The Recipe Thread

124

Comments

  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited February 2009
    bobman, thanks for the lesson.

    Thank YOU for the recipes.
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited March 2009
    Alright, I got one for y'all. Just made it up the other night. It's my version of Bojangles fries. A little bit hotter, heat wise but not hot enough to burn like a hot pepper. Here goes.........

    Tom's Seasoned Fries

    4 small to medium potatoes
    3 tsp Cajun's choice Creole seasoning
    tsp popcorn salt
    tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
    peanut oil

    Peel potatoes and wash. Slice each potato in half and cut each half into 3/16th" wide slices cutting lengthwise. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix all seasonings into a small bowl, set aside.

    Now I have a fryer but this can also be done on a stove top. Fry up the wedges cooking no more than 1/2 of the potatoes at once in the fryer [or 1/3 of the potatoes if you are using the stove top] at a time. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the fries are at the desired crunchiness/color. Remove from oil, draining the excess oil and place fries on a large cookie sheet lined with paper towels to further absorb excess oils. While the fries are still piping hot [do NOT delay] sprinkle seasonings coating one side and then flip the fries over. You don't need to flip them all over one by one, just take tongs and flip the bulk of them over, this isn't rocket science. Serve immediately.

    If you like to spice things up and want "Hot Fries"? Just 2 add tsps. Tono & Beto's Salsa Mocha in with the mix.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited March 2009
    Yum Tom . . . try that with Old Bay, exclude the Cajun & Lawry's and you have crab fries.
  • avelanchefan
    avelanchefan Posts: 2,401
    edited March 2009
    Avelanchefan's fast Pico De Gallo

    4 Tomatoes
    2 Anahiem Chiles
    2 Green Peppers
    1 Yellow or Orange Pepper (The orange are sweeter, or use both if you want)
    1 Red Pepper
    1-2 Jalapenos (Depending on how much hotness you want)
    2 medium Yellow Onions
    Fresh Cilantro

    Now I chop these all with a food/vegetable chopper. I use the one with the hand crank on top and you turn it to spin the blades. I have had it forever, and it still works great.

    When I process all of this I leave the seeds in and everything. I found when taking the seeds out I lost flavor. Not sure how or why, but I find it much better with the seeds in. When chopping the tomato's I always put about 10 cilantro leaves in with it. And about 4-6 more leaves in when chopping the onions. The cilanto is selective, some people do not like it and I do not always use it everytime I make this. When chopping the peppers I chop the top off with a knife, and core out the middle. Tomato's I chop the very top off where the stem is at, and thelittle nub on the bottom is removed also. Same with the peppers and jalapenos, cut the very top and very bottom off, and food precessor th rest.

    After processing everything you are going to want to mix this in a fairly large bowl. After everything is mixed well I put in about 2 teaspoons of salt, and about 3 pinches of sugar. The sugar is a great way to equalize the acidity of the tomato's. Again mix the salt and sugar really good with the veggies, COVER and place in the fridge for about 2 hours. Make sure you cover it, other wise everything will smell like salsa in your fridge. I find that letting the Pico sit really adds to the taste.

    You can serve the pico with anything. Of coarse it is great with chips, but I find it excellent with a salad, or on top of a steak or burger. You can really add it with anything, plus it is very healthy. This is a great party appetizer that takes all of 10 minutes to prepare.

    One other thing to note....this recipe is different everytime you make it. Sometimes the Jalapenos are mild, the peppers are sweeter, the anahiem's are very hot. It does tend to have a general flavor, but it can be very sweet at times, to very hot. Or sometimes both...or neither. I have yet to have one that tastes the same, which kinda makes it fun. Enjoy!
    Sean
    XboxLive--->avelanchefan
    PSN---->Floppa
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited June 2009
    Tom's Moist and Fluffy Angel Food Cake

    Ingredients are as follows....

    1 cup Swan's Down Cake flour
    1 1/2 cups sugar, divided (1/2 cup and 1 cup)
    1 1/4 cups egg whites (around 9 normal sized eggs)
    1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp almond extract
    1/4 tsp salt

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. At the bottom of your stove, put in 2 cups of water in a small oven safe container [Pyrex or an all metal pot]. You don't want to forget that step, trust me. Place the racks to where you can bake the cake in the center of the oven. You may want to check the temperature of your oven at the center once it warms up and adjust accordingly, though that is not a necessity.

    Take the cake flour and sift 5 or 6 times [very important], add only 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well. Set aside. Get your egg whites, cream of tartar, both of your extracts, salt and combine them all in a large mixing bowl. Whip all of it up on high speed [I have that big ol' Kitchenaide mixer but hand held mixers will do just fine] until the mixture is foamy. Now, gradually add the sugar in the mixture, 1 or two tbsp at a time while the mixer is still on high. You want to mix this until stiff peaks form, usually around 2-3 minutes. The mixer will no longer be needed at this point.

    At this point what you want to do is slowly add the sugar/flour mixture in to the bowl. You can either sift it in [sifting two or three pulses at a time] or you can add it to the bowl adding no more than 1/3 cup at a time. DO NOT STIR! What you want to do is gently fold the sugar flour mixture into the mix using a rubber spatula. Repeat this until the sugar/flour mixture is all added. Be sure not to stir it or over handle it. when it is consistent, it's ready.

    Pour the mixture into an ungreased tube pan and carefully run a knife through the mixture to remove any air pockets. Again, do not stir. Place in the oven for 35-45 minutes [at my house, it's usually right at 43-45 minutes].

    It's done when the cake springs back and any cracks feel dry. Remove the cake to a wire rack and cool. Serve at room temperature. Mmmmm, Mmmmm good. This cake will still be moist and delicious after a week if it is contained properly. I would not recommend storing it in the fridge. Enjoy.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    edited June 2009
    For the last UFC fight, we made crabs. I can share that!

    This is a recipe that lots of people in Jersey have used forever and also a bit of a primer on how to cook crabs. I'll keep it as short as possible but it might be long.

    When I say fresh crabs, I mean as fresh as you can get them, preferably live and on ice. Frozen doesn't work out so hot. The only way you should use already dead crabs is if they have been cleaned and frozen. Dead crabs that are not refrigerated spoil extremely quickly and the bacteria will kill you. Leave those for the gulls.

    We had about 40 crabs, right out of the bay. About 15 pounds worth. They came off the boat, went right in a bucket of ice for 10 minutes and then cleaned and cooked as detailed below. Done this way, they will last 4-5 days in a fridge after cooking and about a month in the freezer if you freeze them the same day you cook them. They are good, hot or cold.

    These 40 crabs fed 7 people but easily could have fed twice as much with sides like potato salad, corn on the cob and such.

    You need:
    - Crabs, as fresh as possible, as many as you like.
    - Old Bay seasoning, the small shaker bottle, you'll use all of it so get the rectangular can at least
    - Butter
    - Several Lemons (if you like. number depends on how much crab)
    - Dill
    - Steamer Pot, the bigger the better
    - 2 buckets
    - Lots of ice
    - Big Chef's knife or cleaver...MUST BE SHARP!!!!!
    - Heavy gloves (even the small crabs hurt! little ****!)
    - Beer
    - Stick (optional)


    Crab Prep Part 1
    - Put your crabs on ice in one of the buckets. It simmers them down.
    - Go do pot prep while the crabs are on ice

    Pot Prep
    - Fill the bottom with water
    - if you have a large steamer, cut two lemons in half, squeeze the juice a bit and drop them in the water. Only 1 lemon if you have a small steamer
    - 3 tablespoons of Old Bay in the water, 1.5 for a small steamer
    - start the water heating up
    - Take the other bucket, fit it with ice.

    Cook Prep
    - You're probably still waiting for the crabs to quiet down on the ice so grab a beer and sit down for a minute.
    - Grab that stick, poke a crab, see if he still responds
    -- if Yes, grab another beer and repeat
    -- if No, HOT DAMN! Continue on!

    Crab Prep Part 2
    - Take glove, insert the hand you will hold the crabs with
    - Take knife, place in other hand
    - Using gloved hard (this is very important) select a crab from your bucket and place him on a cutting board, upside down. (we usually do this outside, it gets messy and is not for the faint of heart.)
    - Take knife, place along the centerline of the crab and push down forcefully, cutting the crab in half. (don't cut your fingers off, it really hurts and ruins the crabs)
    - Clean out anything that is unappetizing like the pancreas and eggs and such
    - Run the crab halves under some clean water and place on the ice in the other bucket
    - Repeat until all crabs are cleaned.

    Cooking. YAY!
    - Your pot water should be ready by now. Add a little extra water if there is alot missing
    - Drop a table spoon or two of Old Bay in the bottom of the cooking pot
    - Take a crab half, shake Old Bay out on the exposed half of the crab insides. Lay it in the bottom of the pot.
    - Do this until you layer the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle the layer with Old Bay and start a new layer until the pot is full or all the crab are in the pot.
    - Place the cooking half of the pot on top of the steamer and cover the steamer with the lid.

    COOK TIME: This can take anywhere from 8-30 minutes depending on the amount of crab and how large the crabs are. Since it's a steamer, they will not necessarily turn bright red. They will be red just not as red as if they were boiled but they won't necessarily burn either.
    -- If the crabs are smallish and you have less than a dozen, steam for 8 minutes and check them frequently until they are done. Shouldn't be more than 15 minutes. Too long and they dry out. You'll notice when they approach being done because the edges of the exposed meat will start to curl.
    -- If the crabs are a good size and you have less than a dozen, steam for 10 minutes and check frequently until 20 minutes. They may be done sooner.
    -- If you have more than a dozen crabs, no matter what size, steam for 15-20 minutes and check frequently until done. Usually about 25-30 minutes.

    -- How to tell if they are done.
    ---The meat will be fleshy, white and opaque. Alright, it's in the shell, I know. Well, overcooked it is crumbly, stringy and dry. You can see the ends of the halved crabs and you will notice the meat hanging out. If that is done right, you need a few more minutes. Get the edges over done and the insides will be good. They will likely reach 160+ degrees internal temps and the pot inside will be 180+. Just make sure you don't boil off all the water before they are done 'cause then you start baking them and that's not good. Keep adding water. The pot is hot so the temp change won't be a big deal. Add hot water if you are worried.

    - OK, crabs are done, pull them out of the steamer and lay them out so they cool quickly and stop cooking soon. I don't like putting them on ice because then meat sticks to the inside of the shell where they contact the ice and it's difficult to get out.

    - While that is happening, melt the butter in a pan. Usually a stick of butter for a dozen crabs if everybody wants it. Use your best judgment on how much
    -- Now, two things you can do here:
    ---- You can melt the butter, mix in some Old Bay to taste and serve. Sometimes some added dill goes well here too.
    ---- You can take the juices and Old Bay out of the bottom of the steamer pot, strain them in to a bowl and then mix that in with the melted butter, some dill and juice squeezed from one of those lemons. Makes a real nice dipping sauce!

    To serve:
    - Place crabs in a big bowl or get some brown paper, roll it out on the table a couple layers thick and throw the crabs on the paper. paper makes clean up easy
    - place the butter sauce in in small containers for everyone to have
    - now the lemons. Either halve them and squeeze them over all the crabs or slice them in wedges so people can season to taste.

    To eat:
    - Take your hands, grab a crab and start breaking them apart and just dive in, man! It's good eatin'!



    Some recipes say to use beer and vinegar. The beer, not so hot IMO and really seems more like a popular "look how cool we are, we use beer to cook!" kind of thing. Don't waste your time. The vinegar, it's just some acid to balance out the sugars in other seafood seasoning mixes. Old Bay doesn't have any sugar in it. It does have celery seed, cayenne pepper and salt and those three with vinegar make for some bitter stuff. A lemon brings the acid that vinegar has but also brings a bit of sugar to help balance out the seasoning. I like the lemon better.

    I prefer beer with crabs. Pilsners work out perfectly. If you want a lager, go with a Mexican one like Corona or Dos Equis. My favorite to have with crabs is Tecate or a rich German lager like a Yuengling or one of the local microbrews. Leave the wine alone unless you really want to draw the ridicule of your guests. A malted beverage or a wine cooler is ok, I guess.

    If you want a non-alcoholic beverage, something sweet like Dr Pepper or Cranberry-Apple juice or even Kool Aid. Colas and really hoppy beers don't compliment this recipe well. Lagers and pilsners are usually sweeter brews and work out very well.

    Wow! That was long! Crabs are a pain in the **** to make but SOOOOO worth it in the end!
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
  • bobman1235
    bobman1235 Posts: 10,822
    edited June 2009
    Wow, even his recipes are 10,000 words :D
    If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited October 2009
    Here's another good one I stumbled across lately. I have tweaked it a bit from the original and served it at a recent event. Folks really liked it, hope you will too.

    Tom's Deluxe Potato Casserole.....

    2 lbs. cleaned, unpeeled red potatoes, chopped to even size [1/2" chunks will do]
    2 cans cream of celery soup
    1 medium red onion, chopped....you can add more if desired.
    8 ounces sour cream
    1 stick room temp. butter, divided
    1 teaspoon salt
    16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
    2 cups of dry stuffing mix

    Take everything but 1/2 of the butter and all of the stuffing, mix well. Did I mention to mix well? Throw it into a Pyrex container(s) to where you have the mix about an inch from the top or more. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

    Before the hour or so ends, make the stuffing mix according to directions and have it ready to top the casserole.

    Go ahead and melt the rest of the butter. Add the ready stuffing to top the potato mix(s) and pour the melted butter over the stuffing. Slap the dish back into the oven for about 30 or so minutes [does not have to be precise] and when the stuffing starts to get brown and crispy on the edges, the dish is done.

    That's it. Enjoy.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • Demiurge
    Demiurge Posts: 10,874
    edited October 2009
    Bacon and cheddar stuffed deviled eggs.

    bacondeviledeggs.jpg
  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited October 2009
    ^Those look amazing. What's the recipe? :)
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited October 2009
    Concealer's Lasagna

    Buy: (one pan recipe)(assuming you have normal spices)
    1lb lasagna noodles
    2 jars of your favorite RAGU tomato sauce
    1lb bulk italian sausage
    1 onion
    1 clove garlic
    1lb mozz cheese
    15oz Ricotta cheese
    8oz shredded Parmesan cheese

    1) In large pan, sautee sausage, half onion, and 3 garlic chunky things. (name escapes me right now).

    2) Boil lasagna noodles til not quite cooked, floppy, but firm

    3) preheat oven to 350.

    4) In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, tablespoon of oregano, half tablespoon of basil.

    5) Dump the tomato sauce in the pan with the sausage onions, and friends.

    6) in large baking pan, spoon half the tomato mixture directly in. Then put a layer of noodles. Then a layer of the cheese mixture, top that layer with some of the mozzarella. Then layer of noodles, remaining tomato mixture, layer of noodles, remaining cheese mixture, remaining mozzarella, and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.

    Bake at 350 covered for 40-45 minutes. Uncover, bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has all melted and is becoming golden brown in places, and the edges should be bubbly.

    Let sit for about 15 minutes, and enjoy.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited October 2009
    Simple slow cooked Squirrel Jambalaya with carrots.

    DSCN1625.jpg

    I love this time of year for slow cooking. Who cares if the slow cooker is heating up the house or not. Stews, soups, and chilies are nice to have on hand hot and ready. The acorns are very plentiful this year, and the nutty taste of the squirrels is top notch.

    For a small crock pot.

    2 squirrels whole
    bag of baby carrots
    A small red and green bell pepper
    1 box of Jambalaya rice mix
    some cooked sausage is optional

    Soak the meat in a salt brine for a day or two.
    place the brine and squirrels and add them to the crock pot on low. Cook at least overnight. 24hrs is perfectly fine. Remove the squirrels when the meat is falling off the bones. Bone the squirrels and strain the broth. Return the meat and broth to the pot. Add carrots, and peppers. Cook for 45 minutes or so. Add the rice mix.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited October 2009
    Anybody have a good fajita marinade recipe ? I've tried at least 10, and still nothing comes close to the restaurant fajitas I get locally.:( Is MSG the secret ??
  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited October 2009
    "Crabs are a pain in the **** to make but SOOOOO worth it in the end!"

    Jstas, here in the land where crab is king (Maryland), they're just rinsed, stacked in layers with spice mix and steamed.It's a lot simpler and quicker way to get to the good part!:D
  • wutadumsn23
    wutadumsn23 Posts: 3,702
    edited October 2009
    My wife uses Goya Sazon seasoning and some lime juice, and that's it. It comes out really good when she makes fajitas. Just sprinkle the Sazon on the skirt steak (generously) and put a little lime juice on it, let it soak there for a bit and cook em up. There is another seasoning out there for fajita's but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. Link below for a picture of the Sazon, make sure you get the one in the picture, there are a few different kinds but the one pictured is the best. Should be available at your local grocery store.

    -Jeff

    http://store.cubanfoodguy.com/images/goya_sazon.jpg

    edit: found the other seasoning. It's called Fiesta brand extra fancy fajita seasoning (not sure if it's the grocery store or not)

    http://www.texasrollingpins.com/dsc02298.jpg
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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited October 2009
    W23, I use that stuff + adobo on chicken, I'll try it your wife's way on some skirts. Thanks !
  • wutadumsn23
    wutadumsn23 Posts: 3,702
    edited October 2009
    I found the other one too and linked it, they both work really well. Man I love to cook, I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I have the best rib recipe in the world, among many more. My whole family loves to cook and my brother is a chef at UCONN. He graduated Johnson and Wales University in RI.

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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    edited March 2010
    Large BlueFish filets

    OK, Bluefish are oily and some people consider them junk fish. BUT! They can be quite good if you prepare them right, even the larger and tougher adults.

    Here's what I do:

    What you need:

    A smoker
    A BBQ grill (charcoal preferably)
    Twine for baking (usually cotton)
    Fish screen for your grill and/or smoker
    Whisk
    Mixing bowl
    Basting brush
    Plastic Wrap
    Glass baking dish big enough for your fillets to lay flat or you can use a giant plastic ziploc if you have one

    Ingredients:
    - Bluefish filets(DUH!)
    - lemons (quantity depends on number of fillets)
    - basil
    - garlic (optional)
    - butter (optional, the olive oil should provide enough fat)
    - oregano
    - onion powder
    - olive oil
    - dijon mustard (optional)
    - salt and pepper

    OK, young blues are quite tender and small so they cook fast and can go straight to the grill instead of being smoked. Adults are tougher and I've found that smoking them first helps improve the poor quality meat in the adults.

    You can cold smoke them if you like but it takes longer and you can end up burning them on the grill trying to cook them fully. I prefer hot smoking.

    Weight of Each Piece of Fish

    Approximate Smoking Times for Fish at about 190 degrees
    ¼ lb. To ½ lb. 1 and ¼ hour to 1 and ½ hour
    ½ lb. To 1 lb. 1 and ½ hour to 2 hours
    1 lb. To 2 lbs. 2 hours to 2 and ½ hour
    3 lbs. To 4 lbs. 2 and ½ hour to 3 hours

    Of course those times vary depending on the type of fish and such but they are a good guide so you know when and how often to check. You want internal temps to reach about 130 degrees in this process because you are going to finish them off on the grill which will be hot and they will reach at least 140 degrees internal temps quickly. You don't want the smoker to go above 200 degrees inside because then you start baking the fish and times are off. You'll over-cook and/or burn

    OK, we are going to do a quick marinade of the fish, smoke them and then grill them. OK, follow along here. You do not want the Bluefish sitting around too long before being cooked because they go south quickly. So do the marinade prep before working with the fish. The fish should be kept cold until ready to cook.

    Marinade Prep - you are going to need enough of this marinade for your fish so depending on size and quantity, this could be a big pile of marinade. Use common sense. Since it's a marinade, exact measurements for ingredients are not necessary. It will not be in the marinade long so you want strong ingredients. If you have to make a very large batch, you can use water to make up some bulk.

    Take your basil, garlic, oregano, onion powder, olive oil, dijon mustard and one of the lemons. In a mixing bowl pour enough olive oil to be able to cover the fish. Using a whisk, dump in generous amounts of basil, garlic, oregano and onion powder. You'll have to do a guesstimate on the mustard and add to taste as well. Whisk it all together. Cut your lemon in half and squeeze the lemon juice in as well. Whisk to blend again. Put it off to the side and let it sit. BTW, you've just made a pretty passable Greek dressing. You can substitute a bottled Greek dressing for this but I find that it's usually too salty and the feta cheese doesn't work out so hot in this.


    Fish Prep
    - Clean and fillet the fish or if you bought fillets from the store already, you're good. If they were frozen, they should be fully defrosted for this.
    - Lay the fish, scale side down in the baking dish and brush your marinade liberally on the flesh side. Lay the next layer down flesh side down and on top of the other fish. Then cover in the marinade so that the flesh sides are submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge.

    Go get your smoker ready to start cooking. Should take about 20 minutes.

    Once that is ready to go, take a few lemons and slice them in discs, not wedges.

    Get your fish out of the fridge. You're not going to rinse them off. Save the marinade, it's a grilling sauce too.

    Take a fillet and lay it scales down. Salt and pepper the fish. Take some lemon slices and put them on the fish like you were putting pepperoni on a pizza. Then take another fillet, salt and pepper that one too and lay it flesh down making a bluefish/lemon sammich. Tie them together with the twine. make sammiches until the fillets are used up.

    OK, take them to the smoker and follow the guidelines above. Keep in mind if individual fillets are 1 pound, your bluefish/lemon sammiches will be 2 pounds and you should follow smoking instructions for that weight, not the 1 pound.


    The Grill...

    - Have your left over marinade and the basting brush ready to go, these are going to finish up fast! You can take the optional butter and melt it down and mix it in. The butter will brown quickly and add color to the fish for presentation. It's a taste thing. It'll make the flavor richer but it adds grease that I think can get a bit unpleasant quickly.

    OK, once the fish are done smoking, you should have your grill all ready to go, nice and hot. Take the fish out of the smoker, cut the twine and pull the first fillet up. Lay it on the grill scales down. Grab your brush and brush the marinade on the flesh side. Do this until every fillet is on the grill. Move fast, these will cook quickly to overdone if you are not careful. By the time you are done, the first fillet will be ready to flip. Flip the first fillet, brush and move on to the next one.

    When are they done? When the flesh has a nice, light browning to it and the meat is overdone on the very edges. Pull it off and put it on a serving dish. This stuff is going to just fall apart and it's full of flavor! You can serve this family style or individually.

    If you want, take that leftover marinade and add some Parmesan or feta cheese, something that is sharp but not over powering. Mix it up and serve it as a dipping sauce.

    I've cooked 20 pound blues this way and they come out tasting just as good as a 5 pound blue. If you have small blues, literally, just skip the smoking part. Follow every other prep and grill to your heart's delight.

    Keep in mind Blues are bony and they have the small, choking hazard bones so be careful.


    If you don't have a smoker or it's too cold/wet to do this outside, you can do the slow cooking in the oven and the fast cooking under a broiler or on a grill pan. I would put the oven right around 200-250 and watch your time. It will be close to what the smoker is above. You make want to cover your baking dish with foil to keep the fish from drying out.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited March 2010
    Oreo Peanut Butter cookies:

    Take said Oreo and swipe through peanut butter, put in mouth, repeat....
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited March 2010
    Lorthos wrote: »
    Oreo Peanut Butter cookies:

    Take said Oreo and swipe through peanut butter, put in mouth, repeat....

    Sounds like.... "Tang Wipes."
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited March 2010
    Sounds like.... "Tang Wipes."

    Had to google that one, love that show!!
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,707
    edited March 2010
    Spinach Salad

    This is a salad so It's hard to get exact numbers and quantities so I'll give guidelines. This should serve about 4-6. Adjust as necessary.

    Ingredients:
    - 1 bunch Spinach, FRESH (maybe a pound, pound and a half?)
    - 1 large red onion, 2 if they are small (some people mistakenly call it purple onion)
    - 1/4 pound of bacon, cooked crispy and chopped
    - 2 hard boiled eggs, diced
    - 1/2 cup White Button Mushrooms
    - salt and pepper
    - anchovies (optional)
    - dried cranberries (optional)
    - golden raisins (optional)


    * Dressing, you can make your own if you want but I find that a store bought Greek or Caesar dressing works great and is way easier. My favorites are Newman's Own and Ken's Steakhouse. You can use a light dressing if you want but why? The regular stuff is so much better! Don't use a creamy dressing, doesn't work well.

    OK, wash the spinach thoroughly, it's dirty and can be full of bad stuff. Leave it whole. make sure it is dry. Be gentle, it bruises very easily and falls apart. Wash and peel your onions and wash your mushrooms.

    Boil the two eggs and fry the bacon crispy. You can bake it as well and that often yields better results with less burning. Once the eggs are done, let them cool, peel shells and dice, in about 1/4 inch cubes. Chop the bacon up equally as small. Get a large plate and take paper towels and fold several up. Lay the towels on the plate and lay the bacon on it so the towels soak up the excess grease.

    Take your onion and chop half of it and then slice the rest. Take your mushrooms and slice them. Take the chopped onion, diced eggs and bacon and combine them in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind your dressing has salt and pepper as well. If you want, you can add the dressing. In the serving bowl, place your cleaned spinach, sliced mushrooms and the sliced red onions. Toss to mix, gently! Next take your dressing and garnish and toss that in to mix either together or separately, it's a matter of preference. It's ready to serve! Don't make it too soon because the spinach can wilt. If you have to make it early, leave the dressing, garnish and salad ingredients separate and prepped but mix just before serving.

    Note: if you want some crunch and little extra saltiness, substitute the sliced red onion with French's French Fried Onions.

    RB22020.jpg
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited December 2010
    White Chicken Chili

    Man, this is so easy to make and you can't mess it up. It has slowly become one of my comfort foods to have in the fridge. I usually double or triple the batch because it freezes well, so it's always ready at a moments notice.

    3/4lbs. Chicken, cooked and shredded.
    1 med to large onion, chopped
    1 4oz. can chopped green chiles [7oz. can does just as good]
    30 oz. Great Northern beans, prepared or canned
    2 and a half tsp. ground cumin
    15 oz. chicken broth
    2 heaping tablespoons of flour
    olive oil

    Take the onion and chop it. I like to make some of the onion fine and some a little chunky for taste and texture, but it's up to you. Slap the chopped onion in a medium pot and add some olive oil. Cook just until the onions are transparent on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Now add your green chilies, chicken broth, cumin and flour and stir. Cook on medium heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. Add the Northern beans and cook until desired consistency.

    If you desire a little more heat, try adding some chipotle tabasco sauce and some Tono and Beto's Salsa Macha [A Mexican product that's freakin' awesome] to taste.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • Demiurge
    Demiurge Posts: 10,874
    edited December 2010
    treitz3 wrote: »
    White Chicken Chili

    Man, this is so easy to make and you can't mess it up. It has slowly become one of my comfort foods to have in the fridge. I usually double or triple the batch because it freezes well, so it's always ready at a moments notice.

    3/4lbs. Chicken, cooked and shredded.
    1 med to large onion, chopped
    1 4oz. can chopped green chiles [7oz. can does just as good]
    30 oz. Great Northern beans, prepared or canned
    2 and a half tsp. ground cumin
    15 oz. chicken broth
    2 heaping tablespoons of flour
    olive oil

    Take the onion and chop it. I like to make some of the onion fine and some a little chunky for taste and texture, but it's up to you. Slap the chopped onion in a medium pot and add some olive oil. Cook just until the onions are transparent on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Now add your green chilies, chicken broth, cumin and flour and stir. Cook on medium heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. Add the Northern beans and cook until desired consistency.

    If you desire a little more heat, try adding some chipotle tabasco sauce and some Tono and Beto's Salsa Macha [A Mexican product that's freakin' awesome] to taste.

    That sounds pretty good for you, too. I might have to try this one out. Thanks! :biggrin:
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited December 2010
    steveinaz wrote: »
    "Ugly Dip" sounds damn tasty.
    Have you even made it yet, Steve? I love that dip! That and Frito's Scoops are a match made in heaven.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,230
    edited December 2010
    Tom’s Comfort Food version of the classic Shepard’s Pie
    [or Cottage Pie]


    This is one dish that has many versions of how to make as well as many versions of the history in which it derived. You can look up the differences of Shepard’s Pie and Cottage Pie and you will find that this dish is “technically” a Cottage Pie, however, in my family it has always been referred to as Shepard’s Pie.

    I’ll give you the tale that was passed down to me from the ladies in my family. A long time ago, Shepard’s Pie was made due to the fact that a Shepard typically did not earn more than a modest living, mostly leaning toward that of being rather poor. Like affluent folks, they wanted something delicious to eat on what they had to scrape up and slap together.

    So, they took whatever scraps of meat that were leftover and mixed them with leftover vegetables or whatever they could forage up and topped it with a relatively new, inexpensive and plentiful topping. That topping was potatoes. Now the version of the story you may have heard growing up may be similar or totally way off base from what was passed down from my family but I can assure you of one thing. Nobody is correct. The documented tales of origination go back to the late 1700’s and the origination of them both was earlier than that. So, with that said, whatever version you have heard? Believe that one and all will be well as nobody will ever know for sure.

    Here’s the history of the dish I’m about to tell you about….I have been blessed to have grown up in a family of really good cooks. We grew up rather poor as young children and we had to eat this Shepard’s Pie about three or four times a month. I loved it then as I love it now. Anyhoo, after moving out of the folks’ house some 20 years ago I would sometimes get a hankerin’ for some Shepard’s pie. So, I’d call my mom up and ask her the very simple ingredients for her Shepard’s Pie. This happened so often that she told me to write it down. Well, I did. Then I’d lose it [bachelor’s life and all…] and I’d have to call her back and ask her all over again. Then I’d lose it.

    Well, this went on for about 15 years until one day I said screw it. I’m gonna make my own version. Let me tell you, it’s hard to top Mom’s version though. I was a little intimidated at first and at first I failed, miserably. The first time I made my version, I forgot the meat. DOH! Yeah, the wife still teases me about that one. Well, 4 or 5 years have gone by and I think I’ve finally perfected my version and I’m at the point to where I’d like to share it with you fine folks on the forum.

    It’s very simple, takes about 30 minutes to prep and 35-40 minutes to cook in the casserole dish. If you have room in the refrigerator, this can be prepared up to a day in advance and slapped in the oven about an hour before you plan on feeding guests with minimal effort and minimal kitchen time [you will have to increase the cooking time]. If you follow the ingredients and do not deviate, this dish will fit perfectly into a 10x15 Pyrex baking dish. I hope you enjoy.

    Bottom Layer
    2lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained
    2-11oz. cans of tomato soup
    3-14.5oz. cans cut green beans
    1-1/2 tbs. of minced onions
    ½ cup heavy cream
    ½ cup milk
    ½ tsp. salt*

    Middle layer
    6 cups total instant or homemade mashed potatoes with 1 teaspoon white pepper added.

    Top Layer
    8oz. sharp shredded cheddar cheese
    8oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

    Preheat oven to 360 degrees. After you have cooked and drained the ground beef, simply add the rest of the ingredients for the bottom layer in a 12-14” skillet**. Take the ingredients, mix well and just heat them up to where everything is mildly hot and layer it all evenly into a 10x15 Pyrex baking dish or whatever you have that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients in layers. Now, take the 6 cups of mashed potatoes and one large spoonful at a time, smear into a 4-5” section over the lower layer [trying not to disturb the lower layer] until completely covered in an even layer of mashed potatoes. Cover with both types of cheese and pat the entire dish down to level with both hands to avoid any spillovers in the oven. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes uncovered in middle of oven until top layer is melted and turning a slight brown across the top. You might want to let it cool down a bit before serving because it is EXTREMELY hot when you get it out of the oven and it will retain that heat for some time. Enjoy.

    [* Optional but it does the recipe justice with it....] , [**Mine happens to be a 12” cast iron skillet but you can use whatever will fit the ingredients]
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
  • seeclear
    seeclear Posts: 1,236
    edited December 2010
    Locally famous in and around Oneonta, NY, if you are ever near there make the trip to Brooks' House of BBQ. http://www.brooksbbq.com/ Here is an approximation of their chicken sauce for marinating and then basting while grilling the chicken. I just posted this over in the favorite BBQ sauce thread, but thought it belonged here as well. Enjoy!

    2 cups oil
    2 cups vinegar ( I use cider, but any good vinegar is fine)
    4 tbls salt
    1/2 tsp pepper
    2-1/2 tbls poultry seasoning
    1/2 tsp accent (seasoned salt)
    1/2 tbls garlic salt
    2 beaten eggs

    Combine and cook until it boils, let cool and then add 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup key lime juice. Marinate chicken (overnight is best) and baste with the sauce while grilling.:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
    "Don't forget to change your politician. They are like diapers they need to be changed regularly, and for the same reason."
  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2010
    Don't have the recipe on hand, but Google "Chicken Spaghetti".
    REALLY GOOD!
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2010
    ben62670 wrote: »
    Simple slow cooked Squirrel Jambalaya with carrots.

    DSCN1625.jpg

    I love this time of year for slow cooking. Who cares if the slow cooker is heating up the house or not. Stews, soups, and chilies are nice to have on hand hot and ready. The acorns are very plentiful this year, and the nutty taste of the squirrels is top notch.

    For a small crock pot.

    2 squirrels whole
    bag of baby carrots
    A small red and green bell pepper
    1 box of Jambalaya rice mix
    some cooked sausage is optional

    Soak the meat in a salt brine for a day or two.
    place the brine and squirrels and add them to the crock pot on low. Cook at least overnight. 24hrs is perfectly fine. Remove the squirrels when the meat is falling off the bones. Bone the squirrels and strain the broth. Return the meat and broth to the pot. Add carrots, and peppers. Cook for 45 minutes or so. Add the rice mix.

    Right down my alley!
    Take the 2 squirrels and freeze them in Condensed Milk!
    Makes a word of difference in tenderness!
    Thaw, then fry or "Crock Pot".
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2010
    Thats a damn good camera Ben!:biggrin:
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