Weekly Cooking Thread - April 9, 2011

FreeRepublicCooks | April 9, 2011 | libertarian27

[libertarian27]

You’re added!

Give up all your recipes! *evil voice*snicker*

[libertarian27]

Thanks again - I got it - added two of those nbsp-thingamajigs

Think I should add more? (looks way better than what it did)
http://www.freerepublic.com/~libertarian27/index

[Netizen]

LOL I remembered as I hit the send button that it wouldn’t show! lol

[Gabz]

LOL!!!

I’m terrible about recipes, so often I just add so of this and some of that and hope for the best. Other things I have been making for so long I don’t even use a recipe.

[libertarian27]

HA - now that I know how to look at the page source - I see what you did - lol

That source thing is neat - all the stuff that’s going on behind the scenes - it’s like going to a fine restaurant and trying to figure out how your delicious meal was composed.

HA - just turned this Off topic sub-thread ON Topic

[Netizen]

Some of that stuff is perl. I know nothing about that stuff. :)

[SAJ]

Here's a Latin twist on that dish.

2-3 lbs flank steak or bottom round roast
6 oz alcaparrado (recipe below)
6 oz sofrito (comment below)
salt, pepper to taste
6 (or more to taste) smashed large cloves of garlic
Chopped carrots, and/or chopped olives and/or chopped onions to taste
2 TBSP olive oil

In a large skillet, heat the oil very hot. Sear each side of the steak/roast for 20 seconds. Remove steak/roast. Pour in the alcaparrado, then, in center of skillet, make a 'bed' of the sofrito. Place steak/roast on top of sofrito bed, salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat to medium low and cover the skillet.

Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, turning once. With 1/2 hour to go add cubed carrots (optionally, also chopped onion and/or chopped olives and/or peas).

Remove steak/roast and shred it (it should shred easily) with 2 forks. This is (very similar to) the classic Caribbean dish called Ropa Vieja.

Alcaparrado: 3 oz halved green olives, 3 oz halved ripe olives, 3 oz capers, 6 oz chopped tomato, 6-10 oz red wine vinegar. Mix all together (an old olive jar is great for this) and refrigerate overnight. The vinegar should cover all ingredients. If it doesn't, add more vinegar.

Sofrito: there are thousands of recipes on the 'Net. Basically, it's red bell pepper, green bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, CULANTRO (which can be difficult to find sometimes), tomato, lots of white onion, fresh ground black pepper. Or, any Latin market will have jars and jars of it on hand.

Coma con el placer!

[SAJ]

You can if you like, but it looks just fine to me.

;^)

[Bizzy Bugz]

great to have at parties or cook-outs

Smoked sausage

1 1/2 lb smoked link sausage
1 can beer
1 bottle Dell Monte chili sauce
Slice sausage in about 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices and put in
large pyrex dish (shallow dish) in single depth.
mix chili sauce and beer and pour over. Bake 350 degree
for 1 to 1/2 hour. Enjoy

[SAJ]

Well, foof. What did I do with the garlic, you ask.

When you put the steak/roast on the sofrito bed, rub the garlic over the meat, then place the smashed cloves on top of the meat and PUSH DOWN. Adds super flavour (well, assuming one likes garlic...)

[illiac]

Love garlic....if I make this I might double the amount...LOL

[Bizzy Bugz]

I have had people tell me they did not eat liver. When eating this did not know it was liver.

The Very Best Rumaki

1 lb chicken livers 2 cans water chestnuts
1 lb good bacon
marinade: 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon powdered
ginger

Mil all marinade ingredients together and blend well.
Cut all of the green off the livers and wash them well.
pat dry and cut into thirds (if large) Cut bacon strips
in half. Cut water chestnuts into halves or thirds,
according to size. Wrap piece of liver and one piece
of water chestnut with piece of bacon and secure with
tooth pick. Repeat until all are done. Let sit in
marinade overnight.
Place in foil broiler pan (to help with cleanup) and
bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until
bacon is done on one side and turn over and bake until
bacon is done on the other side. Serve warm.
Make lots as they go fast at the party. Enjoy

[Bizzy Bugz]

My carrots. Was my husband’s favorite.

carrots sliced -— sugar -— salt -— Grand Marnier
butter

Put carrots in water with salt and cook until almost
done. Then add sugar to taste and about two or three tablespoons Grand Marnier(according to how many carrots you have)
Cook until the carrots are slightly glazed

[rightly_dividing]

Here's our breakast this morning.

Breakfast Cups
½ lb Ground sausage
5 eggs, scrambled
3 Green onions
4 slices Cheese
1 cn Jumbo Refrigerated Flaky Biscuits (8ct)

Heat oven to 400'F. Grease 8 muffin cups. Brown ground sausage in large skillet; drain. Scramble eggs. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each greased muffin cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides, forming 1/4" rim. Spoon about 1/4 cup of sausage into each biscuit-lined cup. Place a portion of egg on top of sausage Sprinkle the green onion bits on top and cover each with ½ slice of cheese, or more.
Bake at 400'F. for 10-12 minutes or until edges of biscuits are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from pan. 8 servings. Like so many recipes, substitution works great. You can vary the meat, cheese, with or without onion. I can envision using Croissant dough also. My wife added salsa at her plate. And of course, ovens vary, mine were done at 7 minutes.

[libertarian27]

I have had people tell me they did not eat liver. When eating this did not know it was liver.

The Very Best Rumaki

Well, it's Rumaki - not Liver - lol

I didn't like liver but I am addicted to liver pate now (posted recipe last week) and I've had some very good marinated chicken livers - I'll have to try this - sounds yummy (from a former "Liver is Icky" person)

[illiac]

Livers sauteed in butter, mushrooms, and topped with fresh leeks are also great....

[ChocChipCookie]

I am living the dream life right now with a daily nanny who is in charge of the kids, the house, and the cooking. I’m down to the last few weeks of writing my book and then going through the edits, and this is the only way I can stay sane. When I have to let her go, I’ll cry.

Anyway, last week she made an Alfredo sauce that was quite good but she used the powdery Parmesan cheese in the green can. I always use freshly grated Parmesan and now I know why. The powdery stuff makes the sauce taste gritty. I don’t know if I’ve ever posted this recipe here, but this is my absolute favorite Alfredo sauce.

Better than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

5 tablespoons sweet butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 (12 ounce) box angel hair pasta

1.Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
2. Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer.
3. Stir often.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
5. When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY.
6. While the sauce cooks, boil noodles for 3-5 minutes.
7. Place pasta on serving plates and spoon sauce over pasta

If you make this, don’t even think of checking out the calorie count. I made this for a Christmas Eve dinner and mixed it in with cooked mostaccioli, sliced mushrooms, and chopped up chicken. It was the hit of the evening, but why wouldn’t it be, with all that cream and butter??

[Flamenco Lady]

Here is one of my favorite flank steak recipes. I have been making this for over 35 years and unless you have someone who won’t even try spinach it will convert many to eating spinach because it tastes so wonderful!

Flank Steak Roulade

1 box of frozen spinach
1 package 8 oz of cream cheese (softened)
¼ c finely grated parmesan or pecarino cheese
1 tbs. fresh chopped parsley or one tsp. dried chopped parsley
dash of nutmeg
1 garlic clove finely minced
crumbled bacon or panchetta (optional)
¼ c toasted pine nuts (optional)
1 flank Steak
Salt and pepper to taste
Allspice (optional)

Thaw and drain spinach and press out any excess water and set aside. Combine next seven ingredients and then add spinach making sure the spinach and cheese mixture are thoroughly combined. If the mixture seems too wet, I add a bit more parmesan cheese or some bread crumbs to absorb a bit of the excess moisture in the filling.

Season both sides of the flank steak with Salt, pepper, and allspice. Spread the cheese and spinach mixture on the flank steak and roll it up and tie with kitchen string. Bake in a 300 degree oven until meat is medium rare (the amount of time will vary and depends on the size of your flank steak and how tight you roll up the roulade). I start checking it after about 20 –30 minutes and go from there. Let meat rest for at least 10 minutes before carving the roulade and serving it. This makes a very elegant presentation and is really tastes wonderful.

My husband won’t even try anything with spinach in it, so I usually make the original version when he is out of town, when he is in town I leave the spinach out and add more bacon or panchetta. I have also made this using grated zucchini instead of the spinach but you need to squeeze as much moisture out of it as you can too before adding it to the cream cheese mixture, but I don’t think it is anywhere near as good as it is with the spinach.

I welcome you to try your own variations to this recipe based on your own and your families vegetable preferences using the basic cream cheese mixture.

[Flamenco Lady]

My Alfredo sauce recipe is virtually identical to yours except that I add about 4 oz. of cream cheese to the sauce as well. I have substituted with different combinations of cheeses and they all come out excellent. I am sure it is due to all the cream and butter in the recipe!

My family insists that I make this or a variation of it about once a month. I also have to make a double batch of the sauce, since I have a family of 5 large eaters that want leftovers to take for lunch the next day.

For a variety I have added cooked cubed chicken or ham, mushrooms, and various vegetables to the final pasta dish. This sauce is also very good served as a cream sauce with sauteed mushrooms added and served over a bed of rice that I have topped with a cooked chicken breast! to make the presentation even prettier I usually sprinkle the top with a few chooped chives, fresh parsley, or green onions.

[momtothree]

Can’t you suddenly get “writer’s block” or something? I mean Spring cleaning is just around the corner.... you got to think a head!! LOL!