Posted on 10/01/2011 6:42:45 AM PDT by libertarian27
Welcome to the 43rd installment of the FR Weekly Cooking (Recipes) Thread.
Looking for something new to make or made something new that came out great? Please share a 'tried-and-true' recipe or three- for fellow FReepers to add to their 'go-to' Recipe Stack of Family Favorites!
Here's the place to share and explore your latest and greatest favorite recipe.
Pumpkin cheese cake is even better with a crust made from ginger snaps instead of graham crackers.
This is good and a nice change from regular meat loaf:
Reuben Meatloaf
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, crumbled
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
filling: Ingredients:
1 can sauerkraut, 8 oz, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped corned beef
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions:
Spray a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with nonstick foil.
Combine all meat mixture ingredients in medium bowl. Press 1/2 of mixture in bottom of loaf pan. Make slight indentation down the center of the meatloaf. Combine all filling mixture and put in indentation. Top with remaining meat mixture, pressing to enclose filling and sealing edges.
Bake at 350° for about 1 hour, or until done. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Serves 4 to 6.
Note- I serve with extra Thousand Island on the side. You can also use 1/2 beef, half pork.
The corn starch will determine the thickness, so amounts for the liquids are needed.
The rule of thumb I use is 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1/4 c cold water. Combine the two until there are no lumps. Add to your sauce to thicken, however, the sauce has to reach a boiling point to thicken. If your sauce is not as thick as you like it then you can repeat the process. Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour.
I was always taught that generally speaking 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c of water will thicken 1 cup of liquid and 2 tablespoons of flour mixed with and equal amount of butter or water will thicken 1 cup of liquid.
Temperature, humidity, the type of flour used and how long the roux has stood before it is added to the liquid can all effect how much the sauce or gravy will thicken, so you may have to adjust from there, by adding more roux if you want it thicker, or a little more liquid if it becomes too thick.
Thanks for that. That will give a good starting place. :) I like the flour gravies but always get lumps, so I usually use the corn starch. But, since I found out that that swiss steak recipe I use makes its own gravy, when I get a craving for the flour type gravy I just make that! lol Sometimes I add quartered potatoes to the pot.
I almost always thicken my gravies with a flour and butter roux in equal parts. The trick is to get the butter melted first and then get all the flour completely mixed with the melted butter before adding the liquid to it, whisking as you do so. No white specks of flour should be left anywhere. As the butter mixture melts into the liquid you are assured a lump free gravy every time. As it was explained to me the butter essentially adheres to every speck of flour so they can’t stick together and form lumps in your gravy.
You must use butter, however, as many margarines or butter substitutes won’t work the same way as butter when combined with the flour.
This same method also works well if you are using the bacon or sausage grease in a pan instead of butter when making biscuits and gravy or something similar. Just make sure the grease and the flour are completely combined before adding the liquid as you stir the mixture with a whisk. The animal fat essentially works just like the butter and melts right into the gravy making it lump free every time.
I have been the designated gravy maker for all our family gatherings ever since my great aunt taught me how to make perfect gravy every time one year at Thanksgiving when I was still in grade school (over 30 years ago).
She was getting older and told me it was time to pass the baton (her whisk) of “official family gravy maker” on to someone in the younger generation. She told me she picked me because she remembered as a small child I loved her gravy so much I would sometimes just pour a ladlefull of her gravy on a piece of white bread, just so I could enjoy her gravy!
For over 30 years now I have never had lumpy gravy as long as I stuck to her method. (We won’t talk about the times when I tried a different method. LOL! Thankfully, I only tried the other methods when I was just cooking something for myself, so it was a small enough batch I could just throw it out.) I knew better than to mess with her perfection when serving others gravy!
Another trick she taught me was to add a bit of coffee to the stock or drippings before thickening it. She said it made the gravy have a richer taste and didn’t change the over all flavor of the gravy. I agree with her that it does give the gravy even better flavor and it doesn’t take much coffee to do so. Just a splash of coffee left over from the morning’s pot of coffee is perfect for the normal pot of gravy. Even when I make huge batch of gravy for a crowd in my large stock pot I add less than a cup of coffee to the drippings and stock.
The only change I have made to her method over the years is that I sometimes use spelt flour instead of white flour to thicken a gravy. (I tried it the first time about 15 years ago when I had to make gravy for someone that was allergic to most types of flour but could use spelt flour.) The spelt flour adds a bit more depth to the flavor and a slightly nutty or meaty flavor to the gravy. It is especially good to use for biscuits and gravy. My family doesn’t like it made with regular flour any more, since it is so much better with the spelt flour.
Spelt flour does not thicken quite as well as regular flour so I use 2 heaping tablespoons of the spelt flour instead of the 2 tablespoons of regular flour for a cup of gravy.
One of the best ways to eat gravy! lol I like gravy on rice, potatoes, biscuits, bread, even had it on saltines, stuffing...
I'll have to remember that about the coffee. I have some leftover burrito meat that I thought could use a little moisture and some diluted coffee just might be a nice addition.
I have been experimenting with all different kinds of breakfast casseroles, since my family (the men too) seems to love them and they are a great way to feed a larger family on a tight budget, since it can stretch a half pound of meat into serving about 6 people.
My daughters and I also love Fritatas and quiche, but the men in our family aren’t big on Fritatas, and I have heard “Real men don’t eat quiche” way too many times to even try making a quiche when they are around. The following recipe is my latest attempt to make everyone happy and it was a huge sucess, so I am sharing it with all of you!
Anytime Potato, Sausage, and Egg Pie
This recipe is sort of a cross between a breakfast casserole and a frittata and can really be served any time of the day. I like to serve it with some fresh or canned fruit and some kind of home made muffin on the side.
The topping is totally optional and the dish is still very delicious without it. I actually came up with the idea of the spinach topping because in my family two people won’t eat spinach at all, two people love cooked spinach with eggs, and 1 person only likes creamed spinach. Having an optional creamy spinach topping was my way of making everyone in the family happy.
This pie can serve 6-12 people depending on what time of day you serve it and what else you are serving with it. Those of us that like spinach spoon the spinach mixture right on top of our pie, so we end up with a wonderful spinach pie, and those that don’t like spinach have a pie without any spinach that they can enjoy too!
The Crust:
About 4 Russet potatoes grated (enough to cover the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
The Filling:
½ pound Italian Sausage
1 shallot, finely chopped (or ¼ cup onion finely chopped)
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
any additional chopped or sliced vegetable you want to add(optional)
2 oz. cream cheese, cut into small chunks
1 dozen eggs
½ cup milk or water
1 cup (or more)of mozzarella, swiss, fontina, or other good melting white cheese
black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Paprika
Chopped chives
The topping: (optional, since many people don’t like cooked spinach)
1-2 pieces of bacon cut into small pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped (or ¼ cup finely chopped onion)
1 8-10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed, and with all excess water removed
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Directions for Crust:
Grease the bottom of a 9X13 inch pan with Olive oil. I like to dry off the grated potatoes a bit with a paper towel so they are not overly wet first. Then I toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish to form a crust, pushing them up against the sides of the baking dish a bit. Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are browned and crispy. (In some ovens you might need to turn on your broiler and watch it for a few minutes until the crust finishes browning on top.)
Directions for the Filling:
While the crust is baking brown the sausage in a skillet, and then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Pour off excess grease from the pan leaving just enough fat to cook the shallots or onion until it they are just beginning to brown. I like to add the mushrooms to the skillet about half way through so they absorb some of the flavor from the sausage and shallot or onions too. When the mixture is cooked, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat, but set it aside to use for the topping later.
When the crust is done it is time to assemble the pie. Reduce the oven temperature to about 325 degrees. Sprinkle the cooked sausage on top of the potato crust, followed by the mushroom mixture, and then the black olives. If you want to add any additional vegetables now is the time to add them. (zucchini, peppers, or even blanched asparagus would be great add ins. Most veggies can be added in raw or blanched to keep their color.) Dot the top with the cream cheese.
Beat the eggs and milk or water in a large bowl with the pepper and crushed red pepper and then pour them over everything in the casserole dish. Spread the grated cheese over the top of the eggs. Sprinkle the top of the pie with little paprika and chives for a little color on top of the pie to make it pretty! Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the top is slightly browned and the eggs are fully cooked.
Directions for Topping:
In the skillet I used earlier, I start browning the bacon and then add shallot or onion and cook until the onions are slightly browned and the bacon has reached the desired doneness while the pie is cooking. If there is too much grease in the pan I spoon off the excess and then add the spinach, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. As soon as the cream cheese has melted to make a creamy sauce and the spinach is heated through this is done. I put a lid on it and remove it from the heat to keep it warm until the casserole is done. If you make this ahead, you can easily warm it up in a small covered casserole dish as you cook the casserole. This topping can also be made as a separate side dish to just about any meal.
WOW! That sounds great!
It was so good! I fixed it last night for dinner and served it with some canned peaches and some Cinnamon Swirl muffins (made from a cake mix). This was enough to feed two adult males myself and my two high school age daughters for diner last night and the girls and I had the leftover pie and spinach this morning for our breakfasts. There are still three muffins left for after school snacks.
Tonight we are going to have an old classic recipe that my daughters have never tried before, but the guys and I remember this one well from our own childhood.
I am making creamed chip beef on toast and serving it with the last of the can of peaches and some canned pears, and a choice of peas or green beans (I have to fix both because one person in the family won’t eat peas, and one person won’t eat green beans).
Chicken Paprikash
Traditionally this dish is made with sweet Hungarian paprika (or sometimes a mix of sweet and hot paprika). Using smoked paprika adds a smoky element of flavor — be sure to look for the highest quality paprika you can find.
8 chicken leg quarters
1½ tsp. Kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 large or 3 medium onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. flour
½ cup white wine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season chicken with ¾ tsp. salt and a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken quarters, about 2-3 minutes per side, turning once. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper to the pot. Sauté until onions are translucent and softened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with remaining salt, more black pepper and paprika. Stir to blend and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in flour. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add wine and stir to blend. Return chicken to the pot. Spoon liquid over chicken quarters, cover and transfer to preheated oven.
Bake covered, for 1¼ -1½ hours. Serve hot over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Wishing you and easy and meaningful fast, Naomi Ross and the Park East Kosher family
Please add me to your ping list? Thanks, FL, for the heads up!
You are very welcome. This is a great thread each week. Our wonderful hostess has all the links to prior threads on her home page, so you can easily find recipes. She also posts a recap at the end of each thread and provides a recap of the previous week’s recipes at the beginning of each new thread.
Since you also do gardening, there is also a weekly gardening thread that is posted every Friday. Let me know if you would like that link as well and I would be happy to look it up for you.
Thanks, I’m on the gardening list. And now I’m going to go read through this thread, slowly. :) I see some herb roasted chicken that sounds pretty good...
Oh, you are so kind but my profile links haven't been updated since June, oops, but just got them all updated now!
December 12, 2010 December 18, 2010 December 25, 2010
January 1, 2011 January 8, 2011 January 15, 2011 January 22, 2011 January 29, 2011
February 5, 2011 February 12, 2011 February 19, 2011 February 26, 2011
March 5, 2011 March 12, 2011 March 19, 2011 March 26, 2011
April 2, 2011 April 9, 2011 April 16, 2011 April 23, 2011 April 30, 2011
May 7, 2011 May 14, 2011 May 21, 2011 May 28, 2011
June 4, 2011 June 11, 2011 June 18, 2011 June 25, 2011
July 2, 2011 July 9, 2011 July 16, 2011 July 23, 2011 July 30, 2011
August 6, 2011 August 13, 2011 August 20, 2011 August 27, 2011
September 3, 2011 September 10, 2011 September 17, 2011 September 24, 2011
Recap of this week’s recipes *Oct 1, 2011*
Breakfast* 21 * Breakfast muffins (various recipes)
Dessert* 7 * Louisiana Yam Cake
Dessert* 29 * Pumpkin Cheesecake
Meal* 8 * Braised Beef Short Ribs
Meal* 13 * spicy sesame pork stir fry
Meal* 25 * Easy Football Party Chili
Meal* 31 * Bacon wrapped meatloaf
Meal* 32 * RIVERBEND CHICKEN
Meal* 33 * Marsala Chicken Breast
Meal* 35 * Cheese Chicken
Meal* 37 * White Bean and Chicken Chili
Meal* 38 * Chicken braised in a red wine sauce
Meal* 42 * Marinated Chicken Shish Kabobs
Meal* 48 * Chicken with figs in a port wine sauce
Meal* 50 * Chicken in Pastry
Meal* 54 * Red Wine and Chicken
Meal* 55 * Herbed Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
Meal* 62 * Reuben Meatloaf
Meal* 69 * Anytime Potato, Sausage, and Egg Pie
Meal* 72 * Chicken Paprikash
Side* 16 * Brown and Wild Rice Pilaf with Bulgar Wheat
(Please don’t post any new recipes here - this week’s thread coming up)
(agrace: you are added to the ping list!)
October 8th Weekly Cooking Thread link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2789791/posts
That is a work of art.
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