Cooking thread

That's why I love it so. It's been in this house longer than I have. :-D We had to replace the wall oven about four years ago... it was also installed in 1963. Neither of them owe me anything, really, but I love them both!

From before the explosion. LOL

 

Wow that stove is really modern looking for 1963
I worked on similar cooktops in the early 1970s and at that time over here they were the latest thing roflmao

 

Okay all you cooks out there (and firefighters too) help me out. We're having meatloaf tonite. I've heard to use 'doritos' instead of crackers. Wife says she heard it's "Fritos". Anybody ever tried either? If so how was it? Is it doritos. Is it fritos? Maybe half and half?

 

I have never used either in meatloaf. I use oats.

 

I'm big in adding peppers to food. Most of my food. Does "slightly" hot peppers come in play? Like Carolina Reapers, or ghost pepper, Scorpion pepper, or some of the mild peppers like habenero?

 

WE grew a bunch of peppers one year and cucumbers. @ fall made bread and butter pickles. A couple jars were cucumbers onions all the different peppers even the harabanero. Best bread and butter pickles ever. Cool and sweet followed by the heat!

 

Are you cooking Thanksgiving Dinner or at least taking a dish to a dinner? If so what are you fixing? Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving maybe you have a recipe to share for a big dinner.
I'm taking Sweet Potatoes and a Salad, just have not decided what salad yet. Hopefully I'll get a new recipe from one of you.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 cups sweet potato, cubed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

OK truth is I am too lazy to cook raw sweet potatoes so I am substituting canned sweet potatoes. Pre-heat oven and mash the potatoes and continue with step 2. LOL

 

Where Did All The Cooks GO?

Unless one of you gives me a better idea guess I will go with the old Pink Salad.

Pink Salad
1 8 oz container Cool Whip (you can use lite)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (you can use fat-free)
1 21 oz can cherry pie filling (if you don't like cherries use a different pie filling, raspberry is good)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 cups mini marshmallows

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in marshmallows.
Refrigerate several hours before serving. I make it the day before and keep refrigerated.

Note: Some people add chopped pecans and shredded pineapple to this.

 

Sorry, katkat! The day the stove blew up was the last day I had off; been doing at least 10 hours a day since then and have had zero time to get online.

By salad, are you talking lettuce, fruit, vegetable, pasta? Anything you won't make for whatever reason? I'm guessing from your pink salad you're talking more dessert-type salads rather than vegetable, but maybe not. I'm actually off for an entire 24 hours, so I can come up with some stuff for you tomorrow.

As for Thanksgiving, who knows what I'm doing. Right now it doesn't look like I'm working that exact day, but I know I'm working every day before that and 18-hour days the rest of the weekend. Might or might not be cooking, maybe going to my sister's house, maybe skipping the whole thing and stocking up on sleep.

 

Hey Sgt Tibbs looks like you could use a day off. I was told to bring a sweet salad this year, guess some would call it a dessert salad. I am always try to find something different that has not been brought to every family dinner for years, but I have not seen a different salad in a while.

OK everyone how do you prefer your turkey to be cooked? Oven roast? Deep Fried? If not turkey what?
Stuffing inside the bird or dressing baked by separately?

 

Days off don't happen in fall in the entertainment industry. S'all good... I usually make at least half my income for the year between Labor Day and Christmas. And since I was off from December 4 to September 9 after I crushed my toes, I'm trying very hard to not complain about the long hours. :-D

I LOVE a deep-fried turkey! However, I don't have the means to do it, so we usually just roast ours. We do stuffing inside the bird but since that doesn't make very much we also do a pan of dressing roasted alongside it. We usually mix them together before serving.

This is my ultimate favourite sweet salad, which on another site we've decided to rename "Fruit Crack". You can use sugar and full-fat cream cheese if you'd rather (it makes it even richer and creamier), but I try to cut back where I can. I have a friend who adds candied pecans and/or cashews for the holidays, but I just serve it as-is.

Creamy Grape Salad
Serves 12

8 ounces neufchatel cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup sugar substitute (equal to 1/3 cup sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 pounds seedless green grapes
2 pounds seedless red grapes

Step 1
In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar substitute and vanilla until smooth.
Step 2
Add grapes and stir to completely coat.
Step 3
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to allow flavours to meld.

You can also add a pound of seedless black grapes for variety without needing to add more dressing, if you wish.

This one I usually use agave nectar instead of honey, but both work well. It's not my recipe, it actually comes from the American Diabetes Association.

Southern Broccoli Salad
Serves 6

3 cups broccoli florets
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup chopped celery
1/3 cup (1 ½ ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup light mayonnaise
¼ cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, onion, celery, and cheese; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add mayonnaise mixture to vegetable mixture and toss.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to “marry” the flavors.

Or my version of fruit salad, with a yogurt and honey dressing...

Mixed Berry Salad
Serves 6

1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 pint blueberries
12 ounces red raspberries
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Step 1
Wash all fruit and drain well; lightly toss together in a large bowl to combine.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine yogurt and remaining ingredients.
Step 3
Pour dressing over berries and toss lightly to coat well.
Step 4
Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

Another one of my fruit salads:

Mixed Fruit with Balsamic Dressing
Serves 8

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 pint blackberries
1 pound red grapes, halved
1 pound green grapes, halved
1 tablespoon sugar substitute
1 tablespoon blackberry-ginger balsamic vinegar (can be found in higher-end food/gourmet stores)

Step 1
Place fruits in a large bowl; sprinkle with sugar substitute and vinegar and toss lightly to coat.

Step 2
Cover and refrigerate at least an hour to allow sugar substitute to dissolve; stir again before serving.

Step 3
This is really good over ice cream or frozen yogurt, or just eat it out of a bowl.

And then there's what we always used to call "that yellow fluffy stuff", kind of like your pink salad. I sometimes add coloured mini-marshmallows, or for Christmas I'll use pistachio pudding instead of lemon and decorate the top with maraschino cherries.

Pineapple-Mandarin Orange Dessert
Serves 12

1 (16 ounce) tub Lite Cool Whip
1 (3.4 ounce) box sugar-free instant lemon pudding mix
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained (tidbits work well, too)
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple,drained
2 (15 ounce) cans Mandarin oranges, drained

Step 1
Combine Cool Whip and pudding mix in a large bowl.
Step 2
Stir in fruits until well-coated.
Step 3
Cover and refrigerate at least three hours before serving.

 

Thanks Sgt Tibbs! Some great looking recipes there. I like the idea of sweet but more healthy.

Don't know about everyone else's family dinners but it usually goes like this at ours~~Eat Too Much~~Football - Football - Football~~ Naps - And More Naps. :zzz Meanwhile some of us are still in the kitchen doing dishes and clean-up.rolleyes

 

Got a turkey from work one year when I was single. Never cooked one. Neighbor says go buy a tin foil pan and get paper bags not plastic. I'm thinking 'yeah and burn my place down'. Rubbed it down with beer and butter and that red seasoning? and stuck it all in the paper bag and sure enough it makes a good turkey and all the steam keeps the bag wet enough not to burn. Done a few since then and everyboby eats plenty. I was surprised.

 

My work gives us the choice of a free turkey or ham each year. I always get the turkey. It's usually around 12-14lbs, which is perfect for the two of us. I roast it in the oven (I found the most awesome method online, that makes it all juicy and delicious), then make gravy from the giblets and mashed potatoes to go with it.

Last year's Thanksgiving I did a broccoli casserole that was well liked by everyone. I'm debating making it again....

 

At least when one tries cooking or any home thing, here's a guide on how not to do it. hehe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGqpbOO-Xo&list=UUacMOTnzMtdYcCNV-RYfsrQ

 

One of the required side dishes at Thanksgiving in my family:

Corn Casserole
Serves 8

1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
1 cup onion (chopped)
1/3 cup green pepper (chopped)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 can (15 ounce) creamed corn
1 can (15 ounce) whole kernel corn (with liquid)
8.5 ounce corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 cup cream
4 ounces cheddar cheese (grated)

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350F; grease a glass 3-quart casserole (or 9x13 pan).
Step 2
Saute onion and green pepper in butter until soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients and mix well.
Step 4
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

 

What? You mean you don't celebrate Thanksgiving? What about the Fourth of July? :-D

 

Juicy Upside-down Roast Turkey

The blog owner asks that people link to the recipe, rather than copy-paste it, and since that particular blog has saved more than one dinner for me, I have no problem honoring that request. Definitely worth a bookmark.

 

Apologies for the double post, I lost the Edit button.

DISASTER has occurred. The blog I just linked to, Simply Recipes, has a deal going with ZipList where you can save recipes to a Recipe Box. Like a personal collection of your favorite recipes on this blog. I can't find the link to the recipe box! :eek

That's where I have the recipe to the roast turkey. And to the turkey stuffing. And the turkey gravy. And the mashed potatoes. And the cranberry sauce. And the broccoli-bacon casserole. My entire Thanksgiving dinner, and I can't find the recipes now! :cry

I could probably manually search them out again, but I can't remember the exact names. Not to mention, there are several other recipes in that box that I frequently use, that I now can't get to.

Can anyone see that link to sign in to ZipList and see your recipe box? Please tell me I'm just being stupid and over-looking something obvious.

 

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!! That worked! :celebrate

I've now bookmarked the ZipList recipe box directly. In two places.

Disaster averted, thanks to Laura's awesome super powers.

 

I was supposed to bring the green bean casserole last year, and did this one instead: Broccoli Cheese Casserole

I claimed misunderstanding, that I thought what I was asked to bring was a green casserole of some kind (I hate green bean casseroles), and it worked. Also, it was a great success. I've never seen the men in the family argue over who gets to take home the broccoli leftovers before. :-D

 

I found out yesterday I'm definitely working on Thanksgiving, so I'm not only not cooking anything, I probably won't get to eat anything either. Well, it's not that I won't eat, it's that if I get a traditional dinner it'll only be because the local homeless shelter had extra and was willing to serve it to us for a cash donation (they use our convention center where I'll be working for their dinner every year, and it sometimes works out).

 

Mimsy your Broccoli Cheese Casserole Recipe looks interesting. I have never put eggs in my casserole before. I think I will try it.

Laura my family also has boring taste and we have the same menu every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Only exceptions allowed are desserts and salads as long as there is Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie also.

 

Bookmarked that Mimsy. Interesting twist on cooking a turkey. Will have to try that sometime.

 

The only time that method didn't work out well for me was the time when I made the rookie mistake of not defrosting the turkey all the way before putting it in the oven. Oooops. I will forever cook my turkey upside-down from here on though.

 

I was taught a new way of cooking steak Mimsy. You let it sit out until it is room temp before cooking, just use some salt and pepper.

It rocked the one time I have tried it.

 

That's what you're supposed to do with turkey. big turkeys get regular baths of cold water to keep from going bad while they sit out.

The next time I get steaks from the store next to the farmer's market I'll try that method. It sounds as if it would work better with high-quality steaks. Do you grill or broil or pan fry them?

 

I pan cook mine in canola oil. The first one I tried, my friend grilled them. Either way, great steak. I have done it with Ribeys and fillet mignon. Both were good.

 

Hmmmmm.... I'm now thinking that pan searing them in olive oil with just a touch of garlic could work out really well. :yum

 

That is how I used to do mine. With a bit of butter at the end. BUT, my friend who is trying to get into culinary school says canola is superior to olive oil. Something about the flashpoint difference. He says the conola gets hotter?

Anyway, the one I did in canola was cooked better than the ones I have done in olive oil. But some EVO and garlic do OK as well. Try both ways. HHMM, eat steak, you know, for scientific research. :-D

 

I believe that. Why else would you deep fry in it?

However, our doctor says The Guy is not allowed canola oil for his health, and that he should cook in olive oil instead, so that's what we are doing.

 

He mentioned another oil, vegetable oil? But if you can't use canola, the EVO does good. I melt some butter in it after I flip the meat, and cut up a few cloves of garlic, put them in before the steak. In a video, they said to kind 'crush' the garlic a bit before cooking.

 

EVO is awesome. After the doctor told us no canola, that's practically all I use. I have one robust and one milder, so I can adjust to what I'm cooking.

According to the doctor vegetable oil < canola oil, and canola oil < olive oil.

I always crush of mince my garlic cloves. Crushing is easy, just put your chef knife blade on the clove, and thump it once or twice. Breaks the skin of the garlic clove and more yumminess comes out. And that reminds me that I really ought to post my beef stew recipe here if I haven't already. It calls for crushed garlic, 16 ounces of red wine and lots of onion and black pepper, and is ridiculously easy to make.

 

I just put the garlic in some syran wrap and smack it with my hand.

You really do need to post stew recipe. Supposed to get a cold front, and I love beef stew. Sometimes even make beef vegetable beef stew. :-D

 

Red wine potato carrot beef stew

My notes/comments on ingredients are italicized.

• 3 pounds boneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (I tend to get a 4 pounds roast, but that's me...)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 7 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste (ketchup also works here)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dry red wine (I typically use a good Cabernet and drink the last 6-8 ounces while the stew cooks )
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf (or two... to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (Or two.. to taste. Last time I added fresh rosemary, which worked out very well.)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks on a diagonal
• 1 pound small white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.

Pat beef dry and season salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven), heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown meat in however many batches you need, turning with tongs, about 5-8 minutes per batch, adding one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let meat develop brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer meat to a large plate and set aside. Mimsy note: The purpose of browning the meat is to keep it from dissolving in the boiling liquid, so err on the side of browning too much rather than the opposite. It'll all get tender from cooking in the oven anyway.

Add onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from bottom of pan, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.

Add beef with juices back to pan and sprinkle with flour; stir with wooden spoon until flour is dissolved, 1-2 minutes.

Add wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar; stir with wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from bottom of pan and bring to a boil. Cover pot with lid, transfer to preheated oven and braise for 2 hours.

Remove pot from oven and add carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for 50-60 minutes more, or until vegetables are cooked and meat is very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar go a long way).

Let cool, then store in refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat or in a 350°F oven. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Mimsy notes:

1. Buy good meat for this. Good means it's well-marbled, and it's labelled "chuck" or "roast". Anything labelled "stew meat", particularly if it's lean, should be avoided at all costs.
   
2. Under no circumstances should you pollute the wonderfulness of this stew by applying that disgusting travesty commonly referred to as "cooking wine". You should be ashamed of yourself for even considering it! Invest in a good Cabernet or Red Blend, and then enjoy finishing off what's left in the bottle once you've started the stew. (And if you're not quite sure what either of those two are, I'll be happy to send you suggestions in a PM. )
   
3. The purpose of browning the meat before adding everything else is to keep the pieces of meat from dissolving into the yummy rich stew sauce while the whole things cooks in the oven. Browning too much is better than browning too little.
   
4. The recipe is originally from Once Upon a Chef. Linking to that blog for the same reasons I linked to the roast turkey recipe. The link has lots of pictures of the stew, which in itself makes it worth checking out.

 

Oh my Mimsy, am so going to try that one!

I like the precise measurements. I usually just add whatever smells good. Sometimes I win, sometimes I loose.

And, I don't cook with a wine I wont drink. Prefer to have a glass of the wine used in cooking with the meal. Never understood that 'cooking wine' stuff. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of inexpensive wines that are good to drink. I don't cook with culls.

Any way to do this on the stove? I am not sure if I have a pot that is oven safe. I would think the stuff inside the pot would not know what is going on outside the pot?

 

That seems a reasonable assumption to me. I'm guessing the reason to put your pot in the oven is to get even heat from all sides, but a slow cooker on High may still be able to accomplish that. I'm not sure. I've never tried. I've made this stew several times, and I make it in my Lodge dutch oven which, being solid cast iron, is perfectly oven safe. So I'm not sure about the best way to make this on a stove... however, I do know that most stove top stew recipes say to let it simmer for however long is needed. I'm guessing that as long as you have a very insulated pot with a sturdy lid, you should be okay. Caveat that this stew is not simmering when it comes out of the oven. It's boiling.

You may need to make it a couple of times, to experiment until you find the perfect method.

A cast iron dutch oven is also by the way an awesome, awesome thing. Totally worth investing in if you're into stews and soups, and pasta sauces that need to simmer for hours... Best $50 ever spent! :drool

 

Will investigate local cooking places.

 

I make a very similar Beef & Vegetable stew, frequently, but in the slow cooker. Works well. One of the best seventy bucks I ever spent. Makes anything tender :drool. However, you need to drain some of the liquid out, (soups, anyone, lol), otherwise you end up with Beef soup instead of Beef stew, eh.

 

If you have a local Fred Meyer that's worth a try, that's where I bought my dutch oven. They also have other brands that are enamel and cheaper, but still oven safe. I bought the non-enamel because I like them better. Easier to clean.

I've also seen the Lodge brand in several specialty cooking stores (Sur Le Table and Williams Sonoma, for example). Buying one online is not recommended. Weighs a ton, so shipping charges are outrageous. Lodge also makes spectacular skillets, if you're in the market for cast iron skillets and grill plates.

 

None of those stores around here. But, I do have a tentative trip to Dallas Texas next month. Bet they have said stores. Hmm, Fred Meyer in Google is giving me jewelry stores.

Got a winner with Williams Sonoma. Not far from where I plan on staying.

Cast iron Dutch oven. Will look around locally as well.

 

Thanks, Mimsy. Oh yeah, if you can't/won't afford a Dutch Oven, (highly recommended piece of kit), you can get away with small roasts with a good fry pan with a tight fitting lid. Same as steamers - good saucepan with tight lid works as well.

I use the slow-cooker to cook up a heap of food, like this stew recipe or curry, or some such. Then we have food for the next few days without me cooking for a while.

Stove-top instead of oven works for casseroles, but watch for burning and stir occasionally, unless you like difficult washing up, lol!

 

My local Fred Meyer has all the same departments as a Target, but an infinitely better grocer section. And yes, they have an in-store jewelery department as well. Really good at watch repairs.

Back to original topic, cast iron cookware is superior to nearly anything out there, as long as you know how to use it right. Season it before using it the first time, and only clean it the way it should be cleaned (my previous link to Lodge has a how-to-clean-it section) and it lasts forever. They are impossible to destroy.

 

Out of curiosity, would any of these be good? Or are they the cheap stuff to avoid?

http://www.academy.com/shop/browse/_/N-0?Ntt=Cast+iron+Dutch+oven&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial

 

Those all look perfectly fine to me. If you plan to use it on a stove, do not buy one with feet! Other than that, as long as it's actual genuine cast iron, your biggest issue might well be what size to get. Mine it 5.5qrt, and it has two inches to spare, at most, when I make that stew recipe I posted earlier.

The one thing I would caution is, a dutch oven whether it is cast iron or enamel, is practically worthless if the lid is not a snug fit. The main reason I spent extra on buying one in a local store was so I could check the lid fit before buying. So while the ones on that link do look nice (and very generously priced) i recommend either check the lid fit locally before ordering online, or make sure they have a good return policy.

Also, any claims of being pre-seasoned should be ignored, season it before use. This guide is really good, and gets the job done properly.

 

Academy is local, can sniff before buying. :-D They actually have some nice cookware for a 'sporting goods' store.

I enjoy shopping there sometimes, they have jeans, casual shirts, and all the camo you want. Now, if they just started selling .38 Super ammo...