Weekly Cooking Thread Ping List
*to be added/deleted - just post here or PM me
Recap of last week’s cooking thread:
Appetizer* 31 Spinach Chips
Appetizer* 46 I Can’t Believe It’s Not A Packaged Biscuit Appetizer
Dessert* 6 Nutmeg Sauce
Dessert* 22 mothering cake (various cakes for mom)
Dessert* 6 cinnamon rolls with pie crust
Dessert* 44 Peanut Butter (and Chocolate) Rice Krispie Treats
Meal* 3 Beef Burger Stroganoff
Meal* 8 Grannys Sunday Chicken
Meal* 15 Camarones a la Playa (Beachside Shrimp)
Meal* 20 Riverbend Camarones
Meal* 27 Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
Meal* 32 Tuna stuffed celery:
Meal* 50 Mom’s Salmon Patties
Side* 39 Mexican rice
Soup* 51 Italian Chicken Soup
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2716503/posts?page=71#71
When I saw your post that included the National Food Days, I noticed Coquilles St. Jacques and realized I had no idea what it was, so I looked it up online, and was delighted to know that it was a shrimp and scallop dish, since shrimp and scallops are my favorite kinds of seafood.
I am wondering if this is perhaps a name they use in the south or even in the New Orleans area (since it is obviously a French name), because I have never seen it on the menu at any restaurants here, but I have seen Shrimp and Scallop Thermador, which is basically the same thing.
I will go find my recipe for it and type it up and post it later today for everyone to enjoy.
Classic Jambalaya (per Louis Messarveaux...and, yes, he was pure Cajun)
1 large pot or overlarge skillet, with cover
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined, 30-40 ct
1 lb Andouille sausage (or sweet Italian, if you don't like heat), cut into small cubes, bigger than diced
1 medium-large onion, well chopped
1 large bell pepper, well chopped (green, traditionally, but in reality any colour you like)
2-3 stalks celery, well chopped
1 full cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
16 oz shrimp or chicken stock (canned is ok, fresh is better)
6-8 oz tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (or 6 tsp minced garlic in oil)
2 tsp ground cumin (if you grind cumin seeds yourself, grind the day before using, trust me on this)
cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere or Zatarain's) to taste. Note: neither of these contain MSG.
In large pot, saute veggies uncovered, on medium, in 2-3 TBSP butter until soft, roughly 5 minutes.
Add sausage and brown it for 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cajun seasoning, rice, shrimp or chicken stock, tomato sauce and bay leaves. Stir well until mixed.
Bring pot to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is ALMOST (not completely!) gone. Tip: do NOT peek until 8 minutes have passed, then once every 2 minutes thereafter until condition above is met. Stir in the cumin at your first peek.
Stir in the shrimp, leaving 2 or 3 on top, re-cover, and cook until shrimp on top are pink throughout (could be 3-5 minutes, could be less -- you have to peek every minute or two).
Remove from heat. Drain any remaining liquid through a strainer. Serve in covered bowl along with French bread and butter. Have some ground cayenne available for those who like it spicy...or if you happen to have any Cajuns in the house.
Bon appetit, mes amis!
Last week I purchased some food products from Shirley J (www.shirleyj.com) and have been VERY impressed with their versatility. The product line was developed years ago by a food scientist and has been used commercially ever since. A couple of years ago they decided to begin selling it to the home market.
If you’re not an inspired cook (and that definitely describes me!), they have a program called M30M or Master 30 Meals. This is the kit I purchased. It comes with all the Shirley J products needed to make 30 meals, a full color cookbook with photos, and 30 menus. The first one was BBQ Chicken Pizza (made with their sourdough bread mix and BBQ seasoning), a fantastic salad (the dressing included their Pasta & Pizza seasoning), and a fruit compote w/ vanilla sauce. Everything they sell can be used in dozens of different recipes and they’re reasonably priced.
Tonight is Day 2 of their 30 meal menu, and we’ll be making Turkey Chili, Corn Pudding, and a Key Lime Dessert Squares.
Before I bought the kit, I was using their chicken bouillon, which I really liked because it’s double strength and has great flavor. Their Universal Sauce can be used with just about anything from mac and cheese to enchiladas. You add the flavorings and other ingredients you want and have a different dish every night using the same sauce mix!
If you sign up as one of their sellers, you can get the M30M kit for $105 and then get a discount on your own purchases. If any of your friends buy the products through you, I think you get a commission.
So far, I really like what I’ve tried and the fact that each product can be used in so many different ways.
1. Chase pig up hickory tree
2. Burn down hickory tree
3. Have dinner.
| Spiced Pear Cake |
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| 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour* 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp cinnamon |
1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup pear nectar** 3 T egg substitute 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced pears (about 2 1/2 medium) 1/4 cup dark raisins |
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Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, and spices, and stir to mix well. Stir in the pear nectar and egg substitute. Fold in the pear slices and raisins. Coat an 8 inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or just until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for at least 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. *Whole wheat pastry flour is lighter than whole wheat flour yielding a softer texture and can be substituted with all purpose flour evenly. ** Pear nectar - You can use extra pear slices, well mashed with some water added. Per Serving: Calories 169 ; Total Fat 0.4 g; Protein; 3.4g Calcium 15g; Dietary Fiber 2.7g; Cholesterol 0; Sodium 85mg; Potassium 245mg; Iron 1.1mg. |
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