Favorite Recipe Megathread

Hey everybody,

I am working on typing up some recipes today, and I thought it would be cool to start a thread for recipe sharing. Post a favorite recipe, sweet or savory, so we can all enjoy the food that you love. I will start with my famous Strawberry Shortcake Cookies. I make these for my wife to take to potlucks, and she comes home with a huge ego because people shower her with praise all day long over these simple little cookies.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
Recipe makes approx. 20 cookies
You will need:
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup of granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small container of sour cream.
approx. 10 fresh strawberries, washed and sliced.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F, and place the oven rack in the center position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. This is a very crucial step. These cookies have a tendency to stick and they are very brittle, but with parchment paper they come right up. Forming the cookies with a pastry bag is easiest, but you can also use two spoons.

Seperate the egg whites into a bowl. Let them rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Cold egg whites are harder to beat into a meringue. After the eggs have reached room temperature, beat them with an electric mixer until foamy (about 45 seconds). Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time while beating the whites at medium speed. Adding the sugar slowly allows time for it to disolve into the whites. After all the sugar has been added, and roughly five minutes of mixing, the eggs should begin to form stiff peaks. At this point, add the vanilla extract and beat another minute to thoroughly mix in the vanilla. You are now ready to form the cookies.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip (or two spoons), drop 1 inch rounds of meringue onto your baking sheet spaced 1 and 1/2 inches apart. These cookies expand slightly when baked, so make sure they don't touch. Using the back of a teaspoon, create a small depression in the top of each cookie. This depression will hold the sour cream and strawberries after the cookies have been baked.

Bake the cookies for about 1 and 1/2 hours, turning the baking sheet front to back about halfway through to ensure even baking. The cookies should take on a very light ivory color, and be fairly crisp on the outside when done. Remove them from the oven, and place them carefully on a cooling rack or countertop lined with extra parchment paper to rest.

Store the cookies in an airtight container if they won't be served immediately. Exposing the cookies to high humidity will make the cookies gummy instead of crispy. Just before you are ready to serve the cookies, place a half a teaspoon of sour cream on each cookie, and arrange some sliced strawberry on top of the sour cream. I find that three thin slices of strawbery arranged in a fan shape makes these cookies look spectacular. Don't add the sour cream and strawberries until you are ready to eat the cookies, as this will make the cookies turn gummy. If you are taking the cookies to a potluck, place the cookies on a serving tray and provide the sour cream and strawberries, allowing each person to build their own cookie with your instructions written on a note card displayed with the cookies.

Stir-Fried Shrimp with Pepper Sauce

1Ib fresh shrimp in their shells (roughly 26-30 per pound)
1 T freshly-grated ginger (peeled)
2-3 garlic cloves pressed
4 scallions, including the green tops, cut into ¼” diagonal pieces
1 T Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
dried red chilies
2 T ketchup
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T chicken stock
2 T peanut oil (you can get away with canola but it’ll impart less flavor)

Shell and devein shrimp, rinse in cold water and pat dry. Have all the other ingredients ready to go in small dishes. Also, fresh rice, a stir-fried green vegetable and whatever else you like (for us this is usually bok choy or peapods and spring rolls I make in large batches occasionally on the weekends and freeze).

Heat up the wok, then the oil and peppers till completely blackened—takes some experimenting to find how many peppers you want to use (I use a lot). Turn things down just slightly to let the oil cool a bit, add the scallions, ginger and garlic for about 20 seconds and add the shrimp, turning the heat back up a bit of you sense they’re stewing rather than being stir-fried. Flip things around till the shrimp are pink and firm, then add the wine, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar and salt mixture—stir. Lastly, give the cornstarch and stock mixture a stir, pour it over the shrimp and stir till there is a translucent glaze.

Jackson Shrimp

Uncooked shrimp in desired quantity
Small brown paper bag with flower and chili power (enough chili powder to give it a nice speckled appearance
Put shrimp in the bag and shake well
Fry in Butter over low heat until tender (no you can not use a subsitute)

A simple recipe with a delicious result

White Lasagna
Health freaks and vegans may as well just scroll past......don't go for a checkup after this one.....
1) boil lasagna noodles for 5 minutes max......meanwhile...
2) brown ground veal/chicken/turkey (I prefer veal, chicken just as good...turkey, feh!) a lb, maybe more, maybe less
3) drain the meat....saute garlic, shallots, and your favorite mushrooms (I prefer oyster) in olive oil or butter.
4) add a cup or so of white wine and/or chicken broth. also add a few splashes Worcestershire sauce....and anchovies/anchovy paste...use a little salt if this grosses you out. Also black pepper. Boil the crap out of this until it reduces a little.
5) Add some sherry...I prefer Amontillado. You decide how much.
6) Add a 1/2 pint heavy cream, and some parsley. Boil the crap out of it for a few minutes to reduce it a bit.
7) layer the noodles, sauce, swiss cheese, and prosciutto...I usually do 3 layers of noodles. Cover with tin foil, bake at 400 deg for 20 minutes. Take off the tin foil, bake another 10 minutes until there is some browning.
8) Take it out of the oven, let it sit for a few minutes before eating....make sure that you eat too much. Serve with any damn wine you like...goes just as well with white as with red. If you prefer beer, drink a damn good one...like anything from Stone brewery...........For dessert, eat the richest, heaviest, least healthful stuff you want...it doesn't matter.....you already wrecked your health with dinner......Take care, Eric

Ha ha Eric. I was going to post my White Lasagne recipe later. Very similiar except I use grilled chicken, bacon and fresh spinach. Great stomachs think alike.

Mmmm, bacon....someone said bacon?


I've got a few coming....

Appetizer from Martha - Dates with Marscarpone

Dates with Mascarpone (this is SO easy and a HUGE hit!)

Makes 2 dozen

For a more elegant presentation, pipe the mascarpone onto the dates using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

24 pitted Medjool dates
1 cup mascarpone
Finely chopped walnuts, for garnish (optional)
Finely chopped candied ginger, for garnish (optional)
Pomegranate seeds


Slice through the top of the date and remove the pit. Fill each gap with mascarpone, using the pastry tip. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and/or candied ginger. Scatter pomegranate seeds around and on top as a garnish.

Fig and Olive Tapenade

Fig and Olive Tapenade
Makes 2 ½ cups

¼ c. dried black mission figs, stemmed and diced
¼ c. brandy
¼ c. water
6 anchovy fillets, drained
2 tbl. Capers, drained
1 tbl. Dijon mustard
1 ½ c. pitted and chopped black olives (kalamata, gaeta or Nyons)
2 tbl. Fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. fruity olive oil
fresh ground pepper to taste

Place figs, brandy, and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the figs have soaked up most of the liquid, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the anchovies, capers, and mustard in a food processor and process to form a paste. Add the olives and figs, along with any remaining liquid, and process until very smooth. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and process again until smooth. Add the pepper and season to taste. Transfer to a decorative bowl and cover and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature with toasted rounds of French Bread (drizzle some more olive oil on the top before serving.

Black Bean Buffalo Chipotle Chile

Black Bean Buffalo Chipotle Chile

2 tbl. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (vidalia or red are good)
1 tbl. chopped garlic
1 pound ground buffalo (or beef if you can't find buffalo)
1 tbl. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano (preferably mexican)
2 tbl. (or to taste) red chile powder (I use new mexican chimayo, sometimes ancho, but you can use whatever kind you like)
2 cups chopped tomatoes (either fresh or canned are fine)
1 can Eden black soy beans
2-5 chipotle chile en adobo with some of the sauce, chopped (to taste)
2 cups chicken stock (or to taste just enough to provide a little extra liquid)
1 bunch cilantro, leaves removed and chopped.

In a 2 quart saucepan, saute onions in olive oil until wilted down, add in garlic and saute a couple minutes. Add in ground buffalo, breaking up with a spoon. When buffalo is almost cooked through, add in tomatoes, chipotles, and spices and simmer a few minutes. Add in beans. Simmer a few more minutes and then pour in chicken stock (or substitute beef stock or water). The longer you simmer, the more blended the flavor would be, so, depending on time you can use more or less stock but you will need to cook it down until there is just a little extra liquid. Add in salt to taste in the middle of the simmering process. I don't find it needs more than a half-teaspoon or so.

Serve with grated cheddar, avocado, chopped tomatoes, onions, sour cream as you wish.

*Note - the more chile, the hotter it is, so add to taste. After years in New Mexico, I like it pretty hot.

Also, you could use regular black beans. I have also added fresh corn kernels which makes it extra yummy.

Mom’s Big Salad

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
¾ c. fresh peas
2 hard boiled eggs
1 head lettuce
2 ripe tomatoes
2 scallions
2 ribs celery
2 oz. cheddar cheese
1 ½ c. sour cream
¾ c. mayonnaise
1 tbl. Sugar

Place lettuce in salad bowl. Layer ingredients over top – celery, scallions, peas, tomatoes, eggs, bacon, cheese. Combine sour cream, mayo, and sugar and let it sit ½ an hour. Pour dressing over the top or serve on the side with bacon or cheese.

Can also add avocado, on the side.

Linguine in White clam sauce
1) Boil the linguine...aldente! if not, give up now....
2) Get 12 of the largest chowder clams you can find...otherwise, use more than a dozen cherrystones. Shuck each one, saving every last bit of the juice. You could stema them open, but don't be a wuss....besides, they'll get overcooked that way.
3) Coarsely cut up the clams...they should be in large pieces, not like those canned clam shrivets.
4) Saute as much garlic as you can stand in a decent amount of olive oil...don't use too little, or it won't "stick to your ribs", but don't go overboard either...add 1-2 shallots also, and a small hot pepper if you like.
5) Pour all of the clam juice into the pot, leaving the crud on the bottom. Feel free to add some white wine also, if you can spare some ...but don't if it means less to drink!
6) keep it simmering in an open pot for a while...you really want to reduce it.
7) when its reduced to your liking (I prefer a brine pool myself), add chopped flatleaf parsley. Flatleaf only! The other stuff is great if you want a plastic themed meal....
8) When the parlsey wilts, add the chopped clams....when it returns to a simmer/boil, take it off...your done. You don't want the clams to overcook...just barely cooked through.....
9) Serve with white wine...a lighter one, like a sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, or dry reisling....don't forget to eat too much!

Zucchini bread extravaganza - pt 1 chocolate zucchini bread

Chocolate Zucchini bread

3 C.flour
1/4 C. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1 t. salt
2 C. Sugar
-optional confectioners' sugar for dusting on top

3 eggs (4 medium)
1 C. veg. oil
2 t. vanilla
2 C. grated Zucchini that has been grated, frozen then thawed and moisture drained/squeezed out (makes much lighter bread)
1 C. chopped nuts
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or I prefer 2/3 C. dark and 2/3 C. semi-sweet mix)

Preheat to 350˚, grease or paper two 8" x 4" bread pans
Combine in large bowl: Flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt; mix well and set aside
in separate large bowl, combine sugar and eggs, blend well. add vanilla and oil, beat until combined (note that for all liquid mixing a whisk works great). Stir in Zucchini.
Add flour/dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Stir in nuts and chips.
Divide into two pans, bake for 60-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out dry and clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove loaf from pan and place on rack; cool completely then optionally dust with confectioners' sugar.
awe-some :drool:

part 2 - pineapple zucchini bread

Pineapple Zucchini bread

1 9x5x3" pan

2 eggs
1/2 C. veg. oil
1 C. white or better demerara pure cane sugar
1 C. grated zucchini that has been grated, frozen, thawed and then moisture drained or squeezed out
1/2 C. crushed pineapple, drained
1 t. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
optional 1/2 to 1 C. yellow raisins

preheat oven to 350˚, grease or paper 1 large bread loaf pan
beat eggs, oil and sugar in a large bowl (whisk works great). stir in zucchini, pineapple and vanilla, set aside.
in another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts and raisins. pour all at once into batter; stir to moisten.
pour into bread pan.
bake at 350˚ for 1 hour or until bread tests done. cool 10 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely. wrap. recipe says to cut into thin slices and spread with butter - I say make those slices thick
this is like cake, can make excellent muffins as can the chocolate zucchini bread, and both work well in the bread machine

Orrin's quiche

9" prebaked pie crust brushed with egg white while still warm
4 eggs
1 c half-n-half (or up to 2C for silkier texture)
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 c grated swiss cheese
1 can tiny cocktail shrimp (typical tuna can size)

Beat cream cheese with half-n-half until smooth. Add eggs and beat at low speed until well mixed but not frothy/foamy (frothy/foamy makes for a weird texture). Rinse and drain the shrimp and distribute evenly in pie shell. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over shrimp and pour in egg mixture to cover all. Bake in preheated 450f oven for 10 minutes to set crust. Reduce heat to 350f and continue baking for approx 20 minutes or until knife tip inserted in center comes out clean (you can also usually just poke at the center to determine if it's done). It should be fairly puffy when it comes out of the oven; let rest for 15 minutes and it will settle into more of a custard than a puff. Serve warm but not steaming hot.

Pick the right crust and pie dish, and you can get a really crisp crust.

sour cream cornbread - aka rich corn cake

Sour Cream Cornbread

recipe is for 1 9x9x2" pan; recipe doubled works well in 9x13" pan

1 C. yellow, half yellow and half blue, or all blue corn meal (I prefer all blue, is very light)
1 C. flour
4 T. sugar
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cream of tartar or same amount of Bakewell Cream
3/4 t. salt
1 C. sour cream
1/4 C. milk
2 eggs, well beaten
4 T. butter, melted

preheat oven to 425˚, or 400˚ and longer baking time if you like denser, moister bread. butter the pan. combine all the dry ingredients and mix well, set aside. melt the butter, mix in sour cream and milk, then the eggs. whisk it up. quickly add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisk until all is moistened. pour or spoon into pan and bake for 20 mins at 425 or nearly 30 mins at 400˚. check middle for done-ness. this baked at 400˚ in convection oven yields a very highly-risen, excellent corn bread. cool and cut into squares. is great with butter, maple cream, jelly or toasted and the previous put on top. i've served this at several orchid club functions and family dinners and can't go wrong. forget the beer and chilis, this is it

Sichuan Red Oil :evil::drool:

500 cc vegetable oil
100 g chiles
3 g star anise
3 g chinese cinnamon (桂皮cassia cinnamon)
3 g dried orange peel 陳皮
3 g hua jiao (sichuan/flower pepper 花椒)
thick spring onions 30g (look like leeks)
ginger 10g

Heat oil with spices (excluding chile), simmer low heat 30 mins.
In bowl, combine chiles and 100 cc water
Remove spices from oil, heat oil to 180C
Pour oil (straining it) gradually into the chile bowl (SIZZLE)
Stores a month, covered, at room temp.

Please, no more recipes with anchovies. I'll barf.

Candace said:

Please, no more recipes with anchovies. I'll barf.

Click to expand...

you know what's funny? I can't stand anchovies, but I put fish sauce (anchovy paste liquid) into soup and other stuff and love it. no slimy fish heads to deal with either....

Key lime pie

Key Lime pie

one extra-servings, graham cracker pie shell
one 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
5 egg yolks
2 8 oz. pkg. mascarpone or regular cream cheese
3/4 C. nelly and joe's key west lime juice
1/2 - 1 t. lime citrus oil

might have slightly more than what will fill the pie crust, just put in custard cup and bake with the pie

preheat oven to 350˚
mix all, blend until smooth. bake at 350˚ for 15 mins.
allow to stand 10 mins before refrigerating

recipe says to top with whipped cream and lime slices, but I skip that part as it seems to be like trying to gild the lily

Candace said:

Please, no more recipes with anchovies. I'll barf.

Click to expand...

Anchovies, egg plant & capers should listed as health hazards.