The Cooking Thread

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Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:53 pm

I'm with Ima and weas on the cast iron, nothin like it! Wink

Sausage Balls

2 cups Bisquick
1 lb. ground sausage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix well (hands) and form into balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 or 20 mins. Cool

Btw, I love brussel sprouts! Very Happy

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Corona wrote:

Btw, I love brussel sprouts! Very Happy

Toss them with some olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper then roast in the oven at 450 until they get a nicely brown on the outside. (roll them over every now and then so they roast evenly)

Heaven!

Edit: Well, dont I feel like an asshole, Weasel already gave this idea. (I didn't read the entire thread) Sorry Weasie.

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:48 pm

Thanks for that nice idea with sprouts Weasel and Pastor, I'm gonna have to try that one.

One of my favourites (cheap AND simple) although some of you may go "euurgh! pigs blood". Laughing

1 x black pudding (hope this isn't too difficult to obtain for NON UK ppl)
1 - 2 onions
2 - 3 apples
approx same amount of potatoes (for healthys sake, I like to leave skins on).

Pre heat a roasting tin with some oil in nice and hot. (around gas 7).
Halve black pud lengthways then chop into nice fat chunky half moon slices.

Chop potatoes, and onion to similar size. Par steam potato cubes around 5 mins.

Drain potatoes WELL to avoid spitting oil.
While potatoes are draining, quickly 1/4, core and cube apples. Tip potatoes into roasting tin and coat in hot oil, add everything else to roasting tin then just slam into the oven for about 20 / 30 mins. Turning once or twice.

DONE
Lovely

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

You can´t top lemon for its awesomeness. Tenderiser, smell, taste - in the words of Rachel Ray, Yum-O.

I´m also partial to a nice lamb recipe that Callum posted in the cooking thread I started back in May.

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=163725

Brussel sprouts & I disagree. A lot. I´ll say no more, leave you to imagine the sewar system at my house after eating them.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

I just came across this. I have'nt tried it yet, but it looks awesome. I plan on making it this week, and will report the results.

CLICK

Elite Baiter Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1731

419weasel wrote:

There hasn't been one of these (to my knowledge) in a long time..

I'm looking for more interesting, but simple, things to cook at home... Very Happy

I'll start! My Mom told me about a yummy way to cook brussel sprouts. Just toss them with some olive oil, minced FRESH garlic, salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven at 350 until just tender. Last night, I ate these with seasoned salmon fillet and a chicken and broccoli brown rice pilaf. All it was missing was some toasted almonds.

I Know I am extremeley late to the party. I will also have suggestions for cooking rather anything but brussel sprouts. Love the topic hate the food.

Elite Baiter Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1731

Lesson learned, do not do tired posting.

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

This is something I came up with for Christmas dinner this year. Everybody loved them.

Chop and fry an onion and a clove of garlic (got to have garlic).
Boil a few slices of bread in milk until the milk has boiled away.
Chop a handful of fresh coriander (we just happened to have some that needed using).
Mix together with about the same amount of sausage meat (you could use just about anything. For our vegetarian I used stilton cheese with and without the rest of the mixture.)

Make a dough using just flour and water, roll it as thin as you can.

Cut a circle from the dough using a large cookie cutter. Put a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle and fold over and seal so it looks like a slug with punk hair.

Deep fry.

You can work a production line, making new parcels as the previous ones cook, keeping half a dozen or so in the oil.

When you run out of dough, add some flour to the mixture and deep-fry balls of it. That works too.

Would be good as an appetiser with a dipping sauce. We just had them as a side dish.

It's probably worth mentioning that British sausage meat is horrible pink sticky, pastey stuff. But I'm sure it would work with decent meat too.

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:00 pm

A cooking thread!
I never had the chance to see one up to this point.
I sooooo love to cook!

I received my friends at home for the New Year and have cooked the entire meal for 10 persons.

There where 8 different apetizers:
- Homemade blinis with salmon, pesto verde and mozzarella
- Fried balls of "foie gras"
- Whisky-flamed scampis
- Tomatoes-basilisk ice
- Quail-eggs stuffed with crab
- Mini cake with dried tomatoes and black olives
- Smoothie of cucumber, green apples and fresh goat cheese
- Foam of smoked salmon with vodka

Followed a homemade tropical sorbet.

Then stuffed turkey with rosemary, sage, dried tomatoes, pine nuts and candied chicken liver.

And for desert:
- Small pies of strawberries with homemade pistachio ice
- Rum-flamed ananas with coconut powder
- Dark chocolate foam with peachsauce
- Chestnut and chocolate log

Which one do you want to have you people?

Here is the tropical sorbet already:

You'll need (for 10 portions):
1 glass water
170 grams of sugar
1 matured banana
1 matured mango
2 matured kiwis

Make the sugar melt in the water with gentle heating so as to obtain a sirup.
Peel and cut the fruits, and blend them to obtain a fine mash.
Add the mash to the cold sirup, and put everything in an ice cream maker.
Make it run approx. 40 minutes.
Then put the preparation in your freezer.
I served it with a little white rum.

N.B.: I prepared everything with my brand-new ceramic knife I received for Christmas.
Do anyone here own one also?
I find it so wonderful!

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 6:37 pm

A cooking thread!

Foolproof mousse au chocolat:

This is an easy yet very yummy dessert. Preparation takes about 15 minutes (cleaning up the mess not included).

Ingredients:
(For 3-4 servings)

2 fresh(!) eggs
2 dl (6 3/4 fl oz) cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
100 g (3 1/2 oz) of dark chocolate (60% cocoa or more)

The quality of the chocolate is very important. I use black Lindor or Cailler Crémant, but have had satisfactory results with other brands. If you use white chocolate, do use one that doesn't have an artificial aftertaste, and use a bit less cream.

Preparation:

Crack the eggs open. Put the yolks into a medium-sized bowl and the whites into a small one.
Add 1-2 tbsp of sugar to the egg yolk and stir.
Melt the chocolate (see below).
Beat the cream until stiff.
Add the cream to the egg yolk and mix everything by hand.
Add the molten chocolate and stir like crazy. The chocolate loves to sit at the bottom of the bowl, so stir up and down as well as in circles.
Beat the egg white until it's so solid that it doesn't move when you tilt the bowl.
Pour the egg white over the chocolate/cream stuff and carefully mix everything.
Cover the bowl and put it into the fridge for 3-4 hours.
Serve cold with an orange slice next to it. Enjoy!

Melting the chocolate
Chocolate can be melted in a number of ways. It should always be split into small parts and put in a small bowl beforehand.
A chocolate with a high cocoa percentage can be covered with hot water. Molten chocolate is much more viscous than water, so you can just decant the water and the chocolate remains. Don't try this with e.g. Lindor though, the water will dissolve the chocolate.
If you melt chocolate in the microwave, take it out often and stir it with a spoon. Otherwise it will be burnt at the centre while still solid on the outside.
The most foolproof way is to put the bowl with the chocolate into hot water. It takes much longer but you can't fail. Simply put a pot on the stove, put the bowl with the chocolate inside and add water until just before the bowl begins to swim.

Cider cream:

Refreshing yet sweet.

Ingredients:
(For 3-4 servings)

2 eggs
2 dl (6 3/4 fl oz) cream
2 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of wheat starch
5 dl (17 fl oz) of apple juice
1 lemon (juice)

Preparation:

Put the wheat starch into a pot, add the apple juice and stir.
Add the eggs. Boil up while stirring constantly. (And I mean constantly. This shit will literally scorch within seconds.)
When it boils, take the pot off the stove (keep stirring for a while) and let it cool off.
Add the lemon juice.
Beat the cream and mix everything together.
Enjoy!

Master Baiter Joined: 07 Nov 2009 Posts: 201

Thought I would bump this with something I made. Home made potato soup! Paying homage to my Irish roots

(To the real Irish: I'm sorry if it's not perfect. I'm only 3rd generation!)

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

I got an ice-cream maker for Christmas. To christen it I made some Christmas Pudding ice-cream. I just made up the basic custard (no, not instant - you don't want the corn-flour) added a handful of left-over pudding and whizzed it up in the food processor I also got for Christmas. I served it with meringues - had to use the egg-white somehow.

Most people identified it correctly, but one mistook it for Baileys Irish Cream flavour, which probably indicates how much brandy I like to slosh over the pudding Wink

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:17 pm

I shall be cooking dinner today so what is recommended by the foodies here with these ingredients? As many or as few as you like.

Chicken Breasts.
Smoked Haddock.
Tomatoes.
Pasta, Cous cous or Rice.
Bell Peppers.
Onions.
Sweet Corn.
Kidney Beans.
Petit Pois.
Cheddar Cheese.
Various spices and herbs.

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:35 pm

I would do a risotto from it.

Cut chicken breasts into pieces and make them roast a little in olive oil.
Then prepare a sauce with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers, with some rosemary and thyme if you have, and why not a little garlic also.
When your sauce is ready, put the rice in it so that it be cooked in the sauce and not in water as usual.
You'll probably need to add water for the rice to cook completely, and salt for your preparation to be tasty enough.
When your risotto is ready, add the chicken cubes to heat them, and serve.

I also would suggest a white Chardonnay or same type of dry white wine to drink with Wink

Edit: maybe you'll want to take off the skin from tomatoes and bell peppers.
For bell peppers: put them 1 or 2 minutes under the grill in your oven. The skin will burn and will be easily removed.
For tomatoes: make water boil and incise the skin of your tomatoes. Then plunge them 1 minute in boiling water. Get them off and wait a little they cool down. Then you can remove the skin pretty easily.

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 9:50 pm

@ Thud. They're good.

That dumpling / parcel thing I am going to try. I can see that being a winner.

Only me likes Xmas pud but I think I may change peoples minds with your dessert.

My butcher does a nice sausage meat for xmas that I by lots of and freeze for meatballs the rest of the year.

@ Pastor frank. That's good with oxtail or some other sticky meat like end of neck of lamb. (Cheap Too).

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^^I'm giving it a try today, I will post the results.

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 3:14 am

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Meh... it was OK, but nothing spectacular. I snapped a few pictures while cooking, but my batteries died, so these are all I have.

Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 5:05 pm

I have a new favorite vegetable. (I know for some of you that's an oxymoron, but with my diet I have to eat veggies, so I look for those I really like.) It's spaghetti squash.

I baked a spaghetti squash the other day, and it will feed me for about a week at a serving a day. It freezes well, so several servings are in the freezer.

How do I serve it? Well, the first serving was with a little melted butter substitute and some parmesan cheese. The next day my lunch consisted of the squash with some carrots, celery, and a shallot that had been chopped and sauteed in a little olive oil, and a couple of Roma tomatoes that had been diced and warmed through. Yummy!

When I was first introduced to spaghetti squash, I was told it was a dieter's dream because it could be substituted for spaghetti and served with spaghetti sauce. I found that less than satisfactory, as the taste is nothing like pasta. It tastes rather like zucchini, but the texture is firmer. It pairs well with other veggies, and does take well to having cheese added to the mix - not just parmesan, but other shredded cheeses as well.

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 7:55 am

Thanks Titania for those infos!
I saw some of them sometimes at the store but didn't give it a try yet.
I know now it is probably worth a try Wink

Another vegetable quite recent here is the butternut.
It's like pumpkin (from the same vegetable family), but the taste is finer.
The best preparation I found up to this point is simply as a soup.
Tasty!

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:28 am

Corona wrote:

I'm with Ima and weas on the cast iron, nothin like it! Wink

Sausage Balls

2 cups Bisquick
1 lb. ground sausage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix well (hands) and form into balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 or 20 mins. Cool

Btw, I love brussel sprouts! Very Happy

One of our machine operators brought these to work. His wife made these and sent them with him for the company's Christmas pot luck. Yum YUM!! So good. They were gone in no time flat. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:59 am

Quick and Easy this one, my other half never says no if I tell him I'm cooking this.

Halloumi Pittas

1 block halloumi (half a block can do two people)
fresh corriander
some red onion
1 chilli pepper
couple mushrooms
small amount of plain flour
olive oil

Some kind of salad dressing

Slice mushrooms, red onion and chilli and fry.

Slice the halloumi, I prefer thinner slices as it has a slightly rubbery texture. Dip the slices into flour to coat. Fry slices until crispy.

Add everything including the corriander to a warm pitta and drizzle on dressing.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

I thought this NYT article was excellent. Ask 3 or 4 world-class chefs for easy, yet tasteful, recipes for the boring chicken breast. All are easy to make and sound delicious.

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:16 am

That looks yummy, JM babe! Cool

weas, that is awesome and I told ya so. Very Happy

Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2010 9:30 am

Lately, I have been eating potato and egg tacos (or burritos). They are fantastic! This recipe works best in cast iron.

1 small red potato, washed and diced
2 large eggs, beaten
sprinkle of sharp cheddar
2 or 3 flour tortillas
salt and pepper
Rotel tomatoes
1 tbsp canola oil

Preheat skillet on medium heat.
Toss diced potatoes with some canola oil, salt and pepper. When skillet is good and hot, put potatoes in and let them brown on one side. Cover skillet with lid and toss potatoes around, occasionally until they are soft. Put potatoes aside. Scramble the eggs in the skillet and mix the potaties in. Set those aside and place a tortilla in skillet. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese on the tortilla, add eggs and potatoes. Fold over and enjoy with some Rotel tomatoes.