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March 4th, 2009
isustrikanda
 | 09:42 am - Accidental sweet and sour chicken
So, end of pay period, trying not to go shopping til next paycheck. it's not that I couldn't, but sometimes it's prudent to pull out some of the staples and just use them, since, heck, that's why they're staples. Started looking at what I might do for dinner tonight, and decided to try my hand at a pineapple chicken dish.
Into my pan I put 2 4-oz little containers of pineapple, with juice. (Note regarding the way I cook: this is the first and last measured thing in this recipe (except the 1:2 ratio of rice:water, I'm not dumb enough to mess that up). :) I don't measure things as I put them into the pan, it's too much trouble to keep track.) I drizzled some honey in, tossed in some ground pepper and smoked paprika (which is possibly the awesomest spice ever BTW), and turned up the heat to let it reduce down a bit.
It reduced QUICKLY. Far more quickly than I was ready for. Still getting used to the new stove. No worries, says I, and tossed in a splash of pineapple juice from the jar in the fridge. this also reduced quickly. two more splashes took the last of my pineapple juice, and I had only just gotten the rice in the pot and hadn't even begun cutting chicken yet. D'Oh! I didn't want to add water, wanted to add flavor if I was gonna keep adding things, so put in a splash of orange juice. it reduced. another splash, and I was able to put in the two cut-up chicken thighs (yes, I could use breasts, but thighs are cheaper AND I like them better, so I don't see a downside here). They started to cook.
The sauce reduced.
I didn't wanna add too much orange juice and totally overwhelm the taste of the pineapple, so I thought quick and ended up adding a fair splash of soy sauce, and then thinking I'd totally ruined it 'cause suddenly it smelled VERY soy sauce. But I couldn't take it out now, so I just went on and tossed in about half a bag of frozen peppers (Trader Joe's does their 'melange a trois' frozen stoplight peppers, and those have VERY QUICKLY become a staple in my freezer. those things are AWESOME) and let it cook uncovered until the peppers were soft and the chicken was done.
I stuck in my fork to taste it. 'hmm,' I thought. 'Sweet and sour chicken'.
For anyone who's wondering, starting the pineapple chunks well ahead of everything else is absolutely the right move; they were deliciously caramelized. Next time I may try throwing some broccoli in as well. But I thought at least I'd give y'all the general (and generalized, like I said, I don't measure anything when I'm cooking like this) formula I followed, and write it down myself. This is one I want to remember, 'cause it came out really well.
Side note: it's not that I never measure anything ever, it's just that most of my cooking is flexible enough that a little more or less, or indeed a different ingredient entirely, still kind of comes out okay. I'll make a recipe in one of hubby's cookbooks once according to the directions, and the next time it just sorta gets approximated. or occasionally wildly modified, depending on what I have on hand.
Hubby: 'Smells good, honey, you made the chicken fajitas! But the chicken should be strips, not chunks.'
Me: 'That's okay, we don't have any tortillas. But I'm making some rice! Oh, and we're out of onions, so I tossed in some yellow squash, but it should be fine!' (it was)
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December 24th, 2007
valancy17
 | 06:12 pm - how long will homemade eggnog keep?
Yesterday I made eggnog. But I have a question.
How long will it keep? Would it last until tomorrow when my sister and her family comes over for C'mas? Would it keep long enough for me to bring it to a New Year's Eve party?
I used the pasteurized eggs to make sure we wouldn't get sick from raw eggs. But all in all, 4 quarts of cream, not to mention 3 cups of rum in one bowl and replaced that with fat-free half-and-half in the other bowl. Plus 12 pasteurized eggs and 1 pound of confectioner's sugar, if that matters. So there are two large bowls of eggnog in the fridge just covered with plastic wrap for now. I'd really hate to throw it all away, but I will if it would be unsafe to drink.
Your thoughts?
x-posted to every food-related community I'm in
Current Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Current Music: C'mas music on the iPod
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November 7th, 2006
doomspark
 | 05:21 pm - Chutney, anyone?
I've got it in my head that I can make homemade chutney... but it's not coming out well. It's too soupy - won't thicken up. Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks much!
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November 6th, 2006
mirli
 | 08:16 pm - Potato & Sour Cream Soup
Potato & Sour Cream Soup
Ingredients: 4 small-medium potatoes salt 1/2 - 1 caraway seeds 1/2 c. sour cream 2 tbs. corn flour
Instruction: While boiling 1/2 litre of water with 1 tsp. of salt and the caraway, peel and cut the potatoes into small chunks (approx. 1 cm).
Add the potatoes and boil for ca. 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the sour cream and corn flour and when the potatoes are cooked, stir the mixture in.
Boil for a couple on minutes and add salt if necessary.
This soup is one of the yummiest I've ever eaten, and extremely easy to cook.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/mely/lemonfaces/smilec.gif) full
Current Music: Spongebob
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June 19th, 2006
June 14th, 2006
mustachetv
| 03:10 pm - :)
okay, my mom left me a note this morning saying she wants me to cook dinner using the chicken breasts in the fridge.. there are like six boneless skinless breasts and i don't really know what to do. i don't want to grill them because we ALWAYS have grilled chicken... i thought of making chicken parmeseana but we ALWAYS have italian food too haha.
so i was kind of thinking some chicken casserole thing. but i have no clue how to make a chicken casserole. anyone have any good chicken casserole recipes?
thanks ;)
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May 3rd, 2006
deviantauthor
| 07:13 pm
Blueberry Cobbler
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour melted butter into a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and milk. Pour evenly over the butter. In a bowl, combine berries, water and sugar. Spoon evenly over batter, but do not stir. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Batter rises to become buttery top crust.
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March 24th, 2006
valancy17
| 01:52 pm - Recipes: Walnut Avocado Salad and Tuna Salad (to be used in sandwiches or on lettuce)
Straight from this week's company newsletter, my recipe column:
"I brought you a tuna sandwich. They say it's brain food. I guess because there's so much dolphin in it, and you know how smart they are." -- Marge Simpson
This week's recipe was a challenge. It's getting to be too warm for soups and breads (and other things that bake for hours) but it's still too cold for grilling. We're past Corned Beef And Cabbage Day but not yet up to Lamb Roast Day. So you're going to get a bit of lunch today: a salad you can bring in pieces/containers and put together at the office and a tuna salad sandwich, because I like tuna salad.
Walnut Avocado Salad
I just bought a container/jar/bag of each of these ingredients and put in as many as I felt like having.
Assemble in your bowl:
honey roasted walnuts (honey roasted almonds work as well, peanuts not so much)
artichoke hearts, quartered
roasted red peppers (I'd use about 10)
1/2 avocado, sliced or diced
Baby mixed greens
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Add all to bowl in quantities you prefer and toss. Serve immediately. (If you want to bring this to work, best to bring all the ingredients separately and assemble them here. Avocado in particular doesn't travel well.)
Tuna Salad
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise (a neat twist: use wasabi mayo or herbed mayo instead of plain)
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and spices. Stir in the other ingredients until all ingredients are coated. Mix together well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: in my head - "Why Can't I Be You?" - the Cure
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March 17th, 2006
valancy17
| 09:51 am - Recipe: Pork Rice Paper Rolls
To thank you all for your help with the spice question, here's my column. It includes the pork rice paper rolls recipe as well as a sort of recipe for something that practically makes my heart stop beating just from looking at it, The Luther. (completely fictional, I should add)
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"Granddad, you can't serve this kinda food to people. It'll cause... death." -- Huey Freeman, from "The Boondocks" animated TV series
Huey's Grandad opened a soul food restaurant and his signature dish was a burger he called "the Luther," named after Luther Vandross. The Luther has no bun. Instead, it has two Krispy Kreme doughnuts with a bunch of stuff between them. Between the doughnuts, the Luther offers 4 pounds of beef covered in cheese, fried onions, and 5 strips of bacon. And you thought the Primanti's sandwich was bad!
I have been trying to find lighter fare for this column. My last recipe was a low-fat Cashew Chicken recipe, and this week, I have some more low-fat Asian fare for you - Pork Rice Paper Rolls. This one has an optional dipping sauce that you can make nice and spicy, if that is your wont. You may be able to find the rice paper at your local supermarket in the Asian foods section, but you can definitely get it at an Asian grocery. If you don't have or can't find Vietnamese or Chinese spice (or "Chinese 5-spice"), try 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh ground anise and ground cinnamon.
Pork Rice Paper Rolls
serves 3-4, contains 7 g fat
3/4 pound low-fat minced pork
1 teaspoon Vietnamese or Chinese spice*
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
3/4 pound Chinese cabbage, shredded
5 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 bunch coriander leaf, chopped
12 rice paper sheets
1. Cook the pork with no oil in a fry pan with the spice, garlic and ginger until the pork is cooked.
2. Add the cabbage, onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce and coriander. Cook until the cabbage goes soft and kind of translucent.
3. Put a sheet of rice paper in a bowl of warm water until it goes soft and pliable, lift the sheet from the water and place it on a plate. Pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Place 2 heaped tablespoons of the mixture in the center, fold in the sides and roll up. This should make approx. 10 rolls.
5. Place the rolls in a single layer in a steamer set over a large saucepan of simmering water and steam for about 4-5 minutes.
Dipping Sauce
3/8 cup sweet chilli sauce
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon coriander leaf, coarsely chopped
To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with the rolls.
x-posted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) culinarydelight
Current Music: "The Splendid Table", public radio cooking show
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March 16th, 2006
valancy17
| 03:38 pm - do you know what "Vietnamese spice" is?
I'm trying to figure out what a recipe means when it calls for "1 teaspoon Vietnamese or Chinese spice."
Do you just go to an Asian grocery and ask for "Chinese spice" or "Vietnamese spice"? Is this something I can make myself out of a few components?
A quick web search has led me to think Vietnamese spice may be a combination of anise and cinnamon, but I hate anise, so I'd like some other options.
What do y'all think?
x-posted to culinarydelight
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March 13th, 2006
doomspark
| 05:51 pm - Jambalaya anyone?
I made jambalaya the other day. I more or less created my own recipe by garnering half a dozen off the 'Net and combining the elements I thought sounded best.
It may not be "real" or "traditional" jambalaya, but it IS tasty and filling. And my wife likes it. So I hereby present:
Doomspark's Crockpot Jambalaya
1 lb. of Andoullie sausage cut into chunks
1 lb chicken cut into chunks (I used thighs, but breast would work also)
1 cup chopped celery
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper
1 can tomato paste
Two large tomatoes cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh garlic, finely chopped
Seasonings to taste (I used red pepper, black pepper, salt, paprika, and garlic powder)
Throw everything into the crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over rice or with bread.
NOTE: thaw your chicken and sausage first!
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February 28th, 2006
mmyrtle
 | 10:30 pm - S.O.S.
Here's the dilemma:
I have 2 pounds of meat (1 lb. of ground chuck, .5 lb of ground veal and .5 lb of ground pork) that I thawed, imagining that I would be able to make meatloaf tomorrow night.
As I will be working late tomorrow night, meatloaf is no longer an option.
We have 3 lbs. of meatballs in the freezer as it is...
HELP!!!
What else can I do with this meat mixture???
cross-posted to every foodie site I can think of
Current Mood: panic
Current Music: Hubbie, channel-surfing
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February 18th, 2006
deviantauthor
| 10:31 pm
Studmuffin's Citrus Chipotle Shrimp
To serve two--
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of medium sized shrimp, deheaded, peeled and cleaned.
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup tiger sauce
Marinate for a few hours and dump in a skillet to cook down. While it's cooking down, fix a pound of spaghetti noodles according to directions to serve it over.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/mely/lemonfaces/artistic.gif) sharing a recipe
Current Music: Olympics for noise
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February 8th, 2006
serenya_loreden
 | 04:25 pm - Brandied Cherries
last summer I took a pound or two of sour cherries, a bottle of brandy, and some sugar, and put the whole thing into a few mason jars which I took the basement. I was just reminded that I still have them, unopened. Any suggestions as to what I do with them?
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January 26th, 2006
bunny_wabbitt
 | 03:15 pm - Flour: self-rising vs. all purpose
Hi all. I want to make a carrot cake, but I have self-rising flour. The recipe calls for cake flour but I've used all purpose flour with good results. As I recall, there's is an adjustment to the recipe I have to make in order to use the self-rising flour as if it were regular flour. Does anyone know what that adjustment is per cup of flour?
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January 18th, 2006
whimbley
 | 05:46 pm - Banana's?
Anyone have any good recipes for banana's?
The Husband and I were watching Iron Chef the other night and the secret ingredient was banana's. We were left drooling.
One of the chef's was sauteing them in brandy, with brown sugar and all kinds of yummy things.
I'd appreciate any good recipes. Thanks!
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valancy17
| 04:32 pm - brandy?
Can anyone recommend a good brandy to me? I know nothing about such things but I need some for a recipe. They always say you shouldn't cook with something you wouldn't drink, but I wouldn't even know what would be good to drink. Thanks in advance!
x-posted to culinarydelight and my own LJ
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/mely/lemonfaces/sick.gif) sick
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January 4th, 2006
deviantauthor
| 10:17 am
My Studmuffin's Citrus Chipotle Shrimp
To serve two--
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of medium sized shrimp, deheaded, peeled and cleaned.
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup tiger sauce
Marinate for a few hours and dump in a skillet to cook down. While it's cooking down, fix a pound of spaghetti noodles according to directions to serve it over.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/mely/lemonfaces/bigeye.gif) debating coffee
Current Music: food network for background noise
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December 26th, 2005
melisande88
 | 04:41 am - Looking for leftover ham suggestions
We have quite a large chunk of ham left over from Christmas dinner and I was wondering if folks here in the comm have suggestions what to make with it, aside from flavoring beans, soups, and adding to omelets or sandwiches.
Thoughts, anyone? We have at least 3 pounds of meat, and the bone (which will go into split pea soup, I think).
I hope everyone had a happy holiday!
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December 22nd, 2005
plaidpooka
 | 02:18 pm - Holiday Cookies
Today I was doing a little upkeep on the links list and I found that we have around 70 recipes so far. Good for us! For those of you who access this through your flist, please remember that you can access all the recipes in the links list on the actual cooking_nook page: http://www.livejournal.com/community/cooking_nook/
The holidays are approaching, and I’m wondering if I should bake some cookies. That led me to wondering what everyone’s favorite holiday cookie recipes were. Here’s a couple of mine, and I hope you all will post yours as well!
Ringed Cookies
These are one of my favorite cookies. They are
easy to make, and very pretty. They have a rich
taste, like shortbread, but the oats
give them a more interesting texture.
If you are going to try a new cookie, try these!
Mix thoroughly:
1 C soft shortening (part butter)
1 C sifted powdered sugar
Mix in:
1 ¼ C sifted flour
½ t. salt
1 C rolled oats
Shape into two long rolls, about 2” in diameter.
Coat in desired cookie decoration, (for example,
chocolate shot, nuts, coconut, etc)
and wrap in waxed paper. Chill well, and cut into
slices about ½” thick. Place slices on an
ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.
Gingerbread Men
½ C brown sugar
1 C vegetable shortening
¾ C molasses
1 tsp soda
1 unbeaten egg
1 t. cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 t. ginger
2 t. vinegar
1 t. salt
3-3 ½ C flour
Combine everything except the flour and mix well.
Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill
overnight. Roll out to about ½” thick with a
rolling pin. Use a cookie cutter to make shapes.
Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet at 350°
for 15-18 minutes. Cool slightly before gently
removing from pan.
(I like to dress mine up in little red and green icing bikinis and boxers. ;) )
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