The Official Chazhound Recipe Thread

[Zoom]

It can either be quick, easy and cheap or something you take an entire day preparing to impress the inlaws, but put your recipies here! I know there are a lot of Chazzers, myself soon to be included, that are living off of a very tight food budget. That shouldn't mean we're limited to just PB&J and Ramen though. Post your recipies here! If you really want to get technical with it, title them things like "Easy Budget" "Moderate" "Difficult", etc.

[ToscasMom]

Oooooooo this is a thread I am gonna like.

[Buddy'sParents]

I demand that Gempress put her rice pilaf recipe here.. it's **** good! :D

[GlassOnion]

Beef Jerky recipe!

~4 lbs meat (I used brisket)
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs Worcestershire sauce
4 tbs teriyaki sauce (if you use a marinade, you can probably skip the soy sauce part too since a lot of marinades contain soy sauce already)
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (do not, do NOT add too much or you'll be pretty much eating smoke. This stuff is strong)
1 tbs corriander
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbs ketchup


Cut into 1/4" strips, remove as much fat as possible. Put it in the oven at 170 degrees for about 7-9 hours. I left mine for about 10 and it was really dry. Still tasted good, just wasn't as chewy as I would've liked.


By the way you misspelled recipe.

[Gempress]

Oooh! I'm gonna like this thread! I'm pretty busy writing some stories right now, but after I'm done, I think I'm gonna start typing. :D

[CanadianK9]

The Add On Recipe

Well, I figured this one out when the same old stuff every day was getting blah, so i decided to mix things up a bit, and it is by far the cheapest and easiest recipe.

All you do is take something simple and pre-existing, for example Kraft Dinner and add in some of your favorite fixins.

One of my particular favorites is KD mixed with some different noodles (I prefer penne), mushrooms (canned or fresh) and melt in a slice or 2 of cheese (I like a good cheddar or mozza) for a slightly different cheesy flavour.

Its real easy and can completely change a flavour, sometimes you find a real good one sometimes you find a real bad one, but hey beats the same old junk day in and day out.

[Saje]

I'm wanting to get more leafy green recipes. I need more greens in my diet! Particularly swiss chard and spinach which are our main leaves (aside from lettuce).

[Angel Chicken]

1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons margarine, melted


Directions


Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 Degrees C)
Rub chicken pieces with garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat egg yolk with honey and butter or margarine, then brush this mixture over chicken pieces. Place chicken pieces, skin side down, in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, basting with remaining butter or margarine. Just before serving, turn chicken over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes to cook the skin on the other side.


This is a good one... I am big on chicken and I know a ton of recipes with it!

[ToscasMom]

Well then I bet you would love Chicken Vesuvvio. This recipe is great for company because when they come in the door the aroma makes them salivate.

Here goes:

1 cup parsley leaves, fresh
2 teaspoons basil or Italian spice mix
6 decent sized garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
4 med potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 pieces chicken, I think dark meat is best for this but not necessary
1 cup whole baby carrots or sliced fresh carrots.
1 cup Sherry, real sherry not the cooking sherry.

Finely chop parsley, oregano and garlic with olive oil. Or you can put them in the food processor.
Add the salt and pepper and saute the potatoes and carrots in half the mixture/med-high heat until lightly browned. Remove and then do the same for the chicken pieces with the rest of the oil mixture. Put everything in a baking dish, pour the wine over and mix and then bake an hour or until potatoes and carrots are soft and the chicken is tender.

You can substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes and carrots and I think it's even better that way.

[hanslynch]

About once every two weeks I make up a batch of hummus. It is really easy too.

2 cans of garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed
1-2 cloves of garlic (I just put in one but if you like garlic...)
Olive Oil

Rinse the garbano beans, place in a food processor with the garlic, add a quarter cup of olive oil. Process with the food processor until smooth adding olive oil to achieve the consistency that you want.

Once done, spoon it out onto a plate put a couple of nice shallow swirls in it. Drizzle olive oil on it and then sprinkle with paprika.

I also sprinkle with feta cheese or chopped up tomatos or small bite sizes pieces of chicken and then serve with pita or flat bread.

Great source of protein and fiber.

All the best,

Hans

[ToscasMom]

I love hummus. I make it with tahini though.

[Mayasmydobe]

OOO I have a great one...

Velveeta Chip Dip

1 brick Velveeta Cheese
1lbs ground beef
1 large can black olives - quartered (or you can buy a couple cans of sliced olives but they are smaller cans)
2 cans rotell tomatoes (mild, original or hot depending on how spicy you want it)
sliced mushrooms (optional)

Brown hamburger and set aside
cut velveeta into bite size cubes
in a large baking dish l(like 8x8 square and 6 inches deep) put cubed velveeta and rotell tommatos

when cheese starts melting a bit add hamburger and other ingredients and stir constantly untill cheese is melted.

Serve with Tostito chips or eat it plain (I like it plain)

I love this stuff!

[bubbatd]

Saje ....have a plate of your greens with whatever appeals to you on top . Quickly brown ( hot in butter ) thin slices of chicken breasts or lean beef. Put on greens and add a little water or wine to your pan for juice. Drizzle over your dinner .

[hanslynch]

Wow this is like our very own 30 minute meals, which I am addicted to and watch pretty much every day.

By the way what is tahini?

[ToscasMom]

Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It comes in a jar.

[daaqa]

i use tahini in my hummus as well.

lets see, leafy greens recipe...

this is a random asian way to cook up greens and goes well with a nice meat dish and rice:


1 pile of leafy greens [spinach, mustard greens, bok choy, whatever]
a couple cloves of garlic, cut up the way you like it
a fat source [olive oil, bacon fat, whatever]
broth [veggie, chicken, fish, beef, whatever - i use water with a bit of stock powder]
pan [wok, saucepan, something with a lid]

heat up pan over med-med/high heat, add fat, heat up fat, add the garlic, lightly toss and stir until fragrant. start adding the greens, stirring as you go. as the greens wilt, continue adding greens and stir frying until all greens are wilted. pour in enough broth to cover and bring to simmer. leave to simmer gently until done. time depends on greens. some are done as soon as the broth is heated, some take longer.

serve with a bowl of rice and a meat dish of choice.

edit: the way i eat it is i pour the greens into a dish, bring the meat dish to the table, and get myself a bowl of rice. i then use chopsticks to get pieces of greens and meat to add to the rice as i go.

[ToscasMom]

Ok since greens are popular here, I am going to give you a Southern Italian greens recipe, from my family vault-2 ways. These recipes constitute a meal and require a loaf of crusty Italian bread and red wine. Some people like to pre boil the escarole for extreme tenderness first. It's up to you.

Recipe 1:
2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes cut in 1” cubes
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
½ t. dried parsley
8oz. chicken broth
½ t. ea. Onion & garlic powder
4 oz. thinly sliced hard salami
½ t. paprika ½ cup bread crumbs
1/2 chopped Vidalia onion
½ cup Romano cheese
6 minced garlic cloves freshly chopped parsley
2 heads escarole 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Potatoes: Toss in bag with ¼ cup olive oil, dried parsley, garlic and onion powder and paprika. Roast for ½ hour at 350. Set aside.
2. Greens: Sauté garlic and onion in 1 T olive oil; add chopped escarole and cook through. Add chicken broth, julienned salami, crushed red pepper and potatoes. Simmer till stock reduced (about 45 min).
3. Combine bread crumbs with 2 T oil. Toast until brown. Mix half with greens
4. Add Romano cheese and place in greased baking pan.
5. Top with remaining half of crumbs and bake in oven at 350 for 15 min.
7. Garnish with parsley

Recipe 2:

8 minced garlic cloves
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
3 ¿ lbs chopped escarole
1 1/2-2 cans chickn broth
Parmesan cheese
bread crumbs
1/4 lb. salami, sliced
5 cherry peppers
small pieces of oven browned potatoes

Saute garlic and onion in olive oil
Add chopped escarole and cook through
Add chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salami, cherry peppers.
Toss with potatoes

[hanslynch]

That is the way I had it in the Jordan when I was there. I will have to look for it around here.

Here is another one for you

5 spice pan seared tuna

Mix up a blend of:
cayenne pepper
cinnamon
pepper
salt
red chili flakes

That is just what I use you can use whatever you like. The tuna is easy you just get it at the grocery store. Most of the tuna steaks that you find in the store these days are sashimi grade. Just coat and then sear in a hot, hot pan. Just make sure you let the tua defrost all the way, well that is if you don't want frozen tuna. Personally I do not mind.

[ToscasMom]

Oh now that tuna looks good to me.

[ToscasMom]

Ok Saje, here's a great warm spinach salad for you, with chicken breasts and balsamic. Adjust if you only want to use half or 1/4. It calls for a POUND of bacon. Ignore it, six slices do just fine per pound of spinach but you do need the bacon for a special flavoring.

Spinach Salad:
1 pound center cut bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fresh spinach leaves, trimmed and cleaned
4 skinless chicken breast halves
8 large stuffer mushrooms, thinly sliced
8 radishes, thinly sliced (I leave these out, I hate radishes)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (don't substitute onions, it's not the same really)

Dressing:
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 large shallot, minced
3 rounded spoonfuls Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Coarsely chop spinach leaves and add to salad bowl. Top with mushrooms, radishes, scallions. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Wipe out the bacon pan and return to stove turning heat back to medium low. Add 1 tablespoon oil for your dressing and shallots and reduce heat to medium. Saute shallots for 3 minutes. Remove oil and shallots from heat.

In a bowl, combine mustard and balsamic vinegar. Stream in 2/3 cup oil slowly while whisking. Add warm shallots and toss with spinach salad to coat evenly. Add cooked bacon and toss again.

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken cutlets, 4 minutes on each side, in a single layer. Slice breasts on an angle on your cutting board once they are all out of the pan. Pile spinach salad on to dinner plate/plates. Top each salad with sliced chicken cutlet pieces.

[bubbatd]

^^^^ basically that's what mine is ...just mine's easier !!! This seems like wilted lettuce or spinach .I love these dishes in the summer !!

[HenryTheGreat]

okay heres a good question...i recently moved out from my parents house and oooh i miss my moms cooking! i never cooked before, and i was lucky in that my boyfriend could cook wonderful meals. however we split after a bit of a violence issue occured (he even threw little henry! what gives!) anyways...now im stuck attempting to cook for myself! ah!

im really picky....i only eat veggies and chicken, the odd time ground beef. Im dealthly allergic to all fish and seafood so all sauces and such have to be monitored.
I find myself stuck eating mashed potatoes and salad every night now lol. i need heeeeeelp!

[hanslynch]

The Food Network is a great place to start. They have a couple of great shows that are pretty informative and entertaining.

They also have a website that has tons of great recipes. Rachel Ray has lots of great recipes with all sorts of things that can be fixed up in 30 minutes or so.

Here is a good one, I do not think it is from Rachel Ray:

Turkey Burgers Parmigiana

Real simple:

1lb ground turkey
1 small onion chopped up
1/4 breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried basil

Italian Pasta Sauce
Cheese (Mozarella or Provolone but you can use whatever you like)

Mix the first three ingredients. Form into four burgers fry for about 10 minutes a side top a slice of cheese and with a couple of teaspons of pasta sauce. wait until the cheese melts and serve on a bun or not up to you. The best pat about using turkey is it keeps pretty well and remains pretty juicy.

Hans

[hanslynch]

The side dish is even easier.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Take small red potatos(4-6 per serving) cut up into small pieces and lay out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste. I like salt, pepper, and oregano but you can use tons of different things(dried basil, thyme, marojam, lowerys seasoning salt, you name it)

Bake for 20 minutes or so

[ToscasMom]

We call that Italian potato salad. Except we add fresh tomatoes to it and lots of fresh basil. It can be served room temp and it's even better.

[hanslynch]

That sounds really good. I will make those additions the next time I make the roasted potatoes.

I was just watching the food network and they had a feature on hummus. A compnay that makes hummus has two flavors that I am going to make at home, kalmata olive and also roasted red pepper. Sounds too good.

All the best,

[hanslynch]

This is for Shredded Beef Tacos or anything Shredded Beef. I can always go for a little mexican and unfortunately it is hard to find any that is worthwhile where I currently live so I make my own.

I love the shredded beef that you find at most authentic places and here is how I make mine:

1-2lbs of Beef (I usually use a Beef Brisket, but a Chuck Roast will work fine too)
Two cups of water
1 can of tomato sauce
2 tsp of cumin
2 cloves of garlic coarsely chopped

Into the crock pot it all goes and let it cook for ten hours. It is really fantastic and lasts for a few different meals.

I make enchiladas with it, chimichangas, tacos, all good stuff.

[Debi]

we don't eat beef. you'd be amazed at what you can do with ground turkey! I don't buy the all white meat ground turkey..tooooo dry. the mix of dark and white meat is inexpensive, too. if I want a 'beefy taste', I add a bit of beef broth. I've made stuffed cabbage..peppers...meatloaf...spaghetti...all delish with the turkey.

my fave summer meal:

linguine (cooked per package directions)
chopped fresh basil
chopped fresh tomatoes (as much as you might like)
extra virgin olive oil
fresh grated romano cheese

after cooking linguine, I toss with the basil, olive oil, tomatoes. top with grated romano. it's cheap...it's delish! for us...a bit of garlic is a must, too.

sometimes I add hot cubed cooked chicken breast.

[ToscasMom]

Shhhhhhhhh Debi. Romano cheese is a secret. I have used nothing but Romano most of my life. It has a far better flavor than parmesan but we don't want everyone to know that. The price will go up!

[Debi]

I'm tossing in this cookie recipe..cause it's easy, which means I LOVE IT lol

refrigerated cookie dough...I use peanutbutter, sugar cookie dough will do
slice...flatten....wrap around a Snickers MINI candy bar into a ball (seal well)

place on nonstick cookie sheet...bake 10-12 mins. at 350

when cool, you can drizzle with white icing (I now skip this part, but have used the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, milk..mix well....thin enough to drizzle over the cookie. at Christmas you can color the icing red and green)

[Debi]

OMG...I LOVE romano. hehehe

[Debi]

our other big summer fave is to grill boneless chicken breast (I marinate overnight in Zesty Italian dressing) ...slice thin

lay over fresh spinach..mushrooms...thin sliced cucumber..tomatoes (whatever you like really...whatever I have on hand)

top with a sprinkling of your fave cheese...we like Monteray Jack and Cheddar

we live on this most of the summer. :)

[ToscasMom]

OMG...I LOVE romano.

..so do most Italians. We leave the other stuff for everybody else. lol.

[ToscasMom]

Deb you might like the traditional southern Italian frittata. You make it in cast iron with zucchini, potatoes, onions, romano and lots of eggs and spices. It cooks in the pan like a pie and you top the top off in the oven for a few minutes. Then you tip the pan over onto a plate and it's lightly browned on top and you slice it like pie and eat it with some nice crusty bread. If you use a dozen eggs and all the ingredients, it goes far too. Also great leftover!

[GipsyQueen]

You can make this one with any veggis that you like, or what ever is left over, or what doesn't look yummy enough anymore to be eaten fresh.

I (ushally) use:

- Carrots
- Mushrooms
- Celery
- Bell Peppers
-Onions
-butter/olive oil for frying

(If you want to make it asian add:
-Bamboo sprouts
-Soy sauce
-a little bit coconut milk)

(If you want it to be more italien add:
-Canned Tomatoe sauce
-Parmasan (or any other cheese that you want)
-olives)




What to do:

1) Cut up veggies.
2) Put some butter/olive oil into a frying pan and put in some onions and let them turn a little brown.
3) Add the veggies (if you are using mushrooms add them shortly before it done otherwise they'll be really mushy(lol...bad joke))
4)Let the Veggies soften a little bit.
If you are doing the tomatoe version season with italien herds, salt, pepper, garlic(powder), sugar(the tom. sauce has alot of acid in it, sugar tones it down a bit)
If you are doing the asian version NO SALT!(Soy sauce is salty enough) season with pepper, (curry), paprika, a LITTLE TINY INSY bit cayenne pepper.


5) Add the soy sauce/toma. sauce

6) Let it warm up



*If you want you can make basmati rice along with it. Try not seasoning the rice at all! I love i that way :D*

[Debi]

I've made that...LOVE IT! :) (Tosca's frittata..YUM)

[Debi]

ohhhh..and I adore provolone in place of mozzarella..or at LEAST a mix. provolone has more flavor in your Italian dishes. :)

[ToscasMom]

Ah now yours is a house I wouldn't mind being invited to for dinner, Debi.

[Debi]

party chicken wings. this is a no guilt pleasure! low cal...LOVE that!

1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
3 lbs. chicken wings
paprika

mix ingredients except paprika. place wings with sauce in a large glass bowl, marinade overnight. stir occasionally to distribute sauce well. place in roasting pan with sauce...sprinkle with paprika. bake for 45 mins. (approx...I watch and turn them often) we have these at every party. a lovely barbecue flavor. :) you can change the taste to make them 'hot' by adding in a favorite hot sauce...but we're wimps. lol

[Debi]

Ah now yours is a house I wouldn't mind being invited to for dinner, Debi.

come on over! just follow that smell of roasted garlic. :)

[hanslynch]

We substitute most of our recipes that call for ground beef with ground turkey as well and all of the sausage that we eat at home is ground turkey. I take that back, we eat bratwurst from time to time and that is ground pork.

The linguini with basil and tomatoes sounds fantastic. Light and fresh.

[Gempress]

I was thinking about what to make for dinner. Since this weather is sooo cold over here, I thought it would be fun to post our favorite cold weather recipes.

Here's what's for dinner at my house tonight:

REAL Chili

*WARNING. This recipe has some kick to it. If you like your chili very mild, don't cook this stuff!*

4 lbs coarsely ground beef + 1 lb ground lamb. But if you prefer, just throw in enough ground meat to equal 5 lbs. I've used everything from turkey to pork to goat in my chili.
1 stalk of celery, minced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
4-6 tablespoons of chili powder. I make my own by grinding up a mixture of dried chiles.
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jar of salsa. Size of the jar depends on how tomato-y you like your chili. I use homemade on this, too, but you can just buy it. It can be mild or super hot, depending on your preference.
cayenne pepper
1 can of chipotle peppers (you can find it in the Mexican ethnic isle)
1 bottle of beer
3 bay leaves
4 tablespoons corn starch
salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
beef broth

Brown the onions and celery in a large pot, over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, then the ground beef. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until beef is well-browned, and drain off excess fat is possible. Ideally, the beef should be sticking a bit to the bottom of the pan. Those little browned bits (browned, not burnt) give an awesome flavor.

Add the beer and salsa. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot until the aforementioned browned bits come loose and dissolve. Add all the bay leaves and 3/4 of the chili powder.

Open the can of chipotle peppers and dice them finely. This can be messy. I find the best way to do this is to just leave the peppers in the open can. Then, stick your kitchen shears in the can and give it a series of good snips. Put all the chiles (liquid included) into the chili.

Turn your heat down to low and simmer for 2-3 hours. If/when your chili needs more liquid, use some beef broth.

After simmering, add the cilantro and the remainder of the chili powder. Check for seasoning. Give it a taste test and adjust flavors accordingly. You'll notice that the chipotle added a nice, smooth heat. Depending on your taste, you might find cayenne pepper unneccessary. But if you want it hotter, add some cayenne.

For the last step, you want to thicken your chili. Pour a bit of beef broth (maybe 2-3 ounces) into a bowl. Add the cornstarch. Cornstarch can be tricky to combine into liquid. I find the best way is to use your *clean* fingers. Simply mix it around and work the lumps out until it's completely dissolved. Then add the broth/cornstarch mixture to the chili and stir immediately. The chili should thicken quickly into a very nice, smooth consistancy.

Then it's time to eat! I eat my chili served over a bowl of steaming white rice. It's also good with corn chips and a little cheese.

You may notice that there are no beans in this chili. BAH! *sniffs and turns up nose* Beans are an insult to real chili, IMHO. Many of the chili contests around here actually have a strict "no beans" rule.

Enjoy!

[Renee750il]

Heheh . . . where's the kick, Gem? ;) Or do you grind habaneros in your chili powder?

[hanslynch]

Wow,

A whole can of chipolte peppers. That would make it just a little bit hot for. I added two to a recipe a month or so ago and you could feel the heat.

[ToscasMom]

I love hot. I also love this chili recipe. I'm drooling here.

[Gempress]

Heheh . . . where's the kick, Gem? ;) Or do you grind habaneros in your chili powder?

Actually, I use my dad's special recipe for salsa in this. It includes toasted seeds from various peppers, which is where all the heat resides. But yeah, chipotle peppers have a heck of a kick to them, too.

However...I think that while I have a formidable definition of spicy, from seeing your posts, I don't think it's on the same level of yours. ;)

EDIT: Oops! I forgot one important step! Add the remaining 1/4 of the chili powder at the same time you add the corn starch thickener!

[Renee750il]

I do tend to go over the top, lol! My Dad calls my chili "Rotgut Chili." He says "when you spit on the floor, you spit a hole in the floor."

[CanadianK9]

Habaneros are where its at, lava when it enters jet fuel when it exits rofl

[ToscasMom]

My father and I used to have hot pepper eating contests.

[Renee750il]

My father and I used to have hot pepper eating contests.

"Used to?"

[CanadianK9]

She cant stand the heat so shes gettin out of the kitchen rofl

[Renee750il]

Ever make stuffed habaneros?

[ToscasMom]

"Used to?"
Yeah. Used to. It's a Regional Thang, meaning we did it in the past.


He's deceased.

[ToscasMom]

My granfather "used to" (snicker) grow long hots that were so freaking hot you had to wear gloves to pick them.

[Renee750il]

Well, you sure sound like you're your father's daughter ;)

I've found it prudent to wear gloves handling peppers since it takes FOREVER to get all the oil out of my skin and at some point before it's gone I invariably forget and rub my eyes :eek: Not that I always take the time to grab a pair of gloves . . .

[ToscasMom]

So, you got a recipe for Stuffed Habaneros?

P.S. "use to" is often coupled with "annaconta I don't wanna" and "did ja eat? No d'jeww?"

[Renee750il]

Not really a recipe. That's another one of those things I tend to make up as I go along, according to what I've got on hand and what else I'm serving.

You know that show where they give a couple of chefs a set bunch of ingredients and they have to make a meal out of them? Amateurs, lol! And for the last couple of years I've been doing it all with an electric skillet, a rice cooker, a decrepit toaster oven and a microwave :eek:

[ToscasMom]

If you know how to cook, you can do it using just about anything. That's why I would rather cook than bake too. You can get more creative. With baking, it's so exact. Yawwn. Sometimes I make things that are soooooooo good. Too bad I already forgot what I did to get there.

[Renee750il]

Heheh . . . stick with me . . . you'll find out baking's not all that stifling ;)

[bubbatd]

Last night I took a can of chicken , added what I had ...green onion, capers and mayo . I had a loaf of French Farmer's bread ...... also some lettuce and avocado salad from night before . Voila ..... great sandwich ! Especially with my whine !

[Zoom]

Easy burritos

1 can of green chili sauce
1 can of refried beans
shredded cojack cheese

Assemble to taste (some people like more beans, some more cheese), roll up and top with sauce and more cheese, zap in microwave for a minute or more, until cheese is melted. Quick, easy and a good source of protein. Just watch the sodium levels. You could always toss in some shredded beef or chicken as well.

[Gempress]

This is my recipe for burgandy beef. While not difficult to make, it is time-consuming. But the results are amazing. This is a great dish to make on a cold winter's day.

Burgandy Beef

5 pounds of beef, cut into 1-inch cubes. Expensive cuts not required...I like to use a 7-bone roast. You can also use that precut stew meat, but I'm too cheap to spend that much.

3 ounces of salt pork (doesn't have to be exact). You can find this at any grocery store, in the meat section. It will look almost entirely made of fat...that's what you want
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced.
3 cloves garlic, minced.
1-2 pounds of white button mushrooms, depending on how "shroomy" your tastes are.
red wine
brandy
2 teaspoons of thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of cooking oil (anything but olive oil)

First, you want to finely dice the salt pork. Put it in a large frying pan or saute pan, add about 1/4 cup of water, and put it over medium/low heat. It will soon start bubbling and smelling heavenly. Cook, stirring occassionally, until the water is evaporated away and the fat is rendered from the salt pork. This takes about 15-30 minutes. You should have a few tablespoons of fat in the pan with random shrunken bits in it. You want just enough to coat the pan well. That's what you'll cook in. I know this seems like a semi-pointless step, but it adds a TON of flavor.

Take the bits out and toss them. If you have more fat than you need, use a spoon and remove some of it. Turn the heat up to high (not the very hottest setting but close to it). Season the beef with salt and pepper and put the chunks into the pan, turning to sear them brown on all sides. Don't put all the meat in at once! If you over-crowd the pan, the meat will just boil and not brown well. You want to be able to have a little clear space around each piece. It usually takes about 3-4 batches. The searing goes very fast, it only takes 5 minutes per batch. The goal is to just brown the meat on the outside, not fully cook it. Put all the meat into a crock pot when done. There may be bits of browned toasted stuff stuck to the bottom of your pan. LEAVE IT! That stuff will add flavor later!

Turn the heat down to medium-high. Add all the chopped veggies, including the garlic, to the same pan and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Sautee until the onions are translucent, and the veggies are semi-tender. Dump the mixture into the pot along with the beef.

Your average button mushroom can be left whole. If you have some big ones, cut them into quarters or halves. Add them to the pan and sautee until they are dark brown and tender. When done, add them to the pot with the rest.

Now, add about 2 cups of red wine to your cooking pan. Use your spatula or spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan well. You want to dissolve all those little toasted bits stuck to the pan---they give awesome flavor! Add the wine to the crock pot. You'll probably have to add more wine: the goal is to add enough to *barely* cover all the ingredients. Then put in a shot of brandy, the thyme and bay leaves.

Put your crock pot on low heat and let it simmer for 4-5 hours. This isn't an exact science....you basically want to simmer until the beef is fork-tender. You can also make this on the stovetop in a soup or stewpot, just keep the heat low.

When the beef is done, taste and check for seasoning. Now it's time to thicken! *note: if you're already happy with the thickness of the broth, you can omit this step.* Take a small frying pan or saucepan and put it over low heat. Put in the 3 tablespoons of oil and the flour. Stir and toast until the flour is a light golden-brown (you now have a roux!) Add it to the crock pot and stir immediately. The sauce in the pot should thicken to a nice, smooth consistency. Turn off the crock pot and serve.

In my house, we eat it either over steamed rice or noodles. But it also goes well with a good crusty bread. Enjoy!

[bubbatd]

Yummmmmm !!!! Haven't made it in years , and I agree with the salt pork !

[Gempress]

By request, I'm also posting my recipe for Italian roasted chicken and veggies. LOL, my recipes are popular today! This dish is soo good. The chicken is roasted right on top of the veggies, and the juices from the bird give the veggies exceptional flavor.

1 whole chicken. It doesn't have to be an expensive roasting bird, just a plain 'ol fryer will do.
olive oil
2 ribs of celery
3 carrots, peeled
3 yellow squash
2-3 red potatoes, depending on size
2 zucchini
1 large sweet onion
2 portabella mushrooms (or 1 lb of crimini "baby bella" mushrooms)
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons dried parmesean cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
small pinch of fennel seed
*you may notice that I recommend dried herbs and cheese. I've found that the fresh herbs and cheese don't stand up well to long roasting.*

Mix all the seasoning together in a small bowl. Cut all the veggies into 2-inch chunks and put in the bottom of a roasting pan. If you're using crimini mushrooms, put them in whole. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a few pinches of the seasoning and toss to coat.

Take your chicken and rub the remaining seasoning all over the bird, inside and out. Also, slide your fingers under the skin to get the seasoning right up next to the meat. Let the flavoring soak in for a bit.

In the meantime, Put the veggies in the oven at 350 degrees and cook for one hour. After an hour, take the pan out. Put the chicken right on top of the hot veggies in the roasting pan. There should be enough veggies that the chicken is actually held up off the pan, kind of like a roasting rack would do. Slide it back into the oven.

Baste the chicken and veggies lightly with the juices from the pan (or with a bit of olive oil) every 45 minutes. If you poke the thigh deeply and the juices run clear, it's done. Or for optimum tenderness, you can do the "wiggle test": grab the leg and try to move it up and down. If the meat starts coming apart easily, it's done. Or...you can just be "new-fangled" and use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. :D Check the veggies, too. They should be fork-tender.

I'm serving this with polenta. But it also goes well with pasta or french bread.

[bubbatd]

Why are you doing this when I'm hungry ?????!!!!!

[Gempress]

LOL, sorry Grammy! I'm getting hungry too. I guess I should get going on dinner!

[noludoru]

Why have I never read this thread before? :confused:

Gempress, your recipes are mouthwatering... I guess it's a good thing I just ate.

I'll have to get our quiche recipe and put it up here. It's very simple and so delicious that when we make three "pies" of it they're all eaten the next day. And that's with only three people in our house.

[bubbatd]

I've got some of my concoction left over from last night ..... need to add something else though .............hmmmmmmmmmmm

[Siberian Mom]

i just made this up late one night when i was starving for something good and not mcdonalds

one large chicken breast cut into smaller pieces seasoned with lots of seasoning salt then fried
in a seprate pot mix about
3-4 tbs of basil pesto
11/2 c sour cream
1/2 c parmasan cheese(i just use the craft stuff)
one minced roasted garlic clove
pepper
and some lemon pepper
after is all hot and the chicken is done mix it together and put on pasta
it real quik and easy and omg is it good

[hanslynch]

Shredded Beef is so simple to make if you have a crockpot.

I usually use either a brisket or a chuck roast but any roast like cut will do. Pretty much you can put anything in a crock pot and it will taste good.

I add 3-4 cups of water, a small can of tomato sauce from Hunts, salt, pepper to taste, red chili powder to taste and a couple teaspons of cumin. Let the meat cook for 8 or 10 hours and remove and shred.

The enchiladas are pretty easy. I make mine like a lasagna instead of trying to roll them up. It is more traditional doing it in layers anyway. Layer corn tortillas, shredded beef, onions, cheese, enchilada sauce (you are going to need at least 2 16 oz cans to do it this way) and then repeat until the pan is full. Cook on 350 for about 40 minutes, cut and serve. I like to garnish with chopped black olive, chopped tomatoes and cilantro.

I like La Victoria for my enchilada sauce but Old El Paso actually makes pretty decent enchilada sauce and it is available most everywhere.

All the best,