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You are here: Home / Archives for Food & Recipes / Recipes

Recipes

How About A Recipe Thread?

by TaMara|  February 17, 20238:40 pm| 104 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes

We haven’t had one in a while and I thought, what the heck, I’ve been cooking up a few cool things the last few weeks, I should share. This is the time of the year when I’m completely bored with the winter standards, craving fresh garden foods. I fall back on soups full of veggies, and quick meals that I don’t have to give much thought or effort toward. Not every meal has to be a masterpiece. And sometimes I just want Popeye’s spicy fish sandwich (Lent is almost here, after all).

Right now I’m eating Jicama Slaw (recipe below), one of my favorite go-tos when I need a reminder that spring and summer are not far off.

Here are a few other recipes I put together this month:

Spicy Potato Soup_Snap2

Spicy Potato soup – recipe here

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A Spinach Ravioli Lasagna – recipe here

 

And because I had workmen at the house and it was snowing like crazy, I made some jumbo cookies for them:

Jumbo Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies – Recipe here

 

Here’s tonight’s featured recipe, I made a few adaptations  –  when I made it tonight and last week, I just used my box grater. The texture is a bit different, but I wasn’t in the mood to break out the mandoline and clean it after. And I forgot to buy plain yogurt, so I substituted mayo. Not gonna lie, it was still yummy.

Jicama Slaw

I used my mandoline slicer to julienne the jicama and the cucumber. You can use the large blade on a box shredder if you don’t have a mandoline.

Dressing:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Jicama

Salad:

  • 3 cups shredded or julienned jicama (peeled before shredding)
  • 1 English cucumber*, washed and julienned
  • 1 sweet bell pepper, thinly sliced (red, orange or yellow)
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Combine the yogurt, lime juice, cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop.

Combine the jicama, cucumber, sweet pepper and raisins in a large bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently but thoroughly to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving toss with walnuts and parsley.

*I like the flavor of English cucumbers and they are unwaxed so I don’t peel them and they don’t need to be seeded.  Peel waxed cucumbers if substituted.

That’s it for tonight. What gets you through the last days of winter in your kitchen?  What’s on your plate for the weekend? Also, anyone have a good rye bread recipe, I’m craving rye bread and can’t find my old recipe.

Have at it…

How About A Recipe Thread?Post + Comments (104)

Sunday Pot Roast

by Tom Levenson|  January 15, 202312:53 pm| 150 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes

Dropping by on a day when there’s a nor-nor’easter blowing where I am–at a secure undisclosed location on Cape Ann, north of Boston…

Sunday Pot Roast 2

…–and that makes it a perfect pot roast Sunday.

I do a lot of braising, and often get fairly elaborate–but we’ve just been eating our way through a chuck roast that is the simplest prep I know, and yet tastes just amazing.  So I thought I would share, both because it’s ridiculously easy (and probably well-known to the many excellent cooks/fressers amongst the jackaltariat) and as a kind of proof of life. I have several posts I want to write, but until the embarrassingly overdue MS is done, I don’t have the mental space or time to do more serious blogging. (Just got over the TB chapter, and am now confronting cholera…).  So think of this as a piece offering. (Hava noice piece o’ beef..)

Sunday Pot Roast 3

The recipe came to my by way of this cookbook, which I highly recommend–except for their cooking times, which are waaaaay long.  They call it beef braised in Barbera wine, and it just works.

The recipe has been copied verbatim without credit at at least one place on the internet, so I’m just going to lay it out here in narrative form, and you can enjoy as you like (or search for it, and you’ll find it fast enough).

So here goes: take a 3 lb chuck roast and brown it well on all sides in a glop of olive oil. (The one I made this week was only two pounds, but no worries–I made the same amount of braising sauce, because one great use of the outcome is a shredded beef pasta sauce, and the liquid-meat ratio with a smaller piece works just fine.)  Cut up two carrots, a good sized onion, a stalk of celery and three large cloves of garlic.  No need to be dainty, for reasons that will become clear in a moment.  Fry the vegetables in the rendered beef fat/oil over medium-medium high heat for several minutes, until the onions just begin to color around the edges. I add the garlic after six or seven minutes, though the original recipe says dump it all in at once.

Then add a tablespoon of tomato paste (I am a bit more generous than that, usually–a heaping  TB), stir around for a moment or two, and dump in a whole bottle of robust red wine.  The cookbooks, as they are wont to do, specify an expensive bottle (cook with what you drink). I get a big everyday Trader Joe’s bottle and no one is the worse for wear.  Reduce it by about a third, then add a dash of ground cinnamon, some nutmeg, a bay leaf, and a teaspoon and a half of rosemary.

And with that, you’re basically done: return the meat to the pot, bring it to a simmer, cover it and shove it into a 350º oven, dropping the temperature to 250º after about twenty minutes.

The recipe as written says one should let it go for 3-4 hours, turning it over occasionally. This is nonsense.  I find a 2-3 lb roast will cook in about 1.5 hours to my preferred tenderness. YMMV.

Once it is to your liking, pull it out of the oven, put the meat on a plate and use a slotted spoon or a strainer to get the vegetables into a food processor.  Add just enough braising liquid to smooth the way, and grind it into a puree. Add it back to the rest of the liquid, stir it up–and you’re done.  I sometimes add a little bit of roux to the pot–I like butter–but not always.

It’s literally ten minutes of prep, maybe half an hour doing the stove top stuff, and then you have this unbelievably rich meal and even better leftovers.  Perfect for a day when the wind’s gusting to fifty and the spindrift is blowing for miles.

Anyway–we haven’t had that many food threads lately, so have at it. What’s your favorite antidote to a stormy day?  And beyond that, this thread is, as usual, as open as a big box store on Black Friday.

Image: Jean Siméon Chardin, Still life with a rib of beef, 1739.

 

Sunday Pot RoastPost + Comments (150)

Recipe Thread: Holiday Gift Ideas

by TaMara|  December 22, 20222:00 pm| 151 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes

Recipe Thread: Holiday Gift Ideas 1

I finished shoveling, the ducks are tucked away in the bathroom, and everyone else is snuggled down with blankets. It’s NEGATIVE 15 F outside. No wind now, but I guess the wind chill took us down to -55  earlier.  We may get up to a whopping 5 degrees by two-ish. Not our normal weather, that’s for sure.

But this has given me some extra time to do some more baking. These are in the oven right now:

Gluten/flour-free peanut butter cookies, recipe here.

We could not find a time for our annual Cookie Bake/Exchange this year, although we swore we would. We haven’t been able to do it since pre-pandemic. It’s always fun, lots of new recipes and different cookies to swap, but coordinating schedules can be tough. We’ll try again next year. I miss the fun of having everyone in the kitchen baking away. Here are some of the cookies from previous years. Nothing I haven’t shared before, but in case you needed some ideas:

show full post on front page

Chocolate chip, spritz and pecan cookies.

Oatmeal lace cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate-Walnut cookies that remind me of brownie bites. So very good.

All the cookie recipes are here.  Prefer something salty? How about popcorn and nut recipes (here).

And finally, this year, I took my first shot at making toffee (recipe here). Oh, my, oh, my, probably a very bad idea. I’ve made four batches, with various nuts, and have probably eaten as much as I’ve given away. Sugar. Coma.

Recipe Thread: Holiday Gift Ideas

I’ve got to get back to cleaning and food prep, as guests will be here for Christmas Eve. And tomorrow, when the roads are better, I will have to get out and catch up on work I’m missing today, so I’ll get everything done today that I can. The bread I bake is really good when it does a slow-rise in the refrigerator (develops a good flavor), so I can mix that up this afternoon, and the spinach lasagna is already prepped and in the freezer. And I’ll make up another Cranberry Upside-down Cake for dessert.

What’s cooking in your kitchen this weekend?

Open thread

Recipe Thread: Holiday Gift IdeasPost + Comments (151)

Open Thread: I Hear We Used To Have Recipes

by TaMara|  November 13, 20222:27 pm| 96 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes

I do still cook…honest. But with everything else going on, including a Great Dane puppy who can’t seem to stay out of trouble and a rescued Great Dane that keeps eating stupid things, requiring me to take drastic measures, blogging about food seems to be last on my list of things I need/want to do.

But a dinner party seems a good time to bring out some favorites. On the menu tonight:

Photo from JeffreyW

I KNOW everyone has their favorites when it comes to chili. This is ours. Quick, simple and tasty.

Quick and Easy Chili

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3-5 Jalapenos finely chopped (depending on heat)
  • 1/2 green pepper chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
  • 16 oz V8 Juice (I use the spicy version)
  • 3 cans kidney beans drained and rinsed*
  • 1 can Original Ro-Tel
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder (more as desired)
  • 1 Tsp cumin
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika

show full post on front page

Brown ground beef and drain. Saute jalapenos, green pepper, onion, and garlic. In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for at least 30 minutes.

Chili layered with fritos and shredded cheese

In my house, we serve chili with Fritos and shredded cheddar, layered in a bowl – Fritos, chili, cheese, and more Fritos.

Slow Cooker instructions:  Following the instructions above, add everything to the slow cooker, cook on high for 15 minutes, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 4 to 8 hours.

 

Skillet Cornbread

There are many variations on cornbread, this one is pretty basic.

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup butter or oil

1 large bowl,  cast iron skillet or 9×9 baking dish, greased

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, add cornmeal, mix well. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Beat with a mixer until smooth (do not overbeat). Pour into the skillet or baking dish and bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. Light brown on top, toothpick should come out clean.

Serve with honey, maple syrup, and a side of collard greens.

This is an open thread. Chat away.

Open Thread: I Hear We Used To Have RecipesPost + Comments (96)

Late Afternoon Open Thread: How Are You Passing The Time?

by TaMara|  November 8, 20224:40 pm| 155 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Politics, Recipes

Late Afternoon Open Thread: How Are You Passing The Time?

I mixed up a batch of dough and divided it up between a baguette and rolls. Recipe is here.

Other than that, I’m working with MSNBC on in the background – I’ve turned off the most grating shows, but late afternoon with Deadline White House, I can tolerate.

Trixie had a vet appointment this morning to get bloodwork done for her spay in Dec. And address some other concerns I was having about her. She did great and everything checked out.

Next up for me, cleaning the disaster in the kitchen. I’m a very messy cook. But in my defense, I don’t make anyone else clean up after my mess.

How are you wiling away the hours until we find out if Democracy is going to survive?

Late Afternoon Open Thread: How Are You Passing The Time? 1

Open thread

Late Afternoon Open Thread: How Are You Passing The Time?Post + Comments (155)

Afternoon Open Thread: This and That and Apple Cider Donuts

by TaMara|  September 24, 20221:51 pm| 76 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes

I know I missed our weekly acts of kindness post – it was a wild and weird week. So to make it up, here’s some sweetness to get you through the afternoon.

Necessity is the mother of invention. @staceyabrams spills the secret of her mother’s "specialty dinner" on this week’s episode of my new podcast, Longer Tables…listen now wherever you get your podcasts!https://t.co/SFpPpiLY34 pic.twitter.com/x0U8trqveQ

— José Andrés (@chefjoseandres) September 20, 2022

Marsh Farm, caen hill, Devizes: An education & wellbeing charity in Devizes UK supporting rescue animals &young people’s education.

Eli enjoying a beautiful sunrise #elithedonkey #wegotdonkeys #sunrise pic.twitter.com/cY7SPni1gL

— caenhillcc (@caenhillcc) September 24, 2022

Quish (Chris!) makes my days with his morning duck and goose rush hours, his emus and everyone else at the farm. He’s a good follow on youtube or twitter. Always a joyful video.

ghost cat sent this to me this morning and it made me smile. I can totally relate. If there were lost sheep wandering the trails, I would be the one they followed, knowing I would get them home.

From The Dodo:

Eleanor Scholz was traveling through France with her boyfriend and was out for a hike on her own. As she was making her way along the trail, she heard some sheep coming, which wasn’t unusual — but when they came into view, she realized something incredible was happening. The sheep were randomly following a woman who was out for a run.

“It took me a moment to understand what I was seeing,” Scholz told The Dodo. “At first, I thought maybe she was a shepherd, but she wasn’t dressed like any shepherd I’d ever seen, and it seemed unusual that a shepherd would be running. Then, I was concerned that she was being chased and that there might be some risk of being stampeded, so I got off of the trail and stepped behind a tree. When she stopped to talk with me, all of the sheep stopped and waited for her, and that’s when I realized that something truly whimsical was happening.”

(This was the only way I could embed the video so you can make it full-size to watch. )

https://t.co/66qSz5jSRW

— Miss T Has A New Book (Underway available now) (@TaMarasKitchen) September 24, 2022

As the pair chatted, the runner filled Scholz in. The sheep were apparently lost, and when they saw her run by, they decided to follow her. They needed a leader, and they chose her. The sheep were very unbothered by the stop along the trail, and some of them trotted over to say hi to Scholz.

“They all just stopped and waited, it was the funniest thing,” Scholz said. “Some of them immediately walked over to me, and I was worried they’d start following me instead, but they stood there patiently while she and I talked. They didn’t seem stressed or particularly winded.”

The sheep waited patiently while the runner told Scholz the story — and as soon as she started running again, they did too.  More at the link

It’s the time of year when folks go out to orchards; spend the day filling bags with apples, going on hay rides, running through corn and bale mazes, before finishing up with cider and cider donuts. In honor of that, I decided to try and make my own. Baked, not fried.

Finally, I made Apple Cider Donut Holes on a whim this week. They were tasty…well,  are tasty, it made 4 dozen and froze well so I can serve them to friends with coffee as needed. LOL  Recipe here. 

This is an open thread

Afternoon Open Thread: This and That and Apple Cider DonutsPost + Comments (76)

Friday Night Recipe Exchange: Orange, Orange, Orange

by TaMara|  May 20, 202211:20 pm| 55 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Nature & Respite, Open Threads, Recipes

:::taps mike::: This thing on?

Boy, it’s good to be back. I thought since we are winging it, I’d throw us back to when we had actual recipes and shared recipes.

It’s snowing here. My garden is completely planted, my iris, peonies and poppies are blooming, so of course it is. The veggies are protected, the flowers are on their own. I did bring in enough lilacs to fill every vase in my house. I would have brought in irises, but I’m allergic.

Snow makes me want sweet and spicy. So tonight is all about oranges.  I’m not sure what the capabilities are here, so I’m providing links to the recipes, instead of posting them directly.

orange-chicken

First up is Stir Fry Orange Chicken and Broccoli: Recipes here

This recipe uses potato starch to make the chicken super crispy without using a ton of oil. I used breasts, but boneless thighs will work just as well.

And since it’s suddenly cold (we are probably going to break low temps records tonight…my poor plants) I’m craving sweets. And Orange Bread is the perfect combination of sweet and tart.

show full post on front page

Orange Bread

The recipe is here.  Don’t let the whole, unpeeled clementines scare you off – it works beautifully. I would not steer you wrong – and if you don’t believe me, Nigella Lawson uses whole clementines in her recipes, too.

If orange isn’t your thing – Strawberry Bread is a similar recipe, but full of strawberry goodness.

Recipe here

You can use up those fresh strawberries that have just about worn out their welcome or frozen strawberries. I actually have a container of strawberries that I let sit on the counter just a bit too long, so I froze them in anticipation of making this yummy bread. There’s a gluten free option included in the recipe.

And finally, in anticipation of actually being able to grill again, this yummy Orange-Chipotle Glaze For Grilling will take your chicken or pork up a notch.

chipotles-adobados

Recipe here.

And because I know my audience, here are the ducks, enjoying the rain and mud:

 

If you need a kitty/puppy fix, click here and a house panther fix, click here.

Share recipes if you like, but otherwise, this is an open thread to discuss everything and anything we wanted to talk about all week, but could not.

Enjoy!

ETA: In case you missed the welcome post – first comments have to be approved. I’m doing my best to catch them, but I have to get back to editing, so hopefully, other FPers will be on board, but be patient we are catching them as we can. ❤

Friday Night Recipe Exchange: Orange, Orange, OrangePost + Comments (55)

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