THE SDN RECIPE THREAD!

[Broomstick]

Broomstick's Almost Vegetarian Kale and Chickpeas

Last night's experiment. I have way too much kale from the garden this year, so I have to come up with more ways to cook and eat it.

NOTE: You don't have to use kale. This would work with any green, such as spinach, collard, turnip, mustard, etc. You may need to adjust cooking times for more delicate greens like spinach, and increase it for things like turnips and collards.

NOTE 2: If you're using brown rice (white rice is cheap and I'm poor, so that's what we had) then start the rice first to maximize the chance of everything finishing cooking simultaneously, or nearly so.

Ingredients:

Rice
Several dried shiitake mushrooms
1 can of chickpeas/garbonzos
1/2 kilo of shredded kale. I usually remove and discard the stems and center ribs. Yes, it looks like a lot. It will look smaller when it's cooked
2-3 cloves of garlic
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 strips of bacon (this is what makes it almost vegetarian - feel free to substitute with another cooking fat/oil if you prefer)
salt to taste

First step: Make the dashi.

This is Japanese mushroom broth/stock. You can get quite fancy with it, but I wanted simple so I chopped up several dried shiitake mushrooms, put them in a half liter of water, and microwaved them for 10 minutes. When the microwave is finished take the container out and set to one side to let them steep. Basically, you're making a sort of mushroom tea out of it.

Second step: Get your rice started
Make your rice however you usually do it, enough for all parties eating

Third step: Make the main dish
Chop/dice bacon into small pieces and put in to large frying pan. Heat so bacon will cook and fat will melt.

Chop/dice/crush garlic and add it and red pepper flakes to the frying pan. Stir until bacon is starting to get done and garlic is cooking.

Add 1 drained can of chickpeas and stir thoroughly.

Put shredded kale on top of all that. It will slowly wilt. Carefully stir and toss the kale along with everything else until the kale is reduced in size, limp, and wilted.

Pour the mushroom dashi, still containing the chopped mushrooms, over the top of everything.

Simmer until liquid is reduced, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice. Add salt to taste (you will note that no salt is added in the cooking). Feel free to add hot sauce and various other condiments.

The version I made last night came out a bit bland, so feel free to spice it up a little if you like that sort of thing. I wound up with four servings. I realize some people think bacon is evil, but you're talking about 1/4 to 1/2 of a strip of bacon in an entire serving with no other meat or fat, so really, this is not a high fat meal. Bacon has a strong flavor, so you only need a very small amount.

[RedImperator]

Broomstick: It seems like some black pepper would punch that up pretty good. Also, maybe saute some diced onion with the bacon and garlic? (I've found there are few savory dishes which can't be improved by the addition of black pepper and sauteed onion)

[Broomstick]

Good idea - I have some leftovers, some of which I already added to soup with additional condiments. The black pepper sounds good.

Since I already had garlic in there I wasn't sure about adding onions, whether or not it would be too much, but the chickpeas and rice sure do soak up the flavoring, so next time I think I'll try those, too.

[RedImperator]

Good idea - I have some leftovers, some of which I already added to soup with additional condiments. The black pepper sounds good.

Since I already had garlic in there I wasn't sure about adding onions, whether or not it would be too much, but the chickpeas and rice sure do soak up the flavoring, so next time I think I'll try those, too.

I use sauteed garlic and onions as a base for a lot of savory dishes, and almost all the rest contain garlic and onion in some form. Unless you're cooking something with a really delicate flavor, like fish, sauteed onion won't overpower other ingredients unless you use a ton of it.

[Tolya]

Tolya's wife quick mexican spaghetti fix

I feel I need to contribute this to the recipe thread, since this is something that is both delicious and invented and perfected entirely by my wife. It's a very simple spaghetti dish which is great if you want to eat something without spending too much time in the kitchen.

Ingredients (makes a good dinner for two):

1 small can of tomato puree
1 onion
300 ml of orange juice (REAL juice is preferable)
3 sausages (although you can swap this for any other kind of meat you want)
tobasco sauce
hard cheese

How-to:

Chop the onion and the sausages. Fry the onions on a pan and when they start to go tender add the meat. At the same time it would be advisable to boil the water for the spaghetti since it will cut down on the preparation time. Next step is the sauce for the pasta: mix tomato puree with the orange juice, add some tabasco sauce and some salt. Then pour it on the frying pan together with the onions and meat. Allow the pasta to thicken a bit, see if it requires any additional seasoning (you might have to add some salt at this point although you can add some pepper or even curry).

When the spaghetti is done, put everything together. Add some grinded cheese on top and you're set.

It takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare this and it really tastes great. We usually make it when we are too lazy or too tired to prepare anything else.

Enjoy.

[Isolder74]

Dan's Homemade Granola Bars.

4 cups Grape Nuts Cereal
4 cups Rolled Oats(don't you dare use INSTANT!)
2 cups Grape Nuts Flakes
2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup bits of dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips or whatever you'd like.(optional)

1 1/2 cups chunky Peanut Butter.
1 cup Honey
1 cup Caro Syrup
1 cup Brown sugar
1 cup Sugar

Prepare 2 half sheet pans with non stick spray or a sheet of Parchment paper(best)
In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the cereal and other bits. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, and Caro Syrup. Using medium heat, stir until it just comes to a boil. Pour immediately into the cereal mixture. Stir together well. Press half of the mixture into each of the pans an with greased hands(trust me you'll need it!) press into an even layer in both pans. Let cool completely. if using the parchment, lift out of the pan and onto a large cutting board and using a pizza cutter divide into 2 inch by 3 inch bars.

Enjoy!

[Lemon Pop-Rock Mash]

Self-explanatory!

I like this Ceviche for a dish to bring to get togethers and family events, I intend to make it for my BH-Month cook-out!

(This will feed at-least ten) You will need -
(6 ounce) fillets orange roughy, but any firm white fish fillet will do
-50 limes, juiced
-1/2 pound cooked shrimp
-1/4 pound cooked scallops
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro
-15 green onions
-2 chopped jalapenos
-chop 3 red onion
-dice 6 stripped avocados
- chop 6 fresh tomatoes
-chop 6 celery ribs
-Pico De Gallo, Salt, Black Pepper

Keep in mind this is for a party serving, cut in half for a meal. I like it best as an appetizer or fancy snacking!

-You need to cube your fish then spread it evenly on a baking pan, you wanna use glass. Juice the limes over the fish, FISH SHOULD BE FULLY SUBMERGED IN JUICE. Cover your dish and leave it in the refrigerator to sit for a full 24hours.

-After that mix everything in, then add your seasonings and pico de gallo. Cover the dish back up, then stick it in the fridge for half a day at-least, I like to leave it in there a bit longer myself.

Bon Appetite!
Whats on your menu?

[Kodiak]

Looks like a good recipe, though there's a thread for those here

Welcome to the board.

[General Zod]

Welcome to the board.

You're a bit late.

[Simplicius]

I put this in the recipe sticky.

Ceviche's definitely on my to-try list. I'm a fan of seafood and it seems like a novel way to prepare it.

[Mayabird]

Aw heck, might as well throw this in. I don't remember if I posted it at SDN before or not and I keep breaking the search function somehow.

Sorta Like How Mom Used To Make It Chicken Soup or Mayabird's Limited Cooking Talent Chicken Soup

Absolute Requirements:
A whole chicken (doesn't have to be a huge chicken)
One large or (preferably) very large pot; it must be large enough to fit the entire chicken.
Water
Celery, two or three stalks minimum
A knife for cutting vegetables

Very nearly requirements:
Carrots (baby carrots also work)
Potatoes (two or three, minimum - the color and type are whatever you like)
Onions
Lemon juice (not much, just pour it for a second)

Highly recommended:
Corn (preferably sweet)
Garlic
Tomatoes
Kidney beans
Chick peas
Cabbage
Bell peppers
Regular peppers (spiciness varying upon however hot you like these things)
...oh heck, pretty much any vegetables you can fit in the pot
Bay leaves (1 or 2)
Oregano
Red pepper (if not adding any hot peppers)
Any other herbs or spices that you have lying around that seem like they might work

I suppose if you really wanted to, but I'm not a fan and won't be giving instructions on it:
Noodles


Notice the lack of measurements. This is not an exact recipe. It can be as much or as little as you want or whatever you happen to have, so long as it can all fit in the pot. I've cut corners by using canned diced tomatoes and so forth, and I don't mind since that adds some salt. It might be easier to do that if you're not sure what all you can fit into the pot after the celery, potatoes, carrots, and onions are added, since then if there's not enough room you can just keep it for later. The only important thing you need is enough vegetable cutting skill to not slice your fingers off while cutting the vegetables up.

Instructions:
Put the entire chicken in the pot. Add water so the chicken is covered. Heat it to boiling and once it's boiling turn the heat down to a simmer (don't worry about if it's too high or too low; I usually try to err on the side of too high of a simmer since I can always add water later if I need to, and I'm going to be adding a lot of other ingredients later). Skim the crap off the top in the meantime. Then let the chicken simmer for a few hours, or at least until you're reasonably sure the chicken isn't raw anymore.

At some point, cut up whatever vegetables you're going to use. They don't have to be any particular size, but try not to cut the potatoes too small or way too big. Once you're sure the chicken definitely isn't raw anymore, carefully pull the entire chicken out of the pot (you'll probably have to fish out bits that fell off, and it helps to have someone else there with this step so you don't drop it and splatter yourself with hot chicken grease water). Once you have the chicken set to the side, add the vegetables and lemon juice and whatever herbs and spices you want to the broth that's left. Let the chicken cool (it will take longer than you think...or at least it always takes longer than I think), then debone it and add the meat back to the pot. Bring the heat up a little bit, stir occasionally, and if you have potatoes, the soup is ready when the potatoes are ready since they always take the longest (and if you don't have potatoes...why don't you have potatoes?)

Depending on the size of the pot and how much stuff you put in, you should have enough to feed a few people or just yourself for a while. I used to make this in college occasionally because even though it took some prep time, it gave me reasonably healthy meals for a week and I could stand eating the same thing over and over for a week (though I would throw in variations as the week went on like eating it with rice or eating it with cheese or eating with rice and cheese or so forth).

[aerius]

Salmon Steak recipe, which I invented earlier today.


Ingredients

2 large salmon steaks
1 lime
1 dried chili pepper
2 cloves of garlic
some basil & thyme (I used about a teaspoon of each after crushing)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbs flour
1-2 tbs bread crumbs


1) Dry off the salmon a bit with a paper towel, place on a large plate, then cut a lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half onto both sides of the salmon. Use the other half for mixing drinks, making salad dressing, or whatever.

2) In a rice bowl or other small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, paprika, flour, and bread crumbs

3) Take the herbs and chili pepper, crush them finely with your fingers and add to the bowl

4) Finely chop the garlic, add to bowl. Mix everything together real good.

5) Coat both sides of the salmon steaks with the seasoning mix, it takes a bit of work to get everything to stick.

*6) I don't know if this is needed, but I put it all aside in the fridge for half an hour or so while I prepared the vegetables.

7) Take a non-stick frying pan, add a generous amount of oil and set it on medium-high heat (about 7-8 on a scale of 10)

8) Do each side for a bit under 2 minutes on medium-high heat, then drop to medium-low and cook till done. Flip it just enough so that it doesn't get burned.

[Broomstick]

Thanks. My mouth is now watering. Have to check the food budget to see if salmon is doable this week.

Fresh asparagus is showing up in the stores, too - I'm thinking your salmon steak, steamed asparagus (just a touch of butter), red potatoes, and rice. Or maybe couscous.

[aerius]

I forgot to note that the chili pepper I used wasn't all that hot, it was hotter than a jalapeno but not by much. We planted Cayenne and Thai peppers last year but thanks to the complete lack of a summer the peppers never fully ripened before the plants were killed by frost.

[Broomstick]

I was thinking of using red pepper flakes that I have on hand rather than something hotter. My stomach doesn't tolerate hot peppers well.

[Broomstick]

Aerius - we tried your salmon recipe at diner tonight.

The household approves!

I actually made enough (I thought) for us to have seconds tomorrow, but we both went face down in the food bowl going NOM! NOM! NOM!

Very nice, it's been added to my recipe stash.

I served it with fresh steamed asparagus, some carrots I found in the garden today (a few did survive the winter - but not me! bwa-ha-HA) that I sliced up and steamed with the asparagus, and plain couscous.

I am absolutely stuffed with yummy goodness.

[Isolder74]

When I make Salmon I just sprinkle on my Beef Rub and then bake it at 325 for about 15 - 20 mins. The time of course varies on the shape of the steak or filet.

[Mayabird]

Another limited-talent recipe I found and tried today of the "put stuff in a pot and feed several or one for a while" type. Turned out pretty well.

Cabbage chili

Ingredients:
1 cabbage
2 medium onions
500 g of ground beef (1-ish pound for those who use inferior measurements)
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of diced tomatoes or 1-2 large fresh tomatoes
3 chili peppers (spiciness depending upon your preference)
Dash of some oil (the recipe said 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil but I poured a little olive oil on and it worked)
Cumin (recipe said 2 heaping teaspoons; I just splashed some on - yes I have a teaspoon; I was just too lazy to find it)
Sprinkle of pepper (I used a little red and black)
A little bit of garlic

Chop up the cabbage, onions, peppers, and tomatoes if they're fresh and not canned. Dump everything in a pot and mix it well. Put on medium heat for 35-45 minutes or until the meat is done.

[Isolder74]

Grapefruit Meringue Pie

1 Pie Crust(My mother will not release the Pie Crust recipe), Blind bake at 450°F 10 - 15 mins. Cool. I tend to use a Graham cracker crust.

1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3 Tbsp Corn Starch
3 Tbsp Flour
Dash of Salt
1 1/2 Cups Water.(before measuring juice grapefruit and replace water with extra grapefruit juice)
3 Egg Yolks
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Tsp. Grapefruit Zest
1/3 Cup fresh Grapefruit Juice(about 1 Grapefruit 2 if small)

Meringue
3 Egg Whites
1 Tsp Vanilla(100% best)
3/8 Tsp Cream of Tarter
6 Tbsp Sugar


Carefully separate the egg whites from the yolks. Put Sugar, Corn Starch, Flour, and Salt in a medium sized saucepan. Mix well. Gradually Stir in Water. Stir over Medium heat until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 mins. Remove from heat. Get yolks and beat them well. Beat into the yolks about 1 cup of the mixture and then stir back into the pan slowly. Add grapefruit Juice, Grapefruit Zest, and Butter. Bring to boil. Cook 2 mins. Pour into the pie shell.

Meringue

Put the Egg Whites into a cold bowl and add the Vanilla and Cream of Tarter. On medium speed beat while adding the sugar one tbsp at a time. Beat until you reach soft peaks. Turn mixer up to High and beat to medium peaks. Do not beat too much you get stiff Meringue.

Place Meringue on the pie and fluff for peaks. Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 - 15 or until golden brown.

[His Divine Shadow]

Here's a recipe for a "taco pie" I made that turned out raher swell, made it from leftovers and what I could find in the fridge pne day.

Dough:
-600ml (2.5 cups) of flour (I used 5 parts wheat, 1 part rye)
-200 grams (7oz) of butter or shortening
-4 tablespoons of cold water (maybe more)

I assume you all know how to make pie dough. I didn't bother precooking mine, too much hassle, not enough return is my general opinion, I did poke lotsa holes in it when it was done.

The filling consists of:
-400grams (~1lbs) of ground beef
-Spices (chili, cummin, salt, pepper, garlic powder if you like)
-1 onion, chopped
-Jalapenos, chopped
-Bell peppers, chopped
-Other veggies to taste
-6 eggs
-400ml (~1 3/4 cups) or so of milk
-Shredded cheese

Fry up the ground beef, onion and spice to taste. Add in jalapenos and bell peppers etc. when you're almost done frying, just stir it all in so you can add it all to the pieform at once. When you've added the filling you can sprinkle some shredded cheese over it as well.

Then mix up the eggs and milk (maybe add some salt here too, I don't use it but most people like food saltier than I do) and pour it all over the filling, and then add even more shredded cheese on top of this.

Then ito the oven at 175 degrees celsius (~340F) for 40 minutes or so and you get this.

[Isolder74]

I baked a yummy mouth-watering Blueberry Buckle!!! The recipe isn't mine but Alton Brown's

Spoiler

Pre-oven









Finished!

[Elfdart]

I am pretty good in the kitchen, but after two tries I'm about to give up. Before I do, I thought I'd ask:

How the fuck do you cook a spiral-cut ham without it drying out and leaving a quart of juice in the fucking pan?



I baked it in a Dutch Oven and wrapped it in foil last time (because the time before that I only placed foil over it and was drier than a week-old turkey)and it still dried out. It's not like the ham was dry when I put it in the oven. The pan was full of juice.

Any suggestions? If there aren't any, fuck it -I'll stick to buying the whole shank and baking in normally. If I get another one as a gift I'll donate it to a soup kitchen or something.

[Isolder74]

First, don't think cook when you heat up a ham. Think reheat. You only need to get it to 140 inside as it's already cooked. Heat it at a low temp, 250 - 275 is a good ball park.

Second look up the Ham good eats episode and watch how he handles the ham and it will help you improve reheating the ham.

[The Yosemite Bear]

1. get a meat syringe, inject the ham vigorously with broth infusions, that way all the meat will stay moist.
2. inject some more until the damn thing seems to swell (with spiral cut it's like anal sex and lube, too much is almost enough)


b.
use a fucking crockpot with a lid, and put the juice in the bottom of the pot along with some BBQ sauce and some cervasa, and let it sit in there for the better part of the day, and you will have fall apart get you deported from Arizonia pulled pork

c.
inject as above, and put some olive oil, or honey on the surface of the ham's exposed area to rapidly carmalize the outside of the meat, thus keeping the moist in.

there are no rules, just basics of chemistry.

[Isolder74]

Dan's Amazing Spinach Salad

2 Large bunches of Spinach(about 2 pounds) Try and get the best looking spinach
3 Medium Carrots shredded
2 ounces Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 ounce Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 strips of Bacon cooked and crumbled
2 slices of ham 1/8th of an inch thick
1 Broccoli Stalk
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a very clean sink filled with ice water and about 2 tblsp of plain vinegar place the Spinach after inspecting and tossing out the bad leaves and gently removing the stems from the ends(so you just have the leaves.) Let soak for 15 - 20 mins swishing about gently at the start(you'll be amazed how much grit will be on the bottom of the sink). Remove from the water and place the leaves in a colander over a bowl and let drain while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Allow to dry thoroughly you may need to carefully rotate them a few times. Grate the carrots, cheese, and cut the broccoli stalks into bite size pieces. Cut the ham into 1/4 inch by 1/2 inch pieces. In a very large bowl place all of the spinach. If you want to make the tossing easier layer it with the other ingredients. Place in everything but the Parmesan and toss together gently combining everything well. Salt and pepper to taste and then toss in Parmesan. Keep chilled until serving and serve on cold plates(Very Important). Serves 8 - 12.

Dressing is optional and every time I've served this no one has asked for or used any(even when it was provided.)