If you're looking to keep it simple, I love stuffed peppers. Basically, just saute some hamburger and whatever vegetables you want (I like just mushrooms, but you can really do anything) in a pan, throw in some pasta sauce and steamed rice near the end and put it in a topped pepper, throw some cheese on top if you feel like it. Throw the pepper in the oven or on the grill until hot, everything is already cooked thoroughly so you can be flexible with timing. If you're feeling particularly lazy you can skip stuffing the pepper, just cut it up and throw it in with the saute. The nice thing about this dish is that you can tweak it in just about every way and make it a little different, you can add extra garlic, salt, pepper, change the pasta sauce to taste, change up or remove the veggies etc so it doesn't get boring.
Lots of easy ground beef recipes, I'll second the stuffed peppers. You could also do Taco Soup, lots of different recipes you can find via google but here is one: <a class="postlink" href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-taco-soup/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-taco-soup/</a> Italian Wedding Soup (this recipe says turkey because it is on a healthy food blog, but I have made it with beef - definitely put the orzo in there too, and I typically just use spinach) <a class="postlink" href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/escarole-soup-with-turkey-meatballs-52.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/01/esca ... ls-52.html</a> I also like making a big old pot of bolognese sauce. It freezes really well so, while it takes a long time to simmer, it is easy to divide into individual portions and toss into the fridge to enjoy later. <a class="postlink" href="http://foodnouveau.com/2010/09/08/italy/how-to-make-an-authentic-bolognese-sauce/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://foodnouveau.com/2010/09/08/italy ... ese-sauce/</a> I am sure I can come up with more.
And now a question of my own. I am remodeling the kitchen including ditching my hated electric range for induction. I have a couple of pans that will work, but more that won't. Now, I love my Le Creuset pan that I have. It is by far the one that I use the most, I feel that it has paid for itself many times over. I would love to replace everything with Le Creuset, but it is a wee bit pricey. I think my husband about had a heart attack when he saw the price of the large dutch oven I was eyeing. I would have to do it slowly as the old bank account is replenished after the remodel. Is there anything that is comparable quality at a far less price, or is this yet another instance that you get what you pay for?
I would argue that the non-enamel cast iron stuff is better and it's WAY cheaper. It's a hassle at first seasoning it (even if it's pre-seasoned) but it's one of the few things that gets better with use. The flavors from each dish get into the pan and a natural non-stick coat builds. I also took scotchcrotch and Nettdata's advice and started "washing" it with rock salt and paper towels or a rag, not letting soap or water touch it, this has definitely helped. I still keep regular pots around for broths and boiling water, but I ditched my pans for them, so much better. Also, you can throw them right on the grill, they're just so damn versatile. You can do a search for lodge logic cast iron cookwear, but here's everything I got: Dutch ovens: I got a 5 quart and a 7 quart. I use both, but mostly the 5 quart. Skillets: I got an 8 inch and 12 inch, use them both all the time. Griddle: I like it, but I'd be lying if I said there's things I do on it that can't be done on a skillet. Wok: Probably the only one I regret buying. Maybe if I cooked for more people, but I can do everything I do on it in a skillet and it takes forever to heat up because of the design.
I have one cast iron grill pan. I just never warmed up to it, mostly because it weighs a fucking ton. Maybe I got the wrong type. I guess with the remodel the pans will be in drawers so I won't have to crawl to the depths of the corner cabinet to retrieve it so maybe I can give it another try. One thing that I like about the Le Creuset is the fact that it cleans so easily so I don't know how I will feel about that non-enameled, non-soap and water thing. Sounds odd.
I got one of those grill pans too, and I also hated it, it worked like shit, was a bitch to clean and I found almost no use for it. The stuff I listed is heavy, but isn't Le Creuset also cast iron? I would figure it would also be heavy. I can't argue with this necessarily, enamel and non-stick is quite convenient, but if you are someone that truly enjoys the process (not just the result) of cooking, you will enjoy cleaning a cast iron skillet, I can't quite explain it, but there's a sense of pride I get every time I clean one, which is daily. It's definitely weird at first since you basically just wipe down something covered in oil/butter/bacon grease with a paper towel and throw it in the cabinet, but you get use to it quickly.
OK, I will give it a try based on the fact that it won't be like that damn grill pan. The Le Creuset is heavy, but that thing was a beast, I couldn't lift it with one hand. Another thing that I fear is that I try not to cook with a ton of added oils, butters, grease. I know, I know, not authentic but a gals gotta do what a gals gotta do. And, except on rare occasions, my husband is the cleaner since I am most likely the cooker, so I fear that the whole "pride" thing will likely be replaced with "hot damn, all I need to do is wipe this down with a paper towel???"
Oooof, that one's going to be tough, in that case you might want to look for other options, you really can't skimp on the oils here, and don't even think about Pam or any of that other bullshit. Luckily though, if you hate it you're only out like $30. My place is like that too, I do most of the dishes, but I honestly enjoy doing it since I'm not trying to get the pan back to where it was, I'm trying to make it better. Another nice difference is that even if there's little carbon pockets still on their, who cares? It turns into pure flavor. Unless he's grossly negligent the pans will be clean enough. And for the record, I used water for the first couple weeks with each pan to clean them because the natural non-stick took some time to build up.
A real simple quasi-shepard's pie. Brown the beef in an oven safe skillet, drain fat, add can of mushroom soup, can of corn or peas (drained), mushrooms. Mix well, then top with mashed potatoes. Brush potatoes with melted butter and place under broiler for 10 minutes or so. You can also make it in a deep pie dish and use a pastry crust, but you'll need to bake it for about 45 minutes. A few others I have and would be happy to share if you (or anyone else) is interested: Eggplant Creole Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (galabki to us Poles) Southwestern meatloaf (not your average, run of the mill meatloaf, ala Alton Brown) Shoot me a pm if interested and I'll post 'em.
Unless you really burn the shit out of something, or have an improperly seasoned pan then cast iron should wipe right out as well. I've found that paper towels leave little bits of material behind so I started using rags from clean "old" white t-shirts to wipe out the pans. The flax oil link is interesting. I'm going to give it a try with an old pan I recently received as a gift that could use a little love.
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (aka Golabki, courtesy of L4L's grandmother) 1.5 lb. ground beef 1 cup cooked rice 1 egg 1 onion, chopped fine 2 tbs. butter S&P to taste 1 head of cabbage 1 large (family size) can tomato soup Bring a large pot of water to boil. Core the cabbage and parboil it, removing a few leaves at a time as they wilt, and drain them in a colander or on paper towels and allow to cool. Saute the onions in butter until translucent. Combine cooked onion with the beef, rice, egg and seasoning until mixed. Take some of the meat mixture and form into a ball, then roll in your hands to get more of an oblong shape. Place on the edge of a cabbage leaf and roll it, then tuck side end underneath. Judge the amount of meat by the size of the leaf. Repeat until you used all the meat. Now, there's a few different ways you can cook this: large pot on the stove, crockpot, or oven. I prefer the crockpot because I can make it the night before, turn it on in the morning, and forget about it until serving time. If you cook it on the stove or in the oven, it'll take about 2 hours. In your pot/crockpot insert/baking dish, pour a thin amount of the tomato soup on the bottom of the pot/dish. Take any leftover cabbage leaves and give them a rough chop and place in the pot (adding sauerkraut here is optional, but I prefer it). Layer the cabbage rolls, pour soup, and repeat (unless your baking it--then it has to be one layer). If baking, cover dish and bake for 2 hours at 300, basting 2-3 times. If going stovetop, get it to a simmer and keep it there for 2 hours (keep an eye on it though and add water/more soup/tomato juice if necessary). If crockpot, low setting for 8 hours, high setting for 4-5 hours. Serve with boiled potatoes. Another option: if baking, eliminate the tomato soup and instead, place bacon strips on the cabbage rolls and bake uncovered for 2 hours, but still baste 2-3 times. Both ways are delicious, but I prefer the tomato version. Southwestern Style Meatloaf (credit: Alton Brown, Good Eats) This is by far, the best meatloaf I have ever had, and anyone I have made it for or shared the recipe with has agreed. 6 oz. garlic croutons 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 onion 1 carrot, peeled and broken 3 whole cloves garlic 1/2 red bell pepper 18 oz. ground chuck 18 oz. ground sirloin (this is what the original recipe calls for--2.25 lbs. of plain ground beef is fine, or you can mix it up with half lb. veal (or lamb) + half lb. pork and 1.25 lbs. beef. Using sirloin for half of the meat reduces the fattiness.) 1.5 tsp. kosher salt 1 egg Glaze: 1/2 cup ketchup 1 tbs. cumin Dash Worcestershire Your favorite hot pepper sauce, to taste 1 tbs. honey 1. Heat oven to 325. 2. In food processor, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, thyme. Pulse to fine mixture resembling bread crumbs. Pour into a large mixing bowl. 3. Combine onion, carrot, garlic and red pepper in food processor. Pulse to a very fine chop, but not to a puree. Add to the breadcrumb mix. 4. Add the meat, kosher salt and egg and blend with your hands in a folding motion (don't squeeze it) until its well incorporated. 5. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, line a 10-inch loaf pan with parchment paper as well. 6. Pack the meatloaf mixture into the pan, pushing down so it takes the form and shape of the pan. Turn it over onto the parchment lined cookie sheet and, holding down the parchment paper in the pan, lift the pan so the loaf turns out onto the cookie sheet. 7. If you have a meat thermometer, insert it at a 45-degree angle in the top of the loaf, but don't let it hit the bottom of the sheet. 8. Place in the preheated oven and set timer for 10 minutes. 9. Combine glaze ingredients in a small mixing bowl. After the meatloaf has been in the oven for 10 minutes, brush the glaze all over the top and sides of the meatloaf. 10. If using a thermometer, cook until it registers 155 degrees. I've done this enough times that I know to pull it at about the 2 hour mark (but I do it in a convection oven, so it's slightly faster). When its done, remove from oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve. It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn't. Prep time is all of 15 minutes or so, and the food processor does all the heavy lifting so to speak. And though you didn't request it, here's the Baked Eggplant Creole recipe as well. If anyone is a fan of eggplant, you'll love this and if you're not, try it and you'll become one. Baked Eggplant Creole (courtesy of Mrs. L4L. I have no idea where she got it, but I'm glad she did) 2 medium eggplants (about 3 lbs. total) Salt 1 lb. ground beef 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 2 cans (16 oz. each) tomato sauce 1/2 tsp. dried thyme Your favorite hot sauce, to taste 4 slices bread, coarsely grated (you want about 2 cups--I prefer to use a crusty bread like a baguette, or Italian) 4 tbs. breadcrumbs 2 tbs. melted butter 1.Peel eggplant and cut into 1-in. cubes. In a large pot, bring 2 inches of water to a boil, add salt and eggplant, then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Preheat oven to 350. 2. In large skillet, brown the beef with the garlic. Add onion, green pepper and celery and continue to sauté over low-medium heat for 5 minutes. 3. Stir in tomato sauce, 2 tsp. salt, thyme, hot sauce and eggplant. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the grated bread (not the breadcrumbs). 4. Turn into a 4 qt. casserole dish. Combine the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle around the edges of the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Options: Serve over steamed white rice, and/or serve with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. As Justin Wilson said, "AiiiiiEEEEEEE! Dat mo better den good!"
I think I've made the ultimate winter warmer: roasted squash and chestnut soup. Get as many squash as you like: slice off the top, then slice lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then slice into chunks and cut off the skin. Throw chunks into your preferred roasting vehicle (I've been using my enameled cast iron dutch oven, but you can use a roasting pan), add in salt, pepper, and olive oil, and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on how much squash you have in there. Throw the chestnuts in with the squash at the same time. The only prep for the chestnuts is to make a small cut in the shell so they don't explode in the oven. They need 15-20 minutes in a flat baking dish. Once the squash is done (they should be nice and soft), add enough chicken stock to the pot to almost cover the squash. Homemade stock makes far, far better soup than the storebought stuff, but make do if you have to. Puree with a hand blender. Add more stock if you want a thinner soup. I find, generally speaking, one large squash requires about 600-700 mL of stock, but your idea of "large" may be subjective, and adding more stock can stretch out the soup. Since you pulled the chestnuts out a few minutes ahead of the squash, they should be cooled down enough to slice open without burning your fingerprints off. The cracks in the shell should be pulling away slightly, and the flesh should be soft and moist. Do as you please with them: chop them up into small pieces, puree them if you have a hand blender attachment, etc. Toss into the soup, and simmer and cover to let the flavours get intimate with each other. And bam, you have an amazing winter soup. It sure makes up for the -24 degree walk into work this morning.
So, I think I'm a pretty good cook, but my Achilles' heel seems to be something very basic. Whenever I cook rice, it's about a 50/50 crapshoot as to whether or not it comes out well. This is the case for both white and brown rice. It's usually because it's undercooked, but I use the rice-water ratios I find online. When it does work, I can't think of anything I've done differently. Does anyone have any tips on how to perfect rice?
The easiest way I've found to cook rice is to get a bowl, mix boiling water with the rice, put a cover over it and wait for 30 minutes. Stir it halfway through and you'll have perfect rice every time. Using this method you can also add any spices before you add the water to the rice so it seasons as it cooks. The ratio that's a constant should be 1 cup to 1 cup. Almost forgot, add a little butter to the rice before you mix in the water to keep the rice from sticking together.
Um... So, rice. Put rice in pot. Add a whack of water and mix with your hand until the water is cloudy. Pour the water off. Repeat with new water a few times until the water runs clear. Add as much water as you did rice (1:1 ratio), put on the stove uncovered on medium heat until all the water boils off. Stir once, put a lid on the pot, turn the heat to low for 5 minutes and then turn the stove right off and let the rice steam inthe pot for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Alternatively, rice cooler. But even still, always go long grain rice, rinse it before cooking, and use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. Rice 101.
I know your ancient Chinese secret. There wasn't a single chinese person I met in Shanghai that didn't use an automatic rice cooker. Shit makes it perfect, every, single, time. My mom has one here in the states and it fucking sucks it's round and has a clear plastic lid. Ours in China looked like this: Shit boils it the whole time so you don't have to wait extended amounts of time simmering rice. Never one time burnt or had a bad batch, ever. Anyway I've switched to Quinoa. Boil water, dump in quinoa, wait for it to boil again, turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bam done, less than twenty minutes. I like the taste a lot too. Ten times better than regular brown rice. Kind of earthy but doesn't have the crappy texture brown rice has. Find at Whole Foods or where ever else hipster foods are found near you.