Recipe Thread

[IndigoSkies 168]

We have those all year long, yellow aubergine. I'm not much of a cook. But I sort of make a stir fry with aubergine and potatoes and anything else I can find in the house. Throw in some steak seasoning and a bit of butter. Eat with a side of fragrant white rice. Healthy and simple and quick and mucho flavourful.

[Peikko 1,575]

Yellow aubergines? I need to google...

As Joyce would say, groovy!

[Marilyn. 340]

this is really good for pork or chicken... what I do is brine the meat and then rub the meat with spices after it has brined...

Basic Brine for Juicy, Tender Chicken or Turkey Recipe

I never make any sort of chicken/turkey without brining it first. Once you try this recipe, you won't either. This is my standard brine that I use most often. This allows me to add any flavoring, dry rub, or sauce to my chicken without competing with the brine flavors. The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.

5 min | 5 min prep

1 gallon

* 1 gallon cold water

* 1/2 cup kosher salt (reduce to 1/4 cup if using regular table salt.)

* 2/3 cup light brown sugar

1. Mix brine together well with a whisk.

2. Place 1 whole chicken (thawed or frozen- you may also use chicken parts.) in brine for 2 hours up to over night. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

3. Remove chicken from brine and rinse chicken well. You are now ready to make a tender juicy chicken dish of your choosing.

4. NOTES: You can do this with turkey, as well. Also, you will notice that your leftovers, even after refrigerated overnight, are so tender and juicy whether eaten cold or reheated. The moisture retention really helps to make a chicken meal morph into a second meal when it holds its moisture. If doing a whole turkey, use the recipe servings changer to up the servings to 6-10. Put your turkey in an insulated cooler with enough water to cover and add in a 5 pound bag of ice. Brine overnight.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Basic-Brine-for-Juicy-Tender-Chicken-or-Turkey-306144

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I love Ratatouille as well - it is one of my favourites to make and to eat.

here is a Vegetarian Moussaka that is really good and I'll be making again when our eggplant is ready to harvest. We have the Japanese kind.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2/3 small eggplants thinkly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced

2 potatoes, thinkly sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 14 1/2 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1/2 of f14 1/2 oz can of lentils, drained and juice reserved

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup milk

black pepper to taste

pinch ground nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Preheat overn to 375 degrees F

Heat oil in a large skillet. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; drain. Add more oil if necessary and brown potato slices; drain.

Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Pour i vinegar and reduce. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 juice reserved from the lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover and simmer 15 minutes at medium heat.

In a 9 x 13 casserole dish layer 1/2 of the eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, onion and all the feta cheese. Pour tomato mixture over the vegetables

then layer the reset of the onion, potato, eggplant and zucchini. Cover and bake for 25 minutes

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine butter, fluor and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.

Pour sauce over vegetable layers and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

[Peikko 1,575]

Good one. I had completely forgotten Moussaka, not made one in years. Definitely going to try this one.

[Peikko 1,575]

Have we run out of recipes already, or is talking about food all day ruining everyone's appetite?

[Marilyn. 340]

this is another recipe i got from someone on VJ.. I made it once and it was really good...

Cabbage Beef Crescent Bake

8 oz extra lean ground sirloin or turkey breast

3 1/2 cups shredded cabbage (you can use bagged coleslaw - no dressing of course)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp any meat seasoning

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can tomato soup

1 small can of stewed or diced tomatoes...juice drained

3/4 c (3 oz.) shredded cheese

1 (8 oz.) can Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large skillet sprayed with butter cooking spray, brown meat. Stir in cabbage, onion and meat seasoning. Continue cooking until cabbage is tender, about 5 min. Add soup, tomatoes, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Lower heat and simmer for 2-3 min.

Meanwhile unroll crescent rolls and pat into a rimmed 13 x 9 baking sheet, being sure to seal the perforations. Evenly spread cabbage mixture over rolls. Sprinkle with the cheese

Bake for 20-25 min or until crust is golden brown. Place baking sheet on a wire rack and let set for 5 min.

Cut into 8 servings.

[Nina~ 431]

Kathryn, I made the zucchini lasagna last night and it turned out too watery. Is it because I used extra lean ground turkey instead of ground beef? I also skipped the 1tsp flour because you did not mention where to add it. My husband loved it though and said that it tasted really good.

[Amby 490]

I make pasta with peppers & onions sometimes

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red onion

1lb italian bulk sausage (sweet, spicy whatever)

pasta

4-6T butter

cook the sausage in a pan with some water. once all the water as cooked off just cook it until its browned

add in very thinly sliced peppers and onions and cook until its all done

add in like 1/4c water (I really don't know how much I use but it's not a lot)

add in 4-6T butter to make the sauce

toss with cooked pasta

I think that's all I do? most things I just make them without thinking about it.

I knew it didn't sound finished. I forgot to say I add a bunch of arugula to it too.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Amby

[ValerieA 350]

Have we run out of recipes already, or is talking about food all day ruining everyone's appetite?

LOL I've been too busy cooking! All this has made me hungry!

[Marilyn. 340]

this is really yummy!

Mexican Pozole

2 pounds lean beef, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil (i just use the olive oil spray)

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup cilantro

1 can (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes

2 ounces tomato paste

1 can (1 pound 13 ounce) hominy, drained and rinsed

In a large pot, heat oil and saute beef. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper and enough water to cover beef. cover pot and cover low heat until meat is tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Continue cooking for about another 20 minutes. Add hominy and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, over low heat. If too thick, add water for desired consistency.

Option: skinless, boneless chicken breast may be used instead of beef.

**I used some celery and carrot too. I added it to the pot after I sauteed the beef...I also added a little chili powder, cumin and paprika

you can serve it with with extra cilantro, radishes, shredded cabbage, red onion etc...

[GabiandVi 34]

Kathryn, I made the zucchini lasagna last night and it turned out too watery. Is it because I used extra lean ground turkey instead of ground beef? I also skipped the 1tsp flour because you did not mention where to add it. My husband loved it though and said that it tasted really good.

It might have been the zucchini. When I've made this, I've browned the zucchini. Or you can salt it while it is raw. Let it sit for a while, and then press it between paper towels. I've never tried that with zucchini but it's a trick I learned in Greece for eggplant. This gets the juices out, but it also gets the bitterness out. They also salt potatoes and pat them dry. You know how some potatoes get glassy when you fry them? This will make those potatoes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I make pasta with peppers & onions sometimes

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red onion

1lb italian bulk sausage (sweet, spicy whatever)

pasta

4-6T butter

cook the sausage in a pan with some water. once all the water as cooked off just cook it until its browned

add in very thinly sliced peppers and onions and cook until its all done

add in like 1/4c water (I really don't know how much I use but it's not a lot)

add in 4-6T butter to make the sauce

toss with cooked pasta

I think that's all I do? most things I just make them without thinking about it.

I knew it didn't sound finished. I forgot to say I add a bunch of arugula to it too.

Another one of my standbys!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Maven's Chili con Carne

1lb. lean beef mince

1 med-large onion, chopped coarsely (you can use red, white or yellow)

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 red and 1 green bell pepper, chopped coarsely

1 large (28oz) tin crushed tomatoes (whole are okay, just make sure to chop them up in the pan)

2 tins (14oz) of any of the following in any combination: red kidney beans; black beans; cannelini beans; great northern beans; pinto beans (I tend to use one each of kidney and black beans) mostly drained

1/2 c. water

1/2-1 tsp salt (depending on preference)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (organic is best -- I used to use Green & Black's in the UK, but Hershey's is fine. It MUST be unsweetened.)

1 tsp dried crushed red pepper (more or less, according to taste)

Saute the onion and garlic in a large, deep saucepan until nearly translucent. Add the mince, sauteing until nicely browned. My personal preference is not to break the mince down too fine, but to leave it in nuggets about the size of a popped kernel of corn. After browned, drain off any excess fat.

Add the tomatoes to the drained meat mixture, stirring to break them down if you used whole ones. Add the 2 tins of beans with a little of their liquid and the water, then the chopped peppers. Next add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer a minimum of 30mins; an hour is best. If the mixture reduces too far, add a small amount of water and stir.

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, rice, tortilla chips -- whatever you like! If you reduce it down enough, it also makes an amazing filler for burritos.

[Marilyn. 340]

this is another yummy recipe.. I am making this today...

Crock Pot Super Garlic Chicken Legs Recipe

* 6 chicken legs (more or less as needed)

* 20 garlic cloves (skins left on)

* 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

* 1/3 cup chicken broth

* 3 tablespoons oil

1. Place garlic cloves in crock pot.

2. Mix spices together in med bowl.

3. Pour oil into separate med bowl.

4. Dip chicken legs in oil, then roll around in spice bowl, until chicken is nicely coated in spices.

5. Place chicken legs in crock pot with garlic cloves surrounding it.

6. Pour chicken broth over all ingredients.

7. Cook on Low for 8 hours.

I do things a bit differently then the recipe though.... I dunk the chicken in olive oil and then place the chicken in the crock pot on the garlic and then sprinkle the spices over the chicken... I don't have any olive oil today so I am just going to spray the chicken with olive oil spray.. Also my crock pot cooks things in about 4 hours on low

Edited June 3, 2010 by Marilyn.