Cooking and Recipes

[Keith]

I wanted to start a thread about cooking and recipes and see how it goes.

I enjoy cooking a lot. I find it very soothing and relaxing. It's like therapy for me, especially if I am creating something new. Taking a recipe and making it my own by adding and subtracting ingredients is fun. I tend to use a lot of cumin, my favorite spice!

I was inspired to start this thread because I am making a soup in my crockpot tonight so I will have it to bring to work for lunch tomorrow. It's a 15 bean soup with garlic, onion, tomatoes, smoked ham hocks, cumin, pepper, ginger, thyme, bay leaf and a dash of chili powder. In the morning, I'll add a little rice. Homemade soups are such a comfort food in this cold weather!

I made a really quick soup (five minutes) for dinner tonight, too. It's my own version of Egg Drop Soup and my friends enjoy it. Here's the recipe...

1 can Chicken Broth

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Corn Starch - slightly rounded, but not heaping.

3 eggs (yolk optional. I use one.)

Pepper to taste

Hot Sauce (a dash - optional)

Pour broth in a pan and fill the can with water. Pour half the water in a mug and the rest in with the broth. Add soy sauce and pepper (and hot sauce) to broth and heat until it just begins to boil. While it's heating up, add corn starch to mug of water and mix. When broth is almost boiling, add corn starch mixture. Stir and reheat. While that's heating up, break eggs into the mug and beat with a fork. As the soup just starts to bubble around the edges, drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup and remove from the heat. The eggs cook instantly, so don't leave it on the heat.

So, do any of you have any favorite recipes? Cooking tips? Tips for leftovers or freezing? Do you like crockpots? Cast Iron? Do you cook/bake with anyone? Is it fun or a chore? Are you left with a messy kitchen or do you "clean as you go"?

[tillmother]

I JUST LOVE TO USE MY CROCKPOT. I USUALLY CLEAN AS I GO. I HATE MESSES. YES I DO HAVE A FAVORITE RECIPE; BUT I DON'T HAVE IT HANDY RIGHT NOW. I'LL POST IT LATER THOUGH. IT'S A SOUP RECIPE. I REALLY LOVE SOUP OF ALL KINDS.

[Keith]

Good to hear from you Tilly! (Mind if I call you Tilly?!)

I just decided to add some red bell pepper and celery to my bean soup! Create as you go! The red bell pepper I'll add in the morning with the rice so neither of them get soggy. Celery can slow cook all night and adds a great flavor. Only a small amount of celery, though, so it doesn't compete with the smoked ham hocks.

[Constant]

Here is a Greek recipe:

Filo dough

salted butter

spinach

feta cheese

eggs

oven at 350

shallow cookie pan lay out filo dough

brush it with melted butter

do about 5 layers of buttered filo dough

mix spinach, feta, eggs together and add on top of dough

add 5 more buttered layers of filo dough on top

pinch all corners

cook 30 minutes

[Keith]

Greek/Mediterranean food is incredible! Thanks for the recipe!

I have a great recipe for turkey. It's the juiciest bird you'll ever have and only takes two hours to cook!

I use Honeysuckle White brand turkeys. (Not a Butterball fan.)

Place turkey in roasting pan and lightly coat with olive oil and any spices you like. I use pepper, onion powder and garlic salt. DO NOT STUFF THE TURKEY.

Add one can of chicken broth to pan and cook at 450 degrees for one hour. (The high heat sears the skin and seals in all the juices. No basting needed, which doesn't make the bird any juicier anyway.

After one hour, add another can of chicken broth and turn the oven down to 350 degrees for another hour. That's it! It turns out to be a gorgeous looking turkey, too. People always ask for extra skin with theirs.

If the timer on the turkey hasn't popped-up after two hours, give it another 15 minutes. Usually only necessary if the bird is over 20 lbs.

I then use the broth and drippings to make homemade gravy.

I made this recipe for Thanksgiving at the homeless shelter for over ten years. I always had to bring at least 50 copies of the recipe with me because so many people would ask for it. It's called, "Two Hour Turkey... Honest!" I got it from a catering friend of mine when I woke up late Thanksgiving morning one year and didn't think I'd have time to make the turkeys for the shelter! I called my friend for advice and she gave me this recipe.

[Constant]

Here's another great recipe:

rotini noodles

feta cheese

black olives

chicken strips

red bell peppers

purple onion

parm cheese

cook chicken strips in olive oil

cook noodles

add all ingredients together

the fet cheese will melt

This dish is easy to make and tastes great cold

[Keith]

You're a feta cheese girl, aren't you Constant?! LOL Are you part Greek?

Another great recipe! Pasta-wise, I like angel hair. I can see this recipe with angel hair pasta! Although I would definitely use the rotini if I wanted to have it cold.

[Constant]

Yes I am Greek Albanian Portugese and French! Love feta cheese. I grew up with a bunch of greeks! This is a great thread! Thanks for bringing it to us.

Southern Baked Beans

2 cans beans and pork

brown sugar

chopped sweet onion

mustard

ketchup

maple syrup

strips of uncooked smoked bacon

Mix all ingredients together and bake uncovered for 40 minutes

It tastes awesome!

[Constant]

Okay, what can I say. I am a recipe junkie

Lasagna:

lasagna noodles

ricotta cheese

eggs

tomato sauce

whole tomatos

hamburg

onion

pepper

whole garlic

sugar ( OH YEAH! )

mozzerella cheese

swiss cheese

cheddar cheese

cream cheese

set oven at 350

in a pot, saute hamburg, onion, pepper, garlic

add tomatos

first layer is sauce mixture

2nd layer is noodles, mozz, swiss, cheddar

3rd layer noodles, sauce mixture

4th layer cream cheese- dollip all over noodles

continue to build your creation

Don't cover when you put in oven

cook til bubbly

last layer add rest of shredded cheeses

[Can Do (Phil 4:13)]

Easy one for ya.... CHOCOLATE And all the women say AMEN

LOL

YSIC

Faithie