Thread: HEAVEN: Recipe thread - another delicious helping Board: Limbo / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
Share your culinary delights here.

Mamacita, Heavenly Host

Edited to add: The previous Recipe Thread -- all 35 pages of it -- has been retired to Limbo.

[ 01. January 2011, 09:23: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Dinner tonight is chicken wings. Not a problem - piled heap of sticky, spicy, crisy deliciousness. But what do you serve with? I would like something else, preferably vegetable-based, which could also be eaten with the fingers. Any ideas?
 

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Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :
 
Hmm. If it were me, I'd make potato wedges in the oven, and do some buttery corn on the cobs. You'll get lovely and messy eating the chicken wings, so you may as well get butter over your fingers and corn in your teeth!
 

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Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
And follow it with a round of insulin and some anti-cholesteral pills. And a giant size serving of metamucil.

John
 

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Posted by Earwig (# 12057) on :
 
I was thinking ice cream.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by John Holding:
And follow it with a round of insulin and some anti-cholesteral pills.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Grizzy:
The carrots may be a little strange in there.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Firenze:
I sometimes braise carrots in orange juice as a vegetable - use very little, and reduce it to a glaze at the end.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
2oz organic British butter
<snip>
1 organic British egg
<snip>
3 tablespoons organic British yoghurt

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Is this an example of blatant Nationalism? Or perhaps an encouragement to make use of locally produced goods? Just curious.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
We had a recent report (November 2007) from the Church of England saying that British farmers are getting a raw deal from the supermarkets and we should consider buying from British farmers as a fair trade issue. That recipe was saved on my computer in that adapted form to promote fairtrade through recipes to encourage people to think about stewardship issues.
 

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Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :
 
OK, that makes sense.
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
Cake with yogurt in it sounds exciting... going to try that one (but with French ingredients )
 

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Posted by Suzywoozy (# 6259) on :
 
One of the most popular recipes in our house is a chocolate cake with yoghurt in it. It makes quite a dense cake but lovely and moist.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
An Experiment that worked, I've had rave reviews and a couple of requests for the recipe. It really is simple.

Apricot and Ginger Parcels

• Ingredients
• A 8oz tin of apricots
• A packet of filo pastry
• 3 tbsp of ginger conserve (jam)
• vanilla sugar

1. Put the ginger conserve in a microwaveable dish and heat for about a minute or until fairly runny.
2. Drain apricots of their juice
3. put apricots in a bowl and pour over ginger conserve, stir to cover apricots.
4. leave to cool otherwise too runny to be wrapped.
5. Cut filo pastry layers into two strips by cutting in half parallel to the long side.
6. place 2-3 apricot halves on each half layer and wrap
7. Place on baking sheet and cook in a 150° C oven for twenty minutes.
8. Take out, remove from baking sheet, and place on cooling rack.
9. sprinkle with vanilla sugar

quote:

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Originally posted by lady in red:
I have bananas sitting in my fruit bowl that have gone blacker than I like them, but are not at the completely unusable stage yet. Does anyone have a recipe for banana loaf?

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quote:

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Originally posted by lady in red:
Cake with yogurt in it sounds exciting... <snip>

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quote:

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The first day it's cake, after a night in the fridge it's gateaux.

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OK, I just have to ask. If gateau is the French word for "cake" (it is), then, what's the difference between a cake and a "gateau" in the sense you're using it here? My curiousity has been piqued because over on the Coffee Culture thread, someone linked to a Cafe website that touted its "wonderful cakes and gateaux," and here it is again. So what's gateaux? Is it a mushy cake?
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
It might be different in other parts of the world, but here in this corner of France "gateaux" is used for French cakes (big squashy Gateau St Honoré type things) and "Eeeenglish cack" is used for fruit cakes, or what I call cut-and-come-again cakes (tea breads/banana loaf etc) (The "cack" is supposed to be the pronunciation - but it may be a comment on what they think of my baking!!! )

Gateaux also seems to be used for biscuits. I was told to help myself to petits gateaux yesterday - but there were only chocklit biskits to be seen. Which begs the question (for me at least) what are French "biscuits", if what I call biskits are actually called Gateaux...?
 

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Posted by Freelance Monotheist (# 8990) on :
 
I've always known the French to say "petits gateaux" for biscuits (chocklit or otherwise) & "une part de gateau" for a slice of cake... Wonder what they call fairy cakes, as those could be called petits gateaux too! I guess you could get away with 'biscuits' and cookie seems to have made its way onto packaging too, but only for choc chip biscuits!
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
I'm both fascinated and confused (and, as an old French major from college, embarrassed at how much I've forgotten). But to avoid further derailment here, I'll move the discussion over to the Question Thread, where they just happen to be on the subject of French influence on the English language. Quelle coincidence!
 

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Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
Hot Cross Buns!

(for eight buns -- family breakfast batch)

2 cups white breadflour
tablespoon dried yeast
cup of mixed dried fruits
at least a teaspoon of mixed spice
pinch of salt
good tablespoon of sugar.

Mix all the above together.

Then add half a cup of warm milk, a tablespoon of melted butter and a lightly beaten egg. Mix to a dough, knead until smooth, rise in a warm place for about 50 minutesor until double (more or less).
Knock down and knead again, divide into eight and put in the baking tin, and leave another 25 minutes or so to rise again.
While they're rising, mix equal quantities of white flour and water -- say a quarter cup of each is plenty -- until smooth. Put a piping bag, or whatever.
Pipe the crosses on the risen buns, put in a 200° Celsius oven, and bake for say 15 minutes or until done.
While they're still hot, brush over with a glaze made from two tablespons water, two tablespoons sugar and a teapoon of mixed spice, all boiled together for five minmtes or so.

Serve still hottish with butter.
 

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Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
"Mixed spice" is...?

?Cinnamon+Mace+?

John
 

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Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
Blends of sweet spices are sold ready mixed in Australia, and almost certainly New Zealand as well. The exact blend differs from maker to maker, and isn't marked on the packet (I just checked). But there's definitely cinnamon, nutmeg, bit of cloves, bit of ginger, probably mace. Any other Oz/NZ cooks able to help?
 

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Posted by Dee. (# 5681) on :
 
Ok,

In NZ ground mixed spice is...

coriander, cinnamon, pimento, ginger, cassia, nutmeg, and cloves.

I don't know what the proportions are but I am guessing equal parts?
 

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Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
Oh, thank you, Dee! I knew there'd be someone out there more knowledgeable!

I was going on smell-analysis and guesswork alone, so Dee is more reliable, John.
 

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Posted by Athrawes (# 9594) on :
 
If you want to wait a couple of days, I have a recipe book at home that gives the recipe for Mixed Spice.
 

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Posted by Dee. (# 5681) on :
 
Ok here is a couple of recipes with proportions

Mixed spice Option 1
Ingredients Metric
Rice flour 25 g
Cinnamon 25 g
Caraway 25 g
Coriander 3 g
Ground ginger 3 g
Mace 11 g
Nutmeg 5 g
Pepper -
Total appr wt. 100 g

or

Ingredients Metric

Cinnamon 32 g
Coriander 32 g
Ground ginger 16 g
Nutmeg 16 g
Pepper 4 g
Total appr. wt. 100 g

[ 22. March 2008, 03:07: Message edited by: Dee. ]
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
My jar of mixed spice (from the UK) contains:
Cinnamon
Coriander
Nutmeg
Clove
Pimento
Ginger
- that will be in order of quantity as that's the legal requirement for labelling.
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
I'll add the hot cross bun recipe I used following Ringer's request on the other thread.

450g white bread flour (a bit of wholemeal in this would be fine though I imagine)
2/3 tsp ground cinnamon (depends how much you like it)
half a teaspoon of ground cloves
7g dried yeast (cos that's what comes in the little sachets )
200g of fruit, I used a combination of raisins, sultantas, glace cherries, mixed dried peel, fresh orange peel and dried apple.
110g caster (fine) sugar
50g unsalted butter
2sp vanilla extract
250ml milk
1 beaten egg

The crosses are made with 80g plain flour, 2tbsp sugar, 80 ml of water

Method
Sift flour & spcies into a large bowl and mix in the fruit, rind and sugar. Melt butter, stir in milk and vanilla extract and heat until tepid. Whisk into egg, add to flour mixture, mix in the yeast and form a dough and kneed for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Divide into 12 buns, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 90 minutes, til doubled in size.

Mix the paste, put it into a piping bag or plastic freezer bag with one corner snipped off and pipe a cross on ton each bun. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150C and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Lightly brush with a glaze. The one given in my recipe is a melted 2tbsp brown sugar, 3tbsp milk and 1tbsp marmalade. I was simulatenously making a lemon drizzle cake, so used the lemon drizzle (heated lemon juice and icing sugar) mixed with a little apricot jam.

Best eaten warm
 

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Posted by Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
newbie question - I've never made bread, never made anything with yeast. A website I looked at said you need a heavy duty mixer with dough hook to make bread, unless you have strong muscles or a bread machine. Bread machines being cheap these days, I sometimes wonder about buying one. Can hot cross buns be mixed and raised in a bread machine?
 

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Posted by bush baptist (# 12306) on :
 
You don't need strong muscles at all -- when I knead, I push down and away with the heels of my hands, maybe about as strongly as if I was giving a not-too-fierce massage (or even a gentle massage). Just steadily repeated kneading for a few minutes -- most recipes suggest about ten for the first kneading and a minute or two for the second.
 

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Posted by Quercus (# 12761) on :
 
Currently doing Ferijen's HCB recipe now - they're in the second stage of baking, with a rough bit of adjustment to allow for a fan oven. I found the mixture sticky, but I think I overdid the milk, so I just used a shake more flour when kneading. Shame I've got a stinking cold, as I can just tell that the kitchen smells good. Right, time to do the glaze.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Quercus:
I found the mixture sticky,

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I've found all the HCB recipes I've tried are sticky - sometimes very sticky. As I hate having my fingers stuck together with gooey dough I just don't make them any more.
 

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Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
I've just made Tattie Scones (potato scones) for the first time - and they worked! They very usefully used up some left over mashed potato. I give some exact measurements below based on my mum's old recipe, but actually I just added the flour till it looked right. Very quick.

200g cooked potatoes, mashed with a little butter
50g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt

Make sure potatoes are mashed absolutely smooth. Add flour and salt, and stir with a wooden spoon until blended (you may need to finish this by hand). Knead briefly until the dough is firm and smooth, adding more flour if necessary. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into a round until very thin (about 1/2 cm thick). Cut the round into 'pie' slices.

Wipe some vegetable oil round a girdle or heavy frying pan, and heat until hot. Place the slices on the girdle and cook on one side until lightly browned (about 1 minute). Turn and cook on the other side. Remove and cool on a rack.

Best eaten immediately while still hot, spread with butter. I used them to accompany soup, but they are also delicious with jam for tea. They keep for a day or so, but if they are getting old, then fry them like you would fried bread and serve with a traditional breakfast!
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
Have been meaning to come back for ages and say that Curiosity's banana loaf is yummy

I took it to the church leadership meeting (one of those ones where the main meal is prepared and everyone brings drinks and desserts) and there was none left at the end

[ 27. March 2008, 13:24: Message edited by: lady in red ]
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ringer:
A website I looked at said you need a heavy duty mixer with dough hook to make bread, unless you have strong muscles or a bread machine. Bread machines being cheap these days, I sometimes wonder about buying one. Can hot cross buns be mixed and raised in a bread machine?

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quote:

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lady in red wrote:
Have been meaning to come back for ages and say that Curiosity's banana loaf is yummy

I took it to the church leadership meeting (one of those ones where the main meal is prepared and everyone brings drinks and desserts) and there was none left at the end

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quote:

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Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I've substituted milk for yoghurt and it's worked. It even tastes OK when I substitute soya yoghurt and dairy free margarine, which kills most cake recipes, so it's one of the few cakes I bake now.

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I substitute with dairy free margarine and, with the exception of shortbread, I find almost everything works well.

In fact substituting soya milk in Yorkshire puddings I find far more successful than when I used to use cows milk.

I wonder if we use very different recipes or just have different tastes?
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
It may be different varieties of milk free margarine. Firstly cooking margarine used to be milk free and may still be. Secondly Pure is different from Suma when cooking. Suma seems to be better for cooking but I prefer Pure for taste. I find normally substituting half milk free marg and cookeen works really well in recipes where just milk free marg gives too soft a texture.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I make pancakes and Yorkshire puddings or that sort of batter based recipe still, using soya milk and so long as it's unsweetened soya milk it's fine. I tend to use sunflower oil as pretty tasteless as a butter replacement here.

I would use dairy free marge in cooking if I could use cocoa powder or some of the other flavourings, but my daughter is cocoa allergic as well as dairy allergic, so there is limit to what I can use to make things taste nice. One of the flavouring mixes I can do is spices with apples and dried fruit.
 

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Posted by Suzywoozy (# 6259) on :
 
ahh now cocoa features in a lot of our cooking.

I use cheap baking marge for cooking (Tesco/morrison own brand) and pure or preferably vitalite for spreading.

I've just made a batch of vegan scones - no egg and Tesco marge - and tbh I can't taste the difference.

I'd like to use oil more in baking but can't manage to get it to work, it always seems to turn out very greasy

[ 29. March 2008, 13:12: Message edited by: Suzywoozy ]
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
How about trying honey or treacle for some of the sugar as well as using vegetarian margarine and reduce the liquid. It will add flavour as well as sweetness.

Also check the margarine, the low fat ones (do they do this in dairy free) are not suitable for cooking. This is because they add lots of water to get the low fat!

Jengie
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
A recipe with oil and no refined sugar that I use it all the time

You need:

2 cups apple purée
3/4 cup oil
1 egg
2 cups flour (SR or add baking powder - I usually put some - but not all - wholemeal)
Something to sweeten - I use honey
2 cups raisins
1 small packet walnuts, chopped

Put the raisins in a pan, cover with water, and simmer on a low heat so that they absorb the water. Drain if it's not completely absorbed, and let them cool down.

Put the oil, apple purée, egg and honey in a mixing bowl and beat them together. Fold in the flour (and baking powder if not using SR), and add the nuts and soaked raisins.

Put it in a tin and bake at 220° for about 40 mins.

It makes a lovely moist (and fairly healthy) cake.

Carrot cake is also usually made with oil, not butter.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Made a delicious (and reasonably healthy) dish last night. I followed this Jamie Oliver recipe with the addition of some onions, and served it with pan fried courgettes & mushrooms with crusty bread. It was really delicious.

He mentions left overs being good with pasta & I can imagine that. But if you cook the number of sausages per person you won't get leftovers. However, next time I make it I'll consider doubling quantities to make pasta sauce to freeze.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Yum! I'm going to keep that recipe to use in the tomato glut in late summer (as long as the plants don't get Blight this year )

I wouldn't expect to get leftovers at the 2 sausages per person the recipe gives either - I think I'll make that quantity for the two of us, then we should have enough for the pasta sauce.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I went a bit mad with the frozen food delivery service and have lots of frozen mackerel & sardine fillets. Does anyone have any suggestions as to good recipes?
I've done mackerel with creamy lentils (a surprising success) but most of the pleasant sounding sardine recipe I've found is fairly rude about frozen sardines...I've got one which is a Thai based recipe that sounds nice but that's it.
 

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Posted by frin (# 9) on :
 
I was looking for a nice vegan cookie recipe, for no particular reason. I found a website which is blogging towards the launch of a vegan cookie cookbook.

I totally commend the pumpkin cookies to everyone. I made mine up with honey (not vegan) as I was out of maple syrup, and they were absolutely divine, both with and without the chocolate chunks.

'frin
 

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Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Okay I got some bulk sausage which, when thawed, seemed really squishy. I am about to fry it and see how well it holds together, although I'm not expecting it to do well.

So assuming it doesn't, how does one repair it before frying? Knead in some flour? Egg? Flour and egg? Nylon netting?

Interested to hear if anybody else out there in the Ship's Galley has any handy tips for this problem.
 

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Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by mousethief:
Okay I got some bulk sausage which, when thawed, seemed really squishy. I am about to fry it and see how well it holds together, although I'm not expecting it to do well.

So assuming it doesn't, how does one repair it before frying? Knead in some flour? Egg? Flour and egg? Nylon netting?

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I'd probably go with bread or saltine crumbs, ala meatloaf. Or maybe bulghur wheat. I've never tried flour, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Or, being lazy, I'd make something using the sausage in crumbed form.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Egg yolk would do a very good job of binding it together.

Moo
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Sausage cheese balls.

1/2 pound sausage
2cups biscuit mix
2cups grated cheddar cheese
oven at 400f for 10-15 min.

yum
 

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Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by rugasaw:
Sausage cheese balls.

1/2 pound sausage
2cups biscuit mix
2cups grated cheddar cheese
oven at 400f for 10-15 min.

yum

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We make those for Pascha! We use the hottest sausage and the sharpest cheese we can find. Always a hit!

Aside: Frightening that none of the grease from either the sausage or the cheese leaks out onto the baking pan. Little heart-attack balls! Tasty as all hell though!
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I was under the impression that the fat content was the main determining factor for how well sausage holds together once cooked. None of the other suggestions match the thought of more sausage gravy.
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
I would just fry it up, all a-crumble, til good and done, then put it in a plastic tub, & freeze it for when you make pizza, or spaghetti sauce.

Or, omelettes.

And yes, those sausage balls are great. Son1 makes them without cheese tho. Its his 'signature' dish.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Dang you, now I am hungering for an omelet. Onion, sausage, mushroom and maybe a little cheese covered in a green chili sauce. If I could make or find a good green chili sauce I would be in heaven now.
 

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Posted by GoodCatholicLad (# 9231) on :
 
I just made this today from my aunt's diabetic cookbook and it's very easy to throw together and quite good.

Applesauce Raisin Bars
1 cup of water
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Cook the raisins in water until soft. Drain off water. In a medium bowl, combine the raisins, applesauce, eggs, syrup, oil and vanilla.

2. Combine the remaining ingreiants and add to the medium bowl. Mix well. Bake in a non stick 9x12 inch pan for 30 minutes, cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Sorry for the American measurements and oven temps.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I'm not. I may have to try out this recipe.
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
I am an evil genius.

I have discovered (means I didn't invent it, but I just learned about its existence) a dessert recipe that just about anyone will sell their soul for and it only takes twenty minutes from start to finish (including cooking)

Beat together 3 eggs and 125 g / 5 oz sugar

Melt a bar of chocolate (200 g / 8 oz) in the microwave with 125 g / 5 oz of butter.

Beat the eggs / sugar into the chocolate and butter, then stir in 50g / 2 oz SR flour

Put it in a (fairly flat) microwaveable dish and cook on full power for 3 minutes. Let it stand 3 minutes, then cook on full power again for another 3 minutes.

Behold a delicious French chocolate fondant so good it ought to be illegal
 

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Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :
 
Sounds lovely - only trouble is, I don't have a microwave. Is there an ordinary oven version?
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by rugasaw:
Dang you, now I am hungering for an omelet. Onion, sausage, mushroom and maybe a little cheese covered in a green chili sauce. If I could make or find a good green chili sauce I would be in heaven now.

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Guess what I had for lunch?? an omelette, but I didn't have any sausage, crumbly, or otherwise. But plenty of cheese and onions.
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Chorister:
Sounds lovely - only trouble is, I don't have a microwave. Is there an ordinary oven version?

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quote:

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Originally posted by lady in red:
My microwave is 900 watts i think. When it first comes out, it doesn't look quite cooked, but it gets more solid as it cools down. The most unutterably blissful phase is when it is still warm but not hot. At this point is still a bit runny and gooey (although cold it is pretty darn fantastic too).

I didn't do this, but for maximum enjoyment i have a vision of the warm fondant with good vanilla ice cream. Mmmmm (goes off into a delicious reverie). Otherwise French people would serve it with crème anglaise I think (and a little bit of icing sugar dusted over the top to make it look pretty)

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This sounds gorgeous, do you think it would work in individual dishes? How many portions does it make?
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
That's for six people who aren't watching their weight

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work in smaller things. You might need to experiment with the cooking time tho, I suppose.
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
lady in red, what kind of chocolate did you use?
 

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Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
So many questions about chocolate dessert!

You see, there are those who think that the French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys and the like, but the truth is that France is finally going to take over the world. We have the chocolate fondant, and you shall all fall at our gastronomic feet

I was using what the French call 'chocolat de pâtisserie' - dark but not the very darkest. Although I see the potential for scientific experimentation using other kinds...
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by lady in red:
That's for six people who aren't watching their weight

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work in smaller things. You might need to experiment with the cooking time tho, I suppose.

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EXPERIMENT? You mean I'll have to cook it MORE THAN ONCE???


 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Here is a very nice recipe for a spinach cheese dish

SPINACH AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

1 lb (2 packages of frozen spinach) - thawed and all the water squeezed out
4 eggs - thoroughly beaten
1 cup of flour (not self rising)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbs. chopped onion (can add more)
1 cup milk
1 lb. cheese - grated - your choice

Mix eggs, flour, and milk, then other ingredients, lastly add the spinach - this will be very think. Spray baking dish with Pam - or other veg spray - and put in baking dish (9X12 works).

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
 

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Posted by Sarah G (# 11669) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by lady in red:
I am an evil genius.

I have discovered (means I didn't invent it, but I just learned about its existence) a dessert recipe that just about anyone will sell their soul for and it only takes twenty minutes from start to finish (including cooking)

Beat together 3 eggs and 125 g / 5 oz sugar

Melt a bar of chocolate (200 g / 8 oz) in the microwave with 125 g / 5 oz of butter.

Beat the eggs / sugar into the chocolate and butter, then stir in 50g / 2 oz SR flour

Put it in a (fairly flat) microwaveable dish and cook on full power for 3 minutes. Let it stand 3 minutes, then cook on full power again for another 3 minutes.

Behold a delicious French chocolate fondant so good it ought to be illegal

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quote:

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Originally posted by rugasaw:
Over here they serve carrot sticks and celery with chicken wings.

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Yes, served with chucky blue cheese dressing.
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by sllc:

quote:

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Originally posted by rugasaw:
Over here they serve carrot sticks and celery with chicken wings.

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Yes, served with chucky blue cheese dressing.

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I thought that was buffalo wings.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
I give you the world's finest chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Seriously, these things are insanely good.
 

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Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
We bought a fondue pot this weekend. Much dippy fun has ensued, so far we've done cheese for dinner Saturday night, Mr. Otter and The Pup did a spice curry Thai-ish thing for lunch yesterday; and best of all, I am happy to report that coconut milk stands in quite nicely for the cream and/or half-and-half in chocolate fondue!

Sorry, no real recipes, as we've just been winging it. IIRC the chocolate fondue was a 14-ish ounce can of coconut milk, a bar (4 ounce?) of Scharffen-Berger 70% cacao chocolate, the last of the bottle of caramel Bailey's Irish Cream, a good slug of vanilla, and sugar. (Measure? Who measures?)
 

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Posted by teddybear (# 7842) on :
 
The folks I work with are crazy about my peanut butter cookies, so last night I mixed up a batch and brought to work this morning. Here is my recipe:

1 cup softened butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Cream together until smooth. Then blend in the following dry ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well, then chill about 2 hours. When chilled, form into balls about 1-2 inches, then place on an ungreased baking sheet, about 3-4 inches apart. Flatten with a fork twice, making a criss cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees (F) for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before removing to a rack to complete cooling. Pour a tall glass of cold milk and enjoy!
 

---

Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
Hello everyone... does anyone have any good vegan main course recipes?

Auntie Doris x
 

---

Posted by Suzywoozy (# 6259) on :
 
I usually do my veggie chilli as that's vegan or do you need something posher?

I'll post my recipe if you like but it varies every time.
 

---

Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
I am not really that posh. I would love to have the chilli recipe.

Auntie Doris x
 

---

Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lady in red:
Melt a bar of chocolate (200 g / 8 oz) in the microwave with 125 g / 5 oz of butter.

---

As other folk at the Wightmeet can testify, chocolate doesn't take long to melt in a microwave (Rosamundi came to the rescue of our chocolate puddle after I gave the original chocolate too long!!)
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Dormouse asked for a recipe for South Indian papad so here is an approximation - some of the ingredients used here will not be available everywhere so I am using ordinary water and ordinary salt.

It sounds, from what HWMBO says, deceptively easy.

Get some Urad Dal flour - if this is not available buy some urad dal and grind it in a grinder until it is a fine flour.

Reserve some flour for later when rolling.

Add a little salt and a little water to the flour to make a stiff dough.

Knead a lot, or so he says - 10 or 20 minutes!

Leave to rest at least 30 minutes.

Make into long cylinder than chop into small pieces.

Make pieces into small balls rolled in the oiled hand, think table tennis ball size.

Flatten each ball in the hand individually then dip in the reserved flour briefly before rolling into a disc about 1 mm thick.

Dry in the sun, or somewhere convenient.

When fried in hot oil, one at a time, they should go a bit puffy.

After frying keep in an airtight tin until needed.

Crumble over spicy South Indian food.

Enjoy.

As a variation when mixing the dough add some black pepper powder to give a different taste.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Auntie Doris:
Hello everyone... does anyone have any good vegan main course recipes?

Auntie Doris x

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
...and way too much garlic...

---

I'm sorry, I don't understand this concept at all.



HWMBO's recipe for a garlic butter dressing for jacket potatoes is to peel a couple of heads of garlic, chop them roughly then fry gently in a mixture of olive oil and butter with a little salt and a little chilli powder then serve it just like that with the potato. That is a single person serving. He also does a fantabulous garlic pickle and occasionally treats me to his garlic curry.

We eat a kilo or two of garlic a week between the three of us.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:


We eat a kilo or two of garlic a week between the three of us.

---

Despite being very fond of the Stinking Rose, I can't actually imagine what a kilo of garlic looks like.


 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
It's pretty impressive, piglet. When I'm there, I get to share in the harvest.

Did I mention my fiddlehead dish had garlic too?
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Piglet, here is a few days supply.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
We had a pleasant little thing for lunch today:

Thick slice an aubergine & brush with oil.
Grill on both sides of the slices for about 15 minutes
Smear a good sized smear of hummus on top.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice & a grind of pepper
Pile on fresh breadcrumbs
Grill for a further 2/3 minutes
Eat with salad & any left over hummus.


Does anyone have any other similar things to eat with salad?
We tend to have cold meat/quiche/pie but these aren't very good for one. I'm looking for more veggie based ideas - any suggestions?
 

---

Posted by sllc (# 12707) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
We tend to have cold meat/quiche/pie but these aren't very good for one. I'm looking for more veggie based ideas - any suggestions?

---

Garlicky White Beans and Broth

For cooking the beans:
1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dry cannellini
4 quarts cold water, plus more if needed
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

For the Garlicky Soffritoo
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 big garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried peperoncino
(hot red pepper flakes)

Cooking the Beans:
Drain and rinse the beans and put them in a pot with the water,
bay leaves, and olive oil. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over
high heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is at a full boil,
set the cover ajar, adjust the heat to maintain a steady gentle boiling,
and cook for an hour more, until the beans are tender. Stir in the salt,
uncover, and continue cooking at a bubbling boil for another hour or
more, until the beans and broth have reduced to 3 quarts.
Lower the heat as the liquid evaporates, and the soup base
thickens, stirring now and then to prevent scorching.

Flavoring the Base with the Soffritto:
When the soup base if sufficiently reduced, make the soffritto.
Heat the olive oil and the sliced garlic in the skillet over medium
heat for 2 minutes or so, shaking the pan now and then, until the
slices are sizzling. Drop in the peperoncino, stir with the garlic
and cook another minute, or until the garlic is just starting to color.
From the soup pot, ladle out a cup of the simmering bean broth and
pour it into the skillet. Let it sizzle and start to boil, shake and stir up
the soffritto, and cook it for a couple of minutes in teh broth. Then
pour it all back into the bean pot, scraping in every bit of the soffritto,
or just rinse the skillet out with more broth. Simmer the soup base
for another 5 minutes with the soffritto, then remover from the heat.

The base is ready for a finished soup now; or let the whole pot cool, pick
out and discard the bay leaves, and keep the soup refrigerated for 3-4 days
or freeze, in filled and tightly sealed containers for 4-to 6 months.

I prefer navy beans but you can use any small white bean you prefer then I just put the whole mess in the crock pot except for the soffritto. I make that when the beans are done.
 

---

Posted by sllc (# 12707) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
We tend to have cold meat/quiche/pie but these aren't very good for one. I'm looking for more veggie based ideas - any suggestions?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
I wouldn't expect to get leftovers at the 2 sausages per person the recipe gives either - I think I'll make that quantity for the two of us, then we should have enough for the pasta sauce.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
This is one of those "surely any idiot knows that" questions. I've become very fond of broccoli, not just that it's good for you but I really do like it. But how much of the stalk are you supposed to eat? Whenever it's served as a vegetable in restaurants, you only get the "flower" and a bit of stalk. But I don't like throwing away a lot of what looks perfectly edible. So, what am I supposed to do with the stalks?

---

AFAIK the whole stalk is edible, but it gets very tough and fibrous. Usually when stalk is included with the floret, you get an inch or two. If you want to eat more, I believe the recommendation is to slice it into medallions, which makes it seem less stingy, and allows it to cook in about the same time as the florets. IIRC, peeling the stem is also suggested.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
You can also julienne the stem and use it in stir fries and that sort of thing - it goes very nicely with shredded ginger!
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Suddenly it's winter and thoughts of Soup abound. I have read through the last-but-one recipe thread, (following Mamacita's link to Limbo, then following a link on that thread by AdamPater) and copied out some of the easiest recipes, especially those involving lentils. I am now halfway through the thread immediately before this one (whew!). I have tried to remember to add the name of the poster to each recipe, but neglected to do that with the first one I downloaded, and unfortunatley it's that one I have a question about.

It is a recipe for beetroot soup and says;
Peel vege and apple and place in a pan with oil and a couple of spoonfuls of water. Sweat with the lid on for 15 mins or so.

In this context what does sweat mean?

I thought it would be easier just to ask here, rather than wade back through all I've read - besides which it made me hungry.

And thanks everyone for the inspiration to widen my repetoire.

Huia
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
In this context, "sweat" means to cook very gently in butter/oil with a lid on, and without letting it brown.

On the broccoli subject, it's very nice sauteed with garlic and coriander - there's a recipe for cauliflower done that way in Delia Smith's Cookery Course, but you can use broccoli or a mixture of the two.

P.S. Wiffles, thank you for the garlic picture - very very scary!


 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Piglet.

I have just bought 4 chicken bodies with most of the meat stripped off them (called cages here) and am about to make around 5 litres of stock, then the hard part will be deciding which recipe to try first.

I think it might be chicken barley broth, an old favourite followed by one of the downloaded recipes. Decisions, decisions.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
I want to make lasagne this coming weekend. I found the cutest lasagne pasta -- its only about 3/4 of an inch wide. Should be nicer to handle than those huge ones.

Anyway, its the cheesy part I want advice on. The red sauce is no problem. In the past, the white cheese mix has wound up being too runny. I like it to be a good thick layer, quite 'stiff', if you know what I mean.

So what do you use? Ricotta and an egg, and what else?
 

---

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 
Definitely not riccotta! Whole milk (not part skim milk) mozzarelle, please. I never heard of using an egg.

Use crumbled mozzarelle. It saves you the trouble of slicing it into uniform pieces. And be generous with it!
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
These may not be strictly proper, but I've been known to use in lasagna:

ricotta
cottage cheese
mozzarella
provolone
fontina
parmesan
romano
asiago

Although not all at once, at least that I recall. To minimize runniness, keep the proportion of moist cheeses like ricotta, fresh mozzarella (the kind packed in water} and cottage cheese down, and go with more firm cheeses (firm dry mozzarella included).

[ 28. May 2008, 15:10: Message edited by: Otter ]
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
Thanks for the tips, Miss Amanda and Otter.

What I'm after is about an inch thick layer of cheese-cake like consistency. The price of cheese around here has gone sky-high! I'll let you all know how it turns out. Wanna come over for lunch Sunday?

PB4S
 

---

Posted by Nats (# 2211) on :
 
I seem to remember putting egg in the white sauce part of a mussaka.... one version here
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I thought the white layer was a bechamel sauce? With or without cheese on the top.
 

---

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pearl B4 Swine:
Wanna come over for lunch Sunday?

---

In a flash! Can't afford to travel, though.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Talking of cheese toppings, I came across a nice one for fish, from the late sainted Jane Grigson.

Just mix grated cheese (she suggests a mixture of gruyere and parmesan) with a good dod of Dijon mustard and a couple of spoonfuls of cream. Spread on your fish and bake or grill til all golden and bubbly.

[Deleted duplicate post. Mamacita, Heavenly Host]

[ 29. May 2008, 05:08: Message edited by: Mamacita ]
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
That's like my Dad's cheese on toast. Grate the cheese (cheddar of course, as stgrong as possible) and mix it with almost as much mayonaisse as cheese, and maybe some ground pepper, and some fresh herbs (basil is best) to make a splodge. Put the splodge on toast and put it back under the grill till it goes brown and bubbly. Mmmmmm...

That and my Mum's trick of putting Marmite on bread before you fry it are all you need to know about hot greasy bread snacks.

In the old days before heart attacks went out of fasion (i,e, the 1960s) the bread would be fried in lard - heat half the lard in the frying pan, mix the rest with the marmite and spread the mix on slices of bread. Fry the unmarmitey side for a few minutes, then turn over. If you were cookign a breakfast fit for paradise you would put a few onion rings into fry as well. Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm...
 

---

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
That's like my Dad's cheese on toast. Grate the cheese (cheddar of course, as stgrong as possible) and mix it with almost as much mayonaisse as cheese, and maybe some ground pepper, and some fresh herbs (basil is best) to make a splodge. Put the splodge on toast and put it back under the grill till it goes brown and bubbly.

---

quote:

---

In the old days before heart attacks went out of fasion (i,e, the 1960s) the bread would be fried in lard.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe:
Definitely not riccotta! Whole milk (not part skim milk) mozzarelle, please. I never heard of using an egg.

Use crumbled mozzarelle. It saves you the trouble of slicing it into uniform pieces. And be generous with it!

---

You use the beaten egg with the ricotta so the ricotta is easier to spread on the lasagne noodles.
Skim milk Mozzarella to me isn't Mozzarella it's more like a white rubber ball.
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
And here I thought I had a secret food-sin. Now I find I'm not alone! Whew.

Mayo mixed with that powdery "parmesan" cheese in the plastic shaker ---we call it 'sprinkle cheese'; spread thick on white bread, then bake til its puffed and brown. You're right its heavenly.

Another confession: a hunk of bread dipped into the bacon grease in the skillet. I know, my arteries are screaming "NO".
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
A few weeks ago I had my garden turned from weed-choked morass into, well, garden. The first thing I did was put out pots of herbs.

Tonight I harvested a handful and threw them at the grilled lamb chop and, in the case of the mint, at a mixture of natural yoghurt, diced cucumber and finely chopped onion (this from a Greek cookbook which doesn't actually call it tzatziki).

I have to say, it reminded me why you should use fresh herbs - the impact on a simple meal was subtle, but amazing.
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Herbs are definitely the value-for-time-and-money way for gardening. I have considered putting half of ours down to parsley so we can do Greek cooking properly.

ken's mention of Marmite reminds me of my favourite variation of cheese on toast:

toast bread, lightly
spread with butter (optional)
spread with Marmite (to taste)
Add sliced tomato
and sliced cheese on top of that.

Now toast the lot and consume BUT BEWARE of scalding hot tomato!

To tell the truth, if it makes a good pizza, it will probably go well on toast.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
A recipe suggested (some time ago*) to cook with young pre-school children was making cheese snails by spreading marmite and grated cheese over a sheet of puff pastry, rolling it up like a swiss roll and then slicing into rounds before baking.

* I'm not sure it would pass the current salt content guidelines.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Marmite is not readily available over here. Is there something else that will pair well with school children?
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Well Marmite is officially a Yeast Extract, so if you can buy Yeast Extract then that would substitute. Don't try this on your average anglo-saxon, yeast extracts can taste quite different, and they will know what Marmite tastes like. They may not like Marmite but they will KNOW the flavour. Failing that, and with non vegetarian kids, then Bovril or similar may do.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
Either that, or find a local store selling overseas goodies for homesick expatriates. Marmite from a British shop, Vegemite from an Aussie/Kiwi shop.

Just don't ask for Marmite at the Aussie/Kiwi shop or Vegemite from the Brits - there will NEVER be agreement on which is best.

And if you buy it, and hate it (spread it thinly to begin by the way), you can always drop a bit into soup to add a bit of zing and use it up .
 

---

Posted by Cusanus (# 692) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Marmite is not readily available over here. Is there something else that will pair well with school children?

---

Anything you would normally serve with veal should be appropriate. (Not sure if Dean Swift included any recipes in his Modest Proposal.)

Personally, I like small children but I couldn't eat a whole one.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
A couple of days ago I made a tomato and red lentil soup babybear posted on a previous thread. It was really yummy and as it used ingredients I often have around anyway, I'll definitely be making it again.

My biggest surprise was a chickpea soup recipe I'm not sure if I picked up here or by googling chickpeas and soup. I'd never made anything with them before despite Arabella giving me a recipe ( which I will try now I have the courage). I didn't know they had a sweetish taste. That will be another repeat

Soupmaking is helping me get some control in my life, besides giving me hot, nutritious meals on wintry days - with all leftovers frozen for future enjoyment.

Thanks to all recipe posters.

Huia

[ 04. June 2008, 06:29: Message edited by: Huia ]
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I live off soup come midwinter.

One thing I have found is that if you are making any kind of simple vegetable soup, putting it through a blender (or, if you don't have one, mashing it with a potato-masher) is transformative. It turns a watery soup into a creamy one.

But one I keep coming back to is Potage Paysanne.

Ingredients:
Diced streaky bacon (a couple of rashers)
Milk
Flour
Water or stock
Root vegetables - potato, onion, carrot, turnip, leek etc.

In a large, heavy pot fry the bacon until the fat runs. Tip in the assorted vegetables, cut in chunks and turn for a minute or two in the fat. Sprinkle over a little flour and keep turning. Pour over a little milk - no more than half a cup - and stir. Add enough water or stock to cover (but not drown) the vegetables, turn down to a simmer and cook until tender.

Just the little bit of bacon, and the vestigal roux just lifts the soup into a satisfying meal.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
This sounds yummy Firenze. I must try it.

I made some excellent flapjack this weekend - we had no proper nuts so I threw in some pine nuts. They worked okay. With added coconut and big juicy raisins I'm finding it hard to stick to my rule of one square of flapjack a day....
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Errrr...can somebody give me a cross-pond hint what kind of thing Dormouse is calling a flapjack? I've only heard "flapjack" applied to what are normally called pancackes 'round here, the thicker vaguely-relatives of crepes.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Flapjacks - oat slices, softer than usual biscuits, not really cakes. Can include all sorts of nuts and raisins to make them more interesting. There's a Cranks recipe making savoury flapjacks using cheese and rosemary, which I've tried - once.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Thanks muchly, Curiosity killed! I may have to give them a try, they certainly sound good.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I'm not sure that they're any healthier than other biscuits, containing, as mine do, both sugar and golden syrup, as well as butter, but I kid myself that the porridge oats make a difference. After all, oats are good for cholesterol...
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Somewhere I've got a recipe for flapjacks made with olive oil which makes them slightly healthier. They're still full of sugar though...
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I'd like to try a recipe for pasta with broad beans and bacon. It calls for lots of fresh parsley. I haven't got any, but have got sage, tarragon, oregano, thyme and chives. Any suggestions for which would be the best alternative?

Thanks!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Tarragon.

But use less of it, as the aniseedy taste is stronger than in parsley.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Thanks, Firenze. In the end though, it was raining too hard to go out for fresh herbs (pathetic, moi?!) so we used dried parsley. Tasted pretty good all the same.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Wow Wiff Waff = that's more than I would use in 2 years! I'm seriously impressed.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 


We don't get many vampires round here!

I saw a great pancake recipe on TV in UK when I was over there - souffle pancakes! In the initial batter just add the egg yolks, not the whites then whisk the white separately, add sugar and whisk again then fold the stiff whites into the batter then fry. They looked delicious - a little thicker but very light.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
You can do the soufflé trick with omelettes too - which I prefer with sweet fillings - not that I've done that for ages.
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Another trick for "healthier" flapjacks is to replace half the golden syrup with black treacle. It won't be any less sweet nor have any fewer calories but is a good source of calcium and iron.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
I saw a great pancake recipe on TV in UK when I was over there - souffle pancakes! In the initial batter just add the egg yolks, not the whites then whisk the white separately, add sugar and whisk again then fold the stiff whites into the batter then fry. They looked delicious - a little thicker but very light.

---

In the summer of 1970 I worked as a breakfast cook at the Holiday Inn in Lake Placid, New York. That is how we made our pancakes -- we called them "Adirondack Flapjacks". The recipe called for 32 eggs. It was lots of fun separating 32 eggs, ensuring that no yoke got into the whites.

And pure maple syrup please -- so-called "pancake syrup" is nothing more than colored water and sugar.

[ 18. June 2008, 15:45: Message edited by: Amanda B. Reckondwythe ]
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I've got a bunch of summer beetroot and don't know what to do with it! I know how to roast the winter sort and how to make it into soup, which feels too wintery, but it doesn't seem summery enough for salad which is the only other thing I know with beetroot. Any suggestions for something simple and tasty that the K-Glet (17 months) can eat too??
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Grate a young beetroot and a carrot. Add a little orange juice for a salad.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Beetroot - roast peeled in chunks with onion wedges using olive oil. Add balsamic vinegar, feta and walnuts to make a hot summer salad, serve with green salad.

Makes a nice sandwich filling grated with cheese - something like Cheshire or Wensleydale, and the bread doesn't go pink if lined with lettuce.

Or there is this site
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
Just serve it as a roast vegetable like any other that you'd have have with roast beef or lamb. It is a great alternative to some of the more traditional veg.

Also nice raw, grated and mixed with grated carrot, chick peas and a vinaigrette made from orange juice. Toss in some rocket leaves and it even looks beautiful. (Actually the red and green makes it very festive as a summer Christmas dish, but that only works down under!)
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Peel and fairly finely chop the raw beetroot.

Heat some coconut oil [or other oil but coconut tastes better and you only need a little] in pan.

Add a teaspoonful [or less] of mustard seed.

After the mustard seed has popped add beetroot, stir and after a moment reduce heat.

Add a little salt.

Cook gently and stir occasionally.

When done add a dessert spoon of fresh grated coconut [obtainable in many Asian supermarkets already grated] or use unsweetened dessicated coconut that has been moistened and left to swell.

Stir over low heat for 2 minutes.

Serve as an authentic and delicious Kerala dish - Beetroot Thoran [the 'h' is silent].

This is authentic Indian food and note that it contains neither chilli nor ginger - not all Indian food is like the stuff served in Indian restaurants in the rest of the world.

The same basic method can be used for cooking cut green beans, spinach, cabbage, etc.

[ 19. June 2008, 14:50: Message edited by: Wiff Waff ]
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I just made some berry crumbles. I had some frozen berries I wanted to get rid of and tried a crumble for the first time. I filled some ramekins with the berries sprinkled on brown sugar, topped with an oat cluster with raisins and almonds cereal, and I added a bit of butter to the top. I baked at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. I turned out delicious. However I think next time I will let the berries de-thaw before I add them. I also may use honey or sorghum instead of brown sugar. Do any of you have any suggestions?
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
The crumble topping I've always used is the basic one, roughly crumbling butter into flour and then adding brown sugar and ground ginger with a bit of baking powder, but mixing some natural muesli in always improves it.

I think plain apple crumble was the first thing I ever cooked in high school home economics, but adding rhubarb to the stewed fruit base is a definitely improvement and replacing the apple with strawberries even better!

Berry crumble is delicious, particularly if it is a berry mixture, but I'd definitely thaw the fruit first so that you can cook the crumble in about 15 minutes.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Wiff Waff, just to say I made your Beetroot Thoran the other night and it was lovely, definitely on both, my daughter's and my, recipe lists. We reckoned it might make shop bought runner beans edible. (I only like runner beans I grow myself, which I eat at around a third of the size that the shops sell them at, and those I accidently let grow to big go into chutney or a curry.)
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
(I only like runner beans I grow myself,

---

Me too, they taste so good straight from the vine! - Besides which, August and September being 'Runner Beans At Every Meal' season , I don't feel the need to buy them when I don't have them in the garden.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Honey mangoes.

Those of you with Pakistani greengrocers will know about this seasonal treat. If you don't, go find one now.

I have just discovered they also make a stunning raita.

1 honey mango
1 green chili
pinch salt, sugar
tsp mustard seeds
natural yoghurt

Dice the mango, crush the mustard seeds, finely chop the chili - combine everything.

The Dopiaza I had it with was also special. To the usual stew of lamb, onions, tumeric and cayenne, add, at the very end of the cooking time, half a cupful (or more) of minced fresh mint, fresh coriander, green chili and lemon juice.
 

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Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 
Help wanted!

4th of July picnic. 100 degrees out, so nothing hot. Just about everyone's on a diet so nothing deserty. Far away from civilized running water or change of clothes, so nothing too messy on face and hands to eat.

Some sort of fun veggie dish would be nice, ye old tray of raws with dip is getting old.

I don't cook much beyond opening a can, so no multi-hours in the kitchen doing fancy things to the food, please!

Ideas?
 

---

Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 
Fruit skewers -- put chunks of melon, whole strawberries, whole seedless grapes, large blueberries, and the like on thin bamboo skewers. Chunks of apple would work, if you bathe them first in a mixture of water and lemon juice so they don't turn brown.

If that's too much trouble, toss the fruit into a bowl, and make it a fruit salad.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Compliments to a friend at church who made this dessert.

Angel food cake, sugar free vanilla (or banana)pudding, sliced strawberries, light whipped topping. Who said no dessert.

Veggies: Grilled/broiled asparagus. Coat with oil, salt, broil for about 10 minutes. If you wish to grill them skew the spears orthogonally.
 

---

Posted by Belle Ringer (# 13379) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Veggies: Grilled/broiled asparagus. Coat with oil, salt, broil for about 10 minutes. If you wish to grill them skew the spears orthogonally.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

Thin-cut brown bread with cucumber.

---

We should have a Campaign For Real Cucumber Sandwiches.

Thick slabs of wholemeal bread. With lots of butter. And put salt and crushed peppercorns on the cucumber. And make sure there is more than one layer of cucumber slices all through the sandwich. And add some finely chopped spring onion. And a tiny dab of mayonaisse.

About a third of the slices of br4ead should have a little marmite on them. And about a third of the sandwiches should have some strong Cheddar cheese in them. It should not be obvious which is which from the outside.

Good idea about the stuff with pitta though.
 

---

Posted by Random Cathoholic (# 13129) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
I just made some berry crumbles. I had some frozen berries I wanted to get rid of ... Do any of you have any suggestions?

---

Here's a simple desert I had at a restaurant a few years ago:

Put a handful of frozen mixed berries into a dessert bowl.

Make a sauce by melting some chocolate (either white or very dark) in a bain-marie, and stirring in some creme fraiche.

Pour the hot chocolatey sauce over the berries. Heat transfer occurs. Berries go half-thawed, chocolate sauce goes half-solid.

Eat. Try not to make too many noises, or people will look at you funny.
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 
Is anyone out there making pickles?

I just started some pickled limes---the Indian kind that sit in the sun and are eaten within a month or so. Thanks to the fabulous book, The Joy of Pickling, I've also got my eye on some Russian and Japanese recipes and will be looking for local pickling cucumbers as soon as possible...
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Last summer one of Mr. Otter's co-workers had an excess of pickling cucumbers from his garden, and shared with the office. It started a ball rolling in our house that led to several batches of different kinds of pickles. Off the top of my head we did sweet pickles, dill-ish pickles, pickled tiny onions, and a batch of mixed hot peppers for The Otter Pup. Then we branched out and did a batch of tomato preserves. None of the batches were very big, I think the largest was the hot peppers, a dozen or so half-pint or pint jars. They all came out quite good, if I do say so myself.

The funny thing is, we tried to be restrained and not gobble all of that home-canned goodness up too fast, so most of the jars are still down in the basement. I think we can practice a little less self-control in this case, as we'll probably do more again this year.

The only problem with pickles, and canning in general, is it always ends up going on in hot and sticky weather. But I knew that from helping my mom with canning when I was a kid.
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
AnnaB and Otter, do either of you make bread-and-butter pickles? Those were my dad's favorites and my grandma and great-aunt would "put up" loads of them. You rarely find them nowadays. I sometimes find them at our Farmers' Market, and buy a quart to take to my dad. (I still haven't learned how to do canning. Maybe one of you can give me a lesson.)
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
Over on the Britishisms thread, the conversation has wandered into types of food, and while discussing cakes/gateaux/biscuits/cookies/bars, someone mentioned "blondies." Herewith is a recipe I use for "blondies," a.k.a. Butterscotch Brownies.

2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 12-ounce package Butterscotch Morsels
1/2 C butter
2 C brown sugar, firmly packed
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350F. In small bowl, comgine dry ingredients and set aside. Over hot/not boiling water [I use the microwave], combine Butterscotch Morsels and butter; heat until melted. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in brown sugar. Cool 5 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour mixture and stir in nuts. Spread into greased 15x10 baking pan. Bake 30 min. Cool, cut into 2-inch squares.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
My family isn't so much into bread and butter pickles, so I haven't done them. But most easy pickle recipes are variations on what spices are used, and if you blanch the cukes or not. (according to the Ball canning book I got last summer, strictly proper dill pickles involve salting and even possibly fermentation for a days or weeks before the actual canning, a process I'm unlikely to take on).

Reduced to the simplest, the pickles I've done are:
Wash and trim the veggies, cut up as desired.
Sterilize the jars, rings, and lids in boiling water (in the canning pot).
Make the pickling liquid - vinegar, canning salt (no additives that may discolor the pickles), sugar, spices, simmered together.
Pack the veggies in the hot jars, possibly also including goodies such as garlic, cinnamon sticks, sprig of dill, hot peppers, etc.
Pour the hot liquid over the veggies, wipe off lip of jar, put rings & lids on.
Carefully put the jars in the canning pot (should be simmering), bring up to a boil, and let it process (aka boil) for the appropriate time, which depends on the size of your jars and what you're canning.
Remove jars from the water and let cool - the lids should suck down and hold on. Tighten up the rings when cool.

Partial jars don't get processed, and go straight to the fridge for almost-immediate consumption.
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mamacita:
AnnaB and Otter, do either of you make bread-and-butter pickles? Those were my dad's favorites and my grandma and great-aunt would "put up" loads of them. You rarely find them nowadays. I sometimes find them at our Farmers' Market, and buy a quart to take to my dad. (I still haven't learned how to do canning. Maybe one of you can give me a lesson.)

---

My mother's youngest sister, who lives in Northern California, makes such extraordinarily delicious bread-and-butter pickles that I don't bother trying to compete! If we're lucky, we get a couple jars at Christmas, and immediately eat them up (they're especially good, as you undoubtedly know, with grilled-cheese sandwiches).

My lime pickles are progressing well, and just yesterday I started a batch of Russian garlic dills, to be fermented in a glass jar so I can see what's going on. I even had on hand some blackcurrant leaves to add to the layers of cucumbers, spices, dill, and garlic; I've heard that the leaves help keep the pickles firm and green. The crowning touch was a piece of rye bread (without preservatives, of course), which supposedly contributes desired yeasts.
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I used to make bread-and-butter pickles using small zucchini from my garden. They were delicious.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
The recipe I use for Bread And Butter Pickle doesn't require it to be sterilised.

I just pack the salted and drained veg into a jar, cover with boiling spiced vinegar and seal.
I'd be embarrassed to tell you how many years I kept a jar at the back of the cupboard before we found it and ate it It was a bit soft, but tasted fine!
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
I have been threatened with reprisals and mayhem if I don't post the recipe for Mushy Peas, Kerala Style, as mentioned on the English Food thread.

You will need:

dried peas
a medium onion
a head or two of garlic
a few spices
a little salt
a little oil [I use a combination of a little coconut oil and a little butter because this gives a lovely rounded flavour]

Wash your peas and soak overnight

Half an hour or so before you want to eat finely slice the onion

Heat oil in large pan

Add mustard seed to hot oil and allow to pop then add onion then immediately reduce heat and leave to caramelise, stir occasionally

Skin garlic and chop a bit if you think you need the exercise - add to oil about halfway through cooking the peas but this depends on how cooked you like your garlic

Put peas in the pressure cooker covered with a bit more water than you would normally use plus a little salt

Cook for at least 12 whistles, 15 might be better [this is why you need more water]

After decompression raise heat under the onion, etc. and add spices - I suggest just a little turmeric and a little chilli/cayenne powder although it just strikes me a little smoked paprika would probably be fab as well

add peas with any remaining liquid and fry it all together - if necessary add a little more water but let it all reduce until you have the right mushy peas consistency.

Taste to check seasoning then, if there is any left after the tasting:

Serve.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
This is similar to how I cook black beans. I use canned so I can leave out the pressure cooker step. I also do not use mustard seeds. I usually mix with rice but you can eat it straight if you wish.
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
I used to make bread-and-butter pickles using small zucchini from my garden. They were delicious.

Moo

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Peel and fairly finely chop the raw beetroot.

Heat some coconut oil [or other oil but coconut tastes better and you only need a little] in pan.

Add a teaspoonful [or less] of mustard seed.

After the mustard seed has popped add beetroot, stir and after a moment reduce heat.

Add a little salt.

Cook gently and stir occasionally.

When done add a dessert spoon of fresh grated coconut [obtainable in many Asian supermarkets already grated] or use unsweetened dessicated coconut that has been moistened and left to swell.

Stir over low heat for 2 minutes.

Serve as an authentic and delicious Kerala dish - Beetroot Thoran [the 'h' is silent].

This is authentic Indian food and note that it contains neither chilli nor ginger - not all Indian food is like the stuff served in Indian restaurants in the rest of the world.

The same basic method can be used for cooking cut green beans, spinach, cabbage, etc.

---

Tried this with green beans last week - delicious. Wondered what it would be like with (pre-boiled) potatoes and peas, so tried it tonight and added a smidge of garam masala as well. I'm sure this now means it's a wildly in-authentic pseudo-Thoran but it was very nice indeed. Served it in a sorj bread wrapper as a sort of substitute dosa just to make it even less authentic! I imagine the kitchen gods of Kerala are looking down on me shaking their heads sadly.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
I think the Kerala kitchen gods would be delighted, Cusanus - sorj bread appears to be what we would here call romali roti, something we have never attempted making at home, and I think it would go well with that thoran.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
I found a description that says that bread & butter pickles are "on the sweeter end of the pickle spectrum, but not quite to the level of traditional sweet pickles"
 

---

Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
Inspired by the English food thread, here is Gran in red's mole in the hole* recipe (because my Gran did it better than Delia )

Put 2 oz flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle. Break an egg into it and then beat the two together with a fork (actually I suspect the only reason she used a fork was that she didn't own a whisk, but have to be faithful to the Gran in red method here). Add 1/4 pt milk, a little at a time and beat to make a smooth batter. Leave it to stand while you do the next bit (NB don't try to save time by doing a 'meanwhile' thing - the batter needs to sit)

Turn on the oven to 220°. Put some sausages in a tin with a little vegetable oil (or lard if you're doing it the old-fashioned way and don't mind the damage to your arteries) and stick the pan in to heat, for about 20 minutes - the fat needs to be really dangerously spitting hot. Take it out and then immediately pour the batter in and put it back in the oven for about 20 mins more, until it's all risen and crispy (if Gran in red was making Yorkshire pudding then it could rise up so high that you needed to push it down with a knife to get it out of the oven. But alas, I have not inherited her talent to that point)

This is the finest comfort food ever known.

*why she always called it mole and not toad I don't know. But she always did. And she was the finest mole in the hole maker EVER.
 

---

Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 
Whoops - forgot to say, you have to use PLAIN flour. Self-raising doesn't work.
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lady in red:
why she always called it mole and not toad I don't know. But she always did. And she was the finest mole in the hole maker EVER.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
As posted earlier, the GH recipe uses sliced, brined and drained cucumbers, layered with sliced onions and covered with boiling spiced vinegar. I don't have the recipe to hand, but I'm certain that the vinegar mix contains brown sugar.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
I'm not sure whether my recipe contained brown sugar or white. I do know that it contained turmeric; the pickles were yellow.

Moo

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:
I found a description that says that bread & butter pickles are "on the sweeter end of the pickle spectrum, but not quite to the level of traditional sweet pickles"

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
Here is my bread-and-butter pickle recipe.

6 lb. pickling cucumbers or small zucchini
1½ c. sliced onions
2 large garlic cloves, left whole
1/3; c. salt
several cups ice cubes or crushed ice
4½ c. sugar
1½ teasp. tumeric
1½ teasp celery seed
2 tblsp mustard seed
3 c. white vinegar

Wash and slice cucumbers. Combine with onions, garlic, and salt. Cover with ice and let stand for 3 hours.

Drain off liquid and remove garlic. Combine sugar, spices, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Add cucumber and onion slices and bring back to a boil.

Pack in clean hot jars and process ten minutes in a boiling water bath.

Makes 7 pints

---

With all that onion, why remove the garlic?


 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Just stick with the Kerala style Garlic Pickle Pete and you'll be fine.
 

---

Posted by lady in red (# 10688) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by lady in red:
why she always called it mole and not toad I don't know. But she always did. And she was the finest mole in the hole maker EVER.

---

Perhaps she was a Southlanders fan? (Scroll down below the group photo for the lyrics).
Or listen to them here)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:
Yesterday the Boy and I went to this place for a fun outing and I found not only an entire counter devoted to pickles (I think another Shippie was telling me about this on the ethnic-market thread), but also a little plastic Japanese pickle press. Most inspiring. I'm going to pick up a daikon or two and experiment.

Does anyone out there have any experience with Harsch sauerkraut-fermenting crocks?

---

Hmm...I may have mentioned Mitsuwa on that thread, but I'd never noticed the pickle counter. Clearly I've been remiss in my shopping!

My mother used to make sauerkraut every summer, using a plate wrapped in muslin with a brick on top to keep things pressed down in the crock. She rinsed the fabric daily, I suspect she would have appreciated one of those crocks. The gutter arrangement around the lid reminds me of the water/fermentation locks used in homebrewing...which I see one style of use in a "picklemeister" jar/fermenting system at one site I hit.

No, no, I don't need to look at those sites any more. I don't need to start fermenting my own dills . . .
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:
No, no, I don't need to look at those sites any more. I don't need to start fermenting my own dills . . .

---

Come over to the dark side! We have pickles!
 

---

Posted by guinness girl (# 4391) on :
 
I'm off to a hen weekend tomorrow and want to bake something cakey that is scrummy, indulgent and special - but I want it to be easy to make and (here's the hard bit) not chocolatey! I reckon everyone else will bring chocolate themed foods because we're all girls, but I'd like to do something different. There will be 18 of us so it should be something that is easily made in bulk without taking forever to cook.

So, not too specific then! Can anyone suggest anything that fits the bill? Any suggestions would be eagerly and thankfully received!

[ 10. July 2008, 16:37: Message edited by: guinness girl ]
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 
The difficult part of your question for me, guinness girl, is the bit about making enough cake for 18 people. It seems all of my cake recipes serve 12 max. Doubling cake recipes, as I'm sure you know, is a tricky proposition.

Might you be willing to consider making American-style bar cookies?
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Or cheesecake. You can never go too far wrong with cheesecake. My (admittedly limited) experience with cheesecake is that it really isn't too hard - mix everything together then bake.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Here is my mother's blackberry wine cake recipe. If you cannot find blackberry jello you can use blackberry fusion jello or raspberry jello. By the time the cake is done you should not have any blackberry wine left

BLACKBERRY WINE BUNDT CAKE

1-white cake package (18.5 oz)
1-package 3oz Royal blackberry jello
4-eggs
1/2cup oil
1cp wine (100% blackberry wine)
½ cp pecans
preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine mix with jello, eggs, oil, and wine. Beat until moisten (medium speed for 3 minutes). Grease and flour bundt pan. Sprinkle pecans on the bottom of the pan. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

You can add 1 cup real blackberries (squashed) to the mix. Pecans are not necessary(Pecans are always necessary).

GLAZE

1cp powdered sugar
½ cp butter
½ cp wine
mix butter and wine. Hard boil

Pour 2/3 glaze over warm cake in pan and cool for 30 minutes. Add powdered sugar to glaze until thickened to a gravy consistency. Take cake out of the bundt pan and pour the rest of the gaze over the cake.
 

---

Posted by guinness girl (# 4391) on :
 
Thanks guys! Anna, I'd be happy to make something that can be made into smaller portions, like brownies (current choice if I can't find something non-chocolatey) or individual small cakes.

Rugasaw, that sounds fabulous! I am definitely marking that one up to try in the future, but I can't get hold of blackberry wine or cake mix very easily in this country so I'll have to do something else this weekend

Otter - it's on the shortlist
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Odd I thought you would be able find cake mix just about anywhere. The blackberry wine I use is Manischewitz kosher 100% blackberry wine. It is the only blackberry wine I can find here.

I can also say Moo's fruit pudding is easy, delicious, and kind of cake like. I think it was posted on the previous recipe thread.
 

---

Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 
guiness girl, you could try pecan pie bars. The recipe makes 36 bars, and 2 per person is plenty. They're very rich.

Pecan Pie Bars

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, cold
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark corn syrup (Karo)

Heat oven to 350.

Combine flour and powdered sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press firmly on bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.

While it's baking, stir together condensed milk, egg, and vanilla. Stir in pecans.

Spread pecan mixture evenly over hot partially baked crust. Continue baking for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely. Cover. Refrigerate until firm.

Cut into 36 bars. Store refrigerated.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Josephine, that sounds delicious!

Where does the Karo come in?

We can't get pecans but we can get almonds or walnuts. Almonds sounds good, what do you think?

We also can't get the Karo wherever it comes in so can we use honey?

Is it VERY sweet? It sounds as if it might be so can it be cut with some lemon juice or something to give a bit of a tang?
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Out of maple syrup already, are you Wiffles?


 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff
We also can't get the Karo wherever it comes in so can we use honey?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Out of maple syrup already, are you Wiffles?

---

Well, our supplier just didn't supply enough! Or possibly used too much himself when he was last here

The little we have left is reserved for use on Mrs E's Banana Fritters or for ice cream.

As for Golden Syrup, I am not sure we can get that either. I shall have an investigate.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I will bring a crate next time, ok? You desperate addicts!


 

---

Posted by Brains (# 5518) on :
 
At the request of Mr Ploughman on the Oz thread . . . .

Chocolate and Orange Croissant-bread-and-butter pudding.

4 Croissants, cut in half
150g dark chocolate, in pieces
50g unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs, lightly beaten
50g caster suger
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
Finely grated zest of one orange
Flaked almonds
1 tb icing sugar.

Preheat oven 180 deg c
Lightly grease 1.75 litre baking dish
Lighlty butter the croissant halves, and arrange in dish, and put choc pieces under, between and on.
Add sugar to eggs, combine, then add milk, cream and orange zest, and whisk a bit.
Pour custard over croissants, make sure croissants are dunked in mixture.
Bake for 25 mins until nearly set.
Rinse almonds in water, toss in icing sugar. Sprinkle over pudding then cook further 10 minutes for almonds to crisp and pudding to set.

Serve with icecream


Brains
 

---

Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Josephine, that sounds delicious!

Where does the Karo come in?

---

quote:

---

We can't get pecans but we can get almonds or walnuts. Almonds sounds good, what do you think?

We also can't get the Karo wherever it comes in so can we use honey?

Is it VERY sweet? It sounds as if it might be so can it be cut with some lemon juice or something to give a bit of a tang?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Josephine:
It is very rich and very sweet, but you're only supposed to eat a very small serving of it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brains:
At the request of Mr Ploughman on the Oz thread . . . .

Chocolate and Orange Croissant-bread-and-butter pudding.

---

Brains, I think the rest of the Oz thread is grateful too (well FD will be when I make it for him)
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Apropos of the earlier pickle discussion, today's Chicago Tribune has an artcle about pickling and preserving in the food section, including a recipe for bread and butter pickles.


IIRC you don't have to register or log in to look at the food section, and these will be available on line for a week or two.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I have a question/recipe for people. My diabetic dad is staying the week+ with me. I made a chocolate mousse pie and would like to know how diabetic friendly it is. I used:

for the crust:
about 1cp crushed pecans
about 1/2cp flour
1/4cp butter

For the filling:
11.5oz bittersweet chocolate(60% cocoa)
1cp heavy cream
1tsp vanilla
dash of salt
2 tubs sugar free whipped topping

For the topping:
1 tub of sugar free whipped topping

I combined the stuff for the crust but in a glass pie pan and baked at 350f for about 5-10 min and let cool. Melt 11.50z chocolate with 1cp cream. Fold in the 2 tubs of whipping cream. Fill the pie and refrigerate over night. Top with a tub of whipping cream and serve.

My dad is not the worst of diabetics and can handle some sugar so I think the pie is all right for him. However we know someone who is more diabetic and I would like to know how friendly this pie is for him.
 

---

Posted by cattyish (# 7829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
<snip>
My dad is not the worst of diabetics and can handle some sugar so I think the pie is all right for him. However we know someone who is more diabetic and I would like to know how friendly this pie is for him.

---

Always ask the person you're making for. Diabetes is not just one thing, it comes in various colours.

IMO it's not a bad thing for most people who have type II diabetes to make the vast majority of their diet very healthy, but have the odd treat. In practice that may mean your diabetic friend can get away with a small portion of just about anything once per week, but couldn't eat chocolate or croissants all day every day without messing up their weight and sugars. Some people who manage their diabetes with dietary change get so used to non-sweetened food that they find desserts sickly.

Type I diabetes is different. People have to give themselves the right amount of insulin for what they're eating, so maybe you should ask your friend how much sugar and fat they want? That way if they say "Give me a vast, sweet dessert" you can oblige!
 

---

Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
At the request of piglet on the Scottish food and drink thread:

Butteries

3 teacups plain flour [note in book says 1 ¼ lb by this]
1 oz yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 oz fat (trad. lard)
1 oz marg [or butter...]
1 ½ cups lukewarm water [I have no idea what this is in any normal-for-UK measurement, but you only need enough liquid to make dough, so approx amount anyway]

Method 1
Put flour into bowl, mix yeast and sugar together until watery. Fill up cup with lukewarm water, and mix into flour till a stiff dough. Set aside in a warm place for ½ hour. Mix lard and salt together. Have plenty SR flour on a board and turn out dough.

Knead out and spread fat over once. Turn in edges and turn out again. Spread over a second time with fat and knead out until quite flat. Cut out and put on baking tray and set aside again for ½ hour in a warm place. Have hot oven ready. Put a small knob of marg on each buttery before putting in oven. Cook 10-15 min at 425 F.

Method 2
Put flour and salt into bowl, add 1 oz marg. Mix slightly. Add yeast, sugar, and enough milk or water to make a stiff dough.

Turn onto a floured board and knead well. Return dough to bowl and cover with polythene bag, leave in warm place for 5 min.

Turn out and treat like puff pastry, adding marg or lard. [Believe this is the spread with fat and fold bit, as sort of described above. CK] Wrap in greaseproof paper and place in polythene bag and leave in fridge 10 min.

Roll out and shape into rounds. Place on greaseproof tray, brush tops with melted butter and bake at 450 F for 10 min.

I have added a couple of comments in [], but the rest is a straight copy of the Mother Knotweed's handwritten original. Method 2 looks easier to my eyes, but that could be because I don't do yeast stuff very often.

Feedback on how well the recipe works would be much appreciated!
 

---

Posted by ten thousand difficulties (# 9506) on :
 
Slightly odd question. My dad is having carpal tunnel surgery on Thursday and I'm going back home for a few days to look after him while he recovers. He'll be working with one hand for a week or two and I'd like to cook some stuff for him that I can leave in the freezer when I have to leave him on Saturday to come back to work. Stews, soups and chilli seem like likely things. Any other one handed contributions?
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks very much, CK. I don't know when I'll get round to trying it out, but if and when I do, I'll let you know how it goes.


 

---

Posted by GoodCatholicLad (# 9231) on :
 
I don't know if anyone likes rhubarb but this this recipe is fantastic and very easy!
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ten thousand difficulties:
Slightly odd question. My dad is having carpal tunnel surgery on Thursday and I'm going back home for a few days to look after him while he recovers. He'll be working with one hand for a week or two and I'd like to cook some stuff for him that I can leave in the freezer when I have to leave him on Saturday to come back to work. Stews, soups and chilli seem like likely things. Any other one handed contributions?

---

1. Place the lentils in a pan with the water and bring to the boil. Add the turmeric and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. While they are cooking, grind the garlic, ginger, chillies and cumin seeds to a paste with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.
3. Now heat a little ghee or oil in a small pan and add the ground spices. Fry, stirring, for 1 minutes, adding a ablesppon of water if the paste starts to stick to the pan.
4. Add the spice paste to the pot with the lentils, along with the tamarind and sugar. Stir well and simmer for a further minute and then serve hot, sprinkled with the fresh cilantro/coriander.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
I promised in the cafe to post a couple of recipes. They are both gluten and dairy free.

Rice pudding
......
[/list]

---

• Dark chocolate is fine, just be cautious of the filling.
• Fruit Juices serve 50/50 with water. I use sparkling mineral water for this, it works a treat.
• My mother will regularly have stewed fruit with yoghurt but sweetens with fructose rather than normal sugar. She also has it with normal ice-cream
• You need to limit alcohol but a small glass of wine is fine.
• Fat takes a good while to digest, so not on the banned list. This means serving fresh cream is OK. Not that Mum does as Dad is low cholesterol diet. The same goes for butter.
• One real surprise is that the one group who sell brown basmati rice is Traidcraft!
• A friend who works in Diabetes research recommends the recipes off Diabetes UK website.
• Warburtons Stoneground is delicious and a good type for diabetics. Bread should be Whole grain or stone ground not just brown.

1. gammon and veg with bread - serve up slices of (if you can, if it's not chunks as it falls to bits) the gammon with the whole chunks of vegetables with crusty bread
2. save any left over gammon for other meals
3. mash up the left over liquid, vegetables and shreds of gammon that have stayed in to make a soup

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Just don't make coq au vin in the slow cooker - the alcohol doesn't boil off and you end up with an alcoholic sauce,

---

And this is bad how exactly?


 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Well, I can't remember if I'd also made an alcoholic starter and an alcoholic pudding (trifle? when we seeing how much alcohol we could incorporate into jelly and still get it to set?) but I do remember it as one of those meals where we got drunk on the food.

There was another meal my room-mate and I produced in the late 1970s which had a Pernod dressing for the fennel based starter salad and a fruit salad steeped in brandy or some such for pudding. I can't remember what we did for the main course, but the guests had to be careful about drinking alcohol alongside as there was a fair bit of alcohol just from eating.

The other fairly lethal combination is not my trick, but my parents', and that is use the boozy dried fruit from homemade wine making in a steamed pudding, making a very alcoholic Spotted Dick

The rum and raisin fudge for the pilgrimage last Christmas was not exceptional for enertaining cookery around my family.
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Another one which catches none drinkers out is to use Creme de Menthe as an ice-cream sauce. I know because I got caught.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Beans such as kidney beans and haricot beans or broad beans can be good in the slow cooker BUT you need to make sure you have boiled them fiercely for a few minutes before you put them in, and you need to replace the water you boiled them in.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wildfire:
Does anyone have any good crockpot(slow cooker)recipes??

Of the kind where you can stick all the ingredients in as they are, rather than mucking around for ages browning stuff and such like.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
Beans such as kidney beans and haricot beans or broad beans can be good in the slow cooker BUT you need to make sure you have boiled them fiercely for a few minutes before you put them in, and you need to replace the water you boiled them in.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wildfire:
What on earth is gammon??

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wildfire:
And if at all possible would some kind creature post a recipe for rice pudding and for candied sweet potatoes - which have both been mentioned above.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wildfire:
And if at all possible would some kind creature post a recipe for rice pudding and for candied sweet potatoes - which have both been mentioned above.

Thanks again
Wildfire

---

quote:

---

Wildfire:

we don't have gammon down here

---

quote:

---

Dee:

the Truffle paste...what to do???

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:

My mum, when making it in the oven, used to grate the nutmeg on top...
...A good rice pudding is hard to beat.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wildfire:
And if at all possible would some kind creature post a recipe for [...] candied sweet potatoes

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Odja, or however you spell it.

---

I'd spell it Piperade

(A dish from the Basque regions of France & Spain). It is very yummy!

I keep an eye open for the 'economy' bags of less than perfect peppers that appear in the supermarkets in the summer and cook vast quantities of peppers up in olive oil, with onion, and freeze them to use during the rest of the year.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
In my house we cook peppers & tomatoes in the same way, but break the eggs whole into the pepper mix and bake for 12 mins until set.
It's known as Kamchatka, although the Slimming World recipe that we use calls it something else that sounds a bit like Kamchatka but isn't...
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
Piperade

---

Just had some for lunch
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
I wonder what it would be like with some chopped spinach added a few minutes before the end.

The Tunisian version has some chilli in the seasoning, I think. But then I would put it in anyway, on principle.
 

---

Posted by Qupe (# 12388) on :
 
Sounds lovely. In my fridge I have a fish pie with haddock, prawns and crabmeat in white wine and cream, topped by a spinach layer and then a layer of mashed sweet potato infused with lemon and saffron. I am really looking forward to eatng it tonight with my friends who are coming to stay! For pudding I have made an 'ultimate chocolate cake' - a very rich, dark, gooey three layered cake covered in chocolate ganache. Things that make you go yummmmmmmmmmmmm!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qupe:
In my fridge I have a fish pie with haddock, prawns and crabmeat in white wine and cream, topped by a spinach layer and then a layer of mashed sweet potato infused with lemon and saffron. I am really looking forward to eatng it tonight with my friends who are coming to stay!

---

And four hundred and ninety three uninvited shipmates.

Speaking of fish, I have a beautiful piece of cod loin in the fridge for dinner, plus a pack of upmarket anchovies. Anyone got any interesting cod and anchovy recipes? There's some samphire knocking about as well.
 

---

Posted by pimple (# 10635) on :
 
Can't help there, Firenze, but I've just had a lunch to die for. A wholemeal rustique filled with sweet pickled herring, cucumber and mascarpone; accompanie by Veuve Aubert Aine 2005 (a vin de pays d'oc Chardonnay).

Why do fish pies have to be so complicated? Yours, F, is refreshingly simple but I bet it took you at least an hour to prepare.

The other day I found myself with a cauliflower that needed to be eaten and a salmon cutlet ditto. Fish followed by cauliflower cheese? Well I'd bought the salmon with the intention of making a fish pie....Cauliflower cheese fish pie is interesting, but an unexpected visitor meant I had to leave it in the fridge for a day, and somehow the creamy sauce, when I came to heat the dish the following lunch time, clung to the ricotta crumble above, while the salmon swum cheerfully in clear water below.

Now you know why I usually stick to sandwiches for lunch.
 

---

Posted by Agent Smith (# 3299) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Qupe:
In my fridge I have a fish pie with haddock, prawns and crabmeat in white wine and cream, topped by a spinach layer and then a layer of mashed sweet potato infused with lemon and saffron. I am really looking forward to eatng it tonight with my friends who are coming to stay!

---

And four hundred and ninety three uninvited shipmates.

Speaking of fish, I have a beautiful piece of cod loin in the fridge for dinner, plus a pack of upmarket anchovies. Anyone got any interesting cod and anchovy recipes? There's some samphire knocking about as well.

---

What about making that olive puree stuff and bashing up the anchovies to add to it. Covering the top of the cod, and baking until cooked. Meanwhile cook the samphaire in a little water (I think its that green spiky stuff found near the sea? - I have only seen it on TV) and serve with potatoes?
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
What I eventually did was cook both the cod and the samphire quite simply - since both have delicate flavours. But then to offset those, I buttered some slices of good French bread on both sides, sprinkled thickly with cheese, and topped with the anchovies, and baked in a hot oven until crispy and gooey.

Totally recommend, totally.

[ 29. August 2008, 16:47: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

---

Posted by Laura (# 10) on :
 
A general question. I regularly participate and contribute recipes to www.allrecipes.com (which I recommend highly). As a member, I may post reviews of recipes there and rate the recipe and suggest things I did differently. I was reflecting the other day, looking at peach cobbler recipes, that it's quite common for a reviewer to give a recipe top rating or near it, but say something like: "5 stars! I loved this recipe -- except I swapped apple juice for the water, used brown sugar instead of white, added nutmeg, doubled the cinnamon, used fresh peaches instead of canned, doubled the number of peaches and dotted it all with butter before baking it for twice the recommended time. Yum!" (examples: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Cobbler-II-2/Detail.aspx)

[Try corrected link here.]

That seems like saying: "I loved this movie, except I hummed a different song in place of the soundtrack, covered my eyes and plugged my ears at the violent scenes and anything with kissing, and left halfway through."

How should I rate a cobbler recipe, when I did everything differently from the original poster, but dud use that recipe as a starting point? Some people seem to go halfway -- they'll give it a 4-star rating, subtracting a star for all their own modifications.

[ 30. August 2008, 05:58: Message edited by: Mamacita ]
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by KenWritez:
I have 3 bell peppers I need to use within a day or two. Does anyone have any recipes for a braise or sautee? I'm stumped beyond sauteeing them in olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes.

I'm trying to keep this is as simple as possible, so no stuffed pepper recipes, please.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
<snip> ... a pack of upmarket anchovies ... <snip>

---

Upmarket anchovies?????



PS I only didn't put in the projectile icon because this is a food thread and I didn't want to make anyone feel ill.


 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
(sorry for double-post)

To KenWritez on the bell-pepper query - have you tried making red pepper jelly? It's absolutely magic spread on top of cream cheese on a plate and served with crackers as a starter or nibble.

Heat 5 x 1-cup jars in a low (100 deg. C) oven for 10 minutes to sterilise.

Chop and de-seed 2 large red bell peppers, and puree with 1 cup of white vinegar. In a large pot, mix the puree with four-and-a-half cups of sugar, stirring well. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from the heat, add 1 envelope of liquid Certo pectin and stir again.

Return to the heat, bring to a rapid rolling boil and boil for one minute, stirring contantly.

Remove from the heat and put into the heated jars.

Also makes a good Christmas pressie or church sale home-made goods item.

Good luck!


 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laura:
A general question. I regularly participate and contribute recipes to www.allrecipes.com (which I recommend highly). As a member, I may post reviews of recipes there and rate the recipe and suggest things I did differently. I was reflecting the other day, looking at peach cobbler recipes, that it's quite common for a reviewer to give a recipe top rating or near it, but say something like: "5 stars! I loved this recipe -- except I swapped apple juice for the water, used brown sugar instead of white, added nutmeg, doubled the cinnamon, used fresh peaches instead of canned, doubled the number of peaches and dotted it all with butter before baking it for twice the recommended time. Yum!" (examples: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Cobbler-II-2/Detail.aspx)

That seems like saying: "I loved this movie, except I hummed a different song in place of the soundtrack, covered my eyes and plugged my ears at the violent scenes and anything with kissing, and left halfway through."

How should I rate a cobbler recipe, when I did everything differently from the original poster, but dud use that recipe as a starting point? Some people seem to go halfway -- they'll give it a 4-star rating, subtracting a star for all their own modifications.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
<snip> ... a pack of upmarket anchovies ... <snip>

---

Upmarket anchovies?????

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laura:
A general question. I regularly participate and contribute recipes to www.allrecipes.com (which I recommend highly). As a member, I may post reviews of recipes there and rate the recipe and suggest things I did differently. I was reflecting the other day, looking at peach cobbler recipes, that it's quite common for a reviewer to give a recipe top rating or near it, but say something like: "5 stars! I loved this recipe -- except I swapped apple juice for the water, used brown sugar instead of white, added nutmeg, doubled the cinnamon, used fresh peaches instead of canned, doubled the number of peaches and dotted it all with butter before baking it for twice the recommended time. Yum!" (examples: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Cobbler-II-2/Detail.aspx)

[Try corrected link here.]

That seems like saying: "I loved this movie, except I hummed a different song in place of the soundtrack, covered my eyes and plugged my ears at the violent scenes and anything with kissing, and left halfway through."

How should I rate a cobbler recipe, when I did everything differently from the original poster, but dud use that recipe as a starting point? Some people seem to go halfway -- they'll give it a 4-star rating, subtracting a star for all their own modifications.

---

Post your new recipe.

When does a recipe become new? If you start with one recipe and start tinkering with it at which point does it become a new recipe? I Laura had only replaced tinned peaches with fresh is this enough? I thin that all she did change makes it a new recipe but at what point does it become so?
 

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Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
I'm not sure whether this is the right thread or whether this would be better on the questions thread but I'll ask here anyway.

Yesterday evening I was surfing a recipe site, the posters being mainly North American, and many recipes called for Blue Cheese - I was sort of intrigued about what they might mean.

To me, with my UK upbringing it could mean a vast range of things with wildly different tastes from Danish Blue [not my favourite] through Stilton, Blue Wensleydale, Shropshire Blue, Dolcelatte, St Agur, Barkham Blue [pure bliss but vaguely(!?) coronary inducing ], Gorgonzola, Roquefort and scores of others.

So what is this generic blue cheese and what does it taste like?

[ 04. September 2008, 13:33: Message edited by: Wiff Waff ]
 

---

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Plain old domestic blue is a lot like Danish blue -- sharpish and kind of earthy. But you're right not nearly as interesting as Stilton or some of the other English/French blues. Roquefort has always been sweet to my palate. In the states we have "Maytag Blue" which supposedly has the same kind of beasties as Roquefort, although it's not so sweet. But it's by far the best of the American-produced blues. And the priciest.
 

---

Posted by Qupe (# 12388) on :
 
I'm not allowed to eat cheese and this has nothing much to do with Wiff Waff's question but I shall never forget the stench of Stinking Bishop.
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
I seem to remember asking on here about kohlrabi last time I had some in the veg box, but if I did, I can't find it now.

So, does anybody have any suggestions for simple things to do with it? I once tried a kohlrabi gratin but as that involves slicing it with a food processor or mandolin that's way too much faff with the K-Glet around!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
I seem to remember asking on here about kohlrabi last time I had some in the veg box, but if I did, I can't find it now.

So, does anybody have any suggestions for simple things to do with it? I once tried a kohlrabi gratin but as that involves slicing it with a food processor or mandolin that's way too much faff with the K-Glet around!

---

I occasionally grow them in the garden, and like to pick them young and tender, peel them, and crunch on them raw, like an apple. They make a lovely coleslaw type salad grated with carrots, and mixed with your favourite dressing - but you would probably find that too much of a faff at the moment.

---

In the end we boiled and mashed it with potatoes. With a bit of creme fraiche (can't do accents with K-Glet clamouring at my elbow!) it made a lovely creamy mash. Even the little one liked it.
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Harvest'em small

Slice'em thin

Mix'em with radish, small turnip, celery, carrot, anything crunchy, fresh and raw, sliced thin.

Crudites (can't do the accent)

Way to go!

When you get bored with the above, repeat, but add a mustardy, thick french dressing (sparsely). Yum
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Yesterday evening I was surfing a recipe site, the posters being mainly North American, and many recipes called for Blue Cheese - I was sort of intrigued about what they might mean.
[...]
So what is this generic blue cheese and what does it taste like?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
But the thing that surprised me was the cheese or rather the lack of it. There was much less cheese than you would see here, and many fewer varieties of it. And nearly all of them were more or less what we'd call mild cheddar. It seems that Texas just isn't cheese-eating country

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
.. Could have been cumin seed or coriander perhaps. ..

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
But the thing that surprised me was the cheese or rather the lack of it. There was much less cheese than you would see here, and many fewer varieties of it. And nearly all of them were more or less what we'd call mild cheddar. It seems that Texas just isn't cheese-eating country

---

Sounds like a Texas thing. Here in the greater Chicago suburbs the grocery stores have a good variety of cheeses - but the tricky thing is that it is usually split up into two sections. The first, often near the produce, is the "gourmet" cheeses, where I usually shop. Then over by the dairy case are found the cheaper cheeses, often pasteurized processed, pre-shredded, etc. But even there I'm used to seeing cheddar(-ish), mozzarella, and often a couple blends of pre-shredded like "Italian" and "Mexican".

---

I found something similar when I was in the US (random bits of California mainly I think that time). There was a *lot* of processed cheese/ stringy cheese/ cheesy things/ grated cheese but I couldn't find any *real* cheese, and certainly nothing beyond mild cheddar or mozzarella.

There was also an awful lot more of "ready meals" and processed stuff in general - but I sadly think we're beginning to catch up with that.

Lots of lovely local produce though
 

---

Posted by teddybear (# 7842) on :
 
My favorite cole slaw, mandatory for pulled pork sandwiches:
Place in a large bowl:
1 small head of cabbage shredded
1 large onion, peeled and sliced or chopped

In a saucepan place: 1 cup white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Bring this to a full boil, stirring once so all the sugar melts. Pour the boiling mixture over the cabbage and onion. Chill. This keeps for quite a while in the refrigerator, many people thinking it is better after a day or two. It is also great for picnics and other places where it will be unrefrigerated for a while.
 

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Posted by Carex (# 9643) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
I found something similar when I was in the US (random bits of California mainly I think that time). There was a *lot* of processed cheese/ stringy cheese/ cheesy things/ grated cheese but I couldn't find any *real* cheese, and certainly nothing beyond mild cheddar or mozzarella.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Yesterday evening I was surfing a recipe site, the posters being mainly North American, and many recipes called for Blue Cheese - I was sort of intrigued about what they might mean.
[...]
So what is this generic blue cheese and what does it taste like?

---

I've only twice in my life ever stepped into an American food supermarket. And they were both in the same week. So obviously I am a mega-expert.

But I did notice that for most things they seemed to have a larger range of foods on offer than you would expect in a British shop of the same size. More kinds of fresh vegetables, many more kinds of meat, and a lot more brands of things in tins and packs. I noticed three apparent exceptions. One was wine and beer - which wasn't a surprise, its what I'd have expected. Another was mushrooms, which seemed to come in two sorts, big and little. Even much smaller supermarkets here would have anything from four to ten varieties. But the thing that surprised me was the cheese or rather the lack of it. There was much less cheese than you would see here, and many fewer varieties of it. And nearly all of them were more or less what we'd call mild cheddar. It seems that Texas just isn't cheese-eating country

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Trudy Scrumptious:
Does anyone have a recipe for making "high fiber" white bread in a bread machine?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Otter:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
But the thing that surprised me was the cheese or rather the lack of it. There was much less cheese than you would see here, and many fewer varieties of it. And nearly all of them were more or less what we'd call mild cheddar. It seems that Texas just isn't cheese-eating country

---

Sounds like a Texas thing. Here in the greater Chicago suburbs the grocery stores have a good variety of cheeses - but the tricky thing is that it is usually split up into two sections. The first, often near the produce, is the "gourmet" cheeses, where I usually shop. Then over by the dairy case are found the cheaper cheeses, often pasteurized processed, pre-shredded, etc. But even there I'm used to seeing cheddar(-ish), mozzarella, and often a couple blends of pre-shredded like "Italian" and "Mexican".

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Quick google turned up this page on how to cook the chieftain of the pudding race. No personal experience though, I'm fussy I like to know a Scot cooked my haggis and I'm not a Scot.

Jengie

---

Thanks Jengie - page bookmarked. Fortunately for me the haggis cooking experiment is postponed: FD decided not to bring home lots of British delights, so we can go back to the original idea for dinner, which involves yummy things like beetroot and goat cheese from the farmers' markets this morning (Much more to my liking )
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
i) I'd rather hoped the marinade would soak through to the chicken flesh but it didn't; it simply made the skin scrummy. To make it do so, should I just put some underneath the skin?

---

quote:

---

ii) Would it have made more sense to let the vegetables roast without the chicken for fifteen minutes or was taking the meat out a bit before the end to stand the best thing?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:
Probably too late for those peppers...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
I'd rather hoped the marinade would soak through to the chicken flesh but it didn't; it simply made the skin scrummy. To make it do so, should I just put some underneath the skin?

ii) Would it have made more sense to let the vegetables roast without the chicken for fifteen minutes or was taking the meat out a bit before the end to stand the best thing?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
Anyone got any ideas about what to do with lettuce

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
Seriously? Is it nice? (ditto braised lettuce - both sound a bit weird to me!)

---

Yes. Make with veg or chicken stock, a few fresh herbs, liquidise, swirl of cream - very fresh and summery. Braised with peas is very good too - after all, it works for endive.
 

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Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on :
 
I've never tried a pure lettuce soup, but it can make a nice ingredient added to a basic vegetable soup. Just chop the lettuce up and, near the end of your usual cooking time (about ten or fifteen minutes before), stir it in. It adds a different texture and a pleasant flavor to the average veggie soup. And it can freeze reasonably well.
 

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Posted by chukovsky (# 116) on :
 
OK, I'll be brave, and report back!

(If anyone sees Mr Spouse here, send him away, he needn't know what's in it until he's tried it and liked it, is my policy)
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I sometimes add lettuce that's gone limp to a stir fry right at the last second. That way it's meant to be limp!
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I have a Chinese cookbook that says you can substitute lettuce for bean sprouts in stir-frying.

Moo
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
My mother used to make lovely green creamy soup by substituting the watercress in a soup recipe with lettuce. I think the original was probably from Delia Smith's Cookery Course (mid-1970s).

On the cooking haggis question, this is going to sound heretical, but the butcher we used to buy it from in Belfast (a champion haggis-maker) told us to microwave it, and it was never less than delicious.


 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
I think the original was probably from Delia Smith's Cookery Course (mid-1970s).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by chukovsky:
Seriously? Is it nice? (ditto braised lettuce - both sound a bit weird to me!)

---

Yes. Make with veg or chicken stock, a few fresh herbs, liquidise, swirl of cream - very fresh and summery. Braised with peas is very good too - after all, it works for endive.

---

Well, despite my reservations, I made this from a recipe someone else directed me to which sounded roughly like yours - it asked for cream but we had fat free sour cream (I know, how can you have fat free cream? which is why I didn't notice when I bought it! I thought it was reduced-fat like reduced-fat creme fraiche!) so I put that in. And it wanted parsley but we don't like parsley but had fresh coriander.

And it was rather nice.
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
I have a recipe for 'gardener's soup' which contains lettuce, but I found that it didn't translate from UK to Oz. The type of lettuce is important: the variety I used in UK (I think it was a little Gem) isn't what I tried here and the soup was bitter and inedible. Moral: don't do what I did and have to whisk the soup spoons from the table and advise the guests that soup was off the menu - trial the lettuce type before the dinner party!
 

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Posted by Tropical Beachcomber (# 9009) on :
 
I have two very large marrows sitting looking at me in the kitchen! I'm going to stuff some of one, but I want to make marrow and ginger jam with the rest - a substance I remember with pleasure from my childhood. Alas, I have no recipe! Please, can anyone help?

TBC
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Bit late for the lettuce, but when I used to get organic bags (I wish I still did but I never managed to pay the suppliers on time) there was a lettuce every week, sometimes two. And a lettuce a week is far too much for one person.

So sometimes I roast them. (or perhaps bake woudl be a better word) Honest. It works as a side dish. If I was cooking anything else in the over I'd and put the whole head of lettuce in a pyrex dish with maybe some onion and a little water (only a little) and some butter on top. Might put cheese on it. Or even breadcrumbs. If its a floppy sort of lettuce might need to tie it round with a string to keep it together.

One thing it showed you was how little eating there is in a lettuce.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Does anyone have a recipe for fish soup - the rich, substantial non-translucent kind - that doesn't involve 60 different kinds of fish, obscure veg and 12 hours in the kitchen?

I'm happy to make my own fish stock and go from there, but would like to keep it relatively simple.
 

---

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Thurible,

To make up for my gaffe about +Duncan, try this. Easy, and while the pork is cooking, you can do some mangetout peas or asparagus to serve with it, and the salad to follow.

The day before, brush oil over a dish just big enough to hold your pork chops/cutlets/medallions. Sprinkle with a spice mix and some finely chopped thyme. Put the pork into the dish, brush the tops with oil and add more of the spice and herb. I use a recipe from Elizabeth David for the spice mix - pepper, with some cloves, nutmeg and juniper berries ll ground finely. You may find one in a local deli which you like.

On the evening, take the pork from the fridge about a half hour before you wan to start cooking. Place them in a frying pan over a very low possible heat. No need to add any more oil. Chop an onion and a pear and place them around. Turn the pork after 20 minutes, and cook for another 15. Remove and keep hot. Pour in some dry vermouth/dry white, boil rapidly until good and mushy, pour in a bit of cream and reheat. Serve A good Rhine Riesling goes well.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Does anyone have a recipe for fish soup - the rich, substantial non-translucent kind - that doesn't involve 60 different kinds of fish, obscure veg and 12 hours in the kitchen?

---

I have two versions of fish soup (or rather, stew).

One is Chowderish. Begin by frying a bit of diced bacon. Add chopped onion and chunked potato. Add stock. When potato almost tender, add fish. Last of all add spoonful or two of creme fraiche.

The other is a Sophie Grigson recipe - I'm working from memory - but essentially it is create a thin tomato sauce with onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, red wine, herbs and sugar. Simmer for 10 or 15 minutes or until you feel it is adequately mellow. Tip in fish.

Left alone and unsupervised with some fish stock, I would probably try to nudge it towards Tom Yam Goong by chucking in chili, lemongrass, nam pla, shallots (anything I had to hand that seemed vaguely Thai) and then poaching the fish in that.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Thanks!

Fish soup already under way - stock made with salmon trimmings, onion, carrot, fennel, herbs; and the soup itself is supermarket's Fish Pie mix which is pieces of diced haddock, salmon and smoked haddock. Not quite what I had in mind, but with fresh tomatoes, onion, red wine, garlic and seasoning it's actually turning out to be very nice, although not as thick as I wanted.

The chowder sounds great and I have everything in so that'll be next to try in a couple of days.

(You know how it is. You go somewhere for lunch, have this wonderful dish and spend some time unsuccessfully, but enjoyably, trying to recreate it at home.)
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Ariel, that sounds delicious. Have you ever tried Cullen skink? It's a sort of smoked haddock chowder with potatoes and onions.

Good luck!

PS I've never tried to link to a web-page before as I'm a technof*ckwit, so if it doesn't work, then I apologise.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
The link worked for me, piglet, and it sounds delicious!
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Thanks piglet! That's on my list of things to try... a good rich fish soup or fish stew is nice to come home to on a cold autumn evening.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Going back to the subject of kohlrabi - today we tried it with pasta and cheese sauce in the manner of cauliflower cheese and it was very tasty. We added smoked bacon, mushrooms, onions and sweetcorn and lots of black pepper. Also used crushed cornflakes in lieu of breadcrumbs on top which also worked well.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Did the Keren-Gumblet like it?
 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
A friend brought back some vanilla powder for me from Bali, knowing how much I like vanilla. What should I use it for? I presume I could use it like vanilla essence but want ot make something more "special" than my ordinary uses.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
PS I've never tried to link to a web-page before as I'm a technof*ckwit, so if it doesn't work, then I apologise.

---

Absolutely hunky dory tiddly boo, I assure you
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ferijen:
A friend brought back some vanilla powder for me from Bali, knowing how much I like vanilla. What should I use it for? I presume I could use it like vanilla essence but want ot make something more "special" than my ordinary uses.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Vanilla powder

Make sweet filo parcels filled with something like apricots and ginger, then mix a small quantity of vanilla powder with icing sugar and sprinkle over the top.

Cheat none dairy double-cream (does not whip). Get the single cream substitute, ground up almonds and grind them even finer, add almonds to the single cream substitute and add a small quantity of vanilla powder. Mix well. It really is delicious.

Jengie

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
Going back to the subject of kohlrabi - today we tried it with pasta and cheese sauce in the manner of cauliflower cheese ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Did the Keren-Gumblet like it?

---

Well, he ate the pasta and the cheese sauce which is good enough for me!
 

---

Posted by Suzywoozy (# 6259) on :
 
I mentioned on the New Little Britain thread that I had made a yummy parsnip cake and had requests for the recipe so here it is.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated parsnip (I made parsnip crisps with the big ends of three parsnips and used the bottom ends for this)

7 tbsp margarine
2 cups SR flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup raisins (I'd run out so used currents)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp mixed spice
1 cup water

Put everything except the flour and salt in a pan. heat gently until melted. Put salt and flour in a bowl add melted ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Pour into a tray. cook for 35-40 mins at 160 deg C.

I have to say that my oven is rubbish and only cooks from the top so it stayed in a lot longer and got covered with foil half way through.

This made a sticky, kind of treacly tasting cake. Everyone here loved it - it didn't taste of parsnips at all. Parsnips were on special offer in Morrison last week so we have rather a lot.
 

---

Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
Does anyone have any good and simple recipes for making sweets and/or chocolates? I am thinking about making some for friends for Christmas.

Auntie Doris x
 

---

Posted by chukovsky (# 116) on :
 
I've made chocolate truffles before, which have been appreciated: recipe similar to this one, but use decent dark chocolate broken up into bits.

Rum balls are another family favourite, we use digestive biscuits for the biscuits, and golden syrup is pretty much the same as they syrup they ask for. Make in a food processor but put the biscuits in first and don't try to blend too much at one time (she says, from bitter experience.)

Are you sensing a theme here?? Walnut- or almond-stuffed dates, rolled in caster sugar, are also very nice, and rum-free.
 

---

Posted by Agent Smith (# 3299) on :
 
"Delia Says"*
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/home-made-chocolate-truffles,796,RC.html

This is my truffle recipe, - yummy. (However can get messy and you need to keep it in the fridge when not working with it otherwise it goes into a gooey mess.

(* dad learnt to cook using Delia, and seems to have learnt everything she has to say. I can recommend her Christmas cake too, I have one being fed brandy for a housewarming cake (by the time I move it will be more brandy than cake )
 

---

Posted by Suzywoozy (# 6259) on :
 
Last year we made blackberry vodka and when we took the blackberries out we coated them in dark chocolate (I just used cheap stuff)and let them set on grease proof paper. I gave these away for Christmas presents.

I've just this morning got the sloe gin and blackberry vodka going. We went sloe picking with lots of friends yesterday and usually get enough for three bottles but this year the sloes were thin on the ground and we only got enough for one bottle.
 

---

Posted by Low Treason (# 11924) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ferijen:
A friend brought back some vanilla powder for me from Bali, knowing how much I like vanilla. What should I use it for? I presume I could use it like vanilla essence but want ot make something more "special" than my ordinary uses.

---

It will be wonderful for enhancing things like custard - make custard then whisk in some vanilla powder and some real cream - YUMMY!

There must be a zillion other uses but my brain has seized - except for home made vanilla ice cream, or home made vanilla frozen yogurt!

I'm sure others will be along shortly to give other suggestions.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Auntie Doris:
Does anyone have any good and simple recipes for making sweets and/or chocolates? I am thinking about making some for friends for Christmas.

Auntie Doris x

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Suzywoozy:
I mentioned on the New Little Britain thread that I had made a yummy parsnip cake and had requests for the recipe so here it is.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup grated parsnip (I made parsnip crisps with the big ends of three parsnips and used the bottom ends for this)

7 tbsp margarine
2 cups SR flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup raisins (I'd run out so used currents)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp mixed spice
1 cup water

Put everything except the flour and salt in a pan. heat gently until melted. Put salt and flour in a bowl add melted ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Pour into a tray. cook for 35-40 mins at 160 deg C.

I have to say that my oven is rubbish and only cooks from the top so it stayed in a lot longer and got covered with foil half way through.

This made a sticky, kind of treacly tasting cake. Everyone here loved it - it didn't taste of parsnips at all. Parsnips were on special offer in Morrison last week so we have rather a lot.

---

I can confirm that this is indeed yummy - I've just made it with part of a giant parsnip from my allotment and of course I had to sample it before taking it into w*rk
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
A veggie friend is expecting baby no. 2 shortly and I'd like to take them round some food for when there's no time to think, let alone cook.

Does anyone have any suggestions for simple, one-pot veggie meals that are easy to freeze and reheat? I've got a good minestrone recipe but would like to do something else as well. Thanks!

---

Not a recipe as such but for something filling and warming that could be frozen and then brought out, how about Shepherdess Pie. It is Shepherds pie with beans and/or lentils replacing the mince.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Curious Kitten (# 11953) on :
 
My Chinese flatmates stirfry lettuce.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Keren-Happuch, for your veggie friends, what about home-made macaroni cheese? Mix in some fried mushrooms and onions and finish it off by grating extra cheese over the top, and decorate it with sliced tomatoes. If you give it to them as it is, all they need do is put it in the oven until the top bubbles nicely.


 

---

Posted by climbgirl (# 5855) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
A veggie friend is expecting baby no. 2 shortly and I'd like to take them round some food for when there's no time to think, let alone cook.

Does anyone have any suggestions for simple, one-pot veggie meals that are easy to freeze and reheat? I've got a good minestrone recipe but would like to do something else as well. Thanks!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spawn:
(although I hate microwaves)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Spawn:
Thanks for the tip, Firenze on softening onions in the microwave.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:

2. Chop onion to bits and fry in oil in the bottom of a kettle until soft.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:

2. Chop onion to bits and fry in oil in the bottom of a kettle until soft.

---

I'm guessing that "kettle" here means big pan, as in "kettle of fish" and not a thing to boil water for a cup of tea, whether electric or stove-top...

---

Yes, sorry. Stock pot, if you like. Something large enough to make a gallon (or so) of chowder in.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:

2. Chop onion to bits and fry in oil in the bottom of a kettle until soft.

---

I'm guessing that "kettle" here means big pan, as in "kettle of fish" and not a thing to boil water for a cup of tea, whether electric or stove-top...

---

Yes, sorry. Stock pot, if you like. Something large enough to make a gallon (or so) of chowder in.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Could one not place pasta in a bowl of boiling water in the microwave?

(Mind you, I ask as someone whose father thinks one makes garlic mushrooms by putting some tinned mushrooms in a microwave with a spoonful of butter and a chopped garlic clove.)

Thurible

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
I found this recipe which looks as if it does not require bones.

---

quote:

---

# 2 lb meaty beef shanks, sawed crosswise into 1-inch slices by butcher
# 2 lb meaty veal shanks, sawed crosswise into 1-inch slices by butcher

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Could one not place pasta in a bowl of boiling water in the microwave?

(Mind you, I ask as someone whose father thinks one makes garlic mushrooms by putting some tinned mushrooms in a microwave with a spoonful of butter and a chopped garlic clove.)

Thurible

---

I have cooked pasta and rice in the microwave oven with just a few adjustments. Mainly, I throw the pasta in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with water. I then boil the pasta for about eight minutes, watching carefully to make sure the water doesn't boil over and out of the bowl. It's really quite easy. You just have to periodically stop the microwave timer, open the door and give the pasta a stir. It might even be less than eight minutes. We have a super-duper high wattage microwave oven so it takes much less than eight minutes.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ferdzy:
Didn't Spawn say he has a rice-cooker?

That's a wonderful appliance that can be used to cook a lot more than rice.

I cook oatmeal in mine just about every morning. It's great for cooking barley, lentils, even buckwheat groats (kasha) although the water has to come to a boil before you add them to the cooker.

I haven't tried quinoa or millet, but I bet they would work fine.

Oh, and any kind of rice, including wild rice.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Thanks for earlier input. To continue on the stock theme, I have 300g of bacon bits - mostly fat, but a fair bit of meat on there that was simply too fiddly to bother cutting off. If I stick it in a saucepan with some veg, will anything good come of it or should I just throw it away?

Thurible

---

You could boil the bits to make a stock, let it cool then skim off the fat. This is what I do for making bacon hock or chicken soup. That way you retain some ofthe flavour but not the fatty taste. Otherwise fry in it's own fat, then drain on a paper towel - which leaves more fat, but there is less loss of flavour.

Huia
 

---

Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
I'm trying to find a good recipe for snickerdoodle cookies. I have one from my sister-in-law which calls for shortening and cream of tartar. Which gives me two questions.

1) What is shortening?? It's not a word I heard in the UK...

2) What function does the cream of tartar have in the recipe? Is it essential?

Thanks
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PrettyFly:
I'm trying to find a good recipe for snickerdoodle cookies. I have one from my sister-in-law which calls for shortening and cream of tartar. Which gives me two questions.

1) What is shortening?? It's not a word I heard in the UK...

2) What function does the cream of tartar have in the recipe? Is it essential?

Thanks

---

Shortening is solid white vegetable fat used in cooking.

Cream of tartar is acid. It is a mistake to leave it out of a recipe which calls for it.

Moo
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Try this one from Nigella Lawson.

Good luck.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
I was reading a story the other day that mentioned rice pudding with ginger sugar. I mentioned it to Mrs E as an idea and today she has produced payasam, which is a sort of posh rice pudding with sultanas and cashew nuts and things, with some ginger in it as well.

MMMMMMMMM!!!

Whatever sort of rice pudding you make try adding a little ginger, I think you'll be glad you did.
 

---

Posted by PrettyFly (# 13157) on :
 
Thanks, Moo and Piglet!
 

---

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :
 
Quick n Dirty Vegan Borsch

1 c. chopped onion (roughly one smallish medium onion)
2 tbsp (10 ml) oil for frying
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 14 oz can sauerkraut
1 14 oz can diced beets
1 14 oz can vegetable broth
14 oz water
prepared horseradish glop (vegan)

Fry onions in oil until softish. Add onions and fry until they absorb all the oil. Add everything else. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the mushrooms are cooked. Serve with a dollop of horseradish.

Yields 8 1 cup servings, 72 calories per serving.
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
MT - I think you added the onions twice, but that's OK. You can't ever have too many onions in a concoction like that

Horseradish anecdote: In the Eastern Market, in York PA, one of the Plain People's stalls has a big bowl of freshly grated horseradish-root set on their counter, with an electric fan right behind it. As the customers squeeze through the aisle, they are 'washed' with the fumes of the horseradish, and continue on, wiping their noses, and mopping their eyes.

Regular shoppers know about it, but newbies get caught off-guard. Its amusing.

PB4S
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Anyone - and I'm looking particularly at Wiff Waff here though others welcome to reply as well - got a good recipe for a South Indian fish curry?
 

---

Posted by Sha_Sha (# 10880) on :
 
I wish...I don't care for fish, but I have had chicken salad with curry in it....NICE....

And coffee is good with chocolate sauce in it, like you would use for chocolate milk...

I'm mainly a social drinker, otherwise I would make my coffee with the chocolate liquer (however the hell you spell that) and amaretto in the cabinet...

Perfect mudslide...chocolate liquor, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, Bailey's Irish Creme, Kahlua, and if you want, vodka...about an ounce of the alcohol each...
 

---

Posted by KenWritez (# 3238) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
Beef stock help, please! [....] I've got some beef that can go towards stock rather than a joint. What do I do with it?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pearl B4 Swine:
MT - I think you added the onions twice, but that's OK. You can't ever have too many onions in a concoction like that

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
Very lazy! The 21 bus stops just outside these shops here that sell all that stuff.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:

... Brick Lane is a 20 minute bus ride away ...

---

Lucky old you - is the Bagel Bake still there? We used to take a detour through half of London (usually on the way from the airport) just to get their bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon for about 75p. **sigh**



[ 22. November 2008, 23:05: Message edited by: piglet ]
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:
...I went for a bit of a test run without the fish - it came out tangy and slightly bitter, (is it supposed to be bitter? I think I may have burned the spices) but very moreish.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:
...Now....next question... do you have a handy recipe for a south Indian fish or vegetable stewlike curry that definitely contains coconut milk and comes out quite pale yellow (which I guess means no tamarind) - I've had something like that once and now I've got the taste for south Indian curries I'm after more!!!

---

I hope to post this later today if I can persuade HWMBO to concentrate for a few minutes; he seems to know what you mean. We've had a guest for a few days so life has been a tad busy. He has just brought me a glass of sweet lassi made with our own home made yogurt so I have asked him again.

No, I am NOT spoilt, just properly appreciated
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Okay, here we go - I have some photos somewhere but have mislaid them - I shall add them later when I have uploaded them to my Flickr page.

This is another simple recipe, but delicious - I had it for lunch today and ate so much I probably won’t need supper tonight. It is quite similar to the previous recipe but without the tamarind.


Kerala Fish Curry 2

Ingredients

Fish pieces or whole small fish, cleaned.

Coconut paste or coconut milk or coconut cream or coconut milk powder mixed with water

Curry leaves

2 green chillies, sliced

Crushed fresh ginger

Crushed shallots or chopped onion

Chilli powder

Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Coconut oil

Method

Stew type curries taste better if cooked in terracotta pots but otherwise a heavy pan will do but it won’t taste quite as mellow. I have never tried a terracotta pot on an electric stove but it works well on gas.

Heat pan - add coconut oil - about 2 tbs - allow to heat.

To hot oil add shallots, chillies, ginger and cook a few minutes on medium heat stirring occasionally.

When the shallots are just beginning to go golden colour add the spice powders, cook for a few moments, stirring well then add the coconut milk or coconut paste, etc. - you may need to add a little water as well.

Add some salt, more can be added later if necessary.

Bring to the boil then add fish or fish pieces, return to boiling then simmer.

When the gravy has thickened [probably 10 – 15 minutes] adjust seasoning, take off heat and allow to rest a little before serving with rice.

This can be varied by omitting the chilli powder and possibly adding another one or two sliced green chillies, or even a whole dried red chilli - this will give a sharper taste and a paler colour.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Would either of the foregoing recipes work with salmon?

Or if not, what would?

I try and eat salmon since it is Good For You, but frankly find it a bit dismal.
 

---

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Have you tried teriyaki salmon? Cooking it with mirin and finely chopped ginger is also good. I tend to stir-fry it with pak choi (pretentious? moi?) and serve with noodles (and yes I do have wasabi and pickled ginger...)

[ 23. November 2008, 10:09: Message edited by: Ariel ]
 

---

Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 
Have you tried fresh mackeral? I'm sure you have, being the food guru you are - I only ask because it was a relevation to me. Good For You plus pleasantly meaty, not too fishy, and also very cheap. I have a nice recipe we use if anyone's interested.

The only drawback is that - round here at least - I can only ever find whole fresh mackeral so have to fillet it myself for the recipe. Not hard to do, but a bit of a scutter.
 

---

Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 
We also sometimes have salmon kebabs - either marinated teriyaki style as Ariel suggests, or with lime juice and olive oil (I can check the actual recipe if anyone wants). Threaded on kebab sticks with onion and red/yellow peppers, brush with the leftover marinade, and grill. Serve with rice or couscous or salad, it disguises the salmoniness of the salmon quite effectively.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Those recipes both work fine with salmon.

Another recipe to try if you have a pestle and mortar or a small grinder is to peel some garlic and blend it with a little vegetable oil [1 tsp], a little chilli and turmeric powder and rub the paste into a salmon steak, leave for ten minutes then grill.

For mackerel my favourite is to wrap it in foil and cook in the embers of a fire - or in a covered pan. The flesh just falls off the bones.

As a variation, if you can get a banana or plantain leaf is to wrap the fish in the leaf and cook slowly in a covered pan. If you want you can make some cuts in the flesh first and add a marinade of your choice - I think the one above would be pretty darned good.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I see mackerel occassionally in the supermarket - but it looks a bit dull - by which I mean it doesn't have that bright-eyed, irredescent look of the freshly-caught beast.

Mostly, when I am buying fish, it is to freeze, rarely to rush home and cook that night - and for some reason I have a resistance to freezing mackerel, particularly if it look a bit tired to begin with.

Talking of skewers, I tried recreating the fish souvlaki experience we had in Crete - but you don't seem to be able, with a domestic grill or even grill pan, to get the aromatic, roasted taste.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ariel:
Have you tried teriyaki salmon? Cooking it with mirin and finely chopped ginger is also good. I tend to stir-fry it with pak choi (pretentious? moi?) and serve with noodles (and yes I do have wasabi and pickled ginger...)

---

What's pretentious about pickled ginger and wasabi?

My pak choi comes in the organic box.

The other thing we've done to salmon is Thai yellow curry - poached in coconut milk and yellow curry spices with onion and potato, personally I find it a bit rich and would prefer to do this with white fish, but at the time I was working on getting oily fish down my daughter.
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
I can give a couple of fab recipes for bitter gourd dishes which are intentionally bitter and are quite delicious. [

---

You say delicious, I say

Actually I first came across karela in its Chinese form and thought it was the most revolting thing, but I have been able to stomach it cooked in various Indian dishes and I suppose I can see how it might become addictive.

Thanks for the other recipe - I'll try it out it looks fab.

The tamarind version got rave reviews on Friday night - though in the end I made it with sea bream as there wasn't any mackerel in the fishmongers.

And I'm v v jealous of you being brought lassi. Appreciated indeed.
 

---

Posted by KenWritez (# 3238) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
but at the time I was working on getting oily fish down my daughter.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PrettyFly:
Can anyone advise me how long it will take to roast two turkey breasts? Not the big breast joint, just two breast steaks, like chicken breasts but a little bigger.
...snippety...
Also, what should the internal temperature be?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by welsh dragon:
I would like to contribute something to a Mexican-themed buffet Xmas party. It has to be easily transportable by car and survive being out of the oven/fridge for an hour or 2 before being eaten. Better still, something I could make several hours or days in advance. Any suggestions?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by welsh dragon:
I would like to contribute something to a Mexican-themed buffet Xmas party. It has to be easily transportable by car and survive being out of the oven/fridge for an hour or 2 before being eaten. Better still, something I could make several hours or days in advance. Any suggestions?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by welsh dragon:
I would like to contribute something to a Mexican-themed buffet Xmas party. It has to be easily transportable by car and survive being out of the oven/fridge for an hour or 2 before being eaten. Better still, something I could make several hours or days in advance. Any suggestions?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
There was a post-Thanksgiving potluck at my house which left me with most of a large bottle of Yellow Tail riesling.

I can't drink it fast enough to keep it from turning. Does anyone have any recipes?

I was thinking of putting some chicken breasts in my slow cooker and adding some riesling. Any ideas on what herbs or other flavoring I should add?

That won't use all the wine, though. All suggestions gratefully received.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RuthW:
I've just dug up a fabulous recipe for kung pao chicken I clipped from the LA Times 20 years ago, and I plan to make it Saturday night for company. But what can I serve as a side dish? Something I can make ahead of time would be ideal. Would the right kind of cole slaw or cucumber salad work?

Thanks in advance ...

---

I'd make a Chinese-style cucumber salad like this or this, or one in which you fry the cucumber, like this recipe (only without the sichuan pepper and with sesame seeds instead of peanuts because you've got those in the chicken).
 

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Posted by welsh dragon (# 3249) on :
 
Wow! Many thanks for the Mexican recipes!
 

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Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 
Thanks, Eloise! The first one looks like exactly what I had in mind and couldn't think of.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I want to make a chestnut cheesecake for a fancy pre-Christmas pudding. My Mum gave me her recipe but it's got gelatine in it - one of my recipe deal-breakers! Does anybody have a recipe that they'd recommend? Alternatively, can anyone translate this Nigella recipe into UK recipe speak? I don't know why it's in American if it's Nigella... Thanks.
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
I'll have a bash:

4 oz digestive biscuit crumbs
2 oz butter
1 heaped tbsp chestnut puree

16 oz cream cheese
6 oz icing sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
6 fl oz (175 ml) sour cream
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp rum
8 fl oz (225 ml) chestnut puree

3 fl oz (80 ml) water
4 fl oz (120 ml) rum
1 tbsp chestnut puree
2 oz icing sugar
1/2 oz butter

Hope that helps. Sounds nice!
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Thanks Martha! I'll let you know how it turns out.

For my next question - sprouts! We still haven't used up the bag in last week's veg box and another bag has just arrived... I'm not keen on sprouts so any ideas for making them more interesting would be gratefully received. I've found some recipes here. Any more out there? Last year I tried a cauliflower cheese still thing but it wasn't altogether successful.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Brussel Sprout and Hazelnut soup - I have the recipe if you think you'd like it! It comes from the National Trust Book of Traditional recipes.

Brussel sprouts with cream, choux de Bruxelles à la crème, apparently an Escoffier recipe originally - cook them, drain them well, stew them in butter and chop them up, then combine them with as much cream as possible!

Purée of Brussel Sprouts: Cook them in a very little water for as short a time as possible - you can afford to have them very underdone - and put them through the blender with a very little cream. You will have a purée that is a most stratlingly beautiful green but very delicate in flavour. Reheat the purée with more cream and a little butter and season with salt, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Supposed to be good with red cabbage, chestnuts and/or game. Both recipes come from Margaret Costa's Four Seasons Cookery Book

Eta: the last recipe is a way of conning sprout haters to eat them.

[ 12. December 2008, 18:19: Message edited by: Curiosity killed ... ]
 

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Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
I hate to admit it but I watched a Jamie Oliver CHristmas special last night. What he did to mixed greens (various cabbages, rapini and so on) might work for sprouts.

He just barely blanched them, cooled them, and reheated them (maybe a minute in all) in a very hot frying pan into which he had first put a dollop (his word -- I'd guess about 2-3 tablespoons for enough greens to feed 6-8) of seasoned butter and a similar amount of balsamic vinegar. Served with a smaller dollop of the butter on top.

John
 

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Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Peel and halve the sprouts

Wash and halve button mushrooms

Halve some canned water chestnuts


Heat a wok or pan and add a little oil.

Add sprouts and stir around over a medium-ish heat for a while.

Add mushrooms and continue stirring around for a few minutes more.

Add water chestnuts and continue stirring around until they are heated through.

Add a spoon of creme fraiche [not too much, the idea is to coat them not to make lots of sauce] and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Serve.

Oh, go on then, add a bit more creme fraiche if you want - but always use the full fat as half fat creme fraiche is of the devil and certainly doesn't cook well.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Wiffles, dear, half-fat anything is An Abomination Unto The Lord™.


[ 13. December 2008, 03:09: Message edited by: piglet ]
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Wiffles, dear, half-fat anything is An Abomination Unto The Lord™.

---

AMEN!!

Preach it sister!
 

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Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 
[copied over from the Birds thread]

This year, for no readily apparent reason, I've ordered a roasting haunch of wild boar for Christmas dinner. I'm beginning to think this was a mistake since all the recipes I've found for it recommend marinading for 3 days (how lean can this meat be??) and involve ingredients I've never heard of (arrowroot?).

Anybody ever cooked roast wild boar successfully? Advice? Recipes? Please?
 

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Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
I've done boar steaks but nothing bigger. I have used arrowroot for other things, though - it's just a thickening agent and you can probably substitute cornflour instead.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
The main difference between arrowroot and cornflour (AFAIK which might not be all that far) is that arrowroot is clear and cornflour is cloudy. So it depends whether it matters if whatever you're thickening goes cloudy or not.

Wiffles, or anyone else acquainted with Real Curry&trade: if a recipe wants roasted mustard seeds, and I use grainy mustard will it be anything like the same? We don't have all the interesting Indian shops around here so I tend to use curry recipes more as a general guide to the kind of flavours that go together.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
I believe there is a method of cooking sprouts with bacon that is supposed to be good. I can actually imagine that working quite well, the strength of the bacon flavour taken the edge off the strong taste in sprouts.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
Chop the bacon and sprouts quite small and fry them. It's the only way to make them edible that I've so far discovered.

Thurible
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
A few chopped nuts of your choice might help increase the Brussels Sprout Edibility Quotient.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
...Wiffles, or anyone else acquainted with Real Curry&trade: if a recipe wants roasted mustard seeds, and I use grainy mustard will it be anything like the same? We don't have all the interesting Indian shops around here so I tend to use curry recipes more as a general guide to the kind of flavours that go together.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
For my next question - sprouts! We still haven't used up the bag in last week's veg box and another bag has just arrived... I'm not keen on sprouts so any ideas for making them more interesting would be gratefully received

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
I agree about recipes being a guide - the couple of fish curry recipes I posted recently caused some discussion between HWMBO and Mrs E about methods and I am sure every house in the village does each one slightly differently and with different combinations of spices.And they all work.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Yangtze:
Just to say that I've now made the tamarind one twice - for two different sets of people - and it just keeps on getting better and better.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
...Wiffles, or anyone else acquainted with Real Curry&trade: if a recipe wants roasted mustard seeds, and I use grainy mustard will it be anything like the same? We don't have all the interesting Indian shops around here so I tend to use curry recipes more as a general guide to the kind of flavours that go together.

---

Erm, probably not the same but it might be interesting and I don't see why it shouldn't work. On the other hand most supermarkets sell mustard seeds of one sort or another - and it seems odd that in the Mustard Capital of England you can't buy the seeds. ...

---

Sorry, I was unclear - I can get mustard seeds, it's just that I didn't have any to hand and I did have grainy mustard. I did put it in anyway and it seemed to work. It's the more exotic things that are harder to come by, although I could probably get most of them if I really tried!

I can report that steaming sprouts and adding butter and nutmeg improved them no end. We'll no doubt try lots of the other suggestions while they're in season.

[ 17. December 2008, 13:50: Message edited by: Keren-Happuch ]
 

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Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
In the mid-70s I worked in a children's home where 90+% of the lads hated sprouts but one lad and I used to happily finish a huge dish of them between us whenever they were served.

We very rarely see them here, which is sad, but then I suppose we get other veg that is rarely seen in Britain, or anywhere away from here.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I still love sprouts the way my mother used to cook them, but I don't have them often because of the smell.
Yes, I know the smell is a result of overcooking, but that's how I like them, overcooked, mashed with butter and a good dollop of nostalgia
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
Speaking of smells. . . I'm making an enormous batch of Chex™ Mix and the kitchen smells absolutely fantastically garlicky.
 

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Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
OK. I probably ought to lurk a while before I chip in here, but Marmacita - Are You Serious?? (with due respect). That recipe is all manufactured factory food. Yuk (we'll be moved to Hell in a minute) but I guess I'm interested in whether that seems a Godly way to eat.

I expect flak for smugness (yes) but tonight I had GAME. Has that featured much on this thread? Apart from wild fish, like fresh mackerel, yum and very cheap. Luckily, very luckily, my local market here in Leicester still has some folk clinging on selling wild rabbit, pigeon, pheasant, venison, partridge, grouse (expensive but delicious), wild duck, teal, hare etc etc.

So tonight I had boiled potatoes (I read somewhere recently, I think on a Government website, that we should build each meal around a basic carbohydrate ie potato, rice, pasta etc) with steamed broccoli with a touch of chili sauce, and "wild rabbit Turkish kebabs".

I bought two wild, fresh rabbits (very natural, very sustainable, there's millions of them round here, they're a pest) then boned and cubed the meat. The recipe came from The Metro, a local free newspaper (not at all eco friendly, waste of wood pulp) and means you marinade the meat in cinnamon, cumin, coriander, allspice, black pepper, hot paprika and olive oil. I ground all the spices in a pestle and mortar from whole. Then kebabed the lot on skewers with cherry tomatoes and small quartered onions. Wrapped the result in lettuce leaves. Pretty good. And I hope, healthy.

Does anyone else here eat game? I particularly like pheasant, fast roasted with bacon and some redcurrant jelly in the gravy.

I relentlessly eat steamed broccoli. I don't like it much but it has done wonders for my cholesterol level, without resorting to statins.
 

---

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
OK. I probably ought to lurk a while before I chip in here, but Marmacita - Are You Serious?? (with due respect). That recipe is all manufactured factory food. Yuk (we'll be moved to Hell in a minute) but I guess I'm interested in whether that seems a Godly way to eat.

---

It's not Godly, it's snack food. I make it once a year, at the holidays, when I am entertaining a house full of people. Lighten up, for goodness' sake.

(Also: There's no "r" in my name. I did not name myself after a yeast product. )
 

---

Posted by sewanee_angel (# 2908) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mamacita:

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
OK. I probably ought to lurk a while before I chip in here, but Marmacita - Are You Serious?? (with due respect). That recipe is all manufactured factory food. Yuk (we'll be moved to Hell in a minute) but I guess I'm interested in whether that seems a Godly way to eat.

---

It's not Godly, it's snack food. I make it once a year, at the holidays, when I am entertaining a house full of people. Lighten up, for goodness' sake.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
Trouble is, how often do I actually use cloves, juniper berries or allspice? Twice a year at most. But I still want them at hand for those two recipes each!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
]The juniper berries go in venison casseroles, the allspice in Jamacian jerk marinades, the cloves in middle eastern dishes.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Innumerable bottles of dark brown liquid from nam pla to sushi soy, and anything with 'chili' in the name.

---

Were you and I brother and sister in another life?? I do use the strange dark brown liquids sometimes. It's when I've bought them months ago and they're as yet still unopened (so... why did I buy them?) that I question my sanity.

I agree dried tarragon is worth keeping. I'm lucky with thyme, my next door neighbour has a healthy clump in her front garden and she utterly doesn't mind me snipping the occasional sprig.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I live alone and so I don't use that many herbs and spices. I keep them in the freezer, and they retain their flavor very well.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Thanks for that - off to fry some onion, cumin and chilli powder. I think they were pretty mild, as I mistakenly licked my fingers after chopping (!) and didn't burn the mouth off myself.
TG
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Tea gnome: am interested to hear the result!
 

---

Posted by Josephine (# 3899) on :
 
We realized last night, as the snow came down, that Littlest One had never had snow cream before. So Mousethief put a baking sheet out on the picnic table on the deck to collect new snow. A couple of hours later, you couldn't see where the baking sheet was.

We chilled a large bowl, filled it with fresh snow -- a gallon. Brought it inside, added four or five heaping tablespoons of vanilla sugar, a large splash of vanilla extract, and some whole milk. Started cutting it all together with a pastry cutter, adding more milk until it started approaching the color and texture of soft-serve ice cream. (You have to work fast.)

Spoon quickly into bowls, and serve immediately.

Wonderful stuff. Heaven in a dish.
 

---

Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
It sort of worked. I ended up putting in quite a bit more than a teaspoon, because it was a fairly large quantity, and it came out a bit spicy, but perhaps still not as much as I might have liked. Next time I will spend the extra monies and buy birdseye or Scotch Bonnets or something.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
A recommendation here for Mamacita's baked sprouts with pecans recipe - it was delicious, I really didn't expect it to taste either so good or so unlike sprouts. Given that I love sprouts (though few people love me in sprout season) if I loved it despite it not tasting of them, I reckon that counts as high praise!

AG
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I have decided that steaming and stir frying are the way forward with sprouts.

The chestnut cheesecake was very successful, although I ended up making a simplified version of the Nigella recipe. I decided that double lining a tin and baking it in a water bath was too much like hard work, so I baked it for an hour and a half in a low oven and then left it in the oven overnight to cool instead. I didn't make the rum syrup and it's very nice without, though we did serve it with cream. Oh, and I used 2 eggs instead of 6 (3 + 3 yolks).
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
A recommendation here for Mamacita's baked sprouts with pecans recipe - it was delicious, I really didn't expect it to taste either so good or so unlike sprouts. Given that I love sprouts (though few people love me in sprout season) if I loved it despite it not tasting of them, I reckon that counts as high praise!

AG

---

quote:

---

Here is something that HWMBO made for me yesterday - I realise that not all of you will have banana leaves readily available but some might and the others might find other means, though I'm not sure what - will foil work?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Thanks Lothlorien, silly of me - it's called Butter Paper here and is just the thing.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Joan_of_Quark:
Does any kind soul know how to obtain strong food colouring so I can make really dark colours in icing without it being too liquid to pipe?

---

You are unlikely to get the type of product you need from a supermarket. There are specialist Cake-Decoration, or Sugarcraft shops where all sorts of goodies can be found, including little pots of edible colours in paste form. (Dark green and black were my most recent requirements, for my grandson's "Ben 10" birthday cake )

Try Yellow Pages for a shop local to you, or if you have the time ask around for people who do cake-decorating as a hobby or small business (try the WI), they would probably tell you where they get their materials.

Or you could buy it online. Here's one such website, I'm sure there's more.

[ 29. December 2008, 08:22: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
The other trick for intense colours using liquid food colourings is to paint the icing after you've finished using the liquid colours. I've made a bright red clown's nose doing that.
 

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Posted by Joan_of_Quark (# 9887) on :
 
Thanks for all the help! One gap in my knowledge filled, ten million to go...
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
I always scrape off the 'intense' color frosting, as I'd rather not eat it. It can't be any good for you.

Very dark brown is perfectly all right though, assuming it gets its color from chocolate.
 

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Posted by Rat (# 3373) on :
 
Firenze, your Christmas dinner sounds delicious!

Our wild boar was both semi-successful and mildly disasterous. The meat (marinaded for 3 days in red wine with various spices, then basted while roasting with more red wine mixed with pomegranite juice) was very nice though not - I must say - so interesting that I'd be prepared again to pay so much more for it than a piece of good quality pork. The roast potatoes were also delicious (aren't they always?).

But due to a mix up (a real folie-a-deux) over the quantities, the sauce of cream and meat juices/marinade was unbalanced and too winey. And while I wasn't looking mum inadvertantly juiced the pomegranite who's seeds were supposed to decorate the dish.

And my mum's new recipe for roasting sprouts went terribly wrong... they were delicious inside, but you had to peel off a layer of charcoal to get there. We'll definitely try that again sometime.

So not a culinary triumph - but we all enjoyed it (even the black sprouts) and enjoyed making it, which is the important thing.
 

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Posted by Angel Wrestler (# 13673) on :
 
By request of Moo:

Spinach and Feta Quiche. Began as a Sunset recipe which I've altered through the years.

9" deep dish pie crust
8 - 10 oz good quality feta *
4 eggs or Egg Beaters
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk (reduce if there is a lot of whey from the feta)
1 10-oz package of frozen chopped spinach (you could cook some fresh spinach and chop it, but why?)
1 bunch of green onions (about 6), chopped all the way up the stem
1 tbsp olive oil
GARLIC - to taste.

Preheat oven to 425 - 450 F
Thoroughly blend feta, eggs, milk, and cottage cheese, garlic and olive oil
With mixing spoon, mix in spinach (squeeze it as dry as you can) and green onions
Pour in pie shell and cook at 425- 450 for about 20-25 minutes. (the crust may cook too fast, so if it's for anyone other than family, I put aluminum foil around the edges at this point)
Reduce heat to 350 - 375 and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes.

The top will look brownish when it's done and there's a kind of "set" to it that I don't know how to explain. Oh - and your kitchen will now smell like heaven.

* the low-fat variety does not cook or crumble as well as the regular. I've also experimented through the years with goat, sheep, and cow milk feta. The sheep milk feta was bland and, IMO the cow milk is too salty but it will do. Goat milk is best if you can get it - not easy in our area.

[ 29. December 2008, 23:42: Message edited by: Angel Wrestler ]
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Ok, I think I've got a load of brazil nuts in the cupboard that I should probably use up at some point. I'm not a great one for desserts, so any suggestions as to how I could use them in savoury type dishes?
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pearl B4 Swine:
I always scrape off the 'intense' color frosting, as I'd rather not eat it. It can't be any good for you.

Very dark brown is perfectly all right though, assuming it gets its color from chocolate.

---

All I know is that deep red, icing roses look lovely and taste awful.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by kingsfold:
Ok, I think I've got a load of brazil nuts in the cupboard that I should probably use up at some point. I'm not a great one for desserts, so any suggestions as to how I could use them in savoury type dishes?

---

How about chopping them and tossing them with just-cooked Kenya beans and a wee squirt of sesame oil or cook them with Brussels sprouts (as you might use chestnuts)?

Or, if you haven't a sweet tooth, serve a nice cheeseboard instead of pudding with a bowl of nuts, shelled but left whole and another of apricots or big juicy raisins. I'm free on Thursday ...
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by kingsfold:
Ok, I think I've got a load of brazil nuts in the cupboard that I should probably use up at some point. I'm not a great one for desserts, so any suggestions as to how I could use them in savoury type dishes?

---

Nut loaf? I used a fairly large proportion of Brazils in the mixed nuts needed for a Crown Nut Roast at Christmas.
Or there is this prawn/nut.rice dish which sounds good, and looks simple.
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
I've got a recipe for Bulghur and Brazil nut burgers/cutlets with orange sauce that's edible (except if the offspring is around, as Brazil nuts are another thing she's allergic to).
 

---

Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
MMm, the prawn nut thing looks interesting - I assume you just dry cook nuts in the oven for a bit to get them toasted? Since I also think I may have lurking walnuts, nut roast may be the answer.

And I'd be happy to give the nut/bulgar burger thingies a go too, if you could send me the recipe please, Curiosity.

Piglet, cheese board with apricots & raisins sounds wonderful (though a bit gluttonous for just me). You'd be welcome, but I'm afraid I'm not free Thursday...
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
If you've got odds and ends of different cheeses left over from Christmas as well you can make a "cheeseboard pasta bake". As I recall it's basically cooked pasta, chuck in chunks of cheese, top with nuts and bake in the oven. If anybody wants I can look up the precise recipe.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
Brazil and Bulgar Wheat burgers
serves 4, suitable for freezing

2 tbsp oil
125g/4oz onion chopped finely
2 celery sticks, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic crushed
125g/4oz bulgar wheat
250g/8oz Brazil nuts, ground coarsely
300ml/½pt vegetable stock
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 egg (size 1) beaten

1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté until soft. Add the bulgar wheat and nuts and sauté until lightly golden. Add the stock and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, parsley, herbs and beaten egg, season generously with salt and pepper and leave until cool enough to handle.
3. Shape into 4 oval 'burgers', place on a greased baking sheet and cook in a preheated oven 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6, for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.
4. Transfer the burgers to a warmed serving dish and accompany with the orange sauce and courgettes.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Does anyone know how one can make a crustless quiche recipe from a crusted one? I'm about to go seriously low carb and love any kind of quiche.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
Hereis a Slimming World "quiche" recipe. I've never made one, as they seem to be a little unappetising, but it may give you some ideas. They don't appear to add anything in place of the crust - just cook the filling without the pastry. Maybe that's not what you had in mind.

---

I have made the corned beef "Quiche" as it seems to be a staple of Fat Fighters. It needs to be well salted and a strong cheese put over the top (if you are not following SW plan then lots of cheese over the top! )

It can also be made using salmon and brocolli, and I think you mush the salmon up into the eggy mixture and then bake.

(If I can find my SW cookery book, I will post the fish version).

(Edited because I can't spell today)

[ 22. January 2009, 14:19: Message edited by: Agent Smith ]
 

---

Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gill H:
Here's a leek recipe we were cooked by German shipmate Shoewoman.

Trim and wash leeks, but don't slice them up. Cook them until they are a little soft, then drain. Wrap slices of ham around each leek, pour cheese sauce over them, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cook in the oven until the dish is hot and the cheese is browned.

---

Interesting that you got that recipe from a German, (being Welsh yourself,) for I've always known that dish as 'St David's Day Bake' and assumed it was a traditional Welsh recipe!
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
A question for UK people - I have a recipe book, about 15 years old that suggests using size 2 eggs. What are the numbers used to describe the sizes of eggs over there?

Here we have 5, 6, 7, and sometimes 8 with 5 being the smallest. Using our scale 2 would probably be the size of a blackbird's rather than a hen's egg

(this is why I usually use NZ or OZ books* - I have difficulty with the translations.)

*Though having said that Aussies use a 20ml tablespoon whereas the civilized world uses a 15ml one.

Huia
 

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Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
If I remember rightly a Size 2 is a medium egg - I think it went 1 - 2 - 3 with 1 being the biggest. I always just bought eggs.
 

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Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Wiff Waff.

I have an old Christmas cake recipe where the eggs are described by weight (one pound - its about 6 of our number 7s) because some people used bantam (small chicken) eggs which were quite small, so that if 6 of them were used it wouldn't be enough.

Huia
 

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Posted by Left at the Altar (# 5077) on :
 
If I were a 15 year old student, aspiring to some time-honoured profession, could I look at egg-sizing as a possibility?

"hmmm. That's quite a big one. I think I'll give it a 4."

Who does this stuff?
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Left at the Altar:
If I were a 15 year old student, aspiring to some time-honoured profession, could I look at egg-sizing as a possibility?

"hmmm. That's quite a big one. I think I'll give it a 4."

Who does this stuff?

---

Who does this stuff? Perhaps the people who missed ut on chicken sexing jobs.

Eggs here seem to be sold by the weight of the dozen in the pack, eg. 700gms.

Last pack of free range organic eggs we bought had all twelve with double yolks.
 

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Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Fellow shippies, may I offer you a very speedy soup recipe. Well it's actually almost embarrassing calling it a recipe it's so simple. But I just made and ate it and whilst it may lack the depth that comes with a bit of onion and olive oil, it's not bad at all. And it's very healthy. Oh, and a very gorgeous green colour

Speedy Spinach (& Broccoli) Soup

Boil kettle. Whilst waiting for it to boil rinse broccoli, chop (including the stalk) and put into pan together with a good heaped teaspoon of Marigold bouillon (or other veggie stock cube of your preference). Cover with the boiling water (and possibly a bit more), bring back up to the boil then simmer for 10 mins.

During that time rinse well a bunch of spinach including stalks. Chop up and put stalks into pan. After the 10 mins is up add the leaves and simmer for a further 5 mins.

Blitz with a handblender (or in blender I suppose). Serve with a drizzle of lemon juice, a good grind of black pepper and dollop of yoghurt.

From veg to soup; hungry to ready in 15 mins flat. (And probably could even be eaten earlier if you're in a real hurry - just as long as the vegetables are soft enough to blend)
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
And that soup can be added to my low carb file.
 

---

Posted by Izzybee (# 10931) on :
 
I know I'm late to the whole "crustless quiche" discussion, but something I've done in the past is to make little crustless mini quiches (just the filling) in paper cup-cake cups - easy to keep in the fridge and grab for lunch.

[ 23. January 2009, 16:53: Message edited by: Izzybee ]
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 
Yangtze - I think crumbling in some blue cheese before blending would be good in that as well.
 

---

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gill H:
Here's a leek recipe we were cooked by German shipmate Shoewoman.

Trim and wash leeks, but don't slice them up. Cook them until they are a little soft, then drain. Wrap slices of ham around each leek, pour cheese sauce over them, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cook in the oven until the dish is hot and the cheese is browned.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Izzybee:
I know I'm late to the whole "crustless quiche" discussion, but something I've done in the past is to make little crustless mini quiches (just the filling) in paper cup-cake cups - easy to keep in the fridge and grab for lunch.

---

Not too late. That sounds like a very good idea. Thanks!
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wiff Waff:
Yangtze - I think crumbling in some blue cheese before blending would be good in that as well.

---

Oh that would be nice. Would probably give it some depth as well.

(But also would render it not quite so low-fat / healthy - though that may be because I'm incapable of having blue cheese in the fridge and not eating the whole thing!)
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Having been threatening to try it for ages, on Friday we invited a couple of garlic-loving friends round and had a go at chicken with 40 cloves of garlic - you can probably smell it from wherever you are on the planet.

I stuffed the chicken with celery and some of the garlic, and parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (cue for a song?), and put the rest of the garlic cloves round the chicken in a chicken brick; it came out wonderfully juicy and flavoursome. David did absolutely magic saffron rice to go with it, and we served slices of toasted French bread on which to spread the baked garlic cloves. We'll definitely be doing that one again (the recipe came from France: the Beautiful Cookbook by Richard Olney).
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
piglet, that sounds divine. What's a chicken brick, though?


While FD is in Perth next weekend for rexory's 25th celebrations, I thought I might arrange a girls' night in with a few of my friends. I then realised the challenges in providing a suitable menu.

One is vegetarian. One has just had her pancreas removed and can't eat fatty food. The other is coeliac and is lactose intolerant.

One of them drinks, one just doesn't and one disapproves.

So. No meat, no cheese, no cream, no pasta, no bread and no alcohol. I simply can't make leek and lemon risotto again, even if my vegetarian friend likes it.

I mentioned this problem to FD who said something along the lines of "oh yes, they're dyslexic and only eat doof".

Does anyone have any ideas (apart from cancelling the whole thing and going out with people who eat)?
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:
...Does anyone have any ideas (apart from cancelling the whole thing and going out with people who eat)?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Having been threatening to try it for ages, on Friday we invited a couple of garlic-loving friends round and had a go at chicken with 40 cloves of garlic - you can probably smell it from wherever you are on the planet.

I stuffed the chicken with celery and some of the garlic, and parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (cue for a song?), and put the rest of the garlic cloves round the chicken in a chicken brick; it came out wonderfully juicy and flavoursome. David did absolutely magic saffron rice to go with it, and we served slices of toasted French bread on which to spread the baked garlic cloves. We'll definitely be doing that one again (the recipe came from France: the Beautiful Cookbook by Richard Olney).

---

That is so yummy. One of my sons does that dish regularly. 40 cloves seems excessive on first glance, but it isn't over the top in flavour. Just delicious. It's nearly 6 pm here and son, DIL and I are wondering what to do for Sunday dinner soon. We eat mostly vegetarian dishes but meat beckons tonight. That sounds lovely but there's no organic chicken in house and DIL won't eat anything else as far as chcken goes.

Possibly pasta so we can get it done before a new Dr Who episode is on ABC tonight.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
//Tangent Alert//

Nice to see you back, Clarence,my Avatar twin...the number of times I see "my" avatar, & think "When did I post here...?" and then realise it's not me, but you!

I don't know if you've been absent, or I've just not been following you around...but Hi!

//End of tangent alert//
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
There's a certain elegance in double posting without double posting.



I lurk more than I post though - and run to the recipe thread when I'm in kitchen trauma mode.
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Clarence:

How about rice and dahl with a salad. Rose Elliot in Vegan Feasts that is completely fat free i.e. no frying of spices or onion at the start. (I will pm you the recipe if you like but for obvious reasons I am not putting it on the board) I mess around with it, adding spinach and tomato and using mixed lentils. If you serve it with rice then you get the full protein range in the meal, and you just need to add a nice salad for the main course, use a variety of salad vegetables and serve the dressing by the side.

Dessert in this case I fall back on the standby fruit salad. But for a "cream" get hold of some non-dairy single cream substitute, mix in ground almonds and a smidgen of vanilla essence and mix well. It comes out at about the constituency of double cream and is delicious.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
Thank you for the great ideas. It seems perfectly sensible to set it as a pick and choose dinner with rice: why didn't I think of that?

The cooking without fat should have come to me as well: when FD's doctor was wanting to lower FD's cholesterol we were trying to adjust diet and we were eating only vegetables and lentils cooked in water. (It didn't make any difference: turns out it was not diet related, so I gave up and started cooking with oil again).
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Realised that a lot of the Orthodox Lenten recipes might suit, so here seems a good selection largely following the stricter rules which precludes oil.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:
So. No meat, no cheese, no cream, no pasta, no bread and no alcohol.

---

Starter

Tomato soup made with passata, dash of soy sauce and a tablespoon of apple juice to take out the accidity.

Main

Baked potatoes served with sunflower marge for carbs.
Peas, preferably petitis pois cos I like them
Hot stuffed cabbage rolls.

Gravy made with veggie stockcube, thinkened with a little arrow root, and a few pinches of extra herbs.

Dessert

Melon

[ 25. January 2009, 13:57: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 

---

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
This menu assumes you want a fairly hearty winter meal. And I just realised your in brisbane. So, I'd chill the tomato soup.

[ 25. January 2009, 14:00: Message edited by: Doublethink ]
 

---

Posted by Suze (# 5639) on :
 
I'd go with chopped veggies, bread sticks and crisps and dippy things to start with (salsa for those who are non-dairy/fat, sour cream or a baked camembert for those who are less constrained).

I'd follow this with a veggie bean chilli with peppers, tomatoes, lentils, chick peas and kidney beans (cooked the night before and left to sit tastes best).

For dessert I'll do some plums "mulled" in cider (non alcoholic) or apple juice. Serve with soya cream substitute for the non-dairy and creme freche (sp?)for the others. Gotta love those friends who make entertaining more "challenging".
 

---

Posted by Doublethink (# 1984) on :
 
Non-alcoholic cider
 

---

Posted by Suze (# 5639) on :
 
Oh yes, Stowford Press do some that has less than 0.5% alcohol which tastes really quite good and Kopparberg do a non-alcoholic pear cider which I've heard good things about. They are both matured and processed so it's not quite like straight fruit juice. Some of my family are funny about alcohol but also like "grown up" drinks so decent low/no alcohol drinks are a necessity in my house.
 

---

Posted by Aelred of Riveaux (# 12833) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:

While FD is in Perth next weekend for rexory's 25th celebrations, I thought I might arrange a girls' night in with a few of my friends. I then realised the challenges in providing a suitable menu.

One is vegetarian. One has just had her pancreas removed and can't eat fatty food. The other is coeliac and is lactose intolerant.

One of them drinks, one just doesn't and one disapproves.

So. No meat, no cheese, no cream, no pasta, no bread and no alcohol. I simply can't make leek and lemon risotto again, even if my vegetarian friend likes it.

I mentioned this problem to FD who said something along the lines of "oh yes, they're dyslexic and only eat doof".

Does anyone have any ideas (apart from cancelling the whole thing and going out with people who eat)?

---

I'd suggest a crumble using our family's coeliac friendly recipe, and filled with either vegetables (most work) or fruit depending on whether you are having it for main course or dessert.

For an interesting coeliac friendly crumble topping:

Take equal quantities of
polenta/maize meal,
buckwheat flakes (yes they are gluten free despite the name, and they can be found in health food shops)
ground rice
Usually 2-3 heaped tablespoons - depends on the size of the dish.

For a sweet topping add 1-2 tbsp sugar

You might also like to add:
1-2 tbsp ground almonds (assuming no nut allergies) - particularly good in sweet crumble
1 tbsp sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
dried herbs if savoury

mix above ingredients with a fork and make a well in the centre.

Add 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil - olive is good for savoury crumble but something with a milder flavour is better for fruit crumble.

Mix together with a fork until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs (except for the seeds). Put on top of filling and bake at about 180C. For a savoury crumble, it is best to cook the filling for 30-45 minutes depending on vegetables (or in microwave) before adding the topping and cooking for about another 30 minutes. A crumble filled with stewed fruit requires about 45 minutes.

To drink, I suggest elderflower presse is a light and tasty alternative to wine. Also single variety (often locally produced) apple juice if you can get it.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Many cheeses have had all (or almost all) of the lactose fermented out, so they can be safely eaten by the lactose-intolerant - no carbs=no lactose. I was soooo happy when I figured this one out!

So checking with your lactose-intolerant friend on their cheese tolerance, and the vegetarian about rennet, may be worth your time.
 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
On cheese, I've got too many scraps of very good cheese just to throw them away (bought when feeling extravagant but evidently bought too much). Any ideas?

Thurible
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
On cheese, I've got too many scraps of very good cheese just to throw them away (bought when feeling extravagant but evidently bought too much). Any ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:
piglet, that sounds divine. What's a chicken brick, though?

---

A chicken brick is a terracotta pot, unglazed on the outside, but the lower part glazed on the inside. Because the chicken's enclosed, it holds all the juices. Before you put it in the oven, you should soak the brick and lid in cold water for about half an hour to protect the clay.

I also make what I call "St. Clement's chicken" - stuff the chicken with a half each of orange and lemon and a small onion, rub the outside with salt and pepper and a little butter, sprinkle over some tarragon if you like it and the juice of the rest of the orange. Put it into a cold oven and turn it on to about 400°F and cook for about an hour and a half (more if it's a really big chicken).
 

---

Posted by Clarence (# 9491) on :
 
I think I have to get one of these chicken bricks. Anything that involves cooking in a terracotta pot gets me interested. Must be all those years watching Bill and Ben, the flower pot men.

The weekend girls' night in may be easier. The "no fat" guest is busy writing an article against a deadline for Scripture Union and may not make it.

So that leaves me with vegetarian, no dairy and no gluten. That's a teeny tiny bit easier...
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I'm making this terrine for a meal on Saturday.

How many days before do you think I can make it? I'd prefer Wednesday, as I have lots of time, but that seems very early. Do you think it would go off? Thursday's a possibility, but Friday's a no-no and Saturday seems too late for it to cool & for flavours to meld together..
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I would slice the chicken, de-rind the bacon if necessary and prep the sausage as in steps 2 & 3 on Wednesday and refrigerate. That will save a little time when it comes to assembling and cooking, which I would do on Thursday.
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:
...Anything that involves cooking in a terracotta pot gets me interested. Must be all those years watching Bill and Ben, the flower pot men. ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
On cheese, I've got too many scraps of very good cheese just to throw them away (bought when feeling extravagant but evidently bought too much). Any ideas?

Thurible

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:

One of them drinks, one just doesn't and one disapproves.

---

And wine or beer for the drinkers, juice and mineral water for those who don't and the one who disapproves can just get over it.


 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
Cheeseboard pasta bake - can provide more details/quantities on request!

---

I was thinking along those lines. If you could suggest how much cheese to pasta, that'd be handy. (Obviously there's no such thing as 'too much cheese' but I've got two fair wedges of blue cheese and don't want it to be toostrong. It'd be okay to freeze, wouldn't it? (And if I was going to freeze, I suppose I could make two.)

Thurible
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Our New Year favourite, Apple and Stilton Soup uses up a good sized lump of any Stilton we have left after Christmas
In fact I usually buy a very big piece, just to make sure we have plenty left over for soup
 

---

Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 

• Broccoli and stilton soup is pretty classic.
• Pears stuffed with blue cheese and served with watercress as a starter,
• home made beef burgers made with blue cheese in the middle are good

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
Cheeseboard pasta bake - can provide more details/quantities on request!

---

I was thinking along those lines. If you could suggest how much cheese to pasta, that'd be handy. (Obviously there's no such thing as 'too much cheese' but I've got two fair wedges of blue cheese and don't want it to be toostrong. It'd be okay to freeze, wouldn't it? (And if I was going to freeze, I suppose I could make two.)

Thurible

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Clarence:
piglet, that sounds divine. What's a chicken brick, though?

---

A chicken brick is a terracotta pot, unglazed on the outside, but the lower part glazed on the inside.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:

• Broccoli and stilton soup is pretty classic.
• Pears stuffed with blue cheese and served with watercress as a starter,
• home made beef burgers made with blue cheese in the middle are good

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

Dormouse, is your terrine freezable? If you made it on Wednesday, froze it once it was cool, and took it out on Friday night, it would be defrosted by Saturday evening.

---

I'm not sure if it's freezable - there's no dairy in it so what would make it unfreezable, I wonder? The nuts? the apricots? That seems like a good idea, piglet, and the option I'll probably take, depending on two things
1. People posting here screaming No!No! You'll all die if you freeze and eat it!
2. I have room in my freezer. At the moment it's a bit jampacked with anonymous plastic boxes. But I should be able to shuffle them round a bit. I really must have a freezer clearout.
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
I much enjoy muesli for breakfast with fresh fruit added and plain yoghurt. All stirred together. Sometimes a teaspoon of honey too.

I add extra seeds (healthy, cheap and tasty) eg pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, linseed, in random proportions.

Now I've started dry frying/toasting the seeds first, for a few minutes until they darken, (although breakfasttime is starting to eat into my SoF time before I set off for work!) The seeds taste extra delicious, warm and crunchy.

It's a small pleasure, but they all count!
 

---

Posted by Laud-able (# 9896) on :
 

quote:

---

originally posted by Dormouse:

I'm not sure if it's freezable

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
...Now I've started dry frying/toasting the seeds first, for a few minutes until they darken, (although breakfasttime is starting to eat into my SoF time before I set off for work!) The seeds taste extra delicious, warm and crunchy.

It's a small pleasure, but they all count!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Another one that should be really simple if people know the answer.

How do you cook rice if you want to freeze and then reheat it in the microwave. I like rice, I ideally prefer to cook brown basmati rice, (healthier and fairly traded) but have found cooking it in an evening takes too long especially as I now work later. I want to cook up a large batch at a weekend and then use it up later.

Jengie

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by lily pad:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Another one that should be really simple if people know the answer.

How do you cook rice if you want to freeze and then reheat it in the microwave. I like rice, I ideally prefer to cook brown basmati rice, (healthier and fairly traded) but have found cooking it in an evening takes too long especially as I now work later. I want to cook up a large batch at a weekend and then use it up later.

Jengie

---

You can freeze rice. Cook it normally and cool it quickly. Package it in portions so that you only reheat what you will eat.


This link explains why rice should not be stored in the fridge for more than one day before using.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
OK, Laud-able I'll trust you - but if we die horrible deaths my ghost will come & search you out!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
OK, Laud-able I'll trust you

---

Dormouse, all will be well, although I note lily pad’s advice about varying zones of temperature inside a refrigerator. A refrigerator thermometer is an inexpensive safeguard – Zappa’s comment on local temperatures prompted me to check that mine were at correct levels: at just after 8 am we are at 34° C and heading for a peak of 43° C. I am posting in Heaven, but sitting (if only temporarily) on the hobs of Hell.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Laud-able, you have my sympathy. I reckon you can probably cook things at 43°C.

Give me 43°F any time.
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Offense alert to US Shipmates:

I've spent big effort this evening cooking a US meatloaf (I'm courting a US girl and I want some small-talk!)

I followed this recipe to the letter (OK, I used some supermarket-bought tomato sauce but that wasn't the problem).

I used my sister's prime Aberdeen Angus beef steak mince (she farms in the North of England, her cattle grow very slowly and produce wonderful full-flavoured meat). I bought prime pork sausage etc etc. But why does the recipe mix equal parts of beef and pork? The result, to me, will taste of neither. There was added onion and even curry powder (to add flavour I guess. French pates enhance the inherent flavour of the meat and would never mix pork and beef and still hope to have a distinctive flavour). And the texture in the meatloaf was so smooth and homogenized, yuk.

Perhaps the recipe is not in fact very US-authentic at all. Pls suggest better.

The meatloaf result was (to me) yes, bland and so tasteless. I couldn't even tell it was meat. It was a bit like one of those protein drinks that you can buy at the gym. And I think that's what it was. A way of getting huge amounts of bland protein down you and building big, bulky children. American Football players and Beauty Queens. And now, obese adults.

Next week, I'm going to cook a traditional Swedish/Scandanavian meat loaf/maybe meatballs and see if that's any tastier/healthier. Hmmm.... comments please.
 

---

Posted by GoodCatholicLad (# 9231) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
Offense alert to US Shipmates:

I've spent big effort this evening cooking a US meatloaf (I'm courting a US girl and I want some small-talk!)

I followed this recipe to the letter (OK, I used some supermarket-bought tomato sauce but that wasn't the problem).


Perhaps the recipe is not in fact very US-authentic at all. Pls suggest better.

The meatloaf result was (to me) yes, bland and so tasteless. I couldn't even tell it was meat. It was a bit like one of those protein drinks that you can buy at the gym. And I think that's what it was. A way of getting huge amounts of bland protein down you and building big, bulky children. American Football players and Beauty Queens. And now, obese adults.

Next week, I'm going to cook a traditional Swedish/Scandanavian meat loaf/maybe meatballs and see if that's any tastier/healthier. Hmmm.... comments please.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by GoodCatholicLad:

. . . take a tiny portion of the raw beef mixture, fry it up in a pan and check for seasonings.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by philip99a:
Perhaps the recipe is not in fact very US-authentic at all.

---

quote:

---

By: Kiwipom

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
Although, from the amount of seasoning recommended by GCL, the flavour of the meat used in an American meatloaf is possibly an irrelevance.
Maybe using good quality Aberdeen Angus was a bit of a waste.

---

First of all, after my rather disappointed post yesterday, the meatloaf has much more flavour now that it's cold and has stood for 18hrs in the fridge.

But yes, Roseofsharon, what it tastes of is the chilli in the curry powder, the sauce, the pepper etc. The flavour of the meat is all lost. Possibly just not my type of recipe!
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
To my eyes, that's a pretty frou-frou meatloaf recipe. Also very wet.

Meatloaf, in my experience, is one of those things that one wanders into the kitchen and throws together without consulting a recipe. Rather plain, but good basic comfort food. In the Otter household, the basic proportions are, for each pound of meat: (90+% lean beef, I don't like my meatloaf swimming in grease, which is the only reservation I have about the beef/pork mixtures)

1 egg, 1 onion, up to one row of saltines (ummm...20 of them?) coarsely crushed, a good squeeze of ketchup (1/4 cup?), and a good shake of salt and pepper. Other spices if they sound good at the time. Bake at 350 F for a half-hour to and hour, depending on the size/shape of your meatloaf. Serve hot, the Otter Pup and Mr. Otter eat it with ketchup.
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Oh, Yes, this was what I was after! Thanks otter, a reply from a Civil Engineer family in Chicago. All clean your hands with Swarfega first, before making industrial quantities of best US meatloaf! Er..... maybe you don't have Swarfega.

Well, first I had to Google "frou-frou" I guess = wimpy, feeble, fussy etc. Ie Not Very Chicago.

Next, saltines. May seem amazing, but we don't have them here. Can I use Jacob's Cream Crackers?. Or Matzo's (but I think saltines are leavened, hmmm...) A Bath Oliver seems a bit solid. Perhaps a Carr's Water Biscuit - but not the high-baked version. Can anyone advise?? And given the name "saltine", would I have to add extra salt?? I reckon Yes.

And no mixed meats, no fatty pork. Yes!
No milk and water either, good.
Above all no poncy (perhaps my Limey equivalent of "frou-frou") Italian tomato and herb homemade sauce. "(We) eat it with ketchup" That's what I want. Food fit for Homer Simpson. Washed down with Coors and followed up by do-nuts and whipped cream!

Er... it is low-calorie, hi-fibre/fiber, isn't it?
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Phillip99a

I think this thread off another discussion board may be helpful to you. It is discussing what is most similar to Saltines in the UK.

Jengie
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Thx J Jon, I'll try Doriano crackers, tho I am deeply prejudiced against Tesco!


I did mean to add that in my online cracker research (!) I came across S'mores. Never heard of them before. I realise I'll have to find Graham crackers or substitutes (Digestive Biscuits? but not at all sure they're the same). S'mores look pretty wonderful. We're certainly trawling the byways of non-haute-cuisine here!!
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I use breadcrumbs in meatloaf. I've also been known to use oats, crushed weetabix, even ready brek or baby rice - depends what's to hand. I'd usually add garlic and any other handy vegetables such as sweetcorn, grated carrot, mushrooms. Even grated beetroot when I had a lot of it to use up. We serve it with Campbells tomato soup which isn't a million miles from ketchup but less acidic. I wouldn't use really good quality meat, but not the cheapest either.
 

---

Posted by Otter (# 12020) on :
 
Yep, I've used bread crumbs too, when crackers weren't handy. Any kind of cracker or bready substance that sounds good will probably work just fine. IIRC I used cheesy crackers once, and it was decent, if unexpected.

Meat loaf seems to be one of those things that you'll find all sorts of variations on. Mr. Otter likes plenty of filler, and in larger chunks, same with the onions. I like the filler more crumb-sized. I've seen recipes that have whole hard-boiled eggs inside the loaf. Other people add cheese (much as my family likes cheese, that variation did not meet with approval). We like a fairly solid loaf, other people like very soft. You fool around with it until you find out what you like...
 

---

Posted by philip99a (# 13799) on :
 
Excellent. But is meat loaf basically made of ground (US) beef, which I take to be the same as decent-quality minced (UK) beef?
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I don't know whether there's a specifically US style of meatloaf. My entirely British recipe came from my Grandma who'd have been horrified at the idea of making anything "foreign". It uses half and half mince and sausage meat. My grandfather was a butcher so they'd have used good meat.
 

---

Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
When considering crackers/bread crumbs/oats and the like, please remember that the functions of the filler are two:
1. to make the meat go further by adding bulk that is in itsself essentially tasteless -- so you'll have to flavour more strongly, the more you use
2. to soak up the grease exuded by the meat as it cooks. Well, the juices as well, but mainly the fat. So the leaner the meat, the less you will need. (And I confess that 20 saltines would do a 5-6 pound meatloaf in my experience, though I'd be using extra lean ground beef).

John
 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
I saw a large bag of frozen, whole sardines in Sainsbury's the other day and thought "Gosh, that's a bargain! I'll be able to do something with those."

As Friday approaches, though, I must admit to being at a loss as to what to do with them. Other than simply grilling them and eating them on bread/with a salad or somesuch, what would people suggest?

Thanks,

Thurible
 

---

Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
Stargazy Pie?
 

---

Posted by Wiff Waff (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
I saw a large bag of frozen, whole sardines in Sainsbury's the other day and thought "Gosh, that's a bargain! I'll be able to do something with those."

As Friday approaches, though, I must admit to being at a loss as to what to do with them. Other than simply grilling them and eating them on bread/with a salad or somesuch, what would people suggest?

Thanks,

Thurible

---