The Recipe Thread

[imcarthur]

You should, Livi. Kids love cooking & making a serious mess in the kitchen. The dough of the CCC recipe is good to eat UNBAKED too.

Another quick & easy pasta classic . . .

-----------------------------

Egg noodles-charcoal maker’s style or Pasta Carbonara

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound lean, thick sliced bacon (Italian pancetta or even normal sliced bacon)
A pinch crushed, dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces tagliatelle or broad egg noodles
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff please)

In a heavy skillet heat the olive oil. (Omit oil if using fatty bacon) Chop the bacon and fry in the oil until crisp. Add the pepper flakes and butter and heat just until the butter melts. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add some salt. Add the noodles and cook until they are al dente (tender, but still firm in texture). Drain but do not rinse.

Add immediately to the bacon mixture. Pour the eggs over the noodles and toss the eggs, bacon and noodles together. The mixture should be hot enough to "cook" the eggs. If the eggs do not appear cooked, continue to toss the noodles over very low heat for 1 or 2 minutes.

Plate it & eat IMMEDIATELY with fresh ground pepper.

MAKES 3 TO 4 SERVINGS.

-------------------

Ian

[imcarthur]

This is a traditional Hungarian recipe. My version is better than my Hungarian wife's and her sister's and her mother's . . .

Chicken Paprikas (pronounced PA-pree-kosh)

1 3-pound frying chicken, cut up (I use boneless chicken chunks because it’s easier)
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, peeled & chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sour cream

Wash chicken well; pat dry. Combine flour, salt, and pepper in plastic bag. Add chicken pieces a few at a time; shake to coat.

Melt butter in Dutch oven or kettle over moderate heat. Add chicken; brown well on all sides. Remove from pan.

Add onion to kettle; cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan with slotted spoon; reserve.

Add mushrooms to pan; cook until tender & the liquid surge has abated.

Remove pan from heat; add paprika. Stir in chicken broth and wine; add onion and chicken. Return to heat. Bring mixture to boil over moderate heat; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Combine flour and sour cream; stir well. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Stir sour cream mixture into pan juices; cook over very low heat until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with rice, noodles, or dumplings.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS.

-----------------------

Ian

[imcarthur]

Is anybody reading these????

------------------------------

Now it’s time for some oven roasting. And it is surprising easy. The FIRST thing you MUST have for successful roasting is a thermometer. And not one of those cheap useless ones with the silly metal flag thingie that moves around. Get a decent dial thermometer. Don’t blow a $30 hunk of meat because you’re a cheapass. Spend $15.

Standing Rib Roast – Prime Rib

Buying a good roast is important. Use a good butcher or a decent supermarket. Look for an end cut if you can find one. Smaller bones & a slight bulge are tell-tale clues or just ask. One bone for 2 – 3 people. Two bone for 3 - 4.

Crank the oven to 450.

Season the meat with freshly ground pepper & garlic powder. I never salt meat before cooking but many do.

Splash some oil in a roasting pan & put roast in, standing on its bones. If you are roasting a one-boner, you can use a long metal skewer to keep it standing. Put the thermometer deep into the meat. You want to know what the inside is doing.

When the oven hits 450, put the beast in. Cook for 15 minutes. No more, no less.

Turn the heat down to 325.

Then it’s up to the thermometer. Pull it when it hits 130 = rare. 140 = med rare. 150 = too much. 160 = give it to the dog.

Remove the roast & cover it with foil & let stand while you make gravy and/or Yorkshire pudding. At least 10 minutes. The temperature will rise 5 – 8 degrees as it sits & gathers its juices.

Slice the bones off & cut the meat reasonably thinly. Enjoy.

Accessories:

Veggies: Peel & cut up potatoes & chuck them in at the start for easy roast potatoes. Rotate them occasionally. Add carrots about ½ hour in.

Gravy: In a sealed container mix about 1/2 cup flour in cold water. Shake to blend. Have extra water handy. After the roast has been pulled, pour off the majority of the grease & discard (or use in Yorkshire pan) but leave any dark yummy matter. Put your roasting pan across two stove burners on med-high. Add the flour/water concoction & stir aggressively with a wooden spoon or whisk, scrapping up the pan goodies. Add water as necessary to get the right consistency. Add salt too for some zip. If the flavor is weak, add Bovril to give it a taste lift. If the gravy lumps, bang your head on the counter & then whisk the gravy aggressively & plan on using a screened sieve.

Yorkshire Pudding:

1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
Crank the oven back to 450. When it hits temp, put in muffin tins (12 cups total) with about 1 tbs of oil or pan drippings in each cup. Hint: with your finger grease the whole cup area right up to the top.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl & mix the wet in another.

Gradually pour the wet into the dry mixing it with a power beater on medium. When you are done mixing, the muffin tins should be smoking slightly. Quickly pour some batter in 11 of them. Not 12, only 11. Put them back in the oven for about 12 minutes.

Turn temp down to 350 & continue cooking another 8 – 10 minutes until puffed & browned.

Your oven might be messy so clean the bottom when it cools.

----------------------------------------

Ian

[BRPORSCHE]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

This is a traditional Hungarian recipe. My version is better than my Hungarian wife's and her sister's and her mother's . . .

Chicken Paprikas (pronounced PA-pree-kosh)

Ian

mmmm my mom makes this stuff. Good Eats right there.

[Jeff Hail]

Gourmet welding.....gourmet bodywork.........gourmet projects.........awe what the hell


Chicken Tits in Mushroom Sauce

3 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of broccoli, or cream of chicken soup
1 bunch green onion, diced
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 ½ tsp. Garlic powder
Chicken breasts, boned, enough to fit in 9x13 pan

Mix together soup, onion and garlic powder. In pan place chicken, pour soup mixture over top. Do not cover. Place in 350 oven bake 1 hour.
Serve over, baked potatoes, noodles or rice

You can add fresh broccoli, cauliflower or any fresh veggie you like. You may want to par boil these first then add to mixture.




ALBONDIGAS SOUP

2 Large cans Chicken Broth plus 1 small can
4 Cans Beef Broth
1 Can Beef Consume
1 Sm. Bottle wine (red or white)
1 Can chopped tomatoes
4 Bell peppers-chopped
3-4 Stalks celery-sliced
1 ½ pounds carrots-chopped
1 large Onion-chopped
Oregano, cumin, garlic powder-all to taste (I add lots of garlic powder!)
1 large handful uncooked rice
½ T. Chili de arbol-ground

I chop my veggies course.
Place all ingredients in pot, bring to boil and simmer until veggies are about done. Add frozen meatballs and finish cooking. You can make your own meatballs.


CHILI RELLENO CASSEROLE

7 oz. Can whole green chili’s
½ lb. Cheddar cheese – grated
¼ lb. Jack cheese – grated
2 eggs – Separate and beat whites until medium peaks form
1 T. Flour – heaping
¼ tsp. Salt
Small can of evaporated milk.
1 8oz. can Tomato sauce

Combine ingredients except tomato sauce. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over top and bake 10 minutes longer.


DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

1 box (19.8 oz.) fudge brownie mix
¾ to 1 Cup coffee liqueur
3 packages (3.5 oz. each) instant chocolate mousse
8 chocolate covered toffee candy bars (1.4 oz each, Skor or Heath)
1 container (12 oz.) froze whipped topping – thawed.

Preheat oven according to brownie directions. Bake brownies according to directions, let cool. Prick holes in tops of brownies with a ford and pour coffee liqueur over brownies. Set aside. Prepare mousse according to directions. Break up candy bars into small pieces in food processor. Break up half the brownies into small pieces and place in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Cover with half the mousse, then half the candy, and then half the whipped topping. Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients.

Note: Instead of the coffee liqueur, you may substitute a mixture of 1 tsp. Sugar and 4 tbl. Leftover black coffee or just leave out the coffee flavoring entirely.

ENCHILADA PIE

¼ C. Oil – if hamburger is not fatty enough
1 ½ lb. Hamburger
1 lg. Onion- chopped
1-2 Cloves garlic – chopped
2 T. Flour
1 C. Water
2 Cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each) you can use El Pato and not use the chili powder
2 T. Vinegar
1 C. Olives – sliced or chopped
2 T. Chili powder
Cheddar cheese – grated
6 Corn tortillas – broken into pieces
Salt & pepper to taste

Brown hamburger with onions and garlic until browned. Sprinkle flour on top of meat. Add tomato sauce, water, vinegar, olives, chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover bottom of greased casserole dish with some of the meat mixture. Place broken tortillas on top, meat, cheese. Layer these until all is gone. Make sure cheese is the top layer. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

3 Large Onions – Sliced
¼ C. Butter
2 T. Flour
6 C. Beef broth
1/3 C. White wine
Salt & pepper to taste
Sliced French bread – toasted
Grated Swiss cheese

In saucepan sauté onion very slowly in butter. Stirring frequently. When they are caramel color sprinkle flour on top. Stir until flour is slightly browned. Slowly pour in beef broth and simmer for 15 minutes, or longer if you like. Stir in white wine. Toast French bread, place in bottom of soup bowl, ladle soup over bread top with Swiss cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts and browns. Serve.


ITALIAN STUFFED PEPPERS
1 Cup uncooked rice
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 tbl. Olive oil
1 ½ Cups chopped onion
1 tsp. Garlic salt
1½ Cups fresh tomatoes chopped
½ Cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 Cup Mozzarella grated
1-15 oz. can tomato sauce
4 Green peppers

Cook rice according to directions and set aside.

In medium sized pan cook the sausage, onion and garlic salt in the olive oil until done.
Add the sausage and onions to the rice along with the tomatoes, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, and add 1 cup tomato sauce.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Fill the pepper with the rice mixture and place in baking dish.
Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the tops.
Heat oven to 350. Bake for 45 minutes.


Ahi Tuna and marinade

¼ cup of olive oil
Fresh garlic or powder
¼ cupf of lemon juice
pinch of salt
Red chile flakes
Black pepper

Let Ahi steaks sit overnight in maranade .

Broil in foil or BBQ



Vegetarian Clam Chowder (sort of)

Ingredients
16 Oz. Clam Juice
13 Oz. of canned clams (drained) or fresh clams
1 ¾ cups of vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
3 small potatoes (baked)
2 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 Tbsp. of minced dry onion
1 pinch of parsley flakes
2/3 cup of white all purpose flour (wheat flour is good too)
1 cup of rice or soy milk

Bake the potatoes (6-8 minutes in the microwave or until done and set aside)

In a blender, mix up the clam juice, vegetable broth, soy/rice milk If you don’t have a blender but have a friend standing around doing nothing put them to work

Pour into a 2 ½ Qt saucepan and simmer/ reduce under medium-high heat for about 15 minutes (until thickens) Don’t let it boil.

Reduce heat to low, dump or stir the celery, onion, clams,parsley and potatoes
into the pot and stir it up. If that friend is still standing around doing nothing you know what to do.

Simmer for 45-60 minutes (low heat) Guys go watch NFL Football , girls go read Cosmo.

Season with salt and pepper to taste-
A little shot of Tabasco sauce and Oyster crackers optional.

Makes about 6 guy size servings or 10 chick size.



MOM’S STUFFING
1 Box Mrs. Cubbisons Dressing
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs, add to above

Sauté in 1 cube margarine or butter.
Chop onions, celery add to butter with poultry seasoning. After done pour into dry mixture. May add more poultry seasoning if needed. Add 1 can tomatoes. Pour about ¼ C. juice from can and then squish the tomatoes into mixture. Don’t pour all the juice into mixture, it makes it to soggy. Stir together. After COLD place in bird

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hail

½ T. Chili de arbol-ground

Will everyday ground chili work? Here in the tundra we are chili impaired. Fresh & otherwise.

Ian

[Jeff Hail]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

Will everyday ground chili work? Here in the tundra we are chili impaired. Fresh & otherwise.

Ian

Ground will work fine

[imcarthur]

Italian risotto is one of those recipes that I avoided for years beacause I heard that it was an 'art' to cook it. It isn't.

--------------------------------

Easy Risotto

Here are the general cooking instructions for preparing a simple risotto. Throw what ever you want into it for a ‘flavored’ risotto but this will give you a nice base. Pretty edible, too.

6 cups chicken stock (I cheat & use 2 x 500ml Campbell’s boxes + 1 x 10oz can + ½ can of water)
1 cup Italian Arborio rice (use the real Italian stuff if you can find it – I use Primo brand)
1 cup Parmesan Reggiano cheese – grated (use the real stuff) Many risotto recipes call for Romano cheese, which is milkier. I like the salty bite of Parmesan.
1 medium onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic – minced
1 green onion – chopped
¼ cup white wine – use a dry white or anything on hand
Olive oil
Butter

Heat the chicken stock to just simmering. Add some chopped herbs such as Italian parsley, thyme or basil to the stock. Dried works too, just toss some in.

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a heavy skillet.

Add about the green onion to the oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Add your rice. Stir the rice well with the green onions & oil, because the purpose is to thoroughly "coat" the rice. You don’t want to brown it.

Add the wine. Stir.

Add the onion & garlic. Stir.

When the wine is about 3/4 absorbed, reduce the heat to the lowest setting if you are cooking in a heavy skillet (low medium if in anything else) & ladle in enough stock to cover the smoothed out risotto.

Boil it gently, uncovered & stir occasionally. When the added liquid level drops about 1/3, recover the risotto with more stock.

Continue this process several times for about 20 minutes. Add water if you run out of stock. When the absorption rate slows down considerably, the rice should be tender with just a hint of texture to it. Don’t overcook or it will be mush.

Add the cheese & 2 tbs of butter. Stir the risotto profusely to blend in the cheese and butter and remove your finished risotto from the heat.

Let it stand for 3 or 4 minutes and then serve, garnished with some freshly chopped Italian parsley if you want.

------------------------------

Ian

[imcarthur]

Oven Roast Pork

You can use this method for almost any pork roast. It is retardedly easy. I typically use a meaty centre-cut loin – about 5 - 6 inches for a family of 4. It works just as well with the fattier cuts or with a bone-in rib rack.

Heat oven to 350.

Season meat with salt & pepper. Cut bacon strips in half & drape over the meat – overlapping slightly. Stick in your good dial thermostat (see Standing Rib Roast recipe above).

Splash some oil in a roasting pan & plop in the meat.

Pull it at 160 for a nice juicy roast. It’s overcooked & tough at 180. In the last stages, the temp goes up a degree a minute, so monitor it. Cover with foil & let stand for at least 10 minutes. Slice thinly.

Accessories: Mashed potatoes or plain rice. The temps are too low to properly cook potatoes imho. They will cook, but they will be mushy chunks. I usually make gravy & Yorkshire pudding with this. (see Standing Rib Roast recipe above)

Variations:

Roast Crown of Pork

This feeds a crowd. And everybody will ooh & aah. Buy a about a 20” bone-in rib rack. Figure 1 rib per person with a few extra, although your results may vary. Buy some of the fancy paper leg hats while you’re at it.

Stuffing:

1 med onion
1 celery stalk (if you have it or not if you don’t)
Stale bread – whatever you have that isn’t mouldy or just put some bread on a pan in the oven for ½ hr at 300. Chop up the bread into ½ cubettes.
About ½ tsp powdered sage (or poultry seasoning) – add to taste – this stuff has a strong distinctive flavor - celery salt also works too for a variation
Salt & pepper (easy on the salt if you used celery salt)
¼ cup butter

Heat lots of butter in a frypan over med heat throw in everything above. You may need more butter as the first bit is absorbed but your arteries will harden with each extra dab. Good stuff, though. Fry until bread is slightly browned & remove from heat & cool slightly.

Note: This is all all-purpose stuffing recipe. It works equally well with chicken, turkey & pork. You can add mushrooms & other crap if you wish.

Season the meat with salt & pepper & tie it in a circle with a natural well in the middle. Put tinfoil on the ends of the legs or they’ll burn. Put the stuffing in the well in the middle. As much as you can. You can throw some bacon slices on top too for extra flavor if you wish.

Cook as above.

After it has stood, remove the foil from the ends & put on the hats. The table will erupt in applause when you serve it.

Stuffed Pork Loin

Buy a meaty center-cut pork loin. The trick to this one is the cutting of the meat. Cut down the length of the meat – in about ¾”. Then cut horizontally circling in to the center to make a long ¾” thick flat continuous piece of meat which will be the width of whatever size you bought. Understand?

Make the stuffing as above.

Cover the meat slab with the stuffing & roll it up jelly-roll style. Tie reasonably tightly with some kitchen string at both ends. Stick any stuffing that falls out back in.

Layer with bacon slices & cook as above.

Slice 1/2" thick & arrange on a platter being careful not to mess up the nice spiral look. Expect applause as above.

---------------------------

Ian

[berettafan]

Ian I just did a pork loin roast last night and cut 1" incisions and inserted slivers of garlic. Really added flavor to the inside fo the meat and not just the outside. I think i'll go with a bone in cut next time though. I pulled it at 155. a hint of pink in the middle.

You're right about the potatoes btw, they were a bit mushy.

[imcarthur]

Yeah, I've done it with garlic slivers in the past & that makes a really garlicky gravy.

Ian

[imcarthur]

This recipe works equally well with boneless chicken or veal. Maybe even with a white fish.

Pork Medallions in Mustard Cream

2 pork tenderloins - trimmed of fat
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
3 - 4 green onions (chopped)
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup dry white vermouth (or dry white wine with a dash of white sugar)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1- 2 tbsp Dijon-style mustard (to taste)
salt & freshly ground pepper

Cut each tenderloin into ½” slices. Flatten with a meat pounder to 1/4" thickness. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season.

In large, heavy frying pan, heat butter & vegetable oil over medium high heat (the combination lets you fry hotter than plain butter). When butter stops foaming, brown medallions 1 - 2 minutes each side. You may have to fry multiple batches. Remove the pork & keep covered & warm.

Add mushrooms & onions & cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the ‘shroom juice abates. Add the veggies to the warming plate with the pork.

Pour off any excess oil from pan & add vermouth & broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced to half. Stir in cream & mustard (to taste) & boil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Adjust seasonings.

Hint: To thicken sauce further (might not be necessary) combine 1 tbs soft butter with an equal amount of flour & add to sauce & stir immediately. Allow it to boil carefully to dissolve the flour but don’t leave it alone.

Arrange pork medallions & veggies on a serving platter pour sauce over. Serve immediately with wild rice and steamed asparagus. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: about 20 minutes.

----------------------------------

Ian

[Mule]

I've played with the liquid ingredients some but Alton gets big props for some easy & kick ass ribs!
Alton Brown's "Who Loves Ya Baby Back Ribs"
2 whole slabs pork baby back ribs
Dry Rub:
8 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Braising Liquid:
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place each slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle each side generously with the dry rub. Pat the dry rub into the meat. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Open one end of the foil on each slab and pour half of the braising liquid into each foil packet. Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency. Brush the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly. Slice each slab into 2 rib bone portions. Place the remaining hot glaze into a bowl and toss the rib portions in the glaze.

[imcarthur]

Puffy Pork Schnitzel

Here’s a very basic recipe that highlights the basic ‘breading’ process. You can bread almost anything: pork or veal scaloppini, chicken fingers, various veggies, fish (although batter is better imho). This particular recipe is from my Hungarian wife but I have been breading meats since I was a wee babe. Pork Schnitzel is a staple in Eastern Europe with veal common in the more affluent Austria & Germany. Kids love it. Adults love it. Even my near-vegetarian daughter loves it, but she was raised on it. I’m making it for Easter dinner tonight.

Meaty pork loin – all external fat removed – 4” or so for a family of 4
Bread Crumbs
Flour
Salt
White Pepper
Eggs
Oil for frying

As for the quantities for all of the above: enough

The key to perfect Schnitzel is the Puff. Puffy Schnitzel – where the breading consistently puffs away from the meat - is your ideal. Easier said than done. Perfect timing & temperature is required to attain Schnitzel Nirvana.

You need 3 plates & a bowl. Flour on one plate. Bread crumbs on another. Beaten eggs in the bowl. The last plate is for the pre-fried meat. You will also need something to drain them on – a colander on another plate is the best method but paper towel on a plate will work too.

Thin slice the meat & pound the crap out of it. Break the meat’s texture. Humble it. You want it flat. Season the meat with salt & white pepper. Don’t bread it yet. If you bread it too early (or try to do it ahead of time), it will not Puff. Trust me on this.

Heat ½” of oil in a heavy frypan – some people prefer a large pot. Some people prefer lard over oil for its added flavor. On a 10 point stove dial, a 4 is about right for the temperature.

So the routine = flour, egg, breadcrumbs, frypan, turn often, drain. Sneezing from the white pepper is optional. The meat should bubble rather than sizzle if it it’s just right & each batch should take about 5 minutes of frying. Too hot & it will brown instantly & be like a board. Covering the frypan might or might not help with Puffing & to keep it moist. I’m still working on all of the variables.

As a piece is done – browned, Puffed & still slightly flexible, transfer to your drain apparatus. Replace it in the frypan with another. Repeat the routine until it is all done.

Serve with lemon wedges and/or your favorite Hot Sauce & fried rice.

-----------------------------

Ian