The Recipe Thread

POSTED BY: JEWELSTAITEFAN
UPDATED: Monday, September 14, 2026 21:00
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JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, April 6, 2019 12:09 PM

I know some recipes have been posted, but they seem to get buried.

So here they could be found.

I should remember to post my spaghetti and macaroni & beef recipes.

Has anybody tried grilled peanut butter sandwiches?

What recipes do you want to share?

Index to recipes in this thread:

#3 - 6 Apr 2019 - Picnic Roast Pork - Signym
#5 - 6 Apr 2019 - Vegetable Lasagna - Signym
#9 - 6 Apr 2019 - Stir Fry over riced Cauliflower - Rue
#13 - 6 Apr 2019 - Roasted Pork Tenderloin - Brenda
#17 - 13 Apr 2019 - Baked Chicken Sections - JewlStaiteFan
#18 - 18 Apr 2019 - Condiments List - JewelStaiteFan
#19 - 19 Apr 2019 - Spaghetti Sauce - JewelStaiteFan
#22 - 21 Apr 2019 - Chicken Tenderloin? - Signym
#28 - 21 Apr 2019 - BBQ'd Lamb Shanks - Signym
#31 - 21 Apr 2019 - Hot and Sour Soup?? - Rue
#36 - 29 May 2019 - Flavors: serving Root Beer - JewelStatieFan
#38 - 30 May 2019 - Beef and Bean Burritos - Signym
#39 - 13 Jul 2019 - Bachelor Cooking - 1kiki
#40 - 15 Jul 2019 - Best Beef Burgers - Signym
#43 - 18 Jul 2019 - Turkey Burgers - Signym
#44 - 25 Sep 2019 - White Bean Soup with Pig's Feet Broth - 1kiki
#45 - 26 Oct 2019 - Hot and Sour Soup - Signym
#47 - 9 Nov 2019 - Quiche - Signym
#50 - 11 Nov 2019 - Beet greens, collards, kale, turnip greens, chard - Signym

#51 - 11 Nov 2019 - Carolina-style pulled pork - 1kiki
#56 - 25 Nov 2019 - Stir-fried Beef - Signym
#59 - 1 Dec 2019 - Onion Rings, Cole Slaw - Signym
#60 - 1 Dec 2019 - Carmelized crispy Onions in Green Bean Casserole - JewelStaiteFan
#63/4 - 1/2 Dec 2019 - Chicken Soup? - 1kiki
#67 - 2 Dec 2019 - Mashed Cauliflower - 1kiki
#69 - 4 Dec 2019 - Onion Rings, Twice-cooked Pork, Paneer - Signym
#71 - 4 Dec 2019 - Palak Paneer - 1kiki
#72 - 12 Dec 2019 - Ham and Bean Soup - Signym
#73 - 13 Dec 2019 - Hot Chocolate Bon Bon - JewelStaiteFan
#76 - 19 Dec 2019 - Winter "Marinara" (but with ground beef) - 1kiki
#77 - 19 Dec 2019 - leftover something - 1kiki
#79 - 26 Jan 2020 - Shrimp or Pork Red Curry, plus another recipe - Signym
#82 - 26 Jan 2020 - 2nd recipe rewritten - Signym
#83 - 5 Feb 2020 - Crustless Meat Pie - 1kiki
#85 - 6 Feb 2020 - Turkey Pot Pie - Signym
#90 - 7 Feb 2020 - ?? chicken thighs? - 1kiki
#98 - 10 Feb 2020 - BBQ Sauce discussion - JewelStaiteFan
#99 - 24 Feb 2020 - Fridge/pantry/cupboard discussion - Signym

#111 - 26 Feb 2020 - HFCS-Free Discussion - JewelStaiteFan
#115 - 9 Mar 2020 - Boxed Broth secret - 1kiki
#116 - 12 Mar 2020 - Greek-ish Style Salad - Signym
#117 - 6 May 2020 - Empanada Burgers - Signym
#118 - 14 May 2020 - Greek-style Kale and Feta cheese Pie - 1kiki
#130 - 23 Jun 2020 - Beans - 1kiki
#131 - 23 Jun 2020 - Spanish Rice dish - Brenda
#142 - 7 Jul 2020 - more Beans - 1kiki
#143 - 8 Jul 2020 - Pork & Beans - JewelStaiteFan
#150 - 18 Jul 2020 - more beans - 1kiki

#152 - 18 Jul 2020 - Ham & Bean Soup - 1kiki
#153 - 11 Aug 2020 - Beef Pot Pie - Signym
#154 - 11 Aug 2020 - Chicken Canzonese - Signym
#159 - 11 Aug 2020 - a lot like Jok - 1kiki
#160 - 12 Aug 2020 - Marinating meat - JewelStaiteFan
#164 - 13 Aug 2020 - List of Vegetables - 1kiki
#169 - 25 Aug 2020 - Steamed Beets - Brenda
#188 - 15 Sep 2020 - Crustless Chicken Pot Pie - 1kiki
#192 - 15 Sep 2020 - Ordering preferences for eating out - JewelStaiteFans

#217 - 24 Sep 2020 - Rules of the Scottish Kitchen - Brenda
#234 - 2 Nov 2020 - Filled curry-flavored gram-flour biscuit - 1kiki
#238 - 17 Nov 2020 - Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables - Signym
#244 - 18 Nov 2020 - Why Green Bean Casserole? - 1kiki

#251 - 19 Dec 2020 - Mushroom Bisque - Signym
#252 - 19 Dec 2020 - Mushroom Barley - Signym
#269 - 24 Jan 2021 - Frittata - 1kiki
#275 - 5 Feb 2021 - Minestrone - 1kiki
#279 - 24 Feb 2021 - Chicken Fajitas - 1kiki
#294 - 31 Mar 2021 - Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwiches - JewelStaiteFan

#302 - 6 Apr 2021 - Creamsickle drink - JewelStaiteFan
#304 - 6 Apr 2021 - Psyllium Husk supplement - Signym
#312 - 17 Apr 2021 - Chicken Tagine with Apricots, and Somosa - Signym

BRENDA

Saturday, April 6, 2019 1:08 PM

I have a chicken dish that I do. It is a sort of take on a Spanish dish.

SIGNYM

Saturday, April 6, 2019 1:24 PM

I have lots of recipes that the family loves. And they're a tough duo because they're both picky, each in their own way.

The best recipes for pork: I start with a "picnic roast" - on sale at @ $1.19/lb. Yes, it has a lot of bone and fat but even trimmed at $3/lb trimmed it meets my price point of $4/lb for trimmed boneless meat. So I get a 9 lb roast

I cooked the roast in a covered dutch oven with 4 cups of water at 325 degrees for about 4 hours ... basically, until the meat is falling off the bone. Then I separate the meat from the fat and bone, (straining and reserving the liquid to make soup like hot and sour) and cool it. Once cooled, I cut the thicker chunks into roughly 3/4" thick slices, place them plus smaller chunks in a shallow roasting pan and coat with a marinade made of about 1/2 c Thai fish sauce, 1/2 c sugar, 2T water, 1T grated fresh ginger and 1T grated fresh garlic. And if you want more kick, add about 1 T of sliced green onion and a couple of shakes of chipotle powder. Let stand for one hour then broil until the marinade gets nicely carmelized 5-10 minutes depending on broiler power, how close you place the meat, and how dark you like your coating. I like to serve with a stir-fry of carrot, celery, red bell pepper, snow peas, shredded cabbage and/or zucchini and whatever vegies you'd like to add that seem appropriate (I've added leftover broccoli, leftover spinach, leftover peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots etc) plus shirataki noodles, plus a basic fish sauce/sugar/garlic/ginger/sesame oil sauce.

Or, make a bbq sauce of 1/2 c ketchup, about 1/2 c tomato sauce, 1 T worcestershire, some fressh chopped onion. For a spanish touch you can add about 1-2 t lemon zest, 1-3 t lemon juice, and 1/4 cup diced green onion. do the marinade and broiler thing. I like to serve this with a fresh green salad, or a nice cabbage/corn/bean/tomato/avocado salad.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

CAPTAINCRUNCH

Saturday, April 6, 2019 10:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have lots of recipes that the family loves. And they're a tough duo because they're both picky, each in their own way.

The best recipes for pork: I start with a "picnic roast" - on sale at @ $1.19/lb. Yes, it has a lot of bone and fat but even trimmed at $3/lb trimmed it meets my price point of $4/lb for trimmed boneless meat.

I cooked the roast in a covered dutch oven with a cup of water at 325 degrees for about 4 hours ... basically, until the meat is falling off the bone. Then I separate the meat from the fat and bone, (straining and reserving the liquid to make soup like hot and sour) and cool it. Once cooled, I cut the thicker chunks into roughly 3/4" thick slices, place them plus smaller chunks in a shallow roasting pan and coat with a marinade made of about 1/2 c Thai fish sauce, 1/2 c sugar, 2T water, 1T grated fresh ginger and 1T grated fresh garlic. And if you want more kick, add about 1 T of sliced green onion and a couple of shakes of chipotle powder. Let stand for one hour then broil until the marinade gets nicely carmelized 5-10 minutes depending on broiler power, how close you place the meat, and how dark you like your coating. I like to serve with a stir-fry of carrot, celery, red bell pepper, snow peas, shredded cabbage and/or zucchini and whatever vegies you'd like to add that seem appropriate (I've added leftover broccoli, leftover spinach, leftover peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots etc) plus shirataki noodles, plus a basic fish sauce/sugar/garlic/ginger/sesame oil sauce.

Or, make a bbq sauce of 1/2 c ketchup, about 1/2 c tomato sauce, 1 T worcestershire, some fressh chopped onion. For a spanish touch you can add about 1-2 t lemon zest, 1-3 t lemon juice, and 1/4 cup diced green onion. do the marinade and broiler thing. I like to serve this with a fresh green salad, or a nice cabbage/corn/bean/tomato/avocado salad.

Sounds fabulous! Pretty cheap and healthy and not too hard to make - all good. Culturally, it's kind of all over the map, but recipes were made to be broken and reassembled. I wish more people took the time to find out how much pleasure making their own meals/exploring the world of cooking can be.

SIGNYM

Sunday, April 7, 2019 12:24 AM

I'm definitely on the "not too hard" bandwagon!

There is another recipe that my family loves, but it's a pain-in-the-ass: vegetable lasagna, modified from America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

Vegie filling:
3 lb mixed zucchini and yello squash, sliced on a mandolin, cooked and drained. (I save the liquid for part of the recipe and the rest for soup or stew)
Plus 1 T fresh thyme
2 clove garlic, grated

Tomato filling:
14 oz crushed tomato
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1 T olive oil
1/2 t oregano
2 large cloves garlic, grated
salt to taste

Cheese filling:
1 c cottage cheese
1 c cream
2 c grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 T cornstarch

misc
lasagna noodles, uncooked
black sliced olives
fresh washed spinach leaves
shredded mozarella

I make a "with tomato" and "without tomato" version since I'm allergic to tomatoes. Also, I've left out the eggplant since I'm also allergic to eggplant (same family as tomato and potato, allergic to all)

Using two (glass) loaf pans ... in each pan

starting at the bottom, 1/3 of the tomato mix, or instead 1/3 c squash liquid
dry lasagna noodles
1/4 of the zucchini/squash mix
black olives (Kalamata or not, you choice) to taste
layer of spinach leaves
1/4 cheese mix
mozarella
dry lasagna noodles
1/3 tomato mix (or more squash liquid)
1/4 zucchini/squash mix
black olives, to taste
layer of spinach leaves
1/4 cheese mix
mozarella
dry lasagna noodles
1/3 tomato mix (or squash liquid)
mozarella

The reason for the squash liquid is to provide moisture to cook the lasagna noodles.

cover with foil, bake at 300 F for an hour. Let cool a bit before serving, or it will be runny. Family demands this once a week, but I have to set aside 3 hours in the kitchen!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, April 7, 2019 12:32 AM

I guess I'll probably want to include an index, so this is a placeholder in case the OP runs out of space.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, April 7, 2019 12:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I'm definitely on the "not too hard" bandwagon!

There is another recipe that my family loves, but it's a pain-in-the-ass: vegetable lasagna, modified from America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

Vegie filling:
3 lb mixed zucchini and yello squash, sliced on a mandolin, cooked and drained. (I save the liquid for part of the recipe and the rest for soup or stew)
Plus 1 T fresh thyme
2 clove garlic, grated

Tomato filling:
14 oz crushed tomato
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1 T olive oil
1/2 t oregano
2 large cloves garlic, grated
salt to taste

Cheese filling:
1 c cottage cheese
1 c cream
2 c grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 T cornstarch

misc
lasagna noodles, uncooked
black sliced olives
fresh washed spinach leaves
shredded mozarella

I make a "with tomato" and "without tomato" version since I'm allergic to tomatoes. Also, I've left out the eggplant since I'm also allergic to eggplant (same family as tomato and potato, allergic to all)

Using two (glass) loaf pans ... in each pan

starting at the bottom, 1/3 of the tomato mix, or instead 1/3 c squash liquid
dry lasagna noodles
1/4 of the zucchini/squash mix
black olives (Kalamata or not, you choice) to taste
layer of spinach leaves
1/4 cheese mix
mozarella
dry lasagna noodles
1/3 tomato mix (or more squash liquid)
1/4 zucchini/squash mix
black olives, to taste
layer of spinach leaves
1/4 cheese mix
mozarella
dry lasagna noodles
1/3 tomato mix (or squash liquid)
mozarella

The reason for the squash liquid is to provide moisture to cook the lasagna noodles.

cover with foil, bake at 300 F for an hour. Let cool a bit before serving, or it will be runny. Family demands this once a week, but I have to set aside 3 hours in the kitchen!

I cannot consume cottage cheese, it makes me sick.
My mother learned to make a lasagna without cottage cheese, so I didn't understand why I would get sick when lasagna was served outside my house. Now she doesn't know how she did it, and my Evil brother does not allow anybody to view the cookbook.

I have heard of or seen lasagna recipes without cottage cheese. Do you know how these work, what the substitutions are, how the relationships work? Most of my cooking experiments or recipe modifications start with something I can eat, so I've never bothered to attempt lasagna.

SIGNYM

Sunday, April 7, 2019 1:54 AM

Is it cottage cheese specifically, or milk products with lactose, or any milk product? Ricotta is often used, but it also contains lactose.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

RUE

Sunday, April 7, 2019 2:53 AM

For years I cooked meals at home to take to work, but due to allergies/ intolerances/ salt-sensitivity I put a lot of restrictions on my recipes. And I put a lot of conditions on them as well. They had to be one-dish complete meals to be easy to take to work, and freeze well so I could make them in batches. Carb(~24g)- and calorie(max500cal)-limited and high protein(~24g), with a half-pound of veges per meal (since those would be my veges for the day). And since I hate, hate, hate vegetables they would have to be palatable to me.

Now, over the years I've shared many tastes with my coworkers because I like to get their opinions, and many of my recipes get good reviews.

One of my 'go to' ingredients is riced cauliflower instead of rice, which also serves as my vegetable, though I spread it out on a pan and toast it to dry it out so it doesn't get watery when you freeze it.

stir fry over cauliflower 'rice' 400 max (ETA: oh yeah! 12 svg)

4 lb gr beef OR gr pork (fat removed - see below) OR chx thigh in 2" pieces OR shrimp; 3 pkg (10oz) riced caulif, 2lb @ onion, bell pepper, 1/3C ginger peeled and thin sliced on mandolin; garlic to taste in thin slices on mandolin, pepper, soysauce to taste 5T oil (sometimes I'll use home-made chili oil)

toss riced caulif with 2T oil, spread on a large sheet and roast in the oven @375 with occasional stirring until lightly golden and reduced in volume to 1/3 of original

cook protein on a stovetop in 1T oil till lightly browned, drain the excess pork fat if using pork, and remove

cut the onion and bell peppers into slices, cook the onion, bell peppers, and ginger in 2T oil till veges are lightly softened, add garlic and cook till soft

add back protein, and add soysauce, and mix through

served over cauliflower 'rice'

RUE

Sunday, April 7, 2019 2:58 AM

Since I've retired I'm still cooking meals. The one cooking in the oven is Turkish bean soup with beef shank (and grilled beef meatballs for added protein). And the one next up is shrimp coconut curry over 'rice'.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, April 7, 2019 8:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Is it cottage cheese specifically, or milk products with lactose, or any milk product? Ricotta is often used, but it also contains lactose.

I have no idea what ricotta is. If they talked about it on Master Chef, it was as if all viewers already knew.

I also don't know how how lactose is defined. I assumed it was an excuse to be anorexic by not consuming dairy, which may have morphed into rBGH reactivity.

As a child, couldn't have cheese or American Cheese, unless cooked like on pizza or spaghetti. I don't think sour cream was OK. Grilled cheese was borderline. No cheese on burgers. Milk, ice cream, butter were no problem. My favorite frosting was cream cheese frosting. Since the 90s I have sensitivity to BGH dairy products, far more than most folk, messing with my allergies, sinus, etc.
I also got sick from raw tomatoes, like sliced or diced tomatoes. Cooked like in pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce was OK. Tomato soup was borderline. Ketchup was OK.

After I left home, at some point I decided to wean myself into tomatoes and cheese. Now I can eat most cheeses, with cheese curds the biggest hurdle. Still can't do cottage cheese, and cream cheese frosting is too sweet for me. I can't do raw tomatoes unless buried in a sandwich, but tomato soups and heavily tomatoed chili, diced tomatoes in sauces or on pizza are OK now.
I like spreadable cheese now, like on crackers. If you can access Kaukauna Cheese, I highly recommend Garden Vegetable flavor. I pull cheese slices and American off sandwiches due to taste preference, but I stack cheese slices with summer sausage on crackers.

On another note, I like my cooked vegetables server in a butter Jacuzzi, like broccoli, califlaur, Brussel sprouts, green beans, corn, Squash, potatoes, etc. Uncooked broccoli and cauliflower are good with dip like dill. Celery and peanut butter, same for apples.

RUE

Sunday, April 7, 2019 8:31 AM

ricotta: Italian meaning re-cooked. Traditionally, after they make mozzarella they take the whey - the liquid part that's left over - and gently heat it. Another set of cheese curds form. They're very small and delicate and have to be gently lifted out by hand. This is ricotta. Its curd (lumps) is much smaller than cottage cheese, and since it's not aged or otherwise processed, it has a sweet fresh-milk flavor rather than the acid and salt bite of cottage cheese.

Lactose is a two-sugar molecule that is naturally produced by cows and found in cow milk - and is the largest percent sugar by weight in human breast milk! It's made of glucose and galactose bound together. As infants people have the enzyme to split the two sugars apart and can then absorb them separately, but a part of the population loses that enzyme later in life. 'Lactose intolerance' happens when un-split, un-absorbed lactose gets into the gut, and the bacteria go crazy on it!

BRENDA

Sunday, April 7, 2019 9:48 AM

Roasted pork tenderloin

Pork tenderloin, salt and pepper. Add any vegetable. I usually include potatoes, carrots or brussel sprouts. Can also add garlic. Add bay leaf to the pan along with a can of V-8 juice and maybe half cup water. Put into a 300degree oven and roast until the pork is cooked.

WISHIMAY

Sunday, April 7, 2019 2:06 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

After I left home, at some point I decided to wean myself into tomatoes and cheese. Now I can eat most cheeses, with cheese curds the biggest hurdle. Still can't do cottage cheese, and cream cheese frosting is too sweet for me.

Get some fresh mozzarella, don't cook it and eat it by itself. If it makes you sick you have a problem with lactose. If not, you may be sensitive to A-1 milk proteins which are thicker in cottage cheese, or casein (try vegetarian cheese). Or it may be a simple problem with salt or acid, which can indicate GERD.

Have you tried taking a Lactaid product with cottage cheese?

CAPTAINCRUNCH

Sunday, April 7, 2019 9:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Roasted pork tenderloin

Pork tenderloin, salt and pepper. Add any vegetable. I usually include potatoes, carrots or brussel sprouts. Can also add garlic. Add bay leaf to the pan along with a can of V-8 juice and maybe half cup water. Put into a 300degree oven and roast until the pork is cooked.

Sounds tasty, Brenda! Pork Tenderloin is a highly underrated cut imho - cheap as chips per lb., and low in anything bad. It can be marinaded from Asian to Mexican and all things in between to give it a little more zip if you want. I love it grilled.

BRENDA

Monday, April 8, 2019 12:08 AM

Captain Crunch, I made that recipe up years ago. I like it.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, April 13, 2019 10:43 AM

I picked up some Lemon Pepper, to use for making baked chicken.

Holy Cow, I tasted nothing but salt. I don't use salt. Sure enough, the primary ingredient was salt. This is the only salt in my house.

Isn't this like false advertising?

Like Corned Beef. I like Beef, I like Corn, and no mention of salt. Totally misrepresentative.

I will say that I am cooking some chicken (sections) better than ever before.
Prior tricks were marinating in a bowl of orange juice, or in a zip lock bag of OJ, push out the air before sealing the bag. Plus covering all unskin-covered meat with sauce (BBQ, Teriyaki, etc), honey or molasses, which holds in the juices.

My new trick, using baking on a metal pan or cookie sheet (covered in aluminum foil), is baking at 425 for 30 minutes, and then dropping to 350 for 20-30 minutes, or even 45 minutes. I don't recall having such juicy and thoroughly cooked chicken from myself before.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, April 18, 2019 12:04 PM

This is not really a recipe, but a condiment post.

What are your favorite condiments for French Fries?
I think some people like vinegar.
The Fake Ketchup with HFCS is definitely not.
3. Real Ketchup, from tomatoes and vinegar, tastes great with thick Fries, Texas Fries or Steak Fries, and non-overcooked Fries.
2. Tartar sauce has long been a favorite dipping of mine for Fries.
1. But I've found my favorite condiment, shared by many, is Baked Beans Sauce. Like start with Van Camp's Pork & Beans, possibly add brown sugar, butter, vanilla, BBQ sauce, cinnamon, honey, etc. At restaurants, just getting the sauce off the top of the baked beans in a cup works well. Otherwise just dipping the Fry into the beans works, not carrying any beans out when withdrawing the Fry. Many people are surprised how good this tastes. With Fries, double dipping does not become a problem.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, April 20, 2019 9:32 AM

My favorite recipe(s) for spaghetti sauce.

The basics of the "spice" or seasoning mix:
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed. I use granulated bouillon, 1 teaspoon.
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar (or confectioners sugar, or 10x sugar)
1 teaspoon potatostarch (or substitute cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch ground black pepper
Mix these ingredients in a small bowl.

Notes: reduction of the sugar or starch are possible, but I find that these help prevent caking, so that the seasoning mix sprinkles evenly into the sauce.

In medium saucepan, combine seasoning mix, desired tomatoes and water, bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring frequently.

Optional to add 1 tablespoon oil to the sauce.
Options for tomatoes/water mix:
A. 6oz tomato paste, with 1 1/2 cups water, simmer 5 minutes.
B. 15oz tomato puree, with 3/4 cup water, simmer 5 minutes.
C. 2 cups (16oz) crushed tomatoes, with 1/2 cup water, simmer 15 minutes.
D. 2 cups (16oz) carton pack tomatoes, without adding water, simmer 15 minutes.
For a spicier tomato sauce:
E. 15oz tomato sauce, 1/2 cup water, simmer 15 minutes.
For a chunky homestyle spaghetti sauce:
F. 14.5oz whole tomatoes, cut up and undrained, with 1/3 cup water, simmer 15 minutes.
G. 1 1/4 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes, pureed, without water, simmer 40 minutes.

Also, sweet vermouth may be used to replace some or all of the water.

This makes about 1 pint sauce. Some folk feel this is 4 servings, but I like lots of sauce in my spaghetti.

For meatsauce, add 1/2 pound ground beef. Browned, drain the fat/grease.
I also like using chicken bouillon instead of beef.
I sometimes add vanilla extract.
Adding mushrooms works great, too. But stir often to keep them from sticking to the bottom.

I like making thick and zesty sauces for my spaghetti, pizza, other tomato sauces.
I take a 15oz can of diced or petite diced tomatoes, in a small saucepan, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, add to the sauce (do not drain the water - this is where the extra flavor and zest is now). This can replace about 1 cup of water.

Adding the meat and diced tomatoes early allows all of the flavors to develop.

RUE

Saturday, April 20, 2019 9:35 AM

aaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee

.too.much.sodium.

But, to each his own! :)

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, April 20, 2019 10:18 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
aaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeee

.too.much.sodium.

But, to each his own! :)

That's weird. I don't like salt, I don't add salt, I don't have salt in my house, often I feel some food tastes nothing but salt. I never taste salt in my sauce. This is also the only reason I have bouillon.

SIGNYM

Sunday, April 21, 2019 10:33 AM

If I'm not mistaken, isn't the first ingredient in bouillon salt?

Well, in any case ... this is a takeoff on BRENDA's recipe for pork tenderloin (which btw I've never figured out how to cook properly) but I use chicken instead. I like to do this when the weather is cooler.

Chicken, cut up
As many potatoes as you like, cut into bite-sized pieces
Purple sweet potato ("yam") cut into .."

Onions, quartered (onion cooks up very quickly)
A bag of frozen brussels sprouts
As many cauliflower florets as you want, broken into bite-sized ...
Six strips of bacon (optional)

Oil (canola, olive, grapeseed, or "vegetable")
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Thyme

Coat chicken with oil, sprinkle with seasonings
Coat potato and "yam" with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Place legs, thighs, wings, potatoes, and yam in large roasting pan in oven at 325F for 25 minutes

Coat remaining vegetables with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Add remaining vegetables and chicken breast to roasting pan, cover with bacon (optional) and continue roasting at 400F until done, about another 20-30 minutes

It's crazy simple but family really likes it, esp the roast veggies.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, April 21, 2019 12:17 PM

If I could find bouillon without salt, I would use it. I never make broth with bouillon because broth tastes salty to me.

Apparently the key portion of bouillon is autolyzed yeast. Is there another way to readily obtain this?

SIGNYM

Sunday, April 21, 2019 1:03 PM

Autolyzed yeast

Quote:
The interaction between salt and live yeast creates a chemical process called autolysis. Autolysis is essentially the self-destruction or self-digestion of an organism by its own enzymes. Salt does not "kill" yeast as much as it causes the live yeast's digestive enzymes to eat themselves. The result is an inactive yeast with a different concentration of proteins. This new food product can be further processed to create a yeast extract.

Many people may not recognize autolyzed yeast as an ingredient in many of their favorite processed foods, but they might recognize an ingredient derived from it: MSG, or monosodium glutamate. Both are used as flavor enhancers in processed foods. Autolyzed yeast extract is also used by itself in processed food spreads such as Vegemite. Because of its high protein content, this yeast generally has a hearty flavor similar to beef, which is why it is often used to give processed foods a meaty or savory undertone.

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-autolyzed-yeast.htm

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Sunday, April 21, 2019 1:53 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Autolyzed yeast
Quote:
The interaction between salt and live yeast creates a chemical process called autolysis. Autolysis is essentially the self-destruction or self-digestion of an organism by its own enzymes. Salt does not "kill" yeast as much as it causes the live yeast's digestive enzymes to eat themselves. The result is an inactive yeast with a different concentration of proteins. This new food product can be further processed to create a yeast extract.

Many people may not recognize autolyzed yeast as an ingredient in many of their favorite processed foods, but they might recognize an ingredient derived from it: MSG, or monosodium glutamate. Both are used as flavor enhancers in processed foods. Autolyzed yeast extract is also used by itself in processed food spreads such as Vegemite. Because of its high protein content, this yeast generally has a hearty flavor similar to beef, which is why it is often used to give processed foods a meaty or savory undertone.

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-autolyzed-yeast.htm

Do you think that means autolyzed yeast contains MSG, or is it a better form of MSG?

BRENDA

Monday, April 22, 2019 12:27 AM

Just some basic lamb chops for supper tonight.

SIGNYM

Monday, April 22, 2019 12:41 AM

Contains MSG, which is one of the compounds produced when yeast digests itself.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

SIGNYM

Monday, April 22, 2019 2:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Just some basic lamb chops for supper tonight.

I used to like lamb, but it's crazy expensive here. But after I lost my sense of smell/taste, and since the rest of the family doesn't like it, there's no point in buying it.

Still, I can understand it being a real treat. Our mom used to make bbq'd lamb shanks, and as I recall the recipe was:

Braise shanks until meat is fork-tender, remove from bone.

In a separate pot mix 1/2c ketchup, 1/2 tomato sauce, 1/4 c sugar, 2T worcestershire, chopped small onion, chopped green pepper, 1 T lemon juice and 2 t lemon zest, 1 bay leaf. Cook until vegetables are done. Remove bay leaf and add lamb and stir. Simmer until flavors are blended, serve over rice. When I could smell/taste, I thought it was yummy, and I use this bbq sauce variation on pork for the family.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

BRENDA

Monday, April 22, 2019 2:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by Brenda:
Just some basic lamb chops for supper tonight.
I used to like lamb, but it's crazy expensive here. But after I lost my sense of smell/taste, and since the rest of the family doesn't like it, there's no point in buying it.

Still, I can understand it being a real treat. Our mom used to make bbq'd lamb shanks, and as I recall the recipe was:

Braise shanks until meat is fork-tender, remove from bone.

In a separate pot mix 1/2c ketchup, 1/2 tomato sauce, 1/4 c sugar, 2T worcestershire, chopped small onion, chopped green pepper, 1 T lemon juice and 2 t lemon zest, 1 bay leaf. Cook until vegetables are done. Remove bay leaf and add lamb and stir. Simmer until flavors are blended, serve over rice. When I could smell/taste, I thought it was yummy, and I use this bbq sauce variation on pork for the family.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

I only buy the chops as a treat. Around my birthday or like now Easter or New Year's.

Discovered a taste for them years ago. And depending on when you buy them yes they can be a little expensive.

I've seen lamb shanks in the store but since right now I can't get a pot big enough to braise them, can't buy them. I would like to try them.

RUE

Monday, April 22, 2019 3:12 AM

I think I can eat lamb again, after many decades. Someone made lentil soup with lamb, but the meat was really greasy and the 'lamb' must have been more like mutton - really strong and gamy. I pooped my guts out for 3 days. Maybe this doesn't belong in the recipe thread ... oh what the heck. It was the result of a failed recipe.

RUE

Monday, April 22, 2019 3:25 AM

Anyway - I just completed crafting a recipe for hot and sour soup, since I have a lot of clear, strained and de-fatted, pork broth in the freezer that I saved up from roasting some pork shoulders.

As I've mentioned before I hate hate hate vegetables, so I try and find ways to stuff about a half a pound (raw weight) into each serving (those will be my vegetables for the day). But in this recipe I had to count the firm tofu as vegetable as well. Despite the tofu, there are TONS of other veges in the soup, which makes it not at all traditional. They include mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, snow peas, bean sprouts, dried lily bud (if I can find them) and scallion, and also to boost the protein, a small pork meatball in each bowl.

So now I'm on the hunt to find the ingredients!

RUE

Monday, April 22, 2019 5:46 AM

"Contains MSG, which is one of the compounds produced when yeast digests itself."

MSG is mono-sodium glutamate. Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid. In its *free* form not bound inside a protein, it creates an umami, savory. meaty flavor.

A LOT of foods in the yeast / mushroom family have naturally occurring free glutamate. (A fungus is a type of mold grows long threads called hyphae, a yeast is a type of mold that stays a round cell.) Soy sauce (fermented with yeast), fish sauce (fermented with yeast) and miso (fermented with yeast) have glutamate, as does aged Parmesan and for example Roquefort (fermented with fungus). The umami Parmesan flavor is why Italian cooks will put Parmesan rind in their soups. Mushrooms also have glutamate!

Another source of free glutamate is hydrolyzed anything, where it's been freed from the protein so you can taste it.

A surprise! source of glutamate is anything 'tomato'.

BRENDA

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 8:13 AM

bump

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 10:32 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by rue:
"Contains MSG, which is one of the compounds produced when yeast digests itself."

MSG is mono-sodium glutamate. Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid. In its *free* form not bound inside a protein, it creates an umami, savory. meaty flavor.

A LOT of foods in the yeast / mushroom family have naturally occurring free glutamate. (A fungus is a type of mold grows long threads called hyphae, a yeast is a type of mold that stays a round cell.) Soy sauce (fermented with yeast), fish sauce (fermented with yeast) and miso (fermented with yeast) have glutamate, as does aged Parmesan and for example Roquefort (fermented with fungus). The umami Parmesan flavor is why Italian cooks will put Parmesan rind in their soups. Mushrooms also have glutamate!

Another source of free glutamate is hydrolyzed anything, where it's been freed from the protein so you can taste it.

A surprise! source of glutamate is anything 'tomato'.

Is MSG bad always, or only in large quantities? I normally avoid it.

What is mutton?

WISHIMAY

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 11:27 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

What is mutton?

Does it know how to google, precious?
It's on the internets, Smeagol, it should...

Then why it ask dumb questions, precious?
Because "mutton" has 6 letters Smeagol and it only has 4 fingers...total.

But it has the five teeth, precious.
Smeagol can counts to nine. (edits comment about JSF's mother and farm animals and a ring)

Come along, Smeagol, there are other dumb yet easily queried questions on the internets that need mocking...

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Thursday, May 30, 2019 3:46 AM

Not an actual recipe, but on the subject of flavors...

Root Beer. The best way that I have found to set the standard.

Can of A&W Root Beer (Happy 100th, btw). Not bottle or other container. Put in fridge for a couple days.
Frosty mug. Buy one from A&W, or similar other style. For frosting, after cleaning, wet it just before placing in freezer. If it still has a few drops about to drop off, that is fine. Leave in freezer for 2 days.
Remove both, pour Root Beer into Frosty mug. Like pouring beer, tilt the glass and straighten up as it fills up. Half inch of foam head works well.

For me, this is the standard from which to compare all other root beer tastings.

6IXSTRINGJACK

Thursday, May 30, 2019 3:59 AM

Dude... you live in Wisconsin.

Sprecher's all the way.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

SIGNYM

Thursday, May 30, 2019 10:24 AM

We had beef and bean burritos ... another labor of love because

1) hubby hates sour cream but loves spicy food, should avoid too many carbs
2) daughter is sensitive to beans and should also avoid onions and garlic and wheat (FODMAPS foods), loves black olives but hates spicy-hot stuff
3) I'm supposed to avoid beef and tomatoes and wheat, but OK with beans and chiles

So we each get something different-

Hubby gets locarb tortillas with spicy meat mixture, cheddar cheese and beans with red salsa and black olives on top
Dear daughter gets corn tortillas with non-spicy beef, very little beans, black olives and mozzarella inside and sour cream on top
I get corn tortillas, beans, no olives and no red salsa with cheddar on top

Sometimes I feel like a short-order cook. But at least everyone walks away from the table happy!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

1KIKI

Sunday, July 14, 2019 2:17 AM

So, this isn't a recipe per, just what I call bachelor cooking.

Take equal weight brown onions and waxy potatoes (boilers, not bakers) peel and chop the onions in roughly 1/2" and wash and cut the potatoes in 1" pieces, put in a pan with some oil and if you want, add some butter too, cover and cook VERY low till the potatoes are done. The moisture from the onions and potatoes will leak out and they'll steam tender without burning if the heat is low enough. When the potatoes are done, scoop everything into a storage bowl, cover and put in the frig for later.

For a VERY quick meal you can take some of this mix and put it in a pan, crack an egg or two on top, cover with some cheese, cover the pot and cook low till the eggs are done and the cheese is melted - a meal in roughly 5 minutes. And or you can put tomato sauce and or salsa on top and or cut up 'fully cooked' sausage / chorizo.

You can also quickly turn them into a faux potato salad heated with a bit of vinegar, or mixed cold with mayo ... and or with bacon bits added and or hardboiled egg.

If you want more variety, you can also add some washed and cut up greens of your choice ... dandelion, chard, kale, even cabbage, and so on ... to the mix and cook covered and low till the greens are done - another meal in roughly 5 minutes.

Or with more prep you can go a standard European route and cook come carrot and or celery and or chicken / beef / pork with thyme and or rosemary and or parsley and or sage and mix with the potato onion mix. But if you have some pre-cooked chicken / beef / pork you can just cut them up, add them in, and heat, perhaps with tomato sauce and or salsa on top and or cheese.

SIGNYM

Monday, July 15, 2019 10:55 PM

Best beef burgers
(Yep, not supposed to eat beef, but I still do from time to time)

2.5 lbs of ground sirloin (10% fat; I buy mine on sale @ $3.99/lb, which is my price point for meat)
1.5 cups panko bread crumbs
1 10-oz can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1.5 tsp Amazing Taste Garlic and Onion Medley (dried seasoning mix)
Small can sliced black olives (not Kalamata, but you can use them if you enjoy the taste)
IF YOU LIKE IT HOT
1 t or more chipotle chili powder

IF YOU LIKE IT HOTTER
Sprinkle more chipotle chili powder on the patties

MIX WELL. MAKES EIGHT PATTIES.

As you mix the meat, crumbs and sauce you will get a more uniform feel to the meat, and it will stick together better into patties. Don't worry about over-working the meat and making it tough, the crumbs will keep the meat tender and the sauce will keep it moist. I always cook these in a pan, not sure whether they would stick together enough to put on a grill.

I like to serve this with cole slaw, and corn on the cob. It's a quick recipe for summer that doesn't involve a lot of cooking!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 3:59 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Best beef burgers
(Yep, not supposed to eat beef, but I still do from time to time)

2.5 lbs of ground sirloin (10% fat; I buy mine on sale @ $3.99/lb, which is my price point for meat)
1.5 cups panko bread crumbs
1 10-oz can Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1.5 tsp Amazing Taste Garlic and Onion Medley (dried seasoning mix)
Small can sliced black olives (not Kalamata, but you can use them if you enjoy the taste)
IF YOU LIKE IT HOT
1 t or more chipotle chili powder

IF YOU LIKE IT HOTTER
Sprinkle more chipotle chili powder on the patties

MIX WELL. MAKES EIGHT PATTIES.

As you mix the meat, crumbs and sauce you will get a more uniform feel to the meat, and it will stick together better into patties. Don't worry about over-working the meat and making it tough, the crumbs will keep the meat tender and the sauce will keep it moist. I always cook these in a pan, not sure whether they would stick together enough to put on a grill.

I like to serve this with cole slaw, and corn on the cob. It's a quick recipe for summer that doesn't involve a lot of cooking!

I can't conjure those wouldn't work well on a Geaorge Foreman Grill.
My local convenience store is Kwik Trip, normal prices are 2.99 for 20-30% fat, 3.99 for 10% fat, and about 4.99 for 5% or 7% fat. I normally use the low-fat, but I've learned to convert the sizes and buns for when the 20-30% is On Sale for 1.99.

BRENDA

Tuesday, July 16, 2019 5:32 AM

Precooked chicken, take it off the bone and leave the skin on it. Put into a frying pan and add any partially cooked vegetable. Toss around in the heat then eat.

SIGNYM

Friday, July 19, 2019 6:09 AM

Now, here is another burger recipe that the family loves: turkey burgers!

2 lb ground turkey
1/2-3/4 c panko bread crumbs
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t garlic powder
1/3 c ketchup
1/2 c grated parmesan
1/2 t salt
1 egg

Mix well, makes eight patties. On a bun with lettuce, tomato, mayo and (if you really want to go all-out) bacon

*****
Not just recipes, I like to make meals

Tomorrow its going to be falafels, with panfried Greek-marinated flap meat, and cucumber, tomato, parsley, celery, olive, and red pepper salad with olive oil/red wine vinegar/garlic/oregan/thyme dressing.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

"The messy American environment, where most people don't agree, is perfect for people like me. I CAN DO AS I PLEASE." - SECOND

America is an oligarchy http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=57876 .

1KIKI

Thursday, September 26, 2019 4:16 AM

A while ago I discovered pigs feet, which make the most unctuous, delectable broth I've ever had. So I made a white bean soup with pigs feet broth, white beans cooked in the broth till very soft, crisped bacon, and oven-roasted pork meatballs which gives them a grilled taste, and of course onion and a bit of tomato for color and umami, and bay leaf for aromatics. And I froze a batch in portions.

Today I pulled some out of the freezer and got reminded of how good it truly is.

But I wanted to stretch it further so I added fine chopped Tuscan kale, vinegar, and fresh ground black pepper, and re-cooked it till the kale was meltingly tender.

Oh is THAT so good too!

SIGNYM

Saturday, October 26, 2019 2:30 PM

Discovered a recipe for hot and sour soup that the family loves, and it's super-simple:

6 c broth (I use pork broth from roasting)
1 8oz box mushrooms, any kind, cleaned, stems removed, caps slice thin
1 t ginger powder
1/4 c soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 can bamboo shoots
(handful spinach leaves, optional)
1/4 c corn starch
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon sesame oil
8 oz tofu cubed
chopped scallions or green onion, green portion

put first six ingredients in a pot, bring to a simmer (add spinach if desired)
dissolve corn starch in 1/4 c cold water, add to soup and simmer until thickened
drizzle in beaten egg while stirring soup to make egg drop noodles
add sesame oil and sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
divide tofu between three bowls
ladle soup over, garnish with green onions or scallions

I keep waiting for family to get tired of this but they keep asking for more!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Sunday, October 27, 2019 7:01 AM

That sounds really tasty Signy! Thanks for sharing it.

SIGNYM

Sunday, November 10, 2019 9:36 AM

Here is an enitrely made-up recipe that family is OK with for quiche. (Hubby hates quiches except for this one.)

Line the bottom (JUST the bottom) of a loaf pan with commercial or homemade pie crust. Bake at 400F until golden, about 15 minutes; remove from oven

Place into food processor or blender
about 6" turkey sausage, sliced
1 carton cottage cheese (I rinse and drain it to reduce salty/sour taste)
6 oz shredded cheese (I use "Italian blend" but you can use whatever you like)
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/2 c milk
youcan add cooked broccoli, chopped parsley, cooked onions or fresh green onions or mushrooms

blenderize it to desired texture (You can make it smooth and uniform or leave visible peices of sausage and vegetables ... it's up to you.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 325 until inserted knife comes out cleanly, about 1 1/4 hour.

*****

I serve this with a salad on the side and fruit/jello.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, November 11, 2019 2:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Here is an enitrely made-up recipe that family is OK with for quiche. (Hubby hates quiches except for this one.)

Line the bottom (JUST the bottom) of a loaf pan with commercial or homemade pie crust. Bake at 400F until golden, about 15 minutes; remove from oven

Place into food processor or blender
about 6" turkey sausage, sliced
1 carton cottage cheese (I rinse and drain it to reduce salty/sour taste)
6 oz shredded cheese (I use "Italian blend" but you can use whatever you like)
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/2 c milk
youcan add cooked broccoli, chopped parsley, cooked onions or fresh green onions or mushrooms

blenderize it to desired texture (You can make it smooth and uniform or leave visible peices of sausage and vegetables ... it's up to you.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 325 until inserted knife comes out cleanly, about 1 1/4 hour.

*****

I serve this with a salad on the side and fruit/jello.

I'm not a big fan of sausage. Would that also work with something like pulled turkey meat?
And I cannot eat cottage cheese. Is there some sort of suitable substitute for that ingredient?

SIGNYM

Monday, November 11, 2019 3:11 AM

Quote:

Here is an enitrely made-up recipe that family is OK with for quiche. (Hubby hates quiches except for this one.)

Line the bottom (JUST the bottom) of a loaf pan with commercial or homemade pie crust. Bake at 400F until golden, about 15 minutes; remove from oven

Place into food processor or blender
about 6" turkey sausage, sliced
1 carton cottage cheese (I rinse and drain it to reduce salty/sour taste)
6 oz shredded cheese (I use "Italian blend" but you can use whatever you like)
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/2 c milk
youcan add cooked broccoli, chopped parsley, cooked onions or fresh green onions or mushrooms

blenderize it to desired texture (You can make it smooth and uniform or leave visible peices of sausage and vegetables ... it's up to you.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 325 until inserted knife comes out cleanly, about 1 1/4 hour.
*****
I serve this with a salad on the side and fruit/jello.
=SIGNY

I'm not a big fan of sausage. Would that also work with something like pulled turkey meat? JSF

It depends on the flavor and texture. Sausage or REAL smoked meat adds a smokey flavor and salt. Pulled turkey? What's that? If it's just slow-cooked turkey then it might be kind of flavorless and stringy. OTOH if it has a flavor and texture that you enjoy ... by all means! I can see adding thyme, sage and parsley for a "stuffed turkey" or "turkey pot pie" flavor, just stir in some cooked peas, carrots, celery and even cooked cubed potatoes before pouring it into the loaf pan.

Quote:
And I cannot eat cottage cheese. Is there some sort of suitable substitute for that ingredient?-JSF

Hmm... cottage cheese. I remember you bringing that up before. I'm not sure if we ever got to the bottom of whether or not it was a lactose problem (in which milk and all soft cheeses would cause the same reaction of bloating and gas) or whether it was a milk protein problem (in which case ALL cow's milk products would cause the same problem, typically diarrhea) or whether it was a flavor/texture/association problem specific to cottage cheese.

I only use cottage cheese to "bulk up" the quiche with something that's relatively bland and lowfat but still with a lot of protein. If you're OK with cheeses in general then substitue ricotta, part-skim mozarella, lofat swiss or any lofat cheese of choice. If you're using a hard cheese then add milk or water to make up the missing water content... maybe another 1/3 cup or so. Play around with the recipe, it's pretty tolerant.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

SIGNYM

Tuesday, November 12, 2019 6:14 AM

In praise of beet greens, collards, kale, turnip greens and chard.

Not too crazy about beets, I only like them pickled but oh, the greens are something else! Not quite as fragile as spinach but also grown in muddy/ silty soil they need a lot of washing. With a flavor that is je ne sais quoi but oh-so-tasty sauteed lightly in olive oil or added to minestrone.

Kale: Love it in Zupa Toscana (thaank you Olive Garden for posting the recipe): sweet Italian sausage cooked in chicken broth with sauteed onion, potato, and chopped kale. Add black pepper, some bacon crisps, and cream at the end. Magnifique!

Turnip greens: I like turnips even less than beets... I think I can safely say that I hate them, but the greens are ever-so-tasty sauteed with butter and mixed with noodles and cream sauce.

Chard, preferably rainbow chard. They have a sour flavor. The best recipe for them: cut out the stems and dice them, ribbon the leaves. Lightly sautee sliced garlic in olive oil then add the stems. (With the pink, maroon, bright gold, white and greenish stems it looks like pretty confetti!) Add a splash of white wine and continue cooking until tender, add the leaves, cover and wilt. Add a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice and a good sprinkling of Parmesan and enjoy!

Collards ... the recipe that I enjoy best is simply collards with bacon,onions, and black pepper.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Tuesday, November 12, 2019 7:27 AM

Oddly enough, in my batch of pre-cooked foods, is one of Carolina-style pulled pork (peppery and vinegary) with grits and Southern greens. And THOSE are a mix of (washed, de-ribbed, and cut-up) greens: mustard, collard, kale, and turnip; cooked till quite soft with butter and oil. (Other recipes use onion, bacon, and vinegar, to cut the sweetness of the onions.) But I have a really hard time finding turnip greens.

Any suggestions?

SIGNYM

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 8:04 AM

PictSweet sells chopped frozen turnip greens. I'll look for some at the stores where I usually shop n see if they're available.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 2:15 PM

I'd appreciate it. I've looked at Albertson's and Stater Bros as well as my usual and not so usual stores nearby - TJ's, Sprouts, and Whole Foods.

AH! I just looked it up. Nearby me, the only place that has that (supposedly) is Walmart.

But maybe you have another store you can find. Ralph's perhaps? Or a larger Stater Bros?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, November 15, 2019 5:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:

Here is an enitrely made-up recipe that family is OK with for quiche. (Hubby hates quiches except for this one.)

Line the bottom (JUST the bottom) of a loaf pan with commercial or homemade pie crust. Bake at 400F until golden, about 15 minutes; remove from oven

Place into food processor or blender
about 6" turkey sausage, sliced
1 carton cottage cheese (I rinse and drain it to reduce salty/sour taste)
6 oz shredded cheese (I use "Italian blend" but you can use whatever you like)
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/2 c milk
youcan add cooked broccoli, chopped parsley, cooked onions or fresh green onions or mushrooms

blenderize it to desired texture (You can make it smooth and uniform or leave visible peices of sausage and vegetables ... it's up to you.

Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 325 until inserted knife comes out cleanly, about 1 1/4 hour.
*****
I serve this with a salad on the side and fruit/jello.
=SIGNY

I'm not a big fan of sausage. Would that also work with something like pulled turkey meat? JSF

It depends on the flavor and texture. Sausage or REAL smoked meat adds a smokey flavor and salt. Pulled turkey? What's that? If it's just slow-cooked turkey then it might be kind of flavorless and stringy. OTOH if it has a flavor and texture that you enjoy ... by all means! I can see adding thyme, sage and parsley for a "stuffed turkey" or "turkey pot pie" flavor, just stir in some cooked peas, carrots, celery and even cooked cubed potatoes before pouring it into the loaf pan.

Quote:
And I cannot eat cottage cheese. Is there some sort of suitable substitute for that ingredient?-JSF

Hmm... cottage cheese. I remember you bringing that up before. I'm not sure if we ever got to the bottom of whether or not it was a lactose problem (in which milk and all soft cheeses would cause the same reaction of bloating and gas) or whether it was a milk protein problem (in which case ALL cow's milk products would cause the same problem, typically diarrhea) or whether it was a flavor/texture/association problem specific to cottage cheese.

I only use cottage cheese to "bulk up" the quiche with something that's relatively bland and lowfat but still with a lot of protein. If you're OK with cheeses in general then substitue ricotta, part-skim mozarella, lofat swiss or any lofat cheese of choice. If you're using a hard cheese then add milk or water to make up the missing water content... maybe another 1/3 cup or so. Play around with the recipe, it's pretty tolerant.

Cottage cheese. Makes me vomit if I eat it. Always has. Never understood as a kid why I could eat lasagna at home, but at school it would make me sick. My mom had found a version of lasagna which did not include cottage cheese.

As a kid, I couold not eat most cheese (nor tomatoes). Cheese slices, curds, cream, etc, unless cooked. Like on pizza was fine. not grilled cheese. favorite frosting was cream cheese frosting, that was OK. After majority, I weaned myself onto cheese and tomato products.
Always ate real ice cream, until BGH which gives me a reaction like sinus congestion. Always had milk, preferred whole, then 2%, currently 1%, not skim, but only non-BGH milk. Like heavy whipping cram, OK with half & half, not interested in fake Ice cream or fake milk.

Cottage cheese remains one item I still cannot eat without vomiting. But I also avoid raw tomatoes, they would likely make me sick as well.

regarding sausage. Salt is the main reason I have for avoiding and disliking sausage. Unsalted sausage might pique my interest, but the name would still repel me.
pulled turkey would be like roasted, or baked. Usually kinda juicy, but I can see it would not radiate your MEL of SALT.

1KIKI

Friday, November 15, 2019 8:37 AM

When I was really, really little - maybe 3 or so, our mom served a very specific kind of sausage, but, sadly for her, that particular batch was spoiled. Everybody got sick. Then years later she tried to serve it again. None of us kids could get it down - even though we didn't remember the earlier incident. Our bodies remembered! Anyway, maybe that's the thing between you and cottage cheese.

That whole idea of using cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta - I guess that's an WASP (non Italian) thing? Every genuine lasagna I ever had highlighted the light, fresh, dairy flavor of good ricotta. Though I think one can only get good ricotta in certain areas of the country. Anyway, I can't imagine a lasagna made with cottage cheese.

SIGNYM

Monday, November 25, 2019 2:15 PM

Ok, so: stir-fried beef. Hubby hates beef (he says) but when it's tender and spicy he likes it ok, apparently!

I use flap meat and trim it very closely and cut it into small pieces, marinade in fish sauce (I use fish sauce instead of tamari because it has a stronger flavor and I don't need to use so much/ make the meat too wet)

Set a frypan on med-hi with coconut oil, add the marinaded beef a little at a time to lightly brown, then set it aside in a bowl and let the juices run out. Drain the pan if juices remain. Reheat the pan with more coconut oil, add the beef and add fresh garlic, sliced, and sprinkle wtih 5-spice powder and chipolte according to taste. (I added the beef juices to the vegetables just to give them a little flavor kick, usually I add a little shrimp, and typically I make this meal with baked tofu and not beef.)

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Monday, November 25, 2019 10:17 PM

So that's the secret! I'm glad you found something reliable.

SIGNYM

Monday, November 25, 2019 10:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
When I was really, really little - maybe 3 or so, our mom served a very specific kind of sausage, but, sadly for her, that particular batch was spoiled. Everybody got sick. Then years later she tried to serve it again. None of us kids could get it down - even though we didn't remember the earlier incident. Our bodies remembered! Anyway, maybe that's the thing between you and cottage cheese.

That whole idea of using cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta - I guess that's an WASP (non Italian) thing? Every genuine lasagna I ever had highlighted the light, fresh, dairy flavor of good ricotta. Though I think one can only get good ricotta in certain areas of the country. Anyway, I can't imagine a lasagna made with cottage cheese.

Neither can I, which was I was su surprised to see it in America's Test Kitchen Cookbook lasagna, and also surprised to read (here) that it may have been the offending ingredient in school-lunch lasagna. But maybe schools (and their suppliers) don't want to spend the money on ricotta and substitute cottage cheese instead?

I was thinking that maybe cottage cheese is (or was) made with rennet and possible that is what the problem is, but it turns out that cottage cheese is now made without rennet while many of the other cheeses, like Parmesan, are still mmade with rennt.

Quote:
There are several different kinds of animal rennet used in cheese making. Rennet obtained from a calf is generally used in cheeses made with cow's milk. Goat cheeses are made using kid rennet, and lamb rennet is used in cheeses made with sheep's milk. These days, vegetable rennet, derived from either the fig tree or Creeping Ivy, is used more often in cheese making. Microbial rennet is also used, and even genetically engineered rennet is now used in making cheese. There are also a few soft cheeses such as cream cheese and cottage cheese that are made using only citric acid for the coagulation process. True cheese artisans still tend to prefer animal rennet and consider it to be superior when it comes to curdling milk.

The amount of animal rennet needed to coagulate milk is very small. Though times are changing and more cheese makers are using other forms of rennet, the majority of cheeses on the market are still made with animal rennet. Parmigiano-Reggiano, considered one of the world's best cheeses, originated in Italy. It is next to impossible to find this cheese made with anything but animal rennet, unless one considers a product by BelGioioso called Parveggiano. Most imported cheeses, in fact, still use animal rennet. There are only a few exceptions that include: French Saint-Andre, Tomme Perigourdine, a few English and Spanish farmhouse cheeses and some Dutch made diet cheeses.

Because vegetarianism is on the rise and more vegans are requesting cheese like products, the cheese industry is slowly starting to make changes. Microbial rennet and genetically engineered rennet are starting to be used more frequently, but confusing labeling can make it difficult to know exactly what kinds of enzymes are used in each cheese. According to Whole Foods Market, labels list enzymes in up to eight different ways: enzymes, microbial enzymes, microbial coagulants, rennetless enzymes or coagulants, rennet, both enzymes and rennet, and vegetarian rennet.

https://oureverydaylife.com/which-cheeses-contain-animal-rennet-125313
34.html

So I'm back to lactose, or an associative reaction to cottage cheese, or possibly citric acid, which is one of the ingredients found in cottage cheese and cream cheese but not other cheeses.

A citric acid reaction would also put citrus foods out of reach.

JSF, hw do you react to oranges, lemons and limes?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

You idiots have been oppressing the entire sexual spectrum as long as you have existed. I can't wait for the day your kind is dead - WISHIMAY

SIGNYM

Sunday, December 1, 2019 12:21 PM

Getting tired of cooking the same old thing, so today I tried making something different: onion rings. found a recipe online and it worked out better than I could have imagined! The recipe required triple-coating the onion rings, first with a flour/bakingpowder/salt mix, then adding egg and milk to the flour mixture to make a batter and dipping the rings in that, then dusting them with panko bread crumbs before deep frying.

But I had a little batter left over so I made corn fritters too. For dinner we had turkey burgers, onion rings, corn fritters and cole slaw. (It's a little too cold for cole slaw, but what the heck, it was easy and I had cabbage in the frig.)

The cole slaw itself is my very own recipe. I used to try and make it fancy with carrots and/or raisins and/or chopped onion and/or carraway seed, but for our family simplest is best: for 4 cups shredded cabbage make a dressing of scant 1/3 c mayo, 2 t sugae and 1/2 t Dijon mustard, toss well. Less dressing keeps the cabbage crispy and fressh-tasting; too much and it comes out greasy and wilted,

*****

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt twice-fried pork and stir-fried green beans/mushrooms.

The day after that, tandoori chicken, palak paneer, and potato/cauliflower curry..

I think after that, pork in peach sauce, with maybe collards and yam.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, December 2, 2019 2:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Getting tired of cooking the same old thing, so today I tried making something different: onion rings. found a recipe online and it worked out better than I could have imagined! The recipe required triple-coating the onion rings, first with a flour/bakingpowder/salt mix, then adding egg and milk to the flour mixture to make a batter and dipping the rings in that, then dusting them with panko bread crumbs before deep frying.

But I had a little batter left over so I made corn fritters too. For dinner we had turkey burgers, onion rings, corn fritters and cole slaw. (It's a little too cold for cole slaw, but what the heck, it was easy and I had cabbage in the frig.)

The cole slaw itself is my very own recipe. I used to try and make it fancy with carrots and/or raisins and/or chopped onion and/or carraway seed, but for our family simplest is best: for 4 cups shredded cabbage make a dressing of scant 1/3 c mayo, 2 t sugae and 1/2 t Dijon mustard, toss well. Less dressing keeps the cabbage crispy and fressh-tasting; too much and it comes out greasy and wilted,

*****

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt twice-fried pork and stir-fried green beans/mushrooms.

The day after that, tandoori chicken, palak paneer, and potato/cauliflower curry..

I think after that, pork in peach sauce, with maybe collards and yam.

This reminds me.... I recently made some Green Bean Casserole, and I like extra qty of the crispy onions in the mix, plus added on top. I noticed at the store that French's has a new flavor of crispy onions: Carmelized. Yum yum! I think it might work to as well to have the original flavor in the mix, and the new flavor on top, but I enjoyed it just fine all over.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, December 2, 2019 2:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
When I was really, really little - maybe 3 or so, our mom served a very specific kind of sausage, but, sadly for her, that particular batch was spoiled. Everybody got sick. Then years later she tried to serve it again. None of us kids could get it down - even though we didn't remember the earlier incident. Our bodies remembered! Anyway, maybe that's the thing between you and cottage cheese.

That whole idea of using cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta - I guess that's an WASP (non Italian) thing? Every genuine lasagna I ever had highlighted the light, fresh, dairy flavor of good ricotta. Though I think one can only get good ricotta in certain areas of the country. Anyway, I can't imagine a lasagna made with cottage cheese.
Neither can I, which was I was su surprised to see it in America's Test Kitchen Cookbook lasagna, and also surprised to read (here) that it may have been the offending ingredient in school-lunch lasagna. But maybe schools (and their suppliers) don't want to spend the money on ricotta and substitute cottage cheese instead?

I was thinking that maybe cottage cheese is (or was) made with rennet and possible that is what the problem is, but it turns out that cottage cheese is now made without rennet while many of the other cheeses, like Parmesan, are still mmade with rennt.

Quote:
There are several different kinds of animal rennet used in cheese making. Rennet obtained from a calf is generally used in cheeses made with cow's milk. Goat cheeses are made using kid rennet, and lamb rennet is used in cheeses made with sheep's milk. These days, vegetable rennet, derived from either the fig tree or Creeping Ivy, is used more often in cheese making. Microbial rennet is also used, and even genetically engineered rennet is now used in making cheese. There are also a few soft cheeses such as cream cheese and cottage cheese that are made using only citric acid for the coagulation process. True cheese artisans still tend to prefer animal rennet and consider it to be superior when it comes to curdling milk.

The amount of animal rennet needed to coagulate milk is very small. Though times are changing and more cheese makers are using other forms of rennet, the majority of cheeses on the market are still made with animal rennet. Parmigiano-Reggiano, considered one of the world's best cheeses, originated in Italy. It is next to impossible to find this cheese made with anything but animal rennet, unless one considers a product by BelGioioso called Parveggiano. Most imported cheeses, in fact, still use animal rennet. There are only a few exceptions that include: French Saint-Andre, Tomme Perigourdine, a few English and Spanish farmhouse cheeses and some Dutch made diet cheeses.

Because vegetarianism is on the rise and more vegans are requesting cheese like products, the cheese industry is slowly starting to make changes. Microbial rennet and genetically engineered rennet are starting to be used more frequently, but confusing labeling can make it difficult to know exactly what kinds of enzymes are used in each cheese. According to Whole Foods Market, labels list enzymes in up to eight different ways: enzymes, microbial enzymes, microbial coagulants, rennetless enzymes or coagulants, rennet, both enzymes and rennet, and vegetarian rennet.
https://oureverydaylife.com/which-cheeses-contain-animal-rennet-125313
34.html

So I'm back to lactose, or an associative reaction to cottage cheese, or possibly citric acid, which is one of the ingredients found in cottage cheese and cream cheese but not other cheeses.

A citric acid reaction would also put citrus foods out of reach.

JSF, hw do you react to oranges, lemons and limes?

I've never had any reaction to citrus that I recall.
Love OJ, prefer fresh squeezed or high pulp.
Lemonade is great, I prefer Calypso brand (no fake sweeteners). Otherwise from jar, Country Time Pink, Dark Ch

1KIKI

Monday, December 2, 2019 3:04 AM

I still wonder if it's a body-memory from a long, long time ago ... in a galaxy far ... OOPS! got derailed !!

1KIKI

Monday, December 2, 2019 3:17 AM

So, I'm going to try something.

I buy TJ's organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs. (I would prefer with bone and skin, but I'd have to drive miles for that, and TJ's is less than a mile away.) When I cook them, they always release a TON of juice. I already have a cup-and-a-half stashed away from the last batch I cooked. Now, you can roll your eyes, but I cook them plain, and modify them later - in chicken pot pie, broiled with bbq sauce, used to make chicken salad sandwiches, and so on. Cooking them plain allows me to do a lot of different things with them afterwards. Well, I'm going to cook another batch, so I'll have lots of cooking juice, plus a box of broth, plus the cooking juice I already have. I intend to take all that juice and broth, throw in veges and herbs, and make soup. But then I'm going to take some of the soup broth and make gravy. I wonder how it'll taste.

So, those are my 2 experiments - making soup out of strained broth with no protein chunks in it as a light snack, and making gravy out of soup broth.

1KIKI

Monday, December 2, 2019 11:45 AM

Well, the chicken soup made from the juice and boxed broth is omg good. And the gravy made from the soup is omg, omg good! I am not going to make THAT again, unless I have a lot of people around (whose health I don't care about too much) to eat it up for me.

ETA: I DID cook the soup with the lid off to concentrate it. So that might be why the gravy I made from the soup was so flavorful. But it was literally the best gravy I've ever had, excepting the pork sausage pan-gravy I had a Bronco Linda's Cafe in Grand Junction many years ago.

SIGNYM

Monday, December 2, 2019 2:12 PM

It sounds yummy! I wish I could taste it. (I mean, I wish I could taste anything.)

You did with your chicken like I do with pork picnic roast- I save the juice and make broth. In my case, it's hot and sour soup, which the family really likes. I keep wondering when they're going to ge tired of it! I suppose I should try something different some day. Any ideas what kind of soup to make with pork broth?

*****

I did the "twice cooked" pork (tempura-style but Chinese flavorings) with sweet and sour sauce with red bell peppers, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and onions; and stir-fried green beans with mushrooms.

I forgot what a pain-in-the-neck that twice-cooked pork recipe is. There's a reason why I only make it once every few years! But, the family enjoyed dinner and we have some leftovers* for lunch tomorrow.

* Posted too soon. A midnight bandit dug into the leftovers. Now we have leftover.

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Monday, December 2, 2019 11:24 PM

Well, when I hear pork broth I think bean soup. A large, creamy white bean like cannellini in a very thick soup with some carrots, celery, and onion - but not too much! - for a hint of flavor and color, and of course a couple of bay leaves. Some added ham would also be nice. OK - maybe I should call it stew.

I make and use pig's feet broth for just that purpose. And I'll often toss some small, oven roasted pork meatballs into my soup/stew (taste like they're grilled outdoors on a grill!) for added protein.

ETA: "You did with your chicken like I do with pork picnic roast- I save the juice and make broth. In my case, it's hot and sour soup, which the family really likes." I know you've posted about that before - more than once! It's just ... I associate hot and sour soup with a really clear broth and things like mushrooms, lotus root, and so on, and I associate western soups with chunks of cooked animal protein. So I didn't connect up your hot and sour soup mentally with my no-chicken chicken soup. But yeah - I did the same thing you've been doing!

1KIKI

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 7:10 AM

So, this is the last cooking experiment for the next while. I tried some mashed cauliflower at TJ's, and I liked it, it was very similar to mashed potatoes though with a mild but different flavor. But it was full of chemicals and salt. So I thought I'd try to recreate it at home. I cooked a 12oz package of riced cauliflower with 2T rice flour for thickening (but any flour that thickens would work, I think), and a cup of milk for flavor, and when it was done I immersion-blended it to a smooth consistency with a tablespoon of cultured unsalted butter. It was a little watery at first, but it thickened with sitting. I did end up adding a small amount of low-sodium salt to counter the sweetness of the cauliflower. Like the TJ's product, you can't mistake it for mashed potatoes, but it's an exceptional alternative that's very similar. Well, I really liked it! Anyway, I put the rest in the freezer. I'll take it out and thaw it after a couple of days to see if the texture survives freezing, or if it breaks into grainy solids and liquid. That's what the flour is supposed to help prevent - but we'll see.

If it freezes well, my next set of meals will be chicken, mashed cauliflower, and gravy.

1KIKI

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 6:36 AM

Well cool. I just defrosted the 'mashed cauliflower' and it looks like the rice flour did the trick. The 'mashed cauliflower' didn't break or lose any of its fluffy/creamy mashed-potato texture !! YAY !!!

So now I'll be on to creating my next recipe. Since I WILL be making gravy, I think I'll cook the chicken thighs with an appropriate amount of carrots, celery, onions, and fresh thyme. I can then puree the veges into the broth and use that to make an extra-flavorful gravy. I believe the chicken and gravy over mashed cauliflower will be quite a comfort-food treat.

SIGNYM

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 10:02 PM

I wish DD could eat cauliflower, that would be a nice treat for her and very healthful.

Well, the experimental dishes turned out OK (I think. Not being able to smell/taste anything, I can't tell if they turned out the way I was hoping, I have to rely on family feedback.)

I did learn how to make crispy-crunchy onion, rings which is great! You MUST use bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs for the crunch ... I cooked a few just with batter, and they weren't anywhere near as good. So I don't need to be hustling off to restaurant to get hubby's favorite treat. But I also learned I need a frying/candymaker's thermometer: The secret to non-greasy deep-fried anything is to make sure the oil is very hot (385F). That way, when you drop the food in, the moisture in it turns to steam and blows the oil away from the food.

I learned something new about the twice-cooked pork, too: It's always hard to tell when the pork is cooked thru, but I noticed that partway thru the deep-dry process the steam bubbles get REALLY intense. I figured that that's when the meat is cooking/releasing its juices, and I can pull the pieces out when the bubbling slows down a bit, that way timing not so critical and accounts for bigger/smaller pieces.

But that's all the deep-frying I'm going to do for the time being; it's a pain in the neck and no matter how carefully you do it the food is still greasier than regular cooking.

Daughter and I made Indian fresh cheese (paneer) which turned out OK. Surprisingly, we found cheesecloth in the grocery store. I would not rinse the cheese at all next time, and I need to figure out how to manage the cheesecloth/pressing process better because some of the curds penetrated the cloth and I couldn't recover them; possibly the weight I was using was too heavy, but it was surprisingly easy to do and a learning experience for dear daughter and me.

The tandoori chicken turned out OK ... altho when I set it to broil hubby walked in asking about burning electrical insulation! Given that I had just strung Xmas lights, and it was raining, I checked around to see if there were any wet connections but didn't see anything wrong.

It is SUCH a trial- and a safety hazard!- not being able to smell anything at all!

The spinach part (palak) of "palak paneer" had the right texture (the secret ingredient is heavy cream), but according to hubby it was missing key spices. Again, not being able to smell I can't tell what those might be and he knows nothing abou cooking so he can't help me there either. Hmmm... a conundrum! Maybe enlist dear daughter's help. She hates anything "spicy" but if I could purchase some palak paneer and get her to taste/smell the restaurant version and smell different spices I think it might help sharpen her cooking skills (differentiate the various scents, like listening to an orchestra and hearing the individual instruments). But feeling a little sorry for myself, I used to have a PHENOMENAL sense of smell, which made me a favorite on odor complaint investigations because not ony could I tell that there was an odor, I could often ID the primary chemicals involved (MIBK, VOFAs etc) I could deconstruct recipes pretty well. Seriously, if I hadn't gone into chemistry I might have been a decent enologist. Not world-class ... I know what those people are capable of ... but a decent sommelier, perfumist, or chef. Now, I can't smell a thing.

Well, that's it for now for the experimental cooking. Like everything you do for the first time it takes a LONG time, and I have more important things to do!

There is one more experiment I'm going to work on: How to make fruit brandy. We have SUCH a fruitfall of feijoa, I tried making jam (too runny) and drying it (ok but not great) I think I should really try fermenting it. I've never done that before, but some knowledge of chemistry should help!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE

SIGNYM

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 10:18 PM

Unless ... KIKI, do you have a recipe for palak paneer?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Thursday, December 5, 2019 12:06 AM

Hey Signy - what did you start out the paneer with? I was thinking of making it (btw all the recipes are exactly the same as for making ricotta, except you squeeze out the paneer) but it seemed like it could use a LOT of milk for not much cheese.

My palak paneer also has boiled potato which makes it a different kind of dish but it does exist! and I use fresh mozzarella instead of paneer, but cooking it makes the mozzarella stringy and sticky. Also, I don't mention salt. It's to taste, but no spicy dish of any origin seems to get away without the need for salt. Palak paneer should be lightly spicy and fragrant, not in-your-face hot and pungent.

Here's my recipe exactly, cryptic steps and all: 6lbspinach thaw puree/ 2pot cook 6@ 8oz ciliegine or ovoline* // T ginger t garlic 1lb onion lg serrano process fine** gently caramelize*** add H2O if needed/ add H2O 1/2t turmeric 1t@ garamasala ground cumin 2t gr coriander 1Ttamarind paste****// gently sautee*****// add spinach cheese heat/ add lemon juice

* types of mozzarella

** in food processor to get very small pieces / paste so as not to have 'bits' in the palak paneer

*** if you prefer, you can use no or minimal oil and do most of the caramelization in a small amount of water

**** can find in stores it gives a fruity and very sour taste

***** it's that spice/herb 'blooming' step many cooks now talk about

SIGNYM

Thursday, December 12, 2019 1:37 PM

I made a very nice ham and bean soup today. Not that the recipe is anything special but the soup turned out excpetionally well because I used commercial low-salt chicken broth as the base, and used garbanzos (which I cooked myself) which remained intact.

So ... approx 2 lbs ham (I really like Cure 81), cubed
One box low salt chicken broth
2 T vegetable oil
1.5 cups cut onions
3 medium -large carrots, sliced
4 large stalks celery, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
five bay leaves
3 cups cooked garbanzos plus 2 cups cooking liquid
1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes

Sautee vegetables in oil until slightly soft. Add broth, ham, bay leaves and other ingredients, simmer until vegetables are tender

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, December 14, 2019 3:46 AM

A recipe of a different type, not sure if I mentioned this one already.

Hot Chocolate Bon Bon
Cup of Hot Chocolate, extra rich is fine (extra spoonfuls of powder or flavoring).
Add 1 shot of Amaretto.
Tastes like Chocolate covered Cherries, or Bon Bons.

SIGNYM

Saturday, December 14, 2019 7:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
A recipe of a different type, not sure if I mentioned this one already.

Hot Chocolate Bon Bon
Cup of Hot Chocolate, extra rich is fine (extra spoonfuls of powder or flavoring).
Add 1 shot of Amaretto.
Tastes like Chocolate covered Cherries, or Bon Bons.

Yum! Sounds great!!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

1KIKI

Saturday, December 14, 2019 11:24 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
A recipe of a different type, not sure if I mentioned this one already.

Hot Chocolate Bon Bon
Cup of Hot Chocolate, extra rich is fine (extra spoonfuls of powder or flavoring).
Add 1 shot of Amaretto.
Tastes like Chocolate covered Cherries, or Bon Bons.

CHEERS !!!

1KIKI

Friday, December 20, 2019 1:22 AM

This is my new WINTER marinara recipe:
Please note that these are 12 servings, since I cook in batches and freeze for later. (So one of the things my recipes have to be is freezer-tolerant.)

The recipe calls for steps that most people don't do, which is to brown things first, and to 'bloom' the spices. The browning step adds tons of extra flavor, for example it actually makes the onion both sweet and 'oniony', while the 'blooming' step increases the flavor of aromatics. 'Blooming' isn't cooking, it only take a minute or two, but it helps release the volatile oils. It also calls for 'deglazing' the skillet you brown things in, which is to add some liquid - in this case a cup of wine for flavor but you can even use water or tomato juice - to the skillet while it's being heated, and stir the liquid around, scraping off the caramelized bits from the bottom.

4lbs 85% ground beef
3lbs onions, diced
4lbs cherry tomatoes, pureed
2lbs cremini mushrooms, fine diced
1qt or liter bottle no-salt tomato juice
1C dry(ish) red, rose, or white wine of your choice, optional
5 cloves garlic, minced
3T dried basil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
a large skillet with lid and a large dutch oven with lid

brown the ground beef in the skillet and use a slotted spoon to remove it to the dutch oven
pour off the fat and juice from the skillet and reserve
put about 2T of beef fat back into the skillet, and put in the diced mushrooms and cover, and cook till they give up their liquid, then uncover and cook with stirring till the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned, then put them in the dutch oven
add another 2T of fat back to the skillet, and do the same for the onions, but cook them till they're golden brown, then put them in the dutch oven (because the high sugar content of the onions won't let the liquid evaporate to dryness, the brown color is your guide)
add about 1T of fat and 'bloom' the garlic and basil (and red pepper flakes if you're using them) in it which means heat them while stirring the little pile just until you can start to smell them, then add them to the dutch oven
deglaze the skillet with the wine (or other liquid), cook off the alcohol a bit, then add it to the dutch oven
if you have any beef fat left you can add back in as much as you want, or skim it off, but in either case add the broth back in that you reserved earlier
add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato juice to the dutch oven, and stir everything
bring to a boil on the stove - then cover
and transfer to a pre-heated oven at 350F
cook for 2.5 hours with occasional stirring, if the marinara gets too dry add more water

I think it's everything a winter dish should be - savory, rich, and hearty.

1KIKI

Friday, December 20, 2019 1:42 AM

Now, this was just something I made up from left-overs (except for the chicken thighs), but it sure is good too! This is also 12 servings. 1.5lbs yukon gold potatoes washed, skin-on - these were very small, so I just used those as is otherwise I might have cut them down to 'fork-sized' pieces; a few ounces of left over shredded cabbage, 2 10oz bags of frozen riced cauliflower, a 12oz bag of pre-washed, pre-shredded Tuscan (dinosaur) kale; 3lbs of onions, that I diced; and 6lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs - all in a large pot with a cover, oven-cooked 350F for 3.5 hours. It might seem like a long cook-time, but if you don't bring stuff to a boil on the stove first, it takes about 1 hour for that amount of food to come to a boil - reach cooking temperature - in the oven. So the first hour doesn't count as cook-time.

This turned out to be comfort food, like cream of potato soup or chicken stew with gravy - undemanding, thick, homey.

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, December 23, 2019 1:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
This is my new WINTER marinara recipe:
Please note that these are 12 servings, since I cook in batches and freeze for later. (So one of the things my recipes have to be is freezer-tolerant.)

The recipe calls for steps that most people don't do, which is to brown things first, and to 'bloom' the spices. The browning step adds tons of extra flavor, for example it actually makes the onion both sweet and 'oniony', while the 'blooming' step increases the flavor of aromatics. 'Blooming' isn't cooking, it only take a minute or two, but it helps release the volatile oils. It also calls for 'deglazing' the skillet you brown things in, which is to add some liquid - in this case a cup of wine for flavor but you can even use water or tomato juice - to the skillet while it's being heated, and stir the liquid around, scraping off the caramelized bits from the bottom.

4lbs 85% ground beef
3lbs onions, diced
4lbs cherry tomatoes, pureed
2lbs cremini mushrooms, fine diced
1qt or liter bottle no-salt tomato juice
1C dry(ish) red, rose, or white wine of your choice, optional
5 cloves garlic, minced
3T dried basil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
a large skillet with lid and a large dutch oven with lid

brown the ground beef in the skillet and use a slotted spoon to remove it to the dutch oven
pour off the fat and juice from the skillet and reserve
put about 2T of beef fat back into the skillet, and put in the diced mushrooms and cover, and cook till they give up their liquid, then uncover and cook with stirring till the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned, then put them in the dutch oven
add another 2T of fat back to the skillet, and do the same for the onions, but cook them till they're golden brown, then put them in the dutch oven (because the high sugar content of the onions won't let the liquid evaporate to dryness, the brown color is your guide)
add about 1T of fat and 'bloom' the garlic and basil (and red pepper flakes if you're using them) in it which means heat them while stirring the little pile just until you can start to smell them, then add them to the dutch oven
deglaze the skillet with the wine (or other liquid), cook off the alcohol a bit, then add it to the dutch oven
if you have any beef fat left you can add back in as much as you want, or skim it off, but in either case add the broth back in that you reserved earlier
add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato juice to the dutch oven, and stir everything
bring to a boil on the stove - then cover
and transfer to a pre-heated oven at 350F
cook for 2.5 hours with occasional stirring, if the marinara gets too dry add more water

I think it's everything a winter dish should be - savory, rich, and hearty.

Not sure I understand the use of tomato juice when you already have pureed tomatoes.

I might be tempted to replace with tomato paste (if flavor is the reason) or more wine (if liquid is the reason).

SIGNYM

Sunday, January 26, 2020 11:31 PM

Hey JSF, I read that you were sick! I hope you're feeling better.

*****

Discovered two new recipes that are easy and tasty. But just as an aside, we all (and I mean ALL) have been sick with fever, coughing and wheezing. Soup really seems to help. I've been relying on soup, and soup-like recipes, to help us get better.

RED CURRY
The ingredients might be a little hard to come by, but if you can find them the recipe is simple to prepare

2T coconut oil
3-4T commercial Thai red curry paste
approx 1/4 c chopped cilantro and stems
1/2 t ground cumin

2 cans light coconut milk
2T fish sauce or soy sauce
2T sugar
1/2 lb frozen pineapple chunks
2 potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
shrimp to taste

8 oz snow peas tipped and de-stringed
1 red bell, into 1/2" pieces

1 c basil rinsed
Chipotle powder, cayenne, sambal oelek, or Sriracha to taste.

Melt coconut oil in pot, add curry paste, cilantro and cumin, and cook until cilantro is wilted.
Add light coconut milk, potato, pineapple, shrimp, fish or soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to simmer and simmer about 7 minutes

Add snow peas and bell pepper, cook to crisp-tender, add basil at end just to stir in and wilt. Add hot spice to taste.

*****

Now, hubby is not a huge fan of shrimp (altho it is very good for you) so I serve this with pork. I discovered a new cut - tenderloin- that is indeed very tender, and fortunately for me it was on sale for $3/lb. Trim off silver-skin, slice into 1/4" strips. For 2 lb, sprinkle with 1 t fish sauce and 1 t soy (or tamari) and 1/2 t ground black pepper and marinade for 30 minutes or so. Slice approx 1/2 c (yes that's 1/2 cup) garlic cloves, rinse drain and heat 2 bags of shirataki noodles, and rinse approx 1 c of basil leaves.

Melt about 1 T of coconut oil in a pan to med-high, add pork in batches to stir-fry, then add noodles, add pork back in, and garlic to "bloom" the garlic, then add basilto wilt. Add some green or red Thai curry paste if you like. Serve over red curry vegetables in coconut milk. That's it!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

SIGNYM

Monday, January 27, 2020 1:20 AM

Kiki, I love your recipes, but I can't eat tomato, potato, or rice (or orange, lettuce, beef, eggplant, and a couple of things I forget) and dear daughter can't eat cruciferous veggies or beans.

Any recipes without the offending ingredients?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, January 27, 2020 1:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hey JSF, I read that you were sick! I hope you're feeling better.

*****

Discovered two new recipes that are easy and tasty. But just as an aside, we all (and I mean ALL) have been sick with fever, coughing and wheezing. Soup really seems to help. I've been relying on soup, and soup-like recipes, to help us get better.

RED CURRY
The ingredients might be a little hard to come by, but if you can find them the recipe is simple to prepare

2T coconut oil
3-4T commercial Thai red curry paste
approx 1/4 c chopped cilantro and stems
1/2 t ground cumin

2 cans light coconut milk
2T fish sauce or soy sauce
2T sugar
1/2 lb frozen pineapple chunks
2 potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
shrimp to taste

8 oz snow peas tipped and de-stringed
1 red bell, into 1/2" pieces

1 c basil rinsed
Chipotle powder, cayenne, sambal oelek, or Sriracha to taste.

Melt coconut oil in pot, add curry paste, cilantro and cumin, and cook until cilantro is wilted.
Add light coconut milk, potato, pineapple, shrimp, fish or soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to simmer and simmer about 7 minutes

Add snow peas and bell pepper, cook to crisp-tender, add basil at end just to stir in and wilt. Add hot spice to taste.

*****

Now, hubby is not a huge fan of shrimp (altho it is very good for you) so I serve this with pork. I discovered a new cut - tenderloin- that is indeed very tender, and fortunately for me it was on sale for $3/lb. Trim off silver-skin, slice into 1/4" strips. For 2 lb, sprinkle with 1 t fish sauce and 1 t soy (or tamari) and 1/2 t ground black pepper and marinade for 30 minutes or so. Slice approx 1/2 c (yes that's 1/2 cup) garlic cloves, rinse drain and heat 2 bags of shirataki noodles, and rinse approx 1 c of basil leaves.

Melt about 1 T of coconut oil in a pan to med-high, add pork in batches to stir-fry, then add noodles, add pork back in, and garlic to "bloom" the garlic, then add basilto wilt. Add some green or red Thai curry paste if you like. Serve over red curry vegetables in coconut milk. That's it!

Was this one recipe? Or 2?

SIGNYM

Monday, January 27, 2020 1:54 AM

Two, actually. The first recipe was originally written with shrimp as the main ingredient, but since hubby hates shrimp I made up a pork recipe to go with. Sorry for lack of clarity!

Here is the second recipe, rewritten

2 lb pork tenderloin, silverskin removed and cut into 1/4" strips
1 t fish sauce (fish sauce is stronger, but if you can't find it just substitute soy or tamari sauce)
1 t soy or tamari
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
Stir pork with fish sauce, soy/tamari, and black pepper, and marinade about 30 minutes

1/2 cup sliced garlic cloves
2 bags shirataki noodles, rinsed, drained, and heated thru to removed "cat pee" smell, or four cups ANY cooked noodle that you like (spaghetti, rice noodles, whatever)

1 cup (OR MORE) fresh basil leaves, rinsed and drained
about 2T red or green Thai curry paste, if desired

2T coconut oil

heat coconut oil in pan to medium-hi, add pork in batches to quick stir-fry, set aside in bowl as cooked
add prepared noodles to pan, add back pork, add garlic and heat thru to released garlic oils
stir in basil to wilt
stir in curry paste if desired (also, ir you're a hot food fan, can add chipotle, cayenne, sambal oelek or sriracha if desired)

Because of the quantity of near-raw garlic, don't plan on meeting people for about a day!!!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

1KIKI

Thursday, February 6, 2020 8:58 AM

I just made this and it's OMG good!

This dish was inspired by many things I've eaten in the past and I tried to put things together that I thought would be tasty. 12 svgs

It's a crustless pie made with 2 lbs ground meat of your choice, browned, excess fat removed if any (in this case turkey), 2 lbs small-diced potatoes with skin is OK (I recommend either russet or Yukon gold, not red or fingerling), 2 lbs minced yellow onions, 2-3lbs greens chopped (in this case kale), and the juice of 2 lemons or to taste.

Probably the next day you'll need 1lb feta crumbled (you could probably do 50/50 w/ grated parmesan), and 1 15oz ricotta (in this case full fat), and 6 eggs, use a stir-stick to smoothly blend the eggs and ricotta till it's a uniform pale yellow.

Also you'll need 12 oven-proof dishes buttered (what I used) or greased.

I prepared this in one YUGE !!! Dutch oven in a 350F oven (not on the stovetop), but if you don't have anything big for all these servings, be prepared to cook less, or cook in shifts and have a very, very large mixing bowl to put it all together.

Add the ground meat to the Dutch oven, cover, and cook it @350F (or on a stove top), breaking it up as needed, till cooked, and remove excess fat, if any. Add the diced potatoes, mix, cover and cook an additional 20 minutes. Add the diced onions and minced greens of your choice (but not much spinach as it cooks very watery), mix, cover and cook an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring at the 20 minute mark, till all is done. (It mostly depends on the potato you used.)

Add lemon juice to taste.

CHILL THOROUGHLY.

Stir in the feta (or feta/ parm mix). Stir in the egg/ ricotta mix.

Portion it out to greased or buttered oven proof dishes, and bake @ 350F 30minutes to set the egg (when knife comes out clean).

SIGNYM

Friday, February 7, 2020 1:01 AM

Sounds great, KIKI! Except I can't eat potatoes (allergies), and hubby shoudn't (too much starch). Any recommendations for substitute? Don't say cauliflower, dear daughter can't eat that!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

SIGNYM

Friday, February 7, 2020 1:19 AM

I FINALLY made a turkey pot pie that the family thought was acceptable! I did a few things differently:

Previously I had cooked the turkey breast (on sale after Tday for $1.99/lb) too long and it came out dry and tasteless. This time I salted it, poured oil over it, and cooked it covered at low temp (250 F) unti just done. I still have to get the timing right, as I achieved the proper results by accident, but the turkey came out flavorful and juicy.

This time, I added a crap=ton of thyme. Most recipes call for a polite amount - I used 2+ teaspoons dried thyme.

This time I used a bigger variety of vegetables.

And this time I added 1/2 c dry white wine.

So here it is:

3 T margarine
1 c diced onion
2 c diced carrot
1 c diced celery
1 c frozen cut green beans
1 c frozen corn
1 c frozen peas
2 t dried thyme
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 t salt, or to taste
about 1 c turkey juice
about 1 1/2 c milk or canned milk
about 1/2 c flour, mixed in with milk (above)
1/2 c dry white wine
about one pound cooked turkey, diced
approx 1/2 pre-prepared pie crust (optional)

Sautee onions in margarine until golden-brown (Lightly browning onions adds flavor)
Add carrots, celery and cook, covered, for about 8 minutes
Add green beans, turkey juice, wine and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes
Add milk/flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed, cook until thickened
Add peas and turkey, stir thru
Pour into large casserole, top with pie crust if desired and bake at 350F for about an hour.

The reason why I add things in the order that I do is that I don't want the turkey to shred and the peas to turn to mush with extensive cooking and stirring, this way the ingredients retain their individual identity and it doesn't just become mush

Family said it was OK, which means I can make it- just not too often!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

1KIKI

Friday, February 7, 2020 4:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Sounds great, KIKI! Except I can't eat potatoes (allergies), and hubby shoudn't (too much starch). Any recommendations for substitute? Don't say cauliflower, dear daughter can't eat that!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

I've been thinking about that. In my version - which I calculate out on a spreadsheet (using USDA nutrient values from their database) - one portion has 500 calories and a half a pound of vegetables weighed raw, and 32g protein, 33g carbs, and 27g fat. (It has so much vegetable because I kind of hate vegetables unless I disguise them in something else, and they will be all the vegetables I'll have in a day. There's no added fat, but that high amount comes from the cheeses and eggs, and assumes you drain excess fat from the ground meat.) The potatoes contribute about 2.5oz of vegetable out of the 8oz amount per portion. They also contribute about 245g total of carbs for the entire recipe; or about 20g carbs out of 33g carbs per portion. If you don't mind losing some vegetable, I think either cooked rice or quinoa would be a tasty substitute. Use enough to contribute the same amount of carbs as the potatoes if you want to maintain the macronutrient balance. But I see no problem reducing the amounts or eliminating that ingredient category entirely!

I also think you could cook it in a large casserole dish, but you'll need to cook it longer to get it cooked through - and because you'll be cooking it longer, it should be covered with foil so the top doesn't get burned.

1KIKI

Friday, February 7, 2020 4:58 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I FINALLY made a turkey pot pie that the family thought was acceptable!

And I copied it over into my spreadsheet for portion calculation and adjustment!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Friday, February 7, 2020 6:40 AM

Pot Pie. I expect you may have aversion to pre-made solutions, but I have used crescent roll triangles on top of the dish, to be the top crust or pot pie. Just the simple pre-packaged rolls in a tube, crack open and you have 8 triangles to make crescent rolls.

1KIKI

Saturday, February 8, 2020 1:11 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
This is my new WINTER marinara recipe:
Please note that these are 12 servings, since I cook in batches and freeze for later. (So one of the things my recipes have to be is freezer-tolerant.)

The recipe calls for steps that most people don't do, which is to brown things first, and to 'bloom' the spices. The browning step adds tons of extra flavor, for example it actually makes the onion both sweet and 'oniony', while the 'blooming' step increases the flavor of aromatics. 'Blooming' isn't cooking, it only take a minute or two, but it helps release the volatile oils. It also calls for 'deglazing' the skillet you brown things in, which is to add some liquid - in this case a cup of wine for flavor but you can even use water or tomato juice - to the skillet while it's being heated, and stir the liquid around, scraping off the caramelized bits from the bottom.

4lbs 85% ground beef
3lbs onions, diced
4lbs cherry tomatoes, pureed
2lbs cremini mushrooms, fine diced
1qt or liter bottle no-salt tomato juice
1C dry(ish) red, rose, or white wine of your choice, optional
5 cloves garlic, minced
3T dried basil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
a large skillet with lid and a large dutch oven with lid

brown the ground beef in the skillet and use a slotted spoon to remove it to the dutch oven
pour off the fat and juice from the skillet and reserve
put about 2T of beef fat back into the skillet, and put in the diced mushrooms and cover, and cook till they give up their liquid, then uncover and cook with stirring till the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned, then put them in the dutch oven
add another 2T of fat back to the skillet, and do the same for the onions, but cook them till they're golden brown, then put them in the dutch oven (because the high sugar content of the onions won't let the liquid evaporate to dryness, the brown color is your guide)
add about 1T of fat and 'bloom' the garlic and basil (and red pepper flakes if you're using them) in it which means heat them while stirring the little pile just until you can start to smell them, then add them to the dutch oven
deglaze the skillet with the wine (or other liquid), cook off the alcohol a bit, then add it to the dutch oven
if you have any beef fat left you can add back in as much as you want, or skim it off, but in either case add the broth back in that you reserved earlier
add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato juice to the dutch oven, and stir everything
bring to a boil on the stove - then cover
and transfer to a pre-heated oven at 350F
cook for 2.5 hours with occasional stirring, if the marinara gets too dry add more water

I think it's everything a winter dish should be - savory, rich, and hearty.

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Not sure I understand the use of tomato juice when you already have pureed tomatoes.

I might be tempted to replace with tomato paste (if flavor is the reason) or more wine (if liquid is the reason).

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. It's to add more vegetable for nutrition, more liquid for cooking1, and more tomato flavor. Otherwise, I think the dish's flavor would be beefy/ mushroom-y heavy.

1KIKI

Saturday, February 8, 2020 1:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
So, this is the last cooking experiment for the next while. I tried some mashed cauliflower at TJ's, and I liked it, it was very similar to mashed potatoes though with a mild but different flavor. But it was full of chemicals and salt. So I thought I'd try to recreate it at home. I cooked a 12oz package of riced cauliflower with 2T rice flour for thickening (but any flour that thickens would work, I think), and a cup of milk for flavor, and when it was done I immersion-blended it to a smooth consistency with a tablespoon of cultured unsalted butter. It was a little watery at first, but it thickened with sitting. I did end up adding a small amount of low-sodium salt to counter the sweetness of the cauliflower. Like the TJ's product, you can't mistake it for mashed potatoes, but it's an exceptional alternative that's very similar. Well, I really liked it! Anyway, I put the rest in the freezer. I'll take it out and thaw it after a couple of days to see if the texture survives freezing, or if it breaks into grainy solids and liquid. That's what the flour is supposed to help prevent - but we'll see.

If it freezes well, my next set of meals will be chicken, mashed cauliflower, and gravy.

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Well cool. I just defrosted the 'mashed cauliflower' and it looks like the rice flour did the trick. The 'mashed cauliflower' didn't break or lose any of its fluffy/creamy mashed-potato texture !! YAY !!!

So now I'll be on to creating my next recipe. Since I WILL be making gravy, I think I'll cook the chicken thighs with an appropriate amount of carrots, celery, onions, and fresh thyme. I can then puree the veges into the broth and use that to make an extra-flavorful gravy. I believe the chicken and gravy over mashed cauliflower will be quite a comfort-food treat.

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I wish DD could eat cauliflower, that would be a nice treat for her and very healthful.

I did try pureeing the veges I cooked with the chx thighs and it was NOT good!

This is basically chicken thighs cooked with veges and herbs to flavor the thighs - but the veges and herbs get removed. The chx gets served over mashed cauliflower (or potatoes or a mix of both) with sauce. Either rice or wheat flour can be used to thicken the cauliflower and the sauce.

12 servings, per serving 440 cals, 58g protein, 20g carbs (not subtracting out the fiber), 6g fat

6lb TJ boneless skinless chx thigh
box chx stock
1lb@ carrot celery onion + pkg fresh thyme + sprigs fr parsley
Cook all till thighs just done and remove chx.

To make the sauce, strain the broth and reduce to about 3C, add 50g flour, cook to thicken. I didn't do this, but I think it would taste awesome with extra fresh thyme leaves and fresh ground black pepper added.

To make the mashed cauliflower:
I use TJ's frozen organic riced cauliflower that comes in 12oz pkgs. If you believe the package nutrition label, it has only 2g net carbs per serving (4g carbs, 2g fiber)
Cook 8pkg TJ riced caulif and puree with 25g flour 2C 2% milk and 2T butter

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Saturday, February 8, 2020 3:16 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
This is my new WINTER marinara recipe:
Please note that these are 12 servings, since I cook in batches and freeze for later. (So one of the things my recipes have to be is freezer-tolerant.)

The recipe calls for steps that most people don't do, which is to brown things first, and to 'bloom' the spices. The browning step adds tons of extra flavor, for example it actually makes the onion both sweet and 'oniony', while the 'blooming' step increases the flavor of aromatics. 'Blooming' isn't cooking, it only take a minute or two, but it helps release the volatile oils. It also calls for 'deglazing' the skillet you brown things in, which is to add some liquid - in this case a cup of wine for flavor but you can even use water or tomato juice - to the skillet while it's being heated, and stir the liquid around, scraping off the caramelized bits from the bottom.

4lbs 85% ground beef
3lbs onions, diced
4lbs cherry tomatoes, pureed
2lbs cremini mushrooms, fine diced
1qt or liter bottle no-salt tomato juice
1C dry(ish) red, rose, or white wine of your choice, optional
5 cloves garlic, minced
3T dried basil
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
a large skillet with lid and a large dutch oven with lid

brown the ground beef in the skillet and use a slotted spoon to remove it to the dutch oven
pour off the fat and juice from the skillet and reserve
put about 2T of beef fat back into the skillet, and put in the diced mushrooms and cover, and cook till they give up their liquid, then uncover and cook with stirring till the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are lightly browned, then put them in the dutch oven
add another 2T of fat back to the skillet, and do the same for the onions, but cook them till they're golden brown, then put them in the dutch oven (because the high sugar content of the onions won't let the liquid evaporate to dryness, the brown color is your guide)
add about 1T of fat and 'bloom' the garlic and basil (and red pepper flakes if you're using them) in it which means heat them while stirring the little pile just until you can start to smell them, then add them to the dutch oven
deglaze the skillet with the wine (or other liquid), cook off the alcohol a bit, then add it to the dutch oven
if you have any beef fat left you can add back in as much as you want, or skim it off, but in either case add the broth back in that you reserved earlier
add the pureed tomatoes and the tomato juice to the dutch oven, and stir everything
bring to a boil on the stove - then cover
and transfer to a pre-heated oven at 350F
cook for 2.5 hours with occasional stirring, if the marinara gets too dry add more water

I think it's everything a winter dish should be - savory, rich, and hearty.

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Not sure I understand the use of tomato juice when you already have pureed tomatoes.

I might be tempted to replace with tomato paste (if flavor is the reason) or more wine (if liquid is the reason).
Sorry I didn't see this earlier. It's to add more vegetable for nutrition, more liquid for cooking1, and more tomato flavor. Otherwise, I think the dish's flavor would be beefy/ mushroom-y heavy.

You think tomato juice adds more flavor?

Maybe try diced tomatoes, bring to a boil for 2 minutes before adding to whatever you're cooking. Makes it zesty and flavorful.

1KIKI

Saturday, February 8, 2020 4:33 AM

Yeah - oddly enough the 1 qt of 'no salt added' tomato juice I used DOES add flavor. But diced tomatoes could work too!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, February 10, 2020 12:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Yeah - oddly enough the 1 qt of 'no salt added' tomato juice I used DOES add flavor. But diced tomatoes could work too!

You also mentioned fluid for cooking. Is there anything in your recipe which would not be compatible with alcohol, wine, rum, whiskey?

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Monday, February 10, 2020 12:55 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Yeah - oddly enough the 1 qt of 'no salt added' tomato juice I used DOES add flavor. But diced tomatoes could work too!

You also mentioned fluid for cooking. Is there anything in your recipe which would not be compatible with alcohol, wine, rum, whiskey?

1KIKI

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 12:20 AM

Rum (sometimes sweet) and whiskey (smokey) I don't believe have flavor profiles that would work with the basic recipe flavors - tomato/ beef/ mushroom. But if you're willing to experiment, you might be on to something unexpectedly good!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 3:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Rum (sometimes sweet) and whiskey (smokey) I don't believe have flavor profiles that would work with the basic recipe flavors - tomato/ beef/ mushroom. But if you're willing to experiment, you might be on to something unexpectedly good!

Hmmmm.

I could be off-base with rum and whiskey, just poking in the dark. I was wondering if anything in different alcohols react negatively with any of your other ingredients. Degrade them, reduce them, distract.
I thought beef is always enhanced by wine, or Cold Duck. Burgundy has specific dedicated recipes for beef. Vermouth seems to work well for tomato sauces. I have seen vodka pasta sauce.

1KIKI

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 4:01 AM

Damn, but you're making me hungry!

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 5:51 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Quote:
Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Rum (sometimes sweet) and whiskey (smokey) I don't believe have flavor profiles that would work with the basic recipe flavors - tomato/ beef/ mushroom. But if you're willing to experiment, you might be on to something unexpectedly good!
Hmmmm.

I could be off-base with rum and whiskey, just poking in the dark. I was wondering if anything in different alcohols react negatively with any of your other ingredients. Degrade them, reduce them, distract.
I thought beef is always enhanced by wine, or Cold Duck. Burgundy has specific dedicated recipes for beef. Vermouth seems to work well for tomato sauces. I have seen vodka pasta sauce.

One of my favorite BBQ sauces for use on beef or chicken is Jack Daniel's No.7 Recipe, which I believe uses Bourbon Whiskey - and I assume it is built on tomato/ketchup base. (most BBQ sauces are either tomato/ketchup based, or vinegar/onion based - and JD's is not the latter.) I feel it enhances the flavor of everything, or maybe just smothers the flavor. Maybe it would conflict with mushroom, but I'll let you tell me how you feel about it. Also, JD's Brown Sugar version is more than adequate.

SIGNYM

Tuesday, February 25, 2020 5:44 AM

I'll look for it in the store!

So, I was looking for something in the frig, and got to wondering what other people's friges/pantries/cupboards look like.

I have a shelf of American condiments - ketchup, mustard, mayo, bleu cheese and Caesar sald dressing - but also a shelf of Asian- tamari, fish sauce, toasted sesame oil, sriracha ad/or sambal oelek, and Thai curry paste. In the cupboard I have Parmesan, canned tomato, and fresh basil on the windowsill... but I also have coconut milk, kalamata olives, and green enchilada sauce. I couldn't cook without onions, carrots, celery, and garlic ... but my go-to seasonings are basil, oregano, chipotle, and cumin.

I like to cook Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Greek, and American-style. Every once in awhile I'll make something different ... empanadas, or falafels, or Moroccan chicken.

So, what about you? What's in YOUR cupboard, pantry, or frig that reflects your style?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

Happy New Year, WISHY. I edited out your psychopathic screed!

BRENDA

Tuesday, February 25, 2020 6:41 AM

I was given last week a slow cooker. Have to learn how to use it properly.

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