Topic: Recipes

[Kyle McGowan]

most of my favorites are seafood dishes, including a shrimp and scalops with breadcrumbs and a garlic sauce. i will try to get the recipie on here later, but in the mean time i found this site http://www.paleofood.com/

[riskysix]

     Do you guys ever get the craving for cookie dough? Well, never fear.
 I have a/the solution!!

Obviously, these are pretty high-fat-content, but none of the ingredients are processed,etc. btw I'm absolutely addicted to this stuff.
Here we go-

1 cup walnuts
1 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 and 1/2 cups whole dates(pit them)
3 tbsp. soynut or cashew nut butter
several hefty shakes of cinnamon

In a food processor, buzz up the toasted almonds so that they are medium-chunky, NOT sand-like. add the walnuts and buzz once or twice. Throw in your dates, cinnamon, and soynut butter and process. It should be at a dough-like consistency when you're finished. Trust me, this is a billion times better than it sounds!

[Andy Animus Tran]

I've been on a zucchini kick lately and been trying to do a lot without using too much bread (though, I admit, I had sauteed zuchinni today in a turkey sandwich).  This is one of the results of my musing experiments:

Crispy Beef-Stuffed Zuchinni

About 4 long zuchinnis
1/2 pound of ground beef
1 large white onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 carrot
1 egg
Paprika
Cumin
Crushed red pepper
Dried basil
Black pepper
EVOO

Beat the egg and add a TINY bit of water so it's not as thick.  Cut onion in half and chop one half finely.  Chop garlic finely.  Mix together, remove half of teh onion/garlic chops and put aside.  Chop carrot finely and mix with the other half of the onion/garlic.  Put aside.

Preheat oven to 350.  Cut zucchini length-wise and scoop out the innards.  Put aside into a bowl.  In a skillet, add a tiny bit of olive oil and under high enough heat to brown to a crisp, add the onion/garlic/carrot mixture.  You're not going to get too crispy here, just browned a bit.  Put into a bowl and set aside.

Saute the other onion/garlic mixture until coloured, then add beef.  As beef cooks, add spices as you see fit, mash up the zucchini innards and add to the mix.  Chop last half of onion into slices and add to mix along with the crushed red pepper.

Brush zucchini skins on both sides with the beat egg (or dip them), then sprinkle both sides with the browned onion/garlic/carrots thoroughly (along with the dried basil and black pepper).  Carefully add beef mixture into the halves, then place halves onto a cooking sheet beef-side-down.  Bake in oven until the egg mixture becomes golden and crispy.

You'll probably have some excess of the ground beef/zucchini innards mix, but the zucchini will  be served beef-up, so you can just keep it warm while the rest bakes, then top it off overstuffed.

Aaron, what two?  Muse is the one posting all the good stuff.  And she should know that she's made many a women smile.   

[Aaron Ream]

Aaron, what two?  Muse is the one posting all the good stuff.  And she should know that she's made many a women smile.  

"good stuff" is all a matter of opinions and taste. I find both yours and Muse's recipes a much higher quality than anything I could ever concieve on my own... that's healthy.

[Aaron Ream]

Try putting this in the recipies thread floating around here.

I'd try this, but people in my family are allergic to nuts... 

EDIT by Chris Salvato: Merged with Recipes   Just makes more sense that way.  Thanks for the heads up.

[Andy Animus Tran]

LoL..  I only post once every few months.  Nothing more frequent than other posts.  But thank you. 

[Muse_of_Fire]

Aaron, thank you very much. That's very kind of you. And Animus, you're too modest. Your recipes are fantastic! This last zucchini one sounds wonderful! I think we'll make that this weekend, chez Muse, actually. It's making my mouth water!

[Andy Animus Tran]

I made it without the egg batter once or twice before, and it's really soft and mushy like that.. not entirely that great.    But then I remembered this really crispy pancake thing my mother makes that's basically just egg and veggies and thought it could work out.  It's still not as crispy as I like, so I need to experiment and see how to do it better.

[tombos]

Here is my recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing. It's more "dressing" since I don't actually stuff it into the turkey (I'm scared of germs and I also don't like it soggy). Instead I bake it separately in a casserole.

I have been told that this is the best part of my Thanksgiving dinner. I don't have a "recipe" per se because I learned how to do Thanksgiving just by helping my mom in the kitchen since I was 5. So nothing is written down, it's just a series of steps and senses to the final product.

Preheat oven to 425 F.
1. Soak one 16-oz pk walnut halves/pieces in 16 oz of chicken broth. Set aside.
2. Brown 1-2 pkgs Jimmy Dean sage sausage in a heavy, deep skillet. Drain and set aside.
3. Saute sliced baby bella/crimini mushrooms in sausage drippings. Add 1-2 tablespoons butter as needed to keep moist. Saute until just golden but still not giving off much liquid. Add ground dried sage and thyme to taste and saute just until fragrant. Put shrooms in a bowl and set aside.
4. Melt 1 stick of butter in same skillet. When butter is bubbling and beginning to brown, add 1 large yellow onion, chopped; and 1 bunch celery, washed and chopped. Saute until just beginning to soften.
5. While vegetables are cooking, pour 1 pkg sage and onion flavored bread cubes (I prefer Brownberry brand) into a huge bowl. Pour mushrooms and their resulting juice, and drained sausage, into bread cubes. Mix well.
6. When celery and onions are ready, add these to bread cubes. Mix to incorporate.
7. Pour walnuts and broth into mixture and mix well.
8. Add 1-2 handfuls of orange-flavored Craisins and mix.
9. Pour all into a large casserole or lasagne pan and put in oven. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 30 minutes more or until heated through. For crisper bread crumbs (which I prefer), dot top with butter before baking, and bake for longer (until bread is to the consistency you like).

Bon appetit!

This sounds so good, would probably be awesome in some scrambled eggs the morning after if it's not all gone.

Seeing as how Thanksgiving is less than a month away does anyone have any Turkey dinner recipes I could use? I'm looking for something with a little more variation than the classic recipe that my mom usually cooks (20 pound turkey cooked for don't even know how long, filled with stuffing)

[Muse_of_Fire]

Are you looking for a variation on the whole dinner, or just ways to make the turkey?

Also, how many people are you cooking for, and what kinds of things do you (or don't you) want to eat this Thanksgiving?

I'd be happy to rustle up a Thanksgiving menu for you based on what you want. Let me know.

[Chris Salvato]

I'd be happy to rustle up a Thanksgiving menu for you based on what you want. Let me know.

Can you just come to CO and make my Thanksgiving dinner?  I promise I'll help cook if you make the turkey.

[Muse_of_Fire]

I'd be happy to rustle up a Thanksgiving menu for you based on what you want. Let me know.

Can you just come to CO and make my Thanksgiving dinner?  I promise I'll help cook if you make the turkey.

Awww. That's sweet. I'd be glad to, but I think my in-laws would be annoyed. It is our first Thanksgiving in our new "forever" home, and they are driving down to spend it with us. I am very, very excited to have our first "real, grown-up" Thanksgiving.

[Spencer B]

Why hasn't this been stickied or something?

[Muse_of_Fire]

Great-Grandma Taylor's Meatballs

This recipe was passed down to me from my grandma, who got it from her mom, who learned it from her mom and probably her mother before her, all the way from Norway. My grandma remembers her mom cooking it on a wood stove in a little farmhouse where she grew up. These are the most delicious Norwegian meatballs you will ever taste. And they are soooo easy to make! They are kind of fat-tacular, but I imagine that's not an issue for most of you anyhow.

Enjoy!

1/2 yellow onion, diced very fine
2 celery stalks, diced very fine
1 1/2 lbs ground beef*
1/2 lb ground pork*
1/2 cup dry, fine breadcrumbs
ground cloves to taste
ground allspice to taste
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
1 bay leaf for broth
4-8 cups beef stock
flour

Set broth to boiling in a large, deep stock pot with bay leaf. Mix all ingredients except for bay leaf and broth in a bowl. Form into 1" meatballs.** Coat meatballs in flour and drop into boiling broth. Cook at a fast simmer for 2-3 hours, or until broth is thickened from the flour on the meatballs, and meatballs are tender and cooked through. Serve with roasted root vegetables or over mashed potatoes (if you want to be really naughty).

*If possible, have your butcher grind the beef and pork together.

**It's easier/faster to form meatballs if you press the meat into a 1" high rectangle and then cut the rectangle in a 1" x 1" grid pattern. Tear off the squares and pat into spheres.

If necessary, thicken the gravy with cornstarch or a roux just before serving.

[Aaron Ream]

Why hasn't this been stickied or something?

I've been wondering this too *PM's a mod*

[Chris Salvato]

Muse already hit her quota for the amount of topics she can have sticky.  As a result, no sticky status! 

[Muse_of_Fire]

lol... there's a quota?!  

 

 

Just for fun, I will share with you the recipes for my entire Thanksgiving feast that I cooked and served today (well actually the cooking started two days ago, but...)

It was sort of French-influenced (go figure), but still mostly traditional.

MENU

Aperitif: Cranberry Royales, spiced nuts, walnuts & dried cranberries

Entree: Cream cheese & cranberry chutney with crackers, pickled green beans, cornichons

Plat principal: Traditional roasted turkey, my mom's dressing (the recipe for which is already posted in this thread), roasted sweet potatoes, green beans amandine, baguette with herbed butter

Wines: Kitfox Vineyards "Foxy White" 2006 (A blend, in descending order of quantity, of: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Orange Muscat, Riesling, Viognier, Gewurztraminer ) and Domaine Les Hautes Noelles Gamay 2007

(The white was a little sweet for my taste on its own but was a wonderful complement to the turkey dinner; the red was a little less structured than I prefer; I did not try it with the dinner but just had a sip afterward; maybe I'll give it a taste in earnest with the leftovers tomorrow)

Salade: Cucumber-dill salad

Fromages: Brie, Camembert, Smoked Gouda, Chevre

Dessert: Apple compote with vanilla ice cream

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

THE RECIPES

Cranberry Royales: splash about a shot of 100% cranberry juice in the bottom of a champagne flute. Top with a dry sparkling wine/champagne that is cheap enough that you can defile it with juice, but good enough that you can still respect yourself for drinking it. They're actually quite refreshing, and a nod to tradition with the cranberry. In my case, since the in-laws were coming over, I wanted to get the alcohol into my system right away.

Spiced nuts: Roast 18 oz. unsalted nuts of your choice in a 350* oven. Meanwhile, mix together, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt to taste, and 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves. Remove nuts from oven and pour butter mixture over all, stirring to coat. Serve warm.

Cream cheese & cranberry chutney: I had to punt on this because I couldn't find the locally-made cranberry chutney I usually get. So I mixed about equal parts cranberry relish (Earl's kitchen brand from Whole Foods) and a cherry-peach salsa I found, and blended that into 2 blocks of softened cream cheese. Serve with crackers.

Pickled green beans & cornichons: available at specialty delis.

Roasted turkey: I strayed from tradition this year (I have always used the buttered paper bag method), and instead made my turkey according to the instructions here: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/74/Classic-Roast-Turkey I also brined it for the first time, as the above website included brining as a step.

This was the best turkey I have ever made. Ever. It pretty much came out perfect. So moist and juicy, with golden-brown crispy skin. It looked just like a TV turkey, like the model for the Stove Top stuffing box. I will never make my turkey another way again.

Here is what I used for brine:

1 cup table salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar per gallon of spring water (I used 3 gal. for a 14-lb bird). I simmered this, stirring constantly until the solids dissolved and then added a handful of whole black peppercorns, juniper berries, and 2-3 cardamom pods. I let the whole mixture cool to room temperature and then submerged my turkey in it and left it covered on the back porch for 4 hours (it's been in the mid 30s here). After 4 hours I removed it from the brine, rinsed it off, and let it sit on the roasting rack over a drip pan, uncovered, in the fridge overnight (it was at least 8 hours, more like 10). Apparently letting the turkey dry out completely after brining is a critical step.

I then cooked the turkey pretty much exactly according to the directions on that website. So tasty.

I made gravy from the pan drippings, using chicken stock and demi-glace, thickening with cornstarch.

Mom's dressing: recipe elsewhere in this thread (I will try to find a link). And here is the link: http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php?topic=4361.msg83013;topicseen#msg83013

Roasted sweet potatoes: peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1" chunks. Mix together olive oil, cumin, hot curry powder, ground cloves, paprika, and salt to taste. Pour over sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Spread sweet potatoes in a single layer in a shallow baking pan and roast in a 400* oven until tender, with caramelized edges, about 40 min. Pour chicken stock over occasionally and deglaze pan, letting stock cook down. If you prefer crisper sweet potatoes, broil briefly just before serving, until the potatoes' edges are browned and crisp. (I don't really measure on this one; I go by smell, sorry--you'll just have to experiment to find what you like).

Green beans amandine: steam fresh green beans until bright green and just tender. Toss in serving dish with butter, fresh tarragon, and slivered almonds. Sprinkle with fleur de sel to taste just before serving.

Cucumber-dill salad: Peel and slice cucumbers. Remove seeds if you wish by slicing the cucumber lengthwise and scooping out seeds before cutting the cuke into thin slices. Top with dressing: blend together 8 oz. creme fraiche, splash of white vinegar (to thin to your preferred consistency; about 1-2 tablespoons), 2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, 1-2 teaspoons white sugar, salt to taste.

Herbed butter: Let soften a stick of butter. "Cream" butter together with about 4-6 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, using a soft spatula until herbs are incorporated throughout. Place butter in bowl and refrigerate if necessary until hardened to desired consistency for spreading.

Easy apple compote: Peel, core, and slice as many apples as you wish. Melt butter (I usually use 1 tablespoon butter per whole apple) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and 2 tablespoons brown sugar per apple, saute until sugar is melted (the longer you go the more caramel-y it will get). Add cinnamon to taste and blend well. Serve over crepes or vanilla ice cream.

Bon appetit!

[Andy Animus Tran]

This is a basic beef stew, pretty much, just.. with the stuff that somehow creeps its way into all of my cooking.  Replacing potatoes with sweet potatoes, as well.  >_>..  Be warned, it's spicy.

Beef Stew

1.5 lbs of cubed stewing beef
1 can/carton-thingy of beef stock
Lots of baby carrots
2 yellow onions
6 garlic cloves
2 sweet potatoes
Dried thyme
Dried basil
Dried parsley
Salt and pepper
Ground red pepper
Crushed Thai birdseye pepper
1 tbspn EVOO
3/4 cup of flour

Medium heat, large pot, EVOO and cubed beef.  Let that start cooking while you chop up the onions.  I like to have 1.5 onions chopped into large chunks and the last half an onion chopped into fine cubes.  Either way, stir up the beef to rotate it, then throw the onions in.  At this point, you can throw in the thyme, basil, and parsley as well, so the flavours seep into the meat.  The CRUSHED red pepper can go in now if you prefer it spicier, but be warned.. the longer that pepper browns in oil, the spicier it gets.  Otherwise, just wait till you throw the garlic in.  By the way, start mincing the garlic and throw it in.  Stir it all up.

Now go back and start chopping up the carrots (however many you like) into halves as well as skinning the sweet potatoes and cutting those up into chunks.  Stir up the pot again, then dump the flour in, followed by the stock.  Now you can also throw in the carrots and potatoes, stir, add salt and pepper (only a bit, you'll do it to taste later) and the ground red pepper.  I generally add more of the herbs here, too. Stir again, then cover and let it simmer for a few hours.

The rest of the time is basically spent checking up on it, stirring, and tasting it to see if you need to add anything else.  The only thing remarkable about this stew, really, is the spiciness.  Too much, and it's overbearing, because stews are rarely supposed to be spicy..  But if you get it right, there's just this kick and bite to it that complements and enhances the flavour of the stew.

[Andy Animus Tran]

I tried to do something Lebanese-ish, but it came out kinda bland.. Still good, though.  Muse, I was wondering if you'd have any suggestions?

...Weird.. Beef.. Zucchini.. Pita... Thing.

Ground beef
2 Zucchini
1/2 a large onion
4 garlic cloves
Whole wheat pita bread
Plain yoghurt
Cumin
Paprika
Basil
Parsley
EVOO

Chop the onions and garlic and begin caramelising them in the EVOO.  About halfway through, add in the chopped zuchinni.  When that starts to caramelise, you can add the beef.  Just get it to cook thoroughly, adding spices and herbs as you see fit and to taste (looots of cumin).  And when it's all cooked, you're pretty much done.

Spread out plain yoghurt on the pita bread and make yourself a little sandwich.

[Muse_of_Fire]

I tried to do something Lebanese-ish, but it came out kinda bland.. Still good, though.  Muse, I was wondering if you'd have any suggestions?

...Weird.. Beef.. Zucchini.. Pita... Thing.

Ground beef
2 Zucchini
1/2 a large onion
4 garlic cloves
Whole wheat pita bread
Plain yoghurt
Cumin
Paprika
Basil
Parsley
EVOO

Chop the onions and garlic and begin caramelising them in the EVOO.  About halfway through, add in the chopped zuchinni.  When that starts to caramelise, you can add the beef.  Just get it to cook thoroughly, adding spices and herbs as you see fit and to taste (looots of cumin).  And when it's all cooked, you're pretty much done.

Spread out plain yoghurt on the pita bread and make yourself a little sandwich.

Here's how I would punch it up, Animus:

1. Use light olive oil as opposed to EVOO. EVOO is more fruity tasting and can diminish "strong" flavors. Also, reduce the amount of oil you're using, you want to use the fat in the meat to flavor the vegetables,rather than the oil, because it's more flavorful. Too much olive oil will compete with the meaty flavor.

2. Saute the garlic by itself for a few moments in the oil, just to flavor it. Then add the ground beef and brown it. Remove meat from pan to drain and saute the onion in the meat drippings, adding the zucchini shortly thereafter. As the vegetables start to give off water, use the liquid to deglaze the pan.

3. Eliminate the basil and parsley. They are "sweeter" flavors and you want something more savory. Cumin is good as is paprika. I'd also recommend using Zatar, a Middle-Eastern seasoning blend, (you can use thyme if Zatar isn't available, as it's a main ingredient in Zatar), and a shot or two of cinnamon.

4. Don't caramelize the onions. This brings out a sweet flavor and you want them to still be snappy-tasting. Yellow onion (not a sweet variety like Vidalia, but just a standard Spanish yellow onion) is good. Saute the onions in the beef drippings until they're just starting to sweat, then add the zucchini and use the liquid to deglaze the pan. Then return the meat to the pan and add your spices, mixing to incorporate. You may need to add a little water or beef stock to keep the pan moist if things are starting to stick. Add salt (I was puzzled to see there was no salt in the recipe--salt is the easiest way to make foods taste more like themselves!)

5. Toast the pita bread in the oven; it only takes a few seconds. You can also brush it with olive oil and shake a little Zatar over it before toasting. You just want it a little crisp but still flexible enough to stuff with your meat.

6. I would add finely chopped, peeled cucumber, a pinch or two of sugar, and a little white vinegar and chopped parsley to the yogurt, to make a thinnish "dressing" to pour over the fillings.

Hope that helps!