Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I have a young friend at work who is a wonderful baker, and dreams of having his own bakery someday. He lost his Mom to cancer several years ago, and often reminisces about her and things they did together. One of his favorite memories is of the two of them making this Ina Garten recipe for Pumpkin Roulade, and it has become one of his specialties:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pumpkin-roulade-with-ginger-buttercream.html

Another co-worker has recently retired, and we are having a party for him at the end of the month. Whenever we had parties and I asked Nate what he wanted me to make, he always asked for 'Chicken and Dumplings'; so that's what he's getting for his retirement party.

The recipe I've always used comes from America's Test Kitchen. There are many easier, less time-consuming recipes; but in my experience, this one gets the raves.

You can do the chicken stew ahead of time and freeze it; and then thaw it and heat it up, to make the dumplings the day of serving, or the night before. (I think the dumplings would come out poorly if you make them also ahead of time, and froze them.)

When I take this to a potluck, I take the stew in an electric crock pot, and the dumplings in a separate container. At the party, heat up the crock pot, and add the dumplings about 1/2 hour before you expect the folks to eat. (Sometimes they don't all fit; so just add more to the crock pot as the people eat.)

Important Note: Using the Chicken Fat is what really makes these dumplings, so don't 'shortcut' by using another fat. If you're doing this ahead of time, you can skim off the schmaltz after you've cooked the chicken, and freeze it until it's time to make the dumplings.

(I'm not sure if ATK would approve of my system of doing some of this ahead of time - they make a point of having the dumplings made immediately before serving; but 'needs must', and all o' that :-)

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/2295-chicken-and-dumplings

-JT

[Yaelle]

I loved my mothers chili as a child in Ohio, now it seems suitable for hospital patients laying around, convalescing.. LOL

---

Making me literally LOL! Add spice in 3 diff ways to it: some chopped up pickled jalapeño slices, a dash of cayenne, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Can create a well rounded flavor with some bite.

[Jamestown1630]

prayers up for everyone in Matthew’s path

Amen.

I put on a sweatshirt tonight, for the first time in many moons. I look forward to the change of seasons, at least until after Christmas. Then I get really tired of the cold :-)

Happy New Year, Yaelle!

[Yaelle]

Mmmm. What could be substituted for the clam juice? Homemade fish broth maybe? Or just water but up the # of anchovies?

[Yaelle]

Thank you, JT!

Next week is the fasting holiday (Yom Kippur) and the only good thing about it is the breaking of the fast after! Will add a good break fast cookie recipe next week.

If anyone knows Dennis Prager from the radio, he actually breaks his fast every year with peanut m&ms. He fills huge bowls at his YK service for people to break the fast with him and his longed for colored treats. I just could not. But it’s funny.

[Jamestown1630]

I was dieting over the past two weeks, and fell off the wagon yesterday. I was thinking I’d really like Mexican to break MY fast - but was too busy to go and find fast Mexican food.

I broke it with hummus and pita chips :-)

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Home made fish broth would do wonderfully. I have used that when clam juice was unavailable.

You can use water but it thins it out a bit much for my taste. Of course I like hardy soups especially in fall and winter.

I have also stirred in kale when I added in the fish.

[Yaelle]

Mmmmm Mexican. Right down the street here is a Mexican restaurant that has people waiting outside all the time. It must be good. One day we will splurge and try it.

Congrats on the two weeks of watching your diet! Awesome.

[leaning conservative]

I could eat creme brulee everyday! And still want more ; )

[leaning conservative]

Happy New Year & your brisket made me hungry!

[Silentgypsy]

how much peanut butter

[NorthstarMom]

That looks great, can’t wait to try it-thanks for sharing.

I’m so tired of crockpot meals, but it may be that I’m actually tired of never eating as a family anymore and crockpot meals are just a symbol of that.

[Yaelle]

Thanks!

JT has forced me by means of this thread to make iced pumpkin cookies tonight. The boys thank her.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/10033/iced-pumpkin-cookies/

[doorgunner69]

Hummers are the best.

One of the things we miss about the mainland. Used to love finding their tiny nests and watching the babies grow. One nest we found after it was abandoned had been fashioned with my clipped hair from my outdoor haircuts by the wife. Slim pickings now.

[Liz]

Pumpkin Latté / a repost b/c its so good

Pan-heat or micro combined cup hot coffee, 5 oz Nestle evap/milk,
1/4 c canned pumpkin, 1-2 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

Carefully pour into mugs. Foam up some milk for the top
(shake in a jar if you don't have a foamer).

SERVE w/ homemade oatmeal cookies.

[Jamestown1630]

The one that stayed so long this year made me wonder just how they decide to leave - what tells them, why would this one wait so long, etc.

There’s a great little book called ‘A Hummingbird In My House’ about a hummer who failed to migrate one year, and stayed in a woman’s sun room all winter. Other species sometimes decide not to migrate occasionally, for reasons that we don’t understand...

https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-My-House-Story-Squeak/dp/0517577291

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

That looks very good. I keep cans of enchilada sauce around to make ‘sunken burritos’, and I may try this.

[greeneyes]

Thanks for the ping. Nothing more comforting than macaroni and cheese or Chicken Soup. A hot cup of soup is this best this time of the year. I’ll have to check out my recipe box.

[Liz]

"Sunken burritos?" Is that a variation of "wet burritos?" This uses inexpensive chuck steak; smothering in cheese is secret to the "wetness." Recipe looks involved but you can prep it all ahead, then assemble at dinnertime.

WET BURRITOS / from a popular Mexican restaurant

PREP First brown 3 lb trimmed rubbed chuck steak (or roast) in veg oil; then simmer tender in 14 oz can beef broth (salt-free is OK).

METHOD Shred cooked beef with 2 forks. Add 2 c beef cooking liquid, cup water, 2 Lawry's taco seasoning packets, tea Franks hot sauce, tb butter; simmer/thicken about 15-20 min. Hold offheat.

ASSEMBLY Overlap sliced tomatoes on 8 lge warmed burrito sized flour tortillas; add goodly amt shredded lettuce, centering straight across; pile on shredded beef mixture. Fold over, filling, sides in, then bottom over. Set seamside down in 2-13x9" pans.

Pour Colorado Sauce over. Blanket both pans w/ 32 oz Colby/Jack cheese--will seem like a lot. Pile it on---really makes them "wet." Bake 350 deg 20-25 min (cheese is melted, not browned).

SERVE 2 per plate topped w/ sour cream, salsa, jalapeno rings, black olives, etc; sides of Spanish rice, tortilla chips w/ salsa

COLORADO SAUCE (AKA Ranchero Sauce) Mix 3 c canned or homemade enchilada sauce, cup beef gravy made from dry mix.

ROAST DRY RUB ING: 1/2 tsp ea seasoning salt, garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, cumin, chili powder

[greeneyes]

OK. Back to Chicken Soup and Macaroni and Cheese.

Of course the Chicken Soup is often made using the carcass of a roasted chicken or leftover crockpot chicken. I pick the meat off the back and butt and reserve it. All the leftover broth or drippings are used when making the soup.

The usual trinity of onions, celery, and carrots. A little lemon juice or balsamic vinegar to pull the calcium and minerals out of the bones. Extra Garlic during flu season. Salt, Pepper, and Bay leaf-sometimes a few shakes of ground ginger, or a few slivers of the fresh.

Saute the veggies, add the liquid and carcass. Fill with water or broth to cover the carcass. After a few hours of simmering take out the bones, strain if you want a clearer soup. Then add the noodles or whatever other veggies you want, along with the meat and cook till the noodles are done. I sometimes give this a few sprinkles of turmeric to give it some color. Blenderizing some cooked carrots will also give it a nice color.

Now for the Macaroni and Cheese. I have a new recipe to try and it uses a crockpot - one of my favorite ways to cook, so I’ll have to try it From a magazine by the Crock-pot Girl Jenn Bare:

2 c. milk
12 oz Evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 c. uncooked macaroni shells
1 egg
2 oz cream cheese, optional

Grease the crockpot. Combine all(whisk the eggs first) in a large bowl, except the cream cheese. Pour into crock pot. Top with the cream cheese. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until macaroni is tender and sauce has thickened.

I remain skeptical of noodles in a crock pot, but it’s worth a try.

[Jamestown1630]

A ‘sunken burrito’ was an offering at a long-time taco place near us. It was swimming in something like enchilada sauce and melted cheese. Yours sounds similar.