Cooking thread

July 22nd, 2014 at 9:57:41 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: FrGamble
That sounds good, I'm going to give it a try, thanks!


You're welcome.

Actually I once added instant coffe to plain, regular yogurt for some reason long forgotten. That started my obbsession with yogurt coffe jello. I've had osme ideas about that lately as well, but I went with the carrot cake instead last week.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 23rd, 2014 at 2:11:06 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
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I carried out a small experiment with marshmallows and a microwave oven. First I took three and put them in for 30 seconds. The resutls were interesting. the pink and white ones puffed a bit and got a gooey interior. The green one puffed to twice its volume, give or take, and was a bit more fluid inside. I thought all were essentially the same and differed only in coloring. it may be the green coloring has different properties.

Next I took another three and placed them in the microwave for one minute. I expected them all to get bigger and mroe fluid. Well, not quite. The green one again grew more than the others, but it also burned. The white and pink dind't burn, but they were not as fluid inside, I think they were about to burn. the green one was a bit less solild, but there was less of it, too.

I'm thinking thirty second will get them as liquified as they're going to get. The next trick is to see whether they can be spread on top of something, or mixed with something. The consistency of the inside after 30 seconds was amazing, but as it cools it gets back to something a bit harder than its old self.

As I recall marshmallows are just water, gelatin, sugar, coloring, flavoring and cornstarch. Perhaps they can be made gooier fom the start (I once looked up how to make them because I wanted to try a cinnamon flavoring). I'll have to revisit that recipe and get a candy thermometer.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 23rd, 2014 at 7:05:47 PM permalink
Mosca
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 22
Posts: 730
Quote: FrGamble
For the first time ever I did real Barbecue on Saturday. I thought barbecue was synonymous with grilling, boy was I wrong. I felt like an artist transforming my charcoal grill into a 2-zone smoker. Keeping the temperature between 235 and 250 using the vents (who knew those grills even had vents?). Putting a tray of water in the bottom underneath 2 slabs of baby back ribs covered with a homemade dry rub. Adding the chunks of hickory. It was A MAZING! Delicious too, it turned out good. I cooked them for two and a half hours and they were perfect for me and the guests.


That is fantastic. I do quite a bit of grilling, barbequeing, and smoking. If you need any questions answered just ask. I get the best information from Amazing Ribs. Meathead is a hedonist, but good food knows no creed.

You want a great grilled chicken recipe? Here you go:

8 boneless, skinless thighs

Mix 2:1 bottled bbq sauce and bottled Italian dressing, enough to coat the chicken. Reserve some bbq sauce. Marinate the chicken for anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours.
Heat the grill to about 375. Grill the chicken, turning frequently, until it is golden brown and a little bit crispy looking. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the reserved sauce.

This is so ridiculously simple, and it gets raved about by everyone who tries it.
July 23rd, 2014 at 10:59:13 PM permalink
Fleastiff
Member since: Oct 27, 2012
Threads: 62
Posts: 7831
Quote: Nareed

So, Kathy's Mocha Yogurt:

1 container Greek non-fat yogurt
1 tsp instant coffee
1-2 tsp (appros. I use one squirt) "light" chocolate syrup

Put everything together in a small bowl and stir well. You're done when you can't see any white and the rest is all a rich light, creamy brown.

Non-fat and yogurt are contradictory terms.

Th least you could do is use real coffee. make a pot of it and freeze it into ice cubes. And real chocolate syrup the heat of which melts the ice cube.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:35:34 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Mosca
You want a great grilled chicken recipe? Here you go:

8 boneless, skinless thighs

Mix 2:1 bottled bbq sauce and bottled Italian dressing, enough to coat the chicken. Reserve some bbq sauce. Marinate the chicken for anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours.
Heat the grill to about 375. Grill the chicken, turning frequently, until it is golden brown and a little bit crispy looking. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the reserved sauce.


This sounds good and I figured I'd try it.

However, I got stuck with a long workday Saturday and I wanted to make other things, so I wound up simplifying it some ways:

About 2:1 BBQ sauce and Italian dressing, 3 cloves of garlic mashed, one tsp. fine herbs crushed, marinated for about 2.5 hours.

Ok. I was too tired to keep cooking at the stove. I just poured the whole thing in an oven-safe dish, added some onion slices and put it in the oven at 190 C for 45 minutes. Oh, and I used chicken breasts becasue that's what I had in the freezer.

I'll let you know how it worked out later. I'm having some for lunch today.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 28th, 2014 at 10:05:05 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
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I also made a different version of unfried rice: Curry unfried rice:

1 cup rice
2.5 cups water
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/3 tsp. ground ginger
1 cube chicken boulion

Boil the water, add the rice, stir, add the spices, stir, keep cooking on lowest heat until the water is consumed. Then mix the rice with the stir-fried veggies (I used soybean sprouts, onions, red bell pepper, jicama and carrots for this batch), add a little soy sauce, stir and serve.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
July 28th, 2014 at 4:21:42 PM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Nareed
I'll let you know how it worked out later. I'm having some for lunch today.


I tried it. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. Kind of sweet and sour, but more subtly so than the regular kind you get at a Chinese restaurant. It also went very nicely with the Curry non-fried rice. I could have added some soy sauce and it would have fit right in.

I may use the BBQ and Italian marinade with some rice vinegar, soy sauce and ginger to make sweet and sour something next week. Wouldn't that be a hoot if it workes? Mix American, Italian (assuming the Italian dressing is Italian; Caesar salad isn't) and Asian to produce and Asian dish?

Thanks for the idea! Please keep them coming!
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
August 4th, 2014 at 11:37:38 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
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I made sweet & sour chicken.

Many thanks to Mosca for the BBQ/Italian sauce foundation. It's perfect for this.

2 half chicken breasts, bonless and skinless and pounded but not flattened, cut into bite-size pieces
About 2 egg whites
about 2 carrots julienne, or sliced thinly
about 1 cup jicama julienne, or sliced thinly
1 bell pepper chopped
1 small/medium onion chopped
about 1.5 cups soybean sprouts
Sesame oil as needed
3 Tbsp soy sauce (divided)
Half a bottle of plain BBQ sauce (I used Hunt's)
About 1/5 bottle Italian dressing
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground ginger


First mix the egg whites with 2 tbsp. soy sauce and ad the chicken. Toss it to coat and stir-fry it with some oil. Set aside.

In a bowl mix the BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, rice vinegar, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, turmeric and ginger. Whisk until you get a smooth color. set aside

Next in the same wok or pan add more oil if needed and stir-fry the onion and bell pepper. After about 5-6 minutes, add the sprouts. After another 6-8 minutes, add the carrots and jicama. continue stir-frying for 7-8 minutes more, or until the carrots are as soft as you want them.

Next lower the heat to minimum, add the chicken and the sauce you prepared earlier. Toss and/or stir to coat everything evenly with the sauce. Put a lid on the wok and let it simmer until a few minutes after the sauce boils.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
August 18th, 2014 at 8:20:24 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
I changed the recipe a bit. Now the chicken is marinated in soy sauce, sherry and pineapple bit (no egg whites), for at least a half hour prior to cooking (2 tbsp. each of soy sauce and sherry). I cooked the chicken along with the pineapple bits, BTW. It works rather well. After it's all done save for simmering the sauce, I add a few more pineapple bits to the mix. I used canned pineapple slices in syrup, drained. It's a lot easier than dealing with a fresh pineapple (too much work).

Why? Because in Chinese restaurants here sweet and sour dishes usually come with pineapple in them. I like it. I may try adding cucumbers next time; that's another popular addition at local Chinese restaurants.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER
August 26th, 2014 at 8:29:11 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
My latest quick yogurt dessert:

Plain non-fat greek yogurt
1-2 tbsp. strawberry marmalade, with real, and big, pieces of strawberry (I used low sugar)
Chocolate syrup.

Mix the yogurt and marmalade until you get a consistent, pinkish mix. Drizzle some chocolate syrup on top. Eat.


I suppose it could work with a different kind of fruit marmalade, but I find strawberries go rather well with chocolate.
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER