# E-Z Recipes wanted! Intro to Cooking 101 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103 "2001-03-30T13:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/61 "2001-04-04T01:31:35Z")
**Shrimp Scampi** [ul] [li]2 cloves garlic, minced[/li][li]1 1/2 pounds large shrimp[/li][li]1 tbsp butter[/li][li]3 tbsp oil[/li][li]salt[/li][li]pepper[/li][li]1 tbsp lemon juice[/li][li]2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, chopped[/li][/ul] Shell and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. In a large frying pan, melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, add 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper, lemon juice and parsley and toss until the shrimp are coated. Serve immediately. 4 servings ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/62 "2001-04-04T01:38:12Z")
**Pasta With Garlic** [ul] [li]salt[/li][li]pepper[/li][li]1/2 pound spaghetti noodles[/li][li]4 cloves garlic – minced[/li][li]1/4 cup olive oil[/li][li]1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional!)[/li][li]3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley[/li][li]Pinch cayenne pepper[/li][li]2 tbs butter at room temp[/li][/ul] 1. Cook spaghetti till al dente; drain. 2. Meanwhile, put oil, garlic, anchovy paste, parsley, cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and the butter. Then add in the cooked spaghetti and toss over low heat until butter has melted. Serve immediately. Serves 4 ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/63 "2001-04-04T01:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by techchick68 \* > \*\ ***Pasta With Garlic** > 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional!) \*\* Optional!? Not 'round here, Chickie! I say: MANDITORY! “Give Me anchovies or GIVE ME DEATH!” "And curs’d be he who cries ‘enough anchovies!’ " “If anchovies are banned only outlaws will have anchovies.” _Those’re_ my mottos. [sub]“Those’re very strange mottos, Fenris” I hear you say. But I stand by them! They’re my moral compass![/sub] Fenris, in an odd mood, but one which anchovies would help ::cracks open a can and has them on Carr’s Wheat Crackers with _real_ parmesean cheese slivers. Yum. :: PS: Kidding aside, all those recipes sounded good TechChick! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/64 "2001-04-04T01:55:11Z")
I got this recipe somewhere about 10-12 years ago. I am not a big fan of regular pancakes as they don’t seem to digest well and sit like lead – it’s got to be the white flour. If you are like me, try this and I guarantee you will begin to like pancakes again! **Oatmeal Pancakes** [ul] [li]1/2 cup whole wheat flour (this is part of why it doesn’t sit like lead)[/li][li]1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not the instant kind)[/li][li]1 tbsp baking powder[/li][li]1 tsp salt[/li][li]1 egg, beaten[/li][li]1 tsp oil[/li][li]1 tsp honey[/li][li]1 1/2 cups of milk[/li][/ul] 1. Stir the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. 2. Poor on a hot oiled griddle and turn when the edges begin to get firm. This makes about 16 pancakes. \< just cutting and pasting from my new web site! \> ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/65 "2001-04-04T01:59:30Z")
How to roast the “perfect chicken!” Roast chicken can be used in other recipes but since you cooked it you know the ingredients that went into it. **Roast Chicken** [ul] [li]1 tbsp butter[/li][li]salt[/li][li]pepper[/li][li]6 1/2 - 7 pound roasting chicken[/li][/ul] Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper into the butter. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper into the cavity of the chicken. Put the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Brush the chicken with the melted butter mixture. Roast the chicken for one hour. Reduce the heat to 350ºF and continue roasting until the skin is golden brown and juices run clear when the inside of the thigh is pierced with a fork, approximately an additional 30 minutes. Don’t forget, the juices from the chicken will make a good gravy! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/66 "2001-04-04T02:07:30Z")
If anyone has more recipes or wants some of mine, please email me about my new message board…it’s mainly for Colorado people but posting and trading recipes is a HUGE part of it…I didn’t want to post the link in case the admins/mods didn’t take kindly to that. Oh and **Zenster** I completely invite you to be a part of it, you have some wonderful recipes! I just don’t want to post recipes from your thread without the okay from the member that posted it! ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/67 "2001-04-04T03:03:51Z")
**Lemon Broccoli Chicken – Soup Recipe** [list] [li]1 lemon[/li][li]1 tbsp vegetable oil[/li][li]1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves[/li][li]1 can Cream of Broccoli Soup[/li][li]¼ cup milk[/li][li]1/8 tsp pepper[/li][list] 1. Cut 4 thin lemon slices; squeeze 2 tsp juice from remaining lemon. Set aside. 2. In skillet, in hot oil, cook chicken 10 minutes or until browned. Remove; set aside. Spoon off fat. 3. In skillet, combine soup, milk reserved lemon juice and pepper. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet; top with lemon slices. 4. Cover, cook over low heat 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring often. 4 servings ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/68 "2001-04-04T03:54:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\* [snip] That may be a little advanced for someone who once wanted to know how to make hard-boiled eggs) > > Fenris \*\* Fenris, Fenris, FENRIS! You never “boil” eggs. Never! **Christian’s Patented Hard-_Cooked_ Eggs** The key with eggs is that they generally don’t take well to being cooked at high heat. Boiling an egg _will_ make the white rubbery and _may_ make the yolk green or the shell crack. Here’s what you’ll need: Eggs A Pot with a Lid A Timer (your microwave probably has one - now would be a good time to figure it out) A Pushpin (not one of the flat kind - one that you can really hold) A Big Slotted Spoon Lots of Very Cold or Ice Water Optional: a little vinegar (any kind, white’s cheap and will clean your coffeemaker, too) Here’s what you do: 1. Start with bunch of eggs. _Old_ eggs. Don’t use the ones you bought this morning - use the ones that are in the back of the fridge. Or if you do actually set out to buy eggs for boiling, leave them out for a couple of days, sitting on the counter. Nattering Nutritional Nabobs don’t like this idea, but eggs will keep at room temperature for 5-7 days (Time-Life Good Cooks series). 2. Take a pushpin. (I use a trussing needle, but it sounds like your friend isn’t the sort of guy who has trussing needles lying around.) Hold an egg firmly in one hand. With the other hand take the pushpin and poke a small hole in the large end of the egg. Repeat for each egg. You see, as the egg ages, gas builds up at this end of the egg. When you heat it, it will expand and crack the shell. With the hole poked, the gas will just bubble out harmlessly. 3. Gently put the eggs in one layer on the bottom of a large pot _that has a lid_. Add water until it covers the eggs by about an inch. If you have vinegar on hand, add a tablespoon or so to the water. If a shell does, in fact, break, the vinegar will encourage the white to congeal quickly and seal the shell from breaking further. 4. Set the pot, _uncovered but with the lid handy_, over high heat. 5. Now you’ll need to pay a bit of attention, but not much. You want to bring the eggs up _to_ a boil, and then _stop_. What does “to a boil” mean? Well, you could hold the pot up to that nasty zit on your ass, but…oh, where was I? It means that you’re just starting to get big, rolling bubbles in the pot, which jiggle the eggs around a bit. I find this takes about 8-10 minutes, but YMMV depending on the pot and how hot your cooktop runs. You could test it by inserting your hand… 😛 Oh, never mind. 1. Once the pot has come _to_ a boil, remove it from heat and put the lid on. (On the pot, not your head.) Now you set the timer. If you’ve got large or extra-large eggs, 8 minutes. If jumbo, 9 minutes. 2. When the timer buzzes, stir the eggs so they shuffle around. Put the lid back on, and reset the timer for 8 minutes if large, 9 minutes if extra-large, or 10 minutes if jumbo. Fill the sink with really cold water - add a tray or two of ice if needed. 3. When the timer buzzes the second time, take your slotted spoon and plunge each egg (a big spoon’s a plus, it’ll hold several eggs at once) into the ice water. Leave the eggs there for at least 10-15 minutes. 4. You can either shell the eggs now, or keep them shelled. Although it freezes my hands, I shell 'em while they’re in the cold water 'cuz it’s really easy, and 'cuz I’m a masochist. If you save 'em for later, they shell easiest if you do it under running water. This sounds Terribly Complicated, but it really isn’t. Do a dozen and you’ve got cheap, easy protein for days. Unless you’ve got a cholesterol problem, this is a great snack. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/69 "2001-04-04T04:20:52Z")
xt, xt…you make it seem so complicated…sheesh. Here’s what my grandma’s 1962 Betty Crocker cook book says. Oh and they state to have the eggs at room temp so the shells don’t crack, but I think times have changed since more is known about food poisoning. > [@](#): > > Soft Cooked In the shell > > Cold Water start - Cover completely with cold water (one layer) heat until water boils. Remove from heat and let stand for 2-4 minutes > > Boiling Water Start - Boil enough water to cover one layer of eggs. Carefully lower into water with a spoon, ladle. reduce heat, keep simmering 3-5 minutes. > > Hard Cooked Eggs > > Cold Water Start – Follow directions for above let stand off the heat for about 25 minutes. > > Boiling Water Start – Follow direction for above except let the water simmer for about 20 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/70 "2001-04-04T15:00:34Z")
You’re probably gonna hafta wait 'til winter again for this… And it’s best when shared, or a lot of it goes to waste. Because it’s not suited well for re-freezing. You’ll need… -snow (about one gallon volume. this works best with snow that just barely holds a snowball shape) -one can condensed milk -sugar. Put snow in a LARGE bowl. Add the whole can of condensed milk, at bit at a time, stirring frequently. Add sugar to taste. Enjoy immediately. You may be able to freeze leftovers, but it turns very hard. ---
**Author:** ![lestrange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/aca169/32.png) [@lestrange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lestrange)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/71 "2001-04-05T03:43:23Z")
I just tried this one this week–it’s insanely easy: Fudge. 1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk 3 cups of chocolate chips (1 bag is two cups) dash of salt 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Get a 9x9 sqare pan (or a regular round cake pan) and put wax paper in the bottom. To get the circle for the round pan, trace the pan bottom on the paper and cut out the circle. Put the condensed milk, salt, and chocolate chips in a sauce pan–melt over low heat, keep stirring! It doesn’t take long. When it’s all one big pan of smooth, chocolatey goo, take off the heat and add your vanilla. Mix it all around. If you’re feeling extravagent, you can add some chopped nuts here, too. Shovel the whole mess into the cake pan (use a rubber spatula so you don’t lose any of it), spread it around until it’s even, and refrigerate for an hour or two. Take it out, dump it out of the pan (you may need to run a knife around the edge), cut it into pieces, and wrap in saran wrap. Store it in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2001, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/72 "2001-04-05T04:02:19Z")
This one sounds sooooo yummy, I am a potato freak and every time I read this recipe I start to drool! I haven’t tried it yet but as much as I love potatoes with a creamy sauce I get all giddy like a school girl. **Creamy Autumn Potatoes** [ul] [li]1 tbsp butter[/li][li]1/2 cup Ore-Ida Chopped Onions[/li][li]1/2-1 clove garlic minced[/li][li]1 can condensed cream of celery or cream of mushroom soup[/li][li]1 package cream cheese cut in cubes[/li][li]3 - 4 cups Frozen Ore-Ida Southern Style Hash Browns; they state you can use their Potatoes Obrien if you prefer.[/li][li]1/3 cup shredded chedder cheese (may use mozerella)[/li][/ul] Heat butter in a saucepan until melted: add onions and garlic and cook over medium-high heat until tender. Stir in undiluted soup and the cream cheese until smooth and thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Alternately layer frozen potatoes and hot soup mixture in buttered 2-quart casserole, ending with sauce layer. Cover and bake at 400ºF (preheated) 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded chedder cheese. Makes 4-5 servings ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2001, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/73 "2001-04-05T15:41:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by techchick68 \* > \*\*xt, xt…you make it seem so complicated…sheesh. > [snip] > Hard Cooked Eggs > > Cold Water Start – Follow directions for above let stand off the heat for about 25 minutes. > > Boiling Water Start – Follow direction for above except let the water simmer for about 20 minutes. \*\* [/QUOTE] I’ve based my procedure on a slightly later Betty, actually. The extra steps (which take longer to describe than to _do_, honest!) are designed to prevent three problems prevalent when using the unadorned Betty technique: 1. The Sticky Shell. I HATE it when I lose half the egg 'cos the shell won’t loosen. A little research in other books revealed the Old Egg Rule and the Cold Water Plunge. 2. The Rubbery White and Green Yolk. Eww. Eggs should not bounce, and that green yolk just ain’t appealing. The white should be firm, but tender. That means no boiling. Simmering works - but that requires a lot of attention, and on some stoves it’s really hard to regulate. 3. The Exploded Egg. Messy. Vinegar I learned from poaching eggs, and poking a hole helps too. The hole also seems to help with the sticky shell, tho’ I haven’t tested this empirically. ---
**Author:** ![johnny\_fishface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@johnny\_fishface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnny_fishface)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2001, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103/74 "2001-04-05T17:23:48Z")
Here’s an easy one: Mushy Joes (a variation on Sloppy Joe’s) 1 lb. hamburger 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup 1 pkg. hamburger buns salt and pepper Cook the hamburger like you would sloppy Joe’s, crumbled. Add salt and pepper (I go heavy on the pepper, light on the salt). Drain the grease and add the can of soup. That’s about it. Even though you can eat it right away I generally let it cook for awhile - seems to soak up the soup and taste better. Also, I don’t drain _all_ the grease, grease = flavor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-z-recipes-wanted-intro-to-cooking-101/60103.md?page=3)