Random Food Thread

[brokenwing]

I am at it again. I will have pictures later. In the smoker is a chuck roast for italian beef sandwiches, a boston butt for pulled pork, which i like to use for sandwiches, fajitas, and tacos. I also made a chicken pot pie, and a peach pie. I found this peach pie recipe on all recipes, and have been using it ever since.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peach-Pie/Detail.aspx

[brokenwing]

It is pulled beef made from a chuck roast. It is smoked at 230 degrees till internal temp of 165. It is then foiled and tanken to 205 degress. The same goes for the boston butt. After they reach the final temperture, they are wrapped in a towel, and rested for 2 hours, at which time they are then pulled. You could also slice the chuck roast if you would like. They are smoked over hickory, but oak works just as nice. The meat was rubbed in lysanders hickory rub the night before, and injected with apple juice. The meat is then smoked over a pan full of apple juice, which allows for tender, and juicy roast, and pork that just falls apart. Total time cooking, roughly 10 hours. Hope you enjoy.

[Butterfly]

French toast sticks -
1 loaf Focaccia bread cut cross ways
whip eggs, milk, dash of salt

Soak bread slices in egg mixture and cook in skillet
add cinnamon and sugar if desired after cooking and what ever kind of syrup you like. I use home made blueberry syrup
Carol
Brokenwing- that looks scrumptious!

[gremlin]

Talking about rice and such in that other thread - I was going to make fried rice for dinner tonight, but Mom wanted scrambled eggs. So, I made fried potatoes with egg. One chopped/sliced red potato, a couple of green onions out of the garden, a couple of eggs and you're ready to cook...

Heat pan on stove
add a dollop of bacon grease (or butter or a bit of oil - your choice)
toss in the sliced red potato - 1/2 inch to 1 inch squares sliced about as thin as a nickel or quarter...
cover and let the potatoes cook - stirring occasionally - add salt/garlic to taste
When the potatoes are almost done, add the onion - sliced/chopped
Let cook for a few more minutes then scoot the potato onion mixture to the outside edges of the pan.
Add the 2 eggs to the center of the pan and scramble them a bit in the pan. Add salt/garlic to taste. Once the eggs are almost done, mix in with the potato onion mixture and let the whole thing finish cooking.
Serve hot.

Sorry there are no pictures with this one - Mom was hungry and I didn't think to get pictures before she dug in. Perhaps next time...

[LyndaB]

I have a multitude of health issues and really need to carefully watch my sodium intake. Unfortunately, I get salt cravings really badly and sometimes cave. Of course, then I pay the piper for that giving in to the craving. Bad girl, bad girl!

So..... did a bunch of research on no-salt mixes. Found out that the "fake" salt is just as bad for me personally as the real deal. Salt substitutes usually contain potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride as found in salt. The salt substitute makes you produce saliva much in the same way salt does. However, the potassium does leave a bitter aftertaste like saccharin.

Did further research and came across the following recipe for making my own salt-free blend of spices. And it's absolutely delicious! Very subtle, really lovely aroma, and healthy.

Seasoning Shaker
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp. basil, ground
1 tsp. marjoram, ground
1 tsp. thyme, ground
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sage

Combine all seasonings in a salt shaker with large holes. Use the shaker in cooking or at the table to season food to taste.

A word of caution though for persons with ulcers or colitis, cayenne pepper and black pepper should be omitted since they can cause an excess secretion of acid in the stomach.

Enjoy!!!

[MikeNTX]

Smoked chicken wings stuffed with cream cheese wrapped in bacon

I decided to try an idea I've been contemplating for some time - chicken wings stuffed with a cream cheese mixture and wrapped with bacon. These actually turned out to be not as labor intensive as I thought they would be.

Chicken Wings
Thick cut bacon
Bamboo skewers

Peach Sauce
2 habanera peppers, seeded
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
1 shallot
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce
2 pounds peaches, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


I let a tub of cream cheese soften at room temperature and added a little grated onion, grated garlic, John Henry's 'Texas Chicken Tickler' and some creole seasoning.

While I was washing the wings, I stuck a finger underneath the skin to open a little pocket for stuffing them. Then I stuck some long bamboo skewers through the tip-end of the wings to hold them straight.

Put the cream cheese mixture in a plastic bag and snipped off a corner so I could pipe the mixture into the wings. Sprinkled some Chicken tickler on the wings then wrapped with bacon, using the skewers to pin the bacon in place. Smoked these over a mixture of pecan and apple chips for about 2.5 hours and finished with a little spicy peach sauce. This is another cook that will get a do over, as these tasted amazing!

To make peach sauce: sweat habanera, ginger and shallot in butter until tender. Add Worcestershire Sauce to deglaze pan. Add peaches and mustard, cook for 10 minutes over low heat. Purée in blender. Add sugar; season with salt and pepper to taste.

[blkdeath75]

I have a close equivalent to Mike if anyone would like to try it is quite easy.

Jalapeno Chicken Wraps

What is needed:
5-10 fresh jalapeno peppers(depending on hunger rating)
Cooked chicken breast(I prefer to boil mine first)
Thick cut bacon of choice

Cook chicken as if you were preparing for salad or what not
Cut jalapenos in half(through top and bottom)
Core peppers as best you can(try not to miss the seeds if you are heat intolerant)
Cut small slices of chicken so they nest easily in the cored pepper
wrap gently with slices of bacon
grill or fry until bacon is crispy
Enjoy with some ranch salad dressing or your dip of choice!

Hope you like em...pretty easy and yummy

Side note: Chicken can be replaced with turkey if you like as well as cheese can be added inside before bacon wrap if preferred.

[Lilwystynyra]

Mmmm okay, I'm hungry nao!

I'm sure this is a standard recipe but...
Roast potatoes

Needs:
Potatoes
Garlic cloves
Olive oil

180-200C oven.
Get some potatoes, which ones you use is preference.
Chop them up into bite sized pieces and toss them in a baking dish.
Get the clove of garlic and separate it. Don't take the skin off. You can slice off the hard end of the garlic to make it easier to eat later, but not needed.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Roast til brown! Don't forget to shake/turn them.
TADAA!

This is the "standard version"
However I like to season the potato and garlic before roasting with salt, pepper and rosemary.
Then when it comes out, I let it cool a little then drizzle it with a bit more olive oil and add shredded leaves of italian parsley.
Huge hit at barbeques

And... student food!
Aussie mi goreng ;P
Needs
1 packet of migoreng insta noodles
1 egg
Normal soy sauce
Veggies (whatever you have, I've used frozen veggies, silverbeet plucked from the garden, whatever)

Cook the mi goreng, follow the instructions on the pack. I like it with no liquid, but make it the soup way if you want.
Whisk an egg with just a teensy bit of soy sauce and a bit of pepper to taste.
Fry it and dump it on top of the noodles and add veggies if you have/want ;P
Costs like 60c to make, great student food.

[Lilwystynyra]

Uhm and I dunno what to called this.

Needs...
Feta (crumbly)
Baby spinach
Coriandor
Italian Parsley
Tomatos
Soy sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Oil (sesame or olive oil)
Bacon (optional)
Chicken (optional)
Taglitelli Pasta (any ribbon pasta will do)

Need the oven at 200C.
Wash the tomatoes and slice them. Place them in a baking dish (needs raised sides).
Make a dressing of 2tsp oil, 1tbsp soy sauce, 2tsp balsamic. Can edit to taste
Coat the tomatoes in it and then roast them. The time really depends, you want them to be really well cooked and mushy.
Cook chicken &/or bacon.
Cook the pasta and drain then put in bowl.
Toss the chicken, bacon and tomatoes including roast juices to taste over the top and stir it very lightly through. Let it cool a little.
Add baby spinach and shredded coriander and italian parlsey. Stir through lightly.
Crumble good amount of feta over the top!


NOMNOMNOM.
I found it in a recipe book sometime and have editted it a fair bit. Can't remember what the original was.

[sirdarksol]

Here's a skillet meal that I've been making

Grease a 6" cast iron skillet (larger if you want a meal for multiple people). I usually use butter, but you can use your choice of oil, of course.
Put a serving of potato shreds in, put it on a burner on medium. Cook until the potatoes are crispy on one side, flip them, cook until they're crispy on the other side.
Remove from heat.
Chop some zucchini (or whatever veggie you want. I'm going to try this with spinach at some point. It also works well with asparagus), saute it a bit if you want (they will get cooked a bit in the next step, though), then put it over the potatoes. Crack an egg or two, put them on top of the potatoes and veggies.
Top with a sprinkling of cheese, whatever seasonings you want (paprika, salt, and pepper for me), and then put under a broiler until the egg whites set.
I cook it until just the yolk jiggles when I shake the pan. If you like your eggs more done, cook until nothing moves.
This is a great meal for just one person.

[catsma_97504]

I never ran across this thread before...lol. I think it's a great idea! Maybe we need a recipies section in the forum...hint, hint.

Anyway, as I have ulserative colitis I cannot eat those yummy spicey foods. So, here's my recipe for Taco Seasoning (those of you who can eat spicy food could easily spice it up):

TACO SEASONING MIX
(Measurements are approximate as I mix it enough to have a 1 cup supply)

1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Ground Paparika - I use it to cut the spice from the chili pepper
1/4 tsp. Ground Red Chili Pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder, or Onion Flakes
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder, or Garlic Granules
1/8 tsp. Thyme, dried
1/8 tsp. Parsley, dried
Dash Salt
Dash Black Pepper - for those who can enjoy it

Mix all together and store in air tight container. Sprinkle over ground beef or ground pork. When I used ground chicken or ground turkey, I used more cumin.

To spice it up, you could add any number of dried/dehydrated ingredients. Much more flavorful than purchasing a packet of taco seasoning. My family loves it.

[catsma_97504]

Here's my favorite Italian recipe.....

Baked Masticotti

Penne Noodles, half a bag
Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara Sauce (I make my own, but there are several good brands out there)
Mushrooms, sliced thin
Onion, chopped
1-2 Garlic clove, minced
1 pound Italian Sausage - I use Sweet Sausage, but you could easily use a spicy sausage
8 oz Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Cheese - I use 1/2 cup Fresh Parmessian and 1 cup Mozarella

In a large skillet, cook Italian Sausage in 1-2 tbsp. Olive Oil. If purchased in links, cut into bite-sized medalians. When almost cooked through, add mushrooms and onions. Once onions are translucent, add Spaghetti Sauce and garlic. Other spices that are good are thyme, italian parsley and marjoram - fresh is even better. Simmer while working with other ingredients.

Heat enough salted water to cook the penne noodles, following directions on package. Drain.

Once all ingredients are cooked, add sauce/sausage mix and noodles to a 9 X 13 baking dish. Mix well with ricotta cheese. Top with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with garlic bread and a nice salad.

[emanluke]

Don't know if anyone has put something like this up yet, but they are an easy, huge-hit meal!

Jalapeno Poppers:

10 Jalapeno Peppers, halved and seeded
8 oz cream cheese
20 slices bacon

Slice cream cheese in half lengthwise and then cut into 20 pieces. Stuff cheese into jalapeno halves and wrap a slice of bacon around them. Place on a rack on baking sheet and pop in 400 degree oven until bacon is crunchy, usually about 20 minutes.

Here's another one for those of you who are more adventurous. My family got the recipe from Allrecipies.com, but it is really good!

Escargot Mushrooms:

4 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 helix snails, without shells
6 large fresh mushrooms

Over medium heat in a medium saucepan, heat butter and garlic. Place the snails in the saucepan and slowly cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard mushroom stems. Fill the mushroom caps with ½ tsp melted butter with garlic form the saucepan. Microwave 2 to 3 minutes. Insert the snails in the mushroom caps. Microwave another 3 minutes.

[Mikey Doodle]

I LOVE this thread!!!

Here's a Chocolate Puddle Pudding recipe (Everyone has one I'm sure, but I got this one quite some time ago from t'internet and love it!)

Chocolate Puddle Pudding

6 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
150g S/R Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
200g Caster Sugar with a few added drops vanilla (or orange) essence
30g Salted Butter
75g Dark Chocolate (Something with a lot of cocoa solids!)
150ml Milk
150g Soft Brown Sugar
500ml Hot Water

Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F)

*Measure the flour and vanilla/orange sugar into a large mixing bowl with two tablespoons of the cocoa powder and the baking powder.
*Melt the butter and chocolate together, and when melted, add them to the bowl with the milk.
*Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is well blended, and resembles a thick paste.
*Spread the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish.
---
*Mix the soft brown sugar with the remaining four tablespoons of cocoa, and sprinkle them over the top of the sponge mixture.
*Pour over the hot water (this should be hot from the kettle but not boiling) and put in the oven for 45 minutes.

It's rediculously easy to make, and am sure you'll all love it! The sponge rises through the [puddle of] sauce, and is great served with cream or ice cream!

[Mikey Doodle]

*bump*

We had this for dinner last night:

Roasted Ratatouille Chicken

A simple 1 pot dish, takes around an hour, very versatile and perfect for a dinner party!

You will need:
1 Red Onion - cut into wedges
2 Red Peppers - seeded and cut into chunks
1 Courgette (zucchini) of about 200g/8oz - cut into chunks
1 Small Aubergine - cut into chinks
4 Tomatoes - cut in halves
4tbsp Olive Oil - plus extra for drizzling
4 Chicken Breasts (Skin on) - Whole
A few sprigs of rosemary! (Optional)

Serves 4:
1 - Preheat the oven to 200*c/Gas6/390*f. Lay all the vegetables in a shallow roasting tin. Make sure they have lots of room - overcrowding will slow down the cooking! Pour over the olive oil and give the vegetables a good mix round until they are well coated (Hands are good for this )
2 - Nestle chicken breasts on top of the vegetables and tuck in some rosemary sprigs, if using. Season everything with salt and black pepper, and drizzle a little oil over the chicken. Now roast for about 35 mins or until the chicken is golden and the vegetables are soft.
3 - drizzle with oil (optional) and serve!

This recipe is fromBBC Book Good Food The Collection - 480+ triple-tested recipes!

Per serving, 318 Kcalories, protein 37g, carbohydrate 13g, fat 14g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 4g, added sugar none, salt 0.25g

RRC.jpg

[Emberdee]

Here are my favorite recipes: These all require the use of a deep fryer, and are some of my favorite things to make for my family.

Recipe #1- Potato Chips:


Ingredients:

Potatoes (There are no specific measurements, just however much you want)
Oil for frying


For Seasoning (Mix to taste):

Garlic Powder
Salt, I prefer sea salt
Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat up the fryer/oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cut the potatoes using a potato peeler, make the slices as thin as possible.
3. Line a bowl/tray with paper towels to drain the chips once they are done cooking
4. Once the oil has heated up, drop the potatoes into the hot oil. Be very careful the oil is extremely hot and will spatter and bubble vigorously once you have added the potatoes in. If you are not using a deep fryer be very careful not to add the oil too close to the top, or it will spill over.
5. Stir the potatoes around, making sure they don't stick together.
6. Once the potatoes are a nice golden color, lift them out of the oil and let them drain
7. Finally, stir in the seasoning and enjoy!


Beignets:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup shortening/butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
Oil for frying
Powdered/Confectioners sugar for coating

Directions:
1. Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast dissolves. Resist the urge to mix the yeast, you'll just get a spoon/fork/whatever utensil you use gloppy!
2. Combine your shortening/butter, sugar and salt in a big bowl. Pour the boiling water over the mixture and stir in the evaporated milt. Wait until the mixture has cooled down to lukewarm and add the yeast water mixture and beaten eggs.
3. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. (If you're using an electric mixer, you may have to use your hands at some point- it gets HUGE!)
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it refrigerate in the fridge for 30 mins to 1 hour.
5. Using a small portion of dough roll out the dough to about 1/8 of an inch thick and cut into diamond/square/rectangles it doesn't really matter.
6. Heat frying oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and once the oil has heated up slide in the beignets.
7. Deep fry until the dough puffs up and turns golden brown, remove, drain, and shake in a brown paper bag filled with powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Note: This is a really big batch of dough. You will probably have to refrigerate the leftovers and they will continue to rise, so beware of putting the leftovers in a tupperware.
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Applesauce Drop Doughnuts:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Directions:
1. Heat up the fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition
4. Beat in applesauce and vanilla
5. Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
6. Add the mixture in a little at a time, mixing well after each addition
7. Drop ice cream scoop size dollops of batter to the oil, frying until golden. (You will have to flip them. I use chopsticks) Drain on paper towels and roll in cinnamon sugar while warm.
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

[emanluke]

When told to post something by a mod, you just feel compelled to do it, right Carol?

Here's my family's recipe for key lime meringue pie:

1 14oz can of condensed milk
2 eggs
2 tbs of sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup of lime juice

Really, that's it! Seperate your egg yolks and whites, then combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice together in a bowl. Use more or less lime juice depending on how tart you want your pie to be. Pour the mixed ingredients into a pie pan (I prefer to use vanilla wafer or shortbread crusts over graham cracker).

On a high setting beat egg whites until frothy. Once you can get soft peaks, add in the sugar gradually as the whites are whipped. Continue whipping until you can get a firm peak. Spread the meringue evenly over the pie, trying to get nice peaks as you spread.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook pie for 10 minutes. You'll be glad you worked so hard on those peaks when they brown up so nicely and provide a brilliant color contrast to the white meringue.

Let the pie cool, then chill it in the fridge before serving to friends and family (or indulging yourself )!

See here for pictures!

[catsma_97504]

emanluke - That recipe sounds wonderful! Gonna have to give it a try when I'm feeling better.

Today, I made Frozen Strawberry Lemonade and thought I'd share:

2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
Juice one whole lemon or 1/2 tbsp lemon juice concentrate
About 1 cup water
Sugar to taste - even works with diabetic sugar

Dump everything into the blender with only 1/2 cup water. Add enough water to chop up the frozen berries and create a thick slushy mixture.

Pour into serving cups/glasses. Serve immediately.

I like to make it really thick so need a spoon to eat it with.

[JRDroid]

James' Rum Runner BBQ Sauce.
1 medium bottle ketchup (16 or 20 oz i believe)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/3-1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste if you like it spicier)
2 Tbs ground Cumin
2 Tbs ground Coriander
6 Tbs Garlic powder
4 Tbs Onion Powder
1 Tbs Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/8 tsp White Pepper (substitute 1tsp of black pepper if you have no white pepper)

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and whisk together. Put over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce to low heat. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently (it will make a mess if you don't!).

Great served hot or cold. Use on to of BBQ meats to add an additional kick to your BBQ. Just spread on meat 3-5 minutes before removing from the grill, or 20 minutes before removing from a smoker.

[almightyfish]

I was hungry last night and with almost nothing in the house I came up with a tasty quick meal:

pasta
1can tuna (mine was home canned, super delish)
some tomato
spices
olive oil

boil your fav shape of pasta, drain, splash a little olive oil, add a shake or 2 of "pasta sprinkle" (basically any itallian herb blend) dump in the can of tuna, stir all around until hot. sprinkle the diced tomato on top (and any other veg you might have lying around) Im sure this dish would be just as delish with chicken too

[catsma_97504]

Here's one of the easiest recipes I've ever worked with!!

This recipe will only work if your bread machine has a jam/jelly setting.

1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups fruit, fresh or thawed, minced
2-3 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Pectin

Mince the fruit with a potato masher or puree it in the blender (my option). Dump all ingredients into your bread pan. And, follow your machine's directions for making jam/jelly.

For variety, add flavorings, such vanilla or almond; add spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc. The sky's the limit with imagination!

When done, pour into sterilized jars or plastic tubs. Let sit on the counter for 24-hours to set.

Can store in the fridge or in the freezer for a couple of months if not using canning jars and sealing them.

Each batch will make about 1 pint of jelly.

So far, I've made the following jams:
*Bing Cherry-Lemon
*Peach spiced with 2-3 pinches of cinnamon and a pinch of ginger
*Mixed berry-Lime (Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Blueberry)
*Red Raspberry-Vanilla

I'm also considering:
*Strawberry-Rhubarb-Cinnamon
*Pear-Almond
*Pineapple-Orange

Enjoy!

[almightyfish]

I just thought Id share a pic of a cake I just completed, for my friends Baby Shower. Im quite impressed with how it turned out

http://picasaweb.google.com/garlandg...55651863581986

Red Velvet cake with butter/sourcream frosting. Let me know if you want the recipe, it takes a while to type out and explain

[sirdarksol]

I've got a cold, so I decided to make some chicken noodle soup

One chicken breast
one clove garlic
tablespoon of olive oil
-
Saute until chicken breast is cooked through
add:
2 medium-sized stalks of celery
2 medium-sized carrots
both diced fine
-
Saute for a little longer
Add:
One cup chicken broth (more if you want more broth)
pinch of basil
pinch of rosemary
pinch of parsley
pinch of ground pepper
dash of salt (be careful with this if the broth has salt added)
-
Bring to a boil.
Add:
1/2 cup egg noodles
-
Cook until noodles are soft.

[harpua2002]

Hope you feel better soon!

I made chicken in white wine tonight. All you need is:

white cooking wine
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
chopped garlic (I use the stuff in the jar)
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
paprika

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grab a baking dish- I use a Pyrex one- and mix together cooking wine and garlic to taste (1/2 cup wine for 2 chicken breasts, a cup for 4). Put the chicken in the wine mixture and marinate for at least an hour. Sprinkle chicken with parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

I served it with salad and rice tonight... good stuff!

[gremlin]

I made a good old-fashioned beef stew for Mom for dinner tonight. Big chunks of potato, carrot, onion, celery and beef - with a bit of salt and garlic for seasoning. Throw it all in the crock pot around noon time, and it was ready for dinner by 6 pm. She loved it!

[catsma_97504]

Spicy Jalapeno Dill Pickles

1/2 gallon jar of dill pickles
11 oz jar of sliced jalapeno
1 medium onion, sliced
4-10 garlic cloves, sliced
3-4 cups sugar

Pour the dill pickle juice into a bowl to save for later. Place the pickles into a separate bowl. Open the jar of jalapenos. Save the liquid in a mixing bowl and place the sliced jalapenos into the 1/2 gallon jar. Add sugar to the jalapeno juice. Mix into a syrup. Set aside.

Prepare all the vegies:
*Slice the dill pickles into 1 inch chunks
*Quarter the onion and slice thinly
*Slice garlic cloves thinly

Pack the vegies in 1/2 gallon jar. Not that it matters, but I build layers. The jar will be packed very tightly. It never looks like everything will fit, but it always does with a little effort.

Once all the vegies are in the jar, pour the sugar-juice mix in; and top off with the remaining pickle juice to fill the jar. Place the lid onto the jar as tight as possible. Store in the refrigerator.

Each morning and night, mix the jar until the sugar is no longer setting on the bottom. I mix over the sink just in case I haven't gotten the lid on tightly. When it leaks, you have a sugary dill-jalapeno syrup that sticks to everything!

Let the jar cure in the refrigerator for 4-8 weeks. When the sugar no longer settles to the bottom, it is ready to eat. The more you mix it, the faster is cures. The longer it sits, the spicier your pickles will become.

[sirdarksol]

Really good, relatively simple dessert.
http://wcco.com/blogs/foodblog/caram...2.1947805.html

Caramelized Fruit Skillet Tart
From Kristin Hamaker, Farm to Fork
(serves 8)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
3 cups fruit (chopped into 1/2 inch cubes) such as apple, pear, nectarine, mango, banana or any berries in season
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup white sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup plain, whole-milk yogurt (or buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the middle.

Melt the butter in a large (10-inch) skillet, with an ovenproof handle, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Swirl the butter in the skillet until it turns nut-brown, then pour it into a medium-large bowl. Without wiping out the skillet, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom. Top with the fruit in an even layer.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the white sugar to the browned butter and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the egg, then yogurt. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones and stir to combine.

Pour the batter evenly over the fruit in the skillet. Slide the skillet into the oven and bake about 35 minutes, until the tart is golden brown and springy to the touch at the center. Remove and let cool 10 minutes.

Invert a plate over the skillet, then, holding the plate and skillet firmly together with towels or pot holders, invert the two in one swift movement. Remove the skillet, and the tart is ready to serve.

[bolivianbaby]

Holiday Spice Cookies:

SPICE COOKIES

2 1/2 cups flour
5/8 cup molasses
3/8 cup honey
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Melt margarine in saucepan. Add honey and molasses. Stir. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients in bowl. Add warm mixture to it. Mix til smooth. Add more flour if sticky. refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375. Flour surface and rolling pin. Divide dough into 4 balls. Work w/ one at a time, leaving others in refrigerator. Roll out 1/8" thick. Cut w/ cookie cutter. Place on greased pans. Bake 5 minutes. Can be iced.


Here is the recipe for the icing:

BUTTER FROSTING

1/3 cup butter or margarine
4 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla
milk

1. In a mixing bowl beat butter till fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.

2. Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to reach spreading consistency.


You can put the icing in different containers and use food coloring to make different color icings.

This has been my daughter's favorite cookie recipe to make with me since she was 3 years old. It's a recipe that my mother and I used to make when I was a child.

[sirdarksol]

Potato Corn Chowder

Made this for supper last night. It's good stuff, and easy to make.
As always, I do not have exact quantities, as I cook by sight, feel, and taste.

5 medium potatoes, cubed
1 can corn (or equivalent amount of frozen)
1-2 Tbsp butter
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups whole milk, 2 cups half and half, or 1 cup cream (for richer soup, you can use the full four cups of either half and half or cream)
Corn starch or roux
salt
pepper
1-3 bunches of green onion

Melt the butter in a stock pot. Toss diced potatoes in butter, cover pot and sweat over low heat until potatoes are soft. Add corn, broth, and milk (set a bit of broth aside for pre-mixing if you're using corn starch as a thickener). Simmer for a bit. Add thickener to your preference. I used 2-3Tbsp of corn starch, and the chowder was relatively thin. Salt and pepper to taste. Slice the green onion and add just before serving.

[sirdarksol]

Since I haven't posted this caveat in awhile, I want to reiterate that my cooking style is very loose. I usually only follow a recipe twice, then I play with it and cook from memory and feel and taste. That's why some of my instructions are vague. If you ever need clarification on a point, please feel free to ask. If given a specific thing to focus on, I can usually clarify it.
By (sort of) request:
Generic Curry Recipe
This recipe started out as a recipe for rogan josh, which is a super-tasty lamb curry. Unfortunately, I can't get the final piece of rogan josh (a plant that provides the red color. Most Americans make it with tomato, which really changes the flavor of the dish). I've started playing around with it, making it into a more generic curry.

To start out, you need a couple of tablespoons (less if you want a healthier dish) of ghee, butter, or vegetable oil. Ghee is traditional (it's a type of clarified butter). Butter works almost as well. Vegetable oil works if you're avoiding animal fats or just don't have the other two around.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a high-sided, flat-bottomed pan. Sometimes I use a dutch oven. Sometimes I just use a 2" deep skillet. It depends on how much I'm making.
Once the oil is hot, add:
1 bay leaf
10-15 peppercorns
3-5 cardamom pods
3-5 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Stir a little bit, then cover (really important, as I've found that peppercorns and cardamom tend to explode in the heat). Once the bay leaf begins to brown, add:
1 medium-large onion, diced
and saute it.
After that, add the base of your meal. Any meat will work (although it always seems a bit wrong to me to use beef, so I've never done it), as will many vegetables. My typical vegetarian version includes potatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. Cauliflower also works really well for curry. Most root vegetables would do well, too. Cook until browned a bit, then add a cup or so of broth (vegetable or chicken are best... again, it seems wrong to use beef anything in an Indian dish, but don't let my little quirks stop you from trying). This recipe works best with 3-4 pounds of meat or equivalent volume of veggies. Also add:
An inch or two of peeled and grated ginger (if I catch you using powdered ginger, I will make you eat a spoonfull of garam masala )
1 Tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
Several cloves of minced (or pasted) garlic
1/2 coriander (though I don't usually add this, largely because I don't often have coriander among my spices)
2 teaspoons sweet, preferably smoked, paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
Cover, lower the heat, and simmer until everything is cooked through.
Add half a cup of plain yogurt, stir together, and simmer a couple more minutes. Serve over rice or naan.