to the shops to buy some god damn ingredients and making some of this shit right away. Everything sounds fucking so so so tasty here you guys just made me so hungry. Will definatly get me an my fiancee to post a few of our recipes later today as well. Seriously though, I don't think I have ever been this hungry


----------



## StarOceanHouse

Spicy pequin veggie stir fry

8 oz wheat noodles
1 potato
1 onion
2 jalapeno peppers
1 yellow bell pepper
1 tbsp ground pequin chili pepper
3 tbsp lite soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste

1. Prepare noodles as directed on the package. (Add them to boiling for 10 minutes)

2. Cut up potato into cubes then add them to boiling water. 
Note: to save time, I just put the cut up potato into water, wait until it boils then added the dry wheat noodles. That way they cook at the same time.

3. Cut up the rest of the vegetables anyway you like. Smaller is better IMO. Be sure to remove the seeds from the bell pepper and jalapenos. 

4. In a wok or frying pain, stir fry the onion and potato in oil until the onion is light golden brown. 

5. Add the rest of the vegetables as well as the condiments. 

6. Stir fry until the vegetables are almost done then add the noodles

7. Stir fry for 1 more minute then serve.


----------



## undead

AishasStar!!!

Sorry for the delay, I just found the recipe!

Now mind you, this recipe isn't an exact recipe, my dad never had measurements to this per se, he just kinda threw stuff in there with generality. I wrote down what he threw in there once and called it a recipe. So anyways... this is my dad's Egg Nog recipe (bear in mind... the throws all this stuff into a blender, then blends it and pours it into glasses):

3 eggs
1/3 and a half cups of sugar
about a teaspoon of vanilla
little under a teaspoon of nutmeg
halfway filled with ice cubes
fill the rest of the way with milk
blend in a blender until the ice is crushed

Also... where it says 1/3 and a half cups sugar... it's because he did 1/3 of a cup, then fill the 1/3 cup halfway and added that much more.

I know this is a written really SHITTY so if you have any questions... ask here and I'll explain it more clearly. OR... if need be, I can make some myself and give you more specific directions. :D


----------



## Miss_vanilla

*Lemon blackberry tart*

Lemon blackberry tart

One sheet ready rolled shortcrust pastry
1 x egg white, whisked with fork

Filling:
200g raw caster sugar
4 x 59g eggs
150ml thickened cream (I used Kraft Philly light cream for cooking)
Grated zest of 2 lemons
100mls freshly squeezed, sieved lemon juice (I used 4 small-medium lemons)
130g blackberries (or berries of your choice)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Grease a 20cm pie tin.

Line the pie tin with sheet of rolled out pastry; line with baking paper then fill with baking weights or dry rice or legumes.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes (blind bake).

Remove tart base from oven, take out the paper and weights and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the base of the pastry is dry.  Remove from the oven once more and brush with whisked egg white then return to oven again for 5 minutes, or until the base is shiny and dried.  Remove from the oven and set aside.

Immediately decrease oven temperature to 150 degrees C.

By hand, whisk sugar and eggs until mixture is foamy and sugar is starting to dissolve.  Whisk in cream, then lemon zest and juice until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Pour into tart case and bake for 40 minutes or until just set – don’t be concerned if it’s wobbly in the centre, as it sets as it cools.  Allow tart to sit for 5 minutes then lightly press berries over the top, allowing the warm filling to soften the berries slightly (this brings out their flavour even more).

Allow to cool to room temperature then store covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.

Serves: 6

Adapted from a cookbook recipe


----------



## Mariposa

This recipe isn't my own; it belongs to someone I know who isn't a BLer.  I tasted it today and went WOW.  I am not a quinoa person at all in general; this was absolute success with respect to both technique and end product.  I have a few bunches of kale ready to duplicate this recipe.  I'm hopeful I do as good a job as the recipe's author did.  It's an awesome summertime recipe.

(And @Dave - I thought of your love for fresh greens and quinoa as I tasted this, I thought "I WISH DAVE WAS HERE"  :D)

*Massaged Kale & Quinoa Salad:*

1 bunch kale
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Champagne Pear Vinegar _(my note - any flavored vinegar light in color should do fine)_
1 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup cooked quinoa

Wash kale and remove the spine.  Stack and roll leaves, cutting them chiffonade style (in ribbons).  Place kale into a mixing bowl and sprinkle salt on top.  Massage the kale and sea salt with your hands for approx. 2 minutes (until the kale is wilted and has a 'cooked' appearance).  Stir in the remainder of the ingredients, chill and serve.  

  Massaging kale... who knew?


----------



## animal_cookie

^yummy. i might need to try that. i am trying to figure out ways to get my husband to eat more veggies.






i am pretty sure i posted a recipe when i made this last summer, but i just used it for the photo contest so i will repost it...

*veggie salad*


 slightly blanched broccoli. i like to soften it a little so it is easier to eat
chopped yellow peppers
 shredded carrots
pecans
thinly sliced cucumbers
really crispy bacon

mix all the veggies together. the dressing is a mix of garlic expressions salad dressing and mayo. i am sure you can make your own garlic vinaigrette but i was feeling lazy. and i am obsessed with the salad dressing i linked to. i eat it on just about anything.

i just picked a variety of veggies that i like raw and tried to make sure they looked colorful. the pecans and bacon added texture. i also varied how i cut up the veggies so it all had different shapes. so you can easily modify the recipe however you want.


----------



## CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT

^That looks delicious! Everything in that salad looks so thin and easy to eat - love the different textures.  Also I LOVE salads without leafy greens! I am all for leafy greens in general, but sometimes I just want something more _hearty_ in my salads. 

I think apple would be a great sweet addition to those ingredients, a_c.


----------



## Samadhi

Apple is an awesome addition to most salads, as is sliced orange... I grew up on apple and orange in salads that my mum made  I also love roasting slices of sweet potato and adding that to a salad. 

It's been considerably cooler here in Brisbane (especially since we'd spent a fortnight beforehand in 30 degree heat), so it's time for adding some hearty fare to our meal rotation. We made pumpkin soup last night:

2 butternut pumpkins
1 small tub of low-fat cream 
3 teaspoons (or thereabouts) of ground coriander
a handful of chopped dry parsley
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 cups vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste


We chopped/skinned the pumpkin and brought it to the boil with 1.5L water and 500ml vegetable stock. Once the pumpkin was soft enough, I blended it roughly with my stab blender, added the cream, ground coriander, nutmeg & dry parsley and let it simmer for 15 minutes until it reduced.  I then added a handful of ground peppercorns and a dash of salt. With the salt, I figure that i'd rather not add much as if people want it saltier, they can add it individually.  We ate it for dinner last night and have 8 serves frozen.  As for the cream, i guess it's optional, but i've experimented with not adding it or substituting it with natural yoghurt or sour cream, and i find that yoghurt doesn't blend as well. Sour cream is a little better, but for those worried about fat content, this makes about 3.5L of soup and i added a 300ml tub of low-fat cream - the fat content per serve is negligible compared to the more velvety consistency of the soup when cream is added.

Next on the soup menu this week is a chicken, vegetable and noodle soup.


----------



## Mariposa

I successfully duplicated the kale recipe.  

a_c, that looks amazing.  If I were not allergic, I'd add some bright halved cherry tomatoes.


----------



## queenbee1127

*Chik-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets*

http://www.mynameissnickerdoodle.com/2011/03/fabulous-food-friday-79.html

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
2 TBSP powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
peanut oil (is best) or canola oil

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and stir in the milk. Trim any fat away from chicken. Cube chicken into bite size pieces. Place chicken in milk mixture,and cover. Let it 'marinate' for 2-4 hours in the fridge. This will make the chicken very nice and tender. In a gallon size resealable baggie combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Seal and shake to combine. Place about 2 inches of oil in a medium deep pot. Over medium high heat (more towards the high side) heat oil until hot. If using a thermometer let the temperature reach 375°. If you don't have a fancy gadget like most people, Test the oil by dropping a few drops of water into it. You want it to sizzle and not pop too much. Adjust your heat if necessary. Using a fork or tongs remove cut chicken from milk mixture and place in the flour mixture. Seal and shake until nuggets are completely coated. Place about a 6-8 nuggets into hot oil and let them cook until golden brown, turning half way through once the edge of your chicken starts to turn white. About 1 minute each side. Always double check to see if any chicken you make is cooked through. Remove and drain on a paper towel. 

I made these tonight for myself and my boyfriend, and I added about 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to the flour mixture, and then I salted the nuggets right after I took them out of the oil. I used canola oil because that was what I had on hand and it turned out great. These surpassed my expectations and both me and the BF were loving them; initially, I thought I had made too many, but we ended up eating them all! Maybe not 100% just like Chik-Fil-A, but I'd say about 90%+.


----------



## justsayknow

^Nice one. I love nuggets but am a bit put off by the quality of meat (or lack thereof used in the store bought ones)

Recipe for inner beauty sauce
1 large ripe mango or a handful of small ones
1 cup of yellow mustard
1/2 a cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 a cup of brown sugar 
6 habeneros deseeded or other fruity hot chilli
1 tsp coriander seeds ground
1 red capsicum/ bell pepper

Dice all the fruits/vegetables and put them in a food processor with the other ingredients- try not to touch the chilli if you can help it. Blend to a puree and you are done.

Depending on the heat of your chilli it should be hot as hell. The vinegar and sugar seems to preserve it though so you can use it slowly all year round. I made one batch with some milder jamaican habeneros and another with trinidad scorpions so I could have one crazy hot one and one suitable for everyone. It goes well with just about anything, I make it every year in autumn when the mangoes and chillis are in abundance.


----------



## StarOceanHouse

*What is cooking?*

there seems to be a lack of food threads in SO lately so I'm going to start off with this one.

I realize there is a meal of the day thread but *normal people *eat more than once a day


So my friends, if you're making food right now, what is it?

I'm not making anything right now but I will in a few minutes. 

Likely it will be a sandwich made of roman meal wheat bread, turkey, a slice of monterey jack, sriracha, yellow mustard and cilantro.


----------



## LuGoJ

Currently making an onion and cheese omelet with some home fries and toast.

I have some thinly sliced beef sitting in a Vietnamese inspired lemongrass marinade, going to put those on skewers in a few and grill them for lunch. Will serve with large lettuce leaves, thinly sliced carrots, cucumber and onion along with a nuoc cham dipping sauce i made yesterday. Low on the carbs and absolutely delish!


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://www.porkbeinspired.com/RecipeDetail/2558/Grilled_Pork_Chops_with_Basil-Garlic_Rub.aspx
This was excellent.  My husband grilled a pork tenderloin to perfection.

So easy.  I should the food processor more than a few times a year.


----------



## Mariposa

^Whoa... I cooked a tenderloin last night as well.  I went about it a little differently.  This recipe is my own based on variants I've read over time.  This is a great alternative to chicken soup for those nights when you want a warm bowl of soup - last night was one for me.  It got rave reviews from my other two companions.  This is a nice fall to winter supper.  Yes, you're reading the proportions correctly.  This is a spicy soup.  For vegetarians, a field roast or Tofurky might work.  I haven't tried it.

*Mariposa's Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Fall Fruits & Vegetables*

*INGREDIENTS:*

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 2-2.5 lbs, well-trimmed
1 onion (sweet; I used a Walla Walla)
1 cup sour cream or 1 can of cream of celery soup
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 lb baby carrots (fresh)
2 finely diced celery stalks
Fresh herbs to taste (I used rosemary and dill)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ginger root
1 tbsp turmeric
64 oz vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of your favorite wine (non-drinkers, substitute broth).  I used pinot grigio and pinot noir - counterintuitive, but it did work!
Salt and pepper to taste

*PROCEDURE:*

1.  Heat up your crockpot with broth and soup.
2.  Grab a frying pan and lightly fry your garlic, onions, and dry spices.
3.  Before the above is done to your liking, add your tenderloin.  Braise on the outside to seal in the juices.
4.  Layer carrots and sweet potatoes with your tenderloin on top.
5.  Deglaze pan with wine.
6.  Drizzle pan drippings over pork.
7.  Your meat is done when your thermometer reaches 155F.  Remove and let sit.  Allow veggies to continue cooking.

*IF YOUR SAUCE IS TOO THIN:*

Create a roux.  That's when you mix your juices with some flour, arrowroot, or cornstarch.  I use arrowroot.  Whisk in a separate bowl and add gradually to your pot, stirring vigorously.  Avoid lumpy or dumpling texture.

*FINAL TOUCHES:*

This can be served over anything.  I like mashed potatoes, so I mashed a pound of Yukon Golds with a little butter, milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Rice could work.  Pasta could work.  A baguette could work if you're more the soup type, and if you are into dumplings, a great substitute would be biscuits or a piece of phyllo or puff pastry tucked carefully into your crockpot.  Or just fuck up the gravy intentionally.


----------



## ebola?

> For vegetarians, a field roast or Tofurky might work. I haven't tried it.



No, you should not simmer either in a crock pot.

ebola


----------



## ChickenScratch

i do a pork tenderloin with garlic, ginger and onion.  put it all in the food processor, mix it up with a little soy, and rub it on the meat, marinate for a couple of hours and grill it.  bam.

easy, and awesome.


----------



## Dave

Oh man, it's been eons since I've posted here.

First of all, yeah, fake meat doesn't like to be simmered. Adding either in at the end, and simmering for 5-10 just to warm through would probably be fine though.

A quick little thing that I heard about from my grandma, to soothe on these shitty late-autumn evenings. To make an incredibly restorative hot drink, take 2/3 boiling hot broth (not stock, I like to take this stock and add a splash of tamari for salt), and mix 2/3 broth with 1/3 cold beet juice in a mug. That's it. It sounds improbable, but sweet merciful fuck is it invigorating.


----------



## Vader

Just finished PMing another BLer a recipe when I saw this thread. Synchronicity, eh?

My fave at the moment is a butternut squash, sweet potato and chickpea curry. I usually use tinned chickpeas because I'm lazy and disorganised, so if you use dried then you'll want to soak them first. I use a big sweet potato, a medium butternut squash, and a couple of tins of chickpeas (~800g), 3 or 4 nice big onions, a couple of cloves of garlic, several fresh chillis (bear in mind I like my food very spicy so add to taste), a chunk of fresh ginger, and some curry paste. I usually mix two teaspoons of ground coriander seed, two of turmeric, two of cumin, two of black pepper, one of cayenne pepper (again, leave this out if you like), a small dash each of ground cloves and cinnamon, and anything else that takes my fancy, made up to a nice consistency with oil. Chop and fry the onions (use whatever you like, ghee is widely available here but I imagine hard to get in America, I just use plain veg oil) until they are nicely caramelised, almost starting to brown, then add the garlic, chilli and ginger. Give this a stir until you smell the spicy aroma, then add the paste and the chopped sweet potato and squash. Give this a stir until the spices come through on the nose (careful not to burn them, they stick easily), then add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Add the chickpeas, cover and cook off for twenty or so minutes, then remove the lid and let any excess water reduce. The longer you cook it the more the squash break down, I like it either cooked a little, and so nice and chunky, or for long enough that squash breaks down entirely and becomes a rich sauce. The in-between period when it's kind of mushy is not so great.

You can try different things with this one. It's good with cauliflower too, and you can use coconut milk rather than water. I made it recently with tinned tomatoes as the wet ingredient and peppers (as in bell peppers or capsicums) and that went down a treat. I don't use a great deal of salt, I usually make my rice pretty salty, but you might want to add some. Sorry I can't be more precise with quantities and times and stuff, I sort of just style it out.


----------



## Dave

Protip: soak chickpeas (or other beans) overnight with a tsp or so of baking soda in the water. The higher pH will soften the beans further, helping them to cook faster. Also: pressure cookers are the shit for cooking dried beans.


----------



## Mariposa

Ebola and Dave - duly noted on the fake meat.  I got some frozen meatless meatballs for a vegetarian dinner earlier this week, cooked them too long in tomato sauce in the crockpot, and they fell to absolute bits.  I wound up feeding them to my roommate's dogs.     Major bust and I'll follow directions next time I prepare fake meat.  

Speaking of vegetarian recipes, I bought some bulk falafel mix (from New Seasons for Ebola's reference) and I'd like to prepare it.  I would like to add a little caramelized onion and fresh cilantro.  How much water should I mix with the falafel mix?  I've seen a few different answers, and I want to get it right the first time.  Many thanks for any advice you can share.


----------



## amanda_eats_pandas

YES! I love this thread.

I made gnocchi with chicken for dinner, it was alright. Does anyone have a good recipe including gnocchi? My goal is to eventually make my own gnocchi.


----------



## Dave

Gnocchi is apparently pretty easy to make, but I've never actually done so myself. I should fix that, someday.

I'm on a pizza kick. Tried twice to make good pizza from scratch over the weekend, but didn't get the knack of it. Didn't develop the gluten enough; it was tasty, but more doughy/bready than a good crust should be. Next step: use proper bread flour (rather than AP), and see about borrowing the use of a stand mixer, because I think I gave myself tennis elbow kneading the last batch.

Will report once I get good results.


----------



## animal_cookie

^i make potato dumplings using leftover mashed potatoes at thanskgiving time. after i boil the dumplings, i like to fry them up with some salt pork. not the healthiest meal but very yummy. and i prefer my day after meal to the actual thanksgiving feast.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I made this last night and eating spaghetti for breakfast.  
I added diced green pepper, grated parmesan, italian seasoning, and small can of tomato paste to the sauce.

*Crockpot Mini Turkey Quinoa Meatballs *(taken from www.howsweeteats.com)
YIELD: MAKES 40-50 MINI MEATBALLS PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES COOK TIME: 6 HOURS TOTAL TIME: 6.5 HOURS
ingredients:
1 pound 99% lean ground turkey breast
1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
2/3 cup cooked quinoa (preferably cooked in flavored stock)
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely grated romano cheese
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

directions:
In a large bowl, combine turkey, quinoa, beaten egg, olive oil, cheese, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but quickly, just so the ingredients are combined - do not overmix! Roll into mini balls - slightly smaller than a golfball, and place on a baking sheet.

Layer sliced onion on the bottom of the crockpot and add 1 can of crushed tomatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (mine was actually almost high) and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add meatballs, searing on the top and bottom until golden, about 1 minute per side. To flip meatballs, gently toss with a spoon. I also shook the pan a few times to roll the meatballs around - if you pan is hot enough this works! Add meatballs one at a time to the crockpot. Repeat with remaining meatballs - it is okay to stack them once they are all finished.

Once all the meatballs are in the crockpot, add the other can of crushed tomatoes, completely submerging the meatballs. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve!

Don't skip the browning step! it helps seal the juices in so the meatballs are tender and also keeps them from becoming one giant mess of meat in the crockpot.. If desired, you can brown the meatballs one day (such as the day before) and then refrigerate until ready to use. you can also freeze the same way.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

This is happening today with 6 chicken breasts.  I will use broccoli for the veggie.
Guess what we are eating all week 

*Crockpot Parmesan Chicken*
serves 4-6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + 2 tablespoons

1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo
3/4 cup vegetables of your choice

The night before, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, cheese, basil, parsley, garlic and 3 tablespoons of wine in a bowl. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag, then pour marinade over top and coat chicken. Keep in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, place chicken in your crockpot with 3 tablespoons of wine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Prepare whole wheat orzo according to directions. Once cooked, combine with remaining olive oil, parmesan and salt and pepper if desired. Cut chicken into pieces/chunks, and toss together with orzo. Add in vegetables of your choice! Top with additional parm.


----------



## Mariposa

*bump*  Have we all been too busy over the first part of the holidays to contribute?  

I'll start with a simple paleo-friendly recipe.  I naturally eat paleo without too many exceptions.  I'm up to about 80% paleo now.  I have energy, it's awesome.  If you're not paleo, you can serve this over rice, noodles, or potatoes.  It's great by itself.  

*PALEO POT ROAST*

1 sweet onion, chopped finely
1 pot roast, 2.5 lbs or so (I used a tri-tip)
1 lb carrots
4-5 bulbs garlic or to taste
16 oz veggie or beef broth, gluten-free
1 bay leaf
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

*PROCEDURE*

1.  Marinate, dry-rub, or prepare your roast as you like.
2.  Brown your onions and garlic in olive oil with the spices.
3.  When almost browned, place your roast in to also be browned on each side.
4.  Dump the whole thing into a crockpot on high or a Dutch oven.
5.  Add broth to about 2/3 the way up the roast.
6.  Add carrots.
7.  Dump in broth or leftover wine.  I used 2/3 broth, the rest cooking sherry and some leftover wine.
8.  Cook in crockpot 4-6 hours on high, 10 hours on low, or in the Dutch oven, 275F.  Your roast is done when the temperature inside reaches 145, don't worry if it is higher.
9.  Serve after sitting and slicing, enjoy!


----------



## animal_cookie

i was amazed at how crispy these roast potatoes turned out. before roasting them, you boil them in water with a little bit of vinegar for about 5 minutes. then toss the potatoes with some butter (the recipe says duck fat but i haven't a clue where to buy that) and roast at 500F for 20 min. then mix the potatoes around and roast until they look crispy.


----------



## Klue

^ Tossing the potatoes in olive oil after you have par boiled them works well for that method too. 

Using a fork to rough the outsides up before baking them to make them even crunchier


----------



## animal_cookie

^i can't believe it took me this long to discover cooking potatoes like this!


----------



## joannie_mhm

If you toss them round in a colander the holes rough up the edges of the potatoes with less effort than using a fork


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

"spaghetti" sauce in the slow cooker

cooked turkey meatballs and hot pork sausage
3 cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
carrots, cremini mushrooms, green pepper, yellow onion, garlic (made into a sauce with food processor)
italian seasoning, salt, and cracked pepper

cook on high for 2 hours

serve over veggies (sauteed spinach and broccoli is the plan)


----------



## llama112

Pad thai recipe - soooo gooad and low calorie.  I get the base recipe here: http://www.blogilates.com/videos/0-calorie-noodles-pad-thai

My variation

- 2 bags of fettucine shirataki noodles
- firm tofu (marinated and baked - good to have this prepared ahead of time)
- broccoli
- carrots
- mushrooms
- cauliflower
- onion powder
- garlic clove

Sauce:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1/2 cup splenda

Directions:
1. Steam broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.  (spice a little bit if you're like, I like to add garlic powder and onion powder and salt)
2. Rinse noodles thoroughly and microwave for 4 minutes. Drain noodles.
3. Make the sauce - mix all ingredients and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then another 30 seconds.
4. Mince garlic.  Put a tiny bit of oil in a pan and add minced garlic.
5. Add steamed veggies to pan.  Add tofu and mushrooms.  Mix.
6. Add half the sauce to the pan.  Mix.
7. Add noodles.  Mix.
8. Add the rest of the sauce.  Mix.

Soooooo good.  One of my favourite meals


----------



## Mariposa

A little searching turned up a recipe for Benihana Salad Dressing, archived from when they used to have it on their webpage (they don't now).  I added a bit more salt and it tastes exactly like at the restaurant.  I tossed some kale, cabbage and carrots with it.  NOM!

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash each salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender container or wok bowl of food processor fitted with steel knife; process until almost smooth. Makes six servings. May be kept refrigerated up to one week.


----------



## tribal girl

I've been trying to introduce healthier foods into my diet, and one thing I could never stand, but wanted to eat was liver. I found this recipe a few weeks ago and I'm now converted. It was so yummy.

Italian Style Lamb’s Liver with Pasta





Cooking Time/Servings
Serves: 4 
Preparation time: 10 minutes 
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
400g (14oz) Scotch lamb's liver cut into 2cm wide strips
200g (7oz) dry pasta i.e. shells or twists
2tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium courgette, diced
1 small red or yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
400g can of chopped plum tomatoes with herbs &garlic
1 tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp freshly chopped basil/oregano
Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Method
Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain thoroughly, return to the pan and toss in a drop of olive oil to prevent it sticking.

Meanwhile heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion, courgette and pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. The vegetables still want to maintain some bite. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the liver for 1-2 minutes, tossing the strips until browned.

Mix together the pasta and sauce, stir in the herbs and divide between 4 warm bowls. Top with the strips of liver and add crispy grilled rashers of bacon, crumbled over the top.


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

http://www.mccormickgourmet.com/Rec...-marketplace-retailerkw#.UTvb742BQqs.facebook

http://smithfield.com/recipes/recipe/cajun-pork-roast

Saturday night date night in


----------



## llama112

I had mushroom strogonoff last night

recipe: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/02/03/high-protein-mushroom-stroganoff/

It was delicious!!!
Next time, I might add in some baked tofu once it's just about done cooking.  I think it'd be delicious.


----------



## Apostacious

Thai Coconut Peanut-Butter Ginger Curry:

*Ingredients:*

1 c edamame peas (or green peas if you have a soy allergy)
5 carrots peeled, chopped into 1inch cylinders, where each cylinder is split in fourths
4 celery stalks cleaned, chopped
2 c snap peas
2 russet or sweet potatoes chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
1.5 inches of ginger root, peeled and grated
1 head of garlic, diced
1 c. white mushrooms, chopped
1 head of brocolli, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 c yellow corn
1 c red bell pepper
1/2 c of mango, chopped
1/4 c of pineapple juice
1/2 c shredded coconut meat
1 c peanut butter (or almond butter if you have a peanut allergy)
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/4 c maple syrup or honey
1/4 c coconut milk (or any other milk for that matter)
1/4 c nama shoyu/tamari/soy sauce

*Procedure:*

1) Begin by frying potatoes in 1-2TBLS of olive/sesame/canola oil, until they are browned on both sides. 
2) Add carrots, celery, and onions.  Fry until onions are translucent.
3) Add ginger, garlic, edamame, red bell pepper, corn, jalapeno, brocolli, mushrooms and snap peas.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to lose their moisture.
4) Add everything else.  Cook until sauce has a creamy consistency.  
5) [optional] Simmer as desired.

Whenever I have the money for the ingredients, this has always been delicious.


----------



## Apostacious

Also, don't forget to cook some rice to go with it.


----------



## animal_cookie

sounds yummy


----------



## llama112

Apostacious - the thai coconut peanut butter ginger curry sounds like something I'd like


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

this was excellent
http://paleomg.com/meat-crust-quiche/


----------



## Apostacious

a_c & llama112-  Thanks!  I sorta got it from a Bird's Eye Thei Frozen veggie mix (didn't include water chestunts, because everyone hates those), which is awesome on its own, though the sauce that comes with it is kinda boring


----------



## Mariposa

Apostacious said:


> a_c & llama112-  Thanks!  I sorta got it from a Bird's Eye Thei Frozen veggie mix (didn't include water chestunts, because everyone hates those), which is awesome on its own, though the sauce that comes with it is kinda boring



I don't care for water chestnuts either.  Someone special cooked chicken teriyaki for me recently.  I saw him getting a can of water chestnuts out of his cupboard.  I went WHAT, SERIOUSLY, do not ruin this!!!  (He left them out and dinner was awesome.)

I like your recipe.  I will point out that it is not technically a curry without curry powder.


----------



## kytnism

i want to try this "pasta pie" for our family.

has anyone done something like this before?

...kytnism...


----------



## Perpetual Indulgence

I have made baked spaghetti which has the tomato sauce baked in rather than poured over.  I like the sound of this pasta pie recipe.  If I had not cut out pasta and dairy this year I would make this.  Let me know how it tastes. I made a meat crust quiche this week which will be a staple around here now.  I am going to use the veggies from the pasta pie recipe for the quiche.


----------



## His Name Is Frank

Time to make the doughnuts!

*Yeast Raised Doughnuts*

1 1/4 cups warm water
1 1/4 tbsp. dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Also, use coconut oil for frying the doughnuts in

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. vanilla
*ADD COCOA POWDER IF YOU PREFER CHOCOLATE GLAZED DOUGHNUTS 
____________________

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1 cup of warm water. Set aside.

In a very large bowl: cream sugar and coconut oil. Add eggs,
salt, vanilla, and nutmeg. Mix until combined then add yeast mixture.
Add flour alternately with remaining 1/4 cup of water.
I used my small hand mixer for the first few cups of flour- 
then I used a wooden spoon to mix the rest of the flour in.
Cover and let raise double, punch down. Let raise double again.

*Be sure to apologize to the dough for hitting it. I once yelled, "Why do you make me hurt you?" at it while punching it. The doughnuts came out all flat and tasted funny. Your dough is sensitive. Lesson learned. 

Mix together glaze ingredients. Set aside.

Half dough and roll out to 1/2 in. thick. Cut circles and lay on a lightly
floured surface. Stretch doughnut centers out as you lay them down.
Let raise double again. Heat coconut oil to 345 degrees F.


Fry until golden brown. Lay on paper towels for a minute or so.
 Place doughnuts in rows on a wooden stick or wooden spoon handle. 
Lay across glaze bowl and pour glaze over doughnuts with a ladle. 
Let drip for a minute and place on trays. Eat as many
as you can fresh because they are the best when warm!

These are easily the best homemade doughnuts I've ever eaten or made, for that matter. They taste just as good as those you would buy from the bakery. Before I discovered this recipe, my doughnuts were almost always too soggy, hard or brown. Now they come out perfect every time.


----------



## ParappaTheRapper

What do you like to cook?


----------



## Maya

Fetuccini Alfredo with chicken and vegetables! yummy!


----------



## Diloadid

I've been a curry enthusiast for years. 

It started when I was dating this Japanese girl, her parents would make different types of curry (all which were delicious). 

I've become somewhat independent over the years and have to cook for myself, and it has been a while since I've had curry. 

I invested in some Iranian Chicken Curry powder recently, and it is really good when added to foods like rice and noodles. 

I want to make 'curry' curry tho'. Not just add in flavor. 

What are some of your favorite kinds of curry? Good recipes? Tips...etc!

I really like Japanese beef style curry (a thick broth with beef, onions, carrots, and potatoes). 

Any input is welcome! Thx


----------



## Pretty_Diamonds

Just go to the store and buy Japanese curry packets






You boil water, add curry packet, and then add whatever you want.. ground beef/ground turkey/chicken, vegetables: carrots, celery, onions, potato.. plus anything else like tofu.


----------



## bronson

I've merged this in here for you, as better results are likely.  Also, there is a curry recipe at the top of this very page.


----------



## ebola?

Master Curry Powder recipe from _Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking_:

makes 1 c:
1/2 c. coriander seeds
15 dry red chili pods (optional, adds heat)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
15-20 curry leaves, dry or fresh (optional)
3 TBS turmeric powder
Mix coriander, chili pods, cumin, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns in container of an electric blender or spice mill and grind to a fine powder in several batches. Pour into bowl and combine well. If using fresh curry leaves, dry them for 4-5 min. in an ungreased frying pan over low heat. Grind them in the blender and then add to the spice powder in the bowl. Stir in turmeric. Transfer mixture to an airtight jar, cover tightly, and store in cool place up to 3 months.

This blows the typical Madras style curry powder you find at supermarkets the fuck out of the water.  It also doesn't taste very different with the curry leaves omitted.

ebola


----------



## justsayknow

That sounds very similar to a vindaloo recipe I have except it has sautéed onion, ginger, garlic and vinegar added afterwards to make a paste. I think the ratio of chilli is higher too. I don't usually make it in huge quantities like that but it's a good idea especially if you have a spice grinder.


----------



## ebola?

Ah, yeah, that's for the base spice recipe.  When actually making a curry, ginger, garlic, and onion will almost always be involved.  There are also little tweaks that people can make to it depending on the regional style of the dish they're making.  In a lot of cases, the recipe will call for added cardamom or cinnamon.
...
I have (maybe had)  a coffee grinder that was used exclusively for spices.  I'm wondering if a conventionally used coffee grinder would impart too heavy a coffee flavor if used to grind spices.

ebola


----------



## animal_cookie

i made stuffed zucchini with stuff i had laying around. it turned out really yummy.

i hollowed out the zucchini and set the zucchini goo aside. then i sauteed some ground sausage and onions, i added the zucchini goo and garlic when then sausage and onion started to brown and cooked it a bit longer. i drained the fat/liquid, then added in some panko crumbs, sunflower seeds and a little garlic vinaigrette. i added the stuffing back to the zucchini and topped it with some grated cheese (i would leave the cheese out next time or mix it in with everything else) and baked it at 350F for about 40 min.


----------



## ebola?

What happened to the compiled recipe book?
edit: it's in the first iteration of this thread in the archive, dumbass!

ebola


----------



## Mariposa

This thread deserves a bump 

*Whiskey Steak Sauce*

1/2 cup whiskey
1 cup heavy cream
Salt/pepper to taste

Saute over medium-low flame until lightly simmering and serve immediately over the meat/veggies of your choice.


----------



## Mariposa

We can't let this thread die!

I have a request: if anyone has a foolproof Pad Thai recipe where the noodles do not get gooey, I'd really appreciate if you'd share.  Must not contain meat, poultry, fish or green onions, pretty much anything else is fine.  

I'll share a tip from the Sept/Oct 2013 issue of Cuisine At Home Magazine for perfect poached eggs.  



> Here's how to poach eggs with little fuss: spray the insides of disposable foil cupcake liners with nonstick spray, place them in a skillet, and add the eggs -- one per liner.  Add water to the skillet until it is even with the eggs, cover the skillet, and cook eggs over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until done to your liking.  The result is easy poached eggs with little to no cleanup.  Plus the eggs come out with attractive little zigzag edges.


----------



## bronson

I have a ton of recipes for traditional Swedish stuff that came over to the states a few generations back.  If there's any interest in that I'd be happy to post a few.


----------



## spork

^Interested!


----------



## Bearlove

I'm a curry lover and eat tonnes of the stuff -

An interesting one is cook your basic curry powder out then instead of adding tomato add mango chutney cook that a bit then add coconut milk.   You end up with a sweet but thick curry which tastes great (works great with chicken)

One other thing that that I think is a must when making curry is to season your oil before you start - (mustard seeds, full dried chili, curry leaves etc), also if you invest in a cast iron curry pot Kadai this imparts a certain flavor.  If you like the Indian style curry then if you haven't already tried it buy something called Asafoetida (a dry spice that you add to the hot oil at the start of cooking).  

Before





After


----------



## animal_cookie

mango curry is delicious! below is my lazy version of the persian dish dopiaza


brown some diced onions in butter. season with salt, pepper, tumeric and ginger.
add diced potatoes and continue to cook
when the potatoes get tender, add ground beef. add some more seasoning
add a little more onion and keep cooking
once the beef and potatoes are cooked, mix in some tomato paste or salsa.

you can use real tomatoes instead of tomato paste if you want. but i don't generally like actual tomatoes, so i never have any around. 

it looks kind bland but tastes awesome


----------



## kytnism

i love seeing your name as the last poster in this thread ac.

that hungarian (i believe?) cabbage and noodle dish you shared was delicious, and that doplaza looks amazing too :D

mango and curry go together beautifully imo.

...kytnism...


----------



## ChemicalSmiles

can we get a bumpppp on an amazing thread


----------



## animal_cookie

kytnism said:


> i love seeing your name as the last poster in this thread ac.
> 
> that hungarian (i believe?) cabbage and noodle dish you shared was delicious, and that doplaza looks amazing too :D
> 
> mango and curry go together beautifully imo.
> 
> ...kytnism...



it was a hungarian dish, i'm glad you liked it 

here is another easy hungarian recipe, turos czusza


12 ounce of cottage cheese with all the liquid drained out (you want just the curds)
1/2 pound of bacon
16 oz (1 bag) of egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
salt, pepper and hungarian paprika for flavoring

preheat oven to about 350F. cook the bacon and then crumble it up. while the bacon is cooking, boil the noodles. once the noodles are done and strained, combine the noodles, crumbled bacon, cottage cheese and sour cream in an oven safe dish. season with some salt, pepper and paprika. bake in oven for a few minutes until the cottage cheese starts to melt. then eat


----------



## iheartthisthread

All the curry dishes are sounding good to me.


----------



## bit_pattern

I made vegetarian chilli beans with chorizo tonight. I like the healthiness of vegetarian chilli but the chorizo just adds that extra meatiness and flavour to the whole thing.

Dice a chorizo sausage, fry for a few minutes until crispy, remove from pan and drain reserving the fat, add a diced onion to the pan and saute in the oil (full of flavoursome paprika from the sausage) for a few minutes, add a few diced potatoes, half a carrot and a stick of celery finely minced, a tsp each of cumin and coriander (powder), saute for a few more minutes then add two or three cans of beans (rinsed and drained), two cans of tomato, a good handful of finely chopped corainader leaf, stem and roots. Let that simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

I had that on top of corn chips with a pico de gallo - just minced tomato, white onion, coriander leaves and lime juice - and a bit of cheese. T'was amazing!


----------



## Thanatos

Anybody do baking here? I'm a trained pastry chef if anyone is in need of ideas or tips


----------



## ebola?

> I like the healthiness of vegetarian chilli but the chorizo just adds that extra meatiness and flavour to the whole thing.



There's vegetarian chorizo that's...okay.  One could probably make a functional analogue out of TVP and seasonings.

ebola


----------



## bit_pattern

ebola? said:


> There's vegetarian chorizo that's...okay.  One could probably make a functional analogue out of TVP and seasonings.
> 
> ebola



You could easily just leave it out, add paprika or more fresh chilli. I guess I'm kind of a non-practising vegetarian, I totally believe in the health benefits and try to follow it where I can, but also enjoy meat which I try to eat as minimally as possible


----------



## spork

I like adding rice, potatoes, or quinoa to vegetarian chili to give it a little more depth.


----------



## bit_pattern

spork said:


> I like adding rice, potatoes, or quinoa to vegetarian chili to give it a little more depth.



Yeah! I ut potatoes in last night for the first time. I'd been out to mexican "street food" joint in Melbourne a few mights before and they had potato in their beef taco mix. I'd never seen it before, then saw a few recipes where the potato gets cooked in the chorizo fat to absorb the flavouring and decided to add that to my "vegetarian" chilli. It certainly works.



Vader said:


> My fave at the moment is a butternut squash, sweet potato and chickpea curry.



Fave combo of mine too. Usually do it with mustard seed and bay leaf, onion, fresh grated tumeric, ginger, garlic, fresh tomato and squeeze of lemon/lime - sometimes add red beans as well. Awesome stuff.


----------



## kytnism

bit_pattern said:


> I made vegetarian chilli beans with chorizo tonight. I like the healthiness of vegetarian chilli but the chorizo just adds that extra meatiness and flavour to the whole thing.
> 
> Dice a chorizo sausage, fry for a few minutes until crispy, remove from pan and drain reserving the fat, add a diced onion to the pan and saute in the oil (full of flavoursome paprika from the sausage) for a few minutes, add a few diced potatoes, half a carrot and a stick of celery finely minced, a tsp each of cumin and coriander (powder), saute for a few more minutes then add two or three cans of beans (rinsed and drained), two cans of tomato, a good handful of finely chopped corainader leaf, stem and roots. Let that simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.
> 
> I had that on top of corn chips with a pico de gallo - just minced tomato, white onion, coriander leaves and lime juice - and a bit of cheese. T'was amazing!



that sounds amazing. ill have to keep an eye out for vegetarian chorizo. savoury vege sausages ive encountered, but never a chorizo? please take a picture to share next time you make this.



Thanatos said:


> Anybody do baking here? I'm a trained pastry chef if anyone is in need of ideas or tips



i suck at baking, but would adore to see/share recipes you may have for a novice that would love to learn. 

...kytnism...


----------



## Bluesbreaker

The Royal Dessert IMHO: le Paris-Brest.


----------



## Thanatos

Kyt you know I'd do anything to help you with your culinary adventures. Just ask! 
Give me a basic idea and I'll run with it and specialize the recipe exactly to your tastes. Even though I can't work in food anymore, I'll always be glad I learned how to make pastries for the ladies


----------



## Mariposa

Nice work, everyone, and Thanatos, any tips you have on puff pastry from scratch would be greatly appreciated.  Do you think I could give it a go in a cast-iron skillet, parbaked, for a Brie en croute, or would that be asking for trouble?


----------



## Thanatos

Puff pastry is a tough one. The biggest secret I've to cut freeze your butter, almost frozen solid and finely mince the butter. Just like pâté choux it's not much more than butter, water, and flour.

If possible you need to get a stone or steel surface to work your pasty on so that the butter will stay cool while you kneed it and make the sheets. The concept of the cold butter is that once it is heated the fat will start to steam instead of homogenize thus resulting in a thin flaky pastry. I personally would just go for a baking sheet lined with silpat (silicon baking sheet) so there is no compromising of the dish, as it's very gentle by nature.


----------



## ebola?

_Master recipe for tofu that people will actually enjoy:_

Begin with either pressed extra firm tofu or super-firm / high protein tofu.  I prefer the latter's texture.

1 block of tofu
salt to taste
pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
a sprinkle of msg (optional)
a generous dash of garlic powder (use fresh crushed garlic if you're less lazy than I)
a splash of red wine vinegar
several drops of sesame oil
a splash of soy sauce
.5-1 TBSP of canola oil (or your preferred neutral cooking oil)

1. Cut tofu into cubes slightly wider than .5 in. 
2. Begin frying in oil over medium heat.
3. Sprinkle salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, msg, and garlic powder over tofu.
3. Stir until spices have a uniform distribution.  Continue to stir occasionally.
4. when tofu is brown and to desired level of crispness, reduce heat to low, and drop on sesame oil.
5. reduce heat to nil and add splashes of soy sauce and red wine vinegar, the quantity of the former being greater than that of the latter.  Mix until distribution is uniform.

This will incorporate into most any recipe.

_Variations:_

Pan-Asian:
Add in a dash of powdered ginger (or Chinese 5-spice mix, if you're feeling adventurous).  Substitute fresh ginger if you're not lazy.
Substitute mirin or rice vinegar for red wine vinegar.  Other rice wines should work too.
Add in sriracha to taste during the finishing step (reducing salt accordingly).

Italian/Western:
Substitute olive oil (not extra virgin) for canola oil.  If you only have EVOO on hand, use a mix of that and canola oil (EVOO has too strong a flavor to make for a good frying oil).
Substitute seasoning salt (eg, Lawry's or Johnny's) for salt and msg (it has msg in it).  Reduce amount of garlic powder accordingly.
Add a generous dash of dried basil and a stingy dash of oregano half way between the solid seasoning phase and liquid seasoning phase.
Substitute lemon juice for red wine vinegar, if you want.
Add parmesan or nutritional yeast during the finishing phase, reducing soy sauce accordingly

Curried:
Add in ~1 tsp of the curry powder of your choice during the initial seasoning phase (I suggest homemade).
Substitute a squirt of sriracha and a dash of amchur (powdered unripe mango) for red wine vinegar.  Lemon juice is fine in lieu of amchur.

'Mexican' (probably inauthentic but works well in burritos):
See western recipe above, but
substitute ~.5 tsp / ground cumin for basil.
Substitute lime juice for lemon juice.

ebola


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## llama112

ebola - do you soak the tofu for a couple days before cooking it?  We cut our tofu in strips and soak it for a couple days in similar(ish) ingredients and then bake it and I've noticed it is so much more flavourful than when we just cook it without soaking it.
I'm basically addicted to tofu.


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## ebola?

> ebola - do you soak the tofu for a couple days before cooking it?



No, but I find this method useful when preparing baked tofu.  I guess that the frying process more easily leads the flavor to inhere within without a marinade being necessary.
...
I just had really great success with 2 seitan recipes, I'll throw those up when I'm less lazy. 

ebola


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## Mariposa

^Ebola's tofu is legit.   

Here's an easy recipe for the omnivores: baked lemon chicken breast medallions.  I had great success with this earlier this week.

1 lb chicken breasts
1 lemon
Various herbs (salt, pepper, paprika, dill were what I used)
Garlic (use fresh - don't cheat on this)
Chicken broth
White wine
Lemon

Procedure: Preheat oven to 400F.  Rinse and slice the chicken into large medallions (think oversized nuggets).  Put broth and wine in equal parts in non-reactive pan to cover the chicken by 2/3 (this steams it and makes it tender).  Add the chicken and spices.  Slice lemon lengthwise into circles and place on top of chicken.  Bake for ~40 minutes after allowing chicken to rest and enjoy.  

I served it with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with a side of green beans and bacon.


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## ebola?

I've tried making seitan a few times, first with the simmering method, which always either came out too spongy or too tough, never absorbing sufficient flavor from the broth either.  However, the following procedure kicks ass.  Eaten as is, it's fine as an entree (topping with veggie gravy is a good scene), but it also works well in stir-fries

_Curried Baked Seitan:_
(adapted from a recipe book)

1 1/2 cups cold vegetable broth (I used maggi veggie bullion, which is salty and contains MSG, if you think that's poison for some reason )
2 cloves garlic, peeled, pressed or grated with a microplane grater 
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I used low-salt soy sauce, which I think gave balanced results)
1 tablespoon olive oil (I substituted canola oil for a more neutral flavor)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup canned chickpeas (the original recipe calls for chickpea flour, which can be hard to find)
2 tsp curry powder (for best results, use home-made...I posted a recipe above)
~1/2 tsp cumin
powdered cayenne to taste

Preheat oven to 350. 
In a 1-quart measuring cup or bowl, whisk together vegetable broth, garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, and tomato paste.  Mash chickpeas and mix in (I used my hands for this).
In a separate mixing bowl, stir together vital wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast, curry powder, cumin, and crushed red pepper.
Form a well in the center, and pour in the liquid mixture.
Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together; as the flour absorbs the broth, a moist dough will rapidly form. 
When all of the broth is absorbed, use both hands to fold the dough in a kneading motion for 2 to 3 minutes. 
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then divide into four equal pieces. 
Tear away four pieces of foil about 12 inches wide. 
Spray the dull side of each piece of foil lightly with olive oil or canola oil cooking spray. 
Shape a piece of dough into an oval on the oiled side of the foil and pat it down to a thickness of about 3/4 of an inch.  Repeat 3 more times. 
Fold foil into pouches, leaving room for the seitan to expand as it cooks. As it bakes, the seitan will expand and if the foil is too tight, it might burst through the pouch! 
Place the foil packages side by side directly on a cookie sheet positioned in the center of the oven. 
Bake for ~45 minutes; seitan should be firm to the touch. 
Remove from the oven and cool, still wrapped in foil, on the kitchen counter for 45 minutes before using. 
For best flavor and texture, cool the seitan to room temperature, keep it wrapped in the foil, store in a tightly covered container, and chill overnight. 
If desired, freeze seitan and use within 2 months; to defrost, leave in the refrigerator over-night. 

This recipe takes well to variations. You can season with the spice-mixture of your choice (I'll post variations soon).

ebola


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## llama112

ebola? said:


> No, but I find this method useful when preparing baked tofu.  I guess that the frying process more easily leads the flavor to inhere within without a marinade being necessary.



Makes sense!  I haven't tried frying tofu but I really should, just to taste the difference! 

One of the most delicious things I've made recently - avocado pasta!
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/31/15-minute-creamy-avocado-pasta/

I use shirataki noodles and kelp noodles and then it's like a sauce with avocado, lemon juice (I used 2 tbsp), garlic, and basil.  It says you can't reheat (obviously because of the avocados) but I made multiple servings of pasta and then I made the rest of the sauce (besides the avocado) and brought it to work the next day.  Just combined it all at work!  It was SUPER easy and delicious!!!


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## Solipsis

Thanatos said:


> Anybody do baking here? I'm a trained pastry chef if anyone is in need of ideas or tips



Are you familiar with spekkoek (thousand layer spice cake)?

I am a pretty good cook and basically never screw up, but I did with that recently... did everything wrong beating eggwhites. So will try again, this time spill no yolk - clean the bowl thoroughly (with what tho, soap then rinse well?) - and can I substitute citric acid for cream of tartar to sustain foam? Any other tips for when I have to combine the eggwhites, flour, sugar+yolk mix? Besides not using a whisk for that stage?

Other than that, some things I can really recommend is Duck Adobo, Coq au vin, Mushroom risotto, Saoto soup, jamie olivers recipe for tagliatelle + braised leeks + pangrattato... too many things to count really 
I think really soon like next week or the one after that I am gonna treat myself with some exotic stuff like boar, kangaroo, quail, etc.

Thanks for that suggestion of saitan, ebola! Definitely will prepare that for when I am cooking for me and my roommate again... we do that at least twice a week and he is partially vegatarian (i.e. he does eat meat some of the time but only biological).

Something else I really love is making crusty baked potato by pre-cooking half-hard potato type for about 9-10 minutes and then shaking the pan+lid so that the outer layer of the potatoes gets all messed up.
If you fry course chunks like that either in a pan or in the oven with lots of olive oil (allow each chunk to lay free and separate and you gotta nuke with a good oven), with some practice you can get insane baked potatoes :D

I also adore sofritto - or better said the basis of it, mirepoix for making several dishes including godly sofritto pasta sauce (pretty much makes a day to really dissolve carrot and celery and get the tomatoes nice and sweet - I guess starch type compounds are falling apart into oligosaccharides?)



Thanatos said:


> Puff pastry is a tough one. The biggest secret I've to cut freeze your butter, almost frozen solid and finely mince the butter. Just like pâté choux it's not much more than butter, water, and flour.



= beurre manié ?


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## kytnism

Solipsis said:


> Other than that, some things I can really recommend is Duck Adobo



i recently purchased a slow cooker, with the recommendation that i must TRY and make chicken adobo. this was the recipe i was given, and wow, i was not disappointed. not only was the meal extremely tasty; but it cooked itself! 

do you have a recipe for your duck adobo to share? id love to try it 

...kytnism...


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## animal_cookie

i've been doing a grocery delivery service for the last 6 weeks. the variety of food is awesome and i've made some tasty dishes. and i've been cooking at least 3 week night dinners at home (i usually save my cooking for weekends)!

one of the best was shamikabab with chickpeas:






for the yogurt sauce:

mix 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1 small cucumber, 1/3 shallot, 1 clove garlic, lemon juice, dill, mint, salt and pepper. use whatever amounts of the last 4 ingredients to make it taste how you like.

for the meat:

mix together 1 pound ground meat (i used a lamb and beef mix, but pretty much anything will work) with 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/3 shallot, 1 clove garlic, salt and a wee bit of the yogurt from above. make the meat into patties and pan fry on medium until cooked.

for the chickpeas:

drain 1 can of chick peas. saute them on medium with 1 onion, 1/3 shallot, 1 garlic clove, some grated ginger, salt, turmeric and curry powder (again, add the seasonings based on your tastes). you may need to add some water to help the chick peas cook. it should take a few minutes and the chick peas are done when they are slightly soft and the onion and shallot are fully cooked.


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## ChemicalSmiles

BUMPING THIS! Ive been cooking a LOT more... gonna post a few recipes soon.


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## animal_cookie

i made a cassoulet over the weekend










recipe courtesy of serious eats


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## THECATINTHEHAT

Solipsis said:


> = beurre manié ?



No that is a mixture of butter and flour whisked I  to a sauce to thicken it.


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