The Great FJ Recipe Thread

[OkToBeTakei]

Sure not new to you all..but we make this for, well actually we use it for almost anything.

Quick Tzatziki

Greek Yoghurt. I use 0%

Sour Cream.

Cucumber grated. I do not drain. I pat.

Chopped Garlic ( i have a thing for chopping not mincing or grating, more time consuming. But we all have our 'things')

Extra Virgin Olive oil. Really it has to be really good quality.

Salt, Pepper..to taste.

Quantities...IF I make it more Yog than cream.and a ton of cucumber. IF my chap makes it he goes heavy on Oil and adds freshly squeezed lime/lemon. If my child makes it...we stink of Garlic for weeks.

Great as a substitute to butter on a Sandwich. As a dip. And a must for Grilled Chicken with Pitta. A bit like Alioli (not in taste..just moreishness) this can make you eat a good loaf of bread in one sitting.

[Mela99]

I need menu help!

I will be making my first dinner for my future in laws as well as my boyfriend's sister and grandma. We have a good menu planned out, but I need the yummiest ways to make these foods!

Roast Beef - I normally do it in the oven, I would prefer that, but I do have a crockpot. My future father in law is a total carnivore, so it has to be good.

Macaroni and Cheese - as a family, we are OBSESSED with cracker barrel's mac n cheese, I found a copycat recipe, but I'll take tips and suggestions as I've never made it before

Boston Creme Pie - their favorite dessert of all time, which they don't often make. I want as homemade as possible.

We will also be having cream cheese mashed potatoes, honey butter carrots, fresh berry salad, and homemade rolls made with sour cream and 7up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[keeperrox]

Boston Creme Pie - their favorite dessert of all time, which they don't often make. I want as homemade as possible.

I'm not really a Pot Roast or Mac & Cheese kind of girl, but I do make a killer Boston Creme Pie, if I do say so myself. I use Gale Gand's recipe, found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale ... index.html Don't be put off that it's from Food Network. She's a legit, amazing pastry chef. A couple of tips, though. Once the pastry cream is cooled, whip it again to make it easier to spread evenly. Also, add some vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) to the cake batter.

[Triplet3]

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

I have to ask because I'm completely mystified...what are ww elbows?!

[Witsec7]

WW=whole wheat

[ShadowyOne]

Peach season is sadly almost over, especially since it was sooooooo hot here this summer, but I have the last of my pick-your-owns from a local orchard, and I am going to make this tonight, so delicious and very, very easy:

Peach and blackberry crisp

About 4 or 5 fresh peaches, cut into thinnish wedges

About 2 cups blackberries, cleaned

1 tablespoon cornstarch (can substitute tapioca flour if you don't like to use cornstarch)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut up

3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Toss the fruit with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. Mix together the rest of the dry ingredients until it resembles a course meal. Place fruit mixture in a 9x13" baking dish, top with the crumb topping, and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. Easy peasy!

[Arete]

I was ravenous this morning and the usual steel cut oats were not going to fly.

PASTA PUTTANESCA

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (14 ounce) can of chopped tomatoes-approximately 410 grams

10 olives, cut off the pit and chopped up

2 Tablespoons capers, chopped up

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons parsley or basil, chopped up

cooked thin spagetti

Saute garlic and pepper flakes in olive oil until garlic starts to turn golden. Add the canned tomatoes, olives, capers, brown sugar and about a cup of water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until a thick sauce develops. Add parsley or basil and take off heat.

While sauce is simmering, make the pasta. Toss pasta and sauce together and enjoy as is or with a bit of grated cheese. Makes about 3 servings.

[Witsec7]

My dear neighbor who shares the other side of the wall here at the hovel duplex just delivered me a try of treats. Fresh figs stuffed with chevre wrapped in crisp prosciutto. I just inhaled all six. :?

[Deleted03]

I was ravenous this morning and the usual steel cut oats were not going to fly.

PASTA PUTTANESCA

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (14 ounce) can of chopped tomatoes-approximately 410 grams

10 olives, cut off the pit and chopped up

2 Tablespoons capers, chopped up

1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 Tablespoons parsley or basil, chopped up

cooked thin spagetti

Saute garlic and pepper flakes in olive oil until garlic starts to turn golden. Add the canned tomatoes, olives, capers, brown sugar and about a cup of water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until a thick sauce develops. Add parsley or basil and take off heat.

While sauce is simmering, make the pasta. Toss pasta and sauce together and enjoy as is or with a bit of grated cheese. Makes about 3 servings.

ooo yummy! I don't have olives though... might still try it I was thinking I haven't used capers all that much lately...

[luckystone]

I have an urgent question!

I am about to make muffins! But I only have a metal muffin tray. I normally use silicon, but it's at my boyfriend's house. With the silicon I just grease it. I don't have any little paper patty containers to put in the pan, and I'm too lazy to cut 12 circles out of baking paper. Do you think enough oil will keep the muffins from sticking in the metal tray, or should I drive out and buy myself some silican/paper patties?

Thank you!

[tingeofginge]

I have an urgent question!

I am about to make muffins! But I only have a metal muffin tray. I normally use silicon, but it's at my boyfriend's house. With the silicon I just grease it. I don't have any little paper patty containers to put in the pan, and I'm too lazy to cut 12 circles out of baking paper. Do you think enough oil will keep the muffins from sticking in the metal tray, or should I drive out and buy myself some silican/paper patties?

Thank you!

I'm not a great baker, but I do make muffins quite often for my kids and I always just use a metal pan with cooking spray.

[StarrieEyedKat]

You should be fine with just oil/crisco/cooking spray, depending on how non-stick the metal is. Be sure to let the muffins cool a bit before you try to move them, else they'll crumble.

[Witsec7]

I made the best baby back ribs of my life. I dry rubbed a rack of trimmed ribs with the fine zest of 3 oranges. I juiced an orange and mixed it with some exra fine minced garlic, cumin, smoky paprika and a bit of tumeric. I rubbed this paste on the ribs adding more orange juice as needed. (Tumeric and paprika will stain, you may want to use gloves. ) I bagged the meat and left it in the fridge for 2 days. I then lined a shallow roasting pan with foil, put in a dash of soy and some water, placed the ribs bone side down. I closed the foil tightly and put the whole thing in a 350 oven to braise for and hour. After an hour I finished the ribs over mesquite coals. Awesome.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I'm hosting dinner for 55 people this weekend, so I've been making my homemade chicken soup every night after work.

4 pkgs chicken bones

4 onions, quartered, WITH skins on if clean

2 stalks celery, cut into a few pieces

1 parsnip, cut into a few pieces

big handful of baby carrots

2 cubes frozen garlic

2 cubes frozen dill

water

Place all ingredients in 6 qt crock pot, then fill with water. Cook on high for 7 hours. Ladle soup through a strainer into either a pot. If you aren't using it right away, pour into glass mason jars (a funnel is useful), and put in the fridge or freezer. The fat will congeal on top, the scum will sink to the bottom, and you'll have good, clear soup in the middle.

I don't like babysitting a pot on the stove for hours. The crock pot does the cooking while I sleep or I'm at work.

[kittypie]

I made the best baby back ribs of my life. I dry rubbed a rack of trimmed ribs with the fine zest of 3 oranges. I juiced an orange and mixed it with some exra fine minced garlic, cumin, smoky paprika and a bit of tumeric. I rubbed this paste on the ribs adding more orange juice as needed. (Tumeric and paprika will stain, you may want to use gloves. ) I bagged the meat and left it in the fridge for 2 days. I then lined a shallow roasting pan with foil, put in a dash of soy and some water, placed the ribs bone side down. I closed the foil tightly and put the whole thing in a 350 oven to braise for and hour. After an hour I finished the ribs over mesquite coals. Awesome.

I am drooling and desperately searching for the like button. OMG, YUM!

[Triplet3]

I love picking wild fruit/produce etc., so have picked lots of blackberries over the past few weeks. I've frozen most of them to put in puddings for the next 6 months or so, but the other day I decided to make blackberry vodka and brandy as well. I approximately half-filled a preserving bottle with blackberries, added enough white sugar to coat the berries, then filled it to the top with the vodka or brandy. I'll shake the bottle once every day for a few weeks, then once a month. In December I'll strain off the liquid and rebottle it, and eat the lovely spirit-soaked berries on icecream or something. Lovely!

I also made blackberry jelly last week. I cooked 4lb of blackberries with water, then put the mixture in a jelly bag to drip into a bowl for a couple of days. Once the bag had stopped dripping I put all the juice back in the preserving pan and added 1lb of white sugar to each pint of juice. Then all I had to do was boil it up until a small amount of the mixture set when put on a saucer.

[Witsec7]

I'm hosting dinner for 55 people this weekend, so I've been making my homemade chicken soup every night after work.

4 pkgs chicken bones

4 onions, quartered, WITH skins on if clean

2 stalks celery, cut into a few pieces

1 parsnip, cut into a few pieces

big handful of baby carrots

2 cubes frozen garlic

2 cubes frozen dill

water

Place all ingredients in 6 qt crock pot, then fill with water. Cook on high for 7 hours. Ladle soup through a strainer into either a pot. If you aren't using it right away, pour into glass mason jars (a funnel is useful), and put in the fridge or freezer. The fat will congeal on top, the scum will sink to the bottom, and you'll have good, clear soup in the middle.

I don't like babysitting a pot on the stove for hours. The crock pot does the cooking while I sleep or I'm at work.

Oooh will there be matzoh balls? I use an electric turkey roaster for big batches of stock and tomato sauce, it's the bomb.

[fundyfunland]

I made something that people actually ENJOYED :o :o So I'll share my "recipe" here.

I'll call it: Wild Rice with Bella Mushroom Sauce

1 cup of wild rice

1/2 cup (or maybe 2/3 cup?) butter or margarine (No, this is not a low-fat recipe...it is low GI though :D )

1 container of mini bella mushrooms chopped up

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp of garlic powder or 1 crushed garlic clove

add wild rice, 1 tbsp butter, & dash of salt to boiling water & cover. let it boil for 5 mins, then turn it down to simmer for another 50 mins. stir once.

while the rice is cooking, chopped up the mushrooms, place them in a frying pan w/ 1/2 of margarine at medium heat. add salt, pepper & garlic, and let cook for about 10mins. add 1/4 cup of milk and stir frequently on medium heat for 30mins. turn heat to simmer, and the sauce should thicken slightly.

once the rice is cooked. set it aside covered for 10mins, then add the mushroom sauce. stir. let sit for another 5 mins. then serve.

this should give you about 4 servings at least

[Arete]

LENTIL SOUP (AbsolutelyVeganIPromise)

8 cups of water or veggie stock

1-2 Tablespoons olive or canola oil

1 large onion, diced

2-3 carrots, diced

Diced celery of an equal amount as the carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped

1/2 pound of lentils, rinsed

2 teaspoons dried thyme, or about a tablespoon of fresh

1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary, optional*

Saute the onions, carrot, and celery on medium heat in the oil. Get onion transluscent, carrot slightly golden. Salt the veggies. Add garlic and saute for about a minute more. Add tomatoes, water or veggie stock, and thyme (rosemary if you want). Bring it to boil, then turn down and simmer for 30 minutes. Add lentils and simmer about 15 minutes more, or until lentils are tender. Adjust for salt again, add some ground pepper. Serve. You can add some chopped parsley into the individual soup bowls for some contrasting color, but not necessary.

[eineAnanas]

Does anyone have a good sugar cookie or chocolate sugar cookie recipe they could share? I just got some really cute Halloween cookie cutters and I'd like to put them to use. Every sugar cookie recipe I've tried in the past has either ended up tasting horrible, or spreading out so much during baking that the shapes get super distorted.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Oooh will there be matzoh balls? I use an electric turkey roaster for big batches of stock and tomato sauce, it's the bomb.

Yes, there were matzo balls, but my son was in charge of making them.

[StarrieEyedKat]

Does anyone have a good sugar cookie or chocolate sugar cookie recipe they could share? I just got some really cute Halloween cookie cutters and I'd like to put them to use. Every sugar cookie recipe I've tried in the past has either ended up tasting horrible, or spreading out so much during baking that the shapes get super distorted.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-r ... etail.aspx

Be sure to chill the dough for about an hour, then roll it out on parchment paper, cut the shapes out and remove the scraps. Place the parchment paper on your baking sheet - that will help keep the cookies from distorting since you're not really moving the shapes around a lot.

[eineAnanas]

Bookmarking that now. Thanks!

[terranova]

Anyone have a chocolate cake recipe inwhich the cake actually rises? Mine always end up rock hard and flat as a pancake. What am I doing wrong??

[Conuly]

How often do you check on the cake? Opening the oven door too much alters the temp and keeps the cake from rising.

How much do you beat the batter? Overbeating allows the gluten to start to develop and leads to a tougher cake.