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The Recipe Thread! Part II: Electric Mixaroo

I successfully duplicated the kale recipe. :)

a_c, that looks amazing. If I were not allergic, I'd add some bright halved cherry tomatoes.
 
Chik-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets

http://www.mynameissnickerdoodle.com/2011/03/fabulous-food-friday-79.html

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
2 TBSP powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
peanut oil (is best) or canola oil

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and stir in the milk. Trim any fat away from chicken. Cube chicken into bite size pieces. Place chicken in milk mixture,and cover. Let it 'marinate' for 2-4 hours in the fridge. This will make the chicken very nice and tender. In a gallon size resealable baggie combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Seal and shake to combine. Place about 2 inches of oil in a medium deep pot. Over medium high heat (more towards the high side) heat oil until hot. If using a thermometer let the temperature reach 375°. If you don't have a fancy gadget like most people, Test the oil by dropping a few drops of water into it. You want it to sizzle and not pop too much. Adjust your heat if necessary. Using a fork or tongs remove cut chicken from milk mixture and place in the flour mixture. Seal and shake until nuggets are completely coated. Place about a 6-8 nuggets into hot oil and let them cook until golden brown, turning half way through once the edge of your chicken starts to turn white. About 1 minute each side. Always double check to see if any chicken you make is cooked through. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

I made these tonight for myself and my boyfriend, and I added about 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to the flour mixture, and then I salted the nuggets right after I took them out of the oil. I used canola oil because that was what I had on hand and it turned out great. These surpassed my expectations and both me and the BF were loving them; initially, I thought I had made too many, but we ended up eating them all! Maybe not 100% just like Chik-Fil-A, but I'd say about 90%+.
 
^Nice one. I love nuggets but am a bit put off by the quality of meat (or lack thereof used in the store bought ones)

Recipe for inner beauty sauce
1 large ripe mango or a handful of small ones
1 cup of yellow mustard
1/2 a cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 a cup of brown sugar
6 habeneros deseeded or other fruity hot chilli
1 tsp coriander seeds ground
1 red capsicum/ bell pepper

Dice all the fruits/vegetables and put them in a food processor with the other ingredients- try not to touch the chilli if you can help it. Blend to a puree and you are done.

Depending on the heat of your chilli it should be hot as hell. The vinegar and sugar seems to preserve it though so you can use it slowly all year round. I made one batch with some milder jamaican habeneros and another with trinidad scorpions so I could have one crazy hot one and one suitable for everyone. It goes well with just about anything, I make it every year in autumn when the mangoes and chillis are in abundance.
 
What is cooking?

there seems to be a lack of food threads in SO lately so I'm going to start off with this one.

I realize there is a meal of the day thread but normal people eat more than once a day


So my friends, if you're making food right now, what is it?

I'm not making anything right now but I will in a few minutes.

Likely it will be a sandwich made of roman meal wheat bread, turkey, a slice of monterey jack, sriracha, yellow mustard and cilantro.
 
Currently making an onion and cheese omelet with some home fries and toast.

I have some thinly sliced beef sitting in a Vietnamese inspired lemongrass marinade, going to put those on skewers in a few and grill them for lunch. Will serve with large lettuce leaves, thinly sliced carrots, cucumber and onion along with a nuoc cham dipping sauce i made yesterday. Low on the carbs and absolutely delish!
 
^Whoa... I cooked a tenderloin last night as well. I went about it a little differently. This recipe is my own based on variants I've read over time. This is a great alternative to chicken soup for those nights when you want a warm bowl of soup - last night was one for me. It got rave reviews from my other two companions. This is a nice fall to winter supper. Yes, you're reading the proportions correctly. This is a spicy soup. For vegetarians, a field roast or Tofurky might work. I haven't tried it.

Mariposa's Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Fall Fruits & Vegetables

INGREDIENTS:

1 pork tenderloin, approx. 2-2.5 lbs, well-trimmed
1 onion (sweet; I used a Walla Walla)
1 cup sour cream or 1 can of cream of celery soup
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 lb baby carrots (fresh)
2 finely diced celery stalks
Fresh herbs to taste (I used rosemary and dill)
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ginger root
1 tbsp turmeric
64 oz vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup of your favorite wine (non-drinkers, substitute broth). I used pinot grigio and pinot noir - counterintuitive, but it did work!
Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Heat up your crockpot with broth and soup.
2. Grab a frying pan and lightly fry your garlic, onions, and dry spices.
3. Before the above is done to your liking, add your tenderloin. Braise on the outside to seal in the juices.
4. Layer carrots and sweet potatoes with your tenderloin on top.
5. Deglaze pan with wine.
6. Drizzle pan drippings over pork.
7. Your meat is done when your thermometer reaches 155F. Remove and let sit. Allow veggies to continue cooking.

IF YOUR SAUCE IS TOO THIN:

Create a roux. That's when you mix your juices with some flour, arrowroot, or cornstarch. I use arrowroot. Whisk in a separate bowl and add gradually to your pot, stirring vigorously. Avoid lumpy or dumpling texture.

FINAL TOUCHES:

This can be served over anything. I like mashed potatoes, so I mashed a pound of Yukon Golds with a little butter, milk, salt, pepper, and paprika. Rice could work. Pasta could work. A baguette could work if you're more the soup type, and if you are into dumplings, a great substitute would be biscuits or a piece of phyllo or puff pastry tucked carefully into your crockpot. Or just fuck up the gravy intentionally. ;)
 
i do a pork tenderloin with garlic, ginger and onion. put it all in the food processor, mix it up with a little soy, and rub it on the meat, marinate for a couple of hours and grill it. bam.

easy, and awesome.
 
Oh man, it's been eons since I've posted here.

First of all, yeah, fake meat doesn't like to be simmered. Adding either in at the end, and simmering for 5-10 just to warm through would probably be fine though.

A quick little thing that I heard about from my grandma, to soothe on these shitty late-autumn evenings. To make an incredibly restorative hot drink, take 2/3 boiling hot broth (not stock, I like to take this stock and add a splash of tamari for salt), and mix 2/3 broth with 1/3 cold beet juice in a mug. That's it. It sounds improbable, but sweet merciful fuck is it invigorating.
 
Just finished PMing another BLer a recipe when I saw this thread. Synchronicity, eh?

My fave at the moment is a butternut squash, sweet potato and chickpea curry. I usually use tinned chickpeas because I'm lazy and disorganised, so if you use dried then you'll want to soak them first. I use a big sweet potato, a medium butternut squash, and a couple of tins of chickpeas (~800g), 3 or 4 nice big onions, a couple of cloves of garlic, several fresh chillis (bear in mind I like my food very spicy so add to taste), a chunk of fresh ginger, and some curry paste. I usually mix two teaspoons of ground coriander seed, two of turmeric, two of cumin, two of black pepper, one of cayenne pepper (again, leave this out if you like), a small dash each of ground cloves and cinnamon, and anything else that takes my fancy, made up to a nice consistency with oil. Chop and fry the onions (use whatever you like, ghee is widely available here but I imagine hard to get in America, I just use plain veg oil) until they are nicely caramelised, almost starting to brown, then add the garlic, chilli and ginger. Give this a stir until you smell the spicy aroma, then add the paste and the chopped sweet potato and squash. Give this a stir until the spices come through on the nose (careful not to burn them, they stick easily), then add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Add the chickpeas, cover and cook off for twenty or so minutes, then remove the lid and let any excess water reduce. The longer you cook it the more the squash break down, I like it either cooked a little, and so nice and chunky, or for long enough that squash breaks down entirely and becomes a rich sauce. The in-between period when it's kind of mushy is not so great.

You can try different things with this one. It's good with cauliflower too, and you can use coconut milk rather than water. I made it recently with tinned tomatoes as the wet ingredient and peppers (as in bell peppers or capsicums) and that went down a treat. I don't use a great deal of salt, I usually make my rice pretty salty, but you might want to add some. Sorry I can't be more precise with quantities and times and stuff, I sort of just style it out.
 
Protip: soak chickpeas (or other beans) overnight with a tsp or so of baking soda in the water. The higher pH will soften the beans further, helping them to cook faster. Also: pressure cookers are the shit for cooking dried beans.
 
Ebola and Dave - duly noted on the fake meat. I got some frozen meatless meatballs for a vegetarian dinner earlier this week, cooked them too long in tomato sauce in the crockpot, and they fell to absolute bits. I wound up feeding them to my roommate's dogs. :| Major bust and I'll follow directions next time I prepare fake meat.

Speaking of vegetarian recipes, I bought some bulk falafel mix (from New Seasons for Ebola's reference) and I'd like to prepare it. I would like to add a little caramelized onion and fresh cilantro. How much water should I mix with the falafel mix? I've seen a few different answers, and I want to get it right the first time. Many thanks for any advice you can share.
 
Gnocchi is apparently pretty easy to make, but I've never actually done so myself. I should fix that, someday.

I'm on a pizza kick. Tried twice to make good pizza from scratch over the weekend, but didn't get the knack of it. Didn't develop the gluten enough; it was tasty, but more doughy/bready than a good crust should be. Next step: use proper bread flour (rather than AP), and see about borrowing the use of a stand mixer, because I think I gave myself tennis elbow kneading the last batch.

Will report once I get good results.
 
^i make potato dumplings using leftover mashed potatoes at thanskgiving time. after i boil the dumplings, i like to fry them up with some salt pork. not the healthiest meal but very yummy. and i prefer my day after meal to the actual thanksgiving feast.
 
I made this last night and eating spaghetti for breakfast.
I added diced green pepper, grated parmesan, italian seasoning, and small can of tomato paste to the sauce.

Crockpot Mini Turkey Quinoa Meatballs (taken from www.howsweeteats.com)
YIELD: MAKES 40-50 MINI MEATBALLS PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES COOK TIME: 6 HOURS TOTAL TIME: 6.5 HOURS
ingredients:
1 pound 99% lean ground turkey breast
1 pound 94% lean ground turkey
2/3 cup cooked quinoa (preferably cooked in flavored stock)
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely grated romano cheese
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

directions:
In a large bowl, combine turkey, quinoa, beaten egg, olive oil, cheese, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but quickly, just so the ingredients are combined - do not overmix! Roll into mini balls - slightly smaller than a golfball, and place on a baking sheet.

Layer sliced onion on the bottom of the crockpot and add 1 can of crushed tomatoes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (mine was actually almost high) and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add meatballs, searing on the top and bottom until golden, about 1 minute per side. To flip meatballs, gently toss with a spoon. I also shook the pan a few times to roll the meatballs around - if you pan is hot enough this works! Add meatballs one at a time to the crockpot. Repeat with remaining meatballs - it is okay to stack them once they are all finished.

Once all the meatballs are in the crockpot, add the other can of crushed tomatoes, completely submerging the meatballs. Cook on low for 6 hours. Serve!

Don't skip the browning step! it helps seal the juices in so the meatballs are tender and also keeps them from becoming one giant mess of meat in the crockpot.. If desired, you can brown the meatballs one day (such as the day before) and then refrigerate until ready to use. you can also freeze the same way.
 
This is happening today with 6 chicken breasts. I will use broccoli for the veggie.
Guess what we are eating all week ;)

Crockpot Parmesan Chicken
serves 4-6

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese + 2 tablespoons

1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo
3/4 cup vegetables of your choice

The night before, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, cheese, basil, parsley, garlic and 3 tablespoons of wine in a bowl. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag, then pour marinade over top and coat chicken. Keep in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, place chicken in your crockpot with 3 tablespoons of wine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Prepare whole wheat orzo according to directions. Once cooked, combine with remaining olive oil, parmesan and salt and pepper if desired. Cut chicken into pieces/chunks, and toss together with orzo. Add in vegetables of your choice! Top with additional parm.
 
*bump* Have we all been too busy over the first part of the holidays to contribute? ;)

I'll start with a simple paleo-friendly recipe. I naturally eat paleo without too many exceptions. I'm up to about 80% paleo now. I have energy, it's awesome. If you're not paleo, you can serve this over rice, noodles, or potatoes. It's great by itself.

PALEO POT ROAST

1 sweet onion, chopped finely
1 pot roast, 2.5 lbs or so (I used a tri-tip)
1 lb carrots
4-5 bulbs garlic or to taste
16 oz veggie or beef broth, gluten-free
1 bay leaf
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

PROCEDURE

1. Marinate, dry-rub, or prepare your roast as you like.
2. Brown your onions and garlic in olive oil with the spices.
3. When almost browned, place your roast in to also be browned on each side.
4. Dump the whole thing into a crockpot on high or a Dutch oven.
5. Add broth to about 2/3 the way up the roast.
6. Add carrots.
7. Dump in broth or leftover wine. I used 2/3 broth, the rest cooking sherry and some leftover wine.
8. Cook in crockpot 4-6 hours on high, 10 hours on low, or in the Dutch oven, 275F. Your roast is done when the temperature inside reaches 145, don't worry if it is higher.
9. Serve after sitting and slicing, enjoy!
 
i was amazed at how crispy these roast potatoes turned out. before roasting them, you boil them in water with a little bit of vinegar for about 5 minutes. then toss the potatoes with some butter (the recipe says duck fat but i haven't a clue where to buy that) and roast at 500F for 20 min. then mix the potatoes around and roast until they look crispy.
 
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