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1.Monkey.
Déc 13, 2016, 4:16 am

Here's our cozy little kitchen to discuss the tasty recipes we've made/discovered! Found something that sounds incredible? Share it here! Created your own dazzling dish? Tell us all about it!

2kidzdoc
Déc 28, 2016, 12:06 pm

I was the hospital pediatrician on call on Christmas Day, and worked from a little after 7 am until nearly 10 pm. The nurses on the 3rd floor invited me to have Christmas lunch with them. The hospital provided a ham and turkey from HoneyBaked Ham, and nearly everyone else made or brought something from home. My contribution was Emeril's Slow-Cooker Chili, from the famed New Orleans chef Emeril Lagasse, which I haven't made in two or three years. I prepared it on Christmas Eve after work, and let it cook overnight. It was a big hit, as several people said it was the best chili they had ever had. I'd also agree with that assessment, not because I'm a great cook (I'm just a technician who can successfully follow instructions), but because the recipe is outstanding.



Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried Mexican or regular oregano, crumbled between your fingers
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar
4 pounds boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery, including leaves
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 jalapeño chiles, roughly chopped
One 12-ounce bottle dark Mexican beer, such as Negro Modelo
2 tablespoons tomato paste
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour, not cornstarch)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Grated cheddar cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onion, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions:

Combine the chili powder, cumin seeds, cayenne, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaves and brown sugar in a small bowl; set the spice mixture aside.

Add the beef to a medium bowl and season with the pepper and 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch or larger skillet over high heat. Add enough beef to fill the pan and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding the remaining vegetable oil between batches as necessary.

Add the onions, celery, and 1 tablespoon of the remaining salt to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeños and spice mixture and cook for 1 minute longer. Pour in the beer, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the chocolate, masa harina and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook the chili on high, undisturbed or stirring only once during cooking, for 6 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the cilantro and parsley. Serve the chili hot in bowls, topped with grated cheddar, chopped green onion and sour cream.
__________________________________________

The chili came nearly to the brim of my six quart slow cooker. We started lunch at around 1:30, and by 7 pm it was completely gone! It has a rich smoky flavor, with slight hints of chocolate and cinnamon and a mild amount of heat from the peppers at the end. I brought two cups of chili to a lovely young couple whose very frail baby girl has a severe genetic disorder who I've become particularly fond of, and their 3 year old son ate nearly all of his mother's chili with relish, so it isn't as hot as it would seem to be.

Two people who tried the chili said that Emeril Lagasse's Macaroni with 4 Cheeses! recipe is also amazing, so I'll give that a try very soon.

3.Monkey.
Déc 28, 2016, 12:09 pm

Sounds like a winner! :) I'm not too big on chili, but I am definitely saving that mac recipe! :P

4kidzdoc
Jan 7, 2017, 3:38 pm

My first new recipe of 2017 comes from a Google search I did two days ago, after I suspected that last night's winter storm in Atlanta might keep me indoors all weekend. I had a pound of ground lamb in my freezer, a container of cremini mushrooms, and plenty of uncooked pasta, which I thought would go well together in the right recipe. One of the recipes that popped up in my search was One Pot Mediterranean Lamb & Mushroom Pasta, which looked amazing and seemed to be exactly what I was looking for.



Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground lamb
1 cup baby bella (cremini) mushrooms (diced)
1 cup onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground oregano
½ cup red wine
2 cups diced roma tomatoes
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups macaroni noodles
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Instructions:

Add the olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.

Add the ground lamb, mushrooms and onion. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then add the garlic.

Cook for 1-2 minutes, then drain any grease from the pot.

Add the cinnamon, cayenne pepper, ground cloves and oregano. Pour the red wine, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce into the pot.

Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and chicken broth.

Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the noodles are tender and the liquid has cooked down.

Top with the grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
_________________________________________________________

I had to make a few minor substitutions, based on what I had on hand: I used two shallots instead of a cup of onion, penne rigate in place of macaroni, and a mixture of hand diced San Marzano peeled tomatoes and Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with habañeros instead of diced Roma tomatoes. I also used closer to 3 cups of pasta instead of the two called for in the recipe, so that I would use up the remaining pasta I had left over in my already opened box and because the amount of it didn't seem to be enough (and I think I was right on that account). Per the photo on the recipe's web page I also added some sliced Italian parsley along with the Parmesan cheese. This tastes just as good as it looks, and I'll add it to my rotation of favorite recipes.

5AnnieMod
Jan 7, 2017, 4:12 pm

>4 kidzdoc: Hm... that should work with any ground meat (with a different set of spices based on the meat - a little hard to find lamb around here). Sounds like something that I really need to try.

6kidzdoc
Jan 7, 2017, 4:21 pm

>5 AnnieMod: Right, Annie. I can easily get packaged ground lamb and other cuts of lamb at Publix, my local supermarket. I think this would taste fine with ground beef or even ground turkey, but as you said a different set of spices would be required.

7kaylaraeintheway
Jan 7, 2017, 5:05 pm

Most of Arkansas got about 2 inches of snow late Thursday night, so naturally my whole town shut down. Being a California girl myself with absolutely no confidence when it comes to driving a minivan in the snow, I raided my cupboards and luckily found all the ingredients for the Pioneer Woman's 7-Can Soup. It's incredibly easy and perfect for a cold winter night. The flavors are amazing, especially considering all the ingredients come from a can. Recipe below!

Ingredients:
1 can meat-only chili
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can corn
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Directions:
Without draining, empty the 7 cans into a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Dice the cheese and stir into soup until melted. Serve immediately.


Photo courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com

8RidgewayGirl
Jan 7, 2017, 5:12 pm

>7 kaylaraeintheway: Hmm, I'm thinking I should have those seven cans on hand in the pantry. It would be useful to have the ability to make a quick soup at a moment's notice.

9kidzdoc
Jan 8, 2017, 10:30 am

Everyone knows how to make a cheese omelet, but I just tried a new recipe that I loved and thought that I would share it with you. It's by the British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, and he calls it a silky omelet. What's different about this recipe, at least for me, is that it's cooked on medium high heat for only a few seconds in a large nonstick frying pan, as the beaten egg is swirled around the pan, the cheese is added on top, and the omelet is taken almost immediately off the heat and folded over multiple times. This produces multiple layers of thin egg with cheese between those layers. I used grated four cheese Mexican blend from Publix, and topped the egg with chives and a few spritzes of hot sauce. It was moist, delicate, and tasted great, and I'll make cheese omelets this way from now on.



Here's the recipe, via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIBlZZJGzPM

10mabith
Jan 12, 2017, 12:10 pm

I'd like to cook more proper recipes this year, though with the cleaning I need to do (I have chronic pain and very limited standing time), it probably won't happen yet. I have made this soup twice though (without the dumplings). It's one of my mom's favorites from the old Vegetarian Epicure.

Pea Soup with Butter Dumplings

Soup:
4 cups shelled peas (using frozen is really best and dried peas will NOT work)
4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
salt and fresh ground black better
1/2 cup light Rhine wine
4 1/2 Tablespoons butter
4 1/2 Tablespoons flour

Dumplings:
6 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt

Soup: Cook the peas in the water and sugar until they are quite soft, about 1/2 hour (frozen shouldn't need quite that long). Then press the soup through a sieve or put it in the blender for a few moments. Blend longer than you think you need because the super thin pea skins seem indestructible. Season this thin puree with salt and pepper and stir in the wine.

Melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the flour. Let the roux cook over a very low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Then stir in a cup or two of the soup and whisk until smooth. Return the thickened soup to the rest and blend well.

Dumplings: To make the batter, soften the butter as much as possible, short of melting it. Beat the eggs with the flour and beat in the butter. Season with salt and nutmeg. Drop the batter into gently boiling soup by half-teaspoons. When the dumplings have risen to the top, they will need five more minutes before they are done.

Serves 5-6.

It doesn't sound like much, but for some reason I absolutely adore it. I usually don't make the dumplings, though they're delicious, since I've generally had fresh baked bread about (and there's the butter content). I'd recommend halving the dumpling recipe even if you're making the full quantity of soup.

11janemarieprice
Jan 16, 2017, 10:18 am

Made this pretty quick pasta last night. I skipped the first step and just threw the garlic in with the onion, pancetta mix. Also threw all the broccoli rabe in at the same time with stock instead of water. Overall highly recommended. It made a good soupy style sauce which is one of my favorites for pasta.



Pappardelle with Pancetta, Broccoli Rabe, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 large bunch broccoli rabe (also called rapini; generous 1 pound), stems sliced 1/2 inch thick, tops cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup water
1 8.8-ounce package dried pappardelle pasta
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus additional for serving
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Discard garlic. Add onion, pancetta, and fennel seeds to skillet; sauté until onion is tender and pancetta begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add dried crushed red pepper, then broccoli rabe stems and cook 4 minutes to soften slightly, stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli rabe tops, sprinkle with salt, and add 1 cup water. Cover and cook until stems and tops are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

Add pasta to skillet with broccoli rabe and stir over low heat to combine, adding reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten if necessary. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup cheese. Season to taste with salt and generous amount of pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve, passing additional cheese separately.

12Nickelini
Jan 17, 2017, 11:52 pm

After 20 years of either being self-employed and setting my own schedule or working part-time, I've just gone back to work full time with rather long days. I'm now on the lookout for your best crock pot or slow cooker recipees. My family tries to limit our meat intake, and increase our vegetables. If anyone has any fabulous gems, please share!

13wandering_star
Modifié : Jan 18, 2017, 9:13 am

>9 kidzdoc: and >11 janemarieprice: these look particularly great. I am reading this as I eat dinner and even so they are making me hungry!

14janemarieprice
Jan 18, 2017, 10:02 am

>12 Nickelini: I've only tried a couple things in the crock pot but the best I've had is unfortunately meat heavy but very tasty Alton Brown's Pepper Pork Chops.

One of my favorite websites for recipes though is Tastespotting which basically functions as a search engine for various food blogs and stuff. Could be worth browsing as well.

15Nickelini
Jan 18, 2017, 8:44 pm

>14 janemarieprice: Thanks for that info. I'll check out Tastespotting -- a new one for me. I've been lazy lately and just use Pinerest, but am running into too many garbage links, so a new resource is great.

I'll tuck the pork chop recipe away. Currently we are trying to avoid meat and especially pork due to the news report that said pigs know what's happening when they go to slaughter (how do they know that they know? No idea, but if it's at all possible, that makes me sick). But there will be a time when we eat meat.

16mabith
Jan 18, 2017, 10:31 pm

>12 Nickelini: Joyce, check your library for the Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker cookbooks. They're the slow cooker resources we swear by and there are a number of volumes.

Interesting about pigs. They're incredibly smart animals. I find myself very annoyed with people who are fine eating other animals but are appalled that anyone eats horse meat, with animal intelligence sometimes being claimed as the issue when pigs are almost certainly smarter. Everyone should have choice about what they themselves eat, but trying to rope off certain animals for EVERYONE (especially by people who eat other types of meat) makes me see red.

17.Monkey.
Jan 19, 2017, 2:36 am

Yep, pigs are super intelligent, it horrifies me how they are treated and that people don't give a shit, just hand over the bacon and all is well. :| Unfortunately though veg I don't do slowcooking, so I have no resources to help there.

18kidzdoc
Modifié : Jan 19, 2017, 7:22 pm

>11 janemarieprice: That looks fabulous, Jane. I'll make that soon, possibly as early as this coming weekend.

>12 Nickelini: I did make two recipes from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla last year that I liked, which I posted to Club Cucina last year. Here they are again:

Aloo Baingan (Spicy Punjabi Eggplant with Potatoes)



Ingredients:

* 3 large eggplants, diced, about 12 cups
* 1 large potato (russet or yellow), peeled, diced, about 2 cups
* 1 medium red or yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
* 1 piece (2 inches long) ginger, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch matchsticks
* 6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 3 to 4 Thai or serrano chilies, chopped or sliced lengthwise
* 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
* 1 tablespoon red chili powder
* 1 tablespoon garam masala
* 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
* ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1. Put the eggplant, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies, cumin, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric and oil in a slow cooker. Cook on low, 3 hours.

2. Remove the lid; cook, 2 hours (to dry up some of the moisture released by the eggplant).

3. Add the salt and cilantro. Serve with roti or naan, or stuffed inside a pita pocket.

Note: You will need a 5-quart slow cooker to fit all the vegetables. If your slow cooker is smaller, try cutting back on the quantities by one-third.
_________________________________

My comments: I used one russet potato and four serrano chiles. I tasted it after I took the lid off, and was worried that it would be too hot to eat. Fortunately mixing it into basmati rice tempered the spices and provided a nice balance to it. I think I would cook it uncovered for 90 minutes instead of two hours, as it's a wee bit on the dry side, and use half of the sea salt. This recipe makes seven cups of eggplant, and with a roughly equal amount of rice I'll get seven servings out of this. This didn't knock my socks off after I initially made it, but I loved it the following day and subsequently.

Aloo Gobi (Spiced Cauliflower with Potatoes)

Ingredients:

* 1 large cauliflower, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups/1.89 L)
* 1 large potato (russet or yellow), peeled and diced (about 2 cups/473 mL)
* 1 medium yellow or red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
* 1 (2-inch (5 cm)) piece ginger, peeled and minced
* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, minced, or grated
* 3-4 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed, chopped or sliced lengthwise
* 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cumin seeds
* 1 tablespoon (15 mL) red chile powder
* 1 tablespoon (15 mL) garam masala (see Notes)
* 1 tablespoon (15 mL) salt
* 1 teaspoon (5 mL) turmeric powder
* 3 tablespoons (50 mL) vegetable or canola oil
* 1 heaping tablespoon (20 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients except the cilantro in the slow cooker. Mix well.

2. Cook on low for 3 hours. Mix once or twice during cooking, especially in the beginning. Eventually the cauliflower will release enough liquid to prevent anything from sticking to the sides of the slow cooker.

3. Add cilantro. Mix well but gently so as not to break up the cauliflower. Serve with roti or naan and a side of onion and cucumber salad.
______________________________________

My comments:I did add a tomato, as Anupy Singla in The Indian Slow Cooker said that her foodie father liked it that way. I used three serrano chiles instead of four, but it was still very spicy, although having it over basmati rice gave it a perfect balance. I also liked it immediately after it finished cooking, but I loved it after a day or two in the refrigerator.

This cookbook contains 50 recipes, of which all but eight are vegetarian. I loved both aloo dishes, and many of the other ones in the book are also very appealing.

I also have a recipe for white chicken chili which is made in the slow cooker. I'm glad to share that one as well if it's of interest to you, or anyone else.

19kidzdoc
Jan 19, 2017, 7:26 pm

Here's the recipe for white chicken chili, which I got from my group's former practice manager:



Heather's White Chicken Chili

A take on the Mayo Clinic's recipe so it is healthy (until you add the sour cream and cheese...ha!)

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs raw chicken breasts (seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper)
• 3 cups canned white beans (northern, pinto, garbanzo, etc)
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium orange or yellow pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 6 tbsp shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 oz low-fat baked tortilla chips (about 65 chips)

Directions:
• In a crockpot add the first 12 ingredients. Adjust crockpot to medium heat for 4-6 hours. Check around 4 hours and pull chicken apart to shred it. Continue cooking another 30 minutes-1 hour.
• Ladle into warmed bowls. Sprinkle each serving with cheese, cilantro and sour cream (if desired). Serve with baked chips on the side (about 6 to 8 chips with each serving of chili).

The first time I made it I misread Heather's instructions and used 3 cans of white beans instead of three cups. I actually like it better that way, so I've continued to use the extra beans. I also use less chicken broth (2 cups instead of 4), as it is very wet with that much broth.

20RidgewayGirl
Jan 20, 2017, 7:51 am

>12 Nickelini: Joyce, I could hunt down the recipe, although I've make it often enough to not use it, but ratatouille is perfect for the slow cooker and the kids love it on pasta with parmesan. It's just a matter of dumping all the chopped onions, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers in the cooker along with some olive oil, tomato paste and spices and leaving it alone.

21kidzdoc
Jan 21, 2017, 10:59 am

I was off from work yesterday after working four nights in a row, and I tried two new recipes. The first was Asparagus Bacon Quiche:



Ingredients:
1 store bought prepared pie crust*
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces
6 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 green onions, sliced
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
1 1/2 cup white cheese, shredded (jack and muenster)
6 strips of smoky bacon, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a removable bottom 9.5-inch tart pan with non stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium skillet saute mushrooms with oil until golden.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the asparagus.
6. Bring water to a boil; add asparagus and boil 1 minute.
7. Drain immediately and set aside to cool.
8. Roll out the prepared pie crust, press into the sides of the tart pan.
9. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs, add the cream and stir together.
10. Add the onions, red pepper, shredded cheese, cooled mushrooms, cooled asparagus and bacon.
11. Salt and pepper to taste.
12. Gently fold all ingredients together and pour into prepared tart pan.
13. Set pan on a cookie sheet, bake 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
14. Cool in the pan 15 minutes before removing the tart pan sides.
____________________________________
* I used the recipe for oat crust found in the Caramelized Onion, Mixed Mushroom and Gruyere Quiche recipe that I'm very fond of.

I cooked the quiche for an additional 10 minutes, as the center was still very wet, possibly because I used a bit more cheese and asparagus than the recipe called for. As a result, the top of the quiche is a bit browner than it ideally should be. It still tasted good and not burnt, though, and it is very filling. I can't really taste the bacon in this recipe, and I would say that it isn't essential, so this could be easily converted into a vegetarian recipe. I had never roasted peppers before, but I found a good online source (http://toriavey.com/how-to/2010/02/roasted-bell-peppers/) that gave me good instructions on how to do so. I love this quiche, and this recipe will be added to my list of favorites.

22kidzdoc
Jan 21, 2017, 11:01 am

I also tried Emeril Lagasse's Macaroni with 4 Cheeses! recipe:





Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon Emeril's Red Hot Sauce
8 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated fontina cheese
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Essence or Creole Seasoning

Instructions:

In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, hot sauce and 4 ounces of the grated parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander and return the macaroni to the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the bechamel sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside.

Using the remaining tablespoon of butter, grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole and set aside.

In a large bowl combine 4 ounces of the remaining parmesan cheese, cheddar, fontina and gruyere cheeses. Toss to combine.

Place one-third of the macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with one-third of the mixed cheeses. Top with another third of the macaroni and another third of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 ounce of grated parmesan, and the Essence and toss to combine.
Sprinkle this over the top of the macaroni and cheese.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
______________________________________

I substituted pecorino romano for Parmigiano-Reggiano, and used Tabasco sauce with habañero peppers and Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning; otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter. This produced a very thick and cheesy mac & cheese, which I prefer infinitely over runny or watery recipes. The bread crumb topping was perfect, and the spices give it a proper New Orleans flavor. My father's amazing mac & cheese recipe remains my all time favorite, but this outstanding one falls right behind it.

23janemarieprice
Jan 21, 2017, 11:18 am

>21 kidzdoc: Sounds yummy. I've never made a quiche before so maybe I should try this out.

24.Monkey.
Jan 21, 2017, 11:39 am

Oohhhh those both look so good!

25kidzdoc
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 5:26 pm

>23 janemarieprice: You're a much more accomplished cook than me, Jane, so you'll make it better than I did.

>24 .Monkey.: Thanks! The second photo of the mac & cheese is a bit deceiving, as I cut a small portion just after it came out of the oven. Once it cooled down it was a much thicker preparation, which is how I like it.

ETA: This isn't a great photo, but it does show the consistency of the mac & cheese after I heated a slice of it in my toaster oven this afternoon:

26lyzard
Jan 21, 2017, 4:37 pm

I seem to have been too late with a question on the 2016 thread, so I'll re-post it here:

Darryl, with regard to your Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe, can you explain how fat-free half-and-half works? I thought the point of H&H was the fat content (around 10%)? What are you aiming for with fat-free? (We don't have H&H here, so in order to substitute it, first I have to understand it!)

And a second question:

>7 kaylaraeintheway:

What is Rotel?

All a search brings up here is Japanese electronics! :)

27janemarieprice
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 5:16 pm

>26 lyzard: Ro-tel is a canned tomatoes and green chilies concoction that is quite delicious though I doubt you'd be able to find it there as I've had trouble finding it outside of the south. But if you can get green chilies you can mix with chopped tomatoes and it works out.

28lyzard
Jan 21, 2017, 5:12 pm

Thanks!

29kidzdoc
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 5:25 pm

>26 lyzard: Half & half, as you know, is a mixture of 1/2 milk and 1/2 heavy cream, which has a fat content of 10-11%; I believe that it's called half cream in the UK. In fat free half & half, which is sold in the US, the fat is removed and replaced with corn syrup and a thickener. The chicken gnocchi recipe I used called for it; however, I've subsequently read information online that suggests that it isn't a particularly healthy or recommended product despite the removal of fat from it. So, in the future when I make this recipe I'll use regular half & half instead.

30lyzard
Modifié : Jan 21, 2017, 5:29 pm

No, the corn syrup thing definitely sounds unappealing (and certainly no healthier!).

Thanks, Darryl. We don't have H&H or an equivalent here, but we do have all sorts of milk + cream substitution charts. :)

31kidzdoc
Jan 22, 2017, 7:45 pm

I tried a new recipe today, Emeril Lagasse's Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Soup, which didn't turn out as I expected it to:



INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chicken (3 pounds) boned, skinned, and visible fat removed, breast meat diced, (save the bones and carcass)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 bay leaves
5 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such as green beans, zucchini, yellow squash,tomatoes,and bell peppers small dice
1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
Pinch crushed red pepper
3 quarts chicken stock
1 pound assorted small dried pasta shapes, such as stars, tubes, shells, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken bones, thighs and wings with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken bones thighs and wings and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the meat and bones are brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for 6 minutes until the vegetables have wilted. Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.

Add the chopped vegetables, spinach, and crushed red pepper and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken bones to a baking sheet or platter and set aside to cool. Add the chicken breast meat and then add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the breast meat is cooked all the way through. Re- season if necessary. Pull all of the meat off the chicken bones, thighs and wings and add it back to the pot. Serve hot. Ladle the soup into thermoses and seal tightly with the lid. Place a spoonful of the parsley into each bag and seal completely. At lunch time, garnish your soup with the parsley.
_______________________________________

I made several modifications to this recipe. I was too lazy didn't want to go to the trouble of deboning a whole chicken, so I used four chicken thighs, taking off the skin and leaving the bone in, and two boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. I'm not particularly fond of string beans, so I used zucchini, butternut squash, sweet corn, tomatoes and a red bell pepper as chopped fresh vegetables, although the sweet corn was of the frozen variety. I had closer to seven cups of veggies instead of the five called for in the recipe. I used one pound of medium shells instead of a variety of pastas. I couldn't find fresh basil at Publix, so I used one tbsp of dried sweet basil instead. And, I realized that my large soup pot was too small to contain all of the soup, so I roughly split the soup between it and my Dutch oven, but after it was finished cooking the total amount barely fit into my large soup pot.

However, as you might be able to see in the photo, there isn't much liquid in this soup! I heated a container of it on my stove top for dinner not long ago, and all of the liquid had evaporated:



So, I think I'll call this Emeril's Chicken & Vegetable Pasta instead. Although it looks nothing like the photo featured on the web page it is a moist and flavorful pasta that can be eaten with a spoon or fork, and it is now my favorite pasta recipe. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry, but in this case it worked out for the best.

32kaylaraeintheway
Jan 23, 2017, 10:35 am

>27 janemarieprice: thanks for clearing that up! :)

33.Monkey.
Jan 24, 2017, 5:49 am

>31 kidzdoc: It does look good, though, and I'm a fan of less broth, so it'd be great for me, lmao.

34kidzdoc
Mar 12, 2017, 5:47 pm

I've been away from LT for most of the past two months, due to a very busy work schedule, but I have tried several new recipes that I've liked, which I'll post here in the near future. This afternoon I made Vegetarian Chili with Winter Vegetables, which comes from The New York Times' Vegetarian Comfort Food collection:



Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
*1 recipe Simmered Pintos*
*2 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil
*1 onion, finely chopped
*1 large or 2 medium carrots, cut in small dice
*1 red pepper, diced (optional)
*2 large garlic cloves, minced
*3 tablespoons mild ground chili (or use hot, or use more)
*1 tablespoon lightly toasted cumin seeds, ground
*1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
*1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
*2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
*2 cups diced winter squash (about 3/4 pound)
*Salt to taste
*1/2 cup chopped cilantro
*Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack, or crumbled queso fresco for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Heat the beans on top of the stove in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy nonstick skillet and add the onion, carrot and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, stir together until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the ground chili and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture begins to stick to the pan. Add the tomatoes and oregano, and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is beginning to stick to the pan, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste dissolved in water and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt to taste and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and fragrant.

3. Stir the tomato mixture into the beans. Add the winter squash and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes. It is important to stir often so that the chili doesn’t settle and stick to the bottom of the pot. It should be thick; if you desire you can thin out with water. Taste and adjust salt.

4. Shortly before serving stir in the cilantro and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls. If you wish, top with grated cheddar, Monterey jack, or crumbled queso fresco.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Advance preparation: The simmered beans can be made 3 or 4 days ahead and the chili will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. You will probably want to thin it out with water is it will continue to thicken. It freezes well.

*Recipe for simmered pintos:

Ingredients:
*1 pound (about 2 1/4 cups) pinto beans, washed and picked over for stones, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight in 2 quarts water
*1 medium onion, cut in half
*2 to 4 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
*1 bay leaf
*Salt to taste (I think beans need a lot, at least 1 teaspoon per quart of water used)

Instructions:
1. Place beans and soaking water in a large, heavy pot. Add halved onion and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam that rises, then add garlic and bay leaf, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Add salt and continue to simmer another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until beans are quite soft and broth is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard onion and bay leaf. For the best flavor refrigerate overnight.
________________________________________

I didn't have dry pinto beans in my cabinet, so I bought a pound this morning, and let them soak for 4 hours. I let them simmer for 1-1/2 hours, while I ate lunch and prepared the other ingredients for the chili. I used the bottom half of a butternut squash, which provided a little over two cups, along with sunflower oil and plain oregano, as I don't have Mexican oregano and didn't see any at Publix this morning. I drained and reserved the liquid from the simmered pinto beans, and used some of it instead of tap water to add to the chili. It tastes very good, and although it was a time consuming recipe I did get six servings out of it, so it was worth it. I'll probably have it with sliced avocado and possibly grated sharp cheddar cheese.

35kidzdoc
Juil 17, 2017, 1:14 pm

I tried a new recipe the Sunday before last, Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad, which I loved:





Here's the recipe, courtesy of Café Delites:

Ingredients
Marinade/Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic , minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper , to taste
(1 pound | 500 g) 4 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets (or chicken breasts)

Salad:

4 cups Romaine (or Cos) lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1 large cucumber, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives (or black olives), sliced (optional)
Lemon wedges, to serve

Whisk together all of the marinade/dressing ingredients in a large jug. Pour out half of the marinade into a large, shallow dish. Refrigerate the remaining marinade to use as the dressing later.

Add the chicken to the marinade in the bowl; marinade chicken for 15-30 minutes (or up to two hours in the refrigerator if time allows). While waiting for the chicken, prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl.

Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked through.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes; slice and arrange over salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining UNTOUCHED dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.
______________________________________________________________

I used at least twice as many sliced Kalamata olives as was called for in the recipe. I also used grape tomatoes instead of Roma tomatoes, as you can see. This turned out great, and the recipe makes six full servings of salad which I had multiple times for lunch and dinner last week, and for lunch just now (the first photo shows only half of the amount of salad). Now that it's summer in Hotlanta I prefer to have plenty of cold salads on hand, and this recipe will be added to my list of favorites.

36kidzdoc
Modifié : Juil 24, 2017, 2:36 pm

I made three new recipes this weekend, and plan to make at least two more during the week. The first one was Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing, which Janet (streamsong) from the 75 Books group mentioned on her thread recently:





Here's the recipe, courtesy of Budget Bytes:

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
1/2 red onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 bunch parsley

LEMON TAHINI DRESSING:

1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt

SPICED CHICKPEAS:

15 oz can chickpeas
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop the cauliflower into small florets and place them on a large baking sheet. Slice the red onion into 1/4-inch strips and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle the cauliflower and onions with olive oil and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Toss the cauliflower and onions until coated in oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast the cauliflower and onions in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then stir, return them to the oven, and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and browned on the edges. Let the cauliflower cool slightly.

While the cauliflower and onions are roasting, make the lemon tahini dressing. Add the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas. Add them to a skillet along with the olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook the chickpeas over medium heat for about five minutes, or until they sizzle and become slightly crispy. Remove the chickpeas from the heat.

Pull the parsley leaves from their stems and roughly chop the leaves into small pieces (about 1.5 cups loosely packed, once chopped).

To build the salad, combine the roasted cauliflower and onions in a bowl with the spiced chickpeas and chopped parsley. Drizzle the lemon tahini dressing over top, and toss to combine. Serve warm or cold.
________________________________________________________

I liked this salad far better than Janet did! It is bursting with flavor, highlighted by the tangy and nutty taste of the tahini, with a hint of sweetness provided by the caramelized red onion. My only cautionary comment about this recipe is that the dressing is about twice as much as the salad requires, and as a result my salad was a bit drenched in it. This salad can be served cold or warm, as an entrée or side salad (I'll have some, along with a southwestern salmon burger from Publix, for lunch shortly).

37kidzdoc
Juil 24, 2017, 2:35 pm

The weekend before last one of my medical school classmates made a Low Country Boil, which looked fabulous (the Low Country, for those of you outside of the US, is the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, which includes the cities of Myrtle Beach, Charleston and Savannah). One of the nurses I worked with also recently posted a video of a recipe named Shrimp Boil Foil Packs that could be cooked on the grill or in the oven, so I modified that recipe and gave it a try on Saturday, which I call a Cajun Shrimp Boil:





Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 ears of corn on the cob, husked
½ pound andouille sausage
1 pound baby red potatoes OR baby yellow potatoes
3 tablespoons old bay seasoning OR homemade seasoning (see note)
salt and pepper, to taste
3 teaspoons minced garlic
juice of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
3 tablespoons, melted + ½ cup butter, divided
chopped fresh parsley, for topping

Instructions:

Chop corn into thirds, then chop each third in half lengthwise. Chop potatoes into 2 inch pieces. Boil corn and potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl combine shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. Stir together melted 3 tablespoons butter, Old Bay seasoning, garlic, juice from half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste and pour over shrimp, sausage, and veggies. Stir to coat.

Divide between four 12x12 inch sheets of aluminum foil. Fold edges of foil up around the food to create a closed packet.

Cook on preheated grill over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook another 5-6 minutes on the second side. Alternately, you can bake the packets at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until corn is tender and shrimp are pink and fully cooked.

While packets are cooking, melt remaining butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Once melted, continue to stir gently over medium heat for 3-4 minutes longer until color changes from pale yellow to a golden amber (but be careful not to burn it).

Serve shrimp boil packs topped with chopped parsley, lemon wedges for squeezing, and browned butter for drizzling over the top or dipping.

Notes:

Homemade Old Bay Seasoning: whisk together 1 tablespoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, ⅛ teaspoon each allspice, cloves, and a pinch of ground ginger.
______________________________________________________________

I prefer using either Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning or Luzianne Cajun Seasoning to flavor seafood, so I used Tony Chachere's instead of the traditional Old Bay Seasoning that is used in Low Country boils. I also used Savoie's andouille sausage, which like Tony Chachere's comes from Opelousas, Louisiana in the heart of Cajun country, which is why I called this a Cajun Shrimp Boil. I did not cut the chopped corn ears in half, as I thought it was more likely that I would chop one of my fingers in half. I took the advice of a friend and added salt to the water I used to boil the corn and the potatoes (which you can hardly see in my photos, since I cut them into one inch pieces), but it made the boil a touch saltier than I would have liked. Other than that I followed the recipe to the letter. Everything came out tender and flavorful, and I'll definitely make this again in the near future.

38kidzdoc
Juil 24, 2017, 2:44 pm

I bought a two pound bag of shrimp from Publix on Saturday, which meant that I had a pound left after I made the Cajun Shrimp Boil that day. So, I used the remaining pound of shrimp to make Oven Roasted Garlic Parmesan Shrimp:



Ingredients:

1 lb extra-large shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and butterflied
1⁄4 cup olive oil
3⁄4 cup toasted breadcrumb
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons butter
1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Arrange shrimp in an oiled casserole dish.
Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the shrimp.
Sprinkle bread crumbs over the shrimp.
Add salt and black and red pepper.
Chop garlic and parsley together, sprinkle over the shrimp.
Stir all together gently so shrimp is evenly coated with oil, crumbs, and seasoning.
Cover the dish and bake for 15 minutes.
Dot the shrimp with the butter.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the shrimp.
Bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer.
_________________________________________________________

This is a perfect recipe to make for dinner after work, as it took no more than 35 minutes from start to finish. I cooked 8 oz of linguine while the shrimp was in the oven, and the combined shrimp pasta made four servings.

39RidgewayGirl
Juil 24, 2017, 5:39 pm

>37 kidzdoc: Back when they were a bit younger, my aunt and uncle used to make up a low country boil during the family week-at-the-beach vacation. So yummy.

40RidgewayGirl
Modifié : Juil 24, 2017, 7:57 pm

I'm going to add a recipe that probably exists somewhere, but has evolved from a meal I once had. It has the advantage of being easy and a family favorite.



Pasta Pomodoro

A couple of pounds (1 kg) of tomatoes, best with a variety of sizes and colors, roughly diced
A pound of angel hair pasta
5 cloves of garlic, diced
2 good-sized handfuls of fresh basil, roughly chopped
olive oil, salt and pepper, and parmesan

Start water boiling for pasta. In a large saucepan heat about a third of a cup of olive oil and add garlic. Once garlic is sizzling, but only starting to brown, throw in the tomatoes and add salt and pepper (add slightly more salt than to taste as pasta will be added). When pasta is cooked, add basil and pasta to saucepan and toss together. Allow to sit 5 - 10 minutes. Grate parmesan over each serving if you want.

With a green salad, this is my family's favorite summertime meal.

41kidzdoc
Juil 26, 2017, 9:54 am

>39 RidgewayGirl: I hadn't tried making a Low Country boil before, and I was pleased with how this turned out. It was a bit too buttery for my liking, though, so I'll cut back on butter, or use a neutral oil, the next time I make it. I had leftover boil for dinner yesterday, and it still tasted good.

>40 RidgewayGirl: Your pasta pomodoro looks great! I'll give that a try soon, especially if I can get some fresh tomatoes from the food cooperative that comes to my hospital on Sundays.

42torontoc
Juil 28, 2017, 11:17 pm

>36 kidzdoc: I made the Cauliflower and Spiced Chick Pea salad tonight and really enjoyed it!

43MsNick
Août 1, 2017, 10:35 am

>41 kidzdoc: I can't stray from the good ol' huge pot method! I married a Savannah boy & we served LCB at our reception. :) We're still in the Lowcountry (Charleston) and we throw this together often. And while I have no desire to wish summer away, I can't wait for oyster season & all those oyster roasts!

44kidzdoc
Oct 15, 2017, 1:00 pm

Last night I tried a new recipe,Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts, which comes from the cookbook Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi, the well known Israeli chef who operates several restaurants in London and regularly contributes to The Guardian and The New York Times.





Ingredients:

4 medium eggplants 
(about 2 pounds/1.2 kg), halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons/90 ml olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 medium onions (12 ounces/340 grams in total), finely chopped
1 pound/500 grams ground lamb
7 tablespoons/50 grams pine nuts
2/3 ounces/20 grams flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 teaspoons superfine sugar
2/3 cup/150 ml water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
4 cinnamon sticks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. Place the eggplant halves, skin side down, in a roasting pan 
large enough to accommodate them snugly. Brush the flesh with 
4 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

2. While the eggplants are cooking, you can start making the stuffing by heating the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Mix together the cumin, paprika, and ground cinnamon and add half of this spice mix to the pan, along with the onions. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, before adding the lamb, pine nuts, parsley, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Continue to cook 
and stir for another 8 minutes, until the meat is cooked.

3. Place the remaining spice mix in a bowl and add the water, lemon juice, tamarind, the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar, the cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix well.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F/195°C. Pour the spice mix into the bottom of the eggplant roasting pan. Spoon the lamb mixture on top of each eggplant. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and roast for 1 1/2 hours, by which point the eggplants should be completely soft and the sauce thick; twice during the cooking, remove the foil and baste the eggplants with the sauce, adding some water if the sauce dries out. Serve warm, not hot, or at room temperature.
________________________________________________

I don't own this cookbook, but I found this recipe online; I think that it was recommended to me by Pinterest, as I have another eggplant and lamb recipe on my Favorite Recipes board. I took the advice of a commenter, who suggested scoring the eggplants before roasting them; as a result of doing so the eggplants were thoroughly cooked and equally tender throughout. I didn't have tamarind paste, as I couldn't find it at my local supermarket on Monday, so I used equal parts of lime juice and brown sugar, which was recommended as a substitute by an online source. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. The spice mix is very sweet, but only some of it was transmitted to the eggplant; I will use less sugar next time, though. The dish tasted fantastic, so much so that I had a second serving (half eggplant) last night, and will probably have it again for lunch in a bit. I think this would be perfect as an entrée for an upscale dinner party, but it's easy enough to make for a simple family dinner as well.

45kidzdoc
Oct 15, 2017, 1:12 pm

The night before last I tried another new recipe, a modified version ofOne Skillet Sausage & White Bean Gnocchi, as I had left over kale and chorizo sausage, along with two packages of potato gnocchi that were nearing their expiration date:





Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 package (13 ounces) Butterball Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika optional
Seasoned salt and pepper
1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans
1 package (16 ounces) gnocchi
1 and 1/2 cups fresh spinach ~4-5 ounces
1/2 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Optional: fresh parsley

Instructions:

Move a rack in your oven to the upper third of the oven and then preheat to 425 degrees F.

Put a large oven-safe skillet (I use a 12 inch lodge dutch oven skillet), on the stove at medium-high heat. Pour in the olive oil.

Add in the chopped onion and stir until the onion is transparent -- about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.

Coin the turkey sausage and add to the skillet. Cook over high heat until lightly browned or about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the water or broth, undrained Italian diced tomatoes, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, seasoned salt and pepper, THOROUGHLY rinsed, drained, and dried cannellini beans, and uncooked gnocchi. Stir until everything is well combined. Gently stir in the spinach and make sure it's covered with liquid.

Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and place in the oven.

Bake for 17-22 minutes. If desired, turn on the broiler and then broil for another 2-3 minutes for a delicious crispy top.

Remove from the heat, top with additional salt, pepper, and some chopped fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy immediately.
_______________________________________________

This took less than an hour to make, tastes great, and it would be perfect for an after work one skillet dinner for individuals or families.

46mabith
Oct 17, 2017, 12:06 am


(not my picture)

I saw the video for this on Youtube and it sounded so good. Then while visiting family in Austin we went to a wonderful Italian restaurant. Having seen the video, I was the only one (of a number of gourmands) who knew what Roman gnocchi was.

Finally made this when I got home and it was very good, though a little too stuff for my chronic pain arms to stir.

Ingredients for about 16 Roman-Style Gnocchi:
(using a 2.75-inch cutter)
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 1/4 cup semolina
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (only about 1.25 ounces by weight, but if you grate it on a microplane, it will easily fill a cup)
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons melted butter for the top
more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for the top

The method is in the video:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2016/10/roman-style-gnocchi-no-potatoes-were.html

47ELiz_M
Modifié : Nov 17, 2017, 7:56 am

Next week is American Thanksgiving. What is your favorite dish to make? To eat?

Sweet Potato Souffle

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes (about 2.5 lbs. of potatoes)
3 Tbs. butter
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. light rum (I have also used spiced rum and black rum, which are more noticable in the end result)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine ingredients, mix thoroughly. Fold into buttered 2-quart baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and the top of firm and golden.

I think the recipe was originally intended as dessert, but I eliminated the sugar and consider it an entree. :)

I love pumpkin pie, but I don't make pies.

48mabith
Nov 21, 2017, 3:21 pm

This is my favorite to make for Thanksgiving:

Sweet Potato Gratin with Sage and Caramelized Onions (http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sweet-po-1-18999)


2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced into thin half moons
3 pounds sweet potatoes or yams (3 to 4 large potatoes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder (optional)
1 cup heavy cream

For topping:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
1/2 cup fine dried breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Olive oil

Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 casserole or gratin dish with olive oil or butter. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet (cast iron, ideally) and when it foams up, add the onions. Sprinkle them lightly with salt. Slowly caramelize the onions over medium heat, stirring frequently. This will take at least 15 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, peel and slice the potatoes in thicknesses of about 1/4-inch. Tile half of them in a the prepared casserole dish, overlapping them in tight rows or a spiral. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper.

When the onions are dark brown, add the garlic and cook just until golden. Finely chop the sage and add this to the onions, along with the chipotle powder and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until the cream is slightly reduced then remove from the heat.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions and garlic from the cream. Spread the onions over the layer of sweet potatoes in the dish. Layer the remaining potatoes on top, forming a tight spiral or rows. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and black pepper. Pour the cream over the top. It will look like there isn't enough cream; it won't cover the potatoes or fill up the dish. Resist the impulse to add more cream, however; there is plenty to cook the potatoes, and adding more may cause the potatoes to get mushy and fall apart.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender and the cream is golden brown and bubbling. (Note: Baking time is highly dependent on how thick you cut your potatoes. The 25 to 30 minute time is based on 1/4-inch thick slices. Any thicker and the baking time may rise.)

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet and toast the reserved chopped sage and the breadcrumbs until golden and fragrant. Remove from the heat and toss with the Parmesan. Sprinkle this over top of the gratin and drizzle the top lightly with olive oil. Return to the dish to the oven for about 15 minutes or until brown and crispy. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes
• Gruyere is another cheese that is excellent in the breadcrumb topping.
• This recipe makes a full 9x13-inch dish, but there are only two layers of potatoes. If you would like to maker a deeper gratin and increase the amount of servings, double the onions and increase the potatoes by 50%. Then create a second layer of caramelized onions and sweet potatoes on top of the first. Increase the cream by 50% as well, and expect to bake at least 10 minutes longer.

49mabith
Nov 21, 2017, 3:25 pm

Also these ridiculously easy rolls (I am not a fan of dealing kneading enriched doughs).

Potato Dough Rolls (http://www.thekitchn.com/thanksgiving-recipe-potato-dough-rolls-16086)


Makes 2 dozen rolls

1 tablespoon instant mashed potatoes
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest, optional
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
2 large eggs
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
Milk, cream, or egg yolk, to glaze

Whisk the potato flakes into the boiling water. (Note: You can substitute 1 cup of water that you used to boil potatoes in. If using potato water omit the potato flakes.) **I always do the water method since I never have potato flakes**

Place the sugar, salt, butter, and citrus zest in a large bowl and pour the boiling potato water over it. Whisk to combine until the butter melts. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool.

In a separate small bowl sprinkle the yeast over 2 tablespoons warm water and set aside until it foams and thickens, about 5 minutes.

Check the temperature of the butter and sugar mixture. It should feel pleasantly warm and not boiling hot. If so, whisk in the eggs, and then the yeast mixture.

Stir in 2 cups of flour. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined, then stir in 2 more cups of flour, or just enough to make a shaggy, wet dough. Beat well and do not knead; it will be very sticky.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

To bake the rolls, lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan with olive oil or butter.

Coat hands lightly with flour. Portion the dough into 24 small balls and place closely together in the prepared pan. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until the rolls have significantly increased in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the tops lightly with milk, cream, or egg yolk. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are browned on top and a thermometer inserted in the center roll reads 190°F to 200°F.

Serve warm.
Recipe Notes

For Quicker Rolls (No Refrigerator Time): You can also shape these directly after mixing up the dough. This method produces slightly smaller, more dense rolls, but they are still very good. Expect to use a little extra flour on your hands; the unchilled dough will be sticky. Place the rolls in the prepared pan and cover. Let rise for an hour or a little more, until the rolls are doubled in size. Proceed with baking.
Multiplying the Recipe: This recipe multiplies very well. In fact, I usually triple it for big holiday meals!