^^^ hey, capers are ok with salmon, for instance

Here is something that has gone over very well, even though it seems like a recipe you'd seee on a mayonnaise jar:

Garlic Crab and Artichoke Dip

1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces sour cream
1 (1 ounce) package garlic and mushroom soup mix
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle a little cheese on top. Bake for 30 min.

---

One thing I've noticed is that the simpler recipes often go over better. Maybe it's just the fact that no recipe that is terribly involved or fancy is going to be noticed by the people i'm cooking for. Oh well, I still like cooking nice things, I just don't want to get out of practice.

---

Has anyone ever made chocolate truffles? I can make a mean truffle, especially white truffles. They take a lot of practice, but my roommates always eat the "failures" very willingly.


[Edited on June 22, 2004 at 11:42 AM. Reason : -]

6/22/2004 11:40:04 AM

You make... truffles? I... I think I love you.

PS ~ That recipe does sound good, and I agree that the fewer ingredients, the more people usually like it [especially with dips and appetizers].




[Edited on June 22, 2004 at 11:43 AM. Reason : *]

6/22/2004 11:42:13 AM

Quote :

"You make... truffles? I... I think I love you."

ah, that's generally the reaction that i get.

lately i have been thinking about making some. normally, summer is not a good time to be making truffles. on top of the fact that the kitchen is warm, to get the good ingredients you generally have to have them shipped, and chocolate left on the doorstep in june = not so good.

hmm, this thread has got me eyeing the prices from some better chocolatiers that can ship with dry ice. it's more expensive, but for the finer chocolate, it's worth it.

[Edited on June 22, 2004 at 12:14 PM. Reason : typo machine]

6/22/2004 12:12:18 PM

Where do you get your chocolate from? How do you make truffles?

6/22/2004 12:38:26 PM

Chocolate: There used to be a chocolatier in the Wellspring shopping center. They had good stuff. Then they closed, probably due to a lack of business, and that hardware place is there now I think.

You can get big blocks of Ghiradelli at World Market, which is pretty good as American chocolate goes. European is better and more expensive, and is sold in smaller quantities. There is a very noticable difference though. It all depends on what you want to spend.

How: Again, it depends on how much you want to invest, both in equipment and time. You can go all out, using a double boiler and tempering the chocolate on a marble slab, etc -- or you can try it with more common tools. I once made some really good white truffles (considering the circumstances) in Sullivan using only the microwave and the plastic utensils I had on hand. My friends still bring it up. The legend makes me out to be some sort of effeminate MacGyver.

Generally, the more you spend on them -- both time, equipment, and money -- the better they are. Then again, I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to truffles, and at least half of every batch ends up going to the dogs, a.k.a. my fat roommates, while the ones that turn out better go to people who might appreciate them. The 'dogs' get one or two of the good ones each so they don't feel left out. And everyone is happy.

6/22/2004 1:17:07 PM

I'd really like to see how it's done. Maybe the next time you do them [during the school year] I could watch you? I've done a very small amount of chocolate candy stuff before, so I know what tempering is and all that.

6/22/2004 1:24:02 PM

tonight: trout almondine with rice pilaf

trout almondine (recipe from emeril - i cut out some of the ingredients - made it twice already and it is pretty good even with cutting out some things)

Quote :

" 1 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions 2 bay leaves 2 lemons, peel and pith discarded and cut in half 3/4 cup heavy cream 4 ounces (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chips 4 (6 to 8 ounces) trout fillets Essence, recipe follows 1 cup flour 4 cups small diced white potatoes, peeled (about 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1/4 cup minced shallots 1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 cup sliced almonds 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves Combine the Worcestershire, onions, bay leaves, and lemons in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat. Mash the lemons down with the back of a spoon and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer until it has reduced and becomes slightly thick, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream and whisk to blend. Cook for 1 minute. Mount in the 1 stick of the butter, whisking constantly until it is completely melted and blended into the mixture. Strain through a sieve, set aside and keep warm. Season the trout and flour with Essence. Dredge the fish in the flour, coating each side completely. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of the oil. When the oil in hot, add the fillets. Pan-fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on paper towels. In another saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the garlic, potatoes, and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the (Meunire) sauce. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. In another saute pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the almonds and saute for 2 minutes. Stir into the Meunire sauce. Remove from the heat and keep warm. To serve, spoon the potatoes in the center of each plate. Lay the fish directly on top of the potatoes. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley. Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning): 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Combine all ingredients thoroughly. "

rice pilaf (minus pistach., raisins, and peas)

Quote :

" 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 2 pinches kosher salt 2 cups long grain rice 2 3/4 cups chicken broth 2 strips orange zest Pinch of saffron strands, steeped in 1/4 cup hot water 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed Golden raisins and pistachios, for garnish Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy, wide, lidded pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, red pepper, and kosher salt. Sweat the onions and peppers until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the rice and stir to coat. Continue stirring until rice smells nutty. Add chicken broth, orange zest, saffron and water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Stir once, then cover pan with moistened dish towel (or tea towel). Place lid on pan and fold towel corners over lid. Bake for 15 minutes. Then rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes without removing the cover. Meanwhile, simmer peas in salted water until heated through or heat in a microwave. Remove lid from rice and turn out onto a platter. Add peas and fluff with a large fork. Add raisins and pistachios. "

6/22/2004 1:28:28 PM

^^ Sure, I plan to try it again when the weather cools down. I'll PM you if I remember to. I'm no master chef or anything though. I'd be a little nervous about making truffles for a connoisseur; it's much easier to make marginally impressive food and serve it to the hoi polloi, who then go weak in the knees and say it's the best thing they've ever tasted.

[Edited on June 22, 2004 at 1:35 PM. Reason : =]

6/22/2004 1:32:15 PM

plz to send me some of the screw ups next time you make truffles....

6/22/2004 1:43:11 PM

ha, ok, just let me know when your local forecast calls for snow

6/22/2004 1:56:44 PM

Er... would you believe me if I said tomorrow?

6/22/2004 2:05:25 PM

beef

(it's what's for dinner)

6/22/2004 7:25:23 PM

Modified Clam Chowder - Making Campbell's Chunky soup when you only have Campbell's

1 Can clam chowder soup
Milk
Onions
Celery
Can of clams w/ juice
Potatoes

Get a medium pot and put in the clam chowder soup and the can of milk that the directions says. Cup up some celery into small pieces and add it in. Cut up 1/3 of a medium onion and add that in. Open up the clams and put the clams and the juice in. Cut up a potato into small pieces and add it in. Cook it for a good 30 minutes til the potatoes and the celery becomes soft.

Tastes a lot better than just the soup w/ the milk.

6/22/2004 7:38:33 PM

although we don't add to it very often any more, there is a section on cooking on my website (see my profile) http://www.duelingmonkeys.com/cooking.php (i figure most people would be too lazy to click three times) for ideas on new things to try, quick easy meals, etc.

feel free to drop an email with any comments. or use the comment sender thingy.

[Edited on June 23, 2004 at 12:37 AM. Reason : link]

6/23/2004 12:34:04 AM

bttt this thread deserves love

and if someone would plz to share a good buffalo sauce recipe that doesn't have "tobasco sauce" or "lousiana sauce" as a main ingredient, I'd appreciate it

[Edited on August 5, 2004 at 6:06 PM. Reason : ]

8/5/2004 6:05:11 PM

You might want to try this, but you might have to add some hot sauce to taste:

1 stick butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano, fresh or dried
Dash beer

8/5/2004 7:01:44 PM

That would make a good barbecue sauce, but not even close to a buffalo sauce.

[Edited on August 5, 2004 at 7:06 PM. Reason : ]

8/5/2004 7:06:24 PM

tonight is orange teriyaki beef with noodles:

2 sirloins cut into long thin strips
1 can beef broth
dash of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 1/2 cups sugar snap pea pods
1 1/2 cups egg noodles

Cook the beef 2-4 mins over medium high heat; remove. Put all the rest but pea pods and noodles into skillet and bring to boil. Add peas and noodles, cover until cooked. Add beef back in for another minute or so, then serve.

Yum!

8/5/2004 7:20:19 PM

oven grilled lamb chops

thai red rice

8/5/2004 9:46:52 PM

Pizza casserole...
Bag of Egg Noodles
Ragu Sauce (or homemade spaghetti sauce)
Pepperoni
Cheese

Cook the egg noodles, then drain and place in a casserole dish, then pour ragu sauce on top of the noodles, a layer of cheese on top of that, and then pepperoni on top and place in the oven long enough to melt the cheese....

8/5/2004 10:41:40 PM

I made my own alfredo sauce tonight/ w egg noodles.

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cup fresh grated parmagiano-reggiano
1/2 cup of fresh grated parmasean
3 pinches of nutmeg
1 stick of butter
2 cloves medium garlic
2 pinches of that BAM! stuff
white mushrooms
2 tbsp of all purpose flour

Melt half stick of butter to fry pan and add minced garlic. Add half sliced mushrooms to the pan and bake at 375 degrees in oven. Set mushrooms aside to cool.

In a sauce pan, add other half of butter. Add 2 tbsp of all purpose flour to pan. Stir until thickened. Add the half & half and heavy cream. On low heat. Add the cheeses and stir until cheese melts.

8/6/2004 1:20:42 AM

I got a pack of boneless chicken breasts at Food Lion on sale and marinated them in:
*about a cup of honey
*a can of crushed pineapple
*about half of a bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
*about 1/4-1/2 cup of brown sugar
*soy sauce to taste (but not a whole lot-maybe about 3 tablespoons or so or until it tastes good)

After they had marinated in the fridge for several hours, I poured a decent amout of marinade on top of each breast and grilled them (we did them on a propane grill) on a relatively low heat with the lid closed (so they'd bake sort of). They were really good like this we thought. I did have a lot of marinade left though (though we did 6 breasts) so I would cut the increments down or use it again the next day. Pork Chops also taste good this way too.

8/6/2004 10:16:25 AM

^I just used the rest of the marinade to bake some more chicken breasts in the oven and it was even better. It was really good that way I thought. I just put the marinade, a little water, and the chicken in a pyrex pan covered w/ tin foil and 350 degrees till it was done. Just wanted to add

8/6/2004 7:48:53 PM

if you are really poor(like iam right now)

and dont want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen


cook 1c rice

add one can cream of whatever soup
plus half a can of water to rice when it is done

eat

put leftovers in frigerator................when reheating add a lil bit of water before microwaving

8/6/2004 8:09:37 PM

Tried something new and made baked spaghetti last night, and it was easy and yummy...

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb thin spaghetti
1 big jar shaghetti sauce (about 5 cups; I used Ragu Traditional with some extra garlic powder)
Cheese (your choice; mine was 8 slices of american, but i think cheddar and jack would be good too)

Directions:
Put the water on for the noodles and turn on high.
Brown ground beef in large pan and add sauce; let this simmer while you cook the noodles and preheat the oven.
The water should be boiling now, so throw in the noodles and cook as usual; about 10 minutes should do.
Turn on oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a big casserole dish, layer, from bottom to top: sauce-noodles-cheese-sauce-noodles-cheese-sauce.
Bake for about 30 minutes then take out and let cool about 5 minutes and enjoy.

8/6/2004 8:24:06 PM

Quote :

"I got a pack of boneless chicken breasts at Food Lion on sale and marinated them in: *about a cup of honey *a can of crushed pineapple *about half of a bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing *about 1/4-1/2 cup of brown sugar *soy sauce to taste (but not a whole lot-maybe about 3 tablespoons or so or until it tastes good)"

Wow sounds too sweet! I guess to balance out the flavor of the italian dressing? I don't know..might be to sweet for my taste.




BTW: I have been thinking about making Sachertorte for the first time. Does anyone have a good recipe??? It would be a waste of good chocolate if I don't get it right the first time.

8/7/2004 1:29:14 AM

Filet mignon with cherry cognac sauce

for the sauce:

1/3 cup dried cherries
3 ounces (2 shots) cognac or brandy
1/2 cup beef or veal stock
3 ounces (2 shots) heavy cream
1 tablespoon cold butter
Salt and Pepper (I prefer sea salt and cracked green peppercorns)

Place the dried cherries in a bowl. Warm the cognac in a saucepan on low heat. Pour the warm cognac over the dried cherries. Allow to soak for at least 8 minutes, but preferably 24 hours. Place the reconstituted dried cherries with any remaining cognac in a food processor with a metal blade and process until smooth. Pour the beef or veal stock in a large sauté pan. Bring to a boil and reduce mixture to half the original volume. Add the cherry mixture, heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk the cold butter into the mixture and serve.

(serves 5)

preparing the filets:

Rub the filets with vegetable oil, and season them with salt and pepper. In a small roasting pan roast them in a preheated 550 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes for rare. Transfer the filets to a platter and let them stand, covered loosely with foil, for 15 minutes.

8/8/2004 1:08:21 AM

Quote :

"Spices in my possession: Salt Black Pepper Cream of Tartar Ground Ginger Dill Weed "

Incidentally - what do people use dill weed for? I've never seen it used in any recipes, and it just sounds like something one would not want to eat.

8/8/2004 1:22:20 AM

i made an awesome shrimp scampi for me and my man the other week. it seems like a lot, but it's actually a quick recipe once the shrimp are cleaned. Total cook time was 15 minutes: 5-6 for the shrimp, and then the pasta and sauce cook at the same time. if you buy precleaned shrimp, you could prolly get this whole thing done in 20 to 30 minutes.

1lb of fresh skrump, peel & devein; you can do this really easily by takin' a knife and slicing down the back of the shrimp, then just run it under cold water
1 lemon
white wine, i used pinot grig.
salt/pepper
olive oil
green onions
couple of garlic cloves (depends on how much you love garlic)
pasta (linguini, fett., spag., whatever you like)

i don't measure my recipes, so bear w/ me:

1. boil water for pasta, add a pinch or two of salt to the water. while waiting on water to boil:

2. clean shrimp and place on a dinner plate. PAT THEM DRY(very important) sprinkle w/ salt and pepper

3. heat olive oil in a skillet. use enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan (maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons)

4. once oil is hot, take the shrimp from the plate and simple turn the plate over into the skillet. it's an easy trick to get all the shrimp in there at once.

5. shrimp cook FAST. if you cook them too long they get rubbery. it should only take about 2 to 3 minutes on this side. then turn the shrimp and cook for 2 more minutes. this is estimated time; once the shrimp are pink all over they are DONE. remove the shrimp from the skillet and set them aside in a bowl or on a plate or something. KEEP THE OIL IN THE SKILLET.

6. Place pasta water as soon as it starts to boil. I like my pasta al dente, but most people like it squishier. so just cook pasta however you like it.

7. Put the skillet (w/ the oil from the shrimp) back on the heat. I added 3 or 4 cloves of chopped garlic. but i LOVE garlic, so you can adjust this. Garlic also cooks fast and has a tendency to burn. saute the garlic until soft brown in color. also add green onions; i added about 4 coarsley chopped. add white wine. i estimate that i added 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. cut the lemon in half, and add the juice plus grate off some of the zest. bring this mixture to a simmer then reduce heat.

8. Let the sauce cook, uncovered. It will thicken but only slightly. Drain the pasta w/ a sieve, then place pasta back into the pot. Add in the shrimp and then add the sauce. I also cut some parsley off of the parsley plant we have...prolly 4 sprigs. Stir everything together and serve.

8/8/2004 1:39:22 AM

Quote :

"tonight is orange teriyaki beef with noodles: 2 sirloins cut into long thin strips 1 can beef broth dash of cayenne pepper 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 1 1/2 cups sugar snap pea pods 1 1/2 cups egg noodles Cook the beef 2-4 mins over medium high heat; remove. Put all the rest but pea pods and noodles into skillet and bring to boil. Add peas and noodles, cover until cooked. Add beef back in for another minute or so, then serve. Yum!"

that does sound yummy. could that be done with chicken, as well? just replace the beef broth with chicken broth?

8/8/2004 2:14:35 AM

Quote :

"Wow sounds too sweet! I guess to balance out the flavor of the italian dressing? I don't know..might be to sweet for my taste. "

It has a sweeter taste but the Italian dressing and soy sauce balance it out pretty well, I think. It ends up having about the same sweetness as watermelon or grapes (mellow fruit sweet but not godiva sugary sweet). Also since I did about 10 breasts in this amount of marinade, it wasn't really overpowering since it went so far and it was also watered down (to cover the meat) when I baked it (it tastes kind of mellow-sort of tasted like a slightly sweetened terriyaki sauce a little bit), but I definitely don't think it would taste good on beef. Also you could definitely leave out the fourth cup of brown sugar if you would want to and it would still taste good; I just put that in there hoping it would carmelize to the top more when I grilled it. Also you can add more italian dressing and soy sauce to take the sweetness down a little if you don't tend to like sweet. I just mixed it up to taste-when I thought it needed to be tangier I put more soy and italian. Also just putting pepper on the chicken before you bake it helps too as I didn't do this on the grilled ones but it helped the baked ones out a little I thought

8/9/2004 9:49:38 AM

I am definitely not on a diet. I am not eating whatever I want either I try to eat right and splurge when the flavor is right. I am however on monetary diet. Spaghetti can make a small amount of money go a long way.

Bryan's Ghetto Sketi
1 Can of Classico Spaghetti Sauce - 4-cheese flavor or pick your own of any sauces.
1 can of petite Diced tomatoes
1 sweet onion diced
1 green pepper diced small
2 cloves garlic diced (add in the last 10 minutes)
0.5 lbs of lean ground beef
6 inches of turkey sausage
2 pinches salt
3 pinches pepper
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
2 pinches oregano
1/2 cup of parmesan (add when boiling)

Add meats to hot pan.
Brown them then add veggies
once seared then add sauce and tomatoes
let boil for about 5 min then add parmesan don’t stop stirring
then add dry spices stir and let simmer for about 10min to 3 hours
it tastes better the next day
i recommend Ziti with it but sometimes your broke so any noodles you have around work. You may not have all the ingredients
you can make your own spaghetti sauce. mix tomato sauce diced tomatoes and tomato paste in the right proportions you can make a thick sauce.

8/10/2004 8:56:30 PM

last night just for fun...

grilled pork loin rubbed with a mix of cuban inspired spices
black beans, stewed tomatoes, chilies, similarly flavored
grilled overripe plantains (spicy honey and brown sugar glaze, peel, place straight on grill, brush on plenty of oil to caramelize before brushing on the glaze)

no instructions, just do it to taste and make it up as you go along, itll turn out fine
slice pork into medallions and arrange in a sprial stack fashion, angle and stack 2 plantain halves (sliced lengthwise) and add a dollop of the beans. garnish with fresh cilantro from the garden

quick and easy.

[Edited on August 11, 2004 at 11:11 AM. Reason : have to slice them lengthwise!]

8/11/2004 11:10:07 AM

and just for reference the best side dish on the face of the planet = jasmine rice + coconut milk

i typically make it when cooking anything involving vietnamesey flavors

8/11/2004 11:14:44 AM

tonight i'm makin' stroganaff:

1. boil water. add some salt. then add noodles, any ol' kind will do (i personally prefer farfalle or fusilli...something i can stab w/ a fork and not worry about twirling). an alternative is make some rice.
2. brown 1 lb beef in skillet. drain fat.
3. add one can of cream of mushroom soup, heat throughly
4. add 8oz (which is a little container) of sour cream. this is the last thing you add...just get it warm, if you cook it it'll ruin the whole thing. Like i said, just get it warm all the way through.
5. drain pasta/rice and add meat mixture to it and stir. you could also make a bed of noodles or rice and lay the meat mixture on top.
6. Eat!

8/11/2004 12:01:39 PM

2 Large boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped Rosemary
1 large lemon, juiced
¼ c extra-virgin olive oil
2 clean bricks (not really necessarily)

Rinse and dry the breasts, then sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and rosemary. Place the chicken in a baking dish, pour on lemon juice and olive oil, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Wrap each of the bricks in Aluminum foil. Place chicken on grill with brick on top. Cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side.


have this side with it....

Sesame-Grilled Asparagus
1 lb of asparagus
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic, then stir and brush the mixture onto the asparagus spears. Let marinate 5-10 minutes.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill over direct heat for 2 to 4 minutes, until brown on both sides. Optionally, the spears can be skewered to form "rafts" to make cooking on the grill easier.

8/12/2004 2:21:29 AM

bttt

8/25/2004 5:14:54 PM

grilled some quick pork chops. store bought hawaiian marinade overnight. fried some okra with corn meal and steamed some carrots. little butter on the carrots and that's it.

8/25/2004 11:07:37 PM

chips and salsa, i'm going to get so fat if i keep eating like this

8/25/2004 11:13:35 PM

a ham sandwich

oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Queti please tell me you didn't make the okra breaded. if you make fried okra it has to be the very crispy kind with little to no breading

8/25/2004 11:14:28 PM

no i don't coat it too heavy. i like it crispy too.

8/25/2004 11:15:11 PM

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)

1/2 cup Pesto with Basil

2 to 3 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese




Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.


Place chicken and pesto in medium bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.


Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from oven; top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

8/25/2004 11:28:04 PM

^ i've made that before. It's really good.

8/26/2004 3:06:31 AM

Nikki's Original Chicken/n Garden Veggie Filled Confetti Cornbread **

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained ad coarsely chopped
1 (9-ounce) package frozen spinach, cooked and water squeezed out
1 T. fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1 c. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ c. (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 c. Hellman's mayonnaise
3 T. Melinda's hot sauce (1 T. reserved) (*See Note Below)
½ t. salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 (approx. 3-1/2 lb.) roasted chicken, (cooked meat cubed and reserved)
2 T. Crisco vegetable oil
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
¾ c. whole milk
½ c. 7-Up
1-1/3 c. bell pepper, chopped (use green, red, yellow and/or orange), 1/3 c. reserved
1 T. yellow onion, chopped
2 c. Martha White Self-Rising (white) Corn Meal Mix
½ c. Martha White Self-Rising Flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large (11-1/2-inch) Lodge iron skillet in oven to pre-heat.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine the artichokes, spinach, garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, mayonnaise, 2 T. hot sauce, salt, pepper & chicken cubes. Stir to blend. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine the vegetable oil, eggs, milk, reserved 1 T. hot sauce, 7-Up, 1 c. bell pepper, yellow onion, corn meal and flour. Stir to blend.
4. Remove iron skillet from oven and place cornbread batter in skillet. Using a spoon spread batter and create a 1-inch rim that is slightly higher around edges of pan. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture gently into the center and smooth top leaving raised cornbread edges uncovered. Sprinkle overall with 1/3 c. reserved bell pepper. Bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees oven for 25-30 minutes; until cornbread edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Slice and serve in wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Serving Suggestion: Place slices o a leaf lettuce lined platter. Garnish with kale, grape tomatoes and chopped bell peppers in various colors.

Note: Melinda's Original Hot Sauce can be purchased at the Farmer's Market in Nashville, or by phoning 1-800-996-6354. Substitution would be 1 jar of pureed carrot baby food to which 1 teaspoon of any habanero hot sauce has been added.

Serves 6 - 8

9/13/2004 11:06:40 PM

a really easy one:

sautee a chicken breast in some oil or butter along with mushrooms, broccoli, and soy sauce
top with cheese

also, if you have a grill, you can't go wrong with a tuna or salmon steak marinated in olive oil, basil, salt, pepper. cook on the grill 5-7 minutes along side a good handfull of asparagus (with the bottoms cut off) also drizzled in olive oil, salt, pepper

mmmmm

also, any time you add pesto to an italian dish you make it wonderful.

[Edited on September 13, 2004 at 11:40 PM. Reason : .]

9/13/2004 11:38:06 PM

bttt

10/28/2004 1:21:10 AM

When I need something of substance fast/cheap for lunch: easy mac and a lil tomato soup mixed in. Instant "To-Mac." Try it - it's like a spaghetti spin-off!

Dinner favorite: cook some noodles, make chicken (I like to use tenderloins, dipped in egg, breaded, and baked), heat up some Classico (my favorite!) alfredo sauce, put it all together, sprinkle peas on top if you're feeling like some veggies, add some parmesan cheese. Mmm! Best with Texas toast (or bread with butter and garlic salt if you don't have the $$ for the extras :-p)!

10/29/2004 11:05:17 AM

three cheese hamburger helper along with some biscuits. throw on some pork and beans just for a lil poor white southern fun.

10/29/2004 11:06:25 PM

Black Beans and Rice

2 cans Goya black beans (Bush beans are terrible)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green pell pepper
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1-3 large jalapeño/chipotle (depending on spiciness desired use jalapeño for less)
1 tbsp oil
butter

mince garlic after pealing the clove

put one tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and simmer the garlic in it (use any more oil than this and it'll rise to the top of the beans)

cut bell peppers, remove seeds and then cut into thin fajita style strips

do the same with onion

sautee these along with the the garlic until no longer crunchy

with the jalapeño/chipotle I like to roast in an oven or on a burner until the outside is blackened a bit, then cut four slits into the sides and toss it in the frying pan with the other peppers

once all of your peppers/garlic/onion have sauteed a while pour the cans of bean over it. You want about a two to one ratio of beans to other stuff.

Bring the beans to a low simmer and periodically taste a few until they're to your desired consistency. I like to cook them until they're soft and mushy. Take off heat and allow them to cool so that they soak back up some of the juices.

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For the rice you can cook it as you please. I like to about 2 cups with 2 or 3 tbsp of butter. The traditional way is to steam it so that it forms a sticky base for the beans. Either way serve rice over beans and you can have a side of butter bread, tostada, yuca, or platano if you like and an chicken entree too.

10/30/2004 1:06:37 AM

^

Cooking rice with stock also adds lots of good flavor.

10/30/2004 1:17:56 AM