Our Favourite Recipes

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
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BlueChair
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Our Favourite Recipes

Post by BlueChair »

I was inspired by Who Shot Sam's query to create a thread where we could share our favourite recipes. I'll kick it off with two delicious soups, one my mother sent me, and another from the Moosewood collection.

CURRIED CARROT SOUP (BlueChair's mom's recipe)

¼ cup butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp curry powder
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced
4 bouillon cubes
6 cups water
Dash nutmeg
3 Tbsp sherry
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives for garnish

1. Melt butter in large saucepan
2. Saute the onion and curry powder until soft
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil
4. Simmer until carrots are tender about 20 minutes
5. Puree the soup in a blender, processor or food mill
6. Return to saucepan and heat through

Artichoke Soup Provencal (courtesy of Moosewood)

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes
2 1/2 cups peeled and chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
5 cups vegetable stock or water
5 artichoke hearts, cut into quarter (14 ounce can)
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
ground black pepper to taste

1. Warm the olive oil in a nonreactive soup pot. Add the onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt and bay leaves and saute on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil; then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3. Add the artichoke hearts, sherry and saffron to the soup pot and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the lemon juice, orange juice and orange peel and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Season to taste with black pepper and discard the bay leaves. Done! Yum!
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
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pophead2k
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by pophead2k »

I posted this once a long time ago, but with all the cold weather, it merits another shot. The bacon and the beer make this chili unique:

Pophead's Chili

1/2 pound bacon
1.5 pounds ground beef, turkey, chicken or sirloin tips
3 cans beans (kidney, great northern, pinto etc.)
2 medium to dark beers
1 large onion chopped
1 or two large cans diced tomatoes
cyan
chili powder
cumin

Cook bacon in skillet until crispy and set aside, drain most of the bacon grease but leave enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Saute the onion for a few minutes and then add the meat of your choice. Once meat is browned dump it and the onions into a dutch oven or stock pot. Pour one beer into the skillet to deglaze and then dump into pot. Crumble bacon and add to pot.

Add beans and tomatoes to pot, topping with the other beer. Start seasoning with a table spoon of chili powder and slightly less of cumin plus a dash of cyan. Bring to boil then simmer for an hour or so, scraping the seasonings from the side of the pot. Taste and re-season as needed.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Interesting. Do Americans normally add bacon/ham/pork to their chilli (religious persuasion permitting)? A friend of mine from Madison makes a mean one and does, but with bigger chunks, not fried and crumbled. Sounds great. Interested in the idea of chicken or turkey. Would stick to beef myself. Sirloin tips? I have a good recipe that recommends non-ground beef, i.e. stewing steak. Tried it and it does work well.

The thing that caught my eye was cyan. To me this means the colour blue (as in printing and pure blue, CMYK, all that). But it's a kind of pepper, right? Surprisingly impossible to find info on it online. Found a picture of steak with it, looks red, like cayenne. Is it another name for cayenne? (Doubt it as surely that would be in the chilli powder.) I've stopped using chilli powder. I use cumin (always with freshly toasted and ground seeds - makes a big difference and very quick and easy to do) and fresh chilli peppers, which always gives a better depth of flavour. I also add some Spanish pimentón, which is like a smokier version of paprika.

The beer is interesting. There was a programme here with mad boffin chef Heston Blumenthal trying to make the perfect chilli. He went to somewhere in the US for a chilli tasting festival, and his favourite included bourbon.
Image

How big are those beers? 250ml? 330 ml? I want to try your recipe out, see if I can impress my chilli-loving kids with a new style.

My 12 year old is a keen budding cook, mostly into baking, but last night made dinner using a meatball recipe from the Guardian aimed at getting kids in the kitchen. he needed help at various points, but it turned out a treat. Best home-made meatballs we've had, better than my usual recipe (possible due to parmesan in the meatballs as well as on top, and the milk soaked bread bread was good too).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... od-recipes
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pophead2k
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by pophead2k »

Thank you for picking that up! I must have been in a colorful mood. Yes, I meant cayenne, and as a long time New Orleanian, I could be put in the stocks for spelling that incorrectly! :oops:
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

I see! No wonder I found it hard to find any info on cyan, the pepper.

So what purpose does the chilli powder serve? Since I tried the recipe which recommended just chilli + cumin, I ditched it, though I do like a little smokiness from the pimentón, I almost never use cayenne as I think you always get a better depth of flavour and a more natural high from fresh or even dried chillis.

Image

The two modes of pimentón; picante and dulce. I assume it's used in Mexico, but am not sure. It's more exciting than paprika.

I need an online source in the UK for chipotle peppers.
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pophead2k
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by pophead2k »

Agreed that fresh/dried always better than powdered. My recipe is meant for a quick Sunday morning 'throw it on the stove and let it simmer while I watch football' treatment. I use chili powder as it is a combo of several dry ingredients added all at once (onion powder, paprika, etc.). The great thing about chili is the endless array of combinations and adjustments you can make to create your own favorite.
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Who Shot Sam?
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I need an online source in the UK for chipotle peppers.
Here you go...

http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/product.php? ... t=0&page=1

Hopefully they will re-stock soon.

I assume you want them dried and not in adobo sauce?
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Thanks for doing my googling for me! Yes that looks like a good source. My receipe calls for 'chipotles en lata', i.e. in the tin, implying that's the standard way with Mexicans, but I'm not sure what the adobo sauce is going to do to it. Further research required. I can order both and try the same recipe to see how it goes.
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RedShoes
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by RedShoes »

Reviving this thread to post a recipe for a dish we made over the weekend... Risotto alla Primavera. A nice change from our usual mushroom risotto:

Ingredients:

6 1/2 cups (about) vegetable broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 8-ounce onion, chopped
1 medium leek (white part only), sliced crosswise into thin rings
2 stalks green garlic, chopped, or 1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups arborio rice or carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup 1-inch pieces thin asparagus
1 cup freshly shelled small peas or petite frozen peas (about 1/4 pound)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

Preparation:

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Cover; keep warm over low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic. Sauté until wilted and almost tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir until rice is translucent at edges but still opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add wine; simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 1 minute. Add broth 1 cup at a time until rice is about half cooked, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, about 9 minutes. Stir in asparagus, peas (if using fresh), and parsley. Continue adding broth by cupfuls and stirring until rice is almost tender, about 6 minutes longer. Add peas (if using frozen). Cook until rice is tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Add 3/4 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir until cheese and butter melt. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese alongside.

Very very tasty. Pictures and more info here.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

This is your own blog, right? My sympathy to Blue, if so. nice pics, although there's lots of green part of the leek too! (No harm in that.) I adore risotto. It's not hard to know when it's just right with practice. Essential to retain a certain amount of creaminess. If it's all too absorbed when you serve, it becomes hard work. Good stock makes all the difference, and I've been very please using the fabulous Marigold Swiss bouillon, a powdered veg stock, especially good in the slightly more expensive organic version. Don't know if you can get it in Canada. In Italy I bought an equivalent that was also very good. In fact, the one I made there last year was probably the best of my life. Usual approach, but I guess it's something in the local produce, the air, the context that makes it perfect.
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Who Shot Sam?
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by Who Shot Sam? »

It was my boy's seventh birthday yesterday and he requested that I make his favorite - Memphis dry rub ribs. I'd just gotten the grill out last week. Here's the recipe. I keep them on the grill for about 2.5 hours on very low indirect heat...

I may have posted this before but it's so good it merits another look. Besides, summer is not far away!

MEMPHIS DRY RUB RIBS

2 racks baby back ribs (about 4-5 pounds)

For the rub:

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the mop sauce (optional, but I do it - gives the ribs a nice twang):

2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon salt

I also use 2 cups hickory chips or chunks, soaked in cold water and put into a makeshift aluminum foil bowl, under the grill rack in the front left corner.


Wash the ribs and blot dry.

Combine the ingredients for the rub in mixing bowl. Rub the mixture on the ribs on both sides. Transfer the ribs to a roasting pan and let marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the mop sauce.

Place the ribs on the grill over low, indirect heat (turn off the center burner and just use the front and rear burners on the lowest possible setting) and cover the grill. Start basting with mop sauce after 30 minutes, basting every 20 minutes. Cook the ribs for 2-2 1/2 hours until done. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and it has shrunk back from the ends of the bones.

Transfer the ribs to a cutting board or platter. Eat!
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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pophead2k
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Re: Our Favourite Recipes

Post by pophead2k »

Here's an easy and decadently heart-clogger of a fish recipe.

Take a filet or two of the white fish of your choice. Melt a stick of butter. Place the filets in a shallow baking dish and cover in the butter. Pour in a split of champagne. Cover and bake until fish is done.

One of the most mouth-wateringly delicious recipes I've ever made.

Enjoy!
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