Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

Shush! We’re not supposed to let them KNOW about that...(like they don’t already, and often ASK for it! :-)

-JT

[Liz]

[Liz]

My mouth waters reading your pork roast/carrots/onions dish.

Sounds just like my mom’s pot roast: the baby carrots, potato nuggets and small whole onions cooked under the roast.....all moist and tender, caramelized from the beef juices. And her brown gravy....to die for.

[Liz]

Here's the way to get two vegetables into one healthy Mediterranean-
inspired dish. Sweet, savory and crunchy. Good w/ chicken, pork, beef.

ROASTED CARROTS AND CALIFLOWER IN MUSTARD SAUCE

Toss cauliflower florets and carrot chunks, 2 tsp olive oil, pepper.
Cover/micro 5 min. Place on sprayed sheetpan. Roast tender 25 deg 10 min
(cauliflower edges are browned). Plate; toss with Sauce and chp parsley.

SAUCE combine olive oil, mustard, horseradish, and honey.

Ing: small head cauliflower, trimmed into 2 c florets; 4 large carrots
diagonally cut into chunks;◾2 teaspoons olive oil ◾½ teaspoon pepper
For mustard sauce ◾1 tablespoon olive oil ◾2 tablespoons Dijon ◾
teaspoon prepared horseradish ◾ teaspoon honey ◾¼ c chp fresh parsley

[Liz]

I posted this great dish before. Save for the day you went nuts
in the produce dept. Japanese recipe---can sub American ing.

Farmers’ Market Fantasy

Layer on plate:
sauce of curried fresh carrot juice
shower of blanched okra & mitsuba bits
grilled green & yellow patty pan squash
sautéed spinach with sesame, garlic, soy sauce
crispy polenta cake
fire-roasted anaheim chile
fresh goat cheese & asatsuki
cumin dusted grilled beet
spicy smoky heirloom tomato & Thai basil
roasted japanese eggplant, maldon smoked sea salt flakes

[Liz]

Oops.... wrong thread. This is the S/F luxury
high-rise that is sinking....built on sand.

[Library Lady]

There are some really good looking carrot pie recipes on the internet. I haven’t tried any of them, but I think I will.

[Hoffer Rand]

I’m looking for a way to pickle carrots, German style. When I was young, my family lived in Germany, and we ate pickled veggies by the huge jars full. Shredded carrots, shredded celery, sliced beets, all kinds of stuff. It was SO yummy! I would love to be able to recreate the pickled shredded carrots, since I can’t buy them here.

[Hoffer Rand]

Have you ever tried roasting radishes? With balsamic vinegar and some herbs like rosemary or thyme. So good.

[Liz]

Hope these have that Teutonic vibe you're looking for.

PICKLED CARROT STICKS / Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

METHOD Place in heatproof bowl lb carrots in 3 1/2- by 1/3-inch sticks. Pour Brine over; cool, uncovered. Chill/covered, at least a day before using for flavors to develop.

BRINE BTB 11/4 c water, cup cider (or plain vinegar); cider makes a sweeter, milder brine, 1/4 c sugar, 2 gar/cl lightly crushed, 11/2 tb ea dill seed, salt; simmer 2 min.

NOTE pickling brine is so good you think “what can I pickle next?” --- onions, leeks, dilly green beans? I use dill seeds from McCormick, or use fresh or dried dill. dried dill goes in the brine as you boil it--fresh dill is dropped in container storing carrots, just before you fridge---will keep a month, chilled airtight.

[Jamestown1630]

Not sure if this is what you mean:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/german-carrot-salad-1272820

[Paleo Pete]

You haven’t figured out the solution yet? Don’t take the husband grocery shopping...lol

I have a mother problem. My mother is 76 years old, lives next door and I’m designated chauffeur. She can still drive, or maybe, she broke a hip 6 months ago and had a pin put in, one leg 3/4 inch longer than the other now...so I’m not sure...anyway I digress...

Any time we go for groceries, if I look at most anything she tells me she has it at home, I should have said something...I picked up some sour cream one day. “why didn’t you say something, I have sour cream...”

OK but it’s been in the freezer for 3 months, which makes it grainy and drippy, I hate it and she knows it. And she refuses to admit it’s NASTY. Ditto for anything dairy. Anything I pick up, she usually insists she already has it, I should have said something...drives me nuts. I finally got tired of it, picked up something one day and she went into her usual, I told her “I don’t want it, I want THIS ONE...” I’m finally, after 2 years of this, getting it across that I don’t want hers, I want my own. I’d be pulling out my hair but I don’t have any...

Anyway here’s my carrot recipe...

Spend about 2 months growing them. Pick at about 3 inches long. Wash. Eat.

Same for corn. Nothing is better than baby corn about 3 inches long. Unfortunately this year my corn did nothing, some critter ate every stalk before it got 6 inches tall, I got nothing. Carrots did OK, I got about 2 dozen, they sure were good. Working on the last of the cantaloupes now. Just put about 2 cups of Tabasco peppers in the dehydrator. I chop it into powder in a blender and use it in a shaker jar, I haven’t bought black pepper in at least 20 years. Unfortunately the Habaneros did nothing, and Habanero is my favorite dried and powdered.

OK all seriousness aside...hehe

I’m not sure if I’ve ever posted this, I just made some Calzone last night, good stuff, half the dough is in the fridge now, I’m trying to decide what to do with it for dinner tonight. I’m not even sure if this is a genuine Calzone, but I figured it out from what I got at a nice Italian restaurant in town that’s now no longer in business. Quite a shame, best place in town to eat.

Dough.

Same as bread dough but with a bit more sugar.

About 1 1/2 cups plain flour (none of the measurements are critical) (Do NOT use self rising flour)

1 pkg yeast
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup hot water (120° - 140°F)

Mix dry ingredients. I use a wire whip.

Add hot water and olive oil, mix and you have a thick batter. Add more flour until you have a dough that is not too wet.

Knead dough, adding flour as needed until dough feels puffy and rubbery. It takes a couple of times and you’ll learn how it should feel.

Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, in a warm place. Inside an oven with just a pilot light works very well.

If you can toss it like a pizza guy, great. I never could get the hang of it so I roll it out with a rolling pin to about the size of my pizza pan.

Cover half with about 1/2 cup Ricotta. I dice up a couple of cloves garlic and sprinkle that on. Add some pepperoni, and if you have it, italian sausage and canadian bacon, and some mushrooms. Cover with about a half cup or so of Italian cheese blend. (Mozzarella, Asiago, Provolone, Romano, Parmesan and Fontina is the mix I buy)

Fold the other half of dough over on top, press together around the edge to form a half moon shape.

Bake at 350° until it starts to brown. Brush top with melted butter.

Use warmed pizza sauce as a dip.

This same dough can be used for pizza, not much difference, but leave it round and add pizza toppings. I also make Alfredo pizza, that one’s really easy. Spread out about a half cup of alfredo sauce on dough, cover with italian cheese, bake.

None of my measurements are critical. I found out years ago you can forget about measuring spoons, just cup your hand and pour out a pile that looks about the size of a teaspoon, it works great. Most spices except salt and oregano are pretty forgiving, a bit too much or not enough won’t kill your recipe. Strong spices like oregano, just be careful. Start with less, taste test until it’s about right.

I make my own pizza sauce, nothing you get in a store is close.

A couple of big cans of crushed tomatoes. I can’t remember the amount, the big 5 inch diameter cans.

Dice 4 or 5 cloves garlic. (I use garlic in almost everything, including scrambled eggs.)

I use Italian seasoning now, years ago I used individual spices. Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram, Sage. Just a little of each, taste test until it’s right.

Put just enough olive oil in a deep cast iron skillet to coat the bottom. Add garlic, saute at very low temperature for maybe a minute, add everything else. Let that simmer at least 45 minutes, never ever let it boil, stir often.

Or, put it all in a slow cooker (crock pot) bring it uo to full heat at high then switch to low and let it simmer on low for up to 2 hours. Stir now and then. Taste test often. (now you know why most chefs are fat) (I’m not, I can’t gain weight even if I try)

I put mine in zip lock bags, enough for a pizza in each, and freeze it. I hate soggy onions, if I want those, I put it on the pizza as I make it.

As for toppings, whatever floats your boat. Pepperoni is my favorite, with mushrooms of course, I also like Italian sausage, canadian bacon, sometimes hamburger, shrimp or crawfish is not bad. And lots of cheese of course.

Like to make bread? Use the same dough recipe above, cut the brown sugar to 1 or 2 TBSP. Form into loaves instead of pizza crust, bake. Hint...put the butter out on the counter before you put it in the oven, cold butter really sucks...I can’t get a loaf of bread to last more than about 5 minutes...That recipe makes 2 loaves, or 2 thin crust pizzas. One thick crust pizza, 2 calzone.

I created this one by accident. I grabbed Monterrey Jack cheese by mistake one day. Got out everything out for pizza, then found out..OOPS...

So I have this dough, no pizza cheese...OK...so I sprinkled some italian seasoning on half the dough, rolled out as if for pizza, sprinkled on about a cup of cheese, folded it over like Calzone and baked it. (I didn’t know what Calzone was at the time) It turned out so good I’ve been making it intentionally for about 6 years now. Might do it tonight, excellent with pepperoni and some mushrooms added too. Spread on some alfredo sauce, still good. Always add at least one clove chopped garlic. I use 2 usually.

OK I’ll shut up...

[Jamestown1630]

Those are great recipes!

Actually, my husband loves grocery shopping and he’s a hoot to have along - even if we sometimes buy stuff we don’t need ;-). He’s also very good at figuring out the best buys.

Maybe you should pick up the weirdest thing in the store, just to see what your mom says - snails, chitterlings, pigs’ feet, etc.

[Ellendra]

Jackie Clay has a book, “Growing and Canning Your Own Food” https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Canning-Your-Own-Food-ebook/dp/B00B5LAG0M/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470245595&sr=1-7&keywords=jackie+clay+books#navbar

It has a huge section on pickling different fruits and vegetables, including carrots.

Later I’ll see if I can find that and post it for you.

[pugmama]

This is a really great site with tons of great recipes. I have been visiting this this week and found some great recipes to try. It is from Australia-NZ PBS TV site.

http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/roasted-root-vegetables-herbs-and-ricotta-salata

[Jamestown1630]

That pic of the roasted vegetables looks wonderful.

[pugmama]

I love carrot recipes.This one is great.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018129-glazed-grilled-carrots

[pugmama]

Yes I have roasted radishes. Learned this from my mother. I also loved radishes with homemade fresh butter and rye bread. My mother was a great baker.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Just use Sriracha with add in a dash each of cumin, coriander, and caraway.

If you like it then you can order a bottle of Harissa.

I hate recipes that call for me to buy something that I might never use again.

Although harissa is good in chicken soup too.

[Duchess47]

Thank you, I will do that. (I also found a recipe to make my own. I make most of my own seasonings from herbs that I grown. I don’t have any serrano peppers this year but they are easy to find at the store)