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Brit Friendly Recipe Needed
Please can I have your best recipe for low fat Tuna Pasta Bake (possibly Tuna Noodle Casserole in the US) Ideally with UK measurements, though if you have to use cups I can probably get by.
From memory, I used to soften an onion and garlic in olive oil, then add tuna and pasta which had just been brought to the boil and a tin of mushroom soup. I'd then top with spicy breadcrumbs and cook for 20 mins. Exact recipe or just variations on a theme would be great - I'm cooking something every day now but lost a lot of low fat recipes in my last few moves. |
Mmmh -- good one. Maybe I'd have to invent one, I don't know. I think both terms are used in the US. Looks like search time for both of us, doesn't it?
[Edit: on "tuna casserole recipe" alone I get one million fifty thousand hits. We oughtta be able to do something with that. What wine should we put 60ml of in the 'shroom soup?] BTW, I've found I don't particularly care for putting tuna into Green Bean Casserole. It's edible, but the flavors don't really enhance each other -- they don't dance together. Seems it has to be either tuna at the center of it all, or else the beans/mushrooms/Tater Tots team. Soo, if we don't find something we dream up variations to try. Probably one important part will be to enhance the dish's fiber content so there's plenty of satiation in a serving: whole wheat pasta noodles. We avoid using anything else in the house, trying to keep my blood sugar under control -- Metformin can do a lot, but doing things to keep blood glucose levels from getting all spiky-crashy -- which is a phenomenon that will put the pounds on -- is important too. |
I did search and got many hits also, but my problem was they were all US sites (with measurements foreign to me) and I was too lazy to vet them all for low fat solutions...
I just want something tried and tested from someone I trust. |
I'd love to help you out... but tuna (any kind other than sushi) is the work of the devil.
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I think it's going to be a case of that one looks good, now what are the fats and what are my choices: reduce amounts? Change to unsaturated -- hey did Rachel Ray put EVOO in any of these?
Tuna casserole has got to be one of the more forgiving recipes known to humanity. Where I'd start with this is rather twofold: whole wheat or other wholegrain pasta only to enhance the fiber, and halve the fat content. How lowfat is low fat, btw? What do you need to do? Keep an eye out for reduced fat cream of mushroom soup; I daresay somebody's making the stuff now. The Martha Stewart method takes more woman-hours: scratchbuild your own reduced cream of shroom. {Now it's time for me to go untimely stimulating my appetite looking for cream of shroom recipes... off I go.} She did!! It's not quite a casserole, but it could be done up as one, and is doubtless good either with its original chicken, or with tuna substituted for the chicken. Another, similar idea, also from Rachel's site. Chicken again, probably work with tuna, and an effort at reducing the fat content. We may be getting somewhere. "1/2 cup (2 handfuls) shredded Italian 3-cheese mix" I suppose is equal parts Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago. (But that is a SWAG -- Stupid Wild Ass Guess.) I did search the site for her Tuna Casserole Recipe. It's not at all low-fat. Got EVOO. |
Awright -- from Cookingforengineers.com, Cream-of-Mushroom-Soup
This one has measures in metric as well as Yankee and features two of the big fatties: it's got both whole milk and a stick of butter in it, and some heavy cream so we gotta find a means of reducing these. Some recipes dispense with the cream, but I'm picking this one as a good candidate for fat reduction. And they stuck a leek in there too along with the onions -- the curious attractions just never end. Well, test it on a Welsh Nationalist next March maybe, for St. David's Day. We might try halving the butter and see what happens, and cutting the heavy cream half and half with nonfat yoghurt, blending the two into a thickish fluid and adding to the soup. I really don't know what changing skim milk for whole milk would do to or for a soup. Rigid experimental protocol would be doing a batch with each variation. As you can see, I think we're going to have to experiment for ourselves. Hey, it gives a well rounded perspective to be both the mad scientist and the guinea pig. For tried, true and trustworthy, consider this: this guy's tried it, is quite talkative about how he evolved the recipe, and he seems really to like it. Which OT reminds me I'm still rather looking around for vegetarian lentil soup recipes that aren't insipid. I'm very confident with my meaty lentil soup, but veggie lentil soups I've had... well, I want those minutes of my life back, dang it. So, 'Fobble, no likee Tuna Casserole? Me likee tuna sushi, regular, yellowfin, and maguro. For the totally sashimi/sushi newbie, tuna sushi is how I would introduce them to raw fish. |
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But cats look really weird eating tuna fish sandwiches with both paws and spitting the diced celery across the room.
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Well I threw one together today that worked quite well, but I nearly fell asleep eating it, it was dull, dull, dull. Also the soup made it quite sweet - might try vegetable stock with fish sauce as a base next time. And definitely including red onions and chopped jalapenos.
1 tin tuna (in brine - drained) 1 small tin Weight Watchers tomato soup handful of sweetcorn added to 2 servings of parboiled pasta all heated together then topped with 1 (very thick) slice of granary bread made into breadcrumbs and mixed with a sprinkling of Cajun spices small sprinkling of grated Cathedral City (very strong mature cheddar) put under grill with oven door closed for 15 mins it was nice to have a meal that took longer to eat than it did to prepare (2 servings meant it was lunch and dinner) I think I'll keep playing around with it- thanks for the suggestions btw, why in the name of all that's holy would you put celery in tuna sandwiches? BLEURGH! |
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I'm with the foreigner. Celery is the exact wrong texture when you're eating tuna.
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sweet pickle relish goes in tuna salad. or even dill pickle relish.
Cooked celery, like SG mentioned, is a different texture than raw, and goes fine in the tuna noodle casserole. What's she's describing is like a soffrito--i.e., a flavor base for the casserole. I like raw celery in chicken salad, though. |
Pickle relish in tuna salad. Well, hmmmm!
Now what I just found in today's paper falls under the heading of "God will provide." Today's Heloise column has a no-fat cream soup base. You make it, add in the -whatever to make today's cream-of-whatever soup. Heloise Cream Soup Base 1 cup (237ml) nonfat dry Milk 1 TBSP (15ml) dried Onion Flakes 2 TBSP (30ml) Cornstarch 2 TBSP (30ml) Chicken Bouillon Powder 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) dried Basil 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) dried Thyme 1/4 tsp (1.3ml) Black Pepper 2 cups (475ml) water Put all the above ingredients in a saucepan with the 2 cups cold water. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously. Once it becomes thick, add your -whatever ingredient, like diced mushrooms or chopped celery or broccoli. Making up the base and freezing it in batches for use in making cream-of-whatever soups is a good path. Thaw, add the ingredient, heat together and you have soup. If the soup needs a thickening, add some instant mashed potato flakes a bit at a time -- or maybe real mashed potato? The -whatever vegetable pureed with a little bouillon will do the same thing. |
From cooks.com:
ANGEL FLAKE BISCUITS 1 pkg. dry yeast in 1/2 c. lukewarm water 5 c. flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. baking powder 3 tbsp. sugar 3/4 c. shortening 2 c. buttermilk Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water; set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and sugar. Cut in the shortening until it is well blended in with dry ingredients. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk together. Stir into dry ingredients. Make sure that you stir until it is well moistened. Do not over mix. Roll out portion you will be using at 3/4 inch thick (use round cookie cutter). Place on greased pan and bake 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Remaining dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days in a well covered bowl. Awesome. Used butter in place of shortening. |
I've been on a huge shellfish kick lately. Mostly mussels (the mussels josephine at Bonefish grill are unbelievably good and numerous for $8), but driving past our local fish store saw frying and stewing oysters are on special. I don't like raw oysters, but both fried and stewed sounded really good to me.
So I've got some fryers here, gonna do them up for a late night snack. But I also want to make oyster stew at some point soon. I can find recipes online I'm sure, but I'm hoping to find some words of wisdom from the dwellars. Anyone have any tips based on their experience? |
Never use margarine! Oyster stew needs real butter.
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Don't fry them for too long. Make sure the pan is hot and flash fry them.
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Biscuits, American
[Tune: American Music]
o/' I like American bis-cuits She likes American bis-cuits We like American biscuits, baybeee... (drums)o/' Better Homes & Gardens calls this Biscuits Supreme 2 cups/475ml All-Purpose Flour 4 tsp/20ml Baking Powder 2 tsp/10ml Sugar 1/2 tsp/2.5ml Cream of Tartar 1/2 tsp/2.5ml Salt 1/2 cup vegetable Shortening (Crisco or other brand) 2/3 cup/160ml Milk 1. Stir together Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar, Cream of Tartar, Salt. Cut in Shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 2. Make a well in the center, add Milk all at once. Stir just until dough clings together. Knead dough gently on lightly floured surface for 10-12 strokes. Roll out or pat out to 1/2" (1cm) thickness, cut with biscuit/cookie cutter or cut into squares 5-6cm on a side with a knife. It's useful to dip cookie cutter into flour between cuts so biscuits release easily. 3. Transfer biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet, bake at 450 F for 10-12 minutes until golden on top. Serve warm. 10-12 biscuits. Buttermilk Biscuits Prepare Biscuits as above, but stir in 1/4 tsp/1ml+ Baking Soda into the flour mixture and substitute 3/4 cup/180ml buttermilk for the milk. If you don't have buttermilk, sour ordinary milk with 5ml vinegar to 237ml milk. As you can see, this one works by combining acid with baking soda to leaven, rather than the double action of baking powder. Sour Cream Biscuits Another substitution. Prepare biscuits as above, substituting 1 cup/237ml Sour Cream and only 2 TBSP/30ml Milk. Not too different from Buttermilk Biscuits. |
The best Spinach Pie ever!
Ingredients: 1 lge bunch of spinach (or silverbeet) finely chopped 1 lge Onion finely chopped 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese 2 cups of crumbled fetta cheese 1/2 cup of long grain rice (uncooked) salt and pepper to taste olive oil 2 sheets of puff pastry 1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and then drizzle olive oil in the mixture until it starts to 'cling' together, but not drip. 2. Line a pan with 1 sheet of pastry. 3. Tip the spinach mixture into the pastry lined pan. 4. Make a lid out of the second sheet of pastry. Remember to poke holes in the top so the mixture can breath. 5. Brush melted butter or milk over the top of the pastry. 6. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour then turn the heat up to a hot oven for 10 minutes to brown the pastry. 7. Eat with gusto |
Enchilado de Camarones
Kind of like a seafood stew. Can be made with lobster, chicken... lots of other stuff, but shrimp is the best. Ingredients 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined The juice of 1 lime 1 onion, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic minced 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup white wine (I use sauvignon blanc) Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped Ground cumin Salt & pepper Cayenne pepper (optional) 1 tablespoon of olive oil Directions Put the shrimp in a small bowl. Mix in all of the lime juice, a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, and salt & black pepper to taste. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. While the shrimp finishes marinating, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and about a teaspoon of cumin. Cook for a few minutes until lightly browned. Turn the heat up to high and stir in the tomato paste -- cook for about a minute. Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the shrimp and the marinade, and reduce the heat to a medium low. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. Add more wine if needed (it should have a consistency similar to spaghetti sauce) and flavor with more cumin, s&p, or cayenne paper to taste. Serve and sprinkle the parsley on top. Goes really well with yellow rice, but plain white rice will do. |
Christmas Rum Cake
FORTUNE'S FAVORITE RECIPES: #8
Christmas Rum Cake 1 or 2 quarts rum 1 tbsp. baking powder 1 cup butter 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. lemon juice 2 large eggs 2 cups brown sugar 2 cups dried assorted fruit 3 cups chopped English walnuts Before you start, sample the rum to check for quality. Good, isn't it? Now select a large mixing bowl, measuring cup, etc. Check the rum again. It must be just right. Be sure the rum is of the highest quality. Pour one cup of rum into a glass and drink it as fast as you can. Repeat. With an electric mixer, beat one cup butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 seaspoon of tugar and beat again. Meanwhile, make sure the rum teh absolutely highest quality. Sample another cup. Open second quart as necessary. Add 2 orge laggs, 2 cups of fried druit and beat untill high. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters, just pry it loose with a screwdriver. Sample the rum again, checking for toncisticity. Next sift 3 cups of baking powder, a pinch of rum, a seaspoon of toda and a cup of pepper or salt (it really doesn't matter). Sample some more. Sift 912 pint of lemon juice. Fold in schopped butter and strained chups. Add bablespoon of brown gugar, or whatever color you have. Mix mell. Grease oven and turn cake pan to 350 gredees and rake until poothtick comes out crean. |
This is an awesome dessert, really easy and quick, plus it looks snazzy!!
This is the healthy-ish version Choc Berry Parfait 1 pkt Chocolate Mousse or Pudding Mix - Sugarless or Weight Watchers 1/2 cup low fat plain yoghurt Small tub low fat cottage cheese 1 tsp Splenda or similar Sugar replacement 1 cup fresh raspberries or chopped strawberries 4 Dessert glasses
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I make something like that in summer time but I don't use any pudding mix. I make a fruit puree and (if I'm feeling keen) I set it with gelatine. If I just want to do it quick, I use the puree unset. It still looks good in the glasses.
If I want it to be a bit creamier, I add in some whipped cream to the yoghurt. Kids love this dessert. Mine go crazy for it. They'd probably go even crazier for it if I put pudding in as well. lol |
Maybe you should tell them they can have all they want, with the pudding, but they have to eat it in the back yard -- where they can be hosed off before being allowed back in the house! ;)
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Par-boiled pasta. Soften chopped in 1 tablespoonful of olive oil, or low fat marge, or other stuff. Take the pan off the heat briefly. Sprinkle 1 rounded tablespoonful of flour (selfraising or plain, it doesn't matter) onto the softened onions and stir til all onion bits coated in flour. Put the pan back on a low-medium heat, add a little bit (an eggcupful-ish) from half a pint of milk (semi-skimmed, skimmed if you like I suppose), and stir til mixed and thickened. Add a little more milk and repeat ... Adding the milk gradually like this prevents the formation of lumps. When the consistency of the onion sauce (yahey!) is to your liking, stir it into the pasta, and add the chunks of tuna. I'd grate a little cheese on the top, and stick it under the grill to brown. Variations Instead of tuna tinned mackerel, cooked chicken pieces, salami-type sausage bits, a tin of beans (not baked beans, but black eyed, or kidney beans, say), crisply fried bacon bits. Instead of onion, mushrooms, or add peppers to the onions. Cook the onions til dark brown for a different flavour. Curry powder in the sauce. Cheese in the sauce. Goats cheese! Go wild and poach (gently simmer until the flesh is white and flaky) an 8 ounce fillet of (smoked or unsmoked) haddock in the 1/2 pint of milk, and then use tha tmilk to make the sauce and the haddock instead of the tuna. Add peas or sweetcorn. Instead of onion sauce, a tin of tomatoes or passata or whatever and herbs (basil is good). Please accept my apologies if any of this is too basic. Hope this helps. |
Not too basic at all, that is great, thank you :)
It is easy but by using a sauce base fulfils my need for real cooking, where I get to decide exactly what ingredients are used. HM makes a pretty mean cheese sauce, and it's the one thing he cooks from scratch. I've been too embarrassed to admit that for all my chopping, soaking and liquidising skills I never did get the hang of the correct proportions of a flour based sauce! |
Limey's secrets for a lump-free sauce
About twice the volume of flour to fat (hence a level tbsp fat and a rounded tbsp flour above), this is about the right amount for half-a-pint of milk, but experiment.
NEVER try to add more flour on its own once you've started - that is the route to guaranteed lumps. Cooking something in the fat and then adding the flour, as above, as pretty foolproof. If you're after a classic white sauce, melt the fat, add twice the volume of flour and mix over heat until it forms a soft ball. Gradually add the milk as above, stirring and beating it in until it is completely smooth before adding more. If you get lumps make sure you've got a balloon whisk (wire whisk) handy and beat the shit out of the sauce when no-one's looking. And finally ... it's always edible, even if it doesn't look it! |
And if you want to make it cheesy, just add cheese. To convert it to a beschemelle sauce, just use parmesan cheese and fry off a bit of garlic when you melt the butter at the start. ;)
It really is too easy...especially if you use the whisk right from the start. |
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lol...really? Doesn't it just make sense to make cooking as simple and easy as possible?
There's no need to be a hero in the kitchen in my opinion. I'd much rather be fairly certain that what comes out will be good to eat and have taken the minimum of fuss to prepare. Also, avoiding cooking mishaps (like lumpy white/cheese sauce) only makes sense to me. |
I'm with you, there, Ali. But what you grow up with very often seems "normal" until someone questions it ...
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Well, to be honest, I learned how to make white sauce with a wooden spoon. My mum was very traditional in the kitchen. She didn't even own a whisk!
When I had my own kitchen, I had whisks (a couple of different sizes) and they just make life so much easier. I'd never bother going back to the old way of doing it...and I am not intending to teach my kids the old way either. There are some things about old traditions that just are not better than creating new ones. ;) |
Hmm... is there anything in the idea of putting a bit of sherry or wine into that kind of cheese sauce to make macaroni & cheese more adult? I presume it would go in last.
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I wouldn't put sherry or wine in, but I do use different types of cheeses or put some mustard in or other spices. You really can dress up a white sauce to be anything you like.
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Thought so. Thanx!
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I'm "re-organizing" my recipes, a task I did not think would be so daunting, so I thought I'd post some tried-and-trues here as I'm going through them, especially since I stole a few from you all. I'll post more as I get them scanned into my puter.
7 - 10 Layer Salad
Cheese Squares
Sausage and Cheese Balls
Broccoli Cheese Casserole a/k/a How To Get Your Kid To Eat Broccoli
* I often will make this by par cooking bone/skin-less chicken breasts and put them on the bottom under the veggies. ** Diced ham or bacon thrown into the wet mixture is wonderful. *** I started adding sliced tomatoes in a layer on top just under the bread crumbs. I hate tomatoes, but other people love it this way. Spinach-Artichoke Dip (I can't recall the measurements, just the ingredients, so I play with it until I get the right consistency/taste)
And last, but definitely not least... the best muther-effing version of French Toast ever... Except for that french toast made with raisin bread and cream cheese... Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup. Praline Topping:
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I also know I'd perform barely legal sex acts to have a cheese fondue right now :sniff: |
Or maybe just mildly creepy... like licking a poster of Rachel Ray or something.
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My kids can't have dairy products (from a cow), they are allergic (plus cow milk is teh debil, but anyway...), so we have to get creative with some 'normal' foods. When goat cheese was harder to find and more expensive, I substituted other foods... like making nachos with squash. The kids love 'em - even my nephew who eats nothing. Just layer;
Chips Refried Beans Frozen cooked winter squash Cinnamon Brown sugar or maple syrup (sprinkle on or add to squash while heating up) Couldn't find frozen squash at 2 markets today and the boy was demanding mushrooms so we adapted again and layered; chips refried beans Midnight Moon goat cheese few more chips cubed carrots, squash, parsnips - simmered till soft in chix broth small white beans mushrooms more M.M. and a little chevre Baked until the mushrooms looked cooked enough. The kids say they are awesome, but they miss the cinnamon. |
You Americans are cinnamon freaks!!!
I made this for lunch today (had some people over) it was divine. The original recipe used Pork...but as that is just nasty...I used Chicken. Spicy Chicken Salad. Chicken needs to marinate for at least 2 hours, overnite is preferred. Everything can be made well in advance and just assembled when needed. Ingredients: Marinade.... 400g Chicken Tenderloins or Cubed Chicken Breast 2 cloves garlic - crushed 30ml soy sauce 30ml dry sherry small nub of ginger - grated 2 teaspoons brown sugar 50ml olive oil 10ml sesame oil 1 teaspoon chilli paste (I use 2 teaspoons) Salad... 2 Zucchinis - cut into strips 2 spring onions 1 carrot - cut into strips 1/4 red capsicum - cut into strips 1/2 cup of mung bean shoots (or bean shoots) 250g Singapore style noodles Dressing... 20ml lime juice 20ml lite olive oil 10ml sesame oil 5 sprigs fresh coriander 10ml oyster sauce 5ml fish sauce 20ml sweet chili sauce Method... Prepare marinade from the garlic soy, sherry, ginger, brown sugar, oils, and chilli. Marinate for at least two hours. Combine salad ingredients into a bowl and keep well chilled. Prepare the dressing and keep chilled. Cook chicken on a hot BBQ or frying pan. Toss noodles in a hot pan to warm, add the salad and combine. Place into serving bowl. Arrange chook on the salad and drizzle liberally with the dressing. Garnish with fresh coriander. |
Stoopid Simple Cranberry Sauce
Not a jellied sauce but unflavored gelatin could always fix that. The wife made this today -- while suffering terrible twinges from the site of her root canal, yet. Every now and then it kicks up. If I'd ever known it was this easy...! Don't get me wrong, I love the canned Ocean Spray product too, that keeps the pattern of the can on its outside when you unmold it from the can into a recumbent claret cylinder on its serving dish -- particularly for turkey sandwiches the day after, which this more liquid sauce won't do... 3 cups (340g/705ml) Frozen Cranberries -- the 12 oz package 1/2 cup (100g/115ml) Honey 1 cup (225ml) Water Zest of one small Orange Bring Water and Honey to boil, dissolving honey. Add Cranberries and Orange Zest, return to boil, boiling gently until cranberry skins pop or break. Remove from heat and refrigerate -- about 1 hour is enough to chill it well. Yields about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. |
Keeping the thread handy
SOS can be... shoddily... made. Phooey on trying to pass off unseasoned plain hamburger as the one true Creamed Chipped Beef. It needs the chipped beef, or this Turkish-style variant.
Or for heaven's sake, do something to pep up the ground beast. Try minced garlic and ground red pepper. Middle-Eastern markets can get you pastirma, as can some middle-eastern restaurants. You may have to get creative to land a supply. Armour Brand chipped beef in the little jars gets its zip from nitrite curing. Some pastirma does likewise, but in the main it gets its zing from a rub of powdered red pepper and garlic. Nitrite is optional. Pastirma can be found sliced, in half-pound and 1-pound family size packets in the freezer case, and costs like pretty good cheese, about eight dollars the pound. You won't need more than the half-pounder one. SOS with Pastirma 3 to 4 oz Pastirma slices, snipped or sliced 1/4" across -- about an eighth of a kilo 2 TBSP (30ml) Butter 2 TBSP (30ml) Flour, all purpose or w/w 1 1/3 (220ml)cups Milk 1/2 tsp (~10ml) Worcestershire Sauce Buttered Toast, cut in points if you're feeling Martha Stewartish or James Bearded Lightly sauté Pastirma bits in the Butter, about 3 minutes. Stir in the Flour, making a roux, then add the Milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir 1-2 mins more. Add Worcestershire Sauce with a dash Pepper if desired. Spoon mixture over buttered toast points. Option: fry 1 large clove crushed Garlic in the butter with the Pastirma, remove and discard Garlic. Makes your white sauce Béchamel-ish. Serves 3-4, unless you really like Creamed Chipped Beast on etcetera and hog it all yourself. |
One-Skillet Bacon & Sausage Guy Food
from some guy in Levittown 1 lb smoked bacon 1 lb good polish kielbasa 1 really huge onion or 2 regular ones several large potatoes, sliced thickish tablespoon of mustard, salt and pepper to taste. These instructions are for a house with a normal sized large frying pan. Also you need a baking pan, or else bake it in the frying pan too. Cut the bacon into 2 inch strips, cook it just short of done, you want it a bit soft - remove from pan. Cut the kielbasa into @ 1/4 inch slices, cook in the bacon fat until it is just short of browned, remove from the pan. Cut the onion into large slices cook until just translucent remove from pan. Combine bacon, kielbasa, and onions and put into a deep baking pan. Oven preheat at about 350 F. Cut the spuds into 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick slices and cook in the fat in the frying pan until browned. Move the potatoes into the baking pan as they are done, and you are adding more, you only want one layer of potato cooking at any time. Stir the bacon, sausage, onion, potato mix in the oven occasionally as you finish and add more potatoes. [??? - UG] I have no idea why he thinks he should stir it while it's baking, or why he hasn't put all the potatoes in at once. --UG Ready to roll once everything is cooked and a bit of shredded cheddar on top is nice. Yes, you're right, I'm really pissed off at my heart. |
The Santa Fe School of Cooking & Something They Do w/Salsa
From a cooking class conducted by Rocky Durham:
The Santa Fe School of Cooking is at 116 W. San Francisco St. (upper level of the Plaza Mercado). The school was founded in 1989 by Susan Curtis; her daughter, Nicole Curtis Ammerman,, joined her in the business 13 years ago. The storefront shop offers cookware, tabletop accessories, regional products and ingredients. For ingredients and online information, go to www.santafeschoolofcooking.com. Got fresh chiles? Roast 'em like so for a good peeling -- from the article: Durham started with Anaheim chilies to make his green sauce, a necessary substitute until the fall harvest of fresh New Mexican Hatch chilies is conducted. "The skin can taste like plastic, so these green chilies are always peeled," Durham said, placing fresh Anaheim chilies atop a screen set over stovetop flames. They made loud pepper-popping noises as their skins dotted with black blisters. Removed from the heat and sealed in a large, zipper-style plastic bag, the chilies were set aside to cool and steam a little before their skins would be rubbed off and interior seeds removed. Santa Fe Enchiladas recipes You will need to double this Green Chile Sauce recipe to provide enough sauce to make the enchiladas. If you're looking for a shortcut, instead of roasting, seeding and peeling fresh Anaheim chilies, use canned mild (diced) chilies instead. Green Chile Sauce Yield: about 2 1/2 cups 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic 2/3 cup roasted, peeled, diced Anaheim green chilies 2/3 cup roasted, peeled diced Hatch chilies, defrosted if frozen; see cook's notes Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 3/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; see cook's notes Optional to use as needed: beurre manie made with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt if needed Cook's notes: Frozen Hatch chilies (roasted, seeded, diced) are available online at www.hatch-chile.com (as well as on other sites). They are available in mild, medium (Big Jim variety) and hot (Sandia variety). When I was leaving Santa Fe to go to the airport in Albuquerque, I stopped at Sam's Club and bought several bags of frozen Hatch chilies. They are the Sandia variety and are extremely hot. I balance them out with mild Anaheim chilies in this sauce. I like to double this recipe and freeze leftover sauce. I use leftover sauce for tacos and stews. If desired, fresh cilantro (to taste) can be added to the sauce at the last minute. Dried Mexican oregano is sold at most supermarkets in the Latin American specialty section. Most often, it is sold in clear cellophane bags. "The oil should look like the hem of a woman's skirt — shimmering and dancing," he said about the oil he was heating in the pot. I thought about the moving surface of the oil and envisioned the motion at the bottom of a full, sequined skirt. I may never look at hot oil the same way again. Procedure: 1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add chilies, pepper and chicken broth. Rub oregano between your hands and let it drop into mixture. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes. 2. If sauce is too thin, stir in about a teaspoon of beurre manie. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add salt as needed. Nutritional information (per 1/4 cup): calories 30 (less than 3 percent from fat), protein 0.2 g, carbohydrates 3 g, fat 1.5 g (saturated 0.5 g), cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 230 mg, fiber 0.1 g. — Source: Rocky Durham, The Santa Fe School of Cooking, Santa Fe, N.M. Red Chile Sauce from Ground Chilies Yield: 3 cups 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup finely diced onion 2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 cup ground medium Chimayo red chilies; see cook's notes 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; see cook's notes 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon honey Salt to taste Cook's notes: I bought ground medium Chimayo red chile at www.santafeschoolofcooking.com. If desired, you can substitute ground California chilies or ground New Mexican chiles, or a combination of both. Dried Mexican oregano is sold at most supermarkets in the Latin American specialty section. Most often, it is sold in clear cellophane bags. He cooked onions in a large saucepan until they were soft, then added some minced garlic and let it cook about 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a large pan, he briefly toasted red chili powder, no longer than about 30 to 40 seconds. He warned that if the powder scorched, it would become bitter. He added the powder to the onion mixture, stirred in chicken stock, ground toasted spices, a pinch of Mexican oregano. A splash of sherry vinegar and a smidgen of honey followed. Procedure: 1. In a small, dry skillet, toast cumin seeds and coriander seeds over medium-high heat until seeds are lightly browned and aromatic; shake handle of skillet to rotate seeds and brown on all sides. Use a clean, electric spice grinder or coffee grinder to grind toasted seeds into a powder. Set aside. 2. Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. 3. Place ground red chiles in a separate large saucepan. Place on medium-high heat and heat chilei powder, shaking handle and stirring to keep powder from scorching. Heat it about 30 seconds or so, to lightly toast it. Remove from heat. 4. Stir chile powder into onion mixture and stir to combine. Stir in broth or water. Stir in cumin-coriander seed mixture and Mexican oregano. Stir in vinegar and honey. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 20 minutes, or until mixture has thickened slightly. Taste and add salt as needed. Nutritional information (per 1/4 cup): calories 33 (less than 3 percent from fat), protein 0.4 g, carbohydrates 3.8 g, fat 1.5 g (saturated 0.5 g), cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 278 mg, fiber 0.1 g. "There are three ways to clean the grinder," he said. "You can grind up a piece of bread and discard it. Or you can grind up some raw rice and discard it. Or you can grind coarse salt and keep it. The toasted, spice salt can be used to flavor lots of dishes." We loved the dual-purpose salt trick. I could see a potential gift, shown off in a jar tied with a red ribbon. As the small appliance whirled salt with the residual spices left behind in the grinder, he said he would pass the mixture around for students to taste. "But don't lick and dip," he said. "Just pinch, then taste." — Source: Rocky Durham, The Santa Fe School of Cooking, Santa Fe, N.M. Chicken or Cheese with Corn Enchiladas Yield: 10-12 servings Vegetable oil, for greasing pan 3 cups red or green chile sauce (see recipes) About 16 corn tortillas 4 cups cooked chicken (boned, skinned) or 3 cups corn kernels 1 1/2 pounds (6 cups) grated Monterey jack or cheddar cheese (or a combination of both) 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onions Garnish: 2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce Garnish: 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes Garnish: 1 1/4 cups sour cream Optional garnish: sliced green onions, including green tops Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. 2. Spread about 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan and layer half of tortillas evenly over sauce. If using chicken, toss chicken with about 3 tablespoons sauce. Spread half of chicken over tortillas. If using corn, spread half of corn over tortillas. 3. Sprinkle with one-third of cheese and half of the onion. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for second layer and top with the last cup of sauce and remaining cheese. 4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. 5. To serve, spoon portions onto dinner plates. Garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomato and top with sour cream. Nutritional information (per 1/4 cup): calories 323 (49 percent from fat), protein 11.9 g, carbohydrates 30.5 g, fat 17.6 g (saturated 5.5 g), cholesterol 40 mg, sodium 670 mg, fiber 0.5 g. — Source: Rocky Durham, The Santa Fe School of Cooking, Santa Fe, N.M. |
Leftovers In A Skillet...
...that came out really pretty good.
I had some leftover baked potatoes, rather overdone in fact. Overdone baked potatoes are less fun than ones done just right. So, what to do to salvage the poor shrunken things? Nameless Skilletstuff Quantities approximate. Half dozen Baked Potatoes, small Half can (15oz) diced Tomatoes, juice and all 1 cup frozen cut Okra 1/3-1/2 cup Barbeque Sauce 1/2 cup turkey Pastrami, diced Heat through in skillet or wok-pan on medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally. Uncover pan and reduce liquid towards a sauce texture, stirring occasionally to prevent any burning. The okra actually doesn't yuck this up because of the tomatoes it has to play with, and your favorite BBQ sauce is about all you need for seasoning. Probably any kind of pastrami would work. Pastirma? Maybe substitute jerk sauce for BBQ sauce, then. |
Tried this one recently. I like it.
Fusilli alla Caprese For sure put the cubed cheese in at the end, with the heat off. Heating the cheese too long melts it into glop that sticks on your serving spoon. A little meltiness about the edges is fine, but the cheese should retain its structure and its identity. |
Barely a recipe, but...
Hey, do you like iced coffee?
Vietnamese style or Thai -- whatever, they're both good, aren't they? Thai sugars the living heck out of the coffee, then floats heavy cream on it. I think they do the sweetening with simple syrup. The Vietnamese is a Winnie-the-Pooh sort of approach: the coffee is straight, generally espresso-roast, and it gets turned into something like coffee ice cream, liquefied, by stirring in quite a bit of condensed milk. Darn good with ice, though you shouldn't let too much ice melt into the mixture or it gets diluted. Fix that by freezing coffee in an ice tray for this purpose. But try grating a little nutmeg into your coffee grounds before brewing. To taste, of course, but don't go too strong. You want a touch of the flavor, and the sweetness of the condensed milk will bring it out. If cardamom is more your thing than nutmeg, grind a few pods of green cardamom in with your coffee, milk it and ice it as above. And cardamom and nutmeg both -- they dance well together here, too. <Sip> |
Sounds good UG. Esp. the Thai drink.
I got some coffee icecream thinking I could cheat but it isn't quite the same. |
Curried Zucchini-Bean Soup
This is consistently good, easy, and fast. This last time, I used a brown and wild rice mix, and cooked that separately first, then added it.
Curried Zucchini-Bean Soup (from Sunset) 10 servings 4 cans pinto beans 2 T butter 3 cups finely chopped onions 1 cups chopped celery ¼ to 1/3 cup curry powder (or to taste) 8 cups chicken broth 1 cu long-grain white rice 6 zucchini, diced (or less, to taste, or substitute another veggie) ¼ cup Italian parsley 3 T lime juice Salt and pepper 1. Drain beans, reserving ½ cup of the liquid. Rinse beans; set aside. 2. In 12-quart pan over medium high heat, cook butter, onions, and celery, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 10 minutes. 3. Add curry and cook stirring, 3 minutes more. 4. Add broth, reserved bean liquid, and rice; scrape browned bits from pan bottom. Cover, bring to a boil, 2 minutes. Reduce heat, simmer, covered until rice is just tender, 15 minutes. 5. Stir in zucchini, beans, parsley, and juice. Add salt and pepper. Heat until hot. 256 calories per serving. |
Coffee AND Dessert
It's been twenty years now since I made this, but oh boy... from the Coach House Restaurant in Aurora, Colorado.
Coffee Kahlua Cake First: 1 8-inch [20cm] layer white cake, as follows: 3 1/2 cups [823ml] cake flour 2 tsp [10ml] double-acting baking powder 1/2 tsp [2.5ml] salt 2 cups [473ml] sugar 1 cup [236.6ml] butter 1 cup [236.6ml] milk 1 tsp [5ml] vanilla extract 7 or 8 egg whites Equip: flour sifter, 3 8" cake pans, greased; mixing bowls. Have everything at about room temperature. Sift Cake Flour before measuring, then resift twice with Baking Powder and Salt. Sift Sugar and cream Butter well; add the sifted sugar gradually to the creamed butter and continue creaming until very light. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter in 3 parts, alternately with thirds of the cup of Milk. Stir the cake batter until smooth after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and if desired, 1/4 tsp [1.3ml] Almond Extract. Whip Egg Whites until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites lightly into cake batter. Bake at 350 F in greased pans for about 25 minutes. Makes 3 8" rounds. Next, the Kahlua Cream Filling: 1 8-inch layer white cake as above 1 1/2 cup [359.5ml] powdered sugar 2 fl oz [59ml] Kahlua 6 serving packages Sanka, dissolved in teaspoon [5ml] warm water; or like quantity of other instant coffee 2 1/2 cups [591.5ml] whipping cream Equip: mixer, mixing bowls, spatula. Whip Cream and add in Powdered Sugar. Fold in Kahlua and Coffee. Slice cake layer in half and fill with this cream, if you're going for six layer cake, or else just keep it at three. Then, the Kahlua Butter Frosting: 1 lb butter [454g] 4 cups [946.5ml] powdered sugar 2 eggs [English or Metric] 1/2 tsp [2.5ml] vanilla extract 2 fl oz [59ml] Kahlua, again 6 serving packages Sanka or other instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tsp [5ml] warm water Combine all in mixer, frost cake's outside and top. This is a quite stiff frosting; take care not to break your rubber spatula in it getting it out of the bowl. A metal spatula stands up better to this stuff. I ran into this eating at the Coach House; Mom later got me the recipe book -- The Best of Colorado's Gourmet Gold. |
Slow-Cooker Red Beans, Andouille, and Rice
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Recently, I spent some time in Philadelphia.
This has triggered a touch of homesickness. Even my spouse liked it there so much she can hardly wait to go back. She's amazed that the food there is so varied and good. True, I cherry-picked the places we ate, but still. I personally am feeming hard for soft pretzels. Again. Yes, we have Auntie Anne's and Superpretzels but I want to good stuff without paying two bucks for a pretzel. So. I have been experimenting with recipes and find this one to be pretty good. I'll try cheese, garlic, jalapeno and cinnamon sugar next. 1 1/2 pkgs dry yeast 1 1/2 cups warm water mix until dissolved Stir in: 2 T brown sugar 1 t salt until dissolved. Then add: 1 C bread flour 3 C all-purpose flour knead until smooth and elastic. place in lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise at least 30 mins in a warm place. An hour is best, IMO. While that is going on, mix: 2 C warm water 2 T baking soda stir to dissolve. This will be your final wash. Take a piece of dough and roll into a string about 1/2" think and 12-14" long. You may adjust to your size pref. Dip into the baking soda wash and then form into pretzel shape. Bake 10-12 minutes at 450 deg F. Alt, you may brush with melted butter before baking as well as add coarse salt to taste. When done baking, you may also dredge in coatings of your choice. Cool a few minutes (if you can) before eating. May be frozen and reheated in toaster oven for up to one month. |
Kettle Corn video
Here is how you make Kettle Corn. A 2:1 ratio of corn to sugar and a lot of heat.
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Very cute.
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I've been thinking about making a quiche.
Sonoma Orchid Inn Guerneville, California Specialty Recipe "Love Child" Quiche Ingredients One 9-inch unbaked pastry shell or your own pie crust recipe 1 cup grated, mixed cheeses: Swiss, Monterey Jack, and mild Cheddar 1/4 cup diced, sauteed leek 1/2 cup each: chopped mushrooms, diced asparagus, diced ham 4 eggs 1 cup half & half A sprinkle of ground pepper and a dash of nutmeg Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the cheese evenly in the bottom of the unbaked pastry shell and place it on a cookie sheet. To prevent the crust from becoming soggy, we recommend that you place the chopped mushrooms and diced asparagus in a microwaveable bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for about 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool and then strain or squeeze out the water and sprinkle the veggies over the cheese mixture. Top with the diced ham and sauteed leek. Place the eggs, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl and whip together, then add the cream and blend well. Pour this mixture into the pastry shell and bake for 45 minutes or until puffed, golden, and firm in the center. Let it rest for just a few minutes before slicing into 6 generous wedges. |
Scott Gold Thinks This One's A Must
...if you're omnivorous, anyway.
The Best Meat Marinade in the World 1 1/2 C [355ml] vegetable oil 3/4 C [180ml] soy sauce 1/4 C [60ml] Worcestershire sauce 2 TBSP [30ml] dry mustard 2 1/2 tsp [12ml] salt 1 TBSP [15ml] cracked black pepper 2 tsp [10ml] chopped fresh parsley 1/2 C [118ml] red wide vinegar 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1/3 C [79ml] fresh lemon juice 1 TBSP [15ml] fresh lime juice Heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat until simmering lightly -- not foaming! Cool completely. Place meat in a ziplock freeser bag, pour in marinade, seal tightly. Refrigerate at least four hours, or overnight for tougher cuts, game, and the like. Gives the acids more time to tenderize. Yields about 3 1/2 cups of marinade. --from The Shameless Carnivore: A Manifesto for Meat Lovers by Scott Gold. He says only people with no taste even in their mouths cook steak beyond medium rare -- a point of view I sympathize with. A little sear from the Maillard reaction on the outside, the meat warm and red throughout, touch of pink going gray towards the outsides. |
My father's favorite marinade:
1 c dark beer 1 tsp dry mustard 1 tbsp grated garlic 1 tbsp grated ginger 1/4 c orange marmalade 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sriracha or other chili sauce Combine well. Marinate lamb, beef or pork for 12-24 hours. |
Two marinades, one acidic, one not so very. Excellent!
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Quote:
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Looks like my typing had a code in ids node. For "wide" read "wine."
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