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The General Cooking Thread

Discussion in 'Cooking' started by Blue Dog, Oct 20, 2009.

  1. bewildered

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    I've never baked fish for myself before but this is something that you can't mess up and is delicious to boot. I should have gone with frozen asparagus tonight because this can of it had a ton of stems in it but whatever. I had a pretty awesome dinner and the entire meal took less than 30 minutes to prepare.

    Easy tilapia:
    4 tilapia fillets
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    3-4 tablespoon butter (can substitute part of this with olive oil)
    3 large clove garlic, finely chopped
    salt and pepper to taste

    -pat the fillets dry and salt and pepper to taste
    -saute the garlic in the butter and lemon
    -spray baking dish with nonstick spray, put in the fillets in and drizzle with contents of skillet
    -bake in preheated oven at 400 for 10-12 minutes, or 8-10 if the fillets are super thin

    Aaand you're done! I also want to say that couscous is weird. It puffs up a ton when you cook it so your 1 "serving" is about half your plate.



    Ps sorry I ate half the fish before the picture was taken. My bad!
    .
     

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  2. Hoosiermess

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    Felt a little spunky and tried a new recipie yesterday. I would recommend not forgetting the garlic but they turned out alright anyway. I'm not eating a paleo diet but I found this on the fast paleo website. I'm finding a lot of ideas there that I'm planning to try out.

    Moroccan Zucchini Boats.

    Nice light summer dish that looks kinda fancy.

    4 Medium Zucchini
    1/2 tbsp olive oil
    1 clove of garlic, minced
    1/3 lb ground beef
    1/3 cup diced white onion
    1/3 cup diced tomato
    1 tsp tomato paste
    1 tsp paprika
    1 tsp cumin
    1/2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tbsp parsley, salt and pepper to taste

    -Preheat oven to 350 F.
    -Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray or coat with oil.
    -Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and flesh, leaving about a 1/4 inch thick shell. Set the seeds and flesh aside on a cutting board.
    -Brush the zucchini shells with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, cut side up, in prepared baking dish. Remove from the oven and set aside.
    -Heat a skillet over medium heat.
    -Dice the reserved zucchini flesh and add to a bowl with the diced onions, tomato, tomato paste, minced garlic and all spices.
    -Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini mixture to the pan and continue to cook until meat has cooked through, stirring often, an additional 5 minutes.
    -Fill each zucchini shell with about 1/3 cup of filling and return to the oven for 20 minutes

    This is how they came out. I would probably cook the zucchini a little longer to soften them up a little more.
     

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  3. katokoch

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    I tried natural "lump" charcoal in my grill for the first time this weekend.

    [​IMG]

    It's officially awesome. Burns hotter, longer, and tastes better than with briquettes.

    Lesson for next time... stick the big chunks deeper in the chimney starter. Most pieces were much smaller than whats on top in the photo.
     
  4. Flat_Rate

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    Re: Re: The Cooking Thread

    Cut a piece of expanded metal into a circle that fits your starter, use metal that has small holes, no more lump falling out of the bottom.

    Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
     
  5. Flat_Rate

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    Re: Re: The Cooking Thread

    Cut a piece of expanded metal into a circle that fits your starter, use metal that has small holes, no more lump falling out of the bottom.

    Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
     
  6. Psk

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    Apologies for not having any pictures, but I thought the recipe was worth the post. Made a pasta dish with smoke salmon tonight for dinner that turned out incredible. I've had the general idea a while now, but it's the first time I made it. I don't have any measurements, but I'm sure you can work it out depending on portions.

    Pasta with a smoke salmon white wine cream sauce, with asparagus and lemon

    Shallots
    Fresh garlic
    Asparagus
    Fresh Thyme
    Fresh French Tarragon
    Smoked salmon (preferably lightly smoked)
    Parmesan cheese (I actually used Grana Padano)
    Cooking cream (~15%)
    Creme fraiche
    White wine
    Lemon
    Pasta (I used linguini, but whatever)
    Olive oil
    Butter (optional)


    -Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta
    -In a sauce pan, saute your shallots and garlic in olive oil. Use the amount you want in the sauce later. I added some butter here as well, but that was really because the smell is awesome.
    -Add white wine. Be generous with the wine here, deglaze the pan.
    -Add the cream and creme fraiche. I used a smaller amount of creme fraiche in relation to the cream. The sauce is going to be reducing quite a bit, so make sure you have enough liquid.

    While you're doing this, have the smoked salmon (i get it in thin slices) sliced up into about 0.3x2x5cm pieces. Cut up the asparagus into perhaps 3-4cm pieces. I used the most tender part of the asparagus only for even cooking time. Grab a bunch of tarragon and thyme and cut it up with a sharp knife. Your pasta should be going into the pot around this point depending on type.

    -When the sauce has reduced a bit, add the asparagus.
    -Add some parmigiano / gran padano

    This is timing, you need to have the asparagus almost cooked through for the last stage which takes 1-2min. The pasta should be cooked up until it has about 30sec - 1min left, depending on type (the thinner the longer) at this point

    -Add the smoked salmon and herbs. Add the almost cooked pasta (a little bit of cooking water will do the sauce good)
    -Stir until the pasta is done. At this point the salmon should be turning light pink. The salmon only needs the residual heat from the cooking, it will still be cooking when you serve it.
    -Serve immediately, with some more cheese, some black pepper to taste and a good squeeze of lemon over the top. Have a cooled white wine ready at this point.

    Some thoughts
    Above is how I made it today, but next time I think I will add the pasta before the salmon and herbs, letting it cook in the sauce longer, only adding the salmon and herbs when it is ready to serve.
    This dish was heavier than I envisioned it. A lighter, thinner sauce with perhaps another type of vegetable might do the trick.
    The lemon juice when served did amazing things. Definitely deserves its place in the title.
     
  7. subgeniuschick

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    Lime, Garlic & Chili grilled pork loin chops.

    I made these last night, but I still don't have my camera back, and my camera on my phone is just terrible. It is very easy to do. I haven't listed any measurements as that depends on the level of kick you want out of it.

    Olive oil
    Chopped garlic in oil
    Red chili peppers
    1 Lime

    Step #1: Get a shallow bowl
    Step #2: Squeeze lime until you've gotten as much juice from it as you can
    Step #3: Put everything else into the bowl w/ the lime juice
    Step #4: Put loin chops in marinade and coat both sides (I grate a little of the lime zest over each side as well)
    Step #5: Marinate for a few hours or over night
    Step #6: Grill and serve (I baste a little during the start of cooking w/ left over marinade). I serve over rice w/ roasted red, green, & yellow peppers.
     
  8. Pink Candy

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    Had a hankerin' for this Mexican "bowl" from an Asian/Mexican fusion restaurant the boy took me to. After craving it multiple times this week, I broke down and made my own version.

    So, I came up with this tonight, and it came pretty damn close. The Mexican bowl had rice, avocado, roasted corn and steak, topped with chipotle mayo. This is my re-creation with chicken.

    For the rice:
    2 cups long grain rice
    1 8 oz can tomato sauce
    1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chili (I'm a wuss and needed mild, if you're into spicy, get as spicy as you like)
    4 cups chicken broth
    3 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 onion, chopped
    5 cloves of garlic, chopped
    Cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, Seasoned salt, pepper

    For the chicken (I never measure, these are just what I threw into a bowl):
    2 thin-sliced boneless chicken breasts
    The juice from one lemon
    1-2 tbsp olive oil
    Paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, cracked black pepper, cumin...one handful of each

    For the chipotle mayo:
    8 oz jar of mayo
    1 can of chipotle sauce

    Marinate the chicken first. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and all the spices. Pour over chicken. I marinate the meat in a Ziploc bag. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

    Pour the 2 cups of rice into a fine mesh strainer. Run cold water over the rice until the water turns clear. This is to get rid of the starch and make the rice fluffy. I thought this was load, but figured what the hell, I'd give it a shot. Let the rice sit until it dries.

    Pour enough olive oil into a large pot to coat the bottom, and turn to medium/high heat. When the oil is glistening, add the rice. Be sure you have let the rice dry or this will result in some splatter. Coat the rice with the oil. Add the onion and cook until the rice is nicely browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, let cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Sprinkle the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper on top. Let come to a boil. Lower the heat to barely a simmer. Cover the pot, let simmer until the rice absorbs all the liquid, about 25 minutes. After 15 minutes, uncover the rice and stir, or you'll be left with rice stuck to the bottom of the pan. If a little liquid is left over, that's fine. Turn the heat off and let sit for 5-10 minutes. The rice will continue to cook and the liquid will be absorbed.

    For the chicken, grill four minutes on each side. Let the chicken rest five minutes. Slice into strips. While chicken is resting, make the chipotle mayo, which simply involves pouring the mayo into a bowl and stirring in enough chipotle sauce to make a thick but a little runny consistency.

    Place a bed of rice in a bowl, top with chicken, drizzle with chipotle mayo. If you're so inclined, add some avocado, roasted corn, cilantro, whatever tickles your fancy.

    I'm gonna say tho...the rice was ah-mazing. I guess the trick to washing the rice beforehand worked - the rice had a lovely fluffy texture. I'm thrilled to have LOs galore.
     
  9. jdoogie

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    Got a lot more work done on the new smoker project. Really didn't think we were going to make the labor day deadline, but after a really long day today we might actually make on time.

    First picture is the custom made aluminum water pan that we made to fit into the bottom half of the tank. This think was what has taken us the longest so far since we had to hand bend the aluminum to fit in just right.


    After the pan was fitted properly, cut out holes and welded on some big brass nipples to act as smoke ports from the wood chamber underneath. We also cut out a smaller hole in the back to act as a drain hole for emptying the water out.


    This is a picture of the drain line from the pan to the spigot release on the outside of the tank.


    Next is a picture of the cutout for the wood box underneath the water pan.


    We then hinged and re-welded the cut out sections back on so that we can open and close the doors to adjust airflow going in and out of the wood chamber.

     

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  10. jdoogie

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    We also put in the framing for the bottom rack. This one is going to be fixed, as we welded it directly onto the tank.


    Finally a picture of the rack with the grating installed.

     

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  11. dewercs

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    Got into some decent grade yellowfin last week so I ate as much as I could before having to freeze it.
    This is yellowfin sliced 1/4 of an inch thick, with avocado,mango, green onion, siracha, lime juice and soy
     

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  12. jdoogie

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    I have a couple of digital thermometers similar to the one listed below. However, I've either lost or broken all of the probes that plug into the bases. I've tried looking online to find replacements ones, but I can't seem to locate just the replacement probes, only the full thermometers. Does anyone here know where I can purchase replacement probes online or where I could possibly look to find them?

    [​IMG]
     
  13. bewildered

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    What is the exact model of one of your thermometers? That might help when finding a replacement part. Honestly though, most of those thermometers are something in the ballpark of $10-15 so I doubt you will have much luck finding a part for it.
     
  14. GTE

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    Depends if its a thermocouple or thermistor style

    The thermocouples are cheap, relatively accurate but take much longer to get a reading, needs to be inserted much deeper and the tip is much bigger. Giggity.

    Thermistors are much more expensive (My Polder was something like $90 IIRC) but is extremely accurate, extremely fast, can get a reading in the thinnest of meat cuts and has a much smaller tip.


    (I realize you said "most" but Imma droppin' some knowledge up in dis here beeotch 4 da otha peeps)
     
  15. paulburton

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    Hi guys,

    I moonlight as a chef in England so I thought I'd share some recipes I use for stuff I eat at home:

    Let's start with something healthy:

    Pan Fried Fillet of Salmon with Crushed New Potatoes

    Stuff:

    1 Fillet of salmon (scaled, boned etc)
    Extra virgin olive oil
    Olive Oil
    Lemon
    Parsley
    Cherry tomatoes
    New potatoes
    Spring Onions
    Salt (preferably rock)
    Pepper (freshly ground)
    White crab meat (fresh if you can get it and cook it, if not, good quality tinned is fine)

    Method:

    Cut your cherry tomatoes in half, lightly season with salt and pepper, put them on a tray drizzled with olive oil and put in the oven at 180 degrees for about as long as it takes to make the rest of the dish (20 mins or so - keep an eye on it).

    Get about four new potatoes, brush the dirt off them (if necessary), put them in a pan of salted cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer with a lid for 20-25 mins. Drain them, put them back into the pan, crush them with the back of a fork (keep the skin on, a lot of people take it off but they have so much flavor). Get a jar with a lid (empty washed jam jar for example) and add extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice (eyeball it but always do 3:1 ratio for dressings like this - oil:acid). Season with salt and pepper lightly, shake vigorously and pour into the potatoes. Add your finely shopped onions, crab meat, chopped parsley (handful).

    Mix together and taste, it's likely you'll need additional salt and pepper at this point and maybe some more extra virgin olive oil. Just do it your own taste.

    Leave the potato salad in the pan with the lid on but take it off any form of heat - don't worry about it going cold, it's just supposed to be warm not hot.

    Now for the fish:

    Score it about half an inch down right across the fillet, season with salt and pepper (get it inside the scores you've made). Put a non-stick pan on, wait for it to start lightly smoking, add your olive oil, wait 5 seconds, put your salmon in skin side down on a medium heat, let it crisp up. Cook 90% of your salmon on the skin (about 2 and a half to 3 minutes for the size you can see in the picture) then flip it for about one more minute on the other side. It should be slightly pink inside (like a medium well steak).

    Take your fillet, take it out of the pan and let it rest for 30 seconds. Spoon on your potato salad into the middle of the plate, take your tomatoes out of the oven and place around it. Get your fish, put it on top of the potatoes, finish with extra virgin olive oil and eat the fucker.

    Delicious.
     

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  16. 6PPC

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    I'm looking for two specific recipes that you have tried and highly recommend:

    1. I need a great roasted chicken recipe. Not a whole chicken, just leg and thigh. I would like to brown the chicken first in a skillet so I can use the drippings to make a killer white wine & cream sauce to drizzle ove the chicken. I'd like to finish roasting the chicken in the oven. Do you have anything you can recommend?

    2. I was at a restaurant in Santana Monica a couple of weeks ago, and I had the most delicious risotto with sautéed mushrooms in a creamy porcini mushroom sauce. It was one of he most amazing things I have ever tasted. Do you have a killer recipe you can share?

    Thank you!
     
  17. scotchcrotch

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    My parents were in town for Labor Day weekend, and with the finicky wife out of town, I decided to try a few dishes I have never made.


    Saturday was a Chilean Seabass with a miso-soy marinade. Rice pilaf and steamed veggies on the side.


    Sunday I picked up a pound of sushi-grade ahi and seared it with sesame seeds and sliced to show the cold center. On the side were a ginger/hot pepper demi-glaze, french bread, and edamame.
     
  18. joule_thief

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    I've used this one before: <a class="postlink" href="http://cbsop.com/recipes/herb-roasted-chicken-leg-quarters/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://cbsop.com/recipes/herb-roasted-c ... -quarters/</a>

    Turned out pretty good. I'm planning on making it again this week.
     
  19. bewildered

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    So it turns out you can eat sprouted lentils. I eat a lot of lentils because they are high in protein and fiber and cheap as hell. If you sprout them, their nutritional profile changes. They lose their fiber but become a complete protein. They taste a lot like bean sprouts.

    If you've ever planted anything before, you can do this. It's pretty straight forward. I soaked them in water with a drop of bleach to prevent mold and mildew and then drained them and allowed them to sprout in a covered glass for about 3 days. I have a bunch in the fridge now and they'll last about a week. I read this page to get an idea of what I was doing: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/2012/03/sprouted-lentils.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/201 ... ntils.html</a>
     
  20. Devils Advocate

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    I used this recipe to made venison fajitas on Saturday night, and they came out fucking amazing. I'm not the one that usually does the cooking, so all parties involved were extremely impressed. They even asked me to make them again. So thank you for this great marinade recipe! I will be using it again.