The Ultimate Recipe Thread!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
121

Tuna Salad

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 People
Ingredients:

1 6oz Tin of tuna (white albacore is best)
2-3 Tbs Mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellman’s)
1 Scallion (green onion) finely chopped
1 Tsp Grated onion pulp (or 1/4 Tsp of onion powder)
1/2 Tsp Sweet pickle relish (or chopped sweet pickle)
1/2 Tsp Dill pickle relish (or chopped dill pickle)
Dash of lemon juice or white vinegar
Dash of sweet pickle relish juice
Dash of ground black pepper
Dash of dill pickle brine
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of horseradish
Dash of hot sauce
Dash of mustard
Dash of sugar
Salt to taste
Preparation:

Only use oil packed tuna unless dietary restrictions prohibit it. Open the can and drain it thoroughly. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise with all of the other ingredients (avoid using too much of the green part of the scallion). Be careful when adding the liquid ingredients to avoid having the salad becoming too runny (more mayo will fix that). The grated onion pulp is the secret to the best flavor. You should not be able to taste the sugar, garlic powder or the hot sauce. For best results use lemon juice instead of vinegar. Once the mayonnaise is spiced, then add the tuna. Avoid overmixing the salad. It is better to have the tuna in a somewhat chunky state rather than completely mashed.

Serve on lightly toasted white or dark rye bread with lettuce plus very thin sliced onions and tomatoes. A thin swipe of mayonnaise on each slice of bread is recommended. Cheese may be applied but it tends to make for a very rich sandwich.
Note: Water packed tunas tend to be very flavorless. Use only if necessary.

Please contribute a recipe and come back soon!

122

‘She Who Must Be Obeyed’ left early this morning to do a political thing, leaving me to my own devices.

What do I do when I’m on my own?

Do I download pictures of naken women from the internet?

Hell no, I cook!

Specifically, I cook those things that ‘she’ thinks I shouldn’t eat. And this morning I’m going to share my breakfast with you.

This is almost too simple to count as a recipe, but I’m surprised at how many people never heard of it.

gather together, for each person:

1 medium red potato (tennis ball sized)
2 generous cloves of garlic
2 eggs
2 Tbs butter
(when I say butter, I mean butter or margarine. You probably do too.)
salt
pepper

Wash and prepare your potatoes, and cook them in the microwave until they are just cooked through. (Pretend you’re making potato salad.) This is why I specified red potatoes, they don’t get as flakey as russets, for instance.

While your potatoes are cooking, peel and chop your garlic.
Crack your eggs into a container and whip with a little salt and pepper. (I know you’re not supposed to salt your eggs before you cook them, I don’t care.)

When your potatoes are just cooked enough, gingerly cut them into 1" chunks.

Now melt about 2 Tbsp butter in a frying pan and sauté the garlic very briefly. Add the potatoes, stirring very gently, and add pepper and a touch of salt.

When the potatoes get kind of yellow from the butter, pour in the eggs. Do not scramble madly. Rather, stir occasionally, so as to allow the eggs to form large chunks.

When the eggs are cooked to your liking, you’re done!

Now that you have a basic understanding of breakfast potatoes, elaborate!

Back off on the garlic and add left over corned beef (lean please) cut into 1" chunks.

- OR -

Start with 1/4 lb. sweet Italian sausage and onions, sautéed. Season with oregano and Parmesan, serve with grated Mozzarella on top.

- OR -

Start with 1/4 lb. hamburger, onions, and diced jalapeno sauteed with salt, pepper, chili powder and cilantro, serve with Cotija cheese crumbled on top.

You get the idea, Improvise.

I have to go. She’s back!

123

I enjoy staples l’orange, refried staples, staples in a blanket and staples over easy. Crunch, crunch, crunch!

124

I made myself a birthday cake today (because I didn’t get one yesterday–it was a crazy day) and this is what I put together:

Devil’s Food Cake with French Chocolate-Raspberry Buttercream
(with thanks to Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible, with some of my own personal tweaking)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa (nonalkalized, such as Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups hot coffee (good, strong French Roast is good)
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla
3 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350°

  1. In medium bowl, whisk together cocoa and coffee; let cool to room temperature.
  2. In another seperate mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients, set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, begin to beat butter, then add eggs and vanilla, beating well together.
  4. Add dry ingredients and cocoa mixture alternately, mixing on low speed until dry ingredients are totally incorporated. Beat batter at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down sides occasionally, to incorporate batter.
  5. Pour batter into (2) 9" cake pans, that have been greased, lined with parchment paper, and greased again.
  6. Bake 25 to 35 minutes until a tester inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
  7. Cool completely on greased cooling racks.

French Chocolate-Raspberry Buttercream
1 pint fresh raspberries
6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T Chambord liqueur

(this is best done with a stand mixer or KitchenAid)

  1. In a saucepan, mix together water & sugar, and heat to 238° (soft ball stage).
  2. While sugar syrup is heating, beat egg yolks to ribbon stage (will be triple in volume and very light in color).
  3. Add sugar syrup to egg yolks slowly, beating on lowest speed. When incorporated, beat on medium speed until mixture has cooled.
  4. Add butter gradually.
  5. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler, taking care not to burn the chocolate.
  6. Once butter is incorporated, add chocolate and the Chambord.

To Assemble:
Place 1st layer of cake on cake plate or cake board. Frost with 1/2 cup of buttercream, and sprinkle raspberries on frosted surface. Add another 1/2 cup of buttercream on top. Top with 2nd cake layer, and finish by frosting entire cake. Unless this cake is to be served immediately, refrigerate.

125

Is there a basic, old-fashioned recipe for the comfort food goulash?

126

I think this will help: http://food.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=11021

127

Here’s an extremely simple but surprisingly good way to make a beef brisket.

Ingredients:
1 beef brisket that will fit in your crock pot
1 bottle Heinz chili sauce
1 can Coca Cola
1 packet Lipton’s onion soup mix (not French onion)

I’ve only made this with exactly the above ingredients; use other brands at your own peril.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together, dump everything in the crock pot, and cook on low for a long time (six hours seems to work well). Try to keep the brisket submerged, or baste if necessary.

128

Thank you Zenster!

I can’t believe that I made it through so many years without finding out how to properly make an omelet.

I followed your instructions this morning and MMMMM, it was great! I did ignore your warning about too many fillings but things took care of themselves when I flipped the omelet, most everything went into the sink but the eggs. (I did have the sense to try my first omelet flip over the sink.)

In return, I’ll share one of my favorite meals, primarily finger steaks marinated in terriacki sauce.

Any cheap cut of lean meat will do, whatever is on sale. Cut into chunks against the grain, 1/2"x3" or so and toss 'em into a bowl. Slice about an inch of fresh ginger and three or four cloves of garlic into the bowl. Sprinkle sugar over the meat and add tamari sauce. Mix it all up by hand and let sit at least an hour.

Pour a Quarter to half a cup of oil into a wok and toss in everything in the bowl. Cook it to your liking. I like mine on the rare side, three or four minutes. When they are done put them on a rack to drain while you get your baked potatos ready to eat and the salad done.

A word of warning…never prepare this dish when you have kids or lots of company around or else make certain you have lots of ingredients!

Simple but Yummy.

129

Hi there bare, thank you for contributing. Please try the silking method shown below with the beef recipe that you submitted. I think that you will get smashing results. I would advise that you try adding your beef to the hot oil more slowly so that the oil does not cool down from the sudden addition of so much material. You will get a better crust on the silked meat too.

How To “Silk” Meats

The process of “silking” meats gives them a slightly crunchy and chewy texture similar to what you have on your sweet and sour type dishes.

(For your recipe bare, you may need to dry off the beef before silking. I recommend that you cook the beef plain and reduce your marinade/sauce separately in another pot. After frying the beef, pour out almost all of the oil and mix the marinade with the fried beef.)
[li]For every pound of meat use two egg whites and 1/4 cup cornstarch.[/li]
[li]Cut the meat into bite size chunks.[/li]
[li]Place the cornstarch and meat in a bag.[/li]
[li]Shake until completely coated.[/li]
[li]For the best results hand dredge each piece (very time consuming).[/li]
[li]Beat the egg whites in a medium size bowl.[/li]
[li]Add the meat slowly and stir.[/li]
[li]Make sure that all the meat is wetted by the egg whites.[/li]
[li]Let the coated meat rest for at least 15 minutes.[/li]
[li]When frying, add meat to the oil slowly to avoid cooling.[/li]
[li]Meat is done when a crisp coating is obtained.[/li]
Use this method for Chow Mein, Stir Fry and all sorts of dishes. It works for seafood, poultry, beef and pork. Experiment to get the proper balance of crusting desired.
PS: JavaMaven1, raspberries, Chambord? You now have my undivided attention! Thanks for another great post.
PPS: Bobort, thanks for posting a traditional Georgia style brisket. Doug Bowe, hopefully myself or another recipe thread faithful will get in a Goulash recipe soon. Thanks for dropping by.

130

Poultry Gravy
For Turkey or Chicken
Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6-10 People
Ingredients:

1 Qt Chicken broth or stock
1-2 Lb Giblets (no livers)
1-2 Cubes Butter
1-2 Tsp Salt
1-2 Ribs Celery
2 Carrots
1 Onion (no red onion)
1 Clove garlic (large)
1/2-1 Cup White flour
1/4-1/2 Tsp Ground white pepper
1/4 Tsp Ground celery seed
Dash of hot sauce
Dash of ground coriander
Dash of powdered thyme
Dash of powdered sage
Some chopped celery leaves
Preparation:

First, make your roux using a cube of butter and 1/2 cup of flour*. While your bird is roasting continue to baste it with butter and the pan drippings. Boil the giblets in a large pot of salted water. To speed the process, use a large tin of chicken broth to cook them in. Chop the carrots, onion, garlic and celery and add to the giblets. Once the giblets are tender, chop them into pieces and add back to the broth. Also include the neck, heart and giblets from the bird itself (never use the liver in a gravy broth). Strain the giblet broth to remove all vegetables and bones. Do not skim off any fat unless there is quite a lot of it. Once the giblet broth is finished begin to make your gravy.

In a medium size pot add 3/4 of the roux. Very slowly add a little of the broth while stirring constantly. Continue to add the broth until you have a medium thick sort of soup. Increase your heat from low to medium and bring to a very low boil. Once the gravy begins to bubble, it will thicken and you will be able to gauge how much of the remaining roux or stock to add in order to obtain the right consistency. When adding more roux, be sure to temper it by first, mixing some broth in to thin it. Do this in a separate bowl and then add it to the cooled gravy. After adding more roux, you will need to bring the gravy back to a low boil in order to have it thicken again. (If your gravy has lumps, either strain it or whale the daylights out of it with a hand blender.)

Somewhere around this time your bird will have finished roasting. Remove the bird from the oven and allow it to rest a minimum of 15 to 25 minutes prior to carving. During this time, take the roasting pan and deglaze it with a splash of either white wine, sherry, brandy or some stock if you do not imbibe. Scrape off the stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan and continue to stir until all of the crust is dissolved in the liquid. If you wish, strain this liquid prior to adding to the gravy.

Bring the gravy up to a low simmer and leave it uncovered in order to reduce in volume. At this time add the spices and salt to taste. Do not boil the gravy after the spices have been added. Continue to check the gravy for thickness and increase the heat gently if necessary. When the gravy cools a little it will thicken some more, so do not worry if it is not exactly right.
*How to make a Roux:

Over low heat, melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the flour. Stir well until completely mixed. If the roux is too dry, add some more butter. If it is too wet, add more flour. The final mixture should not run in the pan and yet still be semi-liquid. Allow mixture to cook for about fifteen minutes. The flour should begin to brown and have a nutlike aroma. Continue to stir and make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the flour has taken on a tawny color, shut off the heat and allow the roux to “relax” for another ten to fifteen minutes. This is a critical step whereby the flour granules “bloom” and lose their gritty texture.
Notes:

[li]Always buy a hen turkey for the very best results.[/li]
[li]Before cooking, rub the interior cavity of your bird with a mixture of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, sage, thyme and coriander. (Feel free to use small sprigs of fresh herbs instead of dried.)[/li]
[li]Peel one or two potatoes, carrots, onions and shallots and place them inside the bird’s cavity while roasting in order to perfume it.[/li]
[li]Baste you turkey with butter, not oil, not margarine, butter![/li]
[li]When basting, squirt some of the liquid into the cavity of the bird.[/li]
[li]Start your bird covered with foil and cook for the last half hour or so unwrapped.[/li]
[li]Always bake your stuffing outside of the bird for the lightest and fluffiest dressing.[/li]
[li]Use butter, please don’t fool yourself during the Holidays.[/li]
[li]Look for my Mexican soup recipe to learn about making stock.[/li]
[li]You should not be able to taste the garlic in this recipe.[/li]
[li]Try my mashed potatoes recipe for the perfect accompaniment.[/li]
[li]I will be posting my triple sausage, red wine and sourdough stuffing recipe in the near future. Be prepared for a taste of the hereafter.[/li]
[li]If you follow these directions you will not regret it.[/li]
[li]If you think that this is too difficult, please do a test run before the holidays. This is the real thing. You have not tasted anything like this since you last had a turkey dinner at your grandmother’s![/li]Please contribute a recipe and come back soon!

131

I made this recipe for dinner tonight and the kids loved it. It is a real quick and easy meal…

3T peanut oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
3/4 c slivered almonds
2/3 c raisins or currants
1 -1/2lb ground turkey
3/4 t ground cumin plus 1/4 t couscous mix [I got this in France and have not been able to find here in the US -it’s not absolutely necessary for the recipe but adds to the flavor]
3/4 t salt
2/3 c dry red wine [I used a cheap merlot]

Toppings:
shredded lettuce
shredded Mexican cheese melange [white and cheddar]
tabbouleh with mint

Heat oil in frying pan set over medium and saute onions, almonds and currants/raisins, stir occassionally for about 5 minutes. Add turkey, spices, salt and red wine. Cook until
most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust seasonings to your liking.

Heat flour tortillas.

To assemble: 1/3 cup of misture in middle of tortilla, add
lettuce, cheese and tabbouleh. Add hot sauce if you want.

Sorry no left-overs from tonight.

132

Dear kiffa, my online betrothed, brachy, threatened to crack me over the head with her thimble if I didn’t thank you for dropping by this thread.

Oh… by the way, did I say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you…?”

(Oh, that I had a pair of sisters like you two to complain about!)

133

And here’s a steamy cup of Kona coffee for you, my Zen-Man. I’m off to think about which Finn recipe to post.

134

BEER BUTT BIRD
1 4- to 5-lb. chicken
Dry rub ingredients:
· 1 tsp. unrefined sugar
· 1 tsp. onion powder
· 1 tsp. garlic powder
· 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
· 1 tsp. paprika
· 1 tsp. dry yellow mustard
· 1 Tbsp. finely ground sea salt
Basting spray:
· 1 cup apple cider
· 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Steaming liquid:
· 12 oz. of your favorite beer
(NOTE: canned fruit juice can be substituted)

Method:
· Wash, dry, and season chicken generously inside and out with rub. Work mixture well into skin and under skin as much as possible. Set aside, covered, at room temperature for an hour or so.

· Drink half the can of beer. Place the can, with the other half of the beer still inside, upright on smoker grill and lower chicken’s body cavity onto the can so that the chicken’s legs and the can hold the bird upright. This positioning does two things: first, it helps drain off fat as the chicken cooks; second, the beer steams the inside of the chicken, making it the moistest bird you’ve ever laid eyes on.

· Smoke 2 to 2 1/2 hours, spraying with the basting spray several times, until chicken is done and internal temperature is 180 degrees F.

· Carefully remove the bird, still perched on the can, and place on a serving tray. After your guests have reacted appropriately, remove the chicken from can (careful! That aluminum can is very hot; use oven mitts) and carve.

Makes 4-6 servings.

135

Welcome aboard techchick68! Glad to have you here.

136

Zenster,

I forgot to add…I think that for the safety of the meat, it would be wisest to set aside the chicken with the rub in the fridge – never leave poultry out for too long.

In addition to that, the beer should be at room temp. I forgot to change the recipe to reflect those changes. There was a retraction later in the day about the recipe and I missed it.

The beer should NOT be at a cold temp, it must be half a can because otherwise it will boil over…not preferable.

137

I don’t have a name for this one, sorry. But if you can like gorgonzola cheese this one is for you:

Over a double boiler, melt 1 triangle of gorgonzola cheese with a pinch of salt and a little white pepper. Add a bit of white wine and heavy cream til it “looks right”.

While you’re waiting for the cheese to melt, open up one of those plastic sleeves of pork loin and remove one of them. Use a sharp knife to slice it into 1/4" medallions. Sear the medallions quickly over med-hi heat - you’re not trying to cook them, just get them started.

Place a prepared pie-crust into a Pammed glass baking dish - could be either a pie-type pan or a 9x9 cake pan. Make sure there aren’t any holes in the bottom of the pie crust. Dump in the meat, then pour the cheese sauce over it. You will not use all of the sauce. Seal up the crust and bake at @ 350 for @ 1 hour. Take out the baking dish and put a loaf of really good bread into the oven for a few minutes til it gets nice and crusty. Pour the leftover sauce into a bowl for dipping the good bread.

138

Goulash Stroganoff

Preparation time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4 People
Ingredients:

1 Lb Filet of beef
1/4 Lb Mushrooms
3 Tbs Butter
1 Tbs Minced onion
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 Cups Sour cream
1 Tomato (peeled)
1/4 Cup White wine
1 Tbs Butter
Preparation:

Cut the beef into thin slivers. Season with salt and pepper and fry briefly in the butter, browning slightly. Remove meat and put onions and mushrooms in pan. Fry for three minutes. Add tomato and wine and simmer gently until tomato is soft (about ten minutes). Add sour cream and simmer until heated through and thickened. Add meat, reheat but do not boil. Serve with boiled rice.
Note: As served at the Olympia Grill in Czechoslovakia

Recipe from “The SAS (Scandinavian Airline System) World Wide Restaurant Cookbook” by Charlotte Adams 1960 Random House
Please contribute a recipe and come back soon!

139

Goulash
Gulyas
Preparation time: 2 Hours

Serves: 8-10 People
Ingredients:

4 Lbs Beef chuck or rump
1 Cup Hot water
2 Strips Bacon or salt pork
6 Medium sized onions
3 Tbs Paprika
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Green bell peppers
Preparation:

Cut meat into 2" cubes. Brown half of meat in skillet in its own fat. Transfer to flame proof casserole and repeat with other half of meat. Rinse skillet with cup of hot water and add the liquid to the meat in the casserole. Cover and cook over low heat.

Chop bacon or salt pork and fry in skillet: add coarsely chopped onions and brown lightly. Stir in paprika and salt, then stir all into simmering beef. Add coarsely chopped uncooked green peppers. Cover, cook slowly two hours, or until meat is tender, not soft.

Note: From the “Best-Of-All Cookbook” compiled and edited by Florence Brobeck 1960 Kingston House

Please contribute a recipe and come back soon!

140

I’ve just found a link for a true Southern style Barbecue sauce. On reviewing the recipe I find it to contain a bit more mustard than I would normally use myself. However, this is an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to escape the dreadful tomato based sauces that abound in the markets.Please click on this link.

Sometime in the near future I will probably post my own recipe. Until then, try this one for some very interesting results. For more information on barbecuing techniques please visit this site.