Random Food Thread

[sirdarksol]

Yummy Greek(ish) salad recipe:

Chicken breast (about 1/4 pound), chopped into 1" or smaller cubes
Olive Oil (about a tablespoon)
Three or four large leaves from a sweet basil plant
Two or three leaves from a purple basil plant
Several leaves from a cinnamon basil plant and an oregano plant
A sprig of thyme

Saute all of this together (low to medium heat) until the chicken is cooked through.
Add one chopped clove of garlic (more or less to taste) and saute for another fifteen or twenty seconds. If you don't like the strong garlic taste, toss it in with the rest of the herbs, the heat will destroy a lot of the acid made when you cut into the clove.

While the chicken is sauteing, make a bed of greens (romaine, spring mix, spinach, whatever. Just don't waste your time with that iceberg garbage). Add a sliced tomato, slices of cucumber, green, red, or yellow pepper, or whatever other veggies you like raw.

Unceremoniously dump the chicken over the bed of greens. Add dressing if you want (balsamic vinaigrette goes really well on this, but I didn't have any, so I used Newman's Own Parmesan Garlic. Any dressing works).
Enjoy.

As you can likely tell, my cooking style is pretty loose and free. You don't have to mimic my amounts exactly. I'm just recording what I did. If you don't like oregano, or thyme, or basil, just don't add it. If you have parsley, anise, or fennel and would like to put that in, go for it. If you want to add a bit of salt or pepper, no problem (I'm regretting not doing so, myself).

As far as the vegetables in the dish, I have the lettuce growing in my garden, and have the basil, oregano, and thyme growing in pots on my deck. In a few weeks, I should also have tomatoes and maybe peppers from plants that are scattered around the yard. The plants were all purchased at a local farmers' market. Fresh herbs taste far better than the stuff that's been sitting on store shelves for goodness-knows-how-long, and are better for you (they've got vitamins and minerals, after all). Be sure to wash everything, and very thoroughly wash anything you'll be eating raw (there is stuff that grows in soil that wreaks havoc on the digestive tract).

If you keep freshwater tanks, you can grow, at the very least, herbs. You could probably grow tomatoes and lettuce, as well. My herbs are in whatever planters happened to be empty when I bought the plants, and are mostly watered by the rain and with tank water. Keep a gallon or two of tank water (from water changes) set aside, and you can water the plants over the week. The planters don't need to be outside. They can sit in a window. One warning, though. If it tastes good to you, it likely tastes good to cats, and you could very well find them grazing your oregano to the ground.

[sirdarksol]

Another random recipe:

1/4 cup of wheat berries (fancy name for wheat seed)
1/2 cup of water
Dash of cinnamon, cloves, and/or nutmeg (or nothing)
A bit of maple syrup (real syrup, not the Aunt Jemima stuff) if you want

Cook for an hour or so (until the water has been completely absorbed).

This cereal takes some getting used to, but is tasty. You can add fruit, brown sugar, milk, yogurt, whatever you want. It can be eaten hot or cold. It's about the only stuff that my wife can eat for breakfast in the morning.

[sirdarksol]

Another random recipe:
Potato and sausage skillet

Peel one small potato (or don't. I peel it because the peel can hold heavy metals and other toxins from the soil) and cube.
Slice one sausage (Italian, bratwurst, Polish, whatever. I used asiago-wild rice bratwurst)
Put a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet (my half-size cast-iron skillet is my best friend when cooking for myself) and put over medium heat.
Drop the potato and sausage in, cook until potato is almost cooked through. I usually wait until the potato is just starting to brown.
Add fresh vegetable (broccoli, zucchini, mushroom, eggplant, whatever) and seasoning (I used basil, thyme, and oregano, simply because that's what I had available )
Cook until the vegetable is cooked the way you want. I usually just let it sear a little bit.

This recipe was just about right for a meal for me, and I mostly ignored it while it was cooking, just stirring it up when I passed through the kitchen.

[COBettaCouple]

Delicious Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
8 ounces elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons smart balance (or butter or margarine)
5 tablespoons flour
32 ounces milk, warm (110 F)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 pound ham, cubed (optional)
5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
5 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
5 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.

3. In the stockpot, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, then whisk in warm milk a little at a time. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Mix in salt, pepper and cayenne; stir frequently until sauce thickens.

4. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack and ham. Combine pasta with sauce and stir well. Pour into baking dish. Bake 45 minutes.

[Shawnie]

my fav addition to the recipe's for summah time food is

BLT Salad

1lb bacon
loaf of bread
tomatoes
lettuce

cook bacon (of course) LOL and toast the loaf of bread....break up the entire loaf after toasted and add to a big bowl...break up all the bacon cooked, and add to the toast ...cut up your tomatoes (or buy cherries like I do to save time), cut up lettuce, add mayo to desired amounts, refrigerate for an hour and serve as a cold salad...YUMM...im a bacon junky but sir, thanks for your greek salad recipe...ima gonna try it with feta mrsmuffin suggested!

[mrsmuffin]

I am liking this thread - plenty of ideas for good food! Here's my (unusual, but yummy!) contribution:

Chicken and Peaches

1-2 lbs skinless/boneless chicken (breast, tenderloins, or thighs)
1 large can peaches
1-2 cans refrigerated biscuits
butter/margarine
flour
salt/pepper

Heat oven to 350, melt small amount of margarine in bottom of 9x13 pan. Toss chicken in salt, pepper and flour. Place chicken in pan and bake until almost done. Move all chicken to one side of pan, pour can of peaches (including juice) over chicken, add biscuits to other end of pan. Adjust oven temp if necessary and bake until biscuits are done.

I usually serve with mashed potatoes, fried okra and a salad (can you tell that I am a Southern girl?? ) This is obviously not an every day meal for us.

[COBettaCouple]

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground buffalo
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 ounces diced green chili peppers
5-6 8" flour tortillas (or 10" if desired)
10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles
15-16 ounces taco sauce
32 ounces refried beans
1 1/2 pounds cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the meat for 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 mor minutes. Drain any excess fat.

2. In a large bowl, mix green chilis, tomatoes, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir thoroughly and pour into the skillet with the meat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350.

4. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas, then a layer of meat mixture and a layer of cheese. Repeat until the tortillas are used, finishing with a layer of cheese on top.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

[Chief_waterchanger]

Today is a simple dinner:

Steak with sauteed onions and purple bell peppers (with a "healthy" dose of garlic), Small spiced potato wedges (paprika, salt, garlic powder, a touch of cumin, parsley, and touch of flour), fried potato slices for those that don't like spiced foods, and the healthy side of veggies. (The bags you can find in the freezer section at the store with mixed veggies or several bags of specific veggies work great with a couple tablespoons of soy sauce. )

So...

Steak (however many you need for your group of people)
1/2 bell pepper per steak, I would guestimate (although I always fix extra)
1/2 medium onion per steak (again, always extras)
Sauteed mushrooms (optional, but then again every ingredient is optional )
Potatoes (however many you think you need)
Spices
-paprika
-garlic
-salt
-parsley
Flour
Bag of veggies/fresh veggies if you have them
Oil inwhich to fry the potatoes

(Cooking tip: If you are frying food in oil always get the oil screaming hot before putting the item in, it will soak up less of the oil that way, which would save you money. Please be careful when frying with oil, the spatter of hot oil and be painful to adults, but deadly to children... please keep the kids away from the stove or better yet, out of the kitchen when using the stove. )

[COBettaCouple]

We need some dessert now:

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 oz cold water
3 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 oz lemon juice
6 oz orange juice
1 1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt. Work in 1 cup of butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cold water. Sprinkle over flour mixture, and work with hands to form dough into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out half of dough to 1/8" thickness. Place in a 9x13" baking dish, covering bottom and halfway up sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

3. In a large saucepan, mix the peaches, lemon juice and orange juice. Add 1/2 cup butter and cook over medium-low heat until butter is melted. In a mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and arrowroot; mix into peach mixture. Remove from heat and pour into baked crust.

4. Roll remaining dough to a thickness of 1/4". Cut into 1/2" wide strips. Weave strips into a lattice over peaches. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.

[TheEssigs]

This is for my foodies... (especially Dave, Carol & CW )...

I got this recipe out of a new cookbook I just bought and it sounds really refreshing and summery... so, I thought I would share it with you guys. Hope you like it!

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Strawberries, toasted almonds and a tangy dressing make this refreshing salad simply unforgettable.

Dressing
1 lemon
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salad
1/4 cup sliced natural almonds, toasted
8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) strawberries, quartered
1/2 medium cucumber, sliced and cut in half
1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges (1/4 cup)
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach

1. For dressing, zest lemon. Juice lemon to measure 2 tablespoons juice. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in Small Bowl. Whisk until well blended. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread almonds in single layer over bottom of Small Pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; cool.

3. Meanwhile, cut strawberries into quarters.

4. Score cucumber lengthwise, slice cucumber; cut slices in half. Slice onion into thin wedges.

5. Place spinach in large serving bowl; add strawberries, cucumber and onion.

6. Whisk dressing; pour over salad, gently tossing to coat. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

[sirdarksol]

Traditional Teriyaki Sauce

A simple make:
Soy Sauce (the highest quality you can get. Kikkoman will make bad Teriyaki. I use San J Tamari)
Honey, Sorghum, or corn syrup (the latter makes rather sad teriyaki, but can be used in a pinch)
Mirin (a heavily sweetened sake)

Start out with equal parts of each, and play around with the mixture until you get the balance you want. Mix them in a small saucepan and heat to boiling, then turn heat down and let it simmer for awhile. The longer it simmers, the thicker the mix will be.

Traditionally, teriyaki is used to glaze grilled meats. It is continually brushed on as the meat cooks. However, this sauce is excellent for a wide range of things. I use it primarily as a marinade, but it can also be used as a dipping sauce.

[COBettaCouple]

I'm inspired to post a salad recipe today..

Pea Salad

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 pound turkey bacon (or any other bacon)
2 heads romaine lettuce, bite-size pieces
1 pound frozen green peas, thawed
2 cups mayonnaise
2 ounces milk
3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey or sugar)
12 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (or mozarella)

Directions:
1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring water to a boil for one minute. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. Peel. Slice egg with an egg slicer, or just crumble.

2. Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook, turning frequently, over medium high heat until evenly browned.

3. Spread Romaine lettuce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Layer crumbled bacon, thawed peas and eggs over the lettuce.

4. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, milk and sugar until smooth. Pour evenly over salad and top with cheese. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve.

[sirdarksol]

Potato, green onion, egg, and cheese fritata

One medium potato, diced
Four stalks of green onions, chopped into 1" lengths
Basil, oregano, and thyme
Sprinkle of salt
One egg

In an oiled skillet, cook the potato until it is browned. Mix the other ingredients together in a bowl and add to skillet once potato is browned.
If you want, sprinkle cheese on top of the mix, then turn it over after fifteen seconds (pan-fried cheese is one of the tastiest things in existence, in my opinion).

[MinxMermaid]

This weekend i made my BAKED Potato Salad and it came out PERFECT and was a BIG HIT! Try it:

1 bag small red potatos
1/2 lb bacon
2-3 green onions (scallions) sliced very thin
4 hard boiled eggs, cubed
Mayo

-cook the bacon and set aside to crumble in later
-wash potatoes, peel off only any big eyes or blemishes, leave most of the skin on.
-Halve potatos
-on a cookie sheet, toss potatoes in olive oil, sprinkle generously with kosher salt or sea salt and crushed black pepper.
-bake for 40 minutes at 375, tossing about halfway through.
-let potatoes cool, cut into cubes, make sure to add crispies from the bottom of the pan.
-toss potatoes, crumbled bacon, onions and eggs. add mayo to taste.

can be served warm or chilled.

ENJOY!!!

[COBettaCouple]

Here's a fairly simple recipe that's always good.

Basic Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat (turkey, beef, buffalo, etc)
29 ounces spaghetti sauce
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 pound shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, cook the beef until brown. Pour spaghetti sauce into skillet. Reduce heat and simmer.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Mix in pasta and cook until al dente (about 8-10 minutes); drain.

3. Mix together spaghetti and meat mixture, pour into a 9x13" baking dish. Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

[sirdarksol]

Today's lunch
Hot Dish (known, this time, as beef, wild rice, and green bean casserole to those of you who don't speak Minnesotan )

Cook a half cup or so wild rice in a cup or so of water. Simmer until all of the water is absorbed.
Meanwhile: Take a 12"x12" pan and line the bottom with a handful of frozen green beans.
Mix wild rice, one can of Campbells cream soup (cream of mushroom works well, but any of them will do), a large dollop of sour cream, and one pound of thawed ground beef in a bowl, then spread over the green beans.
If you want, put a layer of mushroom slices (portabella are awesome) on the top.
Cook in a 350 degree oven for an hour or until the center is hot (I actually temp mine out to 160+).

[pamd]

It seems quite a few people who like bacon, and cheese, and eggs, have posted in this fun thread. Here's my contribution. It's really easy. I make my own "Bisquick" (recipe follows).

Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Delicious with fruit salad. Makes four to six servings.

Easy Bacon Pie

7-8 slices thick bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2/3 c. chopped scallions or onion
3/4 c. Bisquick
1-1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1/8 t. pepper

1. Heat oven to 360 degrees. Grease 9-inch glass pie plate. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion into pie plate.
2. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


******************

This homemade "Bisquick" has worked just as well as the packaged kind for everything in which I've used it, doesn't have transfats (although the packaged "Heart Healthy" Bisquick doesn't either) and is less expensive.

Homemade "Bisquick"

6 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. baking powder
1 T. salt
1 c. vegetable shortening (I use Earth Balance vegan shortening)

1. Mix flour, baking powder & salt into large bowl.
2. Cut in shortening w/pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
3. Store mixture in airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 months.
4. Use whenever your recipe calls for"bisquick mix".

Save up to three months in refrigerator, tightly covered.

[sirdarksol]

Been awhile since I posted a recipe.

Miso Teriyaki Noodles

This is an easy dish to make for only one person (which is why I made it tonight)

One serving of noodles (I used udon, but soba, ramen, or somen would work, too), prepared as per directions on package
One serving of protein (I used a frozen chicken breast, but I've done this with steak, pork, and tofu, as well)
1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
Handful of green veggies (peas, broccoli, edamame, etc...)
As much garlic as you want to add (it's good for you, throw a few cloves in), crushed
Miso (any kind)
Mirin
Soy sauce (or tamari)
Molasses, honey, corn syrup, or other syrupy sweetener

Cook the protein in olive oil.
Once it is cooked through, add the veggies and onions and let them cook for a few minutes.
Add a spoonful of miso, a dash of mirin, a dash of soy, and a dash of sweetener to the mix, stirring it well until the miso dissolves. Toss in the garlic and noodles, and stir well.

Serve and eat.

[pinkfloydpuffer]

Ooh! A recipe thread!
Here's a recipe that I modified myself

Chocolate Mint Granita
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
a whole bunch of chocolate mint leaves (or any other kind of mint leaves)

Boil the leaves in the water until the water turns a dark yellow color. Then mix in the sugar. (If the color bugs you, add a drop of blue food coloring to make it green ) Put the mixture in an ice cream maker, or in the freezer, stirring occasionally.

It's simple, but delicious. I based it on the Italian recipe for lemon granita.

[Butterfly]

How about a Breakfast Frittata?
6 eggs
2 tbls milk or water
1/2c chopped ham
1/4c chopped bell pepper
1/4c onion
1c shredded cheese
6 cooked bacon strips
or
6 link sausages
Whip eggs and milk(or water) like for scrambled eggs. Combine Ham, onions, bell peppers, 1/2c shredded cheese in bowl with eggs. Salt and pepper.
Pour mixture in no stick oven dish, top with cooked bacon strips or link sausage in a wheel spoke pattern. Cook at 350 degrees until eggs set.
Remove from oven sprinkle remaining 1/2c shredded Cheese on top. Let Set 5 minutes for cheese to melt, cut like pie with a bacon strip or link sausage with each serving.
Serve with fresh fruit (cantaloupe is my favorite)

[sirdarksol]

Butterfly, you read my mind. I just logged in to post something here. Your recipe looks wonderful. I think I'm going to try that tomorrow.

Bacon Wrapped Chesnuts
Canned, whole chesnuts
Bacon
Toothpicks.
Cut the bacon into strips that will wrap once around the chesnuts. Wrap them, using the toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.
Put on a cookie sheet, cook in 350 degree oven until bacon is cooked. You can cook at a higher temp for less time if you want crispier bacon. I like my bacon done but tender, so I prefer longer cook time at lower temp.
A friend makes these for our New Year's Eve party, and they are wonderful.

[Shawnie]

How to make an ice cream cake with the grandbabies (in my case LOL)
DSC02588.jpg <--layer of ice cream sandwiches

DSC02590.jpg <--layer of whipped cream and any type of candy bar or cookies cruched up ..
DSC02589.jpg <------.repeat twice or however big you want the cake


DSC02592.jpg <---finished product (payton loves it LOL)

freeze it overnight, and poof the kids think they are bakers!!
(learned this on the show 18 kids and counting ....love the Duggers!!!)

[aquarist48]

Thought I'd post this again here under the foods?
Another good treat for kids (and adults too) ....wash some grapes and then put them in a zip lock bag while they are still wet. Add 1 box of any flavored jello mix and cover them completely. Put some parchment paper on a pizza pan (any kind of pan really) spread the jello covered grapes onto it. Stick the pan in the freezer until frozen. I love 'em! After they are frozen place them in a clean zip lock bag and keep them frozen. Pull them out as you need or want them. Very tasty!

[aquarist48]

Oh 1 more. Take an angel food cake and slice it in half horizontally. Add any flavored ice cream on top of the bottom half (the ice cream will end up in the middle of the cake). Replace the top half of the cake on top of the ice cream. Cover it all with whipped cream and freeze it. It's sinful!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KyWildFish]

This one's not for those on a diet but its fantastic if you like pasta.

Shrimp Linguini with Mushroom White Wine Sauce:

1 (8 ounce) package linguini pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced (use Baby Portabella/Cremini if you can find them)
1/2 cup butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (to your liking)
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or dried, I use both)
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
2/3 cup white wine you would drink
1/2 pound cooked shrimp (I leave the tails on for flavor)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguini, and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, melt 1/2 cup butter with the minced garlic. Stir in the cream cheese, breaking it up with a spoon as it melts, this takes a while and looks like it wont work, I use some wine or pasta water to help some times. Stir in the parsley and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in boiling water or more wine until sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked shrimp and mushrooms, and heat through.
Toss linguini with shrimp sauce, and serve.

[sirdarksol]

I'm not going to bother writing a recipe for what I'm eating tonight: It's a simple stir-fry with rice.

However, one of my ingredients is something that I would never have thought to use if I hadn't been given a bento box cookbook for Christmas.
It's the daikon radish, the single most produced vegetable in Japan. Many people avoid it because they don't know anything about it and/or because they don't like radishes. I despise radishes. However, the daikon isn't like the spicy, red, round radishes we have. It is much milder, and makes an excellent seasoning in stir-fry. It's also supposedly a good digestive aid.

Many grocery stores carry them. They look like thick, white carrots.

[sirdarksol]

With the economy the way it is, I thought I'd offer something that is simple and money-saving: broth.

It takes a bit of time to make your own broth, but it's not really complicated. The best part about it, though, is that you can make it with the waste from other cooking endeavors.

What you need:
Stock pot (how big depends on how much broth you're going to make. You'll need at least the standard size pasta pot... the largest that comes with your typical set of pots and pans)
Cheese cloth or a wire sieve/colander (really fine mesh)
A second bowl or container at least as large as the stock pot. I usually just use another stock pot.

Vegetable bits
At the very least, you should have:
The peels of a half dozen potatoes
The ends and peels of a dozen carrots (or parsnips, or any mix thereof)
The outer few layers of several onions
The ends and bases of a bundle of celery

You can add nearly anything you'd like to this
If you're short on waste bits, you can always use whole vegetables, as well (though with potatoes, it's the peels that offer the most taste in the broth)

In addition, for flavoring, you'll need some herbs
Whole peppercorns (at least ten for a small pot. More as you like)
Bay leaves (three or four for a small pot)
Thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, savory, etc... Whole works well because it's easier to strain out.
Garlic (cloves cut in halves or thirds)
Salt

Put a tablespoon or two of olive oil or butter in the pot and put over a medium heat. Cut the vegetables into largish chunks and toss in the pot. All you're doing is lightly sauteing them. Once they have softened a little bit (and maybe browned a touch), add enough water to cover the veggies and then add a few more inches. Toss in whatever herbs you're using (except the salt) and bring to a boil. Boil the mix for an hour or so, until the water is fairly richly colored (the exact color will be determined by the veggies you use). Strain the veggies out by pouring the liquid through the sieve or cheesecloth. If you're using cheesecloth, squeeze as much out of the veggies as you can. If using a sieve, you can use a spoon to press the liquid out. Return the broth to the pan and bring back to a boil. Boil off a quarter of the water (or more) to strengthen the broth's flavor.

In addition to vegetables, you can make fish, chicken, or beef stock. Follow the above recipe, but add the remnants of a carcass (or carcasses) of a fish or chicken, or put the bones from a roast or other cut of beef in. You may want to wait to add the animal bits until after you strain the veggies out. If you do so, you can use the scraps of meat for whatever meal you are making (for example, if you are making chicken broth, you could use the chicken bits for chicken noodle soup).

[sirdarksol]

Another money-saving one:
Pasta sauce

Homemade pasta sauce tastes as good as the middle-to-high-end sauces you buy at the store (like Newman's Own) but only costs a third or a fourth as much.

What you need:
2 cans of tomato puree (often called tomato sauce) or canned tomatoes of any kind or fresh tomatoes (I can't remember the size of the cans... they're about the same size as a typical Campbell's soup can)
A medium onion (more or less as you like)
Half a green pepper (red or yellow will do, but the green darkens the sauce)
Basil (I use fresh, but dried works just as well)
Oregano (again, I use fresh, but dried is okay)
Salt and pepper
Garlic (in order of preference: whole clove, pre-chopped, or powder). At least four cloves. More to taste
Olive Oil
Your choice of sugar or baking soda (to cut the acidity)

You will need a food processor, blender, or other such machine, as well.

If you're using anything other than puree/sauce, you'll have to puree the tomatoes in the processor. You can make the sauce as smooth or as chunky as you'd like.

Coarsely chop the onion, pepper, and garlic (after skinning the garlic). Saute the pepper in a tablespoon of the olive oil. When it starts browning, add the onion and garlic and stir around just enough so that everything is coated with the oil. Put the veggies in the food processor (you'll need to add some of the tomato sauce if you're using a blender or the like) along with the herbs.
Once the veggies are processed, mix them with the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until it's the thickness you want. Add a quarter teaspoon of soda or a half teaspoon of sugar, check the acidity, and add more as needed. (if you add soda, it will foam for a bit. Stir until it stops)

As with any recipe, you can add things as you wish. I like tossing some red pepper in with the sauteing veggies for some spice. Celery is a good addition. You can brown some Italian sausage or other meat and add it to the sauce. The addition of heavy cream makes an excellent sauce. Parmesan cheese is another good addition.

[Tavel]

I use "LB Jamison's" stock...it's a paste that cubs in a tub. It's about $5 and makes 10 gallons of soup. I like it because you can grab just a teaspoon or so for sauce bases or rice flavoring.


I am going to use your pasta sauce recipe though, looks good.

I'll contribute my own recipe...FUDGE!

1 16oz can of sweetned condensed milk
1 lb chocolate chips or peanut butter chips (or any combo thereof)
1/2 stick butter

melt all the ingredients together in a double boiler or in the microwave. Line a glass baking an with wax paper, pour the fudge into the pan and set in the fridge for 2 hours. makes about 2lbs of fudge

[Tavel]

hmm...lets keep this thing going!

Refreshing Mint Tea!

1. bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 tea bags, remove from heat and let steep.
2. Remove tea bags and add 1/2 to 1 cup sugar -- depending on taste (raw sugar is excellent)
3. Add about 1/2 tsp spearmint mint extract -- peppermint is not suitable. (extracts vary in strength, you'll have to experiment.)
4. Add about 1 tbs lime juice -- make sure you add it while still hot, otherwise you'll end up with really gross bacterial blooms in a few hours (milky strands or overly "thick" tea)
5a. Add 4 cups of cold water
5b. Add 3 cups of water and 1 cup or white rum
6. Serve over ice!

Both versions taste the same, the rum is just for added "entertainment value."

A note on mint: You can certainly use fresh mint, but you should add just a touch of alcohol to help dissolve the oils -- maybe an ounce of vodka (will make it about 0.65% ABV -- negligible). It may also end up tasting leafy instead of minty...that's why I prefer the extract.