The Bread Thread! ((Recipes, Open))

Sooooo....we got people here who like pasta, don't we? Of course we do. Pasta is heaven. And even if you're like me and perpetually near-broke, I still happen to have an easy, delicious, and relatively cheap way of throwing together enough linguini and clams to feed a few people! All at once, even. Or just all your own meals for a couple of days, if you want to keep it all for yourself.

(Proportions not exact, scale or adjust as needed or preferred)

1 or 2 boxes of linguini pasta, depends how many people you gotta feed

1 or 2 bottles of clam juice, again, it depends on how many servings

2 cans of chopped clams! Or I guess 3 if you're making a fuckton of pasta. 

Olive oil

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, or 3 if you're like me and love garlic too much

Crushed red pepper flakes

While the linguini is boiling, drizzle your olive oil in a saucepan, crush or mince your garlic cloves and sautee that in the oil for a couple of minutes. Dump the clams and clam juice into the saucepan before the garlic can burn, sprinkle in your crushed red pepper flakes, and let it all simmer with some occasional stirring while the pasta cooks (make sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan especially, because it tends to sort of thicken there). Once the pasta is done, put that in a big pot or bowl, dump the clammy mishmash over it, toss it all together, and badabing badaboom. PASTA. 

(You could probably throw some white wine or summin' in there too, I don't know. I'll tell you all how that turns out once I have the money for wine. Or you can try it first and let me know if it's better like that.)

Sounds amazing, Bey!  I'll have to try this...pasta anything is good!

Pecan pralines are awesome.  They make great gifts too.  Here's a recipe that makes them easy.

http://www.thecreole.com/?p=49097

New Year's Day Black-Eyed Peas

1 large onion diced

1/2 large green bell pepper diced

3 medium stalks celery with leafy tops, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 ham bone left over from Christmas ham, preferably with a little meat and fat still attached (may sub. ham hocks)

1 lb. package dried black-eyed peas, rinsed

1 tsp. each seasoning salt and black pepper

1 tsp. ground thyme

32 oz. vegetable or chicken stock

Crystal or Tabasco hot sauce (optional)

Put everything in a crock pot.  Turn it on low (stirring occasionally) for 8 to 12 hours or until the beans have reached desired doneness.  Eat these on New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year.

Leave the beans soaking over night and you bring down the cooking time by about half!

((Sorta Picata (with pork)     I'm REALLY hoping this is in the bread thread...if not, I AM SO SORRY!  And because I'm a special snowflake, I'm going to put the recipe in the form of a story.))

Thoran blinked when Essilte set the medium sized bucket of lemons in front of him.  "Where'd ya get t'ese lass?" he asked, reaching in and picking one out.  It was nearly perfect.  A little lopsided, but if pressed, he'd say it added to the charm.  It was sun warmed and the bucket perfumed the area around him with a heady citrus scent.

"From our tree," she grinned.

Cue his confusion.  "T'e one in back?"  

When she nodded, he frowned even more.  "T'at t'ing's been dead fer years yer Papa said."

"It has been!  But remember what you and Belenos were practicing in the Spring?"

Thoran frowned even more, then shrugged.  "'ealin' spells, I t'ink?  We practiced a lot."  In which he meant he gave Belenos a lot of headaches.  "But ain't none o'em worked."

"Not everything happens in an instant Da," she replied before kissing his cheek and vanishing out to the back yard again where Izzy and Hunter were laughing.

There were at least a dozen lemons in the bucket, and Thoran raised his brows, impressed.  "Right t'en.  Guess I should figure out wot ta do wit' t'e damn t'ings."

Dinner was due to get started, so he pondered and nodded, beginning to pull out ingredients.

• 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb pork loin chops, cut into strips ((can substitute chicken, fish, or tofu as desired))
• 1/2 container of dried pasta ((I use Barilla Protein Plus))
• 1 onion, which he quickly diced
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced ((2 - 3 cloves))
• 1/2 cup white wine (of which he poured himself a healthy glass to enjoy while he was cooking)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1 tbsp white flour
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• Zest of 4 lemons
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 - 2 tablespoons pickled capers, drained and rinsed ((If you don't like capers, juice 3 lemons and add a hit of whatever light colored vinegar is your favorite))

Once he had everything assembled and prepped, he put a large pot of water on to boil and chucked the pasta in, even before the water came to a boil.  He salted it, then gave it a stir and nodded to himself and pulled out a saucepan with deep sides.  Adding the olive oil to the pan, he adjusted it so it was at a medium heat before dumping in the onions, with the chopped garlic sitting on top of them.  He then turned to season the meat with salt and pepper, leaving it on the cutting board while the pot and pan on the stove heated up.

He gave the pasta a stir, then turned to the onions and garlic, pushing them around with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing was sticking or burning.  Satisfied, he sipped his wine and looked out the kitchen window as the children played.  Smiling, he returned his attention to the lemons, making sure they were all zested and two of them juiced.  He pulled a few more out of the bucket and set the two zested ones not being juiced with them to be turned into lemonade.

Giving the pasta another stir when it came to a rolling boil, he saw that the onions were translucent and the entire kitchen smelled amazing.  Nothing that started out with onions and garlic could ever be bad in his opinion.  He carefully added the strips of pork to the pan and let them sit for a moment to get some color on them.  It didn't take long, and when he could smell the meat cooking he gave it a little stir in the pan, then added a tiny bit of stock to pull up all the delicious browned bits. 

Once the wine was absorbed, he turned the heat down just a bit and added the butter and flour together, stirring quickly to coat everything.  To the untrained eye, the items in the pan now looked like a gummy mess, but Thoran just sipped his wine and then drained the pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking liquid.  When he turned back to the pan, he added the rest of the chicken stock and stirred quickly with his wooden spoon, scraping the sides and the bottom of the pan to make sure every bit came off.  

Unlike a traditional roux, adding the flour and butter and letting them coat what was already in the pan was a shortcut, and one he was glad for.  He was about to have a hungry family to feed, and he doubted they'd be in the mood to wait for dinner much longer.  

The stock melded with the flour beautifully, and soon the strips of meat and diced onion were swimming in a bubbly, thick gravy.  He added the bit of white wine, letting it sit on top for a few moments to burn off the alcohol before mixing it in.  It thinned the sauce a bit and Thoran eyed the reserved pasta water, trying to judge how much he'd need.  With a shrug, he left that for a moment and added the capers, the lemon zest and lemon juice, mixing it all together.  He ran his finger along the back of the spoon, popping it into his mouth to judge if he'd need any more seasoning.  He hummed, brows raised and nodded to himself.  This was actually really good.

Etharion came in just then, arms wrapping around Thoran's middle and chin coming to rest on his shoulder.  "Smells delicious love," he said smiling.  "Where'd all the lemons come from?"

He snorted.  "Essilte said t'ey came from t'e tree out back."  He pointed with his spoon toward the tree in question, which, now that he was looking did seem to be quite lovely this year.  As a breeze blew, the leaves rustled and shifted, revealing yellow orbs dotting the entire thing.  Thoran blinked and shrugged the shoulder Eth wasn't occupying before dipping his spoon into the sauce and holding it for his Elf to taste. 

Eth blinked, once, twice, three times.  "What the hell is that?  No, never mind.  Whatever it is, we have to have it again."

Thoran just laughed and motioned to the pasta.  "Jus' gimme t'e noodles an' make yerself useful an' make some lemonade fer dinner.  An' top off m'wine, will ya love?"

"Bossy today, aren't you?" Eth chuckled as he moved to do as he was told.  

"An' t'at's different from any ot'er day?"

They fell into a comfortable silence, the childrens laughter floating in through the open window.

((Okay, couple of quick notes!  

• If you don't want to use white wine, use extra chicken stock
• If you don't want to use the flour/butter trick, you can use heavy cream, about 1/4 cup
• This is very lemony - you can actually use orange, lime or even grapefruit (any citrus will work)
• If you want the nutritional breakdown, hit me up PM style.  It's relatively healthy, but I wouldn't eat it every single day.

If you make it, let me know!!))

Loved the story, Thoran!  What a fun way to give the recipe.  I have to try this dish ASAP.

So, last night, I decided to go a little... stupid.

Here's what you'll need.

• 2-3 lbs. of chicken (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
• 1tbs Cayenne
• 1tbs Cumin
• 1tbs Chili Powder
• 1/2 cup Tapatio Hot Sauce
• 1/4 cup Sweet Pickle Juice
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small yellow onion (sliced)

SO.  Take the chicken, throw it in a crockpot or slow cooker.  Add the Cayenne, Cumin, and Chili Powder (more, if you'd like to die).  Put the sliced onion on top of that.

Add the liquids.  Set to low for 8 hours.  Enjoy the smell of deliciousness as it wakes you in the morning, as it did me.  Open the crockpot and be confused as to why there's so much liquid still in there.

Put 3tbsp of all-purpose flour into a bowl.  While whisking, add in enough liquid from the crockpot to make a thin slurry.  Re-introduce slurry to crockpot, boost heat to high, and let sit for 20 minutes.

Enjoy.

I'm gonna make flautas out of the left-overs.  But I struggle with a name for the dish.  I was gonna call it Death Valley Chicken, but...

Okay, dude?  That sounds absolutely amazing.  

I'm so makin' that this weekend.

Ditto.  With the heat the way it is right now, I'm all for crockpot recipes!

It's... surprisingly delicious, if you like the heat.  Good spicy flavors, touch of vinegary bite.

I literally just used what I had on hand.  >_>

Street tacos would be amazing with this.

Easy Alfredo...Not sure if it's been talked about already. This recipe is easy, just takes watching. Feeds 2-3, depending on how much you like it..lol

1 stick butter

1 pint heavy cream

1 5oz container of parmesan cheese (or cheese blend you like for Italian)

~Spices to taste. I normally use nutmeg, tons of garlic, and pepper. If salt is wanted, use garlic or season salt.

Melt butter. After all is melted, add cream. Stir to combine butter and cream. Let heat, add spices. Once it gets to the almost boiling point, and is starting to foam, add cheese. Stir continuously to help melt cheese. Once melted, serve or store. 

Made this for my family...they said it was the best alfredo they've had. Now, they might just be saying things, but it's pretty simple. Feel free to try!

Thanksgiving is soon upon us, and so, I give to you, my tried and true Thanksgiving Turkey and Dressing recipe:

Rosemary Tangerine Turkey with Apple-Pear stuffing

First, you need to gather the following:
Half pound of butter, softened

Three tangerines

Four sprigs of Rosemary (fresh is best)

Salt

Juice the tangerines. Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs.  Using a microplane grater, take the peel, not any of the white pith, from the tangerines.  Bruise the rosemary leaves.  In a small bowl, cream together the tangerine zest, rosemary leaves, and a pinch of salt.  Set in a cool corner, but do not refrigerate.

In a small saucepan, combine the juice of the tangerines, a pinch of salt, the rosemary stems, and a tablespoon of sugar.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for five minutes.  Set to the side and let cool to room temperature.

Carefully, using your fingers, separate the skin of the turkey from the meat, but do not remove completely.  Now spread the compound butter mixture under the skin evenly.  The better and more evenly you spread it, the better it will baste the turkey as it bakes.

Using a meat injector, inject the cooled liquid into the deepest parts of the meat, breasts, legs, thighs.  They should plump up decently, and may leak a little.  It is important to do this AFTER you butter under the skin, or you will massage the juice injection out.

Using a little oil and salt, season the skin.  It makes it tastier after you bake it.

In the cavity of the bird, put two peeled onions, the tangerine rinds, and the rosemary sprigs.

Using a folded triangle of foil, form it to the breast of the bird.  Set your oven for 475 degrees and let it heat fully.  Put your turkey in a roasting pan with a spare 1/8 of water under it.  Roast at 475 until the skin is a nice golden brown on the breast.  Then turn your oven down to 350 degrees, slap on the foil over the breast, and roast it until the legs and thighs reach about 175 to 180 degrees internally.

The Dressing –

We can’t really call it stuffing, because we don’t stuff the bird with it.

You need:
A good pie apple

A ripe pear

¾ cup of Craisins

¾ cup of raisins

A stalk of celery.

Half of an onion

Two loaves of bread, dried completely

In a saucepan, using half a can of ginger ale and a cup of white wine, soak the craisins and raisins.  Bring it just up below a boil, then turn off and let sit at least three hours.  They will plump up.

Chop into small, bite-sized pieces the apple and pear, and finely chop the onion and celery.  In a skillet, sweat out the onions and celery, adding the apple and pear at the end.  Only cook the mixture after that for a few minutes.

Tear up or cut up your bread into your desired size pieces for stuffing.

In a mixing bowl, mix the bread, vegetation and butter, and then drain the raisins and craisins and add them.  Season with a little salt, pepper, and I like a little poultry seasoning.  Mix together with your hands.  If you like, and I do, add a single egg to help bind.  Spread into a 9x13 baking dish that is generously lubed (lube is always your friend, cooking or otherwise) and bake at 350 degrees until it is done, but not overcooked.

The juices from the bird make a great gravy for over the dressing.

Enjoy!

I just tried an absolutely lovely crockpot recipe and now I can share with others!

I don't know how 'authentic' it is but the recipe is called Sicilian Stew

Ingredients:

~3 lbs of stew meat (I found a nice deal on beef but I bet this'd be yummy with a blend of pork and lamb too)

1 32 oz can of whole tomatoes in juice

1 good sized head of finnel

2 cups shallots

1/2 bulb garlic

1 cup beef broth

1 big ol orange

1/4 cup your favorite green olives, pitted and a bit sliced if they're whole

1 tin of anchovies (optional don't worry)

Cooking:

It's a crockpot recipe so, shock, it's super easy!

Chop your finnel head into big wedges. Be sure to remove the fronds from the top, they're better as a garnish or just something yummy to nibble on (if you like licorice you'll love them, I've got a bag of em in the fridge still I just gnaw on like a rabbit)

Also give your shallots a loose chop, and crush your garlic, nothing super fine just enough to open them up and make nice bite sized chunks.

Brown your meat nice and good, dump it right into the pot (had to do mine in batches, no biggie, just be sure it goes right from pan to crockpot without cooling off too much).

Saute the shallots and garlic in the beef pan and hit it with the cup of broth to deglaze and get all those yummy chunks of flavor off the bottom.

Dump shallots and garlic and broth into crockpot.

Chop the anchovies, if you're using them, into still decent enough sized strips, I just cut mine in half really. Into the pot they go.

Open the can of tomatoes, dump the juice into the crockpot. Give the tomatoes a bit of a chopping, I forgot to do this and they stayed pretty much exactly as they were in the can so I was left with huge hunks of tomato. They be tough berries.

Take your big ol orange and get a couple nice big strips of zest off it (you can use a veggie peeler, just remember zest is the orange bit, the white bit under it you want as little as possible. I used a peeler and then a knife to kinda scrape the bottom of the zest off like a lotto ticket).

Set your crockpot to high and cook for ~4 1/2 hours or until everything is good and tender and smelling oh so yummy. Feel free to eat your orange while it cooks.

At the last 10 minutes or so before serving toss your olives in, don't want them to get gross and mushy.

The recipe called to serve this on top of mashed potatoes. Again, not sure if that's authentic or what but I didn't want to do that so I made a pot of pasta, tossed it on some oil and garlic and herbs and it made a yummy replacement.