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swivel

Ream Me Up, Scotty
Bold Member!
Yet another self-serving thread. I never write down the shit I cook, and so when I want to re-create something, I end up just creating again. (if you can see the difference)

So, I'm going to start jotting down my meals here, and hopefully it will motivate me to rate the meals later in the evening, and that will be a service to me, if to no one else.

In the off chance that anyone has stumbled in here, and doesn't immediately rush off to work on their MySpace page, I welcome all recipe ideas, critiques of what I'm doing, etc... Just because I'm making this thread for myself doesn't mean I don't want the company, I'm just not naive enough to expect it. (if you can see the difference)


Tonight: Breaded and Baked Thick-Chops with Roasted Red Potatoes and Cucumber Salad.

I love when my oven is at 350F. I feel like it should always be here, or set to Broil, and nowhere in-between. They should make an oven that just has those two settings: "Cook" and "Smoke Alarm Test". Most people roast potatoes at higher temps, but I prefer to lengthen the time, so everything can pop in and out of one oven. So, the first thing I did tonight is turn the oven on to 350F.

In a large bowl I mixed some bread crumbs (1/2 cup?), some steak rub (1/2TB?), some black pepper (TSP?), and a little bit of salt. I mixed the spices into the crumbs by pretending I was tossing a sauté. In a small bowl I mixed two eggs with 1TB of milk.

The pork chops I'm using are my favorite. They are bone-in (everything needs to be bone-in, in my opinion) and thick. Over an inch thick. This is great meat because you get a lot of it, and it is cheap. I leave them out ahead of time to make sure they are room-temperature before I bread them.

I dunked them in the eggs, and really sloshed them around for awhile. I want the mixture to penetrate. Then each one went into the bread crumbs, making sure to get the sides and lay it on thick. Then they went into a lightly-greased glass 9x13 dish. One slice of onion went on top of each chop (1/4 inch thick), followed by a nice pat of butter (1/2 inch thick). The dish is covered with foil.

I plan on cooking these guys for 1 hour, and then I will uncover them and cook them for another hour (maybe 45 min).

Potatoes:

I like to use the baby reds, and quarter them. I leave the skin on, so I give them a good rinse and light scrub. In a big ziplock, I put 1 TB of olive oil, 2 TSP salt, and 2 TB black pepper, 2 TB Rosemary, and 3 minced garlic cloves. The potatoes go in the bag and get a good shaking. I shave them a few times over a 5-10 minute period, letting them sit between shakings. Otherwise, the mixture just falls off the spuds and sits in the dish.

They are going to go in the oven with 1 hour to go with the chops. For the last 10 minutes, I'm going to move the oven to Broil, to get the potatoes crispy on the outside. They will be on the second-to-top rack, while the chops are in the center of the oven.

Cucumber Salad:​

This is one of my favorite things to eat. Great snack, and great side with every meal:

Heat to dissolve:
1.5 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 TB salt
1 TSP celery seed

Pour over 7-8 cubs sliced cucumbers (2.5 lbs.)
1 cup thinly sliced vidalia onion (or sweet onion)
1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced

Refrigerate for 24 hours, and stir several times during this interval (not waking up to do so or anything foolish like that)

Keeps 2-3 weeks.


Results:
Great meal. 7/10. Next time I will cook the chops for 20 min. less, I would like them a little juicier on the inside, and the potatoes were on the wife's limit of spiciness, so I might tone them down. The cucumber salad is a perfect side for a spicy meal. Nice and cold and refreshing.
 
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A recipe thread on DD? I will no longer need to visit any other websites. My life is now complete!

You are a gourmet chef compared to me, swivel.

Tonight we are having chicken breasts I threw on the grill, broccoli from a bag of frozen and white rice.

So boring. Heh.
 
Tonight was a roast (sirloin tip) covered with black pepper and a pinch of salt.

The roast went in my slow-cooker at 10am. First I put a can of cream of celery soup and a can of cream of mushroom soup in the slow cooker and mix them together with a fork. I add about 3/4 a can of water by sloshing it back and forth between the cans to get as much of the soups as I can. To this mixture I add one of those packs of "Liptons Onion Soup Mix" and 3 chopped green onions. This combo makes the best brown gravy with no effort.

The roast goes right on the mix, and I spoon some of the "gravy" on top. Then I put four pieces of a quartered bell pepper on top and set to "Low". The roast will be ready in 7 hours.

All we had with this were more roasted potatoes and cucumber salad from post #1.


This was an excellent meal. Wife said the meat tasted like something from a fancy restaurant. The potatoes were still a tad too spicy, but I served them with a ramekin of creamed blue cheese for dipping.

This was as good as a meal can get without having a steak involved, but I'm just a meat-and-potatoes kinda guy. 8/10.
 
Yeah, well, i sent the kidlet to the Italian grandmother's down the street where she is having her usual mix of Mangia Ozarkia (something fried, pasta, veggies, and something with a red sauce and/or white gravy.) She thinks my boy kid is "too skinny" and lost her own son some years ago, so she is offended if my child does not grace her table on Sunday nights.

I'm having gin for dinner. No cooking required.
 
yeah, i'm all over that.

recipe for gin:

ingredients: gin. :D

actually, i think it's a great idea. I might, perchance, learn to cook.
 
yeah, i'm all over that.

recipe for gin:

ingredients: gin. :D

actually, i think it's a great idea. I might, perchance, learn to cook.


My version of the Perfect Vodka Martini:

3oz. Ultimat Vodka poured over rocks in shaker. Shake and pour into Martini glass, olive optional.
 
Carry on. I got too much other shit to worry about right now. I'm going to try these out.

I was being facetious. I'm always up for new gadgets and gizmos.

When are you going to spend less time playing videogames, and more time working on your site?
 
It's all in the ingredients

My version of the Perfect Vodka Martini:

3oz. Ultimat Vodka poured over rocks in shaker. Shake and pour into Martini glass, olive optional.



Sorry to be a Snot, but vodka does not belong in Martinis. Martinis contain gin.

And my current favorite is 3 ounces Distiller's Gin No. 6 from North Shore Distillery (http://www.northshoredistillery.com/), 1/2 ounce Boissiere dry vermouth, shaken hard with ice so there are little shivery shards floating in the finished product. I buy pitted olives at Whole Foods and stuff 'em with Maytag Blue Cheese (http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/aspx/welcome.aspx). Use two or three per cocktail.
 
Sorry to be a Snot, but vodka does not belong in Martinis. Martinis contain gin.

And my current favorite is 3 ounces Distiller's Gin No. 6 from North Shore Distillery (http://www.northshoredistillery.com/), 1/2 ounce Boissiere dry vermouth, shaken hard with ice so there are little shivery shards floating in the finished product. I buy pitted olives at Whole Foods and stuff 'em with Maytag Blue Cheese (http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/aspx/welcome.aspx). Use two or three per cocktail.


I would kill for a dirty martini right now with those blue cheese stuffed olives...and its not even 8 am yet.

Fucking Mondays...
 
Sorry to be a Snot, but vodka does not belong in Martinis. Martinis contain gin.

And my current favorite is 3 ounces Distiller's Gin No. 6 from North Shore Distillery (http://www.northshoredistillery.com/), 1/2 ounce Boissiere dry vermouth, shaken hard with ice so there are little shivery shards floating in the finished product. I buy pitted olives at Whole Foods and stuff 'em with Maytag Blue Cheese (http://www.maytagdairyfarms.com/aspx/welcome.aspx). Use two or three per cocktail.

DD, meet Mr. Food Snot. Mr. Food Snot, meet your new friends. :D

Seriously? Stuffing your own olives seems like a lot of work to get your drink on. Of course, i float rose petals in my Hendricks, but that doesn't involve actually having to DO anything.

Yeah, i think i'll have Lucky Charms for breakfast. I love those crunchy marshmallows.
 
Tonight is 5-Dollar Gourmet night at the swivel household. This is the meal with the most bang-for-the-buck that I know of.

Steamed Vegetables over Linguini​

I like to cook Linguini in a large saucepan, rather than a pot. More surface area for the pasta to lay out. So the first thing I do is put on a pan of water to boil. My largest saucepan is like a flattened Wok, so if you don't have one this size, stick with the pot. I add a dash of salt to the water.

In a large pot, I place my steam basket, which looks like this:

steamerkt6.jpg


I fill the pot with as much water as I can without it reaching the bottom of the basket. I set the burner to high, put a lid on the pot, and start slicing vegetables. I slice them in the order they need to go in, using a little common-sense for which vegetables need to cook the longest. The denser they are, the more time they need. I almost always put carrots in first, so I run my peeler down the length of each on four sides, and slice them about 1/4 inch thick. I keep a large bowl beside the steaming pot with some olive oil and spices. I use this to coat the veggies before they go in.

Typical times I use, but it is hard to mess this up:

Carrots: ~20 min.
Green beans: ~20 min.
Peppers: ~15 min.
Sugar/Snow peas: ~15 min.
Squash: ~10 min.
Zuchinni: ~10 min.

By the time the first veggies go in, the pasta water should be boiling. I boil the pasta for about 20 min., so everything should come out together. If I am baking bread for the meal, the oven gets preheating about now.

Then, you are just slicing veggies, coating them with a little bit of oil and salt/pepper or any mild spice you like, and adding them to the steam. Give the pasta a swirl now and then, and put some bread in the oven.

When the pasta is done, I strain it in the sink, and then I put it back in the pot with a nice cube of butter. The veggies go right on top of the pasta, with a side of bread.

This is a meal that I like to shop for on the day we will be having it. Especially in the spring and summer, when I can go to a farmer's market and get veggies that were on the vine that morning. The pasta can be stocked up on for $1 a box. I use half a box for two people (this makes more than we can eat). The veggies usually cost me about $4. That would buy me two carrots, a handful of snow peas, a yellow squash, and a squash zuchinni. The bread is homemade, so it is practically free, probably 30 cents worth of flour and water.

Not only is this the cheapest meal I make, it is the healthiest and probably one of the top 20 in taste.
 
The most versatile, easiest thing I make. It's so easy, it practically doesn't pass for cooking. It's ultra low-fat, full of flavor and goes with most things I cook (I grill whenever possible) -

I slice a couple of zucchinis in rounds that are 1/4"-1/2" thick. After gutting them, I slice a couple of bell peppers length-wise in slices that are about 1/2" thick. I heat up a large pan (medium heat to start) and toss the veggies in. I then toss them with half a bottle or so of Kraft's Free Zesty Italian, cover them and let them cook. If they've produced a bunch of liquid (which they usually do), I'll uncover them and reduce that so that the veggies are thoroughly coated with the dressing. It's a fabulous alternative to salad and is vividly colorful for those who care about that sort of thing.
 
I'm going to try that one, Athena. Thanks.

I like simple foods that taste good. Health is a tertiary metric.
 
Yesterday was Mr. Hippie's birthday (37 yrs young). Though the following is definitely NOT low in fat, it sure was damned good....one of Mr. Hip's favorite meals.

Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Homemade Gravy and Creamed Corn

For the chicken, I took some organic chicken breasts and sliced them into chunks. I dipped them first into a mixture of one egg, 1/2 cup milk and 1 tsp or so of soy sauce. I double dip them in seasoned flour (I used a blend of salt, pepper and garlic powder). (chicken in egg mixt, then flour, back in egg, back in flour) It makes for extra crispy chicken. I fried my coated chicken chunks in a very small amt. of canola oil.

Mashed Potatoes, are damned easy. I use organic potatoes, boiling small cut pieces until tender. Mash with milk and marg. Add salt and pepper. I make mine pretty thick.

Creamed Corn, open the can, salt and pepper and marg. for flavor. Heat until nice and bubbly.

Gravy. Drain all the fat from the chicken except for maybe 2 tablespoons. Keep the heat on low and add a couple handfuls of flour....I really never measure and I'm just guessing that I use around an 1/8 cup of flour???? or more. Salt and pepper and stir it around in the skillet until light brown. Start adding milk a little at a time until your gravy is the consistency you want. I made mine sort of thick, for dipping chicken chunks in.

That's it. Simple. Delicious, and far from low fat. (Yummy once in awhile) :p
 
Damn, Hiippie, that sounds wonderful.

I'm making lasagna tomorrow, and spaghetti with home-made meatballs for Friday night. These are pretty involved, but I'll try and post what I do.

I also plan on posting one of my bread recipes when I get a chance. Fresh bread, before it cools all the way, with a pat of butter and some honey is the closest you can get to a perfect steak for mouth-watering goodness.

I also have the perfect cheesecake recipe. It hasn't failed me yet. I'll try to get that posted today.
 
World's Best Lasagna Recipe​

INGREDIENTS​
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 12 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS​

In a Large Pot, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring another large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375F

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. After removing lasagna from oven, move to 400F and put in your garlic bread.

All you need to eat is your bread and a hefty square of lasagna and some Sweet Tea!

Tonight's was divine. My tummy is very full and happy, and we have enough for two more meals. 9/10

dscn1572mq1.jpg
 
The last meal I had was fried rice from the takeaway. But sometimes it's a little dry. Needs something to give it a taste. But free fortune cookies and chopsticks, cannot complain.
 
Anyone have a good recipe for Chicken and Dumplings?

This weather makes me want some comfort food.

I do, but I can't find it anywhere.

My mom taught me how to make the best chicken and dumplings. You clean the chicken, and stew it with some salt and pepper until the meat is falling off. Pull the meat, and chop it into small chunks, and then you use the chicken broth instead of water to create the dough for your dumplings. Mmmmm. Mmmmm.

I may have ruined my last copy, I'll have to get another. I tend to ruin my recipes since I just keep them written down on copy paper.
 
I do, but I can't find it anywhere.

My mom taught me how to make the best chicken and dumplings. You clean the chicken, and stew it with some salt and pepper until the meat is falling off. Pull the meat, and chop it into small chunks, and then you use the chicken broth instead of water to create the dough for your dumplings. Mmmmm. Mmmmm.

OMG Swivel, that sounds mouth-watering and sounds much the same way my Mother prepared them. Now, this is going to motivate me to look for her recipe.
And Kathy, you are so right, Chicken and Dumplings is a wonderful idea for some good comfort food.
 
Dammit, someone dig up a recipe for me. I lack coping skills and I need comfort!!!!

Either that, or make it for me and have it delivered. I'm probably more used to having food delivered anyway. :D
 
I am making your lasagna tonight, swivel. Not for you of course, but I am going to use your recipe. I lost two great recipes when my mom had 6 foot of dirt stuck on top of her. A kickass lasagna (which I hope yours will replace) and a chicken and dumplings that I would occasionally take to my room and fuck because it was just that good.

So if you find that recipe, PLEASE post it. I have not a decent serving of chicken and dumplings in years.
 
Dammit, someone dig up a recipe for me. I lack coping skills and I need comfort!!!!

Either that, or make it for me and have it delivered. I'm probably more used to having food delivered anyway. :D

Okay, here are two versions, both of which I make a lot in the winter. The gratuitous quickie chicken and dumplings goes like this:

get some chicken broth, low sodium or regular, doesn't matter but there should be a lot of it.
Get it boiling and toss in some cooked chicken pieces- I like chicken breasts and I boil them in water first so weird stuff doesn't gunk up the broth for the fast kind, but you can boil them in the broth if you like that better.
While the chicken pieces are boiling, open a few cans of cheap-ass canned biscuits. Roll out the little biscuit pucks, or just smoosh them. Use a pizza cutter to cut them into sizes you like. Use a lot. You can never have too many dumplings. Then just drop 'em into the boiling broth and cover them up and let 'em simmer for a little while-ten or fifteen minutes is good. Salt,pepper, serve and go.


The serious chicken and dumplings, which tastes a little better but takes longer, is like this:

Broth
2-1/2 To 3 Lbs whole chicken or equivalent in chicken breasts, which is what i usually use.
2 c. premade chicken broth
maybe a little butter
Water
Vegetables, if they make you happy. I usually throw in a bay leaf and take it out later,or maybe i'll toss in a little carrot or celery or even the rare onion.I don't measure any of that. Just eyeball it, it'll be fine. Salt and pepper are a yes. Sometimes i do toss in a little dry white wine if i have it on hand, just for funsies.

Dumplings
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tablespoons butter,more or less
1 egg
1/2 c. milk

Put your chicken into a large boiling pot. Add chicken broth and water. Make sure the chicken is covered with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmering. Throughout cooking skim away any foam that forms in your pot. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours until chicken is done and tender. Remove chicken from the broth and allow to cool.
Debone the chicken once it is cool enough to handle and cut into bite sized pieces.

Mix flour, salt, egg, butter and milk until a ball forms. Too much handling makes for weird dumplings.

Make dumplings by rolling out the dough to about 1/4 to 1/8 inch on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut your dough into bite size pieces. I like to use a little flour to keep things from sticking.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Drop dumplings into boiling broth, dunking occasionally to be sure they submerge. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is heated and whatever else you've put in there looks done,and serve.
 
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