Recipe Swap

[Scottielass]

Now that my application is off, the waiting game begins. For anyone else who uses cooking as a therapeutic measure, share your favorite recipes. I will get things started with a very simple recipe for a hearty chicken soup (perfect for the frigid temperatures this time of year).

Hearty Chicken Soup

Makes 6-8 Servings

1 Rotisserie Chicken (find in the deli section of your grocer)

2 Boxes Chicken Stock (low sodium)

1 tsp fresh chopped sage (or 2 tsp dry)

1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 2 tsp dry)

1/4 tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

1 bag favorite frozen vegetable mix (I like asian style- onions, peppers, baby corn)

1 package Gnocchi (tiny potato pasta)

1/4 C fresh chopped parsley

1. Remove skin from rotisserie chicken.

2. Pull off meat. Shred or dice into bite-size pieces.

3. Pour chicken stock into stockpot or large dutch over. Heat over medium flame. Bring stock to simmer.

4. Add chicken bones and skin to stock. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. (This step adds a lot of extra flavor)

5. Strain bones and skin from stock.

6. Add herbs/spices, frozen vegetables and chicken meat. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

7. Add Gnocchi. Gnocchi is done when it floats at the top (will take 3-5 minutes).

8. Remove from heat when Gnocchi is done. Stir in fresh parsley.

9. Enjoy!!

[singlecell]

Alfredo Spinach Artichoke Dip

adapted from an internet recipe

2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 package cream cheese

2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 jar of alfredo pasta sauce (I recommend roasted garlic flavor)

4 cloves garlic, minced

fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Drain the thawed spinach by squeezing handfuls until all water comes out. Water in the spinach will make the dip soupy, so drain it well! Roughly chop the artichoke hearts; add artichokes and drained spinach to a large mixing bowl. Add the cream cheese, parmesan, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, alfredo sauce, pepper, and garlic. Mix well with a rubber spatula taking care that the cream cheese gets broken up. Spread the mixture in a large glass baking dish, and cover the top with the other 1/2 cup mozzarella shreds. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the cheese start to brown. Serve with sliced french bread, or tortilla chips.

This is a great appetizer for parties. Sometimes we even eat it for dinner.

[Golden Monkey]

I like this one, because it makes a mountain of food for cheap and freezes well. I got it from a local TV show where the chef was from Newark's Portuguese Ironbound district. I replace the mussels with shrimp, or sometimes just skip the seafood. I've also found that by doubling the oven time, I can use brown rice.

Chicken with Mussels, Peas and Chorizo

 

INGREDIENTS:

8 chicken thighs

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 onion, peeled & minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons paprika

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken stock or water

4 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs parsley

24 mussels, washed & de-bearded

1/2 cup green peas, cooked

1/2 cup chorizo, sliced

 

METHOD:

 

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

 

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. In an oven proof casserole, sear chicken thighs in the olive oil on both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan. Set aside.

 

Add the onion and garlic clove and cook over low heat for 2 minutes along with the bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Add the paprika and cook 1 minute further. Place chicken thighs back in and add the stock or water. Let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cook for 12 minutes, and then add the mussels and chorizo. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until mussels have completely opened.

 

Remove from the oven and serve.

[Sevi]

This is one of the easiest desserts I've made and certainly one of the most delicious! I like cobblers but hate using canned fruit, so this is perfect!

Fresh Cherry Cobbler

Ingredients:

1/2 cup

• butter
  
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups pitted sour cherries
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

-Place butter in a 9" x 13" baking dish, place in the over to melt while preheating, and remove once the butter has melted

-In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the milk until blended.

-Pour the batter into the pan over the butt and do NOT stir.

-Rinse out the bowl and dry. Place the pitted fresh cherries in the bowl and toss with the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon flour.

-Distribute the cherries evenly over the batter and, again, do NOT stir.

-Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and it passes the toothpick test.

[qbtacoma]

Pureed Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup

This also goes great with carrots, either in addition to the squash and parsnip or substituting one.

2-3 parsnip roots

1-2 medium butternut squash

2-4 cups of stock (depending on how thick you like your soup)

1 tsp salt

nutmeg to taste

Cube the parsnip roots (no need to peel) and peel and cube the butternut squash. Add to stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until a fork easily goes through a cube. Use an immersion blender to puree all the cubes, or pour the soup into a countertop blender in batches. Stir in the salt and immediately serve, mixing in the nutmeg in each individual bowl and sprinkling a bit across the top for garnish. (Add the nutmeg last so the flavor doesn't get cooked out.) You can also serve this soup cold!

Cheddar-Oat Griddle Biscuits (adapted from How It All Vegan! by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard)

To actually make this vegan, substitute Nucoa or Earth Balance for the butter, soy milk, and vegan cheese.

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats (or quick-cooking, it doesn't matter)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp butter

As much grated cheese as you can stand

Slightly more than 1/4 cup milk but less than 1/2 cup

Combine the dry ingredients and then cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Note: it may be easier to do this if you add the oats after adding the butter, but your call. Stir in cheese (I eyeball it) until it is evenly mixed in and then add just enough milk to form a stiff dough. Roll it out on a surface sprinkled with flour to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out 2-inch rounds (I use a drinking glass to cut out the biscuits). Put directly on a hot skillet WITHOUT oil - that's right, a dry skillet. Cook on medium heat until both sides are brown.

[Matilda_Tone]

I discovered this very simple recipe a few years ago and am now famous for it among my friends. If you want something less sweet, it also works well as a plain shortbread recipe (just don't add the icing and jam)

Empire Biscuits (Cookies)

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 24 maraschino cherries
• 8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk

Direction

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour until well blended. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Sandwich one teaspoon of jam between two cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies. In a medium bowl, gradually stir the milk into the confectioners' sugar until the icing is of a spreadable consistency. Spread on top of the sandwiched cookies. Top each cookie with half of a cherry while the icing is still wet.

They should look like this: http://3.bp.blogspot...re+biscuits.jpg

Edited January 25, 2011 by Matilda_Tone

[i/o hopeful]

I'm not sure if this even qualifies as cooking, but they're amazingly addictive.

Oreo "Truffles"

1 package Oreo cookies

1 brick cream cheese, softened

about 12 oz of whatever chocolate you like (milk, dark, white, etc)

1. Put cookies in large ziploc bag and beat with your favorite blunt instrument until finely crushed (or use a food processor if you're fancy)

2. Pour crumbs into a bowl; add cream cheese and mix until well combined

3. Roll into 1/2 -1in balls

4. Chill balls for approx 30 min in refrigerator (optional, but helpful)

5. Melt chocolate in bowl set above simmering water (or melt in the microwave, but be careful not to overheat chocolate or it will seize)

6. Dip balls in chocolate; let dry

7. Consume

[Scottielass]

i/o hopeful, Here is a secret from a former chocolate business owner for melting chocolate in a home kitchen. Use the defrost setting (30% power) on the microwave. A standard bag of chips will melt in about 6-7 minutes. The low power keeps it from scorching. If you add some pure, organic cocoa butter (food grade), the chocolate will have a beautiful consistency that's perfect for dipping.

[Scottielass]

I tried out a new recipe last night for my very Irish fiance. He said it would make his grandma proud . I served it with pot roast, but it should go great with pork, too.

Colcannon with a twist

6 large redskin potatoes, peeled

Half head cabbage

2 cups parsnips

1 cup milk

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tbsp salt

Pepper to taste

1. Fill a stockpot with gallon of water. Add salt. Heat over high flame.

2. Dice peeled potatoes into 1 inch cubes; parsnips into 1/2 inch pieces.

3. When water comes to boil, add potatoes and parsnips. Reduce heat to med.

4. Slice cabbage into bite-size pieces.

5. When potatoes and parsnips are fork-tender, add cabbage pieces. Continue cooking until cabbage in tender (5 minutes or so). Be careful not to overcook or it will start to smell like sulfur.

6. Drain potato/parsnip/cabbage and return vegetables to pot.

7. Lightly mash vegetables until potatoes break down

8. Add milk, butter and parmesan. Mix until dairy is fully-incorporated.

9. Add pepper to taste.

10. Enjoy!!

[qbtacoma]

I have a question. Does anyone know how to make quinoa taste good? I have failed in most of my spicing attempts. The people for whom I am cooking do not like onion or fresh tomatoes so I feel my options are limited for delicious mix-ins.

[awvish]

I have a question. Does anyone know how to make quinoa taste good? I have failed in most of my spicing attempts. The people for whom I am cooking do not like onion or fresh tomatoes so I feel my options are limited for delicious mix-ins.

Cooking the quinoa in any broth or stock should improve it. You can also do it the way my co-op used to cook "swamp rice"--saute garlic, dump the uncooked quinoa in, let it get coated with oil and hot, then add water and curry powder (and raisins if you're adventurous), green peppers, etc.

Also, you can substitute it for rice in fried rice, or chicken soup with rice...

Those are my favorites.

Good luck!

A dessert that I used to label as "poison" in the fridge in college so my housemates wouldn't eat it:

Equal parts dark chocolate and silken tofu.

Honey to taste

Melt chocolate, add to tofu in a food processor, and mix until homogenous. Add honey to taste. Serve chilled.

It makes a really great puddingy mousse--nobody has been able to tell that it's tofu so far.

[HappyCat]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't modify this recipe from allrecipes.com. But my modifications take it from good to great ;-)

Chicken Pot Pie

1/2-3/4 lb cubed chicken breasts

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2-3/4 cup cubed potatoes (really depends how deep your pie dish is)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cans chicken broth (measured as 1 can for now and 1 3/4 cup for later)

2/3 cup milk

Pillsbury Pie Crusts (because after all this--I'm lazy)

Bell's Turkey Seasoning to taste (super-important lol) http://www.bellsseasonings.com/BellsSeasoning.html

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425

Cook chicken, peas, celery, potatoes, and carrots in a pot or (preferably) a dutch oven with a can of chicken broth and the rest water until it is covered. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain when done.

In a saucepan, cook onions in butter. Lower temp to low/med. Slowly add and stir in flour (it'll become lumpy and like a ball). Add chicken broth and milk, being careful not to make it lumpy (stir it in slowly!). Season with turkey seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.

Put a pie crust in the bottom of your pie dish. Be sure to leave some room at the edges to attach to the top crust. Dump your chicken and veggies in the pie dish and spread them out evenly. Pour the yummy gravy stuff on top (it'll seep it's way down).

Bake for 30-35 minutes (may be more or less, gas vs. electric etc). Cool. Eat!

Takes me about an hour and a half top to bottom (including all the dicing and such). Pain in the butt, but my husband and family request it all the time :-)

[qbtacoma]

Cooking the quinoa in any broth or stock should improve it. You can also do it the way my co-op used to cook "swamp rice"--saute garlic, dump the uncooked quinoa in, let it get coated with oil and hot, then add water and curry powder (and raisins if you're adventurous), green peppers, etc.

Also, you can substitute it for rice in fried rice, or chicken soup with rice...

Those are my favorites.

Good luck!

I wanted to report back. I did the swamp rice method (and I did it with real rice a few times too, and it will now be a regular thing) but I also used broth instead of water when I finally added it. I mixed in chard and mushrooms along with the garlic, and to season it I had a few dashes of seasoning salt and lots of cumin.

It was mad delicious.

[communications13]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't modify this recipe from allrecipes.com. But my modifications take it from good to great ;-)

Chicken Pot Pie

1/2-3/4 lb cubed chicken breasts

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2-3/4 cup cubed potatoes (really depends how deep your pie dish is)

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup diced onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cans chicken broth (measured as 1 can for now and 1 3/4 cup for later)

2/3 cup milk

Pillsbury Pie Crusts (because after all this--I'm lazy)

Bell's Turkey Seasoning to taste (super-important lol) http://www.bellsseas...sSeasoning.html

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425

Cook chicken, peas, celery, potatoes, and carrots in a pot or (preferably) a dutch oven with a can of chicken broth and the rest water until it is covered. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain when done.

In a saucepan, cook onions in butter. Lower temp to low/med. Slowly add and stir in flour (it'll become lumpy and like a ball). Add chicken broth and milk, being careful not to make it lumpy (stir it in slowly!). Season with turkey seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.

Put a pie crust in the bottom of your pie dish. Be sure to leave some room at the edges to attach to the top crust. Dump your chicken and veggies in the pie dish and spread them out evenly. Pour the yummy gravy stuff on top (it'll seep it's way down).

Bake for 30-35 minutes (may be more or less, gas vs. electric etc). Cool. Eat!

Takes me about an hour and a half top to bottom (including all the dicing and such). Pain in the butt, but my husband and family request it all the time :-)

You can also do this with the pop can biscuts....just use white sauce instead of the flour and chix broth. So good and easy.

[HyacinthMacaw]

Just wanted to revive this thread so that people can share their recipes to seasoned gastronomes and first-time cooks alike. I'm pretty much in the latter camp; I don't know the difference between chard and scallions. But cooking, or at least trying to, I think is a lot of fun and a good bonding activity with friends or significant others.

Mark Bittman of the NYT used to be a great resource for simple dishes requiring very little preparation. His column was called The Minimalist, I think.

Personally, I remember eating lots of the following when I lived alone:

Sweet potatoes--just wash 'em, poke 'em, and stick 'em in the oven. They'll soften and secrete their natural sugars.

Kale chips--remove the stems, drizzle with olive oil and salt, and bake.

Eggplant parmesan--who could go wrong with this? Just remember to salt the eggplants to eliminate their astringency. I also like to cut the eggplants lengthwise--and thin, too. Add ricotta for a special treat.

Smoothies: frozen bananas and blueberries render the addition of crushed ice unnecessary.

Eggplant (bhaigan) chokha--I'm from Trinidad, so my folks and I at home eat this a lot. It's just eggplant that's been roasted through, peeled, and mixed with onion and garlic and some other spices.

Curry potato (aloo): Curry powder sauteed with onion, then boiled potatoes and water are added. You can do this with other things: chickpeas, chicken, even green mangoes (my favorite).

Grilled mushrooms and zucchini (if you have an indoor grill pan). Easy and tastes great. All it takes is some olive oil.

Steamed: edamame (a delicious snack), green beans, snow peas, broccoli. All have a satisfying crunch if you don't overcook them.

Tomato chokha--peeled tomatoes that have been fried and sauteed with onion and garlic.

MIx spinach with chickpea flour dough, flatten into patties, and fry (I forget what this is called but it tastes great. Could also do this with eggplant and okra.)

That's all I can remember for now; will report back later when my memory returns to me.

Bon appetit!

[qbtacoma]

Mark Bittman is a lifesaver! I really love the organization of his books (or, at least, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, but I'd bet it is similar for all of them). He organizes it by type of ingredient - grains, say, or eggs - rather than meal. I use the index to navigate and browse if I'm looking for ideas about what to do with something I have, and I love all the ways he suggests to change a recipe. If you are new to cooking, Mark Bittman is strongly recommended!

Here is a good recipe for breakfast or dinner if you have a cast-iron skillet (or any skillet with high sides).

1-3 potatoes, cubed (depending on how many people you are serving)

1-2 fresh tomatoes or 1 small can diced tomatoes

1 bunch spinach, chopped

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1-3 eggs

shredded cheese to sprinkle on top - cheddar, Parmesan, or other sharp cheeses work well here

salt, pepper to taste

Cube the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces and fry in olive oil in the skillet until they are done (when you put a fork through them, they will not be hard in the middle). Add the asparagus, tomato and spinach. The spinach will wilt and the asparagus turn bright green which is how you will know they are done. The tomato will make this dish a bit more wet so if you like drier potatoes omit it. While the potatoes are frying, in another skillet cook the eggs - I like over easy, but sunny-side up works as well and if you want scrambled you can just add them to the potatoes along with the vegetables. Season the veggies with salt and pepper - I have also used spice mixes with some success. Place the eggs on top of the veggies and sprinkle the cheese on top. Put a lid on top to help melt the cheese, and eat!

Other veggies to substitute in: peas, corn, carrots, eggplant, sweet potatoes instead of potatoes (or along with them), leek, artichoke heart, bok choy, kale or other leafy greens, onion, and so forth. Keep in mind that some vegetables are less delicate than others, so you will want to add them earlier in the cooking process.

[gellert]

I love this one!

Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 bell peppers (any color), chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes more.

Add beans and tomatoes with their juices. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until chili is fragrant and slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

[Behavioral]

I could try to paraphrase this, but since I got the recipe from this video by the one and only Chef John, I might as well post the video:

Asparagus Souffle

http://youtu.be/GuTqoBy98t0

Asparagus Souffle Ingredients:

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, (about 12 ounces by weight)
  
• 2 tablespoon butter
  
• 2 tablespoon flour
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt)
  
• cayenne to taste
  
• 1 cup cold milk
  
• 1/2 clove garlic
  
• 1/2 cup finely grated cheese
  
• 4 eggs, separated
  

(Blog source: http://foodwishes.bl...nd-full-of.html)

Chef John is the person that transformed me from eating out 100% of the time to ... ~90% of the time--but I have fun when I cook! And I even hold dinner parties every once in a while when I've mastered one of his recipes.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Behavioral

[HyacinthMacaw]

I could try to paraphrase this, but since I got the recipe from this video by the one and only Chef John, I might as well post the video:

Asparagus Souffle

http://youtu.be/GuTqoBy98t0

Asparagus Souffle Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, (about 12 ounces by weight)

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt)

cayenne to taste

1 cup cold milk

1/2 clove garlic

1/2 cup finely grated cheese

4 eggs, separated

(Blog source: http://foodwishes.bl...nd-full-of.html)

Chef John is the person that transformed me from eating out 100% of the time to ... ~90% of the time--but I have fun when I cook! And I even hold dinner parties every once in a while when I've mastered one of his recipes.

Thanks, this looks yummy (as do the other recipes posted, but I am partial to souffles)!

[Behavioral]

Thanks, this looks yummy (as do the other recipes posted, but I am partial to souffles)!

Hope you enjoy it! I swear I need to see if I can get a corporate referral program going on with Chef John--I've gotten all my friends and a good chunk of reddit tuning into his channel now (all for free! )

[runonsentence]

Another shout out for Mark Bittman!! How to Cook Everything (I have the original version, not the vegetarian, though there are lots of veg recipes in mine as well) was the only cookbook I bought before coming to grad school, and it changed my cooking life.

The index is fantastic. And the layout of the recipes really taught me how to start improvising in the kitchen; he starts with the "basic" recipe, and then afterward lists variations you can try, if you have more ingredients and want to make it more complicated. Or sometimes there are huge sidebars, like the one that lists like 25 different ways you can try flavoring cooked fish.

He emphasizes simple cooking, real ingredients, and healthy living. He also does occasional recipes for Runner's World Magazine; they may archive these online.

[mnturk]

I have a question. Does anyone know how to make quinoa taste good? I have failed in most of my spicing attempts. The people for whom I am cooking do not like onion or fresh tomatoes so I feel my options are limited for delicious mix-ins.

If you look up quinoa salad you will find some good recipes. I have been making it (1 cup quinoa) with 1/4 cup each of cilantro, dried cranberries, and chopped oranges, 2 tbs red wine vinegar, and 1 tbs olive oil. Chill and eat whenever.

[Agradatudent]

Has anyone had any luck making Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce? I've tried a few recipes and it always comes out tasting like gross peanut butter...

[qbtacoma]

On 8/8/2011 at 1:31 PM, toypajme said:

Has anyone had any luck making Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce? I've tried a few recipes and it always comes out tasting like gross peanut butter...

Yes!

I've used both coconut milk and half-and-half for the non-peanut base. Use 2 cups milk/cream to one cup peanut butter - heat it very slowly so it doesn't curdle. Also, I've only ever used fresh or dried peppers for seasoning, not powder, and I think this makes a big difference. Cook it in the cream/milk as you heat it (how much depends on your taste and the heat of each particular pepper), add the peanut butter and stir constantly to break it up. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and about a tablespoon of brown sugar, with some soy sauce or salt to taste at the end.

[dimanche0829]

Watermelon Salsa!

3 c. seedless watermelon, finely chopped (keep some of the juice to combine with the salsa).

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (if you like a spicier salsa, keep the seeds)

1/3 c. cilantro

1/4 lime juice (I used freshly squeezed limes, to taste)

1/4 c. minced red onion

1/4 tsp. salt, or more, to taste

Combine all ingredients and voila. It tastes best when made in advance...I usually make it about 24 hours ahead of time!