quote:

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Originally posted by Firenze:
...Alternatively, no cuts, but very fine slices to give strands of onion. Particularly if you are crisping them to be scattered over something.

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Stop!

You're making me hungry and I am trying to forego supper tonight.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Thanks for the insights. I will see what I can do with them. I fear my onions will continue to be "roughly" chopped or diced. I'll just have to avoid feeding Food Network bigwigs.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Stop!

You're making me hungry and I am trying to forego supper tonight.

---

Really? We're having Lamb Dopiaza with Sambhara and Naan.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 

 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Never mind, LC - someone's bound to be along shortly with a pork recipe ...
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Crisply fried onion slices are delicious with both sauted lamb's fry (liver in the US), and pork spare ribs cooked over charcoals. That should please you both.
 

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Posted by Lamb Chopped (# 5528) on :
 
Gee, thanks.
 

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Posted by AristonAstuanax (# 10894) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
Crisply fried onion slices are delicious with both sauted lamb's fry (liver in the US), and pork spare ribs cooked over charcoals. That should please you both.

---

Um, I'm glad you clarified what "lamb's fry" means for you—because in some states, that term refers to a very, very different part of (of all things) a calf.
Or, to be more precise, a newly-minted steer.
And yes, I have eaten them—there's a reason they're also known as "Rocky Mountain oysters." It's kind of odd knowing that the animal they came from is probably still alive, giving higher-pitched moos . . .
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
I've only known them as Rocky Mountain oysters, and never had the chance to eat them. One day ...
 

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Posted by BessHiggs (# 15176) on :
 
Bull fries, lamb fries, pig fries, and rooster fries. All quite tasty once you get past what they actually are. OTOH, it does make me wonder a bit about French fries
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
We have ever only eaten bull's balls once, in a good hotel restaurant in Lugarno. Probably 1 between the 2 of us. Rather crunchy, but stil tender, not at all chewy, they were cooked in a tomato and black olive sauce. They were served with either rice or polenta, from memory, green salad to follow. The dish went well with a Barolo.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
OK, so to change the subject entirely...

I want to make chocolate sponge cake in loaf tins to turn into a steam train cake for KGlet1's birthday. My questions are a) will this work, b) will I need to change the quantities and cooking times? Most of the recipes I've found for chocolate loaf cake have baking powder in, which I can't stand.

Are there any cake makers on the Ship?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
My baking expertise is pretty finite, but I can't think of any sponge cake that doesn't require a raising agent.

Would it rock KGlet's world if you used commercially sourced (possibly mini) swiss rolls? Few of them, smarties or biscuits (depending on scale) for the wheels, chocolate flake for the stack, bit of creative icing...

I'd eat it.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I'm fully intending to have party ring wheels, chocolate fingers for tracks etc. It's just creating the actual cake that's bothering me at the moment. I know it'll need a raising agent, but SR flour will have to do - my Mum (who'll be there too) and I can taste baking powder a mile off.

ETA KGlet would definitely eat it with a swiss roll base, but I want to make the cake myself.

[ 07. January 2011, 22:13: Message edited by: Keren-Happuch ]
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Instead of making a single bread-dimension loaf, use the loaf pans (borrow if you don't have enough) to make a number of normal depth but rectangular layers and build up the train from those.

Since the thickness will be normal, you won't have to worry about a soggy middle. Being small rectangles, they'll probably bake in less time than a normal 9-inch round.

Layers will also allow you to cut one of them into pieces to make the cab and a smokestack.

I have to admit that I am puzzled by your aversion to baking powder, since the self-rising (SR) flour you refer to is simply regular flour with the baking powder (and usually a bit of salt) already added to it.

ETA: Of course, using layers will mean a LOT more icing or whatever to paste all these pieces together. Not that I expect the children will object.

[ 07. January 2011, 23:05: Message edited by: jlg ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
I have a baking tray for friands which has small rectangular moulds in it, about the size of a Thomas and friends carriage from toy shop. Would that sort of thing be a possibility?
 

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Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 
You can make a totally flourless chocolate cake by following the recipe for the sponge part of a chocolate roulade. You could bake it in the usual baking tray, then cut it into rectangles and assemble. A recipe here. (You could use milk or white chocolate to make it a little less strong for a child.)

I've hunted through my recipe books, and also come up with this one, a 'sacher' recipe, which uses plain flour and no baking powder. The 'raising agent' here (as with the roulade) is whipped egg whites. Caveat: I haven't tried this, so can't say how it turns out!

quote:

---

1 cup (4oz) plain flour
1/2 cup (2oz) cocoa powder
1/4 cup (3oz) apricot jam
1 cup (8oz) caster sugar
4oz butter
4 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin and line base and sides with baking parchment.
Combine jam, sugar, and butter in small pan, and stir over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Stir in the butter mixture until well combined. Add the egg yolks and mix well.
Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a metal spoon, add one spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture, and beat in well. (This loosens the mixture.) Then add the rest of the egg whites, and fold in gently.
Bake for 50 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Leave cake in tin for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by infinite_monkey:
Having spent Christmas with my brother the Food Snob, I've made the New Year's switch to fancy flour (versus the 79 cents a pound bulk stuff).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
What is Dutch process cocoa?

---

quote:

---

What is Dutch process cocoa?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jlg:
Instead of making a single bread-dimension loaf, use the loaf pans (borrow if you don't have enough) to make a number of normal depth but rectangular layers and build up the train from those.

[...]

I have to admit that I am puzzled by your aversion to baking powder, since the self-rising (SR) flour you refer to is simply regular flour with the baking powder (and usually a bit of salt) already added to it.

ETA: Of course, using layers will mean a LOT more icing or whatever to paste all these pieces together. Not that I expect the children will object.

---

Sounds like a good idea - either that or Cottontail's one of making it flat in a swiss roll tray. I don't quite understand the baking powder thing either, but the quantity in self raising flour seems not to be a problem, it's when the recipe then adds extra that we notice it.


And I'm sure the kids won't mind lots of extra icing!
 

---

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by John Holding:

quote:

---

Originally posted by infinite_monkey:
Having spent Christmas with my brother the Food Snob, I've made the New Year's switch to fancy flour (versus the 79 cents a pound bulk stuff).

---

I'm curious -- what makes "fancy flour" fancy, and why is it better than unbleached flour bought (if necessary) from a bulk or health food store?

John

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:

quote:

---

Originally posted by jlg:

I have to admit that I am puzzled by your aversion to baking powder, since the self-rising (SR) flour you refer to is simply regular flour with the baking powder (and usually a bit of salt) already added to it.

---

I don't quite understand the baking powder thing either, but the quantity in self raising flour seems not to be a problem, it's when the recipe then adds extra that we notice it.

---

Well, of course, because you have doubled the amount! If using self-rising flour, you should simply omit the recipe's request for baking powder and salt, since your flour already includes these ingredients.

You'll also get better results, since too much leavening usually causes baked goods to explode and then collapse before they are done.
 

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Posted by geroff (# 3882) on :
 
There is always the no bake train cake which is probably slightly heretical on the recipe thread.
 

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Posted by ErinBear (# 13173) on :
 
I have a question about whole nutmeg. A friend asked me what I wanted for Christmas. One thing I've wanted to try for awhile is the use of freshly ground nutmeg - I've never done this, so I asked her about possibly getting some whole nutmegs. Here you can get them in the store in small packages of a few (6?). Instead, she ordered a package online of a whole pound! Now I have maybe 150? I don't know. More than a lifetime supply I suspect. Wow!

Anyway, now that they're here, questions of nutmeg use and care have arisen. She says that once they've been ground (opened, if you will) they lose their flavor and should be used again. I had not heard this and in fact that sounds quite wasteful. Can anyone elaborate on this? I thought they could still be used.

I have some nutmeg recipes and uses and would be happy to hear more. Now that I have a bizillion nutmegs here. LOL. Last night I made a spiced mashed sweet potato recipe, with nutmeg as a component - first use of the nutmeg and it did make a difference!

Thanks, ErinBear
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
All spices lose flavour once ground, but not as quickly as implied by your friend. As you have whole nutmegs that shouldn't be a problem if you only grind as much as you need each time.

Maybe the exposed surface will lose some flavour once some has been ground away, but by the time you have half a teaspoon newly ground there will be enough of the unexposed spice mixed with it not to notice.
I love nutmeg.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I agree with Roseofsharon; whole nutmegs will keep for ages in a jar or sealed container, and you only need to grate what you want. You can get nutmeg graters which have a little compartment for storing the whole (or partial) nutmeg. They probably won't accommodate 150 of them though ...

Apparently in Days Of Yore gentlemen had little graters that fitted on a watch-fob chain, and ground their own nutmeg on to food, probably to disguise signs of iffiness.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
If you keep a partially used nutmeg closed up in a completely dry container, I reckon you could keep it for at least as long as you'd keep the same amount of ground stuff (I go about six months before switching out.) Moisture makes them go off pretty quick, and the oils do start breaking down when you grate them, but you're still miles ahead of folks who only use the powder.

Fundamentally, most of the "power" of nutmeg (indeed, most spices) is in the smell anyway, not the taste. If it still smells like nutmeg, it'll work.

[ 10. January 2011, 03:49: Message edited by: infinite_monkey ]
 

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Posted by ErinBear (# 13173) on :
 
Many thanks, everyone, for the nutmeg support! It was along the lines that I was thinking. I feel so much better now!

Thanks again, all.

Blessings,
ErinBear
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Yes, keep them dry and they will last for ages. If you pack them in a jar or something make a little cloth bag to hold a spoonful or two of dry rice and put that in as well and it will absorb any moisture and keep the nuts dry.

We are hoping one of our little nutmeg trees we planted a few years ago might actually fruit this year. HWMBO uses the fruit to make a rather yummy pickle.
 

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Posted by Angel Wrestler (# 13673) on :
 
First Little Angel enjoys baking and is trying her hand at yeast bread. I've had this happen before, when I've made bread leavened by yeast - the yeast isn't exactly dead, but it seems wimpy and the bread doesn't rise too well (and the yeast never gets nice and foamy). That happened to her loaf today (she's still waiting, hoping it will rise - but I'm not a baker and I don't know what to tell her)

My question is: when the yeast is not past its expiration date and acts wimpy like that, should you try again with a fresh packet of yeast?
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Yes. Learning to bake yeast bread is a matter of practicing until you get your hands and eyes calibrated for these things.

You can also kill/fail-to-activate the yeast if the warm liquid you dissolve it in is too hot or too cold. It takes some practice (and at the beginning, perhaps double-checking with a thermometer) until your finger/hands get calibrated.

This is why many recipes suggest that you 'proof' your yeast (mix it in a bowl with the proper temperature of water and a tiny bit of sugar), and give it five or ten minutes. If it doesn't get all nice and bubbly, you haven't wasted a bunch of flour and other ingredients, not to mention your time and effort, only to discover the yeast isn't capable of making the bread rise.

Remember, too, that bread dough that rises even part way can still be baked. Unless it's a total brick, extra-dense bread can still taste good!
 

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Posted by Angel Wrestler (# 13673) on :
 
Thanks, jlg. I learned that when I made some wheat bread in my bread machine. I've long lost the instructions to it (and never could get it to program quite right, anyhow) and it never rose the 2nd time. But it was still quite good chunked off with butter, next to some homemade vegetable soup!

I'll let Angel #1 know.

She dissolved the yeast, but no sugar in the water. Maybe that was the problem?
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
And using dried yeast is easier than fresh. Just remember to use only half the quantity of fresh. A normal loaf will rise easily on a 7 g sachet of dried yeast, even without going through the proving step. If it's winter where you are, be careful to leave the dough to prove in a draught-free position, as a sudden chill can stop the rising. Be very careful not to put the bowl in too warm a position also - it's not a bad idea to ignore all the old advice about putting it into the same cupboard as the hot water heater.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Even though some cookbooks claim that regular yeast is as good as rapid-rise yeast in bread machines, I've found that yeast especially formulated for bread machines is best.

It's also important to keep the yeast away from the liquid and the salt in the bread machine pan, especially if you've got the machine on a timer. The usual instructions are to place the fats, liquid and salt in the pan first; then the blended dry ingredients; then make a shallow well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast.

Sometimes, though, you just get a bad batch of yeast. It happens, with conventional and bread machine yeast alike. So I guess Grandma was right about proofing one's yeast first to see if it has enough "oomph."
 

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Posted by Siegfried (# 29) on :
 
A few responses, all in a single post for brevity:

• Rather than getting a nutmegger (and I do have an old one from my great grandfather's general store), I'd recommend getting a microplane grater. Works great for nutmeg, but also for zesting citrus and grating hard cheese and chocolate. A multi-tasker! (Yeah, I watch Alton Brown!)
• Why use self-rising flour at all? All-purpose (not sure if it's called something different in the UK) is generally more useful, as you can use it for all baking, as well as other applications (thickening and so forth).
• By Fancy Flour, are we talking bread vs. all purpose? Bread flour contains more protein and therefore is better for bread, where you want a higher gluten content. Then there's cake flour, which is softer and gives you a nice texture for cakes. Personally, I use all-purpose for all baking except breads.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Siegfried:
A few responses, all in a single post for brevity:

• Rather than getting a nutmegger (and I do have an old one from my great grandfather's general store), I'd recommend getting a microplane grater. Works great for nutmeg, but also for zesting citrus and grating hard cheese and chocolate. A multi-tasker! (Yeah, I watch Alton Brown!)
• Why use self-rising flour at all? All-purpose (not sure if it's called something different in the UK) is generally more useful, as you can use it for all baking, as well as other applications (thickening and so forth).
• By Fancy Flour, are we talking bread vs. all purpose? Bread flour contains more protein and therefore is better for bread, where you want a higher gluten content. Then there's cake flour, which is softer and gives you a nice texture for cakes. Personally, I use all-purpose for all baking except breads.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:

(I think "fancy flour" is, like, cool, groovy, flour. Like (in the US) the King Arthur brand rather than Pillsbury. Perhaps it's a higher grade of wheat? I have no idea why KA is cooler than other kinds. "Fancy flour" = "more expensive flour," in my experience. It does taste good, but I only get it when it's on sale.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Siegfried:

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:

(I think "fancy flour" is, like, cool, groovy, flour. Like (in the US) the King Arthur brand rather than Pillsbury. Perhaps it's a higher grade of wheat? I have no idea why KA is cooler than other kinds. "Fancy flour" = "more expensive flour," in my experience. It does taste good, but I only get it when it's on sale.)

---

King Arthur is unbleached as a rule. They also have a good reputation for consistent high quality. I started using it a year or two back after seeing it recommended on a number of baking sites.

---

They also have a kind of road show/demo thing going, which I have attended. It was interesting, and you get a dough scraper and some coupons and things when you go.

I just used KA, in fact, while making bagels; it was on sale. While it is good, I didn't notice that these were extra-delicious as compared to the last batch. Of course, I was experimenting with the ratio of white/whole wheat so there were other factors happening at the same time.

There are other kinds of groovy flour, of course - Bob's Red Mill and the like. One of the reasons I bake, though, is to save money! Bagels cost about $1 a dozen to make, BTW - how's that for markup at your local bagel shop where they approach $10/doz. these days? Cinnamon rolls are a couple of bucks a dozen, as compared to the $24 or so it's possible to spend to buy them.

I'm generally just cheap, IOW - and actually quite broke at the moment as well - so can't bring myself to go high-end most of the time. If you ever frequent The Fresh Loaf you'll find lots and lots of recommendations for groovy flour! It's all very interesting, but I especially like it at $2 per 5 pounds or less. (Unbleached, of course!)

[ 11. January 2011, 17:07: Message edited by: TubaMirum ]
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
At our house we -- inspired by our recent trip to SoCal -- are all about fish tacos. These can't seem to develop much traction here in Michigan, even though we have our own delicious Great Lakes fish that could easily be substituted for ocean species. (I think when the average diner hear sees "fish taco" a menu they picture fish slathered in typical Tex-Mex taco sauce and cheese.)

For the uninitiated...they're basically just fried or grilled fish in a soft tortilla with slaw of one kind or another, usually dressed with a lime-y/citrusy dressing. They're very light and tasty.

And if you wanted to change things up a little, in the Asian spirit of the recently popularized Korean tacos -- we had an appetizer the other week of I think mahi-mahi marinated/rubbed with lime, ginger and soy flavors, served on skewers with sweet chili sauce on the side. These morsels were soooo good...I can certainly imagine them served inside a tortilla with a Chinese-cabbage slaw, maybe some radish and cucumber, etc.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I don't have the recipe yet but I have to share this - Mrs E brought back from home a condiment made from grinding cashew nuts, mustard seeds a pinch of sugar and some vinegar together. Her sister made it on a flat mortar but we might try in the smallest jar of the blender. It was superb!
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
When you get the recipe, please post it: sounds excellent!
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Not exactly a recipe question, but food related.... I finally managed to get the lid off a jar of pumpkin and ginger jam that I made in 2005, and it tastes a little musty. Should I be worried about this?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
The thing is, if it tastes unpleasant, it tastes unpleasant, whether six months old or six years.

Life is too short to eat nasty jam.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
KGlet1's birthday cake turned out very well (in case anyone's interested). I used a traybake recipe in a flat tin and built the train up in layers. I may eventually get around to posting a picture.
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
The thing is, if it tastes unpleasant, it tastes unpleasant, whether six months old or six years.

Life is too short to eat nasty jam.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
For Ariel: Luscious Lemon Cake

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
For Ariel: Luscious Lemon Cake

---

Oh, thank you! This does indeed sound fabulous!
 

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Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
This is the one, I think. Or maybe this one or this one. They're really all pretty much the same - and all very tasty!

(Actually I used bulghar instead of kasha. Shhhh....)
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Further to LutheranChik's gnocchi, tonight I invented -

Pasta with Sausage (and some other stuff).

Cut up some flavoursome sausages and toss them in a pan with a little oil to brown. Start a panful of pasta. Saute some mushrooms in butter.

Things then go quiet for about 10 minutes.

Drain the cooked pasta, tip in a packet of young spinach leaves, replace the lid and leave. Sprinkle a little flour on the mushrooms (which should still have some liquid) and form a roux. Add a little milk and a dollop of half-fat creme fraiche.

Now assemble: pile the mixture of pasta and wilted spinach out first, pour over the creamy mushroom sauce, top with the sauted chunks of sausage and finally shave some parmesan over all.
 

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Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Further to LutheranChik's gnocchi, tonight I invented -

Pasta with Sausage (and some other stuff).....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisydaisy:
I finally managed to get the lid off a jar of pumpkin and ginger jam that I made in 2005, and it tastes a little musty. Should I be worried about this?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
TubaMirum: Thank you! That sounds great...and we have bowtie pasta that needs eating.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest a use for a bowl of chicken fat that was a by product of my making stock from a load of chicken carcasses?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest a use for a bowl of chicken fat that was a by product of my making stock from a load of chicken carcasses?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curious:
Mix in some seeds, put it in a wide plastic container and hang it out for the birds.

---

That smacks of cannibalism

 

---

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Somehow I doubt the relatively small wild birds seeking any and every calorie needed to survive the winter are going to worry much about whether the fat came from the remains of overfed domesticated chickens.

But since chicken fat tends to be gelatinous rather than a nice solid (like lard) I suspect the wild birds simply won't find it attractive. But the local rodents will love it, especially with all those nice seeds mixed in.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest a use for a bowl of chicken fat that was a by product of my making stock from a load of chicken carcasses?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Curious:
Mix in some seeds, put it in a wide plastic container and hang it out for the birds.

---

That smacks of cannibalism

---

I've never understood that sentiment, but it's around. By that logic humans should stick to eating birds, water creatures, and reptiles, and assiduously avoid eating cattle, sheep, pigs, rabbits, and other mammals because that's "cannibalism".

I know you were joking, but I actually had a friend who rather freaked out when she found that her love bird had hopped over to nibble at the remains of her baked chicken.
 

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Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Can anyone suggest a use for a bowl of chicken fat that was a by product of my making stock from a load of chicken carcasses?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:

One of our own more recent discoveries was Israeli couscous, which we actually prefer to the regular stuff -- it makes a nice, fluffy accompaniment to many dishes.

---

Israeli couscous is the best! It's almost comical how much bigger it is than the regular variety: I like to think of them as tiny, fluffy beach balls.

Lately, I'm really enjoying Greek-style yogurt: even the non-fat iteration has a nice creamy feel to it.

Another discovery: smoked paprika. It's SO good in soups, on roasted potatoes, etc. etc. etc. Has the same kind of flavor complexity as saffron (though not the same taste), at a tenth of the price.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
And for vegan dishes, smoked paprika adds that wonderful smoky flavor without having to use actual smoked meat. It's well worth the extra cost.

Re grapeseed oil: At our food cooperative a bottle of grapeseed oil that contained maybe a cup of oil was $7...more expensive by far than olive oil.

Granted, we don't do a lot of frying. But it seemed like a lot of money. And I have a bottle of peanut oil I'm trying to use up before it loses its freshness, so anything new will have to wait.

[ 19. February 2011, 23:29: Message edited by: LutheranChik ]
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
$7 for a cup!!!!! That's about the price here of a litre of the French stuff.

Good Oz olive oil is around $15-$20 a litre, more if you want it infused with spices. Quite decent cheaper locals are plentiful, and much better value than the Spanish at the same price. Also readily available is good macadamia nut oil, every bit as interesting as walnut (different flavour of course) and a fraction of the price. Madame uses almost nothing else for salad dressings, mixing it 5 oil to 1 white wine or cider vinegar wth a dash of a 4 leaf balsamic and some mustard powder. Also good to toss cooked green vegetables.

[ 20. February 2011, 01:36: Message edited by: Gee D ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Macadamia is wonderful for salads and I'm looking forward to buying more when I move.

We use olive oil which is beautifully fresh, bought from the farm in Parkes, NSW. I don't know the price as boarder here buys it for us in either 2 litre pack, or a 750ml bottle which is done up to look like an expensive cab sav wine. It's very good and I'll have trouble replacing it. Same farm sells a balsamic glaze which is wonderful. Even DIL who hates any form of vinegar at all is happy to use a couple of drops of this. It's very expensive, a tiny bottle is $30.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
A quick visit to the currency converter shows that I pay about 5$ for a 70cl bottle of good quality olive (usually Spanish, Greek or Italian).

I would go through about a bottle a month. Straight frying is the least frequent use (the sunflower is better for that). But sweating ingredients at the start of a casserole, definitely. Everything that's roasted - meat or veg - gets a good anointing. Salad dressings. Home-made mayonnaise-y type sauces. Drizzle over pasta or pizza.

[ 20. February 2011, 08:51: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Here are 4 salmon recipes on my "Weight Loss" blog - although they're not necessarily low cal. Do let me know if you try them & enjoy them.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Last night I brined a pork tenderloin (on sale!) in a maple brine...it's on the patio as we speak...depending on if/when the expected blizzard descends this afternoon it's either getting grilled or roasted.

Brining liquid: 2 quarts water; 1 cup brown sugar; 1/4 plus 1/8 cup of kosher or sea salt; 1/2 cup real maple syrup; 5 garlic cloves, peeled; maybe 2 tsp. thyme; 1 generous tsp peppercorns; 3 bay leaves. I brought this all to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugars and salt; then I added another 2 quarts of cold water, cooled the mixture to room temperature, added the pork, and left the meat to brine overnight. (For most of you I assume that will be in the refrigerator, not the back porch.;-)) We've used a variation of this recipe on turkey breast, and it was outstanding.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I tried out a new recipe today. It got good reviews from my friends who were my taste testers!

2 c. pureed pumpkin
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. creme of coconut
1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir it all together.

I think it counts as a vegetable, even though it tastes like chocolate mousse! Might be a good way to get kids to eat their veggies! (And some adults I know, too!)

I put a little bit in the freezer to see how that comes out. If it's any good, I'll let you know.
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Awhile back I'd posted about my perplexity in using up a jar of coconut toast spread that our kids had sent us from Florida...this year they sent us a packaged mix for Key lime cookies, and after staring at that for awhile the thought came to me that I'd make sandwich cookies with the coconut spread in between.
 

---

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
LChik, that brine sounds wonderful and I lurve pork. If only I had an oven!

jj: by 'creme of coconut' do you mean coconut milk, the alcoholic thing, or something else?
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I bought a jar of raspberry curd for my grandson, who loves raspberries. I had forgotten that curd contains eggs, and he is allergic to them.

I need suggestions for what to do with it.

Moo
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I've never seen raspberry curd, but it sounds wonderful.

I would put it between thin cookies...or place dabs of it in the depressions of "thumbprint" cookies...or layer it in a cake...or fill a crepe with it...or place some in the valleys of a coffeecake.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Is it runny enough to use as a sauce for ice-cream? Or dipping the sponges into for a trifle? Or drizzling over plain cheesecake? Or drizzling over plain anything ... sponge-cake, meringues ...?
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Eat it with a spoon straight from the jar?


 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
This is the stuff I used, jlg! It's in the Asian and Hispanic sections of the grocery store where I shop.
 

---

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
Thanks, jj. Haven't seen that in ages. With all the emphasis on eliminating fat, I think the cans of coconut creme were replaced years ago with the milk and Lite milk in the regular grocery aisles around here.

Though I'm thinking it might mix rather well with Moo's raspberry curd, perhaps with some yogurt and granola, or any of the suggestions already made. (I'm imagining a coconut creme/raspberry curd coffee cake - what sort of nuts would go best with it? Macadamia seems like gilding the lily; maybe lightly toasted and finely chopped cashews?)

[edit because the curd belongs to Moo, not LutheranChik!]

[ 21. February 2011, 19:48: Message edited by: jlg ]
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
This is sort-of Recipe Thread and sort-of Doggy-bag Thread. The other night we were at a restaurant and my friend had pan-fried cod. There was more than she could eat, and as she didn't want it as a doggy-bag, she asked me if I'd take it. I did, and adapted a recipe from France: The Beautiful Cookbook, which involved baking it with garlic, olive oil, tomatoes and herbs (basil, parsley and herbes de Provence).

It was really rather good, and I think the tomato bit would also be nice with chicken or maybe something vegetarian like chick-peas.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I've got a small pork shoulder joint (boned). I'd like to cook it slowly to keep it tender, but TGG likes crackling. The BBC food site says however long you cook it, half an hour at gas 7 will give you crispy crackling. Is that half an hour at the beginning or the end? Will turning the heat up at the end make it dry out?
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
K-H -- I've always had good results following my battered old Joy of Cooking advice to start the oven for roasts at a high temperature, then turn it down shortly after the meat goes in...so I'm guessing that's what your instructions mean as well. It gives the roasts a nice caramelized color and crispy outside texture without drying out the meat.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
The initial blast will crackle it a bit - but the infallible way I have found is, at the end of cooking, with the crackling either on the joint, or, if it's more convenient, taken off in a piece - put it under a hot grill.

But be WARNED - you must watch it like a hawk, for it takes just seconds to puff and bubble.
 

---

Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
I've been wanting to post this video from Chowhound.com for awhile now, and I hope it's OK.

It's sort of a visual recipe - "The Perfect Pesto" - and I love the way he makes the pasta to order, and the fact that it's in sheets. Got to try this sometime. (Just flour and eggs and maybe a bit of salt, then, do we think?)

But most of all, I just so enjoy watching this woman describe the meal, and then eat it. It's hilarious, really - too wonderful. "The dish totally....haunts me," she says. She's transfixed.

As I said, I hope it's OK to post links to videos here, and I should warn that the first minute of the vid is an ad - so by all means turn it off if you like, till the actual story starts.

(Meantime, BTW, I'm baking this a.m. Got up early to go to the early service, then back to make these bagels and these cinnamon rolls, both of which are wonderful.)

[ 27. February 2011, 15:10: Message edited by: TubaMirum ]
 

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Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
(I highly recommend the "floss the rolls" technique, too, BTW. What an easy way to make a clean and crisp cut!)
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Thanks LutheranChik and Firenze. Half an hour at gas 8 and then 3 hours at gas 3, and the crackling crackled under the grill certainly did the trick. I can't stand dry pork and this was beautifully succulent. The gravy from the cooking juices and veg in the tin reduced with a glass of red wine wasn't bad either.

If I trusted my oven a bit more, I'd like to try cooking it all day at gas 1/2, although the aroma might drive us all mad by the end of the day!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
This curry sauce recipe, from today's paper uses 10 - 15 cloves of garlic! We're going to try it for a fish curry sometime soon.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
This curry sauce recipe, from today's paper uses 10 - 15 cloves of garlic! We're going to try it for a fish curry sometime soon.

---

Drools
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We had a boneless lamb roast last night -- the lamb sourced locally from our farmer friend. I studded it with slivers of garlic, rubbed it with a mixture of olive oil, kosher salt, rosemary, thyme, Greek oregano and lemon pepper and roasted it (started the oven at 450 degrees, added potatoes, garlic cloves, onion and carrots, then turned it down to 350 as soon as I put in the roast), basting it from time to time with a mixture of olive oil and Meyer lemon balsamic vinegar. (This was something DP had picked up at a spice store "up north" this summer -- I originally thought it was too spendy and impractical, but it's turned out to be a really useful product to have in the pantry.) It was delicious. And today the leftovers are going into a curry.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
LC, that sounds absolutely delicious. Lamb is my favourite meat, and I don't get it nearly often enough, as it's horribly expensive here (Newfoundlanders don't seem to like it in a general sort of way, a trait I can't understand at all).


 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Curry postscript: I used a Punjabi tomato-ginger simmer sauce, something we'd never bought before...it was ON FIRE, even after diluting it with canned tomatoes -- so much so that poor DP could only eat about a half-cup of it, and still suffered for the rest of the evening. :-(

I guess I should have stuck with a Mediterranean leftover theme.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Here's a great dish for Sunday evening and could have leftovers to clean up fridge for another week.

We had it tonight, added a goodly amount of dried chilli flakes and served it with a good drizzle of olive oil on top, some freshly squeezed lime juice over each bowl and a grind of fresh pepper. Delish. I did expect more of the bread soup idea I associated with the name, but it was delicious and quick. The nights are thinking about autumn down here and it's cooler than many nights recently.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We're having simple roast chicken tonight...actually for "linner," which is what we tend to have on Sundays. This is one of DP's favorite comfort foods.

Oddly enough, my mother NEVER roasted whole chickens -- she seemed to think it was a fuss, although she never minded cutting up a whole chicken and going through the flouring/breading/baking or fricaseeing process with it. To me, roasting a whole bird is not only easier, but it creates more versatile leftovers...I anticipate today's white meat, for instance, turning into chicken salad tomorrow.

I'm going to stick a couple of carrots and a quartered onion around our bird, and also roast a head of elephant garlic with it, some to enjoy tonight and the rest to use tomorrow.

In lieu of potatoes I am making South Beach Diet mashed cauliflower (well drained cooked cauliflower whipped up in a blender with fat-free half-and-half and some of that spray-on butter substitute poured right out of the bottle...believe it or not, it comes out fluffy and delicious).
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
Oddly enough, my mother NEVER roasted whole chickens -- she seemed to think it was a fuss, although she never minded cutting up a whole chicken and going through the flouring/breading/baking or fricaseeing process with it. To me, roasting a whole bird is not only easier, but it creates more versatile leftovers...I anticipate today's white meat, for instance, turning into chicken salad tomorrow.

---

I'm a big fan of cutting out the backbone of the bird and roasting it flat (spatchcocking). My Thanksgiving turkey cooks in under an hour done this way.

Making blini tonight for our family Mardi Gras celebration...
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Ah yes, Shrove Tuesday.

I'm planning an All Pancake All The Time dinner. Pancake with crispy bacon and maple slurp for main, followed by pancake with baked banana (and more maple slurp) to follow.
 

---

Posted by Smudgie (# 2716) on :
 
[tangent]
Reminds me of the Shrove Tuesday when my flatmate and I decided to have a go at making a pancake pyramid. Pancakes of ever-decreasing size stacked up with layers of caramel and banana and cream between them, with a delicious toffee sauce poured over the top. The recipe said "To serve between eight and ten" so we ate it between us at half past eight

We did not sleep well that night - but it was worth it!
[/tangent]
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Our chicken salad idea has morphed into chicken and dumplings [rubbing hands in glee].

Good tip about splitting the chicken!

Has anyone ever tried one of those chicken "stands" that roasts the bird upright? It's supposed to drain more of the fat. Wasn't impressed when I tried it.

In these here parts Shrove Tuesday is something on an unknown...but I love pancakes, so I may start a new family tradition tomorrow morning, LOL.

My grandmothers, both sides of the family (northern German and eastern Germany/Polish border, respectively), used to deep-fry little free-form donuts around this time of year...just plop spoonfuls of dough into the hot fat...my aunt carried on the tradition and would make a great nutmeg-scented heap of them, sprinkled with sugar best eaten warm with coffee. Is that a very widespread pre-Lenten custom? I fear that's one family tradition that has died out; neither DP or I are supposed to be indulging in deep-fried food.
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
My grandmothers, both sides of the family (northern German and eastern Germany/Polish border, respectively), used to deep-fry little free-form donuts around this time of year...just plop spoonfuls of dough into the hot fat...my aunt carried on the tradition and would make a great nutmeg-scented heap of them, sprinkled with sugar best eaten warm with coffee. Is that a very widespread pre-Lenten custom?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
Has anyone ever tried one of those chicken "stands" that roasts the bird upright? It's supposed to drain more of the fat. Wasn't impressed when I tried it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:
My husband's culture (Norwegian) has an absolutely delicious Shrovetide recipe for almond-paste filled buns split and filled again with sweetened whipped cream. Num.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:
My husband's culture (Norwegian) has an absolutely delicious Shrovetide recipe for almond-paste filled buns split and filled again with sweetened whipped cream. Num.

---

Can you get the recipe and post it?

Moo

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:


My grandmothers, both sides of the family (northern German and eastern Germany/Polish border, respectively), used to deep-fry little free-form donuts around this time of year...just plop spoonfuls of dough into the hot fat...my aunt carried on the tradition and would make a great nutmeg-scented heap of them, sprinkled with sugar best eaten warm with coffee. Is that a very widespread pre-Lenten custom? I fear that's one family tradition that has died out; neither DP or I are supposed to be indulging in deep-fried food.

---

quote:

---

BTW...envying everyone their pancakes today. DP does not believe in eating breakfast foods for lunch or dinner, hence no pancakes today. :-(

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
The number of times I would have had such food for breakfast in very many years is once or possibly twice.

---

Same here. For any other meal, but never pancakes for breakfast (unless someone else has planned the menu and cooked the food)
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Yep. Pancakes in Britain are party food, or a late night snack, or eaten at tea-time. If you are feeling particularly sophisticated and Continental they could be a main meal, or, more likely, a hot snack bought from a street vendor, though in that case you have to call them "crepes"
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Yes; a pond difference. (At least two ponds, apparently!)

Here in the American colonies pancakes (other than savory crepes, blinis, etc.) are generally considered a breakfast food, although in many households they're also eaten as a kind of child-friendly contingency supper on busy days. (When I was growing up they tended to be a shopping-day or Sunday-evening supper.) And they're usually thicker pancakes, served with butter and syrup.

DP's animus toward breakfast pancakes may eventually wear down, though...the other day I did a double-take when I noticed her making fried egg sandwiches for lunch. So it may simply be a matter of time...
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
So beans on toast, chip butties, marmite sandwhiches, mushy peas, mutton pies, jellied eels, and soft-boiled carrots, are all she needs to complete her education.
 

---

Posted by Leaf (# 14169) on :
 
In what?
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks Kingsfold; those recipes (especially the second one) look like the White Lady Cake I remember from visits to Norway. Whether I'll ever have the nerve (or the skill) to try them myself is another matter ...
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I'm at the hotel/convention center at my alma mater tonight, for a conference...had the best salad at the hotel restaurant: mixed greens, roasted beets sliced paper thin on a mandolin, diced butternut squash that I believe were blanched a bit first, toasted, candied walnuts and pickled red onion, tossed with a maple-syrup vinaigrette. Very good. The only thing I'd do differently is perhaps cook the squash a bit more. It was a very beautiful presentation.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
a maple-syrup vinaigrette.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
... I don't think I could fit anything with a capacity of a gallon+ into my fridge ...

---

You live in Edinburgh. It's March. Put it in the back garden.

To be fair, the last time I was in Edinburgh at this time of year we were going around in shirt-sleeves.

Following on from a conversation in the pub after choir practice, one of the girls in the choir gave us a bag of her home-made fettucine today. Piglet's Pancetta Pasta tomorrow, methinks.
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Firenze: Substitute real onion and garlic to your liking. We don't usually use the powdered stuff at home unless we're in a real bind. There's a harshness in the powdered seasonings that I can always identify in foods -- but sometimes it's the least bad option in a dish if you're out of the real thing.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
... I don't think I could fit anything with a capacity of a gallon+ into my fridge ...

---

You live in Edinburgh. It's March. Put it in the back garden.

---

The rate it's chucking it down, if I leave the lid off, it can be several gallons in no time.

I feel a need for something spicy - anything one can do with stewing steak and chilis that isn't chili con carne?
 

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Posted by QLib (# 43) on :
 
Hot goulash?
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
How about a regular beef stew with your favorite veggies and a few chiles? (I might want to try that! ) Leave out beans, tomatoes, and cumin and it won't taste like chili con carne.
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
If its not already chopped into pieces (not sure what 'stewing meat' means) keep the meat in its big hunk and cook it as a pot roast. Traditional pot roasts don't have chilis, but what the heck, make it your way.

If the meat is chopped in pieces, perhaps make a meat and chili augmented ratatouille.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Reverting to the maple syrup - as I was going to make my usual honey and sunflower seed wholemeal loaf, my eye lit upon 'Maple and Pecan'. Didn't have any pecans, but used coarsely ground hazelnuts. I have to say the result, especially when toasted, is extremely yummy; not especially sweet, but with a lovely aroma of maple.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
I have a question for any Brit or Irish cooks: Can a savory meat pie with a mashed potato lid, whether it is made with lamb or beef, be called a shepherd's pie? Or is a shepherds's pie strictly lamb based and a cottage pie strictly beef based? Thanks! There is a bit of a kerfluffle on a recipe board among Yanks about common usage and I wanted to ask some native sources.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
I have a question for any Brit or Irish cooks: Can a savory meat pie with a mashed potato lid, whether it is made with lamb or beef, be called a shepherd's pie? Or is a shepherds's pie strictly lamb based and a cottage pie strictly beef based? Thanks! There is a bit of a kerfluffle on a recipe board among Yanks about common usage and I wanted to ask some native sources.

---

I'm glad my sons won't read this post. You've answered your own question actually. Even as small children each was very definite that shepherd's pie was lamb only. To them it was leftover baked keg of lamb usually with leftover gravy deliberately left to go in the pie.

I'm an Aussie not a Brit nor Irish.

As they used to say, what animal do shepherds look after. Cattle?

[ 17. March 2011, 02:39: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I think the tradition is that minced lamb makes shepherd's pie and minced beef makes cottage pie, but really it doesn't matter. David's shepherd's pie (which is the nicest I've ever had) is nearly always made with minced beef, although he occasionally makes it with moose: does that make it mooseherd's pie?

Ever tried herding a moose?
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Better ask comet.

Thanks, folks. Of course, sheep meat and shepherds make sense. But you should have seen the high indignation! Several people gave the "shepherd's pie" recipe, which is in fact quite tasty, a poor score because of the misnomer. Jeez!
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I agree with the shepherd's pie [lamb/mutton] and the cottage pie [beef] but would go a bit further and say that according to the oracle on all things culinary [my mother] shepherds pie is made with minced cooked lamb/mutton whereas in cottage pie the beef is minced raw and then cooked.

As my mum has been dead for over 20 years it is difficult to argue the point with her, much though one might wish to!

Even after all this time I still want to phone her occasionally and check a recipe I learnt at her knee.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Although I know the shepherd's/cottage pie distinction, I tend to use beef and call it a shepherd's pie because my mum did. Irritates the pedant in TGG no end!

Edited to say my mum probably still does, I just meant that's what she did when I was living at home.

[ 17. March 2011, 13:30: Message edited by: Keren-Happuch ]
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
We use the beef/cottage and lamb/shepherd's pie distinction too.

But we have had goat herder's pie, swineherder's pie and bean picker's pie too. What do you suppose a similar dish made with tofu would be (besides disgusting, as I don't like tofu.)
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Curd squisher's pie? (Bleurgh!)
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We're celebrating St. Patrick's Day here with some Irish stew later on. I'm contemplating adding some barley just because I read that that is more authentic. (Over here I can't recall ever seeing barley in a restaurant version.)
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
To add my twopennorth to the shepherd's/cottage pie debate.
Properly, both are made with the leftovers from the Sunday joint - shepherd's if you'd had lamb, cottage if you'd had beef. Not that I recall being able to afford a joint of lamb big enough for leftovers in the last 30 years.
Whether made with lamb or beef, pre-cooked or minced raw, my mother called it all Shepherd's pie, and so do I. In this house the veggie/lentil version is called Shepherdess pie, after some recipe I followed the first time I made it.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
We're celebrating St. Patrick's Day here with some Irish stew later on. I'm contemplating adding some barley just because I read that that is more authentic. (Over here I can't recall ever seeing barley in a restaurant version.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
... In this house the veggie/lentil version is called Shepherdess pie ...

---

quote:

---

If you're not a vegetarian shepherd, don't worry ...

---

 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I have a question about substituting molasses for honey in a bread machine recipe.

Would I need the same quantity of molasses? Are there any other adjustments I should make?

I hope someone can enlighten me.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
My educated guess would be - if it has the same quality of viscosity as the honey, it should be OK. Is it sweeter than the honey? Still OK, IMO - because, unless you are adding gallons of the stuff, the impact on the flavour should not be noticeable.

I say this on the basis of a hazelnut-for-pecan switch I did the other day, which delivered a slightly denser loaf (the hazelnuts were ground rather than chopped), but fine otherwise. I have also flaunted - flaunted, I tell you! - the instruction which says I can only do certain recipes if I have the model which tips extra ingredients in mid-bake. I've added them at the beginning, and no problem.

So while I recognise that your breadmaker can be a temperamental sod, my experience is that if a given substitute has the same character (wet, dry, fatty) as the original ingredient, it will cope.

But bake a small one to begin with.
 

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Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 
On that sweet, sticky note, what can I do with a jar of "pure cane sorghum"? It looked good on the shelf of the country store where I found it.
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I have also flaunted - flaunted, I tell you! - the instruction

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I have also flaunted - flaunted, I tell you! - the instruction

---

What? Not flouted?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I have also flaunted - flaunted, I tell you! - the instruction

---

What? Not flouted?

---

No, I wore 'em embroidered on a rhinestone bustier with ostrich feather trim.

If you've got it, flout it.

---

Pictures?

[ 19. March 2011, 11:24: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 

---

Posted by georgiaboy (# 11294) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:
On that sweet, sticky note, what can I do with a jar of "pure cane sorghum"? It looked good on the shelf of the country store where I found it.

---

Should be delicious poured over pancakes, waffles, toast, etc. with lots of butter.

Best on Sunday mornings, since this IS Lent!
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
A student gave me this recipe for an authentic dish from the Landes area of France (near Biarritz)

AXOA
1 kg filet of veal (or, I guess you could use pork, if veal offends your sensibilities)
2 onions
1 big red pepper
8 green chillies (reduce the number to taste)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
a good pinch (or more) of cayenne pepper (or, to be truly authentic, Espelette chillies)
1/4 litre of veal stock (or similar)
10 cl olive oil
salt

- cut the meat into 1cm cubes. Also the onions, peppers and chillies
- brown the meat in a tbsp of oil. In a stove top casserole sweat the onions, peppetrs, chillies, garlic and bay leaves.
- Add the meat and everything else (except stock) to the pan. Cook, stirring from time to time for about 10 mins. Add the stock.
- Bring to the boil, then cook at a gentle simmer for about 40 minutes.
- serve with boiled potatoes.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
DP was supposed to be resting today, but while I was at church she made a really tasty pot roast with an old piece of chuck roast that had been destined for sauerbraten but that I just never got around to making. She used onion, garlic, carrots, celery and fingerling potatoes, with seasoned canned tomatoes over the whole thing. It was very good.

We're doing a clean-out of the freezer, and among other things we found a nice venison backstrap. (It pays to have hunting friends!) My inclination is to simply grill it, but the weather here is supposed to be awful all week, so we may wind up making a crockpot dish out of it, even though it breaks my heart to overcook such a magnificent piece of meat for expediency's sake. I found one recipe that doesn't sound too terrible (red wine makes many things better)...maybe I'll make some spaetzle to sop up all that nice wine gravy...
 

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Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 
LutheranChik, the last time I made a venison stew, I added in buckwheat, and the flavour was amazing! It really complimented and enhanced the meat and, of course, soaked up the juices from the meat, veggies, and red wine beautifully. Can't wait to have it again.
 

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Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
Dormouse, what is a cl ? (10 cl olive oil)

Not that I'd be inclined to measure it out. I just let it blop/blop/blop from the bottle.
 

---

Posted by Gracious rebel (# 3523) on :
 
A cl is a centilitre, 10 ml, or 1/100 of a litre. Most commonly encountered on wine bottles which contain 70cl.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Thanks Gracious Rebel! By the by, Angelique (my student) pointed out that pork mightn't work, as it doesn't like long cooking. I don't know. Maybe lamb would work?
 

---

Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 
Pork loooooves a long, slow cook. Perhaps you'd actually need to increase the cooking time as it can sort of go tough before it relaxes and then falls apart with the help of a couple of forks.
 

---

Posted by Pearl B4 Swine (# 11451) on :
 
Flausa's right about the long cooking for pork. It's true that modern pork can be grilled or pan-fried quickly,(especially chops which are slices of the loin) but the bigger chunky miscellaneous shaped pieces are wonderful, slow-cooked in savory juices or sauce. Yesterday I did a rice and pork casserole which cooked all afternoon & was quite good. Into the dish goes raw rice, cut up onions & green peppers, a little olive oil so the rice doesn't stick to the dish, plenty of diluted tomato juice or sauce, S & P, Italian herbs, then lay pork chops (mine were odd-shaped & varying thicknesses) on top, with a shot of sherry over all. Cover tightly & bake. Let sit when out of the oven to let the rice get adjusted & the meat cook a little more. (the chops can be pan fried first, too)

Also: Luth.Chik: try a marinate with Raspberry vinagrette (spelling ?) for long-frozen meat, even that nice deer loin. It does good things for it. I did a deer "ham" (not smoked) like that & it was delicious.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
**bump**

David and I were reminiscing fondly today about Battenburg cake, which we realised we can't get here. Does anyone out there know how to make it, and is it as much of a faff as it looks?
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Because I like to be helpful...

Battenberg Cake a la BBC.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
This week I purchased a dressed Muscovy duck from a local farmer -- it is about 4 pounds, and came skinned, but with a bit of fat still on the outside. (I'm not sure why the duck was skinned; good for our cholesterol level but not so good for roasting, I suspect.)

Anyway -- any ideas for preparing this? I'm debating whether to leave it whole and roast it in a way that preserves the moistness -- I usually put a bit of liquid in the bottom of my roasts anyway, and I was also thinking of glazing the thing -- or whether I should quarter it and make a kind of ragout. I've only ever roasted duck, so I'm a little out of my comfort zone cutting it into pieces-parts and doing something else with it. What might you suggest?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I have a two-way duck recipe I do quite often.

Take the tougher bits and put them in a lowish oven with onions, mushroom and red wine (and any herbs that appeal). Cover and braise for an hour or so. After that I usually give the legs a blast at a high temperature to crisp the skin, but that may not apply here if the bird is skinned. Anyway, skim the fat from the liquid and reduce/season (redcurrant jelly is good at this stage).

As the sauce is cooking, I sear the breasts on a hot pan or griddle to the approved just-pink doneness.

Result: puddle of rich veggie/sauce, topped with pull-apart leg meat and slices of breast.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
That sounds good. And we have some lingonberry jam, which may be good with duck.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Thanks, Kingsfold - that bloke makes it seem, well, a piece of cake ...
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Found a recipe for duck pizza -- basically a pizza crust covered with hoisin sauce, shredded roast duck and various Chinese veg. This might work for leftovers!
 

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Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 
I'm thinking Easter Sunday menus!

Breakfast for the three of us:

eggs Benedict
fruit (pineapple probably)

Dinner at 3 PM for nine people:

appetizers TBD
ham
lamb
potatoes au gratin
sweet-potato casserole
asparagus and hollandaise
dinner rolls
salad with lemony dressing

dessert table
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Anna B -- sounds wonderful!

For several years now I've been trying to replicate the chicken we were served at a local Amish house restaurant. (This family will host small groups, reservations only, for dinners featuring favorite Amish foods.) The chicken parts were breaded and roasted; the breading was golden brown and subtly sweet.

I think I developed a reasonable facsimile the other night. I dipped chicken pieces in some fat-free half-and-half (I just needed something to keep the crumbs on -- melted butter, or egg wash, or mayonnaise would also work), then in a mixture of graham cracker crumbs, onion powder, seasoned salt and poultry seasoning. I baked the chicken for a little over an hour, until the chicken was crispy.
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
Mmmm, Easter meals! I've got ingredients to make a Simnel cake (fruit cake with marzipan in the middle and on the top) but haven't got much further. I may also do Easter biscuits, with currants and cinnamon (meant to be cassia but I think cinnamon is acceptable). I'd like to do lamb for Easter but it's all but unobtainable in this part of the world. Beef or chicken may have to be substituted.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
... I'd like to do lamb for Easter but it's all but unobtainable in this part of the world ...

---

Unobtainable??? How do you survive?

I was flipping through Nigella Lawson's cake book the other day and came across a recipe for Easter nests - little nests made of Shredded Wheat mixed with chocolate filled with Cadbury's mini-eggs.

Yum²
 

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Posted by sophs (# 2296) on :
 
We're having pies for dinner tonight and I'm making my steak and ale pie which is apparently amazing - I'm a veggie so have no idea what it tastes like, but apparently what ever I do, I do it well...

We also have some chicken in the freezer, any one got any pie ideas for chicken? Also for veg pies, I do cheese and veg, goats cheese and caramalised onions and apple and cheese pies - any other ideas?
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Ideas for chicken pie?

Chicken & leek, or Chicken & bacon/ham, or chicken & mushroom.

Chop chicken breasts into chunks. Mix with chopped ham/bacon/leek/mushroom (or combinations thereof). Chuck in a tin of Campbells condensed chicken soup (or mushroom if you're doing CHick&mush pie) and you have yourself a pie filling. If you're doing chicken and ham/bacon, I think I'd probably use cooked chicken, if chicken & veg, raw chicken would be fine.

You could also do chicken & veg the same way - just add veg of your choice.

[ 15. April 2011, 15:22: Message edited by: kingsfold ]
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
Any interesting ideas for tortilla wrap/roll up sandwiches? I want to make something really tasty to take to church on Sunday. Well, tasty and pretty.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I downloaded a recipe for a rhubarb crumble cake that someone on the Ship had linked to, and made it today using rhubarb from the garden. I can't find which thread it was on, so can someone here help? It tasted good, but the "crumble" topping seemed a bit odd - 3oz flour, 2 1/2 butter and 1oz sugar. I added more flour, as the mixture seemed to bind together too much. Has anyone else tried the recipe? How did you make the topping?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by sophs:
Also for veg pies, I do cheese and veg, goats cheese and caramalised onions and apple and cheese pies - any other ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St. Gwladys:
the mixture seemed to bind together too much. Has anyone else tried the recipe? How did you make the topping?

---

It does seem to be a high proportion of fat to flour, but that may not be the reason that the crumble mix is binding together.
I had problems making crumbly crumble (in my food processor) for years, in spite of only using half fat to flour. Then, quite recently, I read/heard somewhere that the sugar shouldn't be added until after the 'like breadcrumbs' stage.
I tried it, it worked, and now I can do lovely finely crumbled crumble
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
piglet: we survive by stuffing ourselves with all the foods we miss when we go back to England! Also by going to Indian restaurants and ordering lamb curry, since they seem able to obtain it. Otherwise, if you go to a really good supermarket you can probably buy very expensive lamb chops, but that's about it.

lilypad: one of my favourite sandwich fillings is roasted veg - eggplant, peppers, zucchini etc - mixed with pesto. Good at any temperature and a nice mix of colours.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Lilypad - there's a lady at the Cathedral who makes magic little tortilla roll-ups. They're sort of 2-bite sized (about 2 inches across) and made of green tortilla wraps spread with a mixture of cream cheese, dried cranberries and chopped spring onions (scallions). They're as pretty as a picture and dangerously more-ish.
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by sophs:
We're having pies for dinner tonight and I'm making my steak and ale pie which is apparently amazing - I'm a veggie so have no idea what it tastes like, but apparently what ever I do, I do it well...

We also have some chicken in the freezer, any one got any pie ideas for chicken? Also for veg pies, I do cheese and veg, goats cheese and caramalised onions and apple and cheese pies - any other ideas?

---

Chicken and leek pies always sound good, but bought ones rarely are. Chop chicken into pieces. Trim and slice leek, then cook it in butter or oil until it's soft. Add a bit of flour and stir well until it starts to brown then add stock/wine/dry vermouth/even milk or cream - bring to boil stirring constantly so that it thickens and cooks the flour. Season and mix with the chicken and use that as a filling for your pie.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm going to make kedgeree as my contribution to the choir's Easter morning breakfast. As the fishmonger could only give me 1lb of smoked cod (you can't get smoked haddock here ) and the recipe calls for 1½lb, I'm considering eking it out with some smoked salmon I've got in the deep freeze. I've seen a recipe from Nigella that uses fresh salmon only, but would appreciate any opinions as to whether the combination of smoked cod and smoked salmon might work.
 

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Posted by Tea gnome (# 9424) on :
 
Piglet, that sounds as if it would be absolutely fine, or to make up the other half pound with a fresh fish. I would choose depending how salty the smoked cod is. Enough hard boiled eggs usually balance too much salt from the fish.
Eta, In fact, I think the variety of fish would make it more interesting and delightful.

Question. I would like to make some iced biscuits. I would like the icing to be hard and shiny, a bit like these
I would like to be able to colour the icing.
Would I use a water icing and give it a million years to dry, or is it a royal icing, or is it something else?
TG

[ 21. April 2011, 10:08: Message edited by: Tea gnome ]
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
So Piglet, how did it turn out and what did you do?

I'm now living on my own for just about the first time ever. Even when I was with son and DIL, most cooking was for at least three people.

So the smoked haddock I did for yesterday for just me has enough unintentionally leftover for a meal today. Perhaps I should not have been ambitious but just had one of the tiny tins of tuna on toast. However, I really enjoy smoked haddock and hardly ever have it.

Easter Sunday lunch tomorrow is easy. Nothing fussy as grandchildren will be here so good ham, rolls and various bits and pieces.

[ 23. April 2011, 01:38: Message edited by: Lothlorien ]
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
For Easter we're having roast leg of lamb, roasted spring veg (baby carrots, fingerling potatoes, fennel, shallots and -- surprise -- radishes) and strawberry rhubarb pie.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Owing to car probs, I had to order this week's groceries online, so the leg of lamb was bought sight unseen - and turned out to be NZ rather than Scottish.

Wunnerful country, but the sheep can be a bit disappointing in flavour. However, I left it for the afternoon in a bowl of oil, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and thyme, gave it a fairly fierce roast, and made a gravy with the juices, red wine and mint jelly. Not bad at all.

Tomorrow, the duck. I was checking recipes and I came across one for 'Cured duck breast, tobacco rhubarb, duck scratching, pollen and avocado frozen mousse' (also involves duck tongues, pickled shallots, a vacuum-packer and something called a Friz Air machine). So a la orange it is then.

[ 23. April 2011, 22:16: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lothlorien:
So Piglet, how did it turn out and what did you do?

---

As the smoked cod turned out to be only ¾lb (and a good chunk of that was skin), I didn't really have any choice, so I added some smoked salmon. It was the "hot-smoked" sort that's sort of cooked and has a more "smoked-fish" than "smoked-salmon" texture, so I'm hoping it's going to be OK. It didn't taste too bad, but I wimped out a bit and I don't think it's quite curried enough. Looks pretty though with the pink smoked salmon and green peas; I'm not a huge fan of hard-boiled eggs, so I leave them out.

Anyway, we'll see how much of it gets eaten in the morning ...
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
Simnel cake was made and came out perfectly toasted on top and very tasty! Hot cross buns were also made but although my yeast said it was within date I think it was lacking a bit of oomph. They rose very very slowly and finally I just had to go to bed so stuck them in the oven anyway. They were a bit dense but tasted OK.

Pork chops for dinner today, in lieu of lamb.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
... we'll see how much of it gets eaten in the morning ...

---

Very nearly all of it.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Our dinner was a great success yesterday. And I'm now a big fan of cooked -- roasted or sauteed -- radishes. Our roasted veg included some French Breakfast radishes that I halved along with, fingerling potatoes sections of fennel, baby carrots and shallots.

I'm also pleased to see that the significant row of food cooperative shallots that I planted in the garden last fall even though they tell you not to plant root veg from the grocery store are all coming up strongly. They're so expensive here that I decided to see if I could raise a few pounds on my own.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
... I had to order this week's groceries online, so the leg of lamb was bought sight unseen - and turned out to be NZ rather than Scottish.

Wunnerful country, but the sheep can be a bit disappointing in flavour.

---

Is sacrilege! It's the best in the world!
 

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Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:

I'm also pleased to see that the significant row of food cooperative shallots that I planted in the garden last fall even though they tell you not to plant root veg from the grocery store are all coming up strongly.

---

I think the advice about not planting vegetables from the grocery store is based on the commercial varieties which are/were commonly treated with chemicals to prevent sprouting (thus allowing longer storage). Local or organic veggies should be good for planting.
 

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Posted by Yangtze (# 4965) on :
 
The easiest Easter lunch ever as I only did the main and guests brought nibbles, starter, pud and cheese :-)

Gluten free due to not one, not two but three coeliacs!

Quinoa tabboleh for starter.

Slow roasted shoulder of lamb on root veg. (Just stud the lamb with rosemary and garlic and place on top of more rosemary and the banana shallots, garlic, carrots and sliced leek -no need to peel the shallots or garlic though I did halve the former, carrots can be whole or halved lengthways - cover with foil and put in the oven for four hours on 160C.) Served with new potatoes and steamed chard (from the garden) and cabbage (tossed in caraway seeds and butter). Plenty of mint sauce.

Eton Mess for pud.

Cheese & Crackers.

Chocolate with chilli and lime (Montezuma)

Lots of wine.
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I've just discovered Montezuma chocolate with chilli & lime. WOW! At first, you savour the chocolate, then the lime cuts in, and them the chilli hits. Gorgeous!
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Tomorrow night we're having a quick dinner of clam linguine...DP uses one can of white clam sauce, then steps it up with extra clams, wine and herbs...can't wait!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Having the remains of a roasted chicken and a few grapes lying about, I made an approximation of Coronation Chicken:

Mix 3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise with 2-3 teaspoons mild curry powder and a scant teaspoon of lemon juice until well blended, cover and leave in the fridge for a wee while to let the flavour develop.

Mix about 1½ cups of chopped chicken and a handful of quartered grapes, grind on a little black pepper and fold in the mayonnaise.

I used it to fill rolls, and it made a really quite decent supper (and some left-overs ).
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I've done something similar, using chopped spring onion, dried chopped up apricots instead of grapes plus a scattering of flaked almonds. Very satisfactory sandwich filling.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Tonight in lieu of supper we're having what I'll call "snax"...to include some smoked salmon we found while traveling in west Michigan (Ludington area) yesterday. The fishery, or I guess smokery, was a trip...the tiny store is unstaffed, with two supermarket coolers filled with various kinds of smoked fish; you select your fish, then slip your money through a slot in a door. While I'm always heartened by these backroads honor-system food stands, it should be noted that this particular venue has video cameras pointing down at you while you're making your purchase -- just to keep you honest, as a sign on the door reminds you.

In the meantime, I'd bought a package of cheese ends from a deli -- all sorts of flavors, from the last slices of wheels -- we're just making a tray of smoked fish, cheese, crackers and fruit and calling it good.
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
I would call that very good!

A new friend of Peruvian origin invited me to dinner the other day. She had made ceviche - cod cured in lemon juice - which was very tasty. We also had purple potatoes - deep indigo all the way through, which I'd never seen before. Apparently they have many different colours of potatoes in Peru, including yellow ones.
 

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Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 
Made an absolutely scrummy meatloaf for dinner tonight, full of veggies, and deemed edible even by small children. Yup it was yummy, healthy, and kid-friendly!

Blend together (yes, really, blend)

2 medium onions
1/2 cup celery
1 green pepper
1 cup mushrooms
2 large carrots
100g sundried tomatoes (rehydrated)
1 large egg
garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste

Once those ingredients are blended together to a horrible looking paste, gently fold in 500g of lean beef.

Pour into a bread loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes at moderate heat. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

The loaf was very light (perfect for a cool spring evening) and didn't need any additional basting as some of the tomato rose to the top and formed a gorgeous sweet crust.

This could make 8 servings, but as it was lower in calories than normal meatloaf, I cut it into 6 generous portions (still only about 260 calories).
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Flausa, I was talking to Little Miss Chatterbox during dinner tonight and told her about your recipe! It sounds very yummy, and something I didn't think to hide veggies in when D-U was young and anti-vegetable.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Flausa, so it held together without any crumbs or oatmeal? Just checking- sounds delicious!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
... We also had purple potatoes - deep indigo all the way through ...

---

Those are grown here - it's a bit odd when you first cut into them, but I like them. When I can get mixed bags of white, red and blue potatoes I use them in a patriotic potato salad. And no - the purple insides don't turn the mayonnaise an alarming colour.
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
That does sound good, Flausa. I might have to try it with sausage meat though, as the KGlets are deeply suspicious of mince!
 

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Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Flausa, so it held together without any crumbs or oatmeal? Just checking- sounds delicious!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flausa:
K-H, my kids aren't fond of mince either, so any time I cook with it, I just tell them it's like sausage, but made with beef instead.

---

Yeah, I've tried that - they didn't buy it! I've just made your recipe up (well, sort of!) and whizzed the mince in too, because I think it's the texture they don't like. I'll see how this goes. We've already had sausages once this week and are having them again on Sunday!
 

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Posted by DonLogan2 (# 15608) on :
 
Cajun Stylee Pork Casserole (with apologies to our Cajun friends)

500g Casserole pork
2x Smoked red peppers sliced into quarters
2x Sticks of celery chopped
1/2 Large or 1x medium onion chopped
1x 400g tin of chopped toms
2x tbspns of tomato puree
1x tin of borlotti /cannellini beans / chick peas or whatever you fancy
chopped dried chilli to taste
Tub of Cajun seasoning
Oil to fry, S&P to taste

Place toms and puree in casserole dish and put in oven at 120"C. Put 1/2 pork in a plastic bag and a small amount of Cajun seasoning in and shake, add more if it isn`t coated well. Repeat for the remaining pork.
Heat oil in frying pan and brown the meat and add to the casserole.
Fry the onion and celery gently and add to casserole.
Deglaze the pan and add the chilli and beans.

Cook for a further 90 minutes at 100"C and refrigerate overnight. Add the smoked peppers before reheating and serving with rice and garnish with spring onions and flat leaf parsley or coriander and a nice cold beverage.

We should be dining in a couple of hours and I can`t wait !
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I've substituted pork for beef mince in Bobotie, and preferred it to the original.

In fact, I might try a meat loaf with it, maybe lean towards sweeter veggies like onions, peppers, carrots, little bit of yam...
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Firenze

Although I will check, I suspect that is not surprising as Babootie may originally have been made with beef or even venison. I suspect the meat depends on what is available.

When I was a kid and before it was fashionable we made it with mince as we would curry and rice, which may have been beef. It was also a lots simpler dish. Basically curried mince maybe with sultanas as my family tended to put sultanas in with a curry and an egg and cream/milk poured over and baked.

This is not restaurant fair, it is easy cook at home with cheap meats etc. If Dad rings tonight I will check with mum.

Jengie
 

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Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
JJ -- I'd be interested in a slightly fuller description of that earliest version was put together...sounds like a loaf made with rice and curried mince, then baked and with a sauce poured over. Is that right?

John
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
My recall is the rice was done separately, the mince was partially fried with onion and curry added, then put into a pyrex bowl, then the milk and egg "custard" was poured over the top and it was put in the over for a further half hour or so. So a mince loaf without rice with the custard poured over the top.

I will check but I have to wait until my parents contact me.

Jengie
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
JJ - my source Bobotie recipe is from the ever-reliable Prue Leith. But when you come down to it, it is really a discombobulated meat loaf, held together by the egg custard over the top. So my feeling is that what works for one will work for the other.

With Bobotie, you might feel freer to toss in spices and, say, dried fruit. The last time I made it I added chopped apricots and a generous amount of Ras el Hanout in lieu of sultanas and curry powder.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
What I am dealing with is South African farmhouse/small holding cookery. That I have access to, thanks to having a mother raised on one.


Jengie
 

---

Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Mum rather than do it from memory went for her trusty Royal Hostess South Africa's own Cook Book 5th edition published in 1962.

They have a tinned meat version:
Ingredients

• 1 thick slice of bread
• 1 cup of milk with spare
• 2 medium onions sliced
• 2 tablespoons of dripping or butter
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of vinegar
• 2 lb of corn beef chopped up
• 2 eggs

1. soak the slice of bread in the milk
2. melt dripping or butter in a pan and fry onions until soft
3. stir in currypowder, sugar, salf, vinegar and chopped meat
4. drain slice of bread but keep the milk
5. mash up bread and mix into pan
6. mix in one egg to mixture
7. transfer mixture from pan into greased backing dish
8. mix remaining egg, drained milk plus enough extra to make upto 3/4 pint
9. pour egg and milk mix over the mix in baking dish
10. place backing dish into a second one containing water
11. bake in a preheated moderate oven 350°F or gas mark 3 for forty minutes

quote:

---

Originally posted by comet:
I know there's no such thing as a "healthy" bechamel, but I tried today as a base for a gorgonzola sauce that turned out quite nice. I used olive oil instead of butter and whole wheat flour and nonfat milk. without the cheese it might have been a bit starchy, but it's worth futsing about with.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
Sounds like a good midnight snack, badger@the sett!

I'm in a curry-making loop right now - I made beef rogan josh for my husband's birthday, and there was some left. So I made dhal to go with the remains of it, and then had some dhal left! So then I made spicy potatoes to go with that, and my husband was supposed to be taking the rest of those for his lunch today, but forgot. One of these days we'll manage to finish everything, then we can start on something else.

---

I enjoyed it and it was even quite healthy I suppose, lots of greens, was surprised the spinich worked.

know the feeling of keep using up bits and pieces, keeps you thinking what to do
 

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Posted by badger@thesett (# 16422) on :
 
did you see in the news the man who had just had his 25,000 big mac... he has 14 a week!!!!!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I noticed that - poor chap.
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Not quite a recipe, but related...

Now that we are having a whale of a time with Madhur Jaffrey*, how on earth do we get sodding turmeric stains out of EVERYTHING - especially the rented worksurface?

AG

*Indo-Japanese fusion?
 

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Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Not quite a recipe, but related...

Now that we are having a whale of a time with Madhur Jaffrey*, how on earth do we get sodding turmeric stains out of EVERYTHING - especially the rented worksurface?

AG

*Indo-Japanese fusion?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:
Not quite a recipe, but related...

Now that we are having a whale of a time with Madhur Jaffrey*, how on earth do we get sodding turmeric stains out of EVERYTHING - especially the rented worksurface?

AG

*Indo-Japanese fusion?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Flausa:
Looking for some uses for diced turkey. I've already done black bean stir fry and turkey noodle soup. Will be doing turkey fajitas tonight. Any other ideas?

---

Since you've done fajitas, how about turkey enchiladas, or turkey quesadillas?
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
Flausa how come you have so much turkey??
Tonight I combined (cold) some left over rice with added herbs, tomatoes, with more herbs, butter beans with guess what, topped by tinned sardines with black pepper and vinegar. That with some salad leaves might not be Gordon Ramsey but I enjoyed it!! I guess you could do the same kind of thing with turkey instead of sardines and use it for a picnic.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Coronation turkey?
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
If you make some seasoned white sauce and throw in some peas, some mushrooms, chopped onions, and bell pepper- sauteed, a couple cups of diced turkey, you've got turkey a la king. If you have some leftover turkey gravy to add, even better. Serve on toast points or egg noodles. Yum!

[ 21. May 2011, 06:30: Message edited by: Lyda*Rose ]
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Fry an onion or 2 - depends on how much turkey you have to deal with. Put the onion, turkey, a couple of dashes of Tabasco and some parsley into the food processor and whiz until it's just before a paste. Press into a mould, chill and serve with toast points. Any leftover afer one meal will go well onto the dog's dinner mix.

Of course, you can continue the Turkey a la king, followed by curried turkey, turkey mexicana (half-way authentic, given the origin of turkey), morroccan turkey and turkey patties if you like. I suspect thatyour spouse will leave about halfway through the repertoire.
 

---

Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enigma:
Flausa how come you have so much turkey??

---

I've started buying diced turkey breast when it's on offer because it's lower in fat and calories than chicken. So creamy dishes are out because they would negate the purpose behind using the turkey in the first place. Though I could sub out Philly Light for the cream/butter. Thanks for all the ideas, because I'm always looking to expand my cooking repetoire!

And can I just say the turkey and black bean wraps were amazing! The turkey seemed to absorb the seasonings and sauce much better than the chicken does, and the kids cleaned their plates!
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We never have too much turkey at our house because we love it so much! (We usually buy a breast, though -- it is a bit much for two people to eat a whole turkey in a reasonable amount of time.)

IMHO turkey lends itself to Mexican flavors. We like to make mole' or tacos or the like with leftovers.

I also have an unabashed love of the hot turkey sandwich, an American diner staple -- a good thick slice of bread crowned with mashed potatoes and sage dressing (yes, it's very starch redundant), then slathered with turkey and gravy. If you skip breakfast, and if you don't eat anything else all day, it's a grand meal.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
On the Mad Dogs thread in AS we have recently been discussing Fish Curry - and here is the one we had yesterday, always a hit with guests and all of us. Very simple! Don't overdo the spices, particularly the chilli, it only needs a little.

- - - -

Fish in Coconut gravy

This is about as simple as it gets:


Ingredients


Shallots - a couple, peeled and smashed
Ginger - about as big as the top joint of your thumb, peeled and smashed
Green Chiili - sliced lengthwise
Curry leaves - a few [optional, if you can’t find then don’t panic - fresh better than dried]
Chilli powder - to taste
Turmeric powder - to taste
Salt - a little
Water - about a cup
Tamarind paste - to taste [possibly half a teaspoon]
Creamed coconut - a reasonable size lump - golf ball size?
Coconut [or other] oil - a little for initial frying

Fish cubes or slices [not too thin]


Method:

• Heat oil in pan

• Add first four items and fry gently

• When onions go transparent add spice powders and salt, fry a little longer

• Add water and bring to boil

• Add tamarind paste, stir

• Add creamed coconut and stir until it is all homogenous

• Add fish and poach in the gravy for as long as it takes [low heat] - when gravy thickens it is ready - about 10 minutes or so

• Remove from heat, remove green chilli, allow to rest

• Serve with rice and possibly a veg dish. Enjoy.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
p.s. for those sensitive to chilli: leave it out entirely but add a little more ginger and some black pepper.
 

---

Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
In the pursuit of English stuff that French people like™, I have recently rediscovered the joy of Bakewell Tart.

I'm lazy so I used bought (sweet) pastry. The very motivated could make their own. Being lazy I also didn't blind bake it and it turned out alright. Stick it in the tin and prick it with a fork. Raspberry jam in the bottom.

For the topping: cream 150 g each of butter and sugar. Beat in three eggs, then fold in 150 g of ground almonds and the zest of one lemon. Plonk it on top of the jam in the pastry case.

Put into a preheated oven (150°C) for about 20 minutes. Take it out and sprinkle flaked almonds over the top. Put it back in the oven for about 20 minutes more, until golden and sort of set and firm.

MMmmmm English people do know how to cook after all.
 

---

Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
Mmmm, WW, that fish curry sounds good! I might have to add it to my list of meals for the week...
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We had duck tonight -- it was supposed to be our Sunday meal, but something came up in the afternoon and I didn't have time to fix it until today.

This was a muscovy duck from a farming neighbor -- these are rather ugly, vulturine ducks with red warty bills, not the usual cute barnyard fowl. (I was told that they originated in South America, and are more land-oriented than most ducks.) Anyway, I'd been told once that they make a superior eating duck, so when we had the opportunity to buy this one we did.

Very interesting. The body is larger and more barrel-shaped than the usual rather long, thin duck body; more meat on it overall. And -- for reasons I don't quite understand, other than simple convenience, this duck came skinned, with just a smattering of fat left on the flesh.

I rubbed the duck inside and out with this following off-the-top-of-my-head mixture: butter; a bit of honey; salt and pepper; savory, marjoram and thyme; a tiny bit of Dijon mustard. I stuffed the bird with wedges of onion, apple and dried cherries. Then I roasted the bird in a covered roaster on medium heat until done, basting it frequently in its own pan juices enhanced with something I just happened to find in the wine cabinet -- a bottle of cherry wine that has apparently been aging there for at least three years, since the last time we felt moved to buy cherry wine. Every so often a piece of apple or a reconstituted dried cherry would fall out of the duck while I was basting, so I'd smash it with my spoon against the roaster and stir its goodness back into the pan juices.

The verdict? It was very, very good; very rich, but not greasy at all. It didn't look that impressive coming out of the oven sans skin, but looks can be deceiving.;-) I just sliced it thin and served it with a big spoonful of apple-y, cherry-y pan juices over the top.

Now I'm trying to decide what to do with the leftovers.

Would I purchase another one from this farmer? Sure.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
LC, that duck sounds absolutely divine. Duck is one of my favourite things, but quite rare on restaurant menus over here, and consequently rather expensive, so I only have it once in a while.

If you want to know where to send your left-overs, my address is ...


 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Divine Duck rather appeals to me ...
 

---

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :
 
Cherry Roast with Duck sounds good. Another filed away.
 

---

Posted by Coffee Cup (# 13506) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:


I'm burning the midnight oil, almost, tonight, making a sheet cake for a funeral tomorrow. It's an eggless, milkless chocolate cake -- something my aunt always used to make for me as a treat when I was little. It uses vinegar and baking soda as leavening, and winds up somewhere between a brownie and a cake in texture; very fudgy. I'm told this recipe was invented during the Depression as a frugal alternative to regular cake; and it's now popular with vegans. (I've made an orange cake using the same chemical principle, and it turned out nicely.)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:
Not a recipe, but a rhapsody over the availability and sweetness of local watermelon! It's been years since I could afford any; too expensive at the supermarket, and not very appetizing-looking, either.

Well, the trucks have pulled off the sides of the intersections, and they are loaded with small, round seedless gems, and oblong stripey melons that are $2-$3! And sweet! Oh, my!

There's half a stripey one in my fridge left after sharing with friends yesterday. When I finish getting some housework done, I may go out with a slice and spit seeds.

---

• one 10-oz bottle tonic water
• 1/2 cup gin
• 1/4 cup fresh squoze lime juice (if you can't get fresh squoze, drink a beer or something. Bottled lime juice just doesn't cut it)
• 1/4 cup Rose's sweetened lime juice.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mousethief:
Enjoy! Wonderful on those hot days. Be careful, though, it's a sneaker! You can hardly tell there's gin in it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
Anyone have any experience with polenta?

---

quote:

---

Should I have cooked the polenta longer in the pan before adding the toppings and baking it?

---

Stir in a few spoonfuls of cornmeal towards the end of the cooking if its too sloppy. You can add more cornmeal or more water to get the texture you are looking for. The quantities in the recipe are just guidlines!

Also it sets a bit if you leave it. Even quite runny maizemeal often solidifies into a wobbly mass after a few hours rest in the fridge.
 

---

Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
Yes, the leftovers next day were a bit more solid. So should I have got it as thick as I wanted in the saucepan? It was pourable but not quite self-leveling, and I sort of thought baking would solidify it some more, but I guess not when you put a bunch of wet stuff on top!
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
The mixing with water first is a bit strange - maybe that's to forestall the lava-like bubblings when you add it?

My method is to heat the required amount of water (with a veggie stock cube dissolved for more flavour) and then pour the dry polenta in a steady stream, stirring constantly. When it's difficult to keep moving the spoon round, then it's thick enough. Add grated parmesan. Spread out in a tin or tray, top with more parmesan. Bake. Any leftovers can be cut in lengths like thick chips and fried.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Any tips on what to do with a fresh coconut won at the school fete yesterday?
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
Any tips on what to do with a fresh coconut won at the school fete yesterday?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Chorister:
easy - drill two holes in coconut, drain milk and drink. Throw coconut on path outside back door, pick up pieces, wash and eat. Fresh coconut tastes too good to cook.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
Popovers=meatless Yorkshire pudding, often eaten as a breakfast/brunch treat with butter and jam on this side of the pond.

---

Do you have a recipe for that - it sounds very much like something my mother used to make for us kids but I never got the recipe from her. We used to have them hot from the frying pan with golden syrup or jam.
 

---

Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Too late to edit - just went back and found the recipe!


 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Good then you can share.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Good then you can share.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
I wanted to bake a cake tomorrow that needs golden syrup, but when I got my tin of syrup out of the cupboard this evening and checked it, it had all solidified. Will it be usable if I warm it gently to melt it?##

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
I wanted to bake a cake tomorrow that needs golden syrup, but when I got my tin of syrup out of the cupboard this evening and checked it, it had all solidified. Will it be usable if I warm it gently to melt it?##

---

I believe the standard method is to stand the tin in recently boiled water.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
David made a v. nice sausage dish for lunch today:

1 lb potatoes
1 lb sausages and
1 red pepper, de-seeded, all chopped in 1-2 in. pieces
½ an onion, chopped a bit smaller
Olive oil
Garlic to taste (I think he used 4 small cloves)
A pinch of herbes de Provence
A pinch of cayenne pepper, salt & pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400°F

Parboil the potatoes with salt for 5-10 min; drain and put in a baking dish.

Meanwhile, toss chopped peppers in oil over a low heat and set aside. Add garlic to pan with the onion and herbs and fry till transparent. Add the onion to the potatoes and drizzle with the oil left in the pan.

Bake for 20 mins, during which time you fry the sausage pieces. Add to the potatoes and bake for a further 20 mins, adding the peppers and sprinkling with a little cayenne after 10 mins.

Mmmmmm ...

PS it also works with chicken stir-fry strips.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
What's all this fuss about sushi? I had some on the weekend (I was bored and the appetizer plate came with my meal) Tasteless little bits of(raw?) crab wrapped in seaweed (I think) and boxed in by a little rice brick? There was a bit of smoked salmon on the side, and a bit of pickled? ginger which was quite nice.

Boring. Tasteless. Never again.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
You're not alone there, Pete - although I can see the visual/artistic merit of sushi, I'm deeply suspicious of its gustational value. What's the point of something looking pretty if it tastes horrid (or doesn't taste of anything at all)?


 

---

Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
Wasabi, ladies and gentlemen.

Wasabi is the answer....
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Speaking of which, I chanced on a sort of Spanish food imports yard sale the other day, and bought a couple of bagfuls of paella rice, olives, capers, paprika, Andalusian vinegar, olive oil soap, quince cheese - and two small bottles of flavoured oil. One didn't correspond to the box it was in, and, in fact, is flavoured with washabi.

I am trying to think what kind of salad it would best go in the dressing of.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
... One ... is flavoured with washabi.

I am trying to think what kind of salad it would best go in the dressing of.

---

One that I don't have to eat.

My dad (bless him!) once inadvertently bought a tin of wasabi-flavoured Pringles and they were so horrid even he wouldn't eat them, and he's usually got the consititution of an ox.
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
I had some fresh peaches but not quite enough for a pie, so I added one can of tinned peaches drained and a box of fresh blueberries to make enough filling. Family remarks it was the best pie I have ever made.
 

---

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Yuppie_Monkey Cauliflower Salad:
-Cut a head of cauliflower into small florets, toss with olive oil and roast at 425, adding a few cloves of chopped garlic about 5 minutes before the florets are starting to brown (so, when they're still all white, but softening). Roasting time varies wildly, but is usually around 25 minutes total for me.

-Top and tail a couple handfuls of green beans, snapping each bean in half. Toss in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, until cooked but still toothy. Immediately drain and shock in cold water so you don't end up with flabby, pale beans.

-Whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make a few tablespoons of your basic vinagrette.

-Chop a handful of parsley--ideally the nice Italian broadleaf kind, not the silly curly kind that doesn't taste like anything.

-Throw it all together and garnish with halved cherry tomatoes, chopped Marcona almonds, and bits of Feta.

Good stuff, and travels well for picnics.
 

---

Posted by nomadicgrl (# 7623) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Speaking of which, I chanced on a sort of Spanish food imports yard sale the other day, and bought a couple of bagfuls of paella rice, olives, capers, paprika, Andalusian vinegar, olive oil soap, quince cheese - and two small bottles of flavoured oil. One didn't correspond to the box it was in, and, in fact, is flavoured with washabi.

I am trying to think what kind of salad it would best go in the dressing of.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:

I sure wish I could eliminate the learning curve, but it bites me every time....

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Martha:
Baking time is important for brownies - you definitely want to err on the side of undercooking, so set the timer for 5 minutes less than the recipe says, at first. The other reason for their fudginess is they usually have a high sugar, fat and egg content and very little flour. The egginess gives that kind of papery finish on top, if your recipe gives you that.

I'm surprised that varying flavours would change the texture so significantly, though. You should be able to add nuts, dried fruit etc to the basic recipe quite easily. What have you tried so far?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zappa:

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:

I sure wish I could eliminate the learning curve, but it bites me every time....

---

Somewhere, somehow, I think there's a mixed metaphore there!

---

Ah - is the curve a metaphor, too? Maybe!



 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks Moo.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
I LIke curves. I have a few myself.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
That soda farl recipe looks really nice (and possibly Piglet-proof ); one of the few things I miss about Belfast is toasted soda farls with butter.

**drool**
 

---

Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
Just made 14 English muffins. (Is that an OK thing to say here? )

Partly this recipe, with elements of about 3 others.

Easy, fun, and good. (They need a few more minutes on each side next time, though. That damned learning curve again....)

[ 11. July 2011, 18:55: Message edited by: TubaMirum ]
 

---

Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
And now I just made rye bread. It's hilarious; mix the ingredients (white & rye flours, water, yeast, salt, caraway) by hand for a minute or two - then stick it in the fridge for a week to get nice & ripe.

Good times....
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
In response to a question in the British thread in AS:

Doodlebugs

4 oz semi-sweet* baker's chocolate
1 oz butter
1 generous teaspoon golden syrup
About 4 oz Raisin Bran flakes, mixed with a handful or two of extra raisins

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl in the microwave - I start with 2 minutes on 80% power, then give it a stir.

Once it's melted, stir in the golden syrup until it's smooth, then fold in the bran-flakes and raisins until they're nicely coated with the chocolate. If necessary add more bran-flakes until the chocolate is more-or-less saturated.

Spoon into little paper bun-cases; if you use a fairly generously-heaped teaspoon of mixture per bun-case, this amount should make about 30.

* I use semi-sweet chocolate because it's the easiest to get here; full-on milk chocolate is also nice.
 

---

Posted by Cottontail (# 12234) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Moo:
I think people in Ireland were making soda bread before they had ovens.

Try this

Moo

---

The recipe is what we in Scotland call a Girdle Scone. (girdle = griddle) There's no difference, except that I would recommend cooking the round whole, then cutting it into triangles when it is done. This way the individual pieces don't puff up so much, they look neater, and they are easier to split. But no biggie either way.
 

---

Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
Why is it that when I make jam with 500g of fruit I can get a reasonable set, but when I double all quantities it seems to take forever to set? I have a lot of fruit (mirabelle plums) and I would rather like to be able to make larger quantities than just 500g.
 

---

Posted by Suze (# 5639) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
What's the secret ingredient or secret method that makes brownies come out so fudgy? I've made several batches now and the first few, following the recipe strictly, were fine. As soon as I started to vary the recipe to change the flavours at all, they started to come out more "cake-ey" than like a brownie. What am i doing wrong - baking them too long maybe?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisydaisy:
Why is it that when I make jam with 500g of fruit I can get a reasonable set, but when I double all quantities it seems to take forever to set? I have a lot of fruit (mirabelle plums) and I would rather like to be able to make larger quantities than just 500g.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by frin:
I'm going to an aftershow party for a junior school actor tonight and agreed to bring along an alcohol-free cocktail.

I was thinking I might try and figure out the proportions for the apple, blueberry and peppermint cordial I made during a cocktail making contest a few summers ago. Does anyone have anything more trusted in their repertoire?

---

quote:

---

Can anybody help? Can I use any other squash recipes, or will they not work with its spaghetti-like stranded flesh?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
I used tumeric, garlic, ancho chile powder, paprika, and cumin. The result was extremely tasty, but I would like to know how close does this approximate curry?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Angel Wrestler:
... tomatoes were used more as a fruit back then and in the series there is a reference at some point to them eating them sliced with cream poured over.

---

quote:

---

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.

---

 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I always sugar tomatoes, whether raw or cooked. Not all that much sugar, but it just mellows them.

Saturday I did a dish where you slice them and scrumble them about in cream, anchovies, tsp sugar and some parmesan and bake, then top with toasted croutons and more parmesan (and bake some more).
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
But tomatoes are so sweet already!

They are one of those foods that just require salt. Sorry, health-advice industry, they do. Tomatoes, rice, eggs, cucumber, all need salt on them for some reason.

Boiled potatoes and most kinds of meat and oatmeal porridge and salad in general and chips! all taste better with salt on them but they don't need it. They don't exert a subtle mental force on human beings in their vicinity conscripting them to draw in salt crystals from all nearby corners of hyperspace.

But tomatoes and eggs and cucumber and rice do. It must be some sort of Dark Mystery from the Dawn of Time.
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I heard some TV chef say once that tomato sauce needs a tsp of salt, a pinch of sugar and a splash of vinegar to balance up the flavours. Generally works for me.
 

---

Posted by basso (# 4228) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
...I want to make porcupine meatballs, a staple of my own childhood that you just don't hear people making anymore.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
... porcupine meatballs ...

---

I didn't know you could get meat from a porcupine.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
ken:

quote:

---

But tomatoes are so sweet already!

---

If you are lucky. I get too many that taste a bit like flat, cheap champagne.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Those would be hot-house or mass-produced tomatoes.

Not real field tomatoes which only travel a few miles (or feet, if you are extremely lucky) from field to your toasted tomato sandwich.

I note with bemusement some grocers have increasing amounts of field tomatoes available these days. Some of which have come from Mexico or the USA.

Yeah, right!
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
DP made a great dinner tonight -- crockpot carnitas featuring a locally sourced Boston-butt pork roast coated with a spicy rub (not sure of all the seasonings, but the mixture included cumin, ancho chile, cocoa, ground coriander and sugar), browned and then slow-cooked with a garlic-y/limey braising liquid. The meat was falling off the bones -- pulled it between two forks and then ate it in tortillas with low-fat sour cream. My contribution to the meal was sauteed zucchini, yellow squash and our first eggplant from the garden (one of those elongated Asian varieties), with onion, garlic and tomatoes.
 

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Posted by Curiosity killed ... (# 11770) on :
 
A nice easy tomato recipe is to gently stew some chopped onions in olive oil until soft and transparent. Add halved tomatoes cut side down and continue gently stewing. When they're still in one piece but softened, add a slosh of cream and herbs, warm through and serve with croutons. Much nicer with home grown tomatoes during a glut. We used to eat it as a starter.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
This has reminded me of a poor student days mainstay - Brown Tom. Sliced tomatoes topped with a mixture of diced bacon and breadcrumbs and baked.
 

---

Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
This has reminded me of a poor student days mainstay - Brown Tom. Sliced tomatoes topped with a mixture of diced bacon and breadcrumbs and baked.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
slab of bread (baguette if available): butter on both sides. Spread one side with neat tomato puree and top with cheese and a sliced fresh tomato. Bake.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
And a can of baked beans for extra protein. A very standard quick snack in my day, and remains so.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
... porcupine meatballs ...

---

I didn't know you could get meat from a porcupine.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Baked beans on toast, if you're in the mood for it, is a dish fit for a king.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
There must be no additions in the can. It is perfectly permissible to add your own additions. Though best restricted to one or more of onions (especially fried), garlic, mushrooms, or cheeeeeeese.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ferdzy:
... throw a blanket over them, then pull it off. This removes most of the quills, and it can them be safely bashed and popped in the stew ...

---

Poor wee thing. It'd be like killing a hedgehog - really Not Cricket.

As for some of those beans-on-toast recipes -
 

---

Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Timothy the Obscure:

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
... porcupine meatballs ...

---

I didn't know you could get meat from a porcupine.

---

The punch line is "very carefully..."

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Put beans on a piece of fry bread and top with onions, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. You can also add salsa, sour cream and/or chili. Also known as Indian Tacos.

---

They are so filling, I can only manage a half taco. But YUM!

And then here is fry bread with honey...oh...my....
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
I'm sending my brother who lives in Florida a slow cooker recipe book. Can anyone tell me whether bacon hocks (otherwise known as smoked pork hocks) would be available there under that name?

(its the basis of what used to be his favourite soup).

Huia
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Oh, yes...pork hocks are a staple in rural Southern white, African-American and Cuban/Caribbean cooking.
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Can't say for sure since I don't live in Florida but in Texas you can. Smoked pork hock might also go under the name ham hock.
 

---

Posted by Huia (# 3473) on :
 
Thanks Rugasaw and Lutheranchik - it's part of my dastardly plan to make him feel homesick. so I get to see him again.

Huia
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Picnic Lunch while Wine Tasting.

Friends are coming to visit next month. We have a number of nice tasting rooms in the area and they are very into wine. One winery has a lovely picnic area with beautiful views so I thought we might have lunch there. Any ideas on what to prepare? They are also each a bit of a foodie, so something a bit special is what I am looking for.
 

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Posted by wrinkley (# 7673) on :
 
Baked chicken parts seasoned with Mrs dash herb seasoning, and put some butter under the breast skin (Makes it nice and juicy, also put the seasoning under the skin, too. Some people do not eat the skin and if that is where all the seasoning is, the meat will not have absorbed enough of the flavour. Potato salad, baked b.b.q. beans (they are good cold), Kaiser rolls and of course the wine you will have purchased. Yum.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Wrinkley's chicken thing sounds nice as long as the herb-rub isn't too strongly flavoured, or it'll overwhelm the wine. I read somewhere that wine traders "buy on an apple and sell on cheese", meaning that an apple will make the wines taste tart, but a nice, not-too-strong cheese will soften the flavour of the wine.

Mature (but not too mature) Cheddar goes well with soft red wines so some of that with some good "artisan" bread would be nice.

If the wines are predominantly of the fresh, grassy Sauvignon Blanc type, what about something with fish or seafood - maybe a rice salad with salmon or prawns?

I hope you have a good time - a picnic with a wine tasting sounds like a day out from Heaven to me.


 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Much like Piglet said. I would go with a good baguette or other bread, a variety (no more than 3) cheeses, some dry sausage or sliced meat(like capocollo), some quality olives, some almonds, some fruit (grape would be good) and a hummus or some other dip for the bread.
 

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Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
DP made a great dinner tonight -- crockpot carnitas featuring a locally sourced Boston-butt pork roast coated with a spicy rub (not sure of all the seasonings, but the mixture included cumin, ancho chile, cocoa, ground coriander and sugar), browned and then slow-cooked with a garlic-y/limey braising liquid. The meat was falling off the bones -- pulled it between two forks and then ate it in tortillas with low-fat sour cream. My contribution to the meal was sauteed zucchini, yellow squash and our first eggplant from the garden (one of those elongated Asian varieties), with onion, garlic and tomatoes.

---

Ah, the humble crock pot! Couldn't live without it! I made a fantastic chicken cacciatore a week ago and it was so easy! Throw some boneless chicken thighs in the crock pot along with fresh sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, sliced yellow squash, sliced onions, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher or sea salt, black pepper. Then, pour a can/jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over the whole thing and cook on low for about six-seven hours. Yum!!
 

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Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :
 
I make a delightful Pico De Gallo but unlike most Pico De Gallo recipes, I don't put tomatoes in mine because I'm extremely picky about tomatoes and often can't get good ones anywhere without spending more than I want to. Anyway, my Pico De Gallo has the following:

Diced watermelon, diced red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, and orange bell peppers. Chopped cilantro, minced garlic, tons and tons of diced onions (purple onions are great in this), banana peppers, Jalapeno peppers (not too much as I'm a lightweight with hot/spicy food), a little bit of kosher salt and mix it all together. I usually attempt to chill the whole thing for an hour but I love it so much that I often find I can't wait. Letting it sit overnight is even better because the juice from the watermelon combines with everything else and... ohhh, WHY did I have to post this? Now I want some and I don't have any of the ingredients!
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Thank you, all has been helpful. The chicken sounds perfect and good to know about putting season under the skin. I never thought of that. I make an oil, fresh rosemary lemon juice rub blended by sticking a clove of garlic on the end of a fork and stirring.
Bread and cheese of course. I think they are into heavier red wines, so perhaps a cheddar and a light white cheese in case they go for a white wine. Olives and almonds with hummus perfect.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Picnic, but not wine-tasting, related: We spent yesterday at an estate auction, so we packed a picnic lunch with homemade ham salad sandwiches. I've really not had ham salad since I was a kid, and I enjoyed these so much. I used ham minced in our little mini-chopper (my 15-year-old, user-unfriendly food processor is in pieces-parts somewhere in my garage and is destined for the Dumpster), plus onion, a little light mayonnaise, a leeeetle spoonful of brown mustard, minced bread-and-butter pickles and pepper relish -- the last two items from our Amish neighbor. (The pepper relish is mostly bell pepper -- it adds some beautiful concentrated ripe sweet pepper flavor and tartness.) We also had homemade bread, which made the sammies even better. It's funny how you forget about really simple recipes for years, then rediscover how good they are and think, "Why don't we make this all the time?"
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 
I've made some blackberry chutney but unfortunately it caught on the bottom of the pan and now tastes a little bit bbq-ish (i.e. burnt). Do you think I could call it bbq-chutney, or even mesquite-flavour chutney? I would rather not throw it out, as it would be such a waste.
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
How about adding a little hot pepper to it. Might help over come the burn taste.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I'm a convert to slow-cooker/crock-pot cookery; D. bought a huge slow-cooker a few years ago at the Cathedral auction and at first I wondered what on earth we would do with it as I didn't think of myself as that organised, slow-cooker sort of person.

I was quite wrong - it's a wonderfully easy way of cooking and although I don't use it every day, or even every week, I wouldn't be without it.

Paddy O'F - do you brown your chicken pieces first, or just chuck them in and turn it on? I do lamb shanks by marinating them with the veggies and wine overnight, and beef casserole by browning the meat first.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Would it make a difference if I browned the meat the night before?
 

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Posted by daisydaisy (# 12167) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Graven Image:
How about adding a little hot pepper to it. Might help over come the burn taste.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by rugasaw:
Would it make a difference if I browned the meat the night before?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
I'm a convert to slow-cooker/crock-pot cookery; D. bought a huge slow-cooker a few years ago at the Cathedral auction and at first I wondered what on earth we would do with it as I didn't think of myself as that organised, slow-cooker sort of person.

I was quite wrong - it's a wonderfully easy way of cooking and although I don't use it every day, or even every week, I wouldn't be without it.

Paddy O'F - do you brown your chicken pieces first, or just chuck them in and turn it on? I do lamb shanks by marinating them with the veggies and wine overnight, and beef casserole by browning the meat first.

---

Well, I can't really brown anything as our gas stove has never been hooked up! Looong story... basically, I'm terrified of gas stoves... so, in answer to your question, no, I just put the chicken into the crock pot. Actually, though, as I sit here thinking about things I've cooked in the microwave oven, I recall having burned a few items... before something burns it has to be browned somewhat... perhaps I should see if there is some method of browning meat in a microwave oven...
 

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Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :
 
And when cooking ground beef, turkey, or chicken, I do cook them in the microwave oven first.

I made a delightful slow cooker chili last week and used ground chicken instead of ground beef. The ground chicken seemed a bit bland so I added some kick with a liberal dose of ground red pepper flakes. My girlfriend insists that she doesn't care for spicy food but she really liked my chili. Neither of us can stand anything too spicy but this chili was just right. There are several excellent online recipe websites to check out. I recommend allrecipes.com and check out their crock pot offerings, even the desserts made in a slow cooker--I really want to try a berry cobbler recipe I saw on there the other day.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
At our house tonight we're indulging in a great American summer tradition: BLTs, aka bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. (Streaky bacon to some of you.) These are especially good if you have grown the lettuce and tomatoes yourself. Either fresh or toasted bread is fine. Some people like to add cheese, although to me that's gilding the lily.

I recently had a salmon BLT in a local restaurant -- a nice broiled filet of salmon topped with all of the above, on a toasted bun. Very good.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I think I mentioned before (either here or in AS) that I can take or leave BLT sandwiches (and would sooner leave them), but if you add a few slices of avocado ...

A dish fit for a king.
 

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Posted by Paddy O'Furniture (# 12953) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
I think I mentioned before (either here or in AS) that I can take or leave BLT sandwiches (and would sooner leave them), but if you add a few slices of avocado ...

A dish fit for a king.

---

Ish. I call avocados, "blechh-ocados". Can't stand the sight, smell, or taste of 'em.
 

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Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 
I'm just a BT kinda gal; skip the L and give me fat slices of garden tomatoes and salty bacon, plus mayo on fresh-baked bread (if you got it).

Yow. My tomatoes are just starting to get ripe, but this will happen in another couple of weeks. Can't wait!
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Where as I am a BL type of guy. You can have all of my tomatoes.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I just baked a loaf of V8 bread (V8 being a tomato-dominant mixed-vegetable juice -- relatively flavorful and good for cooking as well as drinking) amended with some minced veggies, destined for BLTs in the near future. My own tomatoes are still green, but I found some lovely greenhouse tomatoes at a Mennonite farm on the way to my doctor's office -- perfect red and yellow spheres. My lettuce is something of a diffrent story -- the weather has been so hot and miserable here for the past month that m two staggered plantings are both ready to bolt -- but I think I can salvage some edible leaves.
 

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Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
A BLT is a lovely bacon sandwich ruined by salad.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
OK, it's that time of year, and I need to do something different with my courgette/zucchini glut. Preferably before the climbing bean glut gets going.

There are some interesting recipes online, but the ingredients lists pretty well all say x number of courgettes/zucchini.
So, as mine vary from 6"" long to 15" long ("What a Diff'rence a Day Makes", as the song says!), with a similar expansion around, I need to know, what size vegetable do the recipe writers actually mean?

In other words:
How big is an average courgette?
 

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Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Not sure about averages but here is a lovely recipe we do a lot, and is done by weight!

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/5546/zucchini+slice
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
This recipe for feta & courgette fritters has been recommended to me - and again, uses weight to help you with the measuring of your courgettes.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Thank you both for those suggestions - they'll make a nice change from all those dishes based on the usual courgette/onion/tomato combination, adaptable though that is
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Thanks to kuruman, I am a recent convert to avocado. Other than guacamole or eating spread on toast (both commendable) what simple things can I do with an (i.e. one) avocado? One, because in Canada, the current price is 2/$5.00.
 

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Posted by Pancho (# 13533) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Thanks to kuruman, I am a recent convert to avocado. Other than guacamole or eating spread on toast (both commendable) what simple things can I do with an (i.e. one) avocado? One, because in Canada, the current price is 2/$5.00.

---

Off the top of my head: you can grill it, you can slice it in half and drizzle it with olive oil, you can slice it and dice it and add it to salads or omelets, you can include it in a (spicy or not spicy) shrimp cocktail, add it atop pizzas.

What I like to do is make little tacos (taquitos) of just avocado: spread some avocado on a warm corn tortilla and sprinkle it with salt, sometimes I'll add cheese. A small avocado yialds 4 to 6 taquitos depending on how much you spread. I can eat these for hours.
 

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Posted by lily pad (# 11456) on :
 
You can afford to buy them? I've been craving avocado for the last few weeks but the price is nuts. Lowest has been $2.69 for small ones lately.

That being said, guacamole can be frozen. If you make the amount from one avocado, put half into a small container, put plastic wrap touching the surface to keep the air out and then the lid to the container. It may get a big of a brown surface when you defrost it but if you are the one eating it, ie. not "company", who cares.

When making it to take to something, I use the spices from Epicure and a lime and it never fails to impress.

Again, not "company" food, but something that tastes really good to me, is to mash up half an avocado with the egg salad in a sandwich.

Otherwise, you could always invite me over!
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Of course dear lily! When are you next in Ottawa?



I may have to invesst in a small roll of plastic wrap. Lime juice is always present, mostly always fresh-squeezed.

I love egg salad, but since I have been buying cholesterol-free liquid egg for a year now, I no longer have eggs in the house.

Salads: hmmm. Tomato, avocado, broccoli, a squirt of lime juice, and some home made oil vinaigrette?

Any other suggestions?
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Thanks to kuruman, I am a recent convert to avocado. Other than guacamole or eating spread on toast (both commendable) what simple things can I do with an (i.e. one) avocado? One, because in Canada, the current price is 2/$5.00.

---

One nice treat is to use a half avocado to hold a shrimp cocktail. Just slice it in half, remove the pit, sprinkle with lime juice. Mix up a 1/4 c. smallish cooked shrimp and perhaps a small dice of celery for crunch in 2 T of spicy cocktail sauce. Spoon the mixture into the pit hollow and over the rest of the flesh. Eat it, scooping up bites of avocado as you go. Good eats.

[ 13. August 2011, 17:37: Message edited by: Lyda*Rose ]
 

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Posted by John Holding (# 158) on :
 
I first met avocado when it had been cut in half with the pit removed and the cavity filled with sour cream (...and a sprinkling of caviar, but that's really not necessary).

Using that model, I can imagine all sorts of ways of eating avocado.

John
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
what simple things can I do with an (i.e. one) avocado?

---

Thinly sliced, with grilled bacon, in a sandwich.

In combo with cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced onion, with a dressing made of:
Juice of half a lime
1 tsp sugar
Half to 1 (according to taste) tsp hot pepper sauce.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Red leaf lettuce, cubed or sliced avocado, strawberries, very thin onion rings, poppyseed dressing.

A "50 shades of green salad" with mixed green lettuces and other greens, fresh or frozen peas, cucumber, celery, finely sliced zucchini -- anything green and saladic, basically -- add some cubed or sliced avocado and dress with green goddess or similar dressing. (Big hit at our church potluck.)

beet, orange and avocado slices artistically arranged on a plate with some interesting dressing drizzled over the top.

Avocado,sliced or cubed or made into guacamole, as a topping/side for any kind of Mexican food.

One of my favorites: Chicken salad with a dressing of sour cream, avocado, scallion and dillweed buzzed smooth in the blender. (Or, alternately, cube the avocado and make a sour cream-dill dressing.

Another favorite: Avocado on the half shell, with a simple garlicky olive-oil/wine or balsamic vinegar dressing in the hollow left by the seed. This is an easy-peasy summer salad that goes with low-fat entrees like fish.

My mother's 60s-era cookbooks seemed to have a thing for creamy avocado desserts, like avocado icebox pie and avocado ice cream -- I've never tried such a thing, but why not.

I've also heard of people grilling avocado on the half shell, but I understand that cooking makes them bitter, so I'm not sure what the point is of this exercise.

[ 13. August 2011, 19:25: Message edited by: LutheranChik ]
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Slice your avocado, and some Mozzarella cheese and a couple of Italian plum tomatoes, arrange them artistically on a plate (in the form of the Italian flag, if you must), and dress with a slightly garlicky Italian dressing and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Heaven on a plate.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Thanks for all the ideas. Friends came over yesterday with all the makings for wraps so I tossed the avocado to them. It's gone now, but will keep suggestions in mind for the next time I feel affluent.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
If you can afford it a salad of avocado chunks, watercress and halved cherry tomatoes is sublime - use a simple dressing as there are plenty of flavours there already. Perhaps cider vinegar and olive oil.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
It looks like it's going to be a clear day today, so I think I'm grilling pork chops for dinner. We recently exchanged our old, rusting eyesore of a hibachi-sized tabletop cast-iron barrel grill for a larger model on a wheeled cart, which means that I'm having to get used to the size differential and heat regulation (the new one has a side vent and a chimney with a moveable top on it)...I feel compelled to make the most of the extra grilling space by making the whole meal on the grill, so I might grill up some redskin potatoes in foil, plus some of our abundant Asian eggplants that I've not found another use for this weekend. And we also have wax beans that need eating soon. I feel like a contestant on "Chopped"...try to make this market basket of odd items all work together...
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
A BLT is a lovely bacon sandwich ruined by salad.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
<snip>that Turkish chilli/herb/nut paste whose name I cannot remember.

---

Muhammara.

So delicious. I have some in the fridge at the moment. I love it on flatbread or crackers topped with yoghurt.
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
I love this recipe, because it's really, really easy. POTATOES & CHORIZO BAKE
For 4 people
800g potatoes
200g chorizo
1 red pepper
frozen spinach, preferably in creme fraiche
1onion 4 eggs seasoning

Peel & cut the potatoes into quarters (ish)
Peel and chop the chorizo into 1/4 (ish) inch slices
Chop the pepper & onion into good sized chunks.
Mix all together with a tbsp of olive oil - if you have chilli oil, so much the better. Season to taste. Put in an oven proof dish. This needs to be quite deep.
Stick in the oven at about 180°C for about 30 minutes until everything is cooked.
Defrost spinach (as much as you fancy) in microwave. When potato mix is cooked, mix the spinach with this.
Make 4 hollows in the mix, and break the eggs into the hollows.
Put back in the oven for about 10 minutes until the eggs have set.
Serve with crusty bread, if desired.
 

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Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Oooh doormouse that sounds nice
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
It is! (Where's the drooling smilie when you need it!?)
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Mmmm...we love chorizo of any variety. (Mexican chorizo, unlike its Spanish cousin, is a soft, crumbly sausage.)

Last night we grilled pork chops outside, and I tried tossing a cupful of soaked cherrywood chips into the the coals for some aromatic smoke. The chops (marinated in some balsamic vinegar, garlic and olive oil) turned out really well.

We use chips quite frequently when we grill -- I think I like maple best, but the fruitwoods also add real flavor. When we visit NW Michigan, where fruit is the primary agricultural product, in the fall, we often gaze longingly at the more decrepit old trees in the orchards...some of those farmers could make some extra money by chipping up their prunings and selling them by the bag at the roadside.
 

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Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
I now have frozen spinach in the house - it will be made some time this week!
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dormouse:
This recipe for feta & courgette fritters has been recommended to me - and again, uses weight to help you with the measuring of your courgettes.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
I now have frozen spinach in the house - it will be made some time this week!

---

We had this last night. I threw in some courgettes, used marinaded peppers instead of fresh - and remembered that I found frying the eggs seperately was easier than baking them in the oven. But, as ever, YMMV

And glad you liked the recipe, rugasaw. I've never made them - but maybe I will now!
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I'm thinking ahead. Evert year we buy a jar of cranberry sauce to go with the turkey for Christmas, and every year, we only use a couple of spoonfuls. How can you use up the remainder?
 

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Posted by Martha (# 185) on :
 
Brie and cranberry sandwiches/toasties/paninis are very yummy. Or I don't see why you couldn't eat it with chicken if you have roast chicken anytime. And I feel like Nigella Lawson would have leftover-cranberry-sauce recipes although I don't know any off the top of my head (or maybe I'm thinking of pomegranates, I know she's big on those. Still, it may be worth checking her website.)
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Any sort of fruity stuff like that can go to add interest to sauces and gravies. A dollop in a venison or beef casserole for example. I usually have a jar of home-made (albeit not by me) thyme and quince jelly knocking about the fridge which I add to all sort of things where I feel the gravy needs a bit of mellowing.
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 
Next week I am going away in a caravan to enjoy an annual retreat to a Christian festival. Traditionally I provide the first evening meal which is served cold to save time and effort after the camp set up. So far it has been coronation chicken with various accompaniments every year which has gone down very well and has been requested again this year. However, I am wondering whether anyone has a different suggestion that I could try. I am only talking about a caravan full of people - not sure exactly how many - 4-6 people. Any ideas?
 

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Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
If it has to be cold, you can't go too far wrong with good bread, decent cheese, crisps and apples.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Plus a few olives and, if you have a Lidl handy, a few jars of their sundried tomatoes or mixed funghi or other antipasta. Don't stint with the wine, people will remember it as the best meal of their lives.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
Chicken breasts cooked.
Mushrooms, onions, garlic sauteed.
Pan deglazed with white wine.
A Tin of diced tomatoes added to pan.
Chopped kalamata olives added.
Chopped capers added.
Return chicken to pan.

Season the chicken however you like your chicken and this is a great meal. Or you can refrigerate overnight and using a good crusty bread make sandwiches out of it.

[ 20. August 2011, 03:22: Message edited by: rugasaw ]
 

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Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :
 
Have just had a party involving a green pea and riccotta tart with thyme pastry. recipe here, just add one tbsp chopped thyme to the pastry mix and bake blind before adding the filling and baking again. Or try The one in Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook.
Guaranteed to disappear before anything else at a party.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We're eating gussied-up po' food tomorrow -- pork steak, that most underappreciated of pork parts, which I actaully prefer over chops when it comes to flavor and texture. We loveitloveitloveit grilled over charcoal. And I have a sentimental fondness for it rolled in seasoned corn flake crumbs and baked -- we had that for dinner about once a week when I was growing up.

Tonight we're watching a food-truck cooking challenge on Food Network that's heavy on the homemade sausage, and DP has expressed a desire to make some too -- at least loose sausage, if not the casing kind. (I have memories of the ordeal my dad put my mom through making homemade sausage with an old-school meat grinder, "everything but the squeal" and natural casings, so I'm somewhat less enthusiastic about such a project.)
 

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Posted by Timothy the Obscure (# 292) on :
 
Finally got the courage to attempt Carolina style barbecue yesterday. It went well--pork shoulder cooked over hickory charcoal at 275F for 8-9 hours, with a sauce of vinegar, dried red pepper, dry mustard, and brown sugar. I grew up with it, but we never did it at home--we got the meat as take out and my grandmother made the rest (cole slaw, collards, corn bread (or hush puppies).
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Eight or nine hours? Wow. How often did you have to refresh the charcoal?

The longest I think we've ever cooked anything on the grill was an hour and a half for a split chicken. We have a barrel grill that is theoretically capable of smoking things, but we just haven't been very adventurous -- we use the soaked chips for some extra flavor and that's it.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Budget cuts being what they are, my school is having a potluck breakfast for our staff development day.

The upside? I discovered this:

Baked Oatmeal

Insanely delicious, and so easy to make. I'm still not sure what a "huckleberry" is, but it was great with blueberries instead, and I can imagine peaches/apples/whathaveyou working well too. I made it tonight and will reheat tomorrow, but I think it'd work fine to prep everything the night before and just stick it in the oven when you wake up for a really great cold-morning breakfast.

I need to shut up about the virtues of this oatmeal now. If only so I can go sneak some more off a part of the baking dish that people may not notice...
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Gosh but that sounds delicious! I shall work out a local equivalent.

Sex-on-a-plate!
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
One in the eye for those who think of porridge oats are just breakfast for heath food fanatics
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Thanks infinite_monkey! I am going to try that oatmeal recipe tomorrow! It sounds yummy! (Like oatmeal cookies!!)
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Although it sounds scrumptious, I may have to pass on the maple syrup. Wonder what non-sugar substitutes I could use?
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Although it sounds scrumptious, I may have to pass on the maple syrup. Wonder what non-sugar substitutes I could use?

---

increase the fruit?

I'd have to omit the sugar/syrup, the salt and the butter, but I reckon it's doable without. Maybe add an extra, very ripe, banana ?

Probably ought to leave out the egg too, but one egg between 6 is probably OK.
If I can bear to share it, that is!

[ 26. August 2011, 12:51: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
I didn't use the full amount of maple syrup. I think you could honestly leave all sweetening out if you were generous with sweet fruit. The bananas sweeten it a fair bit.

I also skipped the "top with butter" part, so only half the butter.

And it's six GENEROUS servings, so definitely don't feel bad about the one little egg.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
If the egg is for binding is it possible to use cholesterol free egg or egg substitute?
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I always use liquid egg (no or very low cholesterol) and I use Equal™. I could load it up with blueberries, I suppose to replace the maple syrup.

I note what is said about bananas. I never buy bananas in Canada; because I know what a freshly picked banana tastes like, and it bears no resemblance to the ones shipped here.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
I'm gonna adhere like a religious fiend to the recipe as I knocked it out two days ago, but I think this concept is fairly forgiving.

Take oats. Spice em up.

Take wet stuff. Mix it in.

Throw a bunch of fruit in the pan.

Add some baking powder, because you're making a Baked Thing.

Worst comes to worst, you're only out a buck or so. Unless you actually tracked down those huckleberries.
 

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Posted by Jengie Jon (# 273) on :
 
Pete C

Depending on how fussy you are Agave Nectar might be a decent substitute.

Jengie
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
I made the recipe (wow! It's getting a lot of commentary here! Good one!) yesterday and served it to two friends. Like infinite_monkey, I followed the recipe to the letter, but next time I will tweak it! My friends liked it better than I, and I liked it just fine, so it's worth making again.

Next time, the bottom layer will be apples, maybe baked spiced apples. And more toasted walnuts. Yum! And maybe some nutmeg along with the cinnamon. It's in the fridge, and I'm going to try a cold slice very soon. That sounds like a good snack!
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
We've got a glut of lettuce at the moment (little gems). I have a feeling we'll soon be sick of salad. I know I can add it to stir fry and other savoury things, and that one can make lettuce soup. Is there anything else I can do with it? And does anybody have a failsafe lettuce soup recipe, and does the soup freeze?? Thanks!
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Braised lettuce with peas.

And yes, you can freeze lettuce soup. I don't have a recipe, but I would do the usual sweating onions - and probably any other odds of vegetable knocking about - lettuce, veggie stock, herbs - mint? savory? parsley? - simmer, whizz in liquidiser, freeze. Add some cream/creme fraiche when reheating.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
Pete C

Depending on how fussy you are Agave Nectar might be a decent substitute.

Jengie

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik
...no vegetable was considered too delicate to cook the bejeezus out of.;-)

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Braised lettuce with peas.

And yes, you can freeze lettuce soup. I don't have a recipe, but I would do the usual sweating onions - and probably any other odds of vegetable knocking about - lettuce, veggie stock, herbs - mint? savory? parsley? - simmer, whizz in liquidiser, freeze. Add some cream/creme fraiche when reheating.

---

And put in a diced potato when you're sweating the onions. Gives body to the soup, without flour. Try adding some finely chopped chervil when serving as a change to mint/parsley etc. Or some basil, while it's still summer where you are.
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
If the leaves of the lettuce are big enough you can use them as wraps.
 

---

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :
 
A salad from my '50s childhood was a quartered slice of banana with a bit of mayo (or Miracle Whip) spread on it and then sprinkled with broken pieces of pecan, served on a leaf of iceberg lettuce.

The lettuce was pretty much treated as the equivalent of parsley - simply a nice garnish, but probably not eaten.

At some point - probably after my mother let me make these and I upped the quantity of mayo and pecans so that they fell off the banana - I discovered that wrapping up the leftover bits in the lettuce leaf tasted really good.

Over the years I've also come to realize that I like a bit of cabbage leaf to provide the crunch more often provided by celery - I like the subtle peppery taste of the cabbage in certain things.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Our mothers must have had similar ideas, jlg! One of my childhood salads was a lettuce leaf with a slice of tomato on it topped by a dollop of mayo, and sometimes some paprika and shredded cheddar. I would have enjoyed trying your version!
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
I detest lettuce in all its forms (never have it in the house, but will suffer it if eating elsewhere) I know where that came from - the brown iceberg lettuce my mother insisted that we eat.

Today's lunch sandwich was half a small avocado and tomato mashed together with mayo and pepper and salt and a little leftover softish cheese. I amaze myself sometimes!
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Re lettuce wraps -- we love them, although the lettuce I grow doesn't have leaves large enough to be very "wrappable." One of our favorite pan-Asian eat spots mixes chopped chicken with lime juice, a bit of fish sauce, cilantro and other goodies and rolls it into lettuce leaves -- a very refreshing lunch. They also make another lettuce roll, this time mixing the chicken with what tastes very much like hoisin sauce. They're both good.

DP can't eat lettuce in any form (when we order the above, I get her leaves)...I crave vegetables that she can't eat, so I tend to stuff my sandwiches with lettuce just to have something crisp and green (or red).
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
This question is mainly for Americans since most Brits can't seem to conceive of ice iea, but here goes: what kinds of tea do you like brewing for ice tea? I'm afraid I tend to lean on cheap Lipton bags, but I do have a few odds and ends of tea leaves that I drank hot over the winter. One tea I love hot but not so much cold is Earl Grey. Are breakfast teas any good? Ceylon? Any experiences good and bad are welcome.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
Australians and kiwis can answer too ...
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
I like Luzianne teabags. They make forty ounces of tea, which is a two-day supply for me.

I don't like Lipton tea, hot or cold. It has a metallic taste.

Moo
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Thanks, Moo. I'll be on the look out for it. I'm not crazy about Lipton's either. I've actually rather liked Nestles standard bags, but I've heard that their corporate ethics are dubious.
 

---

Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Enigma:
Next week I am going away in a caravan to enjoy an annual retreat to a Christian festival. Traditionally I provide the first evening meal which is served cold to save time and effort after the camp set up. So far it has been coronation chicken with various accompaniments every year which has gone down very well and has been requested again this year. However, I am wondering whether anyone has a different suggestion that I could try. I am only talking about a caravan full of people - not sure exactly how many - 4-6 people. Any ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
This question is mainly for Americans since most Brits can't seem to conceive of ice iea, but here goes: what kinds of tea do you like brewing for ice tea? I'm afraid I tend to lean on cheap Lipton bags, but I do have a few odds and ends of tea leaves that I drank hot over the winter. One tea I love hot but not so much cold is Earl Grey. Are breakfast teas any good? Ceylon? Any experiences good and bad are welcome.

---

I am a coffee drinker - so my input here may be next to worthless - but over the last couple of years have gotten to love iced chai. I love it! So luxurious and heady.

It's so spicy and aromatic that I don't think it really matters what kind of tea you use, though. Although I always use plain black tea - Tetley or even just the tea you get in Chinese restaurants.

I guess that's something of a tangent, though, if you were looking for just plain tea. I do like green teas iced, though, too.

(Never drink the stuff hot, in fact....)
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
At our house we're perfectly happy with Red Rose teabags for our iced tea, although last year we bought some Republic of Tea iced tea bags for our kids' wedding and enjoyed it so much that we bought an extra box just for us. I think the varietal teas iced are interesting.

I usually love jasmine green and white teas, but for some reason I just don't care for them iced.
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Hmm. Texas Republic...But I'm afraid I've never taken to chai.

Ooo! I just thought of my favorite tea in restaurants: China Mist. I've never seen it on a shelf, but maybe I can buy it online.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
That

quote:

---

Baked Oatmeal

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
That

quote:

---

Baked Oatmeal

---

is totally a keeper! I just made some! I even bought a large banana! Used small bit of Equal™, liquid egg and blueberries.

---

That's a sort of oat pie tending towards crumble! It sounds good, if sweet.

I am not at all sure what "Equal™, liquid egg" signifies but it makes my gut turn over a little just contemplating it - if I were to do this I think I might go for real eggs

Oats are versatile. You can fry cold porridge with onions. Nicer than it sounds
 

---

Posted by Anna B (# 1439) on :
 
Pickling time. I got hold of some Kirby cucumbers and have them packed in brine, spices, dill and garlic. In 2-4 weeks they should be New York dills, God willing. Mmmmmmmm
 

---

Posted by georgiaboy (# 11294) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
This question is mainly for Americans since most Brits can't seem to conceive of ice iea, but here goes: what kinds of tea do you like brewing for ice tea? I'm afraid I tend to lean on cheap Lipton bags, but I do have a few odds and ends of tea leaves that I drank hot over the winter. One tea I love hot but not so much cold is Earl Grey. Are breakfast teas any good? Ceylon? Any experiences good and bad are welcome.

---

After lots of experimenting I've arrived at what is, for me, a splendid iced tea: equal parts of Earl Grey and Constant Comment (yes, yes, I hear the sneers), but the two seem to balance each other well, and provide just a touch of exoticism without being overbearing. I make it VERY strong, steep it well, and then dilute to taste.
 

---

Posted by St. Gwladys (# 14504) on :
 
I've just made the baked oatmeal with raspberries from my garden which I froze after picking. I found I didn't have any walnuts in my cupboard, and I forgot to put in baking powder, but it tastes quite nice anyway!
 

---

Posted by Freelance Monotheist (# 8990) on :
 
I tried to make profiteroles twice today and failed both times!
First time I cooked them too long as I forgot to adjust the cooking time for a fan oven & the second time, during the first 10 mins at 200° C one of the girls completely opened the oven to check on them!
Both times the dough was really runny, like cake batter/Yoorkshire pudding/pancake mix, but then again I wasn't sure how much water to add (150 ml apparently, which is 15 cl, which is a couple of tablespoons' worth, correct?), so maybe that's the problem, as the illustration mentioned making balls with the dough when they mentioned a shiny glossy paste after adding the beaten egg to the mixture, which I achieved!
Anyone got a fool-proof recipe using a fan oven? I love profiteroles & really wanted some today!
 

---

Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
I can't stand baking powder so would leave it out. Was a bit at "aluminium-free baking powder" though... I had no idea there was aluminium in it. No wonder it tastes metallic to me... or am I being hopelessly unscientific?
 

---

Posted by TubaMirum (# 8282) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:
Pickling time. I got hold of some Kirby cucumbers and have them packed in brine, spices, dill and garlic. In 2-4 weeks they should be New York dills, God willing. Mmmmmmmm

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by georgiaboy:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
This question is mainly for Americans since most Brits can't seem to conceive of ice iea, but here goes: what kinds of tea do you like brewing for ice tea? I'm afraid I tend to lean on cheap Lipton bags, but I do have a few odds and ends of tea leaves that I drank hot over the winter. One tea I love hot but not so much cold is Earl Grey. Are breakfast teas any good? Ceylon? Any experiences good and bad are welcome.

---

After lots of experimenting I've arrived at what is, for me, a splendid iced tea: equal parts of Earl Grey and Constant Comment (yes, yes, I hear the sneers), but the two seem to balance each other well, and provide just a touch of exoticism without being overbearing. I make it VERY strong, steep it well, and then dilute to taste.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:
In my imagination pickling involves huge quantities (because it seems like one of those things that once you get all the stuff together, you might as well make enough for the army). Is that true?

Also, what's the diff between full dill and half-sour (my favorite)? I know there's lots of garlic in the latter, but is it in the timing, too?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anna B:

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:
In my imagination pickling involves huge quantities (because it seems like one of those things that once you get all the stuff together, you might as well make enough for the army). Is that true?

Also, what's the diff between full dill and half-sour (my favorite)? I know there's lots of garlic in the latter, but is it in the timing, too?

---

Why, TubaMirum, you can pickle just about anything in any quantity you like; it does not have to be a huge undertaking. And yes, half-sours are pickled for less time than full sours.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:

quote:

---

Originally posted by georgiaboy:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
This question is mainly for Americans since most Brits can't seem to conceive of ice iea, but here goes: what kinds of tea do you like brewing for ice tea? I'm afraid I tend to lean on cheap Lipton bags, but I do have a few odds and ends of tea leaves that I drank hot over the winter. One tea I love hot but not so much cold is Earl Grey. Are breakfast teas any good? Ceylon? Any experiences good and bad are welcome.

---

After lots of experimenting I've arrived at what is, for me, a splendid iced tea: equal parts of Earl Grey and Constant Comment (yes, yes, I hear the sneers), but the two seem to balance each other well, and provide just a touch of exoticism without being overbearing. I make it VERY strong, steep it well, and then dilute to taste.

---

I enjoy Constant Comment, too. Maybe that is just what Earl Grey needs when it's iced.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by TubaMirum:
Thanks, Anna B! I will have to do some research. This is definitely going to be one of my next culinary experiments.....

---

quote:

---

Funny thing is -- we both absolutely despise Sandra Lee; she makes us brux the enamel off our teeth. So DP must never know the source of her unique birthday cake recipe!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
... You can fry cold porridge with onions. Nicer than it sounds

---

That wouldn't be hard. Unless, of course, you mean skirlie, which is oatmeal and onions fried in butter, and is very nice served with mashed potatoes.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
... You can fry cold porridge with onions. Nicer than it sounds

---

That wouldn't be hard. Unless, of course, you mean skirlie, which is oatmeal and onions fried in butter, and is very nice served with mashed potatoes.

---

Recipe please.
 

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Posted by Leaf (# 14169) on :
 
Only posting to brag: I and three others made 78 dozen meatballs this morning, to freeze for an event later this fall.
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Whoa!
 

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Posted by Enigma (# 16158) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
... You can fry cold porridge with onions. Nicer than it sounds

---

That wouldn't be hard. Unless, of course, you mean skirlie, which is oatmeal and onions fried in butter, and is very nice served with mashed potatoes.

---

Recipe please.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Leaf:
Only posting to brag: I and three others made 78 dozen meatballs this morning, to freeze for an event later this fall.

---

Has the beef cattle population gone into a decline?


 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Skirlie recipe as requested:

50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
175g medium oatmeal
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion (with a pinch of salt to stop it catching) gently in the butter until softened, then stir in the oatmeal, season and cook for about another 10 minutes.

Eat it just as it is with buttery mashed potatoes (suitable for vegetablists), or use it as a stuffing for chicken or turkey (not).
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
That is a truly impressive butter-to-oat ratio.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
My arteries clog just at the thought of it!
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
Thanks piglet.

Oats are for cholesterol so I was thinking of using olive oil instead of butter.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I must confess that I got the proportions in that recipe from a web-site called Scottish Food or something similar, but my computer had a brainfart that stopped me linking to it. I haven't actually followed that recipe myself; it's over 30 years since I made skirlie (in domestic science in school), although it looked more-or-less as I remembered it.

When I looked up skirlie on the interweb, at least one recipe substituted olive oil for butter - hardly authentically Scottish, but maybe quite interesting. There were also recipes with other things added (thyme and spinach was one combination). You could probably try all manner of additions - in Wodders' part of the world, maybe ghee instead of butter and a few interesting spices ... ?
 

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Posted by Mr Curly (# 5518) on :
 
We're having 80 people over tonight for a Combined Ninetieth party - which is the number if you add MRs C and I together, just to be clear.

I've made little pastry cases in mini-muffin pan using this sweet pastry recipe, and used the last of the lemons to make a batch of lemon curd. Big teaspoon of curd on each little tart, and there is bite-sized yummies to go with coffee and tea later on.

mr curly
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Wow--that sounds truly delicious. And 90 of them? <Drools.>
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Our kids are going to be in-state around Thanksgiving, and Son #2 told us today that at least he, wife and granddaughter would be willing to come to our house for a special meal that week; that it's time for us to enjoy hosting responsibilities. (We're in a constant tug-of-war with the in-law families and even DP's ex-husband for our kids' time on their infrequent visits home.)

This is great news -- we love Thanksgivingtime, love to cook and are looking forward to doing this.

Son #2, however, is not a fan of turkey. But he is a fan of meat. (Because his wife is a mostly vegetarian, he's always starving for meat when we go out to eat.)

I think we have enough yummy vegetarian recipes in our repetoire to make DiL happy. But we wants us some turkey. But we also want Son #2 to be happy. So...any suggestions for a second meat for him and any other guests who aren't keen on turkey? DiL has a really negative reaction to even being in the presence of pork, so I think a ham or pork roast is out of the picture. For some reason I'm drawing a total blank. Son #2 is too picky about fish for us to serve him, say, a nice salmon steak, and he seems a little afraid of lamb, so I think we're solidly in beef territory. But what sort of beef? (How I got hooked up with a family of picky eaters I'll never know...so unlike my family of enthusiastic trencherpersons.)
 

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Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :
 
Posh beef, and I immediately think beef Wellington. We had it for New Yeas Eve and it was gorgeous!
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
LC - a small standing rib roast wouldn't break the bank, and he gets to chew the bones too.

PeteC
Ex-carnivore
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Or a steak. Does in minutes, and slots in with a lot of the turkey accompaniments (roast potatoes, she says vaguely: maybe not the marshmallows...)

You could marinade it in advance to fancy it up a bit. Or, depending on how you adjudge the likelihood of Family in Thanksgiving Fire Tragedy, flambee it.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
We've never had a meal catch on fire, but we once had a guest at one of our barbecues nearly set our patio on fire, after volunteering to start the charcoal grill.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
A friend of ours does wonderful roast beef in a covered barbecue; that way you'd still have oven space for the turkey for everyone else.

eta: And before you say "but Thanksgiving's in November", we had the aforementioned roast beef on Boxing Day.

In Newfoundland.

[ 14. September 2011, 03:47: Message edited by: piglet ]
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I have to go with PeteC on this one. A standing rib roast is a great presentation. You can also use the bones to make a lovely stock for noodles.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Oh, we're all about grilling in chillier seasons here too -- much to the curiosity of the neighbors, I suspect.

Rib roast sounds good. Tenderloin sounds good.

He's okay with chicken, so Cornish hen is another suggestion we're entertaining.

I'm flexible. The thing I'm most concerned with, apart from having an enjoyable meal in general, is winding up with plenty of turkey leftovers for us.;-)
 

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Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 
I decided to do a nice vegetable dish the other night. I sliced up a zucchini and opa squash tossed them with some olive oil minced garlic and sea salt. Then I broiled the dish for 10-12 minutes. Oh my was it delicious.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
Skirlie recipe as requested:

50g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
175g medium oatmeal
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion (with a pinch of salt to stop it catching) gently in the butter until softened, then stir in the oatmeal, season and cook for about another 10 minutes.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by infinite_monkey:
Budget cuts being what they are, my school is having a potluck breakfast for our staff development day.

The upside? I discovered this:

Baked Oatmeal

Insanely delicious, and so easy to make. I'm still not sure what a "huckleberry" is, but it was great with blueberries instead, and I can imagine peaches/apples/whathaveyou working well too. I made it tonight and will reheat tomorrow, but I think it'd work fine to prep everything the night before and just stick it in the oven when you wake up for a really great cold-morning breakfast.

I need to shut up about the virtues of this oatmeal now. If only so I can go sneak some more off a part of the baking dish that people may not notice...

---

I was all geared up for trying this, when I hit a problem. The recipe says “Be sure to use rolled oats and not instant oats”. Telling them apart seems tricky.

For instance, these oats claim to be 100% rolled oats, but surely they're the sort of instant oat I should be avoiding?

Will anything calling itself 'rolled oats' do? How do I tell which ones will work for the recipe, and which won't?

Thanks.
 

---

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 
Size of flake. Quick cooking oats may be made from ordinary rolled oats, as that link claims, but more processing has been done to make flake size small so cooking is quicker. Sometimes the product becomes almost a powder. Rolled oat flakes are around size of my little fingernail, more or else and are flat. At least down here.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Those should be fine. What you need to avoid are the ones so heavily processed and shaved that they cook enough if you simply pour boiling water on them.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Those Quaker oats should be fine. Instant oatmeal is like instant coffee, you just stir in boiling water (or milk), for example Redi-Brek . The ones linked to need cooking - 2 mins in the microwave, or longer in a pan on the stove.

Made a fat-free, sugar-free, salt-free version yesterday, I can see that it would be yummier with butter, salt and sugar, but as I am getting used to eating my food without them as far as I can, I was happy with the result.
 

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Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :
 
Quite out of the blue, my local grocery store, which always has a terrible selection of everything, stocked beef kidneys. Never one to let an opportunity for offal pass me by (though the tripe was quite the culinary failure), I've set my mind on turning the kidneys into steak and kidney pie.

I have my recipe- my question is whether steak and kidney pie reheats well, since I hardly intend to eat it all in one sitting.

Zach
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
It certainly reheats, Zack. Be careful to ensure that the portion to be reheated has some liquid in it, as a dried out next day portion is disgusting.
 

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Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :
 
Thanks, Pete!

The kidney is soaking in milk now. I gotta say, the way the internet goes on about kidneys, I braced myself for the overpowering stench of urine as I opened the cellophane. Not only did I practically have to put my nose in it to smell anything at all, it smelled more like liver than pee-pee.

Zach
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Every time I have ever cooked kidneys they have smelled fine. Easy to cook as well, and very soft.

Classic way to cook kidneys - fry quickly in butter with mushrooms, onions and garlic. Eat on toast. Takes two or three minutes. Wonderful.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I'm thinking about making a small apple crisp tonight from some of the apples we picked while "freestyling" in the countryside yesterday. (When we see an apple-laden tree hanging over the right-of-way on some lonely country road we stop to taste the apples. Since the trees themselves are usually volunteers -- the product of some young farm lad or lass tossing an apple core over the fence once upon a time -- it's a real question mark as to what they'll taste like, but we occasionally find some fine apples this way. Yesterday we found one tree whose apples were remarkably similar to Granny Smiths.)
 

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Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :
 
It's the steak and kidney pie of fools...

Zach
 

---

Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Bravo, Zach! You are very talented!
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
Excellent, Zach - it almost makes me wish I liked kidneys ...
 

---

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
I don't typically eat meat, but I'm drooling over that beautiful pie crust. Nicely done!

[ 20. September 2011, 06:02: Message edited by: infinite_monkey ]
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zach82:
It's the steak and kidney pie of fools...

---

I nearly didn't look - I hate kidney - but I'm glad I did
Love the logo!
 

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Posted by Celtic Knotweed (# 13008) on :
 
Zach - nice decoration. Comment over my shoulder from Sandemaniac was that the last few kidneys we've had have not smelt of anything bar meat - probably because they were very fresh.

Anyway, reason for wandering over here. We have a glut of cayenne peppers, far far more than our usual chilli chutney recipe can cope with, so does anyone have some other suggestions to use/store them? We also have quite a lot of chutney generally, so other ideas for veg gluts gladly accepted. Don't particularly want to try storing in oil for a variety of reasons. Oh, and we have very limited freezer space!

Other query, does anyone have any recipes for preserving cabbage?
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Celtic Knotweed:
We have a glut of cayenne peppers, far far more than our usual chilli chutney recipe can cope with, so does anyone have some other suggestions to use/store them?

---

How about just pickling them? - Quick & easy and probably has more uses than a chutney. I expect there's plenty pf recipes online - I don't have one, as I only like a smidgeon of chilli heat in my food.

My jelly/jam/chutney/pickle cupboard is full, and my freezer too, from the gluts of previous years, so I have been trying to eat our various gluts as they occur. I admit to looking forward to reaching the end of meals built around courgettes, chard or climbing beans (various), even though some of the recipes have been really tasty.

Mr RoS has now started bringing bags of apples home from the boxes of windfalls left at peoples gates. I suppose I will have to try and find freezer space for a couple of pies
 

---

Posted by FooloftheShip (# 15579) on :
 
I'm going to nip in, with apologies, to record the fact that for once I actually made myself something proper this evening - a vegetable curry, with potatoes, courgettes, mushrooms and spinach. I'm actually a good cook, but have been so disinclined of late to bother, so I'm feeling unreasonably pleased right now...
 

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Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 
Celtic Knotweed, if you like Chile-Garlic sauce, here's how I make it. Cayenne is one of my most reliable hot peppers. I will also throw in free and gratis a useful tip - if you think you have got hot chile oils on your hands while cutting them up (er, chiles, not hands, for that you need ER) wash them (hands, not chiles this time) with toothpaste. Work it in well, let it sit several minutes then rinse off. It works!

1 1/2 cups diced carrot (1 large)
1/4 cup water
200 grams (2 cups chopped) fresh red cayenne chiles
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
3 heads garlic

Put the jars into a canner with water to cover, and bring them to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Peel and dice the carrot, and cook it in the water, covered, until tender. While that happens, cut the stems from the cayennes and cut them into 1 cm slices. (Wear gloves!) Add them, with their seeds, to the carrots. Add the salt, sugar and vinegar.

Separate the heads of garlic and peel the cloves, and add them to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes. Put the lids and rings in a pot covered with water on to boil for 5 minutes.

Remove the contents of the pan to a blender, and blend until smooth. Pack into the prepared jars and seal with the prepared lids and rings. Return the sealed jars to the boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Test for seals, and label.
 

---

Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 
Also in reply to Celtic Knotweed, I make beet and red cabbage relish (contains horseradish as well.) and also sauerkraut. Somebody was telling me about freezer cole-slaw but I have my doubts. But if you are interested I'm sure googling will produce results.
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Celtic Knotweed, what kind of cabbage? And are you open to a recipe that cooks but doesn't preserve?
 

---

Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :
 
Thanks for the comments on the steak and kidney pie of fools. Would you believe the pork pie of fools is the third meat pie I've made this week?

Zach
 

---

Posted by Emma Louise (# 3571) on :
 
Sad to say but I've realised I do actually like quiche.....

I've avoided making it all these years but does anyone have a good quick recipe (or link) for nice quiches.

I do like a traditional egg and bacon but other varieties I've had are rather nice too (spinach/ broccoli/ pesto etc)

I can google happily but just wondered if anyone could recommend a quick and/or easy one to get me going?
 

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Posted by la vie en rouge (# 10688) on :
 
IME you can throw nigh on anything into a quiche as long as it's not too wet (therefore cut the middles out of tomatoes). I like sundried tomatoes and feta, or bacon/spinach/blue cheese. Random mixed vegetables like carrots/brocoli/peas also work well.

For those who like onions, you can also make quiche with nothing but long strips of onion sauteed in a bit of olive oil. Personally I really like this made with sweet pastry - sounds a bit odd, but the sweetness really works with the onions.
 

---

Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emma Louise:
Sad to say but I've realised I do actually like quiche.....

---

So not a man

So not a typist, either

[ 26. September 2011, 10:27: Message edited by: Zappa ]
 

---

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
I'm intimidated by the crust factor in quiche (I'm too much of a snob to buy ready-made, but have an irrational fear of screwing up a DIY crust). However, I love a good frittata. This recipe is an old favorite:

Mollie Katzen's Winter Frittata
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by infinite_monkey:
Celtic Knotweed, what kind of cabbage? And are you open to a recipe that cooks but doesn't preserve?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ophicleide16:
St. Andrew's seasoning (1 part Cayenne chilli pepper, 2 parts cumin and 2 parts paprika)

---

As a Scot, I'm more than a little intrigued as to why that mixture of spices is named after our patron saint.



It sounds interesting - for the non-veggies among us* would it work with chicken or prawns?

* Not that I mind vegetarian food, I just don't like the texture of tofu.
 

---

Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:

quote:

---

Originally posted by infinite_monkey:
Celtic Knotweed, what kind of cabbage? And are you open to a recipe that cooks but doesn't preserve?

---

Pssst, just imagine I'm Celtic Knotweed...

We're certainly open to recipes, though it looks as though we may well be glutted so preservation would be a bonus. If the worst comes to the worst, we can always eat the stuff! We may just have to rely on online friends for a while...

At the mo we're finishing the Hispi, which is a not particularly dense summer cabbage (I wonder - I'm sure I sowed some Greyhound - where did they go?), but we've got some Stonehead coming on, which are very dense hearted - I believe that's a typical sauerkraut cabbage, but we've nowhere sensible to leave a bucketful of brewing brassica - and keep for yonks.

Any help?

AG

---

quote:

---

As a Scot, I'm more than a little intrigued as to why that mixture of spices is named after our patron saint.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ophicleide16:
St. Andrew's seasoning (1 part Cayenne chilli pepper, 2 parts cumin and 2 parts paprika)

---

As a Scot, I'm more than a little intrigued as to why that mixture of spices is named after our patron saint.



It sounds interesting - for the non-veggies among us* would it work with chicken or prawns?

* Not that I mind vegetarian food, I just don't like the texture of tofu.

---

For chicken or prawns I would include garlic powder and salt in the mix.
 

---

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Most vegetarians live quite happily without ever seeing a brick of tofu. There are other sources of protein other than meat or faux meat.
 

---

Posted by Auntie Doris (# 9433) on :
 
Does anyone have a good recipe for blackberry and apple crumble? I have some windfall apples and picked blackberries today so would like to use them up

Auntie Doris x
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Blackberry & apple crumble is one of those things that I do more by eye than measurements, but here goes:

peel, core and chop the apples into good sized chunks; bung them in a saucepan with the blackberries and a tablespoon or 2 of sugar (depending how much fruit you've got). Add a splash of water and simmer gently until the apples are slightly softened but not mushy. A pinch of cinnamon can be nice if you like.

Crumble topping: 4-6tbsp plain flour, 2-3oz butter, 2-3 tbsp sugar (again depending how much fruit you've got). Put them all in a bowl and rub together until it's crumbly.

Tip onto fruit, sprinkle a little more sugar on top.

Bake gas 4 (sorry don't do electric) for 30-45 mins or until sufficiently golden for your tastes.

Sorry it's a bit vague - hope it helps.
 

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Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
...adding a tablespoon of oats and/or a few chopped nuts [almonds or cashews, etc.] to the crumble topping can make it a bit special.
 

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Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 
Sandemaniac, here's a link to my recipe for sauerkraut. I'm not posting it here because a) it's fairly long and detailed and b) it's worthwhile clicking through the links to read other people's takes on making sauerkraut to get a feel for the process. Although the lat one seems to have disappeared.

Don't be put off by the length of the instructions. It's somewhat time-consuming but not really difficult to make. The main thing, which I realize may be a bit difficult to control, is to be sure you have a place that's the right temperature for it to ferment. Also, read both sections before you start! Good luck!

http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com/2009/08/experimenting-with-sauerkraut.html

http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com/2009/09/final-report-on-sauerkraut.html
 

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Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
After various visits to the Condemned Food Aisle at our local Sainsbury's, I have a number of vaguely interesting pieces of meat in the freezer - several duck legs, some beef kidneys, oxtail, lamb shanks. I think that's it but there may be something else.

I was thinking that, with those, one could have a decently decadent casserole. Would that work? Any ideas for method/recipe?

Thurible
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
One of our local restaurants made duck legs into a small plate on one of their Small Plates Nights...if memory serves they coated them with hoisin sauce and other Asian flavors for a fun, sticky take on the ubiquitous American chicken-wing appetizer. I liked 'em.
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Thurible:
... the Condemned Food Aisle at our local Sainsbury's ...

---

Condemned???

IMHO the nicest (and easiest) way to cook lamb shanks is in a slow-cooker - marinate them overnight in the slow-cooker with chopped carrots, celery and onions, a few sprigs of rosemary, a couple of crushed garlic cloves, salt & pepper and red wine, then next day add stock and potatoes and cook on "low" for a long time (I've posted my recipe before but it was probably in last year's thread - I'll check out times and quantities if you want them).

Yum ...

PS For the duck-legs, another take on LutheranChick's recipe would be Peking duck - roast them, shred the meat with a fork, and roll up in Chinese pancakes with hoisin sauce, cucumber and spring onions/scallions.
 

---

Posted by Thurible (# 3206) on :
 
Thank you.

What I was envisaging, though, is more a duck, lamb, kidney, and oxtail casserole - i.e., one pot, a sort of pot-au-feu but posher! I'm thinking of getting a little bird or a rabbit to add, as well.

My hesitation, though, is that I'm just not sure it would work.

Thurible
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Something like a cocido ? Or cassoulet ?

I would put the duck legs together with any pork, sausages, chicken and game with haricot beans and do a riff on cassoulet.

Oxtail and lamb shanks could be slow cooked together in red wine. Let it cool overnight and skim the fat. Then reheat, adding the offal and probably chucking in some root veg for the final 40 minutes (or so).
 

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Posted by Ophicleide16 (# 16344) on :
 
A tip for pasta bakes- use a variety of shapes and sizes of pasta for a more interesting eat. Cream based sauces can be too rich, and tomato based sauches respond far better to cheeses and herbs.
 

---

Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
Oh buggery pooh! I decided to enter a competition here in France - just found out about it, closing date on Sunday. So I carefully translated my recipe into French and then read the rules (Hint to self: read rules first) You have to send a photo of the meal with your entry. As my recipe includes expensive things like filet mignon, and jerusalem artichokes and shedloads of cream,which we can't afford, and I haven't got time to cook it between now and Sunday anyway, I've just wasted an hour translating the thing...

So, if anyone would like (in French) the recipe for Filet Mignon in wild mushroom sauce, with gratin dauphinoise and Jerusalem artichoke flan do please PM me! It sounds delicious (I've never made it!!!)
 

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Posted by Zach82 (# 3208) on :
 
If I needed a cut of beef for a cream sauce, I would probably go with the much cheaper bottom sirloin. Filet Mignon is has the grand, tender texture, but is rather bland.

Zach

[ 07. October 2011, 18:45: Message edited by: Zach82 ]
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
In our effort to clean out our freezer, we finally decided to deal with four lamb shanks that have been languishing in there forever (we bought a whole lamb, in a burst of locally-sourced enthusiasm, last year). I found a great recipe online from Chef Anne Burrell of Food Network fame: Using a Dutch oven, I browned the shanks well in some olive oil; seasoned them with salt and pepper and set them aside; processed 3 carrots, 3 celerty stalks, 3 garlic cloves and a large onion into a rough paste, then transferred that into the frying pan and browned that mixture up. I added a jar (8 oz, I think) of tomato paste, stirred that around for about 5 minutes; added 2 cups of red wine, a bundle of 10 thyme sprigs and 2 TBS chopped fresh rosemary; returned the shanks to the pan and added 4 bay leaves (that's correct) and enough water to cover the meat (maybe it was water and wine;-)); put the pan into a 375 degree oven for about three hours, removing the top for the last half hour to get some nice browning on the meat. In the meantime I made a germolata of 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, zested lemon and a minced garlic clove; I sprinkled that over our servings. It was somewhat fussy, especially the veg blending at the beginning, but well worth it; incredibly rich and good; and the citrus/parsley really made it special; and the leftovers were even better.
 

---

Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Regarding the recipes suggested to us on the previous page by various people, sadly it looks as though space and temperature control issues will deprive us of home made sauerkraut - though the Japanese omelette with cabbage is a must-try.

However I've just picked nearly three pounds of cayenne, so the chilli-garlic sauce will be putting in an appearance this week, and we will probably be drying rather a lot of the things too.

Thanks for all the ideas!

AG
 

---

Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
The recipe that turned me from a cabbage-hater to a cabbage-lover was Delia Smith's sautéed cabbage with garlic and juniper berries - start by cooking a small chopped onion in some olive oil, add shredded cabbage (white or red), stir around, add a crushed clove of garlic and half a dozen crushed juniper berries. Dot it generously with butter, cover and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Wonderful with baked ham or gammon.

For more juniper flavour, you could add a splash of GIN along with the butter.

Shouldn't have mentioned GIN - now I really want one but I haven't got any tonic ...
 

---

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sandemaniac:

However I've just picked nearly three pounds of cayenne, so the chilli-garlic sauce will be putting in an appearance this week, and we will probably be drying rather a lot of the things too.

Thanks for all the ideas!

AG

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
"Condemned food aisle" -- ROFL. At our local supermarket that's reserved for shelf-stable foods -- no meat or produce -- but I'm an avid bargain shopper there.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
Chicken bacon?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LutheranChik:
We had roasted chicken for Sunday dinner. We pre-brined our chicken the night before with an uncooked brine: 1 gal. cold water; 3/4 cup kosher salt; 1/2 cup sugar (I used brown); 2 TBS cracked peppercorns; 3 bay leaves; 3 sliced garlic cloves; some thyme and rosemary..

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Surfing Madness:
I've just started getting in to baking my own bread (no bread-maker).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I do have a bread maker, so while I can tell you about all manner of breads, I don 't know how the recipes would translate to manual.

But a lot of the variations are simple substitution or addition. Eg, for Italian bread, replace the butter with olive oil. And wholemeal takes very well to the addition of seeds and nuts - I often do a pecan and maple syrup loaf. Couple of tbsps of coarsely ground walnuts or hazelnuts could probably go into your basic recipe without upsetting it too much.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
Bring out yer milk recipes!

---

Is this any help?
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's cooking with milk recipes.

Apart from that, erm, rice pudding? I bet Mrs Beeton had a load of recipes for milk puddings!

I get through loads of milk in cooking, but almost all in cheese sauce or custard. Apart from cauli cheese you could do pasta bake/lasagne/pastitio, fish pie etc.

I guess you don't have any rennet at hand to make junket...
 

---

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenzed
Bring out yer milk recipes!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Buttermilk is great in bread! There is something about it that keeps bread moist and fresh longer, at least in my experience. Don't mind if you don't like the taste of straight buttermilk. It's a different animal when used in baked goods.

---

A recipe from Lothlorien's brother did the rounds a couple of years ago:

2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons each of granulated yeast, salt and raw sugar
3 cups unbleached bakers plain (ie all purpose)flour
1 cup rye or soy or wholemeal flour
1 tablespoon gluten

Put all into a bread machine and run through the dough only cycle. At the end, have a floured sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. Scrape the dough out onto that, and scatter more flour over that. Make the dough into a torpedo shape, then make a near horizontal slice, most of the width of the loaf, around the loaf, about 1/3 of the way down. Bake in a 200 oven for 45 minutes or so. The dough will be very sticky. Note that quantities are for Aust flour, which is much stronger than French or English. You may need to experiment a bit, and to keep an eye on what's heppening in the machine - add a bit more flour or liquid if necessary.

My grandmother and mother always used buttermilk to make scones. There was a good reaction between the slight acidity of the milk and the rising agent in the self-raising (cake) flour.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
One of my favorite milk-based recipes: My mother's cream of potato soup. Fry up a lot of diced bacon; pour off most of the fat but use the remainder to fry diced onion and celery; peel and boil a fair number of potatoes; mash the potatoes, using a bit of reserved cooking water; add milk to desired soup consistency (note: soup thickens up when you store it in the fridge); add bacon and veg; season with salt,pepper and ground celery seed (or use celery salt and omit the plain salt); heat and serve. This is one of my very favorite "po' food" soups, and the perfect fix to a cold, sharp day. You can blend it if you wish, but personally I like the textural interest of the veg and bacon.
 

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Posted by mertide (# 4500) on :
 
Cottontail's slow cooker rice pudding recipe

Rice Pudding (serves 6)

You absolutely need:
4 cups milk (full cream is nicest, but skimmed works well too)
1/3 cup pudding (shortgrain) rice
1/3 cup sugar
pinch salt

You might also add (all optional):
a knob of butter
1/2 cup sultanas or raisins
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on High until milk is hot, then turn to Low and cook for about 2-2 1/2 hours. (alternatively boil the milk before you add it, or just wait a bit longer!) Check towards the end, stir, and add more milk if it is too thick. Personally, I like it really stodgy!

If cooking in the oven, butter the casserole dish. Cook at 160C for the same length of time.

From 19th August 2008
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
The other day I saw, I think on YouTube, a video about how to make one's own cottage cheese using a slow cooker...we never have that much milk in our house, and it seemed a little too, erm, rustic to spend the whole day dealing with, but I think it's what our Amish friend Mary does with her excess milk; she always seems to have a pot of curds in the kitchen.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Well, that was educational.

I looked up a method for cottage cheese (basically 1 tbsp lemon juice per pint) which yielded about 1 tbsp of cheese from 3 pints. But a few slugs of vinegar and re-heating eventually sorted curds from whey.

So that's the milk problem solved, I just need some way of using up the cottage cheese...
 

---

Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I could do with some advice about restoring the texture of a once-in-a-lifetime tough rabbit.

It's my ultimate comfort family recipe for a simple stew, which usually results in tender meat which falls off the bone, but on this occasion needed a steak knife to hack it off.

It was fresh wild rabbit from a normally good butcher, and I was really looking forward to it, but now have three legs and the body to make more edible, and I have a horrible feeling that once tough, it stays tough. It's been slow cooked - would pressure cooking it do any good?
 

---

Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Maybe mince the rabbit as fine as you can get it and then make it into a salad?

We had the same thing happen the other day with pork roast -- normally a moist cut -- and I'm still debating what to do with the stringy leftovers; I think I'll just shred the meat and mix it with lots of barbecue sauce and broth. (I have, BTW, heard of barbecued rabbit, even rabbit chili, among my hunting friends, although those are not my first choice of flavors for that particular meat.) Good luck!
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Mincing has come to mind - but it's going to be fun (not!) getting the meat off the bone to do it!

I like to actually taste the rabbit - cooked with a bit of bacon and onion, and a large quantity of parsley at the end.

[ 23. October 2011, 11:44: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Just to go back to the bread posts. Milk in bread - powder, fresh, buttermilk or whatever - gives a good crumb but a softer crust. If you're after a crusty bread, use water as the liquid, and if youre able to do so, a well soaked pizza sheet, or even a soaked terracotta pot will help with a good crust. You can even place a tray of boiling water in the oven. The idea's to get a lot of steam. The downside is that the bead does not last as long, even with olive oil in the dough.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
I dug up the last of my beetroot last week, and roasted the lot. We ate some of it as a side dish but I still had a bowlful in the fridge when the weather turned chilly, and Mr RoS started coughing and sneezing. A soup recipe was needed.
I like beets with orange juice so I looked up 'roasted beet and orange soup' online - and found this yummy recipe. It calls for blood oranges, which I did not have, but the supermarket 'basic' oranges worked just fine.
I had no idea what weight of beets were left, but I used the lot and kept juicing oranges and adding water until the thickness of the soup and the balance of flavours was right.

I will be buying beets throughout the winter to make more of this, as it was absolutely delicious!

[ 24. October 2011, 17:41: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 

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Posted by infinite_monkey (# 11333) on :
 
Ooh, that does look good!

My usual beet routine is a Syrian Beet Salad from the Moosewood folks: you cube the beets, boil them, cool them, and toss them with olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, and spices. That soup sounds fabulous, though: I'll give it a try.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
I had beet on Sunday, slow-cooked into a vegetable stew.

Three smallish beetroots, a lump of celeriac left over from something else, two potatoes, and two parsnips (carrots would have done too as would swede). And also the compulsory and automatic slow-cooking vegetables: an onion, a few cloves of garlic, and a couple of sticks of celery, (there would have been mushroom as well if I had had any)

Cut into chunks about an inch across and slow-cooked for four hours in lots of water.

Along with a handful of split red lentils and a handful of one of those barley/oats/variousthings broth mix and a handful of frozen peas (which I warmed up first as cold stuff in slow cooker is not good)

Spiced up a little with the leaves off the celery (chopped very small), a little bit of chopped cabbage, some ground pepper, some dried sage, some cumin and coriander (not too much as I didn't want a curry) and the secret ingredients - don't knock it until you have tried it - a spoonfull of Marmite and some Chinese tea leaves. Pretty much any herbs or spices would do, though you want something like the Marmite to give some more body to the stock.

Because of the beetroot the result was a lovely bright red colour. I grated strong cheddar cheese over it and ate it with poppadums. And there was enough for three rather large meals in it...

If you have liquid left over it makes wonderful stock for soup. In fact its a pretty decent soup as it is.

And it is a stunning soup if you have cooked some meat in with it (whcih I didn't). Something like gammon or a bacon joint or a tough old ham is best because the sweetness of the vegetables gets into the meat and the saltiness of the meat seasons the vegetables.

(And a stew like that *is* sweet because onions and beet and carrots all have a surprising amopunt of sugar in them)
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
I tried growing celeriac this year; no go in my garden.:-( And it's hard to find here in the States except in big-box supermarkets. So it's a rare treat at our house.

Roasting beets -- love them that way. (If you use the golden ones, you also minimize the potential staining of hands/countertops.)

We also eat a lot of pickled beets.

I once put pickled beets in a cold sour-cream based potato salad, with onion and dill; I think I based my creation on a Russian recipe I'd found, but that had also called for herring...and I just wasn't going there.;-) Anyway, the salad tasted great, but when my mother remarked that it was the color of Pepto-Bismol I realized that the bright pink, especially in a savory dish, might be off-putting to some.
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
Celeriac, to be honest, is mainly fun because of the cheap weirdness. It hardly costs anything and it looks wonderfully ugly.

You could probably achieve the same taste effect (and a more interesting texture) by cooking the bottom part of some ordinary celery in the same pot as something like swede. (AKA "Swedish turnips" or "rutabaga" or "large orange-coloured turnips" depending on where you live)

I mean, I'm sure there are people making fine soups or delicate purees or exotic crisps from celeriac - but if you just boil or mash it it tends to take on the character of whatever you cook it with, like most of the other basic mashable root vegtables.

(Though not Jerusalem artichoke. Jerusalem artichoke is Different )

[ 26. October 2011, 18:54: Message edited by: ken ]
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:

(Though not Jerusalem artichoke. Jerusalem artichoke is Different )

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:
... something like swede. (AKA "Swedish turnips" or "rutabaga" or "large orange-coloured turnips" depending on where you live ...

---

You mean neeps?
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
At the moment I can not eat tomatoes or cheese. I love pasta so I am looking for ideas. I have done clam sauce, and pesto. Anyone have any new ideas?
 

---

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
Any kind of acceptable stirfry on top of pasta instead of rice. Kung-pao chicken?

Or I've done this sort of Thai riff:

Sesame Peanut Pasta Salad


1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons freshly minced ginger
1 to 2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup julienned cucumbers
1/4 cup green onion tops, sliced diagonally
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds


Boil the pasta according to package directions (but with no salt) about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain the spaghetti, then transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl and, using tongs, toss with 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil to keep the pasta from sticking. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining peanut oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth.

Pour 1/2 of the peanut mixture onto the spaghetti and, using tongs, toss to coat the pasta. Cover the spaghetti and chill for about 2 hours.

When ready to serve, pour the remaining peanut mixture onto the spaghetti and toss to coat. Sprinkle with julienned cucumbers, sliced green onions, chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Pretty good stuff if you like peanut flavor.
 

---

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
Creme fraiche? With shredded ham or flaked fish through it? Maybe peas as well. Or there's this pea sauce.

Vegetables - aubergine, red peppers, chilis, onions, roasted with plenty of olive oil, and stirred through.

Bolognese without tomato? Use beef stock and thicken with a little cornflour.
 

---

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :
 
I have finally browbeaten HWMBO into giving me his okra recipe:

The Very Best Okra Recipe


1. Wash okra and chop crosswise into 1 cm pieces

2. Heat pan and add 3 tbs of coconut oil

3. When oil hot add 1 tsp mustard seed and wait for it to splutter

4. Add 3 or 4 shallots, finely chopped.

5. Stir well until shallot golden brown

6. Turn heat down, add okra and stir for about a minute

7. Add salt to taste.

8. Serve.


Variation: You can add a beaten egg at the end, after the okra has cooked. Continue to stir for half minute until egg cooked.

- - - -

He is adamant that you do not, at any point, add water to the dish!
 

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Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :
 
Just as long as you don't misspell it and try making it with orca!
 

---

Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
Thank you Lyda Rose you opened up a great deal of possibilities.
Firenze I forgot to say dairy is out, but I will go for the pea sauce, with frozen peas at this time of the year.

Graven Image goes off to the store humming a happy tune.
 

---

Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Graven Image:
At the moment I can not eat tomatoes or cheese. I love pasta so I am looking for ideas.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
I didn't check the nationality. Sorry. It has these layered green leaves and a stem.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Graven Image:
At the moment I can not eat tomatoes or cheese. I love pasta so I am looking for ideas. I have done clam sauce, and pesto. Anyone have any new ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
...Artichokes discolour easily, hence the need to get any cut surfaces immediately into acidulated water. Using aluminium utensils will also disclour them and leave a nasty bitter taste...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gee D:
...Artichokes discolour easily, hence the need to get any cut surfaces immediately into acidulated water. Using aluminium utensils will also disclour them and leave a nasty bitter taste...

---

Aluminium pans are to be avoided for most things, I think - the correlation between Aluminium and dementia is too big to ignore.

---

Better to play safe, just in case sounds a good motto -esp when the taste combination of most green veg and aluminium is so bad. Try the artichoke stems, they really are delicious.
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
Out of idle curiosity I looked for beetroot sauce for pasta on the internet, and found this one. It does have soured cream, but no cheese or tomatoes

I will certainly grow more beetroot next year!

[ 28. October 2011, 07:33: Message edited by: Roseofsharon ]
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
no cheese

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quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
I didn't check the nationality. Sorry. It has these layered green leaves and a stem.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Graven Image:
At the moment I can not eat tomatoes or cheese. I love pasta so I am looking for ideas. I have done clam sauce, and pesto. Anyone have any new ideas?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paddy O'Furniture:
Some outrageously inventive chef in Atlanta makes or made ravioli stuffed with homemade pumpkin puree.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Someone mentioned artichokes. I thought: what the hell, so I bought my first ever artichoke this morning.

So what do I do with it?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... the correlation between Aluminium and dementia is too big to ignore.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
I didn't check the nationality. Sorry. It has these layered green leaves and a stem.

---

Thats just an artichoke.

Jerusalem artichokes aren't artichokes and they don't come from Jerusalem. They are the roots of a South American sunflower. Some people think they taste a little like artichokes, hence the name. Either roast them whole in a little oil, or else peel, boil, and mash them, just like any other edible root. Lovely with butter and cheese.

If I was a very cruel man I would suggest making a mash of Jerusalem artichokes with butter as the starchy part of a meal of spicy Mexican-style red kidney beans (or perhaps an Egyptian foul); and one of those lovely Turkish dishes made from fried aubergines such as Imam bayildi; and some cabbage stir-fried with onion, garlic and mushroom for your green vegetables. And wash it all down with a few pints of Guiness.

But I would have to be very cruel to suggest that.


Real artichokes, on the other hand, are the unopened flower buds of a giant Mediterranean thistle. And they are the Queen of Vegetables. The most lovely, glorious taste. But really finicky to eat. Either eat them alone or with good friends. If you aren't getting your hands messy you aren't doing it right.

They don't particularly go with anything, and have no place on a plate of other vegetables. Best eat one on its own (or a large one between two small people) as a snack or a starter. Sit down in front of the TV with a cooked artichoke, a bowl of some kind of sauce or dip, and a bottle of wine and veg out. The gourmet equivalent of a packet of crisps and a can of lager.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by ken:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
... the correlation between Aluminium and dementia is too big to ignore.

---

Is it? Do you have any numbers for that?

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I'm tempted just to go get a pumpkin just to try it. I imagine you could substitute half-fat creme fraiche for the cream? Or maybe yoghurt? Or chili oil?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Welease Woderwick:
Does anyone have any good and simple recipes for potato cakes?

---

Maybe not quite what you're after, but this looks very much like the potato scones my mum used to make - when they come off the griddle put them between a couple of clean tea-towels to keep warm, and serve them straight away spread with butter, rolled up, and a wee extra bit of butter added with each bite.

Heaven.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
If you find you've bought waxed lemons by mistake rather than the unwaxed variety, is there any way of removing the wax safely so you can use the zest?
 

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Posted by Hedgehog (# 14125) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jedijudy:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
I'm tempted just to go get a pumpkin just to try it. I imagine you could substitute half-fat creme fraiche for the cream? Or maybe yoghurt? Or chili oil?

---

I think any of those would work, Firenze, in fact my friend who agreed to be my guinea pig for the experiment had hers with no cream and said it was delish!

---

Yes, the cream portion of the recipe bothered me, too. But I have certainly seen other soup recipes that substitute plain low-fat yogurt for heavy cream.

And jedijudy, I am with you! I like my soups to be a little on the chunky side too!
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Evaporated fat-free milk provides a pleasant creaminess without the fat calories...I swapped this for cream in Swedish meatballs, and they turned out great, so I think it would work well in pumpkin soup too.
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
I can't think of any circumstances in which the words "evaporated milk" and "pleasant" go together ...

 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
If you find you've bought waxed lemons by mistake rather than the unwaxed variety, is there any way of removing the wax safely so you can use the zest?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:
I can't think of any circumstances in which the words "evaporated milk" and "pleasant" go together ...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:
the Immemorial Cheesecake

---

quote:

---

Half a lemon (or lime or orange) jelly

---

Is this half a packet of flavored gelatin? The kind that makes clear, wiggly fruit flavored stuff?

Thanks!
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 
My sister used to love Carnation Milk on her strawberries; otherwise she was quite normal.

Here in Newfoundland some people have it in their tea, especially if they come from "round the bay" (out of town). If you're at a Church Tea™ there's usually a jug of Carnation as well as one of proper milk and you need to be careful not to get the wrong one ...
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
My Granny, who was French Canadian always had evaporated milk with her tea. I was an adult before I discovered people did things differently. Wouldn't do it now, of course, but I don't blink when people do.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Firenze:

quote:

---

Half a lemon (or lime or orange) jelly

---

Is this half a packet of flavored gelatin? The kind that makes clear, wiggly fruit flavored stuff?

Thanks!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Firenze:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lyda*Rose:
Firenze:

quote:

---

Half a lemon (or lime or orange) jelly

---

Is this half a packet of flavored gelatin? The kind that makes clear, wiggly fruit flavored stuff?

Thanks!

---

Very likely. Rather rubbery and chewy. The idea is that you dissolve it in a pint or so of water to make a normal consistency gel.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by georgiaboy:
Has anyone a recipe/suggestion for a chutney containing limes?

---

Providing whoever's going to eat it likes spicy stuff, here's one.

3lb tomatoes
4 limes
couple of large onions
1lb light muscovado sugar
750ml cider vinegar
6 de-seeded & chopped red chillies
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Skin and chop tomatoes. Cut limes into quarters lengthwise, then slice the quarters thinly to make little quadrants. Chop the onions.
Tip the above into a pan, add the vinegar and sugar, stir well.
Add the rest of the ingredients, heat up and simmer until it's boiled down to the right consistency. This takes at least a couple of hours!
Once you've got the chutney ready, pour/spoon into sterilised jars and seal by your preferred method (we heat clean jars & lids in the oven for the last 20 min or so, then put hot chutney into hot jars and cover with hot lids).

We usually make this in a double quantity to use up most of our chilli crop (yes, 12 is often most of the crop!). It does come out spicy, but also sweet and noticeably citrus-tasting. Apologies for the mix of metric and imperial measurements, that's how the friend who gave us the recipe wrote it down (and cider vinegar is only sold in metric round here).
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
Does anyone have a recipe for soft herring roe? I bought a herring for grilling, and it turned out to have some (rather than the hard, which I like). I really don't like the texture of the soft, so is there any way of cooking it to avoid the softness.

Oddly, I'm perfectly happy with the texture in sweet dishes like blancmange or panna cotta, but not in savouries.

Penny
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
I put it on toast.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
I could have sworn I posted a reply to ken, commenting that that keeps the texture of what is on the toast.
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
You know how sometimes the thrown together dish works really well?

Here's what to do if you find yourself alone with a squid, a red chili, a lime, sugar and a few red onions, and want dinner in 5 minutes.

Cut the squid in rings or strips and put in a bowl with the lime juice, sugar and sliced chili. Put a little oil or butter (or both) in a pan or wok and chuck in the onion cut in rings. Once they've softened, tip in the squid, chili and juice and give it a couple of minutes over high heat.

Pour over a couple of chunks of good bread - ciabatta or baguette.

[ 16. November 2011, 19:57: Message edited by: Firenze ]
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
I'm very careful not to let myself be caught alone with a squid. Sneaky and aggressive little suckers them is.

(But I'm sure it was quite good marinaded and sauteed. )
 

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Posted by Dormouse (# 5954) on :
 
On impulse I bought a huge spaghetti squash. I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. I know I could google it for recipes, but I prefer to ask my trusted friends...

What does one do with a spaghetti squash & what are your fave recipes?
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Bake it in your usual fashion and eat it like spaghetti, slurping up the stray strands. Loose your inner kid!
 

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Posted by Keren-Happuch (# 9818) on :
 
Dormouse, I've only had spaghetti squash once, but according to Veg Box Recipes you can use it in any recipe that calls for butternut.

Oh, and thanks for the reminder that I need to go and harvest the remaining squashes before the slugs completely ravage them!
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Keren-Happuch:
... you can use it in any recipe that calls for butternut.

---

Yes, though it would be a bit pointless in soup!

The fun thing is the fake spaghettiness of it all.
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 
Spaghetti squash was a great favorite at my house when the boys were little. The younger one loved his veggies, and the older one ate it because he loved spaghetti. I just cut it in half and steamed it. Spooning the yummy stuff into a bowl and adding a little salt and pepper and maybe a pat of butter made everyone happy!
 

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Posted by Roseofsharon (# 9657) on :
 
We've had a real spaghetti squash glut this year, and I have got into the habit of giving Mr Ros one (or half of a huge one) for his lunch midweek.

The moderate sized ones I cut in half lengthways and removed the seeds, placed in a roasting tin cut side up, smeared with butter, sprinkled with mixed herbs and baked until tender. This was either a lunch on its own, with a little bread, or an accompaniment for whatever else the two of us might be having.

Now we are on the big ones (and I am fed up with them) I cut them in half across the middle, remove the seeds from the half I'm using, invert it on an ovenproof plate and bake until tender. Pull the strands loose, mix with a spoonful of pesto and top with grated cheese. The uncooked half keeps well upside down on a plate in the fridge for a week.

Luckily Mr RoS doesn't get bored with the same meal over and over again, as he's been having SS for lunch every Wednesday since the end of August, and we have another two and a half waiting to be used. Which should take him to Christmas.

If only my acorn squash would produce as prolifically as the SS, I would be a very happy gardener/cook!
 

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Posted by Graven Image (# 8755) on :
 
A friend just dropped off six lbs of walnuts. They are fresh picked and need to dry out, and so I have them on Newspaper all over the floor near out wood stove, much to the great amusement of our cat.

I am going to can them with maple syrup to give as gifts, to use on waffles and ice cream.

My friend told me if you want to get unbroken nuts you should not use a nut cracker, but instead tap the shell with a hammer on the side of the nut not the seam. I tried one and it worked. Two nice whole nut pieces.
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
What can I do with a victoria sponge that broke into pieces getting it out of the tin? Please don't suggest making trifle because I hate it.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
Invite 5 years-old to lunch or tea, Sparrow. Supply them with a large bowl each of ice-cream. Let them put as much cake on as they wish. Let them smoosh it all up with a fork. Sit back and watch the bliss.

(Or if you wish, you may become 5 years old for however long it takes to finish the ice-cream and cake)
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 
Hmmm .. I'm thinking maybe tiramisu.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
Long ago I made a dessert which involved tearing angel food cake into pieces, putting it in a large bowl, and pouring chocolate pudding over it and allowing the pudding to become thick. It was very good.

Moo
 

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Posted by piglet (# 11803) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Hmmm .. I'm thinking maybe tiramisu.

---

Isn't tiramisu just upper-class trifle?
 

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Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :
 
I think you use it as a kind of mattress at the bottom of the dish, add some sort of fruitoidal filling whose juices seep into the sponge, and top with cream.
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
Another suggestion on spaghetti squash: Prick the outside of it with a fork and zap it in the microwave for 15 minutes. Then cut it open, scoop out the seeds and scrape out the spaghetti as per usual. I find microwaving it to be much less fuss than steaming it in the oven. Sometimes you have to use the big meat fork to prick the skin, though. And I serve it just like pasta, with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese, sometimes adding in some browned ground turkey.

[ 23. November 2011, 13:08: Message edited by: Mamacita ]
 

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Posted by Sparrow (# 2458) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by piglet:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sparrow:
Hmmm .. I'm thinking maybe tiramisu.

---

Isn't tiramisu just upper-class trifle?

---

No, it hasn't got the fruit or the custard, neither of which I like.
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
For our recent pre-Thanksgiving extended-fam meal -- because of the imminence of Thanksgiving dinners at other family members' homes and our kids' dislike of turkey, we went with a "surf and turf" menu of seafood and steak -- I made vegan baked beans; I initially wasn't crazy about the recipe just because of the given seasonings, but it turned out really well, and our family vegetarian and sympathizers gave them two thumbs up:

I used 2 1/2 cups of navy beans (any small white bean is fine) soaked overnight in 6 cups of water, then brought to a boil and simmered for maybe 20 minutes more, until fork-tender; I think at one point I added a little more water. In the meantime I sauteed 2 sweet onions, chopped fairly fine and 2 minced garlic cloves in olive oil just until the onions were soft. Into this I stirred 2 (8 ounce?) cans of tomato sauce, 1/3 cup each of molasses and brown sugar, 2 TBS cider vinegar, a teaspoon of dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of dried ginger, and 1/4 teaspoons of black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. (You can be a generous measurer of all these things.) I salted to taste also. I then poured this mixture over the undrained beans, then tranferred them to a bean pot and cooked them for 3 hours at 300 degrees. I thought that I'd miss the smoky meat flavor of traditional baked beans, but I didn't. (I'm thinking that some smoked paprika might be a good addition for people who insist on bean smokiness.)
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Sounds delicious LutheranChik. All it needs is to omit the salt and bury a ham hock or a good chunk of speck into it. Either would add some moisture to the beans as well.
 

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Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :
 
Maple Walnut Ice Cream:

Ingredients
1 cup Grade B maple syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preparation
Boil syrup in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in cream, milk, and salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, 1 to 2 minutes (do not let boil).

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a clean metal bowl, then cool, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Freeze custard in ice-cream maker until soft-frozen, then, with motor running, add nuts. Continue churning ice cream until frozen, then transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
 

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Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :
 
You could do all that, or, if you are in Canada pop over to your Laura Secord kiosk. Much easier, and they usually have it in stock.
 

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Posted by Penny S (# 14768) on :
 
For the broken sponge - use it for something like bread and butter pudding. Put the pieces in a buttered dish, add dried grapes of some sort, or jam, or marmalade, or some sort of preserved fruit, whatever attracts you (I think it would need to have some sort of sharp flavour), cover with an egg and milk (or cream) custard, and bake until the custard is set and slightly browned. (This probably has a name like diplomat pudding, or something.)

Or a variant on Queen of Puddings (Waitrose does one using cake rather than bread). Crumb the cake and mix with the custard (made with the egg yolks only, but lemon zest added), bake to set, but not brown. Spread with jam, and top with meringue from the egg whites. Bake in a slow oven to set and brown the meringue.

Penny

[ 25. November 2011, 08:36: Message edited by: Penny S ]
 

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Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :
 
I hobbled together another Thanksgiving dinner for my dad and a friend. This year I bought a fresh turkey breast and decided to brine it. I used a very simple 1:16 salt to water with brown sugar and bay leaves, buttered the skin, and cooked it at 325F until it reached 175F on the meat thermometer poked in the thickest part of the meat.

It was pretty disappointing, actually. It was moist, but in a rather rubbery, spongy way. And it didn't have much flavor. I like the taste of turkey. Does one have to amp up the herbs to cover the lack of flavor? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 

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Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :
 
Since the Christmas hospitality season is very close by, here is my recipe for fudge; it takes less than 3 minutes to prepare when using the microwave, although it must be cooled for 2 hours after preparation.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE
(72 Servings)

Ingredients
3 cups (18 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
Dash salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

Directions
Line 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan.
Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
Chill 2 hours or until firm. Remove from pan by lifting edges of foil. Cut into squares. Yield: About 2 pounds.

MICROWAVE METHOD
Combine chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt in 1-quart glass measure. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes or until chips are melted, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as above.

VARIATIONS
CREAMY DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE: Melt 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Proceed as above.

MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE: Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Proceed as above.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP GLAZED FUDGE: Follow above recipe using 3/4 cup peanut butter chips instead of nuts. For glaze, melt 1/2 cup peanut butter chips with 1/2 cup heavy cream. Stir until thick and smooth. Spread over chilled fudge.
 

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Posted by Ferdzy (# 8702) on :
 
I do like those fudge recipes that don't call for faffing around with a candy thermometer and beating for precisely the right number of seconds or it doesn't work. The trouble is, that although it should make 72 "servings", I would have any one of those eaten in 3 days.
 

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Posted by Zappa (# 8433) on :
 
"faffing" is such a good verb
 

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Posted by St.Silas the carter (# 12867) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Most vegetarians live quite happily without ever seeing a brick of tofu. There are other sources of protein other than meat or faux meat.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by St.Silas the carter:

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Most vegetarians live quite happily without ever seeing a brick of tofu. There are other sources of protein other than meat or faux meat.

---

I have never been able to stomach tofu. Seitan either, unless it's cooked in something very flavorful like an Indian dish.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Roseofsharon:
For the second year running the celeriac in my garden has been to small and woody to be of any use...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by PeteC:
Missed the edit window. Re Saitan, I am sure it is quite tasty, but I have been a vegetarian for a long time and I have never heard of it. Nor does it appear to be part of proper Indian cooking. It must be a US thing. I don't think it is a good thing to overdose on wheat gluten.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ferdzy:
Celeriac is HARD to grow.

---

It's supposed to be easy to grow - easier than celery, anyway.
I've never bothered to try celery, being on flinty clay, and just tried celeriac out of curiosity. Got small but useable ones the first year, and enjoyed the taste, but nothing fit to eat since.
I blame it on the weather
 

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Posted by kingsfold (# 1726) on :
 
Ok, in a fit of enthusiasm (translation: multibuy offer) I bought several tins of various beans. I think I've got black-eye beans, borlotti beans, and quite possibly haricot beans.

Any suggestions as to what I do with them now? Vegetarian suggestions are particularly welcome. (I note LutheranChik's baked beans earlier in the thread, but have also have canned baked beans so...)
 

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Posted by ken (# 2460) on :
 
That's a fit of enthusiasm? Its probably my normal monthly shop. Plus tins of processed peas of course, and butter beans sometimes and best of all broad beans!

Anyway - black-eye beans are one of the few originally African foods we eat much of, and they are big in the Caribbean as well, so if you want to be traditional use them in a West African or West Indian type recipe. One of the nicest Nigerian dishes based on them is moi-moi, which is a sort of spicy bean paste but that involves peeling the beans first so you probably don't want to do that! The most usual way to eat beans in those regions is with rice.

You can do a basic rice-and-beans by frying an onion and a few cloves of garlic and perhaps a chopped-up peppers in oil in the pan you are going to put the rice in, then adding a large cup of basmati or long-grain rice, twice as much of water (or stock) as rice, and your tin of beans (drained of its liquid - if you want to you can add it to the stock) The idea is that there should be about twice as much liquid by volume as rice, or maybe just a little less. Strir it with a wooden spoon or spatula once or twice to mix everything up, bring it to the boil, then turn the heat down to a very low simmer and put a lid on the pot. Cook it for between five and ten minutes (the exact time doesn't matter) then remove from the heat but leave the lid on for another ten or fifteen minutes. Even twenty does no harm. Don't look in the pot or stir it - believe it or not the rice is less likely to stick if you leave it alone.

That's the basic dish, and you can spice it up in different ways. If you want to give it a Caribbean flavour use coconut milk as part of the liquid, or grate some fresh (or even desiccated) coconut into the stock just before you add it. And perhaps add some chopped-up hot peppers such as chilis or Scotch Bonnet (be very careful of those if you aren't used to them!) and herbs such as thyme and parsley. Rice with coconut milk will look prettier if you use red or black kidney beans; the pale yellowy-grey colour of black-eyed beans looks rather dull in the creamy coconut rice. For some reason Jamaicans call this "rice and peas" whatever kind of legume you use in it, rather than "rice and beans".

I have read - but I haven't tried it myself - that in the southern USA rice and beans is usually cooked with small amounts of chopped bacon or ham, (again they would be fried in the pan with onions first) and eaten with greens such as kale or mustard tops. But its the same basic dish.

For a more West African style add a generous dollop of tomato paste, to give something approximating Jollof rice. You can also use chicken stock, or add cut-up bits of chicken to the frying onion, or even leftovers from last night's stew Real vegetarians can use a veggie stock cube, which is at least cheap, and maybe parsley or other green hersbs. Some Nigerians would add dried shrimps or crayfish powder, and various intense peppery spices, almost as hot as the ones Jamaicans would use. You can also add finely chopped carrots or cabbage or a few slices of okra, green beans, perhaps even spinach or kale, chopped sweet peppers, a little bit of curry powder.

Or the basic recipe can be given a more Indian feel by using butter rather than oil to fry the onion, and a few curry-style spices to taste. It looks lovely if you add some turmeric to turn the whole thing yellow, and again some green or red bits to provide some colour contrasts - chopped carrot or red or green pepper, or chopped cucumber, or a few green peas (frozen will do fine). Saffron is expensive and posh but does make it wonderful. Though it seems strange to use to world's most expensive spice to flavour what is pretty much the everyday cheap staple dish of a third of the planet.

Or South-East Asian with coconut (again), some kind of seafood, maybe lemon grass, ginger, galangal, ...

(If you are cooking the beans from scratch rather than using tinned ones you need to soak them for a few hours, drain them of water, boil them hard for ten minutes, drain that water away and add more, and then simmer until almost soft - which can be anything from twenty minutes to an hour and a half depending in the variety of beans - most take about forty-five minutes if pre-soaked and boiled)

[ 29. November 2011, 12:45: Message edited by: ken ]
 

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Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :
 
What ken said re: beans and rice. We make that with red beans at our house. I'd just add a nice rounded spoonful of cumin.
 

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Posted by Gee D (# 13815) on :
 
Almost burnt onions with black-eyed beans and wilted silver bet (swiss chard) served on rice. The seasoning can be sumac, ze-atar, a general Lebanese spice mix - but don't overdo it. Delicious hot or cold, and very easy to make.

Or a couple of drained 440 g cans of your choice of beans with 1 of chopped tomatoes, all stirred into melted onions and garlic with plenty of thyme, served on pasta with some freshly shaved parmesan is a great lunch, and again very easy to make.

Both of these can also be used as a first course before something like a slice of terrine, some good ham, or a hot meatloaf. Follow with a green salad and a plate of fruit, and there's a nutritious and well-flavoured meal. It can be put together very quickly after you get a phone call to say half the team is coming back to lunch after the game.
 

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :
 
The black-eyed peas dish that I'm familiar with is Hopping John. It is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day.


Moo
 

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Posted by Sandemaniac (# 12829) on :
 
Well, we've just tried medlars for the first time. How bizarre! They definitely taste of cooked apple, but there's also a hint of something fruitier (than an apple? What are you on about?) - like blackberry in fact. So there you go, it's like a blackberry and apple crumble wrapped up in a weird rotten fruit.

AG
 

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Posted by jedijudy (# 333) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Moo:
The black-eyed peas dish that I'm familiar with is Hopping John. It is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day.


Moo

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With cornbread! Yum!
 

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Posted by LutheranChik (# 9826) on :
 
Medlars -- I'm interested in those as a gardener more than as a cook, although I'm afraid they're not entirely hardy in Zone 5.

The "moosh" factor reminds me of the feral pears with multitudinous tiny fruit that used to grow on our neighbors' property, back when I was a farm kid. I never had the opportunity to enjoy them, but my father said that when he was young he and his friends used to raid these trees. He noted that they were delicious, but only edible after a couple of hard frosts, when the fruit started turning black and soft.
 

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Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by LutheranChik:
Medlars -- I'm interested in those as a gardener more than as a cook, although I'm afraid they're not entirely hardy in Zone 5.

The "moosh" factor reminds me of the feral pears with multitudinous tiny fruit that used to grow on our neighbors' property, back when I was a farm kid. I never had the opportunity to enjoy them, but my father said that when he was young he and his friends used to raid these trees. He noted that they were delicious, but only edible after a couple of hard frosts, when the fruit started turning black and soft.

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quote:

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Originally posted by LutheranChik:
DP likes things on the sweet side so I follow the recipe as given, but I don't imagine that cutting down on the sugar would drastically affect the quality of the bread.

It might be interesting to make a sponge -- i/o/w proof the yeast in the liquid and the sugar, then add a cup or two of the flour, cover the bowl with a towel and set it aside in a warm place for awhile to "work" -- before finishing the recipe. My grandmother always made bread with a sponge, and it always had a perfect, fine crumb. When I'm making all wholegrain bread I like to add this step, too; I think it helps strengthen the gluten.

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