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Kage · **05-31-2015, 12:56 PM**

Cravings, what are you craving?

Steel Wolf · **05-31-2015, 01:24 PM**

I dunno...a noodle dish or whatever is most usually eaten in Japan during the summer.

I have to admit, as much as I love to cook, cooking during the summer is kind of the suck due to the whole heat/humidity thing. XD

Arter Wood · **06-14-2015, 02:49 PM**

Bibimbop. I'd like to have some.. otherwise, poutine poutine poutine sgrgeaghfshsfgjgf

Steel Wolf · **06-14-2015, 02:54 PM**

I want salads.

I want, like, big puffy salads that eat like a meal. I want to see a giant-ass bowl of ingredients flapping in the breeze, with seasonings or light dressings beckoning a fork hither.

Anyone have any favorite salads or salad recipes like that? :3

Arter Wood · **06-14-2015, 02:56 PM**

(06-14-2015, 02:54 PM)Steel Wolf Wrote: I want salads.

I want, like, big puffy salads that eat like a meal. Â I want to see a giant-ass bowl of ingredients flapping in the breeze, with seasonings or light dressings beckoning a fork hither.

Anyone have any favorite salads or salad recipes like that? Â :3

This is my favorite part of a salad. Without it I'm pretty sad.
[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gimmesomeoven.com%2F...ns.jpg&f=1]

Dogberry · **06-15-2015, 11:40 AM**

This week I will be making turkish delight.

I've taken to making turkish coffee, and to complete the experience I want to make some lokum to go with it. I'll post back with results.

Mae · **06-16-2015, 02:19 PM**

Last night after a long day of trying to get myself ready to rejoin the work force, I found myself wandering the grocery store on tired, achy feet, trying to find something that I could make quickly when I got home. I could've gotten take-out or have something delivered, sure, but the only places I was interested in getting food from were on the other side of town and doesn't offer delivery.

Salad sounded really good, but after I had grabbed all the ingredients I'd need, I realized I'd be cutting and chopping for a while, and... I didn't want that. So back to wandering I went, when I caught sight of this out of the corner of my eye:

[Image: 55804b5622c3921028bb4509.jpg]

Seafood sounded good. I looked over at the actual counter, and it was several people deep ordering (living in New England, most people here have an appreciation for fish so the seafood counter is always busy). I looked at the package again. The only things in it that I knew 100% I'd like were the shrimp and clams. I had always wanted to try mussels, but for reasons I never had the opportunity. Squid... eh. I'd had bad squid more often than good, but whatever. Worst to worst, I could pick it out. Consulting the back of the package, I see that not only is everything pre-cooked, but there is absolutely no additives. Further consulting the package, I see that I already have everything else at home to make it according to suggested method.

Plus, it's only $4. If I were to get the ingredients fresh from the counter, I'd be spending at least $15. If it ended up being inedible, I wouldn't be wasting a lot of money.

Get home, and discover that I'm last in line to make dinner (my mum and I have similar diets, but there are a few things I can't eat and last night was one of those nights where we couldn't share a meal. My brother's diet is completely incomparable with my mum and I, so he always eats something different), so by the time I get a chance I'm exhausted and not really reading directions well.

[Image: 55804b7522c3921028bb451f.jpg]

Oil goes into a pot.

[Image: 55804b7e22c3921028bb4522.jpg]

And then I add some grated garlic (I'm tired and lazy, it's just easier to run the garlic cloves over a grater than to chop/dice them)

... At this point, I was looking to just sweat out the garlic a bit in the oil. This usually takes at least five minutes even on high, because the stove is old and it takes a bit for the coils to come up to temp. So I wander down the hall to grab something from the room I'm using. By the time I'm on my way back to the kitchen, no more than two minutes have elapsed but I can smell burning garlic. I had literally claimed the burner from my brother the moment he was done cooking, so the coil didn't need it's normal warm-up time. Oops... time to start over. But at least it happened at this point.

[Image: 55804b8722c3921028bb4525.jpg]

According to the package, all the seafood goes in at the same time. But I remembered that the one time I had squid and really liked it, it had gotten a bit of a sear on it. So I toss in the squid, hoping that it'll get a little bit of a pan-fry browning. Nope, the squid releases a LOT of liquid, making that impossible. Oh well.

[Image: 55804b9722c3921028bb4528.jpg]

Clams go in next. Now... there was another version of the frozen package on the shelf that included more shrimp and no squid, but everything was still in the shell. I get it that the shells are supposed to add more flavor, but having to pick them out of the food... ugh.Â

[Image: 55804ba522c3921028bb452c.jpg]

In goes the wine. The package didn't specify anything beyond 'white wine', so whether or not this is the correct type for this dish is up in the air. Did I mention I was tired before this? If not, I was tired. And I misread the package. I eyeballed 8 ounces (1 cup)... package only called for 2 ounces. Ooooops..

[Image: 55804bb222c3921028bb4530.jpg]

Tomatoes. Package called for 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes. Well, if I'm not going to spend time chopping veggies for the salad that I really wanted, I'm not going to spend time chopping tomatoes for something I might not like. So I grab a small can of petite-diced tomatoes and dump that in.

[Image: 55804bbd22c3921028bb4533.jpg]

Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh basi-- oh, crap. I forgot to pick some basil from the garden... aaaand it's dark and raining out by this time. I'll just use some dried basil.

[Image: 55804bc922c3921028bb4536.jpg]

I let what's in the pot simmer/boil for five minutes to cook out the alcohol before adding in the still-frozen mussels and shrimp. Package says everything is pre-cooked, so I'm just really waiting for these to thaw and get hot again. These add more liquid to the pot, and as I stir it I'm realizing I have something more like soup than sauce...

[Image: 55804bd422c3921028bb4537.jpg]

So instead of boiling a batch of standard dried pasta in another pot, I beg a little bit of the 'fresh' linguine that my brother is fond of and toss that into the sauce to cook, and hopefully thicken it up. Which... didn't really happen. Too much wine, and probably too much juice from the canned tomatoes. Oh well...

The end result was this:

[Image: 55804be022c3921028bb453a.jpg]

Lots of what I'll call broth, so I was very glad I had gone and made the decision to only use a half-portion of pasta (hard to tell with how the pasta clumped in the bowl, but there isn't that much there). Floated a bit of butter in it for extra richness, squeezed the juice of some of these tiny lemons I found in the 'exotics' section of the produce department, and grabbed some slices of baguette to sop up the broth... altogether, it was a tasty experiment, even with the mistakes. Only two of the clams opened by the time I was done cooking, so that was disappointing. The squid part was... interesting. They almost mimicked the pasta. The mussels were delicious.

I'll be making this again... though I think I'll just skip the pasta part and go straight for the bread -- as a soup, it was wonderful.

Mae · **06-17-2015, 12:27 AM**

T-T I was hungry and needed to take medicine, and my brother made off with the rest of the eggplant cutlets, leaving me to make a snack...

[Image: 5580f53d22c3921028bc06ec.jpg]

No.. I'm NOT pregnant.
No, I'm NOT stoned.
Yes, that IS a grilled cheddar cheese/Nutella sandwich.

[Image: 5580f54822c3921028bc06f4.jpg]

Yes, it is delicious.

Griffith! · **06-17-2015, 12:54 AM**

[Image: tumblr_npf0c93YrY1sxuwguo1_540.jpg]

Best. Meal. Ever.

...I miss Japan.

Kage · **10-09-2015, 09:38 AM**

Does anyone have a small crockpot beef stew recipe? I'm not sure how to make my recipes "small"

We don't have much fridge space to share for 4 people so I can't make a recipe that I have that's for essentially 20 servings or more.

So... halp?

or just in general small crockpot recipes.

I essentially need to make food for one person that won't be in a fridge for more than 1 day and night.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **10-09-2015, 11:45 AM**

(10-09-2015, 09:38 AM)Kage Wrote: Does anyone have a small crockpot beef stew recipe? I'm not sure how to make my recipes "small"

We don't have much fridge space to share for 4 people so I can't make a recipe that I have that's for essentially 20 servings or more.

So... halp?

or just in general small crockpot recipes.

I essentially need to make food for one person that won't be in a fridge for more than 1 day and night.

While not really a "recipe", you can make easy crockpot BBQ beef/pork/chicken by finding a serving size of meat you'd like and cooking it in the bbq sauce on low for ~6-8 hours. Then, shred with a couple forks. If cooked through, it should shred easily and retain moisture. I normally find [chunk of meat that fits], smother it in sauce, and then fill the crockpot just high enough with beer/water to cook it in. Then, drain excess before shredding and serve!

I don't know any stews scaled back for a single person, but I can link a couple recipes that could probably be scaled down. (just reduce the ingredients).

Mae · **10-09-2015, 01:18 PM**

You basically want to adjust your raw ingredients to mirror how many meals you want. Rule of thumb is that a serving of beef is 4oz uncooked, one medium potato is one serving, and a serving of veggies is one cup raw. The potato won't change much while cooking, but the meat and veggies will reduce to about half their original size by the time you're done cooking.

My veggie mix for stew is carrots, parsnips (when they're in season), regular ol' yellow onion, mushrooms (fresh shiitake, cremimi (baby portabella), or dehydrated porcini or morels), and sometimes turnips. I have family members that like to add sauteed/roasted red/yellow/orange bell peppers, and/or cabbage. So there's a lot of options depending on tastes. Also, things like peas, summer squash, zuchini, and leafy stuff is best added in towards the end of cooking.

Any sort of "white/yellow" potato will work. I personally like the little baby potatoes with the skins on, since they just need to be quartered and tossed in at the start. If you like sweet potato or yam, I suggest roasting those in the oven first and add them closer to the end so they don't dissolve (though they'd do well to thicken the broth that way).

Cut up the meat and brown the outsides in a pan with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Remove and put in crockpot. Deglaze pan with a bit of liquid (broth/stock, beer, or wine) if you want and add that to the crockpot.

I caramelize half my onions prior to adding them to the crockpot. I'll also broil/roast, or saute if I'm running short on time or the oven is otherwise occupied, half my root veggies (carrots, parsnips, turnips) and mushrooms before adding them.Â

Once you get all that put in the crockpot (plus an optional one small can petite diced tomatoes), add enough liquid (broth/stock, beer, wine, re-hydration liquid from mushrooms) to almost cover. Seasonings tend to be personal taste, but I like:

-- Garlic (most people would probably be good with one clove a serving, I love garlic so I do two to three depending on my mood)
-- Salt and pepper (adjust accordingly throughout cooking process)
-- Bay leaves (probably just need one for a small batch)
-- Sweet Hungarian paprika (I use a LOT of this. Like, a larger batch of stew, I need measuring cups. For small batch, start with a full teaspoon and adjust upwards)
-- Worcestershire sauce (just a sprinkle per serving)
-- Fish sauce (just a few drops total.. it sounds weird, but it works)
-- Sprig of rosemary

Set the pot for whatever time you want. Typically by the time the potatoes are nice and tender, everything else is done as well. Veggies like peas and thick leafy greens (kale, chard) should be added in the last twenty minutes of active cooking time so they don't get too mushy/turn into pond scum. Chopped spinach should be added just before serving, so keep that separate.Â

If you use raw flour or cornstarch to thicken the stew, you want to add that about halfway through cooking so that you cook out the raw flavor. I like to use cooked roux (equal parts flour and butter cooked on medium heat and continuously stirred until it's the colour of peanut butter), and that can go in even as late as the last five/ten minutes of active cooking.

Once everything is reasonably cooled, you can pour the stew into freezer-grade ziploc-style bags and either toss in the fridge or freeze. If you freeze it, make sure the bags lay as flat as possible while it's freezing, you press out as much air as possible, and be aware that after you thaw and reheat the potatoes may take on a slightly odd texture.

Lydia Lightfoot · **10-09-2015, 01:29 PM**

I didn't know this thread existed! While I was making dinner the other day, a friend had asked for a photo of the finished meal, so I'll share!

It's a salmon steak (about 1/2" thick) brushed with butter and oregano, with prawns sauteed in garlic and basil, over top of saffron rice with a side of steamed summer squash and a drizzle of red wine reduction sauce. :3

Yummehs!

[Image: UVEXLJw.jpg?1]

Kage · **10-09-2015, 01:31 PM**

See.... when I make beef stew I typically get this brisket roast... cut that up. Sear and season, Worcestershire and like 1lb of pico de gallo. Then I add a bunch of red potatoes, celery and some carrots. Add like 2 canisters of beef broth and 1 can of El Pato Jalapeno Salsa (7 3/4 oz). Cook that forever and then add a box or two of lima beans probably a pound or more.

It lasts for a long while but the space we have now for 4 people means I can't... quite make that much. Ever. I have no idea how to portion control for 1 person! :< Except... hi Kage buy one chicken/beef steak. That's part of a portion! But I can't eat steak all the time.

... even if I wish to.

Mae · **10-09-2015, 02:43 PM**

(10-09-2015, 01:31 PM)Kage Wrote: See.... when I make beef stew I typically get this brisket roast... cut that up. Sear and season, Worcestershire and like 1lb of pico de gallo. Then I add a bunch of red potatoes, celery and some carrots. Add like 2 canisters of beef broth and 1 can of El Pato Jalapeno Salsa (7 3/4 oz). Cook that forever and then add a box or two of lima beans probably a pound or more.

It lasts for a long while but the space we have now for 4 people means I can't... quite make that much. Ever. I have no idea how to portion control for 1 person! :< Except... hi Kage buy one chicken/beef steak. That's part of a portion! But I can't eat steak all the time.

... even if I wish to.

Portion control can be a bit of a hassle, yeah. I totally get that. For the most part, if you're without a way to properly measure, what is considered a portion/serving these days can pretty much be eyeballed in comparison to one's hand -- meat, grains, and beans, it's the size of the palm of the hand. Veggies, fruits, and actual nuts, it's a full handful. Cheese and peanut-butter, your whole thumb. Mayo and other condiments, the top half of your thumb.

One serving of red meat/poultry is four ounces, raw. If you're looking at packages, that's about a quarter of a pound.

A serving of veggies is about one cup, raw. Ounces-wise, this is around 4.5oz, so just slightly less than a third of a pound.

A serving of potato is one medium potato, which is about what fits inside the hand of the average person.

Beans, the serving size is about a quarter cup dry or 1/2 cup re-hydrated/soft. Same thing with barley, rice, quinoa, and the like.

Both pico de gallo and salsa, a serving is between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, depending on contents.

So... for three meals of stew (dinner tonight and lunch and dinner tomorrow, plus a little left over if you're extra hungry or that you can freeze) based off of what you typically make, you'd need a pound of raw beef, up to a pound and a half of carrots and celery, two medium potatoes/up to four regular-sized red potatoes, a cup of dry beans, and probably no more than a half cup each of pico de gallo and salsa.Â

You probably only need one box (totally serious here, spring for the box over the cans, because you can refrigerate the boxes easily if you don't need it all) of low-sodium or no-sodium added beef broth/stock, and do NOT use Swanson unless it's literally your only option; their 'low sodium' stuff still has more sodium than 90% of the regular-sodium broths by other companies. Kitchen Basics or (gasp) Rachel Ray brands are in most stores and Walmarts, so look for theirs. Worst to worst, use the low-sodium for the store/generic brand. Just avoid Swanson as best you can.

And after you're done cooking (and before you eat), portion it all out into the ziploc bags. Or tupperware containers, or mason jars, or whatever you have handy.

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Foods! Delicious Foods. Please share them (recipes?pics?) with me (everyone)

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