gwangi32
Sep 16 2002, 07:59 PM
QUOTE (Lady Tam @ Sep. 15 2002,10:19)
Here is a quick and easy recipe for those not "cooking inclined"
Quick, easy and cheap. †Probably not good for you, but here is:
Scavenger Hunt Lo Mein
1 package Top Ramen (beef or pork works best),
1/2 to 1 cup frozen Peas and Carrots
two table spoons of cooking oil (olive preferable)
one slice of lunchmeat (ham preferable)
(optional) 1 egg
In a small pot heat up the peas and carrots, when they are basically thawed put them in a bowl. †Dice up the meat into little pieces and toss it in with the veggies.
Boil the ramen and drain off the water. †After draining the water add the soup spice package and stir up the noodles. †(For maximum efficiency use the same pot you heated the veggies in)
In a sauce pan of sufficient size heat the oil for three minutes or so, no more than five. †The heat setting should be between low and medium heat and mix the stuff in the bowl with the noodles. †Put the noodles and stuff in the oil and mix gently for three to five minutes and it will be Lo Mein.
You can add other stuff, if you whip the egg and cook it up omelette style, then dice it you can add it with the stuff in the bowl to the noodles. †I like to throw in some finely diced bell peppers. †The more stuff you add the less Peas and Carrots you need.
You get about two adult servings. †Helps if you have something to go with it. †Eggrolls in the oven is a favorite of mine. †But, in keeping with the scavenger hunt whatever you find is fair game. †This has worked well for me on the no one wants to cook and no one wants to go out nights where we fend for ourselves. †Usually takes less than thirty minutes to make. It's not pretty, but it usually tastes good.
† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † :O
lstormhammer
Sep 17 2002, 04:34 PM
Mmm, that does sound good. Terrible shame I just heard my Aorta scream when I read that.
Oh, well. Tofu is good for you...
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Sep 18 2002, 10:53 PM
Tempting, CD.
We'll swap secrets at the Reapercon, Ladystorm....
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Sep 19 2002, 10:43 PM
OK, this is what I did tonight, with a few things in the house, it's a dish with meat, so you tree-huggin', granola crunchin', Green Party votin' hippie freaks can meditate for my tree-burning, meat eatin', Republican soul....
--I kid, of course.
I entitle this: "What the hell is this?"
One chicken breast, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium-sized potato, diced
2 celery stalks, diced (do you see a theme here?)
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup egg noodles
one 14.5 oz can veggie broth
fresh herbage, whatever's handy.
First, set a pot to boil.
Heat a pan, add a little olive oil.
sautee the chicken, veggies, and herbs until everything looks nice and evenly cooked. (chicken should be browned, onion should be translucent, you should start smelling the carrot and celery.)
Add potato and the broth. Add more broth if needed
Add noodles to the now-boiling water (you remember, the one you set to boil when you began this?)
Make a cornstarch slurry (not much)...
..what's that? You don't know how? Alright, grab that old salsa jar and the lid from the back of your cupboard, the one you swore you'd have a use for, but never did. OK, add a rounded tablespoon of cornstarch in there, and add about the same ammount of water (about 1/8th cup, for those of you who still use measurements). Close the lid (VERY IMPORTANT) you must have a tight seal.
Now that you have that tight seal: Shake the bejeezus out of it. Make that stuff look like milk.
Open jar, pour contents into pan with chicken, veggies, and broth. Stir for a few minutes, remove whole concoxion from heat.
Drain your pasta. Hey! Check it out, now that the pan with your meat and veg is cooling, the broth is turning into gravy. Slick! Add the noodles and stir around, make sure there's plenty of everything mixed in.
NOTE: this should, by now, look like the inside of a chicken pot pie. This is a GOOD THING!!!!
Set the whole thing aside, set the table (this is an important step, as you don't want people burning their mouths, now do you?)
Place pan on table (with a pot holder under it) call your animals over, let feasting begin.
A veggie version of this would omit the chicken, add tofu-based chicken analog, and might be just as good.
--lstormhammer.
lstormhammer
Sep 29 2002, 03:05 PM
So there you are, after feasting on chicken/beef/pork and you're wondering to yourself 'What the heck do I do with all these bones?' Well, never fear, lstormhammer's here!
Basic Chicken Stock
7-8lbs of chicken bones, leave any meat on them.
One large onion
Two carrots
Two stalks celery
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
First, collect your bones, I have a zip-lock bag in my freezer, just for such things. I make my stock when I have three filled bags.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (again, I don't know the Metric), array your bones in a single layer, and roast them for, oh... 15, 20 minutes. They should look nice and golden brown (and if you had raw bones, this is a good way to cook them).
You can skip this browning stage, but it really does something nice to the broth, so I highly reccomend doing this.
Pull out your biggest pot, prolly called a 'Stock Pot' See? You're going to use it for its intended purpose! Drop all the bones, veggies, and herbs into it, fill with cool tap water (if your tap water comes out brown at first, I highly reccomend using bottled water)
Set this (now heavy, so be careful) pot on your burner, on LOW for about 5 hours. Stirring once in a while. DON'T LET THIS BOIL! Boiling lets the fat molecules mix into the broth, making the broth a: not healthy for you, and b: cloudy and not very appealing. A nice, low simmer is what you want. Just a little steam coming off the top of the liquid.
...5 hours later...
turn off the fire, and take your best 'remove things from hot water' devise (I use my pasta spoon, the one with all the fingers on it) remove said bones. They have served you well, and may go off to their final resting place: the garbage can
Now: when the liquid calms down (and cools slightly) you'll see all the fat has risen to the surface. While fat=intense flavor, it's not that nessassary for the broth. Spoon it out carefully, and discard. Getting most of it out is great. If you want to get out every little speck, then break out the paper towels, gently let them touch the top of the water, the towels will soak up the last of the fat.
Once that's done, /now/ it's boiling time. A long, slow gentle boil is what you need now, You want to get rid of about 30% of that water. Not that water's bad, but you want the intence flavor, don't you? I thought so....
Note: I have two pots, one is the stock pot, the other for the finishing boil. But one pot will do the trick. I like another for the cooling down process which I'll describe later.
OK: More science. The reason you use bones (besides the flavor they bring) is the cartilege on the bones. After that long, slow boil, they release their glycerine into the water, which is what brings that lip-smackin' goodness to a properly done stock.
OK, so you've reduced the stock, and it looks great. You've put it in a smaller pot, and let the whole thing cool down to room temp: Stick the smaller pot into the fridge overnight.
In the morning, remove the lid, and take a look inside. Give the pot a little jiggle. Does it move like water, or like chicken Jello? If you did it right, you're in Jello-land.
Take your favorite 1 Cup measuring devise, scoop out two cups worth, and put into a sandwich-sized ziplock bag. Flatten it out slightly, and put into freezer. Alternativly, pour the concoction into ice-cube trays, freeze and put cubes into one big ziplock. (Warning: Label well, I had a friend ruin a perfectly good whiskey sour by putting a beef broth ice-cube into his drink. Don't let this happen to you).
This recipe works well with any kinds of bones you have. Foryou veggie types, use the ends and stems and odds and ends of your veggies, don't just chuck them into the conpost heap, wait until you've extracted the flavor, then let them compost.
Now you're asking yourself "Great, but what the heck will I ever do with 18 cups of chicken broth?" Water replacement. If your rice recipe calls for water, use broth. If you need to make chicken soup, use some of the broth, and it will taste fantastic.
--iron chef lstormhammer
ladystorm
Oct 11 2002, 07:53 AM
QUOTE (Lady Tam @ Oct. 11 2002,8:38)
Anybody have a good minastrone soup recipe?
yep. let me find it, its around here somewhere
c
lstormhammer
Sep 15 2002, 10:36 AM
Yes, this is the repository for all things culinary. We've fired off recipes, we've traded family secrets (well, not all of them) and mentioned our favorite cooking shows. So here it is, fire them keyboards up and give us all things food-related!
--lstormhammer, summoning up the Iron Chefs!
smokingwreckage
Sep 17 2002, 03:27 AM
quick crappy and indestructable: can o tomatos. can o tomato paste. can o mushrooms. combine, add garlic and 1 or maybe 2 stock cubes of choice, simmer, serve over pasta. every single ingredient is imperishable, so you can have this gear hiding at the back of your cupboard for emergencies. tastes better than you think. promise.
Aryanun
Sep 17 2002, 04:11 PM
QUOTE (lstormhammer @ Sep. 17 2002,3:54)
Anywho, here's a great tip about steak: Buy it fresh, use salt and pepper only, use a high heat grill, turn it once, remove from heat and let it rest. And you cannot go wrong.
You can also roast up some potatoes at the same time, but they take at least 90 minutes, wrapped in foil, and turned once every 15 minutes, on low heat.
Break out a yummy salad, and you're good to go.
--lstormhammer
Something else that goes good with that...
Texas Style :cool:
Trim off ends and cut 4-6 Jalapenos in Half
Fill inside with Cream Cheese
Wrap with bacon, use a toothpick to hold bacon in place.
Place on grill and cook until bacon is done.
It's really good. Will yield about 8-12 stuffed jalapenos.
CripDyke
Sep 18 2002, 11:17 PM
I have a completely vegan chocolate cake recipe, but it's not much of a secret. Got it out of a cookbook. Still, I could share...
Anybody need vegan?
CripDyke
Sep 19 2002, 09:17 PM
this stuff sounds fabulous!!! I can't wait to try it!
so many good recipes, so little time....
lstormhammer
Sep 29 2002, 12:40 PM
Hey there. Here's another one from the Cucini D'lstormhammer.
Rotisserie Chicken.
One chicken, fryer. About 3-4 lbs, after plucking and prep.
Salt
pepper
hungarian paprika
thyme
6-8 cups veggie broth
One apple slice
one onion slice
one sprig of Rosemary
butcher's twine
--Special equipment: The ability to spit and turn your chicken, aka Rotisserie-- I happen to have a BBQ with a rotisserie moter attached.
OK, this assumes you have a nice, fresh chicken, and it's ready to go.
Get your largest mixing bowl, place in your kitchen sink. Add (I'm not kidding here) 2 CUPS of salt. and the 8 cups of veg broth , stir until salt dissolves. Add your chicken, making sure it's complely submerged. Leave it like this for an hour.
Science time!
OK, the salt is going to leech out the moisture in the chicken, but don't worry. Out will go all the fluid, then do to osmossis (and keeping a balance between the salinity outside the bird, and inside,) the yummy broth will begin seeping its way back into the chicken, bringing all that flavor back in with it. It's like injecting the meat with flavor, without poking unnessassary holes into it. See? Science is cool when you know the secret.
OK, back to your bird. Drain him off, pat him try. In the cavity of him, put the onion slice, the apple slice, and the rosemary. Those are all great aromatics, and will bring a nice flavor to the dinner table.
OK, trus the bird up with the twine. I usually bind the legs together, make a loop around the 'Pope's nose', and bring that snug with the legs. Now the wings: Flip the bird over, bring the wings behind it, and put one loop of twine at it's elbows, tight enough so it's touching. To that again at the next joint down. This should make the wings go down the back. This way, when you put it on the spit, and turn it, the center of balance is more along the center, as opposed to being front-heavy.
OK, slide the skewer in, push the spikes into the bird and make sure it's not going anywheres. A nice, tight grip is required here. Also, make sure the bird's positioned in the center of the spit. These little double-checks will help you later, trust me.
OK, bird on spit, take it out to the heating place. Bring along all those other spices I mentioned earlier, but didn't tell you what to do with. (you'll need more salt, but not much.)
Oh, and once you're done with the brine, toss it down the sink, there's so much salt in there, you can't use if for anything. I tried once. Eeck.
Right, begin your bird to spinning, and them begin adding all those spices. You want a nice, even coat of all the spices, but not too much, it's for two reasons: it looks good when you're done, and it does bring spice to the meat. (not that you'll need it, you did the brining, remember?
OK, a medium-low heat for 90 minutes, checking every 30 to make sure all is well with it. Now: Even though you're only going to open the lid every 30 is no excuse to wander off and go play Volleyball. Bring a book along, or if you have company, bring them out and have a conversation nearby the fire. The weather's finally cooling down in my neighborhood, so spending time outside doesn't sound insane. Bring a timer so you can know when it's time.
Bring a thermometer with you. At the end of 90, the thigh meat should be a toasty 180 degrees or so (I don't know the metric, sorry) and everything should look GBD (Golden, Brown, Delicious). Plate the beast, and bring it inside.
It needs to rest for 10 minutes or so (15 is better, IMHO) but if you're like me, you've got poachers who will nibble at the bird before hand. I have sharp knives, and have told my family I will use them. Use some aluminium tented over the top, it doesn't stop the die-hard poachers, but will deter the casual ones. The die-hards you've hopefully set to doing something else. Even if it's just handing them a beer and telling them to go. (you'd be suprised how well this works)
OK, carve that badboy up however you do. I tend to make 6 or so pieces (leg/thigh combo, wings on their own, and two breast pieces) You could slice up the breastmeat as you wish, but that's only if you have a lot of people who like the breastmeat.
--Enjoy! And don't hesitate to experiment with what spices you use!
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Oct 11 2002, 08:58 AM
Mmm, Weather's cooling down. Time to break out my favorite
Chow-DAH! Say it, frenchy! Chow-DAH!
Shau-Der.
Mmm, clam chowder on a cold day. Sounds like a plan and a half.
--lstormhammer
Lady Tam
Sep 15 2002, 11:19 AM
Here is a quick and easy recipe for those not "cooking inclined" A fast way to make a London Broil Flank Steak. You want to score your meat on one side making a "checker baord like pattern. Let marinate for half an hour, (but longer is better!) in a Italian dressing/white wine combination. This should be the equivalent of 1/4 white wine to a cp of Italian dressing, but I prefer to go closer to a 50-50 mix. Set oven to broil and adjust your rack accordingly and cook. Watch closely to prevent over cooking. This is a quick way to make this dish, that taste good and will make people think you spent all day fixing it!
Lady Tam
CripDyke
Sep 16 2002, 10:17 AM
There is an _intensity_ to the flavor of most natural cheeses that the fake stuff will never match, so your lasagna comes out a little more bland than you would expect. You can anticipate & compensate, but if you're not ready for it, it can be a little disappointing. On the other hand, the texture is nearly perfect! People eating your lasagna will maybe notice that it's mild but they won't quite be able to figure out why...
The (fake) cheese i use melts very well, but only a few of them do. If you get a cheese that doesn't melt well (the rice cheeses are your best bet actually, but if you find an almond cheese that melts well the flavor will be better - avoid the soy cheese, they're all disgusting as far as I can tell) it will be a little more crumbly than usual, won't hang together quite as well, but really, the texture is almost the same & the flavor is great from all the other stuff in the lasagna. It just comes out a little mild, without the distinctive sour cheese tang.
As far as the baking substitute:
I would never cook with white flower again. In this case the taste is _far superior_ to the taste of cookies/ breads/ etc baked with the bland stuff. It truly does make it healthier _and_more delicious without sacrificing anything in terms of texture, rise, etc. There is no reason to go back to white. I swear by it!
lstormhammer
Sep 17 2002, 02:54 PM
Upon second thought: I should've named this thread 'Good Eats'. Oh well, life is an XP gaining event...
Anywho, here's a great tip about steak: Buy it fresh, use salt and pepper only, use a high heat grill, turn it once, remove from heat and let it rest. And you cannot go wrong.
You can also roast up some potatoes at the same time, but they take at least 90 minutes, wrapped in foil, and turned once every 15 minutes, on low heat.
Break out a yummy salad, and you're good to go.
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Sep 17 2002, 05:26 PM
Hmmm.
I do know an asian food mart I've been thinking of going to. Might have good luck with them.
--again, thanks for the tip!
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Sep 18 2002, 12:43 PM
Alright, I was bored last night, and created this:
Chicken Burgers.
3/4ths of a chicken breast per person (one whole one each for the 'Hungry' crowd)
Buns, tomatoes, lettuce, the usual things you put on a bun.
Grill chicken breasts until done, season as you wish.
Let rest 5 minutes, thin slice the breast meat, apply 5-6 slices to a bun, add veggies and condiments, enjoy.
--basically, a burger, but you use chicken breast, much better for you anyways.
--lstormhammer
sdnelson
Sep 18 2002, 01:43 PM
Variation on that:
Skinless Boneless Chicken breasts, one per person. Slice into strips while raw. Or use tenderloins and slice in half lengthwise. Make long strips for grilling. Marinate for at least 8 hours in Italian Dressing of your preference (not creamy though). Alternately you can use a teriyaki sauce as marinade if you want.
Grill the chicken strips. Serve on hoagie rolls with any or all of the following toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, alfalfa sprouts, avacado slices, pinapple (good with teriyaki), toasted sesame seeds (good with teriyaki), mozzarella or provolone cheese, brie cheese, grated carrots, etc.
CripDyke
Sep 18 2002, 09:04 PM
So, Stormhammer...
you said something about catching a puddlejumper to portland? I could save you a lot of money on a taxi from the airport. Maybe I could pick you up. You'd have to give me something in trade of course, like a gauth or maybe just something chocalatey. I do love chocolate...
lstormhammer
Sep 18 2002, 11:44 PM
I would like some Veggie recipes. I'm currently working on changing my housemates from complete Carnevores to a little more well rounded in the diet department.
--lstormhammer
ladystorm
Sep 27 2002, 11:35 AM
double chocolate pudding
1/2 c sugar
3 T baking cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 1/2 T cornstarch
large egg and 2 extra yolks
2 c milk(not skim/fat free milk)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken(the better quality, the better the end product)
2 T butter
1 t instant coffee(espresso powder is best)
1 t vanilla
combine sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in bowl. †beat together egg & yolks, and add to the sugar mixture to form paste. †scald milk over medium heat, remove from heat, whisking continually, add small quantity of milk to the paste, whisk until smooth, then slowly pour the whisked paste into the rest of the milk, again whisk until smooth. †Over medium heat, cook the concoction, whisking constantly until thickened and starts to boil(large bubbles) usually about 6 minutes. †remove from heat, add chocolate, butter, coffee, and vanilla. †whisk until smooth. †transfer pudding to bowl (large or serving) and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge after covering with plastic wrap. †
best served with whipped cream.
cbs
Lady Tam
Oct 7 2002, 06:14 PM
HERBED FILLET with RED WINE REDUCTION
4 (6 oz) beef fillets
salt and freshly ground balck pepper
4 tablesppons grainy mustard
1 cup herbs (such as sage, thyme,rosemary, basil, and parsley) finely chopped
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
Season fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. Coat edges of fillet with a thin layer of mustard, approximately tablespoons. Dredge edges of fillet in herbs to coat evenly. Sear fillet, 4-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness of meat.
Remove cooked fillet. Lower heat to medium. Add shallots and saute until translucent. Deglaze pan with white wine. Add 2 tablespoons mustard. Reduce wine to consistancy of a rich sauce. If desired, remove the pan from the heat and wisk butter into sauce. Serve immediately.
And the best part about this "recipe" is it is low cholesterol! So for those watching your colesterol, or have family members doing so, it is a great meal!
Lady Tam
ladystorm
Sep 27 2002, 12:43 PM
I have a jar of powdered espresso, found in a clearance bin many many years ago in California before the transcontinental relocation. Label is long gone, but the language was in spanish if that helps any.
:) cbs
Lady Tam
Oct 11 2002, 02:33 PM
That sounds good. getting ready for cold weather here too. Did the first official batch of chili last week. Made a most excellent beef soup last night (and today) Just cut up some scrap raost and added veggies, noodles and a bunch of spices. Pretty tasty. Wish I had written everything down now! That's what got me thinking of minastrone soup.
Lady Tam
Aryanun
Sep 15 2002, 01:17 PM
We all love chile con queso, right? Wanna know how to make it spicy, good, and without processed cheese food?
Fresh tomato, however much you want. For a pound of cheese I typically use about 2-3 Romaine tomatos. They're smaller, but tend to be a little better than your standard ones.
Cilantro. about 1/4 cup of the leaves seperated from the stems. This is a staple for a lot of Mexican salsas and dips.
Peppers. I use Jalapenos and Serranos. The smaller the pepper, generally, the hotter and better it will be. I'll use about 3-4 Jalapenos and about the same amount of Serranos.
Green Chiles. These aren't real spicy, but have a good flavor to add to queso.
Onion. White or Yellow is fine. About 1/4 to 1/2 cup per pound, dependant upon taste.
Cheddar Cheese. I generally will make it all by the pound.
Trim the stems from the peppers (jalapeno, serrano and green chile) and chop them up. Dice the tomatos and the onion. Mince the cilantro.
Grate the cheese (or by the pre-shredded kind). This will melt smoother than buying it in blocks and dicing it. Mix the veggies and cilantro in with the cheese and dump it all in the top of a double-boiler. Pour water into the bottom part of the boiler and bring to a boil. Place the top part containing the cheese and veggies on the boiler and cover. Cook over meduim-high heat until cheese is melted, stirring occassionally and making sure the water in the bottom doesn't dry out.
Serve with tortilla chips.
You can also make it spicier by adding some cayenne pepper to the mix (not too much, that stuff can get really spicy quick!). Make it creamer by adding a couple of tablespoons of sourcream.
Now you're going... "Uhh.. that's an awful lot to do..." Okay, here's the quick and dirty processed cheese type queso with a kick.
1 pound Velveeta processed cheese food (of you go for that kind of stuff)
2 small cans of Rotel brand DICED green chiles and tomatos (found with the rest of the canned tomatos)
1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons of sour cream.
Dice the velveeta, put in a bowl. Drain about 75% of the liquid from the Rotel and dump in bowl. Toss in the cayenne pepper and sour cream. Heat in the microwave until melted, stopping occassionally to stir. Stir throroughly before serving with chips.
This makes it a lot spicier and some people who don't like Velveeta have tried this Quick and Dirty version and have really liked it. I prefer the first version. Good stuff there.
FYI : the "chile" in Chile con Queso does not mean chili... as in the spicy meat dish. It refers to the green chile pepper that helps spice up the queso. Literally it means "Cheese with chile peppers."
:laugh:
lstormhammer
Sep 16 2002, 05:31 PM
CD:
Where do you get your flours? Unfortunatly, I'm stuck with 'Conglomo Warehouses' and 'Conglomo Supermarts'. I'm intrigued by the flour idea. I think I know a few places I can try, but no promises.
Also: How's the absorbancy of the flour mix? About the same as regular flour? More like cornstarch? Potato starch? Basically, do I need to add more liquid if I'm working with this amalgamation?
--lstormhammer
sdnelson
Sep 17 2002, 09:41 AM
Simple Pasta dish.
Mince garlic clove. Heat extra virgin olive oil in pan, add garlic and brown slightly. While heating the oil boil pasta. Just before pasta is done, take a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and add it to the oil/garlic. Drain pasta, add a few dashes of salt to the oil/garlic. Add some sliced black olives to the oil, cook for about 3 more minutes then toss the pasta in the oil and olives.
Simple tasty pasta dish in no time. Instead of olives you can always use sliced mushrooms, scallops, chicken, shrimp, fresh basil leaves, oregano, broccoli, or whatever, though you may have to vary to cooking time for some items.
You could always just throw a bunch of things in this, but the guy who taught me this said that with this type of pasta dish, it's best to just have 1 thing other than the olive oil, garlic, and salt. Just have 1 flavor to focus on.
Serve with french or italian bread or breadsticks. A very simple and filling pasta dish, good for a late dinner when you don't want to take too long to cook.
CripDyke
Sep 17 2002, 04:36 PM
QUOTE (lstormhammer @ Sep. 16 2002,4:31)
CD:
Where do you get your flours? Unfortunatly, I'm stuck with 'Conglomo Warehouses' and 'Conglomo Supermarts'. I'm intrigued by the flour idea. I think I know a few places I can try, but no promises.
Also: How's the absorbancy of the flour mix? About the same as regular flour? More like cornstarch? Potato starch? Basically, do I need to add more liquid if I'm working with this amalgamation?
--lstormhammer
No extra liquid needed: absorbancy is just about the same as far as I can tell. I've never had a recipe call for all-purpose flour that I couldn't do better by using my flour mix with no other changes. That really is the beauty of it.
As far as buying the flours...
Well, I shop at natural food stores & buy organic & all that. I NEVER have a problem finding organic brown rice flour where I shop, so why should you??
Seriously though, I find good flours in smaller packages (and higher prices) than the generic "gold medal" stuff even in big stores. Whole wheat, buckwheat, don't seem to be too much of a problem.
But RICE flour. That is something that i've noticed the big commercial markets sometimes don't carry. Again, the recipe doesn't care if the rice flour is brown or white, so grab the first package you can find. If you don't have a hippie store near you, an Asian grocery might be more likely to have rice flours.
But hey, try the big market. Just ask for help - tell 'em you're looking for the "specialty" flours. I've noticed that when i've asked for rice flours they sometimes direct me to the florist! They just don't get that rice flour is an actual food! (and, yes, sometimes i've found rice flour in the same stores where the employees didn't know it existed! be smarter than the system!)
sdnelson
Sep 18 2002, 09:13 AM
OK, but remember it doesn't count as green tea if you put sugar or lemon in it... Actually the best green tea isn't the kind you brew with a bag or loose leaves, but the powdered green tea that you just add water and whisk. It's bitter, but use it to wash down sweet pastries and the rush is unbelievable. This is the tea that's used for tea ceremonies. It's not cheap but worth acquiring a taste for.
I used to know how to make crunchy granola... I wish I would have written the recipes that I learned instead of just measuring intuitively, because I've forgotten how to make so much stuff...
We used rolled oats (not quick oats), almonds, walnuts or pecans, maple syrup, canola oil... and sometimes things like raisins, dried cranberries, rye berries, etc. Mostly it involved mixing the maple syrup and oil in a BIG bowl, then mixing the other stuff in, and then spreading it out on cookie trays and baking on low heat and stirring frequently... We used to make HUGE batches of this. Man, I wish I had written the recipe down... Homemade granola is so good.
Here's a good side dish to go with rice:
stuffaki Mushrooms sliced into strips (either fresh or dried and reconstituted)
Sesame Oil
Soy sauce
cayenne pepper (optional)
heat a frying pan, add some sesame oil, add the mushrooms and sautee. During cooking add soy sauce and cayenne pepper to taste preference. Good to serve with rice or rice gruel.
If you're a real tofu lover then serve the mushrooms with rice and cold tofu. This is how I usually eat tofu.
Put the block of silken or firm (but not extra firm) tofu on a plate, cut it into large blocks or slices. Sprinkle any of the following on the tofu: sliced green onions, dried fish flakes (bonito), gomashio (toasted salted sesame seeds), lightly toasted Nori sliced into strips (dried sheets of seaweed). Sprinkle a little soy sauce on the tofu.
Eat with rice and fried stuffake mushrooms. Also good along with this any variety of oriental pickles: Takuan, Kim-chee, etc... A nice light meal.
For more protein serve with teriyaki chicken, broiled fish, or soft/hard boiled eggs.
A good fish marinade/glaze. Try this with orange roughy or tuna.
1 can orange juice concentrate, thawed.
1-2 tsp. grated ginger
1 minced garlic clove
3 T Honey
1 tsp. soy sauce
fresh ground black pepper
Best if fish is broiled or grilled.
Aryanun
Sep 18 2002, 05:12 PM
lstorm, tried your Chicken and 40 cloves the other night. Very good. †:D
Now, here's one I created on my own. Now, mind you, measurements are merely guesses on my part since I don't measure anything when I cook. For those who don't eat meat this is good even with the chicken not included, but no where near as spicy. You might want to mix a little of the marinade to the beans to spice it up if you don't use chicken.
Teriyaki Chicken Black Bean Nachos
2 lbs Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts OR Boneless/Skinless Chicken Tenders (uncooked)
1-2 cans Black Beans (I use Progresso or Ranch Style brands)
1 Bag Tortilla Chips (baked has less fat, I use the Thin Restaurant Style White Corn)
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or more or less as you desire)
2 cups Teriyaki Marinade
1 Large fresh whole tomato
3-6 cups shredded cheese (depending on how you're going to cook it, explained below)
1 tablespoon Cholula red pepper sauce (Tabasco can be used, but gives an odd flavor that Cholula doesn't. Again, more or less as you desire.)
2 tbsp fresh minced onion
dash of paprika
pinch of sugar
Sour Cream (optional)
Green Onion (optional)
(Sometimes I'll also add about 1 tsp of oregano, depending on my mood. As I said, I don't measure but cook by sight and smell, so spiciness is up to you)
In large bowl mix ALL spices, Cholula with the Teriyaki. Dice chicken into 1/2 inch squares and add to marinade mix. Allow to marinade for 15-20 minutes. (DO NOT marinade overnight. I've tried it and it will overpower the chicken).
Meanwhile dice up tomato and green onion. Set aside.
Use a cooking spray to coat a large wok (or really large frying pan if you don't have one) †and heat pan. Add chicken with marinade and allow to simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is thoroughly done. While chicken is simmering, drain and rinse black beans (if using cooking method 1, keep beans seperate).
Cooking method 1 will make more of a cassarole-style dish, while cooking method 2 will be more like nachos.
Cooking Method 1: Preheat oven to 350f. Line bottom of a 9x13x2 inch baking pan with tortilla chips. Sprinkle 1 can of beans over chips and add 1/2 of chicken (sans marinade now) over beans. Cover with cheese. Repeat for second layer. Add about 1/4 cup of marinade over dish too keep from drying out too much. Bake until cheese is melted (about 15-25 minutes). When done, sprinkle diced tomato and green onion over top and serve with sour cream. Will yield 6-8 servings. Also keeps leftovers well.
Cooking Method 2: Place amount of desired chips on plate. Using method like in 1, above, sprinkle on beans, chicken, and cheese for only 1 layer. Place in microwave until cheese is melted. Top with green onion, tomatos, and sour cream. Enjoy!
Originally I began making it as per Method 1, but Method 2 is easier to manipulate for more or less ingredients and the chips don't come out too soggy (from too much marinade - again, I don't measure) or too dry (from too little or none). One thing I noticed was that in the oven the chips do tend to give the dish a dry texture, which is why I go with Method 2 mostly now.
Maybe next time I'll post my full-blooded Polish grandmother's Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. †:D
ladystorm
Sep 18 2002, 10:31 PM
gee, hmmm, I have a no dairy chocolate cake recipe too.
want to compare notes?
cbs :)
sdnelson
Sep 19 2002, 09:24 AM
OK, here's a few veggie dishes that I can remember...
Herbed Polenta and Veggies grill:
Mix olive oil, minced garlic, and some herbs that you like (I use rosemary and basil) let the herbs and garlic soak in the oil overnight. Slice Polenta in 1/2" slices(you can buy this at most stores, usually it comes in logs or blocks) rub polenta liberally with the oil/herb mix. Also slice veggies that you like and do the same. Veggies I use are: zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, sweet potatos, yellow squash, etc. Potatoes may need to cook longer unless they are cooked in advance. Fry on griddle or stovetop grill (or George Foreman Grill) don't do open flame or it will come to a bad end. Just get them browned and a bit crispy on the edges.
OK, the following is a dish that people are either going to love or hate. If your target audience doesn't like Tempeh or Cabbage, don't even think about this dish!
Sautee a minced garlic clove in Canola oil. Slice a red cabbage very finely (like for saurkraut or cole slaw). Slice some Tempeh (it's a veggie protein type thing) into french fry like strips. Heat some oil in a deep frying pan or deep fryer. You're going to deep fry the tempeh strips until they are crispy/crunchy. Sautee the cabbage in the oil. Cook it to a consistancy that you like. The less you cook it the more of it's color it will retain if you're going for color. Sprinkle caraway seeds on the cabbage while it's cooking. Once the tempeh is cooked mix it in with the cabbage. Salt and pepper to taste. Again, this dish is not liked by everyone, so be sure your audience likes cabbage.
OK, in my opinion soy dogs suck, at least as hot dog substitutes are concerned. But they cook up nicely in Baked beans. Get some vegetarian baked beans, add brown sugar and a bit of stone ground mustard. Slice soy dogs up in little slices and mix in and cook. You get lots of protein in this dish between the beans and soydogs and lots of flavor.
Another tip, if you're on a vegetarian diet and concerned about protein, substitute brown rice for white rice. Brown rice has slightly more protein. You can always add things to your brown rice when cooking it for more protein and/or flavor. I've cooked rice with Azuke red beans (for a sweet rice), mushrooms (oyster, regular, stuffake, portabello, enoki) and peas (not all together mind you). You can always skimp slightly on the water when cooking rice and instead put a dash of white wine in, it brightens up the final product. Not too much, it should be a subtle difference.
For flavorful Basmati, cook it in a baking dish. Wash the rice and put it in the baking dish, slice an onion in quarters and lay it on top of the rice, take a couple cloves of garlic and peel them and cut them with a single slice to let flavor out, lay a cinammon stick on the rice, put some whole cardamom cloves on teh rice, and a pinch of saffron. Once herbs are on top of the rice carefully add water. Cover the dish and bake in the oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until rice is done. Stir once during cooking. Be careful when removing the cover as steam will be dangerously hot. Once done remove all the spices and seasonings so that only rice remains. You end up with Basmati rice that tastes really good, but without having stuff in it.
sdnelson
Sep 19 2002, 11:19 PM
Mmmm... like Chicken pot pie noodles...
Reminds me of a soup that the church ladies made at the church picnic when I was growing up:
Chicken Corn Soup
Chicken parts- boil in water with a bay leaf to make stock, remove meat from bones and cut into bite sized pieces. Half a chicken and guestimate enough broth to feed 4-6 people. Remove bay leaf after stock is ready.
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 bag of Egg Noodles
1 can corn kernels (preferably sweet corn)
celery
carrots
onion
Dice onion, celery, and carrots, sautee in a tsp or two of canola oil. Once onion is getting translucent add chicken broth and meat. Add corn. bring to boil, add egg noodles. Dice Hard Boiled eggs, add eggs (whites and cooked yolk) to the mix. Cook until the egg noodles are nice and soft. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. It should be about the same consistancy as chicken noodle soup but a hint creamier because of the egg yolks. It sounds weird, but trust me, this stuff is good tasting and great for the soul!
lstormhammer
Sep 27 2002, 12:31 PM
Alright, I'll pick some up. Any you reccomend for such an occassion?
Mind you, I'll have to pick it up, disguised, under cover of darkness, at a store two towns over. On a new moon, and with someone elses credit card. Then I have to hide it from my snoopy housemates, and so on and so forth....
--this is what happens when I know what coffee should taste like.
--lstormhammer
Lady Tam
Oct 11 2002, 06:38 AM
Hey! Anybody have a good minastrone soup recipe? I doubt I spelled that right, but that's o.k. I am not going to worry about it!
lady Tam
ladystorm
Oct 11 2002, 03:03 PM
Storm Family Big Soup (minestrone)
Heat about 2 T olive oil in your soup pot, add to it a large chopped onion, a few minced garlic cloves, a chopped stalk of celery, some herbs(see note below). †Stir ocasionally, cook until onion is soft, add 1/4 C barley, 2 large carrots, 2 medium potatoes (I prefer red), a turnip, all peeled and diced, and about 8 cups stock (I prefer vegetable or turkey). †On high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about half hour. †Add a can of kidney beans and the liquid in the can too. a quarter cup of tomato paste, and 3/4 C small shell macaroni. †On high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until shells are tender. †Add about 2 C shredded Kale leaves, and cook until that is tender. †Salt & pepper to taste.
note: †I grow my own herbs, so I waffle on this part, my paper copy says 1 t basil, 1/2 t of rosemary, oregano, and thyme. †I use more of each when I use it fresh, and never actually measure what I use, depends on what is ready for harvesting. †I also have been known to skip the turnip and add zuchini and chopped tomatoes, your veggie choices are a matter of preference and what is in season.
I usually serve with homemade bread, preferably focaccia, and a hearty red wine (Salvatore Merlot) or glass of milk.
cbs
smokingwreckage
Oct 13 2002, 04:46 AM
Barbecue Chicken Breasts, Oh Baby:
or, every other thread ands up mentioning breasts, why not this one?
This is a freakin delicious way to prepare chicken or fresh fish, Murray Cod if you can get it which I SO doubt.
Kay, get yer chicken breasts. Once you're done giggling, put each on a piece of aluminium foil big enough to wrap it completely, with plenty overlap. Don't wrap it yet, dude!
Squeeze aboot half a lemon on each.... piece of chicken, and crush a clove of garlic on as well. Throw all the clove in there, even the bits the mincer didn't pulp, garlic is a gift from GOD and not to be wasted!
Now drizzle a leetle bit of olive oil on each, and add a tiny bit of mixed herbs, whatever blend floats your boat. Wrap them, baby! Wrap them good! Then throw them on a nice fairly hot BBQ, turn twice or so until pleasing brownish shade is achieved and meat has all turned white right through.
Serve straight away, in or out of the foil, and be prepared to seriously blow a taste nerve in the whole multiple subtle flavours of delicious white meat area.
Go on. Try it. It's the only really really good recipe I know.
CripDyke
Sep 16 2002, 07:04 AM
Diana's all-purpose baking substitute:
okay, now you learn the bitter truth. Diana aka Cripdyke is an environmental left-wing commie-pinko radical who distrusts factory farming. I know that you couldn't have guessed any of that from my previous posts. Anyway, in an effort to make even my _cookies_ healthier, i hit upon a flour mix that makes almost any baked good _truly nummy_.
Anytime you see 4units All-purpose flour, replace that with:
2 units Whole wheat flour (pastry or bread as appropriate)
1 unit buckwheat (or other heavy, highly flavored flour)
1 unit rice flour (brown or white).
Rice flour is very light & bakes up crisp & strong. So you can use heavier flours (whole wheat instead of white + a little extra of some heavy nutty flour) without collapsing your baked goods into a dense gooey mass.
This works great in bread, waffles, pancakes, chocolate-chip cookies (mmmmm cookies), you name it. I used to be so sad that you can't swap whole wheat for white flour (because of the weight & aforementioned gooey consequences), so I just kept experimenting til I got it right.
You can also premesure a bag full of this stuff so when you need 1/3 cup of flour you don't have to start measuring out flours in the 1/12ths of a cup.
Diana's ricotta substitute:
1 package tofu (usually 1lb, but occasionally it's a little less)
4-6oz fake cheese
herbs to taste
black pepper
find a fake cheese that melts (I use almond cheese). Grate the (fake) cheese fine. Crumble the tofu in a big bowl. Mix in grated cheese. Add black pepper and herbs to taste (I use fresh basil, but then, i'm addicted)
then, of course, you layer it into your lasagna as you would ricotta so that your non-cheese eating friends can partake of the wonderful gooey casserole of life.
What else? I'll have to think about other recipes i should post...
:cool:
CripDyke
Sep 17 2002, 10:21 PM
QUOTE (sdnelson @ Sep. 17 2002,7:30)
Hmm... I'll have to get the mochi-cake recipe from my mom... It's awesome! †Slightly sweet and chewey gooey, great with green tea (or even brown tea for you round eyes...)
You're going to have to watch that stereotyping! Just about all my roundeye friends drink green tea. I've got about 8 different green teas in my kitchen cabinets right now.
Of course I am part of the crunchy-granola-hippie-white-lesbian crowd. So don't you go around carelessly stereotyping! Make sure you're very specific and conscious about your stereotyping! :p
gonna go make a pot of pu-erh for me & my lesbo friends now.
lstormhammer
Sep 18 2002, 05:42 PM
Sound syummy and simple, 'Nun. I might do that tonight (too much to do after work).
I do have a non-dairy chocolate cake recipe that is my pride and joy (and I'm the fifth generation to recieve it, the first man to, and got one of my dearest female friends with it. Aparantly, she's completly lactose intolerant)
For those of you reading this, and wanting the recipe, you cannot have it. I will make the cake, even ship it with some frosting, but fergit getting the recipe. The next person to get it has to be related to me. Have a 95 year old great grandmother yelling at you sometime, you tend to believe them.
--anywho, nat-cho nat-cho nat-cho maaaaannnn!!!!
--lstormhammer
ladystorm
Sep 27 2002, 12:02 PM
use the powder, it makes a difference. I keep a small jar just for these kinds of recipies. Hate the stuff in any other incarnation, but for recipies, gotta insist on the powder stuff.
cbs
gwangi32
Oct 2 2002, 09:12 PM
This one is not as simple as my last one. †It's something I like to make in the fall and winter which are soup and stew times anyway. †This is the recipe I follow for New Mexico Posole, though I have used some variations.
3 lbs Pork Loin (or boneless pork chops)
2 cans white hominy (32 oz each)
1 large white onion, diced
16 oz of diced green chiles, (I like mine fresh, which is roasted, peeled and diced by me, but you can get it canned as well)
Spices: †2 tsp oregano
† † † † † †1 1/2 tsp galic powder
† † † † † †1/2 tsp thyme †
† † † † † †2 Tbs salt
† † † † † †1 tsp black pepper
(I like to put the spices together in a small container and shake them up, kinda looks like New Mexico sand)
Boil the pork until tender. †Cool and cut into cubes.
Drain the canned hominy and rinse. †Place in a large stew pot with 2 quarts of water. †Stir in the seasoning and the onions. †Heat for one hour (simmer, don't boil) then add the cubed pork and simmer for another hour before adding the green chiles. †At the end of the third hour the stew is ready. †It tastes even better the second day.
(One variation adds less green chile and adds one cup of tomato juice and one cup of red chile and tomato puree. †And another adds a finely diced almost minced green or red bell pepper at the same time as the diced onion is added.)
Serves about seven people or three people for a couple days. †Best if eaten with tortillas, tortilla chips or corn bread.
lstormhammer
Oct 11 2002, 03:36 PM
So when do you want me to show up, LS? Sounds de-lish.
Seriously, I have a crock-pot and I love making a slow cooked beef stew.
WARNING: No matter how cool it sounds, don't use London Broil for stew meat. It turns into greay rubber matter. As opposed to the lovely tri-tip that works adaquitly for the job. Made that mistake when I was trying to streach a stew for more people than I was expecting. But I've learned my lesson....
If I get off my rear tonight, I might have propane and I can roast some beef. Mmm, roast beef.
--lstormhammer, Kow Killer
Froggy the Great
Sep 16 2002, 07:45 AM
CripDyke, this sounds intriguing. How is the taste, compared to the originals?
sdnelson
Sep 17 2002, 08:30 PM
Just be aware that sweet rice flour is probably not the same thing as rice flour. Add water and it gets very gooey. You can make some terrific mochi-like treats with it though!
Hmm... I'll have to get the mochi-cake recipe from my mom... It's awesome! Slightly sweet and chewey gooey, great with green tea (or even brown tea for you round eyes...)
sdnelson
Sep 18 2002, 08:36 PM
Dude! I'm your long lost brother seperated since birth! How are you doing? It's been a long time. Got any cake recipes???
lstormhammer
Sep 27 2002, 11:59 AM
LS: Can you use cold coffee fromyour pot? Or would the liquid content throw off the solution? I personally despise powered coffees, as they all taste like the underside of a troll's foot, but if it's required, then I'll use it.
--lstormhammer
lstormhammer
Oct 2 2002, 11:41 PM
Gwangi:
Can you, after you boil and cube the pork, toss it into a skillet with a dab of olive oil to brown it up a little? I like to do that with my stew meat, and it gives it a little something extra.
--lstormhammer
Lady Tam
Oct 12 2002, 08:20 AM
I used to have a small "herb" garden. But there really isn't the "space" in my back yard. When the time comes and I can move out to the country, I plan on having a large herb garden and a food garden. Homegrown peas, green beans, corn etc. I miss the few herbs I did have, but they either thrived too well and were taking over, or didn't do well at all. So now it's all flowers, bushes and there are a few "practical" herb thrown in. I have Marsh-Mallow which is good for would care. :) Yes, I am a budding "herbalist at heart!
Lady Tam