The Great FJ Recipe Thread

[Witsec7]

Wheeee I helped! :P

It is so hard for me to just cook for one. I batch cook and do freeze but I just get bored. Thanks so much.

[Conuly]

Ooh, the Mexican Tabbouleh picture reminded me of clam hash. I got it (and modified it) from a book Waffles from Morning to Midnight, which is pretty awesome. In the book, you fold your hash into savory waffle batter and cook it, but my waffle iron is broken so I just serve the hash over buttered whole wheat English muffins or pumpernickel bread with a poached egg on top.

Bacon

2 large potatoes (optionally, make one of them a sweet potato) cut into chunks

1 large onion, chopped

A handful of frozen corn

A generous supply of thyme and parsley - fresh, please!

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cans of clams, or the equivalent amount of fresh or frozen

Fry up at least two thick slices of bacon. I say, the more the merrier! When they're crispy, remove from the pan. Without decanting the bacon fat, add some butter and cook your onions on a LOW heat until translucent. Add your potatoes (you can optionally boil them first and they'll cook faster, but I never bother) and turn up the heat. Allow them to develop a crust before you turn them over. Lower the heat, and add your chopped parsley and thyme and your frozen corn. I've also added some sturdy greens like kale to this, or the omnipresent grated carrot*. When the corn is cooked, add your clams and the reserved bacon, crumbled up.

Serve over bread, as described, with a poached egg on top. I usually have this with coleslaw on the side, and we all have generous amounts of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and Tabasco with it! Mmm. It's SUCH a favorite around here. The nieces literally dance when I say I'm making it for dinner.

* Carrots. They're delicious, nutritious, and cheap! I grate them into EVERYTHING.

[Gizmola]

Do any of you awesome cooks have any suggestions on how to spice up basmati rice? I bought some today with the idea of making kabobs with roasted veggie and steak. I used to go to a Persian restaurant (my favorite, now closed so I have a sad) and I'm trying to recreate their kabob dish.

Note: I probably can't afford saffron - isn't it terribly, terribly expensive?

Thanks

[Guest Anonymous]

Do any of you awesome cooks have any suggestions on how to spice up basmati rice? I bought some today with the idea of making kabobs with roasted veggie and steak. I used to go to a Persian restaurant (my favorite, now closed so I have a sad) and I'm trying to recreate their kabob dish.

Note: I probably can't afford saffron - isn't it terribly, terribly expensive?

Thanks

I'm horrible at rice, but maybe cook it in broth instead of water? I do that with couscous sometimes.

[kittypie]

Does anybody have an amazing mac and cheese recipe they want to share? Just your run of the mill mild cheddar and buttery goodness? It's one thing my italian blood just doesn't do very well. I'm throwing a dinner party and want some great cheesy goodness to go with the roast beef - and suck up to the future ILs who love the stuff.

I don't have a recipe, but I always start with a basic bechamel and then add whatever cheese I have in the fridge. I like my mac n cheese baked. To make ANY mac n cheese amazing, top it with with homemade bread crumbs pan-toasted in butter.

[Witsec7]

Greek Mac and Cheese

1lb ww elbows

1lb feta

2 eggs

1/2 cup diced and hydrated sun dried tomatoes, liquid reserved

1/2 cup diced pitted kalamata olives

1 box frozen chopped spinach, drained and pressed, liquid reserved

1 cup ricotta

oregano

minced garlic to taste

nutmeg

bread crumbs

flour

Cook pasta and drain.

crumble feta

butter baking pan and dust with bread crumbs

make 2.5 quarts white sauce using reserved liquids, adding additional liquid of your choice as needed. Add spices and a few grates of nutmeg. When white sauce is almost set up mix in 1/2 the feta, ricotta, all the spinach, tomatoes and olives plus the two eggs. Fold into cooked mac and put in baking dish. Top with remaining feta. Bake until the sauce is set @ 350. I like the top browned and not dry so I'll take the torch to it when it comes out of the oven.

I prefer this at room temp. Its great chilled on a hot day with some salad and garlic bread and it is a perfect side to roast lamb or lamb chops.

riffles

[terranova]

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1/4 cup butter

Large onion, sliced

3/4 cup leek, white part only, chopped (I use 2 leeks)

2 cups pumpkin puree

4 cups stock

bay leaf

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp ginger

fresh parsley, chopped

2 cups coconut milk/cream or full cream milk

salt and pepper

Melt butter in large saucepan.

Saute onions and leeks until soft and golden

Stir in pumpkin, stock, herbs and spices

Simmer spprox 15 minutes

Add milk and s&p to taste

Garnish with sour cream and chopped spring onions or chives.

I'm making this this morning. Perfect mid winter soup. I know, wrong season for most of you. But it's so divinly comforting :)

[Witsec7]

Terranova, this is a lovely soup to serve cold in the summer with some greek yogurt on top.

[icecreamycakeycake]

This is really, really good, super easy with ingredients you likely have on hand.

Balsamic chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

[Mela99]

Another thought from me.

Has anybody ever eaten at Zoup!? It's a midwest based soup company, and they make the most ungodly delicious soup on the planet called Twice Baked Stuffed Potato with Bacon.

I spend half my life looking for a soup recipe to rival it. Thick, creamy, tasty, with onions and garlic and bacon and sour cream and cheese...

Anybody got one?

[Deleted05]

Does anyone have a good recipe for duck? I just received three or four duck breasts from a co-worker, and unfortunately, all my wild-game cooking experience is mostly elk chili and antelope stew. Any one have more experience cooking game?

[kittypie]

Another thought from me.

Has anybody ever eaten at Zoup!? It's a midwest based soup company, and they make the most ungodly delicious soup on the planet called Twice Baked Stuffed Potato with Bacon.

I spend half my life looking for a soup recipe to rival it. Thick, creamy, tasty, with onions and garlic and bacon and sour cream and cheese...

Anybody got one?

Disclaimer: I have not made this recipe but it contains all the ingredients on your list:

http://www.food.com/recipe/loaded-baked ... oup-138269

This one looks pretty good, too, but I would probably bake the potatoes first:

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-st ... 754/review

[Witsec7]

Does anyone have a good recipe for duck? I just received three or four duck breasts from a co-worker, and unfortunately, all my wild-game cooking experience is mostly elk chili and antelope stew. Any one have more experience cooking game?

Duck breasts should not be over cooked. I understand that folks have a problem with eating some poultry closer to the pink side, but its really necessary for this particular type of meat.

I would salt and pepper the breasts (are they skin on?), rub them with some thyme, sear them on both sides in a lightly oiled skillet, remove them when just at pink. Let them rest and prepare a nice salad, plate the salad with your greens and slice the breasts on top. Use a fruity raspberry vinaigrette for dressing.

You can also do them Tuscano style. Make a mushroom ragout, cook the breasts per the above, slice the breasts into the ragout and serve on bowties or tagliatelle.

[terranova]

Does anyone have a failsafe vegetarian red curry recipe for the total beginner? I have heaps of veges, red curry powder, coconut milk, spices can I just chuck them all in together in a pot and give them a bit of a boil? I don't have tofu and it's not in the budget to buy any this week.

Big ups if anyone has a good crockpot red curry recipe too :) thanks

[Witsec7]

Terranova, all would need would be some coconut milk/cream. Lacking that you can do without it.

Toast your curry and set aside. Dry fry your veg. Add curry powder (if thats what you use), coconut milk and lightly simmer until the veg are cooked to you liking. I stay away from crock pot curries since I feel prolonged cooking tends to make the curry bitter. But thats just me.

[Guest Anonymous]

Does anyone have a failsafe vegetarian red curry recipe for the total beginner? I have heaps of veges, red curry powder, coconut milk, spices can I just chuck them all in together in a pot and give them a bit of a boil? I don't have tofu and it's not in the budget to buy any this week.

Big ups if anyone has a good crockpot red curry recipe too :) thanks

If you like onions, chop one up. Put olive oil in a non-stick pan. Saute the onion for a minute or two. Add the curry powder to taste (two tablespoons, maybe) and cook a little while longer, it should be really fragrant. You can add minced garlic now, too, if you want. Add chopped veggies and stir around. Dump the coconut milk in, stir everything really well, and cook until the veggies are to your desired level of doneness. Salt to taste. You can add chopped fresh hot peppers or red pepper flakes for more spice.

That's non-specific and probably wildly inauthentic, but it's what I do. If you're cutting back on fat you can sub a can of petite diced tomatoes for the coconut milk and do a tomato based curry instead. That one goes great with chickpeas and spinach.

**ETA: experiencedd beat me to it!

[terranova]

thanks experience and lissar, will let you know how I get on! Hope I don't kill me guests :D

[Witsec7]

Cuban Oregano, sheesh I haven't seen any plants in 20+ years. I found some at Rite Aid! If you are Cuban or Puerto Rican chime in. I love this herb, my second favorite next to epizote.

[ceg045]

Made myself a big batch of this pasta salad...really yummy and simple, and chock full of veggies.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/summ ... s-and.html

[terranova]

Red curry turned out fantastic. Will be adding it to the weekly menu. thanks for the tips, I managed not to poison any guests :)

[Witsec7]

Ok I just invented something that is to die for.

I had two roasted garnet yams, I peeled them and smashed them with a fork, added garlic, red peppers, grated onion, some sage and thyme, and lemon zest. Since I don't use eggs I mixed:

2 tbl of oats

1 tbl ww flour

1 tbl of nutritional yeast

4 tbl of water

I let this chill in the fridge for a couple of hours and then made patties, rolled them in flour and fried them in evoo. I topped them with some tzatziki that I had.

Omigoddes they are so freekin' good. I'm doing my next round with curry spices. I use a lot of garnet yams, usually 4 baked a week, now I get to have my yams and sate my desire for fried goodies and still eat a reasonably healthy dish.

[Jessica]

Yummy salad...

A bunch of spinach and "spring mix" (mixed lettuces)

1 or 2 carrots, grated

1 avocado, diced

1 fuji apple, grated

Marie's "Blue Cheese Vinagrette" dressing

[teddybear]

Aaron is trying to go gluten-free to see if it helps his eczema. I've been playing with some gluten-free recipes to help him out. Today I tried making a gluten-free pound cake that turned out really good. It was good enough that I would make it again even if Aaron weren't eating gluten-free.

1 3/4 cups gluten free all purpose flour

(I used Hodgson Mills all purpose gluten free baking flour)

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

3/4 cup room temperature butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum.

In another large mixing bowl beat the butter with the brown sugar until fluffy. One at a time beat in the eggs and and flavoring extracts. Stir in 1/3 of the dry mixture, then 1/3 of the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the dry mixture, then 1/3 buttermilk, the last of the flour mixture and the last of the buttermilk. Scraping the bowl every so often. Flour and lightly flour (using gluten free flour) a bread pan and spoon the batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to finish cooling on a rack.

[alysee]

Homemade Lara Bars(Makes 8 bars)

1 cup dates(about 12)

1/2 cup peanut butter

water

Combine dates and peanut butter in a food processor and puree until mixture starts to stick together. Add a little more water if necessary to help mixture come together.

Pick up date mixture and using your hands work to squeeze it together into one big clump. Mash it down on a cutting board or sheet of wax paper to form into one even rectangle shape using the sides of your hands (or a knife) to make the edges straight.

Slice into 8 even squares. For best results store in the fridge, although bars can be kept at room temperature.

[OkToBeTakei]

Greek Mac and Cheese

1lb ww elbows

1lb feta

2 eggs

1/2 cup diced and hydrated sun dried tomatoes, liquid reserved

1/2 cup diced pitted kalamata olives

1 box frozen chopped spinach, drained and pressed, liquid reserved

1 cup ricotta

oregano

minced garlic to taste

nutmeg

bread crumbs

flour

Cook pasta and drain.

crumble feta

butter baking pan and dust with bread crumbs

make 2.5 quarts white sauce using reserved liquids, adding additional liquid of your choice as needed. Add spices and a few grates of nutmeg. When white sauce is almost set up mix in 1/2 the feta, ricotta, all the spinach, tomatoes and olives plus the two eggs. Fold into cooked mac and put in baking dish. Top with remaining feta. Bake until the sauce is set @ 350. I like the top browned and not dry so I'll take the torch to it when it comes out of the oven.

I prefer this at room temp. Its great chilled on a hot day with some salad and garlic bread and it is a perfect side to roast lamb or lamb chops.

riffles

NOW that I have to try...I have never seen such Mac'n'Cheese. Yum. I will miss out Olives...I just can't. My kid and chap love em though.