Favorite Recipe Megathread

[Eric Muehlbauer]

What I had for dinner tonight...Guacamole!
1) Put 1 small clove garlic, 1 small to medium red onion (or bunch or 2 of scallions), 1 medium habanero pepper, seeds removed (it will not be as hot as it sounds...the avocado absorbs a lot of the heat...next year it will be hotter...I'm growing jolokia peppers!), as much cilantro as you like, into a food processor..process briefly.
2) Add 1 small tomato, or several grape tomatoes, 2 Haas avocados ( if you don't use haas avocados, just go away......................), sprinkle of cumin, half a lime, and 1-2 tspns Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce...process until its mushed to your liking. This one goes with beer! Your favorite! Well, no....my favorite!...if you have it with Budweiser, go away...................

 

[Heather]

Me thinks someone had a few too many of his favorite beers tonight.........

I prefer a chunkier version:

Haas avocados -at least two. Cut in half, score lengthwise, then widthwise so you have cubes and squeeze them out of their skins into a bowl. Cut up a native grown tomato or two - close to the same amt. of avocado- into similar size pieces and mix in. Add 1 small finely minced red onion, 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro, serrano peppers finely minced - number to taste. Salt to taste, and the juice of a lime. Stir and eat with good quality white or blue corn chips.

No cumin (got my fill of cumin in New Mexico - that's a story for tomorrow when I am sick of working - which I will be so I will post it, for sure...) No garlic! (and I love garlic, but not in this...)

 

[cnycharles]

...speaking of tomatoes here and other topics, where can I find seed of principe borghese plum tomatoes? (other than the whiteflower farm catalog where things are usually expensive and I think they only sell seedlings) I have some heirloom yellow tomato seed harvested from fruit/plants that someone at work gave me; I could eat them just like an apple they are so mild.

to make this a recipe, take yellow tomatoes and add some basil, olive oil and whatever you like and chow down

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Charles- I used to have seeds of Principe Bhorghese....they did very poorly for me, and I thought that the few tomatoes I got weren't worth the effort of growing them. I'll check if I still have the remains of the seed packet, but it was years ago....doubt I still have it now. Heather- actually, I didn't have enough of my favorite beer last night! But if the avocado's are ripe enough, which isn't likely considering what I get in the markets, I just squoosh them with a potato masher and keep them coarse. Most of the avocados I get need a real long processing....and I still end up with big chunks. Take care, Eric

 

[MoreWater]

I am still looking for a good recipe (yes, that's what I said) for using maple syrup. Looking for something that first requires boiling down the syrup into something really intense....

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Tonight's dinner....grilled quail!
1) If you're lucky enough to get boned quail, great! otherwise, take poultry shears nd split them, removing the spine.
2) Marinade: put a clove of garlic, a shallot, a small hot pepper, and a 2 inch long piece of lemongrass in a food processor..grind it to a paste and put it in a bowl. Add the juice of at least half a lime, a tbls or so Aji Mirin, a tbls of fish sauce, 2 tbls. of rice vinegar,1 tspn sugar, some peanut oil...better than straight peanut oil is the oil that settles on top of the Smuckers natural peanut butter..much more flavor. Marinate the quail for at least half an hour...
3) Fire up the grill! Grill them on fairly high heat until nicely browned outside, but
not dried out inside. Serve with anything you like as a side...I made a cucumber salad (next recipe)...I also make a dipping sauce that I won't post, given the sensitivities of the fermented fish averse among us (but I'm sure Hien is familiar with it...Nuoc Cham..) serve with either red or white wine, your preference...though it goes great with pinot noir..........remember to eat too much! Eric

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Cucumber salad....
1) slice at least 3 cucumbers...the middle eastern types with less seeds...on a diagonal. Slice one small red onion.
2) Dressing: lime juice, rice vinegar (to your liking), 1 small hot pepper, 1 inch piece of lemongrass, finely minced, 1 small hot pepper finely minced, 1 big tspn natural peanut butter, 1 tspn sugar...mix together, then mix with cucumber and onion...enjoy!

 

[MoreWater]

will someone please cook and deliver...?

 

[Mrs. Paph]

Breadmaker Raised Donuts

Here's a sort of semi-homemade recipe that makes Really good raised donuts (and I top w/ store bought dark chocolate whipped frosting Mmmm)! ...I actually got a breadmaker for college graduation, per my request, and besides bread it has the dough only setting, and this is by far the best thing I've ever made with it. Yes, there's still some work after the breadmaker's done, unlike a loaf of regular bread, but you get to ignore it for 2.5hrs while it takes care of making the dough, and get mostly just the fun part of making donuts:drool:
http://www.bread-maker.net/Bread-maker-recipes/Bread-maker-Bread-maker-doughnuts.htm

 

[Heather]

The only chicken worth cooking! The salad is fabulous but not entirely necessary...

KEY POINTS:

chicken should be 3 lbs or less.

brine (with salt and herbs) 2 days prior to cooking. Seriously.

Very very important things those two key points...forget the salad - it is really over the top fabulous, but you can just do the chicken and it rocks on its' own.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4401342

Please cook it. Don't make me beg....

 

[cnycharles]

Maple! ........mmmmmmmm

I am still looking for a good recipe (yes, that's what I said) for using maple syrup. Looking for something that first requires boiling down the syrup into something really intense....

I found a maple recipe in my fannie farmer cookbook for maple praline's after you first posted the request, but forgot to pick up the book and post the recipe

You mention first taking maple syrup and cooking it down....

instructions for making maple candy and cream, including utensils necessary for making them
http://www.massmaple.org/candy.html

I posted in the tpbm thread about maple on snow, here is link to history and making/uses
http://www.massmaple.org/sos.html

...and after all that here is a recipe for Maple Pralines - please note that any candy recipe that calls for sugar or syrup and cooking down can use Maple Syrup or Sugar substituted for it

Maple Pralines
2 C. confectioner's sugar
1 C. Maple Sugar or Syrup
1/2 C. heavy cream
2 C. large pieces of nuts (pecans are listed as being especially good in this recipe)
_______________________________________________________________
Combine the confectioner's sugar, maple and cream in a 3-quart heavy pot, stirring to blend well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves completely. Cover and let boil for 2-3 minutes, then uncover and wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water*. Without stirring, boil to the soft-ball stage (234˚F). Remove from the heat to a cooling surface and let stand, without stirring, until lukewarm (110˚F). Beat with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken and become cloudy, then beat in the nuts. Using two metal tablespoons, scoop up the mixture and drop small patties onto a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Let stand until firm, then store airtight.

(* note that this instruction is essential in preventing sugar crystals from forming on the side of the pot, from which crystals can quickly develop into the rest of the mix. this will result in candy that is very granular instead of smooth and/or creamy)

(try to not eat them all at once )

p.s. - Vermont lays claim to being the 'maple state' and having the best maple products, but New York actually out-produces Vermont on quantity and quality, and a fair amount of the syrup sold as 'vermont maple' is actually sap/syrup that has been sold from NY maple farmers to processors in Vt.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

As we approach grilling season, I have to include this...haven't done it since the fall, but will be doing it soon...Grilled skirt steak!
1) marinate the steak in: minced garlic, minced cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1/3 bottle of tabasco chipotle sauce (not anywhere near as hot or salty/vinegary as usual tabasco, so use it heavily!), lots of citrus juice- preferably grapefruit, but orange is fine, chopped pineapple, 1 tblspn fish sauce (yes I like fish sauce...live with it....) 1 or more tspns sugar...I always read that people should add some oil, but it makes no sense to me...skirt steak is already so fatty....
2) Grill the steak to your liking..(while i prefer lean steaks like NY strip medium, and I'm ok with med. rare, when it comes to fatty steaks like skirt I actually prefer it on the far side of medium...but its your choice)
3) serve with my excuse for "chimmichurri" (my daughter simply calls it "green" sauce..)...1 bunch cilantro, 1 bunch mint, 1 clove garlic, 1 small to medium red onion, 1 small to medium habanero pepper, 1/2 tbslspn ubiquitous fish sauce, 2 or more tspns sugar, juice of 1/2 lime, a little olive oil....toss in the food processor, and spin until its done....eat a lot, and while it goes great with beer, I love it with a hearty red...syrah, petite syrah, zinfandel, or anything but the accursed merlot...(and I already hated merlot well before I saw Sideways......) Take care, Eric

 

[MoreWater]

I found a maple recipe in my fannie farmer cookbook for maple praline's after you first posted the request, but forgot to pick up the book and post the recipe.....

woohoo! :clap:

Thank you very much

 

[ohio-guy]

Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese
Here is a popular appetizer I have made with lots of positive comments.

I start by picking up some plain Goat cheese, usually from Trader Joes, it comes as a log (about 8 oz) which I split down the middle and lay side by side on a serving plate.
As the cheese comes to room temp, I cut up 2 medium onions into half moons (cut in half pole to pole, then into slices, pretty thin) Put 2 Tbs of Olive oil in a skillet, add the onions and stir over medium heat. As they soften and become translucent, add half a tsp of salt and half a tsp of sugar.
Continue to cook over low heat, after about 15 min they should be starting to caramelize. Stir in about 1/3 cut of chopped walnuts and 1/3 cup of raisins, and about 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar will turn the onions a nice dark brown color. Warm it all thru and put over top of goat cheese.
Serve with crackers.
If you don't want to try the goat cheese, a brick of cream cheese would probably be OK instead.

 

[Ron-NY]

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

love them all

 

[Ron-NY]

Tomato Salad

sliced vine-ripe tomatoes
Kalamata olives - pitted
fresh basil leaves
crumbled Blue cheese
capers
Balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Artistically arrange tomato slices on a round platter, overlapping slices. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on them and then drizzle olive oil on them. Arrange basil leaves artistically among the tomato slices, tucking stem end under tomatoes (I only use the smaller leaves) Sprinkle on some capers and arrange olives on platter, among the tomato slices. Top with a sprinkling of crumbled blue cheese.

This recipe was on the cover of Bon Appetite many years ago. It can make quite a nice presentation and is an easy and delicious dish to bring to a summer pot-luck BBQ but my family likes it at any time, including the kids. I don't have amounts for I do it by eye, so do it to taste with the ingredients.

 

[Ron-NY]

Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil

4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 lb. Brie cheese, torn into small pieces
1 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 cup + 1 Tbl olive oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
1 1/2 - 2 lbs linguine
freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

The night before serving or the morning of the dinner: Mix all the ingredients except the linguine and the Parmesan cheese. Let stand at room temperature until you have the pasta cooked.

Cook linguine. Pour mixture over hot pasta and toss until the brie has melted

Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan and serve.

(I found that the recipe works fine with 2 lbs of linguine and serves 8+)

This is a delicious dish that was shared with me by a friend of mine.

 

[streetmorrisart]

Minestrone Soup

¼ C olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 gloves of garlic put through the press

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 zucchini, cut in quarters lengthwise and then sliced thinly

1 1/2 C or so of thinly-sliced green cabbage

7 C of chicken stock

one 15oz can cannellini beans

2 medium-sized white potatoes, diced

4T tomato paste

1 bay leaf

½ tsp dried thyme crushed in your palm a bit more

¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper


You’ll also want freshly-grated Asiago, or a similar cheese like romano or parmesan if you have another you prefer, extra olive oil, salt and black pepper.

Heat the olive oil with the onion and garlic, stir until soft, add carrots and celery; cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cabbage, and cook till they too are softened.

Add broth, beans, potatoes, tomato paste, thyme and cayenne, and if you happen to have a bit of a dried chunk of Asiago or parmesan or some other such cheese, add it. Bring to a boil and turn way down to a low simmer and cover. Let it do its thing for a couple of hours. The flavors come together better this way, and the vegetables do retain all the texture that’s necessary. You can season with salt and pepper to taste before serving, sprinkle a bit of grated Asiago over top and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over that. Crostini on the side.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Shrimp with chorizo
Did this the other night....
1.5 lbs whole large shrimp.....yeah, the kinds with the heads and bodies...or, as did the other night, 1 lb regular large shrimp and 1/2 lb whole small shrimp.
Take off the heads and bodies and boil them to make a stock. After 15 min, remove the heads, but continue to simmer the stock. (Yes you can do it with plain shrimp shells, but it just won't have much flavor.)
Meanwhile....saute a few cloves of garlic, a big shallot, and a minced piece of dry Spanish chorizo, about 3" long. If you don't have the spicy kind, add some hot pepper. Not a part of my usual recipe, but I added some mushrooms (king oyster) because I had them on hand. If you have the small shrimp, chop them and add them to the mix.
When the shallots get transluscent, add the shrimp stock, a little at a time..raise the heat to reduce it. When you are ready, add the rest of the shrimp and maybe a little flatleaf parsley if you like it....when the shrimp are done, so is dinner! Serve with rice or bread or thin pasta like angel hair. Drink what you like...I'd suggest a dry white wine like a reisling or sauvignon blanc........Take care, Eric

 

[cnycharles]

amish friendship bread

if you've received a package of amish friendship bread starter from someone, here are the instructions you should use. typically you will receive a one-gallon plastic ziploc bag.

important notes:
it is normal for the batter to rise, bubble and ferment
if the bag fills with air, let it out and seal the bag back up
for the purposes of these instructions do not refrigerate the starter
do not use and type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing

The bag will have a Day 1 on it or should have. this is when your benefactor mixed up the newest batch and split it into four bags and used the rest to make some bread. it takes ten more days before some can be used to make more bread; on day six you will be adding more flour, sugar and milk. each other day you will be sloshing the starter around or kneading it to mix the contents. if any gas builds up just let it out.

day 1: this is the day the starter was first put into the bag, do nothing else
day 2: mush the bag
day 3: mush the bag
day 4: mush the bag
day 5: mush the bag

day 6: add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. mush the bag to mix completely

day 7: mush the bag
day 8: mush the bag
day 9: mush the bag

day 10: follow directions below

1. Pour entire contents of bag into a non-metallic bowl
2. Add 1.5 cups sugar, 1.5 cups flour and 1.5 cups milk
3. Measure out a cup each into four separate new ziploc bags. Keep one of the starters for yourself and give the other three away with a copy of the instructions to your friends along with a sample of the finished bread
4. Preheat oven to 325˚f.
5. Add to the remaining mixture in the bowl add

3 eggs
1 cup of oil
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups of flour
1 large or 2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix

grease two loaf pans. (following optional) in small container mix together 1/2 cup of sugar and 1.5 tsp of cinnamon. dust the greased pans with half of the mixture, reserve the remainder.
pour the batter evenly into two loaf pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top.
bake 1 hour. cool until the bread pulls away from the pan evenly (about ten minutes). turn into serving dish. serve warm or cold.

if you keep one of the four starters for yourself, you will be baking every ten days. the bread is very good and makes a nice gift. if you give all of the starter away you will have to wait until someone gives some back to you (or you can go online and find out how to buy/make some on your own).

I will add some other details later