[libertarian27]

February: * Canned Food Month • National Cherry Month • National Snack Food Month • Great American Pies Month • National Grapefruit Month * National Potato Lovers Month • National Hot Breakfast Month • North Carolina Sweet Potato Month • Berry Fresh in the Sunshine State Month • Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month

February 15 - International Gumdrop Day* February 16 - National Almond Day* February 17 - National Cafe Au Lait Day* February 18 - National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day* February 19 - National Chocolate Mint Day

(Food producers and manufacturers will most often direct their marketing and advertising to these 'holidays'. Supermarkets will have more 'canned food' sales, put their pies on feature price, etc. Something to look out for when making shopping/meal prep lists)

[libertarian27]

Weekly Cooking Thread Ping

Last week’s recipe recap:

Appetizer* 7 Queso Puerco Dip
Appetizer* 8 SUPER BOWL POPCORN
Appetizer* 9 Spiced Vinaigrette Chicken Salad Cups
Appetizer* 11 Snappy Cocktail Meatballs
Dessert* 12 Pretzel M&M Kisses
Meal* 10 Shrimp Scampi
Meal* 14 Julia Child’s “A Fast Sauté of Beef for Two”
Meal* 16 CARRABBA’S CHICKEN MARSALA
Soup* 15 Split Pea Soup with Ham

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2669049/posts?page=22#22

(Each week’s recipe recap links can be found through my profile page)

(to be added/deleted to the list please just drop a FReep Mail or post on this thread)

[ladyvet]

I was given an electric pressure cooker for Christmas. I'm looking for TRIED and true recipes to use with it or time saving uses. Curiously the owners manual didn't have much. Thanks!

[Tainan]

Please add me to your cooking ping list.
Thanks !

[libertarian27]

Looking for a ‘tried and true’ recipe and method for Yorkshire Pudding. If any one has made this before I would appreciate any tips.

I’m helping with a Prime Rib dinner tonight for 100 people and thought it would be neat to try this out.

[mmercier]

1/4 pound cull lobster, par boiled.

Strip meat and flour.

Pan fry in drawn butter.

Serve with asparagus and potato, baked or mushed.

or

Fresh salmon section, 1” or thicker.

Poach with lemon, bay leaf and dill.

Serve with saute green peas and mashed potato.

(This was George Washingtons favorite dish, and is traditionally served on what is now presidents day.)

I could go on, but have to go to work and make a few dozen large cheese pizzas for a girls swimming team who will be in at noon.

The best foods are simple foods. I microwave sushi and toss out the yucky stuff.

[LibWhacker]

Zesty Swiss Chard Wraps

9 - 10 Swiss chard leaves, each 9 or 10-inches long or longer
1 Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 Tomato, halved and sliced
1/2 Cup Pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tablespoons onion flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400F.
With a small knife, remove the tough central stems.
Bring water to a boil.
Place chard on a steamer basket, cover and steam for 2 minutes.
Remove chard with tongs.
Spread leaves on a baking sheet and lightly brush with oil.
Place 2 tomato slices on one end of a leaf and top with 1 tablespoon of cheese and some onion flakes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roll up the leaves around the ingredients and arrange on a baking sheet.
Place in oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with cheese and diced tomatoes. Serve.

We saw this recipe on TV and I don’t know what made my wife decide she wanted to try it. I’m more a fried, crunchy food type guy who’s not too big on greens. But this recipe blew us away and we haven’t been able to stop talking about it.

My wife says a recipe is like a chain: Only as good as the weakest link. So use the best, freshest ingredients you can. Although this recipe calls for onion flakes, we’ve only made it with diced green onions, scallions, that is, and think it’s great. Also, we can’t get fresh Swiss chard here for some reason and so use “green” chard and that, too, is delicious in this recipe.

Please add me to your ping list, thanks!

[PrincessB]

February 9 - Milton Hershey created the Hershey Chocolate Company :)

Seriously, I read in a description in a book about how Dominicans from the Dominican Republic prepare goat. I have a couple of lamb shanks in the freezer and thought I would try this (I made it up but it’s as close to the description as I can come):

Rub the shanks liberally with oregano.
Put in a crockpot with chopped onion, chopped green pepper, and a cup or so of white wine. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

I hope this is good.

[sweetiepiezer]

For Valentines I am making these.............

Strawberry Cake Cookies:

Ingredients:
1 Strawberry Cake Mix (18.5 oz)
1 egg
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup oil

Directions: Mix ingredients together with spoon or electric mixer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or so to keep dough from sticking to your hands. (If dough is still sticky, refrigerate a few minutes more.) Roll into one inch balls and place on a non stick cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Edges should be lightly browned.

Decorating/Toppings:
Ingredients:
Candy/Sugar Sprinkles
Almond Bark, Chocolate Chips, or a Chocolate Bar

To decorate the cookies, I immediately poured just a small amount of red candy sprinkles on them right after I took them out of the oven.
Usually I mix a spoon full sprinkles in with the actually dough before making

For the topping, I just took a couple of squares of almond bark and heated in the microwave for about a minute and half. Don’t forget to take the chocolate out every 15 seconds to stir, in order to prevent scorching. Then just drizzle the chocolate on.

[Silentgypsy]

I *love* this thread! Thank you.

[hattend]

BTTT

[bgill]

Supermarkets will have more 'canned food' sales

We've had 2 weekly sales circulars out already this month and no special canned food specials, yet. I've noticed more and more these days that the annuals sales events are being done away with. With food prices on the rise, I wonder if there will be real sales or fake sales after a jump in price.

[bgill]

Something strange I learned - A major grocery chain in Texas is HEB. It sometimes has their already seasoned fajita meats (beef, pork, and chicken) on sale. Think outside the box because it doesn’t have to to used just for fajitas. It’s strange, but you can use it for chinese dishes and other spicy recipes. Just adjust the spices and watch the salt. Or rinse the outside to remove some of the flavor. Hey, my freezer doesn’t pass up boneless skinless meat when there’s a great sale.

[Utah Binger]

I hope it is OK to post this recipe that I used last Sunday for two of us.

Bingers Chicken Breasts Parmigiana

One plump boneless chicken breast sliced horizontally to about 1/2 inch thick.

Dredge well in flour.

One beaten egg with kosher salt, minced dried onion and garlic powder added liberally.(this is the unique part)

Coat the breasts in the egg mixture and dredge in Italian bread crumbs.

Fry on high heat in 2 tablespoons olive oil and equal amount of butter until well browned on one side.

Turn over and fry for one or two minutes and remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Add 14.5 oz can of Italian style minced tomatoes and a small can of tomato sauce sprinkled with lots of dried basil leaves and kosher salt.

Cover top of breasts with provolone, monterey jack or both and place in a 375 degree pre-heated oven until cheese is completely melted.

Serve with buttered and fresh garlic fettuccine or thin spaghetti.

The unique flavor is caused by the onion garlic egg wash. And the quick browning leaves it very tender. I use a Calphalon saute pan as it goes in the oven.

[ChocChipCookie]

Here’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to try. Maybe I’ll make it next weekend.

Baked Oatmeal

2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. raisins
1 T. chopped pecans
1 t. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. applesauce
2 T. butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; stir well. Pour into greased 8” square baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just set. Serves 4-5.

[madamemayhem]

My cousin told me about this:
Mix one package of brownie batter per directions
Dip Double Stufft Oreos in batter
place battered oreos in muffin pan cups
bake at 350 for 12 to 16 minutes
get a big glass of milk and say hello to your new best friend.

While I was out today I saw herds of Girl Scouts selling cookies and suddenly thought of this recipe with their Thin Mint style cookies replacing the Oreos. That could rock.

[pops88]

I recently made Chicken Paprikas. My neighbor who had been a home ec. major stopped by that day, had never heard of it, and loved the dish I gave her. It’s been one of my, and my children’s favorites. The original recipe came from The Joy of Cooking, and I make it from memory, either a cheap or expensive version.

Chicken Paprikas (quicker but more $)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped (roughly a cup)
2 C. chicken broth (plus water if cooking long to allow reduction)
2-3 T. paprika (Hungarian preferred)
2 T. flour (optional to thicken)
1 C. sour cream (room temp preferred and may adjust to taste)
2 T. butter (plus or minus to saute onions, or may use oil)
Salt

Saute onion in butter until translucent. Add paprika and stir a bit to bring out it’s flavor. Sprinkle on flour (I omit this) and stir. Add liquid and chicken breasts. Cover and simmer. Keep enough liquid to cover the chicken while cooking. I simmer a long time to allow the chicken to shred (I use that property to thicken sauce). When chicken is done gradually add spoonfuls of broth to sour cream and stir to prevent sour cream from lumping. When the sour cream is warm and liquid, gradually add it to the pot of chicken while stirring. Taste and add salt. This is a very important seasoning to really bring this dish together and make it sing. Simmer a bit and serve over egg noodles, with spaetzel, dumplings or by it’s self. This is a dish that’s better the second day. The flavor is so good I hate to serve it on anything and dilute it, but then it doesn’t go as far :(

The cheaper version is more time intensive. I cook chicken parts in salted water, save the broth, skim the fat, let the chicken cool, then pull off the meat to put in the dish. My dog prefers this method since he gets the skin and bits I don’t use. It kills me to spend an afternoon making this dish and watch my daughter eat half of it in one sitting because she wants it by it’s self without noodles or spaetzel. I want to eat it straight and make it stretch for her. I’m such a bad mother. LOL.

Another great recipe was found by my husband when he had to cook when I was working.

Crockpot Beef

Beef- any cheaper cut
1 can of beer
Ketchup
Onion Soup Mix
carrots, potatoes, etc. as desired

Put beef in crockpot. Squirt ketchup over the top (there isn’t an exact amount, just thinly and roughly cover meat). Add onion soup and beer. Cook. Add cut veggies the last 1/2-1 hour before serving. Hint- if beef is bulky, cut to allow liquid to mostly cover it in crockpot.

I don’t add veggies. I’m the only one that likes carrots and they taste great in this. I serve this over mashed potatoes because the gravy is so great on them, and when the meat is gone, the extra gravy provides a few more tasty dishes over the potatoes.

[dearolddad]

Please add me to your ping list.

[ADemocratNoMore]

Please add me to your cooking ping list as well.
Thank you.

[mountn man]

For Valentines Day, chocolate seems to be a tried and true "recipe" to someones heart.

Claim Jumper restaurants have the Motherlode chocolate cake.

Ingredients: Servings: 10 Servings Size (more like 60)

6 eggs
3 cups sugar
6 tablespoons butter (softened)
3 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 3/4 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups boiling water
3 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 45 mins

1 Add first seven ingredients into a mixing bowl, mixing well in between each ingredient.
2 Sift flour, baking powder and soda, and salt and add to mixing bowl.
3 Fold the boilingwater into the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
4 Mix well.
5 Grease and flour six 8" round baking pans.
6 Pour batter equally into each of the pans.
7 Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips into each pan.
8 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
9 Let cakes cool for 10 minutes on a rack, then remove from pans.
10 When completely cool, ice with Chocolate Motherlode Frosting
11 Coat with nuts if desired.
12 Cake will keep for 3 days if covered and chill.
13 Serve at room temperature.

Frosting

1 lb fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

1 Finely chop chocolate.
2 In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved.
3 Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted.
4 Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
5 Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).
6 Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides.

[mountn man]

For anybody who grew up in the midwest, and remembers Bill Knapps Restaurant and remembers their Au Gratin potatoes, I have found the closest possible recipe to theirs.

Ingredients:
6 cups potatoes -- diced, boiled, chilled
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
6 ounces Kraft Deli Deluxe Sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Prepare potatoes. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and blend.

Gradually add the milk and cook until thick. Add remaining ingredients and stir until cheese melts. Add potatoes and stir well. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 F. for 25-30 minutes. until top is browned.

Note: for best results use whole milk and butter. No substitutes. Can top with buttered soft bread crumbs. Some online recipes say Velveeta- THEY ARE WRONG!!! Stick with Kraft Deli Deluxe Sharp Cheddar. (I worked at Bill Knapps in '83, and this is almost dead nuts identical to what I remember)