Weekly Cooking Thread (Happy New Year) Jan 1, 2011

FreeRepublic | Jan 1, 2011 | libertarian27

[libertarian27]

Happy New Year!

Weekly cooking thread to start the new year. What was your favorite recipe in 2010? Please share and make it a fellow FReepers favorite recipe for 2011.

What are you making this week? Have a favorite left-over recipe idea for all those roasts and big dinner leftovers? Trying something new, need a new tried and true recipe?

Let's get cooking.

[bgill]

I bought a couple big 8 lb pork loins on sale a couple weeks ago. At less than $2/lb and boneless, you can’t go wrong. Slice it for boneless chops and leave a chunk of it for a roast. I roasted one last night and marinated it several hours in orange juice and dried cranberries. It come out ok but not post worthy.

Wooo, meat is going up. The end of summer, fajita seasoned chicken could be found for just over $2/lb but yesterday it was doubled at nearly $4.50. I also noticed that the little canned meat snack thingies (good to grab when you don’t have time to pack a lunch) are getting repackaged with a 25%+ price hike so I bought a bunch of the one flavor they still had of the old packaging. The New Year’s Resolution for us all should be to keep stocking up.

[maggief]

Easy and delicious.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

* 1 pound spaghetti
* 1/4-1/2 pound bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (I use 1/4 lb.)
* 2-3 large eggs (I use 2 large eggs)
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (optional)
* Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and cook the spaghetti. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until just crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Skim off some of the fat. Drain the pasta, add to the bacon in the pan, and toss to combine.
2. Whisk together the eggs, cheese, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour into the (hot) pasta, and immediately combine thoroughly. (The hot pasta cooks the egg mixture.) Serve immediately with extra grated cheese, if desired.

[the lastbestlady]

I LOVE those casseroles!

[andyk]

I really acquired a taste for bulgur this year. It fits into my diet wonderfully with good fiber and protein, is delicious, and takes on savory spices very well. Did I mention I can find it in the bulk foods item at my favorite grocery store and it's $1.79 per pound? It's even cheaper at the discount grocery store.

Anyway, make it like you would rice, 1 cup bulgur to 2 cups water. I always substitute 1 cup of chicken broth for one of the cups of water.

For 1 cup of uncooked bulgur, add 1 tsp of turmeric, and 1 tsp of crushed red pepper. That is the perfect amount of heat for me, personally. It has a wonderful layer of warmth without being overpowering. I have found I can double the recipe with no problem - the cooking time remains the same.

BTB, RTS. Cook for 12 minutes.

I will cool it in the fridge for tabbouleh, or eat it hot with diced chicken or some other protein. Yum!

[libertarian27]

I got this recipe off a radio recipe show back in the early 80’s - this is my favorite and it’s always my birthday meal - I just ate a piece of leftovers - too good!

Spinach Mushroom Lasagna

1 lb Lasagna Noodles (I make 4 layers = 16)
2 - 10 ounce pkg Frozen Spinach
1 cup chopped Onions
2 cloves Garlic
12 ounces fresh Mushrooms
1 stick Butter
2 cups light cream
3 cups shredded Mozzarella
1/4 cup Flour
2 lbs Ricotta
3 eggs
1 cup Parmesan
1/3 cup chopped Parsley

Boil the noodles - set aside
Cook Spinach and drain well - set aside

Sauce:
In large skillet melt butter, add onions, mushrooms, garlic; cook until tender. Sprinkle flour over all, mix to incorporate. Gradually add the 2 cups of cream, stirring well. Cook 3-4 minutes until thick - add spinach-stir.

Cheese filling:
Combine ricotta, parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella, parsley and eggs - mix well.

Lightly grease 9X12 lasagna pan
One layer of noodles on bottom of pan
Spinach mixture - ricotta mixture - noodles - For 3-4 layers

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top
350’ oven for 35-40 minutes - remove, let rest for @10 min.

(If you see you are running out of sauce to fully coat the top layer -{I always get to that point} add some milk to make more of a sauce covering)

[PrincessB]

If you have a KitchenAid mixer, get the grinder attachment. I use mine often. It’s great for 10 pounds or less and cleans easily.

[Liz]

Abuelo’s Papas con Chile™

In response to many requests, Abuelo’s Chef Luis graciously supplied recipe for Facebook so fans can make them at home.

METHOD Wash and scrub 3 lbs. red potatoes clean. Place potatoes in pot; cover with water; boil til soft. Drain.

Add 3 oz cream cheese – in 2" squares, ½ cup heavy cream, 10 oz Velveeta – in 2 " squares, ½ TBS salt ¾ tsp granulated garlic, ¼ cup sour cream, ½ cup diced red bell peppers, ½ cup diced green bell peppers, 2 cans chopped green chiles, ½ cup chopped green onion tops, 2 TBS of finely chopped seeded jalapeño.

Mash well til all ingredients are incorporated.

[Liz]

Make these delicious Christmassy confections in no time. Nice addition to cookie platters.

Mint Cookie Candies / makes 48 cookies

START Micro-melt 12 oz coarse-chp white candy coating, 4 tsp shortening, stir smooth. Stir in 1/4 tsp green food color.

FINISH Pour evenly into 48 miniature muffin-cup paper or foil liners. Sprinkle w/ crumbled mint-flavored creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (mint Oreos). Pour melted Andes mint candies over cookie crumbs. Let set.

MINT TOPPING Micro-melt 2-4 2/3 oz pkg Andes mint candies, 2 tsp shortening; stir smooth.

[metmom]

When you pressure canned the meat, did you cube it?

Did you cook it first or did you put it in raw and process it letting it cook that way?

I’ve pressure canned chicken breast but what I do is make chicken stock first and then dice up the meat and add the meat and stock and then pressure can it.

I’ve heard that you can just cut up the meat and put it in the jars as is, without water, and pressure can it that way. Is that correct, do you know?

[metmom]

I saw plenty of 20+ pound turkeys this year in the local Wegmans.

[hennie pennie]

Looks like a scrumptious recipe - thanks for posting it!

[Grammy]

That is very similar to what I am making right now, except I use a little marjoram, and add 2 1/2 cups milk and a cup of cream once I have blended it. When cooked add half a c of minced ham and quarter c of minced cooked chicken. Top with sour cream or a tablespoon of sherry.

yummy

[patlin]

Great use of left-over chicken or turkey

White Chili:

2 c. cooked northern beans
2 c. chicken or turkey broth(I make my own but store bought is fine)
Tblsp olive oil
2 chopped onions
6-8 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 c chopped chilies (I prefer smoked chipotle chilies)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper(crushed or flaked)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cilantro
4 c. chicken or turkey

Saute on low-med heat the garlic & onion in the olive oil until onions are translucent. While those are cooking, mix the remaining ingredients in crockpot. Add the sauted onions & garlic, put cooker on low and forget about it for the rest of the day.

Just before serving add 8 oz monetary jack cheese & 8 oz sour cream and stir well. Then if you wish, top each serving off with a bit of chopped green onion & roma tomato or your fav homemade pico sauce for garnish FYI-this recipe can be made up days in advance and freezes beautifully!

[libertarian27]

Recap listing of last week’s recipes:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2647463/posts?page=69#69

[SouthDixie]

Last night I simmered my ham bone for hours with onion, sea salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder and a hint of brown sugar. Today I added black eyed peas, carrots and simmered all morning. Pre made cornbread and voila, lunch is served.

[Flamenco Lady]

This is my family’s favorite recipe. We substitute leftover turkey for the chicken after Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is absolutely delicious! Hope you all enjoy it!

Arroz con Pollo

3 lb.Chicken, cut in 8 pieces (can substiture leftover Turkey, chicken breasts etc.)

½ cup Olive oil

2 cups Onion, chopped

1 clove of Garlic, crushed (we usually add a little extra)

½ teaspoon Crushed Red pepper )we usually double the amount of crushed red pepper)

2½ teaspoon Salt (we actually use half the salt because we add the olive juice later)

½ teaspoon Pepper

2 cups White rice, raw, converted

¼ teaspoon Saffron threads

1 can Tomatoes (1 lb.12 oz..) undrained

1 can Green chili pepper, chopped

1 can Chicken broth (10 ¾), undiluted

½ pkg. Peas frozen (10 oz. size)

½ cup Olives green, sliced Save Juice (we usually add ¾ - 1 cup of olives because we like them and the juice was a trick we learned from some Latin American friends)

1 jar Pimientos (4 oz.) sliced

1. Wipe chicken pieces with a damp paper towel.

2. In heavy, 6 quart Dutch over, heat olive oil. Brown chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown all over. Remove chicken as it browns. Let it cool, remove bones and skin and tear meat into small bite size pieces. (If you prefer you can leave the chicken pieces whole but we like it without the skin and bones as it is easier to eat that way and is a bit lower in fat too.)

3. Preheat oven to 325° F. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper to Dutch oven. Sauté over medium heat, stirring, until golden (about 3 minutes)

4. Add salt, pepper, rice, and saffron to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring (about 10 minutes) until rice is lightly browned.

5. Add tomatoes, chili pepper, and chicken broth to Dutch oven, finally add chicken pieces. Bring to a boil. Bake, covered, (about 1 hour).

6. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of olive juice that you saved and stir it in. Sprinkle peas, olives, and pimiento strips over top. DO NOT STIR. Bake, covered, 20 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender and peas are cooked. Note if you have a lot of juice in the bottom of pot bake with cover off.

7. Serve hot, right from Dutch oven. Makes 6 servings.

Note: We usually make a double batch and transfer it to my large roaster pan before baking so we have plenty of room to stir it up before adding the peas and pimento and olives. Do not stir after adding them, as it looks prettier for serving that way.

[reformedliberal]

I have an ancient Oster meat grinder that still works well.

I use 50% venison, which is very lean and 50% whatever beef is on sale. I will also use the ends of whole top sirloins after I portion them out. While I leave the fat cap on any sirloin roasts, I cut some into steaks and I trim those closely. There is also a fat tail on a top sirloin and I cut that off. I portion the beef fat into 1oz-4oz portions and freeze it.

Most of the beef, like chuck, is sufficiently marbled for hamburger. But the venison is very lean. I weigh the venison in ozs and then add 10% of the weight of the venison in fat to the mixture. So, if I have 3.5 lbs of chuck, I use 3.5 lbs of venison plus 5.3 oz of beef fat. I chunk up the meats, put them in separate bowls and measure the cut-up beef fat and add it to the venison. By alternating what goes into the grinder, I minimize the amount of mixing. I found that the mixing could change the texture of the ground meat. If I need to mix it up, I use a light touch and both hands and do it quickly. I have ground with both a coarse and a fine grinder blade. The fine blade produces a ground meat that holds together better when made into a patty.

I also begin with meat that is still partially frozen. It cuts better, it grinds just fine and I minimize any chance of contamination. I will wear nytril gloves while handling the meat. I usually do 7 lbs at a time, total. I weigh out 1#-1 1/4# into quart freezer bags, express all the air, mark them w/weight/content/date and place them in a large freezer bag. That way, they are all in one place and I can see at a glance what I have on hand.

7lbs, ground, takes me an hour, total, including cleanup. I am scrupulous about keeping the grinder parts clean and don’t store them away until they are totally dry.

If you don’t have a hunter in the family, it can pay to ask around. A lot of people hunt, but their families won’t eat venison and they are happy to give it away. Or they just keep the backstraps and perhaps have some jerky or sausage made up at a locker and there is still a lot of meat that isn’t used. Most of the folks I know process their own venison.

Usually the sale beef is around $2/pound. Mixed with free venison (I figure the license and other hunting costs are the costs of my husband’s and his friends’ recreation) and beef fat that would normally be thrown out, the hamburger costs $1/pound for 90%-85% lean (depends on fat content of the beef). Another source of fat (and some meat) is the lip on a whole ribeye. I will buy the entire ribeye, lip on, trim off the lip, cut the ribeye into steaks and freeze 1 pound packages of the meat and fat trimmings. I mix the lip trimmings with venison. Great flavor, since there is meat on the trim and probably a bit more fat content to equal 75%-80% lean hamburger.

We have done this for several years and now, if we run out of venison and limited to only ground beef, it tastes almost too bland. If I have to buy burger, I feel I am overcharged.

[fanfan]

Happy Birthday!

[libertarian27]

Hey, you deciphered my recipe post! Thanks! My 8th anniversary of my 39th B-Day...lol

[fanfan]

LOL!

Well, Happy 8th Anniversary then!