Cooking/Food Thread
12-21-2009, 03:40 PM
#81
That looks really good. Italian is probably my favorite thing to cook. Unfortunately I don't experiment much with my sauce, since I have one recipe mastered that everyone in my family loves for me to make for them. I might try something new. I have most of the ingredients already anyway.
Is that ravioli I see on the pan? Details? That is something I have never tried.
Is that ravioli I see on the pan? Details? That is something I have never tried.
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12-24-2009, 07:44 PM
#84
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You got me in the Italian mood!
On tonight's menu is...
"Spaghetti Pie"
It's pretty much spaghetti and noodles mixed with cheese and put into a dish and baked with 3 eggs and milk on top to seep into the noodles to help solidify them.
Of course nearly everyone who cooks claims to have good spaghetti... but I really think mine is special.
Sauce:
-1/8 cup Olive Oil
-1lb Ground Beef
-1/2lb Italian Sausage (chopped)
-1 Bell Pepper (chopped)
-1/2 Large White onion (chopped)
-1 Bundle of Green Onions, White and Green ends (chopped)
-1/2lb Mushrooms (chopped)
-1/2 cup Feta Cheese
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-2 jars of store bought sauce of your choice (I'm lazy and fresh tomatoes are hard to find in the winter, and I don't feel like using my frozen ones)
-Your choice of seasoning, garlic, oregano, ect.
Basically I cook the meat first and leave the grease in, or it can be drained, then add everything else and let it simmer for half and hour to an hour to let the flavors marry.
Boil your choice of noodles, self explanatory.
Mix the sauce and noodles in a large bowl or the pot you used to cook the noodles. Mix it around till evenly mixed.
Oil and flour a glass baking dish, large enough so that you are left with at least 1/2'' at the top for the egg and milk.
Pour this mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Pour a mixture of 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk (beaten) onto the top of the pasta and sauce. On top of this, add a layer of more Feta and/or Parmesan and a little black pepper, then bake at 350-375 for roughly 30-45 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. It's all already cooked, so you just want a bit of the brown cheese crust on top, and the eggs cooked. Cut like a casserole and eat it!
Before cooking:
After cooking:
I highly recommend Penne for the pasta. For the second time I have used angel hair and have been less than thrilled with it. Angel hair takes up too much room and makes the pasta to sauce ratio too high, taking away from the overall flavor. Penne acts as a nice little sauce holding tube (that could be made to sound dirty). I would suggest using more sauce than noodle that I typically do.
On tonight's menu is...
"Spaghetti Pie"
It's pretty much spaghetti and noodles mixed with cheese and put into a dish and baked with 3 eggs and milk on top to seep into the noodles to help solidify them.
Of course nearly everyone who cooks claims to have good spaghetti... but I really think mine is special.
Sauce:
-1/8 cup Olive Oil
-1lb Ground Beef
-1/2lb Italian Sausage (chopped)
-1 Bell Pepper (chopped)
-1/2 Large White onion (chopped)
-1 Bundle of Green Onions, White and Green ends (chopped)
-1/2lb Mushrooms (chopped)
-1/2 cup Feta Cheese
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-2 jars of store bought sauce of your choice (I'm lazy and fresh tomatoes are hard to find in the winter, and I don't feel like using my frozen ones)
-Your choice of seasoning, garlic, oregano, ect.
Basically I cook the meat first and leave the grease in, or it can be drained, then add everything else and let it simmer for half and hour to an hour to let the flavors marry.
Boil your choice of noodles, self explanatory.
Mix the sauce and noodles in a large bowl or the pot you used to cook the noodles. Mix it around till evenly mixed.
Oil and flour a glass baking dish, large enough so that you are left with at least 1/2'' at the top for the egg and milk.
Pour this mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Pour a mixture of 3 eggs and 1/4 cup of milk (beaten) onto the top of the pasta and sauce. On top of this, add a layer of more Feta and/or Parmesan and a little black pepper, then bake at 350-375 for roughly 30-45 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. It's all already cooked, so you just want a bit of the brown cheese crust on top, and the eggs cooked. Cut like a casserole and eat it!
Before cooking:
After cooking:
I highly recommend Penne for the pasta. For the second time I have used angel hair and have been less than thrilled with it. Angel hair takes up too much room and makes the pasta to sauce ratio too high, taking away from the overall flavor. Penne acts as a nice little sauce holding tube (that could be made to sound dirty). I would suggest using more sauce than noodle that I typically do.
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12-25-2009, 12:28 PM
#86
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You don't taste the egg since it sort of mixes itself in with everything else. 2 or 3 eggs in that much pasta and sauce, it sort of disappears. I decided the egg isn't really even necessary though.
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12-28-2009, 11:15 AM
#87
Garlic Herb Prime Rib with Twice Baked Potatoes:
Garlic Herb-Crusted Prime Rib Roast Recipe.
Taters:
Prime Rib (I didnt take any shots of it with the raw rub on it. You can see it hardening here)
Garlic Herb-Crusted Prime Rib Roast Recipe.
Taters:
Prime Rib (I didnt take any shots of it with the raw rub on it. You can see it hardening here)
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12-28-2009, 12:48 PM
#90
Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Green Beans and Smashed Potatoes with Green Onions
I used gorgonzola, though. I also had to crank up the heat a bit at the end to crisp up the bacon and get the chicken cooked all the way through. I've been thinking of trying it with asiago cheese as well.
And the best thing (in my opinion) to serve with bread is roasted garlic:
chop the top off a head of garlic so as many of the cloves are exposed as possible, put it on a sheet of foil, douse it with olive oil, wrap it in the foil like a hershey kiss and dump it in the oven or toaster oven for like 45mins at like 400. It's a good thing to toss in with food you're already baking. Serve it on a small plate and to use it, you just stick your knife in the clove and scoop it out. It spreads on the bread easily. Just remember to chew some gum or brush your teeth after.
I used gorgonzola, though. I also had to crank up the heat a bit at the end to crisp up the bacon and get the chicken cooked all the way through. I've been thinking of trying it with asiago cheese as well.
And the best thing (in my opinion) to serve with bread is roasted garlic:
chop the top off a head of garlic so as many of the cloves are exposed as possible, put it on a sheet of foil, douse it with olive oil, wrap it in the foil like a hershey kiss and dump it in the oven or toaster oven for like 45mins at like 400. It's a good thing to toss in with food you're already baking. Serve it on a small plate and to use it, you just stick your knife in the clove and scoop it out. It spreads on the bread easily. Just remember to chew some gum or brush your teeth after.
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01-06-2010, 09:47 PM
#98
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"No name for it yet"
Crappy iPhone image:
This is kind of an Italian dish mated with a Creole dish. Just think regular shrimp fettuccine alfredo with a holy trinity garnish (green onion, bell pepper and celery). If I could do it again I would leave off the bacon. Not that it was bad, but it was a bit too much bacon flavor. Maybe only use half a pound of bacon instead of a full pound like I used. Bacon is completely optional though. These ingredients should be enough to make 5 or 6 healthy (big) servings.
Ingredients:
-Basil-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Parsley-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Oregano-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Green Onion (bundle)
-Bell Pepper (1)
-Celery (2 stalks)
-Cream Cheese (2 sticks)
-Parmesan Cheese (3 cups)
-Milk (3 cups)
-Butter (2 sticks)
-Shrimp (2lb)
-Bacon (1/2lb)
-Lemon (2)
-Fettuccine noodles
Ingredients for creole seasoning: (optional, can be replaced with Tony Chachere's seasoning)
Using equal amounts, mix into a bowl:
-Parsley flakes
-Oregano flakes
-Thyme flakes
-Rosemary flakes
-Onion powder or salt
-Garlic powder or salt
-Paprika
-black pepper
-salt (use half quantity)
Mix those into a bowl or a mason jar with lid with holes for easy shaking. Makes a great seasoning for many things. Similar to something like Tony Chachere's, only a bit fresher, better taste and less salty.
Instructions:
I made mine in 4 parts, noodles, shrimp and bacon mixture and the sauce separate. I don't like mine mixed together before plating, keeping it separate makes for more variety bite to bite, since no two bites will have the same amount of the 4 parts.
Noodles:
Figure it out, you make the noodles. Time it so it finishes with the other 3 parts
Sauce:
Melt 1 stick of butter, 2 sticks of cream cheese, 3 cups of Parmesan and 3 cups of milk in a large sauce pan. You may want to play around with the ratio, hold off on all of the milk until you see the thickness. Some may like theirs thicker than others. Mine came out just a tiny bit on the thin side. On top of this mixture add a little of the creole seasoning and some of the green onions and basil. Also use one of the lemons and zest the peel (roughly a tablespoon) into the sauce and add a half of the lemons juice. Let this sauce cook on low, mostly to melt and mix everything together. The cheese will take a little time to melt fully.
Holy Trinity garnish/topping:
Chop the celery, green onion (green and white ends), bell pepper, basil, parsley, oregano and rosemary and put it into a separate pan with a half stick of butter and a decent amount of the creole seasoning. Let it cook on low for at least 20 minutes to let everything soften and the flavors time to marry. By itself it will be strong in flavor, which is why it is meant as a topping.
Bacon and/or shrimp:
Pretty easy to do. Chop the bacon into small bits and fry. Once it is crispy and brown, add the shrimp on top of the bacon grease and let it cook until done (4-5 minutes at the most). On top of the shrimp add a splash of the creole seasoning and the other half of lemons juice. I was going for slightly burned shrimp, or with pan sear marks, but the damn electric cook top wouldn't get hot enough. I hate cooking on electric.
Try to time everything to finish at the same time, you will have to use judgement for this. Once done, plate the noodles, top with the sauce, sprinkle a little of the trinity garnish on top of the sauce, then top it all with the shrimp and bacon mixture. It should look similar to the picture and should taste awesome! Good luck!
For a note, if you go with all fresh ingredients (minus the dried flakes for the seasoning) it will be a bit costly. The herbs aren't cheap if you don't have a winter herb garden. Total bill for me was about $35 and I already had a few of the herbs. So be sure to have a few people over to make it worth it.
Crappy iPhone image:
This is kind of an Italian dish mated with a Creole dish. Just think regular shrimp fettuccine alfredo with a holy trinity garnish (green onion, bell pepper and celery). If I could do it again I would leave off the bacon. Not that it was bad, but it was a bit too much bacon flavor. Maybe only use half a pound of bacon instead of a full pound like I used. Bacon is completely optional though. These ingredients should be enough to make 5 or 6 healthy (big) servings.
Ingredients:
-Basil-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Parsley-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Oregano-fresh (1/2 cup)
-Green Onion (bundle)
-Bell Pepper (1)
-Celery (2 stalks)
-Cream Cheese (2 sticks)
-Parmesan Cheese (3 cups)
-Milk (3 cups)
-Butter (2 sticks)
-Shrimp (2lb)
-Bacon (1/2lb)
-Lemon (2)
-Fettuccine noodles
Ingredients for creole seasoning: (optional, can be replaced with Tony Chachere's seasoning)
Using equal amounts, mix into a bowl:
-Parsley flakes
-Oregano flakes
-Thyme flakes
-Rosemary flakes
-Onion powder or salt
-Garlic powder or salt
-Paprika
-black pepper
-salt (use half quantity)
Mix those into a bowl or a mason jar with lid with holes for easy shaking. Makes a great seasoning for many things. Similar to something like Tony Chachere's, only a bit fresher, better taste and less salty.
Instructions:
I made mine in 4 parts, noodles, shrimp and bacon mixture and the sauce separate. I don't like mine mixed together before plating, keeping it separate makes for more variety bite to bite, since no two bites will have the same amount of the 4 parts.
Noodles:
Figure it out, you make the noodles. Time it so it finishes with the other 3 parts
Sauce:
Melt 1 stick of butter, 2 sticks of cream cheese, 3 cups of Parmesan and 3 cups of milk in a large sauce pan. You may want to play around with the ratio, hold off on all of the milk until you see the thickness. Some may like theirs thicker than others. Mine came out just a tiny bit on the thin side. On top of this mixture add a little of the creole seasoning and some of the green onions and basil. Also use one of the lemons and zest the peel (roughly a tablespoon) into the sauce and add a half of the lemons juice. Let this sauce cook on low, mostly to melt and mix everything together. The cheese will take a little time to melt fully.
Holy Trinity garnish/topping:
Chop the celery, green onion (green and white ends), bell pepper, basil, parsley, oregano and rosemary and put it into a separate pan with a half stick of butter and a decent amount of the creole seasoning. Let it cook on low for at least 20 minutes to let everything soften and the flavors time to marry. By itself it will be strong in flavor, which is why it is meant as a topping.
Bacon and/or shrimp:
Pretty easy to do. Chop the bacon into small bits and fry. Once it is crispy and brown, add the shrimp on top of the bacon grease and let it cook until done (4-5 minutes at the most). On top of the shrimp add a splash of the creole seasoning and the other half of lemons juice. I was going for slightly burned shrimp, or with pan sear marks, but the damn electric cook top wouldn't get hot enough. I hate cooking on electric.
Try to time everything to finish at the same time, you will have to use judgement for this. Once done, plate the noodles, top with the sauce, sprinkle a little of the trinity garnish on top of the sauce, then top it all with the shrimp and bacon mixture. It should look similar to the picture and should taste awesome! Good luck!
For a note, if you go with all fresh ingredients (minus the dried flakes for the seasoning) it will be a bit costly. The herbs aren't cheap if you don't have a winter herb garden. Total bill for me was about $35 and I already had a few of the herbs. So be sure to have a few people over to make it worth it.
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01-29-2010, 09:14 AM
#99
Horseradish Cured Steak
I used a Sirloin for this, but you can use whatever you'd like. With BBQ season right around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite (and very simple) steak marinades.
The basic setup:
Salt the steak fairly heavily and coat with horseradish. Be sure to do this evenly across the whole steak. Wrap the meat well in cling wrap (I also then wrap in aluminum in case of leaks). The salt will draw water out of the steak initially, then replace it with the flavor of salt and horseradish. I'm not a scientist, but this guy breaks it down quite well.
Wrapped Product:
Allow to sit in your fridge for 2 days. Remove, unwrap, and scrape off the toppings. You can rinse the meat under water if you heavily salted.
Removed "cured" meat. As you can see I did not do a good job of distributing evenly
Sear each side (preferably on infrared grill) for about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile I made this baby bella + onion concoction. Simmered in butter and ginger teriyaki sauce over brown rice.
Final product:
I used a Sirloin for this, but you can use whatever you'd like. With BBQ season right around the corner, I thought I'd share one of my favorite (and very simple) steak marinades.
The basic setup:
Salt the steak fairly heavily and coat with horseradish. Be sure to do this evenly across the whole steak. Wrap the meat well in cling wrap (I also then wrap in aluminum in case of leaks). The salt will draw water out of the steak initially, then replace it with the flavor of salt and horseradish. I'm not a scientist, but this guy breaks it down quite well.
Wrapped Product:
Allow to sit in your fridge for 2 days. Remove, unwrap, and scrape off the toppings. You can rinse the meat under water if you heavily salted.
Removed "cured" meat. As you can see I did not do a good job of distributing evenly
Sear each side (preferably on infrared grill) for about 5 minutes per side. Meanwhile I made this baby bella + onion concoction. Simmered in butter and ginger teriyaki sauce over brown rice.
Final product:
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