Cooking In General

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I am out of garlic I though I had some but nope, no garlixc in the house *wails*

 

Perhaps the dead sheep is really an undead, vampiric sheep and disposed of all the garlic.

 

I bought a jar of tahini (sesame paste) today and I notice that there is no "refridgerate after opening" message on the jar. Is it alright not to refridgerate it?

I know that it is a key ingredient in hummus but I have an awfully big jar to use up. Any other ideas for me?

 

Sorry, D-fly, no ideas on the tahini (I'm in the same boat, BTW) - and my cake recipe is copyrighted in a cookbook whose author I really respect - but if maybe a PM tonight...

Menu of the first ever Clan Raally seder:
Gefilte fish (from a jar but doctored up)
Veggie soup with herbs and matzah balls
Roast turkey
Moroccan pepper-tomato salad
Matzah-fruit kugel
Peas with sauteed leeks
Matzah and apple-apricot haroset
Lemon tart with berries
Chocolate-nut cake (brought by a guest)

All in all, a fun event!

 

My mouth is watering Rally, that spread sounds delicious!

I did a little research and discovered that tahini is very similar to peanut butter. It probably does not require refridgeration. The only problem was that the product I bought was imported from lebanon and tasted rancid when I opened it. I was pretty disappointed that I had to take it back.

 

Sounded good Rally I'll remember you for next year and invite myself, I'll bring some noodle soup, my grandmother's recipe. Cures everything and just tastes great..

 

Speaking of noodles, what is the best thing to do with a package of oodon noodles. I was thinking of making a cream of mushroom sauce with some red peppers, corn and onions added.

 

Most of the recipes I know are for stir-frys or soups, especially soups. Easiest soup in the world recipe

1. 2 pints of chicken stock (Note Imperial not American pints) very gently simmering
2. Add a handful of cooked meat (prawns, fish, scallops, char sui, chicken all work well) to heat through
3. Add 1-2 Pak Choi roughly chopped and noodles
4. Season to taste using light soy sauce and Shao Shing
4. Add finely chopped spring onions and fresh Cilantro and Parsley
6. Serve when noodles cooked

Notes
A. Lettuce (especially Iceberg) can be used instead of the Pak Choi, also you could use Bok Choi
B. Soy can be replaced by salt if you prefer
C. Shao Shing can be replaced by milled black pepper if you prefer
D. Cilantro is an alternative name for Coriander
E. Shao Shing is a chinese Rice Wine used for its peppery full body tatse in cooking, I don't recommend drinking it.

 

That recipe sounds very appealing DS. I'm going to look for some Shao Shing to add to my ingredients cupboard. It sounds very interesting. I often use soy in place of salt anyway, I think it adds superior flavor. Cilantro I'm very familiar with. If I don't add it to almost everything I cook (sweet things excluded) my husband gets very disappointed .

Today I made a delicious black bean soup. Healthy and tasty. Great combo.

 

OK, what can I share so Dragonfly can put her biscuit recipe on here.

Dan's Sausage Gravy

You will need:
2 lbs breakfast sausage
6 tablespoons flour
2 talbespoons butter(or more)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt (I prefer kosher salt)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 cups milk (I have never tried it with less than 2%)

Biscuits (I use Bisquick myself)

Start with breatfast sausage that is not lean, lean suasage doesn't make good gravy. I personally like Jimmy Dean traditional sage. I use 2 lbs when serving my family of five, and it gives me enough left overs to take it to work.(2 of the 5 are little people)

Take the sausage and brown it up in a cast iron skillet if you have one. Regular fry pans will work, but not as well IMO. I like to chop mine up with a spatula or scraper until it is pretty fine. When it is fully cooked remove the sausage, but drain it well keeping the drippings in the pan. I use a ceramic bowl and put it over the back burner so the vent form the warming oven keeps it warm.

Now the meat is out of the pan, I usually add a couple tablespoons of butter, a teaspoon or so of minced garlic, a teaspoon of kosher salt(table will do) and a teaspoon of black pepper. When that melts, work 6 tablespoons of flour slowly into the butter/drippings, keeping the heat on medium. I use a fork to keep the flour mixed thouoghly, it will look very pasty and there will be no dry flour in the pan if done right.(you cn add more butter if needed to mix all the flour in if needed)

Now take 3 cups of milk, and slowly add it while mixing with the fork/whisk to keep the lumps out( usually about half a cup at a time) When all the milk ahd been mixed in, let it come to a strring boil/simeer to thicken. When it is thickened, put sausage back into pan and mix.

I ususally just use biscuit mix, but any biscuits will work. The break up the biscuits and ladel gravy over and eat. Your cardiologist will love you for it.

 

Here's one of my favorites for leftover Domino's.

Beer battered, deep fried pizza

Yes! Just when you thought it couldn't get any better. It's a pretty unhealthy recipe, but it's so damn good.

What you'll need (approximative, use as guideline, tweak as you see fit. It's for one slice, BTW)

- A slice of pizza (DUH!), preferably reheated or still hot.
- About 1 1/2 cup of flour
- 3/4 cup of beer (whatever brand you prefer)

Add salt, mix the flour and beer until you get a smooth texture. Not exactly rocket science, hmm? Dip the pizza into the mixture. Heat up some oil, and drop a bit of batter when you think the oil is hot enough. If the batter bubbles and floats, you're okay. No need to use a ton of oil, just use enough to cover the slice a bit more than halfway. Fry until it's a nice, golden brown. When it's ready, take the battered slice out, and let it sit on a couple paper towels to remove excess oil. Enjoy.

I also have a recipe for fried oreos somewhere, I'll try to find it.

 

Wow, I'm pretty sure that you guys are not going to make it into the healthy-heart cookbook with those tasty sounding recipies. I guess I won't either considering I like to use butter in my baking.

Here is my very simple, yet pleasing to anyone I've fed these to, recipe for cheese biscuits.

2 cups flour
1/8 to 1/4 cup hard butter (I use about 1/4 cup)
2.5 teaspoons magic baking powder (or whatever it says on your baking powder container)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk or a little less depending on what the moisture content of your flour is - you will have to experiment a bit
1 cup (adjust to taste) of very sharp old chedder cheese. I'm sure many other kinds of cheese would
work as well

-sift your flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl
-cut butter into your flour mixture with a pastry blender or break it up with your fingers until it is quite fine
- add in your cheese to the dry mixture
- mix in the milk and stir lightly until the mixture is completely moistened, then you can for it into a loose ball and kneed it for about 30 seconds. You don't want to overwork the dough or it will change the flaky consistancy of the biscuits
- now refridgerate your dough for about 1/2 and hour and then take the dough out of the fridge, roll it to aprox 1/4 inch thick, and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or knife.
- bake on an ungreased tin at 400f for about 12 minutes.

They taste great cold but try and eat at least a few while they are still warm. Simply yummy.

*sometimes I add in fresh herbs or chopped jalepenos.

 

Heal-thy? What's that?

My second contribution.

Fried oreos

Yes, yes, another fried recipe.

You'll need: (for 19 oreos)
- 1 cup of pancake flour
- One egg
- A cup of milk
- Cooking oil

Drop the flour in a bowl, crack and add the egg, add the cup of milk, and add two tablespoons of cooking oil. Mix with a spoon until a smooth conssistency is obtained. Heat some oil (enough to cover the oreos) to 375F. Dip the oreos into the batter, and drop them to fry for no more than two minutes (one minute per side). They will begin venting a delicious chocolate odor similar to that of chocolate cake. Take them out and drop them on paper towels to absorb excess oil, and enjoy.

 

You've got to be kidding. I'd quite like to live long enough to see the next Rugby World Cup so I don't think I'll be trying any of those insane deep fried recipes.

That cheese biscuit thing still sounds pretty strange to me. Doesn't sound anything like a biscuit, but I'm sure it would be nice.

 

I will definitely be trying those cheese biscuits soon... thanks a bucnch, Dfly!

No deep-fried anything for me.

 

No, I am not kidding, Caveboy. Deep fried pizza or oreos is okay as a very, very occasional snack. I'd rather live 60 years of fun rather than 100 boring ones.

If you want, I can fetch some more healthy, bur boring recipes, Caveboy.

 

Barm Brack (A simple recipe from Ireland)

15g Fresh yeast, or 1 1/2 tsp dried and a pinch of sugar
300 ml Warm water
25g Butter
450g white flour
1 Teaspoon of baking soda
4 Tablespoon Caster sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Ground ginger
Freshly grated nutmeg
150g Sultanas
150g Currants
50g Chopped candied peel

Blend the fresh yeast with the warm water. If using dried yeast, sprinkle it into the warm water with the pinch of sugar and leave in a warm place for 15 minutes, until frothy.

Rub the butter into the flour, then stir in half of the sugar, the ginger and nutmeg to taste. Stir in the fruit and peel and mix well together. Make a well in the centre and stir in the yeast liquid.

Beat well together until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl clean. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Shape the dough into a large round or oval and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Bake at 230 °C /15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200 °C and bake for a further 20-30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Dissolve the remaining sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water and brush over the loaf to glaze. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

 

I made lasagna with those Oliveria pasta sheets and it was pretty good. Leftovers galore this week.

 

Sop, I have a 2-lbs chunk of dead cow that I want to stick int he oven to roast - only, I have no idea what temperature and how long.... *cough*

 

Pre-heat to 180C, 25 mins per pound + 25 mins , resting time 15 mins at room temp., carve and eat. It should be pink in the middle.

If you like the meat well done at 20-30 mins. I