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The Recipe Thread!

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This is soooo good. I made it for tonights dinner:

Ingredients

2 12- to 14-ounce pork tenderloins sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage leaves (not necessary, I used oregano instead)
1 tablespoon butter
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

What to do

Rub pork tenderloins all over with crumbled dried sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and bubbling. Add pork tenderloins and cook until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until thermometer inserted into pork registers 150°F, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer pork to platter; cover to keep warm.
Whisk 5 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Set aside. Add remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low. Return pork and any accumulated juices to skillet; add maple syrup mixture and turn pork in glaze just until coated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon maple syrup into glaze. Season glaze to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange pork slices on plates. Spoon glaze over
 
mariposa420 said:
Black Beans & Rice

INGREDIENTS:

2 regular sized cans black beans (16 oz, I think)
1/2 to 1 cup white wine or beer (depending how saucy you like them)
1 finely chopped small yellow sweet (preferably Maui or Vidalia) onion or 2 regular size shallots
I clove finely minced fresh garlic
1 bay leaf
Olive oil for sauteeing
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

To garnish (any/all to taste):

Purple onion
Monterey or pepper jack cheese
Cilantro
Sour cream

For the rice:

1 cup white or brown rice (I use basmati or jasmine - it's delicious and fluffy and the texture is perfect). If you're in a pinch, Minute parboiled rice in a bag is edible, I suppose. ;)
2 cups liquid (choose from veggie, chicken broth or water - broth will flavor it better. I use low sodium Swanson's Natural Goodness chicken broth ideally)

1. Saute your onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil.

2. Empty cans of beans and place in a colander for rinsing (note: you will not get gas if you rinse your beans, little known trick) with cool water.

3. When onion and garlic are caramelized (i.e., browned without being burned) set aside.

4. Place black beans into either your slow cooker or a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic, bay leaf, and a few dashes salt and pepper.

For the slow cooker: Simmer on low, covered, 3-5 hours. It's safe to taste and see when it's done b/c there is no meat.
For the stove: Crank it up till it's barely boiling, then turn to low, cover and forget about it for 1 1/2 or 2 hours.

5. Now make the rice. You can add the liquid to the rice and simmer it, or cook it in a rice cooker (best option), but my way is to saute the rice lightly in olive oil, add the liquid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, put the lid on it and DO NOT LIFT THE LID FOR 20 MINUTES. (That's really important.)

6. Turn everything off, serve in bowls with the rice at the bottom and garnish... and enjoy a healthy, easy meal. :)
Click to expand...

Just made this, well, a variation of this and drunken lack of ingredients. Put refried black beans in with the rice and chopped black olives, cooked the rice w/ a mix of water/wine, added chopped onions, put into a bowl with sour cream then cut cheddar cheese on top. MMMMM, sooo good. Thank you.
 
^Awesome! Glad it worked out for you, I am thinking of making it tonight in the slow cooker. :)

Last night I made - get this - a turkey breast. It was dumb of me to heat up the house in August with the oven being on forever, but oh well. I saw fresh Butterball turkey breasts on sale for really cheap and I couldn't resist.

This is the type of turkey breast that is already tied in a twine mesh and can't be stuffed. It's a great meal for about 4 people. And if you're new to cooking, it's an easy way to practice 2 techniques: brining and basting. More on that during the recipe.

The basting material is a recipe that's been in my dad's family for generations and I don't generally share it but what the hell. You can use it on any kind of baked poultry and it will come out great. :)

Homemade Turkey Breast

Ingredients:

~1 2-2.5 pound fresh turkey breast (preferably - if frozen, thaw thoroughly in the refrigerator for about 2 days, don't just stick it on the counter)

~Kosher salt

~Paprika

To brine : add about 1/2 cup of salt to a large non-metallic bowl and fill it to the top with kosher salt and some paprika or whatever strikes your fancy. Place thawed turkey inside, making sure the liquid covers it entirely. Cover and leave in fridge for at least 8-12 and up to 24 hours. This is similar to a marinade and makes the skin crispy while keeping the inside moist and tender and is well worth the extra effort.

Once your turkey is brined, preheat your oven to 325F and place the turkey in a roasting pan. Add:

~1 can chicken broth and 1 cup white wine or sherry (the cheaper the better, you should almost never use expensive wine for cooking!)

~One large bay leaf

~Seasonings to taste - a lot of people use thyme, rosemary, etc. I use a shitload of sweet (not hot) paprika.

~An onion, sliced large and arranged in the liquid - for flavor

BASTE:

~1 stick butter (NOT MARGARINE)
~1 cup sherry
~2 tbsp sweet paprika


TECHNIQUE:

1. Bake about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees as measured by a meat thermometer.

2. Melt butter for the baste over a low flame. Mix well.

3. Baste turkey every 20 minutes or so with the baste mixture, or spoon it over if you prefer.

4. Remove when internal temperature (center of the bird) reaches 170F. Cover lightly with aluminum foil.

5. Reserve liquid to make gravy - bring to a boil in a separate pan and thicken with a small amount of cornstarch to your taste. Don't let it get clumpy!

It sounds more complex than it is!

Here is a pic of a goose I did with this baste:

Christmas Goose

Needless to say I have turkey/goose duty at holidays now. The breast came out tender and delicious and it was kinda random to make on a Thursday but the boy (spoiled brat that he is ;)) loved it.
 
^ that sounds yum. do you think it can be done with chicken instead of turkey?
 
Well I have a chicken in the fridge...Im gonna go do the brine part. Well see how it comes out when all is said and done :)

Edit: Its brining now. Better be good mariposa ;)
 
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^Yep, it can be done with chicken. Adjust cooking time accordingly and stuff with a few lemons and cloves of garlic when you're done brining... and you can apply the baste throughout cooking with a pastry brush if you want. :)
 
I think because I let it soak in the brine for too long, it got too salty.

But the meat sure was juicy!
 
Cuban Style Chicken-

This is really easy to make and so yummay! Also its healthy!

  • 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 3/4 cup diced pineapple
  • 2 tbs orange marmalade
  • 2 tbs rice vinegar OR cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsn paprika
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper and 1/8th teaspoon red pepper
  • salt to taste

1. Combine black beans, pineapple, vinegar, 1/8 tspn red pepper, and orange mamalade. bring to rolling boil over medium heat. after 1 mins reduce heat and just keep warm.
2. sprinkle paprika, pepper, salt on chicken. spray pan with olive oil cooking spray, cook chicken approx. 5 mins each side.
3. serve :) Goes well with jasmine rice!
 
POTATO SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND DILL
img2329ij6.jpg

  • 2 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cooked with skins
  • 1/3 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced lengthwise, seeded, and then sliced across
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chopped dill

  1. In a bowl, combine potatoes, scallions, cucumber, and dill.
  2. In a separate small bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, and mustard and then pour over potato mixture. Toss until salad is thoroughly mixed.
    Store in a refridgerated airtight container.
 
^OMG YUM!

This is kind of a family recipe. I eyeball it so I had to look up proportions. Not for the dieter, the vegan, or for the faint of heart, and probably not for newbies. The cornstarch makes all the difference. People usually make it with just flour; I didn't have any in the house one day so I used cornstarch and it came out amazing.

The recipe can easily be doubled by cooking in shifts. Made it the other night for the boy at his request; it's his new favorite food. I've never been to a restaurant that got it right, either - I'm confident my method is the best out there. :)

I serve it with mashed potatoes and green beans. Others serve it with corn, spinach, collard greens, okra or who knows what else.

CHICKEN FRIED MOTHEREFFING STEAK!

Ingredients:

-1 pound cube steaks, or thin top round pounded out flat with the bumpy end of a mallet
-1 cup cornstarch
-1/2 cup unbleached flour
-Salt and pepper to taste
-2 eggs
-1 stick butter
-1 cup canola oil (keep more around in case you need it)

Procedure:

1. Place butter and oil in large deep skillet or cast iron pan and allow to reach approx. 375 degrees (aka medium to medium high, but don't let it burn).
2. Beat eggs in small bowl and dip steaks in.
3. Dredge in a mixture of cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper.
4. Place in sufficiently hot oil/butter mix (you'll know when it starts to sizzle as soon as you dip the end in. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned on one side, then turn and cook about 3-5 more minutes, until both sides are browned.
5. Remove and place on a plate with paper towels to drain. Salt lightly if desired.

Serve with COUNTRY GRAVY (you can use the mix made by McCormick but it's hydrogenated so I usually don't)

-1/2 cup canola oil
-1 cup flour
-Salt and pepper to taste (be liberal with the pepper, it makes the dish IMO)
-1/2 quart whole milk or buttermilk (don't cheat with the skim, it won't come out right). (I use buttermilk.)

1. Mix canola oil and flour together over VERY LOW heat. Cook until it turns slightly golden and remove from heat.
2. Add salt and pepper.
3. Return to medium-high heat, whisking the milk in CONSTANTLY. Watch carefully, whisk constantly and once it's nice and thick, remove from heat.
4. Pour over steaks and serve!
 
dreamgirlie19 said:
I think because I let it soak in the brine for too long, it got too salty.

But the meat sure was juicy!
Click to expand...

Maybe a smaller bird such as a chicken needs less time to brine. Try about 4 hours next time. :)
 
Perpetual Indulgence said:
POTATO SALAD WITH CUCUMBER AND DILL
img2329ij6.jpg

  • 2 1/2 lbs red potatoes, cooked with skins
  • 1/3 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced lengthwise, seeded, and then sliced across
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup chopped dill

  1. In a bowl, combine potatoes, scallions, cucumber, and dill.
  2. In a separate small bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, and mustard and then pour over potato mixture. Toss until salad is thoroughly mixed.
    Store in a refridgerated airtight container.
Click to expand...

I made something like this a couple weeks ago, only mine had yogurt and mayo instead of oil and vinegar. It was super yummy. I might have to try this recipe now too to see which one I like better! :)
 
I'm going to be off my weird 2nd shift schedule within a month or so and will finally be able to start cooking again! There are a ton of receipes in this thread I am looking forward to making. :)
 
I made Lemon Chardonnay Chicken last night, this time with a dry sauvignon blanc and shallots. Good stuff.

I made an impulse buy of 1 lb. frozen Japanese scallops. I'm considering making a curry with them or bacon wrapping them, but if anyone has an amazing scallop recipe I would love it! Only requests: no tomatoes w/skin (allergic) and no green onions (hate).
 
Hey all :) i was hoping for some suggestions for finger foods/party foods. having a poker game tomorrow night, and want some ideas.

i don't like complicated, nor expensive ideas, anything you can suggest would be wonderful.

i usually go simple...some party packs from bj's like their finger sandwiches, and fried crap, from chick fingers to taquitos, and crock pot full of velveeta and salsa and meat with nachos.

i cant stomach that again, i really want something different...but will appeal to carnivorous men.

tia!
 
^if you shop at BJ's, try any of nancy's brand appitizers. my family likes all the varieties, 'spicially the mini quiches. or you could always make your own mini-quiches or deli rolls if you want more variety in flavor.

the first page of this thread has most of the recipes in the thread listed, maybe that will give you some idea.

have you ever made muddy buddies?

Muddy Buddies (stolen right from the chex site cause i am lazy)

Ingredients:
9 cups Chex® cereal (any variety)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation Directions:
1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, stir together chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
 
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i dont ever think of sweets, since i don't like them, but that sounds like a good one, and there will be quite a few kids, so they will love it! thanks!
 
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