I made some kick-ass falafel the other day. You don’t cook the beans first, which I was skeptical about, but it turned out great.

1 pound dry garbanzo beans
1 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic (or more if you love it like I do)
1 big bunch parsley, stems removed
salt, pepper, and a lot of cayenne, plus cumin and/or coriander if you have them, but I didn’t
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Soak beans for 24 hours, then drain and rinse well. Put beans and onion in a food processor, then process until finely chopped. Remove most of the bean mixture, then to the remainder add the garlic, parsley, spices, lemon juice and olive oil. Stir in with the rest of the mixture and refrigerate for 2 hours (I didn’t do this on my first batch and it turned out fine, but it was better after it refrigerated overnight). Stir in baking soda and flour, then form into patties (~1 inch across). Fry until brown and crispy, either deep-fry style or in a little bit of olive oil in a skillet.

I just eyeballed the flour and baking soda, so that might need adjustment to help it stick together.

12/14/2007 8:50:01 PM

chicken bacon ranch pasta salad
1.5lbs chicken cooked
box or shell noodles cooked with any veggie (i like corn and carrots)
mix with
1 packet powered ranch dressing added after cooking
4 ounces mayo after cooking
bacon bits or like i prefer real bacon! after cooking
mix serve cold

12/14/2007 9:16:47 PM

I found a yummy holiday dish that's horrible for you like Christmas food is supposed to be, but it tastes so good! I made it for my graduation party and was recruited to make it again on Christmas.

Pineapple stuffing -
Cream 1 cup margarine and 2 cups white sugar. Mix in 8 eggs. Add one 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained, and one can pineapple tidbits, drained. Mix in 8-10 slices of potato bread (or white bread, I guess) cut into cubes. Bake for an hour at 350.

12/21/2007 10:34:32 AM

The other night I made parmesan crusted tilapia-

Dredge in flour, dredge in egg, dredge in parm+flour mixture, fry in pan in medium-high heat.

With lemon dill sauce--

turn heat to low, 2 tbs butter, about 3-4 tbs of the flour/parm mixture, whisking thoroughly, deglaze with 1/4c chicken stock, juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tbs white wine, added lemon thyme and dill (I was supposed to add capers, but forgot).

Also made Orzo--
browned in pot with some butter, then added chicken stock until creamy. Added baby spinach (wilts from the heat), and sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Accompanied with roasted asparagus.

For dessert, blueberry bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

4 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 stick melted butter
2 c heavy cream
2 c milk
nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon
2 c blueberries
1 loaf french bread

tear up bread, placed in layer in 9x13 pan, added blueberries, added another layer of bread, pored on pudding mixture. Let sit until dinner time, then popped in 350 oven for about 50 minutes.

Whiskey sauce was 1 stick butter, 1c sugar, a little vanilla, 1 egg, cooked until smooth, then took off heat, added 1/2 c whiskey and chilled in fridge.

1/15/2008 11:07:00 AM

I cooked a steak in my oven. It was pretty bangin

1/15/2008 8:04:00 PM

salad

1/15/2008 8:05:36 PM

Home-made chicken rice soup


At least 2 lbs. fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts
At least 100 oz. of chicken broth
Celery
Carrots
Garlic powder
Ground pepper
Leeks/fresh onion/onion powder
Rice of choice

Dice up and pan fry the chicken breasts. Then add all of the above ingredients to a large stove pot or a crock pot. Vary the amount of garlic powder, ground pepper, and leek/onion according to your taste.

You can either let it simmer all day (recommended), or boil then simmer for a couple of hours if you're in a hurry to eat it. The veggies, chicken, and rice soak up the broth quite nicely so you may have to add more broth if you see it getting low. You'll know it's ready when the veggies are tender.

After you've gorged yourself on two large bowls of this, you can put the rest in the fridge for multiple lunches. It stays good for at least 2 weeks and tastes just as good the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc time around. You'll eat like a king!

1/15/2008 8:30:21 PM

peanut oil
boneless pork chops, sliced
udon, boiled, drained, and lightly oiled
cabbage, shredded
fresh garlic, minced
black sesame seeds
cayenne powder
toasted sesame oil
soy sauce

stir fry pork in peanut oil until almost done. add garlic, seeds, cayenne and cabbage.

stir fry a couple minutes or until done. using tongs, remove pork and cabbage to a plate, leaving oil behind.

stir fry udon until lightly browned. toss in pork and cabbage, add sesame oil and soy sauce to taste. serve.

1/16/2008 8:59:23 AM

Quote :

"Home-made chicken rice soup At least 2 lbs. fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts At least 100 oz. of chicken broth Celery Carrots Garlic powder Ground pepper Leeks/fresh onion/onion powder Rice of choice Dice up and pan fry the chicken breasts. Then add all of the above ingredients to a large stove pot or a crock pot. Vary the amount of garlic powder, ground pepper, and leek/onion according to your taste. You can either let it simmer all day (recommended), or boil then simmer for a couple of hours if you're in a hurry to eat it. The veggies, chicken, and rice soak up the broth quite nicely so you may have to add more broth if you see it getting low. You'll know it's ready when the veggies are tender. After you've gorged yourself on two large bowls of this, you can put the rest in the fridge for multiple lunches. It stays good for at least 2 weeks and tastes just as good the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc time around. You'll eat like a king! "

i gotta try this.


anyone have any good bean dishes? i like pinto and black beans, pinto being the favorite.

nothing toooo spicy.

[Edited on January 17, 2008 at 1:57 PM. Reason : ]

1/17/2008 1:56:02 PM

quick 5 second dip.

16oz jar of chunky salsa (however hot you want it)
can of black beans (strained)
chopped up cilantro

just mix them all together in a bowl, add cilantro to taste.

throw in freezer for a bit just to get cold.

eat with tostitos. mmm mmm

1/21/2008 8:58:09 PM

^^ I like bean pie. Basically take a tortilla, put it in a greased pie dish, mix up some filling and layer that with cheese and, if you want, taco sauce or salsa. Usually it works best with a tortilla on the bottom, one in the middle and one on top.

For the filling, it helps to use some refried beans to hold stuff together. I usually use equal parts refried beans, black beans and corn and throw in some hot peppers and spices, but it's super adaptable to whatever you like.

1/21/2008 9:03:47 PM

I made some super easy spinach noodles the other day that turned out really well with some alfredo sauce and steamed vegetables:

Combine 2 cups cooked, drained spinach, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. salt, and 3 cloves garlic in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 2 cups flour, or as much as needed to make a firm dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit half an hour. Cut into sections and roll out on a floured surface until very thin, then cut into noodles or whatever shape you want. Let dry for an hour or so (or more, or less if you're impatient), then boil.

I think I might try using wheat flour next time and tossing in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

1/24/2008 12:17:29 PM

^that sounds awesome... I've never made noodles b4, I'll have to give it a try

1/24/2008 12:32:12 PM

I'd made gnocchi, but never anything else. I always thought it would be really hard, so finding out how easy this was pleased me

1/24/2008 12:42:56 PM

Someone give me more recipes. I'm bored.

I made this for brunch this weekend. I made the version described and also a version for myself subbing wheat flour and Morningstar sausage crumbles.

12 oz frozen (thawed) bulk hot pork sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with shortening or cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in bell pepper; remove from heat.
2. In large bowl, beat flour, salt, crushed red pepper, milk and eggs with wire whisk until smooth. Pour into baking dish. Spoon pork mixture over batter. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake 22 to 27 minutes or until top is golden brown.

3/4/2008 2:03:07 PM

healthy and delicious...

microwave a bunch of spinach, a few flakes of garlic, some ginger, half an onion and a jalapeno pepper (or any other spicy pepper) and then blend it together.

heat up a teaspoon of oil and put a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a pinch of turmeric and cumin powders and some salt and stir for a couple of minutes. add the blended mixture in and mix well. best eaten with pita or something similar.

3/4/2008 8:36:12 PM

Roasted Ratatouille Pasta

It's delicious and healthy. Takes about 15 min of prep and 45 min of cooking. Makes great left overs too.


http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=1540&r=1090,1520,1540,1131,540,395,1132,1130

3/4/2008 9:42:06 PM

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

-2-3 pieces of chicken-boil
-shred or cut and then mix in bowl with:
1 can mixed vegetables
2 cans cream of potato soup
Add milk
-Pie crust bottom of dish, empty bowl into dish, and then top with other pie crust.

Cook at 375 for 45 minutes. DELICIOUS!

3/5/2008 10:24:00 AM

Apple Maple Turkey Burgers

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_50905,00.html

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: (I cut out the syrup on the sauce and just put dijon and mayo on my bun)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Hamburger Buns
Hamburger condiments

3/30/2008 10:56:59 AM

Cashew Chicken

from my Martha Stewart Everyday Recipe book

3/30/2008 7:40:30 PM

3/30/2008 9:31:37 PM

Light wheat banana muffins:

combine 3 overripe bananas, mashed, with 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and one snack cup applesauce (I think that's 1/2 cup but I'm not sure)
combine 2 cups wheat flour (white would work, but the wheat was really tasty), 1 tsp. salt, 3/4 cup unpacked brown sugar, 1 tsp. baking soda, and 1 tsp cinnamon

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix. Add about 1 Tbsp. milk or whatever amount is necessary to make it a good batter-like consistency, then pour into greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 until done - took about 8 minutes for my mini-muffin cups.

I might add some nuts next time. I hope these are as good tomorrow as they were straight from the oven.

3/30/2008 9:54:36 PM

I didn't cook dinner, but I did cook for the rest of the week tonight, so I say it counts.
I can't really cook so my friend came over, did all this with me and I got a cooking lesson out of it.

I made tomato soup with veggies and oatmeal (trust me, it's good think of the oatmeal like whole grain little noodles)
Basically tomato sauce, water, boil. Add veggies, beef boullion, rosemary, oregano, basil, black pepper, and then a little bit of flour (like, half a spoonful for a whole pot), and some oatmeal. Cook for a while.

Teriyaki Chicken w/ onions

Small amount of oil, heat it up in a wok. Add onions, cook for a little and add soysauce. Add a small amount of white sugar (this makes it taste like teriyaki, not just soysauce), some pepper, add chicken. cook till done.

Steamed Squash and Zuchinni
Wash. Cut. Steam.

Stirfried veggies and rice
Small amount of oil, heat it up, add onions, salt, pepper. Cook. Add squash/zuchinni. Then stir up with rice you cooked to the side.

and boiled eggs.

probably could have done less carbs but......eh, lots of veggies and protien here too.
Now if only i could find breakfast foods that are
a. heatlhy for me
b. plain enough to be tolerable in the morning
c. not plain enough to be boring.

[Edited on March 31, 2008 at 2:17 AM. Reason : .]

3/31/2008 2:11:48 AM

filet mignon -- don't have a grill, so seared in a hot pan w/ a little butter and garlic, then let cook for a few minutes

asparagus-- I guess they were kind of steamed? threw some butter in a pan, threw in the asparagus, then once all hot, threw in some white wine and put the lid on it till they were bright green and tender... once they were on my plate, added some parmigian.

twice baked potatos-- roommate made those. They were pretty good.

3/31/2008 8:00:04 AM

Protein Meal


boneless skinless Chicken in the food processor chopped into dust

then into the eggs

then add a little bit of sharp cheddar to taste


then scramble the shit out of it

basic, quick, and not bad because I was on the run

3/31/2008 8:50:18 AM

I heard of an easy way to steam asparagus...

apparently all you do is wrap a bunch in wet papertowels and microwave for 5 minutes....

has anyone tried this?

5/5/2008 10:10:09 AM

Quick BBQ Chicken Burgers

1 lb ground chicken
Couple tablespoons of minced garlic
quarter of a red onion - Chopped
tbl spoon of butter
Tomato paste - 2-3 tbl spoons
Worchestire (sp) sauce - 1 tbl spoon
Hot sauce (i use siracha) 1-2 tablspoons
chicken grill seasoning to taste
sugar to taste

saute the onion and garlic in the butter for a few min and then add tomato paste and let it sweat for 2 min. Sprinkle in a little sugar and remove from the burner. Mixture will be a little reduced. Pour this small amount into a bowl and stir in worchestire and hot sauce. Put your ground chicken in the bowl with the grill seasoning and mix thoroughly (Mixture will look uneasy but cooks up firm like a burger) Scoop enough out for one burger and cook in a pan on the stove top with EV olive oil until cooked through. I make this at least once a week for a quick meal and take the leftovers to work.

[Edited on May 5, 2008 at 2:34 PM. Reason : .]

5/5/2008 2:34:08 PM

Beef Shitake Bamboo Stirfry

Beef sliced into bite sized pieces
garlic
scallions
bamboo shoots
shitake mushrooms
soy sauce
sake
chili (if you like spicy)
corn starch

marinade the beef in soysauce, sake , and put the garlic and scallion in there also. marinade for an hour or the day before. When ready to cook, pour some corn starch onto the marinade and mix. However much corn starch is however creamy you like it. Pour some oil in the pan and put in the meat . Let it cook halfway thru and put in the shitake mushrooms, bamboo, more scallions. Stir until it looks done =) Serve with rice. I made it on sunday and its good for 4 meals. I made it with chuck steak cuz its cheap.

5/5/2008 9:22:25 PM

Minestrone Soup:

1/4 cp olive oil
2 cps chopped carrot
1-1/2 cps chopped celery
1-1/2 cps chopped onion
1 can tomatoes
16 cps vegetable or chicken stock
2 cps diced potatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1-1/2 T salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cp rough-cut parsley
1 t dried basil
1/2 t oregano
1 pkg frozen green beans
2 cps chopped zucchini
1/2 cp elbow macaroni
2 cps shredded cabbage
grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in saucepan. Add carrot, celery, and onion, saute 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Break up tomatoes and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine stock and potatoes in soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are just tender. Add the simmering veggies, the reserved beans, seasonings, and green beans. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Add zucchini, macaroni, and cabbage. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve garnished with cheese.

6/21/2008 11:45:40 PM

i'm going to attempt some stuffed jalapenos (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Jalapenos-III/Detail.aspx) for tomorrow night..

all you do is slice jalapenos length wise, and clean out the seeds. then stuff each half with whipped cream cheese, wrap with bacon, then bake at 400 for 45 mins.

it can't be that difficult. some of the comments suggest using flavored whipped cream cheese (onion and chive sounded like it might be good), or mix in shredded cheese with the cream cheese. some of the other suggestions included broiling for the last 5 mins. i'll let you know how these turn out

---

this is a recipe that i love to make, and i feel like a lot of people would like it.

Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

2 T veg oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 small head cabbage, shredded (i used bagged shredded cabbage because i'm lazy)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 T soy sauce
1 t cornstarch
1/2 c water
1 t ground black pepper (or more if you like a lot of pepper, like me)

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. saute garlic for about 5 seconds, then add ground beef. stir-fry until beef is evenly brown. stir in cabbage and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender, and beef is fully cooked. stir in soy sauce. mix together cornstarch and water, and stir in. season with pepper. cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened.

i mixed in some wasabi with the soy sauce before i put it in. it gave it a nice flavor, but not too much heat.

7/2/2008 1:51:59 PM

ok, so the stuffed jalapenos were awesome, definitely worth making. one of the suggestions was to wear latex gloves when you de-seeded the jalapenos... i really didn't think it would matter if i did it with my bare hands.... well...

i made these thursday night and made sure i washed my hands multiple times. that didn't matter though because any "sensitive area" my hands came in contact with made it burn (talk about ruining the mood ) also, i still can't put my contacts in (it's monday).

moral of the story, wear gloves when dealing with jalapenos!

7/7/2008 10:20:19 AM

SHES TOTALLY TALKING ABOUT HAVING SEX AND TOUCHING PENIS AFTER MAKING THESE

I KNOW IT

7/7/2008 3:55:47 PM

i was trying to keep it discrete, but thanks for letting everyone know, just in case ther were any lingering doubts haha

7/7/2008 4:16:49 PM

tequila pork chile verde
stewed black beans

7/7/2008 8:11:01 PM

i think ima try the beef and cabbage by blah.. shit looks dank

any good ideas for shit on the grill? i know basic stuff but i mean it is summer... any summer dishes that i should know about?

7/8/2008 1:45:01 AM

potstickers

7/8/2008 2:24:30 AM

Eggplant Parmasean

Slice 1 eggplant into 1/2 inch slices and brush lightly with olive oil
Cover with shredded parmasean cheese
Dip in eggg
Dredge in italian breadcrumbs
Cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so, turning once

When eggplant is in the oven, start your marinara sauce. I didn't have time to make my own, so I just used jarred basil and marinara sauce and added a little balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper to taste. Once eggplant is done, put a couple slices on a plate, top with marinara and mozarella cheese

Delicious - and much healthier than deep-fried and cooked like lasagna!

7/8/2008 7:22:14 AM

ole wifey cooked my favorite dish that my grandmother make s - brocoli and cheese with chicken - really not sure what all goes into it - I cooked the chicken and put the bread crumbs/chunks on top - she gives me the easy stuff usually

7/8/2008 7:26:24 AM

Needed:

Italian breadcrumps
Olive oil
Thinly sliced sirloin slabs
Shredded parmesean

- Dip the sirloin slabs in a plate of olive oil, both sides.
- Hold it up and let the excess oil run off
- Lay in a plate of ital breadcrumbs, both sides (cover completely)
- Sprinkly cheese onto one side, in a row in the center of the meat
- Roll up the slab tightly, put on wooden spear, and grill for 7 minutes on each side

7/8/2008 3:12:40 PM

^ that sounds interesting

Last night I made Alton Brown's Catfish au Lait, with some minor adjustments:

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 catfish fillets

Combine the milk, crab boil seasoning, pepper, salt, and onion in an electric skillet, cover, and bring to a simmer. Add the catfish to the liquid, spooning some of the liquid over the fillets.

Reduce the heat to low, around 140 to 145 degrees, cover the skillet, and poach for 6 to 9 minutes.

Since I didnt have an electric skillet, crab boil seasoning or an onion, I used my stove top skillet, a seasoning mixture I made up for seafood (all season salt, garlic power, and onion power) and no onion. I simmered the milk mixture on medium and then dropped it to mid-low and put in the two fillets I got from whole foods--- it was amazing.

Tonight I'm doing a rack of baby back ribs and I'm using the bone-sucking sauce that I see everywhere, I'm just following the directions on the jar-- I've never done ribs before. mmmmmmmm smells good

[Edited on July 8, 2008 at 6:09 PM. Reason : back]

7/8/2008 6:05:54 PM

I cut up some chicken breast, added a little olive oil, homemade red wine, rosemary, garlic, parsley, black pepper, red pepper, and a little salt. I got it simmering and added some mushrooms and a little flour to thicken it. I must say it turned out well.

7/8/2008 10:38:51 PM

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22145/52070-20-healthiest-foods--1/

7/9/2008 3:26:20 PM

Medium Turkey Chili- It was the heat. Get it?

7/9/2008 3:41:06 PM

I like to keep stuff simple and eat huge dinners (as I wake up late right now and end up missing a meal each day). My typical dinner:

1 chicken breast, marinated in a no-salt Mrs Dash marinade. Grilled on an indoor george forman standing grill (basically a griddle with ribs, works great).
2 servings of rice, prepared with a good amount of smart balance butter to keep it nice and sticky once it's done. Season with a bit of sea salt.
Half a bag of stir fry bird's eye veggies, seasoned with Ms. Dash no-salt original seasoning and stir fried in a pan with a bit of vegetable oil.

I keep it all separate on a plate and lightly drizzle duck sauce over the whole thing. It's rather good, low in salt, is not too high in fat (though I made sure it has some because I am missing a whole meal each day), and the flavors tend to play off of each other pretty well. It's simple and easy and my diabetes nutritionists approve (I'm also on a high blood pressure diet right now so I cut out most of the bad stuff from the meal).

7/9/2008 3:53:32 PM

anybody got a good, fresh tasting homemade marinara sauce recipe?

8/18/2008 9:57:47 PM

i had grilled mahi mahi with garlic roasted potatoes. yes, i cheated on the potatoes.

8/18/2008 9:59:05 PM

^^

1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic sliced in half
1 35oz can tomatoes
3 basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Place garlic and olive oil in large sauce pan. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is soft and lightly browned. Crush the tomatoes and add with their juices. Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until thickened approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

8/18/2008 11:07:56 PM

thanks, that sounds pretty similar to what i am seeing on recipe sites. Any particular canned tomatoes i should get? peeled? seasoned?

8/19/2008 9:24:35 AM

Tonight...Chicken 'n Peppers Pasta

2 to 3 Chicken breasts, diced
1 box Rotini pasta
Your fav. spaghetti sauce
1 medium Pepper, cut into strips
1 medium Onion, chopped
Mozzarella Cheese

Cook chicken, throw in peppers and onions, cook until tender. Combine spaghetti sauce to cooked pasta and then toss in the chicken mixture. Add cheese to your desire.

8/19/2008 9:34:06 AM

Quote :

"Cashew Chicken from my Martha Stewart Everyday Recipe book"

wow! coincidence! i made this last night. it was really good. that cook book is great. really healthy, quick recipes.

8/19/2008 10:40:30 AM