Sunday, November 30, 2008

Subtle Gingerbread

From: FairyChatMom

This is a rapid bake bread for a Black & Decker machine and I have no idea about other machines or making bread the old-fashioned way, but here goes. (Was that enough in the Disclaimer Department??)

1 cup milk (I used 2T powdered milk and enough water to make 1 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 T shortening (I used butter)
2 T molasses
2 T brown sugar
3/4 t salt
3 1/4 c flour
3/4 t ginger *
1/2 t cinnamon *
1/4 t ground cloves *
2 t yeast

Dump the ingredients in the order shown into the bread machine. Set for rapid bake (about 2 hours on my machine) Take it out when it's done and eat it. It comes out bread-like rather than cake-like.

*The flavors were really subtle - if I make it again, I'll probably double the ginger at least.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Dottygumdrop's Favourite Turkey Sandwich

Dottygumdrop's Favourite Turkey Sandwich
From: Dottygumdrop

No T-day for us, but I do have a favourite Turkey Sandwich recipe, which involves a ciabatta (or Turkish pide) roll, roast turkey, slatherings of real mayo, cranberry sauce, sliced brie cheese, sliced avocado and lettuce, seasoned with some sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. It is Teh YumTM!

Turkey Soup Method

Turkey Soup Method
From: Sigmagirl

Don't have a recipe, really; just a method: Take your turkey carcass and kind of crush it down to minimize the surface area, put it in your pot and barely cover with water. Add a cut-up onion or two (leave the skin on for color!) and a few cloves of garlic. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to barely simmer. Add salt and a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, some sage, thyme and rosemary (rosemary is a migraine trigger for me so I use very little, but I would use a couple of whole sprigs if I could). I cook it just at simmer for about two hours. Strain very well.
I like to add dehydrated vegetables like these because they keep all their color and vitamins, and they're just the right size. My produce market carries them. Maybe it's cheating, but the texture is great and if I used any bigger pieces, my husband would pick them out.

For noodles, I make the dough in my bread machine and put it through twice. We like them big and fat like dumplings. I use 50/50 all-purpose flour and semolina, and use about 1 egg per cup of flour. You just have to get the right consistency by trial and error, adding water a drip at a time. Then we put it through the pasta machine on a wide setting to make sheets and hand-cut the noodles.

If I have any broth left, it's turkey rice soup!

Awesome Stuffed Pork Chops

Awesome Stuffed Pork Chops
From: Dolores Reborn

I had four big fat boneless pork chops that just screamed for stuffing. I've never made stuffed poke chops before, so I perused a few recipes, and just made it up as I went along.

I browned 4 chopped sliced of bacon and set it aside. I drained off most of the grease, and sauted 1/2 an onion, some diced celery and carrot, and 1 garlic clove, minced fine. Added poultry seasoning and thyme, salt and pepper. When all was soft, I stirred in about a cup of fresh bread crumbs (two slices - I should have used three) and moistened with a bit of chicken stock. Then I stuffed the poke chops which had been seasoned with salt and pepper.

Browned them over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, then flipped them to brown the other side. Added a little chicken stock to the pan, then covered and baked at 350° for 30 minutes.

Tender and moist and flavorful! I made the pan juices into gravy by adding a slurry of corn starch and water. I'll leave out the bacon next time, because I couldn't taste it at all.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Infinitely Stretchy Chicken Curry-Like Substance

Infinitely Stretchy Chicken Curry-Like Substance
From: SmartAleq

Since I wanted brown rice for it (if I use white rice I'll cook it all together with the chicken) I started two cups of brown rice with six cups water boiling, with some Chicken Better Than Bouillon (I love that stuff!) and turmeric added. When it was almost tender, about 45 minutes or so, I dumped in a can of stewed tomatoes and a big handful of raisins. Then in a skillet I started sauteeing two frozen slabs of boneless skinless chicken breast, cutting it up into small chunks as it thawed. I added about 7-10 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly. When the chicken was nearly cooked I added a bunch of thin sliced onions and red bell peppers, grated a big chunk of fresh ginger into it, then spiced the hell out of it. I added several tablespoons of curry powder, couple tablespoons of cumin, some cinnamon, more turmeric, paprika, a dash of chipotle powder and a dash of crushed red pepper and maybe a half cup of water to get it all moist and sauce-y. Let that simmer for a few minutes, then combined the chicken with the rice mixture, set it on a low simmer and let it go for about a half hour. Then I ate a ton of it! In summer when I make this stuff I also tend to add other fruit to it--canteloupe or honeydew melon, peaches or nectarines, it sounds really weird but the sweetness offsets the spice and it's totally nommy. Mop it up with naan bread for maximum satisfaction!

Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake (Link)

Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake
Shared by: Dottygumdrop
From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Monday, November 17, 2008

All About Collards (Links)

Sauteed Collard Greens
Shared by: Ellen Cherry
From: Gourmet Magazine, via Epicuriuos

Paula Deen's Recipe
Shared by: Ellen Cherry
From: The Food Network

Alton Brown's Recipe
Shared by: Dolores Reborn
From: The Food Network

Advice from swampbear:
"The secret is a combo of two things. First, you need a ham hock or some chunks of ham. Not huge chunks. Collards need that for seasonin'. Second, use a little over a tsp of sugar. Yep. Sugar. I start the water with the sugar and ham hock or ham chunks and get the water hot, but not boilin'. Then I put the greens in a handful at a time and stir 'em in so they wilt. Once all the greens are in, I let 'em simmer 'til done. About forty-five minutes ought to do it. Also, I cook 'em the night before and reheat before servin'. Collards are one of those things that's better if they're cooked then reheated before servin', IMO. Anywho, they're never bitter with that method. That little bit o' sugar helps with the bitterness but doesn't add a sweet taste."

Friday, November 14, 2008

Buffalo Chicken Dip I and II

Buffalo Chicken Dip I
From: Always Brings Pie

(Originally from the Congressional Club Cookbook)
Dancing Shoes (and buffalo) optional

5 cups cooked, shredded chicken
12 oz Red Hot
1 lb cream cheese
1 cup ranch dressing
1 cup (or more) shredded cheese (the recipe called for monterey jack but I only had cheddar)

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Pour into a 9x13 pan and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Serve with chips or crackers. Note: the original recipe calls for celery, but I'm not interested in those health foods. Note #2: This recipe could easily be halved as I have been eating it all day and there is still way too much left over.


Added 12/29/2009:
Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip II
From FairyChatMom


Only significant differences I see is that this one has much less chicken, a longer baking time and a hint for handling it if the top is oily.

2 pkgs - Cream cheese, Softened (do NOT use Light variety)
¾ cup – Hot Sauce (Buffalo Wing sauce)
1 cup – Ranch dressing
2 cups – Cubed, cooked Chicken (shredded works better, IMHO)
1 cup – Shredded Cheddar


Combine cream cheese and hot sauce. Add ranch dressing and stir till blended.
Stir in Chicken & cheese

Pour in a 9x13 pan (sprayed with cooking spray)

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. (If oily on top, blot with paper towels before serving)

Serve with tortilla chips

Gnudi (Link)

Makin' Gnudi
Shared by: Cervaise
From: mixedgreensblog.com

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies (Link)

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever
Shared by: taxi78cab (crumbly, but very good, she reports.)
From: AllRecipes

Endive Salads

Endive Salads
From: Nava

For salad, Mom makes one with *checks out Google images* endives, I think the ingredients would travel well and the salad itself takes a very short time to whip up. She buys trays of 2-3 endives.
Option one:
Take the two outer leaves from each endive, put a bit of cream cheese on each, arrange artfully on big plate. Cut the endives in quarters along their axis, then each quarter in half against the long axis. Put some cream cheese on each. Arrange over the bottom leaves. Sprinkle pieces of ham and hard-boiled egg. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze half a lemon over the salad.
Option two, aka "YUCK Philadelphia!":
Do the "flower" thingee. Chop up the endives. Toss the chopped-up endives with pieces of ham, medium-aged cheese and hard-boiled egg. Place the toss-up over the flower. Squeeze half a lemon over it. Tell the guy who complains about cheese that he can pick it out or go to a restaurant (ours isn't lactose intolerant, just picky).

To make sure that the eggs are boiled Just-So (Mom doesn't believe me, but for some reason *my* eggs are never runny and never greyed):
Place the eggs in the pot you'll use to boil them. Pour cold water. Add a spoonful of salt, don't be afraid to oversalt it cos you basically can't. Put to boil. Time starts counting, not when you see bubbles, not when it's boiling hard, but when the bubbles are just big enough to start moving up, and it's 8 minutes (9 in Huesca or Colorado)

Knives and sharpening... (Links)

Video on how to hold a knife.
Shared by: Tupug Anachi

Commentary and caution from Cervaise.

And additional comments from Soul Brother Number Two.

Further advice from Cervaise.

Alton demonstrates how to hone. (YouTube link)
Shared by: Cervaise.

Cataclysmically Delicious Chicken Calzones

Cataclysmically Delicious Chicken Calzones
From: SmartAleq

I had a pizza dough ball from Trader Joe's (herb/cheese style) and a leftover piece of Albertson's fried chicken so I kneaded and rested the doughball and cut it into thirds, teased it out into rounds, brushed each round with pesto and roasted garlic paste (surprise! Betcha never saw THAT coming! ) then a layer of pepper jack, topped that with lightly sauteed red pepper, onion, mushroom and chopped chicken, then topped that with shavings of pecorino romano. Flipped over the top, sealed the sides, poked with a fork, brushed with more garlic paste and a sprinkle of shredded romano on top and baked at 425o for twenty minutes or so. Nom nomnomnomnom! Whole dinner cost me maybe five bucks!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Larry's Crunch Salad

Larry's Crunch Salad
From: Mahna Mahna

(H)ere's a recipe that travels very well and actually tends to taste better after it's had a chance to sit for a while (this makes enough for 4, but you can increase the quantities as needed):

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup radishes, sliced
2 medium-size carrots, peeled and sliced
Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
1 tsp dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a large salad bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss until everything is evenly combined and coated with dressing. Devour immediately or at your leisure.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Pineapple and Coconut Cookies (Link)

Pineapple and Coconut Cookies

Shared by: Soul Brother Number Two
From: Ripe for Dessert by David Lebovitz, via canadianbaker.blogspot.com

Oatmeal Crisps (Bestest Cookies Ever)

Oatmeal Crisps (Bestest Cookies Ever)
From: Soul Brother Number Two's Mom

As per SmartAleq's instructions, the world's bestest cookie, no chocolate notwithstanding. I always double this recipe because it is so easy to make. In no time you will have 5 or 6 dozen wonderful crispy cookies on hand. You wouldn't imagine that a cookie of regular thickness could be so crispy. These are essentially oatmeal tuiles. Yow!

Oatmeal Crisps

1 cup butter, melted
2 t water
2 t maple syrup

Sift together:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 ½ t baking soda
1 t baking powder

2 ½ cups quick oats

sugar for rolling

Combine and chill (or don't). Form into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Flatten slightly on ungreased baking pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Iffen anyone makes em, please report back!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A food-centered MMP (link)

A love for cookbooks: An Epicurean MMP

Thought I should add this since there are all kinds of references to cookbooks that I'm sure people will want to find. I know I will, at least.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Daffodil's Chicken with Lentils

Daffodil's Chicken with Lentils
From Mahna Mahna

5 chicken leg quarters
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp jerk seasoning (I use the paste kind, when I can find it)
1 tsp thyme
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups green lentils, rinsed and picked through
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cups water

Day 1: Remove the skin and any large chunks of fat from your chicken legs, and then cut up into drumsticks and thighs. Place the chicken pieces in a large covered dish or container, and mix together with the soy sauce, jerk seasoning and thyme until evenly coated. Place in the fridge to marinate overnight.
Day 2: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside where the cats can't get at it.
Add green pepper and onion to the pot, and saute until softened. Stir in lentils and water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for half an hour.
Return the chicken pieces to the pot. Cover and let simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper; you may also adjust the heat with additional jerk seasoning if desired, though it should be quite spicy as-is. Serve with white rice.

Maple Syrup Cheesecake (Link)

Maple Syrup Cheesecake
Shared by: Soul Brother Number Two
From: Gourmet Magazine, via Epicurious

Mushroom Bacon Risotto (Link)

Mushroom Bacon Risotto
Shared by: Dottygumdrop
From: Australian Good Taste

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (Link)

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Shared by: taxi78cab
From Gourmet Magazine, via Epicurious

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake (link)

Luscious Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake
Shared by: taxi78cab
From: Kraft Foods

She says that you can substitute real whipped cream and make the cake from scratch if you're a purist.

Baked NOT Soup

Baked NOT Soup
From: SmartAleq

2/3 cup butter
Big splop of roasted garlic paste
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
1 1/4 cups shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat, melt butter, stir in garlic paste until all melted. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve baked potato soup immediately.
This baked potato soup recipe serves 6 to 8.

I did use 1% milk and low fat sour cream, but this is never gonna be heart healthy, no way. It was really good, though...

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Pork Sirloin Chops with Roast Garlic Paste

Pork Sirloin Chops with Roast Garlic Paste
From: SmartAleq

I took a couple of thick pork sirloin chops, seared them in a bit of bacon grease, then thickly spread a coat of roasted garlic paste all over the tops of them, sprinkled them with paprika and kosher salt, then distributed a bunch of thin sliced onions and mushrooms around them in the frying pan and baked it at 350 until the chops were almost tender, then took the bowl the paste had been in and dumped a bit of cheap red wine in it, stirring to get the rest of the paste incorporated in it, and introduced that into the onions and mushrooms, turned the oven off and let it all rest together for ten-fifteen minutes. The wine reduced into a sticky sauce, the pork was tender and flavorful and I steamed up a huge load of broccoli to go with, sprinkled with a bit of sharp white cheddar. It was delish!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Eye of Round Roast

Eye of Round Roast
From: Mahna Mahna

As long as you cook them proper-like, they're also very very tasty. See, what you do is get the oven cranked up to 500F, and while it's heating up, pat the roast dry, put it on a rack over a roasting pan, season with lots of S&P and then slather generously with butter. Once the oven lets you know it's good and hot, pop the roast in there for 7 mins per lb and then turn off the oven... BUT (here's the tricky part, kiddies) don't touch that oven door, because now you have to let the roast sit in that oven for 2-2.5 hours. Don't touch that door. Don't open it even a teensy crack, even if the smell is causing the cats/dogs/husband to drool uncontrollably. Just. Leave. It. Alone.