The Recipe Thread!

[FoxyKel]

I tried something last night... I lightly boiled some pumpkin, sweet potato and zucchini, fried some onion and boiled some pasta... threw it all in with some white wine and garlic sauce, a little bit of salt and cracked pepper and some mixed herbs, spinkled it with cheese and baked it ... it was all wrong... there was something desperately missing from it, it was a bland as all hell.

Anyone who actually knows how to cook have any ideas?

I was so disappointed, I was really looking forward to it - I wish I knew how to cook better

 

[*sunflower*]

Not sure exactly how it turned out Kelle but with bakes you need to make sure they're fairly moist and have heaps of flavour - some canned italian tomatoes would have been nice perhaps or a cheese sauce mixed in with the vegies.

Also, boiled vegies do lose a lot of their flavour. If you baked the pumpkin and sweet potato in the oven first with a bit of olive oil that would have brought out the flavours more. Zucchini - I'm never sure about. I usually like the idea of zucchini better than the reality as its mostly water and fairly tasteless anyway.

Your recipe sounds really nice! Pity it didn't work out.

 

[faithfully dangerous]

kelle --- add some red pepper seeds! they help anything, IMO (that and garlic are my personal cures for anything im cooking)

also, a little parmesean cheese mixed with the pasta and such along with not frying the onions as much as they *should* be (a little crunchy) would help bring out more flavor.

i personally dont think pumpkin and tomatoes go too well together...

what kind of cheese did you sprinkle on top? maybe a sharp cheddar would make it more zesty. i wouldnt suggest mozz unless youre using tomatoes since it is a fairly bland, buttery cheese as it is. of course, parm and cheddar dont go well together so...

have fun! i love making up recipes and then trying to fix them.

 

[TABOOMA]

Carrot and Raisin Salad

can anyone please post up a recipie for shredded carrot salad? you know the sweet kind with raisins and pineapple? ive had the most wicked craving and need a good recipie!!!!

2 cups raisins
3 large carrots, grated
2 apples, cored and cut up (not peeled)
2 cans (8 ounces each) crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Soak raisins in pineapple juice for 20 minutes. Drain and combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl, adding mayonnaise or salad dressing.


French Version:

1 lb large carrots, trimmed and peeled
2/3 c dried currants, rinsed in warm water, and drained
1/2 c olive oil
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey or sugar
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
3 tbsp minced fresh herbs (thyme, chives, dill, tarragon, marjoram)
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper

Coarsely grate carrots, by hand or food processor, and toss with the currants. Set aside. Whisk the oil, juice, honey, parsley, herbs and salt until blended. Pour dressing over carrots and currants, toss with 2 forks to combine. Season generously with pepper. Cover and chill 1-3 hours before serving.

 

[TABOOMA]

Gazpacho

This is a great summer recipe. I usually eyeball the ingredients, so feel free to adjust the quantities to meet your tastes.

4-6 large plum tomatoes- diced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into spears
1 small white onion- diced
3 tbsp fresh parsley- coarsely chopped
4 tbsp fresh cilantro- coarsley chopped
1 to 2 tbsp fresh basil- coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove- minced
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup Italian dressing (Kraft is a good choice)
salt and pepper to taste

In large non reactive bowl, combine cucumber, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, basil and Italian dressing.

Add tomatoes and tomato juice, mixing throughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chill several hours for flavors to marry. You can garnish with a cucumber spear, sour cream and a few croutons if desired.

For some added color, dice a yellow or orange tomato into the mixture in place of 1 or 2 of the plum tomatoes.

 

[TABOOMA]

Rosemary Tuna Steaks

2 to 4 fresh tuna steaks, approx 1 inch thick
Fresh Rosemary sprigs- chopped coarsely
Flat Leaf Parsley sprigs- chopped coarsely
Minced Garlic
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Lemon Zest
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Chop up all ingredients and rub onto tuna steaks. Let them sit for 10 minutes. Grill over medium heat until steaks are cooked to your liking.

This rub can also be used on chicken and pork. Adjust the quantities of the herbs to your taste.

 

[TABOOMA]

Does anyone have any recipies where I would be able to pre-marinate (or marinade not sure how you spell it) meat (chicken or beer preferably) so I could throw it one a grill later?

I usally marinate Filet Mignon with this marinade. Eyeball the quantities to the amount of steak you are cooking. I tend to use more balsamic vinegar than soy sauce in mine as the acidity helps tenderize the meat.

Steak Marinade

approx 1/4 to 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
approx 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
approx 1/4 cup Olive Oil
approx 1 tbsp Garlic Salt

Combine ingredients in a non reactive bowl. Take steaks and with a fork, put a few holes into them. Add steaks to marinade and let sit for at least 2 hours in fridge. Turn them over every so often to marinate all the way through. You can also put the steaks into a large Ziploc bag to marinate.

For an extra special touch, I wrap the filet in bacon strips, grill, then top with crumbled blue cheese.

 

[TABOOMA]

OK, after reading all the other recipes submitted, I am really hungry! This is a great thread and thanks for posting it. I am going to try some of the other recipes submitted soon.

 

[kerosika]

Clean the shripsthen season them with salt and red peppar. Then put some butter and olive oil on a pan, get it medium hot, after that sautee the shrimps in the pan. When they are pink, they are done.

 

[beanergrl]

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipe

This is my basic chilli bean recipe. I keep it on hand almost all the time. It is great to serve over rice or elbow macaroni. Or you can eat it as we usually do in burritos, enchiladas and tacos.


Vegetarian Chili
1 (19 ounce) can black bean soup
1can of black beans
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16 ounce) can vegetarian baked beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried parsley or cilantro
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
~~ In a slow cooker, combine black bean soup, black beans, kidney beans, baked beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and celery. Season with garlic, chili powder, parsley, oregano and basil. Cook for at least two hours on High.

I usually start it in the morning on high and turn it to low for the rest of the day simmering. It makes so much that we have leftoves for lunches during the week.

 

[*sunflower*]

i personally dont think pumpkin and tomatoes go too well together...

I wasn't suggesting tomato and pumpkin together ... I was just throwing together ideas for a vegie bake.

As Kelle said, she needed some ideas - no need to criticise mine.

 

[beanergrl]

veggie pot pie

I promise you two things, if you make this pot pie you will not miss the absence of meat and you'll never eat another frozen pot pie again. You can use a frozen crust if you like .

Veggie Pot Pie

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup of frozen peas
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup fresh green beans,
trimmed and snapped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2 Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook onions,
and garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring
frequently. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Stir in
green beans, peas, corn and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil,
then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are
barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3 In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and 1/4
cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir
into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
4 Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 11x7 inch baking
dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out
remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute
the edges.
5 Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the
crust is brown.

If you choose to use a pie dish to create a traditional pot pie then you will have to leave some of your filling in the pan to serve with the rest of it after it has cooked. This is because you will have way to much to put into the pie dish. Don't try to make it all fit or you will have a big mess when it bakes. Trust me.

If you wanted to make it nonvegetarian it would be nothing to just throw some chicken in there by sauting (saute-ing?) it in the oil with the onions and garlic and switching the veggie broth for chicken broth.

 

[FoxyKel]

kelle --- add some red pepper seeds! they help anything, IMO (that and garlic are my personal cures for anything im cooking)

also, a little parmesean cheese mixed with the pasta and such along with not frying the onions as much as they *should* be (a little crunchy) would help bring out more flavor.

i personally dont think pumpkin and tomatoes go too well together...

what kind of cheese did you sprinkle on top? maybe a sharp cheddar would make it more zesty. i wouldnt suggest mozz unless youre using tomatoes since it is a fairly bland, buttery cheese as it is. of course, parm and cheddar dont go well together so...

have fun! i love making up recipes and then trying to fix them.

My main problem that I have to be careful of is that I don't like hot spicy food and I'm not a huge fan of pepper. Also, I hate the texture of onion, hence why it had to be cooked properly.

I just spinkled on some matured cheddar cheese as I was just throwing stuff together.

 

[beanergrl]

Personally FoxyKel i think you went wrong with the cheddar. When you said cheese at first i automatically assumed it was parmesan. I have a few squash recipes that call for a light sprinkle of it. But when you said cheddar i immediately thought NONO!
I am also not so sure i would of used the wine either. Oh, heck, i am sure i wouldn't have used it. Maybe broth would have gave it more flavor. I also would of left out the onion. Better luck next time. Practice makes perfect.

 

[FoxyKel]

so, I went wrong with everything except pumpkin and pasta... in otherwords, I fucked the whole thing!

Go me.

 

[nowonmai]

^^
Nah, not at all. For everything I've cooked that worked, there have been a hundred things that didn't but no-one gets to hear about them.
Experimentation is the key for me. You find out what goes with what, how to make flavours come out and, most importantly, what doesn't work. This just happens to be one of the latter cases.

 

[nowonmai]

Thanks very much.

Top stuff mate - I owe you a pint!

glad you liked
Looper, mate.. next time I'm in your neck of the woods I'll be holding you to that.
MazDan, I'll be expecting a pint off you too... or schooner as you call those baby pints you lot drink :D There's a lovely little pub in the eastern suburbs that'll do nicely.. when I manage to get back to your hemisphere, that is.

 

[phactor]

thanks TABOOMA

 

[faithfully dangerous]

I wasn't suggesting tomato and pumpkin together ... I was just throwing together ideas for a vegie bake.

As Kelle said, she needed some ideas - no need to criticise mine.

uh last i checked the phrase "i personally dont think" isnt criticism.

 

[beanergrl]

This is a really great & easy appetizer.

You will need wonton wrappers, herbed cheese ,or cream cheese like cream cheese and chives, or pineapple cream cheese, ect. (I like herbed soft cheese the best though) ,and a little oil to fry them in.

Place a little of the cheese in the middle of the wrapper and just fold it triangle shape to seal it. Fry until it is golden and then drain on paper towels.
Serve up with your favorite sweet and sour sauce.

Everytime i have made this for a party or for munchies for my guest they have all asked how i made them and went on to try it themselves. It is good & easy eats.